FriendsNews header

April 12, 2026     breaking   add your own add your own news!  search

  latest local posts

derby-winner-mystik-dan-df66ccac9c3e58d6607109e04c88d94a-1240x827.webp leading from the rear: how herd instinct shapes kentucky derby closers

(in culture, sports, horse-racing, triple-crown)

I remember my sister telling me how a dominant mare leads her herd from behind, not from in front. Being a lifelong fan of horse racing, it got me wondering how that mindset might apply within that c ... read more

gold-coins-f5ab97c8bcdf215544e68b980b21b475-884x462.webp interesting podcast about gold, silver and housing values

(in life, money, investing)

Interesting podcast about gold, silver and housing values. It's information that people should know about. When will the government and banksters stop suppressing the actual value of silver? And how does the purchasing power of gold and sil ... read more

auto-repair-c399fef40fa2ab4d0858a4335222fdda-160x112.webp auto repair and other stuff

(in culture, writing, blog)

I took my wife's car to Honest-1 Auto Repair in Spring Hill today. A warning light has been saying oil change required for a few months now, but she doesn't drive much. Works from home. Once the odometer finally reached the mileage sug ... read more

silver-coin-cf1866d2674f43a5f54b1c5e01de3c54-359x358.webp watch this before you buy more silver

(in life, money, investing)

Trump's war looks like the world will go into a depression. Demand for silver looks like it'll fall. But there are many other factors. But the US dollar is also collapsing. So if you've got cash and that cash is decreasing in purchasing ... read more

substack-e9af0cb40bf4c51910f2044492920bc8.ico an amazing life

(in culture, writing, blog)

It's been a while since I let you in on the details of my personal life. And I know -- or have to assume because I live such an amazing life -- that you live vicariously through me. Joking!First, I put our Boston terrier, Cleo, in the car. ... read more

linux-6185e13a81d5ae653840eea33799903b-386x395.webp online linux distro tester

(in education, tech, computers, software)

Very cool way of getting to know what any particular Linux distro (distribution) looks and feels like... without installing anything. Test drive Linux distros online!Go to d ... read more

retirement-ahead-sign-74f809ecd99827557270caced5881477-174x180.webp retirement in tennessee

(in life, retirement, advice)

Prompted and edited by Bill. Tennessee is regularly rated as one of, if not THE best states to retire in. No state income tax. There's no ocean nearby but eastern TN has mountains (and bears), while the rest is mostly hilly. Memphis i ... read more

donut-lab-battery-5ee55be6560e84ceff86c0cd47aabd22-767x594.png amazing battery could change everything

(in education, research, energy, tech)

Amazing battery could change everything. Want to live off grid? How about eliminating diesel and gas vehicles?This new battery technology by Donut Lab is coming soon, we can hope. Mike Adams explains the details. www ... read more

carsrie-prejean-boller-551a5432bf4b5b51930ef29d4361698e-499x612.webp what about religious freedom?

(in education, research, religion)

This is a very interesting conversation between An0maly and a Catholic from California who is very well-spoken and articulate. She's also not too hard on the eyes. :)Carrie Prejean Boller Joins: Do Catho ... read more

food-deviled-eggs-d334acf9053baee479e18a75352f5770-4096x3072.webp foods named after cultures... but not really

(in life, health, food, language)

Prompted and edited by Bill. Food history is basically a scrapbook of misunderstandings, stereotypes, and Europeans projecting their fantasies onto other cultures. Let's walk through a few of the most interesting examples. Here are some of ... read more

inflation-real-wages-1a9b45bf526251ea6dcfbb8146f35706-500x350.webp 5000 years of wages in one giant timeline

(in life, money, employment)

Interesting. Key Takeaways:In ancient times, wages were paid daily. Over time, payday shifted with technology, laws, and scale. Biweekly pay dominates today, yet timing gaps still create pressure. Earned Wage Access gives e ... read more

dobie-pokorny-title-pic.webp links to entire dobie pokorny saga

(in culture, writing, novels)

Here are the links to all five eBooks: Temporary Insanity, Operation Detour, Dobie's Dilemma, Lottery President and Another Way. And I've now got the printed version ... read more

  feed external news feeds
click here for more

urine from music festival toilets is fertilizing a new biodiverse forest with odor-free nutrients
See that? There's no fertilizer shortage!

mtg says trump is unstable and calls for his removal over 'absolute madness'
Most people agree.

voters oust half of missouri city council for greenlighting $6,000,000,000 ai data center
Good for them!

player: 'heart goes out' for tiger, but stop driving
Even Charlie Sheen had enough sense to hire a driver.

historic drought and unexpected fertilizer shortages could mean massive crop losses
Why would American farmers need foreign fertilizer? Don't we have enough cattle providing fertilizer?

