The Ben Maynard Program
"Tell Your Story". Everyone has a story. Not just the famous. This is a guest driven program but when we are "guest free", It's just YOU and ME! I love music and we will talk a lot about it. Enjoy the ride!
#podcast #benmaynardprogram #music #tellyourstory #music #spotify #maynard #videopodcast #thebenmaynardprogram@buzzsprout.com #socialmedia #journey
The Ben Maynard Program
EP. 116 Three Friends Reflect On 2025, Trade Stories On History And Family, And Toast To A Brighter 2026
A different backdrop, the same heartbeat. We took the year-end show to the patio and opened the door to a free-flowing conversation with friends—part celebration, part confession, all connection. Between mic tests, guest links, and a stubborn winter cough, we found a groove that felt like a living room: holidays recapped, family updates shared, and a few brave toasts to what’s next.
We zoomed out to see where the show traveled this year—six continents, 57 countries, and a surprising wave from Singapore—then zoomed in on who’s actually watching on YouTube. The data sparked a larger question: how do we build content for the people who show up, without losing the spark that drew them here? That led to plans for a bigger studio and a second show that explores politics and faith, giving the original program space to keep telling personal stories and spotlighting artists, authors, and everyday voices.
Our guests brought the heart. Larry walked us through his ambitious history series—every president and each year since 1776—reminding us why Prohibition, organized crime, the Dust Bowl, and civil rights aren’t distant chapters but living context. Pepper Ann shared two new book projects set in the 80s and offered sharp advice on writing memoir: start with your deepest passion and let that scene pull readers in. We detoured into baseball—catchers, pitch calling, Greg Maddux, and what leadership looks like when only one person sees the whole field. And we held space for grief and legacy as Larry honored his son-in-law and a final song recorded near the end, a story about copyright, distribution, and doing justice to the work before chasing a big name.
We closed with warmth and a little mischief—eggnog spiked, Irish toasts raised, and a call to make 2026 braver, kinder, and more creative. If this conversation moved you, subscribe, tap the bell, and share it with someone who needs a hopeful sendoff to the year. Leave a comment with your bold goal for 2026—we’ll be reading and cheering you on.
Thanks for listening! Follow me on Instagram: benmaynardprogram
and subscribe to my YouTube channel: THE BEN MAYNARD PROGRAM
I also welcome your comments. email: pl8blocker@aol.com
Hey there. Welcome into the Ben Maynard program. Thanks for being here. Um, yeah, you guys can tell if you're watching, you can tell this is from a different location, right? Definitely not the studio. I hope you guys can hear me too. I tested the microphone. The first time I tested it, it wasn't working. Uh well, actually, it kind of cut out, but um I tested it again. It's fine. Who knows? So, all right, let's get this show on the road. Welcome into the Ben Maynard program. Thanks for being here. Before we get started, a little bit of housekeeping to take care of. As you guys know, this program is available wherever you get your podcasts, wherever you stream them. Doesn't matter what streaming service you use, wherever you get them, that's where it is. Just search the Ben Maynor program. Boom, it's right there. Go with it. Okay. But do me a favor, subscribe to it. And uh that way, when new episodes drop, you'll get a notification, okay? Uh, then you guys can also leave me a five-star rating because I deserve it. You guys know I deserve it. And then um uh yeah, so that's that's it for for the streaming stuff. But today, see, because you guys can't resist all this right here. You're watching it on YouTube, and thank you for doing that. I appreciate it. Um, a few things you got to do first, though. You've got to subscribe to the channel, all right? Hit the notification bell. And why do you do that after you subscribe? Because every time a new episode drops, yeah, you get a notification that there's a brand new episode. Uh, then you have to give me a thumbs up and then you got to leave a comment. I reply to all your comments. You guys are really, really lacking on the comments, so step it up. All right. Uh, let's see, last but not least, follow me on Instagram, simply Ben Maynard program. Uh, or you can follow me on the TikTok, and that is the Ben Maynard program. All right. So there are plenty of ways to take and then I'm gonna be messing with stuff all morning. You watch, look at that, bouncing up and down. Oh man, it's gonna be great. Uh so there are plenty of ways to take in this show for your dancing and listening pleasure. And with that, here we are. Where am I this morning? Let me check my hang on, let me check my phone. Let me check my my cellular telephone because I want to have an accurate, uh, let's see. It is a cool 50 degrees here in Chino uh Chino Hills, California, and I am sitting outside on my patio. There's the kitchen door right behind me, sitting outside of my patio. Why am I doing the podcast from my patio? Um, well, let's see. Uh we have a house guest, and for those of you who may not know, um this the studio kind of doubles as a guest bedroom, and we have a Murphy bed in there. Um, and so it kind of doubles up as one of those. And so my my niece, Marina, and my great niece Olivia, are with us for the next few days. So when that word was coming down, I was like, okay, where am I supposed to do the podcast from? I've got one more, one more show to do. Where am I supposed to do this? I thought, well, I looked around and I thought, well, I guess I can just do it on the patio. Why not? And we'll just uh go from there. So that's what's happening. And speaking of Marina, she was a past guest on the podcast. If you go back, oof, well, you have to go back two years. I actually have to go back over two years when she was on. Um, yeah, that was really, really early on in the podcast. I can't remember what episode number that was. Um, but you know, it uh it's still there, so you can look it up and you can see who Marina is. She was single then, and now she's not, and now she's with child too. So how things change. It's so cool. Um anyway, so what's been going on since uh what was the last? Oh, the the last show was the Christmas show. And um thanks if you guys have seen it or heard it. It was a lot of fun, and there was a lot of technical stuff going on, you know, um, with the um links to the uh to to the podcast. I had a couple guests on, Olivia Harms and Chris Gates, and they were great, and we had technical issues, and I for the first time ever, the first time ever doing this, this, this podcast, um, I paused the recording. I've never I've never stopped it unless the episode's over. And I've never paused anything because I don't, because I don't edit anything. And hold on. And so uh so I had to pause it a couple of times uh to get uh to like resend links and do all kinds of stuff. And so it was it was but it was a lot of fun. It was it was fun and um I enjoyed it. And you know what? Even though it's the Christmas show, you guys, it's good any time of year. It's you know, it just is. Why is it good any time of year? Because it's me. Seriously. So anyway, um uh so what's been going on since then? Well, okay, let's back it up all the way to Thanksgiving. So I was I was on vacation the last day I worked was Thanksgiving, and I've been I was on vacation since or from that point on, and um had a lot of stuff going on that was great. I was fighting, and I think I even mentioned I was fighting a cold two weeks before vacation started, fighting that same cold the whole three weeks I was on vacation. The last week, so um, I guess the yeah, so last week, because this is uh this was actually the week of Christmas, but um last week started feeling, you know, you know, feeling a lot better, getting over all the all the stuff that you get at the end of a cold. And uh, and then for whatever reason, it felt like something, sounds like something too, crawled down my throat and like died. So something's come back because now I'm all phlegmy, mucusy, coffee. I don't, I mean, I feel good, you know. I don't I don't feel anything else. It's just all right, it's just all right here. It's not even nasally. Um, yeah, I don't know what's going on. Whatever, it's just the way it is, right? It's one of those things, and you just deal with it. But um, so if I don't sound, if I don't sound myself, or if I uh like you know, cough up a lung or something like that, you guys will understand. I hope you do anyway. So, what do we have in store today? Today is going to be the last episode of the year, the last episode of 2025. We are gonna be moving into a new year, 2026. Isn't that great? That's so cool. And when I was uh, gosh, when I was a kid, when I was like when I was a teenager in in like in high school, I could never ever even imagine the year 2026. That's just nuts. That's bananas. I know when I was a kid, you know, trying to imagine the future, trying to imagine, you know, 50 years ahead to the year 2026, that kind of thing. I thought we'd like be flying around in spaceships like the Jetsons. Honestly, honestly, I thought we would be somewhere like that. But um we're not. We're still driving around motor vehicles on the road, not in the air. But a lot of technological advances, of course, in the last 50 years, many, many, many of them. So it's all good stuff, but just weird. Um so yeah, we're going into 2026. That's gonna be something. I'm looking forward to it. And um, you know, like regarding this podcast, I thought I would do a couple things. You know, we're gonna I've got a couple of guests lined up today, so we'll see if they uh we'll see if they got my text message. We've already spoken, uh, not this morning, but we spoke. We spoke earlier in the week and and got everything set up. So I hope they got my text messages. I hope they saw my emails. So we'll we'll see how that goes. Maybe we're gonna have another uh another you know couple of uh mishaps like the Christmas show. Until that time, though, I thought I would just kind of give you a little bit of a sort of a miniature state of the podcast for this year, um, this, this, this last year of 2025. And I I didn't I didn't go deep into statistics or anything, just to share a few things with you guys. I've shared this stuff with you in the past, and so as with any podcast, this stuff can reach all the way around the world, and I'm very fortunate that way. Um, this podcast is on six of seven continents around the world, and maybe I'm gonna have to make a trip down to Antarctica and have a discussion with the um with the penguins down there because they they're still not on board. Antarctica is still not on board with this podcast. So maybe, maybe in the future I'll have to do that. It's probably gonna require um some sponsorships, though, some sponsorships to the podcast in order for me to be able to afford that trip to go down there and and uh you know have a uh powwow with the penguins. We'll see how that works out. But but um yeah, so we're on we're on six of seven continents around the world, and um so I'll run them down in this order. As far as like the downloads and the streams, Australia is number six, Africa is number four, um South America is number uh, I'm sorry. After six, when you're counting backwards, when you're counting down, comes five. And I think I said four was was Africa, but five is Africa. So let's start again. Six is Australia, five is Africa, four is South America. Oof. Let's get it right, okay? Let's just get it all right. Um three is Europe, two is Asia, and number one, rightfully so, or should be, you know, and that's North America. Um, and I could break those stats down even further, but I don't want to take all that time and I don't want to bore you with too much. Really, honestly, I would have bored you with it. I just didn't want to take the time to do it. I was a little short on time in preparation. So I hey, truth be told, okay? I only tell you the truth. That's that's what I do here. Okay. I don't I don't sugarcoat anything, I don't, I don't pretend to be something I'm not. I don't lie to you guys to tell you nothing but the truth. So all right. Um let's see. So the the the podcast is on, and and what I'm speaking of right here. Uh oh, my computer is acting up, trying to log on. So sorry. Okay, that's just one guess. No problem. Um that was a text message, by the way. So the um the podcast is in 57 countries. Now, I think there are something like 167 countries around the world. So 57? Okay, that's not bad. That's not too bad. I'll take it. That's almost a third. Um the top five countries are um Canada, number five, the uh the UK, number four, Germany, number three. I was surprised at that. Germany. Um Singapore. That's bananas. Singapore is number two. Number two. I can't walk the streets of Singapore. Uh I love it. I love it. And then, of course, of course, uh the United States is number one. And you know, I mean, it should be. That's obviously where I originate from. But um yeah, just Singapore, number two.
