Sunday, March 14, 2004

Putingrad A story by Kim Murphy in today's LA Times, "Putin's Popularity Veils Uncertainty for Russia," includes the following: The president is likely to be reelected today.  His ability to address festering needs and commitment to civil liberties are unknown. That description also applies to Bush.  The article continues: Putin has a reputation for pushing himself mercilessly. . . . When he took up alpine skiing, said his instructor, Leonid Tyagachyov, Putin wasn't content with whizzing down the regular slopes.  In 2002, he insisted on taking a helicopter to a remote peak in the Caucasus and skied 2 1/2 miles down the side of a steep mountain. This may be the only thing the taciturn, secretive Putin has in common with the late Spalding Gray.  In one of his compulsively confessional monologues, "It's A Slippery Slope," Gray claimed to have negotiated the legendary Ruthie's Run on Aspen Mountain on his first day as a skier. Q: What is Putin's middle name? A: Ras 11:46:19 AM