Attribution: Jessie Willcox Smith (1863 – 1935), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper, ever anxious to be relevant, is volunteering to assist Kamala as she does her best to refute the outrageous fairy tale claims that will obviously be forth coming from the Orange leader …
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Category:Social Commentary
Kickass and Posting Priorities
Illustration by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, advises the keeper on how best to share the ever-deteriorating planet with those who lose everything in a hurricane or must bury the pieces of their bomb-victim children or who worship at the altar of the “Rod of Iron” church where a crown of …
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Dialogues on the Art of Political Fiction: Return to Hollywood Square One
Illustration by Michael Dimilo Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Mark M., Dave S., Mark O., Dennis C., and Geoff Carter Every Presidential election season has its unforgettable moments, indelibly etched in the collective voter memory. As of June, it might have been Biden’s debate declaration that “We beat Medicare”. Then it looked as it might …
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Kickass and the Apple Phone
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is happy that dogs do not have phones as they would never put up with the incredible treatment that the keeper and Phyllis endured as they tried to follow the APPLE procedure for repairing Phyllis’s “broken” –almost new, phone. There were FOUR trips to …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: The Strange Staying Power of “My Cousin Vinny”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Some movies are unexpectedly, inexplicably, and unbelievably popular. It’s obvious how classics like White Christmas, Hocus Pocus, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and The Wizard of Oz have become beloved holiday traditions, but who would have predicted that The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Eraserhead, Pink Flamingoes, or Napolean Dynamite would become cult classics? Or that …
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Kickass and the Irate Trumper
Attribution: Erik Ogan, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, hands off to the keeper for the report of an “eating-out-with-a-Trumper” adventure as reported to him by son Rick and daughter-in-law Becky. The scene is a popular area night club with booths separated by partitions. The conversation in Rick and …
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Tainted Love
Attribution: The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter Republican J.D. Vance says it is his love of country that informs his vision of America. When accepting the nomination as Donald Trump’s running mate at the Republican National Convention, he said (referring to himself, his running mate Donald Trump, …
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Kickass and the Future
Attribution: Balise42, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, passes along the keeper’s observation that it is the misfortune of the human race to have the ability to know what is coming, weatherwise, war wise and behaviorally by humans; and to try to plan and act accordingly. Here is how …
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Kickass and Badger Ordinance
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper and his retired military officer brother Orv, both their lives having been altered in major ways by wars—Korea, Vietnam, visited with Verlyn Mueller, curator at the “Museum of Badger Ammunition” on the grounds of the former Badger Ordinance Works where …
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Kickass and Vehicle Display
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper has floated the idea previously of large numbers being displayed on vehicles indicating the age of the driver but is backing off and suggesting instead that vehicle lettering be required to indicate a driver’s voting record. With an election coming …
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Kickass and Coincidental Lunch
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper, ever alert to making meaningful scientific contributions, suggests that the occasion of clan males just happening to gather at a Sauk City lunch venue speaks to a basic evolutionary survival mechanism that warrants further investigation. On a day when the …
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The New Normal
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter We once had a dog, a cute little schnoodle named Lucy. We got her as a puppy and raised her as a member of our family. Our daughter grew up alongside her. As Lucy grew older, we noticed normal signs of aging: lower mobility, hearing and sight issues, …
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