Chewing the Fat with Jeff Fisher - Brad Staggs fills in for Jeffy 8/1/15

Episode Date: August 1, 2015

Brad Staggs fills in for Jeffy and discusses Cecil the lion, killed by American dentist Dr. Walter Palmer in Zimbabwe. Brad also invites you to join Glenn Beck and The Blaze in Birmingham for our 'Never Again Is Now' event on August 28. And Brad shares stories about his personal radio journey and explains what its like to be part of The Blaze family.All that and more on the Jeff Fisher Show!Jeff Fisher is live from 6am to 8am ET, Saturday. Listen for free on The Blaze Radio Network:www.theblaze.com/radio & www.iheart.comFollow Jeffy on Twitter @JeffyMRAAnd you can follow Brad Staggs on Twitter @TheBlazeBrad Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Blaze Radio on demand. Jay Severin. These are not like Republicans. Republicans are for their candidates because they know, understand, believe, cherish, perhaps, feel strongly about the way their candidates feel. Republicans care about the issues. Jay Severin. Weekdays, 2 to 5 p.m.

on the Blaze Radio Network. Experiment was a success. Begin Life Force reboot program. Now. It's alive. It's alive. Set it loose. This is the Jeff Fisher Show on the Blaze Radio Network.

Indeed it is. Oh, no. Oh, man, it's some fill-in guy. No, Jeff, he's not here this morning. I think he is sleeping in. He's getting ready for next week, which is going to be huge around the blaze and around the entire studio,

because Glenn, of course, is coming back in here on Monday morning, and I just predict it's going to be an unbelievable week. My name is Brad Staggs. If you watch radio on television, which is how we do things around here, you know that you see me in little three-minute snippets. in between all the conversation with the guys. I do the commercials and I sell stuff.

But this morning, we get to have a conversation, which is exciting for me because, honestly, this is a dream come true. And I've told this to Jeffrey and I've told this to Glenn and to Pat Gray and to Stu. This is such an unbelievable honor for me to be able to work with. these guys, I cannot tell you. I don't know what I did, but something apparently in a former life, I have some positive karma because this is what an unbelievable experience. And thank you, Jeffrey, for allowing me to be in here this morning. I just want to give out the phone number. You

probably already have it, but I'll give it out anyway. 888-933393. Comments, questions, concerns, criticisms, you name it. We'll talk about it. I wanted to give you a little bit of background on me. Just so you know where I'm coming from, I've been around radio a long time. I've known I wanted to be in this business since I was in sixth grade, which is unusual. And every time someone hears what you knew back then, because I have a 14-year-old son who still kind of knows what he wants to do, but not really. and I find that to be the norm more than ever. People just don't know what they want to do when they're young.

I knew from a very young age, this is, it's almost like a virus gets in your bloodstream. But I knew I wanted to be in radio since sixth grade. I used to put my parents in a closet, the sliding doors, and play television game show host. So I'm a total geek at the same time. television came secondarily to me. I got my start back in 89. And if anybody remembers the Nashville Network. There are a few.

The Nashville Network is where I really started doing some really fun stuff in this business with UFOs and government conspiracies and all of that, which is fun. went on to HGTV and DIY and here I am at the Blaze. This, like I said, is a dream come true for me. The story of how I got here in and of itself, I mean, into this building and into this chair. Three years ago, if you would have told me that I'd be doing this this morning, I would have told you, you were crazy. But I'll tell you that story coming up in just a little bit. Whatever is on your mind is what I will talk about this morning. It is a conversation, so if you don't give or if you don't take, I can't give.

If you have any questions about the real, Jeffie, you know what I'm saying? Let me know as well. I'll tell you anything. Almost anything. Hillary is back in the news. The news cycle these days, I don't know about you, but I just get bored. I think that's what it is, and I think that most people feel that way anymore. You get the same stories every day.

Hillary hasn't released emails, and now you've got the Cessle of the Lion. Well, actually, that's a spike. That's a bright spot because it is, I don't want to say ludicrous. But if you look at the true, well, at the contradiction between, I, what I think are the two big stories in this country right now. Planned Parenthood videos and Cecil the Lion. And people are more outraged, it seems, over the killing of a lion than they are of the killing of human babies. I don't understand that.

The world seems to be upside down. This whole Cecil the Lion thing, the guy is, I mean, this guy's life, what is it, Palmer, Dennis, what is he, a dentist? I mean, his life is essentially done, at least until the next big news story hits. He has had to close his business from what I understand. He's had to change his cell phone number or, I guess, turn his cell phone off because people were locating him through his cell phone number, the GPS on that. And I'm not defending what he did because I think it's stupid to kill an animal to put their

head on the wall. It just makes no sense. If you're hungry and you need to eat and you need to kill an animal, I get that. But or if there are animals and this happens a lot, coyotes, things like that that they, well, actually if you start killing coyotes, they actually grow in numbers. It's that weird whole mother nature is going to win thing. But the senseless killing of animals makes no sense to me for obvious reasons. But this guy, whether or not he paid the $50,000 to the government, whether or not it was legal, the fact that more people seem outraged about this

than about the Planned Parenthood meeting or the videos astounds me. And I was talking to somebody about this yesterday here at the Blaze Radio Studios. And it's, how I put this. It's just stunning the way the world has turned upside down. Our values seem to have just gone out the window. We're talking about a country in Nambibia, I believe it is,

where people are more concerned for good reason with finding fresh water to drink and to use in their day-to-day lives than they are about a line. As a matter of fact, there was a story that they asked people on the streets there, you know, what do you think about Cecil, the lion? And most of the people said, what lion? To them, it's just, it's another lion out in the desert. And again, I don't support the killing of this lion walking around. And I was listening to Doc and Skip yesterday. And the average lifespan, I believe, of a lion is 14 years. And Cecil was 13. So as Doc said,

shouldn't we pile on this guy for killing an elderly lion? I mean, he's been tard and feathered. I even saw a story about somebody going after his daughter for this, which to me is ridiculous. I don't get it. I don't understand where, and is it just a small, is it just a small segment of the population? Is it just a few of us who are crazy?

