Why I Went and Saw “Dumb and Dumber To”

Posted on November 16, 2014 by brent

My friends and I discovered “Dumb and Dumber” when we were in the sixth grade, a good five or six years after it was released in 1994. But once we discovered it, we treated it like it was God’s gift to film. Although these days I don’t watch movies more than once, we watched “Dumb and Dumber” probably 200 times…no stretch. That doesn’t even count the thousand other times we stopped and watched it on TBS.

My friends and I could quote that movie forwards and backwards. We would be engaging in a normal conversation and then one of us would slip in a “Dumb and Dumber” reference and we would take off from there by playing out the whole scene. It went way beyond the “Big Gulps” and “Kick his ass, Seabass” lines that have become a fabric of our society. When the “Dumb and Dumberer 2: When Harry Met Lloyd” prequel came out I saw that train wreck of a movie on opening night. If I remember correctly, we even tried pretending that it was good.

Today I went and saw “Dumb and Dumber To.”

About the time I was a junior or senior in high school my maturity level improved. No longer did I think “Dumb and Dumber” was the truth. When I passed by the movie on TV I didn’t stop and watch it anymore. No longer did I think imitating Jim Carrey and Jeff Daniels to a T was a badge of honor. I had grown sick of the movie.

When the previews for “Dumb and Dumber To” started to come out only one word came to mind: STUPID. It didn’t even look “funny” stupid to me, it just looked “don’t waste your time, this looks awful” stupid. I trashed the movie to everyone I knew. I was being serious though, to me the previews made the film look horrendous.

So even though I thought it looked terrible and even though I took every chance I could to blast it, I still wanted to go on opening weekend. I wanted to pay tribute to my boyhood fandom of the original while also having something to write about. I admit, I was curious to see what the Farrelly brothers had up their sleeves twenty years later. Today I went to the 11:30 a.m. showing of “Dumb and Dumber To” at the Grand 14 Cinema in Market Common.

My ticket for “Dumb and Dumber To.”

“Dumb and Dumber To” is more disgusting, more sexual, and more mischievous than the original. I want that to be my bottom line on the movie. With that said, I did find the film pretty darn funny. I laughed from start to end. The film is incredibly stupid, but it was more of the “funny” stupid that I originally thought the film would lack. Some of the jokes are absolutely tasteless, I am talking vomit in your mouth inducing. The actual plot is far-fetched and dumb. Some parts get pretty annoying.

But to me, the aspect I liked most about the movie was Jim Carrey. He still has it. He has something that just makes him different from other comedians. The way he moves and let loose is comedic gold. In this sequel he is much more edgier and sinister than the Lloyd in the original movie. However, I still enjoyed his performance for the most part, even if he did participate in almost all of those annoying parts I just made reference to.

If at any time in your life you were able to quote at least five lines from “Dumb and Dumber” I say give “Dumb and Dumber To” a shot just for nostalgia purposes. If you aren’t a “Dumb and Dumber” fan or have never (gasp) seen the movie before, I suggest you stay away. Sidney went with me to the movie and waited until the end to tell me that she had never seen the first one. She thought “Dumb and Dumber To” was awful. Although I laughed quite a bit, when it comes to the movie I can’t pull a Lloyd Christmas and say in that voice of his that “I LIKED IT A LOT.” Don’t Blink.

How Social Media Got Our #TEALnation Sign Back

Posted on November 13, 2014 by brent

As a digital marketer, I love to share the success stories that this medium creates, especially when it deals specifically with social media. Very recently I had the pleasure of helping out with something pretty cool.

Yesterday at Coastal Carolina University we discovered that a welcome sign next to one of our entrances had turned up missing. This wasn’t just any sign though. It was a newly installed board that had one of our key marketing brands on it. The “Welcome to #TEALnation” sign added personality and flavor to one of our most heavily trafficked entrances. Our campus community identifies with #TEALnation and to have the new sign removed in such a savage nature was unsettling. We knew we had to get it back.

Our #TEALnation sign had been completely removed.

