My Fortune Cookie Experiment

Posted on March 10, 2014 by brent

A day doesn’t go by that I look on my Instagram feed and don’t see someone post an image of the contents of a fortune cookie. These images are as frequent as selfies or screenshots of the current weather temperature. Whereas I get a little bored with the generic selfie or the eye sore of a weather report, I find myself a little more entertained with the fortune cookie image. Although the idea itself is vastly overdone, the fortunes themselves are always different! I usually find myself laughing at the messages I read as we all know how bizarre and random they can be.

Last night after viewing another hilarious fortune cookie message on Instagram I decided I wanted to multiply my pleasure the next day. After work this evening I went to Wal-Mart and purchased two boxes of fortune cookies.

I went to Wal-Mart and picked up two boxes of fortune cookies.

I then came home and emptied the contents onto my coffee table. I nicely arranged all 24 cookies on my table and then unwrapped them. I then went through and cracked each one open and laid the unread fortune up against its cracked pieces. After I had taken the fortune out of each cookie I went through and read them.

My table of unopened fortune cookies.

To put it bluntly, I was disappointed. The fortunes for the most part were about as exciting as this year’s NBA Skills Competition. No attempt at wittiness, no room to go back and forth on what a fortune might mean, no messages that I would want to keep in my wallet. Probably the biggest slap in the face was that three of the fortunes were duplicates! But hey, that’s what you get for purchasing fortune cookies from Wal-Mart, right? At the end I will propose how I will remedy this. For right now let me give you my top three fortunes that I read:

After I opened up the fortune cookies I was disappointed for the most part with the fortunes.

1. Take the chance while you still have the choice (This one says a lot and speaks to me. My favorite).
2. You will enjoy good health; that is your form of wealth* (My blog post from last night speaks to how much I value this true advice….yes, advice, I know this isn’t really a “fortune”)
3. Your days will be filled with sunshine and happiness (I am missing the sunshine part right now and I want it really bad)

This fortune cookie message was my favorite.

Besides my above favorite fortunes, these two below were the only other messages that contained a speck of creativity and/or sarcasm:

1. Good luck is a hop, skip, and jump away. Hop to it
2. Your infinite capacity for patience will be rewarded sooner or later

Here are the remaining boring and cliché fortunes from the two boxes:

-You will be reunited with old friends
-You will come to realizations in your life that change you forever*
-Your future looks bright
-You will enjoy peace and harmony in your home
-A pleasant surprise is in store for you
-Travel is in your future
-You will be attracted to an older, more experienced person!
-You will be surrounded by luxury
-Financial prosperity is coming your way
-You will meet an important person who will help you advance professionally
-There is a prospect of a thrilling time ahead of you
-All of your hard work will soon be paid off
-You will receive some high prize or award soon
-Your determination will bring you much success*
-An old wish will come true
-You will make many changes before settling satisfactorily

This is the stuff I like to do in my free time.

Really? Those are the best that they could come up with? Like I said, I have a remedy! In a blog post in the near future I plan to visit four or five Asian restaurants in Missoula and ask for a few fortune cookies at each establishment. I will then come home and go through the same process in hopes of finding the eclectic and obscure fortune cookie messages that I know are out there.

Until then I have a big mess to clean up. I personally rather eat dirt than a fortune cookie so time to fill up the trash can. I will leave you with the best fortune ever…Don’t Blink.

* – Denotes the duplicate fortunes.

Serving the Dying

Posted on March 9, 2014 by brent

A perk of my job is that I work around people who are strong, good-looking, determined, and optimistic. Because I get to serve student-athletes I am constantly around folks who are in the prime of their lives. I love this aspect of my position and it keeps me energized. However, I also understand that student-athletes represent just a very small portion of our societal population.

This past September I started volunteering for an organization that gave me exposure to a vastly different population, a population that isn’t so strong or optimistic (at least from first glance). Six months ago I started an 18 hour training course with Partners In Home Care. After I completed the three week course I became certified and could go out in the field and volunteer for people who really need me. Although difficult in nature I have really come to enjoy the volunteer service I provide.

So what is Partners In Home Care?

