May 9, 2024

The One with Dad Jokes and Dreams: Mike Agrelius' Creative Journey (AUDIO ONLY)

The One with Dad Jokes and Dreams: Mike Agrelius' Creative Journey (AUDIO ONLY)
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The One with Dad Jokes and Dreams: Mike Agrelius' Creative Journey (AUDIO ONLY)

Mike Agrelius: A Multifaceted Creative from Daybreak

In this episode, the spotlight shines on Mike Agrelius, a versatile talent from Daybreak known for his work as a children's book author, cake shop manager, poet, game designer, and former travel executive. The episode delves into Agrelius's inspirations, including his unique family heritage and early exposure to literature, which fueled his passion for writing and creativity. Agrelius shares insights into his approach to children's books, emphasizing the importance of dad jokes in boosting children's confidence and intellect, and discuss his latest book project which features dad jokes with illustrations and rhymes designed to engage young readers. The conversation also highlights Agrelius's other ventures, including his experiences in stand-up comedy, game design, and poetry, showcasing his diverse talents and contributions to the creative community. Furthermore, Agrelius introduces his own publishing company, Happy Valley Publishers, and invites listeners to support his ongoing Kickstarter campaign. With an array of creative projects under his belt, Agrelius's journey is a testament to the power of curiosity, humor, and the joy of sharing stories across generations.

Click Here To Donate To The Kickstarter!

00:00 Welcome Back to the Show!
00:36 Recapping Last Week's Pop-Up Market Event
00:56 Upcoming Community Events and Farmers Markets
01:32 Introducing Today's Special Guest: Mike Agrelius
04:15 Mike Agrelius Shares His Journey and Creative Process
06:12 Exploring Mike's Children's Books and Their Impact
07:19 Diving Into the World of Dad Jokes with Mike Agrelius
14:32 Mike's Publishing Journey and Game Designing
17:01 The Impact of Dad Jokes on Sales and Personal Connections
17:31 Exploring the Creative Pseudonyms and Poetry
17:51 A Spontaneous Dive into Dad Jokes
19:38 Family Life and the Joy of Grandchildren
20:44 Inspirations Behind Writing Children's Books
21:57 The Journey of Creating and Publishing Books
22:44 The Legacy of Board Games and Future Projects
24:36 The Power of Dad Jokes in Enhancing Communication Skills
26:15 A Rapid Reading of 'Hear What's Here'
29:27 Closing Thoughts and Kickstarter Campaign Details

#MikeAgrelius #ChildrensBooks #DadJokes #LiteracyBoost #EducationalBooks #FamilyFun #CreativeLearning #ParentingTips

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**A Splash of Creativity and Laughter with Mike Agrelius: An Exclusive Interview**

In the vibrant nexus of creativity that is Daybreak, there's a treasure trove of talented individuals who bring joy, laughter, and learning into our lives in the most unexpected ways. One such gem is Mike Agrelius, a multifaceted creator whose work spans across the delightful realms of children’s books, baking, poetry, game designing, and even stand-up comedy. In a recent heartwarming and laughter-filled interview on Radio Daybreak, Just Blane, stepping in solo for Becks who's currently rejuvenating on a retreat, gave us an in-depth look into Agrelius's life, inspirations, and his latest work that promises to tickle your funny bone.

### Creativity from Childhood to Children’s Books

Mike's journey into the world of creativity started from his early years, deeply influenced by his mother's foray into the English language and his aunt's fascination with Dr. Seuss books. This blend of linguistic intrigue and a love for whimsical narratives sowed the seeds for Agrelius’s future as a children's book author. Yet, it was not just the family influence that shaped his path but a spontaneous decision influenced by a library visit that propelled Mike into publishing his beloved books, "Hear What's Here," "Elephant Glue," and the dad joke enriched "Whatever Floats Your Goat."

### A Dive into the World of Dad Jokes

Agrelius’s newest book, "Whatever Floats Your Goat," stands out with its unique take on dad jokes, marrying whimsical rhymes with humor that’s not just for laughs but for learning too. The book begins with playful rhymes transitioning into clever one-liners and puns, all beautifully accompanied by illustrations that bring the jokes to life. Agrelius shared an intriguing insight backed by research from the Wall Street Journal and the British Psychological Society, suggesting that exposure to dad jokes can enhance kids' communication skills and overall intellect.

