Monthly Archives: May 2015

Spending a Special Occasion in Savannah

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Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of Sidney and I dating. Wanting to celebrate the milestone in style, we decided to go on a trip. We chose historic Savannah, Georgia, to commemorate a very special year.

A four-hour drive from Myrtle Beach, we left home early on Saturday morning. By 11 a.m. we rolled into Savannah. The first thing we noticed was the beautiful Spanish Moss that grows wildly throughout the whole city. The unique vegetation literally hangs down from everywhere, including the roadways. You drive the streets and you have a green ceiling with Spanish Moss growing above you.

You can see the Spanish Moss dangling above in the photo I took on the left. The photo on the right that I took shows what most of the streets in Savannah look like.

You can see the Spanish Moss dangling above in the photo I took on the left. The photo on the right that I took shows what most of the streets in Savannah look like.

We drove straight to the historical downtown area. Upon parking we checked out a couple stores, including one gem where I had the pleasure of sampling many different kinds of tupelo honey. We then strolled into the visitor’s bureau. With such an old and important American city, we wanted to receive the best possible introduction to Savannah and we thought no better way to do that than with a tour. Although the center pulled at me with several different haunted tours, we decided to go on an open-air trolley excursion. We bought our tickets and off we went.

I had the pleasure of trying these different tupelo honeys.

I had the pleasure of trying these different tupelo honeys.

The 90-minute tour conducted by Old Savannah Tours took us to 16 stops across the beautiful downtown landscape. Our tour guide, Omer, did a wonderful job explaining every detail about Savannah history. We had the joy of seeing amazing 300-year-old mansions, famous cemeteries, the busy waterfront street, the oldest African-American congregation in the nation, a couple other notable churches, and the amazing different squares of Savannah.

Some of the images from our tour! (clockwise starting in the top left corner: St. John's Cathedral, a pirate that hopped on at one of the spots, Madison Square, Sidney and I on the trolley).

Some of the images from our tour! (clockwise starting in the top right corner: St. John’s Cathedral, a pirate that hopped on at one of the spots, Madison Square, Sidney and I on the trolley).

Ah yes, the squares! Downtown Savannah is characterized by numerous different green park/garden areas called squares. Each one is vibrantly beautiful and named after a hero from the 1700’s. In the middle of each square you will find a statue of its namesake and more often than not a fountain. Sidney and I had an affinity toward the one square that happened to be named after a battle instead of a person, Chippewa Square. You see, this was the area where all the “Forrest Gump” bench scenes were filmed. Later in the day we went back to the square and took a photo and pointed out spots that we recognized from the movie.

Sidney and I hung out in Chippewa Square, a place that is featured prominently in "Forrest Gump." Many of you will recognize the lions.

Sidney and I hung out in Chippewa Square, a place that is featured prominently in “Forrest Gump.” Many of you will recognize the lions.

When the tour ended, we went and enjoyed a snack. We visited the Moon Brewing Company where we sat out on the restaurant’s patio. It was a magnificently gorgeous day in Savannah and the area was filled with other folks like us wanting to take advantage of the prime people watching opportunities and nourishing sun rays. Sidney and I enjoyed a plate of nachos and a couple beers. Because Savannah allows for people to consume alcoholic beverages out on the streets, we ordered a couple of to-go beverages.

After our time on the restaurant’s patio, we hit up the Colonial Cemetery. As someone who adores graveyards, I almost couldn’t contain my excitement in this one. Most everyone buried on the grounds died in the 1700’s. Many of the tombstones you couldn’t even read because time had completely swept away the epitaphs. A good portion of the deceased rested in underground crypts. These burial arrangements sometimes contained up to 40 family members. A family representative would be responsible for taking the bones of older family members and placing them in a large bucket so newly deceased members could be laid to rest in the space that was once occupied by an intact body. You could sense the history while walking on the grounds.

Some images from Colonial Cemetery. As you can see, many of the tombstones you can't even read. In the top right hand image you see one of the crypts that dominate the cemetery.

