Attribution: LMU Library, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is attempting to curb the keeper’s enthusiasm for his adoption of the Denmark plan of renting a human to hear 30 minutes of their life story. The keeper sees the plan as a modification of his lifelong newspaper column writing …
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Month:April 2024
Kickass on Morel Stand
Photo by Phyllis Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, always ready to assist the keeper in his unfailing efforts to innovate, approves of his adaptation of deer hunting techniques in the seasonal morel mushroom hunt. Hence forth, the keeper will not stumble about the woods wearing his eyes out trying to spot examples …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Surrounded”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo The Middle of Nowhere: Film Review of Surrounded By Geoff Carter The film Surrounded is set in the stunning landscape of New Mexico’s Ghost Ranch, the setting of other notable westerns like The Missing, 3:10 to Yuma, and Wyatt Earp. While Surrounded contains many of the formulaic elements of that genre, including a sociopathic outlaw, the snotty …
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Kickass and a Decent Day
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper’s busy day beginning with a delicious Phyllis produced brunch with her son Keven and family—Colleen, Luca, and granddaughter Taylor at which the Israel/Palestine issue was deftly solved by getting rid of Netanyahu. This was followed by a failed morel stroll in …
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Kickass and Old Men
Attribution: ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, assists the keeper in passing along Ogden Nash’s: Old Men “People expect old men to die,“They do not really mourn old men.“Old men are different. People look“At them with eyes that wonder when…“People watch with unshocked eyes;“But the old men know when an old man dies. So the keeper “knows” …
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Kickass and Securing the Load
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joined the keeper in watching a worker load up the boom-lift that has been parked in front of Vista West for a month or so as part of a siding repair job. The worker’s diligence in securing the ungainly machine to the special trailer …
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Kickass and Silo Crime
Attribution: Celticeternity1, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, supports the keeper in these court/crime filled days as he—the keeper, confesses to his role in what might be seen as insurance fraud. It was some 70 years ago, the keeper was still living on the farm with his parents when …
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Contempt of Court
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter America has always been fascinated with our justice system (observing it that is, not being enmeshed in it). Our popular culture media machine has produced everything from TV lawyers like Perry Mason to Matlock to Jack McCoy to courtroom reality series like Judge Judy, Judge Mathis, Judge Hatchett, or Texas …
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Kickass and Gravity
Attribution: NASA/JPL/University of Texas Center for Space Research., Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in noting this Earth Day week by honing his respect and disdain for the insidious increase in the power of Earth’s gravity as it effects falling down and retrieving dropped items by …
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Kickass and Eye Treatment
Attribution: BruceBlaus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, passes along the keeper’s observation that a day that starts with an early morning needle poked into an eye is likely to improve as the hours go by. The eye treatment procedure for macular degeneration is one that many people endure …
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Kickass and Andrews Fling
Photo by Phyllis Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, notes that the commitment to land, trees and people was never more apparent than at Tim and Cyndy Andrews’ “spring fling” at their impressive home and business out on the Mazomanie hills. Cyndy’s culinary skills matched up with Tim’s gracious hosting made a great …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Into the Western Wilderness
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter During our recent annual visit to New Mexico, we took a day trip to the beautiful Ghost Ranch, which is situated in a valley surrounded by breathtakingly beautiful rock formations streaked with a veritable rainbow of colors. In past years, we have been lucky enough to visit other …
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