### The Power of Creativity and Humor in Learning

Agrelius's work extends beyond mere entertainment; it’s a bridge connecting joy with learning. Through his inventive narratives and puns, he ignites curiosity and conversation among young readers, encouraging them to explore and understand the nuances of language. His books are not just stories or jokes; they are tools for learning, cloaked in the vibrant colors of fun and laughter.

### Revolutionizing Laughter and Learning

As Agrelius continues to break grounds by combining educational content with humor and creativity, his dedication to sparking joy and knowledge shines through. By leveraging the universal language of laughter, Mike Agrelius demonstrates the significant impact of creativity in learning, reminding us that sometimes, the best way to teach is simply to make someone smile.

### Join the Laughter and Learning Journey

For those eager to join in on the laughter and learning, keeping an eye out for Agrelius’s Kickstarter for "Whatever Floats Your Goat" is a must. Supporting his work not only brings a dash of joy into homes but also supports the vision of leveraging humor for education. So, whether at farmer's markets or through his publications, diving into the world Mike Agrelius creates is a journey well worth taking.

In closing, just as Agrelius enriches the literary world with laughter and learning, his story is a beacon of inspiration showcasing how creativity and humor can transform education. His books are a gentle reminder that within the pages of a seemingly simple story or joke, lies the power to change the way we see, learn, and engage with the world around us.

 

Transcript
1
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Oh, yes, here we go, baby.

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We are back again.

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I am back again.

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Just Blane here.

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Becks is actually on a women's retreat
in Hawaii, so I'm doing this solo this

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week, but the interview will have Becks.

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Let me address something real quick.

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We had some people hit us up and say,
hey, what happened to last week's show?

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We had one.

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We were live at the pop up market at
Novel Daybreak by Crescent Communities.

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I know the weather was beautiful.

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We still had some people show up.

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It was fun.

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It was nice out there.

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That's the last pop up market of the
year until after it gets cold again.

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We move in to Soda Row next.

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So what happens then is the
farmer's markets are going live.

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I believe that's the first
or second Saturday in June.

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We'll get the.

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actual dates for that.

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We'll have Laura from Empowered
Community Markets on with us

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again before that happens.

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We'll also be out there, Radio Daybreak,
Ride the Wave Media, all the creators will

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be out at multiple farmers markets this
summer broadcasting live for you people.

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So we love it.

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We'll have you out there.

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If you see us, come talk to us.

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We'll put you on with us.

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It'd be awesome.

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Can't wait to do that.

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What also I cannot wait
for is today's guest.

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Mike Agrelius, Daybreaks,
children's book author right here.

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He's also a manager over at nothing
but cakes, but that's the least I

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even say it in an interview, I say,
that's the least top thing about him.

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So we got to get to that.

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One more note, Daybreak
business community, the DBC.

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We are meeting at Harmon's upstairs
for the rest of this month.

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If April probably made to stay
close to us for details on that.

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We've also got some mastermind.

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Events coming up.

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There's a workshop coming up.

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There's a field trip coming
up Friday, April 26th.

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Let me make sure that date's right.

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April 26th.

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We're going to see Al and Avsani at R5
Homes and I think it's a Saratoga Springs.

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Be on the lookout for that from the DBC.

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There's the Facebook group.

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Also got to hit us up, RadioDaybreak.

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com.

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Well, I don't think we have merch
yet, but it will be coming soon.

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I got to show you guys
something from our guests today.

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Mike Agrelius posted this today.

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And I'm just gonna air this for you.

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I love this guy.

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He's one of my favorite people we've
met, but he posted this, this, uh, I

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guess it's, it's, it's a, it's a problem
for his book, but check this out.

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Why did the kid want a
phone charger for his milk?

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Because the milk was only two percent.

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Did you know the British Psychological
Society suggests that exposure to dad

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jokes Boosts confidence and increases
the overall intellect in kids.

