Rachel Bush Tests Zuck's New Instagram Rules With Wild Bikini, IU Basketball Disaster & Hegseth's New Medal
I'm extremely proud of Screencaps Jr. for putting himself out there
It was rec league basketball appreciation night at the high school game last night and that meant Screencaps Jr.'s 5th & 6th grade team was invited to play at halftime of the JV game.
Just three boys from his team — two coaches' sons — agreed to show up.
On Monday, when I asked Screencaps Jr. if he was interested, there was an internal debate going on in his head. Will I embarrass myself? Are my friends playing? Will 6th graders in the stands make fun of me? How many people will be watching? Are there any other 6th graders playing?
By Tuesday, he put aside the fears and decided to play.
It turned out to be the biggest crowd he'd ever played in front of, the most high schoolers he's ever seen in one room, and the coach had him run the point for seven minutes. He had no points, one very nice drive to the lane, but it resulted in a wild layup attempt and a couple of turnovers.
Based on the odds, it is extremely unlikely he'll ever step foot on that court to play a game ever again, but on this one night, he set aside his nerves and just went out to be a kid.
At the end of the day, that's all we can ask for, and I'm proud of him for trying. Life went on this morning.
Screencaps Book Club
— Ragnar Greg recommends:
Joe, for anyone in Screencaps Nation into fantasy, I'd recommend they pick up Joe Abercrombie's books. He's got one trilogy unrelated from the rest of his work (Half a King, Half the World, and Half a War) that's pretty good and reasonably short, but most of his stuff starts with a book called The Blade Itself.
From there you've got ten books set in the same world; an original trilogy with a sequel trilogy, plus four standalone books. If you can get through all of that before it's time to start prepping the yard for mowing season, good on you!
— Robert tells me:
The Grey man series is great. I read nightly and on weekends average 80 books yearly,agree Dan Silva was great series until 2 books ago he went woke but he realized that was going to crush his sales and pretty much stopped.
— Jeff wants a word with Indy Daryl:
Since the great majority of your readers are MAGA, let them know that Daniel Silva is a far leftist twit. I’ve read quite a few of his books and enjoyed his series until his book came out just as the 2020 election ended. He made a special chapter at the end to talk about the need for Isreal to send its famous spy to Washington to help "save democracy" from the evil Trump supporters.
I didn’t even finish the book got up went to the trash and threw it away grabbed the rest of the books and tossed them as well. I really enjoy Indy Daryl but want to make sure this community understands what they may be supporting.
— Jeff in Woodstock, GA helps out the book club:
Here are two good spy series that I’ve enjoyed the last few months.
Any series by Joel Rosenberg, but specifically the Marcus Ryker series. A real US hero who puts himself in harm’s way to protect the people and country he loves, whether as a Marine, a Secret Service Agent, or CIA agent.
Second series is by a newer author, Amir Tsafarti, the Nir Tavor Mossad series. For those of us who support Israel, it is a very well written series that uses some actual events woven into the fabric of the story line.
You also cannot go wrong with Clive Cussler series featuring Dirk Pitt. Very solid writing and predictable, but entertaining, nonetheless.
— Jim in San Diego says:
Like a lot of people who are book nuts, I’ve got a pile on my nightstand that’s … well, I’ll admit it’s over 10 deep. The exact number doesn’t matter. There’s an unfinished biography of Nat "King" Cole, the second-to-latest Joe Leaphorn mystery by series originator Tony Hillerman’s daughter Anne, a couple other mysteries I keep meaning to start - and the book that jumped to the front of the line when I saw it at Barnes & Noble while taking my youngest shopping over the holidays: "The Panzer Killers" by Daniel P. Bolger.
I’m kind of an amateur WWII buff, but I’d never heard of Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose – whose 3rd Armored Division was nicknamed The Spearhead for their breakout from Normandy and leading the invasion of Germany to end the war. The author, Bolger, is a retired three-star general himself, and a combat veteran of Afghanistan, and his writing is old-school military history with none of the woke second-guessing and moral grandstanding that really undercut how good John C. McManus’ three-part history of the U.S. Army in the Pacific Theater during WWII could have, and should have, been.
— Robert Barlow Jr., yes, I used his full name for a good reason, would like to recommend HIS OWN BOOKS:
I have a couple recommendations for you to read. In the interest of full disclosure, I wrote them, so I am a bit biased, but they have gotten good reviews.
The first is D.O.G.: Executive Order and the second is Time Passed.
I won't fill your inbox with the description here, but I will do one of the following, whichever you prefer, if interested.
I can send you paperback copies of each book, or I can gift you Kindle versions. No strings attached, I promise. I'm doing all I can to increase readership, especially in preparation for future books I'm writing, and this is yet another means for me to do that.
Kinsey:
Robert, I appreciate the offer, but I couldn't possibly ask you for a complimentary Kindle version when the price is $1.99.
— Adam in Texas emails:
For those that like SciFi -
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir.
By the same guy that wrote the Martian that was later a movie with Matt Damon.
For those like that Fantasy/SciFi/Goofy Fun check out
Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman.
