Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter When I was kid, we used to be able to order paperback books in school from The Arrow Book Club, a division of Scholastic Books. I remember eagerly looking through the order form at titles like 13 Spooky Stories, A Wonderful Trip to the Mushroom Planet, The Forgotten Door, or …
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Category:Michael DiMilo
Horrible, Wisconsin
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Imagine my surprise when I recently learned that I’ve lived nearly my entire life in a horrible city. I never knew that. I’ve always thought Milwaukee was a pretty decent place to live. I grew up, got married, and raised a daughter here, I worked in Milwaukee Public …
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Counting Coup
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Some of us may remember Rod Serling’s classic 1964 political thriller Seven Days in May, a movie about a military plot to take over the United States government. Burt Lancaster stars as General James Mattoon Scott, a megalomaniac convinced that a new peace treaty between the USSR and the US …
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Independence Day
(Originally published July 8th, 2021, but–unfortunately, and with the addition of the new SCOTUS, still as timely now as it was then) Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Our nation is celebrating The Fourth of July today. Any American can—hopefully—tell you what this holiday is all about. On July 4, 1776, the Second Continental …
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Talking Points
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter “The sky is falling!” “We’re doomed!!” “It’s the end of the world as we know it!!” And so forth and so on. Such was the fallout from the Democratic Party after the first presidential debate last week. First, former president Donald Trump sauntered out from stage left, smirking …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Wicked Little Letters”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Poison Pen Pals: Review of Wicked Little Letters ★★★★☆ By Geoff Carter If you take a mystery, wrap it in a comedy, sprinkle in some feminist trappings, and then top off with a pinch of clownish but mean-hearted patriarchal mulishness, you end up with the wonderfully amusing but deceptively intricate film Wicked …
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The Birds and the Bees
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Earlier this spring, we were heartened to see our old friend the mother robin return to her nest tucked above the heater on our front porch. Last year, she hatched three broods throughout the spring and summer, and so we were able to watch the hatchlings grow until …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Godzilla Minus One”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter B + Movie: Review of Godzilla Minus One Godzilla has been around as long as—well, the dinosaur, and he has managed to stick around longer than the in-laws at Thanksgiving dinner. Over the years, the big green boy has entertained us by battling adversaries like King Kong, Mothra, …
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Anticipation
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter There was a time not so long ago when the only mail was snail mail, telephones were attached to the wall, and mail order deliveries took weeks instead of days—or hours. Computers took up entire rooms instead of fitting in your backpack or sitting in your pocket. If …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Dune: Part Two”
Attribution: Illustration by Michael DiMilo Desert Storm: Review of Dune: Part Two By Geoff Carter The long-awaited—and latest—star-studded mega-production of Dune has finally landed. Of course, this is hardly news. The hype surrounding the second installment of this science-fiction saga has been so constant and ubiquitous, it’s became as annoying as the popcorn container with the mouth …
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Kickass and Public as Jury
Attribution: Illustration by Micheal DiMilo By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, on this morning of May 30, 2024 with the entire country in high jury mode, assists the keeper by coming off the bench for Johnny Cochran and offering the following: *If the toupee’s at a tilt, you must find guilt! *Handicap mocker …
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Full Measure
Artwork by Michael DiMilo (Originally posted on May 31, 2019 in Honor of our Veterans) By Geoff Carter Ah, Memorial Day: the harbinger of summer, the first family picnic, and the grill master’s opening day. Memorial Day also happens to be the holiday recognizing and honoring those who have made the ultimate sacrifice defending our …
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