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Most people can't guess the
answer to this next dad joke.

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Can you?

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What's the difference between a
well dressed man on a bicycle and

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a poorly dressed man on a unicycle?

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Attire . Here are three reasons.

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Jokes can increase kids'
communication skills and confidence.

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One, if kids don't understand or know
the answer, they have to ask a question.

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Two, when they ask a question,
they have to listen to the answer.

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Three, their confidence goes up because
they know something others don't.

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Making them want to
share with their friends.

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I've written two other children's books,
and I wrote this one specifically to

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help dads communicate with their kids.

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Tag a dad that would like this.

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If you want a copy of the book, comment
jokes to get on our pre order list.

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I love it.

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The other two books he's got, we
talk about those in the interview.

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My kids, I'm not, and I'm not kidding
when I say this, they love these books.

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They actually met Mike at the pop
up market and they got excited.

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They're like, he's, he's the
one that wrote these books.

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I'm gonna stop talking about it.

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Let's get to the interview.

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Mike Agurlias.

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I can't wait for you guys to hear this.

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. Just Blane: All right.

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Here he is.

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One of my favorite people
we've met in Daybreak.

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We met him a couple months ago, Becks.

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Becks: Yes.

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Just Blane: He's got so many titles,
nothing but cake, but nothing but cake is

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like the, the, the furthest one from him.

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I didn't want to talk
about that one today.

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Mike Agrillius is with us.

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What?

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Poet?

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Poet.

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Game designer, uh, children's book writer.

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Becks: Awesome.

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Dad jokes.

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Just Blane: What were you a
former, former travel executive?

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What else, Mike, what else
can we throw in there?

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Mike Agrelius: Well, you won't
believe it, but I actually did do

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stand up comedy back in college.

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Becks: What?

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Mike Agrelius: Yeah.

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Just Blane: You know what, with all
this stuff in this crazy, diverse,

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creative portfolio, Where did it start?

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Like, what was the, that
initial creative spark?

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Where did that come from for

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Mike Agrelius: you?

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You know, I've got to say, I was
born at a very young age, number one.

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And in Los Angeles, growing up there.

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Let me, let me

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Just Blane: set this up before people
get, before, so they know what's going on.

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This is going to be filled with,
you don't know if this is going

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in a joke or what's going on

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Mike Agrelius: here.

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So go ahead, Mike, go ahead.

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I was born in Los Angeles.

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My mom was 100 percent Russian.

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So I'm 50 percent Russian.

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So English for my mom was
kind of a second language.

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And that was a big reason why, because
she told me how, you know, English

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is a kind of a tough language for
people to learn, especially with

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all these words that sound the same
and have totally different meanings.

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Becks: Um,

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Mike Agrelius: and then when I was
growing up, when I was a little

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kid, uh, my aunt, her little sister,
was 15 years younger than my mom.

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But only 10 years younger
than me or older than me.

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And so my, uh, my aunt
would, uh, would read me Dr.

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Seuss books.

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And that's, I think where
I got the love for books.

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And, uh, I always wanted to do my own
little, uh, Uh, you know, kid books and a

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few years back, I, I put those down on a,
on a vision board and boom, you know, uh,

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here five years later, I've got two and
almost three books, uh, out on the market.

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Becks: Oh my word.

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And we want to talk about that.

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Oh, you've got one there, Blane.

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I've got my copy too.

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You can see,

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Just Blane: you can see just
by the title here, what's here.

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Dr.

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Seuss had a huge influence on us.

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We're going to get into this.

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We're going to read a
little bit of this later.

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I love this book.

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My kids love this book.

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My kids love

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Becks: this book and my kids are 19.

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My, my babies are 19

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Just Blane: as

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Becks: well.

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Yours are a little younger, right Blane?

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Just Blane: Oh yeah.

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Oh yeah.

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We got, we got four and almost two, but

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Becks: all ages,

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Just Blane: all ages though, right Mike?

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That's how it goes.

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Yeah, it really is.

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Becks: Very true.

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And I need to get another couple of
copies from you next time I see you.

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All

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Just Blane: right.

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That's great.

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That's great.

