Attribution: cweyant from Syracuse, United States, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper lamenting the eventual elimination of the penny as announced recently by the official coin providers. Both the keeper and Phyllis have childhood memories of placing pennies on the railroad track; and they acknowledge that throughout …
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Month:November 2025
Enough is Enough
Attribution: Chad Davis., CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter After the Proposition 50 referendum, in which voters resoundingly endorsed the California legislature’s plan to redistrict their voting districts in response to the Republican Party’s partisan gerrymandering of Texas, Governor Gavin Newsom said, “after poking the bear this bear roared.” (Instagram) Of course, the bear …
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Kickass and Northern Lights
Attribution: Photo by Nelly Volkovich on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, passes along the keeper’s inside dope that the color red showing up in the current spectacular northern lights is a result of Pete Hegseth spilling cherry-juice concentrate as he mixed up a batch of Kool-Aid for common-sense generals. Anyone doubting the ability of the …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Going Above and Beyond
In Honor of Veterans Day, 2025 The Ten Best War Movies Attribution: Capt. Saska Ball, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Originally published in June, 2019) By Geoff Carter “…that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly …
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Kickass and Boy Soldier
Attribution: Frederic Villiers (1851–1922), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in noting the long history of the young of one tribe being set off to do battle with the young of the tribe on the other side of the hill at the behest of chiefs who …
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Kickass and Evers Saying NO!
Attribution: SecretName101, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, endorses the keeper and Phyllis’s nomination of Wisconsin governor Tony Ever’s for a Pulitzer for his response to the narcissistic POTUS demanding that state efforts to keep emergency food coming for those who need it be stopped immediately. In the Republican …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “A House of Dynamite”
The Final Countdown: Film Review of A Houseful of Dynamite ★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter Illustration by Michael DiMilo Call it techno-horror, apocalyptic cinema, or just plain science-fiction, but films about the dangers of military technology gone wild, especially when paired with the specter of nuclear annihilation, have been with us since the first days of …
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Kickass and First Snow
Attribution: W.carter, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Photo by Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, noting the keeper’s long experience in dealing with seasonal rotations, consulted with him on the appropriate reaction to the first “dusting” of snow on portions of the local landscape. The keeper’s response follows: “Don’t cry. Crying only turns tears into …
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Kickass Writes a Note
Attribution: United Press, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, intercepted the following note written by the keeper and Phyllis as they attempt to survive life as it becomes ever more absurd and impossible. “To the POTUS who obviously has no concern: “At long last, sir, have you no sense …
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Kickass and Thrown Sandwich
Attribution: פֿינצטערניש, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reminds the keeper and Phyllis that the most important thing to remember about throwing a sandwich is to throw it in the direction of the dog. Throwing a sandwich at an ICE agent is fraught with peril as the ICERS wear bulletproof …
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Dialogues on the Devils We Know: Tripping in the Twilight Zone
Attribution: IlNat, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Featuring The Fabulous Dadbots: Mark M., Dave S., Mark O., Dennis C., John K., Michael D., and Geoff Carter A calculus max min term as we all know…🤓 …and No, I’m not referring to exactly when Ohtani’s 3rd jack started to fall. Before I begin, I want to …
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Kickass and ICE Undercover
Attribution: Paul Goyette from Chicago, USA, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper has returned from his under-cover assignment at the ICE training center and will be back in his usual haunts as soon as the delousing medication kicks in, his self-image is restored to the …
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