KVV rallied up the crew for a check-in — a little bit of golf, a little bit of entertainment, and a little bit of life, too.
What’s your favorite MUNI in America and why? (This is different than public courses; resort courses don’t count for this answer.)
Cody - Lots of directions you could go with this one. Charleston Muni and Memorial Park are great examples of cities investing in their spaces. Gold Mountain and George Wright are examples of proud cities that do an excellent job of maintaining the excellence in front of them. I could talk about Marias Valley GC, the course that raised me, and the community that fearlessly backs it. But I will embrace my new home, and gush on the cities of Dallas and Fort Worth. Each is different in its own way, but to me, Rockwood (The Rock), Cedar Crest and Keeton stand above the rest. Design-wise, I personally enjoy The Rock the best. But feelings, both current and into the future bring me back to Cedar or Keeton nine times out of ten. Both are run by leaders not only in Texas but on a national level: Ira Mayo and Tony (and Ty) Martinez are leading their clubs into the future. They make golf cool again and encourage people from all different backgrounds just to come out and try the game. We need more Iras, Tonys, and Tys in golf.
DJ - It’s probably Jacksonville Beach Golf Club for me. Seeing what that course looked like when I first moved to Jacksonville in 2012 (BAD!) and seeing it today is truly inspiring and proof that municipal golf works and thrives with the right people around. Since moving, I’ve been delighted to see how many great munis there are here in Milwaukee and have to give a special shout-out to Brown Deer Park. Bo Van Pelt never won at Jax Beach.
Soly - First answer that comes to mind is Wilmington Muni in Wilmington, North Carolina. That place activated something within me, and I immediately wanted to go back out for more holes. A Donald Ross course that was challenging in all of the right ways, wonderfully maintained, yet accessible and inexpensive. It’s a unicorn. I still think about that place and it’s been 4.5 years since we were there.
But I also have to give a shoutout to what is now my hometown muni, which is Jacksonville Beach Golf Club. Watching that green space become the community meeting center during COVID taught me something about the importance of well-run municipal golf courses. In just six years of living in Jacksonville, I already have so many memories thanks to the fact that we have a well-maintained municipal golf course.
KVV - I like to make clear distinctions between “best” and “favorite.” I don’t think Old Works in Anaconda, MT is the “best” but in the United States, it’s definitely my favorite. I always felt in awe of the whole setting and story, a golf course built on the ruins of a copper and ore mine with elevation changes, black sand in the bunkers, and a creek that runs through the course. Anaconda is such an important town in Montana’s history, and I love driving into town, playing golf, and then having a beer at Club Moderne. The course has almost gone out of business a few times, but somehow it’s hung in there. I was in my 20s before I ever played a single round at a country club, so Old Works felt special, like I had graduated to the next level of golf.
Tron - Upset of the year to not see Winter Park 9 chosen by anyone below - that place is unlike anything else in America…but it’s also in Orlando, which disqualifies it for me because playing it requires traveling to Orlando.
A bunch of different directions we could go here - George Wright in Boston, Wilmington, Chambers, Charleston, Memorial Park in Houston (slaps), Swope (shoutout to Ben), Keney Park in Hartford, Gold Mountain, even Corica in Alameda. And plenty I haven’t seen yet - The Park in West Palm, Buffalo Dunes, and gestures wildly at the munis in Cleveland.
But I’m gonna go with one that Neil and I played just once almost a decade ago that has stuck with me - Whitefish Lake Golf Club in Whitefish, Montana. A 36-hole facility owned by the city and leased out to the non-profit, volunteer-run Whitefish Lake Golf Association (which if that makes it not a muni…whatever), Neil and I played the South Course in late August 2016, and it was a delight. The south starts off in pretty standard fashion, then by the 6th hole, you’re down at the shores of Lost Coon Lake and play the next seven or eight holes down near the lake before working back up toward the clubhouse. The routing truly makes you feel like you’re on a journey, and reflects the patchwork set of tracts that were donated to the city by civic-minded individuals at various points for the construction of a golf course, and the views are wonderful. I have not played the North Course, but by all accounts, it is even more dynamic than the South and provides views out toward Glacier National Park. The land for both courses is dynamic and rolling but not to the point of feeling like up-and-down mountain golf. Further, the facility sits at 3,000 feet of elevation, which adds a half-club variable in there, the conditioning is dialed, there’s a nice driving range, it’s located a few blocks from town on the main drag, the restaurant is among the best in the area, the back deck is the golf is affordable (and strikes a good balance between using tourists to subsidize season pass holders, and nordic skiing and sledding on the grounds during the winter season). Probably not the best muni, but definitely my favorite and represents everything I’d ever want to see from a muni. And it warms my heart to see Torrey Pines and Bethpage omitted from everyone’s selections!