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So.

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So tell me about this upcoming.

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Yeah.

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Yeah.

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Go ahead.

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Becks: Sorry, Blane.

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We're just both so excited
to talk to you today.

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Your upcoming, your upcoming children's
book featuring bad dad jokes.

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Sounds awesome.

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So give us a little sneak peek.

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What are, what can we expect?

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Mike Agrelius: Well, you know what?

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I have an advanced copy right here.

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This is what it's going to look like.

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Okay.

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I don't know how to do this.

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Cause I'm not a product.

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And, um, it's going to be, uh, dad jokes.

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And it starts out like a
regular rhyming children's book.

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Like my first two books, like here,
what's here, if I can just give you

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like a couple of lines here, what's
here goes, can you find a pair of pairs?

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Do you see the sea?

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Would you like to stare at
stairs or maybe be a bee?

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And it goes on like that.

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This one starts out with, um, why
did the chicken cross the playground?

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In fact, that one's on the back cover.

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Why did the chicken cross the
playground to get to the other slide?

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Yes, this is how it's going down.

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So hang on for the ride and then it
goes into some more rhymes and it

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rhymes for the first 16 or so pages.

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And then it goes into a bunch of
one liners and kind of the way it

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started was with this one joke that
I heard, and now I've got to tell

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you that the, the difference between.

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My dad joke book and other
dad joke books are number one.

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I have some rhymes in the front of it.

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And number two, I have this fabulous
artist who does these illustrations.

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00:08:41,277 --> 00:08:47,352
And so you see the one on the top there
and, uh, yeah, on the top, it says.

203
00:08:47,862 --> 00:08:52,172
Uh, what's the difference between
a well dressed man on a bicycle and

204
00:08:52,172 --> 00:08:54,322
a poorly dressed man on a unicycle?

205
00:08:56,092 --> 00:08:58,092
And the answer is attire.

206
00:08:58,842 --> 00:08:59,962
And I love that

207
00:09:00,082 --> 00:09:00,522
Just Blane: riddle.

208
00:09:01,282 --> 00:09:05,142
Mike Agrelius: And, um, uh, I, I
just, I thought I should do it.

209
00:09:05,282 --> 00:09:07,062
My next book should be dad jokes.

210
00:09:07,372 --> 00:09:10,042
And I had to find a way
to make it kind of unique.

211
00:09:10,092 --> 00:09:12,992
And the way to make it unique was
having these rhymes at the beginning

212
00:09:13,312 --> 00:09:17,222
and then having my friend Val Chadwick
Bagley, who did my first two books

213
00:09:17,222 --> 00:09:22,427
with me, Uh, illustrate some of the
jokes throughout the whole thing.

214
00:09:22,697 --> 00:09:26,287
Not every one of them, more than
100 different riddles and rhymes

215
00:09:26,567 --> 00:09:28,087
have illustrations with them.

216
00:09:28,542 --> 00:09:30,582
Uh, but all the, all
the rhyming stuff does.

217
00:09:30,872 --> 00:09:31,972
Just Blane: Most of them do though.

218
00:09:32,012 --> 00:09:36,052
I have actually, I have
held a copy of this book.

219
00:09:36,072 --> 00:09:37,762
It's not the official.

220
00:09:37,882 --> 00:09:39,032
It's not the, it's not the one

221
00:09:39,942 --> 00:09:41,732
Mike Agrelius: they're
being shipped right now,

222
00:09:41,862 --> 00:09:46,952
Just Blane: but I saw a pre a pre release
version of this book and it's incredible.

223
00:09:46,952 --> 00:09:48,812
I even told him, I was like,
you got to get some stickers of

224
00:09:48,812 --> 00:09:50,082
this artwork, like for the kids.

225
00:09:50,082 --> 00:09:52,232
Mike Agrelius: So that's
a good suggestion.

226
00:09:52,232 --> 00:09:53,082
I'm going to have to do that.

227
00:09:53,082 --> 00:09:53,212
Yeah.

228
00:09:53,212 --> 00:09:54,075
This book,

229
00:09:54,075 --> 00:09:56,662
Just Blane: I'm telling you, I love it.

230
00:09:57,362 --> 00:09:58,732
I've seen most of the jokes in there.

231
00:09:58,732 --> 00:10:00,242
I've heard of him, heard the jokes.

232
00:10:01,992 --> 00:10:04,102
I always chuckle at
every single one of them.

233
00:10:04,102 --> 00:10:05,212
It's, it's so funny.

234
00:10:05,492 --> 00:10:05,892
And you know what?

235
00:10:05,912 --> 00:10:08,912
I want to go back to his,
the hear what's here book.

236
00:10:09,432 --> 00:10:11,392
And he mentioned the English.

237
00:10:11,452 --> 00:10:13,752
I didn't, I didn't know about
the Russian and English.

238
00:10:13,792 --> 00:10:14,052
I

239
00:10:14,072 --> 00:10:16,092
Becks: know that is fascinating.

240
00:10:16,472 --> 00:10:20,672
Just Blane: If you look really,
really closely here, he actually

241
00:10:20,682 --> 00:10:25,702
has the definitions of, of the words
that are, that are used in there.

242
00:10:25,792 --> 00:10:28,892
So like this one right here
says, is this not a not?

243
00:10:29,222 --> 00:10:33,022
Well, he's got both, both variations of
not, and he's got them defined in every,

244
00:10:33,122 --> 00:10:34,672
every page is pretty much like that.

245
00:10:35,452 --> 00:10:35,982
That's incredible.

246
00:10:38,172 --> 00:10:38,682
Yeah.

247
00:10:39,012 --> 00:10:42,932
Becks: Yeah, I love that you shared
that, you know, your mom, some of

248
00:10:42,932 --> 00:10:44,982
that came from your mom learning.

249
00:10:45,152 --> 00:10:47,652
Mike Agrelius: My mom
was the best mom ever.

250
00:10:47,692 --> 00:10:49,972
She was like a walking encyclopedia too.

251
00:10:50,312 --> 00:10:50,362
Becks: I

252
00:10:50,362 --> 00:10:51,762
Mike Agrelius: mean,
here's, here's a lady.

253
00:10:52,112 --> 00:10:59,292
That never went to college, okay, but
she was a typist and she, and she just,

254
00:10:59,892 --> 00:11:04,582
she, she loved the English language and
all the little nuances that were there.

255
00:11:04,832 --> 00:11:06,682
And she taught me some Russian.

256
00:11:06,692 --> 00:11:11,722
She wanted to teach me more, but back then
it was, you know, Russia was, you know,

257
00:11:12,532 --> 00:11:14,042
They were the bad guys with Khrushchev.

258
00:11:14,082 --> 00:11:15,262
That was way back when.

259
00:11:15,522 --> 00:11:18,062
I guess it's really improved
now with Putin, so Oh yeah,

260
00:11:19,112 --> 00:11:20,452
Just Blane: they're the good
guys with Putin now, right?

261
00:11:20,452 --> 00:11:23,402
Is that how they Look at this, though.

262
00:11:24,992 --> 00:11:26,532
Let's not forget about the sequel here.

263
00:11:26,602 --> 00:11:27,722
Becks: Oh, yeah.

264
00:11:27,722 --> 00:11:28,452
Just Blane: Elephant Glue.

265
00:11:28,982 --> 00:11:31,262
Now, this one is just as clever.

266
00:11:31,272 --> 00:11:32,552
Like, I've read this one.

267
00:11:32,552 --> 00:11:33,252
I've looked through it.

268
00:11:34,132 --> 00:11:36,282
Mike Agrelius: It's Well, my
wife likes that one better.

269
00:11:36,282 --> 00:11:41,257
She says this one, uh, the Elephant
Glue one has a I said, nah,

270
00:11:41,267 --> 00:11:42,537
it's got more of a punch line.

271
00:11:43,857 --> 00:11:48,077
That's just a goofy, rhymey book, but
little kids, it empowers little kids.

272
00:11:48,077 --> 00:11:51,137
I was at a Barnes and Noble
doing a book signing a while ago.

273
00:11:51,437 --> 00:11:55,187
I had a little four year old come up
with her eight year old, uh, sibling.

274
00:11:55,587 --> 00:11:57,597
And the eight year old said,
let's read this book together.

275
00:11:57,627 --> 00:12:01,347
And they were, they, they came to
the first page of Elephant Glue.

276
00:12:01,737 --> 00:12:05,277
And it has a, a rhinoceros
on the very first page.

277
00:12:05,697 --> 00:12:06,627
In fact, let's see.

278
00:12:06,777 --> 00:12:06,807
Oh,

279
00:12:06,807 --> 00:12:07,317
Becks: that blank

280
00:12:08,327 --> 00:12:08,447
Mike Agrelius: here.

281
00:12:08,447 --> 00:12:08,807
That's on the

282
00:12:08,807 --> 00:12:09,557
Just Blane: elephant blue page.

283
00:12:09,767 --> 00:12:10,662
The elephant one, elephant blue

284
00:12:10,662 --> 00:12:10,997
Mike Agrelius: one here.

285
00:12:11,057 --> 00:12:11,207
Yeah.

286
00:12:11,207 --> 00:12:12,707
You can show it blank or I can show it.

287
00:12:12,947 --> 00:12:13,307
Just Blane: I got it.

288
00:12:13,312 --> 00:12:13,907
I think right here.

289
00:12:14,567 --> 00:12:15,617
That's a rhinoceros.

290
00:12:15,617 --> 00:12:16,547
You said this here.

291
00:12:16,637 --> 00:12:16,727
Yeah,

292
00:12:16,997 --> 00:12:17,387
Mike Agrelius: first page.

293
00:12:17,807 --> 00:12:18,617
So there you go.

294
00:12:18,622 --> 00:12:22,577
So, and the little, the little
4-year-old said, that's too big a word.

295
00:12:22,577 --> 00:12:26,927
When she saw the word rhinoceros
and the 8-year-old said, without

296
00:12:26,932 --> 00:12:29,957
me prompting or anything, said,
well, what are those two animals?

297
00:12:30,282 --> 00:12:32,052
Well, that's a monkey and that's a rhino.

298
00:12:32,272 --> 00:12:34,892
Well, and the eight year old said,
well, what do you think the word is?

299
00:12:34,892 --> 00:12:35,832
That starts with an R.

300
00:12:36,592 --> 00:12:40,532
And the four year old started to say
rhinoceros and then she, or rhino.

301
00:12:40,832 --> 00:12:42,662
And then she realized it
was a much bigger word.

302
00:12:42,662 --> 00:12:44,622
So she said, is it rhinoceros?

303
00:12:45,052 --> 00:12:47,172
And she was so proud of the
fact that she got it right.

304
00:12:47,442 --> 00:12:51,202
There's other big words in there like
crocodile and hippopotamus and stuff like

305
00:12:51,202 --> 00:12:54,242
that, but, uh, it just, it just kind of.

306
00:12:54,767 --> 00:12:59,627
uh, encourages kids to, to do some
sight looking at, you know, what

307
00:12:59,627 --> 00:13:02,407
the context is and not just try
to figure it out from the words.

308
00:13:02,637 --> 00:13:05,827
Becks: And stretch their
vocabulary, which is awesome.

309
00:13:05,827 --> 00:13:08,097
Just Blane: Hippopotamus in there.

310
00:13:08,127 --> 00:13:09,387
That's a giant word there.

311
00:13:09,447 --> 00:13:10,477
I mean, let me,

312
00:13:10,537 --> 00:13:12,807
Mike Agrelius: can I, can I read you
a little bit of the first part of,

313
00:13:12,807 --> 00:13:16,027
uh, Um, whatever floats your goat.

314
00:13:16,477 --> 00:13:16,967
Just Blane: Absolutely.

315
00:13:16,997 --> 00:13:18,157
And that's the new book.

316
00:13:18,187 --> 00:13:20,937
I wanted to throw that in there cause we
missed it, but that's the name of new one,

317
00:13:20,937 --> 00:13:22,117
Mike Agrelius: Whatever Floats Your Goat.