Although some people actually shudder when I tell them, Partners In Homecare is a hospice agency. Headquartered in Missoula, Partners In Homecare services people all over western Montana. Individuals who are in twilight stages of an illness and have a life expectancy of under six months are eligible for hospice care. The goal for these patients is to live out the remainder of their days in as much comfort as possible inside their own homes. People in hospice care receive regular visits from nurses, social workers, chaplains, and people like me, volunteers.

Volunteers visit homes of hospice patients to provide a dose of human compassion and relief. Volunteers serve patients by talking with them, reading to them, holding their hands, and/or watching a program with them. They also assist by doing household chores, providing specialized services, and by tending to family pets.

Volunteers receive extensive screening. As I said, when training concludes volunteers become eligible to visit the homes of hospice patients. However, just because they are eligible does not mean they have an assignment. The volunteer coordinator matches volunteers to patients based off of the screening and the personal interviews she conducts with each person who goes through the program. Some aspiring volunteers wait months before receiving an assignment. Luckily for me I waited a short time before I got matched with my first family.

Although extremely anxious to walk up to the door for the first time I soon got over my nerves. Since my time volunteering I have met nothing but nice people. Even though the people I meet are all impacted somehow by a terminal illness (either directly as the patient or indirectly as a loved one) they show me nothing but kindness and thankfulness. I volunteer for two hours each Sunday and it dramatically takes me away from the perfect, healthy world I live in and puts me in a much different world of constant pain and escalating medical bills. I can’t say enough good things about the family I am currently volunteering for. Most of my time assisting them centers on helping with bills, vacuuming, shoveling snow, mopping floors, and doing odd jobs around the house. But before and after I begin the chores I get precious time where I visit with the ill lady and her husband. It is at this time where I get exposed to a strength that is entirely different from the strength I see our student-athletes exhibit in the athletic arena.

By writing this post I don’t mean to pat myself on the back. Are you kidding me? I volunteer two hours a week…I need to challenge myself to do more. But what I am championing is the eye-opening experience of exposing ourselves to a dramatically different and far more challenging lifestyle than what many of us enjoy. The perspective to be gained from serving the dying is one that will make us much more humble people and also prepare us for a fate that all of us will eventually face. If you want more information on how you can volunteer for Partners In Home Care click here. Don’t Blink.

Dominating Your Rival #GrizCat

Posted on March 3, 2014 by brent

Nothing beats defeating your rival. Well, let me rephrase that: Nothing beats defeating your rival over and over again.

Tonight both Montana basketball programs defeated Montana State, securing a season sweep resulting in a 4-0 combined record by the Griz and Lady Griz over the Bobcats this basketball season. It is a testament to blank a rival school on the hardwood, let alone the utter domination I am about to explain.

Besides just basketball, Grizzly teams this season went undefeated against Montana State in revenue-generating sports (football, volleyball, and basketball). With the two volleyball victories during the 2013 season and the BIG football win in November added with the 4-0 basketball record the Montana Grizzlies came out with a spotless 7-0 record against MSU.

Defeating Montana State in Bobcat Stadium this past November was definitely a sweet moment.

But by no doubt the most satisfying exclamation point at the end of the #GrizCat rivalry came over this past weekend. With both the men’s and women’s indoor track and field teams finishing ahead of Montana State at the Big Sky Conference championships our athletic department wrapped up the title for the inaugural Blue Cross Blue Shield/Town Pump Brawl of the Wild year-long competition.

This is the nice piece of hardware we get to keep for defeating Montana State in a yearlong competition.

This athletic season the Griz and Bobcats entered into a competition that incorporated the 13 different sports that both schools have. I won’t get into all the small details but each time we face off against Montana State in a game or meet, points are at stake. There are 16 different competitions with 17 points up for grabs. By Saturday evening Grizzly Athletics had already reached the magic number of 9 thanks to the efforts of our indoor track teams.

Tonight the lead stretched even more. First the Lady Griz defeated Montana State in Bozeman. Then, just a couple minutes later the Griz dropped the Bobcats 53-50 here in Missoula. It was an awesome game to work with a loud and engaged crowd. When the clock read zeroes on the Dahlberg Arena scoreboard the other scoreboard keeping track of the year-long rivalry showed 11-2 in favor of the Maroon and Silver.

