Taro Aso's 'Assistant Robot' & furry green frogs

[Taro Toporific]

[floatr][/floatr]Rice shares ASEAN stage with furry green frogsReuters.com Fri Jul 28, 2006 2:18 AM IST135..... The annual gala dinner of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) lived up to its reputation as the whacky highlight of regional diplomacy on Thursday night.....Japanese Foreign Minister Taro... Aso's troupe of foreign-ministry officials took the stage and the night sped from mildly amusing to plain bizarre.
Seemingly inspired by comic books and the film Casablanca, the plot of the Japanese skit revolved around a futuristic, global pandemic of giant furry frogs.
As Aso, wearing trench-coat and hat, dragged Bogart-like on a cigarette, his officials hopped on stage in frog outfits or dressed as a fish, Power Ranger, or mutant lobster. A creature called "Aso's Assistant Robot" also made an appearance.....

[Mulboyne]

Reuters: Japan, China ministers invent 'toilet diplomacy'

Diplomacy often takes place on the sidelines of international gatherings -- an impromptu tete-a-tete between global leaders at a coffee break, or a chance encounter in the corridors of a convention centre. It took a new form at a meeting of Asian officials on Wednesday when the Japanese and Chinese foreign ministers ran into each other in the men's room. "I had meaningful discussions with Minister Li at the toilet," a Japanese official quoted Foreign Minister Taro Aso as telling the meeting of Asian ministers, referring to his Chinese counterpart, Li Zhaoxing...Asked whether Aso went to the men's room knowing Li was there, the Japanese official said it was purely nature's call. "It was awfully cold in the conference room"...more...

[ojara]