or is it really a majority of people? Or is it that little tiny percentage that's just very vocal? I don't know. You tell me. It's a very, very, very strange and upside down world in which we live. I was looking at the Blaze website this morning. The story about Bono and the woman who called 911 after he crashed his motorcycle in Central Park, that was that was interesting

Thursday night you two takes the stage and in New York Madison Square Garden and apparently Bono had crashed his motorcycle here I missed that story whenever it happened days weeks ago but this woman apparently called 911

he calls her up on stage he says you know he thinks he gets it wrong where she lives he says a pretty woman from Denver and you know thanks her for calling 911. Once she gets up there,

she says, I have to clarify, it's Alyssa. I'm from D.C., not Denver. She snapped at him. She said, Bono, here's what happened. I'm running in Central Park. There was an accident. Obviously, I had to stop and help

because I'm not from New York. I'm from Virginia where people are nice. That's what this woman is saying on stage at Madison Square Garden during a U.2 concert. Two New Yorkers. Not the sharpest tool. in the shed. They started to boo as only New York can do so well. And I love New York. Let me just say,

I love Manhattan. If I could afford it, I would have an apartment overlooking Manhattan. I can't afford it. I work in radio. But they began to boo this woman. And Bono had also called up the firefighters from engine 44 who had pulled him from the motorcycle accident. And they yanked the microphone out of this woman's hand and I guess sent her packing. But again, you know she can vote. She has a voter registration card. Yeah. You just some things you don't tug on Superman's cape, you don't spit into the wind.

You don't pull the mask off the old Lone Ranger and never piss off New Yorkers at a concert. Just not a smart thing to do. All right, we are going to take a short break back with more on the Jeff Fisher Show. I'm Brad Staggs here on the Blaze Radio Network. You're listening to the Jeff Fisher Show. The Blaze Radio Network. Don't miss the morning Blaze with Doc and Skip. Then called 911 again to ask the dispatcher.

Hey, where are the police? I already called, how come they're not here yet? We've seen these stories before. People call police 911 for fake stuff. You know, they just want to ride home or whatever. And he's in trouble now for this misuse of 911, Skip. But what if it had been doing it? It took him a long time to get there. I mean, lost time.

Right, he's doing them a favor. He's saving lives here. The morning Blaze with Doc and Skip. Weekday morning, 6 to 9 Eastern on the Blaze Radio Network. The Jeff Fisher Show. It is Brad Staggs in for Jeffie this morning. He is at home. He's resting.

Yeah, this is a filling guy. So you can go about your business and not listen or stick around. It is such an honor to be filling in for Jeffie this morning. Thank you, Mr. Fisher. I do appreciate it. You know, someone once asked me what, after I started working here, what is Jeffie's job? What is his job description?

and I think I asked Stu at that time. This has been a couple of years ago now. And I said, Stu, what is Jeffie's official title? And he looked at me, he said, punching bag. And how many people, how many of you could actually do what Jeffie does and take those slings and arrows every day? I know. It takes a very special individual.

If you have been under Iraq somewhere and had not heard of James Palmer, he's the deadest. He's the killer dentist. He's, I mean, you think you're having a bad day. Imagine waking up as James Palmer. You know that feeling you have when you're going through something stressful in your life, whatever it is. Divorce death. Whatever. Your only respite is at night.

Sleep comes, you're calm, you forget. You wake up and there's that split second in the morning where you don't remember. remember it and it seems like another day. And then all, whatever you're dealing with comes flooding right back in on top of your head and you feel like you've been hit with a sledgehammering. Your stomach sinks and you just feel like crap. But there's that split second.

Now imagine James Palmer. This guy, this dentist, kills Cecil the lion. And he woke up to, he's going to wake up at some point today. And for that split second, he'll think everything is fine. and then it'll all come flooding back in, that he is known worldwide now. Not just in this country, but worldwide as the killer of Cecil the lion

who looks like this fuzzy little, just you want to give him a big hug, who's a big lion, yes, Cecil is. And I love lions, but come on, this thing would eat your face. Again, I'm not defending James Palmer's actions at all. I think killing an animal just to put their head on the wall, it's stupid.

I have friends who were hunters. They hunt, they, they kill, they eat the meat, they, you know, use most parts of the animal. Whatever. I don't hunt. I shot a bird once. I shot a bird and then I saw it hit the ground. I was like 17. I saw this bird hit the ground out of my bedroom window.

I shot it. I ran outside and this bird is laying on the ground. He's panting. And I looked at him and I thought, oh, man, that sucks. What did I? Why did I do that? that was that that that all I will kill the crap out of bugs but not I just I don't know there's just hunting is for some people it's not for others and um I have a friend like I said a lot of

friends who hunt and I've always said hey when when the apocalypse hits I want you around because you can kill things I can build stuff all day long I can build a shelter I can I love to clean but I don't want to shoot anything if I don't have to so James Palmer is going to wake up sometime this morning and realize that there are truly talks of extraditing him to Zimbabwe. And one legal analyst said it's likely or highly likely. This story was on the Washington Post. Fish and Wildlife Service wants to talk to Palmer so far. That hasn't happened, they said.

Investigators for the service knocked on the front. door of Palmer's house stopped by his dental office, called his telephone numbers, and filled his inbox with emails. And so far, he has not been able to be allured out of hiding. Then Thursday afternoon, the agency's office of law enforcement was contacted by somebody on Palmer's behalf. The service's investigation is ongoing and appreciates that Dr. Palmer's representatives reached out. The agency said, if and when he materializes, Palmer could face an extradition request from officials in Zimbabwe who have signaled a request to pursue one.

