Rachel Stuhlmann Slides Into A Pink Tennis Outfit For Valentine's Day, Eagles Fans Fighting & Baja Blast Pie
I might've heard the wildest Tokyo, Japan bar drink story ever last night while sitting at an Ohio high school basketball game
As you guys know, I've been rather fascinated by Japanese culture ever since I got semi-hooked on NHK, the English TV channel from Japan that was carried by UVerse back in the day. I would have a few patio beers & then come in late on a Saturday night and sit there fascinated by the weird that I was seeing from Japan like sumo wrestling.
Fast-forward to last night at the local high school basketball game. Screencaps Jr. has a new friend this year who is half-Japanese. His dad is as NW Ohio as they come.
Last night, the kids wanted to go to the game, so we met them.
I get to small-talking with the unassuming father and he reveals that he's been traveling to Japan since the early 2000s and the family spends its summers in Japan when the kids get out of school. Like the entire summer. The kids even go to Japanese school over the summer on these Japanese trips.
He also reveals that in their house, they only speak Japanese unless friends show up. Yes, dad went out and learned the language.
OK, give me some stories. I want the weird. I want the unique. Have you been to the sumo wrestling grand nationals?
Dad says he's been to sumo, but he could sense I was looking for a next-level story.
That's when he tells a story about visiting his wife's uncle in Tokyo and he's an eccentric. The uncle has seen a few things in Japan and has done a few things, the story goes.
So, one night, he takes them to a turtle soup restaurant. The way I heard it, the restaurant brings out the whole damn turtle and you eat off of it like good ol' boys picking at a hog on a spit.
Then he tells me about the sake shots that were brought out.
Dad tells me that there were turtle hearts, still beating, in the bottom of the sake shots.
HOLY HELL! STILL BEATING?
I'm hearing all of this as high school sophomores are launching threes and locked in a tight battle with a 9-9 team.
Yes, still beating.
And you drank it?
Yeah.
Why is the turtle heart dropped into the sake shot? I didn't get that far. All I kept thinking was that Mrs. Screencaps can't hear that story because it will haunt her.
Long story short, Screencaps Jr. is allowed to play with his new friend all he wants. I need to hear more stories like the boy's father telling me that his wife and in-laws eat snails yanked right out of the shells for breakfast like Americans eating scrambled eggs.
You're damn right this family is invited over to the patio. Open invitation. Inject this content right into my brain. I must hear more.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
I'm happy to report that I didn't get any ‘I’ve seen enough out of the Ts' emails this week
I laid down the law in Friday Screencaps. The Ts are to be cherished by this community. They're showing us Gen Xers and the youngest Baby Boomers what is possible with some planning and living simply.
— Paul in Cincy emails:
I’m one of those guys hoping to be getting close to retirement and checking my accounts more than I should and love living vicariously through the T’s. They are definitely an inspiration to those of us that don’t want to die at our desk!
In the recent patio/roof shots from Italy, I imagine seeing Jason Bourne running from roof to roof!
Keep up the great work. My mower is tuned up and ready for spring. Go Reds!!
— Mark T. in Florida (no relation to Mike T & Cindy T) agrees:
Keep the T reports coming; they are needed for work grinders like myself to keep me going. Photos from abroad and day to day updates are what it's all about.
— Zach wants Mike T. to upgrade his camera:
Look, I am all for their daily updates and pics of the food and the places they go. . . it is the same reason I have two large sailboat pictures in my office next to the pictures of my family. Inspiration. However, can they please update their camera phone, because either it really sucks or most of Europe lives in a semi-grayscale palette.
Kinsey:
They're on a fixed-income, Zach. This might be a bridge too far.
Hold up, there aren't any good Lebanese restaurants NE of metro Atlanta?
— Daren reports:
You're lucky. Live just NE of metro ATL. No Lebanese or Vietnamese places. My favorite 2 kinds of dining choices. Plenty of wing joints and fast food. Uggg.
Kinsey:
I'm not going to even attempt to come off as a foodie because it's not even a battle worth having with people, but I would say that we're very fortunate to have incredible Lebanese options here. From grocery stores to restaurants, these places are institutions.
Trust me, I don't take it for granted.
— Joe T. writes:
Hey Joe
I read that you went to the best Middle Eastern restaurant in the area last night. It has to be Byblos or maybe their sister restaurant the Beirut. My wife and I love going to Byblos. It’s one of our favorite places. Shish kafta for the win. I took her there tonight for Valentines Day. It was fantastic, as were the grape leaves. Hope you and the family had a great time.
Kinsey:
We went to Beirut. It was my first Lebanese experience in Toledo when I came here for college, so it's always been where I go. Yes, I have been to Byblos and I love the upstairs ambiance at that place, but for some reason I just keep going to my original hot spot.
About the only thing I won't eat is the kibbi. Never say never, but I haven't yet. I just can't get to that point in my food adventures.
