Greetings, loyal minions. Your Maximum Leader would like to know why what President and Mrs. Bush gave each other for Christmas is news.
If you all are so nosey and feel you want to know what your Maximum Leader got for Christmas here you go… A Vladimir Horowitz CD (with Tchiakowski & Beethoven pieces), A Cowboy Junkies CD, A Winston Churchill Speeches CD, The Star Wars Trilogy on DVD, Burton & Taylor’s “Taming of the Shew” on DVD, Orson Welles’ “Touch of Evil” on DVD, “Blade Runner” on DVD, Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles” on DVD, A book “Treasures of the British Museum,” A book “Churchill: His Life As A Painter,” A book “Washington Schlepped Here,” A book “I am Charlotte Simmons,” and some tea from Mighty Leaf.
There might be one or two your Maximum Leader left off the list… But you’ll just have to live with it.
Do you feel better now? Jeez.
Carry on.
UPDATE: Brian asks the same question with a novel twist, how do celebrities acquire surprise gifts for people when their images are splashed all over everything? Good question. Your Maximum Leader supposes, like Brian, that personal assistants get everything for them. In which case the gifts are surprises for the giver and receiver. Speaking of assistants, your Maximum Leader knows two people who do have a “shopping assistant” on their “payroll.” These people pay a monthly retainer to an individual ($75/month) who will do their shopping for them. And your Maximum Leader isn’t talking about running to the store for eggs and milk type of shopping. He is talking about “my anniversary is next Wednesday and my wife needs a gift” type of shopping. Indeed, this “shopping assistant” knows all the important people and dates; does the buying and then drops the presents off at the office for giving. The “shopping assistant” also drops off a photo of the gift along with a description of the gift in her invoice. She invoices for her time ($25/hr) and the gift (Cost + 5% handling fee). Your Maximum Leader once asked his acquaintance if he thought a “shopping assistant” made sense financially and emotionally. The acqaintance said yes. He knows he’ll always have a gift and never forget an important anniversary. And, living in Northern Virginia, he’ll never have to set foot in Tysons Corner Center again.
Carry on.
