Attribuion: Photo by Ayla Verschueren on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, is sharing with the keeper and Phyllis the top-secret dog intelligence that a desperate attempt was made by the White House staff to put in place a “First Dog” so the POTUS could claim that his dog ate all existing copies of the Epstein …
Read
Time of the Season
The Pen in Hand Blog
Illustration by Michael DiMilo
Kickass and the Credit World
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and Phyllis in observing the slave-like hold the money lenders have on the populace as it is now routine for the “slaves” to borrow money to do everything from attend college, use the remodeled bathroom or go visit grandma. There are …
Read
The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere”
Hungry Heart: Review of Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere ★★★☆ Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter I’ve been a Bruce Springsteen fan my entire adult life. Going back to my college days listening to Greetings from Asbury Park and The Wild, The Innocent, and The E Street Shuffle, I—like millions of other fans—have been enthralled and excited …
Read
Kickass and Demonstration for Hope
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper and Phyllis in wondering if there are parallels in NATURE to the current trend of humans gathering to hold signs along the streets in an expression of opposition to a vicious predator perched on the mountain top while devouring beloved Alpha …
Read
Kickass and Leghold Traps
Attribution: Accipiter (R. Altenkamp, Berlin), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, gives the podium to the keeper this morning to confess yet once again his unconscionable use of leghold traps during his predator youth of catch, kill, consume or market all lesser creatures. It is painful for him to …
Read
Kickass and Underdog Book
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper and Phyllis listening to Tom Jacobson’s book program in which he told a crowd of seniors at Quarry Ridge Retirement about his long illustrious Madison lawyer life of resisting on behalf of minorities and disadvantaged people of all kinds including Jeffery …
Read
Kickass and Goodbye Penny
Attribution: cweyant from Syracuse, United States, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper lamenting the eventual elimination of the penny as announced recently by the official coin providers. Both the keeper and Phyllis have childhood memories of placing pennies on the railroad track; and they acknowledge that throughout …
Read
Enough is Enough
Attribution: Chad Davis., CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons By Geoff Carter After the Proposition 50 referendum, in which voters resoundingly endorsed the California legislature’s plan to redistrict their voting districts in response to the Republican Party’s partisan gerrymandering of Texas, Governor Gavin Newsom said, “after poking the bear this bear roared.” (Instagram) Of course, the bear …
Read
Kickass and Northern Lights
Attribution: Photo by Nelly Volkovich on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, passes along the keeper’s inside dope that the color red showing up in the current spectacular northern lights is a result of Pete Hegseth spilling cherry-juice concentrate as he mixed up a batch of Kool-Aid for common-sense generals. Anyone doubting the ability of the …
Read
The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Going Above and Beyond
In Honor of Veterans Day, 2025 The Ten Best War Movies Attribution: Capt. Saska Ball, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons (Originally published in June, 2019) By Geoff Carter “…that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly …
Read
Kickass and Boy Soldier
Attribution: Frederic Villiers (1851–1922), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, joins the keeper in noting the long history of the young of one tribe being set off to do battle with the young of the tribe on the other side of the hill at the behest of chiefs who …
Read