FriendsNews header

April 28, 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

carrie-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

trump trapped himself in the persian gulf
...because his ego makes him stupid.

'landmark' antitrust ruling finds live nation and ticketmaster operating as exploitative monopoly
That's great! I was just asking someone the other day why Ticketmaster has never been ruled a monopoly.

usmnt needs ambitious post-world cup succession plan
Preferably with Americans, and nothing but Americans at the helm.

ussf sporting director quits to take saudi role
Not a good look, but he won't be missed.

the last emperor of chaos
Pretty much, yep.

iran to accept bitcoin for strait of hormuz transit as ceasefire takes hold
I wonder if this was part of the plan all along, making digital currency an integral part of the world economy?

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, 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.



 

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  

food-palacsintas-18c67560e6eae5a9c2ebfef31473af20-826x620.webp palacsintas recipes

(in culture, food, recipes from 2020)

Markowitz palacsintas recipe. (pronounced pah-lah-CHIN-tuhz). Makes 4 or 5. beat well 2 eggsAdd a pinch of saltfrac12 teaspoon sugarbeat/mix in blender until has a loose consistency. Add frac12 cup water and some flour while mixing, until ... 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

dad's 94th birthday, part 3

(in family, holmes, lionel, birthdays from 2013)

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3Old SacramentoOnce Bijou and her people hooked up wit ... read more

toilet-repair-8a9da74fd48458abb64f8e90826b3bd9-800x800.webp how to drain a toilet

(in life, help, maintenance, advice from 2017)

I realized halfway through the task of draining the toilet that I didn't know how. I'd never done it before. I've drained the tank plenty of times, but not the toilet bowl itself. It all started after I had to use a snake to unclog it. ... read more

woman-smiling-stretching-2a89c08558f801816e4f26b3d316dfa3-1380x920.webp small shifts, big payoffs: everyday health habits that actually work

(in life, health, exercise, advice from 2025) by michelle casey

Image from Freepik -- In the middle of our days -- the clamor of unread emails, the growing pile of laundry, the endless scroll of news and so ... read more

americans in stable financial positions to donate their stimulus check

(in life, help, charity from 2020)

Since the United States government began issuing stimulus checks to Americans this week, a group of volunteers from North Carolina has rallied thousands of people in stable financial positions to donate part of their stimulus checks to hel ... read more

lionel-holmes-deddda492653d665781f00c4f2147ef7-548x426.webp dad

(in culture, writing, poetry, family from 2023) by jeannie

He came in like a lionAnd went out like a lambA loving gentle good-byeAs I held his soft warm handHis children G, Lucy, S, D, D, B, and IWere his pride and joyLoved by all who knew himEvery man, women, girl, and boyHe ... read more

where to donate your stuff

(in life, help, charity from 2011)

Where to Donate Your Stuff: 101 Places Your Clutter Can Do GoodSomething that's been sitting in your house, unu ... read more

research shows local honey may halt allergies

(in life, health, food, treatment from 2012)

For those with allergies, this might help. Research Shows Local Honey may Halt AllergiesHoney has been considered an alternative allergy treatment for many ... read more


Amazon Movers & Shakers

  culture.webp CULTURE

movie-goers-3f99a7063965a0b9dd46f17e32ba0a4e-1500x900.webp movie night

(in culture, movies-tv-video from 2013)

My wife and I have been celebrating our twelfth wedding anniversary this weekend. The actual day was the 22nd (so mark your calendars for next year's gifts). :) With our daughter on a sleepover at a friend's house last night, Tara an ... read more

lazy-pug-cafe-cover-e5853506f22b372195b0d6568dc7959a-1400x2250.webp ol' lightnin' quotes (from the lazy pug cafe)

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

"It's not a tree's purpose in life to stand around being picturesque. Not this tree, at least. Maybe that weeping willow up front, or my new friends ruthlessly cut down in their prime when this place was built, but a migh ... read more

groucho-mask-27ce97ac4200407d564e00e6236c9f74-400x272.webp bureaucracy at its worst, legal argument at its best

(in culture, humor, legal from 2012)

Bureaucracy at its worst, legal argument at its best

Part of rebuilding New Orleans caused residents often to be challenged with the task of tracing home titles back potentially hundreds of years.. With a community rich with history s ... read more

thomas-sowell-0d4e54fb49eb277a2b7a2696a8142d5c-610x404.webp thomas sowell quote

(in culture, quotes, politics from 2023)

"It doesn't matter what rights you have under the Constitution of the U.S. if the government can punish you for exercising those rights. And it doesn't matter what limits the Constitution puts on government officials' ... read more

groucho-mask-27ce97ac4200407d564e00e6236c9f74-400x272.webp too funny

(in culture, humor, transportation, auto from 2017)

This is too funny not to share.

