The only references to Ron Davies during the briefing came from the journalists and the only assertion being put to me that I agreed with was that there were some elements of the past week that I could not fully explain, as was the case then.
My reasons for this ranged from petty and annoying personality clashes with someone to their being extraordinarily high maintenance clients, making me terribly unmotivated to do work with or for them.
On that score, the momentum amongst Russian policymakers to the BRIC concept is even stronger than I recalled, and being on a panel with a number of them and representatives from the other BRIC nations left me positively impressed that it is not just talk.
Finally, let me just say that the Czechs continue to inspire the world with their own transition frombeing behind the Iron Curtain to freedom and democracy.
He apparently sees no reason to agree withme (or Americans who earn fixed incomes from their savings accounts) that consumer spending is being constrained by the Fed giving us zero return on our money.