Thoughts On “Crushing It!” By Gary Vaynerchuk

About a year go I stumbled across entrepreneur Gary Vaynerchuk’s YouTube channel. A couple of his videos were "recommendations" in the YouTube app on my Apple TV. 

I started watching/listening to his videos while I worked, and found the voluminous amount of content he offers to be helpful and inspiring.

Bridget had mentioned Gary Vaynerchuk over the years as an example of a boot-strapping entrepreneur who used an aggressive digital media strategy to his advantage. She told me how he had developed a series of online videos to help build and rebrand his father’s wine business — Shopper’s Discount Liquors — into the highly successful Wine Library. 

Vaynerchuk has gone on to build a global digital agency (focused on social media) called VaynerMedia. 

“Gary Vee” (as he’s known) offers brash and bold branding advice, and travels the world like a whirling dervish — ready to dispense useful tips and strategies to entrepreneurs eager to learn his formula for success. 

It’s funny how serendipitous life can be sometimes. 

At the end of 2017, I was feeling somewhat listless in life as it regarded our business and the weekly grind of making an impression in the digital realm. 

Far too often, businesses and organizations use social platforms the same way they use print, radio, or TV advertising. In essence, they push out lackluster, one-way forms of communication that aren’t designed to engage, enlighten, or delight an audience. 

Bridget and I were getting ready to go on a road trip to see the UNO Hockey team play in St. Cloud when I picked up Vaynerchuk’s latest book “Crushing It!” I like to have something light to read when I travel, and thought the book might offer some useful advice. 

“Crushing It!” has proven to be more influential the past year than I would have imagined when I bought it on a whim at a local Target store. 

Gary Vee’s energetic style comes across on the pages of “Crushing It!” as he profiles entrepreneurs who have built thriving businesses using the tools available in our digital age — platforms and technologies readily available to anyone in the world willing to use them. 

In large part, the book focuses on building your brand through the creation of what Vaynerchuk calls “pillar content” — online content you can share across digital platforms to “cross-pollinate” your message, product information, services, and personal brand to maximize your influence.

The book focuses on practical advice (as does Vaynerchuk’s online content), and talks about the importance of mastering online platforms (even if they are outside your comfort zone). 

Gary Vee often emphasizes that the crucial commodity entrepreneurs are trading in today is “attention.”

I listen to Vaynerchuk’s talks and podcasts when I walk each day. While his content has a great amount of appeal to aspiring YouTubers and would-be millennial entrepreneurs, he also spends a great deal of his time at VaynerMedia working with decades-old businesses and entrepreneurs with more than a little grey in their hair.

“Today there are millions of people just like me who have used the Internet to build personal brands, thriving businesses, and life on their own terms,” Vaynerchuk says. “Those who are truly crushing it have grasped the brass ring of grown-up-hood — building a lucrative business around something they love that enables them to do what they want every day.”

He is realistic in his message, saying that “most of you reading this book will not become millionaires.” Instead, the book is focused on finding value in working hard, mastering skills to further your entrepreneurial goals, and using today’s digital opportunities to enhance your brand. 

“Crushing It!” is organized into sections focused on various digital platforms. You’ll find strategies and testimonials about familiar platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, and Twitter, along with less-known platforms like musical.ly and voice-first technologies (like Amazon’s Alexa). He also goes into the value of having a podcast, and the importance of having an Instagram strategy.  

As 2018 progressed, I started to find myself working to create more content online. Vaynerchuk preaches the value of creating as much content as possible in order to increase engagement. 

My goal wasn’t money. The goal was to make myself create more content — the sort of pillar content Vaynerchuk talks about in “Crushing It!” — and re-orient my brain in that direction. 

I felt if I could develop that habit, it would help me serve our clients — and the marketing-communications business Bridget and I own — in a positive manner moving forward. 

Since Jan. 2018, I’ve populated this blog with 114 posts. That experience has helped me make contacts within the publishing industry (via book reviews I’ve written), and our local film industry here in Nebraska (via reviews and profiles of I’ve written about talented filmmakers and their projects). 

The experience has also forced me to find creative ways to drum up something to write about (even when I don’t think I have anything to write about). 