Casey - For me, this has to be Jeffersonville Golf Club in West Norriton, PA. Opened on what used to be an old horse track in 1931 and designed by Donal Ross, West Norriton Township purchased it in 1972. Superintendent Rich Shilling has done an amazing job of taking the 2000 restoration that was done and pushing it even further forward. A brand new clubhouse opens there this summer, and I can’t wait to see the new putting green and updated digs. It’s a favorite of almost every person in the Electric Phactory (Philly’s NLU Roost) for a reason. Affordable, fun, challenging, a wicked 18th hole green complex, great match play venue, pride in what they do, etc…checks all the boxes.
Ben - Homer pick here. I have to go with Swope Memorial Golf Course in Kansas City, MO. It is, in my opinion, the most architecturally interesting public in the city that also has pedigree. My favorite part about playing a muni is envisioning what it once was or could be. Swope gets my brain firing on all cylinders. It is my favorite because it is the one I think about most wanting to restore and is great fodder between friends.
Neil - Harding Park in San Francisco. It’s the perfect example of a historic parkland course in an urban area that checks all the boxes for me. It’s a championship course with history, fairly priced (I was able to play it for $50 as a city resident though I’m sure that price has gone up since I left S.F. in 2016), an easy walk, beautiful setting, and the pace was always good (I never felt like they stacked too many tee times). It’s also an example of how a successful public/private partnership can bring a historic course back from neglect.
Jordan - I’ll be the one to say Winter Park 9. It’s enchanting but so fleeting – in the best way. Similar to how I felt as a child toward its neighbor, Disney World.
Randy - Popular choice, but I have to go with Jax Beach. It’s the muni I’ve played the most, and I’ve also never tired of playing it. It has all the ingredients I need: walkability, fun and interesting greens, several very unique holes, all the while being in consistently pretty good shape (and sometimes in exceptional shape!).
Scottie Scheffler is in a frustrating place with his putting, perhaps getting stranded in the no-man’s land between art and science and technique. What do you think about in your own game when you line up a putt? Take us through your process.
Tron - I simply read the putt and try to react to that with confidence. On the one hand, I have a lot of confidence in my ability to read greens (less so when grain becomes a big factor), on the other, I have zero confidence when I start thinking about my stroke (shoutout to the claw) so I try to commit to a line (and really a spot/high point) and then step up and react to the putt instead of standing over it thinking about it and letting doubt to creep in. Keeping it simple, trusting my line, and rebuilding my confidence has done wonders for me over the last eighteen months. The faster the greens the better I typically putt, so trying to pick very specific, aggressive spots on slow greens has been a priority of late to improve when they’re not slippery.
Cody - *checks tapes* I’m the last person who should be answering this question. My process changes a lot, which could be why I struggle at times. But you never know when the next “fix it” moment is going to happen if you don't try something new first. What do I do: Get an overall picture of the green while I am walking up to the green. Mark my ball. Look at my putt down the line. Walk around and look from the other side. Try to walk on the high side of the putt back to my ball. Wait my turn. Pick my spot. Set the ball down all white side up. Reacquire my spot while taking my stance. Think speed looking at my spot. Eyes back down to the ball. No practice swings. Hit putt. Keep my head down just a bit longer than I want to. Look up and hopefully see the ball going in, or at least rolling past the cup to get a decent feel on how the putt will break coming back.
DJ - Since hearing Rory talk about it at the 2014 Open Championship, I’ve really liked the idea of “spot” putting – picking a spot somewhere in the line (usually at the apex) that the ball needs to roll over. There is no better feeling than having a 30-footer that you know is in with 20 feet to go because you rolled it over the pitch mark you were looking at.
