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Dave & Buster's with your wife?
I've been sitting on this one for a few days, but it needs to be addressed.
• Richard B. from the South writes:
Dave and Buster's with the wife on a kid-free night. I can't believe no one else has commented on this issue, from a week or so back. Bruh, I only have one kid, and when it is out for the night on a weekend, there is only one marital activity that is taking precedence, and it's not a trip to adult Chuck E. Cheese.
Maybe y'all went to D&B's afterward, and you just omitted that part. But, if you didn't you're doing it wrong, my friend.
Kinsey:
Two Saturdays ago, Mrs. Screencaps and I had a free night as the kids were with their grandparents and Richard B. (Dick!) seems to have a problem with how we spent the night. Yes, we went to Dave & Buster's because Mrs. Screencaps considers arcade games a stress reliever like I consider going golfing with the boys to be beeing away from it all.
She wanted to go and blow through some money, so we went.
Dick B. has a problem that I'm not sharing my sex life details with Screencaps readers. Look, Dick B., not everything about my life is an open book! You get what you get here.
Live a little, Dick B.
Get some fresh air with the wife. Throw in a little romance now and then like competing in the ping pong ball catching game at D&Bs. Shoot some hoops at D&Bs.
Mix it up a little bit. Keep the flame lit, Dick.
What's PIB like these days
Now here's a question I can answer for Jim C., who writes:
Loved by so many. I gotta weigh in on Christmas in July….as you probably found out on arrival at The Bay, Christmas in July is, or at least used to be a huge celebration every year in the late 90’s and early 2000’s.
I lived in Ohio at that time, and used to go for a long week party.
I’ve since moved to Fl, so I’m not sure if it is still celebrated.
I’ve been told PIB is not the same anymore. More family friendly, less party central.
Too bad.
Kinsey:
The constant bitching and moaning about Put-In-Bay around here is nauseating and that's not aimed at Jim. That's aimed at the Facebook Karens who are constantly bitching about everything.
Do hoodrats out of Detroit descend on the island in July to do hoodrat things like smoking blunts, having 10 hoochies twerking off golf carts and fighting in the lakefront park? Yes, it happens.
Yes, that's why I can't drive Mrs. Screencaps' minivan over on Saturdays for the day to run a golf tournament.
But the Bay is still the Bay. Those headlines freak out the Facebook Karens who then spend multiple days saying "the Bay just isn't the same as it used to be."
No shit.
Now it comes down to how the Bay powers manage the hoodrats once a year.
I was on the island from Friday night through early Sunday morning and didn't see any noteworthy hoodrat behavior -- or you damn well better believe I'd be writing about it.
More intel on the current state of West Point for those of you who might have kids heading to the academy
• Colin in Warrenville, IL writes:
Joe, this is for Scott in Orange County:
I'm an '07 USMA grad who served in Afghanistan and got out after 5 years. However, lots of my classmates stayed in and eventually went back to teach at West Point. They report that the academy is probably better off now than it was when we went with respect to academics and development. I wouldn't stress about woke stuff at all. Even where it exists, it is only a tiny fraction of your time. Trust me, he will have too much to do to worry about it. If he wants to do hard stuff and challenge himself, he's looking in the right spot for sure.
What I cannot stress enough for your son is to a) visit the academies; b) spend a LOT of time thinking about the tradeoffs and most importantly; c) think about a career as an officer. The good news here is that, last time I checked, you can still quit any time in your first two years and not owe the government a dime. That the decision isn't immediately permanent should be some comfort.
A. Visit the Academies. If he can get into West Point he can get into Annapolis (Navy & Marine Corps), Colorado Springs (Air Force & Space Force), and the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut. Don't sleep on the Coast Guard, it's a great school and Coast Guard duty stations are awesome. It's probably the only academy I would want my kids to go to, but more on that below. I was certain I was going to join the Navy like so many in my family did--until I visited West Point.
B. Consider the tradeoffs. The four years at the academy are not going to resemble a college experience whatsoever. Dating is extremely difficult if not impossible. There is no partying in dorms or any freedom really whatsoever for your first two years. It sucks, there's no way around it. A popular saying is "West Point is a great place to be from, not at." That being said, there are a ton of cool opportunities that he won't get elsewhere. I did an exchange with the German Army (while they hosted the World Cup in '06 mind you), learned to fly a helicopter, and a whole lot more during my summers there. I made close friends for life there and it made me who I am today, for better or worse.
C. Consider the profession. Lastly and most importantly, the whole point of the federal academies is to commission officers to fight wars, so that should be his north star: Do I want to be an officer? Am I willing to do dangerous training and go overseas to risk not only my life but the lives of the Americans under my command? Am I willing to take another life? War takes an enormous toll from all those involved--it had better be worth the price. I won't editorialize here, but I cannot say with any surety that mine was. I have two sons and I don't want them to serve**--an opinion nearly all of my friends from the academy share unfortunately.
