Attribution: Flickr user eric gates . Photo uploaded to commons by user ltshears, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, with something of a “dog’s” personal interest, joins the keeper in observing that when the national subject of debate focuses on when or if a human should shoot a dog, …
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Kickass and Cow Manure
Attribution: Wikideas1, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in lauding the efforts of Henry Redman, writer for The Wisconsin Examiner, for his comprehensive story regarding the problems associated with cow manure disposal in the case of a factory farm in St. Croix county that wants to expand …
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Not One of Us
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness…” –(The Declaration of Independence) Right. These words were written by a slave owner …
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Kickass and Student Demonstrations
Attribution: uwdigitalcollections, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, indulges the keeper as he recalls a bit of his experiences with student demonstrations, the first being when Willard Gonske climbed up into the country school’s lone pine tree and refused to come down. At issue was Willard’s pending discipline for …
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Kickass and Human Rental
Attribution: LMU Library, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is attempting to curb the keeper’s enthusiasm for his adoption of the Denmark plan of renting a human to hear 30 minutes of their life story. The keeper sees the plan as a modification of his lifelong newspaper column writing …
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Kickass on Morel Stand
Photo by Phyllis Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, always ready to assist the keeper in his unfailing efforts to innovate, approves of his adaptation of deer hunting techniques in the seasonal morel mushroom hunt. Hence forth, the keeper will not stumble about the woods wearing his eyes out trying to spot examples …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Surrounded”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo The Middle of Nowhere: Film Review of Surrounded By Geoff Carter The film Surrounded is set in the stunning landscape of New Mexico’s Ghost Ranch, the setting of other notable westerns like The Missing, 3:10 to Yuma, and Wyatt Earp. While Surrounded contains many of the formulaic elements of that genre, including a sociopathic outlaw, the snotty …
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Kickass and a Decent Day
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper’s busy day beginning with a delicious Phyllis produced brunch with her son Keven and family—Colleen, Luca, and granddaughter Taylor at which the Israel/Palestine issue was deftly solved by getting rid of Netanyahu. This was followed by a failed morel stroll in …
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Kickass and Old Men
Attribution: ABC Television, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, assists the keeper in passing along Ogden Nash’s: Old Men “People expect old men to die,“They do not really mourn old men.“Old men are different. People look“At them with eyes that wonder when…“People watch with unshocked eyes;“But the old men know when an old man dies. So the keeper “knows” …
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Kickass and Securing the Load
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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