Mexican Weather Girl Yanet Garcia Detects A Heat Wave, Dodgers Organ Player Nails It & 35% APR Is Here
A question I don't think about much, but let's think about it for a minute this morning
- Zach, who might be a recruiter, asks:
What profession do you think you'd be in if you weren't working for Outkick?
Kinsey:
After college, I spent a decade working in the newspaper industry (Knight-Ridder owned Times-Leader in Wilkes-Barre, PA followed by The (Toledo) Blade) before getting that call that the website I built was being bought, and I could start working full-time on the Internet.
13 years later, here I am at OutKick. That's 23 years working in the media industry. Zach, I haven't interviewed for a job since 2005. I'm beyond fortunate, so I hope you're not trying to run me out of this business that I cherish.
But, I'll play along.
I've always said Costco is an option. Sign me up for what looks like a good time working with others who seem to be having a good time. You need a pallet of toilet paper moved off a top shelf? Sounds fun. Let me get that.
Plus, the hours don't seem bad. Aren't they closed at like 6 on a Saturday?
I'm also big on betting on myself. I'd look very hard at what kind of business I could open or buy and upgrade. Or I'd look for business owners who are looking to retire and need someone to step in and help them run the business. If I can manage this column six-days-a-week for 49 or so weeks a year, I must have some value to a guy who's looking to semi-retire. I'm young enough for one of those roles, but not so young that I'd be acting like a jerkoff in that role.
I will say that working outdoors does sound interesting from time to time. Heading out to mow fairways sounds like relaxation to me. No devices. Just nature. Maybe a golfer hitting me with a golf ball from time to time. No screen to look at.
A buddy of mine who's a business owner told me about the people who transport RVs from northern Indiana to their new homes across the country. That sounds like fun. '
I have eight days to get this RV to Los Angeles? Let's go have an adventure.
Another buddy of mine has said for years that I should be a consultant. I don't know what I should consult on, but that sounds like a cool concept. I get to come in and give ideas on projects and give advice that a company may or may not use and I get paid? Hell yeah! Let's consult!
All joking aside, I'm beyond lucky to have built this career for myself. Life could be much worse. I get to motivate people to buy mowing polos and write America's Best Daily Column, as named by the readers.
This is the American Dream and I get to live it. I don't take it for granted.
Despite the narrative, participation trophies have been around a long time
Wednesday, I wrote about the Georgia mom who FLIPPED TF out when her kid didn't get an award at an end-of-the-year ceremony. It made me think about participation trophies and when this all started.
Personally, I remember getting ribbons for participating in soccer back in the early-to-mid-1980s. It turns out participation trophies have been tracked all the way back to the 1950s, but they really exploded in the 1960s and 1970s.
- Anthony writes:
In the '70's, my mom would drag me to the bowling alley for her league games. She would sign me up for a kids league. I got more than a few "I Tried" trophies back in the day. All the women on my mom's team had fantastic beehive haircuts though.
Kinsey:
Yes, that trophy says "I tried."
Ryan, what the hell are you doing?
Why your Golden Doodle eats your socks
- George writes:
They eat the socks, chew the shoes, and other clothing items for the same reason they lick our skin. We taste good! Some dogs prefer the taste of certain people, but the sebum on our skin is a tasty treat for them...
Youth coaching speech with a twist
- Judson shares a good one:
I have a different type of story for the Youth Coaching speeches. While in grad school at UNC, a couple friends & I volunteered to coach a U10 boys basketball team in Carrboro or as we called it, The People's Republic of Carrboro.
We had a solid team and finished the year with the 2nd best record. During one game late in the season, we were down 10 so we called a timeout to regroup. Before we could say anything encouraging, one player chimes in and asks if we can surrender. Stunned, we look at him as he says, "my parents said if more people surrendered, there would be less war." Next thing we know, the rest of the team is begging us to surrender.
We tell them surrender is NOT an option and we're going to play hard. We tied the game and won in OT. When it was over, we asked them if it felt better to be winners who played hard or quitters who walked away. They agreed winning was better and surrender was never brought up again. That happened 17 years ago & it has stuck with me ever since.