SPEAKER_03:Hmm.
SPEAKER_02:I'm gonna have to get on making some hats and some t-shirts and more coasters and that kind of stuff. Like I said, uh it'll it'll be like Ben Mania in Singapore if I ever step off an airplane there. Isn't that great? Awesome. So awesome.
SPEAKER_04:It's great.
SPEAKER_02:Um so now, like on the YouTube side, for those of you right there, right? Where are you? Oh, there's the camera right there, right there. Um it's funny, but I was checking the demographics and my the the the age demographic for for for my podcast for this for this podcast is um oh, okay. Hold on a second, time out people. We're not gonna pause. I'm just gonna do something here really quick. I'm going to I'm gonna send a link again to one of my guests. Let's just do this. Let's type this in right there. And get that and this is so this is so awesome, isn't it? Isn't it, people? Let me see. Let me hang on. Do this, and I'm sure you're all enjoying this, right? Of course you are. Producing on the fly, and away we go. Okay. So I sent I sent the link again.
SPEAKER_01:Um I guess I should probably text that one guest.
SPEAKER_02:Let me see. This is awesome. Um yeah, so I resent it. Resent it to you. There we go. Um, so the the age demographic for this podcast, I was I mean, I I I can't say I was shocked, but it's a little surprising. It's it's 55 to 64 years old. Okay. And uh look, I'm I'm 60 years old, so I I kind of expect that, but for the um the percentage in that demographic, the it's I mean 77 percent of my audience that watches on YouTube is is uh is in that that age demographic. So I just found that a little bit surprising. Um that it was that high. This is the this makes me laugh. This is the cool part. This is why okay. I guess it's cool because I'm a dude. Um no, this was the real surprising part, though. 77 of my audience that watches on YouTube are women compared to 27 uh for the men. I see you right there, my friend. I'll get with you in just a second. Um, so that was kind of cool. I I guess as I say, you know, if you can't resist this right here and you got to watch on YouTube, the ladies cannot stay away. That's all it is. What can I say? All right, all right. So here we go. Gonna bring in the first guest, and we're gonna and and we're gonna get busy, we're gonna do our thing, and we'll uh we'll bring in our second guest whenever she arrives. Okay. So uh right out of the gate, here we go. My friend and your friend Larry Reedy. How's it going, Larry? Pretty good, Ben. Can't complain. All right. Uh as you can see, I'm not in my studio. I was I was telling, I was telling the audience that um we have we have a uh couple of house guests, and um so you know the studio doubles as a guest bedroom, so I I kind of got kicked out.
SPEAKER_05:Well, you know, I'm I'm sitting at the dining room table, and uh we had a very busy Christmas.
SPEAKER_02:That's great. What did you what what did what did uh what did Christmas uh entail at the at the Reedy household?
SPEAKER_05:Well, this was actually the first year that my wife and I didn't have Christmas, but two of my neighbors are my son Larry and my son Matt. Matt is uh a pond away from us, and he decided that we told him somebody else is gonna volunteer. And this is a central location for people who live in Indian Cincinnati. So we had, I don't know, probably 40 at Matt's house. And uh and they loved to Cooked, the food was wonderful. Right. I think there was only one grandkid that couldn't make it. But we had our one grandson from who's a reporter in Mississippi, TV reporter. He came in. And another grandson's an aeronautical engineer in Texas. And he came in with his girlfriend who's another aeronautical engineer.
SPEAKER_02:That's great.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, two nerds.
SPEAKER_02:That's okay. That's all right. That's all right. So so you just had a big old uh uh a group that you uh that that you were celebrating with. That's great. That's awesome.
SPEAKER_05:And it was 60, I think 64 degrees.
SPEAKER_02:It's 50 degrees right now here in Chino Hills, Larry. It's 50 degrees. I'm sitting out here on my patio. I should have the patio heaters on.
SPEAKER_05:Well, you know, it's gonna get bored. Now uh Monday Nancy gets her uh corneal transplant, and it's supposed to be 22 Monday. So it's bright radical weather here. I mean, we've had basically Christmas Eve. Christmas, I think Christmas Eve was 58, and it it's just not normal. It goes from the 20s. Uh uh, we had four inches of snow a couple weeks ago, five inches, so it's it's different. Mid weather.
SPEAKER_02:There's our there's our other guest. There's our let me let me bring her in. All right. Hey, there's our other friend, Pepper Ann. How are you? How are you, girl? Oh, wait, we can't hear you. I can't hear you. Turn your mic on. No, no, no. Yeah, turn your mic on. Let's see. We'll get it. She's muted.
SPEAKER_05:She has to hit that little button and it'll say it's working.
SPEAKER_02:That's right. Hey, hey, look, when it comes to uh Okay, oh now wait Okay, you know what? Okay. Pepper, here's what I'm gonna do. Here's what I'm gonna do, Pepper Ann. I'm gonna take you out of the studio, okay? I'll send you another link. Let's just try a new link, okay? All right, all right, let's do that. Okay, here we go. Let me take her out. It'll just be you and I again, Larry. And let's see, let me get another link to her. Let's see, copy that, email that, and let's see. Let's see two pepper. This is great. See, production on the fly, Larry. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:I told you this uh uh this uh stream yard's pretty impressive.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. I told you okay, we send it away. There it is. Send it away. Um yeah, no, I I I I told you we'd make it work. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:I love it. It was nice here because it says enter the studio, and then you check the microphone, so you have to speak into it, and then it'll say working, and then you just get home. It's really, really easy.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:I think it's reception seems to be much better in Zoom, especially for podcasting.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. That's like I was you and I we talked, uh, we talked earlier earlier this week, and and that was that was all the information that I was given um in regards to using StreamYard was that it was it was just uh it was more reliable than than Zoom. The quality, the picture quality was was better. And look, I I don't know. I mean, things could change, you know, Zoom may have upped their game too.
SPEAKER_05:I I don't know, but but I I think Zoom's great for conference calls. Okay, okay, you know, business conference calls. Uh, because I think you can do up to 20. And but uh, you know, for podcasting, uh what we did the other day, testing, yeah. Voice is good, pictures good, everything seems to be a little bit better.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and and it'll it'll um you know it'll broadcast uh or record in uh 4K. But you know, for me, I use 1080 PM, uh, even though um my equipment will all record in 4K, but um I don't want to pay for it. Yeah, yeah, I don't want to pay for it, not right now, anyway.
SPEAKER_05:Well, you know, I got this uh device from from road. I've got all you know all my equipment's road, yeah. And they have a um they have these small microphones and a receiver you just put into your iPhone, yeah. And and they have an uh app that's called Capture, and it's phenomenal. 150 bucks. Oh wow, it's it is phenomenal. I've used it on several videos, not not for my podcast, but just for videos that talk to friends on Facebook and stuff. Yeah, I'm getting kind of consumed with this AI thing. I don't know if you've seen any of my stuff lately. Oh yeah, oh yeah, dancing i representativity scene. And uh did you see that one?
SPEAKER_02:I did. So so so okay, so for for my audience here, um, if you are unfamiliar with Larry Reedy's podcast, it's it's Larry Reedy's America, and it's available wherever you stream your podcasts. Uh, or if you want to just go to Larry Reedy's website, it's Larry Reedy.net. And and I mean, Larry has he probably has like nearly 500 episodes already on almost 550. Yeah, on his website. And you know, Larry's done all kinds of different stuff, but but one thing that Larry has taken on uh since July, since the really like the 4th of July, since the nation's birthday, Larry's doing a series of all the presidents, and and and he he features a new president, and he's basically gone from Washington all the way to Trump. And uh so he started at number one and then he'll finish at 47, and he features a new one every week, and then every day he's doing a new year, and he started at 1776, and he's going to finish at 2025 when we get to the nation's birthday next year on July 4th. I mean, that is so much work, Larry. I can't believe it. That is so much work.
