Putin the blog back up

To quote a famous movie line, "I'm out of it for awhile, and everyone gets delusions of grandeur."

I saw this photo on a website called russianfun.net.

Mr. Vladimir Putin?

I think you're trying to send an image designed to scare some Segway-riding pinhead girly men on how tough you are. And hunting! That should do it!

Just one or two things though.

#1 - No shirt. Yes, it shows you're a tough man. Great. But hunting like that for any prolonged period is going to HURT the next morning. And for a week or so after that. The sun is always tougher than you are.

#2 - No vest. Hunters like to have extra ammunition. You know, in case they need to reload. And a vest is the perfect place to keep extra ammunition. Right now, it looks like the only ammunition you have is in in the firearm itself. This says you are either a fantastic shot, or you are hunting in a controlled location and someone else is handing you the ammunition. Oh, and vests are usually bright orange to warn other hunters in the area not to shoot you. That helps tremendously.

#3 - That sling is hanging pretty low. It's going to get caught on all that shrubbery pretty quick, and that's dangerous for both you and anyone in your immediate vicinity. Tighten it up a bit!

#4 - Maybe its me, but it looks like the part of the sling that connects to the stock isn't connected at all. Maybe that's a new tough-guy thing to do... use a rifle with only half the sling attached. But I don't recommend it.

On a side note...


Vladimir Putin is a serious judo expert. Seriously. He may make a mistake or two in a photo op, but he knows his personal self defense.

"One of Putin's favorite sports is the martial art of judo. It has been stated that Putin began judo at the age of 13 and he continues to study judo even today. Putin has won competitions in his hometown of Leningrad (now Saint Petersburg), including senior champion of Leningrad. Now he is President of the Yawara Dojo, the same St. Petersburg dojo he studied at as a youth. Putin co-authored a book on his favorite sport, published in English under the title "Judo: History, Theory, Practice". After a state visit to Japan, Putin was invited to the Kodokan Institute and showed the students and Japanese officials different judo techniques. Though he is not the first world leader to practice judo, Putin is the first leader to move forward in the advanced levels. Currently, Putin is a black belt (6th Degree) and is best known for his Harai goshi, a sweeping hip throw."

Yikes.