Sending A Thursday Rundown Your Way

Posted on March 9, 2017 by brent

My oh my, what a gorgeous day it was in Myrtle Beach. The sunshine always puts me in a good mood. You know what else puts me in a good mood? Writing a Thursday Rundown! Let’s go…

Snail Mail – Our favorite calligrapher now sends us beautiful cards in the mail. Brooke Holden, the person behind our chalkboard baby announcement, is now sending customers/newsletter subscribers a few personalized cards in the mail each year. They come randomly and are such a nice surprise. Check out Brooke’s website if you have any calligraphy needs.

Inside this perfectly addressed envelope were samples of her work using the names of Sidney and I.

Coastal Now – At Coastal Carolina University, we produce an awesome show called Coastal Now. Some of you might know that I have my own social media segment on the show called the Social Circle. Well, the latest episode has been released. In this most recent segment, I highlight our #CCU Keys to Success campaign. If you have the guts to watch me on camera, you can watch it by clicking here.

If you the time, take a look at my latest Social Circle segment.

Baby Update – After all the excitement we had this past weekend preparing our house for our new addition, things didn’t slow down completely this week. We had another ultrasound today where we had another beautiful opportunity to see our daughter. Last night, my father-in-law set up the bassinet where our baby will sleep for the first couple months. Pretty glamorous, right? Last but not least, Sidney has her work baby shower to look forward to on Monday.

This bassinet is now in our room waiting for our daughter.

Top Movie When I Was Born – Last night I made a big deal about the website that allows you to find out what the #1 song in the country was at time of your birth. Believe it or not, that same website will also tell you the #1 MOVIE in the country at the time of your birth as well. What film was generating the most money in the theaters when I was born? It was “Crocodile Dundee.” I don’t know if that is something I should be proud of.

This Is Us Reaction – Like much of the country, Sid and I have devoted Tuesday nights to watching “This Is Us.” The second to last episode of the season was this week and it left us with a cliffhanger along with possible clues on how the dad (“Jack” played by Milo Ventimigila) dies. All I can say is this: I sure hope NBC is just giving us a little bit of misdirection and that Jack doesn’t die drunk behind the wheel. In my opinion, I think that development would be even worse than the angle of Kevin getting back together with his ex-wife.

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That is all I have for now. Enjoy your upcoming weekend and thank you for your support of my blog. Don’t Blink.

Spicy Cherry Thursday Rundown

Posted on July 21, 2016 by brent

Welcome back to Don’t Blink. You have returned just in time for the latest edition of the Thursday Rundown. Here we go…

Pibb Xtra – I tweeted about this last week but wanted to mention it on my blog. Although not a big soda fan, I do enjoy a glass of Dr. Pepper or Pibb Xtra every now and then. However, all my life I never really knew it had a flavor that could be defined. Last week when we purchased this two liter bottle of Pibb Xtra, it had a description on the label. It reads “artificially flavored spicy cherry soda.” Interesting! To be honest, I never knew I was drinking cherry soda. I just thought it tasted like Pibb Xtra or Dr. Pepper.

I just thought Pibb Xtra was “Pibb Xtra” and not spicy cherry.

Convention Season – This week I have watched with interest the Republican National Convention. Next week I will do the same with the Democratic National Convention. How can you not? These major gatherings only happen every four years. They are full of pomp and circumstance but also contain fiery speeches and drama as well. My favorite part so far was watching the delegate vote on Tuesday night. To watch the different states cast their respective votes in their own colorful way was a lot of fun. Donald Trump’s speech tonight should be very interesting! You bet I will be watching.

RIP Garry Marshall – Yesterday, legendary director Garry Marshall died. His most popular project was “Happy Days.” If there was one show I watched on Nick At Nite more than any other growing up, it was “Happy Days.” As a kid I looked up to sports stars, Slyvester Stallone, and FONZIE. I enjoyed the whole cast but “The Fonz” was my favorite. Heck, one of the major reasons why I like “The Waterboy” so much is because Henry Winkler is in it. Thank you Garry Marshall for creating such a great show and a great character.