Although not the prettiest game tonight it was good enough to sweep the Cats in basketball this season.

As I have said in previous blog posts, a healthy rivalry makes everyone work harder. I do all I can to make sure the areas I oversee triumph over the equivalent areas at MSU. My co-workers do the same. But in the end the ultimate victory is when our student-athletes dominate our friends from Bozeman. After all, this phenomenon called intercollegiate athletics is 100% about the student-athletes. Without them I wouldn’t have a job. Without them there would be a lot of people both young and old looking around for inspiration.

Congrats to our student-athletes for wrapping up the inaugural Brawl of the Wild year-long competition.

Congrats to all University of Montana student-athletes for really elevating Griz Nation in this state. What do you say we get those final four points still available in the competition? Go Griz! Don’t Blink.

Facebook Problems That Page Administrators Face

Posted on March 2, 2014 by brent

Probably one of the most frustrating situations that a person working in new media can deal with is when an important social media platform malfunctions. While the general public might think that services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram are bug free they obviously haven’t spent a good amount of time running a social media program for a significant entity. The truth is that from time to time these social giants crash, rendering everyone helpless. Although the occurrences of major meltdowns usually are rare, many times there are smaller bugs that people like me must face on a regular basis. This is when problem solving comes in handy.

What if I told you that Facebook presents more problems with its service than any other social media outlet? I wouldn’t lie to you. I am sure for all other people who run social media campaigns they can tell you that Mark Zuckerberg’s creation has at times prevented them from doing what they needed to do. But before I go any further and continue to bite the hand that feeds me and so many others let me say something: Facebook has done so much good to completely transform the marketing world. I am eternally grateful for the the social tool they have created and I would put up with a million different other bugs before I ever entirely denounce them.

It is because of this reverence and reliance that I have for Facebook that issues stress me out a little. I mean if I can’t do something exactly how I want it then the world must be coming to an end, right? I just simply want the best for the 100,000 people that follow our main Facebook page for Grizzly Athletics. Who cares about the other 1.11 billion Facebook users out there?…

Okay, so now that I have managed to bring myself down off my pedestal let me explain the five main problems I have faced on the Montana Grizzlies Facebook page over the past year and explain how I got around them (unlike my clown blog, this list is in no particular order):

5. Unable to Access the Montana Grizzlies Inbox (CURRENT PROBLEM)

On a daily basis I receive at least ten messages from fans sent directly to our Facebook inbox. Content ranges from ticketing questions to Future Griz submissions to donation requests. I make it a priority to respond ASAP to all inquiries. Well about a week ago the scrolling tool that appears on the right hand side of my inbox inexplicitly disappeared. I no longer had a way to scroll down and see all messages. All I had access to were the five messages visible without scrolling. What about all the other people who need good customer service?

Currently I am not able to scroll and view the contents of our Facebook inbox.

Solution: After a couple days I realized something when I clicked on one of the five visible messages. When that message came up in full view a button in the right hand corner labeled “inbox” appeared. I could click on that button and it would take me to a full screen inbox page. I had access to view all messages. As I still don’t have the ability to scroll through messages on my front page administrator dashboard I am still currently utilizing this longer step.

4. Not Able to Post By Default

For a whole month this past fall I was unable to post to the Montana Grizzlies Facebook page via my personal account. Facebook conveniently allows page administrators to go on the page they oversee and make a post with the content automatically reflecting that the page itself posted it. However, for several weeks if I went on the Montana Grizzlies page I did not have access to the box that lets you post a status, photo, or event. While I still had access to the full administrator’s panel I couldn’t post content.

While I was logged in under my personal account I no longer had access to this very valuable and important tool.

Solution: I once again just took a longer step. As I said I still had access to the administrator’s panel itself. I would simply go up to the “edit page” command, click on it, and then select the “Use Facebook as Montana Grizzlies” option. It allowed me to continue running the page but it took extra time and it felt like a certain right was taken away from me. Then one day out of the blue I was able to post to the page as Montana Grizzlies by default again while logged in under my personal account.

3. Pictures Taking Forever to Load

For a two week period it would take several minutes for a photo or graphic I was trying to post to load before I could press “post.” Sometimes it wouldn’t load at all. I didn’t have the time to wait around.

