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What Does One Get a Queen?

April 01, 2009 1:57 PM

President and First Lady Obama gave Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II a video iPod with inscription, songs uploaded and accessories, plus a rare musical songbook signed by Richard Rodgers.

Uploaded onto the iPod:

  • Photos from the Queen's 2007 White House State Visit
  • Photos from the Queen's 2007 Jamestown, Va., Visit
  • Photos from the Queen's 2007 Richmond, Va., Visit
  • Video from the Queen's 1957 Jamestown Visit
  • Video from the Queen's 2007 Jamestown Visit
  • Video from the Queen's 2007 Richmond Visit
  • Photos from President Obama's Inauguration
  • Audio of then-state senator Obama's speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, and
  • Audio of President Obama 2009 Inauguration Address

Britain's Press Association reports that the Royal couple gave the Obamas "a silver-framed, signed photograph of themselves."

-- jpt

UPDATE: And the Obama team confirms that these show tunes were also uploaded on Ye Olde Queen's iPod, fas irst reported by the AP:

   "Oklahoma!"
   "If I Loved You," Jan Clayton, "Carousel"
   "You'll Never Walk Alone," Jan Clayton, "Carousel"
   "There's No Business Like Show Business," Ethel Merman, "Annie Get Your Gun"
   "Once in Love with Amy (Where's Charley?)," Ray Bolger
   "Some Enchanted Evening," "South Pacific"
   "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," Carol Channing, "Gentlemen Prefer Blondes"
   "Getting to Know You," Gertrude Lawrence, "The King and I"
   "Shall We Dance?" Gertrude Lawrence, "The King and I"
   "I Could Have Danced All Night," Julie Andrews, "My Fair Lady"
   "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face," Rex Harrison, "My Fair Lady"
   "The Party's Over (Bells Are Ringing)," Judy Holliday
   "Maria," "West Side Story"
   "Tonight," "West Side Story"
   "Seventy Six Trombones," "The Music Man"
   "Everything's Coming up Roses," Ethel Merman, "Gypsy"
   "The Sound of Music"
   "Try to Remember," Jerry Orbach, "The Fantasticks"
   "Camelot," Richard Burton
   "If Ever I Would Leave You," Robert Goulet, "Camelot"
   "Hello, Dolly!" Carol Channing
   "If I Were a Rich Man," Zero Mostel, "Fiddler on the Roof"
   "People," Barbra Streisand, "Funny Girl"
   "On a Clear Day (You Can See Forever)," John Cullum
   "The Impossible Dream," Richard Kiley, "Man of La Mancha"
   "Mame," Charles Braswell
   "Cabaret," Liza Minnelli
   "Aquarius, Ronald Dyson, "Hair'
   "Send in the Clowns," Judy Collins, "A Little Night Music"
   "All That Jazz," Chita Rivera, "Chicago"
   "One," "A Chorus Line"
   "Tomorrow," Andrea McArdle, "Annie"
   "Don't Cry for Me Argentina," Patti LuPone, "Evita"
   "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going," Jennifer Holliday, "Dreamgirls"
   "Memory," Elaine Paige, "Cats"
   "The Best of Times," George Hearn, "La Cage Aux Folles"
   "I Dreamed a Dream," Aretha Franklin, "Les MisDerables"
   "The Music of the Night," Michael Crawford, "The Phantom of the Opera"
   "As If We Never Said Goodbye," Elaine Paige, "Sunset Blvd."
   "Seasons of Love," "Rent"

April 1, 2009 | Permalink | Share | User Comments (897)

User Comments

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To those who think President Obama is dumb or stupid. Think about it what are you. He's the president who are you. Will you every make it to be president.

Posted by: Paula | May 6, 2009 12:23:45 AM

We're gifted so many great things from the Brit's, and we give them, dvd's and ipods? Saying the gift is thoughtful, is a bit off in my mind.

Our president gifts the Brits 200$ gifts, - the songbook, and they gift us something as priceless as an ornamental desk pen holder made from the oak timbers of Victorian anti-slaver HMS Gannet, very thoughtful indeed.

For some of us who still believe in rigidity, and class gifts like that are unacceptable.

Of course the Queen says she likes it, and maybe she does, but I'd like to see us give them something of value, REAL value.

Posted by: Andrew N | Apr 6, 2009 9:28:01 PM

deepertake wrote: " Finally the U.S. has a dignified President--but some people just have to make something out of nothing."

A dignified President? The fool bowed to the Saudi King. You don't bow to the King unless you are a subject of said King. He show a complete lack of understanding of protocol and it was a sign of complete weakness to the Saudies. I am sure the Saudies had a huge laugh at Obama over dinner that night for being so stupid and showing such weakness.

Posted by: Buzz | Apr 5, 2009 6:07:41 PM

Apparently, Queen Elizabeth has had an iPod for a few years and very much appreciated the upgrade. She is also extremely fond of show tunes (Oklahoma is a particular favorite) and the iPod was packed with selections from musicals. It also included photos and footage of her royal visits to the US dating back to 1957.

Along with the rare autographed songbook, it looks like some really did do their homework on this one.

