Mariano Szklanny, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper was intrigued by the report of a Japanese man who paid $23,000 to have a costume made so he could realize his dream of being a wolf. In asking Phyllis what creature the keeper might costume-up as, …
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Kickass and the Uncommon Cold
NIAID, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is avoiding the keeper‘s pitiful ploy for sympathy due to his having a cold. It has been a life-long, firmly held conviction of the keeper’s that for reasons that defy scientific evaluation, the common cold causes him more misery than it does …
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Kickass and Ducking the Bullet
John Warwick Brooke , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper and Phyllis tried to watch the latest movie version of “All Quiet on the Western Front,” but were put off by the movie maker’s skill in portraying the gore of ground combat; to the point that …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of The Menu
Photo by Justin Campbell on Unsplash Food for Thought: Review of The Menu By Geoff Carter “You’ll get less than you desire, and more than you deserve”. This little nugget of wisdom is whispered to an arrogant dinner guest by Elsa, the maître d’hôtel at the Hawthorne, an ultra-exclusive gourmet restaurant set on a remote island in The Menu, …
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Kickass and Van Gogh
heptc, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that Phyllis took two of her grandchildren–Geordan and Luka to see the Van Gogh immersive show, and all pronounced it a pleasurable outing. There may be no connection, but at a lunch gathering following the show, Phyllis peered into one of …
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Early Bird
Dialogues on the Big Bully Pulpit: Playground Politics
Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Devotee-DeBusherre Featuring the Fabulous Dadbots: Dave S., Mark M., Mark O., Dennis C., Paul C., and Geoff Carter This got wordy, I’ll try and distill it first. Though I don’t like the term for the campaign—bullying—(I think many scoff at it saying…”Well (male, gravel pitched, voice),…it’s a tough world out …
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Kickass and Cloudy Days
Photo by Martin Adams on Unsplash Kickass, the doorstop dog, passes along the keeper’s take on the cloud- shrouded January that prevails: It is global politics with Putin and the Russians denying everyone any sunshine, and Xi and the Chinese using the cloud cover to lay personal claim to the moonlight. There has been actual speculation that China …
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Kickass Gets a Haircut
Altwngirl – Self Scanned, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is encouraging the keeper to accept the fact that getting a haircut is enough of an accomplishment to consider a day well spent. It is in adjusting to these kinds of vintage-age experiences that the keeper and his age …
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Kickass and Brother Orville
DVIDSHUB, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, listens up as the keeper reports on a visit with his brother Orville during which the accuracy of childhood stories was challenged for both of them. It has, after all, been more than 80 years. One constant is the adjustments that life demands, …
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A Breath of Fresh Air
Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Like almost everyone, my wife and I had family come into town come to see us during the holidays. We had a very nice visit, and, on their last day here, we had to decide between going to Milwaukee County Zoo or the Mitchell Park Horticultural Domes. There …
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Kickass and Speaker of the House
DonkeyHotey, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in trying to buoy up his confidence in the intelligent working of government by watching how the Repub reps go about selecting a speaker of the house, while the New York buffoon who reported his mother died twice and …
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