Some images from Colonial Cemetery. As you can see, many of the tombstones you can’t even read. In the top right hand image you see one of the crypts that dominate the cemetery.

Once we left the cemetery we looked at other sites around Savannah. Needing to check in at the hotel and get ready for the night, I made sure we made one last stop before doing so…we paid a visit to the fifth best ice cream parlor in the world. Called Leopold’s, the 1919 shop was recognized as one of the best on the planet in 2011. Obviously other tourists knew about this distinction as well because we spent about 30 minutes outside of the shop in line. Once we got in I had a scoop of a flavor called Chocolate Peanut Butter Chippy and Sidney had a milkshake. While my ice cream was very good, I have had better before.

We enjoyed a cold treat at one of the best ice cream parlors in the world.

We enjoyed a cold treat at one of the best ice cream parlors in the world. On the left, that is the line we waited in for 30 minutes.

We stayed in a hotel about 15 minutes away from downtown. Like most of Savannah it was old yet charming. We checked in and showered and then headed back to the historical area. As night fell we strolled down the waterfront street. We went inside The Peanut Shop, a store solely devoted to peanuts! They had a Hot Sriracha flavor that I wanted to purchase but as the store was closing for the day, I decided not to. I plan to see if I can order a can online.

Sidney in front of The Peanut Shop.

Sidney in front of The Peanut Shop.

For our anniversary dinner, we ate at Paula Deen’s own restaurant called Lady & Sons. Sidney had been looking forward to eating here all trip and it did not disappoint. Specializing in Southern fare, the place was packed with passionate Paula Deen fans. When our name was called we took an elevator to the third floor of the restaurant. We had the option to indulge in a buffet stocked with Southern staples but we didn’t want to hate ourselves so we ordered from the menu. I had the chicken pot pie while Sidney had shrimp. While we waited, a staff member came over and gave us each a hoe cake and a cheddar jalapeno biscuit. The hoe cake was a little slice of heaven and the biscuit was heavy and fresh. Our entrees both tasted great, but boxes were needed.

Sidney and I in the Lady & Sons waiting room, my chicken pot pie, and Sidney with her dish.

Sidney and I in the Lady & Sons waiting room, my chicken pot pie, and Sidney with her dish.

We walked out of the restaurant and into the Savannah evening, a time in the city immortalized by lyrics to a Tim McGraw song. We would make it back to the hotel later that night, concluding a wonderful day that capped a wonderful year with my beautiful girlfriend. For the way that Savannah marked this special occasion for Sidney and I, the city will always have a special place in my heart. Don’t Blink.

The Fake Brent Reser

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NOTE:  I published this post at 6:30 p.m. on May 14. By midnight, the fake Brent Reser profile had been removed by Facebook. Thanks to everyone for reporting the account. Facebook acted very swiftly.

As someone who has a professional career in social media and who takes his personal brand very seriously, what I saw last night almost made me vomit. My friend in Montana sent me a couple screen captures of a Facebook profile. The images I glimpsed at made me a little uptight.

This particular profile belonged to a guy named Brent Reser. Hmmmm…funny. I know that name and I know that person. Only this was not Brent’s Facebook page that I have grown to love. While the cover photo and profile photo depicted the image of the only Brent Reser I know, something wasn’t right. What was going on?

Okay, enough of the sarcasm. My friend had sent me images of a Facebook page using my name and likeness. I scrolled through the screenshots wondering if my friend was playing a joke on me. After I coached him through on how to provide me with the URL for the page it became clear that he wasn’t. I visited the page myself and saw that an impostor Brent Reser was out there “living” in New York City.

Here is my fake profile that exists on Facebook.

Here is my fake profile that exists on Facebook (please don’t send a friend request).

I was upset that someone had decided to create a Facebook profile using myself. As I know I am the only Brent Reser on the planet (it’s true) and as I have already met my double once before, there was no question that this Facebook page was a complete scam. Someone out there was tarnishing the honest work I devoted to establishing my personal brand on the world wide web. You bet I was angry.

Yes, I know Brent and he doesn't live in New York City nor is he from Columbia, South Carolina.

Yes, I know Brent and he doesn’t live in New York City nor is he from Columbia, South Carolina.

But soon my mini rage turned to laughter. I started reading some of the bizarre statuses on the page:
* Drinking coffee (I don’t drink coffee).
* Knicks are worse than ever…P.J. do something! #diaster (I know how to spell “disaster.”).
* Motivates me to fight with this weather – Listening to Bob Marley (I hate Bob Marley).
* Xmassss (Do you mean Christmas?).

A look at some of the fake content generated by "me." I have seen "The Longest Ride" but I have not read it.

A look at some of the fake content generated by “me.” I have seen “The Longest Ride” but I have not read it.

The complete random photos used to make up my mock profile also gave me a chuckle. They had all somehow been lifted from my Instagram account over a two week period in late November and early December. I then took a look at my 300+ “friends.” All weird, random people. I decided to look at my “interests.” I had liked several different pages of New York sports teams. I had also liked obscure no-name athletes such as Carlos Reutemann and Pat Cash. I liked a public figure named Sergio Tacchini and a business called Christmas Ice Caverns. It was all a complete farce.

The random photos pulled from my Instagram account to be used on my fake Facebook profile.

The random photos pulled from my Instagram account to be used on my fake Facebook profile.

My theory is that some low-life con artist is using my information (including the information of thousands of others) to create fake Facebook profiles. He/she is then selling “likes” or “friends” on Facebook to businesses or celebrities looking to take a shortcut when it comes to building their social media channels.

Some of the fake garbage.

Some of the fake garbage.

Although I still have a sense of humor about this whole thing, I do need to get this account deleted. Now that I have written this blog post (thanks for the topic you scammers) I will go about the proper channels in doing so. The URL of my imposter page is www.facebook.com/brent.reser.9 . If you are bored tonight, I would love it if you visited the page, clicked on the “floating dots” button right next to the message button on the cover photo, and select report this account.

If you have time, help me report this fake Brent Reser account.

If you have time, help me report this fake Brent Reser account.

They say imitation is the best form of flattery but that doesn’t apply here. A good reminder in all of this is to constantly check social media and the internet in general to make sure your name is not being taken advantage of. Although I wish everyone knew that I detest the music of Bob Marley and thus would dismiss the fake account when they saw it, I know this is not always the case. Be on the lookout! Don’t Blink.

Battle of the Mortarboards

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If I cornered you and made you tell me the first thing you notice at a typical college graduation I am pretty sure of the answer. Admit it, you would reply with graduation caps! In recent years, mortarboard art has exploded at ceremonies across the country. Students have embraced both self-expression and their artistic side to create bold and colorful statements on the top of commencement headgear. To many students, it is a big deal.

Coastal Carolina University is no different from other colleges in the nation. Our students love to decorate their caps and proudly show them off on graduation day. For photographers and social media marketers, we appreciate the passion that creative students bring to this art form. You see, it gives us another angle to cover besides boring images of the commencement speaker, similar-looking photos of students flashing their diplomas, and generic venue shots. The option to sprinkle in mortarboard art throughout graduation coverage provides a breath of fresh air.

Our students go all out decorating their graduation caps. This photo was taken during the Wall College of Business graduation ceremony on Friday.

Our students go all out decorating their graduation caps. This photo was taken during the Wall College of Business graduation ceremony on Friday.

Over the course of the four graduation ceremonies this past weekend, I made sure to feature enough creative caps to liven up the overall story of our 2015 #CCU Spring Commencement. However, I made sure not to over-do it and make the significant moment excessively about weirdly-shaped hats with colors, bows, and beads on them.

As someone who has a lot of respect for teachers, I thought this cap was really cool.

As someone who has a lot of respect for teachers, I thought this cap was really cool.

