Her Majesty's Royal iPod

[old hat]

oh brother
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a8vaJD8ktclA&refer=home
Obama Gives iPod to British Monarch, Making It Fit for Queen
By Julianna Goldman

April 2 (Bloomberg) -- Apple Inc. can now officially proclaim its iPod music player “Fit for a Queen.”

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama paid a visit to Buckingham Palace yesterday, bringing Queen Elizabeth II the music and video storage system as well as a rare songbook signed by famed American music composer Richard Rodgers.

In London for the Group of 20 summit, Obama included the monarch in a day of meetings with Russian President Dmitri Medvedev and Chinese President Hu Jintao. The Queen, 82, presented the first couple with a silver-framed signed photograph of herself and the Duke of Edinburgh, her usual gift for visiting dignitaries.

Gift-giving is customary during visits between heads of state yet this exchange was being watched closely. Obama was perceived by members of the foreign press to have snubbed Great Britain when he gave Prime Minister Gordon Brown a DVD set of American films during the leader’s visit to Washington last month.

So just what will the Queen, clad in her royal pearls and iPod ear buds be listening to on her pre-programmed new player? Herself -- and Obama.

The iPod features an electronic travelogue of the Queen’s last trip in 2007 to the former colonies. It includes photos of her White House visit, as well as photos and video of her stop in Richmond, Virginia. And there’s video of her 2007 and 1957 trips to Jamestown, Virginia, the first permanent English settlement in the New World.

Queen Elizabeth’s iPod also carries photos of the president’s January inauguration and she’ll be able to hear his inaugural address, as well as listen to Obama’s 2004 speech to the Democratic National Convention.

With their gift, Obama and the first lady bridged a 21st century staple with a centuries-old monarchy.

[Black Cat]

so uhm, yeah

[tofuman]

This sounds like something Bush would have done. I thought Obama would be more creative.

[tenshi_a]

I just googled this story after reading this thread. It seems like it's news everywhere in the world except here in England. Not a single mention as I was listening to the G20 coverage on BBC news radio this morning!

There's even a tracklist of what he left on the iPod for her, from the Australian press.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/list-what-obama-put-on-the-queens-ipod-20090402-9kh1.html

Aw, it's like he thinks we haven't got old, backwards, barely useable technology over here. We have plenty of that. She's probably had an MP3 player of her own for over a decade. I mean, she is the queen after all....

Oh well, it's the thought that counts, and it's quite a sweet gift. It's her (real) birthday on the 21st as well, so not too far away...

[Hara!]

Heard on the news that she already has an iPod.

[KatayokuのTenshi]

The Queen, 82, presented the first couple with a silver-framed signed photograph of herself and the Duke of Edinburgh, her usual gift for visiting dignitaries.

...

Queen Elizabeth’s iPod also carries photos of the president’s January inauguration and she’ll be able to hear his inaugural address, as well as listen to Obama’s 2004 speech to the Democratic National Convention.

Hmm... this was either a very clever idea, or a very stupid one. And the worrying thing is I'm not quite sure which it was.

[Shiroiyuki]

I bet it's bugged.

[Tidusauron12]

If I was a King/Queen and some leader from a powerful nation brought me an iPod as a gift, I'd be dissapointed.

[goddessofanime]

ROFL at stupid Obama..

[Bernard_Monsha]

Well he kissed King Abdullah's hand. I would rather get the I-Pod minus the "I are great content" or even DVD's with the wrong region code than some dude slobbering on my hand.

[Spadesy]

Well he kissed King Abdullah's hand. I would rather get the I-Pod minus the "I are great content" or even DVD's with the wrong region code than some dude slobbering on my hand.

Totally. Well, at least they didn't ask for crap to be customized in their name.

Reminds me of a cat that got a tattoo of his face on his back...which makes one wonder, how pompous do you have to be? I'd like a poster of me doing the Captain Morgan pose with the sun shining in the background, but I wouldn't hang that poster up in my room.

[Shiroiyuki]

If I was a King/Queen and some leader from a powerful nation brought me an iPod as a gift, I'd be dissapointed.

Dude, she gave him a photograph of herself. How lame is that?


What he should have done was frame a Barack Obama t-shirt and send it to her with a few packets of grape Kool-aid attached.

[Reinas]

How disappointing. No 'I Will Survive'?

[Tidusauron12]

Dude, she gave him a photograph of herself. How lame is that?


What he should have done was frame a Barack Obama t-shirt and send it to her with a few packets of grape Kool-aid attached.

Oh.