SPEAKER_05:I just finished formatting. Uh I'm I'm ahead of the game, I'm doing just formatting 1932 to record. I'm on 1836, but when you get to the 1900s, crime really becomes a big part of it, and it's kind of extending the podcast a little bit, but yeah, well, I mean, it's it's brutal. Or you know, organized crime would have never happened uh if those idiots didn't pass the Volstead Act. I mean, who's gonna tell people they can't drink and drink? Yeah, it lasted 13 years, unbelievable.
SPEAKER_02:That and that is that is kind of crazy when you think about it. Um, I mean, okay, I don't know, and we can talk about what the reason was, but but you can't you can't drink, but you can smoke, and you can take whatever other because look, they had drugs back then too, you know, there were drug, there were drug issues back then, certainly not to the level that they are now, but but you can take your drugs and you can smoke your tobacco and you can whatever, but you can't drink alcohol.
SPEAKER_05:Well, see, that was a that was a morality thing. They thought that because people, if they couldn't drink alcohol, they would be better husband's father, and they would be better at work. And they just wanna they wanted to dictate your morality, which when they when prohibition came in effect, I mean you can bet Congress was not out of alcohol. You can you can go go to the bank on that one, yeah. Everybody, uh if everybody wants to drink, they're gonna drink. Yeah, it's it's just like today they they say well, they want banned guns, all that's gonna do is make millionaires out of black market gun dealers. Yeah, just uh uh it's just crazy. You can't dictate things that just don't make sense. Yeah, they they it doesn't make any sense to tell people what they can do socially, and uh, you know, even you know, I I've always been I've never smoked a joint in my life, and you know what when I was a teenager, anybody smoked marijuana, we called them greasers. And my my kids don't understand that you know that mentality, but the thing is uh it's their body. If if they as long as they're not driving or hurting anybody, there's if they want to smoke cigarettes and and hit get lung cancer or hey pepper.
SPEAKER_00:How are my two favorite podcasters?
SPEAKER_02:There you are, there you are, there you are. Now we got your sound.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, well, I think we're good. I mean, yeah, another another year under another year out of the coffin for me.
SPEAKER_00:I know. How was your Christmas? How are you and Nancy doing?
SPEAKER_05:We're doing good, but she's getting a corneal transplant uh on Monday.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my goodness. Okay, we're gonna be praying for her. Yeah, so let us know.
SPEAKER_05:That's good. The problem, really, the problem's gonna be is not her transplant, it's gonna be me as the caregiver. I mean, I'm gonna have to cook. She's only gonna be allowed up for I don't know how many four or five days. I think uh five minutes an hour, and she has to lay flat on her back, she can't turn her head in either direction. It's uh it's it's it's an ordeal, but it it beats not being able to see.
SPEAKER_02:So, Larry, let me let me ask this: is this what the menu is going to be like for the next few days after after Nancy's surgery? Let's see, cold cereal or toast, uh canned soup, TV dinners.
SPEAKER_05:I am a gourmet micro-asia.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. All right.
SPEAKER_00:Well, Larry, you know what? Uh you know what? Um, so Joe has been really sick and he had a surgery. I don't know if I reached out to you to tell you or not. Well, I I I don't know if Ben did, but um, he finally had the surgery that we were hoping that would help with his GI issues, and um, he's doing so much better. So we're gonna hit MD Anderson um in February. But I know about being the caretaker and how much pressure it holds. So there's nothing wrong with those microwave dinners.
SPEAKER_05:Well, see, but I'm not known for being a patient person, so I'm I hopefully I can, you know, they say maybe a leopard can change its spots, so I don't know, but the I think the food and everything will be fine, but uh it's uh it's really a long ordeal, and yeah, and I think it's uh 90 percent of the transplant works, so 10. I I take those odds any day.
SPEAKER_02:Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00:She's gonna be just fine, and like I said, we'll pray for her. You let us know how she's doing.
SPEAKER_02:Oh, yeah. Well, more definitely. So, okay, so I I want to introduce you now, Pepper. Pepper Ann is a past guest uh on podcast. She is a true crime author, and um you can check out her work at is what's your what pepper and author, right?
SPEAKER_00:That's your yeah, yeah, that's it, pepperan author.com. It's easy, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:But uh no, she's fabulous. First off, look at that. Look at that face right there. She's beautiful, and she's she's you know, she's just wonderful. And I I'll say this to my audience too. These two individuals here, Larry and and Pepper Ann, you know, after after they've been on this podcast, and then you know, I've I've been on Larry's podcast a time or two as well. Um, you know, we just the three of us, we just become good buddies, good friends. First off, they're great people, so they're easy to be friends with. And and and we just we check on each other, we call each other, text each other, and just stay in in contact. They're just they're they're just wonderful individuals, and um I love them both to pieces. And and so it's just fun to kind of get together like this because we're in different parts of the country. And so um it honestly, Larry, this was this was spurred on. This was the the inspiration behind today's episode was that young lady right there, Pepper Ann. She she said she sent me a text message like a couple weeks ago. She says, I gotta ask you a question. Call me when you get a chance. So I called her and and we talked for a little bit. And she says, Oh, you know what? You got to get Larry and me back on the podcast. I just want to talk to, you know, I just want to talk with the two of you. We have so much fun, and we and so let's just do it. And and I said, Okay, let me sit on this, let me let me think what we'll do. And I and then I said, Okay, you know what, let's do a new year's episode. We'll do an end of the year. Everybody can talk about how their year was, what they did at Christmas, and what they got to look forward to next year in 2026.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, because 2025, great year, yeah, for the most part, great year.
SPEAKER_00:It was a great year for me. Um, I didn't get things done like I'd hoped. Yeah, um, but I feel like 2026 is gonna be amazing. And I got two books coming out next year, guys. So the the one I kept saying it's coming out, it's coming out. Well, it is, it's gonna come out um it in another one next year.
SPEAKER_02:So yeah, and and look, I've said it, I've said it to you before, Pepper. Just when you're ready, you just let me know and and and we'll we'll plug it and and we'll you know, we'll get you on and talk about it. And I you know what I think might be cool. I did this, I did this um with I don't know if you guys heard sirens in the background, but I think that was anyway, but uh um I I did this with one guest, uh Sheriff Chad Bianco, who's running for governor here in California. When I had him on, I did it live. And we were able to take questions and comments from from people. So uh, you know, you you have your own blog, right? I do, yeah. So obviously you have an audience for that blog. You have you have people that that you know interact on that.
SPEAKER_00:And well, nobody's interacting. I'm the only one on there typing anything, but that's okay. But it just started, so okay. Um it's been up for maybe a month, but yeah, I I hope to get some interaction on it. We'll see.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Well, you know, so you know, if if you if you have uh start getting, you know, some some interaction, some traction on on that blog there, you know, maybe it's something we we talk about where where we can invite your fans to come in and be a part of the podcast, you know, just to ask questions, just to say hi, you know, whatever it might be. Because, you know, you yourself, you go out when like with with the the last book, and that was uh it was the Texas Swindler. What was the by what was the what was the secondary title on that?
SPEAKER_00:Uh the notorious Texas Swindler, the mastermind behind the Grayson County Five. And I'm and I've I've had fun with it. It's been a it was a great story, but I'm so ready to just move on to other ones. I I really am because I I've been doing my my next one that I'm doing, Penny Pearl Mysteries. It started out uh is just a mystery, and then it went murder mystery, and then it just it just kept growing and growing. And I thought, you know what, I'm gonna do this. So yeah, I've I've I've enjoyed writing fiction. And the reason I hopped over to that for the next two is because I'm waiting to get court transcripts for my next true crime story that you guys are gonna really like. And I'm sending y'all copies, and you get copies every time a book comes out, so you don't have to pay for it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah. Well, you know, um, and and I know for well, first off, with that book, with the first one, the notorious Texas swindler, um, you know, just like anything else, it has its it it has a life, you know, and and and then you know, you're ready to move on from that, but because you want to get to the next project as well. You can only string that the life of well, if it's a musician, an album that you put out, you know, for an author, a book that you're putting out, whatever it might be, it has a certain uh um uh life of like I said, but but I know for you, it took a lot out of you though. I mean, that it just there was a lot of stuff behind that book, behind that story, because it was a it was a family member of yours.
SPEAKER_00:Let's not scream it too loud.
SPEAKER_04:What a crazy family. No, I hey I had I had an uncle that's probably worse than him. But I know it created, I know it created a lot more.
SPEAKER_00:Oh my god, well, we need to talk. You want me to write the story?
SPEAKER_05:You know what would really work well, I think, for you. Uh I don't know if you ever look at what podcast people are really interested in, but uh crime's number two. And you could do a podcast on your first book, just do a chapter or so at a time, do a 10 or 15-minute podcast, and just go with that. And I think you'd have a lot of viewers because with history, only seven percent of people listen to podcasts that are interested in history. So uh, but I think that would be a great it's a great book, great story.
SPEAKER_00:I might consider it. Um, I think my my my favorite place to be is either in a courthouse or a library. Oh, okay. Or talking to people where I can do the research because I really can connect with others when I'm talking to 'em. And I don't know if I'd have the patience to do a podcast. It took me how long to get online today? My computer was giving me all kinds of problems. I am not techie at all.
SPEAKER_05:There's some good equipment that equipment that you can just do. I mean, it's a breeze.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah. I might think I might consider it, but it may be a little while before I go down that that route.