I don't know about you, but the last thing on my bucket list is getting extradited to Zimbabwe. And again, if you think that this guy deserves to be drawn and quartered over killing this lion, who was a gorgeous creature, don't get me wrong.

If you believe that he that he should be extradited, I'd love to hear from you. I'd be given out the phone number, and I know that you have a busy day and you've got things to do. But if you have a chance, call, let's talk. You know, little talk, little coffee, no big whoop. 888-933-93 is the phone number 888-933. I am Brad Stags. You see me if you watch Glenn's radio show on TV, online, on Roku, whatever. I do the commercials in between the guys talking, so I only have to talk in three-minute increments.

This morning doing the show for Jeffrey. I get to talk. I get to expound upon my thoughts. More of my brain gets spilled out. And I have ADD, as so many people do here around the blaze. So I will go in 18 different directions. And you can either find that interesting or you can find it really annoying. It could go either way.

But if there's something on your mind you want to talk about, let me know. But this guy, Palmer, he's going to have a really, really, really, really bad day. And it's going to be this way until the next big story hits. Until the next big story in the news cycle hits. His life is toast. And I heard something interesting. Again, I think it was Doc. yesterday on

Glenn's radio show think of all the people that worked at this guy's dental office their jobs are toast I mean this has affected so many ancillary lives even Palmer's daughter

has been threatened at this point and again for a lion but these Planned Parenthood videos keep coming out showing the most detestable things done to human beings and there's not that same outcry. I just don't get it.

Love your thoughts on it. One of the things I do on the radio show in the mornings generally is trivia. So I thought I'd share some of that with you too because it's just fun. Now, these are the questions that I'm going to be doing on Monday and Tuesday on TV on radio. So you're actually getting a jump. And I'll give you the answer after the break. But it was on Monday of 1996, this song and dance began. and its domination of pop radio.

What is it? 1996, a Monday of August 3rd. This is the Jeff Fisher Radio show. I am Brad Staggs in for Jeffie this morning on the Blaze Radio Network. Back in a minute. The Jeff Fisher Show, the Blaze Radio Network. The Jeff Fisher Show is on. It is the Jeff Fisher Radio Show, and I'm not Jeffie.

No, he's at home, and if he's smart, he's still asleep. but my name is Brad Staggs and normally I do commercials on the TV radio program which technology has made things really, really confusing because now we do radio on television and we do television on radio and so if you watch Glenn's program on the Blaze or on the Blaze app on your phone which by the way is getting better every day, I hear the frustration Sometimes it crashes a few things here and there, but changes are underway. Let's put it that way. Things are getting better.

So I do the commercials, and Jeffie asked me if I would fill in for him today, and I am proud and honored to do just that. If you do watch the radio program, we do trivia on it every morning, and just kind of a fun thing, just kind of a fun throwback to the way radio used to be. You know what I'm saying? And just before the break, the trivia question, which is actually going to be one on So you're going to get a jump in the, jump on the game. On Monday in 1996, this song and dance began.

It's domination of pop radio. If you said the macarena, you are correct. You get 10 extra points. And this bonus story from me from, good creep, was that 15 years ago? I think I was on vacation in Mexico. What is the little island off the coast of Mexico? Anyway, one of those little Mexican towns where you, you know, tourists go and drink and, you know, basically like fools. Carl Malone, the mailman who played for the Utah Jazz, he was there.

I danced the macarena with Carl Malone. That is my claim to fame. Pass that, basketball, can't stand it. Never could make a shot. And then my 14-year-old last night said, I hit basketball, I can't do it. I said, do you come by that honestly, quite frankly? I do want to, and I just tweeted out this picture. My friend from fifth grade, his name is Dodd Talbot.

He lives in Whitefish, Montana. And this was on his daughter's Facebook page when I saw it this morning. What an honor. My dad was voted Best Car Salesman of the Flathead Valley. I am saying, and I will say that. Dodd, first of all, he has an odd name, D-O-D-D. He's named after Bobby Darren's son, Dodd-D-D-D. But I've known Dodd since fifth grade.

I've got a small cluster of friends that we still get together every couple of years from fifth grade, which was about 110 years ago. But he's a great salesman and the fact that he is now the best car salesman of the Flathead Valley. when you have done that, what else is there? I mean, he's reached the pinnacle. But, Dodd, I love you, and congratulations. I'm being the king of Flathead Valley. I want to talk to you a little bit about Birmingham.

If you have not signed up to participate in Birmingham coming up later this month on the 28th and 29th, please do so. Mercury 1.org is the... the website and never again is now is the movement. I've been fortunate enough to be behind the scenes on this one. A woman very close to me, her name is Beth. She is coordinating the walk and the event and doing an amazing job, by the way. I get to see all of these things behind the scenes. I get to see how all of these things that you get to see in a finished form come together.

from behind the curtain, which again is one of the most fascinating things. I tell you, it is such an honor to do. But this Birmingham event has grown incredibly. It has grown. I believe this is going to be an event of historic proportions. And I'm not getting paid to go. I work for Glenn. I work for the blaze, but I'm not getting paid to go to this thing.

I'm going, I bought my own plane ticket to get there. because I thought how many times will I ever have the opportunity in my life to be behind the ropes on an event that's going to go down in history? If you went back in time to Martin Luther King's marches in Birmingham in Washington, and you could get, like I say, behind the ropes, inner circle, would you do it? Would you do it and be able to tell that story to your kids, grandkids? to see history unfolding. This is going to be a very intimate event. It is going to be, like I said, I think this will make history.

If you go to Mercury1.org, the front page is where the movement, and they have just had these shirts printed up. Some of them have the logo on it. One of them has the injustice anywhere. is a threat to justice everywhere, not to act, is to act. And you can be a part of something that I think has the potential to change the course of things in this country. We have to become more united. We, for crying that lot, it's in our name.