In that case, I would have given her a Barack Obama themed Ipod; you know, just for the vengeful lulz. :lol:

[animeotaku99]

This sounds like something Bush would have done. I thought Obama would be more creative.

You do know Obama gave the French leader a box of DVD's right? He clearly does not have much class or dignification when it comes giving gift's to foreign leaders.

[Soluzar]

You do know Obama gave the French leader a box of DVD's right? He clearly does not have much class or dignification when it comes giving gift's to foreign leaders.
When the British monarch gives a framed photo of herself and spouse to visiting leaders, I think that Obama's iPod and DVD box set wins.

[Tidusauron12]

When the British monarch gives a framed photo of herself and spouse to visiting leaders, I think that Obama's iPod and DVD box set wins.

I agree with this.

[goddessofanime]

The Queen gave him a picture of herself?

I stand corrected then....that's tacky. LOL

[old hat]

The Queen gave him a picture of herself?

I stand corrected then....that's tacky. LOL

Still, giving someone an iPod preloaded with one of your own speeches is pretty tacky.

[Tidusauron12]

Still, giving someone an iPod preloaded with one of your own speeches is pretty tacky.

iPod>Picture

As soon as she syncs it that speech is gone. :lol:

[Bernard_Monsha]

When the British monarch gives a framed photo of herself and spouse to visiting leaders, I think that Obama's iPod and DVD box set wins.


Not the dvd's Brown gave him a pen holder crafted from wood taken from the sister ship of the HMS Resolute which makes up the desk in the oval office. It is sort of like giving a $5 Honey Baked ham gift certificate to the Prime Minister of Isreal who got you an original copy of Poor Richard's Almanac signed by Benjamin Franklin.

[Soluzar]

Brown gave him a pen holder crafted from wood taken from the sister ship of the HMS Resolute which makes up the desk in the oval office.
WHOA.

OK... I admit that's just breathtakingly cool as a gift from one leader to another.

[The Million Dollar Prons]

What were the DVDs though?

I bet it was Harry Potter.

[Ken-Ohki]

He's not too good at gift giving but a signed picture of yourself sucks too so fair is fair.

[animeotaku99]

Prons, it was a large boxset of various classic movies... they were all region 1 and could not be watched on Brown's DVD player.

and apparently the signed photograph of the queen is what hs egives to all visiting leaders. When the news was going over what will happen at the lunch with the queen. The actions to be taken by the queen ( a powerless person in terms of politics) sounded really arrogant. Like everyone must stop eating when she does, they can not talk before she does. Women must certse (can't spell it). Michelle Obama's popular and expensive sleeveless dresses would be a fashion fopaux

[Soluzar]

Prons, it was a large boxset of various classic movies... they were all region 1 and could not be watched on Brown's DVD player.
While I do indeed take your point, most DVD players available in this country have an unpublicised capability to play out-of-region movies. You usually just need to tap in an unlocking code on your handset. There's a website devoted to these codes.

Women must certse (can't spell it). Michelle Obama's popular and expensive sleeveless dresses would be a fashion fopaux
The words you are looking for are curtsey and faux pas. :)

You have a point regarding traditional court behaviour. While the Queen may be our head of state, the President of the USA is also a head of state, and it's not appropriate in modern times that visiting heads of state should have to act in this outdated way. They are equals in theory, and in practice, almost any visiting head of state has far more power than the Queen of the United Kingdom.

[animeotaku99]

Does teh Queen even have ANY politic power? I'm sure she has some influence or her "hand in a few pies" though

[Phantom]

Stop hating on the signed portrait of the Queen. Who wouldn't want a piece of history like that on their mantel piece?

Also I wouldn't know what to get the Queen. A I pod seems like a nice choice if you include some thoughtful content on it.

[Soluzar]

Does the Queen even have ANY politic power? I'm sure she has some influence or her "hand in a few pies" though
Influence, maybe. Real power, none. She has vast power in theory, but I can't imagine she'd ever be allowed to exercise it. It is only by her consent that each elected Prime Minister may form a government, but it is unthinkable that she should withhold that consent. Until the 1960s the Queen selected the Prime Minister from the ranks of the majority party, but now the party select their own leader.

[animeotaku99]

lol, he could have tried to get her something historical at least. maybe a historic letter or artifact from the American Revolution. The old crow probably can't hear well enough to use the Ipod anyways.
OR better yet. Give the country a real Constitution. BURN!

[tenshi_a]

Pictures of The Queen are awesome. We use them as money over here.

[animeotaku99]

SO does Canada and Ausfailia

[Shiroiyuki]

I had a Queen poster once, does that count?