SPEAKER_02:Well, you've got you've got the two of us to to uh lend whatever advice that we have and and certainly support as well. You know, we're always, you know, Larry and I we're always here for you.
SPEAKER_00:Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I um you guys are just I y'all are my favorite. You really are my my two favorite podcasters. Everybody's gonna hear it, but that's fine.
SPEAKER_02:So somebody out there needs to know that I'm their favorite. Come on. Trying to grow this audience here.
SPEAKER_05:What one of our friends asked my wife, says, Do you do you listen to Larry's podcast? Says, I've lived a life I don't want to listen. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:You know what, Larry, let me ask you this though. When it comes to when it comes to your podcast, do your family and friends, do they listen to it? Do they get in? Do they?
SPEAKER_05:So yeah, I you know, uh everybody's got a lot of lot of they're busy and stuff. Um history's a tough one. When I when you're interviewing somebody like my mayor or doctors or somebody that's fairly well known, a lot of people listen. Right. History, they might skip or they might listen to a couple at a time, but uh it's it's just not a really popular subject uh with with everybody. But we there the ones that do listen, they listen all the time.
SPEAKER_02:That's the part that's a shame when you say that that you know seven percent of the podcasting audience are taking in stuff related to history, because I mean that's where we come from. That that's us. Right. That's in our that's in our American DNA. And and I that's what I love about what you're doing, Larry, this project that you that you took on with the presidents and the days of the year, or the not the days, but the years and and all that. And um, it's just fascinating. And for anyone who it honestly, it really doesn't matter whether you're into history or not, but there's so much knowledge and there's so much stuff to be to be learned or to just be reminded of. We forget stuff all the time, and you want to know, you can't know where you're going unless you know where you've come from. And that's what I love about what you're doing, Larry. And I know you're a huge history buff, and that that's why this is such a great great project for you. And I admire what it is you're doing because because you know, look, you and I we talk offline a lot, and and and uh I cannot believe how many episodes and how much time it is that you're investing in this, Larry. I just did I just I I have this um I have this story, the story of Advent, okay. And I just did uh I read each day for 25 days, and it's like five, six minutes. Man, I was like that took it out of me, you know, just doing that. And I'm and the whole time I'm thinking to myself, I got nothing to complain about. Larry is doing 250 years, he's doing 47 presidents. Are you kidding?
SPEAKER_00:I have a question. I have a question, Larry. What was your favorite period in history that you have talked about so far that you've researched? Well, I've got to was your favorite president.
SPEAKER_05:I I have several favorite presidents. Okay. Uh Washington is number one, yeah. Because he had there was no precedent. He was number one, he did it all. He walked away after two terms, just uh amazing man, and Lincoln Treffy guy, oh yeah, Petty Roosevelt, Harry Truman, yeah, and Trump. Those five. Now, I'm not leaving out Ronald Reagan, but I mean, Trump has done more than people will ever realize, but history will show that out. But you know, to do all this stuff, see, I don't work. I can't throw a baseball 94 miles anymore. So I mean I got a lot of time on my hands.
SPEAKER_02:I was a catcher, Larry. I was a catcher in my day. That you you know, you asked me about my you asked me about my email address, you know, uh earlier in the week. And that's what my email address is. It's come on, read it, Larry. It's plate blocker. That's what a catcher does. At least that's what catchers used to be able to do is blog. I just got that.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, I just got that.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's that's why my email address is plate blocker because I was a catcher.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, well, when when I was uh when I was playing baseball for Army Atlantic in the service, I had a catcher, he was second string All-American from Iowa State, and uh uh we were getting ready for a game one day, and I said, uh, you better hurry up and put on your tools of ignorance.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, yeah, that's right, that's right. That's right.
SPEAKER_05:I mean, catchers get their hands, their body gets so beat up, it's unbelievable. And in the major leagues, for somebody like Johnny Bench and Yogi Bear to last that long at that position is unbelievable. Just unbelievable.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, it is. It's a it it's a it's an amazingly demanding position, which which you know, unless you unless you actually play baseball and you've been in that sport for a period of time, you don't understand it. But it's it, you know, I like I played first base, I played third base, and I and I caught. And I the the bulk of my playing was was behind the plate, and it's what I enjoyed the most. Um, and I've and I've said for many years that some of the best managers in baseball were catchers, and there's a reason for it because it's the there's nine, there's nine ball players on the field, only one of them sees the entire field at the at one time. Every other guy only sees a portion of the playing field at once because his because his back is to the rest of it.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, the catch is 85% of baseball's pitching. And I used to have season tickets for the Reds and their for the big red machine. Yeah, and 16 16 rows behind home plate. And most people don't realize this, but the good managers when they go out to to take the pitcher out, bringing a relief pitcher, usually it's because of a nod from the catcher. When the catcher knows when he's done.
SPEAKER_02:Which means you're not able to spot, you're not able to spot your fastball, you're not able to hit the catcher's glove where it is that he puts it. And I've said for for many, many years, and this is what kills me about all these guys in the last you know 10 years, everybody has to throw 100 miles an hour. You know, Greg Maddox never threw 100. Greg Maddox could barely break 90 if the wind was blowing behind him. And and and look how successful his career was as a pitcher. Why? Because the catcher would put the glove up and Greg Maddox would hit the glove nine times out of 10. It's about it's a it's about and it's location, location, location. Well, you know, and see the thing is that a cat what a catcher does don't go to sleep, Hepper.
SPEAKER_00:No, no, I'm listening.
SPEAKER_05:I he has to calm, yeah, he has to calm down the pitcher. And yes, I remember I remember one game, I I was really having a good game. We were at All Brook Air Force Base, and their catcher was a dead fastball hitter. Well, what happens with a pitcher, all of a sudden, if you're really doing well, like this guy was a left-handed hitter, and I I break curveballs on his hands, get two strikes, and they call it a backdoor slider, and if I throw a screw ball and he couldn't reach it, and I struck him out twice. So the third time he comes up, first thing I did is I threw him a fastball. Catcher comes out and says, What's wrong with you? I said, Nothing. I said, I got him. Okay, goes back. Second fastball I threw him. He not only hit it over a fence, he hit it over a light tower. And afterwards, the air force has a little different dining area than the uh army. Like in the army, we had uh the meals were okay, but never alcohol on the premises.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Uh Air Force, we go in after the game, have a meal, and uh we had pitcher beer with it. You know, they hit a menu to order from. So Jim Evercron, the guy hit the home run off in comes over. He said, you know, Ted Williams was right. I said, What do you mean Ted Williams was right? He said, pitchers are idiots. And he hit the nail on the head because you get this Captain Marvel or Superman feeling, and you don't think you can do any wrong, and it only takes one pitch in the wrong zone. And boy, I mean that guy, I it had to go 450 feet. I mean, he just really slammed it.
SPEAKER_02:That's why I used to get I used to get mad. I used to get mad when uh when I mean look, it's the it's the catcher's job to be look, I don't I don't look at it as the catcher puts down the sign as a suggestion for a pitch. It's not, hey, would you like to throw this one? This is what you need to throw now, okay? And this is where you need to throw it. It's not a suggestion, you know, and and sometimes pitchers see it as this as a suggestion, and I used to get a little mad. So why why are you shaking me off? Don't shake me off. I'm the one sitting right here behind the hitter. I know what he's up to, I know what he's looking for.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, well, the only time I would ever say, you know, like when I've had that Superman feeling, but the thing is, what if if, for instance, your breaking ball isn't working the way it should, or if your fastball isn't moving, if it's coming in too straight and it's not rising or anything, you have to let the catcher know that after you're done warming them up and you're going out in the first inning or so, is that uh, I'm gonna have to go a couple innings and make sure this breaking ball is working right, or my fastball's got some movement. So try and call some different pitches. So, but anyway, that's enough of sports. Let's yeah, it's enough because I want to keep Pepper interested.
SPEAKER_00:Well, actually, you two have uh have kind of uh exposed something to me here. Y'all are giving me an idea for another story, a true crime, or maybe a fiction. And I know who to come to for my baseball questions. Y'all are giving I'm over here thinking, oh, uh, these are the two I need to interview when I get to that point.
SPEAKER_02:Larry and I'll be technical advisors.
SPEAKER_00:That's right.
SPEAKER_05:So what's your idea for your next book, the true crime book?
SPEAKER_00:Well, okay, for the new for the true crime or for the for the fiction series?
SPEAKER_05:Well, let's go to fiction first.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, well, the fiction one is a penny pearl mysteries mayhem in a small town, and that's actually gonna be the first book in a I'm hoping it's gonna be a long-running series, and it's based in the 80s. So, guys, over decade that's right, that's right. I I've gone back to the 80s. So if there's something that I remember, and if it didn't happen before uh 1989, if it was after that, it didn't get put in, and I'm having so much fun. Um, but but this series is about a um she's an investigative journalist. Her name is Penny Pearl, Penelope Pearl Timmins, and um she is given a case that's unsolved about some missing young ladies, and uh it's all based here in Texas. And uh so while she's trying to solve that, then the library in the downtown area in the little town where they live in in Clover Heights has been um there's arson, there's vandalism. So she's wrapped up in a several different things, but um it I'm I'm hoping that it'll kind of give everybody the feeling, you know, of murder she wrote. And you remember Jane and the Fat Man. You guys remember those shows?
SPEAKER_02:I'd say what it sounds it sounds like uh it sounds like uh sounds like it could be like a Hallmark series of movies or or or even lifetime series.