It is in our name. The United States of America is almost, it's almost laughable to call us that now. because we are so ununited. And when Glenn puts things like this together, and I see all the moving parts of this, you know, slowly becoming cohesive and all falling into place, how can you not want to be there at that event? If you, by any stretch of the imagination,

can take the time, and I know it costs money to get there, I get that. If you can by any stretch of the imagination, afford it, bring your kids. This is going to be something, and that's what I told my son. He's coming as well. He, I said, you won't get the opportunity to see this many times in your lifetime. I hope this is the first step in bringing us together again, in becoming united again. there is so much

discontent that's a word in this country there are so much so many of us we're all in splinter groups technology was supposed to bring us together and I swear technology has been at the core

of what has divided us you take little bitty things that wouldn't I mean from a racial standpoint you take little things here and there that wouldn't have otherwise grown into big problems had it not been for things like social media and technology and information traveling at the speed of light. But now this is an opportunity to actually use technology to our advantage and bring us back together.

Go to mercury1.org and participate. Donate if you can. Click on the Birmingham details and you will see exactly what the movement is all about. I really do believe it is going to be a part of. it's going to be more than a footnote in history. And if you can be behind it, I would highly recommend it. And by the way, I think this is, and again, my ADD on fire, I can go at 18 directions. I'll pick one every now and then and flutter down it for a bit. But that's why I think Donald Trump,

and if Stu is listening right now, his head will explode. He can't stand Donald Trump. I don't know that I'd vote for the guy, but I can tell you that's why a lot of us like him. That's why he's still ahead in the polls. It's true. He doesn't have a filter. He says things. He replies to questions, as Mark Cuban said, he doesn't speak in politically correct soundbites.

He tells you what's on his mind. How many politicians do we have today that will do that? you can count them on one hand. I think Mike Huckabee is learning to do that. And good grief. How many other people, candidates in the Republican Party now? I mean, like, are we up to 100 yet?

I mean, this is just getting stupid. But when you have someone like Donald Trump who says whatever it is that's on his mind without a filter, and he's number one in the polls, You think that would throw a clue to the rest of these Yahoo's running for office. When I say Yahoo's, I do not include Ted Cruz in that. I like him.

But, again, whether or not you agree with Donald Trump's politics, the guy says it like it is. And I think most of us really, really, really like that. For a change, we are not, we're not being lied to. which is every day a government spokesperson steps forward, you know, that's, that's what we're getting. Their nose gets longer. We never get the truth. Donald Trump gives us the truth, at least from his standpoint, and people are clamoring to him. I am Brad Staggs in for Jeffrey this morning, and I want to tell you the story of how I got here,

how I actually came to be sitting in this chair. it's a God moment. It is, I think, proof that prayer works. And I get goosebumps every time I was telling the story to somebody yesterday, I get goosebumps. I will tell you here after we take a short break to pay some bills, as they say. This is the Jeff Fisher Show. I'm Brad Staggs on the Blaze Radio Network. This is the Jeff Fisher Show on the Blaze Radio Network.

Fisher. He is not here this morning. He's absent. Brad Staggs is here, though, in his chair and honored to be here. Jeffie's just taking a little extra time off. Actually, all the guys from radio off this week. It's been very lonely around the building. But they will all return on Monday on Glenn's radio show.

And Jeffie will be right back here next Saturday morning. It is Saturday, isn't it? Yes, it is Saturday. Good grief. My alarm went off at 3.20 central time. And I love, I mean, I love getting up early because I like watching the sun come up. But good grade. 320.

That's, I don't know how Jeffie does it. I told you I would tell you the story of how I got here because this to me, again, three years ago, if you said, Brad, you know what you're going to, in three years, you will be sitting in Jeff Fisher's chair filling for him on his radio program on the Blaze Radio Network. and I would have told you, you're crazy. But here's how the whole thing unfolded, and it still gives me goosebumps to this day. I co-owned a successful production company and about to see here, coming up on two years, just about two years ago,

things were not going well. Things were not going well. And I believe everything happens for a reason now I understand. So I'm living in Nashville, my business partner, Beth and I, we ran and still do run this production company. Business had just not been good to the point where it was, how am I going to pay the mortgage?

How am I going to pay the bills? You know the feeling. Some days it gets scary. And I was depressed. I was truly, I think, at the bottom of the barrel looking up. And I was, I was, scared apprehensive. My house had been, had gone into foreclosure, I guess, but they sold the mortgage on the secondary market anyway. I'm paying an exorbitant interest rate on this mortgage and just

wondering how I'm going to crawl out. As, you know, if you've ever been at the bottom of the barrel, you understand it gets difficult. You don't know how you're going to get out. But it's a Saturday night. I remember like it was just, it was a Saturday night. I was laying on the couch, downstairs at my house watching television don't remember the program i just remember i did i i don't know what did it to me but i got up and i stood up in the middle of the room put my hands in the air and said god i don't know what to do i have no idea how to get out of this i don't know i can't do it long. I'm a spiritual guy. I'm not what I call religious, but very spiritual, believe in God. And so I stood up, I said, God, I don't know what to do. And that was kind of it. That's Saturday

night. On Monday afternoon, I was in my car, truck, actually, and my friend who I'd known since 1989, Laverne, Levern Vivio, U-turned Levern, calls me up and says, Hey, what are you doing these days? Do you have some time? Oh, yeah, I got, I can, what? What are you talking about? She says, well, I don't know if you know, but I'm in Dallas and I work at the blaze. Do you like Glenn back?