Kinsey:
It would be fun to know what happened to the boys who decided they weren't quitters.
Telling your pool guy you threw a burger on the grill for him is a ‘Thank you’
- Chris B. in Florida writes:
That’s not a tip, it’s a thank-you to the guy for getting it done right, especially since he probably works for himself (so he keeps the fee and pays his expenses out of it). Where we live, a lot of tradesmen come a pretty good distance—so we feed them if they’re hungry, and my wife sends them away with a plate of fresh-baked cookies.
- Clay W. says:
I am not a fan of tipping fast food workers but I seldom leave a restaurant without be sure to hand the busboy some bucks. Important job, lowest pay. Appreciate them, heck they are working instead of just taking handouts.
Show your appreciation when warranted. A few months ago I was just home from a hospital stay and in no condition to clean up the yard. I got text from someone I did not know saying her and his crew were coming to clean up my yard. He and some of my friends at church were talking, and he said he wanted to do something nice for a senior or a vet. Realizing I qualified on both of those, they gave him my name. At my door soon after, he explained just wanting to do something nice. How refreshing. His 3-man crew mowed, raked, trimmed my shrubs and straightened up my patio for 4 hours.
When they were done, best job ever by the way, I tired to give him $100 bucks but he would not take it. So I told him that gas is not free, equipment needs servicing, your workers need lunch and if there is any left over use it to help out the next person who needs a good deed. Never felt so satisfied giving a tip.
When people do more than expected let them know. Wrap my sandwich is what is expected and should not require a tip.
Golden rule thing.
- Mark T. from Florida emails:
If you order food standing up (Subway, Firehouse) you don't tip.
If you order food sitting down (Chili's, Outback) then you tip.
Takeout and drive thru there is no tipping unless you want to.
Tipping culture since COVID is outta control.
Any home service; you provide drinks at a minimum and depending on hour of service, food or cash to buy the guy a sando. Can't believe people in 2024 don't know to do this......
Screencaps advice needed for young dads
- Brian in Utah writes:
Long time reader, first-time emailer. Single dad, just turned 30, only daughter just turned 3, 50/50 custody.
Was hoping to poll the screencaps community on advice for fun memory building activities for little ones as they grow older!
We frequent the typical things, pool, aquarium, parks, signed her up for a soccer league this summer, etc., but I'm looking for some more out-of-the-box ideas on how to really take it to the next level. I live in the Salt Lake area so anything outside is ideal!
Looking for free/cheaper ideas but not too worried about spending a little bit if it's worth it. Trying to keep her off the screens as much as possible, and she's a little young yet to learn how to "do hard stuff".
Thanks and keep up the great work!
Be prepared if Red Lobster closes up shop and pulls the plug on the Cheddar Bay Biscuits®
- Mark from Brentwood shares:
So if the unthinkable happens and Red Lobster calls it a day, this copycat recipe for their Cheddar Bay biscuits tastes JUST LIKE THEM!
Keep up the great work!
https://www.onceuponachef.com/recipes/cheddar-bay-biscuits.html
Readers are still stunned by the Detroit Free Press writer and her ‘the feel of the clutch underneath your hand’ line
- Chris A. says:
Did a writer for the Detroit Free Press actually write "the feel of the clutch underneath your hand"? Ben Rhodes was right, for once: Newspapers hire a bunch of 27-year-olds who know nothing, and learn nothing. Definitely on the editor's head for assigning her.
I have owned manual transmission cars ever since I started driving. My wife has too, until we had to buy family cars that didn't have that as an option. Our kids know how to drive manuals too, and both of my sons currently have cars with sticks. There isn't much of a gas mileage or performance difference between manuals and automatics now, with the advantage actually swinging toward automatics in the last ten years. Doesn't matter. I will row my own gears until I can't.
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That first holiday weekend of summer is so close that I can feel it. Turning off the devices, besides Pandora, is soooooo close. Then, after 5 ½ more days it's time for MORE vacation.
I'm beyond ready, but that doesn't mean we're not going to end strong. Don't let up off the gas pedal. That's not how Screencaps operates. Hammer down.
Go have a great day and get s--t done!
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com