Latest Coastal Now Episode – We recently released our latest episode of our university television show, Coastal Now. I once again have my own segment on it. At a university there are many more social media accounts besides the official/main options. In this edition of the “Social Circle” I rundown some of the most popular social media accounts at Coastal Carolina University. Watch me by clicking here.

I talk about the other social media accounts at Coastal Carolina University in my latest Social Circle segment.

From the Archives – Two years ago on this date I wrote about a bar promotion that I thought was the best I had ever seen. Well, 24 months later, I can say that I still haven’t found a better one. The Sun-Up is an old, run down bar in a rough part of Myrtle Beach but they know how to get people in the door. Is that a good enough teaser? Read my blog post from July 2014 to find out what they exactly do.

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Wherever you live, I hope you have another great summer weekend. Thanks for your support of this blog. Don’t Blink.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

Posted on June 4, 2015 by brent

Summer is in full swing and I could not be happier! What an awesome time of the year. Thursday is upon us again and that means it is time for the rundown.

Guilty Pleasure – As it is National Candy Month, I thought it would be appropriate to start with this. For the past year I have turned more and more to Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites. If you go to the bins in front of the checkout aisles at Wal-Mart, you can buy a box for a buck. It is a very low quality candy with stale cookie dough but for whatever reason it doesn’t deter me from eating it. Believe it or not, sprinkling them on ice cream or pouring them on your tub of popcorn at the movies is not a bad idea either. Do know that if you don’t sneak a box in at the theater you won’t be paying the $1 Wal-Mart price…most movie houses sell the exact same box for around $4.

My favorite candy sits on my kitchen counter.

A Boatful – Last week I had the opportunity to celebrate the 6th birthday of Sidney’s niece, Russell. It was a joyous affair where we hopped on the family boat and cruised down the Intracoastal Waterway to a fabulous seafood restaurant for dinner. Filling up the family boat was, well…family. The photo, posted by Sid’s sister (AKA Russell’s mom), generated a lot of social media engagement. My good friend Ellen Seder posted a comment suggesting that I blog about the photo. Great idea, Ellen! Consider it done.

It was a full and happy boat. Sid and I are way in the back!

Periscope Debut – I absolutely love Periscope. This live streaming social media service is incredible and I am already having a ball fooling around with it for personal use. However, I will write about that in a whole separate blog post. Today I used it the first time for work. I introduced the app by taking our #CCUSocialMedia audience on a tour of Brooks Stadium. Of course the focal point was showcasing the teal turf. For about 20 minutes I gave 88 people a live look at the stadium. I went to every vantage point in the venue so our audience could see the teal turf in all its glory. I had a splendid time answering questions and providing a service that not many universities are utilizing.

A screen shot from our Periscope live stream broadcast of the teal turf tour. As you can see, someone is asking a question in this instance.

The Social Circle – We released our latest episode of “Coastal Now” this week. During my Social Circle segment, I talked about how we utilized social media to make the big announcements about our new residence halls. It might be worth a watch to you (probably not though). Click here to be taken directly to my segment.

Another cool professional development happened today. Terminal Four, a gigantic content management company headquartered in Ireland, randomly published a blog post on how Coastal is going above and beyond with its summer social media efforts. I was completely caught off guard with the flattery but of course pleasantly surprised. To read the post, click here.

I talked about how we revealed our new residence halls in my latest “Social Circle” segment.

Another Blunder – Earlier this week when I wrote about the times I had messed up in my blog over the course of the past four years, I missed something. A loyal reader reminded me about an especially embarrassing mistake I made not too long ago. One word: TWINS.

I wholeheartedly believed that this commercial made for my blog featured twins. It took one quick look from by girlfriend for her to tell me that I was crazy. When I asked all of you for a second opinion, you also yelled back at me that I was nuts. Chalk that up as another moment of stupidity.

So I guess this is really just one girl instead of twins.

