Cutbooms.
If you thought four hours a day, twelve hundred minutes a week was enough, think again. He's the last remnants of the old republic, a sol fashion of fairness. He treats crackheads in the ghetto cutter the same as the rich pill poppers in the penthouse.
Wow.
The clearing House of Hot takes break free for something special. The Fifth Hour with Ben Maller starts right now.
In the air everywhere.
The Fifth Hour with Me, Ben Mahler and Danny g Radio, who is away this weekend hanging out with his pals Covino and Rich. So you got me and this podcast a super duper special pod on this Friday. And I'm not blowing smoke. I'm not blowing smoke at all. No, no, no, oh, what a week it was. As you know by listening, the phones went haywire. There was a glitch here, a glitch there, a glitch everywhere. Oh yeah, we had some issues. We'll get to that at some point over the weekend.
But this being the Fifth Hour podcast, we go behind the scenes, behind the microphone, behind the headphones and all that. And it is a show dedicated to the super fans of the Overnight if you have listened on a regular basis to the Fifth Hour podcast, you are in the one percent of the one percent. God bless you, all right, God bless you for that. We thank you, because without that.
I mean we are wor screwed. We are.
And I was away from my poach in the post in the watch Tower of the overnight a couple of nights this week. And those of you who were listening to this podcast last weekend, of course you knew that I was going to be away because I had said at the end of the mail bag on Sunday that I had some things to do.
And I was gonna be away.
And of course that did not stop a number of people who are not p ones, who are more P two s P three's, who sent me angry messages. Among my favorites were, why are you not here? I'm working, Why are you not here? Get your fat ass behind the microphone? You only work four hours a day, Why are you not here? Blah blah blah blah, went on and on and on and on. So I didn't write
back to any of those people. I did not and I've decided on this pod today that we are going to go behind the scenes to a galaxy far far away. And as the great radio man Paul Harvey would say, you know what the news is, But in a minute, you're gonna know what the rest of the story is. In this case, you're going to know that I was
not hosting the overnight show. I was away a couple nights Monday and Tuesday, Monday into Tuesday, and then Tuesday Wednesday and all that, And in a minute, you're going to find out the rest of the story. So it has been many years since I have talked about what I'm about to talk about into a microphone. In fact, this goes back probably ten, twelve, thirteen, fourteen years. It's been a long time, certainly over ten years, and I
think much longer than that. So let's go back in the hot tub time machine.
To a random year in.
About the twenty twenty nine, twenty twenty ten, well probably twenty ten, twenty eleven, I guess would be the period somewhere in that period of time, probably twenty eleven. So it's been fourteen years twenty eleven. We've locked in on twenty eleven. So going back then, and I was hosting filling in locally on our affiliate AM five seventy in Los Angeles, the home of the Dodgers. Every once in a while they will call me out of the bullpen on a rogue mission, and I will go in and
yap away. And so I was asked by the person who produced the show to step in.
So I did, and then.
The host of the show during that broadcast it was I want to say it was on a Thursday, but might have been on a Wednesday or a Friday. But I was hosting the show and the conversation came up about you know, being a parent and family and all that stuff, and I was asked if I had kids or not, and I explained on that show against a local show AM five seventy years ago, LA, I explained that I did have a son, son who I helped raise.
I was helping raise at the time, and I helped raised him since he was four years old at that time. He was probably not much older than that. And it
was a rather benign conversation. However, that would be something that sparked a bunch of diabolical fans of mine who could not read the room and were starting to kind of lurk around, and it freaked out my wife right Whichel freaked out and some of these Stoker types who are big fans, and I'm sure meant no harm at all, but they were trying to get more intel about my son. And this led to my wife getting some odd requests on social media, and she was flustered, bedraggled, and she was very upset.
She who I did that I not talk.
About him anymore on the radio to protect the family from the lunatics that are out there. So I did not talk about my steps on throughout his entire education.
All of the.
Days I would take him to school or pick him up from school, or the sporting events, all that stuff that was just off the table, so off the table.
Did not talk about it on the radio.
Lived it, loved it, enjoyed all of it, just wonderful memories, but not for the radio. Because my wife had requested
not to talk about it. So I never brought it up until today, and I honored her request, and today I'm allowed to talk about it because on Monday and Tuesday of this past week, me and the wife took off in the middle of the night after the show a Sunday night and a Monday and headed to San Diego, a city near and dear to my heart, that was the place, as you may know if you followed the nonsense here that I began my journey into broadcasting at
a commercial radio station, the mighty six ninety, which was a.
