Condi Invites Audience to Play Ring-Toss

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice gestures during a special news conference on Iran at the State Department in Washington May 31, 2006. The United States, in a major policy shift toward Iran, said on Wednesday it would join key European powers in talks with Tehran if it suspended its nuclear enrichment program. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

And let's give credit where credit's due and a big two sparkley hooves up to AFP's Haraz N. Ghanbari for perfectly, perfectly framing La Rice with that painting in the background:

This guy could give Yuri Gripas a run for his money! Gosh, it's nice to have Condi back, isn't it?

Steve (not Stephen) King Tries to Destroy DC Tourism

Have you heard? According to dependably wacky Iowa Republican Steve King, the District is more dangerous than Iraq! OMG, I totally didn't know I was so brave, or in so much peril!

I was going to get all statisticky to disprove Mr. King's claim, but... well, it's just too silly. First of all, he's only using the Pentagon's stats for Iraqi civilian deaths, and here it's helpful to recall Peter Pace's famous "We don't do body counts" quote. Second, the nutty Republican is conveniently leaving out all the American and foreign military forces, contractors and support staff, which hardly seems fair.

But, really, all we need to do is use King as a test subject. I'm assuming that he has wandered around DC a bit since he was elected, so that part of the experiment is done. Now, let's set him down in the middle of Fallujah so that he can see for himself how "safe" it is.

Pink Pony Flashback: Meet Steve King!

UPDATE: I sent this story to Think Progress, hoping they'd do the heavy-lifting to completely discredit it, and they delightfully have.

Clairvoyant Colleague Startles Pink Pony

U.S. President George W. Bush (L) and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice walk on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, May 26, 2006. REUTERS/Larry Downing

OK, for reals, just this morning my coworker Davey remarked, "It's a three-day weekend, so is Condi headed for Camp David with George?" Oh, how we laughed! Merrily, like two schoolgirls at a tea party! I mean, it was odd enough that she went there with George and Crazy-Eyes Laura for Mothers' Day, Right?

But look! She really is going to Camp David this weekend with George!

I've totally got to start going to the track with Davey.

Friday Ugly Tour Bus Photoblogging

The above bus (click the pics for bigger!) isn't really that ugly, but it perfectly sums up my feelings about a lot of the visitors to our fair city. They stand on the left on escalators; they walk around in what appear to be their pajamas; they strap fanny packs to their bodies when there's an entire industry dedicated to providing attractive bags to the world... oh, it goes on and on. Worst of all, though, they bring their small children to DC and think they'll enjoy it. Listen, people, you might think that history comes alive in The District, but you're wrong; history is dead, dead, dead here, and it'll bore the living daylights out of your toddler.

On the other hand, it's nice to see that the people who used to design Ocean Pacific shirts in the 1970s have found gainful employment in the 21st Century:

And on a totally unrelated note, have you seen the Aravosisblog? LMAO.

Best Date EVER!

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (L) and Chief of Staff Josh Bolten attend a news conference with U.S. President George W. Bush and British Prime Minister Tony Blair in the East Room of the White House in Washington, May 25, 2006. Blair said on Thursday it was the duty of the entire international community, as well as Britain and the United States, to support the new Iraqi government. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Can you imagine? It's exciting to hear Bush speak, and it's always a thrill to listen to Blair, but both at the same time? Well, as you can see, nothing could be more fascinating to Josh 'n' Condi. Is it possible for two people to have more fun? Oh, I totally doubt it.

And also, thanks to Pony Pal™ David, we stumble across and try to process this information from Time Magazine:

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice took time out from matters of war
and peace to catch this week's finale of American Idol. Unlike many adults who claim they watch the show only because their kids commandeer the TV, Condi is an unabashed fan.

According to the State Department official, Idol isn't the only junk food on Condi's TV diet. She also watches Law & Order and was a fan of The Bernie Mac Show before its cancellation.

Quickie: Strangers with Candy

OMGLOL, I know this will be all over blogadelphia* within minutes, but it all has to be experienced to be believed: Tom DeLay's supporters sent out a mailer featuring quotes from Stephen Colbert, and even feature a video of him on their web site... as if he were a real conservative pundit. OMG get it while it's hot.

