FriendsNews header

April 8, 2026     breaking   add your own add your own news!  search

  latest local posts

derby-winner-mystik-dan.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

cash-or-gold.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

substack.ico 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

money-silver-bars.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.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-penguin.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.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.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

carrie-prejean-boller.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-2.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.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

substack.ico 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

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.

satire: nfl announces each quarter of playoff game will be broadcast on different streaming service
It is getting harder and harder to be a sports fan.

you know they march every fbi member into the holocaust museum?
I'm sure they march them into the Holodomor, Nakba and Armenian holocaust museums, too. Oh, wait...

danish pm warns us attack on greenland would destroy nato
You say that like it's a bad thing.

under trump's madness, insanity has consumed this country
Trump is just one of many insane misleaders on both sides of the aisle.



 

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  

side-yard-fence-gate.webp i built a fence

(in life, home-garden, chores from 2009)

I forgot to mention I built a fence last weekend. It only spans about 12 feet from the side of the house to the retaining wall dividing us from our slightly-uphill neighbor. I've still got to cut a gate into it. Hopefully, I can pull tha ... read more

taras-favorites.webp tara's favorites

(in family, holmes, tara from 2008)

Tara's got a new blog! It's called Tara's Favorites, available at tarasfaves or tarasfav ... read more

animated-globetrotter.gif new orleans

(in life, travel, usa, blog from 2000) by rex

We flew into New Orleans about noon time on a Friday. Since the room wasn't ready for such an early arrival, we walked four blocks to the pier and decided to ride the paddle wheel boat Natchez. It basically goes a mile up the Mississipp ... read more

gothic-e.webp mangled english

(in culture, humor, language, english from 2020)

This is pretty new, from the new newsletter in 1992, when the Soviet Union still existed, but it's still funnyHow English is Being Used in Different Parts of the WorldIN A TOKYO HOTEL: Is forbitten ... read more

pesticide-hazmat-suits.webp pesticides causing adhd

(in life, health, pesticides from 2010)

It might explain the relatively recent phenomenon. Read, listen or watch the rest here: health-kids-and-parenting something wrong with that link Try ... read more

mosquito-anti-itch.webp mosquito anti-itch cream

(in life, health from 2017)

FYI: Aileen's Instagram pageI don't know about you but mosquitoes are crazy for me! Made some anti-itch cream. :) We shall see if it works! herbal apothecary herbalremedies ha ... read more

mississippi-river.webp greetings from saint something, missouri

(in life, travel, usa, missouri from 2023)

I was in no rush to leave and didn't hit the road until 9:30 on my drive from middle Tennessee to Saint Robert, Missouri. I could never remember that name, calling it Saint Something in my head. Even now, I wanted to type Saint Thomas. ... read more

operation-detour-cover.webp riva petkovic quotes (from operation detour)

(in culture, quotes, books, novels from 2020)

You might be smart with computers, but in real life you are a complete idiot. Programmer, data entry clerk, whatever. How have you not gone insane already!?Put some clothes on! Nobody wants to see that. ... read more

corruption-clipart.webp u.s. foreclosures in new legal trouble

(in life, money, legal from 2011)

And remember those politicians who are in the banks' back pocket (hint: it's most of them)Backing a lower court ruling made in 2009, it said two foreclosure sales were invalid because the banks did not prove that they owned them at the tim ... read more


Amazon Movers & Shakers

  culture.webp CULTURE

mark-twain.webp one of my favorite twain quotes

(in culture, quotes from 2020)

If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you read the newspaper, you're mis-informed." -- Mark Twain ... read more

animated-slow-clap.gif our first outside christmas lights, ever

(in culture, holidays, christmas from 2008)

That's it. No story. Here's the link:

Our first outside Christmas lights ... read more

thought-bubble-clipart.webp our thoughts

(in culture, quotes, philosophy, religion from 2019)

All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world." -- Buddha ... read more

dreamrangers.webp great commercial

(in culture, movies-tv-video from 2011)

Commercial from Taiwan, for all you bikers out there, young and new:

Dream Rangers ... read more

dog-friends.webp friends of humanity

(in culture, people, internet from 2019)

The Friends of Humanity website. Don't know anything about it, but I like the sound of it. :)

"Friends of Humanity is active in the defense of human rights, educ ... read more

  family-clipart.webp FAMILY

food-taco.webp california trip (2008)

(in family, holmes, travel from 2008)

Tara, Elizabeth and I just returned from a trip to California. We went for my nephew Thomas's wedding (to bride Heather at Lake Tahoe), but it was also a convenient excuse to let everyone on my side of the family, especially her ... read more

cities-moscow-st-basils.webp doctors say she's normal

(in family, adoption, holmes from 2008)

Tara took Elizabeth to the "international adoption specialist" doctors today for a psychological evaluation and another physical exam. They say she is perfectly average/normal for a girl her age. Of course, that puts her well above average f ... read more

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

astrakhan-grocery-store.webp thursday in astrakhan

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

First things first: Our little girl is warming up to Tara. She gave her a kiss yesterday, I think without even being asked.