In Oct. 2018, my friend Jason and I started a weekly podcast focusing on the University of Nebraska at Omaha Hockey program. 

It all started with a simple conversation in the lobby at Baxter Arena (after a game last season) when our wives were browsing UNO’s merchandise shop. 

When Jason and I talked over the summer about the potential podcast, I knew I’d need to revamp my UNO Hockey fansite — MavPuck.com — to serve as an “easy-to-find” location where we could house the episodes. 

The rebooted MavPuck site contains each podcast, features a new message board, and has links to our social channels. It also houses a “News” section that I (along with the help of others) work diligently to fill with content each week — meaning there is more “pillar content” for fans to consume. 

The entire process has been an opportunity to experience new things, learn new skills, make connections, develop friendships, and live a more purposeful life. 

While “Crushing It!” isn’t responsible for these “life-improving” activities, the strategies and stories presented in Vaynerchuk’s book served as an inspiration for me. 

I needed that inspiration — and I needed to be in a better frame of mind.

“Talent has little value without patience and persistence,” says Vaynerchuk. “Success takes a sh!tload of work, and the people who ultimately break through and crush it are those who get all that and go for their dreams anyway.” 

I think “Crushing It!” could serve as inspiration for you, too — if you are an entrepreneur, work in marketing/communications, or are interested in building a personal brand. 

Previous post: “Movie Review: ‘The Upside’”

The Omaha World-Herald: A Look Into The Future

As many of my readers are aware, the future of news organizations is a topic of great interest to me. Bridget and I have owned a marketing communications business the past 23 years, have undergraduate degrees in journalism from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and are voracious connoisseurs of news. 

The future of Omaha’s “newspaper of record” was on tap at the Omaha Press Club on Jan. 17 as part of the club’s Noon Forum series. 

The three-person panel of Omaha World-Herald employees featured at the event included Henry Cordes, Melissa Matczak, and Graham Archer. 

Cordes, a reporter, started off the talk by giving a general overview of the state of newspapers today. 

He discussed the “double whammy” of declining subscriptions and declining ad revenue for print newspapers like the Omaha World-Herald, and how those trends create a difficult-to-sustain model for daily print publications around the nation.

As the one-two punch deals body blows to publications, the resultant effect has been smaller newspapers combined with higher subscription rates for consumers. 

The Omaha World-Herald has a newsroom roughly half the size of what it was a decade ago. That fact has resulted in operators trying to find increasingly novel ways to produce content and sell subscriptions with fewer resources available.

“Times are uncertain for us, but it’s a joy to walk into the newsroom and see us produce a newspaper,” says Melissa Matczak, Omaha World-Herald executive editor. 

As society watches the decline of brick-and-mortar retailers like ShopKo, there is a corollary “slow drip” revenue loss for traditional news media outlets like print newspapers. 

Matczak discussed the challenges inherent in maintaining a quality print publication (the Omaha World-Herald has been in existence for more than a century) while working on growing digital subscriptions — with a focus on improving the digital product. 

When the Omaha World-Herald does a popular piece of “watchdog” journalism, for example, Matczak says it will generally perform well online — and the staff can see in “real time” how online engagement translates into digital subscriptions. 

She suggests there is a new focus in the newsroom toward analyzing data and statistics on Omaha.com along with the paper’s various social platforms (Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram — among others). 

“We want traffic,” she says, “but it has to be impactful journalism.” 

It also has to be sustainable. 

Newsrooms in the 21st century can’t be a “general store of the community” she added. The resources are simply not in place to do that anymore. As a result, the Omaha World-Herald has to prioritize what it covers. 

Matczak says the paper needs to see a return on what they print or publish. This is a change of mindset at the paper, and there is an increased focus on “why” the piece is important, the “value” of a particular article, and a more stringent “prioritization” of content. 

It’s a given that people consume news differently than they did 20 years ago. 

“[Reporters are] more like broadcast than print ever was,” Matczak says. In that effort, the Omaha World-Herald works to distribute articles throughout the day — via e-newsletters, social media, videos, podcasts, news alerts, and in print. 