*Anything... anything but the word blogosphere.

Picture Perfect

I realized today that in my slobbering all over Yuri Gripas, I was neglecting another Reuters' Condirazzi favorite, Larry Downing, he of many magic Condi moments and the sublime Dick Cheney "RETIRE" photo from a few months ago. Well, lately he's been shooting mostly on The Hill and at the White House. The above photo, showing Marine One arriving at the latter, is just about as fitting a symbol for the current administration as any I've seen yet. Two sparkley hooves way up for Mr. Downing's metaphorical home run!

Fresh Angles on Condi

Mohamed ElBaradei, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, seated at right, answer reporter's questions during a meeting at the State Department Wednesday, May 24, 2006 in Washington. (AP Photo/Kevin Wolf)

I love this unconventional approach to the typical State Department matching armchairs photo-op. AP's Wolf shows a lot we haven't see before, although we've speculated about the couch in the past. But he really captures a wonderful sense of "zoo animals on display" inherent in the set-up. And Reuters' Yuri Gripas, winner by a landslide of the Condirazzi Iron Photo-Opographer Challenge, was on hand also, and he, too, got in on the unconventionally-angled fun:

Very nice! It's clear, though, that the set-up is really getting stale, and camera tricks aside, we can't get a fresh angle on Condi until they pry her out of that chair again. You know what I'm saying? Road trip! C'mon, give the gal an airplane ticket and let's have some out-of-town fun!

Cooties?

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is seated in the East Room at the White House before the start of a joint news conference by Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Bush, Tuesday, May 23, 2006 in Washington. The White House urged visiting Israeli prime minister to reach out to the moderate Palestinian president, a step the new Israeli leader has been reluctant to take. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

The above is absolutely without a doubt the single saddest picture I've ever seen of our Dr. Princess. Could you die? Does somebody need to have a little chat with Condi about some kind of... delicate matter? I'm just not sure who's going to help her now that Jack Straw is gone.

Hmmm... maybe that NFL job thingee doesn't sound so bad right about now.

Condi's Graduation Hairdo Peril Subsides, Please Continue Your Normal Activities

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert meets Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in Washington, May 22, 2006. (Avi Ohayon/GPO/Handout/Reuters)

I know, there's nothing remotely interesting about the above meet 'n' greet, BUT the shot allows me to lower the Condoleezza Hairdo Alert System back down to 'guarded' now that yesterday's coiffure-threatening event in Boston has safely passed.

You may now move about the cabin.

George 'n' George: Compare 'n' Contrast

U.S. President George W. Bush gives remarks in support of the newly-installed Iraq government, from the White House in Washington May 21, 2006. Nuri al-Maliki, who was inaugurated on Saturday as post-war Iraq's first full-time prime minister, has pledged to make security and the economy his government's top priorities. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

Metablogging: The Trouble with Audioblogging

OK, so some of you have noticed that I haven't posted "Monday Audioblogging" today, and I'm wondering, honestly, if it's worth continuing this feature.

Basically, the point of Monday Audioblogging is to provide a fun and/or interesting break from the politics-as-usual which makes up the rest of this blog. For a fun break, though, it takes a LOT of work. First I have to digitize the old records, and that usually takes a couple of tries, and then each album cover requires eight scans to show both the front and the back. And then uploading the files takes. for. ever.

Oh, whine, moan, I know. But if the audioblogging got a great response, it would be all worth it. But... well, it doesn't, so it kinda isn't.

So, Pony Pals™, what say you about the audioblogging? I'll respond with more thoughts on the matter in the comments.

Pomp and Circumstanzza

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (R) receives an honorary doctor of laws degree from Boston College president Reverend William Leahy during commencement ceremonies at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts May 22, 2006. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

Boston College student Danielle Woods holds a sign in silent protest as U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice receives an honorary degree during commencement ceremonies at Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts May 22, 2006. REUTERS/Brian Snyder

I don't have much of anything to add, really. Um, congrats, Condi!