I said, are you kidding? Love Glenn. She said, they're looking for somebody to do commercials with me, with LeVern. Can you come down here and audition? And I said, are you kidding? I will be right there. And I was on the following Wednesday, two days later, I'm standing here at Mercury Studios, standing in the studio,

auditioning to do commercials on Glenn's radio show. And what, four days before I had stood up and said, God, I don't know what to do. The point is, I think prayer works. If you call that a prayer, I don't know. If you just ask for help, that is the key in any situation. Admit that you can't do it alone. Admit that you need help.

And believe me, if there's anybody who hates asking for help, it's me. And if it works for me, it'll work for you, no matter where you are in this life. Take a quick break here and be back with more of the Jeff Fisher Radio Show on the Blaze Radio Network. This is the Jeff Fisher Show. Only on the Blaze Radio Network. It was a success. Begin life force reboot program. Now.

Stand clear. Life signs stable. It's alive. Set it loose. This is the Jeff Fisher show on the Blaze Radio Network. And Jeffie is not here this morning. This is Brad Staggs. I love Donna's tweet.

Donna said the Blaze Brad just uttered words that made his mom proud. I am not Jeffie. I love Jeffrey. He gets picked on a lot, and I'm telling you, he's one of the most lovable human beings. Don't tell him, I said this. It'll ruin his public persona, but one of the nicest guys underneath that whole gruff exterior thing. Just a real sweetheart of a guy. Anyway, I'm proud to be sitting in for Jeffrey.

I just normally here at the Blaze, I do commercials on Glenn's radio and television. show. So I get to speak in little three-minute pieces. And this morning, I've gotten to yammer on for two hours. In addition to that, I'm also the building manager here at our Dallas studios, which, again, what an honor to manage the studios where I am sitting right now were built in 1981. They were used to be called those the studios at Los Kalinas. And they shot parts of Robocop here, born on the 4th of July with Tom Cruise, Problem Child. I don't really like that movie. I love John Ritter.

Go figure. The very first movie that was shot here was Silkwood with Cher. I think that was in 81, 82. And I was talking with one of the guys, an old stagehands, who just happened to be in the building a few months ago. he'd worked on that on that movie what a storied history this facility has and again to to say that I look at it as it's my building and I'm taking care of this building as if it were my own again what what an honor and thank you for for not turning the dial when you heard Jeffie wasn't here I appreciate that I have a

story coming up. I don't know if you knew this or not, but the 2001, September 11th. Those were not the first planes to fly into a building in New York City. And this is a really obscure story. I'll tell you about it coming up. But it happened a long time ago. Where another instance of a plane

flying into a building in New York City. I was, Doc Thompson, actually. It told me this a couple of years back. I've been fascinated ever since. I'll tell you that coming But I want you to also go to mercury one.org. That is Mercury One's website, their homepage, and it's where you can get more information on the March. Coming up in Birmingham, Alabama, on the 28th and 29th of this month, it is going to be a historic event. It is a chance for you to take part in something historic.

I really believe as soon as I heard about this as soon as Glenn started talking about this on the radio I really had I just had a gut feeling that this is going to be something that actually changes the course of history has a big impact on it and if you can in any way get away from your job I look I know I'm I know money's tight I understand that if there's any way you can take the time to get to Birmingham and join us. Glenn really wants to help put this country back together. I don't know if it's possible. I'd like to believe it is, but I'm not sure that it is.

But he's going to try. He's really going to try. And if you have the chance to come to Birmingham, to take part in this to help, try to at least get us a little closer together, You know, we'd love to have you. And it's a real opportunity to see history unfolding. Thank you for all the tweets. I've been tweeting out a few pictures here.

My Twitter handle is The Blaze Brad, at the Blaze Brad. And just being, again, being in this building at this time of the day, this is actually my favorite time. I like it early, early in the morning and late, late at night. Because it's quiet. It's not infested with human beings. which, by the way, I have never worked in a place. It's a human freak show here in Dallas. And I would tell this to anybody that works here.

I have never seen a bigger collection of human freaks in my life, and I am one of them. I don't know what it is, but this, it's probably the combination of the intersection of radio, Television and Glenn Beck that has really attracted this diverse group of people to work in this building. It is the strangest thing. You've got straight people. You have gay people.

You have far left people. You have far right people. You have atheists. You have Bible thumpers. you have just about every example of human existence that you will find anywhere. And it's all under one roof. And it's the most amazing experience I have ever had in my life. And again, I am just so thankful that obviously God wants me here for a reason.

Because every day I get to go, wow. unlike James Palmer, the guy who killed Cecil the Lion or Cecil the Lion who's getting up this morning with that split second thinking life is okay, and then it all floods back in. I don't know if you heard they want to extradite him to Zimbabwe. That is, like I said, not on my bucket list of things that I want to have happened to me. This guy's life is over, and yet for some reason, Planned Parenthood just, you know, they're like Teflon. and all the stuff rolls off them. But James Palmer kills the lion. And guess what?

The world is coming to an end. A few weeks ago, I guess it's been two or three weeks ago now, as soon as Glenn left the building, which, by the way, he does. Return Monday. I just tweeted the picture of his empty, lonely, dark office. One of the shows that they did on his television show was Ask Glenn or Ask Glenn Staff Anything.

And on his Facebook page, You asked questions and Tiffany and Dan and everybody, Jeffrey, Pat, Stu, they all answer these questions about what it was like to work with Glenn. And I will tell you that he, one of the, I guess, the questions of the forefront was when he gives you, you know, when he gives you these assignments, does he give you the freedom to do what you need to do? Does he let you, you know, explore your vision or does he, is he a totalitarian ruler? He is, he gives people so much latitude. It's almost frightening. When Glenn asks you to do something or assigns you to a project, he gives you all the latitude in the world, which can be really scary when you think about it. He one night said to me, that was at 10.30 at night.

