Couch Potato

Pony Pal™ Ian sent in a superfantastic picture of Condi earlier today which caused much speculation. It's a typical State Department "matching armchairs" shot by our favorite Condirazzi, Reuters' Yuri Gripas, but with a little extra:

IAN: Clearly, Yuri has been granted a place of honor. He's on the couch!
ME: Yay! Actually, I think he's behind the couch, but that's pretty great.
IAN: Yeah, I think so too, but the narrative flow is much better if he's in it. At least there's some meritocracy in the world that way. And while we're on the subject: what the hell is that couch doing in the middle of the room in the first place? Is that where the translators sit, or is this somebody's living room? Well, it dawned on me the best way to get good stuff now is to just search for "Yuri Gripas" in the Yahoo photo section.

So true, Ian! Is that thing from Ralph Lauren's 1986 collection or what? I like the idea of Yuri actually hiding inside the couch and popping out at opportune moments to snap Princess Condi. Even better, I like the idea of all the photographers being restricted to the couch. That would certainly explain all the identical "matching armchair" shots we've come to know and love.