CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 10/14/17 edition
October 14, 2017
Can we all agree, most of us will never know the fear faced by Northern California residents, forced to evacuate by a week of uncontrolled wild fires?
Can we all agree, long after the fires are over the stories of bravery love and compassion will stand out?
Can we all agree, it will be interesting to see if The President dares to tour Northern California after the fires are contained? Hint: I doubt he would be welcomed.
Fire Damage in Santa Rosa, CA. (Press Democrat photo)
Can we all agree, you could argue, the human race is being punished for its own ignorance with, 10 hurricanes in 10 weeks, firestorms and now plague?
Can we all agree, nothing Chief of Staff John Kelly can say will take the sting out of Mr. Trump’s warning to Puerto Rico? And his public relations videos will not help as the Republicans try to convince Latino voters that they even care.
Can we all agree, Trump’s war on the Affordable Care Act has nothing to do with helping Americans but is a reflection of his administration’s goal to erase anything Barack Obama accomplished?
A bit of whimsey in Downtown Sonoma. General Vallejo gets some love.
Can we all agree, there is significant evidence that Trump knows the effort to end the ACA may fail and that it’s just a negotiation tactic with congress?
Can we all agree, it’s the same strategy he’s using to trade a border wall for new DACA regulations?
Can we all agree, Trump’s rejection of the Iran nuclear deal is a similar negotiating ploy that will not work?
Can we all agree, the GOP is facing a crises that no one, except maybe Hillary Clinton, could have predicted last November?
Can we all agree, the unification of Hamas and Fatah was a necessary first step toward some kind of peace with Israel?
Can we all agree, only a group of angry Trump supporters, would try to waste taxpayer money by impeaching California Governor Jerry Brown, who has just a year left in office?
Can we all agree, California Senator Diane Feinstein, is out of step with many of her constituents and could lose a Democratic primary to a younger and stronger Democratic candidate?
Can we all agree, the return of a Canadian/American family from 5 years of captivity has more twists and turns than the average spy novel?
Can we all agree, its not whether Hollywood has a ‘casting couch’ problem, but what they will do about it?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump has no idea how the First Amendment, or the FCC really work?
Can we all agree, the Dutch just know how to entertain and criticize simultaneously? Eminem, well, he knows how to criticize. But these middle school students top them all.
Can we all agree, Facebook’s Mark Zukerberg, really needs someone on his staff to tell him when he has stupid idea?
Can we all agree, the idea that a black man, who was attacked by a gang of thugs in Charlottesville, is now being charged with a crime, is a bit hard to understand?
Can we all agree, the failure of the US mens team to qualify for the World Cup, means a big financial hit fior Fox Sports who paid millions for the TV rights in the US?
Can we all agree the Mensa sponsored I.Q. face-off between the Secretary of State and The President would be ‘must see’ TV?
Can we all agree, Trump has beaten the NFL in the PR battle over players taking a knee during the national anthem? It’s also a convenient way for Trump to avoid another embarrassing photo op with a sports champion.
Can we all agree, Catalonia has lost its battle for independence, now that its leader can’t seem to figure out what he wants?
Can we all agree, if Melania Trump had just ignored Ivanka Trump no one would have questioned who was the First Lady?
Can we all agree, the only thing that Mr. Trump’s dispute with Senator Robert Corker shows is that even the GOP knows Mr. Trump is unstable?
Can we all agree, Vice President Mike Pence’s stunt – protesting pro football protests – just shows how morally bankrupt the administration is?
Can we all agree, EPA chief Mike Pruitt created a clear and present danger by rejecting the Obama administration’s clean air regulations?
Can we all agree, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has the biggest ego outside the White House?
and finally:
There are some spots in Northern California to escape the air pollution.
And more NFL players warn parents about letting their children play football.
CWAA: Can We All Agree™ – 3/11/17 edition
March 11, 2017
Can we all agree Speaker Paul Ryan’s replacement for the Affordable Care Act is DOA unless he agrees to some changes?
Can we all agree the future of health care in the United States has more to do with politics and tax cuts for the wealthy, than with actually getting people medical care?
