Around the Coffee Table with Chuck: Viral overload

As some of  you may have noticed I have been off my blogs for a couple of weeks. The reason was I was ill and in the Hospital with pneumonia . Of course it was right as the Virus was roaring to life so, I was tested and 5 days later found to be negative. But , it was worse being struggling to breathe and coughing my fool head off. I came out of the hospital and I am  still on antibiotics and steroids to keep my lungs clear. Now I must admit that I have COPD nobody can understand why I have never smoked not even one time. But my chest Xrays revealed the potential for congestive heart failure and so I will be even more specialists . I say all this because I have had a great attitude about the whole thing. I know where I am going when the time comes and I don't fear it but only fear the loss on my family. I have to tell  you that I am so disappointed in my generation . People who I respected for being open minded now are not only not open minded but hateful towards anyone who thinks differently . The name calling the constant stating facts that although some news organizations swear are true or not true. Common sense allows one to know the actual fact . I guess that is what it is a lack of the use of plain old common sense. A perfect example was the Joe Biden's son event . No one gets paid millions of dollars with no experience and no ability to impact a company except by the use of his fathers position and then have the father one tape push another country to remove a prosecutor that was opening an investigation of his son. Then almost half the country blamed the President for trying to force an investigation of that action. How far from common sense have we gone If I pushed someone to higher my son or I would pull government funds , I would be investigated charged and convicted. But we are thinking about making him our President. Are we in the Twilight Zone?

So, lets raise a glass of whatever and pledge to think things through and apply good old common sense to these items and I think we will make it just fine. 

   

Ray Stevens Dr Dr 

Around the Coffee table with Chuck:How About Some reasonable actions

How About Some reasonable actions

As I set and watch all this television with ads, debates , news articles that make accusations, Congress acting like a couple of 8 yr old little girls talking about someone but not willing to admit they talked about them. 

When are we as a society say enough is enough and stop allowing the media both left and right to lead our thoughts to places that are not reasonable. Yes we have a very corrupt political class at this point but we cannot just elect a bull dog to tear up the government nor an old man with dementia that will give away our grandchildren's grandchildren way of life and doom the country to poverty. 

President Trump was elected because a whole bunch of us wanted someone to finally get the ridiculous amounts of regulation and red tape out of Washington . We knew it was corrupt and bloated to the point of bursting . He did what we asked him about fixing rampant border incursions of illegal immigrants , the economy, getting us out of the middle east and stop being screwed by every country under the sun on trade and paying for their protection without any return for what we do. 

But Mister President we also expected a sense of dignity and quorum in the office. Your tweets and comments many times are not at all what the American People want in a President. So please speak after thinking what an 8 year old child would think of your comment.

To my friends on the Democratic side, you have for almost 40 years or more stopped this country from progressing in anyway other than towards socialism or communism, your actions in the last election were both stupid and inept. The trying to impeach a President for something you put in motion by using disgruntled employees to be "whistle blowers" was so see through my 6 year old grandson commented on it as being stupid . Now the persons you having running for President are both elderly to the point of being not physically or mentally capable of the Job one is a "Democratic Socialist" and the other is blatantly corrupt even though you all deny it the documents are there to prove it and he was so stupid as to brag about killing the investigation of corruption in another country by pulling aid (although ineffective aid) from the same country you tried to impeach Trump for requesting they continue investigating a patently corrupt companies dealing with Americans. And I do not want to hear about Hillary, Barack or Bill before the decade is over they will most likely be indicted for enriching themselves by selling secrets, uranium , working with Islamic extremists to get weapons and allowing diplomats and americans to die and then lying about the cause.

If Hillary was not so corrupt in the eyes of the Americans she should have destroyed Trump at the ballot box as he had no experience and yet won. 

Now we have the media taking the information timely passed on by all sorts of Governments and scientists and revving it up to be both political and scaring the majority of Americans.

So I beg you all to SHUT UP and just give us the facts on anything not your slants. 

A fed up American 

Around the Coffee Table with Chuck: Cold winter days lead to Hot drinks and too much food

It's freezing outside and you are stuck inside what is the first thing you do? 

I have always made hot coffee , tea or cocoa, set back turned on the TV or radio in the day and listened to what was on the air. But with that I also used to eat donuts, cookies or a piece of pie all of which just layered on the pounds. 

So, how do we defeat that ? 

We listen to stuff that makes you move , what you say is that ? 

Why Disco or course.

