Is Iran Worth The Cost, and The Cornell 7 Moral Collapse

0:13 Are you ready? Yeah. Okay, let's do it. Bill Martinez Live, a program about current events, our culture, our values, our politics, and our future. And now, Bill Martinez. Well, good morning. Welcome. Just about six minutes after the top of the hour, Bill Martinez here along with Kenan Spivak. Kenan, how are you doing? I'm doing great. Thanks for having me back. Always good to have you here. Kenneth is the founder and chairman of the SMI Group, LLC, an international consulting firm and investment bank. Kenneth, before we get into the Smithsonian, let's talk a little bit about the economy and what people are perceiving out there. Because Trump is, he's on the trail. I mean, he's crisscrossing the country nonstop like the energy bunny. And, you know, he's touting his message and his successes. And it seems to it seems to resonate in part. But, you know, the mainstream media and others are saying that, you know, affordability remains an issue because and they keep pointing to the gas tanks.

1:19 Yeah, look, affordability is an issue. It's the number one issue among Americans, according to all polls. And what Trump is doing as he crisscrosses the country is resonating chiefly to his base, which is very important because Republicans have to get out the vote. Where it's not resonating with others and where the press is to some degree correct is that Trump needs to stop blasting the Biden administration, which did an abysmal job on inflation in the economy. He needs to do something which he does in part. take ownership for the impact of the Iran conflict on oil prices. But here's what he's not doing a great job of doing. He's not touting the administration's victory in reducing the poverty level in the United States to the lowest recorded rate ever, including for children and Hispanics. He's not doing a great job in showing that the core inflation rate for many products is still way down and that the only place in which the inflation rate really has risen are things directly related to energy and fertilizer and that impacts agriculture and people do care about food prices.

2:28 He does say that when the Iran conflict ends, oil prices will decline. He doesn't do as good a job of saying that food prices will decline because fertilizer prices will decline. I think he needs to show a greater sympathy for people Like me, I think in reality, he's astonished that Americans aren't willing to put up with six months or a year of inflation to stop Iran from getting a nuclear bomb, which would drive energy and all other prices through the roof. He's right in what I think he believes. What I wish you were doing were a better job of conveying sympathy, understanding, acknowledging the difficulties some Americans are having, but explaining their success in the administration and explaining how we're going to work our way out of this. The other thing he hasn't done a really great job of doing is talking about the increase in real wages. So that for some Americans, these price increases are price increases, but for some, they're actually in better shape than they realize.

3:36 For some. Right. Well, previously in. The Biden administration, when they were in situations, they, us, were in this situation, it was like, it was down. There was no answer. There was no relief coming. And then they came in and put policies that exacerbated the problem further. I mean, at least you feel like Donald Trump at least has a shovel and he's trying to dig us out. Now, I agree with you that I think his messaging has been a bit flawed. I think like, other administrations, whenever we've gotten conflict, it's always, you know, the power of the U.S. military is so strong that we'll be able to end this in a couple of weeks. And, you know, and I believe that he's, you can be critical of his misestimation of how long this would take.

4:27 But you see, this is the problem that America's had from day one with anything that has to do with the Middle East. We don't understand the Middle East. Yeah, I think that's true. So let me bring this into two parts. Part one, do we have an inflation issue? Yes. Nothing like in the Biden administration. We're at, well, before the Iran conflict, we were at 2.7%. That was about a third. of inflation in the peak of the Biden administration. So now maybe we're at 40%. Is that bad? Yes. Is that a calamity? It wouldn't be. It shouldn't be if the messaging was a little bit better. And you're right about something. Biden had no real game plan for improving the economy and ending inflation. It eventually wound down because the spending slowed a bit. Trump has a clear path to reducing this inflation. But again, and I do have sympathy for people whose wages have not increased. And I do understand that there are many people in this country for whom a dollar a gallon and an increase in food prices is very meaningful, but Donald Trump should better express his sympathy. Stop blaming the Biden administration. We're past that. People don't want to hear that and explain the course that will get us under control. Turning to Iran, which is a separate issue, I completely favored the president's intervention in Iran. I wish we had continued active combat operations.

5:58 But yes, things in the Middle East and things in the use of the military often take longer and are more difficult than the planners hope for when they begin those operations. But it's tough when you take, I mean, politicians ought to learn. And I guess in terms of trying to sell the message, You know, because at the end of the day, it's not the planners that are being blamed for this, Kenan. It's the president himself taking the advice and listening to these planners and echoing their projection. I'm sure he's probably putting pressure back on them, being the CEO type of leader that he is. But nonetheless, he's taking a lot of heat. And as you say, you know, the voters, I mean, boy, they've got... his future, the next two years in their hands. And we either are going to have an opportunity to get out of this mess and dig ourselves out of the hole with the policies and the mission that Donald Trump has in mind, or we're going to let the Democrats come in and just wreak all kinds of havoc. And it's going to be like it was before, you know, impeachment city and resistance and everything that, you know, doesn't help the economy.

7:17 Oh, you're completely right. I have a column next week in Real Clear talking about the fact that to some degree, this is an election. On the one hand, personality, people don't like Donald Trump, and I get that. And on the other, policies. And on the policy front, the Republican policies as compared to these far radical left-wing Democrat policies to me is a slam dunk. There's one policy only, which has some bipartisan pushback and where different people could differ. But I think it's because they don't understand the policy. And that's the conflict, the war involving Iran. As I said, I think Trump was right to go in. If I were to blame Trump as opposed to planners, Trump is the supervisor of the planners and the various people in the Pentagon. And apparently we did not have enough in-theater weapons of the type we needed to win this campaign.

8:11 It took a week or two break to get those weapons back into theater. And after that, Trump was embarked on the one thing, or the second thing I do blame him for, which is the MOU. I thought the MOU was abysmal. I was not a supporter of the MOU. Since then, Trump has done a lot of good things. The blockade, choking off their finances. Iran, in the long run, is going to lose. I would like to see the long run accelerated. And I would like to see, after the midterms, a resumption of combat operations now that we have reconfigured our capabilities. Iran is rebuilding its military. It's going to inflict pain. And we need to prevent that pain from, again, becoming as severe as it could have been had we not initiated operations in February. I think Donald Trump's going to do the right thing.

9:04 Well, we've got to go to a quick break. We've got more from Ken on the other side. Stay with us. What if a trip to your mailbox could put you behind the wheel of a brand new automobile? Starting September 28th, Valpak Clip is giving one lucky winner a new vehicle valued at more than $ 40, 000. Entering is free. Visit valpak.com slash freeride or keep an eye on your mailbox for the giveaway in your blue envelope and clip magazine. The first opportunity of its kind to spam both, so make sure you take a. Good look inside. Entries will close at 8 a.m. Eastern on November 6, 2026, and the winner will be drawn on or about November 9, 2026. In select markets, presenting partner Valvoline Instant Oil Change is also offering $ 25 off a premium oil change. No purchase necessary. Open to This report is sponsored by Valpac Clip.

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12:57 800-439-1588. 800-439-1588. 800-439-1588. That's 800-439-1588. Hey, as promised, we're back with you. I'm Bill Martinez. He's Kenneth Spivak, the founder and chairman of the SMI Group LLC, an international consulting firm and investment bank. Kenneth, you were saying that and echoing what the president has insisted on is that. We'll come back to the land of hunky-dory after the midterms. And many Americans are saying, why? Why are we waiting? Oh, we're waiting because if we don't wait, Republicans are going to lose more votes. This is not a strategic or tactical decision other than the tactics of politics. Trump may say he doesn't care about the midterm elections, but don't believe that for a second. He may believe in America.

13:53 is being more important. You may believe in containing Iran is more important, but waiting another three weeks to resume combat operations isn't going to make any difference. So even as a lame duck president, having a lame duck Congress and administration, so to speak here, if the worst should happen, and there would be this projected blue wave that some of these pollsters, of course, we know a lot about these pollsters, how they have jury rigged some of these numbers and everything. I mean, you know, so how much can you believe them? But what you need to believe as a Republican is that there needs to be a sense of urgency in terms of getting yourself out to the polling station and not only yourself, but your neighbor and your family and make sure that you vote, right?

