Happy Birthday, Mr Poutine!

MOSCOW -- As he hits his 60th birthday, Vladimir Putin seems to be in the prime of life: He hang-glides with Siberian cranes, shows off judo moves and exudes supreme self-confidence at Russia's helm. But scratch the surface and a picture emerges of a surprisingly vulnerable leader whose fate hinges on the vagaries of oil prices and popular docility in the face of strong-arm tactics.

The legacy of Putin's 13-year rule is an economy that depends entirely on an oil-and-gas bonanza and a rigid political system that has stifled dissent, turned the parliament into a rubber stamp and reduced courts to obedient tools for the government.

Are the Russians getting tired of their macho leader, who celebrates his birthday Sunday?