During the morning on Wednesday a brief meeting was held between our Vice President Bill Plate, Director of News and Public Affiars Martha Hunn, our Chief of Police David Roper, and myself. We wanted to decide how we would get word out about the jacking of the sign while asking for its return. After mulling over ideas such as a campus wide e-mail or an actual video we decided to go with a different approach: Social Media. The decision was made to do this outreach solely on a social level. All the other traditional avenues be damned, we were going to rely completely on social media to bring our sign home.

Chief Roper gave me some key words he wanted included in what we sent out but then I was free to compose the social media posts myself. After getting the “okay” from Bill I posted variations of the sign theft news on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. I then watched the Coastal Community go to work.

Our Facebook post generated lots of shares and fired up the community.

The tweet was retweeted like wild fire. The Facebook post was shared like crazy. The Instagram image was commented on and reposted. A local news station even picked up on the story. People were outraged by the theft and wanted to make sure that the sign was recovered. A distinguishing and prideful piece of University property was not going to be missing for long!

The tweet we sent out was rapidly retweeted.

And it wasn’t. By 3:30 p.m. yesterday, Chief Roper notified Martha and told her the sign had been recovered. An individual had called in and given the location of our stolen property. When she told me the great news my face lit up. We had rallied our community via social media and we had received the best result we could have possibly hoped for in a matter of hours. Because of the investigation and recovery effort we had to sit on the good news for the night. However, this afternoon we were able to inform Teal Nation that the sign was back in good hands. A heartfelt thank you was given to our social media audience for coming to the rescue. Our announcement was met with enthusiasm and joy.

It felt great to send out the good news tweet.

File this one under “Social Media Success Stories.” We knew that this conundrum would touch a nerve with our community. When people are urked by something, it goes viral. This was exactly the case with our #TEALnation sign disappearance. Instead of concentrating on methods that would require lots of resources and time, we utilized the absolute best weapon we could call on in the given situation. Social media and Teal Nation to the rescue again! Don’t Blink.

Memorable Movies in the Theater

Posted on November 12, 2014 by brent

This afternoon I was standing out on Prince Lawn at Coastal Carolina University talking with my co-worker, April Betsch. We got to talking about “Dumb and Dumber To” and one thing led to another. Pretty soon she brought up the subject of shared experiences in movie theaters. April explained how cool it is to go to a movie theater and really feel connected with the rest of the audience during the film. I knew exactly what she was talking about but had never so eloquently put that movie-going experience into words before.

With April’s inspiration, tonight I want to write about the five movies I can easily rattle off the top of my head where I had a “shared experience” with the people in the theater. These movies are listed in no particular order. In the brackets after each title I have the city where I watched the movie and the year I saw it.

“Lone Survivor” (Missoula, MT – 2013) – The theater was completely packed when I went to this film on opening night. As I watched people walk in all I can say is it looked like they had their game faces on. You could just tell that no one would be talking or texting during this movie. Throughout the very well done film, you could feel the nervousness of those around you during the fighting scenes. You could feel the tension when the Taliban was in hot pursuit of the SEALs. Everyone laughed out loud together in relief during the very well-placed humorous lines. You could then feel the appreciation and pride of everyone in the theater when the air support came in and lifted Mark Wahlberg’s character to safety. The moment he thanked the tribe that sheltered him was indescribable. The second before the credits started to roll someone yelled out “YAH!!” and the whole theater erupted in applause, to this day the loudest ovation I have ever heard after a movie.

“The Ring” (Walla Walla, WA – 2002) – I saw this movie with my sister and when we walked out into the parking lot we were literally shaking. But it was what took place inside the theater that I really remember. “The Ring” ushered in a new era of horror movies so a lot of people were not really exposed (myself included) to what we were about to watch. Throughout the movie you heard a lot of shrieks and noticed most people with their hands over mouths in disbelief. The images of the girl really terrified a lot of people. The grainy video that was the kiss of death and center of the movmie made people uneasy. Then of course there was the final scene that had everyone in the theater crying out in horror (and of course approval…what an awesome ending!).

