Kickass and Boat Trouble

By Bill Stokes Willy Stöwer , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Kickass, the doorstop dog, tries to be as helpful as possible in getting the keeper through his daily slog, and therefore listens as he—the keeper laments going through yet another summer without a boat and all the attendant woes, worries, expenses, calamities, and distresses that …
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Kickass and Feeling Sorry for Self

David Marranis; LBJ Library, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Kickass, the doorstop dog, cannot control the keeper’s inclination to feel sorry for himself which was on prominent display recently when he was prevented by health circumstances from attending the Madison Library event that offered three of the major “must-attend” ingredients: Something free—a book, invigorating discussion, …
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Kickass and Emergency Room

U.S. Navy photo, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper and Phyllis are attempting to recover the day/night they lost while waiting at the UW Hospital Emergency Center, having been directed there by another UW Health outlet. Admittedly neither one of them was in danger of …
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Kickass and Phyllis Reading

Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper appreciates the advantage of a reading wife as Phyllis shares with him snatches of whatever book she is currently into.  Part of the enjoyment of this for the keeper is in noting the depth of pleasure and stimulation that writers bring …
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The Pen in Hand’s Guide to Old Hollywood: The Legacy of Robert Duvall

Kingkongphoto & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Over the course of his seven decades on the stage, in movies, and on television, Robert Duvall has played characters ranging from ruthless corporate executives (Network or The Conversation), a Mafia consigliere (The Godfather), a strutting egotistical colonel obsessed with surfing in a war zone …
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Dialogues on Victory Dancing: Letters from the End Zone

Tennessee Titans, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Dave S., Mark M., Mark O., Dennis C., Paul C., and Geoff Carter ‘bots: A break from the heavy things our conscious requires us to report on.  Probably not on your radar, but I’ve been following the US team—Rose Lavelle continues to  excel (UW grad)—a …
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