AT&T Lily Rips Off Her Clothes - Again - For Charity, Buy A Three-Wheeler & What Was Bill Clinton Searching?
PLUS: Why doesn't the Coast Guard get more credit?
The Coast Guard deserves much more credit than it receives
— Anonymous writes:
I have been reading Screencaps and TNML for a few years, first time writer. I have to give you kudos for you including Scott Ruskan in your Screencap.
Amazing that a young man can do what he did on his first rescue mission.
The training these men and woman go through is next to nothing. The US Coast Guard doesn’t get the dues it deserves, but for every mariner that has needed their service they are "Always Ready".
I was a Search and Rescue Coordinator back in the early 80’s and had to send these great men and woman into harms way to save people who made some stupid decisions, all without any complaints from the rescue swimmers.
And, numerous lives saved.
Kinsey:
Mrs. Screencaps' father was Coast Guard back in the 1970s. He and my mother-in-law were stationed at Bayfield, Wisconsin on Lake Superior through three or four long winters. They often speak about just how hard that life was, but they also share the fond memories that period created.
Cindy Crawford appreciation from Tuesday Screencaps
— MP in Staunton, VA says:
Joe, great to see Cindy Crawford in something other than her Meaningful Beauty skin care products commercials! Keep up the good work.
The State of Air Conditioners in 2025: Why does it seem like they're breaking in record numbers?
If you haven't been reading this week, my in-laws had their four-year-old AC unit go out over the weekend, and it's still out due to the struggle to get parts. My wife's best friend had her unit go out. My stepbrother had his go out.
All of these units are 10 years old or newer.
Just a coincidence?
— Steve from Louisville was all over this topic:
Mechanical engineer here, Eddie from Acworth hit the nail on the head about refrigerant changes and SEER ratings. The SEER rating requirements also lead to two issues that contribute to earlier failure. First, the high side refrigerant pressures on the older R-22 units ran anywhere from 150-400+psi, but essentially all of the R410a units run at higher than 400 psi. Higher operating pressures equals higher stresses on coils, and higher probability of leaks. Second, the efficiency ratings typically lead to pushing design limits and tighter manufacturing tolerances. These coils are all welded by robotics, but the tolerances are still tight, and things go wrong and leaks happen.
I had an 11-year-old unit kick the bucket in early summer 2024. Replacement unit lasted about 10 months, but the evaporator coil had a leak due to manufacturer defect and was replaced - thankfully under warranty - in April 2025. That replacement unit lasted just 2 months before it too sprung a leak!
What's maddening about the efficiency regulations is that they are intended to reduce emissions from power plants, which is objectively a good thing- irrespective of your stance on global warming. But if the new refrigerants leak so frequently and have more potent emissions, you could be better off from a pollution perspective just generating more electricity, even in coal country here in Kentucky!
— Michael S. shares:
The broke air conditioner talk in your column made me think of this article I saw the other day.
Long read, but some interesting (to me, anyway) points.
From The Wirecutter, which is owned by the NY Times, so factor that in as you will. I don't think this site is as bad as the Times proper, but I also get the impression when I read their product reviews that a lot of the reviewers are the type who think their farts smell like roses. But perhaps I am wrong.
The Real Reasons Your Appliances Die Young
— Bill C. checks in:
Just wanted to weigh in on all the AC talk going on. Being in my 60s and living in the Deep South my whole life I’m profoundly grateful to Willis Carrier and his invention of air conditioning. SC readers should familiarize themselves with his story. Another chapter in the book of what made this country great.
In the 80s after my wife and I purchased our first house, it wasn’t long before our AC went out years before its life expectancy. I assumed it was the cheap Lennox AC our contractor put in our spec house. But, the AC repair tech informed me that no, Lennox makes good units (this was in the late 80s), the problem was the unit wasn’t big enough to cool the house. He said as a rule of thumb you should have one ton of AC for every 500 square feet of your home. Quick math told me our unit was way undersized for the house.
Lesson learned. Maybe Eddie in Acworth can opine if that’s still the case.
This past Monday, we had a husband and wife team check our duct work for FREE. Entergy is our electric utility and, via a federal grant, they have contracted with techs to evaluate homeowners' AC duct work to make them more efficient and therefore tax the grid less. This couple was great! They tested our vents, returns and duct work and repaired any and all tears, leaks, seams etc.
They run all sorts of analytics but the one that caught my attention was the amount of cubic square feet of cold air that was escaping into my attic. 590+ CSF was escaping per MINUTE. They got it down to the low 300s. They said there is no perfect zero amount and 250-350 is normal. Did I mention this was FREE. Any SC readers who use Entergy should give them a call and see if this program is available in their area.
— Jake in Oregon has an AC story you'll enjoy:
Have to pass on our a/c story. Just moved last summer and the furnace A/C units in the new place were pretty old, we decided to live with them awhile and hope for the best. Heard about a local promotion where a contractor would replace your a/c for free if it was the oldest unit they replaced that month. Catch is you have to have it done and paid for before the month ends, and then wait to see if yours was the oldest. If not then you are out of luck. Took a chance on our 1979 unit and by God they called the next month and we won!! Only thing I have won in my life.
Also replaced the furnace at the same time with a medium efficiency gas unit. They strongly recommended to avoid the super efficient ones as they are just too complicated.
A couple of items & a reader says the timing of the air conditioner topic is ‘scary’
— Rob M. in Florida checks in:
A few thoughts on the past few days.
Nascar - As a guy who moved to Florida in 1979 and has lived here my whole life, I fell in love with Nascar at the age of 19. I watched my first 500 at a friend’s house and was hooked from the start. The speed, the beautiful cars, the shots of the infield and all the flags. I quickly became a fan of the number 3, I don’ mean a little bit, I mean wore the gear and would not drive anything but a Chevrolet.