This is, gosh, year and a half ago. we were the big robots from man in the moon had just been delivered to the studio and it was Ben McPherson, Beth, and myself. The three of us here in the studio, late one night at 10.30, unwrapping these giant robots. And if you haven't seen these, they're amazing. If you have seen them, you know exactly what I'm talking about.

They're like 17 feet tall. They've got one eye and they're huge. I'll tweet a picture out just in case. But when I cut the arms, when I cut the ropes holding arms together, they sprung out, which scared a crap out of me because these things are big. And Glenn shows up. It's 10.30 at night. Glenn all of a sudden, you know, the door opens and Glenn and Tonya walk in.

And he came up to me and we were talking and he said, if you treat everyone fairly, no matter who they are. And it's bill. He said, I'll back you all the way in reference to any projects and assignments that he doles out. That is the core of who he is. I'm always amazed at the people who throw daggers at Glenn. Usually the people who hate him have never listened. I can tell you from personal experience,

he's one of the nicest human beings I've ever met in my life, generous to a fault, and trusts people to a fault. Has much more faith in humanity than I do. But that's one of the things that I love about working here. It is a fascinating human experience. One, I will probably never be able to duplicate in my life. Again, what an honor.

Coming up here in just a second, I'm going to tell you the story of the plane. This happened a long time ago, too. The Twin Towers were not the first plane, or not the first buildings in New York City to be hit by a plane. I haven't heard this story. It's kind of wild. And the Texas mother, who you do not want to piss off. That's another great story.

It's on the Blaze website as well. I'm Brad Stags. Filling in for Jeff Fisher this morning in the Jeff Fisher show here on the Blaze Radio Network. This is the Jeff Fisher Show on the Blaze Radio Network. This is the Jeff Fisher Show. But I am not Jeff Fisher.

Words indeed my mom would be proud of. I am Brad Staggs. Filming in for Jeffrey this morning as he, I guess he's storing up his strength for Monday. Monday's going to be a big day here around the Blaze and Blaze Radio because Glenn returns Monday morning. And I do have the honor of, I'll bet you, let's see. Yeah, I think I'll be the first person inside this building to see him, which I can't, when he pulls in, I want to be able to say, on behalf of America, welcome back, Glenn, no pressure, don't screw this up. I think this is the longest. Glenn has ever not been on the air since he went syndicated in, what, 2001?

I remember the very first time I heard him on the air and was amazed. Continue to be a big fan. What an honor to work in the same building for the guy. But Glenn returns to the radio on Monday. Jeffie is, he's recharging his batteries, as they say, trusting me with the chair. and it is an honor to fill in. I do want to tell you the story of the, this is back in 1945.

And this one I learned from Doc Thompson a couple of years ago. The Twin Towers were not the first buildings to be hit by an airplane in New York City. In 1945, a B-25 Mitchell Bomber was being flown in thick fog over the city. and it crashed into the Empire State Building. In 1945, it was on July 28th, which, what, four days ago? So four days ago in 70 years? I hate math, you do it, 2015, whatever it is. It was a long time ago, 1945.

They said the accident didn't compromise the building structural integrity, but it did cause 14 people to lose their lives, three of the crewmen on board, and 11 people in the building. and the damage in 2014, 2015 dollars, about $13 million, $13,14 million in damage. I had no idea, and Doc walked in the offices one day. He says, you know, a B-25 flew into the Empire State, but what? What? Never heard this. And it's one of those stories that's being lost to antiquity.

And again, my ADD is rampant, so I'm all over the place. But at the fair, I used to live in Nashville, Tennessee. And it's not Nashville. It's Nashville, Tennessee. And I was at the fair, five, six years ago. And they had a ride at the fair. It was one of those big bouncy things, those inflatable things kids get on. It's a big slide.

And it was of the Titanic. So it's this, you know, this ship pitched at a 45-degree angle. You climb to the top and you slid down the boards, the quasi-whatever, the deck of the ship. And Beth was with me and I turned to her. I said, okay, is this not just a little weird? I mean, here you have a situation. You have a disaster where hundreds and hundreds of people died. And now we've turned it into an amusement park ride, a fair ride.

slide. And if you ask these kids, you know, with their slide none of the same, what's this boat? I had no idea. Which I said, okay, so let's project 50 years in the future. Is there going to be a Twin Towers ride at a theme park? I'm in no way being insensitive. I remember where I was that day that the buildings went down and it's still chilling.

But what's that? the hell is wrong with people? Why do we do things like that? Why do we create an amusement park ride from a disaster? And we're going to do it again. I mean, Glenn has faith in people. I share Jeffie's cynicism. He and I get along so well because we are both so cynical. I love, I always say I hate people. That's my favorite expression. It is not true in any way, shape or form. I don't hate people.

And don't you tell anybody that I said that because it'll ruin my image. But the thing is, people will always disappoint you. And I had a friend once who said, the problem, if you are continually disappointed by people, the problem is you got to lower your expectations because people will be people. So when you hear me say, I hate people. I don't. I'm just disappointed. I'm just like you.

Been kicked enough times at age 51 to be wary. And that's not a bad thing. It's, I don't know if it's wisdom or not. I'm trying to tell my 14-year-old, you know, he asks me advice on this and that and I just sometimes I don't even know what to say it's like I don't want to say people will disappoint you because who wants to instill that into their kid but at the same time Sam people are going to disappoint you what you have to do is every moment do what you think is right do the best thing that you think is right it's really not that

difficult in terms of simplicity. But so few people follow that rule anymore. I think they're the same people who if you, remember they all say neither a borrower nor a lender be, then there's good reason for that, obviously. But when people borrow something from you, do they give it back to you in worse or better condition than when you gave it to them? They should, of course, give it back to you in better? better condition but do they nine times out of 10 no it's either out of gas dirty needs to be

washed broken cracked you name it but it's not in better condition than when they gave it to you I was talking to somebody here at the studio not too long ago we were just discussing the fact that what what happened where along the line did we lose that that giving somebody back something that you borrow in better shape than it was when you got it did that whole concept die with customer service? And if we continue this, where are we going? Kind of gets depressing, doesn't it? Sorry, I didn't, I didn't mean to do that.