But when Monday came around and it had been over 48 hours since the last student crossed the stage, I decided to make #CCUSocialMedia devoted to mortarboard art. I took 40 images depicting the best decorated hats from the weekend and threw them into a Facebook album. I then instructed our social media audience to vote for their favorite cap by liking the image. Voters could like as many of the photos as they wanted. I set the contest deadline for today at 5 p.m. and promised the graduate with the most votes a Chanticleer prize pack.

This was the Facebook post that went out explaining the contest.

This was the Facebook post that went out explaining the contest.

It didn’t take long for our young graduates to get competitive. I didn’t tell anyone that I was doing this contest. However, as soon as I made the promotion live, word spread and any former student who had their cap featured in the competition immediately knew. A lot of sharing, liking, and campaigning took place over the course of the next 27 hours.

Although it didn't come close to winning, I thought the "Little Mermaid" cap was cool.

Although it didn’t come close to winning, I thought the “Little Mermaid” cap was cool.

When 5 p.m. hit today I announced our winner. Garnering over 1,300 likes is the cap below this paragraph. To be honest, I don’t even know what this technique is called but I think it might be rhinestoning? I saw that word mentioned on the comment thread. I also gathered from the comments that something like this had to have taken a very long time. Again, I am not privy to the great effort it takes to supposedly create a design like this but wonderful job to Chandler Parnell, the proud owner of the mortarboard.

Chandler Parnell won the grand prize with over 1,300 likes for this hat.

Chandler Parnell won the grand prize with over 1,300 likes for this hat.

I decided to offer a second place prize too. I must say that I totally missed the boat on this one as well. I had never heard the term “Bye Felicia” until I looked it up last night when the image started to gain a great deal of its 530 likes. For those who are as clueless as me, it is a phrase from the movie “Friday.”

With 530 votes, this cap took second place. I didn't understand the "Bye Felicia" reference until I looked it up last night.

With 530 votes, this cap took second place. I didn’t understand the “Bye Felicia” reference until I looked it up last night.

Several other images earned over 300 likes. It was fun to see what graduates were saying to motivate their friends and family to vote. Our album was shared 85 times and people with absolutely no connection to any of the hats expressed how much they loved the idea of the contest and the creativity of our former students.

I know college commencement season is just now heating up so we can expect thousands (maybe millions) of more cool mortarboards to be proudly worn on the heads of graduates. Maybe if all university social media managers did a similar type of contest, we could take all the winners from different schools and offer a national graduation cap championship. How cool would that be? Don’t Blink.

Working Hard to Succeed at Public Speaking

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Last Thursday I touched on how I presented at the Coastal Carolina University Board of Trustees meeting. Even for the seasoned executive officer countless steps above me at our university, standing up in front of this group can cause nerves. Talking in front of the people who oversee the governance of our institution is a tall order. Throw in the President sitting front and center along with media members listening in on every word and you can imagine how speaking at a board meeting could possibly leave you sleepless the night before.

Lucky for me, I managed to hold my own when I took the podium. Words came out, Powerpoint worked, and the room applauded.

I am not a natural public speaker. I am so envious of the people who can talk in front of large groups on a whim. You just call their name and they hop up on stage and articulate, charm, and impress. If I could pick my talents, I would definitely choose effortless public speaking as one of them.

Ever since I was young I had to amply work on presentations and speeches well before my date up in front of the class. Plenty of time would be spent in my parents’ kitchen rehearsing my lines while the microwave timer counted the length of my spiel. For the most part my preparation would pay off and my presentations would go well. However, while a sophomore in high school I learned that I could never be too prepared.

I was in a combined honors English/history class. The end of the year assignment was to get up in front of the class and deliver a talk on globalization. As an aid we were able to use just a small post-it note to use as a guide. I thought I practiced enough but I knew in my heart that I did not have a good verbal grasp on the concept at the time. I went up in front of the roughly 50 students who comprised that class and stumbled through the presentation. At one point I even awkwardly paused mid-speech as the words just wouldn’t come out. It was an embarrassing ordeal.

From that moment on I made sure that I would never go into a speaking engagement underprepared again. Whenever I was to talk in front of people I made sure to go overboard on getting ready for the big date. My determination to not have another sophomore moment served me well. I got through the rest of high school, aced public speaking class in college, and adequately performed in front of groups big/small/casual/important since starting my professional career. While my confidence has grown, my tendency to take any speech lightly has not.

In order for me to be impactful while speaking in front of people I need to practice. I also need to visualize. I spend a good amount of time thinking about what the room is going to look like, where people will be sitting, and what I will need to do to make sure my technology works. I might stress myself out but I have learned that in the end it is absolutely worth it.

No, I will never be able to naturally light up a room and have everyone rolling on the floor in laughter at a second’s notice. However, I have developed the skills to speak professionally and persuasively in important situations. For me, it just takes work. Don’t Blink.

Mama’s Boy

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Just yesterday, Sidney and I were having a drink at a bar when she started talking about how she is a daddy’s girl. She talked about it a little bit and then said to me, “But you are totally a mama’s boy.”

I found her comment a tad bit surprising. I followed up by asking if she really thought so and she confirmed it. The topic eventually changed. It did get me thinking though. I picture a mamma’s boy as someone like Bobby Boucher from “The Waterboy.” You know, a kind of an awkward sort who relies on his mom for everything and who in turn lets her rule over his life as if he were a toddler. I definitely don’t think I am at that level.

My mom and I at the beach earlier this year.

My mom and I at the beach earlier this year.

Today I turned to the internet for a definition. Wikipedia explains a “mama’s boy” as a term for a man who is excessively attached to his mother at an age when men are expected to be independent. I mean, to a degree I am attached to my mom but I don’t know about “excessively.” Also, I do feel I am independent, especially while living 3,000 miles away from her house in Spokane.

I then turned to Urban Dictionary. The top definition was this: Some loser who takes orders from his mom constantly like a little bitch. They actually got worse from there. It is true that I sometimes take orders from my mom. Just a few weeks ago she pretty much ordered me not to go to a fortune teller and I complied. But constantly? No, I don’t think that fits me.

These definitions were missing the mark when it came to the relationship between my mom and I.

These definitions were missing the mark when it came to the relationship between my mom and I.

Thankfully the internet is chock-full of lists that will help identify mama boys. In one article meant for women to use to see whether their boyfriend is a mama’s boy, seven reasons were given. They were (separated by slashes): He talks to her every day/He refers to her all the time/He compares you to her/She feeds & cleans for him/He tells her private things about you/She plays a role in his choices/He doesn’t defend you.

That list really missed the mark with me. Five of the indicators don’t describe me at all. If “talking to her every day” means text messaging I would say I am guilty of that. Also, I would say that my mom plays a role in some of my major choices but I am also very prone to just going with my gut as well. With this article totally missing on most cylinders, I told myself that I don’t fit the societal definition of a mama’s boy.

The list of seven things to indicate a mama's boy fell flat with me.

The list of seven things to indicate a mama’s boy fell flat with me.

But if a new definition for mama’s boy came out and described such a person as someone who sends his mom cards through the mail at an alarming rate, it would fit me. Or if it implied that a mama’s boy is one who calls her up whenever the refrigerator makes a funny noise or he doesn’t know what setting to use the washer and dryer with certain clothes I would say I am that guy. Or if it pinpointed such a human as a dude who texts her every single morning with a quote, I would be a mama’s boy.

If it had a clause that demanded that at least one or two Skype sessions a week take place, I could find some understanding in it. If the definition noted that a mama’s boy still asks his mother to send him some of her baked goods across the country every now and then, I would say it accurately depicts me. If it specified that such a person still receives texts and calls from his mom asking if he is okay just because he is battling a cold, I would accept it.

If it noted that a mama’s boy will call his mom on her landline the minute after her cell phone goes unanswered I would concede that it describes me. Or if it meant that the mom would sheepishly tell his girlfriend to please take care of her son, it would make much more sense. Finally, if somewhere it said a little something about this so-called “mama’s boy” writing a corny blog post in honor of his mom on Mother’s Day I think I would throw up my hands and admit it out loud…I AM A MAMA’S BOY. 

If the definition said that a mama's boy is someone who both himself and his mom cry a little bit when they say goodbye as the son moves across the country, then I am one.

If the definition said that a mama’s boy is someone who both himself and his mom cry a little bit when they say goodbye as the son moves across the country, then I am one.

Happy Mother’s Day to my mom. There is not a more caring or selfless person out there. I love you and miss you, Mary Reser! Can’t wait to see you next month.

Sincerely,

Your Mama’s Boy
(Don’t Blink).

Big Speech, Big Goodbye, Big Appeal, Big Holiday, Big Mountain of Ice Cream

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Hello to all! It is that time of the week where I do a little thing I call the Thursday Rundown. What will the five topics be tonight?

Big Time Speech – This morning I delivered one of my more nerve-wracking public speaking engagements. A couple weeks ago my boss asked me to present at the Board of Trustees meeting regarding our social media efforts. I definitely felt a little tentative speaking in front of such an important and polished group. However, the honor and possibilities of such an opportunity greatly outweighed my nerves. I drafted up my presentation, sweated it out rehearsing last night, and then delivered it at around 10:30 a.m. today. I had butterflies before I went to the podium but once I reached it they all went away. At the conclusion of my presentation when a member told me the Board had taken notice of my work and then they all recognized me with applause it was probably one of the prouder moments of my young career.

This was me speaking this morning at the Board of Trustees meeting at Coastal Carolina University.

This was me speaking this morning at the Board of Trustees meeting at Coastal Carolina University.

One Talented Student – Today one of our student-workers said goodbye to us. Alexandra Morris will graduate on Saturday and I am sad to see her go. Throughout my years working with students I don’t think I have encountered someone as talented as her. A wiz in both writing and video with a deep interest in filmmaking, Alexandra has the luxury to take her career wherever she wants to. She produces amazing work and I can’t wait to see where she ends up.

I am going to miss Alexandra!

I am going to miss Alexandra!

Your Weekly Sean Carty Update – Coach Carty’s initial appeal has been presented to the principal at Mead High School and the waiting game has taken over. As the principal has five days to uphold or overturn, a decision should be coming soon. Although this level of the appeals process was never considered Carty’s strongest chance of getting it overturned (it was the principal who made the initial decision), there is always the chance. In fact, the belief is growing that the principal might just do what is right and overturn his original decision to help the district avoid further embarrassment.

Mother’s Day – This upcoming Sunday is Mother’s Day. Remember to celebrate your mom and make her feel special. Also, it is never against the rules to celebrate other moms as well. Someone taking full advantage of this is Sidney. She took the time to create a silhouette of each of her students and then displayed it in an elegant way on colored paper. The kids have a spot to write a short personal message to their mom. What a thoughtful thing to do on the part of Miss Mathis!

These are the super cool silhouettes that Sidney created for her students to give their moms.

These are the super cool silhouettes that Sidney created for her students to give their moms.

Ice Cream Mountain – At the end of the semester, Coastal hosts an event called Finals Frenzy. Our main dining hall opens up at 10 p.m. and welcomes study-deprived students inside to enjoy free food and prizes. Each year, a gigantic mountain of ice cream is created for students to indulge in. The thing is so huge that they have to prepare it in a kiddie swimming pool! Anyway, because of my love for ice cream, I must share a photo I took of it right before the first scoop was taken out.

This ice cream mountain is incredible! Now this isn't something I could do in five minutes.

This ice cream mountain is incredible! Now this isn’t something I could do in five minutes.

———-

Busy, busy weekend for me with four commencement ceremonies to work. I hope you all have a great couple days and I will touch base with you on Sunday. Don’t Blink.

Changing Plans

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Sometimes weather can really screw things up. With a Southern tropical storm threatening to hit the Myrtle Beach/Conway area this Saturday, a decision had to be made early this evening. Would our 2015 Coastal Carolina graduates distinguish themselves as the first class to graduate on our beautiful new teal turf or would the implementation of our severe weather plan be necessary?

Score this one for Mother Nature.

With the storm report worsening for our area, our President had to put the kibosh on commencement exercises taking place in Brooks Stadium. While we were set to continue as planned in rain, when you throw in the possibility of severe weather you must err on the side of caution.

Preparations had already started to make Brooks Stadium ready for commencement.

Preparations had already started to make Brooks Stadium ready for commencement.

Of course making the most logical move still stings a little bit, especially for the students. Many looked forward to the unique graduation setting for a long time so I do understand the frustration of going from the Surf Turf to indoors.

Instead of one general ceremony in the football stadium on Saturday morning, four ceremonies spread out on Friday and Saturday will take place in the HTC Center, our on-campus arena. The individual ceremonies will be grouped according to specific colleges (business and science on Friday, humanities and education on Saturday). Although the implementation of the alternative plan will heavily impact the travel itineraries of many visiting families, you must keep people safe.

Graduation will now take place in the HTC Center, our on-campus arena.

Graduation will now take place in the HTC Center, our on-campus arena.

My role in all of this? Well, it took a unified effort by our University Communication team to get out news of this major change today. As the final meeting to decide where and when commencement would take place, we had both scenarios ready to roll. The social media front went fine, much quieter than what I had anticipated. My bigger part in all of this will come on Friday and Saturday. Instead of working one ceremony, I will be working four. No matter to me though, I will have much more content to share as opposed to if it was just one ceremony.

Like I mentioned, I know this wasn’t the outcome our students wanted. But I ask them to look at the situation in a positive light. Each graduate will now have the opportunity to walk across the stage in a more intimate, shorter ceremony. Students who graduate on Friday will have the whole weekend to spend with their families without the hassle of attending a ceremony on Saturday. The first group of students on Saturday (humanities) will have the pleasure of listening to the commencement speaker. The second group will most likely enjoy the most organized and flawless ceremony ever…after the fourth time it is pretty much down to a science, right?

Graduation will still go on, diplomas will still be awarded, and memories will still be made. Don’t Blink.

When Grown Adults Get Weird

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Yesterday social media was abuzz with Star Wars Day. More likely than not, you probably observed on either Facebook or Twitter someone posting the phrase “May the 4th be with you.” However, Star Wars Day wasn’t just observed in the cyberspace of social media. Hardly. Rather, it was celebrated with vigor and enthusiasm in gatherings across the country. Adults who dressed up as Darth Vader, Chewbacca, and Luke Skywalker hit the very public streets and swung around light savers as if the word “maturity” didn’t even exist.

This display of grownups acting like little kids reminded me of a weird ordeal I watched play out over a couple days this past summer…

When Sidney and I pulled up at our hotel in Baltimore last August we already felt a little sketched out. Our lodging was in a tough part of the city and the entrance had all sorts of non-guests loitering outside of it. As we scoped out the situation a little more, I saw what I thought was a poor mentally ill person. The lady was dressed in some type of torn pink animal costume that looked like a tattered pajama jump suit. She carried a stuffed animal with her and it looked like she was shuffling aimlessly outside of the hotel. Now this is interesting, I thought.

Despite a slight consideration that we might try to find someplace else to stay, we walked inside the hotel lobby to check in. The lady in the pink ensemble was just a tiny preview of what was to come. A group of “uniquely” dressed humans in brightly colored costumes occupied the lobby. By this time we knew something was going on. We asked the hotel employee at the check-in desk for an explanation.

“It is BronyCon weekend,” she informed us.

She then translated for us that BronyCon was the national convention for “My Little Pony” fanatics. Not only was the hotel we were staying in booked with “bronies” but so was every other hotel in the downtown Baltimore area. It was time to get down with our inner-weird.

The whole weekend while we explored the streets of Baltimore we did it walking side-by-side people dressed in weird suits, colorful wigs, and over-the-top hats. The only time we weren’t around someone dressed as a unicorn or decked out in a one-piece hooded costume was when we were in Camden Yards watching baseball. Other than that, the whole city was overtaken with bronies.

You might think that adults living out their My Little Pony fantasies comprised the minority and the festival was instead attended predominately by tweens. Oh my, you couldn’t be more wrong. From what we saw walking the streets, this convention was 90% dudes in the 18-40 age range. While walking to a baseball game, Sidney and I talked to a mom and her young daughter (probably 12) about the event. The mom told us that she was from California and she was chaperoning her daughter on this once-in-a-lifetime experience. She confirmed that BronyCon was in fact a mecca for adult dudes and that she wouldn’t in a million years let her daughter go alone. We didn’t dare ask how much this excursion was costing her.

Of course the typical questions circulated in my head. What was it about “My Little Pony” that fascinated many so-called adults? What could possess anyone, let alone a 30-year old male, to dress up in a hot, ridiculous costume during a Baltimore summer day? Do any of these people even care what their friends and family think?

But then, just like yesterday, I realized something. We all have some weird in us. Heck, look at me. Although this took away a lot of my scorn, I don’t know if I can completely get over the fact of grown men dressing up as ponies or going on a mythical quest to become a Jedi Master. I think I just need to file this one as an anomaly of our society. Don’t Blink.

My Mania for News Magazines

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I think I have the perfect indicator that I am old. There is no hiding it, I am a news magazine junkie. I like watching programs such as Dateline so much that I opt for wasting my time on these programs as opposed to actually doing fun activities.

Let me back up and explain just a little bit. As I have said before, I rarely watch television…honestly. When I do watch it, I am fixated either on “Bar Rescue,” sports, “Jeopardy,” or non-fictional programs. Except for a short fling with “The Mindy Project,” I don’t do sitcoms. Lumped into non-fictional programs you have documentaries, Forensic Files, and my guilty pleasure, news magazines.

I think my love for news magazines dates back to my childhood. On Friday nights if we were good, my mom would let my siblings and I stay up and watch the 10 p.m. episode of 20/20. This was back in the heyday when Barbara Walters and Hugh Downs would host and John Stossel would contribute his “Give Me a Break” segment. Nerdy as it was, this is what excited me when I was a kid.

Well, old habits die hard. I am still a hardcore fan of news magazines and with the explosion of cable television and the infinite library of re-runs available, my fandom is well-fed.

For the first time in my life I am going to admit this embarrassing fact. Are you ready? I occasionally watch OWN…yes, that is the Oprah Winfrey Network for those who want to rub it in. About two times a week, the network will show around three or four Dateline re-runs and then back it up with three or four 20/20 re-runs. When I am home working and there isn’t a game on, I will keep my TV muted on OWN and check in every now and then to what is on. If it is an especially interesting episode, I will unmute it and watch.

Want to know something perhaps even more embarrassing? Most Friday nights these days, Sidney and I elect to stay in and watch the new episode of Dateline as opposed to going out and engaging in activities that other twenty-something couples do. Yep, I managed to date someone who shares my love for news magazines. But is it really that bad? I mean in all honesty, many of these episodes are pretty engaging. Also, how can you say no to the storytelling of Keith Morrison?

Not that I needed to convince you even more that I am a little strange, but I guess I wanted to get my love for murder mysteries, investigative reporting, and intimate interviewing out there. I am aware that I missed the Dateline last week that took place in Missoula but I plan to watch it as soon as it is posted to the show’s website. Now I need to deal with my disappointment that it is Monday, basically the Sabbath for news magazines. Have a great night, everyone. Don’t Blink.