“Passion of the Christ” (Spokane, WA – 2004) – Walking into the theater for this movie I could sense from everyone else in the theater that they knew it was going to be a tough one. You could just feel the somber aura in the auditorium during the whole film. People were not there to be entertained, they were there to watch the most gut-wrenching aspect of their faith. When the movie ended, people just didn’t exit the auditorium in silence, they exited the movie theater itself in silence and proceeded to walk to their cars in the parking lot in silence as well. Ironically, because of the fact that everyone was so silent and so disconnected from everyone else, it actually made it seem like everyone was intertwined somehow.

“The Mask” (Spokane, WA – 1994) – You might think I am crazy for remembering a movie I saw in theaters 20 years ago this month but it seems just like yesterday. We hosted Thanksgiving at my parents’ house for my dad’s side of the family. They all came from out of town and on Thanksgiving night we went to the theater to watch “The Mask.” As my dad has a very large family, we had about 20 of us Resers in that theater. From start to end, my family was in tears they were laughing so hard. This energy transferred to everyone else in the auditorium as it was just a circus as Jim Carey put on a complete show. My aunts and uncles still talk about that night to this day.

“Fault of Our Stars” (Myrtle Beach, SC – 2014) – I wrote about watching this movie in June and the absolute tear bath that ensued inside the Myrtle Beach theater. Until that night, I had never heard such a collective cry from strangers inside an auditorium before. You could sense a thick cloud of agony inside the theater from the tears, sobs, and nose blows from the predominately female audience. Another movie I saw on opening night, you could figure that most people in the seats were diehards of the book. It was definitely an experience.

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I hope to have more shared experiences in the movie theater in the near future. However, I don’t think it is going to come when I watch “Dumb and Dumber To.” Although a must see for me as I loved “Dumb and Dumber” as a kid, this new sequel looks utterly stupid. Don’t Blink.

B+R Hand Soaps

Posted on November 11, 2014 by brent

Every now and then I like to share ideas that cross my mind regarding new services or products. Now the last time I went out on a limb and did this I thoroughly embarrassed myself as I pitched an idea that was already implemented in varying forms in several supermarkets. But after a thorough Google search this evening, I believe I have a true original idea for an exciting line of products. Let me present to you my latest scam…uh…I mean…idea.

With crazy new flavors for everything from potato chips to soft drinks hitting the shelves, I want to take this idea to a non-edible product. It is with great excitement that I introduce Bizzare+Random Hand Soaps. Made to look like my initials (the “+” is to serve as the word “and” but look like the letter “t”) , B+R Hand Soaps is an innovative concept not yet out in the market. I would package the most intriguing, outrageous, and good smelling soaps that have ever made contact with human hands.

We use liquid/hand soap everywhere. We have several bottles in our homes stationed everywhere from the kitchen sink to the bathroom. Unless they utilize that disgusting powdered soap, every single business stocks their restrooms with hand soap. Whether used in automatic dispensers, nice porcelain containers, or the plastic bottles themselves, the stuff is used in every restaurant, stadium, locker room, etc. So I have to ask, if this type of soap is so prevalent, why are the scents so boring? If you go to a store you will have a selection of about ten different options. Cucumber melon, lavender, coconut, cherry blossom, gold flavor, and tropical/Hawaiian scents dominate your choices. I am so sick of these uninspired choices.

I have an amazing idea that will transform the hand soap industry. Say goodbye to boring scents such as lavender.

At B&R Hand Soaps, we would offer absolutely wild flavors. I am talking cookie dough. Or I am talking macaroni cheese. Or how about hot fudge sundae? Can I get a YES PLEASE for a buttered popcorn hand soap? Or, to take another Jelly Belly classic flavor, how about a Dr. Pepper version!? But we wouldn’t stop there. How would you like to wash your hands with Butterfinger soap? What if we introduced a spaghetti and meatballs scent? Or what about an Oreo cookie mixture?

We would never have to worry about kids (and adults) not washing their hands again. People would make excuses to go lather up. Hands would become incredibly clean because people would rinse their hands several times just so they could apply more soap. Moods would improve because when you have a scent lingering on you throughout the day such as cookie dough or buttered popcorn, how can you not be happy?

