Best Bits: Epic Universal Excitement & Core Memories From Childhood

Summary

Summary of "Best Bits: Epic Universal Excitement & Core Memories From Childhood" – The Bobby Bones Show

Release Date: April 12, 2025

In this engaging episode of The Bobby Bones Show, hosted by Brendan Patrick Hughes and Morgan, listeners are treated to a blend of nostalgia, personal anecdotes, and lively discussions centered around Universal's Epic Universe theme parks and cherished childhood memories. The conversation flows naturally, offering insights and relatable moments that resonate with both regular listeners and newcomers.

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1. Anticipation for Universal's Epic Universe

Brendan and Morgan kick off the episode with enthusiastic discussions about Universal's upcoming Epic Universe theme parks. They delve into specific sections that excite them the most.

• Mario World Excitement:

  • Brendan (04:05): “I’m really excited to see the Mario side because it’s the first really big expansive Mario World. It feels like you’re immersed in a video game.”

• Harry Potter Expansion:

  • Morgan (05:34): “The one I’m so excited about is Ministry of Magic. Expanding it into three worlds sounds incredible.”

• Villain and Celestial Parks:

  • Brendan (06:29): “Villain World, featuring characters like Dracula and Frankenstein, is something I’ve always loved from Halloween Horror Nights. Celestial Park, on the other hand, looks super fancy and beautiful.”

The duo expresses hope that their show will be invited to broadcast from the park, allowing them to share the experience with their extensive audience.

---

2. Navigating the Education System: Public vs. Private Schools

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around the challenges of the current education system, particularly the dilemma between choosing public and private schools for their child.

• Brendan’s Perspective:

  • Brendan (11:43): “I worry that taking him to a private school might cause him to lose the advantage he has in public schools, where he excels because he’s helping other kids learn English.”
  • Brendan (12:14): “Public schools need more funding because they rely on it, unlike private schools that already receive funding from tuition and donations.”

• Impact on Teachers and Students:

  • Morgan (13:30): “It’s heartbreaking for educators and kids right now. The system is pushing out good teachers who genuinely want to make a difference.”
  • Brendan (17:27): “We’re losing passionate educators who are burnt out and forced to leave, which negatively affects the students.”

The discussion highlights the broader implications of funding decisions and standardized testing on the quality of education and the well-being of both students and teachers.

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3. Cherished Parenting Moments and Core Memories

Brendan shares heartfelt stories about parenting and the importance of creating meaningful memories with their children.

• Brendan’s Early Foray into Announcing:

  • Brendan (33:07) recounts his childhood experience of using the PA system at a local baseball park. This pivotal moment planted the seed for his interest in working behind a microphone.

• Importance of Present Moments:

  • Brendan (28:17): “Those small, little moments with our kids are so important to embrace and be present for.”
  • Morgan (28:52): “I remember my dad sitting on the couch when I did my fashion shows. Those are my core memories.”

These anecdotes emphasize the lasting impact of parental involvement and the joy derived from shared activities.

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4. Language Quirks and Personal Habits

The hosts engage in a lighthearted segment about old-school vocabulary and personal quirks, adding a fun dynamic to the episode.

• Old-School Words:

  • Morgan (24:48): “I use the word ‘bamboozled’ a lot, and someone new to my life hasn’t heard it in ages.”
  • Brendan (25:12): “Buffoon is such an old-time classic. It’s funny how some words fall out of regular use.”

• Personal Habits:

  • Brendan (26:23): “I have an OCD that if my shoes are untied, I just have to tie them the way I like. My wife ties them for me using the factory tie method, which I can’t do myself.”

These exchanges showcase the hosts' personalities and their ability to connect with listeners through relatable and humorous topics.

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5. Aspirations and Career Dreams

Brendan shares his aspiration to become a PA announcer for sports teams, revealing his passion for sports and public speaking.

• Dream Role as PA Announcer:

  • Brendan (34:00): “I’ve always wanted to do the PA announcing for basketball or baseball. It would be a full-circle moment from my childhood experience.”
  • Morgan (35:21) encourages him: “There’s always a 1% chance that you do beat everybody out.”

• Challenges and Persistence:

  • Brendan (36:11): “I need to find the gig; it’s not posted yet. If you hear me reach out, please give me a chance to put together a demo.”

Brendan’s determination underscores the importance of pursuing one’s passions despite logistical and competitive challenges.

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6. Fun Conversations: Food and Family Dynamics

The hosts wrap up the episode with amusing discussions about food creations and family interactions.

• Unique Sandwich Creations:

  • Morgan (45:17): “I make a bagel egg sandwich with jam. People think I’m crazy, but it’s top tier.”
  • Brendan (46:05): “I make a healthier version with Greek yogurt and ranch seasoning.”

• Family Playtime:

  • Morgan (28:05): “I used to put on fashion shows for my dad.”
  • Brendan (29:10): “Those moments are core memories that kids cherish as adults.”

These segments highlight the playful and creative sides of the hosts, fostering a warm and inviting atmosphere for listeners.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Brendan (04:05): “I’m really excited to see the Mario side because it’s the first really big expansive Mario World. It feels like you’re immersed in a video game.”
• Brendan (11:43): “I worry that taking him to a private school might cause him to lose the advantage he has in public schools, where he excels because he’s helping other kids learn English.”
• Morgan (28:52): “I remember my dad sitting on the couch when I did my fashion shows. Those are my core memories.”
• Brendan (34:00): “I’ve always wanted to do the PA announcing for basketball or baseball. It would be a full-circle moment from my childhood experience.”

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Conclusion

This episode of The Bobby Bones Show masterfully intertwines discussions about upcoming theme park attractions with deep, personal reflections on education and parenting. Brendan and Morgan’s candid conversations provide listeners with valuable insights, relatable stories, and moments of levity, making it a compelling listen for anyone interested in the intersection of personal growth and shared experiences.

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For more episodes and content, listen to The Bobby Bones Show on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Transcript

[Anna Sinfield]

The number one hit podcast, the Girlfriends is back with something new, the Girlfriends Spotlight. Where each week you'll hear women share their stories of triumph over adversity. You'll meet Luann, who escaped a secretive religious community.

[Morgan]

Do I want my freedom or do.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I want my family?

[Anna Sinfield]

And now helps other women get out too.

[Morgan]

I loved my girls.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I still love my girls.

[Anna Sinfield]

Come and join our girl gang. Listen to the girlfriend Spotlight on the iHeartRadio app, Apple PODC, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I'm ready to fight. Oh, this is Fighting words. Okay, I'll put the hammer back.

[George M. Johnson]

Hi, I'm George M. Johnson, a best selling author with the second most banned book in America. Now more than ever, we need to use our voices to fight back.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Part of the power of black queer creativity is the fact that we got us, you know, we are the greatest culture makers in world history.

[George M. Johnson]

Listen to Fighting words on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sam Mullins]

Hi, I'm Sam Mullins and I've got a new podcast coming out called goboy. The gritty true story of how one man fought his way out of some of the darkest places imaginable.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Roger Caron was 16 when first convicted, has spent 24 of those years in jail.

[Sam Mullins]

But when Roger Caron picked up a pen and paper, he went from an ex con to a literary darling from Campside Media and iHeart Podcasts. Listen to GoBoy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell bent effort to sabotage a war.

