Jan 19
My son Jake, seen here with my beautiful granddaughter Julia, sent me this picture.
He told me there was a message hidden in the picture but I can’t seem to figure it out/
Can you?
If you know what he’s is trying to saying, hit the comment button and let me know.
Jan 19
I just read this article over at cnnmoney.com and since we’ve talked about the things
a president does I thought you
might be interested in this little tidbit.
We will talk about it tomorrow in class.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — The State Department has released its annual list of gifts from foreign governments to federal employees, and as one would expect, President Obama made out pretty well.
In total, the president racked up 54 gifts with an estimated value of more than $160,000 during 2009, the most recent tally that the government furnishes.
The gifts range from the practical — a small wooden CD holder from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev — to the weirdly extravagant — a $395.00 pencil from Jose Manuel Durao Barroso, the president of the European Commission.
By law, Obama doesn’t keep gifts of significant value. Instead, most items are transferred to the National Archives or the General Services Administration.
But that didn’t stop foreign leaders from lavishing gifts on influential government employees.
Saudi King Abdullah captured the prize for biggest spender, gifting Obama a large gold medallion, a large brass and glass clock and a marble base featuring miniature figurines of gold palm trees and camels worth an estimated $34,500.
The generosity of the King didn’t stop there, as he also gave first lady Michelle Obama a necklace made of 33 pearls worth $14,200 and a ruby and diamond jewelry set valued at $132,000.
The first children received jewelry worth $7,275 from the King, while senior White House staffers had to settle for a more modest gift pack consisting of silver cufflinks and watches.
While the exchange of gifts is par for the course in the world of high-pressure diplomacy, some are also downright strange.
Topping that category is a gift received by Alfred Almanza, a Food Safety and Inspection service administrator, who received a book entitled “The Gastronomic World of Don Quixote” from a Spanish government official.
Once the government receives a gift, it is required to list a reason for accepting it. The standard response: “Non-acceptance would cause embarrassment to donor and U.S. Government.”
The report also notes that 12 bottles of wine and a bottle of olive oil given to Obama were “handled pursuant to Secret Service policy.”
The fate of those gifts remains unclear.
Jan 19
Jan 19
Jan 19
Hey oh I’m Rico, oh, no I’m not I’m Angelica and here is today’s news.
1. Aww look at the baby! I’m having such a hard time finding my cutest baby picture, because they are all so adorable. I’ve cut the choices down to two pictures. They are the same pictures, but ones close up and the other is far away. Which one should I pick? Well you guys have to pick your pictures by Sunday and have them at school by Monday.
2. You had another task and that was to interview your parents on how you got your name and that is due tomorrow. You’ll never believe this, but my mom thought I was going to be a boy so she didn’t have a girls name picked out so I was baby no-name for a whole day.
3. Check out Mr. Alvaro’s post called Hi HO, Hi HO with the imformation about camp.
4. We have no school on Friday and I get to spend it with Sydney, Paige, Michael, Owen, Dylan, Jillian, and Samantha.
5. Book reports are due on the 25th, the 2th, and the 27th. I can’t wait to give my report. We are dressing up like a character from our book and telling a story or two from it.
6. Listen to are memory podcasts. They are awesome.
7. I’m getting a co-columnist named Courtny. She will be doing Tuesdays and Thursdays and I have Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.
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