Live From Iceland, or Possibly Greenland, It's the DipNote Tweet Show!

· "Arrived at Reflavik airport -- beautiful! Clever -- u can buy duty free AFTER landing -- big shop open while u wait for luggage. quel marketing!" (She probably meant Keflavik airport, or maybe Reykjavik.)

· "met by PAO [public affairs officer] Kathy Eagen at airport. checking into hotel. Photos here: http://tiny.cc/CGflkrIS Click on them to get description"

· "on the 'Blue Lagoon Express' it is only light between 11am and 3pm here in Iceland so better make the most of it -- sleep later"

· "Renting a bathing suit and getting ready to take the plunge into the geothermal hot springs and smear silica mud on my face"

· "Small world -- ran into DCM [deputy chief of mission] Neil Klopfenstein just before plunge into Blue Lagoon. Bathing suit not my sartorial choice for first meet! Ack!"

Seems everyone who's anyone meets at the lagoon?

Amba$$ador Opponents

Speaking of matters diplomatic, the American Foreign Service Association, the career officers' union, is once again trying to get more qualified people into ambassadorial jobs. The union sent the Obama transition team a letter Monday noting that a federal law says ambassadorial nominees "should possess clearly demonstrated competence to perform the duties of a chief of mission, including . . . useful knowledge of the language . . . and understanding of the history, the culture, the economic and political institutions, and the interests of that country. . . . Contributions to political campaigns should not be a factor."