Can we all agree, that despite attempts to malign the credibility of the Congressional Budget Office, their estimate of the cost of the new health care program may seal its fate?
Can we all agree most uninsured Americans wish their health care was as easy to purchase as an iPhone?
Wall Street’s newest statue: The Fearless Girl
Can we all agree the ‘Fearless Girl’ statue on Wall Street should become permanent?
Can we all agree job growth numbers suddenly don’t look so phony when you’re in the White House?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump is not going to stop making unsupported accusations about Mr. Obama or anyone else, until he is forced to pay a price, like an impeachment investigation?
Can we all agree Donald Trump deserves criticism for taking credit for economic improvements that really happened during the Obama administration?
Can we all agree, Marines would not have been able to post nude photos of female comrades without the tacit approval of their commanding officers?
Can we all agree the major news of the week might be the GOP’s proposed restrictions on class action lawsuits?
Can we all agree no-one is really surprised that the National Football League forces its players to abuse drugs?
Can we all agree many Republicans show how little they understand the insurance business, when they question why men should pay for pre-natal coverage?
Can we all agree the North Koreans are trying to take advantage of Mr. Trump and the impeachment of the South Korean President?
Can we all agree the Wikileaks revelations about CIA espionage really have no impact on most Americans? No, they are not watching you through your TV: Others might be, but not the CIA.
Can we all agree the new head of the EPA may not believe in climate change but a lawsuit filed by 1o-year-olds may force him to change his attitude?
Can we all agree, the thought of additional US troops on the ground in Syria is exactly what the American public does not want?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s new immigration policy still looks like a ban on Muslims?
Can we all agree separating families when they cross the US border is just mean spirited?
Can we all agree trading the Coast Guard and TSA for a wall on the Mexican border does not make the country safer?
Can we all agree the more Attorney General Jeff Sessions tries too explain away his lies to Congress, the worse he looks?
Can we all agree Ben Carson has no business running a federal department that many minorities count on? Maybe his budget deserves to be cut 14%.
Can we all agree the satirical columns of Andy Borowitz would not be mistaken for real news, if members of the administration did not make such outrageous comments?
Can we all agree the thought of a campaign official being paid by a foreign government would be outrageous for any politician except Donald Trump?
Can we all agree, speaking of fake news, could the GOP media mouthpieces get any more outrageous in their attempts to explain away the Russian connection to the Trump campaign?
Can we all agree the Trump administration’s reaction to the plea by all 100 senators for action on the threats made to Jewish Centers across the country, was deafening in its silence?
Can we all agree it is no longer entertaining to laugh at White House aides trying to defend Mr. Trump’s tweets to TV talk show hosts, or his weekend temper tantrums?
Can we all agree , whether its the Chinese government or the US candy industry, Mr. Trump’s conflicts of interest will keep piling up until someone files a lawsuit and the courts force some action?
And finally this week’s good reads:
The tragic story of two 97-year-old sisters who lost their lives on a cold night in New England.
Plus:
The California drought is over, but anyone who has visited our state and taken the breathtaking drive along Route 1 through Big Sur, should pause to see what the winter storms have done to that area.
CWAA: Can We All Agree – 11/12/16 edition
November 12, 2016
Can we all agree even Donald Trump did not really expect this week’s result?
Can we all agree it’s time to board the Kamala Harris 2020 bandwagon? Maybe she can create the Democratic unity party leaders want.
Can we all agree, no-one is surprised it only took Mr. Trump a few hours to mess up his first job as President-elect?
Can we all agree there is no way to predict what Mr. Trump might do once in office, now that he’s already altering many of the policy proposals he offered while on the campaign trail?
Can we all agree, Mr. Trump’s supporters are going to be disappointed if they think the manufacturing jobs lost over the last 20 years, will be coming back any time soon?
Can we all agree that the exit polls may explain what happened but they don’t explain the why?
Can we all agree that, among other things, the Trump presidency will mean the end of financial reform and any efforts to curb global warming? It’s probably the reason the stock market has hit record highs and lobbyists have been celebrating on K Street, while coral reefs continue to die.
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s first test on immigration may come with the surge in migrants from Central and South America?
