Charest Family on the Web Posts

Published July 12, 2025 by

Alternate Commuting for This Modern Age

Montage of the Virginia Railway Express (VRE) with a fuji bicycle superimposed. Alternate Commuting for This Modern Age
Trains and Bikes for this Modern Age

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Over the years I’ve lived in the Washington D.C. metro area (“DC”), I’ve tried various techniques for commuting. All these techniques have been focused on making the best of a truly sucky situation. The best technique was, of course remote work and just not commuting at all. But, since the end of March I no longer have that option.

So, my latest and probably last pre-retirement commuting technique involves commuter trains and bicycles. Call it “alternate commuting for this modern age.”

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Family Stories

Bicycle Commuting

Published June 14, 2025 by

Have You Seen The Stars Tonight?

The James Webb Space Telescope reveals details of the structure and composition of the Tarantula Nebula, as well as dozens of background galaxies. Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI, Webb ERO Production Team Image. Wikimedia Commons, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?search=File%3AMilky+Way+Galaxy+%28black+background%29.png&title=Special%3ASearch&profile=advanced&fulltext=1&ns0=1&ns6=1&ns12=1&ns14=1&ns100=1&ns106=1#/media/File:Tarantula_Nebula_(MIRI_Image).png
The Tarantula Nebula, In A Place Far Far Away

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

Today is officially “No Kings Day.” This is the day we – again – protest against the monster in the White House. Now with music to fit the occasion.

I started writing this post as an angry screed against our wanna-be king trump. The music I looked for was angry music, filled with defiance and rage against the would-be two-bit penny-ante dictator and his sycophants currently running our nation. Music that would fit the mood of a national protest against Trumpism and the hate-filled monsters who’s life goals are seemingly built around destroying the lives of other people who just want to live free and build a better life for their children.

But, then, I realized I was taking the wrong road.

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Opinions & Commentary

Jefferson Starship No Kings trump

Published June 5, 2025 by

The Lack of Empathy

Graphic representation of Empathy. Source: https://pixabay.com/illustrations/transformation-emoji-mystery-spirit-857734/
Showing Empathy

Estimated reading time: 4 minutes

I’ve been struggling these past months to cope with the ever-swelling horrors of the Trump administration. It’s increasingly difficult to wrap my head around the staggering levels of corruption, viciousness, and pure evil practiced by apparent human beings leading our government. Not to mention, the convivial corruption, viciousness, and pure evil practiced by people seemingly enraptured by the cult of trump.

How in the fuck did we get here?

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Opinions & Commentary

Evil Nazis trump

Published May 27, 2025 by

There And Back Again to Peru

Ron and Winnie looking at the camera with sunset on the Tambopata River, Peru, in the background
A Sunset Selfie on the Tambopata River

Estimated reading time: 51 minutes

Winnie and I recently returned from two-weeks of cross-country adventures in Peru. During our trip we took a boat ride around marine sanctuary islands; rode a dune buggy in sand dunes; flew over hard desert to view the lines of Nazca; spent three nights in a jungle lodge keeping our snacks locked away safe from monkeys; hiked a portion of the Inca trail between Cuzco and Machu Picchu; and toured a number of Incan archeological sites. We also drove over an 18,000-foot mountain pass; viewed Lake Titicaca; got altitude sickness; and (briefly) lost my luggage to a Peruvian airline. It was quite the trip.

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Family Stories Ron Charest

Inca Trail Peru vacation

Published April 15, 2025 by

Heading South on Vacation

Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peru_Machu_Picchu_Sunrise.jpg
Machu Pichu at Sunrise

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

In a few days, Winnie and I will be heading out on a vacation trip I’ve wanted to do since about 1979. We’re headed to Peru for a two week tour of this magical South American country.

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Family Stories

Peru vacation

Published April 13, 2025 by

This and That, Mad King Edition

This and That Mad Hatter Cartoon
This and That

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

So the days go by, one at a time, as days always do. Here in America each day brings a new atrocity from our mad king trump. Every time we think he’s gone as low as he can go violating our laws, our ethics, and our humanity Americans have long taken for granted, our mad king goes lower. And lower still.

Meanwhile, our mad king’s brown-nosing quislings continue to fall over themselves in their endless quests to kowtow. While us non-trump-fluffing shell-shocked Americans watch our civil liberties melt away and our retirement funds shrink as the price of essentials rockets to the skies. And we watch the nightly news in helpless fury at new horror each day brings.

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Family Stories Opinions & Commentary

Mad King Trump Politics This and That

Published February 24, 2025 by

Musk Demands All Federal Workers Report to Him

A rat resembling Elon Musk is attacking a piece of cheese in a trash can that resembles trump's face.
Musk Eating Trump’s Face

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

This past weekend I had a front-row seat on the latest Elon Musk-driven insanity of screwing with federal workers. It seems that Musk decided, all on his own, to task three million federal workers to report their current work assignments directly to him. On a weekend. With no prior warning.

The good news is, various federal agency heads slapped Musk down. Hard. Which possibly portrays the wheels falling off Musk’s ability to destroy the federal government. And embarrassing Pres*dent Trump in the process. A double win!

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Opinions & Commentary

Donald Trump elon musk Government Workers

Published February 17, 2025 by

Profiles in Courage

No system of ordered liberty can allow the Government to use the carrot of dismissing charges, or the stick of threatening to bring them again, to induce an elected official…

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Opinions & Commentary

Courage Integrity

Published February 5, 2025 by

Review: Pelican Clipper 100X Kayak

Ron paddling his Pelican Clipper 100X kayak on Lake Wylie
Ron Paddling his Pelican Clipper 100X Kayak

Estimated reading time: 12 minutes

This kayak review is on the Pelican Clipper 100X, a ten-foot one-person sit-in recreational kayak. This kayak is one of a series of recreational kayaks with common features, produced under the Pelican brand.

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On The Water Reviews

kayak Pelican Reviews

Published February 3, 2025 by

Senator, Why Do You Come To Work?

The United States Capitol aka the Capitol building. Washington DC, United States
The United States Capitol Building

Estimated reading time: 2 minutes

Way back in Elementary school civics classes, I learned the supposed genius of American government was “checks and balances.” That the separate but equal branches of our government, Legislative, Executive and Judicial, would guard each other against overreach. In theory, if one branch attempted to take actions in violation of our constitution, the other branches would block those actions.

But, recent events have shown that those checks and balances only work if government officials actually take action. So, today, I wrote another letter to my senator asking why he even bothers to come to work.

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Opinions & Commentary

Letter to my Senator Politics