Border blaster station.
Ironically, it was only a couple miles away from the address of.
The old studio. Got off on SeaWorld Drive Pacific Coast Highway. You make a right.
Turn on the off ramp coming from from the north, make a right turn, then a quick left, and then right across from the California Highway Patrol station is.
The studio, which is no longer.
The studio stations moved and it's a a Spanish station border blaster station, but they're not there anymore. So anyway, that's where I was, and literally less than two miles away,
I believe it was was MCRD. Now, if you live in San Diego or you've spent time in San Diego, chances are you know it's a great military town and right next to the airport in prime real estate, some of the most valuable real estate in all of San Diego, right on the ocean is the Marine Corps Recruitment Depot known as MCRD and that is where me and my wife attended because there was family Day on Monday, and then on Tuesday was graduation day. My son, my step son,
Patrick graduated. He is now a United States Marine. He was in boot camp for the last three four months whatever. It was, no phone, no contact, just sending letters. That was the only contact, snail mail, as we like to say. And very proud of his hard work, his dedication, his commitment.
This is something he's wanted for a long time. And I recall he would come home from school and pop on some military documentary and he'd study the military and the different branches of the military and wanted to decide, like what branch is he gonna go to? Is he gonna go to the Army? Is he gonna go to the Navy.
The Air Force, the Marines?
And after meticulous research, he determined that the Marines were for him. And I'm very excited for him.
This is something he's wanted to do.
He's a young guy, just graduated high school and he has already passed boot camp and a bunch of his friends and his contemporaries in school are just enjoying the summer and trying to figure out what they're gonna do next in their life. And he's got his life all kind of mapped out, at least the next few years of his life. So we spent several days in San Diego. There was a a ceremony. I had never been to this.
It's an odd thing. I mentioned that the MCRD is right neck to the radio station I used to work at, and so it's close to that. And when I was a kid growing up, I grew up surrounded by orange groves, and then around the orange groves there was two military bases. There was a El Tooral Marine Base and a Tust and neither one's there by the way, Tust Orange and
El Toro and so much of them. My classmates when I was in school were military brats that changed schools every couple of years, and every once in a while they would be friend one of these kids and they'd take me on. I remember the Eltoral Marine Base. They took us to the store there where we could buy candy and all kinds of crap that we could get without paying tax. So it was like, man, we're living the dream here. We can get everything a lot cheaper and all that stuff, And so I grew up around
the military. I remember the air show, watching the Blue Angels, and when I was a kid, back before or a lot of things changed in the world.
When I went to the tust And Marine.
Base, they would allow us to like run through as I remember, as I remember the planes, and they'd have a plane open. You could like sit in the cockpit of a real frickin plane, and they had tanks you could go into the tank.
I mean, these are things. I don't think they do that anymore.
I doubt they do for liability reasons and for other reasons, but back then we got to do it. So that was my experience with that. And so even though I'd worked in San Diego and I have friends that have been in the Marines and the military and all that, it was a much different experience actually being there, having to go through security at the Marine Corps recruit depot and they search your entire car. There's like a drug
sniffing dog out. So, as I understand it, the way it works, if you're west of the Mississippi, if you're west of the Mississippi River, you will go to San Diego. And if you're east of the Mississippi River, you'll go to Paris Island, which is in South Carolina, and this place in San Diego has been around for over.
One hundred years. It's been around since nineteen. It opened in nineteen nineteen.
We were learning all about it, and so you're there and just run around and follow orders and they teach you hygiene and cleanliness and all that stuff that you need to know in the military. And it wraps up, if you will, with this thing they called the Crucible, which is a test of endurance and you have to pass that if you want to end up becoming a marine. And so the kid was able to pull that off and lost a lot of weight, got in great shape and dominated.
So we were in San.
Diego hanging out and that the family day was on Monday, so we got to go around, got to go to the They have a big museum, military museum, which is next level, as you might imagine because it's from the United States military.
And we went to that. We went to some of the stores and checked it all out all of it.
