Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Some of our greatest leaders have found themselves occupying the Oval Office during our most desperate times. Franklin Delano Roosevelt became president during the worst Depression in our nation’s history. Abraham Lincoln was elected to a polarized country on the brink of what turned out to be one …
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Month:April 2021
Slaughterhouse North
Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter There was a time, not so long ago, when Wisconsin was considered to be a national leader in conservation. We had a long and storied tradition of vigilant stewardship for our lands, waters, and wildlife. Former Wisconsin Governor and U.S. Senator Gaylord Nelson, a longtime environmental activist, was …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to a Balanced Diet
Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter It’s hardly a secret that we live in a culture of excess. Before the pandemic, Americans could—and did—go to a veritable (or actual) buffet of All-You-Can-Eat deals at Olive Garden, Sizzler, Old Country Buffet, Pizza Ranch, and many others—and I’m sure we’ll all be back bellying up to …
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The Royal Treatment
Artwork by Michael DiMilo Article by Geoffrey Carter On September 19th, 1796, against the wishes of the Federalist Party, President George Washington announced he would not be seeking a third term as president of the United States. At a time when world leaders rarely relinquished power voluntarily, Washington’s action became the template for the peaceful …
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Kickass and Being 150 Years Old
By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, accustomed to the keeper’s excesses, is not surprised at his—the keeper’s extension of his and Phyllis’s Apr. 13, two-year wedding anniversary acknowledgement, particularly after a recent dinner friend said she and her husband had been together for 60 years. The keeper is aiming for that kind of a …
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Kickass and Women Hikers
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in being continuously awed by women, but never more so than when it comes to “taking a hike.” There has been recent news of Jessica Killinbeck of Mt. Horeb hiking all of the Dane County parks; and Halora Kiddes, Sun Prairie, …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to the Back of Your Mind
Film Review of The Father By Geoff Carter Florian Zelllner’s film version of his play, The Father, is not only a harrowing chronicle detailing a man’s struggle to deal with dementia, but deftly places the audience squarely into the puzzle box of memory, hallucination, and disorientation that resides at the core of this disease. Like a …
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Kickass and Cat Monsters of the Night
By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper, finally realizing the futility of his rants concerning outrageous human behavior, turns his attention to cats, largely on the strength of two stories out of Australia, one documenting a crop-destroying infestation of mice and the other describing a population explosion of feral cats to …
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Kickass and Infrastructure Pine Snakes
By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is working with the keeper to define just what improving the infrastructure has meant over the years: a hard surface for the gravel road leading to the one-room country school that is long gone; no more muddy ruts on the way to visit Uncle Ralph, who is also …
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Kickass and Amazon’s Psychic Delivery
By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is working with the keeper to take advantage of the new Amazon policy of making distribution centers out of former shopping malls to facilitate Amazon’s plan to deliver items before they are ordered. Based on the marketing premise—“You may not have wanted this or even ordered it, but …
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Way Down in the Hole
Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter The Republican Party has dug itself into a deep, deep hole—maybe its own grave. After the Republican-led Georgia legislature passed a draconian voting rights bill, public protest caused a huge backlash. Threatened with boycotts and other sanctions, Coca-Cola, Delta, and other major corporations—that had somehow remained silent during …
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Kickass Versus Technology
By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper, finally settled next to Phyllis in their adjoining recliners, was seeking sympathy from her for what seemed to be an endless litany of humiliations from the tech world: his “smart” car had refused to start for unknown reasons, the car radio switched to heavy …
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