Can we all agree it would appear that the plants are smarter than a good portion of the US voting public? They seem to understand the need to scrub pollutants from the atmosphere.
Can we all agree we’re disappointed to see that the parties in the Trump University lawsuit are negotiating a settlement?
Can we all agree, putting Mike Pence is charge of the transition is like rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic?
Can we all agree that the split in the voting public means that there are probably parts of the United States that President Trump will never be able to visit without continuing protests?
Can we all agree, many people were offended that President Obama used Veterans Day to urge us to come together to support Mr. Trump?
Can we all agree we would expect nothing less than the calls for an open mind from Mr. Obama and Mrs. Clinton? But one wonders if that’s the kind of concession speech Mr. Trump would have delivered if the roles had been reversed?
Can we all agree that GOP leaders, who say we should accept Mrs. Clinton’s defeat, like they accepted Mitt Romney’s loss 4 years ago, don’t understand the difference between a qualified candidate and a racist, misogynistic liar or the hate that he has spawned?
Can we all agree, the world is in shock, journalists are embarrassed and no-one knows what will happen during a Trump administration?
Can we all agree the best news story this week was the prediction that Mr. Trump will probably be impeached?
Can we all agree the Trump victory has almost buried one of the other major news stories from the election: Marijuana is well on it’s way to becoming legal in the United Stated? If the NFL wants to start using it a tipping point has been reached.
Can we all agree that ISIS has taken advantage of our preoccupation with the election to begin a campaign which includes massacring civilians as they abandon territory in Iraq?
Can we all agree that Leonard Cohen, who died this week, deserved more coverage than he got?
Can we all agree that immigration raids, which have already reached record levels, will be increasing in the coming years – until business lobbyists make their case and Mr. Trump quietly ends the deportation program?
Can we all agree, China’s recent crackdown on dissent in Hong Kong, makes you wonder if the city is really governable as a democracy?
Can we all agree there is a certain symmetry to Mr. Trump’s victory and news that the state of New Jersey will take over Atlantic City’s government?
Can we all agree the owners and reporters at Rolling Stone Magazine do not deserve sympathy as they lost the first of several court battles over their poor performance in reporting an alleged rape at the University of Virginia?
Can we all agree we thought the smog in Bejing was bad until we read about the problems in Delhi?
Can we all agree Prince Harry is right to complain about the way the British press has been treating his girlfriend, but we doubt anything will change?
and finally:
Only in San Francisco could one stuck shoe ruin the morning rush hour for thousands of BART commuters.
And my train wreck of the week award goes to football player Colin Kapernick, who created a storm of protest by declining to stand for the National Anthem, to highlight the condition of ‘oppressed people’ and then didn’t even bother to vote.
and:
In honor of Veterans Day I’m reposting my story on my Dad, who would not believe his sacrifice has led to a Donald Trump White House. Dad’s story
CWAA: Can We All Agree – 10/29/16 edition
October 29, 2016
Can we all agree the Republican glee 0ver the re-opening on the inquiry into Hillary Clinton’s email server may be short lived?
Can we all agree FBI director James Comey has gone from independent investigator to political hack?
Can we all agree the candidate’s reactions were predictable, but Rush Limbaugh was pretty creative?
FBI Director James Comey (Washington Post Photo)
Can we all agree Mrs. Clinton would have preferred stories from Wikileaks on her husband’s foundation over the FBI email probe?
Can we all agree that, until the email announcement, the week was filled with lists from Mr. Trump: potential conspirators, potential defendants, potential doners, and insults.
Can we all agree that we really don’t know if the FBI has found anything?
Can we all agree it’s probably not good for Mrs. Clinton that stories about potential cabinet choices have started to filter into the news?
Can we all agree Mrs. Clinton’s fundraising advantage will mean little if Mr. Trump continues to get free media via the news?
Can we all agree, it’s a bit ironic that the GOP, which is based on the principle of smaller government, is now controlled by a group of people who have been left behind economically, and want the government to bail them out?
Can we all agree it was hard to believe we were watching Fox News when Megan Kelly interviewed Newt Gingrich this week?
Can we all agree the best news of the week is the continued expansion of the nation’s GDP?
