Obama wins over villains and saves global economy!

Obama takes on the threat poised by Darth Vader even before he took office

Obama dances, fights, computes complex algorithms, makes calls, and, above all, sells fast.

Liam from blog.com.mt sent me a set of products featuring Obama that were launched to mark Obama’s inauguration. These range from dolls to mobile phones to t-shirts and even virus software.

The action doll in picture above is produced by Japanese company Gamu Toys. 

Clearly, this toy firm is following the likes of Citibank, GM and Bank of America in placing its trust in Obama’s special powers. 

Here’s the facebook message from Liam with all the links:

Subject: Obama stuff

Just for fun since I know you would be interested in Obama inpired stuff and how people are using him all over the place as a money generator

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://i.gizmodo.com%2F5136576%2Fbest-obama-action-figure-ever-battles-darth-vader-terrorists-karaoke

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://i.gizmodo.com%2F5127632%2Fobama-imini-pet-ipod-dock-is-either-offensive-or-fantastic

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://i.gizmodo.com%2F5135447%2Fobama-inspired-shirts-from-fastmac-one-day-sale-for-444

http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://i.gizmodo.com%2F5131960%2Fkenya-hearts-barack-with-first-obama%2Bbranded-cellphone

And best of all, even Malware programmers are taking the opportunity:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http://i.gizmodo.com%2F5136077%2Fdo-not-download-obamaexe

Update: After that Teodor from Schlock Magazine pointed out that Obama also co-starred in a Spider-Man comic, here’s an update sent by Daniel via Facebook:

Here’s what the BBC said about Obama’s presence. If you want a preview of the comic, click here.

Global problems require social solutions

I’ve had problems logging onto the internet all morning but, finally, I managed.

I am still energised by the extremely important role the inernet played yesterday during President Obama’s inaguruation. It was fantastic seeing people comment on Twitter and Facebook and watching the inauguration live on Cnn.com/live. 

However, as soon as I came back to check the market’s reaction following Obama’s inauguration speech, I found that that the outlook on Wall Street was still bleak. Why?

Wall Street thrives on results. But, so far, we have only seen rhetoric coming from Obama. So that might be a reason. However, I think there’s more than what meets the eye.

Let’s assume that financial markets are places where people meet to take decisions. Now, we all know that the best decisions are informed-decisions. So we need informaton in order to take decisions.

Are we sure the kind of information markets are receiving is enough? I don’t think so. The current crisis is proof of wrong decisions taken on wrong information.

This means information needs to change. How? Social media might be the answer.

In fact, the World Economic Forum, which groups more than 2,500 experts from al over the world is this year using MySpace and YouTube to get the reactions of normal people ahead of a summit with a special title: Shaping the Post-Crisis World.

The post-crisis world should be based on greater social itneraction. We are already witnessing the beginning of change. But more needs to be done.

Obama fails to warm Wall Street stocks

Obama’s inauguration did not manage to prevent Wall Street index S&P 500 from falling 8.7%, reaching its lowest levels in fourteen years.

The worst performers in the United States markets today were banks where doubts were raised on the results Wells Fargo is expected to issue tomorrow. Wells Fargo was one of the better managed banks during the financial crisis.

Banks, or rather, the duration of their bailout, was also a cause of concern in Britain where The Guardian reports that banks in Britain may be nationalised for as much as ten years. 

This shows us that all that long-lasting change needs is a signature on a piece of paper. If it’s for the better, then that’s a different question.

Obama to bask in $150 million party

Obama shall celebrate his inauguration on Tuesday with a gala costing $150 million, says the AP.

I find this shocking given the current state of affairs in the United States.

Obama will solve the global financial crisis in a day – Amnesty

It will take Obama just one day to solve the global financial crisis and 20 days to reverse climate change, says an advert by Amnesty International released today.

Impossible? Amnesty International agrees, but it also says that Obama’s pledges on human righs are not impossible to achieve launching an online petition and checklist to this end.

 “We’re not asking for the impossible from Barack Obama, just that the USA makes a clean break with the past and begins to stand up for human rights,” Amnesty International’s UK director Kate Allen told The Guardian.

You can see the checklist and sign the petition here.

Obama’s recovery plan is gender balanced – aide argues

Efforts were made to stimulate growth in employment rates for both men an women, argues Christina Romer, the soon-to-be chair of a comittee of economy advisers in the White House in a YouTube interview.

These comments came after women’s groups in the US started voicing their concern that the stimulus plan would largely target the male dominated construction and manufacturing industries.

From The Huffington Post:

In conversations with several women’s issues officials, you do indeed get the sense of legitimate worry that the makeup of the stimulus package will be too focused on construction and manufacturing — traditionally male areas of work.

“There is great concern,” Martha Burk, formerly chair of National Council of Women’s Organizations, told the Huffington Post, “not only that women won’t get the jobs, but that unemployment itself is not helping women in the same numbers as men.”

 

We should follow the example set by Obama and make gender equality one of the main targets when creating policy.

Will Obama manage to change the economy’s direction?

Obama’s counting on cross-party support in Congress as he says today his plan might create up to four million jobs in the US.

Unemployment rate in the US is at record low since WWII after more than 2.6 million Americans lost their job in 2008.