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Enjoy the first game of the NBA Finals tonight. Hopefully we will witness domination by the Golden State Warriors. I have been completely outspoken, I hope Lebron and the Cavs get swept. I don’t bow down to King James. Don’t Blink.

Carty Crusade, Homegrown Honey, Easter Extravaganza

Posted on April 9, 2015 by brent

With the temperatures hovering all week in the mid-70’s and a high temperature of 82 in the forecast for tomorrow, life is pretty sweet in Myrtle Beach right now. With the days getting longer, I still have time to enjoy the sunshine before it gets dark so let’s get started with the Thursday Rundown.

Coach Carty Crusade – The momentum has started to shift at Mead High School. The shady attempt by a small group of parents to oust Sean Carty from the head coach football position has met resistance…a lot of resistance. In my original blog post testifying to how much Coach Carty shaped me as a man, I sadly stated that it would probably take a “Hail Mary” for the termination to be overturned. It might now just take a 30-yard pass.

The Mead community has stepped up to the plate for Coach Carty while the embarrassing actions of a handful of parents are being exposed. Here is what you need to know: Carty’s appeal will be heard first by the principal. It will then go to the superintendent. The final possible appeal would be to the school board. Keep in mind that with the time Carty has to file the initial appeal combined with the two five-day periods he will be allotted to take the appeal higher if needed, this whole process will most likely stretch over a month. Although the days might pass with little news, know that you can write Dr. Rockefeller at any time. He is a fair man who will personally read what you have to say. You can e-mail him by clicking here.

SnapchaNt – Last week I reported on the massive success of SnapchaNt. Although it is cool for our social media events to be covered by the local Myrtle Beach media it is always special when the student newspaper recognizes your efforts. SnapchaNt made the front page of The Chanticleer. To read the article, click here. For awkward entertainment, click here for my Social Circle segment that I used to recap SnapchaNt.

You can read the article (recommended) or watch me (not recommended).

One Final Turf Photo – Last night I devoted a whole blog post to our brand new teal turf. However, as of last evening the field did not have the yard markers and conference logos applied. In the past 24 hours, more progress has been made. I can now officially give you the completed product.

The completed teal turf inside Brooks Stadium at Coastal Carolina University.

Homegrown Honey – I work with the best people. Late last week I was beyond miserable. Although I grew up around pollen, I had never battled South Carolina pollen. With the yellow stuff covering the CCU campus I was in pretty bad shape. But our Director of News and Public Affairs Martha Hunn came to my rescue. She told me about an old remedy for allergies that consisted of consuming honey each morning. She didn’t just tell me about the remedy though, she brought it to me. In an extremely nice gesture, Martha brought me a jar of 9 Lakes Honey, the best stuff in Conway, South Carolina.

Of course I would be totally remiss if I didn’t thank my girlfriend for really nursing me back to health. In addition to the medications she provided me and the hot meals she cooked for me, she put up with a grumpy Brent. Thanks Sidney!

Martha presented me with this jar of 9 Lakes Honey.

Easter Experience – By the time Easter rolled around I was feeling much better. Although I didn’t get to spend the holiday with my family, I had a joyous time spending it with Sidney and her family. I went on an Easter egg hunt (no joke), attended Easter Sunday mass, created and sent out my holiday message, and enjoyed great Easter meals on both Saturday and Sunday. What a wonderful time of the year Easter is! I hope you all had a blessed holiday as well.

I had a very nice Easter!

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Thanks for sticking around for another rundown. Remember to write to Dr. Rockefeller, admire our teal turf, and always take honey for allergies. Don’t Blink.

Small Screen = 4, Big Screen = 1

Posted on February 5, 2015 by brent

It is Thursday. Do I need anymore of an introduction? Let’s get right to the rundown.

Coastal Students on Instagram – For my latest Social Circle segment, I decided to highlight Instagram images taken by our students. Using the beginning of the semester as a starting point, I featured some photos that our campus community took over the past few weeks. I had a great time jamming in as many photos as possible into my two minutes. The last photo I spotlight is pretty cool. To check out my latest Social Circle segment on our campus television show, “Coastal Now,” just click here.

