You don’t have to be crazy to be president of Russia, but it — oh, wait, you do.

And Vladimir Putin is so, so good at being the crazy, crazy president of Russia. Check out this birthday present he gave himself:

PIC Putin as Hercules

These are just two.  There’s a whole gallery full of paintings depicting him as Hercules, doing Herculean things.   I guess this was done voluntarily as a tribute to him from his admiring citizens. Much like when my husband comes home in the evening and we are all sitting on the floor wearing bowls on our head because the two year old told us to. It’s not that we are afraid of her! It’s really not. It’s just that . . . sometimes, it’s better to do what she says. And to like it!