Ah, some GOOD news for a change! This NYTimes piece on microfinance might sound like another boring financial page filler, but in fact it's about lending circles in developing countries, like India, which give small amounts of money to fellow villagers to help build self-sufficiency. The loans are repaid at a phenomenal rate, up to 95%, better than the biggest banks in the world. Many of these micro-banks are women-operated, and are changing not only the financial world but basic ways of life for impoverished women and their families. Yay!