J. Edgar Hoover was furious. He was out of his mind and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its KN.

Listen to Divine Intervention on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown Producer]

From the producers who brought you Princess of South beach comes a new podcast, the Setup. The setup follows a lonely museum curator. But when the perfect man walks into his life.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Well, I guess I'm saying I like.

[Unknown Character]

You, you like me.

[Unknown Producer]

He actually is too good to be true.

[Unknown Character]

This is a con.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I'm conning you to get the Dalama painting. We could do this together.

[Unknown Producer]

Listen to the Setup on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

The best bits of the week with Morgan part one. Behind the scenes with a member of the show.

[Morgan]

What's up everybody? Welcome to the Weeknd, It's Part one. Scuba Steve is joining me. What's up, Scuba?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Hey. So is this the first one that plays or the second one that plays?

[Morgan]

The first one that plays.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I was gonna say something. That was a follow up from the first one that we recorded.

[Morgan]

No, can't do that. Can't do that. I know. It' well, it's weird. You have a weird schedule, so I gotta fit you in where we can fit.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay. What if. What if for this weekend only, we flipped it and put Q A first? And then we did this one second. And then when they hear this, they'll go, oh, that's why the Q A's first. Because he's telling the story. That's the follow up to what they recorded first. No, no, you can't break the format.

[Morgan]

You can't break the format.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

You gotta be fluid. We're in radio.

[Morgan]

People like consistency.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, but sometimes you gotta, like, change it.

[Morgan]

Just if there's no. If there's anything I figured out about our.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

It doesn't make sense, though. But the listeners will understand if you had to flip it.

[Morgan]

Okay. We're missing a lot of conversations to be had right now.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay. All right. Sorry, listeners, you'll have to get this story in about a month and a half. By next time, I won the best bits. What?

[Morgan]

It was a follow up to something we talked about.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, well. Yeah, it's okay. It's fine. It's cool. It's. Worry about it. It's all good.

[Morgan]

Oh, my God. You're stressing me out, man.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I'm not stressed out. I'm always stressed out.

[Morgan]

Okay, well, that is a problem.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yes. Yeah.

[Morgan]

Anyways, I'm sorry we didn't get to talk about one question which was Chandler in California who wanted us to talk about epic universe and, oh, yes, Universal. She was like, which epic universe section are you most excited about?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I think my kids are excited about the how to train your dragon side. I'm really excited to see the Mario side because it's the first, like, really big expansive Mario World. Because they have the one in Hollywood. And it's a really. I mean, it's cool, but it's a smaller portion of. It's almost like a food court sample size of what it can be.

[Morgan]

Don't they have one in Japan?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Japan, they have one too. I don't know how big theirs is.

[Morgan]

I feel like theirs is probably really cool.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, I'm sure. Yeah. Because that's where it was made.

[Morgan]

Yeah. So, like, they, like, made it all out There. So this will be the first, the first big one for.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. For America. Yeah. I'm so excited to go see it. I wish we, I wish we were one of those shows that did the broadcast because they always invite shows across the country, especially our. We would get the, we would 100% get the invite because we reach a large population that travels to Orlando and is thinking, ah, should I go to Epic Universe? Well, I listened to Steve or whoever, the By Bones show, and they were there and they had a great time. I'm going anyways, I digress.

[Morgan]

I wish we could do that because.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

They would do that.

[Morgan]

We would do it. You and I would go and we'd geek out.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh my God. Yeah. Because Disney, when every time they open up a new ride or they are theming for a particular holiday, like, you know, whether it be, I think Christmas is a big one or the not so scary Halloween, they always invite shows to go there and broadcast for a couple days and they put you up in a hotel and then you get to go to the parks and you get cool fun access and you talk about it and it's so much fun because you're there. But I don't know, that's a dream of mine to be able to actually be able to do one of those.

[Morgan]

I still think we should try and make it happen.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I know The Epic Universe 1 is coming up though, because that's like now they're opening up I think may 23rd or at the end of May. Oh man.

[Morgan]

And it looks so cool. The one I'm so excited about is Ministry of Magic.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay.

[Morgan]

That's the Harry Potter one.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yes. Because they're expanding that it's going to be even. This could be three worlds now. That's so cool.

[Morgan]

And I'm so excited because when I went to the other ones, I totally geeked out. I could have spent a whole weekend just hanging out in Harry Potter Land.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Doing both those back and forth islands and Universal.

[Morgan]

Yeah, exactly. So now I'm like, oh, I got another one to go check out. So I'm really excited about that one. But I'm with you. The Super Mario one looks so cool. It's going to feel like you're in a video game.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Exactly. Yeah. That's the whole. I think the whole object is because they have those tunnels that you go through and the tunnel that you go through into the Mario World is that green tube that you see in the video game. So it really makes you feel like you're immersed yourself into. And they do a great job, too, of putting things up high enough to where it feels like you're not even in Florida anymore. You're in whatever land that they put you in because everything's just so high in the sky and the architecture is amazing. I'm also excited for the, the, the.

The.

What do they call it? The one with all their villains like Dracula and Frankenstein.

[Morgan]

So they have. I think it's Villain world.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. Because that, for me, I always loved Halloween Horror Nights. And so to get a tamer but also really cool version, first Dark universe yet to get that year round. That's pretty freaking cool. And also genius. And also when they do Halloween Horror Nights, it's probably going to be insane. That part of the theme park.

[Morgan]

Yeah. And then the other part is Celestial park, which is probably going to be super cool and just super, like, pretty and fancy.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Celestial. Oh, that looks kind of like. That reminds me of old school Islands of Adventure, which had this kind of, like, had that kind of a vibe to it. I wonder what's going to be in there.

[Morgan]

I know. I don't know what exactly they're going to put in there, but it just, to me looks like it's going to be the bougie one. Like, it's going to look pretty. You're going to feel really cool in it. But then you're going to go to the others and they're going to be like the fun.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Maybe that's the entrance one where you walk in, like, you know, there's always like. Like a Main Street USA type thing that could be the entrance to the park because there's only four worlds.

[Morgan]

It's a step into a lush green world where thrills, entertainment, dining and shopping lead all who enter on an exhilarating journey of.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yes. I hear dining and shopping, and I hear entrance or like, kind of like a citywalk extension type thing, which is gonna be really cool, I'm sure. But yeah, the tenet World's going. They're all really cool. I'm excited for any one of those.

[Morgan]

I know. I want us to be able to go, hey, but we talked about, you know, my little selfish moment.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. You being friends of somebody at Disney.

[Morgan]

Yeah. So maybe this is our moment.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

So I need to know, what are your top three that you'd want to be friends with?

[Morgan]

I don't know.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

At Disney, I need a top three because I have to pitch the top three.

[Morgan]

Yeah. Let me see. Well, because the. All the Marvel ones are in California.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. But they always do some sort of crossover at Disney World. They may Have a. You never know. Like, they have a. What do they call them?

[Morgan]

Well, I also love Star wars, so.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay. Star Wars. They have Star wars there. Yeah.

[Morgan]

Love to. Let me. Hold on. Let me make sure I'm saying the name because Princess Leia would be cool, but I don't think they dress up as Princess Leia anymore.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

No, they do that one girl who's in a Rogue One.

