FriendsNews header

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

  latest local posts

are you ready?

(in education, research, preparedness, advice)

Readiness quiz. A fun way to assess how ready you are for an emergency. Supply chains are fragile. The grid is vulnerable. When disaster strikes, you're on your own. Take the quick quiz to get your Ready Score and discover your family' ... read more

schoolkids-running-down-hall.webp great homeschooling option

(in education, school, homeschooling)

This podcast interviews the creators of a homeschooling option that seems really terrific and very inexpensive called Firefly. They also mention how people can create classes on any subject to teach children and get paid for it. So if you ... read more

chatgpt.webp chatgpt reliability

(in education, tech, ai)

As a joke (and to point out how ChatGPT is frequently USELESS, I asked about the projection of silver for the next year (FYI, it already passed $100)Silver Price Outlook for the Next Year (2026)Base Case Projection (Most Likely)$40-$60 per ... read more

winter-driving.webp how to survive the big freeze

(in life, weather, advice)

Great ideas and tips. Watch on BitchuteIt reminds me of the Amish home I was invited into last week when it was about 25. It was very nice and toasty. As you know, they use their big iron sto ... read more

how to spot fake silver coins

(in education, research, money, coins)

Silver Nearing $100 Is Fueling Counterfeits. Here's How to Spot Fake Coins. But even more fake silver is paper silver ETFs. At least you get some interesting metal in a fake coin. ... read more

focused-female-entrepreneur.webp interesting tools and tips for entrepreneurs

(in life, employment, entrepreneurship)

Interesting tools and tips for entrepreneurs. This might inspire someone:Reinvent Yourself to PROSPER in 2026 and Beyond ... read more

how tattoos affect your immune system

(in education, health)

I've always suspected that they're unhealthy, long-term. Humans have been tattooing their skin for thousands of years, and the practice has grown in popularity across the world in recent decades. However, tattoos don't come without risks ... read more

gardening-filip-urban-unsplash.webp anybody can easily grow potatoes

(in life, health, food, gardening)

Here's an article that tells how to do it in leaves or cardboard: selfsufficientprojects/how-to-grow-potatoes-in-only-leavesReceived: 2025-12-23We h ... read more

finding your footing after life takes an unexpected turn

(in life, health, mental, advice)

Major life changes affect everyone. Whether it's a career shift, a move to a new place, the end of a relationship, a health diagnosis, or becoming a parent, these moments disrupt routines and challenge identity. This article explores prac ... read more

smiling-pc.webp the "greatest" names of modern-day personal tech

(in culture, tech, computers)

Bill: Seems like whenever people mention the greatest names of modern-day personal tech, they mention Steve Jobs (not Wozniack), Bill Gates (not Balmer), maybe Hewlett, Packard and Linus Torvalds, etc. No one mentions the founders of Wo ... read more

schoolkids-running-down-hall.webp the new core subject: teaching digital literacy in today's schools

(in education, tech, computers)

In an age where students learn, communicate, and create through screens, developing digital literacy has become as foundational as reading and writing. Schools across the world are redesigning curricula to help middle and high school stude ... read more

world-cup-trophy.webp copilot ai 2026 world cup prediction full bracket

(in culture, sports, soccer, world-cup)

2026 World Cup Prediction: Full Bracket ... read more

feed external news feeds
click here for more

the lies get so tedious
Human existence itself, actually. It's one version of reality versus another. The solution is to create a better reality.

what if nato died?
The world would rejoice.

ex-fifa prez backs call to 'stay away' from wc
The ridiculously high prices are already 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 trudeaus 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.

us imposes visa bans on key figures involved in global censorship pressure
...unless these censors are anti-Palestine and pro-Israel.

a victory for informed consent: cdc panel reverses decades-old newborn vaccine policy
So far, it looks like RFK Jr is the only good thing about this Trump administration.