[Ken-Ohki]

Influence, maybe. Real power, none. She has vast power in theory, but I can't imagine she'd ever be allowed to exercise it. It is only by her consent that each elected Prime Minister may form a government, but it is unthinkable that she should withhold that consent. Until the 1960s the Queen selected the Prime Minister from the ranks of the majority party, but now the party select their own leader.

I understand that she can dissolve parliament, an action that would certainly be very very very bad but it's a power she holds nonetheless.

[Tidusauron12]

I had a Queen poster once, does that count?

Depends... do you have them on your iPod as well? :P

[Tom Servo]

Does teh Queen even have ANY politic power?
The monarch oversees both parliament and the Church of England, and while it's unlikely, Liz could proclaim war on the world and amass the armies of Britain, Canada, Australia and other Commonwealth nations on a whim, so yes.

In practice though it's more a symbolic position than anything.

[tenshi_a]

I think they should call the next James Bond film "On Her Majesty's iPod (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_her_majesty%27s_service)".

[ZeroRyoko1974]

And I am sure that the president legally obtained all those songs to put on the ipod. The president of the US would not stoop to pirating music :lol:

[Shiroiyuki]

Depends... do you have them on your iPod as well? :P

I have them on album and on CD, I haven't gone to ipod yet (and probably won't).

[waltsoph3]

Hey look on the brightside of this. Its better then the old giving someone a fruitcake for X-mas. lol

Also he got a picture of the queen. Thats pretty awesome. Afterall that is a piece of history your owning. Could be one day worth lots and lots of money at an aucton.lol Hey you never know right?

[Shiroiyuki]

Also he got a picture of the queen. Thats pretty awesome. Afterall that is a piece of history your owning. Could be one day worth lots and lots of money at an aucton.lol Hey you never know right?

Yeah!

I mean, she only gives them out as a standard gift to every head of state that visits, whenever they visit as per tradition; it's not like they are mass-produced or nothing.

[The Million Dollar Prons]

I had a Queen poster once, does that count?

I have a queen poster above my bed. I brought a girl home once and the next morning she saw it and said "Ohhh that explains a lot."

[Tidusauron12]

I have them on album and on CD, I haven't gone to ipod yet (and probably won't).

Meh, you get more points for having actual albums and CDs, as opposed to ******** downloads from "teh interwebs". :lol:

[goddessofanime]

lol, he could have tried to get her something historical at least. maybe a historic letter or artifact from the American Revolution. The old crow probably can't hear well enough to use the Ipod anyways.
OR better yet. Give the country a real Constitution. BURN!


VIVA LA REVOLUTION!


Re: French PM

I bet all those movies were probaly Jerry Lewis movies too..

[Illusions-chan]

The problem of the gift is that it is a little too young-minded. Had it been for a younger leader, someone in their 30s or 40s, it would've been perfect.

Now with someone of her age, I think he would've been better off with a little more of traditional gift, like classic American artwork (original and framed) or glassware.

[SlackerDude]

The problem of the gift is that it is a little too young-minded. Had it been for a younger leader, someone in their 30s or 40s, it would've been perfect.

Now with someone of her age, I think he would've been better off with a little more of traditional gift, like classic American artwork (original and framed) or glassware.

Ah no, but - see - that's exactly the subtle point to it. Can you imagine how much younger the Queen feels now that the President of the United States reassured her about her age? :P

And it's not tacky, it's very original, so it shoots birds with one stone. :rolleyes:

[Old Ape Face]

Welcome to the 21st century your majesty.

Ah no, but - see - that's exactly the subtle point to it. Can you imagine how much younger the Queen feels now that the President of the United States reassured her about her age? :P

And it's not tacky, it's very original, so it shoots birds with one stone. :rolleyes:

it's also simple minded easy to use, I mean you just need to push a button, I think even a monkey could operate an iPod.

[SlackerDude]

Welcome to the 21st century your majesty.



it's also simple minded easy to use, I mean you just need to push a button, I think even a monkey could operate an iPod.

It would've been funny if Obama's adviser used this as an actual argument for choosing it as a gift :lol:

Hmm ...kinda' feels like I crossed a line somewhere here...


...Oh well

[tenshi_a]

Welcome to the 21st century your majesty.

Obama probably downloaded the videos off The Queen's youtube channel. :lol:

http://www.youtube.com/user/TheRoyalChannel

(She was on youtube before the US presidency was)

He's the one giving her old technology containing old videos and older songs. You'd think he was the one in his 80s.

The Queen reportedly visited the government website I usually work on, when it launched in 2004. She said it was very nice. Apparently.

From the evidence presented to me, I don't think she's in any way the luddite you guys make her out to be.