Heather Morey of Creative Photo, CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons by Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper is apparently experiencing his own Christmas miracle as his body evolves into the unmistakable shape of Santa Claus. His increasing girth cannot have anything to do with the keeper’s intake of rich food and …
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Month:December 2022
Kickass and Country Copy
Photo by Phyllis Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that in the manner of country-copy reporting there would be the following item: “Mr. and Mrs. William Stokes enjoyed dinner Thursday at the home of Mr. Stokes’s son Michael in Sac Prairie. A delicious sauerkraut, biscuit sausage dish was served, after which Michael …
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Kickass and Little Sister
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, listens as the keeper laments the burden of being an older brother when a kid sister enters the hallowed ranks of nonagenarian as his sister Norma is doing. It seems only yesterday that he–the keeper was warning Norma about the mind set of prospective …
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Nightmare on Main Street
Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter As I get older, I occasionally catch myself repeating things. Maybe a story, maybe a joke, maybe a memory, maybe a point. That’s just part of aging—one of its inevitabilities. A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a piece about gun violence titled What’s It Going to Take? inspired by …
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“Just Like the Ones I Used to Know”: The Pen in Hand’s Guide to Vintage Christmas Movies
Photo by Geoffrey Carter (Originally published, December 10, 2021) By Geoff Carter Well, the Christmas season is upon us in full force. The commercials are everywhere. We’ve seen that ad for the car—or Energizer Bunny, wrapped in a bow and sitting in the driveway on Christmas morning at least one hundred times. Getting ready for this holiday season, …
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Kickass and Staying Inside
NOAA Photo Library, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and Phyllis in participating in that major Wisconsin winter activity of staying inside and looking out the window, which reaches new heights of enjoyment when typical miserable weather conditions prevail, like they do now. The storm that …
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Kickass and TV Watching
C-SPAN, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, notes that the keeper and Phyllis have agreed to cut down on the amount of time they spend watching TV programs that detail the extent of the utter stupidity rampant in government and business circles. The move is compatible with the keeper’s decision …
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Dialogues on the Primary Primary: Heading South
formulanone from Huntsville, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Mark. M., Dave S., Mark O., Dennis C., Paul C., and Geoff Carter The NY Times had this to say about the Dems primary sequencing change: “In 2008, Biden drew less than 1 percent of the vote in Iowa and dropped …
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Kickass and Rearranged Furniture
Tallbox, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, shared the keeper’s concern when it became obvious that a furniture rearrangement was in the offing as Phyllis engaged the assistance of granddaughter Alexis to move everything, including the couch and the keeper’s recliner, from their accustomed places. Dread would be an …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: The Many Sides of Dustin Hoffman
Studio, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter He is one of the most recognizable screen actors working today. In a career that has spanned six decades, Dustin Hoffman has portrayed a variety of characters ranging from alienated college kids (The Graduate) to street hustlers (Midnight Cowboy) to investigative reporters (All the President’s Men) …
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Dialogues on Labor Pains: Railroading the Unions
Attribution: Dietmar Rabich / Wikimedia Commons / “Dülmen, Börnste, Eisenbahnlinie Dortmund-Enschede — 2015 — 9918” / CC BY-SA 4.0 Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Mark M., Dave S., Mark O., Dennis C., Paul C., and Geoff Carter Joe Biden considers himself to be a huge backer of organized labor. For example, he was very vocal in support of the failed effort to certify a …
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Kickass and Bad Idea Pickup
Ropable, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is assisting the keeper and Phyllis in formation of the Bad Idea Trash Pickup (BITP) which is to function on both the international and domestic levels, heading first, of course to Russia where Putin’s war idea, along with Putin himself, will be …
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