14:41 If the Democrats take the Senate, that's the end of judges that care about the Constitution. It's the end of any international treaties that would have sticking power that put America first and not globalism first. And it's the end of any progress. I don't think there's much chance of the Republicans keeping the House. But if there were any way for that to happen, we would avoid these needless and diversionary impeachments that are going to be coming down the pike. It is very important that Republicans, whether you're angry at Donald Trump over going into Iran or angry at Donald Trump for not finishing Iran or angry at Donald Trump for whatever you might be. You don't like Trump coins or Trump whatever. Remember the policies. Remember that Trump closed the border, reduced the size of government, reduced crime, increased energy production, Increased manufacturing jobs, increased investment in America, and look at what the Democrats say they want to do.

15:48 Open the borders, increase taxes on everyone, reduce productivity. globalize America once again so that we don't control our own destiny. Look at what the far left of the Democrat Party, the energy of the Democrat Party wants to do. They want to end the Constitution. They want to close the Pentagon. They want to close prisons. They want to end law enforcement. There should be no choice for any middle-of-the-road, independent or Republican on who they should be voting for this year, regardless of what they may think about Donald Trump's personality or the Iran conflict. You know, in that list that you mentioned, I kept thinking, OK, you're going to mention Medicare for all, because here we are dealing with Obamacare still. It is that incredible policy.

16:40 bit of legislation that was shoved down our throats, thank you very much, by the Democratic Party. Not one Republican voted for it. John McCain saved it. I guess you can say, okay, that Republican, you know, did us a lot of harm with his expressive thumb down vote. Thank you very much. But here we are, it's on life support. We're paying for it. I mean, in a sense, single payer was forced down our throats. And here we are living with Obamacare and they're saying, oh, but we have something better. We want, you know, Medicare for all. So now Obamacare has given us, I mean, if there was any kind of success out of Obamacare, you might logically think there might be some hope with Medicare for all.

17:28 I don't see any rationale that justifies Medicare for all with the abysmal failure of Obamacare. Do you? None. And the Democrats, academics, Bernie Sanders, the media keep waxing poetically about health care in Canada and England and these other places. They don't tell the truth. The truth is there are weights that go on forever. There are panels that decide who can and does not get health care. When rich people and rich people have the means to get health care when they want it, when rich people want health care, they come to America and they get their health care here. Don't listen to these mischaracterizations. Look at what the people in those countries do who can avoid their health care systems. They come to America and our system.

18:25 Ken and since string right now, I mean, there's been this has been an age of contrast. I mean, first, the World Cup comes here. You have all these Europeans coming in, and they just can't believe. All of a sudden, what's this stuff? Man, it feels comfortable here. Oh, it's called air conditioning. Yeah, well, you know, only about 20% of Europeans experience air conditioning. What about this stuff in my glass here? It's called ice. They don't believe in ice in Europe. They just can't afford it. And here we are. We have plenty of ice. We have plenty of air conditioning. And so that's a distinct you know, clarity between the two. And now you see what's happening in Europe, in France. France is bankrupt. England on its way. Belgium, you know, there's riots in the streets going on. And a lot of it has to do with these socialist policies, things that America, that these young people and others are pushing on America, saying, hey, this is a great thing.

19:24 You need this. And you look across the Atlantic and you see the mess that's going on and you're saying, Is that what you want here in America? Yeah. Do you want socialism, which has led to an ossification of the European economic system? There's a reason that gross domestic product per capita per person in the U.S. is almost double what it is in Europe. And even when you adjust for some differences in costs, we are way ahead. Look, there's a choice in this election. On the one hand, There are Republicans who believe in American exceptionalism, believe in the American story, believe in the country that created freedoms, that created individual liberties and the most successful economic machine in the history of mankind. And it didn't just benefit billionaires.

20:13 It benefits, benefited and benefits everyone. On the other side, depending upon which Democrats, you either have a virtually socialist or almost socialist society that is more concerned with income inequality than raising the level for everyone. They'd rather everyone earn within two cents of each other. Even if it's $ 1, then people earn a greater range, but maybe the lowest person is $ 50. And they believe in not America controlling Americans, but in this globalization. On the other far extreme of the Democrat Party are communists. And I'm sorry if that sounds trite. They say they're communists. The system of government that in the last century killed more than 90 million, murdered more than 90 million people, where communists murdered their fellow countrymen. in the pursuit of the system they decided was the system we all need to live by. That's the bracket of the Democrat Party right now. Sort of socialist, down outright communism. We've got to stop that. We've got to stay with American exceptionalism.

21:24 So what's wrong with billionaires? What's wrong with creating an economy that promotes billionaires and now trillionaires? I mean, you know, What is the issue other than just out-and-out envy? Yeah, jealousy is the issue. And there's nothing wrong with billionaires. And it's false to say that they don't pay their fair share of taxes. Again, the way in which these taxes are computed is just wrong. We don't have the time for me to get into it. But overwhelmingly, the taxes in the United States are paid by the top 1%. The bottom 50%, other than sales taxes, are Social Security taxes. Don't pay any taxes. They don't pay income taxes. The taxes are paid for by the top 1%. We need billionaires.

22:10 We need millionaires. We need 100,000 in years. We need $ 40, 000 a year people. We need everyone. We need them to be free to maximize their potential. Exactly. And this is what America does. And this is why it's that magnet, that light on a shining hill that draws people from around the world. You know, for the one main idea of freedom, Ken and Spivak, freedom. Something that I don't know of any other nation and country that offers what America offers when it comes to freedom. We got to leave it there. He's the founder and chairman of the SMI Group, LLC, international consulting firm and investment bank, Kennan Spivak. Kennan, thank you as always. Appreciate the time. Take care.

22:52 Thanks, Bill. Hey, just a quick reminder, you can catch the show on all major podcast platforms, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, wherever you listen. Be sure to download or subscribe so you don't miss any Bill Martinez live episodes. As the workforce's most essential skill, but less than one-third of employees prioritize judgment. At the same time, 60% of employees worry AI is eroding their skills, with critical thinking cited most often as declining. Aparna Nair, Chief Talent, Leadership and Culture Officer, IBM.

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25:57 800-245-1365. 800-245-1365. 800-245-1365. That's 800-245-1365. Hey, we're back with you. Bill Martinez here along with Jeff Kemp, former NFL QB and ministry leader and author. Hey, Mr. Jeff, how are we doing? I'm well. How are you, Bill? Hey, I'm doing terrific. Football season is in. People were excited to have football back. Well, the NFL is paying a lot of money and making a lot of money and putting games on nearly every single day of the week. And all the continents, you know, they. Got Australia this year. And this week they opened up with Wednesday night, Thursday night. They had, you know, Sunday games.

26:42 I don't think they had Saturday games. And, of course, we got Monday night games and Thursday night games, Christmas games. So I'm all for football. But I just remind everyone, take your inoculation. give yourself a little shot that the world doesn't revolve around sports. Your moods shouldn't be shaped by your team as much as by the amazing God that loves. Us and his truth. Well, and it's not to say, look, we all can have a moment of decompression. I think sometimes sports and watching you know being a fan kind of does that a little bit but like anything you know you can overdo it whether it's social media or this kind of deal i thought it was interesting because they did a survey and did some testing on people that were so heavily involved with social media and said that they were losing uh you know the last five years they've lost like 25 to 30 iq points now i wonder if something aligns with watching too much nfl football maybe i don't know.

27:42 You know wow Getting concussions might take away IQ. Yeah, I imagine that. I have more risk there than you and the average viewer of football games. Right. I love looking at football for the stories that come out of it, the inspiration. One of the coolest ones was Sam Darnall, the quarterback for the Seahawks, got hurt. So the guy that filled in, which I identify with, the backup, Drew Locke, he played really well. They won the game. They interviewed him afterwards. How were you prepared? You don't get to practice as much as the other guy. He said, well, the backups have to prepare just as much as the starters, maybe more.

28:22 So what I do is I draw plays over and over and over. And that might be 120 plays per game in the game plan. and all the pass routes and all the blocking assignments, the adjustments that the routes might take, what the blitz adjustment is if they bring a different defense. And there's usually about five routes that you draw on every pass play, you know, a little arrow, a little hook. And he said, I have a whiteboard and I use it all day long at home. At work, I do it on my notepad and we do it on the board and then we do it on the practice field. But at home, I have a whiteboard and I just draw plays over and over and over. go through them all. And I raced it the other day. When I came home, there were little scribbles in it that looked like little plays maybe. And my two-year-old has seen me writing on my whiteboard plays. And he was writing his own little plays. And then he said something really cool. He said, it just reminded me, seeing my little boy copy me and copy the plays, why I work hard to be good for my team It's for my family. Right.