Solution: I was trying to post all of these photos via my desktop computer. I decided to try a different method and I sent the photo/graphic that I was trying to post to my e-mail. I was then able to access it from my phone. I saved the image to my camera roll and then posted it from my Facebook app. No problems at all.

2. Facebook Freezing After Posting

I still encounter this problem quite a bit. I will post a status or a photo and right when I click “post” all of Facebook will become unclickable. Many times the content will show as not posted and my screen will be absolutely useless.

Solution: When this happens I have to go up to the ribbon tab and click out of Facebook. I will then open up a new tab, reinsert facebook.com, and assess the damage. More often than not the site is back to working function and the piece of content that I was trying to post that wasn’t reflected when the page froze is now posted! For the times it isn’t I have copied the text so I just re-post. I don’t know why this occurs.

1. Facebook’s Tagging System Getting in the Way

For quality control and accuracy purposes I compose majority of my posts in Word. I then copy and paste them into the posting box on Facebook. However, sometimes when I do this Facebook will take some of the words and automatically convert them into tags for other pages. For example I will post something with the word “Missoula” in it but Facebook will change it to “Missoula – Dairy Queen Grill and Chill.” Removing this tag is sometimes more complicated than just pressing the delete button on my keyboard.

Solution: I just have to bite the bullet and type out the full message inside Facebook rather than copying and pasting. Sometimes I will paste half the message, type out the word that is causing me problems, and then paste the second half of the message.

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Although frustrating when faced with little Facebook quirks all we can do as page administrators is get around the problem as best as possible. We don’t have time to make our audience wait and Facebook doesn’t have time to cater to the individual needs of a network of over a billion people. Some basic problem solving will usually save the day and make sure that the great content we are creating is still delivered to our audience. Don’t Blink.

Not A Fan of Snow Days

Posted on February 28, 2014 by brent

Today I awoke at 6:15 a.m. to an e-mail from campus communications informing the community that classes at the University of Montana had been cancelled due to the extreme and dangerous weather conditions. About fifteen minutes later our associate athletic director sent out an e-mail to all athletics staff saying there was no need to come to work today. Similar messages were relayed to most all other staff on campus as well.

Yes, a very rare snow day occurred in Missoula. I think the early morning deafening howls of wind proved the final factor to UM administrators to make the decision on an unscheduled three day weekend. They probably made the right choice.

In the past couple days Missoula has received several heavy snow showers. The white stuff has literally dumped into our valley. But most people who live in Montana can handle large amounts of snow, we deal with it six months out of the year. However the tipping factor was the wind. With gusts over 50 miles per hour and the truest whiteout conditions you could ever imagine I think most people understood and appreciated the closures and suspensions of services.

When I first heard about the news I rose from my bed and informed our social media audience of the closures. I then texted with my direct supervisor who confirmed that it was best to just stay home. A thought then ran through my head: “An unplanned weekday off? This is very strange.”

Not that I didn’t have plenty to do. I had a full agenda of work tasks that I had the full capability to complete right on my cozy couch. I also had a couple personal projects to work on as well. I also realized the perfect opportunity I had to clean around my apartment. So after taking a longer than normal shower I went right to work, keeping busy for several hours. However, even with my brain fully stimulated I still just had a very different feeling. It didn’t seem right sitting on my couch at 11 a.m. on a weekday. It didn’t seem right eating something other than my peanut butter sandwich for lunch that I always have at work. It didn’t seem right turning on ESPN and watching daily shows that I haven’t seen since I was a college student. It didn’t seem right (it actually wasn’t right) that I didn’t have the luxury to finish my week off with a great workout. It just didn’t seem right to be home.

I managed to get plenty of work done from home today but I didn’t particularly like it.

Although I know shutting down the town for the day was in the absolute best interest for the community I don’t care for the feeling I get with a free day off. I just feel like I am getting behind, I feel like I am slacking in a way. I feel like I haven’t earned it. With that said I worked hard today to fight that feeling and get as much done as possible. I believe I made progress so I won’t go to bed with too much disappointment. But would I have rather worked in the office today? You bet.

