getting used to having no tv ( in culture, movies-tv )

I'm slowly but surely getting used to having no TV in the house. It's been about a week now. I still get all the local news headlines by following those channels through Facebook. And the only thing I ever watched on Roku — with what little time our daughter ... read more

good article about storytelling ( in culture, writing, stories )

via the-good-guy-bad-guy-myth "Pop culture today is obsessed with the battle between good and evil. Traditional folktales never were. What changed?" ... read more

wine review ( in culture, food )

Yes, we do it all here at FriendsNews! If I said to you Bohemian Highway, California Merlot 2007, what would you think? Crap? Just this side of Thunderbird? Well, you'd be wrong. At the amazingly low price of $6 for the small bottle, it's just as good as ... read more

 latest deep thought ( in culture, quotes )

One way or another in our own inimitable way, we all do to others what was done to us. -- William Arthur Holmes Wow, that was deep -- William's internal critic ... read more

recently-discovered book repository ( in culture, writing, books )

Hathi Trust Digital Library: hathitrust.org ... read more

 exposing kids to 10 hours of science a year makes them smarter ( in education, science )

via Refreshing News: Exposing Kids To 10 Hours Of Science A Year Makes Them Smarter. "A lot of students say things like, 'I didn't know science was fun,' said Samantha Gizerian, now a clinical assistant professor at Washington State University." ... read more

 sleazy real estate investors ( in education, research, conspiracies )

via foreclosure-auction-scams It's almost like a conspiracy! Luckily, conspiracies never happen and all conspiracy theories lack credibility. :) <end of sarcasm> At the height of the financial crisis, bargain hunters would gather each week on county co ... read more

 my phones ( in education, tech, phones )

In the process of upgrading to a new Samsung Galaxy Note II today (which should arrive in a few days), Sprint at one point showed me all of the devices I've had with them over the years (in case I wanted to trade any of them in). It was funny to see all of the ... read more

the gravitylight: lighting for developing countries ( in education, tech, help, charity )

GravityLight: lighting for the developing countries on Vimeo. This is so cool! GravityLight is a revolutionary new approach to storing energy and creating illumination. It takes only 3 seconds to lift the weight which powers GravityLight, creating 30 minutes of ... read more

 lingmo language translator ( in education, health, tech )

Wow, I want one of these! Real-time language translation device whispers into your ear in real time as it's listening to the person speaking. ... read more

tara's favorites ( in family, holmes, tara )

Tara's got a new blog! It's called Tara's Favorites, available at tarasfaves.com or tarasfavorites.com. Check it out!This article/post is copyrighted. Please do not reprint, reproduce or distribute it (or its images) in whole or in part (other than to ... read more

 elizabeth cut off all her hair ( in family, holmes, elizabeth )

In the twenty minutes that Tara and I left Elizabeth alone, she found some (child-safe) scissors and cut off all her hair. At first I thought it was just wet. Then I realized she'd cut it all off. I laughed and said I was just glad she hadn't hurt herself. ... read more

holmes family newsletter vol 1 no 8 ( in family, holmes, newsletter )

The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 8, October 23, 1989 earthquake!   Where were you when it hit? Don was just leaving his office on the 15th floor in downtown San Francisco when the whole building started to shake. "I survived," said Do ... read more

uncles' obituaries ( in family, holmes )

I have lost a couple of uncles this year.Below are their obituaries: Uncle Ernie ... read more

holmes family newsletter vol 3 no 4 ( in family, holmes, newsletter )

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 "Hell On Wheels") rode their motorcycles to Yosemite. ... read more

 strange badge swipe policy ( in life, money, employment )

There's a strange badge swipe policy at work: required first thing in the AM, after that ANYONE can just walk right in. #monitoring-v-security ... read more

 what to plant now ( in life, health, food, garden )

Just FYI if you were wondering, 'cuz I was. "Broccoli.If you live in a warmer climate and can find a quick growing Broccoli variety, you can harvest well into November."Source: What to Plant Now ... read more

 cake mixes and toxins ( in life, health, food, safety )

PLEASE remember to check your cupboards when you get home tonight!!! Throw away ALL OUTDATED pancake mix, brownie mixes, Bisquick, cake and cookie mixes, etc., you have in your home. A high school student had pancakes and it almost became fatal. His mom, a regis ... read more

 three ways to put america back to work ( in life, money, economy )

Great article here: Three-Ways-to-Put-America "In theory The Great Recession is history, but for those of us who live and work on Real Street the carnage and horror continues. On Real Street, outside the gated communities where 1% of the people own 90% of ev ... read more

 visiting old sacramento ( in life, travel )

Observations while walking around Old Sacramento with Elizabeth: Jul 14, 2018 2:38pm As I sat on a bench in touristy Old Sacramento, a little boy walked by and asked "Are you a statue?" I had to laugh. There was a statue/wooden carving of a man on the ... read more