Statistical data in the newsroom (analyzing online readerership and engagement) is treated in a similar fashion to “ratings” on broadcast television. Newspapers are having to adapt to this new reality from an entrenched mindset dating back decades. 

It is about more than simple “page views” — the focus is on the amount of engagement with an article and the frequency that subscribers visit Omaha.com. 

The antiquated methodology and mindset has been a hard habit to break within the Omaha World-Herald newsroom, she said.

The panelists teased about “rogue print meetings” that took place during the initial stages of the shift to digital.

In the past, “news budgets” (content plans for a print newspaper) took priority in the newsroom. Today, the focus is on distribution of content throughout the day at 9 a.m., 11 a.m., 4 p.m., and 7 p.m.

Matczak says they’ll analyze trending stories using a publishing analytics platform called CrowdTangle (I wasn’t familiar with CrowdTangle, but Facebook purchased the company in 2016). 

The CrowdTangle platform also allows the newspaper to track popular stories from competitors and create similar content to capitalize on trending topics. 

The goal is to distribute relevant content all day long. The Omaha World-Herald is also trying to spur signups for their “e-newsletter” and “push alerts” — so people don’t have to “type in” Omaha.com. Instead, they can simply click on hyperlinks. 

Graham Archer, the digital editor at the Omaha World-Herald, works with reporters like Cordes to provide compelling videos and animated GIFs to go along with feature articles. 

The goal is to figure out which stories are relevant and whether or not they want to do more of those types of stories in the future. 

The Omaha World-Herald has to be more nimble in the future, he said. Emerging technologies like virtual reality and augmented reality present opportunities and pitfalls for news organizations. (I also believe media companies will have to make inroads in “voice technologies” such as Amazon’s Alexa platform down the road.) 

As newsrooms become more focused on geeky things like “real-time analytics” and adding in “keyword tags” to online articles, it does make you wonder if entities like the Omaha World-Herald can keep up with the immediacy that “citizen journalists” bring to the table. 

It also makes you wonder if they can continue to charge a premium for such content. 

The fact that I’m posting this article on my blog mere hours after the Omaha Press Club’s Noon Forum took place is kind of ironic. This blog post will be distributed on Twitter, Facebook, and additional social channels my wife and I control in our business. It won’t be behind a paywall, and it won’t be scrutinized in terms of engagement potential.

Part of the reason I have this blog (along with my UNO Hockey fansite MavPuck.com — which features news stories, a blog, and a podcast) is a responsibility I feel to put my marketing communications skills to use and create useful, informative, and relevant content for an information-hungry public.

It would have been cost prohibitive to do that 30 years ago. Technology has democratized information in our society. Anyone can publish articles, produce podcasts, create videos, and distribute it all online for a paltry sum. 

The question is whether or not large news organizations — that are governed by P&L statements — can maintain relevance over the long haul. 

Many of you are familiar with the fact that the Omaha World-Herald, which had been locally owned for more than a century, was recently sold to Lee Enterprises. 

The panelists today didn’t really dive into the recent effort by employees to form a union. 

For those who don’t know, the Omaha World-Herald News Guild is an employee union put in place to try and protect the interests of frontline journalists working for the company (you can read more at www.owhguild.com). 

As daily newspapers continue to evolve, some have suggested the editorial content should be more “neighborhood focused” to maintain relevance. 

Matczak reiterated that the Omaha World-Herald “can’t be a general store.” She says that efforts in the past to be “hyper local” haven’t had much success (although, she admitted, they couldn’t measure the popularity of those stories in the past like they can now). 

“We have to think more broadly,” she said. “More thematically.” 

It was also mentioned during the panel discussion that smaller print editions will make it more difficult for public relations professionals (representing businesses and organizations) to get “press release” material into the Omaha World-Herald. 

Bridget and I found this to be somewhat antithetical to the newspaper’s goal to push out more content during the day. 

It seems like “pre-packaged” content would be the perfect thing to layer into a digital strategy (the stories are basically written for a news publication, and a minimal amount of fact-checking is required). 

Some could argue that public relations content verges on being “promoted content” — which might thwart the goal of journalistic purity and integrity. 