Soly - First thing I do is start picturing the different ways it could go in. If I ram it, what would that line look like? Medium speed, what would that look like? Drip speed, what will that look like? That helps me decide where I’m going to line up the ProV1 arrow. I do not follow that line religiously, and it took me a while to get comfortable with that. It’s a guideline, and it does not have to be exactly right to be helpful. I’m still thinking about how to get the ball moving towards the hole with the best chance of going in. I then picture an empty sleeve of golf balls in front of my ball, and try to roll it straight through that on my line. I’ve already lined it up, the only thing I can do is hit the mark right in front of me, and the rest should take care of itself. It’s a lot easier to picture hitting the spot right in front of you than it is the hole in the distance.
I’ve recently started gripping it stronger with my hands farther on the underside of the grip. Last thought, just make it.
KVV - I’ve learned that I can’t get too technical. That doesn’t work for me. I’ve tried using a line on my ball and it’s a disaster. What does work best for me is just trying to focus on my start line. I actually love when greens have some sort of discoloration to them because I can pick out a dot three feet in front of me that I’m trying to roll the ball over on its way to the hole. If greens are perfect and green, it gets harder for me to envision a dot. Outside of that, just try to make square contact and trust my initial read.
Casey - I don’t try to think about anything too much. I find I play my best golf when I have no thoughts running through my head. But generally, I have a routine. I’ll walk up to mark my ball - if it is on the opposite side of the green, I will try to look at it from across as I go to mark it to get a sense of what the green is doing. Then I will mark it, and give it a look with my eyes from behind it to see if I can sense the break (if any). Then I usually will straddle the line about ⅓ and ⅔ of the way to the hole and feel it with my feet to try and confirm what my eyes see. I’ll pick a spot on the green to aim at, line up the line on my ball on that line, and get set up as Justin Hueber taught me last year - not too far away from the ball! Right hand on the grip first, then come in with the left. If it’s a long putt, I may take a practice stroke to test “speed” aka how far back I need to take the putter. Then I just take it back and let it go! I have learned that I need to trust my initial gut on the line and speed; they are usually pretty good. If I start second-guessing, that’s when the bad stuff happens.
Ben - Terrible answer here but not much. Line is always on my mind - be it a spot to hit or one side of the hole. I spend a lot of time walking around the hole to make my best guess at the line. Once I am over the ball, all I think about is trying to flush the putt. I consider pace to be all feel and athleticism so I truly don’t think about that at all.
Neil - I’ve really struggled with consistency in my putting stroke over the years, and you know what hasn’t helped? Seeing it on camera a lot. I get in my own head about how it looks; how long and slow my follow through has been, how it almost looks like I will double hit the putt, how quickly my head comes up to peak at the ball. I become way too conscious of my stroke over the ball, and that leads to a bad stroke as I “try” too hard to make a “good” stroke (often a stroke that’s imitating what I think it should look like on camera).
Yes, it becomes a vicious cycle where I’m thinking about everything but making the putt. Lately, I’ve found success with a combination of two ideas. The first is Brad Faxon’s concept of continuous motion. Making my putting more of an athletic endeavor by continuing to move my feet and hands before pulling the putter back has freed me up to focus more on making putts instead of making good putting strokes. The second change is sticking to a consistent pre-putt routine and not worrying about if my practice putting stroke feels good or not. Sometimes this pre-putt routine changes round to round, but I’ve been good about maintaining the consistency of the routine throughout the round I’m playing. A key component of this is staring at the hole during practice strokes to ensure I’m not analyzing the practice stroke before my putt.
Jordan - You know those extremely pixelated memes with 2000s clip art? That’s what my brain turns into every time I try to line up a putt: an epic, noisy disaster. I read greens as well as the text usually appears in those pictures, so I really just zero in on my putting stroke and hope for the best. It works…fine until I’m so mentally broken by three putts that the meme turns into a grainy, unidentifiable chain letter.
Randy- Great question! I really had to think about this. And unlike my former self, I’m no longer needing to mentally miss any putts. Instead, I try to ‘see’ the putt as best I can either standing behind the ball or squatting behind it. I want to picture how a putt that goes in will roll and move towards the hole. Then, feeling comfortable with that, I’ll try to pick out a general starting point, usually in reference to the cup (cup outside left, right edge, etc). Moving over the ball, I shift my focus to the speed of the putt and try to feel the proper weight. Once I feel good there, I line up as best as can (sometimes I’ll adjust my initial read standing over the ball), and away we go. I’ve found that when all else fails, if I can hit putts with proper pace good things usually happen.