"stop antisemitism" founder says antisemites will be hunted down and destroyed "for the rest of your life"
She can start with the world's worst anti-Semites, the Israeli government and military.

uk arrests 33 people a day for social media posts
I'll probably be arrested for this website if I ever visit.

the controversial call that may ultimately knock baltimore out of the playoffs
He had the ball in his hands for two steps. Horrible call.

adams sets semifinals goal for usmnt after draw
That's my hope, and that's what Copilot AI predicts.

how mls keeps getting better beyond messi's magic -- but no one seems to care
No one seems to care because it's all behind a paywall.

us institute of peace renamed after president trump
I thought this was satire, but apparently not.

trump announces invasion of venezuela to come
Such a pinhead.

rfk jr plans overhaul of child vaccine schedule: report
This is long overdue. Childhood vaccinations have gotten ridiculous.

trump invites netanyahu to his fifth white house meeting
Netanyahu is the one calling the shots, so it only makes sense.



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  

tv-shows-twilight-zone.webp various beginnings to the twilight zone

(in culture, movies-tv-video from 2021)

In honor of the year 2020 -- the year of unprecedented I never thought I'd see the day... sort of stuff -- we bring you... Somebody's collection of the various beginnings to t ... read more

shopping-cart.webp diary, 7/25/2010

(in life, money, blog, shopping from 2010)

Just got back from an all day shopping excursion. I don't know how Tara does it every week. I told her that was harder work than going to the office all day. She said, So, you appreciate me more now? Of course, I said yes. First we we ... read more

map-usa-states.webp where you belong

(in culture, people, geography, usa from 2019)

I've been in middle Tennessee the past 25 years, grew up in northern California, spent most of my 20s in L. A. , but according to this site I should move to New Eng ... read more

tv-clipart.gif no more tv

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

We've turned off, unplugged and hidden the TVs from ourselves! The plan is to keep it that way throughout the summer. We'll see how long it lasts. :) Something tells me we'll be cheating by watching more stuff on our computers. Still, ... read more

lee-child.webp lee child quote

(in culture, writing, advice, quotes from 2020)

Don't get it right, get it written! -- Lee ChildNew Rules for Writers -- ... read more

animated-globetrotter.gif visiting family in guatemala

(in life, travel, americas, blog from 2005) by michael

We visited Evelyn's family in Guatemala, hence the title of the post :) and ate like the pigs that we are. Bijou had fun. I guess the highlight was going to the cemetery. Believe it or not, it was really Gothic, colorful, historical and ... read more

another-way-cover-2022.webp semmy quotes (from another way: beyond the status quo)

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

Don't be scared when you feel you are about to die. You're not frightened when you wake up in the morning, are you? Pretty much the same thing. 'Life is but a dream!'We are from beyond the Pleiades, in the eig ... read more

25th-anniversary-balloon.webp our 25th year

(in culture, writing, blog, friendsnews from 2024)

Can you believe we've been online since 1999!?!? Even more unbelievable, we STILL have almost no audience! Truly amazing. Shouting into the void for a quarter century. Quite impressive, no? Anyone rea ... read more

writing-clipart.webp those who tell the stories rule society

(in culture, quotes, stories from 2021)

Those who tell the stories rule society. -- Plato Or, maybe it was the Native American Proverb... Those ... read more


Amazon Movers & Shakers

culture.webp CULTURE

aldo-leopold.webp aldo leopold quote

(in culture, quotes, environment from 2022)

"We abuse land because we see it as a commodity belonging to us. When we see land as a community to which we belong, we may begin to use it with love and respect." -- Aldo Leopnew ... read more

buttons-stupid.webp stupid sayings

(in culture, humor, jokes from 1998) by joker

  • Save the whales. Collect the whole set.
  • A day without sunshine is like, night.
  • On the other hand, you have different fingers.
  • 42.7 percent of all statistics are made up on the spot.
  • 99 percent of politicians give the rest a ... read more

    guitar-player-clipart.webp randy bachman reunited with stolen guitar... 46 years on

    (in culture, music, guitar from 2022)

    A happy guitar story!

    "'With that guitar, I wrote many million-selling songs... it was like my magical guitar. And then when it's suddenly gone, the magic is gone.'"

