Charest Family on the Web Posts

Published February 5, 2023 by

Home Improvement: Kitchen Countertops

Almost finished Kitchen Countertops
Almost Finished Kitchen Countertops

Estimated reading time: 16 minutes

When we moved to our present house, I really expected to not be doing any more home improvement projects. After our pre-move-in and clean-up I thought the house looked pretty good. Then, Winnie built a massive brick and stone patio over the summer. Once again, I thought that would be the extent of home improvement here.

It was not to be. Right after Thanksgiving, Winnie announced she wanted to redo our kitchen countertops. Of course, the project needed to be completed before Christmas, as we had already planned a Christmas dinner with guests.

Continue…Home Improvement: Kitchen Countertops

Family Stories

Countertops home improvement kitchen sink

Published January 24, 2023 by

You’ve Been Hacked!

Don't Take Any Wooden Nickels
Don’t Take Any Wooden Nickels

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

It seems like the Internet scams are coming thick and fast now-a-days. I rarely go more than a couple of days without some asshole trying to scam me. People are continually trying to sell me Medicare plans, performance-enhancing drugs, or buy my house. Self-described hot young women send me their pictures offering to marry me or sell me even more awesome sexy pictures.

But then there’s the really offensive people who out-and-out try to defraud me. Like the latest email from some asshole pulling an online exhortion attempt with an email announcing, “You’ve Been Hacked.”

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Family Stories Tech Talk

hacking Internet Scam

Published January 21, 2023 by

Welcoming The Year of The Rabbit

Standing Rabbit, Photo by Anna Shvets: https://www.pexels.com/photo/rabbit-standing-on-two-legs-4588055/
The Year of the Rabbit

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

For approximately two billion people here on planet Earth, today is their New Year’s celebration. Otherwise known as “Chinese New Year,” “Asian New Year,” or “Lunar New Year,” today a whole lot of people are welcoming the Year of the Rabbit.

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Just For Fun

Published January 8, 2023 by

The ABCs of Democracy

Congressman Hakeem Jeffeies, NY-8 official photo
Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, (D NY-8)

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

After fifteen votes in the House of Representatives this past week, Congressman Kevin McCarthy (R CA-20) finally debased himself enough to “win” Speakership. It was an abject fight – for him. For us normal people, it was a horrific lesson in how much humiliation a person would endure to obtain power.

But then, we have Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (D NY-8) with his “ABCs of Democracy” speech. Which cut the clearest possible contrast between House Republicans and House Democrats.

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Opinions & Commentary

Published January 7, 2023 by

The Incredible Melting Republicans

Melting Wicked Witch of The West Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images
Melting Wicked Witch of The West
Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

I must admit I’m enjoying the on-going buffoonery of Congress-critter Republicans as they attempt to elect one of their own for House Speaker. In truth, I see this chaos as a microcosm of a larger story; the rapidly melting wreckage known as the Republican Party.

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Opinions & Commentary

Corruption Republican Party

Published January 1, 2023 by

Happy New Year 2023

The Year 2023 written in sand. Photo by Engin Akyurt: https://www.pexels.com/photo/a-woman-writing-numbers-on-sand-with-her-hand-13088177/
The Year 2023 Written in Sand

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Once again, just like turning the pages of a calendar, we’re out with the old year and in with the new. But, maybe we don’t want to celebrate the end of 2022 too loudly. I mean, 2022 was a better year than 2021. But that’s like comparing drinking arsenic to drinking hemlock.

So, lets go quietly into the New Year while remembering the year that was.

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Just For Fun

Celebration Music New Year 2023

Published December 26, 2022 by

When The Boss Appears At The Front Door

Person standing at front door. Photo by Kelly: https://www.pexels.com/photo/black-home-area-rug-2950003/
When the Boss Appears at the Front Door

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Another Quora question got me reminiscing about my introduction to free enterprise after retiring from Navy life. It was the first, and only time, one of my boss’s appeared at my front door. It was an unexpected visit after I had abruptly resigned for reasons relating to his fraudulent business practices.

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Career Management Family Stories Quora Re-Posts

Career learning experience quora

Published December 12, 2022 by

A Quora Question: Annoying Movie Scenes

Massive Traffic Jam. Photo Credits: Alexander Cruzado Abanto
A Hollywood Car Chase

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

So, I added to my ever-growing list of movie reviews by answering another Quora question. This one was on the most unrealistic movie scenes which annoy the hell out of me. Which led me into discussing the always-included Hollywood action-movie car chase scenes.

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Just For Fun Quora Re-Posts

Movies quora

Published December 1, 2022 by

Social Media as a Public Option

people talking in front of a cafe as the essence of social media
The Essence of Social Media

Estimated reading time: 7 minutes

I’ve been watching the ongoing melt-down of the social media forum Twitter with a mixture of schadenfreude, sadness, and disgust. Schadenfreude, because I don’t know another word for watching the world’s richest man burn up $44 billion dollars in a hollow attempt to prove he’s a brilliant engineer and businessperson. Sadness, for all the thousands of people losing their jobs with a company in which they invested years of their lives build something they truly believed in. Disgust, because for better or worse Twitter became the 21st century equivalent of the 18th century town square and now it’s rapidly crumbling away with nothing to replace it.   

So, I humbly offer my suggestion that it’s time for a government-run social media site.

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Opinions & Commentary

Government Social Media

Published November 24, 2022 by

The Great Turkey Drop

Front view of turkey, does this fellow look like he can fly?
Does This Fellow Look Like He Can Fly?

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

There’s many uniquely American traditions around Thanksgiving day. One of those is of course, eating a large bird known as “turkey,” as the centerpiece of the dinner. Along with the eating part of Thanksgiving comes the social events like the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. We also have some other notable events real and fictional in television and music.

One of these most notable fictional events involved dropping turkeys out of helicopters.

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Just For Fun

Thanksgiving Turkeys YouTube Video