What I Like Most About St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 16, 2016 by brent

Please let me wish you an early happy St. Patrick’s Day. Ideally I would save this blog post for tomorrow but we all know what happens with Don’t Blink on Thursdays. So, to preserve the tradition of the Thursday Rundown, I am writing my short St. Patrick’s Day post tonight.

I am a fan of St. Patrick’s Day. I like the patron saint for who the holiday is in honor of, I enjoy Irish accents, and I admire how most people make an honest effort to wear green. The day of March 17 brings out unity from everyone, not just the Irish, and I respect that. You can also never go wrong with a green beer.

Me sporting a St. Pat’s shirt. My parents’ trip to Myrtle Beach coincided with the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day 2015.

But there is one aspect of St. Patrick’s Day I like the most. Strangely enough it isn’t a particular event, food, or symbol. Rather, it is a sound.

I don’t think there is anything more beautiful, respectful, and stoic than the sound of bagpipes. Not only is the music pleasing to the ear, it is just so distinctive. To me, there isn’t anything that screams Irish heritage more than bagpipes. The instrument is completely one of a kind.

I guess I do get a little nostalgic when I hear bagpipes. I immediately think of St. Patrick’s Day parades with my dad and siblings back when I was a kid. I am on the sidewalk of downtown Walla Walla and I see the green colors, I smell the horses, and I hear that powerful sound cut through the cold morning air like a knife through warm butter. Please take me back…

So while I have pleasant memories of bagpipes I don’t base my love solely on that. Even if I didn’t hear the unique sound on an annual basis through my early childhood, I would have been immediately drawn to it the moment I heard it as an adult. There just isn’t anything like those mournful notes. If there was a bagpipes radio station I would seriously listen to it during my 20 minute commute to work. Frankly, it just makes me feel some type of way.

Remember to wear green tomorrow! To all my Irish friends, take time to enjoy your well-deserved day and if you know someone who plays the bagpipes, please send her/him my way. Don’t Blink.

Games We Played Outside

Posted on March 15, 2016 by brent

I have said in several past blog posts that my parents didn’t believe in gaming systems. Growing up, despite asking several times at Christmas, we never had a Nintendo or Sega. This stance my parents took was a big reason why we spent so much time playing outside. Looking back on it now, I am glad we were raised that way.

We grew up on a street with a bunch of other kids. Although we had a park across the street from us, it seemed like most of the summer fun took place right in our yard! For tonight’s blog post I want to share the five games/activities we played the most while living in our house on Guinevere Drive.

Whiffle Ball – No doubt about, whiffle ball was the signature game played at the Reser household. For several years growing up, we played every single day during the summer. Our front lawn provided us a large square of immaculately cut grass to play on. A fence dividing our house from the next door neighbor’s home served as our home run barrier. Our whiffle ball games consistently brought together about ten kids and we took it so seriously that we kept track of our stats over the summer. Although my dad despised it that we roughed up his prized lawn, we still always managed to get our games in.

I can’t stop writing about this without mentioning one other thing. Our neighbors had a huge pine tree in their yard (over the left field fence). We lost countless whiffle balls by hitting home runs into that tree. While it was very frustrating buying a whole new package of balls in the morning and losing them all by the afternoon, it was definitely a distinguishable quirk of our mini ballpark.

I am using this photo to show you the field, the fence, and the tree that helped to comprise our whiffle ball playground.

I am using this photo to show you the field (half of it), the fence, and the tree that helped to comprise our whiffle ball playground.

Hide-And-Seek – While some might equate hide-and-seek as a game for toddlers, a group of us neighbor kids spanning in age from 6-14 years old thought it was the greatest thing ever. During those long summer Spokane nights we would get a big group together and play a game that had boundary lines stretched around several different houses. However, home base was always the large maple tree in our front yard. We would hide in bushes, garages, and back yards. When we thought the coast was clear we would then make a mad dash to the sanctuary of the maple tree where we would slap the trunk to save us from being “it” the next round.

Basketball – My mom calls the basketball hoop my dad and his friends installed in our driveway as “the best investment we ever made.” The hoop was retractable so we could set it to regulation height and play serious pickup games or we could lower it to eight feet and throw down monster dunks. It was also a superb set up for one-on-one games as well, giving my brother and I an outlet to always compete against each other. It wasn’t always peaceful on that court as occasional arguments did break out but we had so many great memories on that hoop. Over 20 years since the installation, it still stands there to this day with the hand prints of the Reser kids still clearly visible in the cement that was poured to secure the structure.

This was the basketball hoop that received hours and hours and hours of use. The cement around the bottom of the pole has our handprints on it (thanks mom for taking this photo).