The reality is that banner ads aren’t a particularly good way for newspapers to make money. So a possible “pay-to-play” model (as we’ve seen with the denizens of professional YouTubers) might become more prevalent. 

Bridget and I still have a print subscription to the Omaha World-Herald that includes online access to the content at Omaha.com. 

Despite the fact that we enjoy receiving a print newspaper, our content consumption habits have definitely evolved. Years ago, I read two newspapers cover-to-cover each morning — the Omaha World-Herald and USA Today. Today it is a much more eclectic mix of content curated from my Twitter and Facebook feeds. 

Hopefully these once great institutions will find a way to survive the raging storm. It is going to be challenging. 

The “death notices” for newspapers like the Omaha World-Herald have been murmured about for 15 years or more. 

Yet the presses still roll and newspapers are still in print...

Related Posts: 

Omaha World-Herald Lays Off 43… What's Happening?

Do Paywalls Thwart The Spread of Legit News?

Previous post: "Movie Review: 'Leave No Trace'"

Omaha World-Herald Lays Off 43... What’s Happening?

“We are entering a golden age of journalism. I do think there has been horrible frictional costs, but ... I look at my backpack that is sitting here, and it contains more journalistic firepower than the entire newsroom that I walked into 30 to 40 years ago.” — David Carr

As something of a news junkie who binges on information, I’ve been concerned about the state of my local daily newspaper.

I’ve watched the size and scope of the Omaha World-Herald become more svelte the past few years. It’s a well-worn tale, a reality that has hit a number of dailies around the United States.

There was a time when subscriber revenue was “gravy” for newspapers. The real money was made off of advertising — in-column ads, classifieds, and automobile advertising. 

My wife and I have degrees in journalism, and we own a marketing communications business. Along with the rest of our ilk, we’ve watched the seismic shifts in the industry the past decade with a sense of foreboding.

A few weeks ago I wrote a blog post about the Omaha World-Herald’s revamped paywall. 

This week, the Omaha World-Herald announced it was cutting 43 employees, and making changes to the newspaper. 

I have a friend who lost his job with this round of cuts. He found out when he arrived at work that morning — it hit him like a punch to the gut. 

The public expresses concern about “quality journalism” in our society. They bemoan the rise of "fake news" as a scourge on the public good. Yet, as is often the case in these situations, little is being done by the citizenry to staunch the bleeding.  

Nobody likes a train wreck, but everyone likes to watch a train wreck... if you get my gist.

My brother-in-law Sean Weide spent his adult life working in media. He died unexpectedly in 2017, but I had the opportunity to work for him in the mid 1990s, and we often talked about the state of media.

Sean's most recent jobs were in the role of press officer for professional cycling teams. 

Sean would tell me how the media rooms at cycling events (generally multi-stage tours around the globe) were full of bloggers. As such, he often wondered aloud why Bridget and I were excluded from press events related to UNO Hockey (since we run a fan site for the hockey program called MavPuck.com). 

Bloggers, YouTubers, SnapChatters, Instagrammers, Tweeters and Facebookers have been painted with labels like “new media," "alternative media,” or worse. The question you have to ask yourself is this: When will these people and platforms — which are often "adjuncts" to so-called accredited news organizations — become all that’s left to dole out information to the public?

You see it trending more that direction each year. News organizations try to maintain editorial legitimacy by keeping newsrooms and operations staffed and stocked — all while subscribers, ad sales, and print sizes continue to plummet. 

It is not a sustainable model. 

What will a world look like if “citizen journalists” rule the day? Are they already ruling the day?

I realize large organizations — especially those with an entrenched leadership structure — often change at a glacial pace. 

Some will point to the fact that newspapers are designed as money-making ventures. They’ll cynically say that journalistic purity has never been the sole goal for these institutions. Rather, they’ll argue that editorial content is based (at least in part) on what attracts eyeballs, and greases the wheels with potential advertisers. 

Some will go further and suggest that these institutions were too slow to figure out what appealed to younger demographics. 

I don’t know what the future holds for the Omaha World-Herald — or other daily newspapers around the country. 