SPEAKER_00:It could, but the crimes I'm exposing might not fit on Hallmark. But it's but it's it's a really cute book, but it's it's turned, it's kind of it's kind of turned um different genres. So I'm I'm thinking it's gonna be more crime thriller.
SPEAKER_03:All right.
SPEAKER_00:And uh so I've got that, and then I've got the traveling tootsies, which is another one, and that's about two um uh middle-aged ladies who retire and they're traveling and taking road trips, and they happen on all of these different crimes, and uh, and they're all based back in the 80s and the 70s because I don't want to write about what's going on now. The world is just so I just don't want to write about it. So, um so I'm writing about what I know, what I grew up in. Um and I'm I'm really enjoying it. I'm I'm going back to history, and um I love that. So, Larry, I think that's great what you're doing in your podcast. I mean, how can you not have interest in history, you know?
SPEAKER_05:It's you know, the thing is like 1929, for instance, everybody knows Wall, you know, the big Wall Street crash, it ruined lives, everything. But also in 1929 was the St. Valentine's Day massacre. Oh, right. That actually, I think, woke the people up in this country that they, you know, they just took prohibition was just something that was a you know stupid law that Congress passed, which it was. But my God, when you when you do that broad daylight, you're just killing people, it's no longer just you know, people get rich bootlegging. And I mean the killings have been going on forever, but not in that mass situation. And then afterwards, you're getting into the lucky Luciano organizing, really organizing criminals all over the country. So it's uh it's interesting that we're we're still around kicking in this country.
SPEAKER_00:Do you remember the uh I haven't read much about it, but I know I have family who went through it. The Dust Bowl, you remember the reading about all of that? That was back during that time too. I mean, there were so many things that happened in that time that they were they were over farming, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:What's the cause of the dust bowl? You know, they just uh yeah, they they just tried to get everything they could and weren't protecting the land. That's right, that's right, that's right. Yeah, it's tough. It's uh I mean the farmer early day the farmers really they still have problems today, but yeah, they were always in debt, the prices were bad, and uh, and then when Wall Street crashed, I mean, oh it's it's awful, you know, and and you know uh Lincoln obviously didn't end segregation, and when you get into that part of the series and you see what they did in the south and what and the lynchings and everything, it's it's it's just awful.
SPEAKER_00:Oh yeah, oh yeah, it is. But that's history, and people need to they need to know that. Like you said, then we have to know where we came from so we know where we're going. I mean, we can't, yeah. You can't erase it.
SPEAKER_05:And yeah, but and there are the neat things, you know, the the Louisiana Purchase buying Alaska? Are you kidding me? Yeah, yeah. I mean, how dumb can anybody get? See Napoleon, he did he needed money. The Louisiana Purchase, yeah, he had to finance his army, yeah, but yeah, but Russia selling Alaska. I mean, how I I I mean, there's just some really, really good things in history, but some really bad things, and Greenland is next. I you know what? I I mean, I I a lot of it's bluster, but I wouldn't put it out of the question.
SPEAKER_02:I no, I wholly, I wholly expect that before the next three years is up, before 2028, that'll fight make them a deal I can't refuse. That's it. That's it, that's all I'm saying, you know. There was this little book out in the 80s called The Art of the Deal, you know.
SPEAKER_05:I've got the book a book.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, so there you go. Read it twice.
SPEAKER_05:Read it twice while I was in business.
SPEAKER_02:Let me ask you a question, um, Pepper Ann. Um look, I not that not not that I'm any, you know, anybody of of of uh notoriety or or celebrity or anything like that, but I I think it's important, and that's why I that's why I do this podcast. I think it's important for people to tell their stories. And and for for years, years, and then now that now I'm I'm I'm 60, so I have more history behind me, I have wanted to write my story. I've wanted to do my own autobiography and tell it in my own words, or at least have a document. For my family and friends after I'm gone, which won't be for another 60 years. I plan on sticking around to 120. So um, but but I want them to see this. And I want and and and for me, I would hold nothing back. I would hold nothing back. It would just be, you know, but how do I I mean, you're a writer. I don't know how to go about doing that. And and uh I started to do it a couple years back, um, I think sure just before I started this podcast. And I I don't even know how to I don't even know the the right way to do it.
SPEAKER_00:I would start with my passion, which after hearing you and Larry talk is baseball. I would start with a scene from that, and you know what I would probably title it is your email, what your title, what your position was, and then I would go from there. Yeah, we go from there.
SPEAKER_03:Oh my god.
SPEAKER_00:Now that would give that would keep you hooked because that's your passion. That's what you oh my goodness. Yeah, see, there you go.
SPEAKER_02:You know, wow, that's so why you're the author and I'm the knucklehead. No, no, this is all that was a that's a great thing you just said right there. I I never even would have thought of that. And you know, I uh years, you know, years ago, certainly when when my when my kids were a lot younger, and my son was playing baseball and going through little league, playing high school and all that kind of stuff. Um I was his baseball coach. And so there was two other coaches with me, and we coached together for for a few years, and wonderful, wonderful men, wonderful men, and um just a wealth of knowledge, and they um I'm trying to get us all three in the studio so that we can go and and just kind of share those stories. But here's here's what I really want to do is I want our boys to sit in the studio, not on camera, but I want them to sit in the studio with us when we do this because they don't know they know the story from their side, they don't know the story from our side. You know, they just know how they just know how it went down, how they lived it, they hear conversations here and there, but they don't know the conversations that the three of us were having, you know, amongst amongst us.
SPEAKER_00:And so that's your passion, that's what you need to tell people. You need to find those fun and exciting stories, those stories that you want you want them to hear. Yeah, because you you want your family to know and you need to go with it. I'm gonna show I'm gonna prove to you that I'm right. When somebody writes about a passion, it's it's some of the best books you can read. Um, somebody wrote a book about guns and they knew all about it. Who was it? Larry.
SPEAKER_02:Uh right there was green.
SPEAKER_00:That was the uh he wrote two books and they were both amazing, and it's because it was his passion. And and the more information that you give about your passion, the more engaged your readers are gonna be. Because when I wrote about my first book, The Swindler, that was my passion in getting that story out there, and I found the most exciting part and I went with it. So find something in your life that you're proud of or something you want to tell, and you tell it, and that's gonna that's gonna pull people in.
SPEAKER_05:Man, I left all the bad parts out of the first book.
SPEAKER_02:No, but Larry, yours your you have to excuse me. I I I've been I've been fighting this this cold cough, everything for like the last six weeks. But um, no, but but like when it came to your book, Larry, um I told you when I read it that it was it it was like you started from birth and it was like your your diary or your journal through your life all the way up to to 80 years old. And it was just you know, and I know you left some stuff out, but and I and I want those notes, I want those ones.
SPEAKER_05:My granddaughter, one granddaughter told me I said, I left everything out that would depict me as a you know what, and uh and she said, Well, why don't you have a sequel, Larry? The you know what? And I said, Nobody would read a thousand-page book, but uh but you know, the thing is, um I what I did with that book, the first one, my main goal was for people not to think about reading a book that they would be thinking about sitting at a table having a beer with me, and I had a lot of comments on that, so but there's a lot of mistakes in too. So it's just but it was fun.
SPEAKER_00:I didn't see any mistakes, you know. When I read it, my mom read it. I mean, everybody in my family, they're like, I want to read it because it it it drew us in, it was so interesting, yeah. And then that's what you need to do. You need listening to y'all discuss um baseball, and you were really engaged in that, and and not to mention, you know, your email is even tied to that. That's where you need to start, yeah. And then the rest will come to you.
SPEAKER_05:Well, I'm glad I did it, but I hope something falls out of the sky and hits me if I ever try another one. That's the hard hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Right.
SPEAKER_00:I know, I know it is.
SPEAKER_05:I mean, you know, I spent what I guess five hours a day, uh, five days a week, maybe six days sometime for four and a half months. Yeah, that counts sending it out to have it printed and back and forth with the publisher. I mean, just that that's a long time, then.
SPEAKER_00:What about your research? Because I know you did some research. I mean, I know you know a lot of it, but you did some research. How long did that take you when you were researching?
SPEAKER_05:Well, my first book, there's no research. It's just I would write things down, uh-huh, then I'd sit back and think about it, yeah, and then I'd change it a little. I originally I had like a 500-page thing that I was gonna do, and I thought nobody's gonna read that, so I kept cutting and cutting, and I made sure I had used a 14 size 14 font because people in their 50s can't read on it. I still think I need glasses on, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:I'm yeah, I'm thinking about doing 14 also because I don't like that small print, it's too small.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, well, the the publishers tell you not to because you know, the the larger the print, the more pages in your page. Right, right. But uh I and and you know, and the guns, uh I had an original website where I reviewed a lot of guns, and I actually I had 500,000 viewers on the it was Batesville Shooters.com, and I transferred that to LarryReedy.net, but eventually that that all went away because of the podcast in the book, but I had reviewed some of these guns in the past, and I just pulled up some of those reviews and I changed it in the second one. But a lot of them, um I a lot of guns I reviewed on my website, uh-huh and and on but some on the podcast too.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, pepper and I knew Larry was like a big time celebrity. I'm finding out he's even bigger than I knew.
SPEAKER_00:I mean, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:500,000 uh in my mind. Look, I'm I'm only a legend in my shower. That's about it.
SPEAKER_00:I'm right there with you. Yeah, I'm a legend in my mind.