29:31 Exactly. And that was a great perspective of excellence. Not so he could say, I'm Drew lock superstar quarterback, but I'm an excellent Seahawk teammate. I'm ready to play and win the game. If our team needs me and I am going to support my family by being, you know, the best I can be at my job and set a good example for my little boy. So that's a great, whether you're, you know, a school teacher or janitor writing software or doing radio shows, uh, Do it really well and in balance, remembering that you do it for God and your family. Right. And you'll set a good example that'll pay dividends in future generations.

30:12 Two songs come to mind just because it triggers some of my old radio days in Los Angeles. One, of course, Harry Chapin, you know, Cats in the Cradle. And that was kind of a sad story because the son ended up being just like his dad, busy, too busy, and really missing out on the important things of life. But there was also a song, a Christian song from a group, Phillips, Craig, and Dean, I Want to Be Just Like You. And it was a father's, the song, the lyric was, I want to be, in a sense, I want to be like Jesus. Yes. Because I want my son to, I want to magnify Jesus in my life so my son would be like me and like Jesus. You know, that thing that you're talking about, that example of how that baton could be passed on. And I especially gravitated to the song. In fact, I played it one Sunday when I was leading worship at a church in Southern California. It was just such a neat song, I thought. And it was also right at the time when my fifth son was born. So it was perfect timing.

31:28 Another good song, it's called In the Living Years. I can't remember the guy, a secular artist. But it's about make sure you tell the people you love them during the time that they're alive. don't wait till a memorial service when you're sad that you couldn't have told them again or more often. Right. Right now, whether it's your children, you're saying, I love you. You're valuable. I see your character. I see your faith. I'm in your corner. Uh, you can talk to me about anything, um, or your dad or your mom or your sister, brother, a mentor, an uncle, an aunt, uh, Tell them you love them.

32:14 Tell them thank you. Tell a military veteran thank you now rather than waiting till their memorial service and saying what a great American they were. Thank people now during living years. And for parents toward their children, you get so busy. You're working hard. You're paying the bills. You're driving them to Little League. You're going to that back to school night. But we don't always relate to our child As much as we do things for our child. Exactly. Yeah. In these living years that we give them a hug, give them a kiss, go overboard after they played poorly in their baseball game and struck out. That's when they really need your hug and your kiss and how proud you are and love them.

33:04 Let's show the people we love that we love them. And let's say we love you during the living years, the childhood years. And of course, before your parents pass away. It reminds me, I had a friend who's a promotion director at one of the stations I was working in LA at the time. And she was talking to her grandmother and her grandmother says, Stacey, when are you going to come out and see me? Oh, I'm so busy. You know, I really, grandma, I miss you. I really want to see you. And she goes, look at Stacey. If you got a call tomorrow and said that I died, you would break your neck to get down here to the funeral. A lot of good you're going to do me at the funeral. I want to see you now. Well, short story, Stacey got on a plane the next day and saw her grandma.

33:50 That's a courageous and loving grandma to tell her the truth. A lot of us hold back sometimes, and we don't want to tell people what we really value. Right. Because we want them to come up with the idea, or we'd be embarrassed if we have to say it. But far better to do what grandma did and say, Stacey— You'd miss out if you hadn't come. So please come. I want you to come. And it was when she got back, when she got back to the station, she says, Bill, this was the best thing. I'm so glad I did it. I'm so glad that grandma told me that I needed to come there. And she shared that story. And of course I've shared that story repeatedly because I think it's again, to your point in the living years, we miss out on things and, you know, and you think, wow, you know, I missed a moment. I could have been there. What was I going to sacrifice? A day's work compared to a relationship, you know, and the value. And of course, you know, you talk about the quality of friendships, you know, in your ministry. And these are the little things that make a difference that really seal that relationship that demonstrates that you really care, right?

34:57 Right, exactly. I found the song, The Living Years. It's by Mike and the Mechanics. Yes, yeah. Mike and the Mechanics. But I love. The emphasis that, hey, take advantage of the moment. Don't wait till it's too late. So that's really a good reminder for all of us, isn't it? Yeah, exactly. Well, Jeff, as we wrap things up, we've got about 30 seconds left. I'm going to let you bring us home and talk about the ministry and how they can be in touch with you to build these level five friendships we're talking about. Yeah, you know my calling. I work mostly with leaders and men, but the point is I want to help men and leaders have deep friendships and consistent friendships.

35:41 Talk about everything important, okay? We all need that in an age of loneliness and distraction and digital stuff, so they can find that help. At my website, it's Core3Coaching, C-O-R-E-3-Coaching, Core3Coaching. com, and they'll get my very best coaching for free on Friendship. It's a text every week. And my website is easy to find. In addition, it's JeffKempTeam.com, JeffKempTeam.com or Core3Coaching. Com. A new study finds a major increase in STEM learning in after-school programs, but gaps remain. Today, 92% of parents with children in after-school say STEM is available, up from 69% a decade ago. That's 6.4 million kids now getting STEM in after-school. Emma Binet, Overdeck Family Foundation.

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39:34 It will be towed away for free and you'll be supporting those that need help. Heritage for the Blind is a nonprofit organization that helps the visually impaired live fuller lives. Call right now to donate your car. And as a special thank you for calling, you'll receive a free three-day vacation voucher to many exciting locations. Call Heritage for the Blind right now, 1-800-785-9618. Donating is easy and your vehicle is towed away for free. Plus, you'll get a free vacation voucher. Call now, 1-800-785-9618. That's 1-800-785-9618. Hey, we're back with you. Glad you could join us. Bill Martinez here. And we've got Emily Chow from Focus on the Family. Emily, good to be talking to you again, as always. How are you doing?

40:19 I'm doing great. Well, it seems that our culture still craves sense and sensibility. Maybe all common sense has not left the building. What do you think? That's a funny way of putting it. Yeah, no, it's kind of crazy. It's like, how many adaptations of the Jane Austen books have there been? And yet we still love them. You know, again, God says that he has written in our hearts, I guess for lack of a better word, or maybe just to bring it into play here. You know, common sense, you know, things that are godly and holy that reflect himself. We're made in his image after all, right? And so when those words go out and as the Bible says, the word will go out and find its mate.

41:01 I mean, here it is. I mean, unless you're just totally so stiff neck and hard headed like the children of Israel in the desert, you know, some of this might make some sense to you, right? I think that, you know, the draw towards books and movies like Sense and Sensibility, there's actually another Jane Austen adaptation coming out, I think in December. It's another Pride and Prejudice adaptation. And so it's like. I think people are drawn to these stories because we live in a hustle culture. We live in a... You hear about. Girl bossing and hustle culture and all these other trendy things on social media. But even just a few years ago, people started... It was mostly during the pandemic, but people started pushing back.

41:48 They were like. why are we pushing ourselves to the point of breaking? And why do we have to break down in order to realize that something is off? And, you know, so they long for movies and books like Sense and Sensibility because those revert to a time when things were slower, when things were more like, just read a book. When you consider reading a book or scrolling, you know, on your iPhone, I mean, the amount of time And the value of your time is so wasted on stuff that is just, it's amusement. And if you understand what the word amusement means, it means without your brain, essentially.

42:30 So you're just, you're mind numbing yourself. You're really not better as a result of the two hours you spent, you know, scrolling. I know at times when I catch myself going, I mean, it's just so addicting. I get it. You get into it and it grabs you. Next thing you know, you're down a rabbit hole and you're 30 minutes later. And I don't have 30 minutes to give away like that, Emily. And then I get mad at myself. None of us have those 30 minutes to give away. I can't tell you. I hear it from family members more than anything. I have three sisters and I feel like every time I talk. To them, we at some point, somebody, one of us will go, I'm just so upset. tired. And it's like, if we were to sit there and analyze how we spend our time, um, with my sister, I don't have social media, so I'm not the one saying.

43:17 This, but I have other ways of wasting my time. But with my sister is like, you know, when they break it down, they're like. I know I spend too much time on my phone. I know that I go down. A rabbit hole, but I get on, they're like, they're like, I get on Facebook, I get on Instagram, I get on TikTok, TikTok, I just want to look at like one or two videos and the next thing I know, an hour is gone. And it does. It just sucks you in. And even when you don't intend it to suck you in, it can do it. You know, it's interesting, though, because the Bible tells us like it's a balance. It's not all, you know, relaxation, but it's not all work either. There is a balance there, you know.