The sport consumed me for close to 20 years until that fateful day. I was still a fan after that, but did not follow it as closely as I did before, I just could not get used to the race without that number 3 on the track. The cars all looked the same, the drivers all looked the same and it just did not resemble the sport I loved anymore. It really went over the edge when they found the "noose" in the stall of Wallace and all hell broke loose.
The next week was a circus, Wallace doing interviews on every major network basically calling Nascar fans racist and shitting on the very sport that made his mediocre ass famous. The Government sent 15 FBI agents out to investigate, Nascar officials couldn’t get out in front of a camera quick enough to call all of their fans racist and the drivers humiliated themselves by pushing Wallace’s car down pit row the next race.
Then, shock of shock, the whole thing was a farce, the "noose" was a pull handle to a garage door in the pit area. Bubba Smollet paid no price for what he did, but Nascar did, and rightfully so. I just happened to catch a race on TV a few Sundays ago, Bristol was the venue, I had to look twice, the stands were half empty. Nascar in Chicago on a Fourth of July, I had no idea they were racing there and could really care less, they deserve whatever they get. R.I.P. Dick Trickle, the best name in racing or any other sport I might add.
Woke Brewery - There is one in my adopted home town of Marrietta, it is on the square downtown and from the outside looks really cool. However, a quick trip inside tells the story. All of the wait staff looks like they have just returned from a No Kings rally, multiple face piercings, really bad haircuts with multiple colors and combat boots ( that was just the women ). $8 Craft drafts and $14 glasses of Craft wine and not one Flag or decoration to celebrate the Fourth. We did not stay as the stink of Patchouli and Marxism was way too much for me. I do have to ask, what is up with left wing women and the piercings? I hate to be Get Off My Lawn guy, but for the love of God, are you trying to be unattractive? If that’s the goal, congratulations, you are winning…..
AC Units - Funny you mention that, both of my brand new AC units on the house up north need to be fixed, one just does not work and the other one keeps randomly changing temp during the day. It s infuriating, both are brand new and just don’t work. The timing of this discussion on Screencaps and the issue with both of my units is really scary.
Hold up, have you had a star crunch lately?
I can't remember which trip it was, but I bought a box of the star crunches for the boys, the first of their lives, like last year, and I forgot just how great those were in a lunch bag, especially when they were frozen.
The deeper the freeze, the better they were by lunch.
Other than that one beautiful moment, none of this stuff has ever been in our house. That's no judgment against those of you who load up on Zebra Cakes. Have at it.
There's nothing better at dusk on a Thursday night
Thank you to everyone who sent in this one on the 4th of July. I was shooting off fireworks when this one was posted.
Look at how his patio chair is turned. That guy gets it. He's at that age where he's just looking for peace and quiet after a stressful day of work. He's worked his ass off for this kingdom. Nothing in the world matters when he's sitting there watching his kids play, maybe a dog run around and a fire blaze in that pit.
This is living.
Do any of you work in the firework industry? Could you help out Bill?
— OSU Bill writes:
I look forward to Screencaps every morning. Since next year is #250 for America, I would like to ask your readers if there is a way to request or suggest a customized firework. It would shoot all red, white and blue and have really loud bangs.
A 500 gram cake, minimum.
On the wrapper would be a portrait of President Trump. It would be called the Bunker Buster. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Kinsey:
Bill, I've been shocked to find out Screencaps readers have their hands in just about every industry imaginable. Let's see if one of them can design custom fireworks for you.
EMAIL: JOE.KINSEY@OUTKICK.COM OR USE MY PERSONAL GMAIL
This dad rant has been passed down for generations
Don't play this one at the office unless you're wearing headphones — NSFW. Thanks to Lee D. for knowing the Screencaps audience and sending it in.
A proud father who has watched his daughter evolve into a leader of 1,000 Air Force cadets
— Tom in Highlands Ranch, CO tells me:
Love seeing the emails from Screencaps readers regarding West Point drop-offs! Always great to see the next generation stepping up to the challenge and doing their part for the rest of us. A short story from another Academy for you and the crew.
One of the beautiful things about the drop-off (and the military in general) is that in just a couple of short years, those kids are transformed into leaders taking on massive responsibilities.
In my case, that kid I dropped off in June 2022...who walked up the stairs at the Air Force Academy confident, but not exactly knowing what she got herself into...is now on the other end of the spectrum, serving as the Cadet Group Commander for Basic Training in 2025!
Talk about a transformation!
Three years ago, she's standing on the same parade field the day after drop off in the back of the pack, taking her oath to support and defend the Constitution. Fast-forward and she's standing front and center of approximately 1,000 new Basic Cadets with more responsibility at 21 years old than most of us will ever know while leading them in taking the oath.
So for those parents of any service academy student who just experienced the drop-off...and they're all basically the same story...take a deep breath and project out a few years from now and imagine what your son or daughter will be doing. I never imagined mine leading the whole thing and, as an old Marine Corps officer myself (who didn't attend an academy), I couldn't be more proud!
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That's quite a way to exit this edition of Screencaps. Our kids are growing up, becoming leaders, becoming the next generation of Great Americans who will continue to make this the best country in the world.
When you find yourself bashing Gen Z, stop and think about Scott Ruskan and Tom in Highlands Ranch, Colorado's daughter leading those cadets. It's up to us to raise these kids to be leaders and the bright future of this country.
Tonight, I get to lead a great group of boys into the city baseball semifinals. It's going to be a battle against the defending champs, but we're going to play hard and leave it all on the field. It's time to compete.
Let's go get after it.
Email: joe.kinsey@outkick.com or use my Gmail