Hauntingly Lifelike

I think Princess Ferragamo had the weekend off, but that didn't stop her from sending the Condibot out to make the rounds of the network Sunday spinfests today. As a special treat, through the magic of animated gif technology, you can click on the picture below to relive, thrillingly, the Condibot cuddling its small, spherical, invisible friend on Meet the Press:

Link opens in a new window.

Um, warning, it's a little frightening.

Condirazzi Iron Photo-Opographer Challenge Round 3!

In this corner, current leader Yuri Gripas of Team Reuters:

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (R) and Indonesia's Foreign Minister Hassan Wirajuda walk into the Treaty Room of the State Department in Washington after their meeting May 19, 2006. REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

And in this corner, Associated Press' Lawrence Jackson:

The match is happening RIGHT NOW! I'm liking Gripas again, because he knows that when you've got Condi in mid-stroll, you want to get the whole body-shot, because 1. We want to see Condi's shoes, and 2. It makes her and her partner look like they're dancing the Madison. A big strong line! Hit it!

It's too early to judge this round yet, but it looks like the above shots show Condi 'n' Pal heading toward the hallowed matching armchairs in the reception room, and that's this competition's field of dreams, if you will, even if it wasn't used in yesterday's Round 2. Will Gripas play it conservative, as he did in Round 1, or do a little arty hotdogging?

Also, please note that challenger AP has tossed aside the husks of their previous entrants, and this time they've changed tactics by choosing a photographer with a safe, WASPy name. Will it help?

Stay tuned! OMG, the Iron Photo-Opographer Challenge is totally better than American Idol.

UPDATE: The Second Lap!

Alrighty, in this next segment, Condi 'n' Pal have moved inside to the Reception Room, and the contestants have shot pretty much the identical instant:

AP Photo/Jackson

Reuters/Gripas

This is the best showing yet by an AP competitor. But as in the previous rounds, please note the whites in Gripas' photo... he's the All-Temperature Cheer of photographers; his whites are simply whiter.

More subtle, though, are the compositional differences. Note how both incorporate the painting on the upper-left: Jackson edges it almost, but not quite, out of the frame, creating a hard-edged border on the left side of his photo. Gripas allows more of the painting into the frame, thereby creating an expansive shape which keeps the left side open. And yet with the doorframe behind Condi we see the opposite happen, because the dark rectangle of the door creates a strongly closed shape which encompases our Princessplomat and divides the composition. Gripas wisely reinforces this by including the frame, neatly creating a closed side on the right as a complement to the open, expansive shapes and colors on the left. Wait, see, here's how it works:

Recall that Jackson closed off the left side with that frame edge. The result is that Jackson's picture is more cramped than Gripas' more dynamic capture of the identical moment.

This was a lot closer than the first two rounds, but I'm declaring Gripas 3 for 3.

Oh, and PS, I'm sure the nice Foreign Minister of Indonesia and Dr. Ferragamo talked about, oh, just loads of important things 'n' stuff.

Condirazzi Iron Photo-Opographer Challenge Round 2!

Saudi Arabia Foreign Affairs Minister Prince Saud Al Faisal, left, and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, right, take part in a news conference in the Treaty Room at the State Department in Washington, Thursday, May 18, 2006. Saudi Arabia has unsuccessfully argued to the Bush administration that shutting off aid to the Palestinian government and isolating its new Hamas leaders will radicalize a destitute population and set back the cause of peace with Israel. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Reuters' Yuri Gripas advances to Round Two of this week's superexciting wire service snapper smackdown. On Tuesday, current champ Gripas mopped up the floor with AP's Heesoon Yim, and in today's mashup, the Associated Press has a new exotically-named challenger. But, ohhh, right off the bat, Ceneta fumbles when he can't decide whether to show the flag on the right, as seen above, or the one on the left:

What an unfortunate fumble! Now Gripas is up, smirking at this inexperienced upstart as if responding, Flags? Who cares about the flags! Check out the chandelier:

Sometimes a constest is over before it even begins. And in a final mocking of his utterly humiliated foe, Grivas looks over his shoulder and tosses off one of those fantastic Condicloseups that we all just live for:

Who will challenge Reuters' golden boy for the Condirazzi Crown next? Does AP have another contender with an unusual name up its sleeve? Will AFP dare to send a challenger Yuri's way? Stay tuned!

