Annotation: Photo by Artyom Kabajev on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, as a resident of the independent living part of Vista West on Madison’s west side where the keeper and Phyllis live, hears a lot of interesting comments which, fortunately, being a cast-iron dog, he is unable to repeat. Recently, for example, his attention was …
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Kickass and Generational Communication
Photo courtesy of Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports on a meeting of the keeper’s granddaughter Sarah, with Phyllis and the keeper to brainstorm how to improve communication between the generations. After the obvious agreement that banning all phone use unless you are alone, the discussion went in a number of …
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See No Evil
Attribution: Clare Black from Morley, UK, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter As a boomer who grew up during what was arguably America’s golden age, I still find it almost unfathomable that our country is teetering so dangerously close to a totalitarian takeover. At the time I came up in the sixties and …
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Kickass and Andy Rooney
Attribution: Stephenson Brown, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in wondering how to get a message to the late Andy Rooney regarding a job opportunity on 60-Minutes, where Andy was a fixture for a long time. That message would advise Andy to stay wherever he is …
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Kickass and Wood Tick Meeting
Attribution: Peterwchen, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, advises that there are times when the keeper’s unique ability to be a part of other communication circles should not be questioned but simply accepted, and such is the case as he reports on a meeting of the wood ticks in …
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Kickass and The Three-Job Waitress
Attribution: Photo by Adam Gritco on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper and Phyllis enjoying a usual great breakfast at the Pancake Café near Gammon and Watts–interesting menu, lots of room, excellent service and a low noise level that encourages conversation. So, there was a warm visit with the very efficient waitress who …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Wuthering Heights”
Domination Nation: Film Review of Wuthering Heights ★★1/2 Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, the romantic epic spanning generations has been made, remade, reimagined, mounted onstage, and has even been transformed into a musical, an opera, and a graphic novel. It is a narrative whose thematic threads have been co-opted by elements …
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Kickass and Grandpa’s Long Underwear
Attribution: Photo by Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper making the switch from winter to summer shirts, which means short sleeves and bare arms for the next four months or so. The move equates to the critters shedding their winter coats and the birds showing …
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Kickass and Old Friend Roger
Photo courtesy of Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper received a 95th birthday notice from OLD friend Roger Locke, a fellow member of the Barron WI. High School class of 1949. The class was close to 100 in 1949 and may now be represented only by Roger and the …
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Dialogues on Wisconsin Surplus: Let My Money Go!!
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Mark M., Dave S., Mark O., Dennis C., John K., Michael D., and Geoff Carter Bots, In his final big act as governor, Tony Evers has struck a deal with Republicans to spend down Wisconsin’s $2.5B surplus. These appear to the main elements: * $300 refund to …
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Kickass and Staying in the Game
Attribution: Photo by Matheus Protzen on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and Phyllis in sorting through the constant flow of advice on how to live–and die, and they are currently hung up on the issue of how the need for challenges in this age of comfort and safety is essential, especially with …
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Kickass and the Chinese Screw
Attribution: Movidi, FAL, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports on the keeper’s efforts to establish an international relationship with the Chinese individual who put the wrong size screw in an unassembled drink holder package. Since package labeling showed that a California company was involved with a warning that too much …
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