Again, go to the Mercury One website, Mercury1.org. If you haven't done so yet, and please join us in Birmingham, August 28th and 29th. This is going to be an incredible opportunity to come together, to unite. Again, I don't know if we were ever really united as a people. I don't know if you can reunite it, if you haven't been united. But what we need in this country is unity. And this event in Birmingham on 828 and 829 is maybe the first step in that. I think it's going to be huge.

If you have the opportunity to join us, I think you are going to see a piece of history unfold. And I know you won't be sorry you can. If you can get the time off of work, if you can find the money, please come to Birmingham. Go to mercury one.org and get more information. Jeffie's not here this morning. It's Brad Steig's filling in. And we've got more coming up after a break on the Blaze Radio Network. This is the Jeff Fisher Show.

Only on the Blaze Radio Network. The Jeff Fisher Show returns on the Blaze Radio Network. And I'm Bradstack sitting in for Jeffie this morning. at home. And I said early here he's recharging his batteries, which he wasn't on, on Twitter, said that conjures up some really disturbing images. Stop that. And also, Mark Watkins on Twitter, thank you for the compliment. And Mark says, I hope Jeffie's feeling better after his fall. Hurry up Monday. I agree. Jeffrey told me about his fall last week when he came in.

He was, came in late one day, and I was talking to him after he got here. And he recounted the whole, you know, he was turning, basically, went to get the paper out of his front yard, turned, went to step up on the driveway, and just, you know, tripped over the edge of the concrete and went down. And we were talking about how it hurts now to fall. Remember when you were a kid, you could fall out of a tree, you could fall off the roof. and you bounced and everything was okay. I mean, it didn't seem, I don't remember it hurting.

I remember one time in fifth grade in Boron, California. And if you want to talk about the middle of nowhere, look up Boron, California. It's next to Edwards Air Force Base. It is in the middle of absolute nowhere. You go nowhere and then you turn left. But I live there. I remember when I was a friend of mine and I, we were in fifth grade and we were up on top of his roof because his parents were at home. And we saw his mom and dad pull into the driveway,

and I was so scared that we were going to get in trouble. I ran down the roof and just jumped. Boop off. No problem. Stop, drop, roll. But now you fall and it hurts. And Jeffrey actually went to the hospital just to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. Nothing was out of place, but it is frightening. You know, those commercials on TV, you know, you see where I, I've fallen and I can't get up. Not so funny anymore, are they? No, it's like reality. You can't get out.

I walked out last winter, winter before, whenever it was in Nashville, on to my patio, and it had rained. It was ice. I walked out, didn't see the ice. I did the classic feet up in the air and, I mean, flat on my back on the concrete. Hit my head. Luckily, I was wearing a hoodie. No one was shooting at me. But the hoodie did cushion the back of my head, which I think I have a thick skull anyway.

But I thought, oh, man, I hope nobody saw that because I felt stupid. And then I realized, I'm not getting up. I hope somebody did see that because I may need help. But Fallen is not fun. It's not nearly as much fun as it used to be anymore. And it's like I told a friend of mine here the other day yesterday. I think it was. Being a grown-up isn't nearly as much fun as being a kid.

I miss that. If you go on to Theblaze.com, there's one of the stories from Flower Mound, Texas. Never mess with a Texas woman. They will kick your butt. This story out of Flower Mound. A guy breaks into their house. I think their last name is Alan. So for whatever reason, she gets up in the moonlight, decides to check on the sprinklers.

And she notices red light on the alarm system. and she walks into the kitchen, she can see the back door is wide open. And she thought, oh, maybe I just left the door open. Maybe I didn't shut it, whatever it was. Maybe the wind had blown it open. But then she saw something else move in the kitchen. And she realized, if this has ever happened to you,

again, it's all that adrenaline going to your head and all these things and the hormones kicking in, but you become hyper alert. and for a second it's like, oh, this can't be happening. This cannot be happening to me. But she saw someone in her kitchen who was not her husband or her son. She screamed at them.

And it was a guy at a black hoodie. She says, that's when instinct took over. He made a move, she said. And she says, I don't know where he was, where he was going, but he was between me, my husband and my son. She said, I ran straight across the kitchen, I hit him at a full run and just fought and struggled to get him out the back door.

Can you imagine that? Getting up in the middle of the night and seeing someone in your house, although years ago I remember someone telling me that is it more terrifying if you sat up in the middle of the night, would it be more terrifying to see someone inside your home or just outside the window staring in? They're inside. you have a chance to hit outside for whatever reason just that creepy you know they're there but were they there if they disappear but if they're inside you have you know they become physical you can you can try to take them down i don't know which is more terrifying but she hit this guy she's trying to push him out the door he grabs a bottle of rum off the kitchen counter so they've been

drinking i can see where this is going now so they grabs a bottle of rum off the the counter he tries to attack her with his bottle of rum, but she was not having any of that. She pushes him out the back door, shuts the door, locks it, but the guy started, instead of, I mean, again, criminals aren't real bright.

Most of them are not. He starts banging on the door, and he's coming right back to the door at her. I don't know what these people had in their house that he wanted so badly, but apparently there was something. The glass shatters in the door, and her husband, Mike, comes downstairs, and he helps get this guy back.

Oh, he turns on the light. He turns on it. Can you imagine you come downstairs as a guy? You turn on the light, there's your wife fighting with some guy. Just some random figure in your kitchen. That has to be one of those moments where your brain, you don't, it doesn't register because it is so far. outside the realm of what you're used to,

that this thing happening before your eyes is just, what the hell is going on in here? They push the guy out the door, and they shut the door. He goes away. He calls the cops. They're sitting there with baseball bats on their laps while the cops come, and she's shop backing up the broken glass.

