Attribution: Tiia Monto, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper, in his post- Father’s Day musings, recalls how his farmer father and all like him were necessarily burdened with the job of disposing of great amounts of animal waste as a major part of their earthy …
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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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Happy 2024 Father’s Day from the Pen in Hand Blog
Happy Father’s Day!! Photo by Kris Carter
Kickass and 2024 Father’s Day
Photo by Geoff Carter By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in a Happy Father’s Day wish for all concerned, and reminds them that they lucked out in the physical aspects of the reproduction department, having neither womb nor breasts, both of which come with commitments and responsibilities fathers are ignorant of …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: A Tribute to Father’s Day
Photo by Sabine van Straaten on Unsplash A Tribute to Father’s Day: Ten Unforgettable Celluloid Dads By Geoff Carter (Originally published June 12th, 2023) It’s that time of year when we’re once again celebrating the patriarch, the pater familia, the big man, the king daddy, and the head of the family. It’s Father’s Day. Master of the grill, …
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Kickass and Shoulder Joint
Attribution: Gray326.png: Henry Vandyke Carter derivative work: Raf db, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that in the keeper’s crowd if you do not have a joint replacement story you do not get a place at the omnipresent “organ and joint recital” table. Phyllis, with one replacement hip …
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Kickass and Three Wristwatches
Attribution: Rcwatches, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper does his best to keep his mind occupied with the kind of trash that prevents it from dwelling on the absurd affairs of state, stupidity in high places and evangelical believers marking their odoriferous territory like packs …
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Kickass and Wading Streams
Attribution: Photo by Taylor Grote on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, indulges the keeper as he “refishes” a thousand trout streams, often in the company of his mentor John Lawton who taught him about Korbel brandy and the wading rights to streams even as they run through private property. John approached stream rights with a …
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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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Kickass and Little Brother
Photo by Phyllis Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in noting that the keeper’s “little” brother Orville, having just turned 89 years old, is no longer enforcing the requirement that the keeper salute him and call him “sir” as dictated by military custom between officers and non-coms. In truth, Orv …
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Kickass and the Mayfly Hatch
Attribution: Davide125, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper’s shaky equilibrium, as Phyllis knows, is so easily tipped off kilter that he should probably be encased in a plastic bubble. This morning it was a bit of gray cottonwood fluff floating by the window, and the …
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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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