Tuesday, April 01, 2008

Condoleezza Rice for President?

(Photo courtesy of Reuters)

(Post in progress) I'm really busy packing for a visa trip, but walking past my television a minute ago, which is typically on but muted, I saw what appeared to be an announcement of Condoleezza Rice running for president. Oh my oh my, the dangers of understanding just enough Russian to be dangerous. And the temptations of being sensational-istic. That's one thing I certainly don't want to be.

Anyway, on the screen there in black and white would be translated Condoleezza Rice (mystery verb) for president there in the sub-text. What's critical there is the meaning of the verb баллотироваться, which surely my rendering there needs to be tweaked a bit. And the video was of her walking out somewhere, onto a stage, it appeared, with President and Mrs Bush, looking serious but smiling.

Okay, so quick, open up my Oxford Russian-English dictionary at that verb is defined as "to stand, to be a candidate".

Busy, busy, no time to waste time. But at the border, at passport control and the airport, they might just ask me about this. I need to be ready with my passport and my information about presidential candidates. Besides, I am totally in awe of Condoleezza Rice. She's an expert on things Russian, you know. And she speaks fluent Russian, they say.

I've done a quick Google search on this, a quick look at CNN news on this, nothing not even a morsel of information there. Quick, quick where's a photo of Secretary of State Rice. All you people in the US are asleep in bed, you should be anyway, it's like 1:30 a.m. Eastern Time. And it's my job to monitor the news while you sleep.

I know this is April Fool's Day and all . . .but surely on international news, nobody would be joking about this sort of thing. And that includes me. But there have been other occasions when something newsworthy has broken here a day or two before it was broadcast in the US. Hold on, hold on the 10:00 a.m. news will be on here in a minute. I have ironing I can do right in front of the television while I watch. Let me get my camera ready too. . . Okay, you people in the US, you just keep on sleeping. I'll be your correspondent over here. And your ironer.

Well, while the iron's firing up and the water turning to steam, let me say that the news channel is busy reporting live of President and Mrs Bush in Kiev. An opening ceremony in progress there. And just between you and me, I'm wondering if those dear folks managed to get a decent night's sleep, perhaps on Air Force One. They appear to be a wee bit jet lagged.

Okay, not much international news on the 10:00 news, except as relates directly to Russia and the Ukraine. . . Have any of you heard anything about this?

2 comments:

Unknown said...

For sure - not a headline here.

Jeanette

John from Kansas said...

The recent news was probably from a press conference concerning Secretary Rice's Middle East tour. John McCain has not made any announcements in regards to a running mate, but her name has come up occasionally as a Vice-Presidential nominee.