[Morgan]

Yeah, what's her name? Star Wars. I'm Googling.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

It's up in Rogue One. And then it'll be that main chicken there. She's awesome.

[Morgan]

Jyn Erso. But they also do one with. What's the latest Star wars one? Like the newest. Newest movies. Sorry, guys, we're Googling. We got Star Wars. No, it's. Is it the Last Jedi, maybe?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I thought it was. Oh, you know who I'm talking about.

[Morgan]

She's Burnett.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I talk about Natalie Portman. No, the. The Queen from the 1, 2 and 3.

[Morgan]

Oh, here she is. The Rise of Skywalker. And her name is. Why can't I think of it?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh, her. Yes. Kylo Ren's the bad guy.

[Morgan]

No, Kylo Ren's a D. Yeah, her name is.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

What is. Ray. Ray. That's what I was thinking of, Ray. And Ray is also in Rogue One, too, isn't she? Or that's a different girl.

[Morgan]

No, different girls.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

They look very similar.

[Morgan]

They do. They both have brunette hair and they have. They have similar kind of very pretty faces.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Very pretty faces.

[Morgan]

I'd love to be Rey.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That'd be really cool. And they definitely. I've seen her there.

[Morgan]

Yes.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

A. Ray is. Ray is one.

[Morgan]

Star wars one.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay.

[Morgan]

And we're going to focus on Disney World because Disneyland is a different kind.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Of experience, so it's easier to get to Disney World for us, too, as well, for travel and then the connection and everything.

[Morgan]

Yeah. So Ray would be number one.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Ray One.

[Morgan]

Two would be Cinderella.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Cinderella. Okay. Okay. That's pretty. That's super classic.

[Morgan]

Yeah, I love a classic. And then maybe three would be Chewbacca.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Chewbacca. Not tall enough for Chewbacca. You can be Chewbacca's kid.

[Morgan]

I could be an Ewok.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yes, yes. You be Ewok, then.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

So you one of the Ewoks?

[Morgan]

Yeah. I don't think they have those, though, so I'm going to.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Nothing. They do. Or. Or they may if they don't.

[Morgan]

They have Chewbacca, but I don't think they have any. Walk.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

No, you can be Chewbacca as, like, little toy or kid. It'd Be kind of cool. They made you a kid. Chewbacca.

[Morgan]

It's like his child.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

What would you sound like his. Chewbacca's like. He's louder. I do it again.

[Morgan]

Oh, I messed it up. I messed it up as I was doing it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Or you could be. They could put you in the R2D2 suit.

[Morgan]

I was R2D2 in a play.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

There you go. See, you're short enough. You can get in there. They definitely have R2D2.

[Morgan]

I know. Let me think on the third one.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

You could be R2D2, and I could be C3PO. That'd be pretty awesome.

[Morgan]

Just machinery. This is awesome. That'd be really cool, right?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I mean, come on.

[Morgan]

We can also double whammy.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

Go over to Universal and.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah.

[Morgan]

We promote everything.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

[Morgan]

Do it all.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That'd be really, really cool.

[Morgan]

I know.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay. Okay.

[Morgan]

I'm manifesting this here. We go back to you on my number three.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay.

[Morgan]

Yeah, for sure. Ray and Cinderella.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Ray, Cinderella. And then TBD number three. Okay, cool.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Let's get the ball rolling with those two. Those are obviously there. They exist. They. They're like quintessential to Disney. Okay. All right, cool.

[Morgan]

Yeah, those are my. My first ones. So we might. Our first way of making this happen.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. Yeah. Okay. All right. All right.

[Morgan]

And then we can totally geek out. Anyways. How's life? How's dad life? What's going on?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Dad life is busy, and now we're in the state of education and all that because it's kind of changing a little bit. So we're worried about public versus private. So that's my wife's biggest stress right now is figuring out what we want to do. And. And I like the public school system in the sense of. I went there and I understand there are problems and there's pros and cons to anything in life, but I like where he's at now because he goes to a school where English is a second language, so there's a lot of kids that speak Spanish or other languages. And I like it in the sense that it's really cool to see him. He learns really fast, and obviously he speaks English, so he gravitates to it faster and quicker. And it's cool to see where. He'll tell me stories of where he teaches other kids that are in his class and he helps them. So not only is he learning it, but then he's double learning it because he's then teaching it to other kids who are Asking him for help that are friends at his table or whatever. So it's really sticking in his head because he learns it and then teaches it, which is, you know, I think my studies have said that that's the way to really understand information is to take it in and then tell it to somebody. So he's really good at math and reading and writing. And he like will sit there, he's seven years old. He'll sit there in our bedroom while we're waiting, you know, he's waiting for everyone to take their showers and baths. And he's down there in his notebook and writing a story about the bird came to my house, the bird sat down and his name went like writing a story. And I'm like, oh my God, this is so cool. So he's really great at it. And so I worry by taking him to a private school if he will then lose that because there it's a little different. It's even smaller classrooms and most kids are all on his level or higher or in the same space. So I worry that would be a thing. But then I also worry about where we are in the state of where things are, where there's a lot of funding being pulled from public schools and then it's being put into private schools where they don't really need funding because people pay to go there. So there's really no point. Yeah, there's no point to give something money that already gets money from the people who go there. And people also who go there, they donate. They donate money. They donate money and they do charities and events to get even more money. They don't need more money coming that way. The money needs to go to public schools where they don't get any money that, that it comes from us. So we can we pay. I like to pay for it because I know it's paying for my kids education and other kids education. So I have no problem with my tax money going to pay for a school system. That's what it was there for and I'm okay with that. So that's my biggest struggle right now with the kids is what do we do? Do we do we just. We have to just succumb to it and be like, well, this is what they're doing for the next few years. We have to just send them to private school or do we say no, screw it, we'll suck it up, tough it out. But then I don't want it to be at the expense of my kid. But I also feel like crap because the other kids are Going to be even further behind because of funding and the way things are.

[Morgan]

So, yeah, you guys have a whole situation happening right now. I really feel for parents, for sure. I've been seeing that happen.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

So. And we live in a state, Tennessee. I don't get too much into it where you don't really have a choice. So they just make the rules for you. You just roll with it. So. Okay, cool. Whereas before, I lived in a. In a bubble, and it was a little different and it was more thought about the people who are the constituents. We are the. We are the country and it should be of our best interest. And some things are. And a lot of things are not. So.

[Morgan]

Yeah, that's.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That's the crappy part. Right now. We're at. As parents, and some people don't understand because they don't have kids. And I get it, but you have nieces and nephews or your friends have kids.

[Morgan]

And I have. My sisters are in the education system. And I know a lot of what's happening, and it is. It's heartbreaking.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

It sucks.