Kudos and respect to all the people out in the Missoula community right now plowing roads, delivering mail, picking up garbage, patrolling the streets, responding to accidents, etc. Also, thoughts and prayers to the people impacted by the avalanche today (yes, we had an avalanche this afternoon). The weather will get better and things will get back to normal…let’s just hope it is sooner rather than later. Don’t Blink.

What I Found Opening a 30 Year Old Media Guide

Posted on February 27, 2014 by brent

This morning I went to our archive room at Grizzly Athletics to find something fun for our #ThrowbackThursday Facebook feature. I opened up our file that contained men’s basketball guides dating back all the way to the 1950’s. Because of the glossy photo, scenic background, and incredibly cool/ugly warm ups I chose the publication from the 1984-85 Grizzly basketball season. But instead of just taking the photo, using the material, and then re-filing it I decided to open it up.

This is the 1984-85 Griz basketball media guide that I looked at today.

Talk about a history lesson! I found so many cool and interesting tidbits and images that I knew I would be absolutely remiss if I didn’t share some of the content through Don’t Blink. Even if you aren’t a Griz fanatic you will surely appreciate some of the names I am about to showcase. So give me your attention because class is in session! What do you say we travel back 30 years?

Big Time Coaches

The media guide contained some big deal coaches.

The first thing that jumped out to me inside the pages? Legendary coaches! Coaching Montana at the time was Mike Montgomery who was serving his seventh season as the head man. He of course went on to coach at Stanford, in the NBA, and is now the coach of California. I had to do a double take when I saw the mug of Jim Calhoun smiling at me. Unbeknownst to me he coached at Northeastern State. The Redmen (nickname since changed to Riverhawks) traveled to Missoula over December 7 and 8 in 1984 to compete in the Champion Holiday Classic. Finally Don Monson caught my eye as well. Monson coached at both Idaho and Oregon and received National Coach of the Year honors in 1982. His son is Dan Monson. The Griz played his Oregon University team in Eugene on November 29.

Krystko

Larry Krystkowiak is a Montana basketball legend.

Gracing lots of space in the 1984-85 media guide was Larry Krystkowiak. Cementing his spot in Montana basketball by earning the Big Sky Conference Player of the Year award three different times he managed to add to that legacy even more by leading the Griz to NCAA Tournament appearances in his two seasons as head coach. In between playing and coaching for Montana he enjoyed a long career in the NBA as a player. After his successful run coaching the Griz the Milwaukee Bucks hired him as head coach. Currently he is leading the Pac-12 Utah Utes.

Bobby Hauck as a Basketball Manager?

Bobby Hauck dutifully served as a basketball manager during the 1984-85 season.

When you think of Bobby Hauck you think of a successful head football coach with his own special swagger. Would you have ever thought that he once served as a basketball manager? During the 1984-85 season he did exactly that for the Griz basketball squad. Even though he coaches football you have to think Bobby took some pointers from Mike Montgomery to use during his career.

Coach Tinkle

Wayne Tinkle during his freshman year with Montana.

Then you have the Sexiest Coach in College Basketball himself, Wayne Tinkle. One of my favorite people in the department and a very coveted coach, I enjoyed reading Wayne’s freshman profile (back when he had dark hair). In it he cites one of his hobbies as dancing. That definitely makes sense as he has taken the Griz basketball team to three NCAA Tournaments. I love Mike Montgomery’s quote: “If he’s willing to put in the time and effort to work he could be one of the most outstanding basketball players ever in our program”……mission accomplished.

Just for the Heck of It

The 1915 Griz basketball team

How could I not include the 1915 Griz basketball team that was included on page 32 of the media guide?

Legends in the Athletic Department

Steve Hackney, Dennis Murphy, and Dave Guffey have devoted over 100 years of service combined to Grizzly Athletics.

To conclude I had to pay homage to a few legends in our athletic department who I saw in the program. I have worked with all three during my stint with Grizzly Athletics although two are now retired. Up top is Steve Hackney (“Hack”), our longtime equipment manager who retired a couple years ago. To the bottom left is Dennis Murphy, the head athletic trainer for over 30 years until his retirement last year. Finally in the bottom right you got my next door office neighbor and a man I work with a lot, Mr. Dave Guffey. As Dave himself created this media guide I don’t know why he threw himself at the back of the publication on orange paper but I imagine it is just his humble nature. Guff has served as the Sports Information Director for 37 years.

