Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, assists the keeper and Phyllis in hosting Ava, a laid-back and laid-down beagle owned by Todd, Phyllis’s son who is off to a card-collector show. Ava’s mission in life is to pack as much sleep into a day as possible, preferably on the soft …
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Kickass and Liquor Store Injury
www.Pixel.la Free Stock Photos, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, apologizes for the keeper today as he–the keeper ignores the Tennessee/Texas outrages and makes a blatant plea for sympathy: he was unloading a box from the liquor store when the wind blew his hat off just as the automatic back …
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Kickass and Cataracts
Bin im Garten, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in celebrating the now commonplace cataract surgery as both his wife Phyllis and son Mike undergo the procedure. The keeper remembers an elderly relative undergoing an earlier version of cataract treatment that involved a much less effective …
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A Better Life
Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter We’re planning on taking a trip soon, driving out west through the rolling plains of Iowa and Nebraska, land of the eternal horizon, past the spectacular Colorado skyline and into the beautiful—and sometimes surreal—landscapes of New Mexico. It’s a long drive but a beautiful one. The first time …
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Dialogues on Pigs at the Trough: How Green was my Valley
Flying Logos, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Over_$1,000,000_dollars_in_USD_$100_bill_stacks.png Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Dave S., Mark M., Mark O., Dennis C., Paul C., and Geoff Carter Hey Bots, Same shit different day. Fortunately I really let ‘em have it. This should fix things once and for all. –Dave S. –Dave Ah yes, the cry of the …
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Kickass Feeds Hummingbirds
Pslawinski, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper will be complying with the rule allowing only hummingbird feeders out on his balcony by watching the little hummers adjust to eating sunflower seeds and cracked corn. The necessity of cooperation in tiered living arrangements is important, but a …
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Kickass and Election Day
Photo by Elliott Stallion on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, notes that the keeper and Phyllis will be doing their part on this election day to fumigate the Wisconsin State Capital of the minority representation that has denied Wisconsin residents a democracy since the Gerrymandered Walker “FoxyCon” job of some years ago. The politicized state …
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Kickass and Girl Scout Cookies
Photo by Phyllis Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, and the keeper tried to stay out of the way, as Phyllis oversaw the big Girl Scout cookie delivery to the Vista West cookie customers of Margo, one of the keeper’s great granddaughters. Margo was assisted by her father Andy and brother River, and …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of Oscar Nominated Short Live Films
Photo by Sam McGhee on Unsplash Less is More: Film Reviews of Oscar Nominated Live Action Shorts By Geoff Carter My wife and I have made it an annual tradition to trek to the local movie theater and see the Oscar-nominated Best Short Subject Films, both the animated and live action categories. Not only is it a treat …
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Kickass and the Brain Worm
Photo by Mike Castro Demaria on Unsplash Kickass, the doorstop dog, sympathizes with the keeper as he grapples with a brain-worm that has turned into a brain-snake in the form of the 1948 hit song “On a Slow Boat to China.” Brain-worms are more of a problem in the keeper’s ancient age group as old brains tend to …
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Kickass and the April Fool
Bermicourt, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in wondering why April Fool’s Day is not celebrated with a symbolic “April Fool” character in the manner of Santa Claus and Christmas, or the Easter Bunny and Easter. Perhaps there are so many candidates for the “April Fool” …
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Kickass and Gun Insanity
Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joined the keeper in reacting to the police report of a “serious injury” shooting in the peaceful, school-saturated westside neighborhood where he and Phyllis live in a retirement facility called Vista West. The shooting victim later died, and two …
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