Kickass and Writing Helpers

Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in noting that while writing is mostly a solitary undertaking, the mechanics of getting words out to readers involves many others on both personal and professional levels.  Currently for the keeper the capable hands of Phyllis keep him in the game with …
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Kickass and Oil Barrel Drums

Attribution: Steelasophical, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in posing the question: can the senior residents of an Independent Living facility be satisfactorily entertained by a man using sticks to pound on what was once part of a 55-gallon oil barrel? If the facility is Vista …
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Kickass and Vista West Sailing

Attribution: Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper’s latest winter survival technique is to imagine that the Vista West building that he and Phyllis live in is actually a big cruise ship with an uncertain itinerary; and one of the daily entertainment opportunities is to try to guess …
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Kickass Goes Bobsledding

Attribution: Father of JGKlein, used with permission, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in operating in that statistical area of life expectancy of men being less than for women, and also noting the risk involved in growing up with older male cousins and their friends. The …
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Kickass and Authentic Dumbness

Attribution: Dmitry Racer, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, will do his best to assist the keeper in sorting through artificial intelligence—AI, and authentic dumbness—AD, based on the following circumstances:             *The keeper turns the engine off and listens on the car radio while waiting for Phyllis at a medical …
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Kickass and Winter Escapees

Attribution: ECP from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, assists the keeper in sending an early winter notice to those who temporarily left Wisconsin some months ago to avoid hazardous ice, deep snow, bone-chilling cold and endless commercials for winter-related maladies: OFFICIAL WINTER ABSENTEE NOTICE Your …
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Kickass and Ice Runner

Attribution: Theodore Mitchell Hastings, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, assists the keeper in the following: Young man running. Across parking lot ice. Running to school On a morning so nice. Running to meet Another day of his life Maybe see that girl– A prospective wife. You never know, …
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Kickass and Iowa Relatives

Attribution: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, indulges the keeper as he reviews the system of immigration that stole the country from the Native Americans and got everyone where they are today, specifically how some of the keeper’s predecessors filtered through Iowa, and one—a favorite uncle, even went …
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Kickass and the Big Globe

Attribution: Wuselig, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper has no clear understanding of just how to juggle indifference and caring as he and Phyllis share the planetary ride with those who cause widespread death, starvation and limitless misery in the name of power, ethnicity, skin …
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Kickass and Manure Sleigh

Attribution: See page for author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, says the keeper suggests that only a few dog walkers could identify with the keeper’s reminisce of frigid winter mornings when his youthful presence in northwest Wisconsin was dictated by the necessity of dealing with animal waste. Nothing …
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