THE OVAL OFFICE

THE OVAL OFFICE
The Oval Office is the official office of the President of the United States.
The office was designed by the architect Nathan C. Wyeth at the order of President William Howard Taft in 1909. Named for its distinctive oval shape, the Oval Office is part of the complex of offices that make up the West Wing of the White House. Badly damaged by a fire in 1929, the office was rebuilt by President Herbert C. Hoover. In 1934, President Franklin D. Roosevelt enlarged the West Wing and added today’s Oval Office, designed by Eric Gugler.
The architectural features of the Oval Office, which draw from baroque, neoclassical, and Georgian traditions, have become symbolic of the power and prestige of the Presidency in the minds of Americans and people across the world. There are three large south-facing windows behind the President’s desk, as well as four doors into different parts of the West Wing. The ceiling is adorned with an elaborate molding around the edge, and features elements of the Seal of the President.
Presidents generally change the office to suit their personal taste, choosing new furniture, new drapery, and designing their own oval-shaped carpet to take up most of the floor. Paintings are selected from the White House’s own collection, or borrowed from other museums for the President’s term in office.
The President uses the Oval Office as his primary place of work. It is positioned to provide easy access to his staff in the West Wing and to allow him to retire easily to the White House residence at the end of the day. The President commonly chooses the Oval Office as the backdrop for televised addresses to the nation, and countless foreign leaders have traveled to the office to meet with the President.

CAMP DAVID

Camp David, known formally as the Naval Support Facility Thurmont, is the President’s country residence. Located in Catoctin Mountain Park in Frederick County, Maryland, Camp David has offered Presidents an opportunity for solitude and tranquility, as well as an ideal place to host foreign leaders.
Adapted from the federal employee retreat Hi-Catoctin, President Franklin Roosevelt established the residence as USS Shangri La, modeling the new main lodge after the Roosevelt winter vacation home in Warm Springs, Georgia. President Eisenhower subsequently renamed the institution in honor of his grandson David.
Camp David has been used extensively to host foreign dignitaries. Prime Minister Winston Churchill of Great Britain attended the first such meeting in May of 1943; the summit held at the residence in 1978 for Egyptian President Anwar al-Sadat and Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin resulted in what are now known as the Camp David Accords.

DR JILL BIDEN

Jill Biden has been an educator for the past 28 years and continues to teach English classes at a DC-area community college. She is the wife of Vice President Joe Biden.
Jill has a long history of activism in her community and she continues to work to raise awareness on education, military families, and women’s health issues. Given her professional experience and passion, President Obama has asked Dr. Biden to help highlight the importance of America’s community colleges, and Dr. Biden frequently visits community colleges and speaks with students, parents, and teachers around the country as part of this outreach.
As a Blue Star Mom, Jill has made military families one of her top priorities. She has traveled to many bases in both the United States and in Germany to speak with soldiers and their families and try to raise awareness and show appreciation for the special sacrifices that these Americans make. In Delaware, she was active with a nonprofit organization called Delaware Boots on the Ground, which is dedicated to helping families during times of military deployment by organizing community events to raise awareness and support. An advocate of literacy and reading programs, she also helped found Book Buddies in 2007, a program that encourages reading among children from low-income families. In 1993, after four of her friends were diagnosed with breast cancer, she started the Biden Breast Health Initiative, which in the past 16 years has educated more than 10,000 ninth-through-twelfth-grade girls in Delaware about the importance of early detection of breast cancer.
Prior to moving to Washington, Dr. Biden taught English for 15 years at Delaware Technical & Community College. Before that, she taught for 13 years in public schools as a reading specialist and English teacher, as well as working part-time with the Rockford Psychiatric Hospital Adolescent Program. In January 2007, Dr. Biden earned her Doctorate in Education from the University of Delaware. Her dissertation focused on maximizing student retention in community colleges. She also has a Master's Degree in English from Villanova University (1987) and a Master's Degree in reading from West Chester University (1981) — both of which she earned while working full-time and raising a family.
The oldest of five sisters, Jill Jacobs was raised in Willow Grove, Pennsylvania, by her mother, Bonny and Donald Jacobs, both of whom are now deceased. Jill was a student at the University of Delaware in 1975 when Joe Biden's brother arranged an introduction between her and then-Senator Biden. On June 17, 1977, they were married at the United Nations chapel in New York City. The Bidens have three children: Ashley, a social worker; Beau, Attorney General of the State of Delaware and a captain in the Delaware Army National Guard; and Hunter, a lawyer. She is the proud grandmother ("Nana") of Naomi, Finnegan, Roberta Mabel ("Maisy"), Natalie, and Robert Hunter.

FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA

FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA
When people ask Michelle Obama to describe herself, she doesn't hesitate. First and foremost, she is Malia and Sasha's mom.
But before she was a mother — or a wife, lawyer, or public servant — she was Fraser and Marian Robinson's daughter.
The Robinsons lived in a brick bungalow on the South Side of Chicago. Fraser was a pump operator for the Chicago Water Department, and despite being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at a young age, he hardly ever missed a day of work. Marian stayed home to raise Michelle and her brother, Craig, skillfully managing a busy household filled with love, laughter, and important life lessons.
A product of Chicago public schools, Michelle studied sociology and African-American studies at Princeton University. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1988, she joined the Chicago law firm Sidley & Austin, where she later met the man who would become the love of her life.
After a few years, Michelle decided her true calling lay in encouraging people to serve their communities and their neighbors. She served as assistant commissioner of planning and development in Chicago's City Hall before becoming the founding executive director of the Chicago chapter of Public Allies, an AmeriCorps program that prepares youth for public service.
In 1996, Michelle joined the University of Chicago with a vision of bringing campus and community together. As associate dean of student services, she developed the university's first community service program, and under her leadership as vice president of community and external affairs for the University of Chicago Medical Center, volunteerism skyrocketed.
As First Lady, Michelle Obama looks forward to continuing her work on the issues close to her heart — supporting military families, helping working women balance career and family, and encouraging national service.
Michelle and Barack Obama have two daughters: Malia, 10, and Sasha, 7. Like their mother, the girls were born on the South Side of Chicago.

AIR FORCE ONE USA

AIR FORCE ONE
No matter where in the world the President travels, if he flies in an Air Force jet, the plane is called Air Force One. Technically, Air Force One is the call sign of any Air Force aircraft carrying the President. In practice, however, Air Force One is used to refer to one of two highly customized Boeing 747-200B series aircraft, which carry the tail codes 28000 and 29000. The Air Force designation for the aircraft is VC-25A.
Air Force One is one of the most recognizable symbols of the presidency, spawning countless references not just in American culture but across the world. Emblazoned with the words “United States of America,” the American flag, and the Seal of the President of the United States, it is an undeniable presence wherever it flies or docks.
Capable of refueling midair, Air Force One has unlimited range and can carry the President wherever he needs to travel. The onboard electronics are hardened to protect against an electromagnetic pulse, and Air Force One is equipped with advanced secure communications equipment, allowing the aircraft to function as a mobile command center in the event of an attack on the United States.
Inside, the President and his travel companions enjoy 4,000 square feet of floor space on three levels, including an extensive suite for the President that features a large office, lavatory, and conference room. Air Force One includes a medical suite that can function as an operating room, and a doctor is permanently on board. The plane’s two food preparation galleys can feed 100 people at a time.
Air Force One also has quarters for those who accompany the President, including senior advisors, Secret Service officers, traveling press, and other guests. Several cargo planes typically fly ahead of Air Force One to provide the President with services needed in remote locations.
Air Force One is maintained and operated by the Presidential Airlift Group, part of the White House Military Office. The Airlift Group was founded in 1944 as the Presidential Pilot Office at the direction of President Franklin D. Roosevelt. For the next 20 years, various propeller driven aircraft served the President. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy became the first President to fly in his own jet aircraft, a modified Boeing 707. Over the years, several other jet aircraft have been used, with the first of the current aircraft being delivered in 1990 during the administration of President George H. W. Bush.

