Putin's bare chest photos send Russia abuzz

While on holiday in the Siberian mountains, Putin went shirtless and the photos of Putin's torso were distributed to the journal Pravda and the presidential web site.
He says his love of sport has impacted his views on the world. He wants to give the appearance of being serious, energetic and capable.
some speculate that he is trying to win over voters with his personal appeal. On the Pravda site, they endorsed the exercises that Putin would have used to get in that condition. Putin is 54 years old.
He has also been on Television displaying his various other talents, such as driving a truck, operating a train, sailing on a submarine, and co-piloting a fighter jet.
He says his love of sport has impacted his views on the world. He wants to give the appearance of being serious, energetic and capable.
And then theres Junior who can't stay on a bike for more than 5 minutes without having an accident.
Our PM Harper looks like he could do with a few less happy meals as well. Putin seems to be the poster boy for the older sexier fit guy.
Will he be on the cover of the new issue of GQ.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/22/europe/EU-GEN-Russia-Putins-Image.php

There was a pool in Moscow, near the Moscow River that usually had nude bathers. In the middle of a city with 8-10 million people.

Nothing to write home about

Really. I don't know how old he is, but he's got to be around the same age as Shrub. BOY, THERE'S a picture I don't want to see!

This whole conversation is a side effect of the humanity's evolution beyond the need for intelligence.

How do you think Rove trimmed down?

When your empire has collapsed, crime has skyrocketed, job security disappeared and your capital city has packs of roaming dogs and gunfights, civil liberties aren't usually at the top of your list. Hell, Gorbachev made it illegal to criticize the president and Yeltsin ruled by decree. Putin's carrying on the tradition.

But a good call on Rove, though, he lost a lot of weight and seems to have been able to keep it off.

or is it just me?

Apparently he's not the slack-ass that * is.

* presented himself in his first campaign, through his squattership first term and second campaign as this as this tough (if loathsomely sweaty) guy; he was out there clearing brush, jogging, riding bikes, etc. As soon as he had the second term bagged and tagged his gut and butt started swelling up faster than roadkill on a Texas dirt road in August.

when you go from a rigorous workout routine - which he had - to one more sedentary - as he has had to do - you're going to put on a few pounds.

This kind of bizarre Men's Health Magazine sense of strange machismo is perplexing to say the least.

What next, wrestling matches in Red Square?