Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter I went out on my porch the other day to water the plants and I noticed a woman walking her dog. She was youngish, maybe in her late twenties, and all-in-all, a relatively unremarkable person. The dog stopped in front of my house, sniffed around, picked a spot, …
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Kickass Renames High School
Gina B, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, shares Madison living quarters with the keeper and Phyllis that overlooks the high school where, long ago, the keeper’s sons did their versions of being students; and he—the keeper, finds it noteworthy that the school is changing its name from James …
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Kickass and Politicizing Waukesha
Photo by Memento Media on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is working with the keeper to discourage Tucker Carlson from portraying the Waukesha Christmas Parade slaughterer as a heroic vote manipulator working on behalf of Repubs maligned by the Dems. The politicization of the unfathomable Waukesha horror is only a matter of trend time, as …
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Hospitality
Jean Leon Gerome Ferris , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter “This piece was originally written in 2018 during the controversial time when the caravans from South and Central America were approaching our borders. Although that particular bit of hysteria has faded, xenophobia has not. We need to remember to appreciate, value, and take …
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Kickass and Remembering Spike Jones
Spikejj, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that while the keeper is constantly at a loss to control the machinations of his mind, Sunday was a particularly eventful day as he spent most of it trying to recall the name of the famously outrageous orchestra leader from his …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to News of the World
Film Review of The French Dispatch By Geoff Carter Photo by Geoffrey Moffett on Unsplash As one of the most eclectic filmmakers of his—or any other—generation, Wes Anderson’s work is covered with his beautifully designed fingerprints. His meticulously styled color palettes, the free and interchangeable use of animation within a traditional narrative framework, a playfulness bordering on giddiness …
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Kickass as a Bowerbird
Phil from Sydney, Australia, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, notes that in the keeper’s records is the Facebook post showing that three years ago he traveled to Arizona and kidnapped Phyllis in her own car, snatching her out of the warm sunshine and bringing her to face cold …
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Kickass and Deer Rifles on Stands
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is aware, along with the keeper, that on this day—the opening of the deer season, the state is virtually awash with guns–thousands of high-powered weapons designed to kill large mammals, with–in many cases, the killing design aimed specifically …
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Kickass and Deer Hunt Changes
The U.S. National Archives, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper finds it increasingly difficult to identify with the excitement and anticipation of the annual deer season that dominated so much of his life. From the days of his youth in the north country when the …
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Unschooled
Artwork by Michael DiMilo After Republican Glenn Youngkin’s surprise gubernatorial victory in Virginia last week, political analysts attributed the win—at least in part—to white suburban women voters returning to the Republican Party. While some of this movement might have been due to the absence of Donald Trump on the ballot, many experts feel that Youngkin’s …
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Kickass and Fantasy History
Gustave Doré , Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, given his combined real-virtual status, is eminently qualified to assist the keeper with his project of applying the precepts of fantasy sports to history, thereby making it not only possible but entertaining to deny the slaughter of Native Americans, the existence …
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Highlights from the Pen in Hand Blog Graphics: The Michael DiMilo Gallery
Volume IV Artwork by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Over the course of the last two and one-half years, The Pen in Hand Blog has been lucky enough to have obtained the services of free-lance artist Michael DiMilo as a contributor. While his unique style has provided a provocative and edgy feel to the blog, DiMilo’s pieces–obviously–stand …
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