[Morgan]

It really does for educators. I feel for kids and I feel for parents. Like, it's a crazy time right now.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. Because it's just common sense and, and. And knowledge is. Is power. And when you hold knowledge from people, you take away people's power to learn and to understand and have perspective in life. And, you know, and even before all this, standardized testing was crap because kids had to learn to attest. So there was all about memorization, which is great, but you're memorizing a test to pass a test to get funding. So there was some broken stuff in there where really it should be kids should be t. That they should just be taught not to a certain test. Yeah, you can test the kids and make sure there's certain things you have to work into their curriculum and make sure they understand the basics of the ABCs and all that crap. I get that. But to make the whole curriculum to be about like in us in Florida, we had this thing called the fcat. I don't know if it exists anymore, but it was like a Florida standardized test where the teachers pretty much spent the majority of their time making sure they passed that test, because if their class got high numbers, they got incentives and the school got incentives, which is fine to a certain degree. You should teach those things. But it became the only focus was making sure we pass that test versus other things in school that we should have been learning and focused on, which we did. But it was a much smaller focus for us, where the larger focus was passing the standardized testing, which wasn't fair for the teachers. So I could see that whole thing being like, well, there's a system flaw. Well, then that's why you take it and you look at it and you fix it. You don't just eliminate it. You don't just smother it. You just figure out how you can fix it.

[Morgan]

It's a lot easier for us, apparently, to just get rid of things and start brand new instead of just learning to adjust and navigate and change things to be better. Yeah. Yeah. It's a wild time right now.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, it really is.

[Morgan]

I hate that that's what's happening. But hopefully.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

I'll just hope that good things are gonna happen and the kids can stay in the public education system and it keeps going.

[Anna Sinfield]

Good.

[Morgan]

Because I also had a public education. But speaking to the standardized testing side of things, that's why so much of my memory sucks, because all I did was memorize everything for a test.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

So you had a version of that in Kansas.

[Morgan]

Yeah. I don't remember what it was called.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay.

[Morgan]

But, like, we always. And so much of our testing was, like, comprehensive, so you'd have to memorize all these things, and then you never use it again.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

So, like, I'd memorize to get my A. Yeah, yeah. And then pass that test.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

[Morgan]

And then I'm moving on to something new. So, like, my whole, like, memory was never, like, keeping things to retain the information.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, it was.

[Morgan]

Keeping it so I could pass a test and then move on.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Spit it out and move on. Yeah, exactly. Yeah.

[Morgan]

So that's. That's how my brain works now. So that's why half the time I suck at Easy Sugar. I'm like, I know. I learned that.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

I did not retaining.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I erased it. Like, critical thinking is so much more important. And education on where we started and where we are and where we can go is important. Music is important music. It's completely. My son, the school he goes to now, they have this amazing, awesome, fantastic music school area with all these instruments and a whole hall and everything. And they don't have a music class because they don't have a music teacher. So they have all these things just sitting there, and they are. They have an art class, which is cool, and thank God they at least have that. But we're at Music City, and they don't have a teacher. And if I were someone that was extremely music. Like, if I was a songwriter or something and my kids went there, I'm like, yo, I'll volunteer my time one or twice, once or twice a week just to give these kids these things that are just collecting dust. You're like, man, like, little things like that are so important, I think, for kids brains.

[Morgan]

You have a lot of educators that don't want to be in that field right now.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I know. It sucks.

[Morgan]

That's what's happening.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

And it's sad.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. Pushing out good people who really want to make a change. And at some point you just get so burnt out by. You're like, I just can't do this anymore. And it's not good for their mental health. And they're like, well, this really sucks. I fought as long as I could. And I feel like they're just letting go because what are they going to do now?

[Morgan]

Yeah. Then they have to go and change jobs. Something that they don't actually want to do, but.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, exactly.

[Morgan]

They can actually make money.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

And yeah, my Uber driver. I had an Uber driver about a few weeks ago, we were coming back from somewhere and he pointed to some high school. He goes, oh, I used to teach there. And I was like, oh, yeah. Because I taught chemistry there. And I was like, oh, my gosh. He's like, yeah, he came from Lebanon. Not Lebanon the city, but Lebanon, the country. Came from Lebanon over here. And he learned English by watching TV and from his parents and all these things. And he got his, you know, he got his master's degree, his doctorate. Like, he's super, super smart. And he was teaching there. He's like, but it wasn't worth it because the pay sucked and the kids didn't want to learn, and everyone's dicking around on their phones and no one's held accountable for anything, and the school is just kind of falling apart. And he really tried to. But there's just. He's like, but it's not worth the money because I make more money driving you around than I did teaching kids. He goes, but I loved. But he goes, I loved it so much, though. He goes, I loved, you know, educating the future of America, but it just wasn't set up for me to continue doing it. And I was like, damn, that's. That sucks. And he was a smart dude. And I was like, talking to. I was like, wow, this is a. This is something you need in the public school system. This is somebody who really, truly. And we even told him like, hey, dude, I know it sucks, but private school is hiring, so you should definitely look at that. And they'll pay you more. And you can continue to educate kids. But he's. He's seen them more like, want to help kids who really, like, really needed the help. And I was like. And I understood that. But, yeah, I was like, dang, dude, you lose people like that, you know?

[Morgan]

I know.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That's what blows. Yeah.

[Morgan]

Okay, we're gonna take a quick break.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That was a downer. We're gonna come back at a higher note.

[Morgan]

We will. We'll come back with some fun topics. We had our little Disney moment, a rant moment. And now we'll be back.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

My name is Harry Houdini.

[Unknown Character]

Harry Houdini could make elephants disappear, walk through walls, and escape the Chinese water torture cell. But he was also on a mission against mediums.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I have never seen one genuine medium.

[Unknown Character]

Join me, Tim Harford, for a cautionary tales trilogy on the world's most famous magician.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

It takes a flim flammer to catch a flim flammer.

[Unknown Character]

Houdini wanted the world to see reason in an age of spiritualism. He went undercover to seances, exposed fakes and charlatans, and even tried to convince Washington lawmakers to ban mediums for good. A campaign that cost him friends and made him many enemies.

[Sam Mullins]

They're going to kill me.

[Unknown Character]

Listen to cautionary tales on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown Producer]

Sonoro and iHeart's My Cultura podcast Network present the Setup, a new romantic comedy podcast starring Harvey Guillen and Christian Navarro. The setup follows a lonely museum curator searching for love. But when the perfect man walks into his life.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Well, I guess I'm saying I like it.

[Unknown Character]

Do you like me?

[Unknown Producer]

He actually is too good to be true.

[Unknown Character]

This is a con.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I'm conning you to get the Delato painting. We could do this together.

[Unknown Producer]

To pull off this heist, they'll have to get close and jump into the deep end together.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That's a huge leap, Fernando, don't you think?

[Morgan]

After you, Chulito.

[Unknown Producer]

But love is the biggest risk they'll ever take.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Fernando's never going to love you as much as he loves this job. That painting is ours.

[Unknown Producer]

Listen to the setup as part of the Mike Worldura podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

We ready to fight? I'm ready to fight.

[George M. Johnson]

Is that.

[Unknown Producer]

I thought it was.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh, this is fighting words. Okay, I'll put the hammer back.

[George M. Johnson]

Hi, I'm George M. Johnson, a best selling author with a second most banned book in America. Now more than ever, we need to use our voices to fight back and that's what we are doing on Fighting Words. We're not going to let anyone silence us.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That's the reason why they're banning books like yours, George. That's the reason why they're trying to stop the teaching of black history or queer history. Any history that challenges the whitewashed norm.

[George M. Johnson]

Or put us in a box.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Black people have never ever depended on the so called mainstream to support us. That's why we are great. We are the greatest culture makers in world history.

