The broadcast of a press conference of President Bush and Prime Minister Blair is playing on CNN right now. I was flolding clothes and half listening to the broadcast when I suddenly heard something that struck me as very weird.

The president of the United States of America referrd to his Brithish counterpart as "Tony." Tony. Common enough name. It is the name of Prime Minister Blair. But is it appropriate to referr to the leader of a soveriegn country by his first name in what sounded like a flippant manner?

What happened to common courtesy and manners? Perhaps I'm getting old. Perhaps I'm too stuck in what is apparently becoming "old" ways. My goodness.