Carrie Underwood Gets Pumped Up For 'Reflection', Tiger Woods Happy Again & Webster Reaches Brimley 'Cocoon' Line
Did you hear about Twitter's new user rules? This is why Screencaps & OutKick will be a Mack truck in 2022
Tuesday, Twitter announced a bunch of changes to the social network that sent people from both sides of the political aisle into meltdown mode as they tried to figure out how the new rules -- can't post images or videos of private individuals without their consent, etc., etc. -- would affect their day-to-day operations on the social media app.
Most of the new rules are so broad that Twitter will be picking and choosing penalties as they wish and two strikes and Twitter will be killing off accounts. In other words, Big Tech is at it again, and if you don't play by their rules, you'll be knocked off.
I'm looking at the future of this column, and I think what Twitter did Tuesday will only make Screencaps an even bigger beast as we move into 2022. Why? Countless numbers of people have told me that they're dumping social media and they're looking for something simpler in life like Screencaps that keeps them connected to a viral world, but it's not a world they want to live in for 15 hours a day.
They want to be up-to-date on the watercooler material, but they don't want to trudge through the garbage to get the nuggets that will make life a little more enjoyable on a daily basis.
Screencaps is their outlet, and they're telling their friends in droves. I can see the stats. I can see the traffic numbers out of the major metropolitan cities all the way down to the Rust Belts where OutKick is making major inroads in places like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Indianapolis, and Chicago.
Readers tell me they're on text exchanges where they discuss Screencaps content. Readers have told me they try to predict what I'll post in Screencaps. There's a massive groundswell out there, and this wave is only in its infancy.
Take the email sent in Tuesday by Matthew from Fulshear, Texas:
32 years old and an avid ‘Caps follower for well over a year now. I haven’t been on any form of Socialist Media since 2012 when I canned my Facebook. Never had a Tweeter or an Instachat or whatever the hell they call those things, so your daily column is about the most insight I get into some of the (mostly) positive content that’s floating around in those digital cesspools.
Keep up the great work giving us regular, right-thinking guys something to look forward to every day. Anyhow, saw this as I was leaving work on Black Friday and thought you’d get a kick out of it. Pretty appropriate for the times I’d say.
• But Joe, don't you need social media uploads for Screencaps to be successful?
To a certain extent. I think those of you who've been following along since I posted my direct email back in April or May can tell that this column is now being fueled by the contributions of the community. Thursday Night Mowing League was a huge success without a social media presence.
Indy Daryl's 'Do Hard Things' campaign didn't need social media approval. This community drove it with their own 'Do Hard Things' submissions.
The Instagram models will always have their special place right in the heart of Screencaps. We'll always post interesting Vegas gambling wins, people crossing the Wilford Brimley 'Cocoon' age line, weird things happening in Florida, Border Patrol happenings and the watercooler material from the world of sports.
Submissions of oddball stuff happening in life across this country is where Screencaps will continue to grow. I want more material like Mike in Pasadena going shopping for exotic slabs of wood. I want more lumber reports from Kansas lumber yard owners. I loved the report sent in on making backyard skating rinks.
I'm motivated more than ever, thanks to Twitter pretty much pushing people off on me. Tuesday was great for the Screencaps business, and I promise to not let it go to waste.
It's not lost on me that you guys have chosen me as your morning routine.
• Speaking of Indy Daryl, he was in Florida over the holiday and took time off from emailing. That changed Tuesday:
Happy Tuesday afternoon, hope things are well. Nothing to report or anything, just wanted to say that screencaps has been on fire these last two days. Great work and such fun reader comments.
Mrs. Do Hard Things has been saying for a couple years now “ohhh, that’s why my mom always did "such and such.”
For instance, wearing leggings all the time, getting really stressed out before a trip (which is what we call going places with kids, which generally isn’t a vacation), and most recently realizing why L.L. Bean is amazing. And I must admit she isn’t wrong. So we are all in on Mark W in Franklin, TN suggesting pajamas should be bought from there. And while we’re talking about it, their flannels and winter coats are great too.
Great work and enjoy the rest of your day!
• I also heard back from Jake in Charlottesville who needed towel and pajama Christmas shopping help from the community:
Wow, the inundation! The amount of advice was overwhelming, but I've made my purchases, so we'll see how it goes when everything arrives, is wrapped, and gets opened on Christmas morning. After researching the various suggestions (and I'll be honest, I'm a working man with three young kids, so the research was on the perfunctory side), I came to the following conclusions:
Chris in Nebraska clearly knows his way around a towel. I can tell when a man with deep expertise and experience is giving me sage advice, so I ordered some towels from Frontgate. Thankfully, he primed me for the sticker shock. I'm pretty sure I've actually never purchased a towel, but hey, treat yourself and family every once in awhile.
I liked Ken in Augusta's suggestion of towels from Belk, as I can see the store from my office window, so if the Frontgate towels don't pull off the 'wow' factor in a couple of weeks, I'll just walk on over to Belk and pick some up on clearance.-I liked what I saw out of 'Adore Me', with the deep discounts on the first set, as well as free shipping and free inevitable return.
There were some good-looking alternatives too down the line for when the temperatures warm up again in the spring. Thanks go to LaMont J on that suggestion.
And thank you all who took time out of their days to offer up the suggestions!
• Here's some advice from one of the longest-serving Screencaps fans out there. Wynn has made many great suggestions over the years. This is his latest:
• Phil P. has a great Vegas suggestion for Chris B. and those of you looking to do something besides gambling and drinking.
For Chris B looking for Vegas stuff to do.....
My boys and I (11-year-old twins) had a four hour layover in Vegas this past weekend flying home from Thanksgiving at the in-laws.
We went to Battlefield Vegas https://www.battlefieldvegas.com/ so the boys could shoot some guns. M9, M4, MP5. They loved it. Fantastic place, great selection of guns to shoot (like everything you'd use in CoD), great people working there. Highly recommended.
• Beau in Toledo sent an email on my Buckeyes losing Saturday in Ann Arbor:
Sorry NOT Sorry(see pic) Your trip to Ann Arbor didn't go as planned, but i know You had a good time anyway! As far as osu fans go, this former (more on that later) MFan wants you to please tell everyone on the bucknuts websites that want ryan day gone to STFU...pretty sure dude lost his FIRST game against a BigTen team since he's had the TopSpot.
Side Note: I'd pay good money to see those "y'all" state teams have to ride up North to play in the BigTen-ber weather that was in Ann Arbor on Saturday... or Whisky, or c-bus, or Happy Valley.
A note for Jake in Va., www.mypillow.com for towels(among other ideas), and speaking from personal experience, L.L. Bean, Duluth Trading Company, PajamaGram, and/or SilkSilky for the Ladies sleepwear for The Wife. Classy *IS* sexy.
• And finally this morning, I have an update on my father. As I revealed back in October, my father is in his second cancer battle in two years. He's been going through treatments through the fall, but they haven't stopped him from golfing.
Tuesday I got a call after his latest round at a course in Naples, FL where he shot a 9-over 71 with two birdies, seven pars, and some bogies where he had par putts. Needless to say, that's a career-best round for him. I'm starting to think he's playing too much golf when he can nearly shoot his age (66)!
The treatments are continuing and we don't know what the future holds, but as of now, the sticks are hot and he's just going to keep rolling along.
Have a great day out there. Keep spreading the Screencaps gospel.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com