Now, for some more random thoughts:

Before I forget to mention it, I need to tell you what happened Tuesday. I t ... read more

tara-the-hero-cat.webp watchtara the hero cat attempt to throw a ceremonial first pitch

(in family, pets, cats, dogs from 2014)

... read more

daisy-pug.webp our first (and best-ever) dog, daisy

(in family, holmes, pets from 2006)

Daisy graduates! Pic One,

Picture from earlier that day!

Previous pictures: ... read more

at-home-1.webp recent photos of elizabeth

(in family, adoption, holmes, elizabeth from 2008)

Elizabeth around the house
... read more

  life-clipart.webp LIFE

animated-globetrotter.gif trip to roanoke

(in life, travel, usa, blog from 2005) by lucy

I'm home after a long trip to Roanoke, VA and back. It was quite an experience overall. The 1-3/4 hour drive to SMF was punctuated by the puppy screaming and howling in the crate behind me in the van. She messed the newspapers o ... read more

bonnie-plants-veggies.webp pick-your-own fruit and vegetable farms

(in life, health, food, home-garden from 2011)

This could prove useful as food (and gas) prices soar this coming year: Where to Find Pick-Your-Own Fruit and Vegetable Farms/Orchards for Local, Fresh Fruit, Vegetables and Pumpkins ... read more

mississippi-river.webp greetings from saint something, missouri

(in life, travel, usa, missouri from 2023)

I was in no rush to leave and didn't hit the road until 9:30 on my drive from middle Tennessee to Saint Robert, Missouri. I could never remember that name, calling it Saint Something in my head. Even now, I wanted to type Saint Thomas. ... read more

alpha-brainwaves.webp antibiotics kill good bacteria, too

(in life, health, drugs, treatment from 2019)

"A healthy blood-brain barrier is necessary for keeping unwanted molecules and cells from entering into the brain from the bloodstream. Without a healthy blood-brain barrier, pathogens can pass from the bloodstream into the brain ... read more

lazy-exercise.webp how to lose hundreds of pounds

(in life, health, fitness from 2019)

"...contrary to intuition, over 90% of lost weight leaves the body as carbon dioxide exhaled from the lungs, disappearing into thin air. The remainder is excreted in urine, sweat, and other bodily fluids."

... read more

  family newsletter NEWSLETTER

billyclub-clipart.webp 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

paperboy-clipart.png holmes family newsletter vol 1 no 3

(in family, holmes, newsletter from 1989)

The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1 No. 3, July, 1989

[Editor's Note: Due to profanity, nudity, and the mature theme of this issue, parental discretion is advised.]

... read more

holmes family newsletter vol 3 no 4

(in family, holmes, newsletter from 1991)

the Evening Star Post-Tribune Dispatch (we couldn't decide on a name) Vol. 3, No. 4, June 4, 1991 Bikers ride to Yosemite

On Mother's Day, John, Jeannie, Don and Diane (collectively known as "He ... read more

holmes family newsletter vol 3 no 2

(in family, holmes, newsletter from 1991)

the NEWSLETTER Vol. 3, No. 2
February 10, 1991 It's a girl... and a boy and a girl and a boy...

Chance, a dog, has given birth to seven little dogs. Three boys and four girls! Hasn't she ever hea ... read more

animated-just-checking.webp holmes family newsletter vol 7 no 1

(in family, holmes, newsletter from 1995)

The Wandering Eye Vol. 7 No. 1, March 19, 1995

[We're back! Sorry it took so long between issues, but the entire staff was frozen solid in a block of ice the past three months. We just now thawed out. You know how ... read more

paperboy-clipart.png holmes family newsletter vol 2 no 8

(in family, holmes, newsletter from 1990)

The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 2, No. 8
"Anniversary Issue"
May 25, 1990

[Editor's Note: This is the big one! The big enchilada. The killer tomato. It's the anniversary issue! (Aren't you excited?) ... 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 = 216.73.216.142 · search