I would sell a long line of different scents to mass retailers such as Wal-Mart and Target. But then I would also sell exclusive flavors to big time restaurants, marketing it as the best branding decision you could ever make. Could you imagine if B+R Hand Soaps developed an Asian Zing or Jammin Jalapeno soap for Buffalo Wild Wings? The specialty soap would be woven into the fabric of BWW. People would be fascinated with it and make trips to the restaurant not just to eat but to also use the restroom. Or what if B+R Hand Soaps made a lemon cheesecake soap for the Cheesecake Factory?! Oh man, talk about a slam dunk! What if we reached out to the Seattle Seahawks and created a Skittles soap to be used exclusively inside CenturyLink Field in honor of Marshawn Lynch? Can you tell that I am just a little excited about this?!

Ladies and gentlemen, B+R Hand Soaps! This would turn the industry completely upside-down. It would promote hand washing and instill identity both in individuals and companies. Time to turn the floor over to you. What do you think? Would you invest? Would you purchase the soap? Let me know what you think and also throw out any scent ideas you have. Excuse me while I go wash my hands. Don’t Blink.

Coastal Football Earns #1 Ranking

Posted on November 10, 2014 by brent

Today a very exciting milestone occurred at the university I work at. In the early afternoon, the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Coaches Poll came out and revealed that the Coastal Carolina University football program had been voted the #1 team in the nation. Not only was this the first ever #1 ranking for the CCU football team, it marked the first ever #1 ranking for any team in the history of Chanticleer Athletics.

Immediately social media blew up. The tweet we sent out announcing the accomplishment received 147 retweets, earning the distinction as the most retweeted tweet in the history of our @CCUchanticleers account. Our other social media accounts posted big numbers as well. In no time our Facebook account generated 600 likes and 224 shares. The Instagram image created for the occasion garnered 286 likes, a new record. It was definitely a fun afternoon for #CCUSocialMedia.

This tweet has already garnered 147 retweets.

Even though the response on social media was exuberant and powerful, the top spot ranking wasn’t a surprise. With back-to-back-to-back FCS champion North Dakota State suffering a rare defeat on Saturday, it paved the way for Coastal to grab the premiere spot. You might reason that NDSU deserved the respect of remaining #1 after 33 straight wins and three national championships but here is the thing: Coastal has cruised to a 10-0 record in impressive fashion this season. The team has obliterated opponents while doing most of its damage on the road. Playing only five home games this year, the Chants have already posted an undefeated 7-0 road record. The final two games on the schedule will take place in the friendly confines of Brooks Stadium.

Here is the new FCS Coaches Poll.

Here is where the story turns a little personal. Coastal Carolina is the second school I have worked at where the football team has earned the #1 FCS ranking. When I worked at the University of Montana the Grizzlies owned the prestigious top spot for varying lengths of time during two different seasons that I worked there. I do wonder how many people can say that they have worked at two schools that reached the number one spot in the FCS during this young decade (2010-2019). While I feel more connected to the accomplishments of the football team at Montana simply because I worked in the athletic department, it is still a source of pride that my current university is now the top gridiron team in the FCS.

Two schools. Two mascots. Two #1 FCS rankings.

Big congrats to the student-athletes, the coaches, and the Chanticleer Athletics staff on this big accomplishment. The next two weeks the Chant football team will be playing for an undefeated season, the Big South crown, and a top playoff seed. I will get to watch it all play out from the sidelines. CINO! Don’t Blink.

Changing My View on Kids Movies

Posted on November 9, 2014 by brent

Early Sundays are a great time to go to the movies. Here in Myrtle Beach, one of the really nice theaters next to where I live offers matinee showings for only $5. To enjoy a show at a really cheap price while at the same time winding down the weekend in a relaxing and fun way is ideal for me. The past two Sundays I have taken advantage of this option.

When you are only paying $5 to see a movie, you can kind of put your selectivity to the side. If I am spending $10.50 for a movie on a Friday evening, I want to see a heralded blockbuster hit on its premiere night. However, if you are paying half that amount on a lazy Sunday I am more inclined to take chances. This was definitely the case today.