    ... read more

    farm-basket-clipart.webp get into farming

    (in culture, humor, jokes from 2019) by joker

    Some bad language, but funny. Get Into Farming ... read more

    don-1981.webp dear brother

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

    by Jeannie

    Number 4 of 7
    The middle child was he
    In his final months of life
    We rushed to him to see

    He helped me with my music ... read more

  • family-clipart.webp FAMILY

    cities-moscow-st-basils.webp riding the metro

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

    We're going to attempt to ride the Metro subway to Red Square today. Wish us luck. The exits aren't numbered, they are listed by name ... in Cyrillic. Of course, ... read more

    cat-sleeping.webp missing cat returns

    (in family, pets, cats from 2010) by jinx

    Good news from best friends Julie and Bert in Las Vegas. One of their cats, Tobie, went missing this past January. He was an indoor/outdoor cat and one day just disappeared. Needless to say, they were heartbroken and spent many hours/days po ... read more

    e-laughing-pumpkins.webp yesterday at home

    (in family, holmes, elizabeth from 2010)

    Tara had a busy "day off." Her basic schedule consisted of: 1) taking our pug Chandler back to the vet (for the fifth or sixth time the past month) to check on his ulcera ... read more

    cities-moscow-st-basils.webp stay tuned

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

    I hope to get the rest of the photos and videos on here, at least in raw form, over the next few days. I think I'm getting over my post traumatic stress disorder from the trip and can now face looking at the video again. :)

    Regarding C ... read more

    website-clipart.webp internet access

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

    I'm wondering about internet access now that we've tentatively planned to stay in a weekly apartment in Astrakhan instead of the hotel the entire time. We'll probably want/need that internet access for the sake of something to do ... read more

    cities-moscow-st-basils.webp 51-1/2 hours

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

    That's how long before we leave Astrakhan for Moscow. Not that we're counting or anything. The bad thing about these in-country flights is that they don't use "jetways," those expandable tubes that protect you from the weather as ... read more

    adoption-return-luncheon-1.webp luncheon for elizabeth

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

    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 speech ... read more

    life-clipart.webp LIFE

    communists-clipart.webp four reasons why belief in authority is the most dangerous superstition

    (in life, help, advice from 2020)

    "Question authority, including the authority that told you to question authority." -- Sixth grade girl

    : ... read more

    toilet-repair.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 ... read more

    island-paradise.webp another day in paradise, day 2751

    (in life, money, employment from 2019) by staff

    Sitting here looking at Harnew (not his real name) to my right. My workday would be sooooo much better if I could ignore him, but, being in the cubicle across the aisle, I can't. For those new to this space, Harnew is an idiot. Literally ... read more

    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

    russian-metro-dog-1.webp how did moscow's stray dogs learn to navigate the metro?

    (in life, travel, russia from 2017)

    Interesting

    "Of Moscow's 35,000-odd stray dogs, about 20 are thought to travel regularly on the city's underground rail system. These dogs seem to be able to identify which trains to board, and where to alight. It app ... read more

    family newsletter NEWSLETTER

    sprocket-clipart.webp holmes family newsletter vol 4 no 4

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1992)

    The Squeaky Sprocket ... read more

    holmes family newsletter vol 2 no 9

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1990)

    WORLD NEWS

    "Award-Winning Journalism"

    Vol. 2, No. 9, June 14, 1990 Dad kills rattler! Special to the News

    Back from a week in the wilds of Arizona, Dad and Eleanor told of battles with ma ... read more

    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 11

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1990)

    the NEWSLETTER Vol. 2, No. 11, August 13, 1990 Doug makes pilgrimage

    Doug, aka "Sluggo", made a pilgrimage to the Mormon church's genealogical library in Salt Lake City over a week ago and hasn't been se ... read more

    yeehaw-clipart.webp holmes family newsletter vol 6 no 7

    (in family, holmes, newsletter from 1995)

    Yee-Haw The only newsletter we do!

    Vol. 6, No. 7, December 29, 1994Belinda Has Puppies!

    Another one of Lucy's dogs has gone and had a litter of pups. This time the mother is Belinda, a Rottwe ... read more

    leaky-faucet-clipart.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

     

    © 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 = 216.73.216.20 · search