43:58 Be still and know that I am God, you know, like God wants us. There's a reason he gave us the Sabbath. The Sabbath was meant to be a gift to help us to rest, you know, and we get really caught up in the, I have to be doing something. And, you know, and for a lot of us, For a lot. Of people out there, especially if you're working, you know, two jobs to pay rent, you know, taking a break, it's a luxury. You'd be like, I can't take a break. If I take a break, I'm not going to be able to pay my bills. And, you know, that's the other side of it is that. You know, even when we want to take a break, sometimes we can't. Sometimes, you know, with my sisters, like I said, they've all got kids. And, you know, so it's like they want to take a break. But the minute they do, one of their kids comes running up and is like, mommy, mommy, can you help me with, you know, insert whatever it is.

44:54 Right. Exactly. Well, it's interesting because you talk about how tired people are. And this draws me back to a survey that was done a couple of years back. And it asked people, it says, well, if you had an extra hour of the day, what would you do with it? You know what the number one answer was? I don't. Sleep. I mean, that would have been my guess. I mean, it's like, exactly. I mean, we have worn ourselves out. I mean, the deal is we have gravitated from being human beings to human doings. And God knew this about our design in a fallen world, that we would be on the hamster wheel of life, going around in circles, just burning ourselves out. And here he is to counter it, says, hey, one day, follow my lead.

45:37 This is what I did. Even I took a break. God Almighty, I took a break. So I'm giving that to you. It's a Sabbath, and it's my gift to you. And you think about it. the gifts that God gives us every day and that, but I mean, who are we to reject such an awesome gift that God has given us, especially, you see, I think we, to your point, Emily, I think we underestimate first the power of God and the gifts that he gives us. I think that Social media doesn't help because I always feel like when I see these trends showing up on social media, it's one extreme or the other. I read an article just today.

46:18 It was an older article, admittedly, but it was about an author where she took an entire year off of work. And she had the luxury of doing that because she was an established author making six figures. So, you know, she could afford to take a year off and focus on her mental health because she had like suffered. She had driven herself to the point where her body was shutting down. And it's just like, that's insane that you could go that far to where your body is literally resisting you because you've driven yourself to that physical point, that physical break point. And God doesn't want us to do that. He doesn't want us to drive ourselves to the point where we're falling apart. He wants us to take breaks. But, you know, he also doesn't want us to become lazy because that's the other extreme that I've seen on social media is where people are like, I'm just gonna do the bare minimum of work. And they're not, you know, putting their heart into what they're doing. I remember one of the big trends I saw a few years ago during the pandemic was quiet quitting. And that was where you were basically doing the, minimum at work and just not saying anything, pretending you were pretending like that was all you could handle.

47:33 And you're flatlining your life, right? Exactly. And it just, you know, when I think about the work that we do at Focus on the Family, if we were all doing the bare minimum, that would not serve any of God's people. It would not serve his kingdom. And, you know, and I don't think that us pushing ourselves to the breaking point would serve God's kingdom either. But I think that there's a balance. I think that we have to take time to focus on our families. We have to take time to focus on our mental health. You know, we have to, but at the same time, we're not meant to be idle creatures either. We are, God create, you know, you're talking about the gifts that God gives us. God gave us a lot of gifts for the things we can do.

48:18 You know, he gives some of us the ability to write. He gives some of us the ability to talk, you know, host radio shows. And I think that when we think about the different gifts God has given us, there's always a balance to be found there. Yeah. No, you're exactly right. And the thing is, see, all that's coming out right now, whether it's the culture and things we're talking about, sense and sensibility and a return and a rebirth of common courtesy and things and slowing down and trying to find that balance. I think we're coming to this because it's almost like maybe. by God's grace and mercy, we've fought ourselves out in doing it the other way and realized that's not working. You know, so maybe we need to come back to the middle, find that middle ground, find where God is, where that peace is, where we can be productive and be wonderful and be joyful because there's, you know, that's another issue that I see that people who are not productive are not very happy people. You know, they're very frustrated and I feel for these young kids who have kind of gone on this sabbatical for a while, you know, out of this grand experiment of the culture that they're going to do as little as possible. And they're going to realize they're going to wake up five years down the road.

49:32 And guess what? Some of their peers got the memo early and they're, you know, 20 steps ahead of them in their career. you know, making six figures while they're sitting there flipping burgers, or maybe even saying, I'm not going to flip her. I'm going to stay, I'm going to stay in the basement, you know, and not pay any rent, not get married, not have kids. And, you know, my mom and dad haven't kicked me out. So I'm just going to hang out here. Okay. What a waste. It does feel a little wasteful. And I'm going to tie this back to the whole sense and sensibility thing. When we're watching those movies or reading those books, we're actually reading about characters who lived in a... they had the luxury of living those lifestyles. Like they all were coming from money. They all, you know, and, and also we were, it was from a time where women didn't really have the opportunity to have a career.

50:22 Like if you were a woman of means, then you were pretty much just trying to get married and have kids. But yeah, It's not like that nowadays, but those people in these books, they all come from money, so they all have a certain amount of luxury. If the story were about the working class of that time period, we would have seen a very different story being told because um you know the men and the women if you were in a poorer household you were working and you were working hard like you were you were a maid for one of those you know richer people or you were a cook or you were a sailor or something um you know but even those people when they do show us kind of a glimpse at those types of characters like you can kind of see like there's a fulfillment to be had in that work.

51:12 Like those people, you know, they. Don't necessarily, yes, they're working hard, but they know that they have to take care of themselves in a way. It's, you know, like I said, there's a fulfillment there. There's a joy there. It almost seems that we don't get from the elite class. In those books. And I like that idea of fulfillment. Next time when we get together, we're going to talk about that. Okay. It's going to be a lot of fun. Emily Chow with Focus on the Family with the Plugged In team. Where can they go for more information, Emily? Our review of Sense and Sensibility, the new movie, is already on our website, PluggedIn.com. I believe we have a couple of the Jane Austen book reviews up there. And when the Pride and Prejudice TV show comes out later this.

51:54 Year, it will also be at PluggedIn.com, all of it. Every 40 seconds, a child disappears. That's 2,000 children every single day. Find the Children is a nonprofit organization fighting to bring them home. But we can't do it without you. Your unwanted car, running or not, can help find missing kids, reunite families, and support the search and rescue efforts that protect children every day. We'll pick it up fast and free with a 24-hour response. And your donation may qualify for a tax deduction. Find the Children provides crucial resources to help locate missing children and educational programs to teach kids how to recognize and avoid predators before it's too late. Together, we can give families hope and bring children home where they belong. Donate your car today and help bring a child home. Find the children, because every child deserves to come home. 800-547-5331 800-547-5331 800-547-5331 This advertisement was paid for in partnership with Cars R Us and Find the Children.

53:00 Are you ready yeah okay let's do it bill martinez live a program about current events our culture our values our politics and our future and now bill martinez hey good morning welcome six. Minutes after the top of the hour right now i'm bill martinez he's dr wilford riley the professor of political science at kentucky state university hey well how we doing. Doing pretty well. Doing pretty well. What about you, Bill? Well, all things considered, I mean, we're heading to the midterms here, and we'll find out as, you know, the lady asked Benjamin Franklin, what kind of government will we have here? And as Benjamin Franklin said, a democratic republic if you can keep it. And that seems to be on the ballot this midterm election. What do you say?

53:49 Yeah, I mean, right now we're dealing with I mean, you're you're definitely seeing the things you see in the run up to an election. I mean, there are fewer of them now, but I noticed CNN and Fox both managed to find the one lonely migrant caravan that Trump let survive. And I mean, there's there's a new disease epidemic allegedly brewing in Russia. I don't want to be too cynical about this stuff, but it's very much an election year. The Democrats, I mean, they have a I wrote a column for USA Today pointing this out. They have a DSA problem. I mean, we have a few nutters on the right, but they have actual DSA candidates that are running for the Senate. So, I mean, in Michigan, we're going to see what happens in a major race there. We're going to see what happens in the Chevalier race for the House. So I think this election could really determine what kind of the donkey party is going to look like going forward for the next 10, 15 years.

54:33 So it's definitely a big, big session for them. But it is for everybody. I mean, normally in the midterms, what you see is that the president's party loses and And that's a potentially dangerous situation for the American right wing if the House and the Senate flip over to the Dems. I mean, we haven't necessarily seen the government moving at a frantic pace and solving problems as it is. So that would really dump kind of the quick creed into the entire mix. Well, the thing is, like you said, not to fix problems, but to do the exact opposite. They created problems. I mean, whether it's Obama, look what Biden did. I mean, the attack on fossil fuels. what he did with our economy, the cost of gasoline. I mean, people are upset about the cost of gasoline right now. And you go, were you not around with Obama? Did you not buy gas under Biden? I mean, I remember the stickers on the gas tanks. You remember that they had placed on... You know, the stickers on these gas stations and, you know, did I do that? You know, that kind of thing. And it's like, you know, the short memories of Americans is astounding to me.

