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Obamas Give Queen Elizabeth an iPod
Posted by
samzenpus
on Thu Apr 02, 2009 06:57 AM
from the obama-save-the-queen dept.
from the obama-save-the-queen dept.
Ponca City, We love you writes "What did the Obamas give Queen Elizabeth II on Wednesday when they arrived at Buckingham Palace? An Obama aide reported the queen was given an iPod loaded with video and photos of her 2007 trip to the United States, as well as songs and accessories. She also received a rare songbook signed by the composer Richard Rodgers. The gift issue had come up after Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited the White House last month. Mr. Brown gave Mr. Obama a pen holder carved from the timber of an anti-slave ship, receiving in return a DVD box set of American movies, igniting a torrent of criticism in the British press. According to news reports, the queen gave the Obamas a silver-framed signed photograph — a gift she gives to all visiting dignitaries."
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It's not an iPod (Score:5, Funny)
(RP joke, for the humour impaired).
Re:It's not an iPod (Score:5, Insightful)
I wish there was a "± 0 Confusing" mod point...
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Re:It's not an iPod (Score:5, Funny)
Well, if it's Royal, surely it should be a "we"Pod rather than an iPod or onePod?
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Re:It's not an iPod (Score:5, Informative)
Umm, no, he's making fun of how the royals pronounce vowels (the clue is RP = Received Pronunciation, look it up on wikipedia)
Or maybe IHBT...
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Problem with DVDs was... (Score:5, Funny)
...that the Region 1 DVD's didn't play in Brown's Region 2 player. On his next visit Obama will give him a modding kit.
Re:Problem with DVDs was... (Score:5, Funny)
Rumours that Station X at Bletchley Park is to be re-opened in order to decrypt 'important data received on disk-based media from a high level US government source' remain unconfirmed. In other news, the Obama Administration has not yet commented on the suggestion that all gifts intended for European dignitaries for the duration of the recession were bulk-purchased in the Circuit City closing down sale.
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Re:Problem with DVDs was... (Score:5, Funny)
Michelle: So, Mr. President, did you remember to pack the first-edition Walden that I wrapped for the Queen and put on your desk this morning?
Barack: He removes his iPod earbuds, and we hear the music softly before he presses 'pause' on the iPod resting on his lap. I'm sorry, honey, what were you saying?
Michelle: I was just checking to be sure you remembered the gift for the Queen. You know what happened last time.
Barack:
Michelle: Barack?
Barack: I
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Re:Problem with DVDs was... (Score:5, Informative)
I'm guilty of buying a region-enforcing Pioneer at Best Buy. I had just blown through two $25 generic players in two years and was willing to pay more so that I wouldn't have to buy a new one and hook everything up yet again in another year. Plus, Pioneer seems to "get it" and will play formats like DiVX.
That aside, just look at this page [videohelp.com] to make sure the player you are about to buy has an unlock code.
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who cares? (Score:5, Insightful)
Like there's something better? (Score:5, Insightful)
Are there really not enough issues in the world to get worked up about that people are arguing over a freakin' gift exchange?
This just in...Israel and Palestine are fighting. More at the top of the hour...
A lot of people are pissed about Government bailouts. News at 11.
The economy sucks. More to come.
Don't complain. At least this is "new" by comparison to the rest of the shit that keeps getting dredged up day after day.
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Re:who cares? (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:who cares? (Score:5, Interesting)
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Obama's not playing by the rules... (Score:5, Insightful)
It's not the gifts themselves that are the issue... it's the symbolism, if you will.
See, diplomacy is a game, of sorts, and it's heavily dependent on symbolism. Things like gift exchanges, summit meetings, state dinners, and all that are mostly useless from a practical standpoint... but it's part of the game. They're the rules; to be taken seriously you have to at least play along with them and pretend that you care. It's like Christmastime at the office; you go to the parties and you buy little gifts for each other, not because you really care about everyone or want to hang out with them, but because it smooths things over and is just part of office politics.
Obama's not playing by the rules. And while the gifts and all that aren't really a big deal, he's committing a diplomatic faux pas--toward his country's closest ally, no less. What makes this (and similar small diplomatic blunders) ironic, and what the European press is starting to make noise about, is that everyone thought Obama would be better at international relations than Bush. True, he has yet to start any wars; but flubbing even the basic, petty, easy stuff like state dinners and symbolic gift exchanges with your closest allies and your historical and powerful military/economic rivals (China and Russia) certainly isn't getting off on the right foot.
