Attribution: Paul Berzinn, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and Phyllis in thankfulness and appreciation for once more being present with everyone else in the great dressing room as the magnificent cast of trees costumes up for yet one more sensational performance. Having endured a long …
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Kickass and Lake Living
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in acknowledging that living in proximity to a lake is not only symbolic of economic status but also presents the opportunity for quality recreation, particularly in a four-lakes town like Madison. However certain economic factors prevent people like the keeper and …
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Kickass at the River on Sunday
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, agrees with the keeper that a family gathering at the river on a Sunday as flawless as yesterday may be a high mark of tribal cohesiveness. With younger members attentive to the keeper’s comfort and appetite as he and Phyllis occupied comfortable chairs, ate …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “A Ghost Story”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Haunted: Film Review of A Ghost Story By Geoff Carter Sometimes, despite the best efforts of The Pen in Hand to stay hip and current, we find ourselves hopelessly behind the times. The other night as I was surfing through Max (HBO 2.0), I ran across a fascinating little film called A …
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Kickass and 5th Anniversary
Attribution: Joseph-Désiré Court , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons; Alteration courtesy of Bill Stokes and Gina By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the crowd in respecting those two-person relationships that sometimes persevere longer than the magna carta, and this is particularly noteworthy at Vista West where the keeper and Phyllis’s nearest neighbors—Joyce and Jim …
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Kickass and the Rapture
Attribution: Jan Luyken , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, as curious as the keeper is in religious matters, was surprised to learn that the “Rapture” was a concept of evangelical men formulated sometime in the 1880’s, which may explain some of the “Rapture” no-shows as predicted by subsequent religious …
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Kickass and Fire Department Winter
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and Phyllis in doing everything possible to get rid of the ornery 2023-24 winter, and when it had finally retreated to a single filthy snowbank in a corner of the parking lot, someone obviously notified the fire department with a request …
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Kickass and the Morning Start
Attribution: National Archives at College Park , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, along with the keeper and Phyllis, receives a reminder each morning of the miraculous process whereby everyone hurries to get where they are going and another day gets underway. The view of the Gammon Rd/Tree La. Intersection, …
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Sticks and Stones
Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Outspoken is hardly the word to describe former president Donald J. Trump. Neither is bombastic, ranting, raving, or loudmouthed. The nastiness and sheer animus of his discourse deserves a word with a much ruder connotation; blunt is a closer fit, but that word can imply being brutally truthful, …
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Kickass and National Library Week
Attribution: Photo by National Cancer Institute on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and Phyllis and everyone else in pausing to honor the librarians on this special day. With grandson Bud Andrews a librarian in LaCrosse and with memories of his librarian mother in Barron where he grew up, the keeper has these …
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Dialogues on the Florida GOP: A Visit to the Elephant Graveyard
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Dave S., Mark M., Mark O., Dennis C., Paul C., and Geoff Carter The “abortion issue” rubber is about to hit the road in Florida. Their state Supreme Court just made two rulings: 1) Upholding the 6-week limit passed last year by the FL legislature, and signed …
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Kickass and Eclipse Glasses
Attribution: Santeri Viinamäki, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, will be helping the keeper in his project to reclaim and repurpose all the now useless eclipse viewing glasses for viewing TV during the current political campaign. Like the warning about eye damage occurring from viewing the eclipse without the …
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