55:42 I mean, the price of gas is one of those things that's used in every election because it's so cyclical. It's influenced by a lot of things. I mean, gas, unfortunately, the oil, the petroleum that it comes from is located under the Arabs and the Persians. So every time we're at war, we see these wild spikes in the price. But, yeah, I mean, I remember this happened under Biden. This happened under Obama. This happens pretty frequently. I actually still have one of the old Thanks Joe stickers on my gas tank as a joke. I've had my car for a while. So I put that on and I think 20, 20, 30 or whatever. And it hasn't come off. I mean, it's not like things are dramatically cheaper now. Exactly. But at least, you know, at least for me and, you know, call me, you know, overly optimistic. But I think there's a potential there. problem-solving plane here that we're looking at, whereas with the Democrats, they never talked about doing anything about lowering the price of gas. Maybe they just talked about it, but there was never any action.

56:43 If anything, it was like, oh, well, we'll just print more money and raise inflation. And somehow, you know, trying, you know, it's like, oh, we'll just we'll just feed the masses cake here. We're just going to Maria Antoinette, you know, the the idea here. Well, democratic and socialist policy is a lot simpler on a lot of these issues. I mean, the basic idea is just we're going to tax people that have money and we're going to redistribute the money to other programs that we think good. So, I mean, the democratic solution to high gas prices would literally be something like giving you a gas card paid for by your neighbor. Or buying your cheap car and giving you, and Obama did this, remember Cash for Clunkers?

57:27 You know, when you were talking about your bumper sticker, I'm going, well, you know, the way to get rid of that bumper sticker in that car is we'll do another rendition of Cash for Clunkers. Cash for Clunkers, though, it's funny, but it actually is an archetypal left party policy in terms, the idea is we're going to buy your cheap but serviceable vehicle and And we're going to give you some money generally taken from someone else to go buy a more expensive car that you you maybe can't afford, maybe shouldn't be riding around in. And there are all these secondary effects of that. Like I've talked to a lot of I mentor young men. And when I talk to high school students, application for a driver's license, the moment you hit 16, maybe a learner's permit before that, that's down from maybe 80 percent when I was in high school, even in a city to something like 26 percent. One, we're coddling the kids too much. But also, two, there aren't those affordable cars out there where you and your dad can go drive around the neighborhood and you can see some old beater sitting on a lawn and you can call the guy to the door in his T-shirt and negotiate with them.

58:27 The cash for clunkers had an enormous effect in taking those vehicles off the road and in boosting the price of cars. So a new truck today is you can easily get up to 60,000, 70,000. It's insane. Exactly. Yeah. By the way, do you know what the most common vehicle for a millionaire to drive is? No. What is it? It's a Ford F-150. I read this the first time. I almost said Ford 150, but I couldn't. Yes. Wow. That's crazy. No, because a lot of millionaires do have a small business. You might be running construction crews or something. But also, men at least now know that that's a somewhat luxury vehicle. You didn't go out and buy that. It's not a $ 20, 000 Toyota. You could easily spend as much on that as a Mercedes or a BMW. So that, in the past couple of years, has been the number one kind of millionaire transport.

59:12 So if you want to be a millionaire, go and get an F-150. You know, might as well set the stage for it, right? I think it's kind of the other way around. If you're not a millionaire, definitely don't go out and get an F-150 unless you plan on living in it. I mean, so I think that there is that. I've always been, what is it, businesswomen call it, manifesting. I've always been very suspicious of that idea, like I go to sleep with a picture of a Porsche on my wall. Right. I don't know. Like, I mean, I might get a real apartment with some better walls and then, you know, budget for that Porsche. Over the years. Well, you know, we've been told over the years, at least when I was growing up, you are what you think, right? I think that there's an element of that and that you are, for example, you're brave if you think you are to some extent. Like if you say something like, I am my father's son, I will not run in dangerous situations, you are brave. That's what being brave means. Unfortunately, not everything is like that. Like if you think I am rich... No, you're not. So, I mean, I think for the longer term scenarios, you need to, you need to have a plan that converts kind of the, what is it? Those dreams into goals. This is, this is a bit away from just the price of the Trump, but no, I would not. And this is real advice for the young businessman. I think probably for both of us, not actually go out and buy like five Brooks brothers suits and a fancy car and some of that stuff.

1:00:21 When I got my first good job, because I want to look like I'm wealthy. The issue is that I'm not yet. And everyone kind of knows that because I'm 26. So it's just a, But keep in mind, you got to balance that stuff. Right. Well, you know, you could buy the suit, but you don't have the Rolex. You still have an old Timex watch that you're using. So you're kind of, you know, a bit of a, you know, an ironic presentation. And people can tell real quick. And plus, you know, your shoes are scuffed up. You didn't even go and get your shoes shined. You know, you got to think of the entire package, right, Will? Well, most genuinely rich guys I know dress like bums to the point where I'll sometimes tease them about it. I mean... Yes. Yeah, we just did. We did Bob Woodson celebration of life in D.C. And I mean, of course, everyone wore a jacket. It's a funeral sort of situation. But, you know, if you meet, say, the chairman of the board of the Woodson Center, he used to be the president of HSBC. I mean, he's just a normal, decent looking guy and. regular clothes from the men's store. I mean, on a weekend, he, or for that matter, I would be wearing a polo shirt and some old New Balance shoes. So, I mean, you can't look around a diner in your town and tell who's a millionaire. I mean, and I think that there's an element of value to that. And this is especially true. I teach at a historically black college.

1:01:37 So the idea for the black businessman is you need to be a little blinged out. Your watch has diamonds in it. And actually, that's not going to get you taken more seriously in meetings. The opposite, if anything. So yeah, wear the watch on the inside of your wrist. It could be a nice watch. It doesn't matter, really. It tells the time, doesn't it? Time for a quick break, speaking of which. We'll be back more from Dr. Wilford Riley after this. This report is sponsored by IBM. As AI becomes more common in the workplace, HR leaders and employees have different views on the skills needed most. A new global study from the IBM Institute for Business Value finds that 71% of CHROs identify the ability to supervise, validate, and override AI outputs as the workforce's most essential skill.

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1:04:47 800-796-3954. 800-796-3954. That's 800-796-3954. Do you have Medicare and do you use a CPAP machine? This is a national health care alert regarding your CPAP supplies. Using a clean CPAP mask and clean supplies is important to staying healthy. The best way to make sure your CPAP equipment is clean is to get new supplies. If you have Medicare, we have great news. Medicare will pay for you to have new clean supplies every 90 days. We'll even do all the paperwork for you to make sure that there's little to no out-of-pocket cost to you.

1:05:29 And you don't even have to leave your home. We provide free in-home delivery. So if you're a CPAP user and you have Medicare, staying healthy with new CPAP equipment is easy. Just make this free phone call right now to get started. Sponsored by Specialty Medical. 800-254-1421. 800-254-1421. 800-254-1421. That's 800-254-1421. Hey, we're back with you. Welcome back. Good to have you with us. Bill Martinez here. For more information on the show, you can go to BillMartinezLive.com. Well, you know, you're talking about these wealthy people. I mean, Sam Walton was famous. I mean, you know, he had this old truck he drove around. He certainly could have afforded an F-150 with all the, you know, all the latest technology and everything else. But no, he was happy with his old truck.

1:06:26 He famously said that he shopped at his own stores. He'd put together this mart full of, no pun intended, but full of all clothes from working mans up to middle, middle class. And he liked some of the brands. He liked George. So you're in there. You're the boss. They're probably not charging you. You take five polos. And as a guy, that's a week's worth of dress, maybe a month's worth of dress. And you just go, oh. So there wasn't an understanding on his part that I should spend a great deal of time flaunting myself publicly in terms of fashion. I know I'm rich. And I think that's a pretty healthy attitude for someone to have. And the question is, I think, and I'm not insulting the Walton family, but can you convey that to your kids? I mean, like the original Hilton couple, I forget their names, but the people that founded the chain of luxury hotels were absolutely classy, funny. I've read some of their business quotes.

