Skyler Simpson Kicks Off Instagram Halloween Costume Season, Shirtless Nick Bosa For The Ladies & LeBron Carrying A Purse
Unsolicited review of Steve B.'s Hallmark Channel Christmas movie debut
I need Steve B. in Grand Junction, Colorado to be sitting down when he reads this review of his Hallmark Christmas movie writing debut. He might also want to have a box of tissues handy.
This review IS #notsponsored
• James Mac writes:
I've been wondering if I should send in this review about our favorite Hallmark Writer and then in today's column you said to write in and tell you what's going on in our lives so here goes.
I started watching Hallmark movies with my wife about 6-7 years ago.
First, I have to admit in an ironic way to laugh at the candy cane, hot chocolate references etc that happens in every movie. Then something changed. I became weirdly addicted to them. I have the right to veto any options of the movies we watch because starting about now there are at least 2 new ones a week so I have to limit my intake. Also, as you can imagine, there are some really bad acted, written, and directed movies that I just can't.
I was a little worried about our guy seeing as he got his premier in mid-October. This is the warm-up band time of the year and they usually have more clunkers than not. I was still hopeful because c'mon he's a screencaps reader so he has to have something going for him.
I was nervous on Saturday night. I'm not going to lie. I want this to be a success. I feel a kinship with your readers and I want success all around.
Let me just say right out of the box, this should have been pushed back to mid-December, it was that good.
His writing was crisp, he put in dialogue that showed he knew something about hockey (and so did the woman character). Hallmark Movies are formulaic to say the least but how do you deliver within that framework is the hard part. In 2 hours (with commercials) you have to introduce the characters, have them fall in love, overcome at least one conflict in their lives and kiss at the end.
The tricky part is how you do it. He made me like the characters. The dialogue between the 2 main characters was believable and they had a nice rapport. They both were going for something professional and were at the point where they were starting to reevaluate their lives.
That was believable seeing as they were both about 30+. They spoke to each other like they liked each other and were rooting for each other's professional success. And there was the rub, their professional success would have separated the two of them and the love life is no more.
He paid attention to the secondary characters. There is a scene where the woman's best friend is trying to sell a house and our main character jumps in to point out some features of the house. It then gave the secondary character a chance to jump in and offer other features of the house. Simplistic yes. But important. You have to have the secondary characters people that you can see why they are friends. It also set up a scene later where they talked about setting up their business together. Because I saw the two of them handle the first scene so well, I believed that they were equal friends and so when the friend was giving advice, I would see why the main character listened to her. That is important.
I would give this review an A or A-.
He did a magnificent job. Congrats to him and please tell him to keep writing for Hallmark and keep us posted on any other writing credits he gets. He's got talent.
I know I didn't talk much about the movie but I don't want to ruin it for your readers. If you are forced to watch one Hallmark movie a year, please make it this one.
One mowing question: I am now retired and like to mow over two days. Is it acceptable to start mowing on Wednesday and finish up on Thursday? If you say no, then all day Thursday it is.
Thank you so much for everything you do.
Kinsey:
James Mac, after that review for Steve B. you can mow your heart out on Wednesday AND Thursday all you want.
Update on Christian A.'s trip to the Tennessee-Alabama
His full report will lead us off Thursday morning. It's long. There are multiple photos to embed. There are photo galleries to download. There are lines and lines of editing notes he wrote out for me.
I can provide you with this teaser.
Christian A. writes:
"It’s one of the best trips of my life and has started a tradition. I’ll be heading to SEC country every year for a game."
The Best Bars...must have wood tick racing
Yes, this bar actually has wood tick races.
• Reed V. writes:
“Up North” in Cuyuna, Minnesota is the Woodtick Inn. Awesome townie bar w/ cheap taps, pizza oven fare and pull tabs. Making it even better is the annual Woodtick Races over a summer weekend. Youtube below tells the story!
The best bars...Christmas Eve water gun fights in NOLA
• Patrick in Spokane writes:
A bit of background, prior to getting married and having children, Christmas Eve was always a somber event in my family (my father unexpectedly died of a heart attack on Christmas Eve when I was in 7th grade). When you have kids, you put that aside because you don't want to ruin their Christmas.
In the mid-1980s, I went to college at Loyola University of New Orleans. It was a great place filled with lots of great bars. I was also able to work as a bartender in a couple bars during my time in New Orleans. During my junior year, I stayed in New Orleans for Christmas Eve and bartended at Bruno's Bar on Maple Street. Bruno's Bar was a bar located in Uptown New Orleans and it was a college bar but it also had afternoon regulars who were wealthy Uptown New Orleanians.
Bruno's had a wonderful Christmas Eve tradition of having a massive water gun fight amongst all the bartenders, regular patrons from the Uptown neighborhood, and anyone else who wandered in. They covered all the electronic equipment with plastic tarps. It was an absolute blast because everyone was running around like little kids (who happened to be intoxicated) trying to soak everyone. It lasted around 3 hours. Pretty sure they wouldn't do anything like that today.
That was one of the things that made it a great bar. Bruno's is still around but I think it moved to a bigger building in the neighborhood.
Dad's favorite food dishes to make the kids when mom is out of town
• Bob D. in Huntsville, AL couldn't pass up this opportunity to write:
First-time emailer, but a long-time reader.
I just had to write a comment to Jeff in Anoka's query about what is my favorite dish to cook when the spouse is away. My wife does not like fish or seafood, so my night meal is seared cod loin with a beurre blanc, asparagus, and mushroom risotto (can you tell I put myself through college working as a line cook in a restaurant?). A glass of a nice dry white tops it off.