'open the f**kin' strait': trump threatens to 'blow everything up' if no iran deal by tuesday
The man is deranged. Read this.

brit hume shuts down claims moon landing was fake
The article gives credible evidence of the actual landing(s), but Hume himself does nothing to prove or disprove anything.

most voters say trump hasn't been successful in cleaning up 'deep state,' poll finds
I'm with the "34% Not at all successful" crowd.

us marshals catch suspected war criminal from muslim group living quietly in america
Hopefully, next time Netanyahu visits they'll capture him and his war criminal puppet, Trump.

'the movie stunk! it was stupid!': chris 'mad dog' russo erupts over oscar's best picture winner
The trailer looked stupid, but the word is "stank," not "stunk." :)

reporter: you said iran got ... a tomahawk and bombed its own elementary school. trump: i was just making stuff up ... maybe i sold a tomahawk to some other country
Spoken like a true "honest liar" (as Dave Chappelle put it).

trump declares he will personally appoint the next leader of iran
Trump is now openly doing what the CIA secretly did/does.

the gateway experience of 432hz and exiting the hologram. have our brains become smaller?
Probably.

federal judge rules trump admin may not remove people to third countries without due process
Good!

hellebuyck set for medal of freedom, trump says
Hellebuyck was great, but awarding him the Medal of Freedom is an insult to those who have actually fought for freedom.

former cia officer reveals how politicians are compromised through blackmail and control mechanisms
You mean like Epstein? Yeah, we know.

america's enemies, who's on the list?
Probably anyone who disagrees with Israel... on anything.

the lies get so tedious
Human existence itself is one version of reality versus another. The solution is to create a better reality.

ex-fifa prez backs call to 'stay away' from wc
The ridiculously high ticket prices are accomplishing that.

establishing relationships in your new locale, by sarasue
Good article.

jd vance: the new trump doctrine is f*ck you!
Classy, as always.

if trump succeeds at acquiring greenland, will he stop there?
No, he wants all of North America, and Bibi wants the entire Middle East.

court confirms trudeau's emergencies act invocation against freedom convoy was illegal
Conveniently, too little too late.



 

One name, five books, a singular journey...
by William Arthur Holmes

Temporary Insanity, Operation Detour, Dobie's Dilemma, Lottery President and Another Way have been stitched together as an episodic saga starring Dobie Pokorny.

Yes, Benny, Alex, and Dub have new names. To those who loved them: thank you. This isn’t a rewrite; it’s a reframing. Each book still stands on its own.

The man, the myth, the legend? In his own mind, absolutely. Follow Dobie's misadventures through bad breakups, cult and anti‑cult entanglements in L.A., hit men and hit women across Southeast Asia, an unexpected lottery win and presidential run back home complete with the by‑now expected assassination attempts, a manifesto, more assassination attempts, an alien or hallucination (depending on who you ask), confrontation with the powers-that-be, and true love at last.


random older posts  

blue-water-drop-ccf42aebddb17642b634b8ee0a677c48-1024x536.webp water problem solution ideas

(in life, health, water, treatment from 2010) by don

Email from anonymous to Nashville mayor regarding drinkable water shortage: Mayor Dean, if you announce STIFF FINES for anyone exceeding HALF OF LAST MONTH'S WATER USAGE, and SUPER STIFF ... read more

aldo-leopold-c4050926d7e02d2c54551a1d7705592d-300x300.webp aldo leopold quote

(in culture, quotes, environment from 2022)

We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect. -- Aldo Leopnew ... read more

bumper-stickers-699e2259553cb222fda20ada6a3d6049-2100x700.webp my first bumper sticker sale

(in culture, humor from 2010)