1:07:15 And then, I mean, their kid was Paris Hilton. So you've got to pass that on. Like, this is how to approach money. This is how to keep it. This is how to approach morality, so on down the line. And it's about 50-50 whether people can do that. Well, I wanted to talk to you about the Cornell 7. I know you've been talking a lot about it lately. And especially there, you know, on campus, you know, again, every once in a while this thing comes up. But, you know, this is a you know, when this report came up, I'm going, OK, is it are we going to go through this situation again? How much veracity? And of course, we saw what how New York decided to handle this. And Governor Hochul and even, you know, the district attorney, how she jumped on it and almost came to a conclusion that. in the press conference without their being due process.

1:08:07 Well, yeah, I mean, so a couple observations. First of all, from a legal standpoint, I mean, I think putting Letitia James in there and saying we're going to get a fair investigation of an ethnically diverse group of men at a university where at least the donors probably lean toward the right. I mean, I think that's sort of a joke. Like you're appointing someone who's going to produce the result you think is needed. And hopefully those guys are really lawyering up right now. Beyond that, though, I think there are a lot of interesting things about this case. If I had to look at it seriously from the perspective of someone who's kind of dead aged, this gets into the limit of consent as a regulator for sexual morality. So one of the things that's coming out about this case is that it looks like the woman consented. So the Cornell Jane Doe agreed. She was talking to two of the guys. And by the way, one thing that's kind of funny about this, if you're in a men's chat, is that these guys look like the United Nations. You've got a Hispanic guys. Salabria. You've got an Italian and Hispanic guy, Lopez. You've got a black guy, Newell. You've got a guy from Dubai, but he's white. You've got two Slavic white dudes.

1:09:09 I mean, whatever. So let the best people into college. I don't have a problem with that. You have a Korean guy? That's something I thought I'd never see in a situation like this. But all potential humor aside... The woman was talking to, I think, the blonde guy and the black guy. And you could see how that fantasy might develop. In fact, she agreed to go upstairs and have sexual intercourse with both of them, as I recall, at the same time. And these are college men. They can be a little tacky. So a text was sent out to the fraternity that, let's put it very politely, was like, we upstairs with a girl. She's not saying no. So other guys started coming by, banging on the door, making jokes. But some started coming in and asking to participate. And that's where the allegation came that this was obviously sexual assault. But the men and the women say that each time this was asked, she said yes. I mean, there's this whole text file with quotes like, we're all consenting adults here, so on. And people started using drugs. People were sniffing ketamine, which is a horse tranquilizer. People were using cocaine. I'm not shocked in all honesty to see that in a fraternity house. So this goes on. I think by the end, there are seven men that have come in and at least kissed this woman. There are guys sitting in chairs playing on their phones. She's naked in one of the two most common intimate positions. And finally, somebody else comes by, like the fraternity president, and says, okay, you have to shut this down.

1:10:25 This is gross. This isn't what we do. And the girl leaves. And they're in communication for several weeks. And she says... Nothing that happened was illegal. I don't feel like I was treated like a queen, but, you know, chi-fi is still my house. My impression would be, as someone who's very aware of the Greek scene in college, that the sisters in her sorority started telling her how they perceived her activities. They probably were not being treated the same way by guys in other Greek organizations. They're probably getting a lot of, can you come upstairs? And she started thinking of this as an assault. And that's when they had this campus case. And six out of the seven guys were acquitted. So I don't know if there's a legal case here at all.

1:11:05 I'm sure Letitia James will try to dig deep and find one. But you have a situation where the alleged victim is telling the alleged abuser, you're my king. We're still friends. I could win that case. The issue, though, is everyone at some level, last slide, but everyone at some level knows that this isn't an ideal situation. You wouldn't want your daughter in it. This is happening at your Greek house. Everyone's got to clear out of the room. And so the question is, why? And I think the answer is there are a lot of things that are obviously gross, like seven naked guys standing around one woman. This isn't some 1700s military initiation. There's no reason to be doing this. And because contemporary morality on the left...

1:11:46 has moved toward consent as kind of the only wrong. We see a temptation, especially for women, maybe, to try to push everything into kind of rape or pedophilia, because those are the non-consensual crimes, right? You have a smaller wife. You like submissive women. You want your wife to stay home. These three combined are probably 90% of men. Well, you're a pervert. And the answer is no. Well, we disagree about the basis of a marriage. But I'm actually somewhat sympathetic. I understand why you're saying that. Because you see a lot of other things around you that are very different, even from what I just said, that everyone thinks are bad and you no longer know how to say why. That's the through line of this case. Like as a girl, that was genuinely the last thing I promised, but as a girl, why shouldn't you give oral sex to seven guys in a row? Because that's going to ruin your reputation on your campus or in your business because you're probably going to catch a disease. Like there are all these things that underlie the rules that we used to have.

1:12:40 So we need to start kind of reestablishing them. This is shades and memories of previous occurrences that happened. It's part of campus life. And for these seven men to put themselves in that situation, and I think it's commendable that you have the president of the fraternity coming in and say, hey, stop this. At least somebody came in with some sense of moral compass, realizing that this thing is just out of control. I guess maybe you can have a little bit of hope for people on campus life that not everybody is representative of of these seven guys, you know, just being totally hedonistic.

1:13:21 I think that you are, you're going to see a swing back toward this. I mean, one of the things that I see a lot in younger circles, and to some extent, the distance and the prudishness among younger people also has its downsides, right? But something I see is definitely an understanding. A lot of this stuff is now all on video. A lot of things that happen are now probably illegal. Sex passed a certain point of intoxication. We've changed some of these laws. So there's a fair amount of caution there. And I think I see this myself sometimes with mentees, and I would encourage dads to teach it. That needs to apply to men, too. So there's always been a risk to women from dating. You know, you could be sexually abused, you could become pregnant, so on down the line. There's now also an equally serious risk to men, which is that if someone feels offended, which I frankly think is what happens here, you could find yourself charged with some kind of felony. Because in ordinary life, I don't know a way to phrase this that doesn't sound bad, but a great many things happen that probably are technically illegal. If you and your wife go to a wine trail, it's very likely you'll be intimate later. If you and your brother have an argument about the family business, two punches might be thrown. That's felony assault. Are you going to charge your brother with felony assault?

1:14:37 No. But that implies the existence of these circles of trust where you're doing things like doing business, having sex, using deadly weapons with people you know and trust. And if you're doing those sort of things with people you don't know and can't yet trust, you're taking a huge risk onto your head and shoulders. So I hope people start thinking about that. We can talk about Jesus and the Buddha and so on, and I greatly like the first of those guys, but there's a reason those ancient rules exist. And it's a practical reason as well as a moral. And people, the king, Hammurabi or whoever, was looking around and seeing every time we allow this, this much wine at a wedding, we have this problem and several people die in duels. So we're going to cut this off.

1:15:18 Don't be drunk is the warning in the Bible, not don't drink. These things are bad. And I think that those rules exist for a reason. I'm kind of repeating myself here. No, but it's an issue of common sense. And this is, you know, we need to reconnect with such values that are really, you know, on their face. You know, Dr. Riley, they're not that difficult, are they? No, I mean, I think that there's so you could call this natural law, even if you're not in the most religious perspective. There are things that are obviously evident to most people. Well, we got to leave it there for now. He's a professor of political science at Kentucky State University. Dr. Wilfred Riley. Thank you. Well, appreciate it. Take care. Thank you, Bill.

1:16:00 A new study finds a major increase in STEM learning in after-school programs, but gaps remain. Today, 92% of parents with children in after-school say STEM is available, up from 69% a decade ago. That's 6.4 million kids now getting STEM in after-school. Emma Binet, Overdeck Family Foundation. This study underscores the remarkable work out-of-school time programs do to help students discover the joy in learning while preparing them to succeed now and into the future. The study finds rural and low-income students are less likely to get frequent STEM opportunities, with rural programs also offering fewer opportunities in computer science and technology. Jody Grant, Executive Director of the After-School Alliance. STEM literacy is no longer optional. It's the foundation of nearly every aspect of our economy and our world.

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1:18:39 You can get your book published. Get your manuscript 800-439-1588. 800-439-1588. Hey, good morning. Welcome back. Glad you could join us. Bill Martinez here, and we're going to be talking fibromyalgia. Boy, what a mouthful, huh? Well, it's important because it affects an estimated 10 million adults in the U.S. Most of them women, yet only around 3 million patients are diagnosed and treated annually. Now, this chronic condition is very painful.

1:19:23 It affects the whole body, causing widespread pain, fatigue, brain fog, disturbed sleep, can be misunderstood and undiagnosed for years. For someone living with fibromyalgia, even the simplest text can be exhausting or feel impossible. And here to tell us more about it is Dr. Andrea. Thank you so much for being with Dr. Andrea Chadwick. How are you? I'm doing great. Thank you so much for having me. Well, Dr. Chadwick is a pain medicine physician at the Academic Center, Clinical and Translational Physician-Scientist And, you know, thank you for being here because fibromyalgia is one of those that we hear about, you know, we see ads, but I don't think we quite understand unless you happen to be affected by it, right?

