To Russia, With Love

Move over, Ukraine, Russia has displaced you.  Last week, Mad Dog had 119 hits from the USA, 42 from Ukraine and 691 from Russia.

Mad Dog is a hit in Russia!

Friends, who are more internet savvy than Mad Dog, have suggested since many of the world's most perfidious hackers live in Russia,  attention from Russia may not be a good thing.  

Others have suggested some of Mad Dog's  past posts regarding Mr. Vladimir Putin might have got him on the screens at whatever replaced the KGB. Again, not the audience Mad Dog would be wise to seek. 

Mad Dog prefers to think he is a big hit in Russia, that Russians are intrigued by American politics in the heartland.

Most of what Mad Dog knows about Russia comes directly from the David Lean film, "Dr. Zhivago," a movie  made by a  Brit, starring an Egyptian in the role of Zhivago, a Brit as Lara and an American as the arch villain. Not a bone fide Russian in the cast, but it has to be authentic because it's got that wonderful musical score which sounds very Russian and it was filmed, as Mad Dog recalls, in Finland, which is almost Russia.

Actually, with the rise of the Donald, Mad Dog believes we all may have much to learn from the Russians about dealing with a leader who commands rapt affection from his countrymen, while saying and doing bizarre, belligerent things while mismanaging his economy. At least Mr. Putin has not had to seek bankruptcy protection for any of his government owned companies, so he may have the edge on Mr. Trump in management skills. 

And then there is Maria Sharapova, that dazzling Russian tennis player, who could arouse interest in the most entrenched Russia o phobe.  She can surely compete with the Donald's current squeeze. Mr. Putin has a girlfriend who showed up at the Winter Olympics held in Russia, and presumably Mr. Putin put her on display to demonstrate he can compete with Mr. Trump and Mr. Obama for arm candy any day.


Mad Dog fondly  remembers his Russian friends from his days in Washington, D.C. Of course, these were ex-patriot Russians, so there is selection bias, but most of them said, at one time or another, Russia is a great country to be from. They really did not seem to miss mother Russia much. Russia apparently did not treat Jews well. Nor women, to hear my friends tell it. Nor people who felt inclined to complain about oligarchs who were cozy with Mr. Putin or Mr. Putin's friends. 

One thing which did not impress the Russians was size.  We talk about the Great Plains, but they sniff.  In Russia, we have 15 time zones. Or winter. We have Minnesota and North Dakota; they have Siberia. No contest.  We also, of course, have Alaska, but as Sarah Palin can attest, that's just a Russian annex, up there.

So, Hello Russia! Whoever you are. 

One thing Mad Dog does not understand: Why the silence?  This right here is a free country. You are allowed to speak up, speak your mind. Love to hear from you.