What’s a TV show you’ve never seen, but wish you could make time for? Could be a classic or something lighthearted.
Tron - Oh gosh, this would be easier if we were doing what’s a TV show you have seen. I’ve never seen The Sopranos, Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Veep, The Simpsons, The West Wing, Friends, Lost, The X-Files, Six Feet Under, Atlanta, Homeland, whole seasons of Mad Men, etc. etc. etc. When I dive in, I really dive in (Curb, The Wire, Succession), but I really don’t watch that much TV and when I do it’s either American Experience-type PBS stuff, Top Chef, or documentaries. So on that front, two that I’m going to commit to watching all the way through are Arrested Development (bc I’ve loved the dozen or so episodes I’ve seen) and Mad Men (to piece together the arc of the entire series).
Cody - Sorry KVV, but The Wire.
Soly - Sopranos. (Ducks.)
DJ - Also Sopranos. (I’m so, so sorry.)
KVV - Better Call Saul. I think some of my reluctance in diving into this is the way people talk about Breaking Bad. I liked BB a great deal. It was an entertaining watch. It also annoys me when people place it on the same tier as The Wire, The Sopranos, Succession, The Leftovers, Deadwood. It shouldn’t annoy me. People should be allowed to like what they like. I realize even voicing that opinion makes me a snob. But Breaking Bad was not as good as any of those shows. I hear Better Call Saul is, to many, even better, and that it might be more my speed, but I just can’t sit down and commit to it.
Casey - I haven’t seen a lot of what people consider “prestige” TV. The Wire and Game of Thrones come to mind. Lost is another one. But I have no desire to sit down and watch any of those now, either. I started The Curse and I really want to finish that one. I started Emily in Paris because I wanted something light that was nice to look at as I have been packing up things in the house and that fit the bill.
Ben - The Wire comes to mind for me here. I think I would still love it but we have a firm rule in this house - no shows more than 5 years old may be watched when we are together. I’d also like to watch Game of Thrones since everyone around me has seen it but it feels like too steep a hill to climb.
Neil - Mad Men. I’ve started it twice. The first time it was a little slow for me, but I was willing to give it another try. The second time the show became a casualty of too many streaming platforms (circa 2021). I can’t remember if it was on Paramount+, AMC+, Hulu (with or without live sports), or some other now-non-existent streaming platform. I remember refusing to pay for another service and getting very frustrated with the ad breaks. I will try to give it another shot in the future if it becomes a little easier to watch!
Jordan - I don’t watch a lot of TV, and I really wish I was better at it. I know it’s super basic, but I had an aversion to Friends for a long time until one time on a trip I needed TV noise to not feel so alone. I wasn’t really paying much attention to it – but I found the color palette extremely relaxing. I’d like to sit down one day and give it my undivided attention. I’ll also add The Wire, which I got a few episodes into and enjoyed. Unfortunately, at my pace, I probably won’t finish it until about 2045. That’s not a knock on The Wire. The truth? I struggle to watch live-action, fictional TV unless I’ve got someone watching with me (I don’t have this problem with movies). I typically watch a lot of YouTube or anime. Here’s my answer for the anime people: One Piece.
Randy- I’ve never watched “The Sopranos” all the way through, so I guess that’s my answer.
Are you a cat person, a dog person, both or neither? Explain your reasons.
Tron - Dogs. Period. Point blank. We currently have Julius Peppers (1-year-old Australian Shepherd), and have said goodbye to two mini Aussies that Alex had since before we even met, River and Rugby. Neil and I grew up with Labs. I’m highly allergic to cats, which is fine, because I don’t really understand the point of cats - they’re so emotionally detached and standoffish. I love the way dogs take on the personality of their owners, their undying loyalty and empathy, and how much fun we have with ours in the neighborhood and at the beach. Truly a best friend.
Cody - Dogs. I am very allergic to cats. And I don't understand people's fascination with them.
DJ - Dog person. I’ve had dogs since I was a kid and it’s hard to picture life without them at this point. They just make me happy. My wife and I laugh at least once a week about the idea that two small, furry creatures just live inside our house and roam around as they please. It’s the best.