1:20:09 Absolutely. It's often misunderstood and overlooked. So exactly what is fibromyalgia? So fibromyalgia is often misunderstood or overlooked because it has a lengthy diagnostic journey. And we'll talk a little bit about the symptoms in just a minute. With patients with They wait about 6.4 years from their first symptom-related complaint to receiving that official diagnosis. It's also important to point out that because symptoms associated with fibromyalgia might overlap with other conditions, and they're also not outwardly apparent in some individuals, these people can report challenges with navigating that diagnostic journey. And as you mentioned, fibromyalgia is more than just pain.

1:20:53 It's a condition that affects your whole body and can cause many symptoms. Fibromyalgia is an example of a type of pain that comes from altered pain processing within the central nervous system, and we call that nociplastic pain. The characteristic core symptoms of fibromyalgia can include widespread chronic pain, non-restorative sleep, and fatigue. It's also important to point out that fibromyalgia symptoms may fluctuate over time and that patients may report symptom intensity that changes. And it could be based on a variety of different factors such as stress, the environment, or activity. And ultimately what this does, it can make it really difficult for patients with fibromyalgia to maintain consistent routines.

1:21:39 Well, and as you say, because it's a bit of a rollercoaster ride, you know, the patient might think, okay, I got this. I'm doing okay. It's not so bad. And this is probably why it takes so long to really diagnose the issue because it can be somewhat ghost-like. Is that fair to say? Absolutely. Like I mentioned, you know, those symptoms can overlap with other conditions. Patients may not have any outwardly apparent symptoms or signs, and this really leads to them having a difficult time navigating that diagnostic journey, which can involve a lot of different physicians over time until they get that official diagnosis, which, as we mentioned, can take up to 6.4 years. Wow, that's crazy.

1:22:20 Dr. Chadwick, as you mentioned, for someone living with fibromyalgia, even the simplest tasks can be exhausting or feel impossible. For more than 15 years, people living with fibromyalgia have experienced limited treatment options. Now there's another option for those living with this pain, right? Yeah. I mean, so there's a, as you mentioned, there's a new agent that has come out in the first FDA approved treatment in over 15 years. It's really important to talk about this because over 10 million adults in the United States, most of whom are women, are affected by fibromyalgia. And again, it's that chronic syndrome characterized mainly by widespread pain, non-restorative sleep, and fatigue. So the approval of Tenmya, which is spelled T-O-N-M-Y-A, really could mark a shift in fibromyalgia care for patients who are suffering with this. And again, it's the first FDA therapy for the treatment of fibromyalgia in adults in over 15 years, which is a really big breakthrough.

1:23:23 Now, how is this medication delivered? And is it so much different than what's been out there before? So Tenmaya is a prescription medication used in adults for the treatment of fibromyalgia. And it's not known if Tenmaya is safe and effective in children. Well, Tenmaya is a prescription medicine used in adults for the treatment of fibromyalgia, and it is not known if Tenmaya is safe and. Effective in children. Tenmaya is a non-opioid medication that is taken once a day at bedtime, and its unique sublingual formulation, which means it dissolves under the tongue, is designed for rapid absorption into the bloodstream. The sublingual formulation is designed to initially bypass first-pass liver metabolism, which reduces the conversion of cyclobenzaprine to norcyclobenzaprine, a metabolite that is linked to wake-promoting activity. Additionally, Tenmaya, as a sublingual cyclobenzaprine, is given at a low dose, which is 5.6 mg after 2 weeks at 2.8 mg for the treatment of fibromyalgia. Tenmaya is the only formulation of cyclobenzaprine that is FDA-approved for fibromyalgia, and Tenmaya demonstrated a significant improvement in widespread pain symptoms across two Phase III clinical trials. In these clinical studies of Tenmaya, the side effects were generally manageable. The most common ones that were reported in clinical trial, these clinical trials, were mouth numbness,

1:24:57 mouth discomfort, an abnormal taste in the mouth, feeling sleepy, fatigue, dry mouth, canker sores, as well as tingling in the mouth and mouth pain. Well, we're talking with Dr. Andrew Chadwick, a professor of anesthesiology, pain and perioperative medicine at an academic center and a board-certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine physician. You know, Dr. Chadwick, I think anytime you can reduce. Pain, Absolutely. You know, chronic pain is very impactful. And having a new option for therapy is really a wonderful breakthrough for those who are suffering with the condition.

1:25:38 Now, for patients who are dealing with fibromyalgia, just bring it all into perspective for our audience. And that is, you know, what they say to you repeatedly. I know we touched on the fact that, you know, it takes over six years for people to really understand what they're dealing with here. What are the patients telling you? Well, the patients are really kind of describing the things we've talked about before, which is that they've struggled to get that diagnosis. They've waited an average of that 6.4 years from their first symptom-related complaint to a clinician to get that diagnosis. And as we mentioned, it's. More than just pain. It affects their whole body, their whole life. It can cause many different symptoms. which include that chronic widespread pain, but also the non-restorative sleep and the fatigue, which oftentimes is just as impactful as the pain that they're dealing with. And so, you know, having that different option with Tenmaya is really, could mark that shift in fibromyalgia care for patients.

1:26:42 How can family members come alongside? Because, you know, having support, I mean, because Like anything, we all have blind spots. Family members are the first to see those blind spots. And we want to be a helpful agent with our loved one who is experiencing this kind of frustrating lifestyle. I mean, no sleep, pain. exhaustion. I mean, just load it up here. I mean, before you know it, you're carrying quite the load, aren't you? You know, I think it's just so important. And as you point out, the impact of all of these different symptoms that can take a toll on a person as they're just trying to have, you know, live their best life. And so having those family members as a support system is also very, very important in those patients along this journey.

1:27:31 It's important to note that Tenmaya is not indicated for sleep, fatigue, or improvement in quality of life. What would you tell someone with fibromyalgia who wants to talk to their doctors about these new treatment options? Well, I would tell someone with fibromyalgia that Tenmaya is approved for the treatment of fibromyalgia in adults and can be used as indicated as a first-line treatment. It's also important to know that any adult with fibromyalgia is eligible for Tenmaya, but there are exceptions for specific contraindications as noted in the label. People should talk with their doctor to determine whether Tenmaya may be an option for them. And as always, patients should always inform their doctor of other medical conditions as well as other medicines that they are taking.

1:28:19 Well, we've been talking with Dr. Andrea Chadwick. She is a double board certified anesthesiologist and pain medicine doctor and directs research focused on fibromyalgia and chronic centralized pain. Dr. Chadwick, thank you so much for being with us as we wrap things up. Tell everybody where they can go for more information. Well, for more information, people can visit tenmaya.com and it's been an absolute pleasure to speak with you today. Thank you so much for your time. Hey, just a quick reminder, you can catch the show on all major podcast platforms, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, wherever you listen. Be sure to download or subscribe so you don't miss any Bill Martinez live episodes. What if a trip to your mailbox could put you behind the wheel of a brand new automobile? Starting September 28th, Valpak Clip is giving one lucky winner a new vehicle valued at more than $ 40, 000.

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1:32:59 Hey, good morning, America. Glad you could join us. Bill Martinez here got a real treat for you. Yes, Spencer Hatcher. I'm telling you, he is the string king, and he's going to be joining us, the country artist, own country records artist. And we're going to talk about Mountain Dew, which has been part of American life for nearly 80 years. Born in Tennessee in 1948 and becoming a favorite for cookouts, road trips, and adventures, and everything else in between. Now, the brand is celebrating those Tennessee roots with Nashville musician Spencer Hatcher. Who else? As I mentioned, he's known as the String King from growing up playing mandolin on a Virginia farm to making his mark in Nashville. Hatcher's helping tell the story of American Originals hard work and staying true to where he came from. Today, he joins us to talk about his journey, his music, and his partnership with Mountain Dew. Spencer, welcome to the show. Good to have you with us.

1:33:48 Bill, thank you so much for having me. It's a real honor. Well, I'll tell you, the honor's ours. I mean, what a career. I mean, and I love the fact, you know, because you're talking to an old radio guy. I've been in the radio business for 50 plus years. And I've done a lot with, you know, with jingles and, you know, with, you know, really IDs for whether it's radio stations or radio. commercial entities. And you and your brother, Colin, you did this for Mountain Dew, and it seems to be a big part of the initial... Yes, you always had a guitar or something with a string on it in your hands growing up, but it seemed like this really helped launch you, this relationship with Mountain Dew that goes back quite a ways, doesn't it?