In my latest Social Circle segment I highlighted Instagram photos taken by CCU students.

Social Media Group on the News – As I have mentioned before, I have the opportunity to head a group made up of our social media leaders on campus. Once a month I sit down with some of the most colorful personalities at this university and we discuss trends and happenings within the social media realm here at Coastal. One of our local news stations found this newsworthy. This Monday, Mandy Noell from WMBF came and shot our meeting. She then did a great story later that night focusing on the work we do and the challenges we face. To view the story, click here.

Thanks to Mandy Noell from WMBF for doing such a great story.

“The Loft” – This past Sunday, Sidney and I went to the theater to watch the movie “The Loft.” The film focuses on a group of friends, all in high profile/high paying positions, who go in together to purchase a suite high up in a building where they can take their mistresses back to, thus never leaving a paper trail of where they cheat at. One morning the group discovers a dead woman handcuffed to the bed. Throughout the duration of the film the plot takes crazy turns, making you suspect each person in the group as the culprit at one time or the other. A couple scenes are especially entertaining and intense. It is an exciting thriller/mystery movie with plenty of drugs and sex. If that is your thing, you will want to see “The Loft.”

February in Missoula, February in Myrtle Beach – The photo with the snow was taken exactly one year ago today as I left my apartment complex in Missoula, Montana. The second photo was taken today here in South Carolina. Thanks to filters, the first photo looks kind of beautiful. No filters needed, the second photo is beautiful. I will take warmth and sun over snow and ice any day. Thankful to be here.

Montana on the left, South Carolina on the right.

Mindy – There is only one television series I am currently watching and it is called “The Mindy Project.” The comedy follows the exploits of a young doctor named Mindy as she balances her professional and personal life. Mindy Kaling is an Indian actress, you might have noticed her during a Super Bowl ad where she thought she was invisible. Anyway, as most of you know I don’t watch sitcoms so you might be wondering how I stumbled upon this particular program. Well, my girlfriend watches it so I got roped into watching it as well. It has officially become something we sit down and laugh at each week.

Hanging out with Mindy at a Red Sox game.

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Another week almost in the books. I am looking at another free weekend ahead. Most depressing thought is that there will be no football to watch. What will I do with myself? Perhaps I can watch some old “The Mindy Project” re-runs. Have a great one! Don’t Blink.

The Week Before Thanksgiving

Posted on November 20, 2014 by brent

Just a week away from Thanksgiving, are you excited yet? I sure am. With Turkey Day on my mind I present to you my weekly Thursday rundown blog post. How about we jump right in?

Buffalo Wild Wings Visit: Only in my blog would you find someone ramble on about an ordinary BWW dining experience. This past Saturday, Sidney and I went to eat after the Chant football game. In a rare move for me I ate something other than wings. I ordered the Italian burger and let me tell you, it was loaded. It was two patties, pepperoni, garlic sauce, AND mozzarella sticks. It was a miracle that I didn’t die from a heart attack right then. It was probably even more of a miracle that I managed to keep my food down after I watched the women’s UFC fight between Jessica Eye and Leslie Smith on the restaurant’s big screens. Eye almost took off Smith’s ear as blood splattered everywhere. My hatred for UFC will be for another blog post.

This was my Italian burger that I ate at Buffalo Wild Wings on Saturday night.

Newspaper Love: Our student newspaper here at Coastal Carolina University is called The Chanticleer. Over the past couple of issues, #CCUSocialMedia has had a focal point in both. In the issue that came out a couple weeks ago, Wyatt Davies did a story on our Yik Yak Takeover. You can read it by clicking here. This week the newest issue came out and I had the honor of being the feature in a piece by Dylan Cordaro. You can read it by clicking here. While I enjoy coverage from the professional media organizations, it is nice to have the work I am doing featured by the population I am trying to serve the most, our students.