Evidently, Queen Elizabeth was delighted with both gifts - and most Britons had a similar reaction. One wrote to the Telegraph:

"Dear 'Real Americans',

"Thanks for the apologies, but you can keep them. No reasonable person here is insulted by the gifts given to the queen - I imagine it was refreshing for her not to receive another ornamental trinket to sit in the royal garage."

Now, can anyone tell me what these thoughtfully appropriate gifts have to do with Obama's college transcripts and birth cert - or John Edwards, for God's sake? Or can you just not help yourselves?

Posted by: Snowcrash | Apr 4, 2009 6:45:40 PM

Personally i think its a cool gift. You can tell what party (cough cough republican idiots cough) most people on here are from. Seriously, he won hes our president get over it and stop posting all this crap. Really, get a life, you no life, probably didn't even graduate college nut jobs.

Posted by: Abby | Apr 4, 2009 6:00:48 PM

I don't need to see Obama's transcripts. I can listen to him speak for five minutes and know he is as dumb as a box of rocks.

Posted by: Larry | Apr 4, 2009 12:27:07 AM

So this is where people from ACORN spend their time when not rigging elections.

Posted by: deadfish | Apr 3, 2009 8:17:46 PM

"I rarely get genuine laughs from this particular website. paul, you have provided a few today. Considering I have a blistering hangover and a cold, that is no small accomplishment. Thanks."

See that's what you get for spending your tax cut money at the bar! ;-)

I lost mine at poker last night.

Posted by: Ryan C | Apr 3, 2009 5:13:30 PM

I rarely get genuine laughs from this particular website. paul, you have provided a few today. Considering I have a blistering hangover and a cold, that is no small accomplishment. Thanks.

Posted by: silky | Apr 3, 2009 3:28:52 PM

"The projection by paul is near clinical."

While yours meets the threshhold for clinical and surpasses it.

Posted by: paul | Apr 3, 2009 3:27:47 PM

"I wouldn't bet on that."

Lol. I would. Considering he, y'know, already did.

Posted by: silky | Apr 3, 2009 3:27:38 PM

"Please feel free to test your theory by applying for a U.S. Government job. You know the U.S. Government? That's the little place that Obama works for."

Right, and that little place found that he met the criteria for assuming the Presidency.

Also, you didn't say government jobs and that only applies to jobs where transcripts are a requirement for the job, not all government jobs.

Posted by: silky | Apr 3, 2009 3:26:37 PM

"I doubt you've even applied for a job if you think you need your college transcripts at an application."

I thought the same thing.

Posted by: silky | Apr 3, 2009 3:20:42 PM

"You are biased toward supporting one man and one party because they are your own -- regardless of whether they are right or wrong. That is sick and anti-American. You are no better than Sean Hannity or Elisabeth Hasselbeck."

The projection by paul is near clinical.

Posted by: Ryan C | Apr 3, 2009 3:18:56 PM

"Little things like the citizenship of the student and under what residential status they are attending would be much more interesting."

ROFLMAO!

His transcripts would not have that info.

Obama is a natural born citizen of the United States, was over the age of 35 and had resided in the United States for at least 14 years when he was sworn in.

He met the Constitutional qualifications to be President.

Posted by: Ryan C | Apr 3, 2009 3:18:06 PM

"Wanna bet? Apparently you've never worked in Human Resources."

Thank God, no, I've never worked in Human Resources, but my sister is Director of Human Resources for a Fortune 500 company. She doesn't know anybody who has ever had to provide a transcript for a job. The degree is confirmed via Lexis Nexis or a telephone call to the school.

Posted by: silky | Apr 3, 2009 3:06:45 PM

"paul, your bias makes you irrational and quite nauseating."

Hypocrite says what?

I am biased only against incompetants and those who would try to dupe the public and violate the constitution. You know, like Bush and Obama?

You are biased toward supporting one man and one party because they are your own -- regardless of whether they are right or wrong. That is sick and anti-American. You are no better than Sean Hannity or Elisabeth Hasselbeck.

Nothing is more irrational and nauseating than that.

Posted by: paul | Apr 3, 2009 2:46:22 PM

"His attendance and honors are a matter of public record and have been verified by Harvard. Following your logic, if he had said that he got an A in Con Law then I could see you having a leg to stand on. To my knowledge, he has never made mention of his grades."

There are more aspects to what is contained on a college transcript than just grades, and the grades are not the part that I and millions of other Americans would like to see.

Little things like the citizenship of the student and under what residential status they are attending would be much more interesting. I am quite sure that is why Mr. Transparency in Government is anything but transparent in this matter.

Posted by: paul | Apr 3, 2009 2:41:13 PM

""As soon as you mention your college career as a factor in why you should be hired (as anyone who has graduated from college would surely do, and as Obama and his minions have done often to demonstrate his brilliance), you are required to produce a certified, authentic transcript."

No, you're not."

Wanna bet? Apparently you've never worked in Human Resources.


Posted by: paul | Apr 3, 2009 2:37:13 PM

paul, your bias makes you irrational and quite nauseating.

Posted by: silky | Apr 3, 2009 2:19:05 PM

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