1:34:33 Yes, sir. Hey, it, it absolutely did. You know, up until that first partnership with Mountain Dew, which was in 2021, I was just playing whatever shows I could. I'd had a couple of viral videos, but then for such an amazing brand like Mountain Dew with such an amazing product to come to an independent artist, someone that's unsigned and say, Hey, we love what you're doing. We want to work with you. I mean, it was one of the greatest honors of my life at that time. Um, And that was where the whole name of String King came from. After we had done the ad and it had been released, a local paper had actually put that out. And that was where that name came from. It was big, bold letters on the, on the headline String King. I believe it was quote String King plucks deal with Mountain Dew. And so it was, it was really cool just because, you know, the ad was me and my younger brother just doing a bluegrass jingle for, for Mountain Dew. And, And then, of course, they also knew that on stage I play the acoustic guitar, the electric guitar as well. So we got lots of instruments. And like you said, I've had instruments in my hand for many, many years now.

1:35:42 Yeah. So how did this idea for this jingle for Mountain Dew come about between you and your brothers? Well, it was something that I worked with Mountain Dew on. They kind of said, here's what we're thinking. And we love the videos that. You're putting out. But they said, we want to do something for Mountain Dew in this campaign that we're doing. So they said, would you be okay with writing a jingle for it and then going and recording it? And we'll do an ad for it. And I was like, dude, yes, this is incredible. Of course, I'll do it. So that was what that was in 2021. And now.... To get to work with them on this new campaign, Tasting Great Since 48. What an honor to get to do it again. I mean, five years later, it's a real blessing. So I love Mountain Dew.

1:36:27 Well, that's great. Well, Tasting Great Since 48 campaign, tell us what it's all about. Yes, sir. Well, it's all about just honoring where Mountain Dew comes from, its roots and its history. The fact that it's been around for nearly 80 years And what's cool is it still tastes the exact same as it did nearly 80 years ago when two brothers started Mountain Dew in the hills of Tennessee. So I just think that's really cool. You know, a lot of times brands, companies, products, they change just after a couple of years. But after 80 and it's still the same product, you know, I think that's just a true testament to who they are as a company. They found something great that works all those years ago and they held on to it. So. it's no wonder that they've been a lot of been around for so long. And, you know, that's a story that I connect with so well, because my music, my career, the person that I am, a lot of what I do is rooted in things that have been passed down just like music and family. So, uh, Mountain Dew and Spencer Hatcher truly is a, is a perfect match.

1:37:32 Yeah. Both of you are brands under yourself. Are you not? Yes, sir. I would say so. Yeah, exactly. So, and that's the thing, you know, as you say, uh, Sometimes you get, you know, these corporate entities who come in and start messing around with the formula. But, you know, something that has been, you know, very effective for 80 years. I mean, don't fix anything that's not broken. Right. Well, that's exactly right. You know, and one thing that stuck out to me about Mountain Dew is is. They've always wanted to stay true to where they've come from. And that is something that I've prioritized since day one. You know, my music is a lot more traditional sounding. It's what you might have heard 30 years ago and even further back. And so staying true to your roots and where you come from for both of us, Spencer Hatcher and Mountain Dew, is very important. Because, again, you know, you have such a fan base built up and so many people love it. And when it goes away, then it's like, well, what do you have anymore? So to stick around and to keep things true, it's just so important so that you never have to go out in public and put a mask on and fake your way through it. That it's never going to be me. And I know it has never been Mountain Dew.

1:38:46 Well, Spencer, you know, speaking of your roots, I mean, you grew up on a farm in Virginia, Shenandoah Valley, learning mandolin and banjo alongside your family's bluegrass band. It must have been fun to get the family together and everybody's playing instruments. And I imagine you probably even got the juice harp going and having all kinds of fun, huh? Oh, yeah. Those are some of the greatest memories of my life. You know, we've gotten to do some just outstanding things since, you know, especially in the last two years since I've really gone professional in the country music scene. But those early days where everything was just for fun and everything was new and anytime you could play a show for five people that weren't even listening, you know, it was exciting. And so that was that's what it looked like for me growing up. You know, I just played music. I had my family with me and everywhere we went, it was just so much fun. And, and again, the memories that we have and the stories we have to tell are, uh, it's incredible. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.

1:39:49 I imagine it's gotta be fun, not only for you, but vicariously, even for the family, maybe because you, you guys, you did this all together. I mean, you and your brother and, you know, the whole family involved here. So I imagine, you know, they're enjoying the ride if even vicariously, uh, because of, you know, the success you've been enjoying. Oh, yes, sure. Well, and, And the thing, too, is even though I'm in country music now, it's still so important for me to play bluegrass and to stay close to my roots. So anytime that I have time on stage, I still do a whole bluegrass segment. Oftentimes, I will still bring my dad up on stage and my older brother. Now, my younger brother plays full time with me on the bass.

1:40:32 He is my full time bass player. Player. And he also sings a high tenor for me on stage. So he's everywhere with me. I hired my dad on as the full-time tour manager. So he's pretty much everywhere with me. And still today at the shows, I will have them come up and play a song with me so everybody can see where it started in real time. You know, so it certainly isn't gone. Now, what a ride. You know, we mentioned String King. uh, you know, that title, I mean, as you said, and that's the way sometimes it comes about me, a reporter gets an inspiration and they throw a name out there and here you are, you're identified as the string King. Uh, you know, what has that meant for your career?

1:41:17 Well, it's been a lot, you know, and that certainly isn't a name that I would have given myself. So I'm glad that it came from a paper. Um, but you know, I think just like anything, um, you got a lot to do to live up to a name like that. And so in, you know, that's not like my whole goal to live up to the name that's been given, but part of my show is literally playing like three and four different instruments and singing and showing people kind of where it all came from. So, you know, that's, that's a lot of, of what it is. You know, I think the name came from, uh, doing all the videos online to doing the Mountain Dew campaign with them and then it coming out on television. And keep in mind, too, I'm from a very small town in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. So there's not been anybody that's ever done anything like that before. So for the paper to come out and say, you know, String King is doing all this stuff. It's it was incredible then. And it's just kind of stuck with me, I think. through all the shows and everything that I've been involved in since. So it's an honor to have that name and, uh, I hope to, uh, to live up to it.

1:42:27 Right. Well, Spencer, you got a real history with this brand. Uh, let's talk real quick as we wrap things up about a favorite memory on stage or off that ties back to Mountain Dew. Sure. Well, um, my favorite memory is, is definitely that, that first commercial that I got to do with him in 2021. I mean, it was such a big part in my career when I was independent, it was such an honor. And it was so much fun, the entire process of creating that jingle and singing and seeing what, you know, the big time is, what that's like. It was just absolutely amazing. But even relating it to today, you know, at all the shows, whether it's on stage or in the green room, or if it's a sponsorship of the festival Mountain Dew, still is at every single show that I play and every single state that I go. So all these amazing memories that I still continue to make, Mountain Dew is part of every single one.

1:43:26 Well, Mountain Dew is marking nearly 80 years as an American original with Nashville's newest string king, Spencer Hatcher. As we wrap things up, Spencer, please tell our audience where they can go to follow you and get more information. Yes, sir. Well, you can just look me up online, your favorite streaming platform, your favorite social media. I encourage everybody to go and check out all the music and everything that I'm involved in. You just look up at Spencer Hatcher and I'll pop right up as well as with Mountain Dew and everything that they've got going on. It's just at Mountain Dew. And just like one of the songs that I have out, that's all about common sense. The common sense for today would be to go pick up a Mountain Dew and crank up the music and just have a good time.

1:44:08 I'm for you with that one. That's great. Spencer Hatcher, thank you so much for being with us. Take care. Bill, thank you. I appreciate it. Hey, just a quick reminder, you can catch the show on all major podcast platforms, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, wherever you listen. Be sure to download or subscribe so you don't miss any Bill Martinez live episodes. Hey, glad you could join us for another day here on Bill Martinez Live. You know, this is all about you and for you. You know, getting you the information that you need to be the consent of the governed. But we say, own your own knowledge. Check it out. Don't just take my word for it. Exercise some critical thinking. See for yourself. Thanks again for being with us. We'll see you tomorrow right here on Bill Martinez Live.

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