SPEAKER_02:I love this, and and Catherine was nice enough. I was telling Larry before you'd come on, um, Pepper Ann, that that in it's 50 degrees here in Southern California, and I'm sitting out on my patio because we have um we have a house guest for the next couple of days. My niece and my great niece, her daughter. And um, so the studio doubles as a guest bedroom. So I got thrown out. So I came out on the patio and just set up a couple things and I said, ah, you know, we'll make it work, it'll be cold, but whatever, it's all good. And I and I kept like bugging Catherine before I started to roll here, and I said, Man, some hot cocoa would really be good. So she brought me a mug of hot cocoa with and I had the whipped cream on there too. It's all gone now.
SPEAKER_00:But how is Catherine doing?
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, she's doing great. Yeah, she's doing great. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Every everybody's doing doing well over here. You know what? Uh um, what what'd you uh what'd you guys uh have going on for Christmas, Pepper Ann?
SPEAKER_00:Well, let's see. Um, we actually had a really nice Christmas. Uh we had family that came in and um spent the whole week um with us. My mom did, and then she actually went home. We celebrated uh Christmas Eve and then Christmas Day. Okay. And my mom, you know, went back home kind of early and uh before all the traffic because Texas has so much traffic.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um and we just we just enjoyed spending time with each other. And uh, you know, you just you just do you when you have your loved ones around you, it just that's what makes it. That's what makes the holiday. It's not what you got under the tree, it's who you got around you.
SPEAKER_02:And you know, you know, there's a there's a song by um um there's a song by Alabama, Joseph and Mary's boy. Okay, song. And there's a line in the song, it's not about the present in your hand, it's the one that's in your heart.
SPEAKER_00:That's right.
SPEAKER_02:And it's like, yeah, that's that's that's that's it right there.
SPEAKER_00:That's right, that's right. And everyone was healthy, and I mean, we couldn't ask for anything more, but it was a wonderful Christmas. And uh, of course, I know we've got next week, you know, uh for New Year's, but yeah, we're pretty quiet around here. We don't we don't party hard for New Year's Eve. I mean, I don't believe that.
SPEAKER_02:I don't believe you, I don't believe you.
SPEAKER_00:We go to sleep, we have to set the alarm to wake back up at midnight. I know it's terrible, we're awful.
SPEAKER_02:Larry, are you gonna be firing off uh all you're gonna be setting off all the fireworks on your compound?
SPEAKER_05:No, I'll I'll be sit probably sitting by Nancy's bedside. Okay, yeah, yeah, but with her recovering from that.
SPEAKER_02:Where you should be, where you should be. That's good.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, and but New Year's was all that was always a fun time, too. It's uh Christmas, New Year's, good, good season. I I make sure that I eat everything that's not alive and drink over the holidays, then I'll go back and I'll lose about the 10 pounds I put on.
SPEAKER_02:Well, you got I mean, your birth your birthday is you know in January. I mean, you gotta you gotta try to trim down to look good for your birthday.
SPEAKER_00:I'm sure your birthday was in January. When is it?
SPEAKER_05:It's not impossible to trim down, it's impossible to look good. But yeah, that's uh another another year out of the coffin. So I'm I'm I'm thankful for that.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, no, that's that's good. That's good, you know. Um yeah, and by the way, Pepper Ann yes, Larry does have a birthday coming up, it's on the 20th of next month. I'm sorry, sorry, Larry. I let the cat out of the bag. Sorry. 87.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, I'm gonna have to I'm gonna have to text you. 87? I don't believe it. Yep, no, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:I got one of my friends asked me, uh, oh, this is he's in his 50s. And he said, uh talking about he wanted to do a couple things for his bucket list. He said, I guess you don't have anything for your bucket list. I said, Yeah, I did one thing, 14 more years out of the coffin.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, there you go.
SPEAKER_05:I want it, I want to hit a hundred.
SPEAKER_02:That would be awesome.
SPEAKER_00:And you're gonna do it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. I mean, come on, Larry's energy level. I didn't I mean, yeah, it's just his energy level and the stuff that he gets done.
SPEAKER_05:That's right. You know, it'd be interesting, you know.
SPEAKER_02:Pepperan, I I call uh, you know, I'll call Larry once in a while and I'll uh and I'll I apologize because it's like six o'clock my time, so it's nine o'clock his time. And I apologize. Sorry, I'm god, I'm sorry I'm calling you so late, Larry. Oh no, we're just up doing this. No, no, I'm I'll be up till like two in the morning. And I was like, what are you talking about? I'm telling two in the morning. What I can't sleep. And then I'd say, what time you get up?
SPEAKER_04:All my go to sleep at two, I get up at five, five thirty, you know.
SPEAKER_02:It's like, oh my goodness, Larry.
SPEAKER_05:You know, I and I'm but I'm in a dead man's sleep. I nothing bothers me. I don't get up and roll around or anything, but when I sleep, I'm out. But I wake up, I so if I if I went to bed at 12, I'd be down here at five in the morning. Yeah, so I just can't do it. So it's uh it's not a bad thing, you know. I'm getting a lot more years out of my life by not by not being able to sleep eight hours or seven hours.
SPEAKER_02:So did you freeze on us, Pepper Ann? Oh, she dropped out. She dropped out. That's okay. She'll come back. Pepper Ann dropped, she dropped out. Uh I think she lost her signal. What's that? That could probably be her internet, huh? Yeah, yeah, probably. She probably just lost her signal real quick. She'll come back, she'll come back on. But um, so so you're just gonna be hanging out at home for for New Year's and take care of Nancy.
SPEAKER_05:And yeah, I wanted to tell you something. My uh, and we'll do this off air. My uh my one son-in-law died about two months ago. Oh and well, he was sick. I mean, he they four years ago they gave him six months to a year, so he lasted four years, but he's very talented. Uh uh, and during this period, he spent some time writing songs and and recording them. And uh I my daughter's gonna have the one, maybe several copyrighted, but I want uh she's back.
SPEAKER_00:I don't know what happened. That's okay.
SPEAKER_05:We knew you'd come back.
SPEAKER_00:It went down, and I thought, well, I wanted to hear the rest of the story. What happened?
SPEAKER_05:Well, I was to I was telling Ben uh when we're off air, I want you supposed to listen to something. Um my son-in-law died about uh two months ago, and he was sick. He was supposed to last six to six months to a year, and he lasted four years. So, anyhow, during that period of time, uh, and he went from uh 176 pounds to 80 pounds when he died, but during that time he was writing and composing some songs, and the one that he wrote uh and sung a few months before he died. My my daughter's gonna have a copyright, and I can so I don't want to do it now, but when we're off here, I want you to listen to it. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's called On the Other Side.
SPEAKER_00:Oh, I bet that's beautiful. That's making me I've got goosebumps. I'm so sorry for your loss.
SPEAKER_05:Oh, he's a good guy, but you know the the to hear, and you could tell his voice wasn't the same in that, but the emotion that goes with it and everything, I told her to say that once you copyright it, uh it, you know, it the easy thing would be to sell it to some big time star, but what you want to do is get it out on Apple Music and such first, and uh and because there's a story behind it.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah. Exactly, exactly. How's your how's your daughter doing?
SPEAKER_05:She's doing good because they knew it was coming. Yeah, and you know, he was a fighter, and uh they they would come down usually, you know, we have a big swimming pool on the deck and canopies and all that stuff here, and and they would come down usually every Sunday, and Jeff would go out fishing, and you know, we just watched him, you know, go to kind of skin and bones. But he he always had that good attitude, no matter, no matter how bad he felt.
SPEAKER_02:So yeah. That's good. That's that was like my good, that was like my good friend who passed away about a year and a half ago of cancer, and he just he knew it. He knew his days were numbered, but he was he was gonna he was gonna make everyone else, he he was gonna be more concerned about everyone else than himself. And and so, you know, yeah, he's just a great spirit about him and and handled it with the the just the utmost like grace and dignity that you could. Yeah, you know.
SPEAKER_05:Well, my my four groomsmen for our wedding, they're all dead. I'm the only I'm the only one still alive. But the women now, there's only one of the women dead in the wedding, and I mean I I don't know what it is, but women usually live longer than men. But Nancy is the longest living member on either side of her family.
SPEAKER_02:Oh wow, yeah. Wow, that's great.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, it's because we know how to put a stop to things. We might be a little meaner, not meaner, that's not the right word.
SPEAKER_02:We just put our foot down and no, it's because us men, we're just trying to get away from our wives. We pull the plug.
SPEAKER_04:You know why? Guess why guess why too? Guess why nuns live so long.
SPEAKER_00:Did you say guess, or that's why?
SPEAKER_04:Guess why nuns live so long? No men, no men.
SPEAKER_03:That's right. That's it.
SPEAKER_05:I keep reading sister so-and-so 102, 104. I'm thinking, yeah, she is good for you.
SPEAKER_00:No blood pressure medicine, no nothing. They're good to go. Those gals are making it.
SPEAKER_04:Right, that's right.
SPEAKER_05:So anything exciting for anybody in 2025 that's really good? Good things happen.
SPEAKER_02:Um well, you you go go ahead. Go ahead, Pepper Ann.