It's like the new guy showing up at the office Christmas party with PBR and dollar store gag gifts for the exchange when everyone else brought drinkable wine or liquor and a $15 gift... then cutting loose a giant fart and laughing loudly about it. Sure, it doesn't really affect business operations, it's just a stupid little party. But now everyone's looking at him kinda funny and thinking "hey, we thought he was cool, but this guy's a bit of an ass." In other words, it may not be harmful, but he certainly isn't doing us any favors.
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Re:All hail Lord Brown! (Score:5, Informative)
I don't even understand the controversy. 25 DVD's is a pretty damn good gift. Maybe the Brits don't understand that, in the U.S., giving exquisite gifts to politicians is a MAJOR no-no (unless you're Ted Stevens, of course). I'm surprised they even gave him that much. A U.S. politician couldn't accept anything in excess of $335 in value as a gift from a foreign leader.
It's pretty much standard here that diplomatic gifts aren't kept by the President; they're accepted on behalf of, and given over to, the American people. I'd imagine that it's pretty much the same in the UK; "suitcases full of cash and rare art" would be state-to-state gifts that just happen to be presented by/to individuals acting as representatives to their people.
Diplomatic gifts aren't really supposed to be personal anyways. The pen and case aren't for Obama to take home and use for paying his bills; they'll most likely be displayed for a little while, possibly used to sign some kind of treaty or trade agreement with the UK, and eventually filed away in a box somewhere. It might eventually go on display at whatever Presidential library Obama builds, but would remain the property of the United States and just be loaned to said library.
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Re:who cares? (Score:5, Informative)
From http://georgewbush-whitehouse.archives.gov/ask/20070508.html [archives.gov] regarding the queen's visit to the White House in 2007:
President and Mrs. Bush gave Her Majesty a bronze statuette âoeHigh Desert Princessâ with a personal inscription on the bottom of the base. It is a replica of the original life size statue that is located in front of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Ft. Worth, Texas.
President and Mrs. Bush gave The Prince Philip an exclusive sterling silver eagle box by Tiffany & Co. with personal inscription on the inside lid.
President and Mrs. Bush gave Their Majesties a leather presentation box filled with a collection of documents from the National Archives. One of the items was a copy of an original letter from President Roosevelt to her father, King George, written in 1938. There were also photos from previous royal visits and a DVD of the footage from the Queenâ(TM)s visit to the United States when she was Princess Elizabeth in 1951.
Their Majesties gave President Bush a sterling silver oversized plate by William & Son with gold seals including: the Presidential seal, the Royal seal and a center seal with the star of Texas surrounded by roses. There was a personal inscription on the back of the plate. They gave Mrs. Bush a gold and crystal clock with the Royal seal by William & Son.
The Office of the Chief of Protocol assists the President and First Lady in the selection and presentation of gifts to foreign leaders.
I can hardly say that gift is any more elegant.
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Had to be ... (Score:5, Funny)
The iPod will be taken apart ... (Score:5, Insightful)
After all, would ANY government allow one of their top people to accept an electronic gift without it being checked to make sure it's not bugged? That would be a serious security lapse.
Re:The iPod will be taken apart ... (Score:5, Insightful)
You remember that warehouse at the end of Indiana Jones where they store the Ark Of The Covenant ?
The Queen has a similar warehouse where all the presents the monarchs have been given over the last 300 years or so are stored, this I-Pod is never going to be used.
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Re:The iPod will be taken apart ... (Score:5, Interesting)
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Re:The iPod will be taken apart ... (Score:5, Informative)
She has a face-to-face meeting with the Prime Minister, the senior elected official of Her Majesty's Government once a week to talk about Britain and he Commonwealth, its current state and its place in the world. She receives a box of State papers every day to work through -- as Head of State she signs off on all treaties and international agreements negotiated between the UK and other countries.
She's been doing this for more than fifty years now, day in day out, week in week out. She's heard everything, the good news and the bad. Apart from the anodyne Christmas address to the nation she keeps her mouth shut about it, as it is her duty to do so.
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Re:The iPod will be taken apart ... (Score:5, Informative)
The Queen owns the government, she is not part of it. Hence, Her Majesty's Government, as well as Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition.
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Re:The iPod will be taken apart ... (Score:5, Interesting)
No I'm not being serious.
