Micheline: Still Fabulous

Micheline Calmy-Rey, Federal Counselor and Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Swiss Confederation, attends a news conference with her Macedonian counterpart Antonio Milososki, not seen, in Macedonia's capital Skopje, on Monday, March 31, 2008. (AP Photo/Boris Grdanoski)

Switzerland's girl president/foreign minister is holding up well! She's softened her hairdo a lot, so it's a lot less helmet-like and the dye-job is less radical. And the fitted pea-coat and turtleneck combo? A perfect choice. Here's another, and it makes her seem totally likable, with just a smidgen of Cruella de Vil (in a fun way):

So she didn't end up being a Sparkle Pony Superstar like Ursula or Condi, but she's still got it! So, um, YOU GO Micheline!

Condi 'n' Micheline!

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) shakes hands with Swiss Federal Councillor Micheline Calmy-Rey prior to a meeting at Zurich Airport in Kloten January 23, 2008. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann (SWITZERLAND)

Woo hoo! It's Micheline! I tried so hard to make Micheline a blogstar, but she's just so... well, so neutral. But still, it's nice to see her again! Also, she has the weirdest podiums ever:

It's another whirlwind tour of Europe for Condi! She was in Germany yesterday, and today she's set to head up some economic forum at a ski resort. Cross your fingers for some Condi Snowbunny photos!

I just wish photographers would stop doing this:

We Have a Runner-Up for the Greatest Condishot of the Year (So Far)

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice looks up at the start of NATO's foreign ministers meeting in Oslo, Norway, Thursday, April 26, 2007. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice dismissed Russians concerns over Washington's plans to deploy anti-missile defenses in Europe on Thursday, saying the American interceptors would pose no danger to Moscow's nuclear arsenal. (AP Photo/Yves Logghe)

There's nothing forced about that dazzling smile! After all, nothing could be more fun for Condi than to be surrounded by all those other foreign ministers who surely think she's just SUPER-DUPER. Oh, I just know she was the belle of the ball.

But where are Micheline and Ursula? Well, hold on to your hats, because Switzerland and Austria aren't members of that little NATO club. Can you believe it? Who would want to be in a club without Micheline and Ursula? That Dutch Hoola-Hoop guy was there, though. Watch out, Condi!

BONUS! As mentioned in the title of this post, the above photo, wonderful as it is, is but an also-ran compared to this especially magical shot from two weeks ago. Pony Pal™ Drew in SF, dazzled by Condi's pixie-ish charm in that photo, wanted more of a good thing, so he has selflessly provided us all with a gargantuan blow-up of the best part of it. Click the detail below to fill your screen with marvelous Condilove, the greatest love of all. Pony Pals™, meet your new desktop picture:

Condi Flies to Norway to Hide from Henry Waxman

The US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice alights from the plane as she arrives at Gardermoen Airport outside Oslo Wednesday April 25, 2007, to participate in the Informal meeting of NATO Foreign Ministers in Oslo on April 26 and 27. (AP photo / Bjoern Sigurdsoen, SCANPIX)

Good thinking, Dr. Ferragamo! Do you think we'll get a Condi 'n' Ursula meet-up? A Condi 'n' Micheline confab? Poor Condi: she trying the best she can (really), and all these mean people want her to respond to their silly letters and to totally appear in Congress and -- Really! Who do they think they are? Get on a plane, girl, and fly, fly away from those awful people.

Condi Throws State Dept. Fiesta in Honor of PSP's Second Blogiversary

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, right, greets Mexican Secretary of Foreign Relations Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, Monday, Feb. 26, 2007, at the State Department in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

Isn't that nice of her? Technically, yesterday was the beginning of this blog's third year. OMG, how did that happen?

So let's review: Condi still reigns supreme, but Ursula Plassnik has made surprising inroads. After a strong last-quarter start, Micheline Calmy-Rey, I'm sorry to report, has underperformed. The Christian Right has continued to be a fabulous fountain, a never ending supply of story ideas. Thanks, wackos!

Would I ever try to take this site commercial? No. First of all, I already have a great job I love. Second, in order to go for-profit, I'd have to start paying AP and Reuters to use their photos and, obvs, I'd have to start blanketing the darn thing with ads, and that just isn't going to happen. Third... um... I'm too lazy and I don't have enough readers, anyway.

All publishers, however, should be advised that I'm not against lucrative book deals, so bring 'em on!

EDIT: Oh! And I realized just recently that I do have a sense of decency after all! Yay! I totally resisted the temptation to post this recent photo (warning: disturbing photo) of Karen Hughes holding an injured child with a headline saying...

Nope, I'm not going to do it. See? Decency!

Micheline + Ursula = Best Friends FOREVER!!!

November, 2005 (AP Photo/KEYSTONE/Edi Engeler)

Last Thursday I introduced a new starlette in the Pink Pony Pantheon, fabulous Micheline Calmy-Rey, ceremonial girl President/Foreign Minister of Switzerland. I suspected this frisky little attention-getter could hold her own in the pink spotlight with such beloved Sparklefaves as Karen Hughes and Tzipi. And sure enough, I was gratified when Pony Pals™ responded excitedly in one voice: We love Micheline! And I do, too! OMG! I also sensed an extra frisson of pleasure amongst readers of this blog concerning the photo of Micheline with her slumber party-mate Ursula Plassnik, the amiable, herculean Austrian diplogiantess. Well! Consider this post porn for you, then! I love the above photo for the sheer magnitude of Ursula's scarf alone, but I'm sure you'll agree with me that its best feature is just how much the photographer had to tilt his camera to get the two gal-pals' heads level. You've gotta look up to Ursula, and I mean that physically! Mrrrowr! More? Prepare yourself:

July, 2006 (AP Photo/HOPI MEDIA/Bernhard J. Holzner, handout)

That's right, Pony Pals™, it's a hot diplomatrix sandwich. And who's the mayo? Why, that's Leichtensteinamarian foreign minister Rita Kieber-Beck! *sigh* Aren't you already imagining them in a giggly pillow fight with Condi 'n' Tzipi? OK, that's plenty of Ursula/Micheline fantasy material to last you all a while.

And, finally, I couldn't resist:

Noteworthy Hairdo Conquers Switzerland

Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy Rey speaks during a signing ceremony at the EU Council building in Brussels, Monday Feb. 27, 2006. Switzerland will finance projects in the European Union's 10 new member states worth 1 billion Swiss francs (645 million) over the next five years, the EU executive office said Monday. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

What is it about diplogals? Please gaze in wonder at the incredible new President of Switzerland, Micheline Calmy Rey, who, besides being named after a brand of tires, also sports one of the most fascinating coiffures to cross my desk in some time. It's like a Beatle cut with a blond starfish draped over the top, and I declare it outstanding, and I also wonder if this is the proof of extraterrestrial life we've been waiting for.

And, of course, Micheline is Condi's Swiss counterpart. But get this: even though she's the new head of state, I guess it's a part-time gig and she has to keep her day job as foreign minister! Oh, Switzerland is a peculiar, primitive place!

But how does she get along with her gal-pals, the other girl foreign ministers of the world? Well, who do you think organizes the slumber parties? Indeed:

swissinfo: A few years ago you launched an international network of woman ministers. Do you plan to build it up?

M. C:R.: The network of woman foreign affairs ministers was initiated by a number of people who wanted to meet up, exchange experiences and advance certain women's issues. We meet twice a year during the Human Rights Council and UN General Assembly sessions. In 2005, for example, we helped establish the Office for the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women in Geneva on a permanent basis.

And to prove her bond with her girlish colleagues, here's a picture of Micheline with Sparklestar Ursula Plassnik:

(AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Try to contain your fantasies for the rest of the day. And a grand swish of the combable tail to the shy Pony Pal™ who alerted me to this awesome world player!