A photo of the physical copy of the latest story that dealt with #CCUSocialMedia.

Football Saturday: I am beyond excited for college football this Saturday. I will be on the sidelines as the Chanticleer football team goes for an unblemished 12-0 season as they face Liberty at 1 p.m. in Brooks Stadium. As it is a rivalry game with a lot at stake I expect a hard-hitting and intense contest. A win for Coastal will cement a top seed in the playoffs, a Big South Conference championship, and a regular season #1 ranking. After I finish up my work from the game I will be off to my favorite bar to watch the Griz-Cat football game. I will be yelling hard as Montana looks to improve its already lopsided edge in the Brawl of the Wild Series with another victory over Montana State. I couldn’t say it when I was working for UM but I can say it now: Grizzly Athletics in every single facet is so incredibly superior to Montana State! I never tire seeing that point made time and time again. I can’t wait for kickoff.

Brynn and I on the field after another #GrizCat football victory in 2013.

Hair: Tonight I have the pleasure of attending my first play in ages. I will be attending Coastal Carolina University’s production of “Hair.” I am looking forward to seeing our talented students act and sing on stage. A big bonus is that Robin Russell is directing the production. Robin is the host of “Coastal Now” and has provided me with tremendous support and encouragement since I started my “Social Circle” segment on the show. I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to send some of that support back her way by attending tonight’s play.

This is the door that leads to the Black Box Theatre at Coastal Carolina University. As you can see, it is decorated for “Hair.”

I Meet My Niece Next Week: This latest update on Mikayla is special because it is the last one I have to make before actually seeing her for the first time next Tuesday. Now 11 weeks old she is flailing her arms and kicking her legs like crazy. My family says she is just as excited to see me as I am her. Counting down the days!

Here are the latest photos of Mikayla. I meet her soon.

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Well folks, I am off to a play. Thanks for your readership. Because of my Mick Delaney tribute post on Monday, this has been one of the best weeks ever for Don’t Blink. Make sure to cheer hard for the Chants and Griz this weekend. Don’t Blink.

My Ode to Sportscenter

Posted on November 3, 2014 by brent

CLICK TO WATCH MY LATEST “SOCIAL CIRCLE WITH BRENT RESER” SEGMENT

I have watched Sportscenter my whole life. It is by far my favorite television show, a program that I have watched thousands of times. I have always looked up to the lucky men and women who have had the privilege of anchoring the world’s most popular sports program. Recently I gave a little nod to the show I love and the people who sit behind the desk.

I now have the great opportunity to write my own scripts for my social media segment on our University news program, “Coastal Now.” For the first two shows, legendary Myrtle Beach anchor and current CCU Director of News and Public Affairs Martha Hunn helped me compose my scripts. However, after I showed a tiny bit of promise in drafting those early scripts, Martha has given me the green light to write them entirely by myself. With this new freedom, I knew exactly what I wanted to do for the third installment of the Social Circle with Brent Reser.

My third segment came out today for “Coastal Now.”

The best part of Sportscenter is the Top Ten Plays. Not only are the athletic feats you see incredible, but the way the ESPN anchors deliver it provides so much entertainment and enthusiasm. When you watch some of those guys go through the countdown you can just tell they are having a lot of fun. I wanted to try to create some of that fun for myself by writing my own top ten countdown for my segment.

I wanted to do a countdown revolving around our Instagram account.

Last Monday I went to our studio and shot shows three and four. For show three of my segment, I counted down the top ten @CCUchanticleers Instagram images. The countdown was formed using the top performing Instagram posts based on the total amount of likes the images received. With my script inserted into the teleprompter I let loose, doing my best Neil Everett imitation. Well, actually I didn’t try to do Neil Everett at all but while I was running down the top images I did feel like a Sportscenter anchor delivering the top plays. Perhaps the suits in Bristol would see me and offer a contract.

Chauncey holding Maddox was #3 on our countdown.

