Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik (R) welcomes Bahraini Foreign Minister Sheikh Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa in Vienna September 19, 2007. REUTERS/Hopi-Media/Handout (AUSTRIA)
I talk about (and think about) Condi so much, sometimes it's easy to forget that elsewhere in the world there are effective diplomats who have constructive meetings and accomplish goals together. I know, OMG, weird, huh? But anyway, that's why I'm glad to have a glittering star like Ursula in my stable of favorites, because she can show us glimpses of this strange, magical world we don't live in.
There's so much to love about the photo above from yesterday's nuclear disarmament thingy. Look at how much that guy likes Ursula! I'll tell you why: that guy NEVER feels small, OK? And now he has this towering goddess looming benevolently over him -- literally flexing her bicep!! -- and he's giddy! He'll do whatever she wants him to do, and he'll enjoy it and then everybody gets a party, yay!
But this thing was all week, so I'm sure there were a bunch of boring parts. But lots of Ursula! And in a superfun twist, the friendly Teutonic giantess got the tables turned on her when an even taller diplomat was brought forward for her approval:
Tibor Toth, Executive Secretary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization, Bruno Stagno Ugarte, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Costa Rica and Sergio Duarte, the UN High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, listen to Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik (L-R) after a news conference during the Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in Vienna September 18, 2007. REUTERS/Herwig Prammer (AUSTRIA)
As you can see, Ursula's absolutely mesmerized by this unexpected peer. She's not even paying attention to the guy whose hand she is shaking! And could he have a more thrillingly masculine name? Tibor Toth! I think this is it, folks: the Ursula romance we didn't even know we were awaiting! Isn't it exciting?
But then again, absolutely everybody loves Ursula. Those who are lucky enough are allowed to kiss the Ursula, while the rest of us, like the spectator below, merely look on in awe:
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei (L) kisses Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik after a news conference during the 51st General Conference of the IAEA in Vienna September 17, 2007. REUTERS/Herwig Prammer (AUSTRIA)
And that's three days in Ursulaland! What I wouldn't give for just one!
14 comments:
Dearest Princess,
Have you ever considered being North American ambassador to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, sadly demolished by Woodrow Wilson (in order, supposedly, to "make the world safe for democracy," which eventually brought about Hitler) and now known (to the regret of all true mitteleuropeans) as that little piece of Euro real estate known as "Austria," i.e., where The Sound of Music was filmed...
and where ... nothing else is know, despite its tremendous contirbutions ...
And not a scarf in sight?!??
Herwig Prammer! Wonderful name! But of course, my top choice for EuroShutterBugs is still Hans Punz!
There was a great piano player back in the day named Jimmy Rushing, who was known as Mr. Five by Five, because he was about five feet tall and five feet around. Now we have Sheikh Five By Five, who looks as happy as I would look if I got to pose with Ursula.
(Who am I kidding? I'd probably faint dead away.)
In the top photo, they look like a binary code: 01.
Tibor Toth...so close to Tiger Tooth. I love it!
Your point is well taken. We should all be as tall as we can.
It's not so much tallness as majesticness.
Tibor Toth caught my eye too. Of course what really caught my eye was the notion that it ain't over until the large diplomat sings... And seeing Ursula, I am sure he was singing loud and clear.
She is a vision and practices actual diplomacy.
She is the anti-Condi!
I would definitely have the same look on my face as that woman in the last picture--my trauma captured for all the world to see--as I looked on while some EIEIO guy kissed MY dreamwoman.
sigh.
Perhaps we should keep an eye out for this woman in blue back there. Her angst is obvious; she might start stalking Ursula!
I love her lipstick. It's always that shae of faux hot pink.
We haven't seen many scarves lately. They're not really a summer thing, I suppose. We'll have to content ourselves with the occasional a-typical accessory, such as her bassinet-sized purse in which she could probably fit Lichtenstein.
I adore that first picture with Shiekh Five-By-Five. My first thought is, "Wouldn't that make an awesome advert for an international, multigendered 'Tall & Wide' clothing store chain?!" I think it would!
for a small island nation, Bahrain has a big minister.....
What the hell do they feed those Bahrainis, deep-fried toddlers?
Looks like he's worn down his front teeth from gnawing on things.
I bet he takes one hell of a wide stance when he's in an airport toilet, but I doubt he taps his foot--too much exertion.
I think Sheikh Five By Five has his hand on his chest because his chunky heart is beating in ways he has not felt since he was an overweight adolescent.
I was also looking at ElBaradei in the last picture and wondering if he had some previously unmentioned birthmark on his face, but then I realized the discoloration on his face is due to being in UberUrsula's shadow.
Sorry... thinking about being in Ursula's shadow has overtaxed my heart, and I must go lie down.
Word verification: ursdm
(Ursula dom? But she seems so nice!)[Those can be the best kind!]
Is that Mrs. ElBaradei lookin' all worried?
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