Ended up buying a few things at the store there, and we did eat a meal the family there and had some of my son's friends there. They were hanging out from his high school buddies and so paid the food actually wasn't that cheap, which I was like a little bummed out by. I thought, well, it'd be cheaper and it's like seventeen seventy for three pieces of chicken and some fries some chicken figures, which was not not idea, but you paid it whatever. Rare and appropriate, right, rare
and appropriate and whatnot. So got to experience family Day. They had a presentation in this old theater and kind of went over everything that takes place during boot camp and all of that fine stuff, and it was very interesting. I'm intrigued by it. And you know, fifty four hour crucible things we talked about there where you're testing.
Your will and you run up.
A hill and all this other random stuff. And so, as I understand, you go through the boot camp and then you pass that, and a lot of you guys have been in the military.
So you know better than me, and.
You then get assigned to a different unit and different branch of the Marines, and you're on your way. And I've had a chance to correspond with a number of my friends who I've worked with in radio who are former Marines and former military, and there's a great rivalry between the different branches of the military. One of my great friends, Artie Art Martinez, who I worked with, was a Fox Sports radio guy, and Art's a proud Marine. He was in Desert Storm and has many many military
stories and he was very excited, very excited. He was telling me some of the things about his experience and whatnot, and that was great. And there's certain things about this that I didn't know about. For example, on MCRD San Diego, there is a piece of land which is like the Holy Land there the Marine Corps. They have the parade Deck they call it, which is just a big field of not cement, but it's like it's paved, but it's
a memorial. It's honored as a memorial to the veterans of World War Two, Korea, Vietnam, and the Iraq War. And they will not allow you to walk on that.
That is right in the middle.
That's where they had the graduation ceremony on Tuesday, and there are people standing around it, these military drill sergeant people who will scream at you and chase you if you walk on this. It's like the flora is lava and you cannot cannot talk about that, you cannot do it or cannot walk on that rather. So so anyway, the graduation was on Tuesday, and went out, had a nice, nice meal in San Diego and just learned all about
the military. So that was why I was away from my post behind the microphone for a couple of nights this week. The rare and appropriate personal duty called. And now you know the rest of the story. The rest of the story. So I'll give you occasional updates on what happens next. And I believe the next assignment will be Camp Pendleton. I think pretty much all these guys who graduated boot Camp. I'm not saying anything out of school here, you end up going to San Diego's up.
You go from San Diego up to Ocean Side, which is like halfway a little north of Ocean Side, between South Orange County and San Diego is Camp Pendleton's massive base, which covers up some amazing real estate in southern California. So he'll he'll be going there, and then he'll be gone for another couple of months, and then eventually he'll get assigned wherever he's going to go, and who knows, could be anywhere in the United States or Japan, or who knows where. I have no idea. He doesn't know,
nobody knows. It's the mystery of it all, the mystery of it all. So very excited for him. This is again what he wanted to do. It's his life is dream to be in this, and he's getting that dream.
Started early on.
So I wish him nothing but success and hopefully this leads to amazing experiences and all of that fun stuff.
So turning the page from that is time now for the word of the week.
That's right, the word of the week on this Friday, the twentieth.
Day of June, and the word of the week is marine. I figure it will be appropriate. Yeah right.
I mean, I just told a story about going to see the Marine boot camp facility in San Diego, which is as again, I'm amazed at the real estate right next to the airport, the views of the skyline of San Diego off in the distance.
We're right on the water. It's just amazing. Anyway.
The word marine, like much of our language, originates from the Latin word marinus, meaning of the sea, belonging to the sea. The term is derived from mayor, the Latin word for sa.
Now.
The term entered the English lexicon through Old French marine in the fourteenth century, and originally the word was used to describe things related to the sea, such as marine life or navigation, like Hey.
I'm going down to the marine.
And over time it expanded, as you might imagine, to include military context like the Marine Forces or go the United States Marine Corps referring to soldiers who serve at sea or associated with naval operations. And there are related terms such as maritime and which also means of the sea and near the sea, and the shares similar origins and whatnot. But the word of the week, the word of the week is marine marine, and that takes us into some food e fun.
Great for food e fun.
So these are some actual food deals that have popped up.
Now most of these are fast.
Food, because most of us eat fast food. Even I rare and appropriate will make a pilgrimage to raising canes, although some of you tell me it's not that good, but anyway, Del Taco, which is not available everywhere, but Del Taco, debuted a new slow cooked pork carnita. Those are available now at Del Taco, which is mostly in the western part of the United States.
So you've got that.
Little Caesars has introduced a new Fantastic four and one pizza inspired by Yes, the Fantastic Four. It's a well cross promotion with the the movie, and that has been available since back on June sixteenth. Now Marvel Studio is Fantastic four first Steps will be hitting theaters coming up on July twenty fifth, but in advance of that, The Fantastic four and one pizza features eight slices made from the signature Crust brand.
You know, the brand signats across.
Each top, with classic cheese, Pepperoni, Italian sausage and bacon and pepper and holopano, all for the suggested price of seven ninety nine. This must be a pain in the tukis to make. It's gotta be right. So it's two of this, two of that, two of that, two of that and throw it all together and tada.
Yeah. Now.
Additionally, to celebrate the launch, they are partnering Little Caesars partnering with Fandango to offer fans who spend twenty dollars or more online or in store between this past week and then August tenth, they'll get a code for four dollars off a movie ticket.
So you got that.
If that's your jam, have a great time, knock yourself out. What else do we have on foody Fun Now? Wendy's has long launched a Talkies Fueg meal with new Fuego chicken sandwich and Fuego fries. Fuego at participating restaurants. You can have a little spice, a little bit of a spice in your life that actually starts today, by the way, that starts.
Today on June twentieth.
And the new Fuego fries the classic hot and crispy fries, tossed them in a tangy chili lime seasoning and serve them in a custom limit edition tear away bag for easier snacking. So that is available. And they also have additional arcade game where you can earn points and unlock prizes with a chance to win ten thousand dollars. That meal available at Windy's restaurants in Canada beginning June twentieth. Prices may vary, so not just in the States, but also in Canada.
So you've got that. What else do we have on food he Fun? Ready for food he fun Well?
Taco Bell has launched a new Crispy Chicken taco and burrito featuring all new Crispy Chicken strips, so you can get that, put that in in your belly and knock yourself out. Sonic has unveiled the new Grillos Pickles Big deal meal. That's a mouthful that starts ten days from today. It's available for a limited time starting on June thirtieth. And I'm good. I know that alf is addicted to pickles.
He sent us a gift basket of pickle items which we're given to other people at the radio station because both myself and Eddie not fans of the pickle, but other people did did enjoy the pickle, So there was that.
There was that for sure.
What else, There's nothing really major. I don't think I'm missing anything. I mean, we had a lot of the food stuff last week. All right, we'll get out on that. I got a big weekend ahead. I will be here with tails from a random early morning surprise. I'll tease that for the next edition of the podcast. A random early in the morning surprise that should not should not have happened. The logistics on this should not have happened,
but did happen. If you would like to send a message in for the mail bag, the fifth Hour mail Bag on the Sunday Pod, you can do that right now. Send it care of Real fifth Hour, Real fifth Hour at gmail dot com. That's Real fifth Hour at gmail dot com, and put your name and city in there.
Otherwise you're not going to get any credit. You're not. That's just the way it is.
And today, by the way, if I did not mention that, only I did National Flip Flop Day. And I don't mean flip flopping and all that stuff, but the design I learned this, I fell down a rabbit hole, as I'm known to do. The modern day sandal, which I wear pretty much every night when I go to work because I have a job that allows you to wear
sandals when you go to work. The modern day sandal, we can thank our friends in Japan was inspired by the Japanese zori z O r I zori and the Encyclopedia of History of Japanese Manners and custom states Japanese children use the flip flop type shoes when first learning to walk, and returning Americans brought the zori back from Japan.
At the end of the Second World War.
It was a novelty item for friends and family, and they brought this back as like a souvenir, and so we need to owe I guess we do. Oh the popularity of the current sandal to the Japanese During.
World War Two.
They took over much of Southeast Asia's natural resources and they.
Lost in World War Two. They looked to their resources and they were trying to.
Find a way to improve the economy, and as the legend goes, they ended up using the materials that they had and flip flops with bright colors and all the different variations.
But it all started after World War Two. So there you go.
All right, anyway, I have a wonderful again, rest of your Friday today. I got new podcast all weekend long and later skater Osta Pasta Gotta murder.
I gotta go