The Cult of Personality… and the Cult

What a week!  The introduction of Apple iPad and State of the Union delivered by Barack Obama.  It was an incredibly persuasive speech by a charismatic leader trying to take over the U.S. economy and control the way every American lives.  But we’ll discuss  Steve Jobs launching the iPad later.

The Cult of Personality  (The idealized and heroic public image of a nation’s leader)

First, the State of the Union Address.  You know, I don’t see any reason to buy one of those expensive Jane Fonda-type work-out videos.  I just watch the speech and stand when Nancy Pelosi stands to clap, and sit when she sits.   I only made it half way through the speech

President Obama looking in the distance and thinking of something lofty while the nation applauds

until I nearly collapsed in exhaustion.

It’s amazing. No – I mean their stamina.  I wonder if they spend all fall working out in preparation of applauding at the big speech.

But my favorite part was when talking about job growth internationally, Obama delivered the line, “I do not accept second place for the United States of America.”  And then something happened that I’m going to hazard a guess has never happened in that hallowed chamber.  The congressmen and congresswomen broke out in a chant of , “We’re number one!  We’re number one!”  Really!

That’s a little embarrassing on the world stage.  Now I don’t mind patriotism.  In fact, we encourage it at MullerOver headquarters.  I do mind it appearing the there’s little difference between a constitutionally required gathering of our nations leaders and a fraternity keg party.

The Cult  (The blind and faithful devotion of the followers of Steve Jobs)

And then on the other coast this week, there was another gathering.  There was an anxious buzz among his followers for days.  The all-powerful leader was

Jobs standing in front of the new, house sized iPod

going to speak directly to them.   The anticipation was palpable.  And then he appeared on stage, larger than life.  Some in the audience fainted.  Many wondered if he was a mere mortal.

But he did it again.  Steve Jobs developed something that no one could have imagined.  Something that only a mad genius like himself could devise.  He took an iPod Touch … and then … made it bigger!

After years of taking the iPod and making it smaller in the Nano and eventually to the inevitable atomic scale, Jobs now decided to go the other way.  A book sized iPod and soon, as seen to the right, a 12 foot iPod that three people must be available to navigate.

As we discussed before at MullerOver, we like Apple.   In fact, I had the original Apple II+ before “Pong” became the craze.  But something happened while we all moved on with our Windows desktops.  Remember the Dead Heads of the 70′s and 80′s?  Well, Jerry Garcia wished he got the adoration that Mac users have for their their devices.   The difference is the drugs of choice for the Grateful Dead are far less addictive.

The Weekly Wrap-up

So, there you have it.  Two great speeches by two powerful leaders:  One who creates jobs.  And one Jobs who creates.    At the rate things are going in the polls however, it appears that the last job opening that President Obama will create will be his own.