[George M. Johnson]

Listen to Fighting words on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bob Pittman]

Hi, I'm Bob Pittman, chairman and CEO of iHeartMedia. I'm excited to introduce a brand new season of my podcast Math and Stories from the Frontiers of Marketing. I'm having convers with some interesting folks across a wide range of industries to hear how they reach the top of their fields and the lessons they learned along the way that everyone can use. I'll be joined by innovative leaders like Chairman and CEO of Elf Beauty, Tarang Amin.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

The way I approach risk is constantly try things and actually make it okay to fail.

[Bob Pittman]

I'm sitting down with legendary singer, songwriter and philanthropist Jewel.

[Morgan]

I wanted a way to do something that I loved for the rest of my life.

[Bob Pittman]

We're also hearing how leaders brought their businesses out of unprecedented times like Stefan Bonsell, CEO of Moderna.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

It becomes a human decision to decide to throw by the window your business strategy and to do what you think is the right thing for the world.

[Bob Pittman]

Join me as we uncover innovations in data and analytics, the math and the ever important creative spark, the magic. Listen to math and magic stories from the frontiers of market on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Sam Mullins]

In 1978, Roger Caron's first book was published and he was unlike any first time author Canada had ever seen.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Roger Caron was 16 when first convicted, has spent 24 of those years in jail, 12 years in solitary.

[Sam Mullins]

He went from an ex con to a literary darling almost overnight.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

He was instantly a celebrity, he was.

[Morgan]

An adrenaline junkie and he was the.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Star of the show.

[Sam Mullins]

Go Boy is the gritty true story of how one man fought his way out of some of the darkest places imaginable.

[Unknown Character]

I had a knife go in my.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Stomach, puncture my spleen, break my ribs. I had my guts all in my.

[Sam Mullins]

Hands only to find himself back where he started.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Roger's saying is I've never hurt anybody but myself. And I said oh, you're so wrong. You're so wrong on that one.

[Sam Mullins]

Ron from Campside Media and iHeart Podcasts. Listen to GoBoy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Morgan]

Okay. No more rants or Disney talk or Universal talk. We're moving on to some other things.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, you can't make any promises.

[Morgan]

Well, we're gonna.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I don't know what's gonna lead us to. Well, yeah, we'll do our absolute best.

[Morgan]

Yeah, we're gonna try. I wanna know something from you because I have recently learned from somebody new in my life who's telling me that I use an old school word very frequently.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay.

[Morgan]

That they haven't heard until I started using it all the time. And I use bamboozled a lot.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh, bamboozled. Okay.

[Morgan]

Yeah, I've been bamboozled. Don't bamboozle me.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Morgan]

It's become a very significant part of my language for some reason. Can't tell you where, when, how, or why.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, okay.

[Morgan]

But it's an old school word that is now in my new language of today. Do you use any old school vocabulary terms?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

There was a time when we used to use the word buffoon, like buffoonery or buffoon. They had some buffoonery. Oh, you buffoon. I feel like buffoon is kind of like. I don't even know where the root of it is, but it's just. It's such, like an old, like, time classic that is.

[Morgan]

And, you know, are you the one in reason why we started doing buffoon or what is it on the show before Baller.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Buffoon.

[Morgan]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. I couldn't remember the other side.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Baller. Buffoon. That may be one of those things where I tell the lunchbox, like, hey, say this.

[Morgan]

It's possible you got inserted onto the show.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

Isn't it weird, though, how words like will come and go live and you're like, oh, I haven't heard that one for a long time. And then it just becomes part of your language again.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

And then some of them, you're like, oh, there's a reason why that one's gone.

[Morgan]

Yeah. Like there's certain ones where I'm like, yeah, we don't say that one anymore.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Shouldn't even said it back then, but we. But some people did, you know?

[Morgan]

And look at both of ours, both.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Starting with bees and a bamboozle. Buffoon.

[Morgan]

Bamboozled. Buffoon.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I have this, like, OCD that if my shoes are untied, I just have to tie them I can't tie them the way I like to tie them. My wife ties them for me, so. So also pivoting on a Bobby Bones show segment. Things that you can't do as an adult, but you should know how to do. Yeah, for me, it's tie my shoes.

[Morgan]

You don't know how to tie your shoes?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I can tie my shoes, but my wife ties them for me. The factory tie, you know, the factory tie has like this, like. See, it's not here because it came undone, but the factory tie is like that, where it's like a. It's like a loop looking thing.

[Morgan]

She knows how to do the factory tie.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yes, she can do the factory tie. So I'm always like, can you tie my shoes for me? And in public, people are always like, what the hell? Why is your. How old are you, sir? You have three children. You can't tie your own shoes? Can your kids tie their shoes?

[Morgan]

I was gonna say, did you teach your kids how to tie their shoes or did she?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

She did. Well, I could do, like, the old school way where you do, like the bunny ears, like the loop, swoop, pull, whatever. I can do that. Like, that's no problem. But I like them as the factory tie that she can do, that I can't do.

[Morgan]

Yeah, I don't think anybody ever taught me the factory tie.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I don't think anyone teaches you that.

[Morgan]

You have paint or fingernail polish on your fingers.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh, yeah. My middle child, my daughter, she. It was a day of me saying a lot of no's, and then at the end of the day, she was like, can I paint your nails? And I was like. I said no. So so many things. And I was like, all right, fine. So I put my hand out and she started painting my nails. And she just takes and just mashes the crap out of it. And your nails. And it was the full nail. Now it's, like, starting to fade. And I just wanted to show her that, like, I kept it on to be like, hey, like, see, I kept it on. You did it for me, and here it is.

[Morgan]

So you're telling me you could keep fingernail polish on, but lunchbox can wear a bracelet? Yeah, I'm just making sure.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Exactly. That's exactly what. What you thought is what happened? Yes. I don't care. She made me a bracelet one time, and I've worn it because it's just like, it doesn't really matter. Who cares? And I saw some guy here in the building. He. I went to give him, like, daps. He saw my Fingernails. And I was like, oh, no, he's gonna say something. And he goes, you have a daughter, huh? I was like, yeah, I have two. He goes, I've got one as well. And so he's like, so it's like an understanding of, like, you just kind of do whatever. Who cares?

[Morgan]

It's so true. I'm pretty sure I put my dad through the gambit of things, whether it was, like, dressing up as princesses. Tea time. Oh, I also always put on shows.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay.

[Morgan]

I would always put on the clothes, like, my new clothes. I'd come home. If my mom went and, like, bought me some new stuff, I'd come home like, dad, sit down.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I have to Runway.

[Morgan]

And I'd, like, show him all my clothes. And he'd be like, that's cool.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. Yeah, that's cool.

[Morgan]

I just know now, though, looking back, he's like, what am I doing?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Why? But then he looks back now and goes, oh, now I know why I did it. Because those moments, you cannot get back. And once you. Once you. Once you say no or you've gone away from it, then it becomes a point of. They get older and they become adults, and they don't really care anymore. And it's a different kind of dynamic and relationship. And I think that having those small, little moments with our kids is so important to try to embrace it and be there and be present and really.

[Morgan]

Enjoy it, because it also means so much to the kids.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, yeah.

[Morgan]

The fact that I remember that my dad would sit on the couch when I was like, let me do a fashion show.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

So you remember it. So it's a core memory for you?