Soly - Have gone from neither to a cat person since meeting my wife. She had a senior lady cat when I met her and she quickly became my buddy in her final years. I was amazed at how heartbroken I was when we put her down. We now have two young cats that are very entertaining and make us laugh and are relatively easy to take care of.
KVV - I grew up a dog person, but as an adult, I subconsciously decided I had very little interest in pets. Too much work and worry. My wife, however, talked me into adopting a cat. He slowly won me over. She added a second cat while I was away on a work trip, pretending that we were just “fostering” him. I learned to love him fairly quickly, so we kept him, which I suspect was the plan all along. Now I’m a cat guy. Life comes at you fast.
Casey - 100% a cat person. I had dogs growing up (a black lab and an Irish setter), and I loved them, but there is no way I could have a dog in my adult life. I’m not home enough at all. I always loved my grandmom’s Persian cats and finally, after I got married and my husband and I bought our own house, I finally was able to convince him to get a cat. We got a Siamese cat which we named Rhett in 2004, and he was a lunatic. We loved him so much and quickly learned he needed a friend, so we adopted Murray, a brown tabby, from the local shelter. They were like dogs - they would always greet us at the door and hang out with us. A great duo. We ended up with another Siamese after my grandmother passed (it was her cat, so we adopted it). Two years later, a small black stray was hanging in our driveway, and my husband joked as we pulled in that if I could pet the cat we could keep the cat, knowing that they usually run as soon as you pull in the driveway. This one didn’t move and just jumped into the car when we opened up the doors to get the groceries out. All of a sudden we were a 4 cat household. Some of our older cats have passed on, but we also got some new kittens from a rescue my mom works with back in 2020, and we are currently a 3 cat household (and holding). Those furballs are the best. I love other people's dogs, but I could not see us ever having one in our own household at this time.
Ben - Massive dog person. I consider my dog to be a part of the family and I treat him as such. The love you can receive in return from your dog is unmatched. I am also allergic to cats so that solves that riddle.
Neil - Dog person, and specifically, lab lover. In theory, I like the idea of cats: self-sufficient, smart and clean, but I am allergic to most cats, so for that reason, I’m out.
Jordan - Nothing against cats, but the family pet has always been a dog. Our current dog was my “replacement” when I went off to college – nearly five years after, we all affectionately refer to her as my co-worker. Every day, she’ll wander in the office waiting for me to sit at my chair so she can plop down in her respective spot. Seriously, she’s the greatest. She’s seen me at my best and my worst and has never strayed from my side.
Randy- Have never been either, but I’m headed towards being a dog person. I really like the idea of a built-in reason to go for at least a couple walks each day, while also maybe having a companion to fetch some throws. Shedding scares me though. We’ll see…
Who possesses your favorite swing on the LPGA or LET Tours? Why do you like it?
Tron - Minjee Lee. There’s nothing that can go wrong there. As much as I’m drawn to the power of Brooke Henderson, Linn Grant and Patty Tavatanakit, those swings also feel more like Lamborghinis that you’ve gotta get serviced a lot, whereas Minjee’s is a perfect blend of efficiency, simplicity, tempo and aesthetics. The way Minjee uses her core and gets her front hip through is aspirational.
Cody - Dumbo! In Gee Chun has aspirational tempo. I would take some speed from Nelly, Patty or Maja. But it is In Gee for me.
DJ - As someone with a terminal lack of tempo, I think often about the afternoon spent at Stanford filming Rose Zhang as she hit wedges for an hour. I can’t tell you much about swing positions or how power is generated, but I know that’s the tempo a golf swing is supposed to be.
Soly - I peeked at Ben’s answer and now I can’t get past answering Maja Stark as well. Particularly the way she leans the shaft at address. That’s something I’ve been specifically working on and a feel I try to mimic, so I’d have to say her at the moment.
KVV - I don’t love how Nelly Korda’s swing is constant engagement bait on social media, particularly when it’s used by accounts that don’t even cover the women’s game, but if I’m being truthful, her swing is really fun to watch. She reminds me of Adam Scott, to be honest, a swing so beautiful, so aesthetically pleasing, you can’t help but wish it would produce more wins. Runner up for me might be Linn Grant. I just love her combination of grace and power.
Casey - I know it’s the stock answer, but Nelly Korda is the answer here. I watch it to remind myself that my own backswing is WAY too long 🙂
Ben - Maja Stark by a mile. Her swing is perfection in my eyes. So fluid, consistent motion, compact and oozing with power. Put me down for Maja Stark more majors than Nelly Korda.
