Manly Vlad

I swear this is my last post about the shirtless Putin.

I was in Provigo, standing in line with a few groceries (hey, I bought one of those canvas bags for 99 cents so I don't use so many plastic bags. I'm going green, Mr. Gore!). I look down at the daily papers and there, on the front page of the National Post, is an enormous photo of shirtless Vlad and his big (fishing) rod.

I suppose it could've been worse. Being the National Post they'd print a pic of shirtless Conrad Black if they could find one.

Credit where credit is due: Vlad's got the whole world talking about him, and he didn't even do anything. He scores big headlines just by being on vacation. He's a wily mutha.

This whole stunt is just a ratcheting up of the New Cold War. Vlad's sick of hearing about W's mountain-biking and brush-clearing and all the rest of the he-man stuff Bush does rather than actual Presidenting. And since Bush is on his usual month-long vacation now, it's only a matter of time before the White House releases the annual macho shots of Bush on his play-house ranch.

So Vlad did a pre-emptive machismo strike. How can Bush's cowboy hat and T-shirt compete against All That Vlad? It cannot be done.

So I have to score this round for Vlad. Grudgingly, of course.

This does not, however, make up for the time Vlad beat that 10-year-old at judo. Even if he had never done anything else, for that act alone, he is forever a fucking asshole in my book.