Can we all agree we are incredulous at the not-guilty verdict handed down in the Oregon wildlife refuge case?
Can we all agree the verdicts will probably be much different when the cases against Indian protestors in South Dakota are heard? Justice is apparently not blind any more.
Can we all agree the GOP has already undermined what little credibility they had left by promising continued inquiries if Mrs. Clinton wins the election?
Can we all agree, the idea that The Senate would simply refuse to consider any nominee for the Supreme Court for the next four years is just absurd – except that it seems perfectly rational to Ted Cruz?
Can we all agree that it is sad we have to rely on the Supreme Court to decide social issues?
Can we all agree, Justice Clarence Thomas is probably not a big fan of Mr. Trump now that the candidate’s actions have encouraged victims of sexual assault to come forward??
Can we all agree that anything the government can do to cut down on those fake IRS robo-calls is welcomed?
Can we all agree the FDA’s decision to test a lung cancer drug developed in Cuba is surprising, but the war on cancer can’t afford to snub any potential cures just because they were not developed in the US?
Can we all agree no-one is surprised that ISIS fighters are using civilians as human shields as they defend the City of Mosul?
Can we all agree the FCC’s decision to give us more control over personal data is the right move, although we’ll probably give it away when we routinely agree to the next service contract we approve with our internet providers?
Can we all agree it’s too bad it took election politics to get the Pentagon to suspend their demands that National Guard veterans repay bonuses? But what will happen to those who already struggled to repay the debt they didn’t know they had?
Can we all agree that every time we visit a pharmacy to pick up a prescription we should remember how much lobbying went in to keeping the price high?
Can we all agree removing the Calais camp, known as ‘The Jungle’ will not solve the EU’s migrant crises?
Can we all agree it’s about time someone looked at the effect of a soccer ball on player’s heads?
Can we all agree we should be encouraging people to vote, not thinking up ways to prevent it?
Can we all agree there might be a connection between the spate of early retirements from the NFL and the drop in TV ratings?
Can we all agree that even though premiums for insurance coverage under the Affordable Care Act are increasing most policy holders still think it’s a good deal?
And finally:
Make sure you watch Tom Hanks on last week’s Saturday Night Live Black Jeopardy skit.
It’s about time Marlowe got some credit for helping out Shakespeare.
And next time you’re at the beach, toss a message in a bottle into the water and wait 20 years to see what happens.
CWAA: Can We All Agree – 10/22/16 edition
October 22, 2016
Can we all agree that even Donald Trump has seen the writing on the wall, and knows he will be defeated on November 8?
Can we all agree, it’s amazing that Mr. Trump’s performance at Wednesday’s debate was not his worst of the week?
Can we all agree, speaking of performances, Melania’s attempt to defend her husband was pretty sad? Steven Colbert’s take was the best of the week.
Can we all agree Hillary Clinton seems intent on burying Mr. Trump so that his backers will have no choice but to accept the results?
Can we all agree President Obama’s admonition that Mr. Trump to ‘stop whining” may have been the quote off the week?
Cardinal Timothy Dolan seated between Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
Can we all agree New York’s Cardinal Timothy Dolan, had the worst seat in the house at this week’s Alfred E. Smith Memorial Foundation Dinner in New York?
Can we all agree the real test el ration day, may be the Democrats’ push to recapture the Senate and reduce the margin in the House of Representatives?
Can we all agree that yesterday’s internet attack should be a warning to all those who see the internet as the solution to every problem?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump’s charges of voter fraud, which had no supporting evidence, was the logical conclusion to the GOP’s recent drive to restrict voting across the county?
Can we all agree, Trump may lose the election, but his rise to presidential nominee will be felt long after he has been buried by the Republican Party?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump has, among other things, made it acceptable to be openly racist?
Can we all agree The Arizona Republic’s answer to threats, hate mail and attempts at intimidation, after the newspaper endorsed Hillary Clinton, should be required reading for all Americans?
Can we all agree, we owe our Canadian neighbors a big ‘thank you’ for their words of encouragement?
Can we all agree the American public probably won’t pay too much attention to what’s happening in Iraq and the battle for Mosul, until a US soldier is killed or the fight is over?
Can we all agree, the National Football League, can make their players wear all the pink they want, but until they understand how to deal with domestic abuse, their slogans ring hollow to most women?
Can we all agree the latest recommendations for TV and internet access for children will have parents scratching their heads for years to come?
Can we all agree Wikileaks founder Julian Assange seems to have outlasted his welcome at the Ecuadorian Embassy in London? The big question is where will he go next?
Can we all agree we were heartened to hear that high school graduation rates are improving, but we’re not sure it’s Mr. Obama’s policies that can take all the credit?
Can we all agree that there has to be another solution to the National Guard’s mistake in making bonus payments to members 10 years ago?
Can we all agree the Census Bureau’s plan to create a new category for people of Middle Eastern descent is probably not a good idea because it could be meaningless and result in more discrimination?
Can we all agree the Chinese government’s plan to track all it’s citizens is a little too Orwellian?
Can we all agree it was about time some police organization realized they had a problem dealing with minorities and apologized?
Can we all agree this is the kind of police story we all want to see every week?
and finally:
This week’s good read is the New Yorker Magazine piece on GOP strategist Ana Navarro, unless you are a Trump supporter.
and I’m sure you don’t want to miss the annual Neiman Marcus catalogue of items you will never find under your Christmas tree.
#CWAA: Can We All Agree – 10/15/16 edition
October 15, 2016
Can we all agree, as the First Lady noted this week, no-one would have imagined that the presidential election would turn on crude ‘locker room’ comments by a candidate?
Can we all agree, it’s hard to believe that almost 200 nations can agree on action to combat climate change, but the Republican Party continues to deny that there is a problem?
Can we all agree, Donald Trump’s reaction to the latest charges that he sexually assaulted women over the last 30 years, typifies his reaction to most criticism? It’s also typical of many third graders.
Can we all agree President Obama has been surprisingly down to earth in his criticism of Mr. Trump?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump is a creation of the GOP, although they won’t admit it?
Can we all agree that once again, Mr. Trump has managed to bury any bad news about Hillary Clinton coming out of the latest batch of leaked emails?
Can we all agree, the real test of American Democracy will be the day after the election?
Can we all agree Mr. Trump really wants to see violence after his election loss?
Can we all agree Hurricane Matthew may not be the most powerful storm to hit the US this season?
Hurricane Matthew from above
Can we all agree, Maine Governor Paul LePage should be impeached?
Can we all agree, it was revealing to see the students at Liberty University standing up to the admonish the school’s administration and oppose Mr. Trump?
Can we all agree, barring something really bizarre (as if we haven’t seen enough bizarre events) Mr. Trump has lost the election, everyone seems to know it except him?
Can we all agree it won’t be long before there is a major brouhaha because a passenger didn’t know Samsung’s Galaxy 7 Note is no longer allowed on airplanes?
Can we all agree it was remarkable to see GOP leaders abandon Mr. Trump last weekend and make a quick U-turn by Wednesday morning?
Can we all agree the world’s reaction to Haiti’s latest natural disaster has been unbelievably low key?
Can we all agree most of us were a bit confused when we learned Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for literature, but eventually it made sense?
Can we all agree Wells Fargo chief John Stumpf had to go, but putting his chief lieutenant in charge hardly makes it seem that anything will change?
Can we all agree all of Southeast Asia is on edge now that the Thai king has passed away and left the country in the hands of his son?
Can we all agree the Wells Fargo case has done more for the consumer financial protection bureau that any lobbying by Sen. Elizabeth Warren?
Can we all agree it’s great to know Ronald McDonald is keeping a low profile because of the recent clown scare? Now if we could mke that permanent we’d all be better off.
Can we all agree, it was nice to see that, for a change, no one criticized the President for striking back at Yemeni rebels who fired on US warships?
Can we all agree it’s nice to know we have plans to go to Mars, but we don’t plan on buying tickets when they go on sale?
Can we all agree it’s about time Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio and NJ Governor Chris Christie face charges?
Can we all agree that Ken Bone is a pretty unlikely hero from last week’s debate?
Can we all agree Sunday’s Presidential debate seemed like an afterthought by the end of the week?
Can we all agree no-one seems to be crying for the NFL because their TV ratings have dropped?
Can we all agree we have reached the tipping point with US-Cuban relations – the limits on cigars and rum have been lifted?
Can we all agree, if we ever needed a story to prove our unconscious bias, this was it?
Can we all agree, we’re glad we never had to call 911 for help while we were in Houston?
Can we all agree, if you have ever driven through California’s Central Valley on Route 99, you can understand why it is called the nation’s deadliest highway?
This week’s good reads:
One out of Georgetown University and another from the aftermath of Hurricane Matthew.
CWAA: Can We All Agree – 7/30/16 edition
July 30, 2016
Can we all agree the difference between the Democratic and Republican conventions was pretty stark?
Can we all agree that, based on the TV ratings, America seems pretty engaged in the political process, even though it’s the middle of summer and half the country is on vacation somewhere?
Can we all agree that if Ronald Reagan had been watching, he would have a lot more in common with the Democratic themes than with anything he would have heard at the GOP convention?
Khizr Khan and his wife at the Democratic convention this week. (Getty Images)
Can we all agree the most powerful, but least watched part of the convention may have been the speech by Khizr Khan, whose 27-year-old Muslim-American son was killed in Afghanistan?
Can we all agree with Sarah Silverman that Bernie Sanders supporters, who continue to be angry with Hillary Clinton are just “being ridiculous,” although polls seem to show that 90% of them, outside the convention hall support the Democratic nominee.
Can we all agree that Mrs. Clinton is not the best public speaker but then, President Obama, The First Lady, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton are pretty tough acts to follow?
Can we all agree that Chelsea sounds like she will take after her father as a public speaker?
Can we all agree Donald Trump has succeeded in totally embarrassing his own wife?
Can we all agree that Mr. Trump’s press conferences are must see TV, just to find out what he will be retracting the next day?
Can we all agree we’re not surprised that Mr. Trump’s favorite movie is about a billionaire megalomanic?
Can we all agree the next three months will be among the most decisive in the nation’s history?
Can we all agree the Clinton campaign should be pretty nervous if stories that her email accounts were hacked by Vladimir Putin’s geek squad are true?
Can we all agree that if DNC chair Debbie Wasserman had been more transparent in the way she handled the Democratic primary season, she might have been able to keep her job, even after the hacked emails were made public and the DNC had to issue an apology?
Can we all agree there was plenty of other news, but it was tough to find amid all the convention coverage?
Can we all agree the second quarter GDP figure makes it seem like the economy is a lot worse than it really is?
Can we all agree it was just a matter of time before our own mosquitos were found to carry the Zika virus? But don’t expect our representatives to take a break from their 7-week recess to return to Washington to do anything about it?
Can we all agree the best thing most Americans could do to show support for Europe would be to vacation there this summer and fall?
Can we all agree that while it’s great to see 6 more public officials charged in connection with the Flint water crises, I doubt the residents of that city feel any comfort when they look at what has been done to their children?
Can we all agree the most bittersweet story of the week might be the opening of the new Sandy Hook elementary school?
Can we all agree it was encouraging to know the Federal Court saw right through the North Carolina and Wisconsin legislatures’ attempts to restrict voting in their states?
Stephen Colbert
Can we all agree it was fun to see Stephen Colbert revive his conservative alter ego, but troubling to find out the effort may be short lived?
Can we all agree it was probably only matter of time before state fairs began sponsoring marijuana pie contests?
Can we all agree that only the notorious RBG could get away with presiding over a mock court appeal by Shylock after a Venice production of the Merchant of Venice?
Can we all agree that Bill O’Reilly doesn’t seem to understand why people were outraged when he noted that the slaves who helped build the White House, mentioned by Michelle Obama, ‘were well fed?’
Can we all agree the closure of media outlets and detainment of 47 newspaper executives pretty much ends any doubts about whether Turkey is still a democracy?
Can we all agree that, as my radio colleague Rick Love noted, we are all a bit concerned what will happen when John Hinkley’s 91-year-old mother is no longer around to supervise his home detention?
Can we all agree that, once again, the NFL has escaped criticism for their faulty show of concern about concussions in young football players?
Can we all agree that in any other week the government’s decision to admit more refugees from Central America would have touched off a huge controversy?
Can we all agree that of all the senseless ISIS murders, the death of an 85-year old priest during morning mass in France was among the most pointless?
Can we all agree that basketball icon Michael Jordan deserves praise for literally putting his money where his mouth is, when he spoke out against violence this week?
Can we all agree that no one is looking forward to the kind of horror stories about unfinished Olympic facilities that we expect to read when the Games open next week? Not to mention the trials of the Russian athletes over doping allegations.
And finally two nice reads for the week:
One on what really happens at The baseball Hall of Fame and another on life in New York City – enjoy.
CWAA: Can We All Agree – 3/19/16 edition
March 19, 2016
Can we all agree, the European plan to deport 40,000 refugees in Greece back to Turkey for re-processing is simply cruel?
Can we all agree that. despite the partisan nature of the questioning at this week’s Congressional hearing on the Flint water disaster, the state’s Republican governor looked much worse than the EPA administrator? Although there was plenty of blame to go around.
Can we all agree the world is a bit safer today after the arrest of three terror suspects in Belgium yesterday?
Killer whales at SeaWorld
Can we all agree SeaWorld didn’t have much choice about ending their killer whale program, given the public outcry and government opposition?
Can we all agree that we all owe Donald Trump a big ‘thank you’ for refusing to show up at next week’s GOP debate – possibly ending the the useless exercises for this primary season?
Can we all agree that the Senate finally did something right in allowing states to pass regulations on GMO labeling?
Can we all agree Hulk Hogan saved us all from endless postings of sex tapes that we never wanted to see anyway?
Can we all agree that watching Senate Republicans tie themselves into verbal knots explaining why they won’t vote on President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee until after they see who wins the November election is truly entertaining? Sen.Orrin Hatch deserves an Oscar for his outstanding performance.
Can we all agree that Donald Trump has virtually guaranteed there will be some kind of violence if he does not get the GOP nomination?
Can we all agree that even Hillary Clinton’s most ardent supporters did not expect her to sweep all five primaries this week?
Can we all agree that Marco Rubio’s loss proves once again that it takes more than money to win in politics?
Can we all agree that shutting down a city’s municipal train system with just 24 hours notice is absurd on its face?
Can we all agree that watching FIFA claim that they are a victim of their own scandal, is like the young man who kills his parents and pleads for mercy because he’s an orphan?
Can we all agree that we are shocked the NFL casually admitted what doctors have been saying for years – that repeated blows to the head of football players cause the brain disease, CTE?
Can we all agree that The President’s decision not to allow oil drilling off the southeast coast may have been a flip-flop of the best kind?
Can we all agree that when the President leaves Cuba after his weekend visit, he needs to have something concrete in hand regarding human rights, or his trip will be wasted?
Can we all agree that Russia’s announcement of a troop withdrawal from Syria is really meaningless since they maintain major sea and air bases in the country?
Can we all agree that the University of California seems to have a major sexual harassment problem on its hands. It was good to see Cal President Janet Napolitano try to get out in front of the story, finally.
Can we all agree that the last thing the newspaper world needed was a journalistic monopoly running from greater Los Angeles to the Mexican border?
Can we all agree that Brazil’s leaders have figured out a way to take a bad corruption scandal and make it worse?
and last but not least:
Can We all agree we are happy Twitter is maintaining their 140 character limit forcing everyone to stay short and too the point?
CWAA: No Interference Calls Here
February 7, 2016
Super Bowl 50 has turned San Francisco into a bit of a zoo, with crowds almost everywhere downtown. Businesses that are normally closed during the weekend have opened, and lost tourists stare at maps on every street corner.
As season ticket holders, my wife and I were in town for the SF Ballet on Saturday. During intermission the lady seated to my right introduced herself, telling me she was indeed another visitor to our city.
The New Mexico native explained that she was enjoying her Christmas present from her husband: a weekend in San Francisco. She chose the weekend and it wasn’t until she arrived that she found out why she had such a problem finding a hotel room.
