Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper ready to pack his original Army duffle bag that somehow survived the years, and his mess kit of course, for the inevitable military coup required to stop the dictatorial vermin from doing their Hitler-like number on the US and buying the …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Review of “Parthenope”
Illustration by Michael DiMilo Skin Deep: Review of Parthenope ★★★☆☆ By Geoff Carter The beginning sequences of Paolo Sorrentino’s Parthenope are nothing short of breathtaking. Set in the beautiful coastline of Posillipo in Naples, Sorrentino’s loving and perfectly framed shots of the Mediterranean coast, the sea, and the quaint streets are suitable for framing. But like framed …
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Kickass Relates to Water
Attribution: Video by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper and Phyllis spend considerable time and energy relating to the land areas of their past while giving the waters–creeks, lakes and rivers—only passing mention. Such was the case with a recent visit to the keeper’s boyhood haunts when water …
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Kickass and Cows Over Turkeys
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper, by enlisting in the Army and leaving Barron County haunts as a teenager, missed out on the revolution of county agricultural from cows to turkeys, and he is happy about that. A recent visit showed vast former fields and pastures …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Magic Under the Stars
RoyBuchanan, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:112_Drive-In.jpg By Geoff Carter (Originally published in May, 2023) Whenever I’m near my hometown, I go past the site of the old Starlite Drive-in, which they torn down a while ago. I still miss the sight of the titanic blue structure towering on the horizon, and always remember the …
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Kickass and Sarah’s Fungi
The Pen in Hand Blog featuring Bill Stokes
Photo by Bill Stokes
Kickass and More Going Home Again
Photo by Bill Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports the keeper continuing to wallow in the “going home” experience of revisiting his boyhood haunts in Wisconsin’s Barron County, of standing in the exact spots where he experienced the wonderful ups and downs of pre-fledging days—getting bucked off his pony, cranking at a …
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Election Theft
Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter Since day one of the second Trump presidency, our nation has been rocked by one of the most outrageous power grabs in American history. On his first day in office, the president issued a raft of executive orders slashing federal funding, shutting down entire departments, approving DOGE invasions …
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Kickass Makes It Home Again
Photo by Phyllis Stokes By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, reports that the keeper, with the kind help of wife Phyllis, son Mike and granddaughter Sarah, has proven that you can go home again despite what Wolfe wrote, and you can meet up with cousins Pat and Ron and Barbara for a catch-up on …
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The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies: Revisiting the Classics
A Hidden Gem: Night of the Hunter Illustration by Michael DiMilo By Geoff Carter In this new series “Revisiting the Classics” brought to you by The Pen in Hand Guide to the Movies, we will be looking at great films of the past that were seminal influences on today’s filmmakers. Sometimes revisiting the past can …
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Kickass and Old Haunts
Attribution: Photo by Peter Werkman on Unsplash By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, passes along the word that the keeper and Phyllis will be joining son Mike and granddaughter Sarah to travel north to some of the keeper’s old haunts just to see if they have recovered from the damage incurred by his youthful excesses. A full report will …
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Kickass and ICE Confrontation
Attribution: Ratel, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons By Bill Stokes Kickass, the doorstop dog, in consultation with his new partner Bad Ass Badger, informs the keeper and Phyllis that the recommended response to confrontation by a ICE agent is to ask the masked agent if his or her mother knows what they are up to …
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