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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Kickass and Daughters
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, agrees with the keeper that while sons are okay, daughters are better, or at least different when it comes to parent-child relationships. That is especially true for mothers, mother-daughter bonding being one of those special human traits that endures for a lifetime as the …
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Kickass and Changing of the Hat
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, was proud to attend the official “changing-of-the-hat” ceremony conducted recently on behalf of the keeper as he transitioned from his winter to summer headgear. In keeping with the long-standing identification of accurately labeling so many elements of the keeper’s life, the long serving appropriate …
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Kickass and Newspaper Columnist Appreciation Day
Photo by Phyllis Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper’ appreciation to George Hesselberg for the reminder that yesterday—Apr. 18 was the anniversary of Ernie Pyle’s death—1945 by enemy sniper, and was thus chosen to be an annual newspaper columnist appreciation day. Pyle, of course, was the premier WWII newspaper columnist, …
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Kickass and Dumbness
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, notes that the keeper, ever alert to significant milestones in life, recognizes that the tipping point may have been reached in the national dumbing down effort and it will be smooth sledding from here on out as those with the most outlandish conspiracy theories …
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The Winding Road
Attribution: http://www.ForestWander.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 US, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter I happened to be running an errand in my old hometown, the village I grew up in the other day, and I barely recognized the place. My middle school was gone; they’d razed it. Most of the businesses, including Falls Music, Sergeant Pepper’s Record …
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