I just got an email saying I've made my first bumper sticker sale! They bought three, actually. At 33 cents commission per item, at this rate, one sale per year, I'll be rich in no time!UPDATE: That was at Zazzle, but now I recommend ... read more

horse-in-hat-b1ea185f51bfcc54ffe5c755f78b265b-1200x1600.webp leaving your mark

(in life, help, charity, animals from 2008) by jeannie

We welcome all the visitors and students to our center, Harmony Haven. Our mission statement: We rescue and rehabilitate horses so they can rescue and rehabilitate the people who need them most. It's a ... read more

all-time favorite songs

(in culture, music, favorites from 2015)

Or, what I'd want on my MP3 player if stuck on a deserted island (with rechargeable batteries and a ... read more

fat-wallet-ed8e0e628e987443c5b82960e1f794aa-1024x600.webp richest 2% of the world's population owns more than half of all household wealth

(in life, money from 2001)

I just found this amazingThe richest two percent of the world's population owns more than half of the world's household wealth. Although you may believe you've heard this statistic before, you haven't: For the first time, persona ... read more

artwork-palicokvanie-72a4108c05b6296c5baaf146065bf810-227x216.webp slovak art, palickovanie

(in culture, arts-crafts from 2008) by doug

Slovak art by JanaIn the Slovak language, this textile art is called palickovanie (Pronounced: PALL-eech-ko-vah-nyeh)See also /sk-gift. html ... read more

young-adults-with-disabilities-31cdab881d413ca7ef945940ace69a98-2048x1363.webp power moves: a business career guide for young adults with disabilities

(in life, money, employment, advice from 2025) by martin block

Photo by Freepik The business world isn't reserved for a particular mold of person. It rewards thinkers, planners, connectors, and bold decision-makers--qu ... read more

worrying works

(in culture, humor, jokes from 2018) by joker

Worrying must work, because almost everything I worry about ends up not happening! ... read more


Amazon Movers & Shakers

  culture.webp CULTURE

random book reviews

(in culture, writing, books, reviews from 2021)

From Lionel, January 2013: I just finished reading ... read more

still more advice for writers

(in culture, writing, advice from 2023)

I came across this video last night and thought, "Yes! Thank you!" This guy (and Lee Child) share my disagreement with the saying, "Show, Don't Tell." As Child puts it, "You tell a story. You don't show a story." ... read more

cinema-movie-camera-ec446f4ca8e79cf2306bd845046a4218-1056x736.webp all about movies and tv

(in culture, movies-tv-video from 2008)

Check out IMDB featured content for the latest TV episodes, popular clips, and trailers.

Free documentaries! Gr ... read more

quote-open-0a3f1252133fad8a71c4f3ce1c6d6da9-50x50.webp allan stevo quote

(in culture, quotes from 2021)

"Beware of information obedient to the status quo. When information is obedient to a status quo, it deserves a special level of skepticism to avoid the bias known as confirmation bias, an easy bias to fall into." -- ... read more

cinema-movie-camera-ec446f4ca8e79cf2306bd845046a4218-1056x736.webp movies and tv shows filmed in budapest

(in culture, movies-tv-video, europe, hungary from 2020)

... read more

  family-clipart.webp FAMILY

monkey joe's again

(in family, holmes, elizabeth from 2011)

This could get expensive coming here on a regular basis at $9-$10 every time, but Tara had a coupon that made it half price. We're at the new one in Brentwood/Cool Springs. Much be ... read more

customs-dogs-sniffing-93e44622de1ea6011be6ca81acc7a75e-400x263.webp detection dogs

(in family, animals, pets, dogs from 2010)

"These are no hounds. These are highly trained detection dogs used by biologists to canvass for animals, scat, rare plants and invasive weeds that are easily missed by humans."

... read more

astrakhan-grocery-store-91484275d9a811a81a16935650a2a8d9-582x450.webp sights of astrakhan

(in family, adoption, holmes, travel from 2007) by tara

I'm attaching pictures we made of Astrakhan and our room.

We are staying at the Hotel Azimut in Astrakhan. They are going through major renovations right now. It's kind of funny to see the interior design mix. The lobby is decorat ... read more

cities-moscow-62928542b397dfb5da78dacb53ea316d-1024x561.webp can't leave early...