I love the concept of TNML, but having five acres to mow does not allow me to participate in the league. Retirement comes in December, so I will be joining the league next year.
Keep up the great work! Screencaps is a must-read each day and a small island of sanity in the media bombardment we get each day.
• Diesel in SE Michigan writes:
Greetings from Central Mississippi!
• William O writes:
Thanks for the community that you’ve created. Start my day with it and usually gives me the boost that I need. Your padawans with the Nightcaps are doing a pretty good job too.
I read this article and thought about “Do hard things.”
(Caution: Language)
Hopefully, I’ve raised my children better than this girl seems to have been. One in college and one in high school and they’re not afraid of work and they still find time for good grades and extracurricular activities.
And I saw this tag several weeks ago in Gulfport MS.
Kinsey:
Just remember that these calculated losers on TikTok also pump out these videos so they'll go viral and end up making headlines for their 9-to-5 takes because it equals new fans and that eventually equals more power and hopefully money. That content is all the rage right now. TikTok is pretty much just actors. Keep that in mind.
Then the comment section fills up with 'YAASSSS QUEEN' losers telling this woman she's so right about how wrong 40-hour office jobs are.
• William O eventually wrote a follow-up email late last night:
A follow up to my previous email. It seems apparent to me that she wasn’t raised to “do hard things”. I tell my children to show up early for work, leave late and do more than you are asked to do. That’s how you move up. Along with being competent in your job.
I’m an engineer who’s worked in highway construction and maintenance for 35+ years. Lots of long hours. After retiring from the state DOT, I went to work for a private engineering company and worked 60 to 80 hours a week on a major highway construction project. While doing this, I missed very few of my daughter’s softball games or my kid’s robotics competitions. Hard work is hard but you can make time for things outside of work and still get your damn job done.
Sorry for the second email but I got into the Costco margs tonight. They are dangerously good!
TNML fever is spreading across this country...even the rappers want in on the mowing game...now if only we could get a rapper to rap about mowing...game-changer
Watch.
For wood stackers...I'm so glad we were ahead of the curve on this content theme
Sports
• Steve N. writes:
From a long time Texas Rangers fan I want to thank you for all you do for us ordinary folks looking for a little sanity in a crazy world.
Here's something for the Rangers Baseball fans...
• Marc in Tucson is back:
I was watching Ken Burns depressing doc on the American buffalo this weekend and was shocked to learn that prior to being overrated HOF NFL QB Peyton Manning, he was frontiersman Frank Mayer, and no friend of the buffalo.
p.s. The Halloween decor didn't go up until October 1st, per my wife, who's a hardo about appropriate seasonal decor dates...
#TeamSunsets and an opinion on daylight savings
• Nick C. in Miami, Florida writes:
Good morning to you and my Screencaps brethren all over this great land we get to call home. Being in South Florida, sunshine is one thing (among many) that we have plenty of. Since I'm not a morning person, by default I'm 100% Team Sunset. I've attached a few beautiful sunset pictures taken in Marco Island, FL.
Responding to Gary E. in PA regarding daylight savings, I'm 100% on board with him. The reasons for implementing DST in the first place are no longer valid, and as such, it should be put to rest. Having the sunset at nearly 9 PM during the brutally oppressive summers is too much to bear. My wife, on the other hand, happens to love it.
As always, thanks for the best damn column on the Internet.
• Nate S. emails this one from Belle Isle, Florida:
Hey Joe, love your work brother. Sorry about all the commercialization in the pic, but it was too good of a sunset to pass up. Thought I would share with you. Thanks and keep up the good work.
Kinsey:
Pretty sure this is #notsponsored. Kidding, Nate.
• Eric from Bloomington, MN writes:
Joe- hope I'm not too late, attached sunset photo from the end of the dock in Brush Lake ND! (west central ND.... several hours south-southeast of the boys from Crosby)
Love a good sunset or sunrise photo... reminds me of a great John Wayne quote:
"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. Its perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday."
Keep up the great work!!
#TeamSunrise
• Joel H. writes:
Joe, I’m typically a sunset guy, but this is my favorite picture I’ve ever taken. Sunrise at my Dad’s land in Kansas.
• Allen from League City, TX checks in:
I am definitely team sunrise. I fish or hunt at least one day a week. The attached picture is from a dove hunt in south Texas from a couple of weeks ago. I am blessed to spend so many days in God's outdoors.
• Chris B. in Houston writes:
I took my son to tour Texas A&M Corpus Christi a few weeks ago, which by the way is a spectacular campus on its own little island. In addition to the awesome moonrise over the bay that we saw the night we arrived, we also enjoyed a gorgeous sunrise the next morning.
The argument against daylight savings
• Jeff M. writes:
Here's some info I've used in the past when debating/discussing the DST/Standard time issue with people. Basically, this map shows that you should be in favor of abolishing DST the further West you live in your time zone IF you care about sunrise at 7am or earlier.
Especially important if you have kids and you don't want them walking/biking/waiting for the bus in darkness. If you care about Sunset times, keep DST. Just know it may be 8am until the sun comes up on the western edges of each time zone. Personally, I think we should just fall back 30 mins this fall and call it good, never change again. Compromise is the best solution, right?
Now we're starting to stack strong editions of Screencaps. Tomorrow it's Christian A.'s review of the South. You don't want to miss that one.
Keep the emails coming. Share your thoughts on life and what's going on around you. One thing I need from you guys are photos of self-checkout machines asking for tips. I'm working on a story about how these damn things are taking over retail.
Take care. Have a great day. Go give 110% at the day job or retirement.
Email: joekinsey@gmail.com