Sitting at breakfast this morning, Sidney and I chose to see “Big Hero 6” over “Interstellar.” We chose the animated kids flick over the popular sci-fi movie mostly in part because we could bring Sidney’s nephew and niece. With their parents gone for the week, we could release some of the burden off of Sidney’s mom and dad who have the babysitting duties. Even though I am not a big cartoonish children movie fan, this seemed like the right thing to do. We brought the kids out to the Grand 14 Cinema in Market Common for the 11:30 a.m. showing.

I saw “Big Hero 6” today. You can’t beat that ticket price.

After watching “Big Hero 6” today, my opinion of kids movies is that some of them (well at least “Big Hero 6”) are more complex and more entertaining than your typical R-rated thriller/action movie. I was more intrigued and interested in today’s show than I was with “Gone Girl,” which we watched on Friday night. I wouldn’t even call “Gone Girl” a bad movie, either. Today’s movie was just so fresh, clever, and humorous…even if it was done by Disney and rated PG.

For those of you who don’t know, “Big Hero 6” is about a boy who invents a sophisticated robot type chip that allows someone’s mind to create magnificent structures, anything from high-tech buildings to transportation systems. Because his creation is so incredible, a villain sets fire to the institute where the boy (named Hiro) introduced his invention. While the fire raged on, Hiro’s brother went inside the building to save his professor. An explosion occurred and the brother died. The rest of the movie follows the quest of Hiro to avenge the death of his brother. With several plot turns, the villain isn’t who Hiro originally thought.

The plot of “Big Hero 6” is more developed and provides more surprises than most grown up movies. The animation is beautiful and some of the particular scenes are especially aesthetically-pleasing. It is funny throughout and the ending is great. A faint applause circulated throughout the child-filled theater when the credits started to roll. The adorable little people we were with, Harrison and Russell, enjoyed the show too. Although Russell (Sidney’s niece) said her favorite part was when Hiro’s brother died, I am sure she liked the other not so morbid moments as well.

The gang from “Big Hero 6”.

About 95% of the time, I would immediately write off watching an animated kids movie. However, I need to start re-thinking these urges. Films these days, especially ones made by movie giants such as Disney, are marketed towards children but are made to appeal to everyone. What makes a book, movie, TV show, etc. is a good story that is told well. While you can maybe spice it up a little by adding violence, sex, colorful language, and superstar actors if it lacks an engaging plot it will fall flat. This explains why a movie such as “Big Hero 6” triumphed while a film such as “The Expendables 3” bombed.

Don’t be afraid to watch an animated movie. Take some young people out for a fun treat and be amazed in the same way that I was. Trust me, these days you won’t be watching “Sesame Street” up on the big screen. Don’t Blink.

The Fritos Chili Pizza By Papa John’s

Posted on November 8, 2014 by brent

When I saw the founder of Papa John’s and Peyton Manning on my television screen advertising the chain’s new Fritos Chili Pizza I laughed at the absolute absurdity of such a creation. However, even though I thought the pizza idea was ridiculous I still really wanted to try it. Last night I satisfied my desire.

For only $12 I picked up the Fritos Chili Pizza at my local Myrtle Beach Papa John’s. I then brought it over to Sidney’s house and placed it on her dining room table. As opposed to opening up the box when I got to my car, I had let the anticipation build for the whole 20 minute car ride to her place. Eagerly I opened up the top of the box to reveal a pizza covered in Fritos.

Here is what I saw when I opened the box…the Papa John’s Fritos Chili Pizza.

Besides the namesake ingredient it also had tomatoes, onions, and meat on it. The sauce was a chili sauce, giving legitimacy to the other namesake ingredient. With the signature Papa John’s crust plus the garlic dip and pepper added in the box, I was ready to dig in. I reached for a slice and pulled it apart from the pizza itself, causing Fritos to fall off the slice I was about to eat. I then brought up the slice to my mouth with even more chips falling off and took a bite.

Me holding the Fritos Chili Pizza.

I can describe the taste of the Fritos Chili Pizza in one word: mild. While you will taste the chili flavor, the pizza definitely lacks any bold flavors or kick. I think I was expecting some zest, a shot of spice maybe. I thought the chili might have a distinctive flavor or the Fritos might bring something out that I have never really tasted before on a pizza. Not so. The pie definitely carried with it a very ho-hum taste. Not that this is a terrible thing. Many people don’t like wild flavors assaulting their taste buds. I mean I still thought it tasted good, it just lacked the flavor I thought it would have.

