Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper and Phyllis among the many attending the 100the birthday party of Pat who, as a fellow Vista West resident, told her assembled family and party guests about the importance of birthday parties. The most recent birthday party prior to Pat’s for …
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Kickass Gets a Shot in the Eye
Attribution: BruceBlaus, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins Phyllis in telling the keeper to stop feeling sorry for himself just because today is the day he checks in with the VA eye clinic in the routine of eye shots to ward off the progression of macular degeneration. It …
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Kickass and Older Cousins
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper and Phyllis were on hand when 16-month-old Augie experienced one of the greatest days of his life at four-year-old Blaize’s birthday party. It happened at one of the clan’s river-rat haunts and it was the day Augie met a passel …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Anemone”
Family Matters: Film Review of Anemone ★★★ Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Fathers pass down the family name, family traditions, history, religious beliefs, as well as the odd bits of wisdom to their sons. They may also, perhaps unwittingly, pass down their prejudices, hate, and fears—both personal and familial. Our parents are, after …
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Kickass and His Silver Walker
Illustration courtesy of Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper is still searching for ways to adjust to the intrusion of a walker into his life, solely as an occasional balance aid and never to be acknowledged as yet another reminder that he is damn old and hopes to get …
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Kickass and Two-Toed Sloth
Attribution: Photo by Bennet Robin Fabian on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and Phyllis in their efforts at including all species in the daily commentary by noting that a 20-year-old two-toed sloth has transferred from the Milwaukee zoo to the Vilas Park Zoo in Madison. Incredibly, even as close as it is …
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Kickass and Beagle Rescue
Attribution: Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, passes along information to the keeper and Phyllis that 1,500 beagles at the controversial Ridglan Farms at Blue Mounds have been bought by a dog rescue group and will ultimately be up for adoption at various locations around the country. Under a court …
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Kickass and the U.S. King
Attribution: Photo by Mitya Ivanov on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper and Phyllis wondering if King Charles is still in the US and if he plans to apply for the “king” opening now apparently existing in the White House. Up to this point there seemed to be no need for a US …
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Like Nobody’s Ever Seen Before
Attribution: DonkeyHotey, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter Linguists and educational theorists have argued for centuries over the question of whether thought gives rise to language or whether the reverse, that language affects and determines thought, is true. The once widely-accepted Sapir-Whorf hypothesis postulates that language determines thought, while Fodor’s theory maintains the …
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Kickass and Canadian Visitors
Attribution: Photo by Phyllis Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and Phyllis in welcoming Phyllis’s sister and brother-in-law Joan and Bill from Saskatchewan where Phyllis was born and raised and where, from time to time she has expressed a desire to return to. The visit talk has not yet dealt …
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Kickass and Great-Grandson’s Letter
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, looks over the keeper’s shoulder to see that he finally received a piece of mail that was a refreshing departure from the advertising junk that normally clogs up his and Phyllis’s mailbox. The meaningful mail was a personally printed letter from great grandson Trevor, …
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Kickass and Spring Flowers
Photo by Geoff Carter By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, stayed home and napped as the keeper and Phyllis wrestled with the question of “Where have all the flowers gone?” with a windshield survey designed in part to immerse them in something–spring flowers, free of the current narcissistic idiotic political meddling. It turns out …
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