Onipa'a

Our Aloha to President Obama,

In this time of crisis (and offensive, loudmouthed, pigheaded opposition):

Take your stand and be steadfast in doing what is right no matter what others say.

(This was the motto of Queen Liliuokalani who was overthrown by the Americans in 1893. Since 1993, the centennial commemoration of that event, Onipa'a has become a rallying cry for Hawaiians seeking redress and Hawaiian sovereignty).

-- translation by Mary Kawena Pukui in Olelo No'eau

How Tired Would You Be?

One of my more conservative friends sent me a piece on how tired Barack is getting, pointing out the sub-empire greeting given to British Prime Minister Brown.

While I do agree that a pack of DVDs is not a thoughtful gift and certainly not as thoughtful as
Prime Minister Brown's, there is some irony in that because we are such a celebrity driven culture. (when you forgot about the omiyage, grab a dvd).

My friend highlighted the passages of his biggest boo-boos during the visit and the article commented heavily on how tired he is.

I now find myself wanting to protect my former fifth grade student, and to say as my father used to: "We don't need freedom OF the press, we need freedom FROM the press." Get some rest, Barack. And God Bless You.

Peace Out

As my son used to say. Just had to share this picture.

Two outsiders who have and are taking a lot of c--- to do their best on behalf of this broken world.

Peter Orszag Beats Back John King

Just watched an interview with John King and Peter Orszag. Orszag's metaphor that the administration was a relief pitcher coming into this game in the 9th inning was apt, but in fact, he should have compared it to the eight hour 25 inning game between Chicago and Milwaukee that ended in Chicago's favor 7-6 in 1984.

OBAMA USES ALL THE TOOLS: OLD AND NEW.

The "old" media all over the country reported on the President's new stimulus logo. What can we make of this? You've got to tell and sell your story -- and that applies to everyone.

Given that opponents of the stimulus package aren't going to help, it's all the more important that the President and his supporters control the message so we get the essence of this "brand."

We said it a long time ago: "The brand IS the thing." "The government is taking major steps to make the stimulus package as transparent as possible with the new recovery.gov website, but it also appears to be branching out in another area: branding."( Wall Street Journal )"Graphic design is supposed to communicate meaning through symbols, and the new logo does a workmanlike job of that. It suggests patriotism with its flag-shaped stars, infrastructure with its gears, health care with its red cross and green technology with its plant. The only words are "recovery.gov," the Web site where Americans can track the progress of stimulus projects." (Chicago Tribune)