Another view of the Fritos Chili Pizza.

The Fritos definitely bring a unique element. The chips are fresh and the crunch is nice. However, they do fall off very easily before reaching your mouth. And, like I said in the above paragraph, the Fritos do really nothing to enhance the flavor. They are there simply to add a pleasant crunch. You have to also understand that this will not be a pizza you will want to have the next day. Can you imagine putting a pizza with Fritos on it in the refrigerator over night and then having it the next day? Well, I can, because I had a slice of it this morning. The Fritos were soggy and the texture that made the pizza decent the night before was gone.

Although not the most flavorful pizza, I still enjoyed it.

How would I improve this pizza? Here is my idea: I would create a Sriracha pizza sauce for the base. I would then put on the cheese, onions, and tomatoes. I would next add a layer of chili and I am talking an actual layer of hot meat chili. Then I would top it with the Fritos. This would give the pizza some bite, flavor, and personality.

To reiterate my main point, don’t get this pizza because you want to taste something crazy. You will be disappointed. Get it if you want an interesting crunch and are not a big fan of traditional pizza sauce. I can’t wait until the Cheetos pizza comes out. Don’t Blink.

Wanted: Graphic Designer to Create My Website Banner

Posted on November 7, 2014 by brent

For how obsessively I keep up my blog and all the hours I devote to producing new posts, I do admit that I have slacked in one very obvious manner: My website banner is embarrassingly out of date.

After over six months here in Myrtle Beach, my banner image still reflects my job and life I had while working at the University of Montana. The photoshopped image of me inside Washington-Grizzly Stadium has overstayed its welcome by about 200 days. For someone who preaches the importance of a solid and consistent personal brand, the fact that I have neglected to switch out the image that greets my readers when visiting www.brentreser.com is hypocritical.

It is time for this outdated banner to go.

Here is the truth though: While my design skills are passable, there are so many people out there who surpass my average capabilities. Instead of slapping together something that looks similar to what I have right now quality-wise, I much rather go with something that looks professional and inviting. To put it simply, I want one of my much more talented readers to design my new banner for me.

I am not looking for charity work. I will gladly pay whoever wants to take this project on. I want an image that captures where I am living and who I am. I also want it to look really cool. For a blog that receives thousands of views a month, I really need to take a step up from what I have right now.

To any of my readers out there, would you like to take this on? In addition to the website collateral that will be created I will need a version to fit my Facebook banner as well. Please text, call, tweet, Facebook, or e-mail me. If you can’t contact me one of those ways, please feel free to leave a comment underneath this post. Have a great weekend everyone. Don’t Blink.

November Thursday Rundown

Posted on November 6, 2014 by brent

Good evening to all my readers! I hope your week is off to a great start. Tonight I will provide you with my first Thursday Rundown of November. So sit back and do a little reading to help pass the time between now and three weeks later when it will be Thanksgiving.

Six-Month Anniversary: This past Saturday (November 1) marked my six-month anniversary as an employee of Coastal Carolina University. The time has definitely flown by. I am so thankful and happy with my decision to come here. Exactly one year ago today was the start of a five night gauntlet of events that I worked while at Grizzly Athletics. With basketball, football, and volleyball all overlapping each other I spent that Wednesday through Saturday on campus from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. I capped the insane week off by working a Sunday afternoon basketball game. I loved what I did for the Griz but it has been so nice working regular hours over the past half year.

Meeting with my Mentee: About a month ago I explained how I am part of a mentoring program at work called CINO Legacy. Simply put, I am assigned a student and I get to mentor her. Today Lauren and I met at our campus Einstein Bagels location and had a cover letter/resume workshop. While I am not an expert in these areas by any means, I shared with her some things that have worked for me professionally. I am honored to be part of this program and have the opportunity to mentor such a cool person as Lauren.

Lauren and I going over cover letters and resumes today.

