Kickass and Collapsing Pier

Attribution: Richard Hurd, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in rejoicing at a human-involved, weather-related event that is not only understandable but worthy of cheers: that, of course, being the afternoon collapse of the overloaded pier at the UW Lake Mendota Memorial Union Terrace whereby a …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three”

Summer Hybrid: Film Review of Guardians of the Galaxy Volume Three Attribution: Fernando de Sousa from Melbourne, Australia, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter The summer blockbuster season of 2023 has seen some surprising box office hits as well as some equally stunning flops. Barbie and Oppenheimer—released on the same date and fondly nicknamed Barbenheimer—along with …
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Kickass Has a Good Day

Attribution: Photo by frank mckenna on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, notes along with the keeper, the measure of a good day when you are almost as old as the wheel:          *Getting out of bed and standing up.          *Showering, shaving, dressing and putting on shoes, especially putting on shoes.          *Turning on the coffee maker that …
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Kickass and The Black Hawk War

Attribution: Billwhittaker at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper has finally finished his bedtime book: “Blackhawk–The Battle for the Heart of America” by Kerry Trask, history prof emeritus at UW Manitowoc. The book is an incredible work and leaves him–the keeper uniquely conditioned …
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Kickass and Reminiscing Excess

Photo by Jon Tyson on Unsplash Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that in a marathon reminiscing session with Jack and Bonnie Lawton, the keeper may have strained something by trying to be in too many places at the same time:          *The Wolf River cabin with the muted roar of Slough Gundy rapids just upstream and the bloody handprints …
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