Photo by Naldo Mesquita from Pexels By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, turns it over to the keeper as he and Phyllis fly over the country in returning from their Colorado visit with Rick and Becky on a magnificent day of endless cumulous clouds that–as the summer solstice is marked–make it appear that the earth has blossomed …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to the Neighborhood
Movie Review of In the Heights I stepped into a movie theater for the first time in over a year last Sunday. Since my family and I are vaccinated—and safe at any speed—we decided to step out and see a movie. We chose In the Heights, the film production Lin Manuel Miranda’s Tony-winning hit musical. The film …
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Happy Father’s Day
From The Pen in Hand Blog To all you fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, grandchildren, and more… Enjoy this treat…. “A Little Tooth” a poem by Thomas Lux, from poets.org Have a great Father’s Day!!
Connecting the Dots: The Rise of ALEC
Artwork by Michael DiMilo Article by Geoff Carter You can’t say we weren’t warned. During his farewell address of 1961, President Dwight D. Eisenhower warned of the dangers of unfettered economic forces controlling the government, focusing particularly on what he termed “the military-industrial complex”. “In the councils of government, we must guard against the acquisition …
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Kickass and Sewing on a Button
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, does not understand how it is that the keeper and his ilk cling to life-long habits of measuring a day in terms of accomplishment, even when they have advanced to an age when they don’t really have to do a damn thing except nap. On …
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Kickass and Bagging the Poop
Photo by Matthew LeJune on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper has an angle view of a sidewalk frequently used by dog walkers, and in recently watching a walker do the plastic bag pickup, the keeper saw an opportunity to do good, specifically to reframe an obvious thought process from one of …
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Kickass and the Barbed Wire Fence
Photo by Johnny Mckane from Pexels By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper—in a solo outing Sunday, was narrowly spared the indignity of expiring as a result of being impaled on a three-strand barbed wire fence as part of his—the keeper’s adjusting to age-related trout fishing activities. The attendant thrills of this age–adjusting to the …
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The Couch Potato’s Guide to the Best of the Best: Morgan Freeman
David Sifry, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter The Ten Best Films of Morgan Freeman He is the voice of God—or your best friend. He has played Nelson Mandela as well as the President of the United States. He has narrated epic cinematic journeys. We’ve followed him into the gritty worlds of prison …
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Kickass and Sports Story Trade
Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, suggests that the keeper try to control his—the keeper’s, excitement over the rumored trade between Minnesota and Wisconsin in which foul-ball hitter and debase runner Ron Johnson is to be exchanged for the My-Pillow …
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Step Right Up: A Primer in Sidestepping Taxes
Photo by Pixabay from Pexels By Mark Mamerow Them that’s got shall get Them that’s not shall lose So the Bible said and it still is news —“God Bless the Child”, Billie Holiday and Arthur Herzog Jr. The muckraking site ProPublica recently published an expose on the ridiculously low levels of income taxes paid by the superrich. Using data …
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Kickass and the Cicada Interview
Photo by Michael Kropiewnicki from Pexels By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, will be using his extraordinary communication powers to help the keeper interview the Maryland cicada that recently landed on Joe Biden’s shirt collar. Kickass: “The QAnon idiots say you may be a sign of something. What might that be?” Cicada: “That I am the premature reincarnation …
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Kickass and 757 Travel Plans
Aero Icarus from Zürich, Switzerland, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, notes that Phyllis’s weekend visit with her Ohio daughter Gina has put the keeper in a state of some discombobulation, but it has also given him an opportunity to suggest future travel plans for Phyllis that would include …
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