If it's good enough for Putin, it's good enough for the rest of us.

Universally acknowledged to be the globe's most rugged political leader, Vladimir Putin has recently given his seal of approval non-lethal methods of whale research. Exhilarated by his success in firing the skin-sample collection arrows used for most whaling research, Putin indicated that the activity was plenty macho:

Clearly in his element, Putin replied jovially to a question as to whether the endeavour was dangerous.

"Living in general is dangerous," he quipped. Asked why he got involved, he replied, "Because I like it. I love the nature."

There you have it, folks. Putin doesn't need to actually kill the whale to get an adrenaline rush - basic skin sample collecting is enough of an adventure for him. Apparently he even wrote a column on the experience for a Russian newsmagazine, but this blogger was unable to track it down. It's clear, however, that the Russian Prime Minister doesn't need to kill a whale to enjoy himself. Would that the Japanese could also figure this out.