[Morgan]

It is.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

We go. Like, my wife and I would go to some things. I'm like, oh, this is totally gonna be a core memory kind of day because of what happened or what we did or whatever. Like, to us, it's just. It's just another thing or another whatever. But for them, it's like, oh, my God, I remember that one time, the fashion show. Or I painted your nails, or we chopped on that tree or whatever it was. So, yeah. So I look. I look through life that way.

[Morgan]

Now, what do you think are your core memories? Like, your top ones?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I have a lot of bad ones.

[Morgan]

Okay. Core memories are good.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That are good. Okay.

[Morgan]

Because I'm thinking, like, inside out, and she preserves a really great analogy. Core memories.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Morgan]

Where she's like, we have to focus. And you do have bad core memories. Yeah, that's true.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Morgan]

But I'm thinking inside out where she literally like stops the bad core memories and she just focuses on the good ones, the good core memories. So, like, what's one or two that come to mind for you?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I think my. One of my great core memories is I think one, just being a kid and being able to go outside and us rollerblading or riding bikes in our cul de sac, playing 500, you know, the football, like 200 surprise box. You ever play that? Yeah, like those kind of things. And just playing in our cul de sac and being kids and all those memories, like collected into one core memory. Another one which kind of led me into, I think was the inception of me being interested in being behind a microphone was when I was. I think I may have told the story here, but I don't know is my brother, he played baseball and I played baseball, but I didn't pursue it nearly as long as he did. Like, I stopped, I think after like first or second grade, I'm like, no, I like basketball. I don't really care about this. My brother, though, he played. And there's four of us. And my grandfather was into it and he would take us all there to watch my brother practice or play basketball or, sorry, play baseball at the games, and we'd all be there. And in the middle of this place, this was Central Winds park in Winter Springs, Florida, if anyone is listening, I was like, oh, I know where that's at. It's in Orlando. And they had like four baseball fields. And in the middle was this like massive looking silo tower looking thing. And it had windows all around it and up there. No one ever went up there. But they had a scoreboard. Every field had scoreboards and it had a PA system. It was fully hooked up to be almost like a real game with everything going. It was really nice fields. They were brand new. Ish. And I remember seeing that silo and I was like. I was like, man, no one's ever up there, but no one ever. No one ever keeps score. And it just bothered me that we never knew what the score was or how many balls or strikes or outs or what ending it was. It always irked me. And I'm like, God, there's got to be some way to get to this, to connect to it. I wonder where it is. And I think this is just. My personality always is like, just ask questions later and figure it out yourself kind of thing. And don't act like you don't know what's going. I just, just, just go until someone tells you you can't go So I noticed at the bottom of the silo is a concession stand, and then around the backside, there's a door that I've never seen open. I've never tried it. So I always walked up to it, and I pulled on it, and it opened, and I was like, oh. And I see stairs, and I'm like, oh, I bet those stairs go up to the top where everything's at. So I go up the stairs, walk up to the top, and as a kid, this is. It feels scary and eerie and creepy, and you're like, oh, my God, I'm supposed to be here. But as an adult, you're like. You just go up there to do your thing, but no one ever went up there. No one ever did anything. So I go up the stairs, I walk up there, and I look around, I'm like, oh, my gosh. It's all of the booths for each of the games. And in each one of those things, it has a little microphone where you push a button on it. You can, like, talk into it. Like, you know, now batting. And then there's a little thing next to it with all the little buttons to change the scoreboard. And so I walked up there one day, and I was like, oh, my God. Well, there's my brother's field, and the game had just started. So I was like, ah, screw it. And so my brother was batting first because he was, like, one of the best. So they would usually start with him. And I just. I didn't know if it worked because I had. I have no idea. So I pushed the button. I go, now batting. And I said his name and his number. And then all of a sudden, people were, like, looking around. And then I put the score. I put the score up, and I followed his balls and strikes. And this was, like, midway through the season. And then I came down to the end of the game because then I did the whole thing. I did the. I did everyone's walkout. I kept the score and everything. And. And I felt the energy of the game change because now parents can see the score. Parents can see how many balls and strikes and what ending it is. And there's interaction. There's somebody talking and saying something. And all the other games are super quiet. And then it's one of those things where you don't like radio. You do the show, you walk out. Like, did anyone hear that? Did that even happen?

[George M. Johnson]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

Like, it may not have even existed.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. Yeah. It may just only been in my head because I was, like, 10, 11 years old, and I walk down the stairs. And I come down and also too. It's like my grandfather wasn't like, where's. Where's Stephen at?

[Morgan]

He wasn't worried about it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

No, he wasn't. Or maybe you heard my voice over it. And he's like, ah, it's pretty cool.

[Morgan]

And then I let him be.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Let him be. Yeah. So I come down and it's like one of those moments where everyone's like standing around there and they all turn around, they all go, yeah. And I was like, what? Like, that was so cool. And then someone was like, dude, how old are you? I said, I'm 11. He's like, oh, my God, can you do that for our game? And I was like, well, my grandpa, we have. We have to go. I'm just here for my brother's game. And so then I did all of my brother's games for the remainder of that season. I would go up there and I would announce him and I would do the score and everything. And I was like, this is so freaking cool.

[Morgan]

That was your first. That was you planting a seed that would involve microphones.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Exactly. Yes. Yeah. And now fast forward to now. I'm looking at where we are currently. And I've always wanted to. I thought it'd be so cool, but we don't live in a town where there is an NBA team. And I. I could do other sports and maybe. And. Or even baseball. We don't. We have a minor league, but not really major league, but.

[Morgan]

No, we could totally get in with the minor league.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I guess we could. Yeah. But I all. I've always wanted to do the PA announcing for either baseball or for basketball. Basketball would be really cool. Yeah, baseball would be cool just because it's a full circle moment. But I think basketball would be.

[Morgan]

Well, that's your love.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Unreal. That's my real. That's my huge love. And then Orlando Magic. You know, that guy was my inspiration because he was so animated and so awesome and he just got the news after 36 years. The team's been around from day one. He's been there since the start. 89 that he is retiring and they now are no longer going to have a voice person for the Orlando Magic. And I was like, oh my. I saw the video of like them retiring him and giving him a jersey. His name is Paul Porter and he had been doing this since day one. I'm like, oh, my God. That to me, there's an opening in Orlando to be the PA guy. I don't live there, but like man, that'd be so cool to be able to announce for the Atlanta Magic my favorite team and to do this.

[Morgan]

But they're not doing it anymore.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

No, they're still gonna have something. They're gonna hire. You know how the process goes. They probably have somebody in line that's been the backup.

[Morgan]

But you said they weren't gonna do a voice in suit. They. There was something.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh.

[Morgan]

That he was retiring.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

He's retiring.

[Morgan]

They're not gonna have a voice for the time being.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, so. So he's retiring at the end of the season. Paul Porter. So at the end of the season, he will be done. If they go to the. They do the playoffs and however far they go, he'll do it. I know. I just know how this crap works. There's already someone in line.

[Morgan]

But you're always gonna be mad if you never. If you didn't try it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, it's true. It's a good point. Yeah.

[Morgan]

There is always a 1% chance that you do beat everybody out.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. You just. Yeah, you're right. I. Yeah, I just. I just know how the logistics have in the politics that it may not happen.

[Morgan]

But you can't focus on that.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay. All right.