Of course I am totally kidding about ESPN liking anything done by an awkward social media coordinator. I saw my segment for the first time today and it became plainly obvious that I failed to capture even a quarter of the energy that Sportscenter anchors utilize during the show’s trademark two minutes. I made no sound effects, used no catch phrases, and most damning, I forgot to bring the passion.

So while I didn’t grade out too well in this particular installment of the Social Circle with Brent Reser I am going to learn a great deal from it. Next filming session I am going to bring it. I am going to take Martha’s advice and really “love the camera” while really packing the energy. Although not too pleased with how I delivered the content, I do think the script flowed well so at least I know I can write okay for news.

Even if I think I sounded like an idiot at least I had fun doing it. I can cross off “presenting a top ten list” from my bucket list. Stay tuned to see what I did with my fourth segment. Don’t Blink.

My Own Segment: The Social Circle with Brent Reser

Posted on October 6, 2014 by brent

To see my segment in Coastal Now, click here and go to the 26:22 mark

Today marked an important day at the Office of University Communication at Coastal Carolina as we released our brand new show titled Coastal Now. This program was the result of countless hours of brainstorming, debating, and collaborating. Intending to appeal more to our student population, we wanted to introduce a modernized version of our former show, Coastal Today. By modifying the show’s format, introducing hipper segments, and rolling out fresh graphics, we achieved our objective.

Here is the funny part: As part of the show’s revamp and the mission to grab the attention of our digitally obsessed students, it was decided that I would receive my own segment.

I was given my own segment. Let me introduce to you the Social Circle with Brent Reser.

Say what?! Like, seriously…I was going to be trusted with developing my own social media segment?…For the University’s news program?…And then actually present it on camera? Talk about an intimidating and humbling proposition! Although a little timid to come up with a package and then nervous to tape it on set, I went ahead and accepted the opportunity because of the amazing team I have around me.

The week before filming, I sat down with Martha Hunn, our Director of News and Public Affairs. A former hot-shot news anchor in the Myrtle Beach/Conway area, I knew I was in good hands as we started to plan my segments. Using an idea-sharing approach we talked out the beginning and end of my first two show packages. After our discussion, half my script was written in Martha’s iPad. She then gave me the freedom to write the meat of my segments myself. With the great start she gave me, I filled in the middle portions and my first two scripts for Coastal Now were complete.

The next week at the studio I felt a little nervous as I waited in the greenroom area. I watched our host of Coastal Now, Robin Russell, film her pieces and interview a couple guests. It was then time for me. I walked into the filming area and stood in front of the green screen. Our media services crew cued me and I hit it. I stumbled a couple times resulting in new takes. However, the whole time throughout the shoot I had Martha and Robin rooting me on and assuring me that I was doing a decent job. To have two veterans of the news business in your corner makes things so much easier. You know what else makes things easier? A teleprompter! It was so nice to read a script with no fear of your brain turning off and your voice disappearing.

Me on set of Coastal Now.

All the times in the past when I had gotten in front of a camera I always dreaded the end product. However, after filming my first segments for Coastal Now I actually felt good about what the outcome would be. To make it even better, I had a great time during the filming. This past Friday our office had a premiere party in the studio. We sat around a TV and munched on snacks while watching the historic first show of Coastal Now. The finished product was amazing. Our media services team did such a great job shooting and piecing the show together. Segments were fresh and fun. The 30 minute show seemed to fly by. They even managed to make me look somewhat respectable. It was cool to see a group work so hard on something and have their efforts pay off.

If you care to watch me, the Social Circle with Brent Reser starts at 26:22. I want to thank Martha Hunn, Robin Russell, David Russell, Bryan Stalvey, and Josh Chesson for the help with creating/filming/producing my segment and for all the encouragement. This so far has been a great experience and I can’t wait to help out with more shows. Don’t Blink.

Don't Blink

By Brent Reser

Tag Archives: Coastal Now

Spicy Cherry Thursday Rundown

The Week Before Thanksgiving