SPEAKER_00:Well, no, I wasn't sure if uh my house. Was gonna make it because he was very and I think the best thing that came out of it is that it's starting to turn around for him and looking better. So that is the best thing that's happened um for us. So yeah.
unknown:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Uh you know, the for me, Larry, um obviously I I um look, life is good. Life is good. Okay, I cannot complain about my life and the way things go. Look, we all have the same crap that comes up every day or every week, whatever. And we you just deal with it. You just you handle it and you move on. But aside from that kind of stuff, life is is is good. Um, and in relation to this podcast, um look, my this last year was a good year. Uh it was filled with a lot of good guests, and um, you know, uh out of that um I I I try to develop relationships with these folks. And of course, the three of us have developed, I think, really good relationship. Um and so because I look, I I I value people, I value people, I try to value their time, and and if you come on this podcast, you're a friend. And you guys are a little more special than that, though. But but you know, it just the the podcast itself was just filled with a lot of highlights for me as far as guests, and I don't count my friends because I can lean on them and say, Hey guys, come on in, we're gonna do this or that or whatever, but but uh just you know the guests whether it was musicians or or um or authors or you know, even having who uh I think was my highlight of the year, and that was having Sheriff Bianco on. He was definitely my highlight. And he's a he's a great guy. Um and uh again, look, and even him and I are developing a relationship, you know. But uh so it's just things like that. And I'm I'm just hoping for more of that in the next year. One thing I am doing, and um is you know, I'm trying to move my studio into my garage to build out a bigger studio. And and what I wanted, I'm hoping by by the end of uh 2026 that I'll have the new studio in there and um that I can do a little more stuff. I'm I'm trying to I'm I'm I want to expand this podcast. The Ben Maynor program will never go away and will never change. And what I would like to do is where the Ben Maynor program has has always been about telling your story, and and we talk a lot of music on there as well. I want to take the next podcast and and it'll be a different format and and move it in a different direction. That way I kind of have separation of of two different two different podcasts. And you know, people might not people might not care for my music uh discussion. They may not care for having uh uh uh musicians on or that kind of thing. But maybe they're gonna be more into the political or religious realm and want to hear politics and and and and uh and where the religious aspect of politics comes comes into play, that kind of stuff. So I don't know. We'll see. We'll see how that all works. But that's kind of what I'm thinking about.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, well, that's that's a good idea. I mean, there you know, there's so so many things, and there's so many choices, you know, with four and a half million podcasters in the world. Yeah, you know, we we have a lot of competition, Larry. Joe, Joe Rogan, 11 million viewers every podcast. Unbelievable.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03:Oh my gosh.
SPEAKER_02:See, that's the thing. That's the thing, Larry. Like with with when I talk to people, uh, you know, uh people say something to me. Um uh they'll mention my podcast or whatever, you know, and I'll say, I'll I'll oh, did you see this one? Did you see no no no, I haven't seen it yet. I don't, you know, I don't uh uh but you know, I just I didn't have time or I don't have time. And and that's when I try to say, well, you can always listen to it, you know, you don't have to just watch it, you know. I I look, I know there's a lot here to see, and I know people want to see this. But yeah, he's but exactly, yeah. But but but you can listen to it, you know, and that's the beauty, you know, of listening. Uh, and and you can start and stop it as many times as you want, it doesn't matter. So, so but to what you just said, 11 people 11 million people are watching Joe Rogan. And see, look, my podcasts are watching and listening. Okay, so it's a combination.
SPEAKER_05:Big audience and automobiles, yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's like I try and then I tell those people, no, that's no excuse. You don't have to open up YouTube on uh uh on your television at home, you know, you can put it on your phone, you know, you set it on the dash of your car. Everybody's got a phone cradle in their in their vehicle, so whatever. I don't care, but it doesn't matter. I just uh uh it's all it's it's all good stuff, but good for Joe.
SPEAKER_05:You know, and I you know the thing is there, I don't think there's anything, any perfect podcast because people's interests, especially younger people. I mean, they're everything's on their plate, they're they're busy. Uh yeah, I I don't know. Some of the you know, I I don't understand, like when Nancy and I were growing up, yeah, everybody usually got married every 22, 23 or younger or something like that. These these kids are in their 30s, they they don't want to own a home, they don't want the responsibility on a home, most of them. They they don't want to get married, they don't yeah, you know, they'll they'll live together, but they don't want to get married.
SPEAKER_02:I don't like that. I don't like that at all. I'm I I don't know, I'm not a fan of the younger people, you know, the millennials and the Gen Zs. I'm not a fan of them doing things backwards. Yeah, do it backwards. And I I I actually I mentioned this, I think, the other night to um uh somebody in my family or whatever, and I and I was like, no, let's stop doing things backwards, let's stop doing life backwards. You know, uh a man meets a woman, a woman meets a man, whatever, and they court each other, he, you know, and and then you get married, and then you have a child, and you start raising a family. That's why we're put here on earth. That's why God created us. God didn't create us to go um, you know, sleep around and have multiple partners and and and and never want to get married and then not want to have kids and that kind of stuff. We're here for a reason.
SPEAKER_00:I'll tell you something that really you're right, and I'll tell you something that really bothers me. Um when I'm scrolling through social media, yeah, um, there was a time when um if any of us had talked the way some of the younger generations talk, we would have got slapped across the face. We knew better. But some of the some of the words and the language that is so freely thrown out there, it's a little too casual.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_00:Um, the cuss words, I'm not going to say, I'm not gonna drop them, but I am gonna say this. It highly offends me. Um, because we knew better. We knew better not to talk that way. And uh anytime you look at a post online, someone talking, it just casually falls out of their mouth. Yep, yeah, and I don't like that. Um I don't know where our morals have gone, uh, or if we have any anymore, um, or if they were ever taught, but there's a lot of things that I see that I don't feel comfortable with. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Well, you know, funny thing, when I was at uh stationed at Fort Campbell before I went to the canal zone, uh so I was in the army, his name was Manuel, Manuel Ibera, and he was telling me he was from Guadalajara, Mexico, and he said, when you're in living in Mexico, what you have to do if you want to go on a date, you go to a parent's house and you ask permission, and then your first three or four dates, they you go to the town square and you're allowed while they're sitting there, you're allowed to walk your date around this circle, and it could be an hour, it could be two hours, but then the parents take the girl home. And and the sad thing though, this guy would have never dreamed this. Uh uh, I didn't hear about him for years, and several years ago, there were a couple of DEA agents killed, and he was arrested. He's the kingpin in Guadalajara.
SPEAKER_00:Wow, wow, oh my goodness, yeah.
SPEAKER_05:And never dreamed it, you never would have expected it. No, super nice guy, really, really, really good guy. Yeah, and just yeah, but he was drug kingpin and he killed two DEA agents.
SPEAKER_00:Wow, wow.
SPEAKER_02:Well, to what you were saying, to what you were saying, Pepper Ann, you know, it's not. I think a lot of it, and yeah, look, we're three old people here talking now.
SPEAKER_00:So you know, but come on, we're not old, we're seasoned, we're seasoned, we're very seasoned.
SPEAKER_02:Two old and one even older, let's put it that way.
SPEAKER_05:I've got three kids older than you.
SPEAKER_02:I know you do. You remind me of that all the time. But but um, you know, it's it's I don't mean to I don't mean to sound like the you know, you know, get off my lawn guy, but but it's the younger generations have been exposed to things that we were never exposed to. Okay. There's a lot of stuff that in order to find out stuff, we actually had to go and seek it out. We had to go and look for it, investigate it, that kind of thing. And now it's I mean, with so much information that's readily available with just a click of a button, um, it changes things. And you know, social media has been great, but with everything, everything in life, everything in society, there's there's you know, there's there's an advantage, a disadvantage. There's a pro, there's a con. And and certainly the the the downfall of social media is that it emboldens people to say things, to do things, to act a certain way that they may not do when they are face to face with an individual or individuals, family, friends, whatever. And so they'll act and say things, you know, a certain way, and and it has influence ergo social media influencers, you know, it has influence on people, and um, so I think that's where a lot of that stuff comes from. And it's it's sad, it's sad, but I don't know.
SPEAKER_00:Some of the things I've seen, and I know you guys have seen them too, some of the posts um online, and they're just casually talking and just throwing words out there, yeah, and their parents and everyone is around them. I mean, you know that they speak like that's just every day. Uh that's how they talk every day, and it just it's just grinding to me because I'm raised that way, right?
SPEAKER_05:Well, what bothers me on like on Facebook, I I I love AI, but the thing is, a lot of people don't realize that some of the stuff that's they're printing and some of the images, it's all false. It's just it's fake stuff. And you know, I I don't know if you saw one of my I I put a picture of uh our family, the seven children, and us uh picture was two years old, and I put uh sweaters and Santa hats on them.
SPEAKER_03:Uh-huh.
SPEAKER_05:But I put on Facebook and I just put Merry Christmas. And I was surprised because with with being having Larry Reed's America on there, I've got like a commercial thing that gets a number of views. I put that on uh Christmas morning and it put 7,300 and some views on that thing. And my one son says, What why do you put those fake pictures on? I say, Hey, it's it's fun, but it is that doesn't hurt anybody. But when they put when they put an image of somebody, it could be political or some celebrity, somebody who's well known, and they say things and you know they're not true, that's that's bad news.
SPEAKER_00:And then then the sad part about it is we know they're not true, but there's other people who don't have enough sense to know that they're not true.
SPEAKER_05:Big big problem. That's just like voting.
SPEAKER_00:That's like what did you say?
SPEAKER_05:Like voting. A lot of people are just they just don't know. They say, well, my my family's voted Democrat or my family's vote Republican all the time. That's how I'm gonna vote. That that's just terrible.