See if this doesn't make you get up dance or at least move with the beat?

Bay City Rollers 

Around the Coffee Table with Chuck: Lets lighten the mood

With all the nastiness on TV lets look at something to lighten our Mood. 

(Sorry I haven't been posting , fighting the flu)

Here are some lighter thoughts and tunes

Jerry Clower

Mark Lowery 

Mac Davis 

Around the Coffee table with Chuck: Let's talk Folk Rock Music

The Seekers

  The nice part about this blog is it allows me to talk about some great artists in many fields, The first one this year is the great Australian group the Seekers . 

The Seekers are an Australian folk-influenced pop quartet, originally formed in Melbourne in 1962. They were the first Australian pop music group to achieve major chart and sales success in the United Kingdom and the United States. They were popular during the 1960s with their best-known configuration as: Judith Durham on vocals, piano, and tambourine; Athol Guy on double bass and vocals; Keith Potger on twelve-string guitar, banjo, and vocals; and Bruce Woodley on guitar, mandolin, banjo, and vocals.

The group had Top 10 hits in the 1960s with "I'll Never Find Another You", "A World of Our Own", "Morningtown Ride", "Someday, One Day" (written by Paul Simon), "Georgy Girl" (the title song of the film of the same name), and "The Carnival Is Over" by Tom Springfield, the last being an adaptation of the Russian folk song "Stenka Razin". It is still one of the top 50 best-selling singles in the UK. Australian music historian Ian McFarlane described their style as "concentrated on a bright, uptempo sound, although they were too pop to be considered strictly folk and too folk to be rock."

In 1967,^[1] they were named as joint "Australians of the Year" – the only group thus honoured. In July 1968, Durham left to pursue a solo career and the group disbanded. The band has reformed periodically, and in 1995 they were inducted into the ARIA Hall of Fame. "I'll Never Find Another You" was added to the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia's Sounds of Australia registry in 2011. Woodley's and Dobe Newton's song "I Am Australian", which was recorded by The Seekers, and by Durham with Russell Hitchcock and Mandawuy Yunupingu, has become an unofficial Australian anthem. With "I'll Never Find Another You" and "Georgy Girl", the band also achieved success in the United States, but not nearly at the same level as in the rest of the world. The Seekers have sold over 50 million records worldwide.

The Seekers were individually honoured as Officers of the Order of Australia in the Queen's Birthday Honours of June 2014 from Wikipedia 

If you cannot remember them you will when you hear Judith Durham sweet voice , coming on the scene when life in the world was very upsetting their music was not only calming but comforting. Here are several links to their music 

Around the Coffee table with Chuck: The New Year

This New Year will be a great opportunity to keep our emotions in check and have a good laugh at the rest of the Country as they meltdown. Did you ever think about why we worry about vaping but not about abortion? How about what we spend to put up road side signage and yet most people could tell you what one sign they past says. How about outlawing plastic straws while having people living on the streets. Then there is those that would want us to do with out any government laws or religion I really did not believe these folks existed till I saw four of them comment exactly that way on TV. One was even a legislator . So lets all listen to the old time comics they call it straight and true. 

Ray Stevens, Jerry Clower and Minnie Pearl  Southern Airlines

Around the Coffee Table with Chuck:What is an impeachable offense what the framers thought

There has been much conversation about what the framers of the Constitution intended to be impeachable. First , they limited to just Treason and Bribery only the crimes that were impeachable. But George Mason of Virginia want to add Maladministration as an impeachable offense James Madison argued that to do that it would give the Senate a from of control and they could easily remove a President. Benjamin Franklin had warned about allowing Congress too much control over the President and to ensure there was oversight but only for High Crimes and Misdemeanors. Thus Madison suggestion for a clause included " High Crimes and Misdemeanors" which was understood to mean gross misadministration and one overt act that would be a crime under federal law. Notice that it did not allow for recall by the senate upholding an impeachment in the house on regular occurrences Finally Treason was defined as "overt acts to aid a wartime enemy". 

New York’s Gouverneur Morris stood to say that arguments in favor of impeachment had convinced him “of the necessity of impeachments. 

"Our executive may be bribed by a greater interest to betray his trust, and no one would say that we ought to expose ourselves to the danger of seeing the first magistrate in foreign pay without being able to guard against it by displacing it…. The executive ought to be impeachable for treachery; corrupting his electors, and incapacity. He should be punished not as a man but as an officer and punished only by degradation from his office. "

Thus High Crimes and Misdemeanors is just what it says unless a crime had been committed it is not impeachable and such crimes should be of a serious nature and punished if found guilty by only removal from office . 

Finally Benjamin Franklin weighed in 

As fruitless back-and-forth exchanges turned into a chorus of catcalls, all eyes turned to the venerable Benjamin Franklin for help: 

“What was the practice before in cases where the chief magistrate rendered himself obnoxious?” asked the aging sage rhetorically. With his spectacles balanced precariously near the tip of his nose, he feigned careful thought, then answered his own question: 

Why, recourse was had to assassination in which he was not only deprived of his life but of the opportunity of vindicating his character. It would be the best way therefore to provide in the Constitution for the regular punishment of the Executive where his misconduct should deserve it, and for his honorable acquittal when he should be unjustly accused.

As collective laughter filled the hall, tension eased, and Virginia’s diminutive James Madison, a planter’s son, joined the debate:

It is indispensable that some provision be made for defending the community against incapacity, negligence, or perfidy of the chief magistrate. The limitation of the period of his service is not a sufficient security. He might lose his capacity after his appointment. He might pervert his administration into a scheme of peculation or oppression. He might betray his trust to foreign powers.

South Carolina planter Charles Cotesworth Pinckney drawled that he could not see “or understand the need for any sort of impeachments.” The power to impeach would allow the legislature to hold “as a rod over the executive and by that means destroy his independence.”

 Thus even then it was a real problem to define what exactly was an impeachable offense but they all were leary of making the office of President under the control of Congress at any time but independent unless a most foul crime is committed. 

Around the Coffee Table with Chuck: Happy Halloween to all my Ghouls

Happy Halloween to all my Ghouls 

Tonight its All Hallows Eve and we are trying catch some ghosts and goblins
Here are some stories from the Southern Tier

https://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/local/2018/10/22/ghost-story-haunted-southern-tier-owego-lady-white/1420409002/

WWoman in White on Elbow Hill

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=binghamton+psychiatric+hospital+Ghost+stories&view=detail&mid=5364D5E1517E2333F9555364D5E1517E2333F955&FORM=VIRE
Binghamton Psychiatric Hospital 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=binghamton+psychiatric+hospital+Ghost+stories&view=detail&mid=5364D5E1517E2333F9555364D5E1517E2333F955&FORM=VIRE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l2PoSljk8cE

Around the Coffee Table with Chuck: Looking Back to learn what is ahead

 Looking Back to learn what is ahead 

I recently talked to an elderly friend and she asked me if I remember the watering trough in the road at Depot and Fox St by Woodburn's grocery store, well I remember hearing about it when I was a kid. That trough was for horses before cars were prevalent in Owego. It got me thinking that in a very short time we have gone from wilderness to urban and all that comes with that.

My Great Grandparents were born in the early 1880's just after the Civil War, they grew up on farms and didn't have cars but walked to town or rode on the horse drawn wagon . There were no immunizations of any type and radio was just starting to begin but not in their area. You got your news from the local paper or the neighbor . In those days the Preacher in the church many times delivered news from the City and Church was the social center of the town. My Grand Parents McDowell  were born in 1902 and 1904 , neither went beyond elementary school. My Grandfather ran off at 13 or 14 and enlisted in the Navy during WWI and served on a Battleship in naval battles in the North Atlantic, until his mother wrote the Navy and they found him and sent him home. My Grand mother was one of 8 girls in her family and they were tenant farmers. My other Grand parents were born in 1909 and 1911 , they lived in town and both graduated High School a great accomplishment for a women in those days. That Grand father lost his father when he was 13 and he and his mother came to town and served as servants for a rich family Grampa did the yard work, etc. and his mother was the cook and maid. Both sets of Grandparents remember the first time they saw a car and listened to the radio, they loved going to the theater for movies with my great Grandfather and my Grandmother playing the tuba and piano or violin and piano. When my Grand parents were married they were both sets married by Reverend Edgar Frank , This was just after or during the Great Depression , both Grandfathers had to leave to get work one with WPA and the other on the Bridge gang for the Railroad. My Mom and Dad were born in 1932 and 1935 , just after the Depression. In most of the country the economy had came back but not in upstate NY . Both my parents had to struggle to get any cash and hunted and fished for food or worked cleaning houses. When they were married they too were married by Rev. Frank . I was born in 1956 and my Brother and 3 sisters came over the next 10 years. We were poor by anyone's standards but we had a lot of love. We spent many nights getting a bath in a tub in the center of the kitchen floor with mom pouring in the water she had heated on the stove. We lived in what was called a cold water flat, when I was about 5 we rented a house down the street on Depot St and we lived there for several years this was by the Railroad yard and the Depot . So we saw our share of hobos come through and come to the door begging for food or water. They always came to the steps of the porch and the dog would bark , Mom would look out and always gave them something of what little we had. They would go to the back door every time to get the items so that other hobos would not flag the house as an easy mark. We didn't have a car so Dad had to hitchhike to Ithaca and back everyday even in the winter. Finally , Dad got a car and we moved one block over into an upstairs apartment. The next year dad bought the house and we moved down stairs. It was a 13 room house heated by a stove with a heater on the side in the kitchen and two gas space heaters one on the first floor and one on the second floor. Both sets of Grandparents lived within 2 blocks of us , so we always saw of Grand parents every day or two. 
    See up to the 1970's family ate together talked and played together. We all went to Church and we all gained knowledge from our elders. TV began to erode this but the advent of the Computer changed the family structure tremendously , now you could instantly get information , talk to a relative and spend hours on end playing games inside by yourself. Now if you can get kids and parents to do things together it is most times playing a video game and screaming at the unit. This is why many of us just do not understand how to communicate with the new generations they have no history of learning from elders . How Sad 