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Re:The iPod will be taken apart ... (Score:5, Informative)
Indeed. Winston Churchill said, after the fact of course, that King George (Queen Elizabeth's father) was one of the very, very few people with whom he would discuss all the secret plans and his thoughts about the war.
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Brown responded... (Score:5, Funny)
Mr. Brown gave Mr. Obama a pen holder carved from the timber of an anti-slave ship, receiving in return a DVD box set of American movies, igniting a torrent of criticism in the British press.
Brown, commenting on the matter, said: "I've already downloaded most of these on the Pirate Bay."
Re:Brown responded... (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:Brown responded... (Score:5, Funny)
Yu 0we me a new keybrd!
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Silly (Score:5, Insightful)
First, who cares who gave who what? Seriously? I mean, if you made a *major* boo-boo and gave Obama some racist memoribilia or something, then you're an idiot, but otherwise who cares? You're talking negotiations over the future of countries, anyone who reads anything into the gifts is clearly desperate for news or clearly focusing on the wrong things.
Have the governments of the two countries seriously got nothing else better to waste their money on than gifts for other nations? Sure, bring something along but keep it simple. A couple of bouquets for the missus and a bottle of special wine or something to enjoy over dinner one night. Anything else is asking for a cock-up because it'll have been made from the ship that X's father fought against in war Y or something. And, trust me, nobody British really cared what gift was received/given the last time the US president and the UK prime minister met. Nobody. The press obviously had nothing else better to report, or were feeling snubbed themselves. They don't even care that Churchill's bust was moved in the Whitehouse... really... we don't have American presidents lining 10 Downing Street, so why should the American's have anything similar? So long as it was done respectfully (i.e. they didn't kick it down the stairs after drawing a moustache on it), who cares?
Personally, I think the Queen's gift is the worst out of all those listed (in all the linked articles) anyway - it's too imperialist and overbearing... a signed photo... "Look, I have given you something cheap and readily available to remind you that you were once in my presence". Urk.
Re:Silly (Score:5, Informative)
The Queen's gift is a diplomatic one ... she gives the same gift of the same cost, to everyone, regardless of how important they are and regardless of what they give her in return, no one is snubbed, overvalued, undervalued, or insulted ....
The giving of gifts is done for purely diplomatic reasons and the cost of the gift given by the British PM is limited, any gift given to him over that same cost is owned by the government not by the current PM ....
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Re:Silly (Score:5, Insightful)
I would agree with you except every day for the last 8 years we heard about Bushisms. Just because Obama is your guy (not you personally, just in general) shouldn't mean that you quit pointing out the idiotic things that he does.
Obama has already had plenty of Obamaisms (basically anytime he isn't in front of a teleprompter), yet I don't see people like Olberman leading off their show with them they way he did with Bush.
All I want is consistency from people.
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Hilarious. (Score:5, Funny)
I just find it hilarious, it seems like the criticisms of the US personified.
"Here's a rare and incredibly symbolic gift, a pen case made with wood from anti-slave ships."-British
"lol heres 2 fast 2 furious" - US
The Queens Gift (Score:5, Insightful)
She should have gave him Northern Ireland . . . (Score:5, Funny)
"Ah, Mr. Obama, I've been expecting you."
"You seem to be handling all the troubles in the world, right now. One more shouldn't be a problem for you, please accept my gift to you of Northern Ireland."
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Mix Tapes (Score:5, Funny)
Remember back in the day when you used to give mix tapes to girls to show them how amazing you were?
God Save The Queen? (Score:5, Funny)
I hope out of consideration for the rich history of British music that it included some of the classics...
like the Sex Pistols http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Save_the_Queen_(Sex_Pistols_song) [wikipedia.org]
If the British press can't find something... (Score:5, Insightful)
There's a recession on, people. Do you really expect Obama to be handing out diamond necklaces? How's that going to look?
Also, both sides know perfectly well that whatever they give, the other side won't be allowed to keep it as a matter of anti-corruption policy. Every single gift given to an American president goes straight into a vault. So there's no point in giving anything really expensive.
Re:If the British press can't find something... (Score:5, Funny)
Actually, it was the day before D-Day. On D-Day itself, the coverage ran something like 'Thank God, they're all in France now.'
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Why not more practical gifts? (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Obama Policies Will Bankrupt USA Tsarkon Report (Score:5, Insightful)
It seems kind of 'tarded to give a 70+ year old woman an ipod with a tiny screen filled with speeches she is very unlikely to agree with (not that he would even be aware of her political leanings.)