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NO DIRECT DIALOG, IRAN - US

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki confirmed there would be no direct dialogue on Iran-US talks digelarnya time between Iran and major powers of the world. Mottaki said the talks have not determined digelarnya. It is quoted by Iranian television network site Press TV, Thursday (17 / 9). Head of Foreign Policy of the European Union Javier Solana said earlier that the possibility of dialogue will be held in Turkey. Asked whether there would be Iran-US dialogue at the meeting, Mottaki said, "The dialogue will take place between Iran and the six-nation strong, not directly between Iran and the United States." Meanwhile, a maid President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran is a nuclear state and will not tolerate threats from powerful countries. Ali Akbar Javanfekr, media adviser to the president, also said that accepting the Islamic republic as a nuclear state is the "first step" toward the restoration of relations between Tehran, Washington and West. "Iran is a nuclear state. We will not accept any threats during negotiations or after. We want negotiations based on logic and international law. They must accept and negotiate with a nuclear Iran, "said Javanfekr in an interview with AFP. Javanfekr said Iran's nuclear program in accordance with international law. "What we want is them (the six countries strongly-ed) respect the rights of our nuclear and other rights. This could be a first step towards restoration of relations with the U.S. and the West. " He also returned to repeat the statements of high officials of Iran, including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who declared that Tehran will not negotiate over Iran's nuclear program during talks later on October 1. "We have confirmed the negotiations on the basis of our proposal that does not include Iran's nuclear program." Meanwhile, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak issued a surprising statement. Barak thinks Iran is not a threat to the Jewish state, a different view was expressed that as long as Israel for many years. Thus quoted Israeli hHarian large circulation Yedioth Ahronoth, Thursday (17 / 9). Responding to a question Tehran's nuclear program which Israel says aims menghasilan atomic weapons, Barak said: "I am not among those who believe Iran is now the issue for Israel." Further, the Labor leader said: "Israel is a strong country. I do not see any threat from anyone. " Israeli leaders repeatedly considers the development of atomic Iran as a threat, referring to the cancellation of Ahmadinejad's call the Jewish state off the map and support groups who want to destroy Israel. Iran and the five permanent members of the Security Council of the United Nations-United States, England, Russia, France, and China-plus Germany (P5 +1) will hold a last round of dialogue to discuss Iran's nuclear program on October 1. U.S. and Israel and other nations suspicious of Tehran's atomic bombs under the guise of a civilian nuclear program. But Tehran denies the allegations. Six powerful nations last September to give a deadline for Iran to dialogue and warns failure will menunju additional sanctions. Before the UN Security Council has imposed three sanctions due to Iran's refusal to stop uranium enrichment activities, a process that can produce nuclear fuel or atomic nucleus. Iranian opposition Attend Anti-Israel Demo Today In other news, Iranian opposition leader will attend the demo "Qods Day" on Friday (18 / 9), the general reformist sites, a move that could lead the outbreak of anti-government protests to date. Presidential election last June and opposition protests followed a massive, menjatukan Iran into political turmoil and division among the ruling elite. The opposition accused the victory back President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad through fraud. But the authorities have denied it. Iranian authorities including supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned the opposition not to change the anti-Israel demonstrations to protest the street. Warnings were issued after a moderate site called anti-new pmerintah "Qods Day". Witnesses said the security forces have strengthened security on roads leading to the location of the demo. Defeated presidential candidate Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karoubi said he would attend the anti-Israel demonstrations. "Mousavi, Karoubi and former President Mohammad Khatami will participate in a demonstration on Friday," said reformist sites as reported by AFP Mowjcamp. Activator 1979 Islamic revolution, the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, announced on Friday that was the last day of fasting Muslims as "Day of Qods (Jerusalem)" and calling for demonstrations against Israel and support the Palestinians. State television said the moderate cleric Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani has been replaced by hard-line clerics led prayers at Tehran University. During the 25 tahn, Rafsanjani led the prayers. State media also reported that Ahmadinejad will deliver a speech. (AFP / WH / m) This entry was posted on Friday, September 18th, 2009 at 02:15 am and is filed under Foreign Affairs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.