"Almost every driver has been there -- when parking in a large lot or garage, it can be easy to misplace a car.
But while most drivers locate their cars after a frustrating fe ... read more

  family-clipart.webp FAMILY

travel day

(in family, adoption, holmes from 2007)

We fly out today. It would've been nice to have gotten one last good night's sleep, but the cat made sure that didn't happen. Stupid cat. Anyone want one? Seriously. She's very pretty; and sweet when she's not keeping you ... read more

coca-cola-atlanta-a89510fc245f0ed1c37be35216a907eb-1024x547.webp back in atlanta

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

We're in the Atlanta airport now! Good to be on US soil, except that they keep mentioning George Bush (... as in the Houston Airport). :) It's 1:45a.m. Moscow time right now (5:45p.m. EDT), but I'm not tired. I'm anxious to c ... read more

cities-moscow-62928542b397dfb5da78dacb53ea316d-1024x561.webp more pics (12/28/2007)

(in family, holmes, elizabeth from 2007)

Elizabeth likes bows in her hair

Red Square

... read more

one hour with elizabeth

(in family, holmes, elizabeth from 2009)

We had a list of stops to make.

First came Ace Hardware for a clothes line and a no-pest-strip. Elizabeth had rediscovered her Barbie electric guitar earlier that day and brought it ... read more

uncles obituaries

(in family, holmes, obituaries from 2010)

I lost a ... read more

cities-moscow-62928542b397dfb5da78dacb53ea316d-1024x561.webp mweh yeddum v aeroport eta ootra

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

You probably guessed what that means: We are going to the aiport this morning. It's probably not grammatically correct, but I ain't got no time for linguistic correctitude. :)

Unlike last time when the cat kept waking me up, this t ... read more

finnegan-in-belly-aebeef30bfa329cac61651e057a798dc-519x778.webp finnegan walter brouns hatched out

(in family, brouns from 2010) by heather

... read more

  life-clipart.webp LIFE

cities-nashville-bc448f19e7f8914d0179b731c844b48a-1124x1387.webp things to do in nashville

(in life, travel, usa, nashville from 2011)

Actually, in and around Nashville.

  • Adventure Science Center
  • ... read more

    tnsplogo-5e3cdc2dcc2c0e10d8231f54ed452d55-123x160.webp tennessee safari park

    (in life, animals, wildlife, rescue from 2019)

    Drove past this place a month ago on my way to New Madrid (jus ... read more

    animated-slow-clap-7b30c30001e583b74d95f0893d1b14fa-250x219.gif paying off a credit card

    (in life, money from 2011)

    That's a nice headline, and it felt good doing it today. Granted, the bulk of the balance was simply transferred to another credit card. But still ... :) I also closed out the checking account associated with the card, making sure to clo ... read more

    in the waiting room

    (in life, money, employment from 2010)

    I went to a pre-employment drug screening this morning. Last week, I had interviewed for an IT instructor position. Had to give a mock class, and everything. I chose the subject of "securing your home wireless network." It was fun. Anywa ... read more

    jets-taking-off-3c65191d45ef98944b12f267c9010e23-2000x1312.webp airlines misbehaving

    (in life, travel, airlines from 2017)

    United Airlines says "Thank you, American Airlines. Now everyone knows we're not the ONLY a--holes!" Yes, the woman was ... read more

  •   family newsletter NEWSLETTER

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

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1991)

    and
    now...
    THE NEWS Vol. 3, No. 3 (yes, only "No. 3")

    April 26, 1991 Doug returns from Hungary

    On March 21, Doug left Sacrament ... read more

    holmes family newsletter vol 2 no 6

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1990)

    the NEWS Vol. 2, No. 6, April 16, 1990

    [Back in spite of popular demand.] WORLD NEWS Mike is back from Germany and looking very European. (Fancy haircut, pale complexion, but otherwise healthy.) He's having tr ... read more

    holmes family newsletter vol 1 no 9

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1989)

    The Holmes Family Newsletter A Newsletter With A Mission In Life!
    Vol. 1, No. 9
    Worldwide Circulation
    November 21, 1989
    The Environmental Issue Only 34 days 'til Christmas

    And where will this ... read more

    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 progr ... read more

    leaky-faucet-e201c9794f6c6c113203327ebf6f26ba-1024x949.webp holmes family newsletter vol 4 no 3

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1992)

    The Leaky Faucet Vol. 4, No. 3, March 18, 1992

    "More of the same, basically." Doug elected president

    With this nation in the throes of its quadrennial tradition of political rhetoric and ... read more

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

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1989)

    The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 1, Since 1989

    May 25, 1989

    [Editor's Note: This may be the only issue, so pay attention!] Announcements

    Well, the big news, of course, is Steve and Denise's en ... 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 · search