Neil - It’s Nelly Korda, and I don’t care if that’s a stock answer. I may feel this way solely because of these epic slo-mo videos Jeff Marsh created at the 2023 Solheim Cup. I think I’ve watched that video 20 times. I find it mesmerizing how on plane Nelly’s swing is and how square she delivers the club face. I aspire to drop my right elbow down into the slot the way Nelly does from the top of her backswing.
Jordan - Yes, Rose Zhang might be a stock answer too, but I struggle to articulate just how cinematic it was to sit and watch her hit her irons into the Manhattan skyline just days into her professional golf career. Weeks later, I found out that jaw-dropping tempo has always been thing from her long-time swing coach George Pinnell. I struggle to see my answer changing any time soon.
Randy- This is a fantastic question! My game is built around tempo and timing, thus those are the types of golf swings I tend to admire the most. With that said, the best tempo I’ve seen out on the LPGA or LET belongs to Amy Yang. Here’s two minutes of her swinging.
Social media can be a gigantic dumpster fire. Who is someone you actually enjoy following and why?
Tron - I follow a lot of cooking, golf, aviation, weather, photographer and fishing accounts on instagram. My favorite instagram follow right now is @hoodfishing_entertainment - he’s down in South Florida and absolutely crushes east coast, west coast, lakes, in-shore, off-shore, you name it. The variety and volume is wild, and he’s got a unique flair about him. An honorable mention is the US Department of the Interior account (@usinterior), which is well-curated and offers regular reminders of how cool our national parks and public lands are.
Cody - Zack Massey on IG. He is the creative director for Luke Combs. I enjoy following them while on tour, concert pictures and reels, and they always end up playing golf somewhere. The other is Emmie Sperandeo. She is a horse trainer in Montana who goes about everything her own way. These are both on IG. I only get on X to check golf stuff and what the LIV bots are saying.
DJ - Getting back into baseball the past few years has been really fun, so I’m now discovering all the accounts other baseball fans have loved for years. I’m fascinated every time @PitchingNinja posts overlays of how different pitches break at different points and how guys disguise certain things.
Soly - So I actually created my own Reds-related Twitter account this offseason, and find myself just greatly enjoying a myriad of folks over there. There’s great function to the X app with baseball, as people are constantly mining the minor leagues for updates on the top prospects, and it’s pretty damn wholesome as you’re all rooting for the same thing. The golf side has gotten so toxic that I dread opening up the NLU Twitter account, and find myself spending more and more time on the baseball side. There are too many accounts to name that do awesome work there, but it’s greatly helped me get back in touch with my love of baseball.
KVV - I don’t really follow the NBA much anymore, but @DragonFlyJonez makes me laugh as frequently as anyone still posting on Twitter. I feel like I grasp the important parts of the NBA — the making fun of certain players and coaches — without having to consume many of the games.
Casey - On Twitter, I tend to really just keep track of baseball and what’s going on in Philly and try to tune out the rest. On IG, I want to hype up Railcar Fine Goods - Steven and his wife have built up their dream business, first as a side hustle that went quickly to a full-time gig. Making raw denim jeans and other workwear and running a retail shop that sells the same. I used to work in women’s denim design and production during my time at Urban Outfitters, and Railcar’s work always impressed me. They are around my age, they like the same kinds of music I do, his wife also used to work for Urban Outfitters, and they do social media really well for a small niche brand. Last time I was in LA I made it a point to get out to their shop and they were just the nicest humans ever, giving me a tour of their production facility, talking shop, etc… The account isa promotion for the shop/brand, but also Steven’s personal IG showing off his cooking, working on cars, restoring campers, etc… I think they do a great job of goofy “trending” IG/TikTok stuff, but making it their own in a way that always makes me chuckle.
Ben - Of course, I love to watch all things _tonypindc. His unironic expression of himself and the “young businessman” makes me smile. I also get a kick out of watching jerseyyjoe and his wildly east coast dance moves. My favorite follow right now is @orlalifeboat on TikTok. It is a series about a young guy building a tiny home out of an old life boat. It can be a little heavy on the metaphors of life but I really enjoy watching this guy have a dream, solve problems and go chase it.