Croquet – In middle school I bought a very well-used croquet set from a yard sale. My friend had one and we enjoyed it so much that I wanted to get one for when we were over at my house. We would set up the course and swing away. Before I made the purchase it was a rare site for neighbors to see a croquet game going on in our lovely neighborhood but we changed all that after the yard sale. We drew up tournaments and played for money. It got pretty tense but it was certainly a great summer activity.

Snow Games – Everything we did outside wasn’t always when the grass was green and the weather warm. Living in Spokane we got our fair share of heavy snow. Because we lived on the busiest street of our neighborhood, we knew whatever snow creations we made would receive optimal exposure via car traffic and the constant stream of kids walking by with their sleds to get to the park. With this in mind, we made many snow people, putting in our best effort. Aside from Frosty we used the snow for other fun purposes. One year we had so much of the white stuff that my dad was able to carve out a human maze for us to go through in our front yard! Additionally, my mom was responsible for a snow activity I loved to do when I was a little bit younger. She would pour water into a spray bottle and mix it with food coloring. She would then send me outside to shoot the colored liquid at the snow.

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We had such a ball (pun semi intended) growing up outside. Neighbors I never met before have told my parents that they enjoyed watching us grow up outside as they walked or drove by! I am thankful that I had a safe place to enjoy some of the finer parts of my childhood and I will always cherish the memories. Don’t Blink.

A Forgettable Selection Show

Posted on March 14, 2016 by brent

When I learned over the weekend that the CBS Selection Show would change to a two-hour format, I groaned. In fact, before the program even started I tweeted out this:

This was my initial reaction to the two-hour selection show.

But I wasn’t going to get too bent out of shape about it. Sadly, this year I had no dog in the race. In the past I was at Selection Sunday events with the universities I worked for doing all I could to capture reaction/content the moment we heard the names “Montana” or “Coastal Carolina.” This season there was no such pressure. I told myself I would just relax and hope the show would go by fast. If I was lucky, the only team I cared about in this year’s tournament, Gonzaga, would get called quickly. It couldn’t be too bad, could it?

Little did I realize what a train wreck it was going to be.

By now we all know what transpired. The first 38 minutes or so of the show was a complete gimmick. After the slow announcement of the #1 seeds and too many commercials, a quarter of the field was finally announced. After those 16 teams were revealed, the broadcast went to another commercial. Then the wheels really started to come off…

When the show returned, the NBA on TNT guys started to make picks on who would come out of the quadrant that was just revealed. Never mind waiting for the whole field to be announced, the producers obviously had an interest in predictions for just the partial bracket.

If the snail paced flow of the show and the questionable decision to pick teams before the whole field was announced didn’t ruffle enough feathers, the mishaps that followed brought out the social media venom in many. Charles Barkley couldn’t work the touchscreen technology when attempting to make his picks. Ernie Johnson tried to help him along while Kenny Smith and Seth Davis just laughed. It was a very uncomfortable and unprepared segment in the show.

I don’t think the show was taken seriously enough.

With the program now running nearly an hour long, the second region of the bracket was finally revealed. As I shook my head at the monstrosity on my TV screen I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the bubble teams who were being held hostage as they waited to hear whether they were in or out.

I couldn’t help but feel bad for the bubble teams.

The moment I tweeted that out, a swift wind of justice swept through Twitter. For the first time EVER, the NCAA tournament bracket was hijacked and made available to millions before CBS could reveal the entire field. The nervous student-athletes gathered together for their watch parties at team meeting rooms, restaurants, and campus locations no longer had to depend on Ernie and Charles and the two hour CBS greed fest.

With one of the biggest spoilers in the history of sports television circulating around the internet, CBS did what they had to do. Ditching the painfully slow plan, the network picked up the speed and quickly revealed the rest of the bracket. With at least 35 minutes of the show to go, the tournament field had been “officially” announced (and of course, Gonzaga was the last team to be revealed).

What happened yesterday was unfortunate. While I dislike 120 minute selection shows, I also dislike the foiling of the greatest surprise in sports. While I was glad the bracket leaked for the sake of the student-athletes, as a fan I found it a little disappointing. With that said, the whole snafu wasn’t something that kept me up last night. It was a lesson and I hope CBS adjusts next year. In the past, the CBS Selection Show has been very well done. Because of the excellence of the previous 34 selection shows, I am giving the network a pass this year. Time to move on and enjoy some great basketball. Don’t Blink.

Judging the Surf Dreams Foundation Mac-N-Cheese Cook Off

Posted on March 13, 2016 by brent

This weekend a bucket list item was realized for me as I attended a macaroni and cheese contest. Making this life goal even sweeter was the fact that I just didn’t merely walk around as a spectator; rather, I served as a judge.

The Surf Dreams Foundation Mac-N-Cheese Cook Off was held today in Surfside, South Carolina. Many area restaurants, organizations, and neighborhood chefs participated by serving up their special macaroni and cheese recipes. The event was staged to raise funds for the Surf Dreams Foundation so they can continue to serve their mission of helping local children enjoy the sport of surfing. With the event occurring on a Sunday and with a terrific local organization benefitting, I made sure not to miss it. After earning the privilege of judging the cook off via a social media contest, I knew it was going to be a fun day.

I was selected to judge based partly on this corny (“cheesy” is actually a better word) graphic I made up.

Although I didn’t need to arrive at the site to begin my judging duties until noon, Sidney and I made sure to show up right when the cook off started at 11 a.m. I mean come on, what better date is there than attending a mac and cheese contest?! Romance aside, I wanted to make sure to arrive early so I could have an eating partner who would help me pace myself and so I could also do my small part to support the Surf Dreams Foundation.

Sid and I at the Surf Dreams Foundation Mac-N-Cheese Cook Off.

With sample tickets $2 each, we entered Macaroni and Cheese Heaven by paying the mere price of $20. With the tickets in hand, we ate ourselves silly visiting ten different vendor booths while tasting a diverse array of mac and cheese dishes. As we consumed spoonful after spoonful of my favorite food, we took short breaks visiting the tents of non-mac and cheese vendors. You see, the Surf Dreams Foundation Mac-N-Cheese Cook Off had more than just cheesy pasta. On site you also had crafts, jewelry, kids entertainment, music, a dude on giant stilts, and much more.

Just one glimpse of a potion of the Surf Dreams Foundation Mac-N-Cheese Cook Off. You can see some of the macaroni and cheese vendors on the left and some of the non-mac and cheese vendors on the right.

But don’t get me wrong, this was a day that was all about the macaroni and cheese. While Sid and I walked around, we enjoyed quite the selection. Bacon mac and cheese. Jerky mac and cheese. Crab mac and cheese. Collared greens mac and cheese. Breaded mac and cheese. Fried chicken mac and cheese. We even enjoyed macaroni and cheese egg rolls topped with a delicious tangy sauce!

Here are some of the macaroni and cheese samples I tried at the Surf Foundation Dreams Mac-N-Cheese Cook Off including the mac and cheese egg roll and the fried chicken mac and cheese.

Here are some of the macaroni and cheese samples I tried at the Surf Dreams Foundation Mac-N-Cheese Cook Off including the mac and cheese egg roll and the fried chicken mac and cheese.

But for Sidney, her favorite was the booth serving macaroni and cheese balls! This particular vendor rolled up yummy mac and cheese, enclosed it in a deep friend shell, and topped it with a cheese sauce. For most of that first hour we politely took turns eating the samples but when it came to the macaroni and cheese ball she was rapidly stabbing it with her fork getting as much as possible as I gripped the container it came in.

This was the mac and cheese ball that Sidney liked the most at the Surf Dreams Foundation Mac-N-Cheese Cook Off

Noon arrived and it was time for me to judge. The event organizers gathered samples from all the vendors and ushered us judges into a private location, which just so happened to be a car wash garage. We were presented with three big tubs that had the top of the lids covered with white cups containing the samples. We were then given the go-ahead to start fulfilling our judging duties. The six of us started to take the cups off the lids and going to work.

The Surf Dreams Foundation Mac-N-Cheese samples ready to go in the judging quarters.

I did my best to carefully taste and thoughtfully contemplate each entry. My fellow judges chatted aloud about what they were tasting and their feedback mostly helped to cement what I was thinking myself. With so much macaroni and cheese in front of you, it is impossible not to get full. To ease the stress on your stomach, it is wise to only eat a couple bites of each sample. However, a couple entries tasted so incredible that I betrayed what my belly was telling me and I ate the whole thing. Those would be my personal winners.

Us judges plus event director Phil Jackson trying to get to the bottom of who made the best macaroni and cheese at the Surf Dream Foundation Mac-N-Cheese Cook Off.

As judges we were told to pick our two favorite macaroni and cheese dishes. With that said, here are my top choices…

One of the samples that I ate to the last bite was a macaroni and cheese dish that was cooked on a grill. When you took a bite, it had that flame grilled magical taste you would expect to enjoy on a steak or a piece of chicken. Believe me, it tasted just as good on that macaroni and cheese as it did on those two pieces of meat I just mentioned. I had never experienced mac and cheese like that before and I rewarded it as my favorite dish.

Although it might look like ordinary mac and cheese, this version was anything but typical. It was cooked on a grill and was definitely my favorite macaroni dish at the Surf Dream Foundation Mac-N-Cheese Cook Off.

Coming in a very, very close second for me was a chicken macaroni and cheese dish. Not only did it have chicken but it also had a perfect combination of seasonings and spices. To me, it almost tasted like there was a kick of pesto in it. Just like with the other dish I recognized, the flavor was so distinctive. I was pleased to recognize the chicken mac and cheese as my second favorite dish.

This chicken mac and cheese was incredible. It had terrific seasoning and was one of my favorites at the Surf Dreams Foundation Mac-N-Cheese Cook Off

After we gave our feedback, we were released to go out and enjoy the rest of the day. Because of this, I did not stay long enough to hear which dish was crowned the Surf Dreams Foundation Mac-N-Cheese Cook Off CHAMP. However, if word gets back to me after I publish this blog post I will let you know.

One last thing: Remember how I mentioned we performed our judging duties in a car wash garage? That was because the event director was Phil Jackson, owner of Surfside Shine Car Wash. The event took place in the parking lot of his business. I want to congratulate Phil for running a spectacular event and thank him for choosing me to judge. It was great to meet him and I admire how he organized and executed such a fun day.

Some of the judges mentioned they probably won’t be able to eat macaroni and cheese for the rest of the year. Not me! Hey Sid, I got an idea for dinner tonight…

Don’t Blink.

A Thursday Rundown in Your Future

Posted on March 10, 2016 by brent

Thank you for making the choice to read another Thursday Rundown blog post. Here we go with this evening’s five topics…

Appointed as a Judge – This Sunday I will do something I have always dreamed of doing by judging a macaroni and cheese contest. Last night I was selected to serve on the panel of judges for the Surf Dreams Foundation Mac-N-Cheese Cook Off. How did I manage to pull this off? The event’s Facebook page, which I had been stalking for three weeks with anticipation for Sunday, opened up a few judging spots to its social media users. In a post, the page presented this: Please tell us why you would be a great judge. Have some fun and be creative. I took the last sentence seriously and it paid off. I will tell you all about my mac and cheese judging experience in Monday’s blog post.

Besides writing a lengthy plea on why I would make a good judge, I also created this “cheesy” graphic to drive the point home.

From the Archives – Exactly two years ago today, I wrote my first of two blog posts focused on fortune cookies. Doing all I could to investigate one of my curiosities, I eventually found myself traveling all around Missoula to different Chinese restaurants pleading for fortune cookies. Although mildly embarrassing, I learned a lot about the contents of the popular ethnic dessert. My fortune cookie investigation was so memorable and so popular that the second post I did on the subject made my Top Ten Blog Posts of 2014.

In 2014, I had a lot of fun with fortune cookies.

Pop-Tart Cheesecake Truffles – Just a couple days after I wrote about some of the best treats I ate growing up, I can honestly say I wish this idea was around 20 years ago so it could have made the list. My love for Pop-Tarts is well-documented but the Pop-Tart cheesecake truffle recipe takes it to the next level. In this video, several Pop-Tarts are put under the rolling pin and crushed to pieces. The Pop-Tart crumbles are then mixed with cream cheese. Next, this concoction is rolled into balls and dipped in chocolate. Oh my, doesn’t that sound wonderful? My only suggestion would be to crush up Cap’n Crunch or Cinnamon Toast Crunch and coat the outside with sugary cereal. Talk about an unbelievable breakfast combination.

This is what a Pop-Tart cheesecake truffle looks like.

Whiskey Tango Foxtrot – It was another “Sunday at the Movies” for Sidney and I this past weekend. We went and saw the war/comedy film “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.” I am not a Tina Fey fan by any stretch of the imagination but I actually enjoyed the film. The movie tells the story of a bored news copywriter who volunteers to work as a reporter in Afghanistan. I have an interest in both the media and war conflicts so “WTF” was right down my alley. I found it very interesting how the film portrayed Afghanistan, both from a visual and cultural standpoint. The authenticity I got from it reminded me of how I felt about the way Iran was portrayed in “Argo.” As is usually the case, Sidney and I didn’t come away with the same review. She thought the movie was boring.

I saw “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot” on Sunday.

Wedding Update #23 – Lots of fun things are happening! My dad mailed us back all the invites he addressed and they look beautiful. Additionally, Sidney, her mom, and I chose the type of stamp we will use (I never knew the Postal Service offered so many options!). With so much fun getting the invitations ready to go, Sidney was a little disappointed when her mom gently reminded her that we still have several weeks to go before we actually mail them out.

However, Sidney was feeling anything but disappointed when she was able to bring her wedding dress home this past Saturday! After her final fitting, the ensemble was released into her possession. Adding even more excitement to this loaded wedding update, Sidney and her mom also met with the florist we will use for that big Saturday in June. Just 92 days to go.

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As is custom with my Thursday Rundown blog posts, I would like to thank all of you for reading. Have a terrific weekend and enjoy Selection Sunday. Don’t Blink.

Please Don’t Ever Say This

Posted on March 9, 2016 by brent

We are still eight months away from casting our ballots for President of the United States but a certain sentiment I hate is already being expressed. This particular statement I am about to address is uttered and typed by people of all walks of life and political backgrounds. No group as a whole can claim they have taken the high road and refused to say this; not Republicans, not Democrats, not Independents, etc. I heard disgruntled voters express it when George W. Bush was elected, I heard it when Barack Obama was elected. Despite the situation, in my opinion, no one should ever say this:

“If __________ is elected president, I am leaving the country.”

I can’t think of a more bitter, cry baby, sour grapes response to the possibility and/or the actual election of any presidential candidate. Anyone who goes down this line of rhetoric couldn’t make themselves look much worse.

It is probably 99% certain that one of these individuals will become president. No matter the outcome, do you plan to stick around the United States?

Look, I know many say it simply out of spite and I also know that a few actually act on it, but to say it no matter your literal intention is sad.

I think those who express the desire to leave the country if a certain candidate is elected show disrespect to both our founding fathers and the millions of people who don’t live in this country but wish every minute of the day that they did. Believe me, people living in third world countries would gladly trade you their poverty and oppression for your freedom and safety no matter who is the Commander-In-Chief.

Most of all though, I think the statement is a big slap in the face to our military. The men and women defending our country don’t let up during the transition of power. No matter if it is a Democrat or a Republican taking over in the Oval Office, our soldiers in the armed forces will still give their lives at a second’s notice to protect our country. Sure they have their preferences on who they want to see win, but their willingness to pay the ultimate sacrifice doesn’t budge one bit with the outcome. To state or even joke that we would leave this country if a certain person is elected while members of the military stand tall no matter what the ballots say is a striking contrast. We can’t act so entitled.

To threaten to leave the country if a candidate not of our liking wins office is simply a spoiled and ignorant response. It is spoiled in the fact that we are refusing to accept and recognize the democratic process of this country. When we are out-voted we should accept the outcome and live with it. It is ignorant in the fact that we think the election of a candidate we didn’t support would impact our daily lives so much that leaving the United States would be a logical move. By failing to realize that our founding fathers set up this country with necessary checks and balances to make sure a poor president wouldn’t drastically doom our nation just shows misunderstanding.

Heck, we are just in the primary season! This presidential race is going to be the most intense, heated election our country has ever seen. If you are passionate about one side or one candidate, that is great! However, we should all make sure that our passion for this country is either equal or greater to that party or person. Candidates and presidents will come and go but the stars and stripes will still remain. Why would we want to leave? Don’t Blink.

Original Treats I Ate Growing Up

Posted on March 8, 2016 by brent

With the temperature in the mid-70’s here in Myrtle Beach and the days getting longer, I can’t help but be in a good mood. These positive vibes got me thinking back to when I was a little kid and my mom would let me “help” with preparing/cooking some select dishes. The memory was triggered because a couple of these items were made exclusively on warmer days that feel just like this Tuesday. For tonight’s blog post, I want to look back on some of the fun my mom let my siblings and I have in the kitchen.

Ice Pops – This is the one dish that I actually just didn’t “help” with as I mentioned above. Rather, this was all me. Growing up I was fascinated with the freezing process. I would fill up cups with water and throw them in the freezer. I would then take it out after a couple hours and chisel out the newly formed piece of ice. After that got old I would take my action figures and drop them in a cup of water and freeze it overnight. I would free my action figure by removing the block of ice from the drinkware and throwing it as hard as I could on our driveway.

When the weather heated up, I would make homemade popsicles. My mom had a mold that was specially designed for making ice pops. I would make Kool-Aid and pour it into the mold. After putting them in the freezer I would check the solidifying process obsessively every ten minutes, delaying the freezing time with all the warm air. However, once they finally did freeze, I would thoroughly enjoy the summer treat! Even though after just a few sucks the popsicle would turn from Kool-Aid flavoring to plain ice, I couldn’t get enough. I also made ice pops out of soda, grape juice, and Sunny Delight.

Ice Cream – I don’t think I have a fonder memory than when we would make homemade ice cream. My mom had a cook book that contained a whole section on ice cream. I would look at the beautiful photography that captured the heavenly looking dessert and beg my mom to let us make it. Although it didn’t happen that often, I could always count on my mom to lead the charge in making homemade ice cream about twice a summer.