(in family, adoption, holmes, travel from 2007)

... but at least it's all over. The Embassy visit went fine.

Delta said that the only way we could take the available seats on earlier flights was to pay $2800 extra FOR EACH ticket. We said no. Unless someone wants to donate that to ... read more

uncles obituaries

(in family, holmes, obituaries from 2010)

I lost a ... read more

elizabeth-28b37fc2c411a2381a6a9c077e2d9288-1288x966.webp elizabeth's house

(in family, holmes, elizabeth from 2009)

The other day at the house, we had this conversation:

  • Elizabeth: This is my house.
  • Bill: Your house? I thought it was my and mom's house.
  • Elizabeth: No. It' ... read more

    cities-moscow-62928542b397dfb5da78dacb53ea316d-1024x561.webp preparation for our first trip to russia

    (in family, adoption, holmes from 2007)

    Tuesday morning. Everyone's still asleep except for me, the pug Joey and the cat Sunny. In preparation for our trip, I'm trying ... read more

  •   life-clipart.webp LIFE

    good search

    (in life, help, charity, internet from 2010)

    Use them as your search engine, and they give to charity:

    ... read more

    boss-arrows-6ec9b0400d41c92178cbf49c1d993e3e-757x568.gif switzerland shows us how to handle ceos

    (in life, money, employment from 2013)

    Switzerland Shows US How to Handle CEOs.

    Here in the United States, had the minimum wage kept pace with productivity since ... read more

    blue-water-drop-ccf42aebddb17642b634b8ee0a677c48-1024x536.webp some non-organic foods contain upwards of 180 times fluoride level of tap water

    (in life, health, food, water from 2013)

    "... the average person's cumulative exposure to fluoride from food, beverages, personal care products, and water is up to seven times the recommended maximum level, according to a government-compiled toxicological profile." ... read more

    harness adversity for growth

    (in life, health, mental, advice from 2024) by elijah dawson

    Image via Pexels Transforming Challenges Into Strengths ... read more

    horse-in-hat-b1ea185f51bfcc54ffe5c755f78b265b-1200x1600.webp advice page

    (in life, help, advice from 2008)

    You're asking me?! Actually, here's some advice:

    People need to be listened to -- preferably agreed with -- more than anything else. If you could do one thing for someone that would be it.

    Controlling a bad habit can be like con ... read more

      family newsletter NEWSLETTER

    paperboy-clipart.png holmes family newsletter vol 2 no 13

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1990)

    Hometown NewsVol. 2, No. 13, October 20, 1990
    [Editor's Note: This is most definitely the last issue.]

    Bill graduates!

    After seven months, Bill has finally completed his computer prog ... read more

    holmes family newsletter vol 4 no 8

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1992)

    The Leaping Lizard Vol. 4, No. 8, October 20, 1992 EDITOR' ... read more

    holmes family newsletter vol 5 no 6

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1993)

    Hoot and a HollerVol. 5, No. 6, September 28, 1993 -- Nashville edition
    Journalism at its finest! -- Yearly subscription rate: $135

    Brouns family buys property

    LATHROP, CA -- John, Jeannie, their kids, Tiffany an ... read more

    paperboy-clipart.png family newsletter

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 2008)

    Old stuff, but some of it's still funny ... It's basically the precursor to this website. Click the links in the table of contents, above. Otherwise, just do a search in the home page's ... read more

    holmes family newsletter vol 3 no 5

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1991)

    NEWS Vol. 3, No. 5, July 6, 1991

    Northern California's leading newsletter since 1989
    (except for those few months when we were Southern California's leading newsletter) ... read more

    holmes family newsletter vol 2 no 4

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1990)

    Billy Club

    News That Hits You Over The Head

    Vol. 2, No. 4, February 26, 1990

    Coyote has puppies!

    Lucy's dog, Coyote, had four "little shepherdy things" on Friday, the 23rd. Yeah, only four. "But they' ... read more

     

    © 1999-2026 · Original content may be copied and used ONLY under the Fair Use Doctrine. All other rights reserved.
    about · sitemap · Contact Us or DONATE · privacy · substack
    We use affiliate links, which earn a tiny (infinitesimal) commission if you make a purchase after clicking it.
    host = dreamhost · our IP = 67.205.28.165 · your IP = 216.73.216.124 · search