Although he plays one on TV, Obama is no statesman

I’ve argued before that Tony Blair and Barack Obama have an awful lot in common. Both are lawyers; both are snake-oil-salesman; both claim to be post-partisan, and Third Way and consensual; both play the acceptable, moderate-seeming public face of a regime chock full of Communists, class warriors, single issue rabble rousers, malcontents, communitarians and eco-loons hell bent on destroying every last vestige of what once made their country great. And both do (or did) the things dodgy political leaders always do when the going gets tough at home and their domestic audience finally wises up to how totally useless they are: they hop on the plane and pose as international statesman instead. James Delingpole/UKTelegraph (emphasis mine.)

Isn’t that an interesting observation (from a Brit, no less) considering the geo-political education Obama got last week from Benjamin Netanyahu?

Have you seen the movie Soapdish? The scene: Soap opera star and “America’s Sweetheart” Celeste Talbert (Sally Field) has been dumped by her boyfriend and is being maneuvered by political ner’do-wells at work. She’s depressed and emotionally falling apart when her friend and writer at the Sun Also Sets, (Whoopi Goldberg) takes her to the mall and pretends to be a fan. This incites all the shoppers to gather ’round Celeste and beg for autographs and go all gah-gah over her. Just the “worship fix” Celeste needed.

When I saw Obama in Ireland today, in front of thousands of cheering, adoring fans, I thought immediately of that scene in Soapdish. In his own version of television soap opera, Obama’s not getting the kind of reception in America that the Irish have lavished on him, and in fact he’s been getting a lot of criticism, so I’m sure he’s in need of a little messiah worship infusion. He’ll get it from those European socialists who want nothing more than to slobber all over the first Black American president.

Delingpole’s blog is a definite must read. You’ll enjoy it and be sure and read his link to a previous story about Michelle.

On another topic: Doesn’t Hillary look good since she got that LifeStyle lift?

A family oil dynasty in a nation that pumps no oil

Friday nights were no-call, no-questions, no-bothering Roxanne nights at my house. For 2 hours every Friday night, I was in front of my television watching Dallas and Falcon Crest and no one was allowed to bother me, unless they were bleeding or some other form of emergency had occurred. My sister-in-law, Dena had the same rule at her house and being like a (barely) older sister to me, if she could do it, then it was acceptable for me to make those same rules, too. And considering that 8pm was bedtime for my kids and hers, it all worked out just fine.

Dena was also a Dynasty fan. I never got into Dynasty quite as much as she did, although I did watch it occasionally and enough to keep up with who was who.

April 2nd, 1982 was a Friday and I was in labor with my son. Of course, Dallas was on television in my labor room. Anyone who knows about labor knows that there’s a point where you stop or had better stop, asking the MOM questions and just go with the flow of things.  My husband kept asking me questions like “who’s that guy” or “who is that lady married to” until I blew my cork. “How about I give you updates on Dallas on another Friday night?” I asked through clenched teeth.

Everyone – okay, many people – remember the summer of speculation after J.R. was shot. There were so many suspects considering J.R.’s less than sunny personality.

I hate that this is a Kate Couric interview, but here goes:

And then there was Pam’s dream episode after Bobby’s “death” that goes down in history as the worst cliff hanger resolution in television history. Highly disappointing for all of us fans.

But like a all hard-core Dallas fanatic, I stuck with the show to the very end.

Why am I blogging about this, you ask.

I just read that Dallas is coming back with a pilot on TNT.  J.R., SueEllen and Bobby signed on for sure. There’s no date set for its airing and I’m not real confidant that this show can be resurrected to appeal to my generation. In fact, I’m pretty sure it’s not my generation they are looking to attract.

And how can you have a show about real American oilmen, when there aren’t any anymore?

Well, makes no difference. I will be sure to be watching again.