———————–

I had an enjoyable time looking through this media guide.

Little did I know that I would learn so much and come up with a blog topic as I entered the archive room this morning. If there is one bigger lesson that comes out of this though it is that Grizzly Athletics has a storied and rich history and I am honored to be a very tiny part of it. Don’t Blink.

An Interesting Interview With Mark Cuban

Posted on February 26, 2014 by brent

Last night I watched Piers Morgan. Not because I particularly care for him or his show. Call me insensitive but it doesn’t hurt my feelings that his program is getting cancelled. Rather I tuned in because of that night’s guest, Mark Cuban. As a sports nut I enjoyed watching his exploits and listening to his opinions as an NBA owner. As both his profile and bank account continued to rise I kept my eye on him. I freely admit that I am intrigued by the billionaire because of his engaging personality and business savviness.

Mark Cuban provided a great interview and dished out some great sound bites proving once again that the guy is just flat out made for the public eye. For tonight’s post I want to provide the three most interesting aspects from the interview with a special emphasis on the final one I will share. He said something that should be the mantra for any person working in the digital age.

What’s In Your Wallet? – Piers asked Cuban to take out his wallet and give the audience a peek of what was inside. He obliged and emptied out a wallet that contained a credit card, debit card, driver’s license, a few business cards, and some cash….$700 to be exact. I didn’t know exactly what to make of that amount at first. I mean of course the equivalent of him hauling around $700 in his wallet is on par with me carrying around a half cent in mine but wouldn’t that amount of cash be attractive to a robber? Then again if someone actually did rob him could you imagine how disappointed they would be if he carried no cash at all? Would finding zero cash anger a criminal enough to hurt Cuban when all he wanted to do in the first place was just take his cash? Maybe $700 is the perfect amount! Mark actually said he would have been carrying more if he hadn’t just returned from Las Vegas.

Mark Cuban taking out his wallet on Piers Morgan last night.

Cyber Dust – One of Mark Cuban’s companies created an app called Cyber Dust. It centers on the exact same concept as Snap Chat except it deals with text messages rather than pictures. You send someone a text and they have a limited period of time to view it before the message disappears. Cuban says he uses Cyber Dust for the majority of his correspondence with business associates. I think the idea is cool but it has the exact same drawback as Snap Chat…you can screenshot anything. However I do like the opening line in the description of the app (even if it is untrue): There is no record of every word you say. Why leave a trace of every word you text?

I downloaded the Cyber Dust app and had a conversation with my brother.

Words to Heed – During the interview last night Mark Cuban described the importance of staying ahead. He explained that he keeps up on all new trends in the digital world because he can’t afford not to. In the best line from the whole show Cuban quipped that “There is always a 12 year old trying to kick my ass.” BINGO! When I look at people younger than me, especially youth in high school, I realize that they naturally already have many of the skills and knowledge that I had to take time to perfect and learn. In addition they are consuming all the new technologies and digital developments the second they become available. But I don’t use these very real facts to get me down, rather I use them to motivate me. The new media industry is extremely competitive but also very innovative and FUN…I want to keep working in it and that pushes me to keep pace with the younger generation, even if it means putting in a lot of extra work. The fact that a billionaire almost thirty years older than me fights the same battle lets me know that I am not crazy.

——–

Mr. Cuban, you are an honorable man. Thanks for giving Piers Morgan the most interesting show he has ever had and thanks for helping to lead the digital charge in this country. Best of luck to the Dallas Mavericks. Don’t Blink.

The Major Question in “Monuments Men”

Posted on February 26, 2014 by brent

Usually I won’t go see a movie where the preview didn’t draw me in. Big surprise, right? Well last night I made an exception and went and saw “Monuments Men”. I saw the trailer a couple different times and yawned. In the past when I have gone against my better judgment and saw a movie that didn’t hook me in the previews I ended up hating it. However, “Monuments Men” proved my gut instinct wrong and I actually enjoyed the film very much.

My ticket from “Monuments Men” on Monday night.

This post is not a review though. Although I concede that I would give the film two thumbs up I just want to briefly discuss the burning question that opens the film, presents itself throughout, and then is asked point blank again at the end of the movie. But before I reveal that question let me give a very brief summary.

