small men … given unfettered power and authority, … do incompetent, stupid, and evil things

The Daily Dish | By Andrew Sullivan (January 25, 2009) – The Bush-Cheney Wreckage
I’m reminded of something John Cole said the other day: “The moral of this story is not the danger for Obama going forward with his Gitmo decommissioning, the moral is that when venal, shallow, small men are given unfettered power and authority, [...]

Hear hear

First Words and Deeds—By Scott Horton (Harper’s Magazine)
We are not witnessing the articulation of a new “Obama doctrine.” Rather it is the triumph of tradition and experience over eight years of aberrant bad judgment.

Obama not quite so wholesome

Its a been a heady period – a bit like watching the Australian Open to see the rise and rise of a tennis star – and reading reams of autobiographical press that probe through interviews for ‘qualities’ that make this hero. These days we are indulging in Dokic and this morning there was tensing news: [...]

Generation O

I missed this by a decade – even though I went for Obama. So its not about people like me.
Word Spy – Generation O
n. The generation of people approximately 18 to 35 years old who voted for or supported Barack Obama in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
Example Citations:Generation O is that college kid at the [...]

Obama slogan for the ultra right

NDTV.com: Uma dreams of becoming India’s Obama
Bharatiya Janshakti Party president Uma Bharti’s latest slogan is “Yes we can”. It worked for Obama, Uma is now asking, why wont it do wonders for her too?
“When I saw him taking oath, you cannot believe I thought I was taking oath. I felt I have become President of [...]

Politics and Design

In 1998 I wrote a paper and presented it at a conference – the paper was called “Commodity fetishism and the need for theory building in Design”. It was one of those rare events where I showed my work – and talked about how we must all do less of ‘yet another chair’ – and [...]

Does Obama Really “Get” Innovation? Not Really

I have in recent days been looking at curricula in design schools all over. You would have seen posts here about how service design is the management-wallahs (and there are many among us in design who find management a big turn on) gaining prominence, how interaction design is the computer-science-wallahs gaining prominence (and their position [...]

Another year comes to an end

Its November – and I have finished my teaching for the year. So I am not thinking of my students – but am focussing upon the world of ideas. Typically in this period I reconnect with the core of by practice. I was asked yesterday – what my dreams these days are. I said I [...]

Obama White House Wishlist: ‘Office of Social Entrepreneurship’

Social Entrepreneurship – Change.org: Obama White House Wishlist: ‘Office of Social Entrepreneurship’
The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported yesterday that influential progressive think tanks New Democracy Fund and the Center for American Progress are advocating for the creation of a White House Office for Social Entrepreneurship.
While Obama had advocated for a Social Entrepreneurship Agency on the campaign [...]

Obama-Man

In june I took the will.I.am you tube video soundtrack and made a ring tone out of it. Obama made me acquire skills in Audacity. I sent it to some friends and colleagues – and they looked at me oddly. Needless to say – my plan for a viral campaign where the public spaces of [...]

Yes We Can – Barack Obama Music Video

mmm …I took the audio from this video and made it into my ring tone. That was in June.

more about “Yes We Can – Barack Obama Music Video“, posted with vodpod