Years of Poems and Spirits

“As a Christian I am completely opposed to the doctrines of Mormonism,” he said. “But I’m not voting for a preacher. I’m voting for a president. It boils down to who can best represent conservative American beliefs, not religious beliefs.”
—Bob Jones III when he announced his support of Mitt Romney (see article ).

I can’t believe I am quoting Bob Jones. Yet I have not heard such a heart-felt endorsement of the separation of Church and State for a long while. Shame to so many “moderate” liberals: instead of kissing your conservative bullies rear, you could have gone to BJ University!

Yunus came to campus today to give a speech. General impressions:
1. A dynamic speaker who has a very compelling story: an economics professor in a Tenn college, went back to Bangladesh after independence. One day found out 42 poor neigbhors needing total of $27 from loan sharks. That is how everything started.
2. Anti-system: the “system” creates and traps poverty. Banks won’t consider lending to the poor even after being proved wrong. He did everything against the system convention: lending to the poor, turning 99% male clientelee to 97% female, established a “begger program” that has 100K members.
3. Built everything based on raw trust: banking at client’s house in Bangladesh. Thousands staff members going door to door to collect tiny payments. No forms, collaterals, etc.
4. Turning the system resources to his advantage after being recognized: Grumin phone, yugort factories, etc.
5. 90+% repayment rate, 7 million clients out of a population of 150 million

Q&A at reception: very unstructural, very anti-system, does not sound like an economist at all.

Hiked to Granite Mountain this past Sat. 10/13. Best fall color ever seen in my 8 years here. Awesome!