It is World War II and an art scholar played by George Clooney is lobbying to put in place a plan to save art stolen by the Nazis. Clooney’s character gets to plead his case to FDR who reluctantly agrees to authorize a mission to recover the stolen work. Clooney organizes a rag-tag army unit of art scholars and curators to go to Europe to recover the art. The unit embarks on numerous adventures, experiences trials and tribulations, and loses two men. However, by the end of the war they are successful in finding a large amount of paintings, sculptures, stained glass, bells, books, etc. At the end of the movie Clooney summarizes the mission to President Truman.

The underlying question throughout the whole movie is whether it is worth it to devote resources and risk the safety of others in the name of saving art when there is a world war going on. Roosevelt posed the question at the start of the movie, it is brought up time and time again while the unit is in Europe, and even after the success of the mission Truman still has his doubts and must ask it. Although the movie very much implies that it is a noble and true initiative, the viewer still has the opportunity to make his own decision.

I hate to say it but I am still torn. It grips at your heart when you see the Nazis setting ablaze to Picassos but what is the value of one of those paintings when you are in a war that has killed 60 million people? The movie depicts the art unit going through great lengths to recover certain pieces as well as the process it took to return them once they hauled them out of the mines and castles. It was all very risky. The movie paints one of the men who died as feeling very honored for his opportunity to participate in the mission. Adding to it, the father of the fallen is portrayed as supporting his son. But it is Hollywood. Would a parent actually accept the reality that their son died trying to save an altar piece or a painting?

Then again the U.S. did have the resources and luxury to commission such a mission. The war was under control. Also, the group that made up the Monuments Men all willingly took part. They risked their lives because they thought it was the right thing to do. How can I chastise someone for making a decision that they believed in?

I think I can identify which way I lean by asking this question: If I was in Roosevelt’s chair when Cloonney’s character was making his case to send a unit over to Europe would I give the go-ahead or not? I am thinking with the immense stress of the war and millions already dead I wouldn’t have the guts to pull the trigger and authorize something like that.

Even though you will have a dilemma to wrestle with I recommend you see “Monuments Men”. Critical thinking is good and superb acting isn’t bad either. Don’t Blink.

Tattoos

Posted on February 24, 2014 by brent

You always hear people arguing about whether others are born with an innate predisposition to feel, do, or act certain ways. Some of these debates center on very emotionally charged topics so I always steer way clear. However, I am beginning to think more and more that there is a certain predisposition that people are born with, one that doesn’t cause bitter feelings and heated arguments.

When we are born I think we have a switch either turned on or turned off in our heads when it comes to the desire to get tattooed.

I am not a tattoo guy. I don’t have a speck of ink on my body. In my life I have never had the slightest bit of interest to get a tattoo. Not to get a cool design, not to stand out, not to honor a deceased loved one, not to forever connect me to a group, not to denote my undying fandom to a certain team. But I don’t have a vendetta against them either. I just don’t really see their appeal and I lack any interest whatsoever of putting a permanent mark on my body.

I am completely ink free and will forever stay that way,

But I know when my DNA came together if the coin landed on the other side I might be a tatted up stud. At least half the people I know, well, at least half the people in my generation, have tattoos. Of that half, probably 60% have more than one. If you took a poll of Missoula residents I guarantee that number would be even higher. Just take a walk in the town anywhere during the summer and you will witness a full-fledged ink convention. People like me with boring blank skin canvases are the minority.

This large group of tattoo fans has a fascination with ink that I just can’t relate to. They are voluntarily showing others their tattoos, constantly talking about the next one they are going to get, regularly posting their body art on Instagram, and gleefully texting their tattoo artist. While I don’t particularly understand it I definitely accept it.

It is not like I am strictly anti-tattoo either. While I wouldn’t let an artist’s needle get anywhere close to my body I do enjoy some aspects of ink. I find some women with tattoos attractive, even the variety that sport full sleeves. I find the show “Best Ink” entertaining, one of the few non-sporting programs that I will actually watch. I admire the amazing skill that many tattoo artists possess. I liken my thoughts on tattoos to horse racing: while I would never participate in it, I do enjoy certain aspects associated with it.