People are even dressing like dirtbags at X-Golf
— Tom B. in Virginia shares:
I think your observation on the Lebanese restaurant is very interesting. I personally do not go out to wing-centered restaurants, usually the only time I eat wings is when a group of us is doing Happy Hour. One exception was last weekend my wife and I went with friends to a place in Fredericksburg, VA called X-Golf. It is a franchise place, so they may be all over the place. The place is like an indoor Top Golf, the simulators with all the games, with excellent putting simulation, etc. They have a full bar and food (including wings). We paid $65 per hour for the bay. I highly recommend the place if anyone is near one. #notsponsored.
In keeping with other SC subjects, I did notice that the patrons of the X-Golf did not always adhere to the normal golf course attire. Most dressed like my teenager in crocs and pajamas/sweats. Oh well…
Kinsey:
There's an X-Golf five minutes from my house. I'm happy to report that it hasn't been inundated with the degenerates. However, there's some Topgolf-like place coming to town in the near future that will surely pull in the dirtballs. Can't wait for that.
A fellow Screencaps reader is tired of the scumbags on airplanes looking homeless
— Jeff is fed up as am I:
Can we add to the dress code concerns airports and flying?
No more shorts or sweats for me. Don’t know why - but lately it feels better to make an effort for the trip as opposed to total comfort.
Look sharp - feel sharp.
Kinsey:
Jeff, you and I see eye-to-eye. I've said it at least 500 times on this site, I wish people would go bankrupt & lose access to credit so there would be fewer scumbags flying the friendly skies. It's even a problem on my beloved Delta, which is mind-boggling because the flights are never cheap.
The Victoria's Secret catalog stopped using biggins' & guys in thongs, reader reports
— Hans in AZ writes:
I was thumbing thru the Victoria Secret mailer my wife got today and couldn't help but notice a shift back to them actually having models you want to look at in lingerie and not some 275 lb beast or some dude in a thong. Hopefully this isn't a one time thing and we are actually getting back to common sense.
Thanks for what you do,
Kinsey:
Mrs. Screencaps doesn't get the magazines. I have no way to find the visual evidence. I 1000% trust what Hans is telling me because we've written extensively about things like the mammoth Nike mannequins and stuff like that during the YAAASSS QUEEN era. It would just be fun to see the changes taking place even in the lingerie catalogs.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
A reader just wants to say he's having a great time following all the storylines inside America's Greatest Daily Column, as named by the readers
— David L. tells me:
I wanted to let you know I love this group! It was fun reading Jake's response in Thursday's Screencaps and Steve E.'s response on Friday. A very fun community we have here! Thanks men (sorry, people lol)!
I REALLY like this topic: Do any of you still have the amp and sub behind your truck seats?
— Donny D. sent an email that took me back to the 1990s:
i'm nearing 50 i
i drive a chevy 3500
i travel a ton for work
i still rock an amp and sub in the truck.
i always back in to park
i mow on thursdays so i can take the fam on the boat...
am i alone here on the speaker sound system?
Kinsey:
That's exactly the format that Donny D. sent the email. I thought it was a poem when I opened it.
Where are all the guys who had the lowered Chevy 1500 Silverados with the stepside? I had a buddy named Rusty Allen who had a maroon stepside with the upgraded sound system & upgraded everything on that truck. It must've been a V8 because it would haul ass.
What are all you Rusty Allens now driving? Dodge Rams? Are you still Chevy? Factory sound systems? Who has a Rockford Fosgate system? Blow my mind and tell me you have a Blaupunkt system.
Great subject, Donny D.!
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com
‘Everyone needs to be made to feel special 24/7’ — The State of Colleges Sending Gifts Along With Acceptance Letters
— Michael B. writes:
My daughter applied to the state school 15 miles down the road. She got a slick video that made it appear as if the school's dean was having a press conference welcoming their newest student, by name, to campus. It was all very slick and clever and I must also say, nausea-inducing.
I went to a different school in the same system in the 1980's and was content with the acceptance letter I received, but nowadays, since everyone must be made to feel special 24/7, a letter does not cut it. Also, I roomed with a man who got a fifth-quintile score on the ACT and was admitted to the same school I attended (higher quintile). There is simply no specialness in being admitted to a state university, but they will do everything they can to make it appears as if there is.
Bands to keep an eye on
— Gen X Warren in Florida has one to watch:
Local Treasure Coast, Florida band recommendation, Vern Daysel and The Burning Breeze, good stuff.
Firewood delivery in Lecce, Italy
— Mike T. is our very own National Geographic photographer. He knows many of you will find this interesting:
http://traftonseuropeantour20242025.com/2025/02/15/2-15-2025-lecce-italy/
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Reminder, I'm writing Sunday Screencaps this week for SeanJo who is off for a couple of days. I was dreading waking up early tomorrow, but after hearing that Japanese bar story, my juices are flowing and screw it, let's keep working this week.
Keep the emails coming. I'm going to need them to build another awesome edition of Sunday Screencaps.
That's it for this Saturday morning. It's time to shovel snow and figure out what to do on a quiet sports weekend.
Let's get after it.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com