For those that have not read it, one term is Economic Outpatient Care (EOC).

All joking aside, it's pretty amazing what this organization has contributed to global health, education, etc, over the past several years:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_%26_Melinda_Gates_FoundationBtw, having worked for MSFT for a long time, I can promise you that employees of the company make a LOT more jokes about their own products than people outside the company make...there is plenty to joke about

The economical impact that it would have had in the states would be ridiculous.

Jon's solution of an early termination fee seems reasonable.Depending on the economic prosperity of the community, I would push for perhaps a 3 year lease with two one-year options.

Just stay away from owning gold, balancing the budget, the Austrian school of economics, or any other "extremist" notions.

(His health is getting bad).

That still sucks if you're one of the thousands, but overall it's not a major threat to the financial health of the industry.Just my opinion, of course...I could certainly be wrong...

I may be way off, but I think the morons running this country will come up with some other genius idea that will have no foresight at all and contribute even more to our economic demise.

In the FOMC statement they say "The Committee currently anticipates that economic conditions--including low rates of resource utilization and a subdued outlook for inflation over the medium run--are likely to warrant exceptionally low levels for the federal funds rate at least through mid-2013."

Social stability in China depends on economic growth, which is coming from exports.