So while I might play the “where would I get a tattoo if I had to?” game I would never in a hundred years actually consider getting one. In the same way I know there are millions of people out there who would never in a hundred years think about leaving their bodies ink free. People have different tastes and preferences and that is a good thing…it makes life interesting. Don’t Blink.

When Children Fear Mascots

Posted on February 23, 2014 by brent

Yesterday when I wrote about my top five favorite clowns I brought up the somewhat romanticized fear of clowns that adults claim to have. I don’t know if I necessarily buy into the claims of the roughly fifty percent of the people I know who say clowns cause them distress. In my opinion I think it is more talk than fear. Fact of the matter is adult brains can conceptualize that under the paint and wig of a scary looking clown is a regular man or woman. While some folks in our population have serious phobias of such stimuli I don’t believe it applies to the legions of people who make the claim.

Kids are a whole different story, especially younger ones. At an early age children don’t instantly grasp that people dress up in wild and crazy outfits that transform appearance. Minds are still developing and when they see something that can walk and move like a human but that doesn’t look like mom or dad real fears develop. Many young kids have real issues with clowns. Many have issues during Halloween.

Because of one of the responsibilities I hold at work I am exposed first hand to another one of these types of fears that children hold: mascots.

Holding the distinction of mascot coordinator within Grizzly Athletics I routinely see how the most loved personality in the state of Montana can also be the most feared. While Monte, our grizzly bear mascot, has reached rock star status on a national level for his ability to entertain and connect with fans even his one of a kind charm is sometimes not enough to calm the fears of petrified children. At most events or basketball games you can expect to see at least one child ranging in the age of 2-7 meltdown at the sight of him. Kids will cry, scream, run away, or bury themselves in their mom or dad. It doesn’t take a psychology degree to figure out why these young kids are frightened. Seeing an agile, walking bear that blurs the lines between an animal and a human can confuse a toddler to the point of tears.

I get the opportunity to work with our mascots, Monte and Mo

Monte doesn’t get selected to the Capital One All-American Mascot team on a consistent basis just because he can entertain, dance, entertain, and tumble though. His ability to connect with children, adults, and the elderly sets him apart. More often than not I have seen him approach those frightened kids right on the spot and win them over. In the blink of an eye the shrieks turn to laughs and Monte and the kid are embracing.

No one is better with kids than Monte (photo courtesy of Todd Goodrich)

Of course it doesn’t always happen that way. Sometimes the child is just not ready to enjoy a mascot and Monte lets him or her be. For some children it takes time to outgrow the fear. They will avoid and turn the other way when Monte is in proximity but then a couple years later the fear is gone and the kid, wearing a #00 jersey, is rushing at him to jump in his furry arms. But then there are the extreme cases…

Monte makes thousands of kids smile a year (awesome photo courtesy of Todd Goodrich).

Some youngsters develop a polarizing fear of Monte. Unfortunately that fear doesn’t just end at the arena when the bear is not around. Pictures, mentions, and thoughts of Monte can trigger fear simply when the child is at home or at school. This is when Grizzly Athletics intervenes. Twice since I have worked in the department parents have contacted me about their child suffering from a phobia of Monte. When this occurs I invite the parents and their son (both times it has been a boy) to come to the office and I turn it over to our amazing students who serve as Monte (we employ two talented individuals).

In a calm manner our Monte performer will greet the kid in his street clothes. He will then slowly take pieces of the Monte suit out of his bag and show the child that it is just a costume. Next he will start to put the suit on while talking to the child the whole way through. Once our performer puts the head on to complete the transformation into Monte the kid is no longer having a panic attack and the fear is gone. Both times I have observed this the parents walked out the door with tears of joy while thanking us profusely.

I deal with two very talented and compassionate Monte performers.

Back when I was very young, probably four years old, I had a bad dream involving McGruff the Crime Dog. After that nightmare I dreaded seeing him at the parades and festivals my parents would take me to where he would appear. After a year I grew out of it but even though I was very young at the time I can still remember what that fear felt like which allows me to identify with the kids today who are afraid of Monte.

Sorry to my adult friends who are afraid of clowns but I have more sympathy for the five year old girl who is afraid of Monte. Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser