My 2015 Final Four Prediction

Posted on March 9, 2015 by brent

With Coastal Carolina punching a ticket to the NCAA Tournament, my pick for the 2015 men’s basketball national champion is penciled in. However, I still have three spots left in my Final Four. Taking full liberty to dream very big, I am going to assume that the rest of the teams I list actually make the tournament and that the Selection Committee does me a personal favor and places them all in a different region. I feel they owe me.

Coastal is not only already in the dance but they are my favorite to win it!

Well, I don’t have to assume anything about the tournament status of this second team that I predict to make the Final Four. I am talking about Gonzaga! This 2014-15 Bulldog squad is supposed to be the best in school history. This says a lot as I had the opportunity to watch a bunch of really good ones growing up in Spokane both while serving as a ball boy and as a fan. I hope this is the year Gonzaga finally gets past its own personal best of the Elite 8 and lands in the Final Four. As they will most likely garner a #2 seed they will play the #15 seed Chanticleers.

Gonzaga makes my Final Four.

Do you think I would wish anything less than success for my old employer? I predict that for the first time ever a Big Sky Conference team will make the Final Four and Griz Nation will go nuts. Led by senior Jordan Gregory I am picking the Montana Grizzlies to go very deep in the tournament. Of course they must go deep in their own tournament first. The University of Montana is hosting the Big Sky Conference tourney this week and let me tell you, it is difficult for opposing teams to win in the Adams Center. I believe they will make it through and then shock the world later this month.

This is me at the 2012 NCAA Tournament when Montana played Wisconsin in Albuquerque.

So those who know me well could probably guess that Gonzaga and Montana were givens. But my final choice? Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Oregon State Beavers. When I worked at Montana, Wayne Tinkle was by far one of my favorite coaches I got to work with. Not too soon after I left for Coastal, Coach Tinkle was hired at Oregon State. What he has done this year in Corvallis is nothing short of spectacular (he inherited a completely depleted roster). Anyway, the Beavers will have to win the PAC-12 Conference tournament to make the Big Dance but with the coaching skills of Wayne Tinkle they will be able to do it. Oregon State will then out-defend and out-hustle opponents as they manage to squeak out win after win until they make it to the Final Four. Waiting for them in the other national semifinal will be the Montana Grizzlies.

Wayne Tinkle will bring the Oregon State Beavers to the promised land.

Under the bright lights of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Gonzaga will come out slow and sluggish and Coastal will bury them with the three-ball all night long. What was supposed to be a blowout win for the Bulldogs turns into an easy victory for the Chanticleers. The #15 seed Montana Grizzlies will then battle the #11 seed Oregon State Beavers in the major storyline of the tournament. Wayne Tinkle will coach his heart out against his former team but it won’t be enough as Montana plays its best game of the tournament in front of 4,000 crazy Griz fans that made the trip to Indiana.

This is my 2015 FInal Four bracket.

The first ever #15 seed vs. #15 seed national championship will be one for the ages. The game will go to three overtimes and will contain 53 lead changes. However, a charge that Tristian Lucas takes late in the game sends Coastal on a 5-0 run in the final minute and, just like during the FCS playoff game, the Chants beat the Griz.

My final bracket!

Perhaps a little far-fetched? Maybe a little. But it is March now and anything can happen. As Dick Vitale would say, “I LOVE IT BABY!” Don’t Blink.

My Big South Championship Experience

Posted on March 8, 2015 by brent

It was only a very short time ago when I was writing about working at two different schools that held the number one ranking in football. At around 2:30 p.m. this afternoon I could say that I have now worked at two different schools where during my time of employment the basketball team went to the NCAA Tournament.

It was definitely an awesome past three days. While sitting cross-legged on the baseline for 120 minutes of basketball I had the joy of watching the men’s basketball team here at Coastal Carolina run through the Big South competition and punch its ticket to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament. As it happens in these conference championships, the games just get better and more intense each round. This was definitely the case this weekend and I left the HTC Center today with some great memories.

I had a great time working the Big South Championship.

In order, Coastal played UNC Asheville, Gardner-Webb, and Winthrop. The Chanticleers came in as the number three seed and actually never had to play a team seeded higher than them. They did, however, have to face two teams that they couldn’t beat during the regular season (Gardner-Webb and Winthrop). The team played well the whole tournament and with the direction of legendary coach Cliff Ellis the Chants had the firepower to win the championship. But enough with the seeds, statistics, and game plans.

Coach Cliff Ellis led his team to a second consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance.

What I really want to talk about is just how cool it was to be part of the 2015 Big South Championship. Our students and fans (along with Winthrop’s students and fans) came ready for the ESPN2 audience today. Although the HTC Center only holds a little over 3,000 people, fans made plenty of noise. When I wasn’t doing my job of taking photos and posting to social media, I was just enjoying the environment. Not working a conference tournament from such an involved level let me be a fan to a degree.

I sat right up on the baseline, in front of the visiting team’s student section. In this photo, ESPN2 is shooting the Winthrop student section.

Those memories I briefly mentioned above? Let me give you a few.

Mascots – I sat on the opponent’s baseline for all three games. It just so happened that I was right next to the designated mascot box so I became acquainted with the bulldog mascots from both UNC Asheville and Gardner-Webb as well as the eagle from Winthrop. Considering my history with mascots, it was cool to observe them. The Gardner-Webb bulldog had a habit of complaining about the officials’ calls to me (no, he was not barking at me…he was speaking English).

The Gardner-Webb bulldog spoke to me several times yesterday.

Dual Fanbases – Because the Big South Conference has member schools that are all relatively close together, whenever a game was going on you had two distinct crowds. Of course the Coastal fans outnumbered its opponents but the other universities definitely brought respectable contingents. Having the gym erupt on one side when one team would do something followed by the gym erupting on the other side when the opposing team would do something made it an authentic tournament atmosphere.

Watching student sections go back and forth with each other is a lot of fun.

Feeling of Kicking It All Off – The Big South Championship is one of the earliest conference tournaments. It helps to kick off Championship Week. Knowing that pretty much the whole country was paying especially close attention to our tourney made for a cool feeling. Now for a whole week ESPN will have to list Coastal Carolina as a school with its ticket punched. Majority of smaller universities don’t get this recognition for a full seven days.

Coastal was one of the first schools that had the pleasure of storming the court after a punched ticket to the Big Dance.

I want to say congrats to the Coastal Carolina University athletic department. Putting on one conference tournament is tough, putting on two conference tournaments is pure mania. Although it is a conference event, make no mistake about it, the host school does majority of the work. Chanticleer Athletics put on two first class competitions that other schools in the Big South Conference should surely appreciate.

I want to say congrats to Coastal Carolina Athletic Director Matt Hogue and his staff for putting on two great conference tournaments.

The exposure from now until whenever Coastal wins the national championship or is eliminated is priceless. There is no event in intercollegiate athletics like the NCAA Tournament and there is no better marketing tool for a university than being one of the 68 teams included. From a social media standpoint, this is pure gold for me. The response today from the social content I posted was through the roof and it should only just continue to build. It is a wonderful time to be a Chanticleer and I am so happy to be part of this university. Don’t Blink.

This is the Thursday Countdown

Posted on March 5, 2015 by brent

Good evening to you all! It is March and each day from here on out in the month just gets better. Hopefully my rundowns will as well. Let’s get started.

Throwback Thursday – Exactly one year ago today I interviewed on the campus of Coastal Carolina University. It was a whirlwind day as I did interviews from the morning though the early afternoon. Before I knew it, I was heading to the airport riding shotgun in our Vice President’s vehicle with our current Athletic Director in the backseat. When they dropped me off at the terminal I really hoped I would be offered the job. The below photo is a selfie I took that morning on my hotel room balcony. They were nice enough to put me up in a place with a pretty cool ocean view.

Before my big day of interviewing one year ago, I took a selfie on the balcony of my hotel room.

Big South Madness – I often say that I almost like conference tournament week (aka Championship Week) better than the NCAA tournament itself. Lucky for me, this special time of the year is here AND my university gets to host one of the first automatic qualifying tournaments. Tomorrow Coastal Carolina will attempt to return to the Big Dance for the second consecutive year. The quest starts with a Big South quarterfinal matchup against UNC Asheville in our HTC Center. The semifinal round will be Saturday and the championship game will be played Sunday on ESPN at 12:30 p.m. I am excited to cover the tournament and hopefully see the Chants punch their ticket to the one of the biggest spectacles in sports.

My credentials ready to go for the Big South Tournament.

Cause You’re Hot And You’re Cold – Talk about crazy Myrtle Beach weather! Yesterday was a gorgeous mid-70s day and today was more of the same except it hit 80 degrees. Tomorrow we take a plunge. When I wake up on Friday it very well could be 30 degrees. For me, going on a temperature roller coaster that drastic is a recipe for me to get sick. Considering I just recently overcame my annual February cold, however, I am crossing my fingers that this doesn’t happen.

The forecast in the paper called for it to be just 72 degrees today but it got hotter.

“Getting Life” – How would you feel if you spent 25 years in prison for a heinous crime you didn’t commit? “Getting Life” is a book by Michael Morton, a man who was wrongfully convicted of killing his wife. Morton describes the corrupt court that tried him, the quarter century he spent in various Texas prisons, and the redemption he finally received. It is an easy read but a frustrating read! It definitely gets you thinking and sympathizing. Thank you to Brynn Molloy for recommending it to me.

I enjoyed reading “Getting Life.”

Funny Mom – To end the rundown on a humorous note, I received this text from my mom a few minutes after I returned home from work tonight. She is always joking around with me (I think).

The actual text is on the left with a cleaned up version of the graphic on the right.

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On Thursday nights, OWN shows episodes of Dateline and 20/20. That is what I am watching this evening. Have a wonderful weekend. Don’t Blink.

Spam E-Mail at Its Best

Posted on March 4, 2015 by brent

Back in a distant time, I used to get irritated and annoyed with e-mail spam. However, over the years I have lightened up and my ire has gone to more pressing problems such as Twitter spam, Instagram spam, and Snapchat spam. In all honesty though, I don’t think e-mail spam bothers me as much anymore because I am too busy laughing.

You see, the e-mail garbage I get these days is so far-fetched, so elementary, and so blatantly bad that it makes me chuckle. The best ones are the e-mails that make it through the spam filter and end up right in my work account inbox. Many of these correspondences are complete pieces of work. So, for your comedic pleasure, here are five recent actual e-mails sent to me along with my imaginary responses.

A Charitable Request

Brother Paul and I go way back.

Dear Brother Paul,

Even if you did send me an initial e-mail as you erroneously claim, you still would not have heard from me. I could care less about your jumbled code and I will absolutely not send any e-mail to an address that ends in qq.com. You should learn about proper capitalization and join a charity that teaches young kids grammar.

– Brother Brent

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Construction Machinery

Did I ever tell you that while in college I was a “Construction Machinery” major for two weeks?

Hi David,

You got my “contacts from internet” and claim that one of my interests is construction machinery? I don’t even know what that is, let alone consider it one of my interests. You must have pulled the information for another Brent Reser…or just lied because I am actually the only Brent Reser on the planet (true fact). There is actually no attachment for me to see so you are out of luck on that one. I am scared to click on your website link so unfortunately you will not be receiving my “kindly feedback.”

Thanks,
Brent

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Bots and Spammers

I am not a bot!!

Dear No Name,

Did you invent a new type of poetry meter? The way your text breaks is pretty random. No need to worry though, I am not a bot and this account is not “being used by spammers to promote spam remotely.” Over three weeks later my account is still sending out and receiving e-mails just fine so I think your lock down threat was a little unfounded. I guess I must be a human who can verify my account’s legitimacy.

Don’t Blink.

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I Need to LOGON

Well, I am definitely an e-mail user.

Sherif –

You were so close! If only you correctly spelled “log on” as two words I might have clicked on the link (if I had been hit in the head by a baseball bat first).

Take Care,
Brent

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My All-Time Favorite

The prequel to the sequel!

Greetings Salim,

Following my e-mail address are there parentheses that read “send this person spam because he is the absolute dumbest person on the planet”? Although this scheme has to have a 0% success rate it must bring a tiny bit of humor to stressed out, gloomy office workers. When I read your masterpiece I literally laughed out loud. This mess literally took the cake…even Brother Paul is envious.

I think you should stick with using the word “sequel” when it comes to movies and books, not e-mails. Also, just a tiny bit of attention to spelling, grammar, and/or spacing would be nice. Finally, I can’t reach you “on” an e-mail address, nor would I want to. So, to answer your question, I will have to politely decline to execute the charity project on your behalf (even though you sound like a really cool guy).

Best of luck,
Brent

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Much thanks to Brother Paul, David, No Name, Sherif, and Salim for brightening my day. I know I can expect many “sequels” to these e-mails down the road. Don’t Blink.

Twins or Not?

Posted on March 3, 2015 by brent

***Please CLICK HERE to view the 30 second video that this blog post is about.***

Recently, some talented twin sisters graciously provided me with a testimonial about www.brentreser.com . The energetic and attractive duo gave an honest and descriptive review of my blog. But while they were honest about my blog itself, there possibly could be something that they aren’t so honest about.

These twin sisters did a great testimonial for my blog.

When I received the video I didn’t think twice about the fact that I was watching twins. It didn’t even cross my mind. But when I excitedly showed Sidney my newest sparkling testimonial she cried foul.

“Those aren’t twins! That is the same girl, she just has a wig on!” my girlfriend immediately exclaimed.

Sid thinks this girl has a wig on and that she is really the girl with the dark hair.

It caught me off guard. Like I said, I just assumed they were twins because that is how they advertise themselves and they appeared together on screen more than once in the testimonial. I mean come on, technology isn’t advanced enough to place the same person on screen twice, right?

If there are two girls on the screen, there has to be two girls in real life, right?

I have always believed identical twins to be identical. Okay, that is obvious. What I mean is that one twin sister is expected to look exactly the same as her other twin sister. In a way, just from a video, you kind of just have to trust that they are twins. Unless of course there is a way to identify a fraud.

Is this girl a “twin fraud”?

This is where I want my readers to come in. I am hoping some of you have experience with twins, are a twin, or just have a really good eye and can tell me if it is people or a person in my video. It would help me relax and it would also settle a debate between Sidney and I. Oh, if you do reply with an insightful response I will include you in my Thursday night blog post.

Is this twinning or not? Please tell me. Thank you for your help. Don’t Blink.

One Impressive Sand Sculpture

Posted on March 2, 2015 by brent

Growing up where I did, I never had the opportunity to view something quite like this. Starting early this morning, talented artists started to construct a very cool piece of art out of an interesting medium: Sand.

Artists converged at the entrance of the HTC Center this morning.

Coastal Carolina University is the proud host of the Big South Conference basketball tournaments. The college that I proudly work for doesn’t have the opportunity to host just the men’s tourney or just the women’s tourney, it has the distinct pleasure of hosting both. Because Myrtle Beach is such a travel destination with an awesome chamber of commerce and because our athletic department is the best when it comes to putting on tournaments, CCU is the predetermined host of both tournaments for the third year in a row.

Coastal Carolina University is hosting both Big South Conference basketball tournaments. (Photo courtesy of my intern Jada Bynum).

In order to properly welcome the visiting universities, student-athletes, and fans, this sand sculpture is being constructed. This morning when I arrived at the HTC Center for my workout it was just a clump of sand. When I left work this evening It had turned into this.

How cool is this?!

Around 11 a.m. this morning I had my intern go over and take photos of the progress. By that time it had already transformed from nothing to a pretty cool sand castle. This afternoon when I went over it was nearing completion.

Me in front of the sculpture.

I enjoyed watching the artists work. They moved fast but they all paid very close attention to detail. I observed as they sculpted with tiny tools, crafted out letters, and spray painted.

The artists were extremely precise.

My favorite part of the sculpture is how sharp looking it is. Take a look at the social media icons, they are absolutely perfect. The structure just looks so strong and powerful.

These social media icons are spot on.

Included in the sandy piece of art are logos of all the participating schools. You then have sand basketballs devoted to Coastal Carolina University, the city, and the Big South Conference. The centerpiece reads “Big South Conference Championships.” Completing the front side of the structure is a striking red, 3-D ESPN logo complete with a welcome greeting and the tournament hashtag. The back of the structure is currently under construction but will have similar markings.

The ESPN/Welcome to Myrtle Beach portion of the structure.

I wish I knew the science and logistics behind sand sculpting but I don’t. All I can offer is that this thing looks super sweet and I am glad it will be sticking around for a whole week. Don’t Blink.

Our “Bar Rescue” Tour

Posted on March 1, 2015 by brent

To read an actual account of someone who appeared on “Bar Rescue,” click here.

This weekend I decided to feed one of my minor obsessions while at the same time seeing some new towns in the South. In the past I have written quite a bit about my favorite television show, “Bar Rescue.” Those who read Don’t Blink frequently and those who hang around me know that my fandom for “Bar Rescue” is strong. While watching the latest episode last Sunday, I started looking up all the locations where Jon Taffer has converged on to rescue struggling bars. It just so turned out that last season he transformed three establishments in North Carolina. With a free weekend on the horizon I made plans for a little road trip.

Yesterday, Sidney and I hit the road to visit three different North Carolina bars that were showcased on “Bar Rescue.” Our Saturday tour would take us to the great North Carolina towns of Hope Mills, Garner, and Raleigh. Don’t think we were traveling all day, however. Raleigh, the furthest of the three towns from us, was only a three hour drive. Hope Mills was just a mere two hours away with Garner right on the outskirts of Raleigh.

Friday night Sidney and I sat down to watch the episodes of the bars we would visit. Surprisingly for an avid “Bar Rescue” watcher like myself, I had never seen the Hope Mills or Garner episodes. But after watching them I was filled with excitement for the next day’s adventure. Soon I would be walking on the same ground where Taffer once roamed.

22 Klicks (Hope Mills, N.C.): This bar in the sleepy town of Hope Mills kicked our tour off. In the “Bar Rescue” episode, Jon Taffer takes a place with little identity and immature employees and turns it into a patriotic-themed, well-ran bar. The aim was to make the bar resonate with the heavy military population of the area that sits just 13 miles from Fort Bragg. A military inspired look with American flags, old photos, and a tank was installed.

This is what Klicks 22 looks like from outside.

We arrived at 22 Klicks at 12:30 p.m. We walked in and immediately went up to the bar. We were the only ones inside the establishment besides the bartender and the cook. The bartender was a hilarious Irish young woman who talked with us and joked around the whole time we were there.

Our bartender on the left with the bottle display on the right.

The whole place was really cool. It was spotless and the theme was presented perfectly. I really felt like it was a fitting tribute to those in the armed forces. The bar itself was top of the line and comfortable but it was so much smaller than what I expected based on watching the show. I would say that probably 12 people could sit at it. But it really had that homey feel to it and I immediately felt welcome and at ease.

Sidney and I in front of the tank at Klick's 22.

Sidney and I in front of the tank at 22 Klicks.

We ordered lunch. Although the gator bites were prominently advertised (as featured on the show), we passed on those. I got a meatball sandwich and Sidney got a Philly cheesesteak sandwich. Both sandwiches tasted great but the French fries stole the show. Without telling our friendly bartender that we were at 22 Klicks solely because we saw it on “Bar Rescue,” we subtly encouraged her to talk about it. Although she didn’t appear on the show nor was employed by the bar at the time, she offered us some great insight:

This was my delicious meatball sandwich.

* She said that her co-workers told her that Jon Taffer is extremely nice. She said that Jon fully explained that he would chew them out just so the full impact of the show could be delivered to the television audience.

* She said representatives from the show returned to the bar a couple months ago to film an update. She mentioned her co-worker was featured and that she particularly became annoyed at how close the camera would get right up in her face. She also added that the “Bar Rescue” crew directed this co-worker to go up to tables and introduce herself, solely so they could use it for the update.

I was given a Klicks 22 card!

I enjoyed my time at 22 Klicks! The Bar Rescue team did a fabulous job. It definitely stands out from your typical bar.

Dual Ultra Nightclub (Raleigh, N.C.): This bar went out of business! All I could do was get a photo near where it used to be. Although disappointed that we couldn’t truly visit it, I loved checking out Raleigh. The area we were in was covered with restaurants, shops, and bars. Right next to where Dual Ultra used to be was an Irish basement bar called Napper Tandy’s. We went downstairs for a quick visit. It was as if we were in a cave (in a good way) and the bar itself seemed to extend for a whole mile!

Dual Ultra Nightclub is now closed.

Moonrunners Saloon (Garner, N.C.): Sidney and I had to backtrack from Raleigh to Garner. This was an arrangement we purposely planned though because our hotel was in Garner, just a short walk from Moonrunners. I am extremely happy we worked it out this way because Moonrunners was definitely a place where I was happy to spend my whole night at.

Before leaving town this morning I took this photo of Moonrunners Saloon.

The bar was originally called Characters Quarters. It was a place where employees would literally dress up in costumes and serve families. Taffer came in and made it a prohibition moonshine themed bar. In the episode the relationship between a brother and sister is prominently displayed. “Bar Rescue” chronicles the way the brother (Guy), who is the owner, interacts with his sister (Alex), who is a waitress. As the show tends to do, this relationship was magnified and portrayed them both as polarizing characters.

It was “Bar Rescue” night at Moonrunners last night.

When we entered Moonrunners at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday night it was absolutely packed. In fact it was so busy that we couldn’t even get a seat. It worked out perfectly though because as we were waiting two seats opened up at the bar. We quickly took the chairs because that is where we wanted to sit all along.

I took this photo as we were leaving Moonrunners last night. When we arrived earlier in the evening, there was not a seat to be had.

We immediately saw both Alex and Guy. Alex was busting her butt serving the packed place and Alex was doing his job managing. He came over to us a couple times and asked us how we were doing. It was cool to see two people we watched on television the night before in person less than 24 hours later. We observed Guy’s managing style and he definitely runs a very tight ship with his employees. The way he holds his workers accountable though is definitely paying off though because like I said, the place was packed.

I snapped photos of both Guy (left) and Alex (right) in action last night.

In addition to Alex and Guy, Moonrunners probably had eight other staff members working last night. Every one of them was as friendly as could be. Our bartender Summer was incredible and even asked Sidney if she wanted to wear her sweatshirt as she mentioned that she was a little chilly. Whenever one of the waitresses would come behind the bar they would talk to us. The highlight of the night came when a manager named Thomas gave Sidney and I free drinks. I had tweeted a couple times about how much I was enjoying Moonshiner’s and he gave us the free beers as a sign of gratitude for doing so. I thought that was really cool.

Sid and I enjoyed our time in Moonrunners last night.

The food was phenomenal. I had the Runner Burger that came with two patties, bacon, three cheeses, onion rings, French fries, and onions. The flavor of the patties tasted amazing. It was fresh and fun to eat. I very well could have ate the whole thing but wanted to feel decent the rest of the night so I stopped halfway through. I would love to eat that burger again. Sidney enjoyed her chicken sandwich with blue cheese crumbles. She also raved about her fruity moonshine drink she ordered. It was so memorable that Summer gave Sidney the jar she drank it out of.

This was my incredible burger at Moonrunners Saloon.

Moonshiner’s had a great vibe. I watched several basketball games on the TVs and Sid and I even played Bingo later on. It was a lot of fun. Because it was so busy and the staff was always tied up I didn’t get the chance to ask about “Bar Rescue.” But it didn’t matter because just by being inside the place I could feel the show’s presence. Moonrunners is a machine now and a testament to the fact that “Bar Rescue” works.

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I had a tremendous time on our “Bar Rescue” tour. Thanks so much to Sidney for going on one of my nerdy trips. My love for “Bar Rescue” has increased even more and I can’t wait to watch the new episode at 9 p.m. tonight. After visiting a couple of “rescued bars” this weekend, I can say that Jon Taffer does an amazing job. Don’t Blink.

Sweet Way to Start the Thursday Rundown

Posted on February 26, 2015 by brent

It is the last Thursday in February. However, no matter if it is the first or last, any Thursday means it is time for the rundown. Time to get started.

#CCU Director of Athletics – Today news came down that our university now has a permanent athletic director. The man officially in charge of our sports program is Matt Hogue. Not a stranger to this huge responsibility at all as he served as the interim athletic director for the past several months, I couldn’t be more thrilled for Matt now that it is official. He was one of the three members on the committee that decided to hire me. When I came for my on-campus visit almost one year ago he was so welcoming and professional. Since I have started working here at Coastal he has humbly reached out to me several times and has even asked for advice whether it be about social media or about how we would do certain things at Montana. AD Hogue has already done a great job in his interim role and will continue to move Chanticleer Athletics forward now that he is the guy.

This is a photo I took of Matt during summer commencement.

Recognition for #CCUSocialMedia – Yesterday I received word that our summer #CCUSA campaign was recognized in the Educational Advertising Awards. Entered in the “Social Media: 4-year Institution, 5,000-10,000” category, it received the bronze award. Although I am much more interested in winning gold awards, earning any type of national recognition is a cool deal and a great starting point for our social media program. Thank you to Kevin Olivett and Jon Fernandez for their great help assisting with the conception of the #CCUSA campaign.

#CCUSA earned some recognition through the Educational Advertising Awards.

Very Interesting App – Last week my brother drew my attention to an app called Fling. Here is the concept: You take a photo or video, hit send, and then the app will transport the media you created to 50 random people worldwide. My brother likened Fling to a cross between Snap Chat and Chat Roulette. I personally like it because I can broadcast my blog to 50 new people at a time over the whole planet. Sadly, I have found out that not everyone is as enthusiastic about my website as I am. You see, people who receive your “Fling” can respond. I have had a couple people tell me in not so nice terms that they don’t really care about www.brentreser.com and that they rather see a hot girl instead.

This is the Fling logo.

Silly Weekend Planned – Saturday will be a lot of fun! I am not going to release the exact details now because I am going to write about it on Sunday night but I will say this: It has to do with Sidney and I traveling to the area of Raleigh, North Carolina. It is a typical “Brent Being Brent” trip. Stay tuned to www.brentreser.com for a recap at the end of the weekend.

Words of Wisdom– Exactly one year ago today, these words of wisdom appeared on my “Life’s Little Instructions” calendar. This definitely goes down as one of my favorite pieces of advice. Personal disappointment is tough, but nothing helps remedy the pain more than by lifting someone else up. I have tried to use this remedy as much as possible as I have faced my own setbacks. With these words appearing exactly 365 days ago, I knew I had to share.

Great Advice!

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Have a superb weekend, everyone! As always, I am very appreciative of your readership. Don’t Blink.

Shutting Down Because of An Inch of Snow

Posted on February 25, 2015 by brent

Ten months since moving to Myrtle Beach I am still learning ways in which the south is different from out west. I love observing and experiencing the ways in which the two cultures differ, it is very interesting and fun to me. This week I have come across another major contrast.

Growing up in the northwest, getting around and dealing with the snow was just a fact of life. From at least October through March we knew that snow would fall and driving would become a little more hazardous. Sometimes, when the white stuff would come in accumulations of a foot or two, maneuvering a motor vehicle would get especially tricky.

Another part of growing up was hearing stories about far off lands that rarely had the blessing of snow or ice. You would hear about towns shutting down, motorists abandoning vehicles, and people freaking out. Because these measures seemed so drastic and so over the top, the question of whether these things actually occurred always went through our heads.

I can now say that they do…to a degree.

On Monday, the threat of a winter storm loomed over the Grand Strand area. The local media ran with it and forecasted snow and ice! The major school district in our area raised the white flag immediately. At 6 p.m. on Monday the district’s leadership cancelled school for the next day. This decision came before even one snowflake could fall, let alone one raindrop. The technical college in the area followed suit. We here at Coastal decided to wait until 6 a.m. on Tuesday to make a final decision.

Oh, I guess I wasn’t very specific when I noted that the forecast called for snow and ice. Let me fill you in on what was expected: The weather service warned of up to a HALF INCH of snow accumulation with periods of possible freezing rain. Armageddon.

Come Tuesday morning the forecast had not materialized. However, because the threat still loomed for later in the day, Coastal made the move to cancel classes. However, campus was still open and employees were required to come to work. As someone who hates snow days (or “threat of snow” days in this case), I was very happy that campus was still left open.

The snow never came. The dangerous road ice never made an appearance either, although icicles did form on cars which looked kind of cool. For people not from the South and even for those native to it, it seemed a little strange to walk around in mild temperatures and just rain while knowing that schools and services were closed. Perhaps the weirdest moment for many came this morning. As another precautionary measure to miss the threat of a storm, most of the Myrtle Beach/Conway area didn’t start classes/work/life until 10 a.m. today. With the temperatures pleasant and no precipitation at all, the delay seemed rather wacky to some.

My license plate was frozen and icicles formed!

But don’t count me as one of them! Although I do admit that I was a little shocked at first with the reaction to what constitutes June weather in Montana, I did come to realize why such decisions are made.

People in this area of the country are not used to snow and ice. Not only are folks not used to it, but necessary equipment for the removal of such hazards are not readily available either. Thus, even with the threat of a snow dusting, closures can be necessary because if it does materialize, there would not be an efficient way to remove it. Even a miniscule amount of snow can make roads dangerous. For those not accustomed to driving in it, the chance for accidents increase.

So it is not about being brave or macho. It is about being safe. Different areas of the country are accustomed to different climates and patterns. I am sure my hometown of Spokane would freak out and collapse if a hurricane warning came. A little perspective and background can go a long way when understanding why different areas respond to weather situations like they do. Don’t Blink.

Bone Chilling Nightmare: Mall Terrorism

Posted on February 24, 2015 by brent

Yesterday, another terror threat delivered by an immensely deranged group made news. Only this call to violence caught my attention a little more. To be honest it sent a chill up my spine and gave me a bad feeling. Some bastard terrorist group called Al-Shabab used their primitive ways to issue a type of warning you don’t always hear.

It seems like terror threats usually zero in on airports, landmarks, and streets of big cities. However, very rarely do you hear of plots to disrupt shopping malls on American soil. Yesterday, video of some P.O.S with an ugly bag wrapped around his face and head warned of attacks in shopping malls, specifically the Mall of America in Minnesota. This made me feel a little uncomfortable.

This is the scum that sent out the threat of an attack on the Mall of America.

To me, it seems like a shopping mall is the most vulnerable/mass casualty prone area to pull off a savage attack. If you think about it, places like airports, stadiums, tourist hot spots, and even schools all have metal detectors and law enforcement personnel located at the entrances. At malls you have numerous entry points where people are free to come and go without any sort of check. A polar bear could pretty much wander inside any American mall undetected, let alone some terrorist strapped with explosives or carrying automatic weapons.

Of course it just isn’t the undetected entry that makes me worry. Once inside a mall, it is pretty much a playground for someone who is up to no good to stake out, hide, and wreak havoc. Even with no plan at all, a maniac could run into a mall, randomly shoot twenty people, and then go run to a vacant store space or disappear into a corner of a department store. Even scarier, a terrorist could stroll to the middle of the food court and blow himself up. These are the things of nightmares.

Could you imagine a sophisticated attack? A terrorist cell could send lunatics on every level of a mall and then at the designated second let loose. Mall cops receive an unfair reputation but there is no way they could compete with a choreographed attack against automatic weapon yielding psychos. Now I know the Mall of America has a much more aggressive law enforcement fleet than your typical shopping center but it is these less prominent malls that I am especially worried about.

To me it just all seems way too easy and way too scary. What can we do against these agents from hell who will do anything to kill innocent Americans? I have thought a lot about the mall I grew up going to and the Coastal Grand Mall here in Myrtle Beach when it comes to ways in which they might be attacked. It is chilling.

I am fully aware that many of these terror organizations put out these threats as a way to scare us and to make us alter our routines. Hundreds of specific threats are just that…threats. They never physically materialize. But jackasses like those in Al-Shabab also inspire loner jackasses unaffiliated with any terror ring to do stupid things.

I hope I never see a mall terrorist attack on American soil. However, the threat and possibility is very much there. Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser