Listeners Share Their 2017 New Year's Resolutions

Let the 2017 resolutions begin! While co-host Pat Gray shuns making resolutions, that didn't stop him from encouraging listeners to call in with their own. Tuesday on The Glenn Beck Program, listeners shared their goals for the year --- and chimed in about smart devices like Alexa.

Read below or listen to the full segment from Hour 2 for answers to these questions:

• What's a top resolution for 2017?

• Are smart devices like Alexa always listening and recording?

• How many orders did Pat inadvertently place on listeners' Alexa devices?

• What motivated a caller to stop drinking for six months?

• Who uses resolutions to learn survivalist skills?

Listen to this segment from The Glenn Beck Program:

Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors:

PAT: It is the Glenn Beck Program. As sometimes happens with fat people like us, Glenn just threw his back out by sitting there.

JEFFY: He was lifting a plate of food.

(laughter)

PAT: Lifting a plate of food and threw his back out. He wasn't even doing that. He just moved. I don't know. Sometimes, you know, when you've got a bad back -- when you have a bad back, it doesn't take anything. You just move a certain way, and bang, you're in massive pain, which is what just happened moments ago. And so he's kind of been carried off on a stretcher almost. Not quite a stretcher --

JEFFY: Pretty close.

PAT: -- but he was definitely helped out of the studio.

So Pat Gray and Jeffy for Glenn right now. And then Stu is really sick today. I went through that today. I got that flu really bad a few weeks ago. And I was in bed for several days and just feeling like crap. Did you get any of that?

JEFFY: No, I did not.

PAT: That's nice.

JEFFY: I'm very fortunate about that.

PAT: That's nice because it's definitely going around.

JEFFY: Yeah, I got the beginning -- I felt the beginnings of illness coming on, and then it's all good.

PAT: And then you were fine. Weird.

JEFFY: But the weather here in Texas has been so -- 80, freezing, 80, freezing.

PAT: That's a Dallas winter though. You know, it goes 75, 43, 68, 52.

JEFFY: It's a beautiful today. Let's go out -- tonight, it's going to be freezing!

PAT: Yeah. All right. 888-727-BECK.

Right before the break, we were talking about the fact that I just -- I never make resolutions anymore. And I -- I don't know anybody who does. Do you still make New Year's resolutions? No, of course.

JEFFY: Oh. I set the one for the workout and the gym. And that's gone so well, I decided, why do I need to --

PAT: For all of us, I mean --

JEFFY: No. It's the same -- you're setting yourself up for failure immediately. You're doing it and it's like, you're done.

PAT: Yeah. According to Business Insider, the most popular resolutions your coworkers are making for 2017, one-fifth of people, 22 percent of the 34 -- this is a pretty big survey: 3411 employees were surveyed. And they said their top resolution for 2017 is to leave their current job and find a new one.

JEFFY: Wow.

PAT: Among younger workers, the number is even higher: Thirty-five percent of those between 18 and 34 expect to have a new job by the end of the year.

It was conducted online by the Harris Poll. And about half of the respondents, 49 percent say they plan to put more of their paycheck into savings. About a third, 38 percent want to decrease their stress level. Another third would like to move up a step on the ladder over the next 12 months. 28 percent plan to consume less junk food at the office. That's just not going to happen, people. Why bother? Just understand it. And know it, and you won't have to be disappointed the whole year.

And just about 26 percent resolve to make more courses, training, or seminars in 2017.

JEFFY: Why?

PAT: I don't know. That's just stupid.

(chuckling)

That's just -- very few of these are actually going to happen, which is why I -- you know, and then the other resolution for most people is to eat right, exercise, lose weight.

JEFFY: And it's important.

PAT: And I want to.

JEFFY: I do too.

PAT: I really do. I just don't call it a resolution. Because, again, I think you're setting yourself up for failure.

JEFFY: Yeah. I mean, I want to. I want to drive by the gym and use that as a priority and pull in.

PAT: I don't want anything to do with the gym. I don't even want to pretend that I want something to do with the gym. I mean, eat right and exercise, maybe at home. Maybe take a walk from time to time. I do not want to go to the gym. I've got family members now -- several kids who are just obsessed with the gym.

JEFFY: I mean, my son, part-owner of gyms. I mean, no. I'm not doing it.

PAT: Plus, your son actually does work out.

JEFFY: A lot. Yeah, pretty sad.

PAT: Yeah. Yeah. That's how you get to be, what? 6-5 and 310 without an ounce of fat on your bones.

JEFFY: Yeah. Well, now he's lost a lot of weight by working out so hard. I mean, he's down like 50 pounds.

PAT: Oh, is he really?

JEFFY: Yeah, he's ready to play tight end. If you're looking to draft somebody, NFL, for a new contract, he's --

PAT: What is he, 43 now?

JEFFY: Yes.

(laughter)

PAT: It's probably a little -- a little beyond draft time.

JEFFY: Yeah, I know. I was just taking a shot.

(laughter)

PAT: 888-727-BECK. 888-727-BECK.

If you got some resolutions that you'd like to share with us -- I don't even know if anybody even does this anymore. Does anybody do resolutions? There must be somebody, right? Because we talk about it every year.

JEFFY: There has to be.

PAT: There has to be somebody. Let's go to Pete in Texas. Pete, you're on the Glenn Beck Program with Pat and Jeffy.

CALLER: Hey, guys, how are you doing?

PAT: Good.

CALLER: So I actually was calling earlier. I guess my resolution would probably be that I don't have radio hosts order things off of Amazon for me anymore, seeing as you guys caused total chaos in our house this morning saying the Alexa key word over and over again.

JEFFY: You're welcome.

PAT: It's surprising how many people -- first of all, it's amazing how many people have that. Because we've heard that quite a bit today.

JEFFY: I know.

PAT: And that it would set off from listening to the radio is interesting to me too. I didn't even think of that when we were seeing Alexa. See, now we just it did again.

All right. Go ahead.

CALLER: Exactly.

So one thing you guys were discussing with that this morning was the way it works. You were saying that it always listens and it's always recording. There's that case in Arkansas, where, you know, the murder's happening -- or, the murder occurred.

PAT: Right.

JEFFY: Right.

CALLER: And they're trying to get a warrant to try to get the data. Anyway, so that -- it's not actually always listening and recording everything everyone says. I'm a software engineer.

What it does -- it listens for the key word, and then it starts listening. It's actually on the device. It's encoded on a chip in the device to listen for that key word for Alexa or, hey, Google or, hey, Siri or that sort of thing.

PAT: Yeah.

CALLER: Then it starts listening. You can test this too if you just sit and say, "Hey, what's the weather outside, Alexa?" It doesn't -- it's not recording to be able to pick up what you said before it.

PAT: Then why --

JEFFY: Oh, right.

PAT: Why would the police want access to its recordings?

CALLER: They don't realize that it's not function like a microphone. They think it's big brother-style. And maybe some day it will get to that. I could easily see Google or Amazon going, "Hey, let's offer this ability for it to have context," and then it starts recording everything. You can see that happening in the future. But today, that's not how it works.

PAT: So it would do them no good, is what you're saying. So even if Amazon said, "Sure, we'll give you the tape, the recordings," then it wouldn't do them any good because it wouldn't have recorded unless they said, "Hey, Alexa, I'm about to kill this guy."

CALLER: Exactly. Which if you're doing that, well, you're probably not going to get away --

PAT: Probably not. Yeah, you're probably not that smart a murderer.

JEFFY: Right. Alexa, I need cleaning products to clean up this blood.

PAT: Well, that's interesting. And that's a relief. Because I don't want it recording everything. I wouldn't want that in my house.

JEFFY: Yeah. Just in standby listening mode.

CALLER: It's an Amazon detriment if they were going for Google or anyone to sit and take in all of that data. If they were --

PAT: Right. Yeah.

CALLER: -- streaming -- I mean, think about the millions of people. And it would be a ton of data. And they would have to process it. And most of the -- what's the purpose in it? They want to sell you paper towels.

PAT: Yeah.

CALLER: You know, they don't want any of that other stuff.

PAT: That's a pretty good point. That's a pretty good point.

JEFFY: That is.

PAT: Appreciate the call. Thank you, Pete. Let's go to Zack in Ohio. Zack, you're on the Glenn Beck Program. Hi.

CALLER: Hello, how are you?

PAT: Good.

CALLER: Well, I've got a couple of New Year's resolutions. I need to lose a little bit of weight. I'm going to actually start holding my representatives accountable. I'm actually from West Virginia. I'm a truck driver, and I'm outside of Cincinnati, Ohio, right now. So my senators are Capito (phonetic) and Manchin. And my congressman is McKinley. And I've seen those suspense horror flicks of the smart houses from the '90s.

PAT: Yes.

CALLER: So I'm not ever going to get any AI fiberoptics. Because my fear is that it will enslave me in my own house.

JEFFY: Nah.

PAT: You know, I don't think that's ridiculous anymore.

JEFFY: It's not. It's not.

PAT: I think it could happen. Appreciate the call, Zach. Thanks.

JEFFY: We're pretty close.

PAT: I mean, it could happen, right?

JEFFY: Yeah. With the computer information and then the robotics, mixed with the robotics -- even without the robotics, just the information in your home, but with the robotics as well, yeah.

PAT: Yeah. It's not that farfetched.

JEFFY: No, it is not.

PAT: If anything went haywire -- I mean, let's say we're completely dependent on a smart home and the power goes out for an extended period of time. Then what do you do?

I mean, if your house -- I could see a scenario where you'd be pretty powerless. If you depend on the smart functions of your house to do everything --

JEFFY: Without power --

PAT: Then without power, you've got nothing, right?

JEFFY: There's no way to switch away from that.

PAT: I could see where that could become a problem. Even if it's nothing sinister. Just a power outage would screw things up.

JEFFY: Right. Right.

PAT: Let's go to Brian in Massachusetts. Brian, you're on the Glenn Beck Program.

CALLER: Hey, how are you guys doing? Happy New Year.

PAT: Happy New Year.

JEFFY: Thank you.

CALLER: I'm just calling now in regards to the Alexa.

PAT: Yeah.

CALLER: And now -- so I'm asking -- it's a two-party state, in terms of oral communication, in that both parties need to be aware.

PAT: That you're recording if you are. Yeah.

CALLER: Correct. So obviously there's exceptions: State and federal law enforcement, phone companies, et cetera.

So now the summary of mass law (phonetic) is -- prevents private citizens from secretly recording others or possessing a device with the intent to secretly record.

PAT: Okay.

CALLER: And I know the key word there is "secretly," but also "intent." But if you bring a case from I believe it's Arkansas --

JEFFY: Yes.

CALLER: I think the friend who found the dead guy in the tub, how could you argue, "Well, he doesn't know he's being recorded?" And how can you prove intent of a guy who is dead?

PAT: You can't. You can't.

CALLER: The guy can't --

PAT: So that would be an interesting thing to test in Massachusetts or any of these states with a two-party law. I would be interested to see. But it's kind of a moot point if what our previous caller is saying that it's true, in that it doesn't record all the time.

JEFFY: But if it does, buying the product is a simple admission that you're aware that it's recording him. I mean, that would be the argument.

PAT: It's true. It's like intent is implied -- like when you call a radio station, it's implied that you're giving us consent to put you on the air. It's different if we call you.

CALLER: Correct.

JEFFY: Right.

You know, I got the latest telephone, and I put in new applications. Do you read what's good? Do you read all the agreements that you agreed to with every app? Or do you just say "agree." I want to use the app. Move on.

PAT: Yes.

JEFFY: And all that information is going to those apps.

PAT: And they make it impossible. Thirty-eight pages of --

JEFFY: And you can't deny -- there's -- they used to break it up into sections where they could -- okay. Yeah, you can do this, but you can't do this.

No. No more of that. It's deny or not use the app.

PAT: Appreciate the call, Brian. Thanks. Let's go to Eric in California. Eric, you're on the Glenn Beck Program.

CALLER: What's up, Pat and Stu -- or, Jeffy? Jeffy.

JEFFY: What's up.

CALLER: I'm glad to see you guys again. I've been having withdrawals from missing you guys so much.

PAT: Oh, it's good to be back.

JEFFY: Us too. Us too.

CALLER: But, yeah, my -- my resolutions are -- I'm 24 years old from California. And my resolutions are to quit drinking alcohol.

PAT: Oh, wow. Completely? Not just cut back: You're going to quit?

CALLER: Yeah, completely.

PAT: Okay. When did that start? After New Year's Eve?

CALLER: Yeah.

PAT: Yeah.

CALLER: So, hey, three days. Three days.

PAT: That's pretty good. Congratulations.

JEFFY: Three days is three days.

PAT: Was there more, or is that it? I mean, that's a big one though.

CALLER: That's huge.

I tried it a few times. But I watched something on YouTube from Glenn Beck. You guys talked to an alcoholic. Actually, he called into the show.

PAT: Right.

JEFFY: Yeah.

CALLER: And it did motivate me, and it stopped me from drinking for six months when I was working for Ted Cruz.

PAT: Really? Nice.

JEFFY: Wow. So what I would do first is start by maybe watching that video every three months. Then you'll be all right. You just got to roll into that.

PAT: Yeah. Is that the guy who called us and said that he had gotten sober, inspired by Glenn, right? His sobriety?

JEFFY: He read the books. Read Liars.

PAT: Yeah, yeah. That was a powerful story.

JEFFY: Powerful.

PAT: It would have been great if it was true.

CALLER: It is awesome.

And it really speaks volumes to what you guys do. And I really do appreciate the network. And the Pat and Stu show as well. I DVR it every day.

PAT: Appreciate it. Thanks a lot, Eric. Appreciate it. Thanks for the call.

Let's go to Andrew in Florida. Andrew, you're on the Glenn Beck Program. Hi.

CALLER: Hey.

PAT: Hey.

CALLER: Good morning. Hey, I just wanted to say, I have not only made my New Year's resolutions for the past four years, but kept every single one of them.

PAT: Really? And what are they?

JEFFY: Have they been difficult? Or are they just throwaway resolutions?

PAT: Yeah, give us an example.

CALLER: No. Obviously, I'm a fat man. So the obvious resolution is to become not a fat man. But that's not something that's going to happen.

JEFFY: Thank you. Thank you. Welcome, Andrew. Welcome.

CALLER: Yes, I'm weak.

PAT: Yes.

CALLER: But I made resolutions -- I started making resolutions to learn and become proficient at something new every year.

PAT: Oh, nice.

CALLER: So four years ago, I started with archery. I wanted to learn archery. Just something to do. So I learned archery, and I became proficient.

Then, you know, I wanted to learn to use a cast net. Catch my own bait. Clean a fish properly and become an angler. And this year, my goal is hunting. So I secured my hunting license. And I'm going to learn whatever I can about that. And, you know, how to clean an animal and do whatever else needs to be done.

PAT: Wow. So are you -- is this with a goal of becoming sort of more self-sufficient and survivalist?

CALLER: To an extent, yes.

PAT: Okay.

CALLER: I realized that, you know, things might always go as planned, and I'm going to be ready.

PAT: Nice.

JEFFY: Nice.

PAT: That's a good way to go about it. I appreciate the call. Thanks a lot, Andrew.

888-727-BECK. 888-727-BECK.

It's the Glenn Beck Program.

[break]

PAT: Pat Gray and Jeffy for Glenn on the Glenn Beck Program. He had a weird accident where he was sitting and hurt himself. So...

(laughter)

PAT: Yeah. You don't want to sit.

JEFFY: No, you don't. You don't.

PAT: And you've got to be careful. I mean, he was not careful.

JEFFY: I know. I worry about him every night. Because he's hurting himself sitting now, soon he's going to hurt himself sleeping.

PAT: Yeah. He was sitting there. And we were like, "Be careful." And he wasn't. Because he apparently moved.

JEFFY: No, he wasn't. He tried to move.

PAT: He apparently in some way. And seriously, he threw his back out really badly.

JEFFY: I know he did.

PAT: And had to be helped from the studio.

JEFFY: I saw it happen where -- you're right. He moved. He moved.

PAT: He moved.

JEFFY: And it was not pretty.

PAT: It was not good.

JEFFY: No, it was not.

PAT: So it -- just a cautionary tale, if you're a big, fat guy like we are, don't move.

JEFFY: Don't move. Don't move.

PAT: It's what I try to live by, I try not to move as much as possible. So don't be telling me about this gym stuff. Well, you need a gym membership and you need to work out your abs. That will strengthen your core. No. No. The thing is, don't move. And then there won't be a problem.

JEFFY: Your core is fine. Because it's not moving.

PAT: I'm not moving right now, and so my core is perfect.

JEFFY: Right.

PAT: 888-727-BECK.

We've been talking about New Year's resolutions. And if anybody makes them anymore. And apparently a few people still do.

And Business Insider just did a poll: Career Builder. Top resolutions for working people. About half the respondents, 49 percent plan to put more of their paychecks into savings. About a third want to decrease their stress level.

JEFFY: Of course.

PAT: About 22 percent of employees just want to change jobs this year. I mean, you hear that from a lot of people. A lot of people not doing what they like doing. I mean, it's important to do what you like, right? You're just better at it. 888-727-BECK. 888-727-BECK.

If you've made a resolution...

[break]

PAT: Pat and Jeffy in for Glenn on the Glenn Beck Program.

Glenn threw his back out, so he's out for the rest of the day. He'll hopefully be on tomorrow.

JEFFY: Yeah.

PAT: Maybe from his bed. We'll see.

And then Stu came down with some kind of Chinese crud. I don't even know if he's been to China, but somehow he got the Chinese --

JEFFY: Right. I know.

PAT: 888-727-BECK. 888-727-BECK.

It was so weird that, what, a week after the Rogue One Star Wars movie was released, Carrie Fisher died. Was it a week? Maybe a week? Something like that.

JEFFY: I don't know the time frame. But close enough to be part of the whole sad --

PAT: Really sad. She was only 60. Only 60. And, boy, 60 looks like -- to me, you look like a teenager when you're 60.

(laughter)

JEFFY: I remember when I turned 60.

PAT: Because that's just a few years away now. I know it's in your rearview mirror.

JEFFY: Yeah. I don't even think about 60 anymore. I remember worrying about turning 60.

PAT: Uh-huh.

JEFFY: And thinking, "Wow, that's horrible." But now once you're over --

PAT: Now it seems like you're an infant at 60, to you.

JEFFY: But they talked about her having problems on the air, playing. And then being rushed to the hospital. I was afraid she wasn't going to --

PAT: Didn't they then though -- like a while later they said she was stable. She was in stable condition.

JEFFY: Yeah, her mother made a big deal, that she was fine.

PAT: And then all of a sudden she was gone. Really sad. And then her mom dad within, what? A day of that.

JEFFY: Right.

PAT: So Debbie Reynolds, we lost like within 48 hours of Carrie Fisher.

JEFFY: So sad. Heartbreaking.

PAT: And then George Michael died. And that's kind of -- those are weird circumstances. Nobody really knows what happened there, right? Have they released that?

JEFFY: He died at home. No, but they were just saying he died at home. You know, everybody dies at home. We got to die somewhere.

PAT: So when they won't say, it's usual suicide or AIDS, right? Isn't that normally the case?

JEFFY: Well, one of the pictures that they show -- they saw of him last being photographed, which was in the last month or so before he died, he didn't look that thin.

PAT: No, he didn't. That is true. That is true.

JEFFY: Usually if you're close to death with a disease, you stop gaining weight.

PAT: Yeah, that's true. And then there seems to be some suspicion with his significant other person. Because, first of all, this guy said that he was with him all weekend. And then he suddenly, no, I fell asleep in my career. And I slept -- you fell asleep in your car? That must have been a good night's rest. So that's a weird circumstance too.

JEFFY: Yeah.

PAT: And then LaVell Edwards, one of my heroes, legendary coach of BYU for 30 years died as well.

JEFFY: They come in threes. Boy. Man.

PAT: Unfortunately, that's four. That's four people. That's four.

JEFFY: What?

PAT: So...

(laughter)

888-727-BECK. 888-727-BECK.

We're talking about New Year's resolutions. So if you've made one, if you still have those, we'd like to hear what yours is.

In Finland, they have an ambitious New Year's resolution in mind: They -- they want to find out how offering people free money for two years helps the unemployed get back to work.

JEFFY: Gets them back on their feet.

PAT: They're going to take 2,000 people who are currently unemployed and give them free money for two years.

JEFFY: No matter what, either. You're going to get the money the 1st the month, period.

PAT: And then they're going to see how that helps them get back to work?

JEFFY: That's going to get them right back to work.

PAT: Right back to work. Because if you're getting more money by sitting home doing nothing, you know you're going to be inspired and motivated to go out and get a job.

JEFFY: You're going to want to. Because you're going to be able to afford a new shirt and some new pants and get out there and look good.

PAT: Is that the theory behind it? It must be, right?

JEFFY: Of course, it is.

PAT: Because they're going to give them $590 a month, which is not a lot of money. But it as he wants people enough that maybe that will be enough for them. The critics --

JEFFY: And in Finland -- what? Most people are living in the small apartments anyway. You're a little bit familiar with Finland.

PAT: Yes. Yes. My son lived there for two years.

JEFFY: So I don't know how much it cost for one of the smaller places.

PAT: Yeah, I don't either. But everything is government-subsidized. So the taxes are ridiculous for everybody. And the government takes care of everything to be to begin with.

JEFFY: So the government that's giving out money to people for doing nothing --

PAT: Uh-huh.

JEFFY: -- charges a bunch of people money to do that with.

PAT: Exactly. And now they're going to do that -- even more of that.

JEFFY: Yeah.

PAT: So that's got to work out really well.

Opponents of the experiment say it will just allow people to sit on their couch all day, which, I mean, of course, that's going to happen.

JEFFY: Huh.

PAT: I can't wait to hear the results of this and see if they -- but if they tell the truth.

JEFFY: Yeah, they might not.

PAT: I mean, these are socialists to begin with. So are they going to tell the truth? Well, you know what, it didn't work giving people free money. We found out it didn't motivate them.

But proponents claim they'll actually use the money to make their lives better.

JEFFY: Yep.

PAT: In what way? How is that -- what? How? The system nowadays -- it's pretty negative for people who try to do something, even little in their lives and get something out of it. A basic income might turn risky -- might turn a risky move into a much safer one.

So they think that getting $590 a month will allow them to become more adventurous and try something new and give them a little bit more of a safety net than they already have?

It's a -- wow, that's a bizarre plan.

JEFFY: Okay.

PAT: That's a bizarre plan.

JEFFY: Good luck with that theory.

PAT: 888-727-BECK. And then you wonder why we're in the kind of situation that we're in.

JEFFY: But that's what some people have touted would be a fix here, right? As a theory.

The -- you know, just pay everybody a monthly -- their monthly stipend.

PAT: Yeah, and for -- for the most menial of jobs, to pay people $15 an hour to do them, even that is a terrible plan.

JEFFY: Right.

PAT: But when you're paying people absolutely nothing, how do you think that is going to work? We've seen over and over and over when people become reliant on the government, it doesn't motivate them to do better. They simply rely on the government.

JEFFY: I know. And there are some states that have made people do services for the state. Public service. Or have a job for the state, if they're going to take state money. And that's been where the people say, "You know, no, that's fine. You keep your money. I don't want to do that. I don't even want to work. I don't want to work at all."

PAT: Uh-huh.

JEFFY: I don't want to sweep a street and get your money. Okay.

PAT: It doesn't make any sense. 888-727-BECK.

Let's go to Johnny in Ohio. You're on the Glenn Beck Program.

CALLER: How's it going, guys?

PAT: Doing good.

JEFFY: Good.

CALLER: Just wanted to get my resolutions -- my three that I've had for the last eight years.

PAT: Oh, wow. Okay.

CALLER: They're very hard to keep a hold of. But, you know, I stay strong and I do it. My first one is to not write a novel.

PAT: To not write a novel.

CALLER: Yes, sir. To not write a novel. And my second one is to not climb Mt. Everest. And my third one is to not run a marathon.

JEFFY: How is that working out for you? Are you doing all right with that?

CALLER: You know what, I'm solid. I'm strong as could be with those.

PAT: Congratulations. That's commendable. That's commendable. That year after year, you've not run a marathon nor have you climb Mt. Everest. That's admirable.

CALLER: I've done my best.

PAT: Thanks, Johnny. Let's go to Ginger. Ginger, you're on the Glenn Beck Program. Hi.

CALLER: I love your program. I've been listening since you guys were in Tampa Bay. I'm in St. Pete. And I love the program. And I actually like it better with you guys without Glenn.

JEFFY: Oh, no. No, no, no.

CALLER: So good job. And I'm not trying to be mean. I'm not trying to be mean. It's just the truth. I think you guys are hysterically funny.

PAT: The man is injured, and you've kicked him when he's down.

JEFFY: He hurt himself sitting today.

(laughter)

CALLER: And I don't wish him any -- oh, I'm sorry he's not feeling well if he's listening. But you guys -- you two are hysterically funny, and I really enjoy listening to you.

PAT: Thank you.

CALLER: Oddly enough, isn't it ironic how your listeners share so many things in common? Because my resolutions were exactly the same as Johnny's. And that's just -- it must be the influence you guys have on me. But I always wanted to wish you Happy New Year and to say thanks for the entertainment and also to remind you that you forgot number five, William Christopher, the gentleman that played Father Mulcahy on MASH died on New Year's Eve.

JEFFY: Yeah, he just died too.

PAT: Oh, I didn't even hear about that one.

JEFFY: Yeah. Yeah.

PAT: But that's not the fifth one.

CALLER: Yes, he was 84 years old.

PAT: According to Jeffy, that would be the second of the new three.

JEFFY: Yeah, the second of the two. But back up one, there was one before Carrie. I can't remember the guy's name.

PAT: Right.

CALLER: Okay. Okay. Well, you forgot him. And he was a great actor. He was an awesome dude. I loved that show.

PAT: He was really good. Yeah, and I loved the show, and I really liked him in it.

CALLER: Yeah, me too.

PAT: So I hadn't heard he died. Appreciate it. Thanks a lot, Ginger.

CALLER: All right.

PAT: 888-727-BECK. Let's go to Dave in California. Hey, Dave, you're on the Glenn Beck Program.

CALLER: Hello.

PAT: Hi.

CALLER: How are you doing today?

PAT: Doing good.

CALLER: I made two resolutions. In 1989, I retired from the military with 31 years service.

PAT: Thank you for your service.

CALLER: One, I would -- thank you.

One, I would still be in the same shape the rest of my life till my dying days and wear the same size clothes. And I'm 72 now, and I do -- I play racquetball twice a week.

PAT: Wow. That's amazing.

CALLER: And the second one -- and the second one is: I would do something good every day, no matter whether it was little bitty or no matter what it was. And I've lived up to that every single day. You guys should try that. Something simple.

Well, I changed a lady's flat tire for her this morning. Every day -- something as simple as carrying someone's groceries to their car. Just something every single day.

PAT: What -- what did you do on June 6th, 1993? What good thing?

JEFFY: That's great.

CALLER: 1993. June 6th. Oh, I do remember that as a matter of fact.

PAT: June 6th.

You do?

CALLER: No. The reason I remembered that, there was a car accident. I pulled a guy out of a car.

PAT: Wow.

CALLER: I remember that exactly.

PAT: On June 6th, 1993.

CALLER: That's it.

PAT: How about that?

JEFFY: That's fantastic. You weren't so exhausted from pulling the guy out of the car, what happened on June 7th?

CALLER: I -- I can't tell you on June 7th because that wasn't a catastrophic event.

PAT: All right. It's amazing I picked a day you actually do remember. That's weird.

JEFFY: Right.

CALLER: You know what, at 72, I'm lucky I remember. The way this worked is from 50 to 60, you learn all your aches and pains. Tell Glenn that.

PAT: Okay.

CALLER: And then from 60 to 70, you learn to accept them. And then usually after 70, guess what, you start forgetting them.

(laughter)

PAT: All right. Thanks a lot, Dave. Appreciate that.

I'm not sure that's really comforting.

JEFFY: No. That's not.

PAT: But we'll take it. 888-727-BECK. More of the Glenn Beck Program coming up.

[break]

PAT: Is Zuckerberg Buddhist then? He seems to love Buddhism.

JEFFY: Yeah, he could be.

Welcome to the Glenn Beck Program. Jeff Fisher, Jeffy, and Pat Gray in for Glenn Beck who had to leave a couple minutes early.

PAT: Well, he had a tragic accident, sitting in a chair and he moved.

JEFFY: I mean, it's almost as if we're joking, and we're not.

PAT: Let that be a cautionary tale to you if you're a big, fat person like we are and you're sitting in a chair, don't move. It's just that simple.

JEFFY: I got to be honest with you, Pat, I'm a fan of that.

PAT: I am too. I am too. You might think we're kidding, we're not. We're not.

JEFFY: We're not.

PAT: It looks like Mark Zuckerberg has gotten religion. We don't know what religion that is. But the Facebook cofounder and CEO says he's not an atheist anymore. His Facebook profile once identified him as an atheist, but he revealed that he's had a change of heart on his social media network after he wished everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah on Christmas Day.

JEFFY: Yeah, that was because he just had a kid though?

PAT: I guess. I don't know.

JEFFY: Was it because of the baby?

PAT: I guess. I don't know. But he said Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah from Priscilla, Max, Beast, and me. That's his wife, daughter, and dog.

When a commentator asked him, "Aren't you an atheist?" He responded, "No. I was raised Jewish. And then I went through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe religion is very important."

JEFFY: Yeah.

PAT: That always bothers me. I mean, that's kind of disturbing. I went through a period where I questioned things. Like, what, religious people don't question things. They just blindly accept. That's the implications from all these intellectual atheists.

JEFFY: Yes, it is. Yes, it is.

PAT: I went through a period where I at least questioned things. Yeah, and so did the rest of us. Okay? We don't just swallow everything fed to us.

JEFFY: All the time.

PAT: But, you know, I don't want to detract from the fact that that's definitely a positive. He didn't provide any details on his faith. But he just said it's important.

So he apparently in 2015 went to China, and he posted at the time that he knelt in front of some Buddhist landmark. And he said, "Priscilla is Buddhist and asked me to offer a prayer from her as well. Buddhism is an amazing religion and philosophy, and I've been learning more about it overtime. I hope to continue understanding the faith more deeply." So it leads you to believe that maybe it's not Christianity. It's Buddhism.

JEFFY: Very possible. But it is all about -- they just had the baby, you know, end of November 1st. Part of December. So new life in your house and watching a birth makes you believe that there's something bigger than you going on.

PAT: A baby changes everything.

JEFFY: It sure does.

PAT: 888-727-BECK.

I also understand that Facebook is developing -- you know, we were talking about the Amazon, Echo, and the Ok Google, Google Home thing, supposedly Zuckerberg's developed something that's also pretty amazing along those lines, that does a lot of things in your home.

JEFFY: Good.

PAT: Yeah. I mean, I'm excited to --

JEFFY: Nothing bad could happen --

PAT: No. Nothing bad can happen from any of these wonderful innovations.

Featured Image: Pixabay

Breaking point: Will America stand up to the mob?

Jeff J Mitchell / Staff | Getty Images

The mob rises where men of courage fall silent. The lesson from Portland, Chicago, and other blue cities is simple: Appeasing radicals doesn’t buy peace — it only rents humiliation.

Parts of America, like Portland and Chicago, now resemble occupied territory. Progressive city governments have surrendered control to street militias, leaving citizens, journalists, and even federal officers to face violent anarchists without protection.

Take Portland, where Antifa has terrorized the city for more than 100 consecutive nights. Federal officers trying to keep order face nightly assaults while local officials do nothing. Independent journalists, such as Nick Sortor, have even been arrested for documenting the chaos. Sortor and Blaze News reporter Julio Rosas later testified at the White House about Antifa’s violence — testimony that corporate media outlets buried.

Antifa is organized, funded, and emboldened.

Chicago offers the same grim picture. Federal agents have been stalked, ambushed, and denied backup from local police while under siege from mobs. Calls for help went unanswered, putting lives in danger. This is more than disorder; it is open defiance of federal authority and a violation of the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause.

A history of violence

For years, the legacy media and left-wing think tanks have portrayed Antifa as “decentralized” and “leaderless.” The opposite is true. Antifa is organized, disciplined, and well-funded. Groups like Rose City Antifa in Oregon, the Elm Fork John Brown Gun Club in Texas, and Jane’s Revenge operate as coordinated street militias. Legal fronts such as the National Lawyers Guild provide protection, while crowdfunding networks and international supporters funnel money directly to the movement.

The claim that Antifa lacks structure is a convenient myth — one that’s cost Americans dearly.

History reminds us what happens when mobs go unchecked. The French Revolution, Weimar Germany, Mao’s Red Guards — every one began with chaos on the streets. But it wasn’t random. Today’s radicals follow the same playbook: Exploit disorder, intimidate opponents, and seize moral power while the state looks away.

Dismember the dragon

The Trump administration’s decision to designate Antifa a domestic terrorist organization was long overdue. The label finally acknowledged what citizens already knew: Antifa functions as a militant enterprise, recruiting and radicalizing youth for coordinated violence nationwide.

But naming the threat isn’t enough. The movement’s financiers, organizers, and enablers must also face justice. Every dollar that funds Antifa’s destruction should be traced, seized, and exposed.

AFP Contributor / Contributor | Getty Images

This fight transcends party lines. It’s not about left versus right; it’s about civilization versus anarchy. When politicians and judges excuse or ignore mob violence, they imperil the republic itself. Americans must reject silence and cowardice while street militias operate with impunity.

Antifa is organized, funded, and emboldened. The violence in Portland and Chicago is deliberate, not spontaneous. If America fails to confront it decisively, the price won’t just be broken cities — it will be the erosion of the republic itself.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Colorado counselor fights back after faith declared “illegal”

Drew Angerer / Staff | Getty Images

The state is effectively silencing professionals who dare speak truths about gender and sexuality, redefining faith-guided speech as illegal.

This week, free speech is once again on the line before the U.S. Supreme Court. At stake is whether Americans still have the right to talk about faith, morality, and truth in their private practice without the government’s permission.

The case comes out of Colorado, where lawmakers in 2019 passed a ban on what they call “conversion therapy.” The law prohibits licensed counselors from trying to change a minor’s gender identity or sexual orientation, including their behaviors or gender expression. The law specifically targets Christian counselors who serve clients attempting to overcome gender dysphoria and not fall prey to the transgender ideology.

The root of this case isn’t about therapy. It’s about erasing a worldview.

The law does include one convenient exception. Counselors are free to “assist” a person who wants to transition genders but not someone who wants to affirm their biological sex. In other words, you can help a child move in one direction — one that is in line with the state’s progressive ideology — but not the other.

Think about that for a moment. The state is saying that a counselor can’t even discuss changing behavior with a client. Isn’t that the whole point of counseling?

One‑sided freedom

Kaley Chiles, a licensed professional counselor in Colorado Springs, has been one of the victims of this blatant attack on the First Amendment. Chiles has dedicated her practice to helping clients dealing with addiction, trauma, sexuality struggles, and gender dysphoria. She’s also a Christian who serves patients seeking guidance rooted in biblical teaching.

Before 2019, she could counsel minors according to her faith. She could talk about biblical morality, identity, and the path to wholeness. When the state outlawed that speech, she stopped. She followed the law — and then she sued.

Her case, Chiles v. Salazar, is now before the Supreme Court. Justices heard oral arguments on Tuesday. The question: Is counseling a form of speech or merely a government‑regulated service?

If the court rules the wrong way, it won’t just silence therapists. It could muzzle pastors, teachers, parents — anyone who believes in truth grounded in something higher than the state.

Censored belief

I believe marriage between a man and a woman is ordained by God. I believe that family — mother, father, child — is central to His design for humanity.

I believe that men and women are created in God’s image, with divine purpose and eternal worth. Gender isn’t an accessory; it’s part of who we are.

I believe the command to “be fruitful and multiply” still stands, that the power to create life is sacred, and that it belongs within marriage between a man and a woman.

And I believe that when we abandon these principles — when we treat sex as recreation, when we dissolve families, when we forget our vows — society fractures.

Are those statements controversial now? Maybe. But if this case goes against Chiles, those statements and others could soon be illegal to say aloud in public.

Faith on trial

In Colorado today, a counselor cannot sit down with a 15‑year‑old who’s struggling with gender identity and say, “You were made in God’s image, and He does not make mistakes.” That is now considered hate speech.

That’s the “freedom” the modern left is offering — freedom to affirm, but never to question. Freedom to comply, but never to dissent. The same movement that claims to champion tolerance now demands silence from anyone who disagrees. The root of this case isn’t about therapy. It’s about erasing a worldview.

The real test

No matter what happens at the Supreme Court, we cannot stop speaking the truth. These beliefs aren’t political slogans. For me, they are the product of years of wrestling, searching, and learning through pain and grace what actually leads to peace. For us, they are the fundamental principles that lead to a flourishing life. We cannot balk at standing for truth.

Maybe that’s why God allows these moments — moments when believers are pushed to the wall. They force us to ask hard questions: What is true? What is worth standing for? What is worth dying for — and living for?

If we answer those questions honestly, we’ll find not just truth, but freedom.

The state doesn’t grant real freedom — and it certainly isn’t defined by Colorado legislators. Real freedom comes from God. And the day we forget that, the First Amendment will mean nothing at all.

This article originally appeared on TheBlaze.com.

Get ready for sparks to fly. For the first time in years, Glenn will come face-to-face with Megyn Kelly — and this time, he’s the one in the hot seat. On October 25, 2025, at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas, Glenn joins Megyn on her “Megyn Kelly Live Tour” for a no-holds-barred conversation that promises laughs, surprises, and maybe even a few uncomfortable questions.

What will happen when two of America’s sharpest voices collide under the spotlight? Will Glenn finally reveal the major announcement he’s been teasing on the radio for weeks? You’ll have to be there to find out.

This promises to be more than just an interview — it’s a live showdown packed with wit, honesty, and the kind of energy you can only feel if you are in the room. Tickets are selling fast, so don’t miss your chance to see Glenn like you’ve never seen him before.

Get your tickets NOW at www.MegynKelly.com before they’re gone!

What our response to Israel reveals about us

JOSEPH PREZIOSO / Contributor | Getty Images

I have been honored to receive the Defender of Israel Award from Prime Minister Netanyahu.

The Jerusalem Post recently named me one of the strongest Christian voices in support of Israel.

And yet, my support is not blind loyalty. It’s not a rubber stamp for any government or policy. I support Israel because I believe it is my duty — first as a Christian, but even if I weren’t a believer, I would still support her as a man of reason, morality, and common sense.

Because faith isn’t required to understand this: Israel’s existence is not just about one nation’s survival — it is about the survival of Western civilization itself.

It is a lone beacon of shared values in the Middle East. It is a bulwark standing against radical Islam — the same evil that seeks to dismantle our own nation from within.

And my support is not rooted in politics. It is rooted in something simpler and older than politics: a people’s moral and historical right to their homeland, and their right to live in peace.

Israel has that right — and the right to defend herself against those who openly, repeatedly vow her destruction.

Let’s make it personal: if someone told me again and again that they wanted to kill me and my entire family — and then acted on that threat — would I not defend myself? Wouldn’t you? If Hamas were Canada, and we were Israel, and they did to us what Hamas has done to them, there wouldn’t be a single building left standing north of our border. That’s not a question of morality.

That’s just the truth. All people — every people — have a God-given right to protect themselves. And Israel is doing exactly that.

My support for Israel’s right to finish the fight against Hamas comes after eighty years of rejected peace offers and failed two-state solutions. Hamas has never hidden its mission — the eradication of Israel. That’s not a political disagreement.

That’s not a land dispute. That is an annihilationist ideology. And while I do not believe this is America’s war to fight, I do believe — with every fiber of my being — that it is Israel’s right, and moral duty, to defend her people.

Criticism of military tactics is fair. That’s not antisemitism. But denying Israel’s right to exist, or excusing — even celebrating — the barbarity of Hamas? That’s something far darker.

We saw it on October 7th — the face of evil itself. Women and children slaughtered. Babies burned alive. Innocent people raped and dragged through the streets. And now, to see our own fellow citizens march in defense of that evil… that is nothing short of a moral collapse.

If the chants in our streets were, “Hamas, return the hostages — Israel, stop the bombing,” we could have a conversation.

But that’s not what we hear.

What we hear is open sympathy for genocidal hatred. And that is a chasm — not just from decency, but from humanity itself. And here lies the danger: that same hatred is taking root here — in Dearborn, in London, in Paris — not as horror, but as heroism. If we are not vigilant, the enemy Israel faces today will be the enemy the free world faces tomorrow.

This isn’t about politics. It’s about truth. It’s about the courage to call evil by its name and to say “Never again” — and mean it.

And you don’t have to open a Bible to understand this. But if you do — if you are a believer — then this issue cuts even deeper. Because the question becomes: what did God promise, and does He keep His word?

He told Abraham, “I will bless those who bless you, and curse those who curse you.” He promised to make Abraham the father of many nations and to give him “the whole land of Canaan.” And though Abraham had other sons, God reaffirmed that promise through Isaac. And then again through Isaac’s son, Jacob — Israel — saying: “The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I give to you and to your descendants after you.”

That’s an everlasting promise.

And from those descendants came a child — born in Bethlehem — who claimed to be the Savior of the world. Jesus never rejected His title as “son of David,” the great King of Israel.

He said plainly that He came “for the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” And when He returns, Scripture says He will return as “the Lion of the tribe of Judah.” And where do you think He will go? Back to His homeland — Israel.

Tamir Kalifa / Stringer | Getty Images

And what will He find when He gets there? His brothers — or his brothers’ enemies? Will the roads where He once walked be preserved? Or will they lie in rubble, as Gaza does today? If what He finds looks like the aftermath of October 7th, then tell me — what will be my defense as a Christian?

Some Christians argue that God’s promises to Israel have been transferred exclusively to the Church. I don’t believe that. But even if you do, then ask yourself this: if we’ve inherited the promises, do we not also inherit the land? Can we claim the birthright and then, like Esau, treat it as worthless when the world tries to steal it?

So, when terrorists come to slaughter Israelis simply for living in the land promised to Abraham, will we stand by? Or will we step forward — into the line of fire — and say,

“Take me instead”?

Because this is not just about Israel’s right to exist.

It’s about whether we still know the difference between good and evil.

It’s about whether we still have the courage to stand where God stands.

And if we cannot — if we will not — then maybe the question isn’t whether Israel will survive. Maybe the question is whether we will.