Instituting the “more restrictive” paywall in January of this year — followed by significant layoffs in February — wasn’t an attractive look for the newspaper. It will bring into question the viability of print media in the Omaha-Council Bluffs metro area — an area that spans roughly 900,000 people. 

Will the next decade see newsrooms whittled down even further — only to become paper-thin versions of their former selves?

Stay tuned...

Previous post: Book Review: "Without Fail" By Lee Child 

Do Paywalls Thwart The Spread of Legit News?

There has been a considerable amount of talk about the rise of “fake news,” and various technological maneuvers to try and combat the spread of low-brow content on the Internet.

It begs the question whether consumers have shrugged off the more traditional news operations because of monetary hindrances like paywalls — a move that limits the content available to non-paying subscribers — and, if such revenue-generating strategies serve to thwart the influence of legitimate news. 

As time progresses, it develops like a slow leak. Drip, drip, drip. Turning future generations away from well-researched, responsible reporting, and soaking society with “citizen journalists” willing to put out a variety of content for free. 

Twenty-two years ago I graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, and have owned and operated a media-related marketing communications business ever since. In the intervening years, I have watched the entire communications juggernaut undergo more change than it had the previous 40. 

People used to travel through life with the understanding that they would pay for news. Families had subscriptions to daily newspapers, and would also subscribe to “specialty” magazines with more targeted content. People watched television newscasts with the idea that “commercial breaks” were a way to pay for valuable information. 

But the paradigm has changed. We are creating an entire culture built on the idea that content is free — whether it be news, sports, or entertainment. 

It has happened before our eyes. We’ve seen a rise in consumers “cutting the cord” on traditional cable and satellite television subscriptions. They are dropping these things in favor of cheaper services like Netflix, and free offerings like YouTube. Many are using old-school technology like over-the-air TV antennas to bring free television into their homes. 

Newspapers have been trying to find a way to keep revenue positive. Some have found wealthy benefactors willing to prop up shaky foundations. For example, billionaire Warren Buffett owns the Omaha World-Herald (my city’s daily newspaper), and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos owns the Washington Post. 

While these organizations try to fight off layoffs — as they continue to manage the amount of original content produced on a daily basis — they soldier on with the notion that people will continue paying for news.

The problem is that the gatekeeper function has radically changed. The entities controlling information have names like Facebook, Twitter, and Google. Those entities — through sophisticated analytic filters — determine the content you see. 

There are plenty of operations out there willing to produce content for free (often plastered with banner advertising and sponsored posts). I’m not altogether sure people prefer such “news sources,” but access is free, and free typically wins the day. 

One of my favorite documentaries is the 2011 film “Page One: Inside the New York Times.” The documentary focuses on the fall of daily newspapers, the collapse of automobile and classified advertising in those publications, and the erosion of subscribers to Internet-based outlets. It also focuses on the effort large news organizations undertake to bring consumers news.

This past week, the Omaha World-Herald unleashed a “revamped” paywall — its "Subscriber Plus" digital option ($9.95 per month) is the only way you can see online articles about the Nebraska Cornhuskers, Creighton Bluejays, and UNO Mavericks. In essence, the World-Herald has decided to restrict access to more of the local, home-grown news stories focused on our community (the stories not readily distributed across the globe via the Associated Press). The OWH also lists as a benefit that its web pages will load faster for digital subscribers (which I find to be an odd thing to mention).

We have a Sunday subscription to the Omaha World-Herald (and also have a digital subscription).

On the one hand, the desire to protect content is noble. 

On the other hand, it has a “limiting effect” on the impact and influence a news organization has within a community. It might not seem that way initially, but the long-term effect basically reduces the influence of a publication when people can’t easily read an article shared via Facebook, Twitter, or other social media outlets. You see the comments on articles shared on the Omaha World-Herald's Facebook Page.

It is a harsh reality, but a reality that news organizations share. The quest to keep dollars flowing is just as vital as keeping eyeballs reading. While paywalls might stir up cash in the short term — or at least give value to a print subscription — such efforts thwart readership. 

If I am a media relations professional trying to get coverage via local news outlets, I have to start asking myself how valuable it is to get an article about a business/organization in daily newspapers if the only people who see it are print/digital subscribers behind a paywall. 

