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.