Attribution: Photo by Elliott Stallion on Unsplash Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Mark M., Dave S., Mark O., Dennis C., John K., Michael D., and Geoff Carter Bots, Read the following at your own risk. This is inside baseball on the government shutdown. Prolonged exposure may induce MEGO (My Eyes Glaze Over). There was discussion a couple months ago …
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Month:December 2025
Kickass and Christmas Croc
Attribution: Photo by Alvin David on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper asking the public if it has heard about the 11-foot crocodile captured in South Patrick Shores, Florida with a Golden Retriever clamped in its jaws? The purpose of bringing up such an unpleasant image follows in the mode of the diversionary …
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The Pen in Hand’s Collection of Unconventional Christmas Moments: “Babs and Knuckles Deck the Halls”
Babs and Knuckles in their Holiday Special Deck the Halls Artwork by Michael DiMilo Video and Story by Michael DiMilo In memory of Dave Bolyard The holiday season is all about family tradition. Whether it’s about going to Midnight Mass, carving the Christmas ham, avoiding the mother-in-law’s homemade eggnog, or sampling Grandma’s oyster stew, traditions …
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Children of War
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter In the film Blood Diamond, set during the Civil War in Sierra Leon, a man named Vandy searches for his son Dia who has been kidnapped by rebel forces to serve as a child soldier. Dia has been brainwashed and trained to be a ruthless killer, but Vandy finds …
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Kickass and Press Briefing
Attribution: The White House, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper hearing about the search for a Journalist willing to attend a White House briefing and ask the POTUS “Donald, what the f… is wrong with you?” The thinking is that such a question would mark the end …
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The Pen in Hand’s Collection of Unconventional Christmas Moments: The Christmas Truce
Attribution: Frederic Villiers (1851–1922), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons The Christmas Truce By Geoff Carter The holiday season is all about family tradition. Whether it’s about going to Midnight Mass, carving the Christmas ham, avoiding the mother-in-law’s homemade eggnog, or sampling Grandma’s oyster stew, traditions are what makes our holidays special. But some people are …
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Kickass and New Second Amendment
By Bill Stokes Illustration by Michael DiMilo Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper promoting some revision of the 2ndamendment as follows: “The right to BARE arms means you can wear t-shirts and has nothing to do with guns. The fact of more guns than people in this country is due to a Constitutional spelling …
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The Pen in Hand’s Collection of Unconventional Christmas Moments: “Christmas Card from a Hooker in Minneapolis” by Tom Waits
Happy Holidays from The Pen in Hand Blog
Attribution: Archives Branch, USMC History Division, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons; https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christmas_Card,_1_December_1941,_page_2_of_3.jpg
Kickass and Inoculation Mishap
By Bill Stokes Attribution: James Gillray, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in acknowledging the news that a Fox Lake herd of dairy cows has been infected with the bird flu; and this of course prompts the keeper to tell Phyllis—probably not for the first time, about his inoculation …
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The Pen in Hand’s Collection of Unconventional Christmas Moments: “Christmas on the Border, 1929”
Attribution: YIRO5005, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Christmas on the Border, 1929 by Alberto Rios By Geoff Carter The holiday season is all about family tradition. Whether it’s about going to Midnight Mass, carving the Christmas ham, avoiding the mother-in-law’s homemade eggnog, or sampling Grandma’s oyster stew, traditions are what makes our holidays special. But …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Jay Kelly”
Sum of His Parts: Review of Jay Kelly ★★★1/2 By Geoff Carter Illustration by Michael DiMilo Filmmaking is an intensely collaborative endeavor. Actors, cinematographers, screenwriters, production designers, producers, costumers—and many more—are all the cogs and gears in the cooperative venture that produces feature films. The director must shepherd this pool of talent, experience, and expertise …
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The Pen in Hand’s Collection of Unconventional Christmas Moments: “Ice Dance”
Artwork by Michael DiMilo Ice Dance from “Edward Scissorshands” By Geoff Carter The holiday season is all about family tradition. Whether it’s about going to Midnight Mass, carving the Christmas ham, avoiding the mother-in-law’s homemade eggnog, or sampling Grandma’s oyster stew, traditions are what makes our holidays special. But some people are hurting. Many are …
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