i like this woman

apparently madeline albright can leg press "up to 400 pounds." which is, just let me say, really awesome. but also, note how condi rice's gift on the occasion of josef korbel's death (i.e., the death of albright's father, who was also rice's mentor) was entirely about rice (ooh! a piano!) rather than, for example, an expression of sympathy with those who were grieving. this was in 1977. i'm not gonna say it's indicative of rice's entire trajectory, or indeed of everything that's wrong with the bush administration, but it evidences a very particular focus, no? (NB: in the course of trying to figure out whether, perhaps, piano was an interest rice shared with korbel -- the answer is no -- i found alan gilbert's characterization of rice as a "great performer" whose quest for success has paved over a lot of moral bearings. it's an interesting read.)