Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, passes along the keeper and Phyllis’s appreciation for a priceless hour of therapy on the trails at the Oakwood University Wildlife Area. A rare place where meddling humans have been prevented from interfering with old things naturally getting old, demonstrating the grand cycle that …
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Month:September 2024
Kickass Sits by the Silo
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is occasionally awed at the keeper’s refined dating technique and the smooth way he impresses Phyllis. Yesterday, for example, he agreed to drive her out to Four Winds Farm in Fitchburg where they could sit by the tall silo and eat wood-fired pizza while …
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Kickass and Bridge Trolls
Attribution: Peter C. Asbjørnsen (1812-1885), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, passes along the information that in his never-ending efforts to be helpful, the keeper acknowledges the statement from one of the major political players that in the interests of informing voters it is not only okay but laudable …
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What’s New, Pussycat?
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter They are mysterious and elegant creatures who only pretend to be domesticated by humans. They are not unquestioningly compliant like cattle or sloppily subservient like dogs. They are independent. Cats relate to people—tolerate them really—on their own terms. A cat will do as it pleases, when it pleases, …
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Kickass and Handsome Rescuers
Attribution: Gamze Yeşildoğan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper recognizes the unfortunate evolution of the word “fall” from to “fall” in love, or to “fall” for a fast-talking car sales pitch, to its current age-related dominance as to “fall” on your face or your ass …
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Kickass Learns New Game
Attribution: yoppy, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper agreed with Phyllis that in the interests of remaining as relevant to the flow of life as possible it would be a good idea for him to learn a new game—something called “Mexican Trains” which is played …
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Kickass and Taylor Swift
Attribution: Cosmopolitan UK, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, notes the keeper’s less than stellar record of relating to female singers beginning with Dale Evans, including Kate Smith and moving on from the Andrews Sisters to Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughn. Somewhere when the pop musical focus went from …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: The Legacy of Keanu Reeves
Attribution: Governo do Estado de São Paulo, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter Over a career that has spanned nearly four decades, Keanu Reeves has done a little bit of everything. With films like Speed, Point Break, Matrix, and John Wick, he has established himself as one of the industry’s most bankable action stars. His early …
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Kickass and New Glarus
Attriution: jgagnon, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, notes that 9/14/24 was one of those beautiful sunny September Saturdays when everyone had a mission, for the keeper and Phyllis it was to head for New Glarus for a late afternoon lunch at “Glarner Stube” which translates to “Living room” …
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Kickass and the Gout
Attribution: James Gillray , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, passes along information from the keeper that for sheer mind-cleansing, along with gaining the surprise ability to assume a laser-like concentration, nothing beats a nighttime attack of gout. With no warning whatsoever, in the middle of the night, a big …
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Kickass and Friday the 13th
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, notes, along with the keeper and Phyllis, that before this Friday the 13th, 2024 could be trashed by the dominating destructive species, there was a prolonged competition between the crows and the gulls as to just who had parking lot patrolling rights. In a …
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Kickass Signs New Contract
Attribution: Panini!, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper, having signed a new contract for another year as back-up blabbermouth, will be joining the practice squad as it completes drills following the recent presidential debate. As a seasoned veteran—really overly seasoned at wearing #93, the keeper assumes …
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