I love that about her. She, you know, every... The guy breaks in, he won't go away, terrified, she gets out the shop back and starts cleaning up. That's a woman after my own heart. Do not mess with Amy Allen. That is just one. She says, I can't imagine why he would come back in. And she said, I figured he'd run. He didn't. He came back in. And I don't know that I'll ever understand that. I don't know. Maybe they have something in their house that's really, really neat that everybody else wants.

And this was Mama Bear, her husband said. extended with the baseball. It's a great story. It's on the blaze. It actually gives you hope that the good guys do win sometimes. You know, that's our motto here. We tell stories of love and courage where the good guys win. But there are days, I swear, does not pay to be a good guy. I know. You can't give up. You have to stay positive. I get all that. But I don't know about you, but I'm exhausted. At the end of the day, I'm exhausted. It seems like you struggle and you fight and you fight and you struggle. But in the end, isn't it worth it?

I think it is. Which takes me down the road to revolution in this country. And again, your kids ask you questions and you don't know how to answer them. Because Sam asked me, said, wouldn't revolution, if people in the government revolted, I mean, wouldn't that be illegal for us to talk about Texas to succeed? from, wouldn't it be illegal for us to try to secede from the United States? And I was like, I think so, but we're supposed to because it's, it's, you know, the government goes south on us.

We've got this responsibility. I don't know. Can't you go watch TV? I mean, how do you answer questions like that? Our parents, well, our parents had the Cold War. Why don't I have to crawl into my desk and put my hands across the back of my neck? Which, by the way, was a total farce in school. If you think about it, remember that?

You had to, oh, yeah, there's a nuclear scare. First thing, kids, get under your desks and put your hands over the back of your neck. In retrospect, that was not going to save us from a nuclear attack. All that was going to do was keep us from standing at the window and staring at the bomb as it went off. That's all. That was just to keep our face staring at the floor, not. becoming terrified it had nothing to do with safety it they just didn't want a bunch of crazy little fifth graders or fourth or over I don't I can't remember

when we stopped doing that but they didn't want us running around in circles and blocking their blocking their way to the exit that is what that was all about but now we get questions from our kids like this what how we what's a revolution how are we gonna do that and I thought I have no idea what does a revolution in this country look like when the government I mean the government come on at this point you have any faith in it maybe you do I think I think people on both aisles both sides of the aisle are scumbags and I've been a registered Republican since I was 18 years old I guess

anymore I'm a what is it a fiscal conservative and a social liberal I think the government should stay out of the bedroom but they should also take our tax dollars and spend them wisely which yeah like that's ever going to happen but what does a revolution look like in this country is it peaceful? I have a friend who's a Navy SEAL retired

I said if you ever got a stupid order from the commander-in-chief would you follow it or would you know well you know technically we're supposed to follow the orders and see these are the things that keep me awake at night. These are the things that I worry about. I know. I'm as crazy as the day is long.

But I am Brad Staggs. I am filling in for Jeff Fisher. We are going to take another break. Thank you for sticking with us through all of this. I enjoy talking with you. And we've got, oh gosh, we got another 15 minutes. Have it on the other side of this? Right here on the Blaze Radio Network.

Here we go. This is the Jeff Fisher Show on the Blaze Radio Network. The Jeff Fisher Show on the Blaze Radio Network. And I am Brad Stakes filling in for Jeffrey this morning as he rests up for the big Monday return of Glenn and the rest of the guys, Pat and Stu. The whole gang will be reunited Monday morning on the Blaze Radio Network. And we're very excited about that. I'm telling you this place has not been the same without Glenn in the building for the past month. And I believe this is the longest he's ever not been on the air since.

since he started in rare, or at least since he went syndicated. I was just reading the story on The Blaze about the two kids down in Florida that they've called off the search for these two boys. This is one of those stories when you have kids. It's tough. And my son actually said to me yesterday, he said, their parents were irresponsible letting them to go out there and I thought for a minute I thought no their parents right now are devastated and they're they're second guessing themselves they're what if and you can't do that we have to let our kids grow we have to let our kids reach

that's been I think the biggest problem with the past generation is that man we have just coddled them to death. We've overprotected them. We don't want a nation of sissies. I'm sorry. It's the old back back in the day when rocks were soft and I wrote a dinosaur to work. We, you know, we, we didn't have cell phones. We were playing until the streetlights came on. You've seen the email that goes around there. These two kids were responsible from what I've read, responsible kids, 14-year-olds

really close to adults. And who knows? They may still I pray they do. But no, Sam, these were not irresponsible parents.

These were parents who were letting their kids grow up. We can't lose track of that. You cannot overprotect kids. I mean, the world has changed. get that but we've got to let if we're going to have a generation that that is going to be strong

that's going to lead they need to learn how to lead and they're not going to learn how to lead if we never let them do anything if we you know it's the don't climb a tree you're breaking arm you blah blah blah you got to let our kids have freedom I mean within boundaries common sense oh yeah I'm sorry common sense died with customer service but read this story on the blaze about these two kids in Florida. It really is. It's heart-wrenching. But, man, we've got to let our kids grow. Spread their wings and help lead. I am Brad Staggs. I have been so honored to be sitting in in Jeffrey's chair this morning, filling in for him. I hope I get to do this again. If you watch radio and television again, I do the commercials in between the radio breaks and on Glenn's TV.

show. Thank you so much. Glenn returns on Monday. Looking forward to that. And don't forget to go to mercury one.org and sign up for Never Again is now. Join us in Birmingham. Let's come together. Please love you, mean it. And see you next time I see you. This is the Jeff Fisher Show. Only on the Blaze Radio Network.