Election 2014: Call me an apathetic citizen, but I didn’t vote in this election nor did I pay too much attention to the issues at hand. Sure I became a little familiar with the key races in South Carolina, Montana, and Washington but I didn’t take any action by performing my civic duty. Probably the thing that stood out to me most about Election 2014 was that it has already been two years since Election 2012. It seems like yesterday that President Obama and Mitt Romney were battling it out for the White House. Just like the past two years have quickly gone by, I am sure the next two will as well. Soon enough we will have a marquee 2016 Presidential Election.

Social Media Gold Star: Delta has close to two million fans on its Facebook page. The fact that the company responded to my Facebook Message in less than eight hours impressed me. I sent them an inquiry today about what my baggage status will be when I fly out west in less than three weeks. My trip back to Spokane is a long, exhausting one. Not only will I be on three different planes, I will also be utilizing two different airlines. Not knowing exactly if competing airlines would pass along checked baggage to each other to reach the customer’s final destination, I asked Delta myself. Not only did the company respond to me in a timely manner, they also gave me the answer I wanted to hear.

My correspondence with Delta over Facebook.

Two Months Old: Yesterday my niece went in and got her two-month photos taken. Tomorrow she will turn nine weeks. Mom said she had a nice Halloween and enjoyed dressing up a little. I now only have 19 days to go until I finally get to meet her.

Here are some recent photos of Mikayla at two months.

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Time for me to sign off and watch some football. I am dialed in for the Clemson-Wake Forest game tonight. As I have seen the Tigers play two games in-person this season, I am cheering them on the rest of the way. To all my dedicated readers, have a great weekend! Don’t Blink.

News That Makes You Sad

Posted on November 5, 2014 by brent

Every morning I read the newspaper. Today was no different as I started reading my edition of the Sun News. I got through all the election coverage and opened up to page four of the front page section. It was there that I started to read the “Today’s Globe” portion, a hodgepodge of brief news stories from around the world. Usually bad news is prevalent but today it just seemed to hit me in a certain way.

I don’t know why it got to me so much, but after reading back-to-back-to-back stories on violence and death I felt pretty down. The selections were diverse in the type of horror they depicted but they all managed to hit me inside. Only a few minutes after I finished reading and I reflected on my thoughts, a friend from across the country tweeted about her sadness over the day’s news. It was obvious that we had read the same widely circulated “Today’s Globe” report.

It was apparent that we had both read the same sad report.

Not to dwell on the crummy news, but here is a quick summary of the three very sad stories that were layered right on top of each other.

These sad news stories were piled right on top of each other.

Police: Women threw son From bridge – A mom took her 6-year old son and threw him off a bridge to his death in Oregon. A parent killing their kid by throwing him off a bridge? What an awful way to go. I have memories from when I was six so that poor boy definitely knew what was going on and must have been scared out of his wits. How could any person, let alone a parent, do such a heinous act? What must have gone through her head while she watched her son plummet to his death? It made me sick.

Man charged in deaths of trick-or-treaters – A guy struck and killed three teenage girls who were trick-or-treating with his SUV and then drove off. I feel so sad for the three girls and their families. They were doing something fun and innocent, totally unaware that they would lose their lives that night. I mean come on, all they were doing was trick-or-treating. What a cruel twist of fate. Shame on the driver for taking off. How do you even have the instinct to do something like that? I know it is easy for me to say just sitting here on my couch, but if I did something like that I would get out of my SUV and stand in the street to get bulldozed over by a vehicle as well.

Christian couple burned to death by mob – Caution…this is gruesome. Some radical Muslims in Pakistan decided to falsely accuse a Christian couple of burning a Quran. As “punishment,” the wackos tortured the couple and burned them to death. What a barbaric, evil act. No one deserves to be falsely accused, no one deserves to be persecuted for their religious beliefs, and no one deserves to die that way. Of course images of this atrocity just flood my brain. How could anyone do AND watch such a thing. I almost spit out my breakfast.

Reading these grim tales reminded me again of how lucky I am. I might think not having a phone for a few days is tough but then I get a dose of perspective by reading the crummy luck of these victims. I get to sit in my comfortable apartment tonight and blog and tweet while others are thrown from bridges or burned alive. Thanks to my daily newspaper for giving me a wake up call every now and then. Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser