( culture / writing / books / novels ) Two of my ebooks are available free of charge all month (July) at Smashwords. The links are at the bottom of that page.
I've already sold five copi ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / auto ) A mostly one-way text conversation I had with my wife, Tara, yesterday while she worked and I tried to get her car emissi... read more
( culture / writing / books / advice ) Louis L'Amour once said he could write while sitting in the middle of the freeway. That didn't impress me at the time, but now it does.
Not one, but two dogs threw up behind me as I wrote. Was that a commentary on my writing? Wouldn't be the first time.
As I told these guys in the job interview, If you're wondering wh... read more
( 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
( culture / writing / blog / numbers ) Today is 1-2-3 day! January 23. Exciting, right? Just think, twenty-six years from today it'll be 1-2-3-4-5 day! I'll probably be dead by then, but somebody will enjoy it! ... read more
( culture / writing / books / novels ) I have created a form for you to leave an anonymous review/critique of all of my books. CLICK HERE. Thanks! :)
... read more
( culture / writing / blog / movies-tv ) Good quasi-clay-mation videoGreat first video from several years ago by my niece here: Y19zSl2q5iQ. Her current YouTube channel is here: channel/UC-JJa3iNrgqhyRN-an4afP ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / employment ) "Once Toys R Us was taken over, however, the debt that Vornado Realty, KKR and Bain used to acquire it was pushed back onto the company, skyrocketing its debt obligations to $7.6 billion."
via inthesetimes. ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / animals ) I just went down the road to the quickie-mart and got coffee. It's something I do most every weekend morning since throwing away my home coffee maker to keep me from drinking too much of it. On the way there, I saw what I thought was a dead turtle in the road. I hate that. Poor things just can't move fast enough.
Half way there, up ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / movies-tv ) - So, I'm selecting a movie to watch on Netflix. I see "Holiday: A Soldier Is Never Off Duty". It's Indian, with subtitles, but it's in the category of Action/Adventure. The blurb says "Capt. Bakshi sets out to stop a network of terrorist sleeper cells!" So, I give it ... read more
( culture / writing / poetry ) Listening to Don Henley this morning. He is one of the all-time great lyricists/poets. Just thought I'd say so. Then ... read more
( culture / writing ) Publishers and writing "gurus" preach that writers need followers. The problem is that emotionally-stable people don't want followers, they want friends, compatriots, people who listen, not followers. Especially zombie followers. They're the worst! :)... read more
( culture / writing / blog / humor ) - Me (joking, the other day): I'm out of toothpaste! Whaddaya gonna do about it?
Wife (without missing a beat): Find a husband with toothpaste, I guess.
And that, ladies and gentlemen, is why I married her. :) And that's why I'm at the store right now, buying toothpaste. ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / charity ) ...- ( )... and riding therapy operation now has a GoFundMe page!I hope you've got some pocket change you can ... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) I was explaining to my 9 year old daughter what networking is, and that I'm not very good at it. She said, That's because a lot of people judge you by your looks. And you're not ...
You trying to say I'm ugly?
I don't think so, she said, but other people do, yeah.
Don't you just love kids?... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) - From somewhere on the Internet ...
Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
Name the last five Heisman Trophy winners.
Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
Name the ... read more
( culture / writing / stories )
from 1993
by Greg — not really
There I was in Long Beach, California, having lunch down along the docks like I always do. It was a cool Autumn day, early November. I was watching the ships roll in ... then I'd watch 'em roll away again. Whoa-wo sittin' on the dock of the bay ...Sorry. I can't get ... read more
( culture / writing / tweets ) My Twitter feed: by @TheBillHolmes
Some of my better ones, according to me ...
Never work FOR someone else, work WITH them.
I do some of my best work when I'm supposed to be doing something e ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / animals ) - In case you're in the market for a barn cat, this is for you: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/08/31/5696395/feral-cats-get-a-second-life-as.html.
Maybe other cities near you have a simil ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / shopping ) Wife and kid are off at this thing called church. Maybe you've heard of it. I'm not familiar. Not sure what to make of it. :)I'm basically just hanging out waiting for the new mattress to be delivered. We told the delivery guy, Anytime! He sounded foreign. I hope he shows up before 10pm! Never know with these dang ferners! Anyw... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) In preparation for the much-anticipated Comcast installation (Internet, not TV), I do as they suggest and clear out a space where I want them to put the cable wall jack. Once I have that space cleared, I decide to vacuum the area. It's almost an instinctive reaction: You clear out a space that ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / employment ) Freelancers union, a federation of the unaffiliated- ( )Looks like a good idea.
Freelancers Union.A Federation of the Unaffiliated.
"350,000 FREELANCERS JOINED TOGETHE ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / internet ) Name Generator- Name Generator - Cool Name ideas at the click of a button!
I thought this, above, was kinda cool for generating a pseudonym. You can also generate a Medieval name, a Twitter name, whatever. On that p ... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) It almost rained today. I know, exciting. Apparently, it did rain pretty hard in some places, but not here on the south side. Hopefully, by this time next week it will have rained several times. The possibility is in the forecast, anyway. Just trying to keep my crops healthy.
As Mark Twain said, Everybody talks about the weat... read more
( culture / writing / blog / diary ) It's supposed to be record heat again today. Yesterday was 109F degrees, which is unheard of in Nashville. Today is supposed to be 107F. I've already watered my fruit trees and vegetable garden in the backyard this morning. Yesterday when I came home from work, the garden was literally wilted from the heat. I have never had an entire garden ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / humor ) Bureaucracy at its worst, legal argument at its bestPart 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 stretching back over two centuries, houses have been passed along through generations of fami ... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) US foreclosures in new legal trouble.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 ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / movies-tv ) Free Monty Python videos on YouTube lead to 23,000% DVD sale increase- ( )Free Monty Python Videos on Youtube Lead to 23,000% DVD Sale ... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) Today's my sister Lucy's birthday. She must be having a good one, because she has not replied to anyone's email birthday greeting. The previous weekend was our nephew Daniel's 2nd birthday party in Smyrna. That kid partied until it was almost dark! In other birthday news, we drove all the way to Smyrna again ( miles away) to get ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / diary ) We all went to the Nashville Zoo today. My God it was hot ... and sticky. Luckily, Blue Bell Ice Cream was handing out free cups of vanilla ice cream, which we grabbed upon arrival and at departure. I think today was literally the hott... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) I'm lying here on the couch — with the pugs asleep next to me — getting my new laptop just the way I like it. A customer was supposed to show up and drop off their laptop today at 3, but that never happened. Shoulda guessed that, but I had to be here in guess they did show up. Anyway, this new laptop is much older than the new A ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / garden ) Hopefully, this third time is the charm!It has begun.See pictures, below.Click to zoom in (twice to zoom in 100%):
The white fence in bed #1 is for the peas to cling to once they start growing.The real fence in the background of the first picture is what I eventually finished last ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / internet ) In Nashville, anyway, it seems you can get around their proxy system (those outlets that use it), simply by using Google Chrome and maybe Firefox. It might be as simple as using any browser other than Internet Explorer.
Using Internet Explorer, I tried to be a good boy and sign up for a free account. The only problem is that you h... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) We had a Fall Festival party at Elizabeth's daycare/preschool tonight (called that because some parents don't like Halloween). Elizabeth went dressed up in her Minnie Mouse costume. She was very cute. But then, she's cute no matter how she's dressed. :) They had a magic show that was cute, but I've seen better. :) Actually, ... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) Been trying to learn Cisco (network routing equipment) online through skillsoft.com, which I was given access to in my severance package. Maybe I need to just move out in order to get everything done that needs getting done. My 4 year old daughter thinks just because I'm working from home right ... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) Two weeks shy of my birthday and I'm still looking for a job. I don't know why. I never really fit in at these corporate soul-sucking places. Oh that's right, I need to pay the mortgage, daycare, grocery bill, utilities, car payment and its insurance. And don't forget the exorbitant health care premiums. You ever tried buying health ... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) Today is Dad's birthday. 90 years old! Amazing. I'm 48, in case you're wondering. Amazing ... ly disgusting! Oh well.
Anyway, back to Dad. Longevity runs in his side of the family.
His mother lived to be 101. His father made it to 81 or so, as did his oldest brother and only sister ... I think. I didn't really pay ... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) Parents all worry about how well they're raising their kids; how they will behave; what kind of people they will grow up to be. Well, tonight I discovered a sad truth about our youngest daughter, Sunny. She likes to hang out in gutters. You heard me. Gutters! Oh, the shame of it all!
Sunny is a cat, in case you didn't know. She was appa ... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) Well, I had a hell of a day. It started off normally enough, though it was raining, which is increasingly rare around here. I dropped Elizabeth off at school on my way to work, and from there my day took a wrong turn.
I took side streets the rest of the way to work instead of the main Old Hickory Blvd route. The side streets are just faster, us ... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) I took Joey to the vet this morning for a routine follow-up. I volunteered because I thought his appointment would conflict with Tara's plans to take Elizabeth to meet up with her Auntie, Tara's sister Sandy, at the Franklin Street Fair. Tara conveniently allowed me to think that.
When Joey and I got back home, Tara and Elizabeth were b... read more
( culture / writing / poetry ) by Jeannie Womack
Joseph wore many hats in his life,
the first one was of son,
next an officer, a Dutch Marine,
that to him was fun;
In Maastricht, in '49,
he married his childhood love,
now he w ... read more
( culture / writing / poetry ) by Jeannie Womack
The time has come for you to move on,
but I'm sure you'll be missing us while you are gone;
No more conversation with boss Catherine to really make you think,
You'll miss your adventures with super ... read more
( culture / writing / poetry ) by Jeannie WomackWe met on the race track in '72
I couldn't resist his eyes, so blue
We soon fell in love and started a life
In '76 he made me his wifeA teacher, leader, rebel and yes
A son, brother ... read more
( culture / writing / poetry ) by Jeannie Womack
Running in the rain isn't the pain
a non-runner might think it would be
I put on my jacket that has a hood,
lace up my shoes, and stretching is good
I open the door, expecting more ... read more
( culture / writing / poetry ) This is a story in the style called rap
that'll surely encourage an afternoon nap
of a family of seven, their kids and their wives
and something regarding their travels and lives.Now first there was Greg, a Brooklyn-born lad;
and then it was Lucy that Mom and Dad had.
She was born at Sing Sing (no, not in the ... read more
( culture / writing / stories ) by Steve HolmesSept. 9, 2000
It was a gorgeous Sunday near the end of September and I needed some exercise. Exercise, just for the sake of exercise was probably best done by running on the treadmill at the athletic club. But on a day like that, just exercise wasn't enough. I would take a bike ride on the American River Bike trail.C... read more
( culture / writing / poetry ) from 1990
This is a story 'bout a girl named Lucy
Otherwise known as The Rappin' Watusi
She lays down a beat that gets your toes tappin'
If your toes get tired, let your fingers do the snappin'
She says Hey buddy, don't you be no square
If you can't find a partner, use a wooden chair
... read more
( culture / writing / blog / animals ) Woke up this morning to a bird in the kitchen. I had a hunch the cat Sunny had brought something inside because, while still half asleep, I heard her banging around outside of the bedroom somewhere.Anyway, I walked into the kitchen, and there was a bird perched on the curtain rod ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / internet ) I'm as guilty as anyone about trying to add content to my blog just for the sake of content (because search engines look for and rate highly based on how fresh your blog's content is). But someone whose blog/newsletter I subscribe to has stooped to simply stating the obvious, maybe phrasin ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / pets ) Cats Disrespecting PugsSo, I'm lying on the bed with the pug Joey between my legs. No, that's not a figure of speech. I'm referring to an actual dog. Anyway, the cat comes up, thinks about jumping across my legs to the other side, then decides to just step on me, th ... read more
( culture / writing / advice ) It doesn't have to be great, but it DOES have to be FINISHED. -- William Arthur Holmes
UPDATE: ...and then I saw that Lee Child had a similar quote, only better: "Don... read more
( culture / writing / blog / environment ) So, literally, for the sake of human survival, please stop using at least this one pesticide by Bayer!
via More Evidence Points to Pesticide as Cause of Mass Bee Deat ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / internet ) Here's a long list of alternative news sites, rather than the mostly-fake mainstream media from which you might get your news:
12160.info ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / 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 ... read more
( culture / writing / books / novels ) Here's one of my brothers reading my book, Lottery President. He seems to be enjoying it. I swear I didn't pay him to do this.
... read more
( culture / writing / blog / fraud ) It's almost like a conspiracy! Luckily, conspiracies never happen and all conspiracy theories lack credibility. :)
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/feds-cr ... read more
( culture / writing / stories ) Dinko Goes Shoppingby William Arthur Bill Holmes. Copyright 1990-2010
There once was a cat named Dinko who loved food more than anything else in the world. Of course, when you're a cat, food is probably the single most important thing in the world; so none of... read more
( culture / writing / blog / pets ) I was up a little earlier than usual this morning, which apparently surprised one of the cats in our house. The thing is, we only have one cat. Any more than that is too many. This one -- either a stray or just one of the neighbor's cats, I don't know; either way, it's apparently our cat ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / travel ) TSA - Sexual AssaultTSA - Sexual Assault
If I do have to fly, I'll try and make all connections through New Jersey! See the next link:
... read more
( culture / writing / blog / advice ) If you're ever unlawfully detained, this might be good to know:
escape from zip ties - rear
escape - front ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / internet ) Check out my Patreon page. Patrons get free stuff!
Well, not technically free since you do have to pay at least $1 to get anything.
Still ...
"It would be amazing if I had any fans at all to help finance ... read more
( culture / writing / blog ) via politicalcompass.org
Welcome! It's timely to stress that The Political Compass has been on the internet since 2001. The uniqueness of our take on politics is reflected in the gratifyingly enthusiastic reviews we& ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / science ) via Refreshing News: Exposing Kids To 10 Hours Of Science A Year Makes Them Smarter.
"I didn't know science was fun"
... read more
( culture / writing / blog / humor ) - ( miscellaneous )Miscellaneous
Had alarm set for 4:15a.m., but the trash collectors in the alley behind my hotel thought 3:30 would be better.
At the airport, I was busted for trying to sneak ... read more
( culture / writing / tweets ) I remember when I didn't know what a tweet was, other than the sound a bird makes. It wasn't so long ago, either. Below is just a random list of tweets. Pathetic, I know, but I felt the need to put something new on the site. Anyway...
Saturday, July 20, 2013: Picked... read more
( culture / writing / poetry ) Requiem For A Pigeon
by Bill
We witnessed a pigeon's demise
Right here on the dock o' the Bay
There was nothing we could do
Nothing we could say
It just wasn't the pigeon's day
We tried mouth-to-beak
And the Heimlich t ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / politics ) The elites are adept at fooling themselves into thinking they know best.This superiority that they bestow upon themselves is a convenient justification for keeping us commoners in the dark, and keeping themselves in power. ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / internet ) I've been following and listening to Jeff Goins's TribeWriters program, and he says an important aspect to successful blogging (at least as far as getting noticed) is to guest post on other people's blogs. Jeff is a great resource, ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / trees ) via Protecting our planet
In turbulent times, being in nature among the trees can offer a vital sense of calm, solace, and inspiration. Here, we share the stories of people who ... read more
( culture / writing / books / novels ) I have created a form for you to leave an anonymous review/critique of all of my books. CLICK HERE. Thanks! :)Long before winning the lottery and running for president, Benny was living in L.A. working as a temporary word processor (typist). For his latest ass ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / internet ) Horse versus Google street viewI like horses. I like Google maps street view. The two don't like each other.
See ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / employment ) The 10 most hated companies in Americafrom The 10 Most Hated Companies in America — 24/7 Wall St..
"1. Facebook"
... read more
( culture / writing / blog / employment ) The architects of free trade really did want a world government of corporationsObservations on Credit and Surveillance — NAFTA Origins, Part Two: The Arc ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / employment ) When faced with too many expenses and not enough income and you have run out of expenses to reduce, rather than firing employees, the fair and socially-responsible way to cut costs is NOT to fire employees who had nothing to do with those costs getting too high. The FIRST target of cost-cutting need ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / conspiracies ) depositors"Although few depositors realize it, legally the bank owns the depositor's funds as soon as they are put in the bank. Our money becomes the bank's, and we become unsecured creditors holding IOUs or promises to pay."
via ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / computers ) Simply upper-casing your password can frustrate a hacker's attemptsvia How simply upper-casing your password ca ... read more
( culture / writing / books / novels ) I have created a form for you to leave an anonymous review/critique of all of my books. CLICK HERE. Thanks! :)My latest short story, based on our real life pugs Daisy, Chandler and Joey, the latter of whom is the only one still alive and barking. See ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / people ) Instead of analysing actions, checking through the consequences of those actions and chatting through the decisions made, leaders too often rely on impulsive decision-making - and this is when hubris can set in.
via .
Thi ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / economy ) "... the low 2011 real median household income is the summation, in most cases, of two household earners, whereas in 1967-68 one earner could produce the same real income.... when both husband and wife have to work in order to maintain the same purchasing power, household income ... read more
( culture / writing / blog / religion ) ?Q: Evangelical Christians criticize the New Age principle that we are all God in disguise. They say that this is Luciferian thinking. So, how do they get around this quote? https://biblehub.com/john/10-34.htm
... read more
( culture / writing / health / pets ) Did you know that avocados are poisonous to most pets? Check out these links:
petpoisonhelpline.com
... read more
( culture / writing / blog / advice ) - A cousin just installed a 16kW generator to power the whole house. It goes on and off automatically, triggered by power failure and restoration, and runs on natural gas. See video here.
It costs about $4K plus installation. Various models on ... read more
an online friends & family newsletter 
Try the TEST version of this site here!
( culture / writing / blog / auto )
( culture / writing / books / advice )
( culture / writing / blog / people )
( culture / writing / blog / auto )
( culture / writing / advice )
( culture / writing / blog / animals )
( culture / writing / books )
( culture / writing / books / novels )
( culture / writing / books / novels )
( culture / writing / blog / animals )
( culture / writing / blog / animals )
( culture / writing / blog )
( culture / writing / blog / shopping )
( culture / writing / blog )
( culture / writing / blog )
( culture / writing / blog / internet )
( culture / writing / books / health )
( culture / writing / blog / environment )
( culture / writing / blog )
( culture / writing / poetry )
( culture / writing / blog / employment )
( culture / writing / blog / garden )
( culture / writing / blog / appliances )
( culture / writing / blog / transportation )