318
00:13:22,517 --> 00:13:25,367
And it goes, like I said, what,
why did the chicken cross the

319
00:13:25,367 --> 00:13:27,177
playground to get to the other slide?

320
00:13:27,467 --> 00:13:29,017
Yes, this is how it's going down.

321
00:13:29,017 --> 00:13:30,317
So hang on for the ride.

322
00:13:30,967 --> 00:13:32,187
What has more lives?

323
00:13:32,257 --> 00:13:33,747
Oops, I got to get back out here.

324
00:13:33,847 --> 00:13:34,807
No, over here.

325
00:13:35,387 --> 00:13:36,847
Has more lives than a cat.

326
00:13:36,907 --> 00:13:38,357
At least that's what they say.

327
00:13:38,837 --> 00:13:39,647
A bullfrog.

328
00:13:39,757 --> 00:13:40,447
Cause it's a fact.

329
00:13:40,927 --> 00:13:42,317
They croak each and every day.

330
00:13:42,747 --> 00:13:46,107
And that it goes on kind of like that
with the little rhymes and stuff.

331
00:13:46,107 --> 00:13:48,417
And, and then it says, think of a riddle.

332
00:13:48,417 --> 00:13:50,957
Your gramps would tell
about a kid out on a boat.

333
00:13:51,342 --> 00:13:55,212
And the punchline he would sell
whatever floats your goat, which is

334
00:13:55,212 --> 00:13:58,932
where the title came from and it's,
uh, it's a Kickstarter right now.

335
00:13:58,932 --> 00:14:00,092
We've only been one weekend.

336
00:14:00,132 --> 00:14:03,462
In fact, tomorrow is the first
week into the Kickstarter.

337
00:14:03,972 --> 00:14:08,492
We've already passed our goal
up, but if, if, uh, some of your.

338
00:14:09,392 --> 00:14:13,712
Viewers, listeners want to, um, you
know, go to the, my Facebook page at

339
00:14:13,722 --> 00:14:15,752
Happy Valley Publishers on Facebook.

340
00:14:15,812 --> 00:14:16,892
Happy Valley Publishers.

341
00:14:17,312 --> 00:14:18,902
Uh, please like that page.

342
00:14:18,902 --> 00:14:21,282
That's number one and, or follow it.

343
00:14:21,572 --> 00:14:25,062
And then number two, if they want to
just pledge a dollar or two, that'll

344
00:14:25,062 --> 00:14:29,922
help with the matrix in Kickstarter
so that it'll rise to the top when

345
00:14:29,922 --> 00:14:31,772
people go to search children's books.

346
00:14:32,042 --> 00:14:32,752
Just Blane: I love that.

347
00:14:32,982 --> 00:14:35,182
And Happy Valley Publishing.

348
00:14:35,192 --> 00:14:37,762
Mike, that's, that's your
publishing company, right?

349
00:14:38,092 --> 00:14:39,172
Mike Agrelius: Happy Valley Publishers.

350
00:14:39,172 --> 00:14:39,452
Yes.

351
00:14:39,492 --> 00:14:41,902
I, I, I, I, that's an imprint I did.

352
00:14:42,342 --> 00:14:42,662
Okay.

353
00:14:42,662 --> 00:14:45,112
This is going to tell you
how stinking old I am.

354
00:14:45,112 --> 00:14:47,272
Let me tell you.

355
00:14:47,272 --> 00:14:47,882
1978.

356
00:14:48,112 --> 00:14:48,542
Just Blane: Okay.

357
00:14:49,192 --> 00:14:54,162
And then, and then a night and then you
kept doing stuff for Happy Valley and in

358
00:14:54,162 --> 00:14:57,302
1986 you had, uh, Why Wait Till I'm Dead.

359
00:14:57,312 --> 00:14:58,922
That's a, that's a poetry book, I believe.

360
00:14:58,922 --> 00:15:01,272
And then you had, uh,
what was the other one?

361
00:15:01,272 --> 00:15:02,562
Buy One, Get One Free.

362
00:15:02,572 --> 00:15:04,392
You had Beyond the Laughter Comes a Poet.