[Morgan]

Because if you. Somebody else gets hired and they stay there for 30 years, you're never gonna have a chance. But at least when you did have the chance, you took it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, that's a good point. Okay.

[Morgan]

You know what I mean?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Like. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Morgan]

Yes. You don't know is the reality. Yeah, probably. But there's also the reality that you could get it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I know. Yeah. And then I'd move there and do mornings in Orlando and have this Orlando Magic gig on the side and then go to Disney and stuff. It'd be pretty cool.

[Morgan]

Yeah. So it'd be pretty cool. I don't think you don't apply.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay.

[Morgan]

It's like Lunchbox. Yes. He didn't get the in game, but like he tried it and he did.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, it's true, he did.

[Morgan]

Now at least he knows that he did put an effort in for it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

But now I need to find. The gig's not posted anywhere yet. He just announced it.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

So either or Atlanta Magic. If you hear me reach out. I'm wearing black and blue shoes right now.

[Morgan]

Somebody in the NBA or somebody in the NBA.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

It's hearing, listening to this that has anything. Please give me a chance to at least put together a demo or go there. I'd love to go there and do like a audition. Like just do one quarter.

[Morgan]

I think it Starts with a demo.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Or even if they wanted to be like, hey, let's see what it's like. It's just for. Just for shits and giggles, have them do a preseason game. And I do the intros at the very beginning, and I do one quarter. And if I'm good and keep me throughout the whole game, it's like, hey, that was great. Or we're fine, we're good. And they bring in the other guy that they want to do it. Do it. But I would love to have the opportunity to do that.

[Morgan]

Do it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. Be awesome.

[Morgan]

See it gets posted or somebody hears you have to apply. You have to.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

This is a no brainer.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I know. It is. It'd be so freaking cool.

[Morgan]

Do it. I'm gonna hold you to it. Okay, next best bits. I want to know if you found the job posting anything about it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay.

[Morgan]

Anything.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay. All right, cool.

[Morgan]

I'm gonna hold you to it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I. Hold me to it. Okay. My name is Harry Houdini.

[Unknown Character]

Harry Houdini could make elephants disappear, walk through walls, and escape the Chinese water torture cell. But he was also on a mission against mediums.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I have never seen one genuine medium.

[Unknown Character]

Join me, Tim Harford, for a Cautionary Tales trilogy on the world's most famous magician.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

It takes a flim flat to catch a flim flammer.

[Unknown Character]

Houdini wanted the world to see reason in an age of spiritualism. He went undercover to seances, exposed fakes and charlatans, and even tried to convince Washington lawmakers to ban mediums for good, a campaign that cost him friends and made him many enemies.

[Sam Mullins]

They're going to kill me.

[Unknown Character]

Listen to Cautionary tales on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Unknown Producer]

Sonoro and iHeart's Mikeultura Podcast Network present the Setup, a new romantic comedy podcast starring Harvey Guillen and Christian Navarro. The setup follows a lonely museum curator searching for love. But when the perfect man walks into his life.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Well, I guess I'm saying I like.

[Unknown Character]

You, you like me.

[Unknown Producer]

He actually is too good to be true.

[Unknown Character]

This is a con.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I'm conning you to get the Delato painting. We could do this together.

[Unknown Producer]

To pull off this heist, they'll have to get close and jump into the deep end together.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That's a huge leap, Fernando, don't you think?

[Morgan]

After you, Chulito.

[Unknown Producer]

But love is the biggest risk they'll ever take.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Fernando's never going to love you as much as he loves this job. Truly, though, that painting is ours.

[Unknown Producer]

Listen to the setup as part of the Mike podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hell bent effort to sabotage a war.

J edgua was furious somebody violated the FBI and he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees. The FBI went around to all their.

Neighbors and said to them, do you think these people are good Americans? It's got heists, tragedy, a trial of the century and the God damnedest love story you've ever heard.

[Morgan]

I picked up the phone and my thought was this is the most important phone call I'll ever make in my life.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I couldn't believe it. I mean, Brendan, it was divine intervention.

Listen to Divine intervention on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

We ready to fight? I'm ready to fight.

[George M. Johnson]

Is that.

[Unknown Producer]

I thought it was.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh, this is fighting worse. Okay, I'll put the hammer back.

[George M. Johnson]

Hi, I'm George M. Johnson, a best selling author with the second most banned book in America. Now more than ever, we need to use our voices to fight back. And that's what we are doing on Fighting Words. We're not gonna let anyone silence us.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That's the reason why they're banning books like yours, George. That's the reason why they're trying to stop the teaching of black history or queer history, any history that challenges the.

[George M. Johnson]

Whitewashed norm or put us in a box.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Black people have never ever depended on the so called mainstream to support us. That's why we are great. We are the greatest culture makers in world history.

[George M. Johnson]

Listen to Fighting words on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast.

[Anna Sinfield]

The number one hit true crime podcast, the Girlfriends is back with something new. The Girlfriend Spotlight. Our first two series introduce you to an incredible gang of women who teamed up to fight injustice. Showing just how powerful sisterly solidarity can be. We're keeping this mission alive with the Girlfriend Spotlight. Each week a different woman sits down with me, Anna Sinfield, to share their incredible story of triumph over adversity. Like June, who founded an all female rock band in the 1960s, I might.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

As well have said we're going to walk on the moon.

[Anna Sinfield]

But she sure showed them who's boss and toured the world.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

They would just be gobsmacked and they would rush up after the set and say, not bad for chicks.

[Anna Sinfield]

So come and join our girl gang. Listen to the girlfriend Spotlight on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Morgan]

While you were talking about that, it reminded me of like my. The first core memory that popped up in my brain. Because you have so many, right? There's so many.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh my God. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Morgan]

But this is the one that popped up for me. My parents took me to Maui for a vacation.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Which.

[Morgan]

Hawaii.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Beautiful.

[Morgan]

It's the only time I've been in my life.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh, wow. Okay.

[Morgan]

And I'd love to go back, but.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

How old are you?

[Morgan]

So is it. I was in like eighth grade.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay. So you were conscious. I knew that you knew you were going to Maui. Like, we're going to Hawaii. Oh my God.

[Morgan]

Yeah. Oh, yeah. And I remember a lot of it, but this particular moment, they woke us up at the buck crack of dawn.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Like one of those ones.

[Morgan]

Why are we awake so early right now? This is vacation. It was like 5am, sun wasn't even out. And we, we pile in this rented Jeep.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay.

[Morgan]

The tops off. This is where I fell in love with Jeeps, by the way.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay.

[Morgan]

And I'm like, what are we gonna do? We did the road to Hana.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh, nice. Okay.

[Morgan]

In a top down Jeep for the entire day. Luke Bryan had just put out his spring break album, first one.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay.

[Morgan]

And so we're jamming to Luke Bryan's new album, Top Down Road to Hana.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

Like hills, mountains. What do you call them in Hawaii?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Mountainside, basically. Yeah. You're on the mountainside. Yeah.

[Morgan]

Mountains of Hawaii. And they're in these teeny tiny roads and you're seeing all these beautiful places.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

And I just remember that entire day being like, I don't think anything live up to this moment.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

You know, it started so crappy. Like, get up. It's like, by the way, Morgan, you're not driving or doing anything. You're just gonna sit in a seat, literally. And I'm gonna be all. Doing all the driving and everything. Yeah.

