If That Fireplace Could Talk...

...it probably wouldn't have much to say, come to think of it. Condi's personal matching armchairs + fireplace + small, tasteful flower arrangement setup at the State Department was a veritable revolving door yesterday, and Reuters' Iron Condiographer Yuri Gripas was there to catch the fever! First up, NATO Secretary-General Japp de Hoop Scheffer:

Next, Crown Prince Shaikh Salman bin Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, Defense Force Commander-in-Chief of Bahrain:

Afghanistan's Minister of Foreign Affairs Abdullah Abdullah:

How does she do it? How does she manage to work so hard? I mean, it must be complicated to sit there while a fascinating selection of world leaders is brought before her and allowed to briefly bask near her dazzling radiance. Perching daintily and having short, inconsequential, superficial chats for the press must be simply exhausting. I bet that flower arrangement was totally worn out by 4PM.

And I'd be totally remiss if I didn't at least mention that Condi's probably way pissed that Paul Tagliabue couldn't wait just a couple more years to retire as NFL commissioner. She claims, naturally, that she isn't interested at the moment in the job, because, in the words of her spokesman, "She still has many things she wants to accomplish as secretary of state," Totally! I mean, Iran hasn't even been bombed a teensy bit so far!