Dallas: 2012?

Word from TNT now....says that the TV show Dallas....will be coming back for a probable 10-episode deal. Yes, most of the stars are coming back, including Larry Hagman.

There are certain shows that you'd prefer never to see comeback....like Gilligan's Island, Bonanza, and Adam-12.  I'd also include Dallas.  It's difficult to see how you'd put everything into a fresh new prospective....almost twenty years later.

I was a regular with the show for the first three years, and just plain dumped it because I grew to feel it was simply a soap-opera.  There wasn't anything new or changing on the show.

If I were to write the new piece?  I'd have JR kidnapped in Costa Rica by radical anti-Texans.  I'd have Bush appear for 30 seconds and comment on JR being a "wussie".  I'd toss in a five-car pileup out on some Texas interstate.  I'd have some Russian oil mafia guys in the middle of JR's empire fight.  I'd bring in some Soprano guys from New Jersey to help JR fix a problem.  I'd introduce some some beauty pagent gal from Del Rio who is JR's new love interest.  I'd introduce JR's secret illegitimate son who just happens to be a NASCAR racer and engaged to marry some French gal diplomat.

I'm guessing that TNT won't be calling me for ideas because they'd prefer to just make this a nice and safe Dallas....with just regular old folks watching....and all commenting on how youthful that Larry Hagman is.  

State 51?

The topic of South California....the 51st state continues on.  There is a city councilman from one town who is reintroducing this (as I learned this week from reading, it's been discussed over 100 times in the past century).  Everytime it comes up, it's discussed for a few weeks and then dropped because the vast voting public just won't agree to breaking up the state.

This time, there is a twist or two.  First, the state is under a serious fiscal crisis and the only serious suggestion is more taxes....which is pushing most small companies to review the idea of leaving the state.  Long-term thinking is that employment is a problem for the next twenty years.

Added to this twist business....the map goes along heavy Republican voting lines.  This dark area you see on the map.....has mostly Republican voters.  You notice how Los Angeles is left out?  Only because of it's very strong Democratic voting base.  You notice how San Diego is left in?  Only because of it's strong Republican voting base.

Most every newspaper in the state is having a laugh or two over the issue....rather than really discussing the merits of breaking the state up.  I found this to be an amusing slant on the topic....just don't take it serious.

So here's the scenario for the newspapers to worry about.  We have this mythical number game that we play....50 states is standard.  If these guys go through the system and vote it into reality.....you can expect vast challenges from the state against this....all the way to the Supreme Court.  But the real cherry on this cake is that once you get to 51....why stop?  There are at least a dozen other states that would like to break parts of themselves off....into separate states.  We could wake up in 2025 and find 61 states in existence.....if South California were to actually occur.  Imagine 122 senators running around in DC....rather than 100.

My humble guess is that it'll go through a fairly serious phase where 300,000 local Californians actually want the event to occur and get it on the ballot.  I have doubts that the majority of the folks affected....would vote that way.  Maybe I'm wrong on this, but it just won't get any real voting support.