But that was yesterday's war. Who knows what will happen in the next 25 years. Maybe he'll get to enjoy the peacetime Army of the 80's and late 90's. Or maybe he won't branch combat arms and have a totally different experience. Go for the first two years and see what you think. The "oh shit" regrets in life are way easier to handle than the "what if's".
**I wouldn't mind them joining the Coast Guard whatsoever. Your main job is saving lives on the American coastlines, how awesome is that? Go be a rescue swimmer in Key West or run an icebreaker on the Great Lakes. Fly a helicopter out of Kodiak Station in Alaska. Still want to run and gun? They have drug interdiction teams that train like crazy to board boats and take control. I vote "Coast Guard" all the way.
• Mike N. writes:
Everyone I know who attended West Point (from years ago to just last year) were extremely pleased. It was their multi-year passion to attend. They all considered attending anywhere else a huge disappointment. If this is your son, you likely cannot stop him from going, even if you wanted to. However, if this is just one option he is considering equally along with UCLA, UC San Diego, and/ or something along those lines, it may or may not be the best fit.
My oldest son was briefly interested in West Point three years ago. We met a retired Colonel at a football camp at Abilene Christian, Craig Flowers (who did not attend West Point, but sat on their admissions committee for 10 years). He was thoughtful enough to have lunch with us back in Austin where he used to live (and had a radio show on The Horn). I would reach out to him for his thoughts/ advice. He is one of the most solid individuals I have met in Texas.
• Bo T. in Michigan writes:
Congrats on a solid Monday effort after the PIB invitational. Showing out after a strong weekend isn’t for the weak or faint hearted.
To the question on West Point, I would encourage the son to attend. Basing this on 20+ years in both the Army and following that the corporate world.
In addition to the college education, the leadership, decision making, self discipline, and relationship management skills he will learn at the Academy and in follow-on assignments are invaluable. There is a huge gap in the corporate world for these skill sets alone. There are definitely some risks involved, but that’s true for every field of endeavor. The Army (depending on what your MOS is) is definitely “Do Hard Things”. Tell him to take a look at Special Operations..would be glad to answer any questions he might have.
Question for the SC community: I’ve got about a half acre size stocked pond. Looking for maintenance/improvement tips for those that have them. Currently surrounded by vegetation..would like to make it fun/useable.
• David L. writes:
Some advice for Scott in CA regarding service academies (2010 USNA grad, 6 years active duty post graduation).
I guarantee you 90% of kids going to these schools are still awesome/love their country etc, but from what friends of mine who are still in say the 10% and the woke leadership are an absolute mess.
https://nypost.com/2020/10/02/midshipman-disciplined-for-disparaging-tweets-sues-naval-academy/
This story may not have gotten national attention but this mid actually sued and settled with the school over this nonsense.
When I got out in 2016, leadership etc was trending woke but overall force was filled with great people. Imagine that is still the case but I’m sure vax mandates did what they were intended to do and purged some good people. I guess as a grad of one of these places I’m now more dubious of them than ever; people that may send your son to die for the Ukraine think men can get pregnant and Bruce Jenner is a brave beautiful woman. That said, I wish your son success with whatever decision he makes and BEAT ARMY.
Oppenheimer review
• Heywood J. sent in this screenshot:
Bud Light disaster hits in the OC
• Mike L., the voiceover guy in Orange County, California, writes:
Well Joe, I was in my neighborhood Ralphs (Kroger) and at the end of the beer aisle was this conspicuous sign for 15 bucks back on Bud or Bud Light.
Now, granted, this is South OC and things run kinda differently from the rest of the county, and definitely the state, but I really didn't think this would happen here. A pleasant surprise.
Terrible Wiffle ball news out of Wisconsin
• Gerard W. writes:
Hope you weren’t planning a trip to see the wiffle ball field in southern Wisconsin as it has closed down. https://www.rookiesfood.com/
Somebody said it is for sale. Maybe you can take your Put in Bay winnings and just purchase it?
Kinsey:
It's true, there's a big announcement on the Rookies website announcing that the place closed June 30. Rookies was named by Screencaps readers as a Wiffle ball place where fanatics needed to play. The field is connected to the back of the bar.
And just like that, Rookies is officially off the radar unless someone comes in and saves the day and reopens this place for the football season.
We can't keep losing institutions like Rookies. It had been there for 25 years.
BTW, there are no PIB winnings. I even bought my own beers at the bar. AC Bellino didn't even offer to buy me a cold one after collecting his closest-to-the-pin winnings. However, he did buy the shots Friday night at the Green Room.
Living the Patio Life is great for your health
• Mike T. in Idaho sent me this one from the Wall Street Journal:
Look at that headline.
It's like the Wall Street Journal is reading America's Greatest Daily Column to get ideas on what its readers will want to hear about. Imagine that.
By the way, not a week goes by when I'm not receiving something about Pizza Hut. If you're looking to get some of that Pizza Hut sitdown experience in your life, you better hurry. The chain has been closing stores this summer.
I have to run. I have a big day. There's more Hooters news and I have a call with a guy who owns a wild Budweiser van for sale.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com