Neil - Among all the hustle porn and 10 steps to wealth and fame threads I get served in the Twitter “for you” section, I stumbled across @TomasPueyo last month. He does really interesting interactive maps of how geography impacts politics, conflicts, and economics around the world. I find maps and geography fascinating especially when applied to modern issues. Here are all his geography threads in one place.
Jordan - These are very silly answers, but I love VGAdvisor/Video Game Advisor on Twitter/X, which is a collection of (typically) text-based screenshots from video games from any generation that offer profound insight or the most ridiculous deadpan ever. Instagram? EliteSonicFan. The template is simple but hilarious: Self-deprecating rhetoric in colored text next to a photo of Sonic the Hedgehog.
Randy- Don’t have a great answer for this. I have taken a very concerted step back from twitter, but I’d say my favorite follow on there is NYT film critic Richard Brody. He skewers about every new popular movie while writing about in-depth aspects of the craft which are completely over my head. On Instagram, I thought for a while and realized my favorite follow is Joey Votto. His weird sense of humor always brings a little laughter and light onto my timeline.
What’s one meal/recipe that someone in your family made as you were growing up that you loved unequivocally and would bring a smile to your face if you walked in the door today and learned it was being made just for you?
Tron - My mom’s shrimp and grits - made it for me every birthday dinner and I adored it.
Cody - My mom’s chicken fried steak. It is the same as all others, but the meat was raised and processed by us. Pounded and breaded by mom, cooked in grandpa’s cast iron and served with mashed potatoes and homemade gravy. Sign me up.
DJ - I have no idea where she picked it up, but my grandma would make these classic French-style paper-thin crepes when I was a kid that have stuck with me my whole life. She passed away a while ago and it had probably been almost 20 years since I had them. Justine and I dedicated a Saturday morning recently to figuring out how to make them and the first bite was a massive wave of nostalgia.
Soly - Man it’s simple, but taco night. Ground beef, cheese, and a hard shell. Having a kid now, it’s wild how differently I look back at so much stuff from my childhood with a different appreciation. My mom made so much freaking food for us, and we made life way harder on her by being super picky eaters. But taco night was an easy one for everyone and it always left everyone happy.
KVV - My mom’s spaghetti. (Shoutout Eminem.) It always made me happy. The first time I made dinner for my wife, I told her I was making spaghetti and she couldn’t resist rolling her eyes a little, assuming I was going to dump Prego or Ragu jar sauce on some rubbery noodles. Instead, I started whipping up spices and herbs and garlic and crushed tomatoes. It was a big win. So thanks, mom.
Casey - Crepe Soup - thin savory crepes sprinkled with Kraft shaker cheese, rolled up, and put into a beef broth with some shredded chuck roast. You used your spoon to cut the crepes into ribbons that were like noodles then in that broth. My grandmom made it for every holiday. Since she passed, I have taken over the reigns making it now every Thanksgiving at our house. Also, honorary mention - plain pie crust strips. I love pie crust and she would always make an extra batch of the dough just to cut into strips for me to eat sans pie. My mom still does this for me whenever she makes a pie to bring over.
Ben - My family always embraced dinner time. It was the one no-exception time for everyone to be together. Every Sunday, my mom would roast a full chicken, make mashed potatoes and gravy and what we called “mushy broccoli” (basically a rough broccoli puree with tons of butter and salt - not healthy at all). This has always been my standard for Sunday dinner. I crave this meal and look forward to bringing this to my family.
Neil - It is a tie between two meals:
- Peggy Schuster’s meatloaf
- Peggy Schuster’s brunswick stew and stromboli combo
Jordan - My mom made a few traditional Cuban dishes when I was growing up, and my favorite was her Fricase de Pollo. It’s a chicken stew drowning in onion, garlic (there’s never enough), red peppers, potatoes, and a red tomatoey sauce. A side of white rice and it’s perfect! Her flan is also immaculate.
Randy - My mom’s chili! Nothing beats that first bowl when it gets cold in October. It’s something I always used to look forward to, and still do. And the good news is it’s such a simple recipe that I make it for myself now. (Brown 1lb hamburger, add 1 package McCormicks chili seasoning. Into a pot add the seasoned meat along with 1 large can of diced tomatoes and 1 smaller can of dark red kidney beans. Let simmer for 30 minutes and enjoy. Option to add jalapeno, onions, etc.).