Statler Brothers Class of 57 

Around The Coffee Table with Chuck: How we learn now , is it really learning?

How we learn now , is it really learning?

Today we learn by electronic means approximately 90% of the information that we need to effectively survive in today's World. In comparison to the 1950's when about 5% of the information needed to survive was from electronic sources. When is the last time you rad and actual print newspaper , I would suggest that it was probably over 2-3 weeks ago. Why because we carry the world on our hip in the form of smart phones, etc. Instantly we can see stock quotes, world news, local news and the weather. But, what do we give up for that instant gratification?  Today we no longer no how to escape the world's pressures, when is the last time you went for a day with out hearing about the stupid Trump Investigation? I wanted to know how long I could go without knowing anything from electronic media, about 5 minutes after I awoke yesterday, I had to check my checking balance , in the old days I would have looked at my register and known. Today I have to log on and check it. Why because now we schedule payments of bills on line and we pay with a card al the while, nobody carries cash any more. There is show now called the Purge which allows crime to rule the country one day a month or year. I would like to propose a day a year with no electronic media allowed, turn in your phones, shut off the laptop, un plug the PC and relax. If you absolutely have to get something or contact someone , you will have to get up and walk there or drive there and have face to face contact. Think how much time to think you would have that day and how relaxed you will be. 

So join me in calling for a no electronic media day in January 2020 , There President Trump another out of the box act for you oh that's right that means no tweeting, guess that's not going anywhere guess I'll have to send him a face book message. 

Around the Coffee table with Chuck: Why the great Divide?

 Why the great Divide?

Why are we as country so divided? I believe it is based in changes made in the country after Watergate. Prior to this so-called investigation, elected officials were always treated with respect. The late 1960’s was rife with incidents that upset the populace, but they were cut and dry issues for the most part. Middle America including urban areas was scared because of the riots for Civil Rights and College Riots about the Viet Nam war. Starting in the late fifty’s colleges had hired almost exclusively Ivy league type educators and had moved to the far extreme left in views. This was force fed to the students and not controlled by most college boards of Trustees. So, when Nixon was elected it was thought he would immediately pull out the troops, even though he had stated right along that he would bring the troops home with “Honor”. Thus, you had the beginnings of an opportunity to incite the masses. Ted Kennedy after Chappaquiddick basically ruined his plans to become President was convinced that he needed a President that would do exactly as he wished. The Watergate break in gave him the chance to level the political field that had turned decidedly Republican. So, began a circus of attempts to force Nixon from office, Congressional hearings, reports in major newspapers that were no longer verified extensively but printed for effect. In the end Nixon felt he had to save the office of the Presidency and resigned. So, the technique of accuse and discredit became the main attack dog of both parties. Since that time, we have seen every President been accused of wrong doing and hearings held. Every President has had to extensively scrub their background to remove or contain any item that could be used to discredit them. The media also has never come to the middle again and has been a tool for the Democratic Party, until Fox News arrived and was the Republican attack dog. So now we have large fields of candidates every election running because they think the front running persons will be eliminated by some scandal or another.

We the populace have been bombarded for years with constant scandal or what the media calls a scandal. I personally don’t care about Trump or Clinton’s Tax returns or extra marital affairs (unless in the Oval Office) or any thing else done before winning the Presidency. What I do want is a President that does what he says he will do and who does not rule in a manner meant to eliminate political support for the other party illegally. The problem is that now most of the country gets on social media and they are attacked for their views. We must stop the evil speech now before it spreads to the next generation. So please think about the tone your responses and posts convey are remember that even though many of rights have been diminished it is still America where you have the right to express your opinion. 

The Beatles Come Together

Because He Lives: How do we know we are pleasing God?

Because He Lives Blog
Because He Lives
“Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer.”
Psalms 19:14 (KJV)
Do you ever wonder how we know that the Lord is happy with our words and deeds? Well it is in the feeling that you have served someone else because Jesus is Love and he only wants us to love him and each other. As long as what you say and do is moving the conversation that way you are always certain you have pleased the Lord.

Round the Coffee Table with Chuck; The Gibson Brothers Bluegrass and Country from Upstate NY

 The Gibson Brothers Bluegrass and Country from Upstate NY 

If any one has not heard this greatest example of what the Cold winters of Malone NY dairy farms produces This will be a treat for you. The Gibson Brothers are the real thing raised and still living on a family dairy farm, they learned to play in the down times between milking cows.

Have a  Listen to several huge hits and then the newest hits

Here's a link to their tour etc. 

https://www.gibsonbrothers.com/tour-1

  

Around the Coffee Tabe withChuck :

New sandwiches and bowls are bolstered with brisket.

These are bolstered by Brisket and exotic cheeses

Stroopwafel McFlurry from the Netherlands

Vanilla soft serve with a caramel swirl and Dutch Daelmans Stroopwafel caramel waffle cookie pieces. $2.19 for the 8-ounce snack size and $2.89 for a regular 12-ounce size.

Stroopwafel McFlurry from the Netherlands. (Photo: McDonald's)

Grand McExtreme Bacon Burger from Spain

A quarter pound of fresh beef with thick-cut Applewood smoked bacon, smoky McBacon Sauce, gouda and onions on a toasted sesame seed bun. $5.59 for a single and $6.89 for a double. 

Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich from Canada

Grilled or crispy white meat chicken, tomato and herb sauce, mozzarella, onions, lettuce and Roma tomatoes on a toasted artisan roll. $5.59.

Tomato Mozzarella Chicken Sandwich from Canada. (Photo: McDonald's)

Cheesy Bacon Fries from Australia

Fries topped with cheddar cheese sauce and chopped Applewood smoked bacon. $3.19.

Cheesy Bacon Fries from Australia. (Photo: McDonald's)

The Cheesy Bacon Fries were introduced briefly in the U.S. in January, but "positive customer reaction" has brought them back, McDonald's said.

Nutrition information will be available when these menu additions are in restaurants next month, the company added.

As competition intensifies especially in the USA. we are going to see more imports on the menu at all big company restaurants If it worked in Barcelona it will work in Memphis . Although. this has not paid off in the past we are still going to try..

Try it if you like it but keep by Whopper coming ….

Around the Coffee Table with Chuck : What's so good about Wednesday any way?

What's so good about Wednesday any way? 

It Certainly isn't the weather , Good Lord it can's tell if it wants to be cold, raining, sunshine, or high winds and severe thunderstorms. As many of you know several members of my immediate family that I live with have several chronic diseases or conditions. Meaning we aren't doing many 5K;s in this house. But rather everyday is a battle to keep pain and other symptoms to a minimum and try to smile to every one you meet and be a positive force for the Lord


Job
Chapter 2

2 And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

3 And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause.

4 And Satan answered the LORD, and said, Skin for skin, yea, all that a man hath will he give for his life.

5 But put forth thine hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse thee to thy face.

6 And the LORD said unto Satan, Behold, he is in thine hand; but save his life.

7 So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.

8 And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal; and he sat down among the ashes.

9 Then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God, and die.

10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips.

11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him.

12 And when they lifted up their eyes afar off, and knew him not, they lifted up their voice, and wept; and they rent every one his mantle, and sprinkled dust upon their heads toward heaven.

No Matter what happens in this life to you Jesus still loves , Jesus is still there and will walk you home when the time comes.