A thread on reddit describes it this way:
"It’s like if the writers of Futurama wrote Hunger Games on an intergalactic stage."
or
"It's like HitchHikers Guide to the Galaxy meets The Running Man. "
The audio books are awesome.
— Ron in Lake Oswego has been reading a ton:
Maybe a slightly different take.
Non-fiction:
Carnage and Culture by Victor Davis Hanson - Landmark Battles in the Rise to Western Power.
Actually Hanson's entire Bibliography is excellent
The Devil's Pleasure Palace: The Cult of Critical Theory and the Subversion of the West by Michael Walsh
7 Men and 7 Women and the Secret of Their Greatness both by Eric Metaxas
Also his Biography of Bonhoeffer is excellent too. Long read though
In between:
The Disaster Diaries: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Apocalypse by Sam Sheridan
The Joy of Cooking 19th Edition (?) - only cookbook you really need
Fiction:
The Mercedes Thompson Series by Patricia Briggs - Werewolves, Vampires, The Fae all in the real world but without the sex and brooding of Sookie in the Louisiana Swamps
Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein the book is NOT the movie (which is basically Star Wars in the Nazis had won WW 2).
I figure most of us have read Bond, Gabriel Allon, Reacher, Bob Lee Swagger and so on.
Kinsey:
I have another dozen book recommendation emails for tomorrow. Let's save them so your brain can process the first round of recommendations.
Have you stopped driving into Manhattan?
When I lived in NE Pennsylvania, I would drive into Manhattan quite often and take advantage of street cleaning days on the Upper West Side where I'd park for free, hop on the A, B, C or D around 81st and Central Park and I was off and running. I was in the city multiple times a month just to mess around.
It was cheap to drive into Manhattan, even into the early 2010s when I was driving to NYC here and there.
Based on what I keep reading, that era is permanently over. I read this morning that it's now $17 to cross the George Washington Bridge.
Rob fires back at Dan C. who was just trying to get me going over the national championship, but now Rob is going and he means business!
— Rob M. fires back at Dan C. over Notre Dame and the right side of history:
Now that we have the first African American coach in the Natty, and a former Buckeye at that, which team should we support in order to be on the "right side of history"?
What in the holiest of hell is this question? Where are you going with this garbage? Wait, I know, you’re trying to be edgy and provocative, throw a little "spice" into things. It’s college football for God’s sake, we were rooting for the Service Academy because, well, we like rooting for the Service Academies. It just made it easier because Notre Dame is easily one of the most over rated sports teams in the world.
But that’s not where you were going pal, you were going down a despicable road that is usually reserved for ESPN. That being said, are we not past the whole " First African American to do {insert particular thing}? I can answer that for you, yes we are, we have been for a long time. The fact that you actually brought that up lets me know who you are and what lens you view the world through.
Take a look deep inside yourself my friend, cancel your Sunny Hosten quote of the day subscription and come into the light, it’s a big beautiful world out here. By the way, bring your friend with you, or not…….
Kinsey:
I have to tell Rob that Dan C. and I go back a few years to the Two-Club Invitational. He's just busting my balls. Dan C. is as OutKick as they get. Trust me, you guys would all like Dan C.
I've drank with Dan C. & his brother, Mick C.
They're wildcats. Trust me.
What's your beef with Notre Dame/Lou Holtz?
— Travel Ball Hardo Chris B. asks:
I obviously get that you're an Ohio guy and a Buckeye fan, but I am curious... what's your beef with Notre Dame / Lou Holtz? If you wrote about that already, I missed it. I get it that most people either love or hate ND, and you're certainly entitled to hate whomever you want! I am just curious about your Coach Holtz angst.
My dad went to ND (Mom to Georgia) so those have been my teams my whole life... way before I became an Aggie... Go Irish!
Kinsey:
Monkey Top of Gibraltar
— Mike T. and Cindy T. went sightseeing:
Can it be a TexMex breakfast without eggs?
— Travel Ball Hardo Chris B. in Houston asked a question about Ryan Hyatt's breakfast that others asked:
Ryan's rate this breakfast looks like a freakin awesome TexMex lunch or dinner plate. But breakfast with no eggs?
Kinsey:
Ryan responds.
Joel Klatt appreciation post
— Kevin in Toboso has moved on from Herbstreit:
If you love college football this is a good listen and some interesting thoughts from Joel Klatt.
He has thoughts on transfer portal, Rose bowl and even Army v Navy game that I thought were pretty good ideas and would be great for college football. Really liked his idea about play in conference games.
No way Herbstreit or Fowler would have something this well-thought-out.
Car sledding
— David W. writes:
Growing up in the 70's right in the middle of Syracuse University winter would find us 'hopping' cars for fun.
You hang out around stop signs and wait for a car or truck. You would then grab a wheelwell, a door handle or the back bumper.
Sit down on your heels and let the car take you where you needed to go. Stick the dismount with a 30 yard slide into the snow.
City buses were the best. They hauled ass and if the driver saw you he'd try to dump you in a snow bank. They tried to f@ck you up. Great fun cheap fun.
################
That's it. The clock just struck 9 a.m.
It's freezing. The sun is out, but it feels like Antarctica out there. Survive and advance. Think about those patio days.
If you're retired and in a warm locale, tell me how you're enjoying today.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com