Kickass and Halloween Election

Attribution: Lee Coursey from Decatur, GA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper, with a memory bank that includes life with outhouses and wall telephones, finds himself unable to distinguish Halloween from the presidential election and is bothered by the threat that trick-or-treaters may tip over …
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The People’s Choice

Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Election Day is right around the corner. Finally. We’ve been pummeled by television ads, social media blitzes, and unending email blasts for over two years. We’ve heard candidates call each other liars, losers, and criminals accuse each other of being incompetent, weak, or crazy. We’ve seen a flood …
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Dialogues on Reading the Signs: You Make the Call

Illustration by Michael DiMilo Featuring the Fabuous Dadbots: Mark M., Dave S., Mark O., Dennis C., and Geoff Carter Greetings Dadbots, With less than two weeks to go, the Presidential candidates are making their closing arguments. By definition, closing arguments are aimed at, first of all, that mythical species, the “undecided” voter. Ye gods, how …
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Kickass and Tree Lane

Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, napped while the keeper and Phyllis strolled up Tree Lane next to Vista West on an unseasonably warm late October afternoon, stopping often to identify uncommon tree species, and marveling at the trees’ spectacular demonstration of another season of growth and life in the …
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Kickass and Madison Square Garden

Attribution: Andrew nyr, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper is reminded by Madison Square Garden recently being in the news, that he was, is and will forever be a hopeless country bumpkin. The keeper was in New York as part of the Milwaukee Journal reporting …
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Kickass and Car Scratches

Attribution: AZ Auto Detailing Scottsdale, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, celebrates with the keeper in his ability to “fix things”, seen perhaps by others as “cheapness.” There were two spots of minor surface scratches on their vehicle, one put there by the keeper and one by Phyllis. No …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Red Rocket”

Illustration by Michael DiMilo Rock Bottom: Film Review of Red Rocket By Geoff Carter ★★★☆☆ There has been a tradition in American cinema–and narrative fiction–to romanticize the poor and unfortunate as noble and determined. The Grapes of Wrath, Sounder, Precious, and Slumdog Millionaire are examples of narratives that valorize the struggles of the lower class to fight for …
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Kickass and Prom Election

Attribution: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, allows the keeper to use a personal example of the importance of a single vote in determining election outcomes. The year was 1948 and the election was for junior prom king at Barron High School. It pitted Eddie …
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Kickass and the Author Fair

Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper will be joining five others tonight for the Black Earth Public Library “Local Author Fair” 1022 Blue Mounds St., beginning at 6 p.m. and featuring Andy Giesler, Peggy Prilamen Marxen, Patricia McConnell, Kathy Stoltz, Jeff Nania and the keeper, who …
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Kickass Rides the Elevator

Attribution: Photo by Derrick Treadwell on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and Phyllis in lamenting that among the annoying ups and downs foisted on a considerable portion of their “Independent Living” age group is the elevator.  Perhaps not as insidious as the so called “smart phone” that assumes a brain take-over for …
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