I would have given her a gift of pictures of her during the WW2 blitz on London, showing her changing tires and working along with the rest of the people under siege by the Germans and put this into a classy montage. I would want to honor her good qualities, and there is plenty out there. For one of the richest women in the world, I'm certain trinkets are not high on her shopping list.
Seriously, Obama is a sad amateur. Camacho was a smarter president.
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Re:Obama Policies Will Bankrupt USA Tsarkon Report (Score:5, Insightful)
If he had really wanted to put two seconds' thought into it, he would have gotten something for her dogs ... either the corgis or the labs. She's absolutely nuts over her corgis (same as every dog lover :-)
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Re:Obama Policies Will Bankrupt USA Tsarkon Report (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:Obama Policies Will Bankrupt USA Tsarkon Report (Score:5, Interesting)
Well said, I have had the pleasure of meeting Her Majesty, and I can tell you she is no simpleton. She is an intelligent witty person, who actually has a "can do" mind.
People forget that in WW2, she drove ambulances carrying injured people to the Hospital. She is a trained mechanic, and does actually know more about cars and engines than most normal people.
She even has a blackberry, which she uses to keep in touch with her grandchildren. Talking of Grandchildren, Remember Princess Beatrice once said "she is lucky to have a cool grandmother"
She is a charming, intelligent and lovely person, and one of the things that makes me as a Brit, feel proud.
God Bless you maam.
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Re:Obama Policies Will Bankrupt USA Tsarkon Report (Score:5, Funny)
She was on the allied side, despite the fact that her real surname is "Achtungschweinhund Hollenstollen Von Saxe-Koburg Gutenberg".
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Re:Obama Policies Will Bankrupt USA Tsarkon Report (Score:5, Informative)
Sorry to answer myself again, but I believe she has an iPod already.. since 2005... a 6GB iPod mini.
Its pretty well known actually (google queen ipod).
Not sure what she uses it for, but if i remember rightly, she (or maybe Prince Philip) are avid podcast listeners.
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Re:Wow (Score:5, Informative)
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Re:Wow (Score:5, Funny)
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Re:Royal Navy anti slavery actions (Score:5, Interesting)
Britain has yet to seriously discuss reparations for the damage done to Africa from the profits they made in the slave trade.
And I seriously hope we never do, not because I agree with slavery, but because I disagree with being held accountable for something that someone did 200 years ago.
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Re:Royal Navy anti slavery actions (Score:5, Informative)
I see that you, along with all romantics, have entirely neglected the role that Africans themselves [wikipedia.org] played in the slave trade. Slaves traded across the Atlantic were bought from African dealers. I have yet to see any Afro-Americans demanding apologies from Africans, let alone reparations.
Britain was one of the first nations to abolish this hideous practice (by democratic choice, not "force"), before any African nation did, and Britain did more than most to bring an end to it. Even after the Atlantic slave trade was brought to a halt by the British [wikipedia.org] and later American navies, innocent Africans were being sold into slavery by Africans to Arabs [wikipedia.org]. Yet still Britain seems to have the majority of the blame for the slave trade forced upon it. This seems deeply unfair to me.
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Re:Royal Navy anti slavery actions (Score:5, Funny)
I agree and since the British government is unwilling to make reparations I as a British citizen am more than happy to do so on their behalf.
Obviously all the people actually involved are dead now so there is nothing I can do for them so it's their ancestors I feel I must recompense.
I have a simple formula, all we need to do it work out the average yearly income of American African Americans and the average income of Africans to get a figure of how much worse off the African Americans are. Then multilply that by the average lifespan of an African American and the number of them who can prove their ancestors were slaves.
I'll accept payment in gold bullion.
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Re:Title is wrong (Score:5, Insightful)
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Re:Which iPod? (Score:5, Insightful)
Obmama didn't 'give her an iPod' at all.
Obama gave her a signed Rogers (Of Rogers and Hammerstein, who the queen loves,and considers the a song from Oklahoma her and her husbands 'song') songbook.
It was an absurdly good gift. Personal, and yet historic enough that it can be displayed with a bunch of other historic things.
He also gave her a bunch of footage of her trip here that was filmed. He presented this to her within a video iPod.
And everyone trying to make an issue of this is a giant moron.
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