My mom had an ice cream maker that she kept in a storage closet we rarely used. When she got it out, I couldn’t contain my excitement. Throwing cubes of ice into the machine and watching it go to work was a lot of fun. Although it was a long process to reach the final product, I swore that the ice cream we made was far superior to the kind we bought at the store (well at least until I tried Ben & Jerry’s for the first time).

Pizza Cupcakes – What I am about to explain is a Mary Reser original and it was such a good idea that she submitted the recipe to a cooking magazine.

When we made homemade pizza, the three of us Reser kids got to make our own pizza cupcakes. My mom would get out her cupcake/muffin pans and line them with dough. We then had the fun job of adding the sauce, cheese, and whatever toppings we wanted to the designated cups my mom assigned us. After we prepped our pizza my mom threw the pans in the oven and we went downstairs and watched TV. When she called us back up we ate our dinner just like we would eat our cupcakes when a classmate brought them to school for his/her birthday.

Graham Cracker Snacks – My mom got some serious mileage with graham crackers. When I was a little boy, my mom paired graham crackers and a glass of milk together for my ultimate snack. I would dip a portion of the cracker in the milk until it became soggy and then bite it off. As I got a little older, my tastes became more sophisticated. My mom adjusted to this by offering the kids in our family a graham cracker bar. Out on the table would be crackers, peanut butter, marshmallows, and chocolate chips. We would have the privilege of layering our graham cracker in peanut butter and then topping it with a couple of tasty options. This was our candy growing up.

Button Soup – There is an old Disney book called Button Soup. It features the Donald Duck family as they try to curb their hunger by making soup. To make a long story short, the secret ingredient for the delicious meal was a button they dropped into the pot. I loved the book but I didn’t love my mom’s own pasta fagioli. My smart mother found a remedy for this by rebranding her Italian specialty as Button Soup. When she would go to make her pasta fagioli, she would pick me up and let me drop a button into the pot! From there on out, I always loved it when my mom made her homemade pasta fagioli. Funny enough, almost 25 years later we still sometimes just refer to it as Button Soup.

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There was never a dull moment growing up in the Reser kitchen. Believe it or not, my mom wasn’t the only one who helped make eating fun. My dad also had some neat tricks he would pull out every now and then. However, those will be for a different blog post. Until then, if you see my mom, ask her to bring you a big bowl of Button Soup. Don’t Blink.

Loving the Exposure of Facebook Live

Posted on March 7, 2016 by brent

A couple weeks ago, I wrote this blog post glorifying Facebook for adding more ways to interact with content. Instead of just “liking” a status or a photo, you can now do things such as “love” it, “wow” it, or “haha” it. How crazy would it be if I told you that Facebook has recently added something even cooler than that?

Facebook now gives us the option to broadcast live video. Called Facebook Live, users can now utilize their phones to live stream anything they please onto their profiles.

Facebook Live is another really cool feature from Facebook.

Believe it or not, the very limited rollout for Facebook Live started this past August. A few lucky celebrities were given special access to become pioneers of live video streams on Facebook. In December, the social media giant started extending the privileges to a larger audience. Still, only a small portion of users had the capability to go live. Last month, however, the feature started to become available to brands as well as a large percentage of the media.

Our official Coastal Carolina University Facebook page was included in this February activation bonanza. We suddenly had the power to experiment with a feature that many others on the planet didn’t. Wanting to stay ahead of the curve, I utilized Facebook Live as soon as an appropriate time came about. When our baseball team opened up the season in a fully renovated Springs Brooks Stadium, I knew it was time to go live. I streamed the pregame festivities and the first inning. I literally learned as I streamed…

The power of the new feature hit me fast. As I filmed from my phone, people who had “liked” our page jumped on the broadcast and immediately started commenting. You see, when you do a Facebook Live broadcast your audience can interact with you in real time by writing messages via the comment feature (very similar to Periscope). Our audience, who had never seen a Facebook Live broadcast before, was mesmerized. That debut stream garnered 660 live viewers. After any live broadcast concludes, the video will stay up on your page for others to enjoy if you so desire. That initial video now has over 5,400 views.

I just took this screen capture from our Coastal Carolina University Facebook page (accessible to all). This is what the Facebook Live platform looks like.

Over the past couple weeks, I have used the Facebook Live feature in the classrooms I visit for our award-winning “Inside the Classroom” social media campaign. Each time I have used the streaming feature it has been well-received from our audience. Facebook Live is definitely still in that phase where not everyone is fully aware of it. Our fans will jump in on the live stream, act a little confused at first, and then proclaim that it is the coolest thing ever.

Yesterday I did my first personal Facebook Live broadcast! In typical Brent Reser fashion, I streamed my weekly Sunday Wal-Mart shopping spree. As I cruised through the aisles I watched with glee (and some fear) as my Facebook friends, some who happened to be completely random, jumped on my broadcast. I tried to keep my stream somewhat interesting as my viewers asked about the empty Wal-Mart shelves, my shopping choices, and how I was able to broadcast live. I have to say that the first time using Facebook Live on my personal account was exhilarating!

I did my first ever personal Facebook Live video last night. I guess 243 people thought it would be interesting to see me shop.

For reasons unbeknownst to me, 48 of my Facebook friends jumped on the stream to watch me shop. As of this evening, the video has now been watched over 240 times. To be honest, I don’t even think my personal YouTube channel has that many total views combined.

As some of you know, I am a Periscope advocate. So what do I think about its new high profile rival? (Make no mistake about it, Facebook launched Live to directly counter Periscope). Well, I think Facebook responded with a very strong answer. With Facebook Live the videos can last forever, they can be viewed on a computer, and they can be easily watched by people you know. It is a crapshoot on who is going to watch your Periscope videos and it is simply a rinky-dink app compared to the powerful new Facebook tool. As the feature becomes even more available to the masses I think it will take over the live streaming world.

Don’t have the capability to live stream yet? Hang in there, you should have the option soon! I think you will see that it was worth the wait. Don’t Blink.

What I Thought About “Fuller House”

Posted on March 6, 2016 by brent

Although I don’t really watch television shows now, I did when I was a kid. I watched TGIF and Nickelodeon, but we also had a few family shows that the five of us Resers would watch together. Most of you have probably watched “Home Improvement” and a smaller portion of you are probably familiar with “Touched by an Angel.” Both of these shows we viewed as a family on a weekly basis during their runs. Besides eating dinner together and going to church on Sunday, there wasn’t a more sure thing in the Reser household.

But there was one other show we watched religiously as well. In fact, it predates both “Home Improvement” and “Touched by an Angel.” The first television series we really enjoyed as a family was “Full House.” We* couldn’t wait for Tuesday night when we would watch the new episode. “Full House” became engrained in our family fabric and even after the series ended us kids would still watch re-runs on summer days throughout our childhood.

When it was announced that “Fuller House” would be released, I didn’t get too overly excited. My sister on the other hand was a little bit of a different story. Her nostalgia for the show was a tad more intense than mine. For the several weeks leading up to the launch on Netflix, Miranda let her enthusiasm be known with constant giddy texts about the show sent to our group message (comprised of my brother, his girlfriend, Sidney, my sister, and myself). Her constant promoting of the series rubbed off on us and by a week ago last Friday when it premiered, we all had “Fuller House” fever.

The day that “Fuller House” premiered we were all pretty pumped!

It would come as no surprise that my sister watched the whole series that first weekend. However, for someone like me who doesn’t binge watch shows in the first place, it would take a little more time. Just this morning, nine days after “Fuller House” was made available, I finished the 13th and final episode of the first season.

So, what did I think of it? Well, it took me some time to ease into it. Believe it or not, after watching the first episode I was a little turned off. Don’t get me wrong, it was cool to see the whole cast back together. I liked seeing how they had changed throughout the years (many of them look great) but I was perhaps a little overwhelmed. The writing and production is exactly the same as the original series…same sense of humor, same situations, same character development. In that first episode, this reality was literally stuffed down your throat. The opening show was packed with joke after joke after joke. It seemed like the crew was doing all they could to make up for lost time. In theory, how couldn’t this be the best thing in the world?! Call me tough to please but it was just a little too much. In fact, I didn’t know if I would be able to watch the second episode right away. I needed a break.

I started to enjoy “Fuller House” a little bit more once the cast condensed.

As I am not the one to research television shows and movies, I had no idea that “Fuller House” would condense its focus from a full on cast reunion to a different premise. I was under the impression that we would see Danny, Uncle Joey, and Uncle Jesse every episode. When it became clear that the series would center on DJ and her family with Stephanie and Kimmie along for the ride it narrowed everything down and made me a little more comfortable.

With some of the big personalities gone but their character roles reprised by the women, the series made sense and it developed a flow. I could now contently sit down and watch two episodes in a row if I wanted to.

Saying all of that, I managed to develop an opinion on the actual content of the series. In my opinion, I thought it was good. However, this doesn’t mean I thought it was great.

I thought Stephanie, Kimmie, and especially DJ all did a great job in their roles. They were fun to watch and they did a real honor to their past “Full House” selves in reviving their characters for the “Fuller House” version. However, for the most part, I wasn’t blown away with the new members of the cast. The kids didn’t make a positive impression on me (except for Tommy) and Fernando flat out bothered me. So, it is a little rough watching a series when you don’t particularly care for more than half the cast. An exception to my disdain for the new characters though was Matt, who played DJ’s new love interest. He seemed like my kind of guy and he never made me cringe.

The comedy for the most part was pretty good. If you watched “Full House” you most likely could see all the “Fuller House” jokes from a mile away. Like I mentioned above, sometimes it was just too much but for the most part I laughed out loud throughout most of the series (just ask Sidney).

When it comes down to the episodes, I have two favorites. I loved the show where DJ, Stephanie, and Kimmie go to the club and engage in a dance off. I also enjoyed the one where “a secret admirer” sends “a thousand” roses to the house and the three ladies try to determine who sent them (classic “Full House” type of dilemma). My favorite guest character during this inaugural season was definitely Uncle Jesse. My least favorite character who played in “Fuller House” who also played in “Full House” was Steve. My least favorite character in “Full House” who I ended up liking on “Fuller House” was Kimmie.

I really enjoyed the “roses” episode of “Fuller Hpuse” and to add to it, Uncle Jesse was in it.

“Fuller House” definitely wasn’t “must-see TV” for me. But I did enjoy watching the series at my own pace. There really is something to watching kid actors as a kid yourself and then aging with them so that years later you find yourself watching young adult actors as a young adult yourself. It was announced that “Fuller House” will be back for a second season and I can truthfully say that I will watch it. Don’t Blink.

A Thursday Rundown Dedicated to Dr. Seuss

Posted on March 3, 2016 by brent

Is your March off to a good start? I love this month and already know that the 2016 edition will be terrific. Speaking of terrific, that is what I hope this latest Thursday Rundown will be!

Dr. Seuss – After work on Tuesday evening I drove out to River Oaks Elementary for a special performance. Sidney’s niece, Russell, along with her other first grade classmates, celebrated the birthday of Dr. Seuss. In front of a packed gym, the students read from his books and sang songs. It was super cute and it reminded me of my childhood. “Green Eggs and Ham” was my favorite Seuss book growing up, mostly because I got to “help” make and eat actual green eggs and ham in Kindergarten. It is amazing some of the memories we latch onto over the years and eating green food is definitely one of them for me.

The Dr. Seuss performance from Tuesday night (Terrible photo because I captured it from a video I took). One arrow points to Russell and the other one points to a wonderful Cat in the Hat.

#CCUSocialMedia Honored Again – In the fall I broke news that our social media program at Coastal Carolina University received a gold award in the Education Digital Marketing Awards for our Periscope Marathon event. Well, this week we learned we struck gold again. The 31st Annual Educational Advertising Awards winners were announced and Coastal received the gold designation for our “Inside the Classroom” weekly series. It was another great honor and further vindication that our social program is continuing to head in the right direction. Many thanks to CCU professors for making this all possible by allowing #CCUSocialMedia to observe their classes.

Coastal Carolina University earned a gold award in the social media category for the 31st Annual Educational Advertising Awards

Oscars Review – I watched probably 75% of the Academy Awards this past Sunday. I actually didn’t think the show was as bad as many critics made it out to be. I like Chris Rock and laughed most of the evening. I thought it was a decently organized production. In my opinion, the show was much better than the Grammys (something I feel should never be the case). My biggest disappointment was that Slyvester Stallone didn’t win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor, I was really pulling for him. Unfortunately the show was just too long and went too late for me to watch the biggest awards of the night handed out. But that was okay, I received my fill of the pomp and circumstance and went to bed in good spirits.

Too Hard Not to Make Fun of Myself – One year ago today, I ended up embarrassing myself by writing this blog post. I questioned whether twins or the same girl made this ad about my blog. My readers responded and exclaimed that I was an idiot for even asking the question. Of course it was Sidney who had originally set me straight. I know I already relived the humiliation once by including the post in my Top Ten of 2015 but I couldn’t let the anniversary pass without saying something.

Twins? Or one girl with a bad wig? Yep, I am an idiot.

Wedding Update #22 – We are now counting down from just DOUBLE DIGITS until the big day. Only 99 days remain until our wedding. Sidney sent all the invitations across the country for my dad to address. Why? Well, my dad has a thing for calligraphy. He writes in beautiful script and ever since I can remember he has had friends and co-workers ask him to “lend a hand” with their Christmas cards or documents. However, he had never received a wedding invitation request up until this point. He gracefully accepted by saying he would be honored to do it. He has already finished them off and will be sending the invites back to Sidney and her parents to mail off.

This morning I woke up and had the great realization that we are only 99 days away.

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It is another debate night! Can’t wait to see the fireworks that will explode during this one so I got to prepare myself. Have a terrific weekend. Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser

Monthly Archives: March 2016