Just follow some of the “influencers” on YouTube if you want to see how corporate communications strategies have changed. YouTubers like Casey Neistat regularly pimp products from companies like Samsung — essentially paid-for promotions that reach millions of viewers. 

It doesn’t matter if the content lacks polish or sophistication. Editorial purity isn’t the goal. For advertisers, eyeballs are king, and the kingdom is being run by common folk with clickbait content. 

When you get down to brass tacks, it is a sobering proposition for society...and for the future. 

It’s very possible the situation has no fix. It’s as if the playground teeter-totter has fallen too far to one side, with no capable partner on the elevated end to weight the apparatus back into balance.

Part of the reason I have this blog is because I feel an odd sense of responsibility to bring well written and thoughtful pieces to the endless sea of crowd-sourced content. My goal isn’t to change the world — nor is it to become some advocacy bulwark. I just figure information-hungry people could do a lot worse. Might as well put that journalism degree to use. 

As time moves on, we have to hope there are others who share this same sense of duty.

Previous post: Movie Review: "The Commuter" 

Best of "Jon Crunch": Year 1

Here's where we're at...

Twelve months. Seventy-one posts. 

Not the output I was hoping for during the first year of the blog, but I think it is a pretty good start. 

There were a number of fun things I experienced in life the past year because of this blog -- things I wouldn't otherwise have tried and written about. 

In honor of the first year, I am going to share with you all the "Top 10" posts this past year (in terms of traffic) on the blog, as well as six additional posts I really liked (which should have had more traffic). 

The Top 10



1. "Envelopening: What Happened to Dean Blais?"  

In my mind, this ranks as one of the least exciting posts of the past 12 months. But, because it was an "unboxing" (well, envelope tearing) video about our UNO Hockey season tickets, we were able to share the post on our MavPuck.com social media channels. 

Dean Blais (who was the head coach of the team last season) wasn't featured in the ticket booklets, even though past players and coaches were included. 

Was that a snub? You'll have to decide for yourself, but it was almost prescient considering how "The Blaiser" was "let go" by the university this past season.

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2. "'Dunkirk' Review: 'There's No Hiding From This Son."

I did a number of movie reviews this past year, and I'd like to thank Aksarben Cinema for sharing this review I did when "Dunkirk" was released -- that really helped the traffic counts for this review. 

I thought it was one of my better reviews, and I think it epitomizes the pattern and style I want to follow for future movie reviews. 

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3. "Utah Trip, Part 1 -- One Guy, Seven Girls, and an RV"

This was a fun trip. This post, the first in a 4-part series, not only ranks as one of the most trafficked posts this past year, but it also one of my favorites.

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4. "A Modern Day Treasure Hunt"  

This was a fun game. It also illustrates the power of social media, and raises questions about safety when it comes to anonymous "string pullers" sending people around the city in search of prizes. Kind of reminded me of the 2016 movie "Nerve."

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5. "Why I Became a Cord Cutter"  

This post just keeps percolating along. I've done a few posts on the topic, and would like to do more posts, because people I talk to are increasingly interested these days in dropping traditional cable and satellite television subscriptions. 

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6. "Omaha Needs a Jolt"  

I was really fond of the "Emerging Terrain" grain silo project, and appreciated the efforts of Anne Trumble and her supporters as they tried to make aging and derelict parts of our city interesting. We need more people starting those sorts of "conversations" within our community. 

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7. "What Is A Pinning Ceremony?" 

The International Baccalaureate program is relatively new in high schools around the United States. My niece Lauren had my write a post on an IB tradition -- the "Pinning Ceremony"...

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8. "Why Are These A Thing?"

Don't hate me... I decided to do a fidget spinner post (at the height of the novelty's popularity) because I knew it would get clicks. But it turns out the post was kind of interesting... 

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9. "'Victoria': Is This Brit Import Worthy of 'Downton Abbey's' Timeslot?" 

There are two British period dramas focusing on the "Royal Family" that I enjoyed this past year (the other is Netflix's "The Crown," which I also reviewed). "Victoria" is a co-production of PBS's Masterpiece label, and Brit broadcaster ITV. 

