Divisions are already forming within his campaign over whether his demise will be polonium or falling out of a tall building.

Step right up and place your bets in the Futures Prediction market. Your probable choices today are:

1) Death by radiation poisoning.
2) Imprisonment in a Soviet era prison on trumped up charges.

gblive: Step right up and place your bets in the Futures Prediction market. Your probable choices today are:

1) Death by radiation poisoning.
2) Imprisonment in a Soviet era prison on trumped up charges.

What are the odds of death at the hands of Ron Artest?

Not sure if I'd rather be this Prokhorov guy, or that Timberlake dude. They both get more ass than a toilet seat, but only one of them has the potential to be a Bond villain.

Bad feeling this guy is going to fall down an elevator shaft.

/Onto some bullets.

Wait, the Nets are going to Brooklyn? Wow. Good for Brooklyn?

Thank you so much for reminding me of the phrase "Pooty-poot."

Now, now. Everyone here is assuming the worst, that this guy will be killed or imprisoned.

It's perfectly possible that he will run and lose by a completely believable and totally non-fraudulent 97%-3%. Better is the opposition lives - that way you can brag about your thriving democracy and at the same time cite your overwhelming mandate from the people.

Sadly, I also predict that he will die an accidental death between now and the next election. People don't go against Putin and get away with that. How else does one become president in Russia. Putin is pretty calm compared to historical figures.

Doc Daneeka: Now, now. Everyone here is assuming the worst, that this guy will be killed or imprisoned.

It's perfectly possible that he will run and lose by a completely believable and totally non-fraudulent 97%-3%. Better is the opposition lives - that way you can brag about your thriving democracy and at the same time cite your overwhelming mandate from the people.

This.

He is running as a sham candidate to calm the growing protests in Russia. Why would a businessman who has benefited as much as anyone from corruption in Russia support an opposition party aiming to stamp corruption out?

I Have The Touch of a Shocked Monkey: I preferred my headline, but this one's OK I suppose.

Mikhail Prokhorov will battle Vladimir Putin for the Russian presidential election. Possible vice-presidential candidates include Brook Lopez, Jay-Z, and The Most Interesting Man in the World guy

You forgot this guy

I put 20 bucks on "Icepick to the forehead".

/Old skewl.

IF you tangle with Putin, you need to keep one of these on you..

(Pops)


The Radiation Alert Monitor 4EC is a hand-held radiation detector that is used to detect potentially harmful ionizing alpha and beta particles, and gamma and x-ray radiation with an internal Geiger-Mueller (G-M) tube, and has an energy-compensated sidewall for a linear reading of gamma rays and x rays (40-100 keV). This meter has a dual-scale, analog, needle-point display of counts per minute (CPM), and milliRoentgen (mR) per hour. Three selectable operational ranges detect the four main types of ionizing radiation: alpha and beta particles, and gamma rays and x-rays. Operational ranges of X1, X10, or X100 can be adjusted when the meter face peaks at the highest mR level.

I am beginning to be concerned.

We got Bin Laden, and suddenly we find ourselves in need of another enemy, and Putin is apparently going to be the next "it" guy.

I don't know what to fear worse: the fact that this was even brought up, or that people are falling for it.

You fool! You still have time to pull before you m-m-m-m-meet with an accident.

You're making one of the three classic blunders: underestimating the ruthlessness of a megalomaniacal power-mad KGB agent named 'Vlade'.

Somacandra: Larofeticus: Thank you so much for reminding me of the phrase "Pooty-poot."

Let's not forget some other of Bush's awesome nicknames (new window) for people: my current favorite is "Congressman Kickass," also known as Rep. John Sweeney (R-NY)

I like "Hogan" for John McCain. Very tasteless, but funny.

there their theyre: gblive: Step right up and place your bets in the Futures Prediction market. Your probable choices today are:

1) Death by radiation poisoning.
2) Imprisonment in a Soviet era prison on trumped up charges.

What are the odds of death at the hands of Ron Artest?

10,000:1

Okay, I've been seeing this for a while and I don't get it. Why "Pooty-poot"? Is it some sort of cultural reference?

I get that it's meant to be derogatory, but it just seems odd to me.

AlteredChemical: I am beginning to be concerned.

We got Bin Laden, and suddenly we find ourselves in need of another enemy, and Putin is apparently going to be the next "it" guy.

I don't know what to fear worse: the fact that this was even brought up, or that people are falling for it.

Errrr...Putin is the real farking deal.
/be VERY wary of him

gblive: Step right up and place your bets in the Futures Prediction market. Your probable choices today are:

1) Death by radiation poisoning.
2) Imprisonment in a Soviet era prison on trumped up charges.

Or, you know, letting it roll to give the impression of legitimacy and then having some "old buddies form the agency" hanging around the final vote counters on the off-chance it doesn't go his way naturally (which, to be fair, is kind of a low chance to begin). Lot easier to cut this off using lower-profile targets, I would think.

Somacandra: Esn: Okay, I've been seeing this for a while and I don't get it. Why "Pooty-poot"? Is it some sort of cultural reference? I get that it's meant to be derogatory, but it just seems odd to me.

[i.imgur.com image 322x562][i.imgur.com image 421x380]

Obviously I misspelled "Pootie" when I submitted it, but as I was snorting cocaine off a hooker's ass while defending Mother Teresa's corpse from bearded Islamofascists, I think I can be forgiven. Also I was drinking.

Thanks! Another small mystery solved.

Candygram4Mongo: So the owner of a sports franchise will have diplomatic immunity?

Isn't it hard enough to get parking spots at sports stadiums already?




/oblig

I was reading about this. He was asked about Khodorkovsky and said he wouldn't be charged because he's done nothing illegal. Doesn't he realize they will make something he did illegal?

One thing to remember. Khodorovsky has already seen what has happened to all these other people that displease Putin and he has $18B. Don't think for a second that it is beyond his means to afford a private army that could kill or capture Putin, slice him up and turn him into dog treats for Khodorvsky's guard dogs.

You don't think there are a few dozen Spetznas guys that wouldn't want $1M or more for their "retirement fund"?

devioustrevor: and he has $18B.

And Putin has the entire country, affiliate nations and their respective wealth, armies and mercenaries under his thumb or under the thumb of someone under his.

Nobody that could be a threat is going to get close.

Larofeticus: Thank you so much for reminding me of the phrase "Pooty-poot."

I would have said "candy-ass Rooty-Putin."

And I don't know...some of those east-coast Russian mafia, if offered the right price, would make for good security.

It was bad enough that Putin (ex-KGB) was an ultimate insider holding on to power with every dirty trick in the book. But is this any better? Is it really freedom or democracy when your best bet is to buy the election? What does this guy (who made ALL his money due to the dirty/corrupt industry practices that followed the break-up of the USSR) offer that's any different?

tomcatadam: devioustrevor: and he has $18B.

And Putin has the entire country, affiliate nations and their respective wealth, armies and mercenaries under his thumb or under the thumb of someone under his.

Nobody that could be a threat is going to get close.

I've sure every dictator in the past century has thought that too, right up until their door was kicked open and they were gunned down.