[Morgan]

And I was so, like grumpy. And then I got in the car, I was like, okay. By the end of the day, I was exhausted, but I was like, this is the coolest thing I've ever done.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. Because it's beautiful.

[Morgan]

So pretty.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh my God, it's so cool. The whole road and everything. Everything about it's so lush.

[Morgan]

And there's so many adrenaline moments because you're seeing crazy things you've never seen before. Also, some of the roads are wild.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. Pull to the side while.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

It's like. It's in. The bridges are narrow, and while there's.

[Morgan]

Like a waterfall coming down, it's pretty damn cool. It's like out of a movie, so.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

It really is. Yeah.

[Morgan]

You reminded me of that when you were. When you were talking about theirs. But I have to let. Scuba Steve, get out of here. You had a crazy, crazy week on the show. Make sure you go check out part three. Scuba, thank you for being here.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Welcome. Part three is the one where it's the replay of the bits.

[Morgan]

Listener Q and A. Oh, Listener Q and A. Part three conversation. Got you. Is where they catch up on the Bob Show. Part three, listener Q and a little compliment sandwich.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I see that. The meat in the middle and the buns on the outside.

[Morgan]

There's a strategy.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I'm your buns to your best bits.

[Morgan]

And the buns to me are the best part.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay, I agree as well.

[Morgan]

I mean, I love a bun, you know?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. When I was at McDonald's, I used to. Real quick one before we go. When I used to work there, my favorite thing in the world to do was to take just the bread, like the buns, and put it through their little heater thing and they come out. They're so soft and warm. I would eat just the bread by itself. So delicious.

[Morgan]

Little buttery bun.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yes. Yeah. I would put mayonnaise in the middle of it or the special sauce and eat that, too. Ooh, it's really good.

[Morgan]

Special sauce and bread.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. Yeah. Really? That's all it was. It was good. You'd eat it because it's no meat in it.

[Morgan]

I know.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

And I'm laughing because I've made some really bizarre sandwiches because I don't eat meat and people look at me like I'm crazy.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

We have to come up with alternatives.

[Morgan]

Yeah, yeah. I've come up with some wild things.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

What's like, the most wildest concoction you come up with because you don't eat meat?

[Morgan]

The one that people never. Every time I make, they always think I'm crazy. Is like a. It's a bagel egg sandwich, but I put jam on it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh, yeah. Jam is really good. Oh, my God. Yeah.

[Morgan]

Yeah. Jam and an egg. It's just top tier.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh, it's really good.

[Morgan]

But every time I do it, people are like, you funky.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

No, it's good.

[Morgan]

Just try it. Just hear me out.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Hell, yeah. There's a spot in East Nashville you've been to. It's called Hearts.

[Morgan]

Yes.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

They had. They had their. They have their. Their bagels are really good. And they have a sandwich where you can put the jelly in it. Oh, my God. So freaking phenomenal.

[Morgan]

Yeah. And if you have, like, a. Like, a local spot that does it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

It's.

[Morgan]

Yeah, those are my best one.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay.

[Morgan]

But also, I will do a. Everybody makes fun of me for this one I make. It's literally just a tortilla, and I put, like, sour cream and chive and shredded cheese, and then I roll it up.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That's pretty. That's all right.

[Morgan]

I know it sounds crazy.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah. But it's good, though.

[Morgan]

But I also recently made it healthier because I make Greek. I take Greek yogurt.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay, nice.

[Morgan]

And I put ranch seasoning with it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay. Yeah. Powder pack. Yeah.

[Morgan]

I create, like, a Greek yogurt ranch dip, and I put that on it, and then I put the shredded chees.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I don't know if that's healthier because you got the ranch seasoning, though.

[Morgan]

But the ranch cheese is, like, five calories.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Oh, okay.

[Morgan]

They're good at 15 grams of protein.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That's true. But what about the preservatives and the chemicals they put in the ranch powder?

[Morgan]

Let me have it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

I actually make it healthier because I put rat poison in it. It's really good.

[Morgan]

Fairness. It's healthier than, like, the sour cream and chive.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That's true. Yeah. True, true. Touche.

[Morgan]

It's swapped.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay. Okay. More of a swap. Yeah.

[Morgan]

Get out of here. I'm trying to be. Okay, we're gonna leave. Go subscribe to the Bobby Bo YouTube page.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

No, don't unsubscribe.

[Morgan]

That was so rude. I was fighting so hard for that, and I had to deal with those hooligans already, and you just had to add to my misery.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

But I was hoping that by doing that, it'd make people want to subscribe more because, like, screw Steve. And then they would be like, no, we should. We should do more subscribing.

[Morgan]

I did get a few of those.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Counterintuitive. There you go. Boom.

[Morgan]

You did. But did you at least resubscribe?

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yeah, I resubscribed. Yeah. As soon as I was. Yeah, as soon as I said that, I resubscribed.

[Morgan]

Okay, so you just did it for the.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Just for the bit.

[Morgan]

Got it.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Okay.

[Morgan]

Just making sure. But also, go follow Scuba Steve. ScubaSteve radio.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Yep.

[Morgan]

@ WebGirlMorgan, obbyboneshow. All the things. Okay, we're getting out of here.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Bye. Bye.

[Morgan]

Bye.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

That's the best bits of the week with Morgan. Thanks for listening. Be sure to check out the other two parts this weekend, go follow the show on all social platforms and follow Webgirl Morgan to submit your listener questions for next week's episode.

[Anna Sinfield]

The number one hit podcast, the Girlfriends is back with something new. The Girlfriend's Spotlight. Each week you'll hear women triumph over adversity. You'll meet Tracy, who survived a terrifying attack.

[Morgan]

I remember that feeling of okay, this.

[Anna Sinfield]

Is how I die and turn that darkness into light.

[Morgan]

I want to take over the world and just leave this place better than I found it.

[Anna Sinfield]

So come and join our girl gang. Listen to the Girlfriend Spotlight on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

My name is Brendan Patrick Hughes, host of Divine Intervention. This is a story about radical nuns in combat boots and wild haired priests trading blows with J. Edgar Hoover in a hellbent effort to sabotage a war.

J. Edgar Hoover was furious. He was out of his mind. And he wanted to bring the Catholic left to its knees.

Listen to Divine intervention on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

I'm ready to fight. Oh, this is fighting words. Okay, I'll put the hammer back.

[George M. Johnson]

Hi, I'm George M. Johnson, a best selling author with the second most banned book in America. Now more than ever, we need to use our voices to fight back.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Part of the power of black queer creature is the fact that we got us. You know, we are the greatest culture makers in world history.

[George M. Johnson]

Listen to fighting words on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Sam Mullins]

Hi, I'm Sam Mullins and I've got a new podcast coming out called goboy. The gritty true story of how one man fought his way out of some of the dark, darkest places imaginable.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

Roger Caron was 16 when first convicted, has spent 24 of those years in jail.

[Sam Mullins]

But when Roger Caron picked up a pen and paper, he went from an ex con to a literary darling from Campside Media and iHeart Podcasts. Listen to GoBoy on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Brendan Patrick Hughes]

You feelin this too is a horror anthology podcast. It brings different creators to tell ten vile. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Grotesque. Oh my God. Horrific stories on what scares them the most. You feeling this too? Listen on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.