SPEAKER_00:You've got to educate yourself, you've got to know, know what's going on. Yeah, because everything changes, and yeah, I don't know. Things are different. I guess we are old, but that's okay.
SPEAKER_02:First off, first off, you're the young one in the group, okay?
SPEAKER_05:You are well, you know, it's it's not easy getting old, but I'll tell you what, it's uh as you get old, you know, you have the good memories, you can sit back like Nancy and I'll talk about different things. And uh, you know, I've my saying for I don't know, 50 some years or longer is uh you know, faith, family, friends, country, everything else is background music. It nothing is more important than that. It's uh it's uh and you know, I've never I've never seen a hearse uh with a Brinks truck behind it.
SPEAKER_00:That's right. That's right. That's right. You don't take it with you when you go. I think that's that's actually with me.
SPEAKER_02:I'm taking it with me.
SPEAKER_00:Well, it's gonna stop right there at the graveyard because it's not going with you. You'll get dropped off, everything else, who knows where it'll go. No, but but because um because I've realized a lot of the things. I see a lot of things that I didn't see before. Um, I think that's why I'm writing my my books from years ago, because that's you know, where I feel most comfortable. Um, it it's more familiar to me, you know, and you you reminisce you you miss those those times. I mean, today it's great, it's wonderful, but but uh there's just some things that I miss from long ago, and so yeah.
SPEAKER_05:Well, you know, I think I feel that I've grown up in the best time of everything. Yeah, 40s, 50s, 60s, some 70s music to me was it. But the thing is, you World War II, the the evolution of this uh technological world. Uh a friend of mine who I met through Facebook and he we read each other's books and everything. He's an aeronautical engineer, and he worked on a space program at NASA. And I asked him one time, I said, now is it true that this iPhone had more computer power than the module that landed on the moon? He said, try a hundred times more power. I mean, I you know, to live through all of this and to watch the change and change in vehicles, safety in vehicles, uh change in how people live. When in nine I went in business in uh 1965. Do you know what the average income was in 1965?
SPEAKER_00:I want to guess. I want to say 29,000.
SPEAKER_02:I want to say it was about eleven thousand. There you go. 600. My parent, my parents bought their first home. Yeah, my parents bought their first home for uh just over eleven thousand dollars in 1998. Yeah, that makes sense.
SPEAKER_05:Yeah, but it's isn't that crazy? And yeah, that's 39 cents a gallon for gasoline and stuff like that. It's just and a nickel for a loaf of bread, you know.
SPEAKER_00:Yeah, yeah, that's right, that's right.
SPEAKER_05:But you know, to watch all this progress over the years, the safety factor in cars, uh, there no rust buckets anymore, and you know, just uh you know, and which when when we had that little rabbit ear TV, oh yes, and you know, there were like stations, uh uh maybe three stations, and the last broadcast was at six o'clock in the evening, and today you got these OLED, OLDDs, uh TVs on. It's just amazing. And whoever thought that you went from uh in your music and you looked, you hit two uh 78 RPM, two sides, one song on each side, yeah, then you went to vinyl, then you went to tape, then you went to C D, and then you went to the what was it, the uh uh I'm the iMusic thing, whatever the iPod. Yeah, and then all of a sudden now you're streaming music. I mean, it's just uh just mind boggling.
SPEAKER_00:It's amazing.
SPEAKER_05:It is, it is.
SPEAKER_02:Um look, I love this, okay. I love just sitting right here talking to the two of you. I could do this the rest of the day, honestly. But nobody'll listen. Well, yeah. Come on, all right. We got to keep it to a certain, you know, to a certain length so people will listen to some of it or watch some of it. No, but this has been tremendous. And and so I want to wrap up like this, okay? Um, you know, I just I I mixed myself uh while while we were sitting here, I mixed myself a little, a little drink, a little eggnog and tequila. Okay. There's my there's my eggnog. Wait, where there's my eggnog right there, okay?
SPEAKER_00:Nice.
SPEAKER_02:Yes. And then and then here's and then a little little tequila right here, okay. Okay, all right. Larry's gonna go get some bourbon for some whiskey.
SPEAKER_00:I love it. I'm still nursing my coffee.
SPEAKER_02:Amongst the 250 bottles sitting there to the side of you, you know, just happen to. But but you know, look, this is this has been a ton of fun. And now that uh uh so so so Pepper Ann, now that we have Larry trained here, we can do this more often now that he's he's kind of taken a shining to this here. So so uh look, I I look forward to many more. First off, I look forward to having the both of you come back on this podcast anytime you want to, anytime you want to talk about anything, uh you you know where you want to let the rest of the people know as well, not just me, but then then you come on anytime and um and we'll do it. Um, but I I love you two to pieces. You guys are just just just great people, and and that's who we all need to fill our lives with is great, great people with great hearts, great souls. And um, so I love you too. And look, to you guys, cheers to you and to a tremendous 2026 for all three of us, okay? Let's make it prosperous for all three of us. Larry and I, we're gonna knock Joe Rogan off the top spot, and then Larry and I'll be fighting we'll be fighting back and forth for number one, okay? And then uh Pepper Ann, I want you to blow up.
SPEAKER_00:Thank you. Thank you. I'm excited. Um, I do want to say something. Yes, um, there is somebody that I want both of you to interview. Yeah, um, Ben, I want you to do it first, and then Larry, I want you to go in for the killer here. Um, I want us to get some attention on Billy Joel.
SPEAKER_02:Now I gotta do Billy Joel.
SPEAKER_00:Now we gotta do Billy Joel. Yeah, yeah, that's what 2026 says. We're gonna get his attention. So, whatever we need to do to flag him, okay, because I've read I've heard some wonderful things about him and his family, you know. I think he lives in Jersey. Larry, does that sound have you heard? Do you know? Um, he uh volunteers. I I think what he does is he has a restaurant, um, and he helps people, he feeds them and his family. Um, and I I just think I just think that it's more somebody else that is definitely worth hearing their story and putting you guys out there even more.
SPEAKER_02:Maybe hearing, maybe hearing something more about Billy Joel than just his music, you mean yeah, whatever he wants to talk about, let him talk. Of course, of course.
SPEAKER_00:Uh yeah, I mean, um, ever everybody knows um all the uh charity work that he's done, and and and uh I mean I I guess what I'm saying is Ben, you are amazing when you talk about music, and and when you think of an icon, somebody who is is has come a long way and has really made a mark in the music world. That's who one of one of the many that I think of. Well, and I think that you would be perfect one to talk to. And and Larry, I just think that you would just be awesome and just asking him anything. You could ask him any anything, and I think it would just go over yeah, fantastic.
SPEAKER_05:Well, it's I I want to try. Uh, you know who John Schneider is?
SPEAKER_00:I do, I sure do. Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_05:I want to get him too. He's moved to Madison, Indiana, and he's been to Batesville a couple times. The guy's like your neighbor, yeah.
SPEAKER_00:So know that he's over there by you, yeah, yeah, about 50 miles away. Well, then let's get in the car. You can take us with you and let's go talk to it.
SPEAKER_05:Well, see, the thing is, you know, this guy's still touring. Besides, Duke's a hazard, he's a great musician, he's got a good voice and everything. And yeah, uh, but a friend of mine met him and he's talked to him, and I'm thinking, well, maybe I can get him to come up here sometime. But uh, then that's that's but but before we're done, I'm gonna give you an Irish toast.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, you're gonna give me a what?
SPEAKER_05:Irish toast.
SPEAKER_00:Okay, okay.
SPEAKER_05:May we all live to be a hundred plus one year to repent.
SPEAKER_00:Yes.
SPEAKER_02:That's right. Larry, I actually always say it's it's 12 o'clock somewhere to get five, it's always at noon, you know.
SPEAKER_05:Well, uh would taste a little bit better than uh this is a really nice bourbon, but it's okay.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, listen, uh hang around. Let me close this up because you gotta do something. You're gonna play something for us, Larry. So let's just stick around, all right? Uh look, people, I hope you've enjoyed this. Okay, it's just three friends sitting around just talking about whatever, okay? And uh what there's no better way to end the year with the Ben Maynard program than doing this, you know. So um thanks for sticking around, everyone. Thanks. As you guys know, this program is available wherever you stream your podcast. Just search the Ben Maynard program, it's right there. Go with it, subscribe to it, download it, all right. But watching all this here and enjoying this, thank you for doing that. You're watching it on YouTube. So, because you're doing that, again, subscribe to the channel. Give me, give Larry, give Pepper Ann a thumbs up, all right? Give us all a thumbs up and leave your comments, all right? I reply to your comments, ask Larry, he knows. So, um, and then last but not least, follow me on Instagram, simply Ben Maynard program, all one word, or you can follow me on the TikTok at the Ben Maynard program. Also, you know what you guys can tell 10,000 of your family and friends. And yeah, I said 10,000. Normally I say a thousand, but you can tell 10,000 of your family and friends. But um, yeah, this has been great. I wish each and every one of you out there a very happy and safe new year holiday. Take care of one another, all right. Um, God bless you guys, and again, thank you so much to Larry and thank you so much to Pepper Ann. This has been just the best. You guys are awesome. Um, that's a wrap for the year. I will see you guys in the new year. All right, we'll have some good stuff coming up, so just uh just uh come on back for it, all right? Uh, this is the Ben Maynard program. Tell a friend.