People Seemed to Enjoy Dennis Hastert in a Chicken Suit, so Here's Katherine Harris Dressed as a Penguin

Innovative Democrat Humorously Compares Politicians to Jesus, Lobbyists to Wise Men

From The (Cackalacky) Insider, via Think Progress, comes this impassioned plea from just the kind of Democrat who isn't doing anybody much good these days:

“Even Baby Jesus accepted gifts, and I don’t believe it corrupted him.” — North Carolina State Rep. Drew Saunders (D), arguing that a $200 gift-reporting requirement for legislators from non-family members was too low.

Hastert: Fiscal Responsibility "Not an Option"

Uhhh... I think Speaker Hastert needs to work on his word choice a little, because his press release touting his remarks about the budget starts off sounding a little more accurate than he perhaps intended:

"Make no mistake about it: Fiscal responsibility is not an option in this House of Representatives."

First I thought, wow, that's some self-awareness! But then I read the rest and discovered that what he really thinks he means is that fiscal responsibility is compulsory and even desirable for Republicans.

Since when?

Be Careful What You Wish For

Well, you know, I said I wanted to see more of Condi's outfit from last night's Kenny Chesney thingee, and as you can see above, some prayers are best left unanswered.

The good news? Well, at least we can see it wasn't actually yellow, so that's a big relief. The bad news? Um, everything else.

UPDATE: Some commentors seem to think this is a wild, awful new hairdo. It is not. It's simply an updo shot at a bad angle. Sheesh!

She Wore Lemon

(R-L) U.S. President George W. Bush, first lady Laura Bush, Australian Prime Minister John Howard, his wife Janette Howard, and U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice applaud a performance by country singer Kenny Chesney after an official dinner at the White House in Washington, May 16, 2006. REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

OK, so that's Spendaleezza last night listening to Nicole Kidman's future ex-husband or somebody like that. Ohhhhh... how I wish I could see more photos, because our heroine seems to be wearing some kind of meringue concoction. Was it a dress? OMG, I hope not, because that's just a little too Bridesmaid 1974 for me. Let's hope the... pirate blouse?... was teamed with a sleek, tight, black skirt. And probably a lemon-shaped Judith Leiber purse.

I really feel like I've been denied some spectacular pleasure by not having a better shot of that outfit. Hold me.

I Come Not to Bury Yuri Gripas, but to Praise Him

I've sung the praises of Reuters' star Condirazzi Yuri Gripas over and over (and over and over), but it's nice to have a fresh case study from today's meet 'n' greet at the State Department*. First up, the stand-up:

AP Photo/Heesoon Yim


REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

See the difference? First of all, Yuri's photo is simply better from a technical standpoint; he's compensated for that nasty, dull State Department lighting. Second, Heesoon's composition is crowded and lacks focus, and one gets the impression that he is afraid to include background elements in his ill-conceived attempt to imply intimacy. Gripas, on the other hand, knows full well that the background is the photographer's friend in a situation like this, because the people themselves are boring. Advantage: Gripas.

Next up, the championship round: the matching armchairs photo-op. Ohhhh, you thought I'd exhausted that subject last week, didn't you? Let's see how Gripas VS Yim plays out in this crucial arena:

AP Photo/Heesoon Yim


REUTERS/Yuri Gripas

No contest... Gripas wins. He knows the set-up, and he knows exactly how to shoot it. Yim again makes the mistake of trying to portray the moment as intimate and casual, which it most certainly is not. And the result, as you can see, is that the matching armchairs refuse to meet the photographer's needs, and awkward cropping ensues. Gripas shoots the truth of the event: this is a heraldic display, please handle it accordingly.

*Oh, do you care who the guy is? Really? Um, OK, he's Cyril Svoboda, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic.

I Just Wanted to Save This as a Snapshot, a Little Time Capsule so that Future Generations may Better Understand Us, Our Hopes, and Our Dreams

Condi Comes Closest Yet to Basic Instinct Territory

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice smiles as she waits for President Bush and Australian Prime Minister John Howard to participate in a joint press availability in the East Room of the White House in Washington Tuesday, May 16, 2006. At right is Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

I swear, I've never come closer to seeing London or France.

Don't Bother Stealing Condi's iPod

So, OK, some boring Irish rock star with a sunglasses dependency got to edit The Independent over in Merry Olde England today. *Yawn* But anyway, filling up pages is hard, darn it, so said rock star thought it would be just a hoot to ask Princess Ferragamo about her favorite music. Normally, one would expect to learn something from this process, but then one would be forgetting how tightly our heroine controls her image. The result is the most boring and safe selections possible. Here's Editor and Publisher's conveniently condensed list:

1. Mozart
Piano Concerto in D minor

"I won my first piano competition at the age of 15, playing this work."

2. Cream
'Sunshine of Your Love'

"I love to work out to this song," says Rice. "Believe it or not, I loved acid rock in college - and I still do."

3. Aretha Franklin
'Respect'

4. Kool and the Gang
'Celebration'

"It's just such a great song."

5. Brahms
Piano Concerto No 2

6 Brahms
Piano Quintet in F minor

7. U2
Anything

Rice, a big fan, is happy to listen to any of their tunes.

8. Elton John
'Rocket Man'

"It brings back memories of college, friends, my first boyfriend."

9. Beethoven
Symphony No 7

"Quite simply the greatest symphony of all time," is how Rice describes Beethoven's Seventh.

10. Mussorgsky
Boris Godunov

OK, so Russian modernism, predictable classical... Celebration by Kool and the Gang? Oh, come on. What a cop-out! And if the inclusion of U2 isn't just bare-faced pandering, then my bare-faced pandering detector is totally broken.

And I suppose we're supposed to say, "Whoooooah!" about the Cream song? OK, it was a huge hit, and it's almost 40-years-old, so let's not get too startled.

The key to the whole thing, of course, is the most clichéd selection on the list: Respect by Aretha. And that's what Condi keeps getting, even from people like Bono who should know better. Why is it? Here's a person who has helped --actively helped-- bring the world to the point of armageddon via a web of lies, deceit, trickery and obfuscation. But that's OK, because she's a strong woman who has come a long way, Baby. Maybe if more people saw through her gender and ancestry, they'd see her less as Oprah and more as... Donald Rumsfeld in a Chanel suit.

Oops, I dropped character! I meant to say, OMG, Rocket Man! I totally love that song!

Try Not to Envision a Jacuzzi Three-Way

That's our Purple Princess yesterday, returning from Mothers' Day weekend at Camp David with her bestest buddies ever. Sure, it's not a very exciting shot, but from a hairdo standpoint, it's nice to see Condi sporting the updo during the daytime, perhaps revealing a newfound hair energy. Perhaps we're in for a change north of the eyebrows? This isn't enough to merit a change in the Hairdo Alert System, but I'll monitor the coiffure as closely as ever this week.

Also: what does a crazy lady look like? She looks like this:

Condishop Roundup: Building a Better Photo-Op

Click for bigger, fabulouser!

Photoshoppers the world over discover one salient truth: there is no better subject than Princess Ferragamo! First up, please be astonished by the above unholy conflation of Condi 'n' Jon Stewart provided by talented image-hacker and Pony Pal™ greyjello.* What kind of show would such a chimaera host? And would s/he have fared better at the Oscars?

Next up, I think Pony Pal™ Senior Fellow Uncle Splatty got a little impatient with last week's relentless extravaganza of matching armchair photo-ops, so he came up with a way to make an even more meaningful statement with the set-up:

Oh dear... now that's an interesting message.

*A side note: kids, please capitalize your interweb names.

Monday Audioblogging: Bargain Basement Sonny and Cher

Wayne and Marin Foster: To-Get-It Together, ca. 1972, Happynest Records. Click for Bigger!

Please Note! The recordings reproduced here originally carried neither a date nor copyright information. They are featured here as part of an activity for learning and discussion.

This week's audioblogging selection, an independently-released album by upbeat San Diego husband and wife team Wayne and Marin Foster, occupies a strange place between the amateur and the professional. Wayne Foster was obviously a player in the "we need a big band for the cotillion" scene in Southern California, and a quick Google search reveals that his professional touring orchestra still keeps quite busy.

We all know, however, that life isn't all VFW balls and awards ceremonies, so Wayne and Marin also developed a more intimate stage show starring themselves and a small band... a kind of low-budget Donny and Marie/Sonny and Cher/Captain and Tennille affair for smaller venues. And although this record isn't dated, it obviously comes from a time when variety shows ruled television, for that is the esthetic chased here, with theme-medleys and an Up With People "Free to Be You 'n' Me" cheeriness.

Back cover. Click for bigger!

So while this record seems, at first blush, to be what is known as a "DIY" (Do-it-Yourself) amateur "vanity" recording (like Sandra and Cindy), that's not the case. Obviously, their band is professional, and their arrangements are slick. These records were presumably made as a kind of business card, probably sold for a low price at their gigs, but more likely handed out free to potential customers.

And the music? Well, to call it Vegas-damaged would be an understatement. I imagine most of you will find this stuff to be too corny, too Care Bears to get through. And it is for you I weep. The rest of us, a small minority I'm sure, will listen to Wayne and Marin over and over until we have rainbows and gumdrops streaming out of our collective asses. Enjoy!

To Get it Together (4:07, 4.8mb mp3)
Little Green Apples (3:38, 4.3mb mp3)
Cha Cha Choo (Medley) (3:00, 3.5mb mp3)
Show Medley (4:06, 4.8mb mp3)
To My Friends (3:54, 4.6mb mp3)
Brotherhood Medley (3:35, 4.6mb mp3)

Huge thanks go out this week to Pony Pal™ James Call for, years ago, giving me this album (he had two shrink-wrapped copies!).

It's Nice to See CNN Taking This so Seriously

But on the other hand:



Hee hee! Oh, oh!

State Department Matching Armchairs Photo-Op Hidden Messages Revealed!

So believe it or not, Condi had yet another photo-op today, and they didn't even have to change the flower arrangement. I guess they just cart 'em in-n-out of there on hand-trucks all day long, telling each and every one, "Hold on, you've got to sit a spell with Condi for Reuters' Yuri Gripas/Jim Young/Larry Downing (and watch out for that one), etc.:

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (R) meets with her Jordanian counterpart Abdelelah al-Khatib in Washington in Washington May 11, 2006. REUTERS/Jim Young

Jim Young is, of course, one of Reuters' most dedicated Condirazzis, so he knows exactly how to line-up the optimum matching armchairs shot.

And lined-up just right in this case, because I couldn't help but see a certain pattern emerge... could it be a little subliminal propaganda? You be the judge:

So I guess the answer to my question earlier today --"Are we sick of these yet?-- can be answered with a resounding "No!"

Another Day, Another Photo-Op

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice (R) meets the Chairman of Bosnia's tripartite presidency Sulejman Tihic in Washington, May 11, 2006. REUTERS/Jim Young

Really, there's nothing to say about this particular matching armchairs event. But, you know, after Spendaleezza's harrowing encounter with that Euro guy yesterday, it's important that she jump right back into the saddle and show the world that one overly-frisky diplopal isn't going to ruin her modus operandi. Or something.

Um, are we sick of these yet?

Photo-Op Gone Wild!

Javier Solana(L) of the European Union, meets with US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice at the US State Department in Washington, DC. The United States, facing stubborn opposition to sanctions against Iran, gave its European allies "a couple of weeks" to draft new incentives for Tehran to halt its controversial nuclear program.(AFP/Karen Bleier)

Things started off well enough, but Mr. Solana seemed a little antsy, like he had better things to do than costar in one of Sparkleezza's matching armchairs photo sessions. Mr. Solana, just sit down! It takes two minutes, OK? Stop fussing!

Clearly the man is agitated, and our Condi is amused. He's a frisky li'l Euro! But soon enough, the humor turns to horror as the EU guy starts flinging his extravagent hand gestures a little too close for comfort:

Whoah! Back off, Mister! Do you think he'll dare to actually touch the Princess?

OMG. Somebody call FEMA! In a perfect world, she next flings the drink.