Not only did I review the first season of "Victoria" in this post, I also outlined how Bridget and I were able to binge watch it on Apple TV via PBS Passport (which is available to PBS donors). 

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10. "Utah Trip, Part 4 -- Stranded, Slurpees, Trolley Square, Burgers, and a Tonka Truck"  

The fourth part of our trip west (for the Tour of Utah) proves that even in the face of a big ol' SNAFU, you can find a way to have fun... 

Bonus Picks

Bonus #1. "I Don't Get Grown-Up Coloring Books" 

I liked this post because it was kind of snarky and biting. It also irritated some of my Facebook friends who are are grown-up coloring book afficionados...

Bonus #2. "The Sightseeing Complication" 

I learned last September that I am prone to having claustrophobic panic attacks in confined, underground rail systems... on humid days. Who knew? 

Bonus #3. "These Kids are 'Sharp...Cheddar Sharp'"

There are some really talented kids making films in Omaha...and my niece Julia is one of them.  

Bonus #4. "'Baby Driver' -- Car Chases, iPods, Blondes and 1990s Cool"

I absolutely loved this movie -- my favorite of the summer. I saw it four times at Aksarben Cinema (and wish that I'd seen it a fifth). I was able to pick out a lot more subtlety and nuance the more I saw the movie, and would have written a much better review after multiple viewings. But this review will give you an idea about why I loved this movie so much. 

Bonus #5. "I've Been Slimed!" 

What's summer without a fun project? My niece Veronica is our family's slime expert. It's pretty cool. I just wish we'd done a "how to" video on making slime. 

Bonus #6. "'We Can Rebuild It. We Have the Technology." 

There's nothing better than crawling up into the attic and running new coaxial cable from a long-forgotten, 1960s-era antenna to receive rock solid HD signals from the local TV affiliates! 

So there you have it!

Missed my most recent blog post? Check it out here: "Eclipse Anomalies Create TV Reception Oddities?"

"Omaha Live!" - Premiere Party, Season 6 Debut

If you aren't acquainted with "Omaha Live!" -- Matt and Ben Tompkins's original sketch comedy series -- you should get to know it. 

"Omaha Live!" airs Saturday nights at midnight on WOWT in the Omaha viewing area (after "Saturday Night Live").

The show is irreverent and silly, and takes jabs at pop culture, politics, and the world around us. Matt incorporates his musical talents into the show as well (a skill on display in many of the show's most memorable segments). There is an "Omaha flavor" to much of the content, but many of the sketches are relatable beyond the metropolitan area. 

My wife Bridget and I won tickets to the season 6 premiere party at Aksarben Cinema on July 13. Attendees had the opportunity to mingle with the stars of the show and enjoy an early viewing of the first episode of the sixth season. 

We were also lucky enough to win one of these autographed "Omaha Live!" posters they had on hand for the premiere party (which is patterned after the "Star Wars" style "C" movie poster). 

I've been watching the show since the beginning, and have shared various segments via social media.

"Omaha Live!" has a YouTube channel so fans can enjoy full episodes and clips from the series at their leisure: https://www.youtube.com/user/livefromomahaTV  

One of our favorite segments was the "We Remember Omaha Song" featured in the show's first season, sung to Pitbull's song "Timber" (I believe it was part of the show's debut episode):

In addition to music videos, the brothers have included parodies of famous TV show intros on "Omaha Live!", such as this riff on "The A-Team":

Local politicians have appeared on the show. Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert has made multiple appearances, and proven herself to be a good sport with all the ribbing. 

While the show might not be for everyone, it is a testament to home-grown creativity and local talent in Omaha. "Omaha Live!" operates on a shoestring budget, and Matt and Ben have proven they can do a lot with a little. 

One of the attendees on July 13 said to me, "It's better than 'Saturday Night Live', and it's local."

(Note: I was going to link to the full episode we previewed on July 13, but the creators have yet to put it up on their channel. In the meantime, you can view clips from that show on their YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/livefromomahaTV)

And be sure to read my previous post: "I've Been Slimed"