Attribution: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Mark O., Mark M., Dave S., Dennis C., and Geoff Carter Awaiting our boots on the ground bots to shine light on this one. Some thought starters: Now…about that 2 year old, future drug dealer…rapist…serial killer… But that’s a pretty …
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Category:Social Commentary
Kickass and Things Go Wrong
Photo by Matthew Alexander on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports on the keeper’s day of errors and suggests that perhaps trying to coordinate his treatment at the VA eye clinic with son Mike’s molar extraction on the far west side was simply too much to expect, particularly in light of past history when the …
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Kickass and Collecting
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is little help to the keeper as he tries to figure out why he is prone to “collecting” while Phyllis prefers a more clutter-free life. In a recent visit with Carol who is among the Vista West premiere collectors, the point was made with …
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Kickass and Rude Drivers
Attribution: Spaynton, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in wondering what pattern of reasoning youthful drivers —usually but not always male, use when they come roaring out of nowhere to cut off other drivers in dangerous, near-miss traffic situations. Some obvious “reasoning” on the part of …
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Full Measure
Artwork by Michael DiMilo (Originally posted on May 31, 2019 in Honor of our Veterans. Addendum posted on May 25, 2025.) 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 …
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Kickass and Too Much Lunch
Attribution: Photo by Shah Krish on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper and Phyllis fresh from a lush lunch with son Rick and his wife Becky and grandkids Jessy and Paul. As usual, take-home containers were the order of the day for the keeper and Phyllis as they finished their lunch later at …
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Constitutional Anarchy
Attribution: National Archives at College Park – Still Pictures , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition …
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Kickass and Shot in Ass
Attribution: Leon Schlesinger / Friz Freleng, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper ran across an old report from a Wisconsin DNR warden that seems appropriate for this gloomy morning and its attendant political scenario. A Pepin county man who had smoked some meth, got in …
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Kickass and the Birds at the Arboretum
Attribution: Dori, CC BY-SA 3.0 US, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, does not always get involved in the keeper’s scientific projects, but was unable to resist as the keeper and Phyllis had a serious look at how they might share the exciting ongoing seasonal migration with the birds. First they checked …
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Kickass Tries to Do Good
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper rising on this sunny May 16 determined to do good–to accomplish something to make the world a better place than it was yesterday. All the time he was showering and dressing and pouring his first coffee, the keeper thought and thought …
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Kickass Down on Lawns
Attribution: Photo by Mitesh on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, noting that the keeper is never at a loss for things to complain about, hereby offers his annual condemnation of lawns—those boring monocultures of an exotic plant that we groom like surgical-room carpeting, pouring on poison to eliminate native plant growth and killing all insects, …
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Happy Mother’s Day from The Pen in Hand Blog
Attribution: Photo by Nienke Burgers on Unsplash To all the great mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers–and to Mother Earth, too. Happy Mother’s Day!!