Artwork by Michael DiMilo Over the two years that I’ve been writing my weekly blog posts, it seems that there has very rarely been anything positive to write about. Between the January 6th insurrection, the continuing pandemic, the rising gun violence and reckless driving fatalities in our city, and various other sundry crises—including the rise of …
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Kickass and Problem Solving
Image by Michal Jarmoluk from Pixabay By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, supports the keeper in his efforts to accept prevailing thought that the way to deal with a problem is to do things that make the problem so bad that it becomes unsolvable and therefore it is useless to even think about it; …
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Kickass and AJ’s Book Review
Photo by Jaredd Craig on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports on how the cold January day was warmed beyond belief when great grandson AJ insisted that his parents—Tony and Kristen, contact the keeper with a preview of his—AJ’s, first book, which he produced as a school project. In a rare session of “face” technology, …
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Kickass and Political Posts
Photo by Artem Beliaikin from Pexels By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper was advised by a friendly reader that if he would keep his political views to himself, his writing would be appreciated by more people, which caused the keeper to announce that, in light of the fact that the Repubs wouldn’t …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to the New Hollywood: The Legacy of Anthony Hopkins
John Mathew Smith & www.celebrity-photos.com from Laurel Maryland, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter Anthony Hopkins, one of the finest classical actors of his generation, is a master of depicting the contradictions and dualities of the human condition. Many of his roles demand a carefully refined and civilized exterior (at which he …
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Kickass and the Gray Morning
Famartin, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the gray curtain of falling snow on a late January morning is as welcomed by the keeper as would be a flood of frigid winter sunshine. The slowly emerging muted day marks the beginning of yet another week when the …
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Kickass and Winter Car Starting
Riksarkivet (National Archives of Norway) from Oslo, Norway, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, indulges the keeper on another of his—the keeper’s, “good ol’ days” rants, this one comparing present day automatic remote car starters with such things as hand engine cranks and frozen boiled-out radiators and frozen oil …
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Kickass and Talking Snowflake
Kevin C Chen, CC BY-SA 2.0 TW, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in watching an occasional snowflake waft down from a cloudless sky as snowplow and sanding vehicles patrol the cold morning streets like giant predators. In doing an anthropomorphic cartwheel, the keeper gives voice to the slowing …
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Kickass and Eating Sandhill Cranes
Dori, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in passing along word that the Wisconsin legislature sets a sterling example of how to relax in the face of extreme duress as it responds to Sen. Mary Felzkowski’s recent invitation to gather in her office to enjoy sandhill …
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Sinking
Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter In the last couple weeks, spring seed catalogs have been starting to appear in the mailbox. This is usually the time to start thinking about spring and planning the garden, but it’s the middle of winter. Nights are long, cold, and bleak. Imagining a green and bountiful backyard …
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Kickass and Capitol Hot Air
USCapitol, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in watching the clouds of condensing hot air expelled by Madison Gas and Electric as it wafts over the distant State Capitol in the early morning; and he—the keeper, sees the symbolic absurdity of a money-dominated, minority-responsive government composed …
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Kickass and High Speed Rail to Nigeria
vige, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper hopes to ride Wisconsin’s high-speed train—from Madison to Nigeria as soon as the Repubs get the rails down, which is being done by a company headed by Scott Walker who, as Wisconsin governor, …
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