Actually I’m in Portland, Oregon today, at the Net Impact Conference at the Oregon Convention Center, and will be on a panel this afternoon at 3:30 “What’s Next for Microfinance?” with my colleagues Mary Ellen Iskendarian of Women’s World Banking and Alex Counts of Grameen Foundation, and will be signing books at the Convention bookstore afterwards. Net Impact is a 20,000 member whose mission is “to inspire, educate, and equip individuals to use the power of business to create a more socially and environmentally sustainable world.”
The stop in Leavenworth, Kansas was for a board meeting of Cereal Ingredients, Inc., a small but innovative company that makes flavors and colors for cereal companies, protein bars, snack foods and even dog food. Leavenworth is also the site of “Camp Fed” which houses all the white collar criminals and will likely soon be home to former Goldman Sachs director and head of McKinsey, Mr. Gupta, once he exhausts his war chest and all his appeals. As with Martha Stewart, I’m left scratching my head as to why someone who was obviously already awash in dough felt the need to cheat to make even more. Innocent until proven guilty, of course. In the meantime, timely fodder for the gang laying seige to Wall Street.
Seeing the rolls of concertina wire atop the chain fence surrounding Camp Fed I was briefly transported back to Kabul and fortress-like defenses of the embassies, hotels and office buildings there. Oh, and Hamid, such a helpful statement that if the U.S. went to war with Pakistan, you would side with Pakistan. You don’t just bite the hand that feeds you, you take the arm off at the shoulder. But I guess you thought it was a good way to keep the ISI assassins off your trail for another day or two? Whadevah.
Finally, thanks to Kevin Nenstiel for his insightful review of my book on Amazon. I always appreciate it when someone “gets” what I was trying to do.

Rupert