She was good natured about it, saying they arrived Thursday night and had already been to the Symphony once and we’re going again after the ballet, and also went to a concert at the Jazz Society and we’re headed to the Palace of Fine Art before dinner at Greens, a favorite vegetarian restaurant at Fort Mason.
A rather dizzying pace, but she asked if we had any other suggestions so I told her about several neighborhoods worth visiting via public transportation and suggested Golden Gate Park Arboretum was a ‘must see’ for a little relaxation.
When I asked her about the crowds she replied, “there are none.”
I guess the Super Bowl fans are more interested in the fake Super Bowl City hawking NFL merchandise, than any local culture offered by our City by the Bay. I wonder how many visitors will return home and tell their friends what a great time they had ‘seeing’ San Francisco.
But, we can all agree, at least one visitor enjoyed the real deal.
CWAA: Can We All Agree – 2/6/16 edition
February 6, 2016
Can we all agree there it’s no secret why the Syrian peace talks failed? President Assad and Vladimir Putin obviously think they can win the ground war.
Can we all agree that President Obama’s visit to a mosque could only have happened late in his second term since most of the right-wing crazies still insist he’s a Muslim? Seems to me George Bush visited a mosque and no one got excited.
Can we all agree that Pope Francis continues to amaze the world with his outreach and attempts to heal old wounds?
President Obama at a Mosque in Baltimore this week – NYT photo
Can we all agree that while the addition of 151,000 new jobs may not measure up to the 200,000 created last month, it’s still better than losing jobs?
Can we all agree that the President’s proposal to add $10.00 to the price of a barrel of oil, is a great idea that will go no-where – and he knows it?
Can we all agree that Hillary and Bernie each scored some points during Democratic forums this week?
Can we all agree that Hillary’s best hope on Tuesday is to simply beat expectations and lose by less than 10%.
Can we all agree that barring some unforeseen gaffe, Marco Rubio seems to have a clear shot at the GOP nomination?
Can we all agree that after Tuesday’s New Hampshire primary at least two more GOP candidates will join, Rand Paul, and Rick Santorum on the sidelines? Could Carly be next?
Can we all agree that, were it not for PAC money, Ted Cruz would suffer the same fate as the last two GOP winners of the Iowa caucuses?
Can we all agree that Mr. Trump seems completely unhinged since he lost in Iowa – an that’s saying something for him.
Can we ll agree that Speaker Paul Ryan, seems to be visiting all the right folks and saying all the right things?
Can we all agree that sending more troops to eastern Europe sends a pretty strong message to Mr. Putin and probably should have been done sooner?
Can we all agree that the Flint water crises has brought out the worst in the GOP? They subpoena EPA officials appointed by the President but decline to ask the Republican Governor of the state to testify even though most people in the state blame him for creating the problem.
Can we all agree that while the NFL prepares for the biggest game of the year, they continue to get hammered by reports of retired players who suffered terribly from head injuries which occurred during their playing days?
Can we all agree that indicted drug company president Martin Shkrelli is probably the only person, other than Donald Trump, who can make Congress look good?
Can we all agree that the discovery of classified emails on the private servers of two GOP secretaries of state probably will not end the silly controversy over Hillary’s email server?
Can we all agree that North Korea has given new meaning to the term trash talk?
Can we all agree that every Californian feels better now that we have a marijuana czar?
Can we all agree that no one is surprised to learn that many lawyers have drinking problems?
Can we all agree that no one really wants to see Bill Cosby stand trial and the chances that he will, are still pretty slim? A financial settlement seems likely.
Can we all agree that Congress needs to reach some kind of compromise to help the residents of Flint and pass an energy infrastructure bill?
Maurice White
Can we all agree that the San Francisco Board of Supervisors seem pretty insensitive to their own police force when they declared a day to honor Mario Woods?
And my favorite story of the week:
Can we all agree that showing up at your own funeral to surprise your husband, who thought he had you killed, is sweet revenge?
and finally:
Can we all agree: RIP Maurice White and Bob Elliott?
Happy Year of the Monkey: Kunghei fatchoy (gong-hey faa-chwhy)