I think the Russians are trying to get our attention.

Russian warplane exercises around Alaska have become routine in the past few months, U.S. military officials said Monday, as the former Cold War superpower steps up flights from its Arctic bases.

Over the summer, Russian bombers have staged at least seven exercises in a buffer zone outside U.S. air space, each time alerting the U.S. through reports by Russian news agencies, said Maj. Allen Herritage, a spokesman for the Alaska region of the North American Aerospace Defense Command.

U.S. and Canadian fighter jets, including F-15s, were dispatched each time to escort the Russian planes in the exercises, which ranged from two to six aircraft, Herritage said.

Well I for one welcome the return of the playful interactions of our two countries that was so prevalent during those fun loving days of the Cold War. It is so much less humanity draining then the constant bombing of Iraqi civilians has been for the last three years.

Maybe somebody could sell the Bush administration and Pentagon on starting to ratchet up the spying network to place bugs in the Russian embassy and maybe even take out a Russian spy with a poison umbrella tip. You know like those crazy days of yore, before the Pope and Gorbachev ruined all of the fun. (That's right Gorbachev and the Pope, Reagan did not have a damn thing to do with the end of the cold war. He just benefited from the brave and dangerous work done by Mikhail.)

You see at least this is a fair conflict. You have the juggernaut that is the United States of America against the powerful military might of the once upon a time super powerful Russia.

All we have to do is tell the man child George Bush that this is much more manly then simply attacking every oil producing country that starts with the letter "I".

No more bombing of third world countries to get your tiny missile to stand up straight and proud Mr. President, now you can take on a country that might actually be able to fight you to a stand still. (Of course if you want to get technical Iraq is doing a pretty good job of that as well.) You can strut around with your little soldier at full attention knowing that you are playing a giant chess game with a nation that is worthy of your fear and suspicion.

Maybe we could convince Putin to come to the UN and slam his shoe on the table. You know, just for old times sake.