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If you don't read the newspaper, you're uninformed. If you do, you're misinformed. A classic is a book that is praised by all and read by no one. Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it! Nothing spoils a ... read more

A man learns how tough it is to order a pizza in the not-too-distant future. Read, listen or watch the rest here: How to ... read more

Aren't you glad we don't have any of those annoying pop-up ads asking you to join our newsletter? Ironic, isn't it, given that we are an online newsletter?Please support this website, should you be so inclined: buy one of ... read more

... and anything else thought-provoking and/or inspirationalThe Fence There was a little boy with a bad temper. His father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, to hammer a nail in the back fence. The fi ... read more

It's easier to fool people than to convince them they have been fooled! -- Mark Twain ... read more

Tara made a good guess earlier. She thinks the orphanage caretakers are telling Elizabeth that we will be taking her away soon. Th ... read more

If you ever wondered how strong your furry friends' love is for you, here's your answer. Hearing 'I love you' from their owner makes pups' heart rate skyrocket by 46 percent, study shows... ... read more

Went hiking with my daughter, Elizabeth, yesterday evening. There's a nice little park in Thompson's Station with fairly extensive walking trails on its south end, near the water tower. We saw an owl, so, with her new birthday-gift SLR ca ... read more

I can't believe how nice my coworkers at Franklin are. On Friday, they had a luncheon at work for Elizabeth and Tara. They invited me, too. :) Great food, several gifts, and the biggest surprise: a money tree. Tara and I were speechless ... read more

The links to both 1 and 2 are here. Part 1 has been updated slightly, in case you want to watch it again. Part 2 might be updated eventually, too, if more pictures come in. Here are the links: ... read more

Part 1, ... read more

Here's an interesting (and hopefully useful) article someone sent us. ... read more

So, the wife texts me saying, Fence guy quoted $35500 to do the fence. He's coming out Wednesday. This is a fence repair for a small backyard, not a new thousand acre fence. Me: How much?!Wife (paraphrasing): Oops, I left out the deci ... read more

Something I've always hated about working for someone else (in the corporate setting, at least) is that you're expected to believe (or convincingly pretend) that the people in positions above you are in fact superior to you. It's just one ... read more

Nashville made the list! Here's what they say about it:The new Nashville offers two things worth traveling for: a hot, trendy ... read more

A good tool to see how well your local hospitals rate as far as MRSA/sepsis-caused deaths is this CMS government website. To make it more readable, you can narrow down the columns to just Hospit ... read more

NEWS, ETC. Vol. 2, No. 15, December 18, 1990Christmas Issue Lucy to Host ChristmasLucy will be having Christmas at her house this year. It's a potluck affair. Only those with food will be allowed in. Says Lucy, It'll be very inform ... read more

Hoot and a HollerVol. 5, No. 6, September 28, 1993 -- Nashville editionJournalism at its finest! -- Yearly subscription rate: $135 Brouns family buys propertyLATHROP, CA -- John, Jeannie, their kids, Tiffany and Thomas, John's sister and ... read more

Once in a Blue MoonVol. 8 No. 1, February 1997A lot has happened since our last newsletter, so let's just jump right in with the news... Mike and Evelyn get married Almost two years ago now (June 21, 1995, actually), Mike married his l ... read more

The Obtuse Moose Vol. 6, No. 3, April 21, 1994 Jeannie finds dog Jeannie and John have a ranch in Tracy, California. To help pay the bills, they board a few horses. One of those horses, a fat old gray Arabian mare, had been particularly ... read more

The Holmes Family Newsletter Vol. 1, No. 5, September 5, 1989 Jeannie breaks elbow Placed on Disabled ListLathrop -- While attempting a sling-shot maneuver during a roller derby match last month with teammates Tiffany and Thomas, Jeanni ... read more

Things You Need To Know Vol. 2, No. 10, July 16, 1990 Pioneer Portuguese now availableWorld famous Portuguese historian Lionel Holmes's latest work is now available at a store near you. Don't be surprised if they're sold out. Sales ... read more