363
00:15:05,252 --> 00:15:06,442
Also a game designer.

364
00:15:07,072 --> 00:15:09,762
Count your blessings.

365
00:15:09,762 --> 00:15:12,102
You did Count Your
Blessings, Do What is Right.

366
00:15:12,672 --> 00:15:13,182
What else you had?

367
00:15:13,182 --> 00:15:14,662
Missionary Blues Abstracts.

368
00:15:16,547 --> 00:15:21,127
Becks: Oh, we've got to talk about
Abstracts, the game of Absurd Logic.

369
00:15:21,917 --> 00:15:26,617
We know that you were on David
Letterman's show for that, right?

370
00:15:26,617 --> 00:15:26,717
Well,

371
00:15:26,717 --> 00:15:27,187
Mike Agrelius: yeah.

372
00:15:27,207 --> 00:15:31,097
What happened was, was, um,
that when that game came out,

373
00:15:31,177 --> 00:15:33,317
I like to promote stuff, okay?

374
00:15:33,417 --> 00:15:38,797
So, I, uh, I found out that, uh,
Dan Quayle was going to be at,

375
00:15:38,797 --> 00:15:44,382
uh, Utah Valley University, which
is called something different.

376
00:15:45,042 --> 00:15:49,762
And so, I paid 50 bucks to get a
picture of me with Hanning Dan Quayle.

377
00:15:50,347 --> 00:15:57,427
Uh, a copy of the game and then,
um, and then I, I took that picture

378
00:15:57,427 --> 00:16:01,107
with me to the New York Toy Fair
when the, the game was introduced.

379
00:16:01,437 --> 00:16:04,347
Well Dan Quayle was, was one of
the people, your guest famous

380
00:16:04,347 --> 00:16:09,407
people, places and things back,
uh, based on abstract clues.

381
00:16:09,407 --> 00:16:10,727
That's how the game is played.

382
00:16:10,977 --> 00:16:13,247
And Dan Quayle was one of the
famous people in the game.

383
00:16:13,707 --> 00:16:16,837
And, uh, when David Lamerill
came by the booth and saw that.

384
00:16:17,377 --> 00:16:20,557
Dan Quayle was holding up
this game at the booth.

385
00:16:20,637 --> 00:16:22,557
He goes, wow, what's this all about?

386
00:16:22,557 --> 00:16:23,617
Cause he didn't like Dan Quayle.

387
00:16:23,657 --> 00:16:24,337
Exactly.

388
00:16:24,337 --> 00:16:24,717
I already know

389
00:16:24,717 --> 00:16:25,947
Just Blane: the, I know the background.

390
00:16:25,987 --> 00:16:26,797
I wasn't around.

391
00:16:26,817 --> 00:16:28,417
Well, I guess I wasn't
around right then, but.

392
00:16:28,457 --> 00:16:29,257
You were around.

393
00:16:31,077 --> 00:16:32,677
Mike Agrelius: They didn't,
he didn't like them so much.

394
00:16:32,677 --> 00:16:33,887
They were both from Indiana.

395
00:16:34,437 --> 00:16:40,837
And, uh, anyway, so he says, uh, he
says to Dan Quayle, he says, uh, so is

396
00:16:40,837 --> 00:16:43,107
this, is this game just for Republicans?

397
00:16:43,707 --> 00:16:44,277
No.

398
00:16:44,842 --> 00:16:47,682
Is this game, uh, just
for really dumb guys?

399
00:16:47,992 --> 00:16:49,532
You know, cause he didn't like Dan Gweth.

400
00:16:50,082 --> 00:16:54,992
Anyway, it got put on, uh, the David
Letterman Show and it ran, uh, In fact,

401
00:16:54,992 --> 00:16:59,262
there was a couple of different repeats
and I could tell when, uh, it ran,

402
00:16:59,292 --> 00:17:01,022
This was before social media and stuff.

403
00:17:01,432 --> 00:17:01,892
Just Blane: And,

404
00:17:01,902 --> 00:17:04,712
Mike Agrelius: but when it ran,
sales for the games would go up.

405
00:17:05,242 --> 00:17:10,677
Um, you know, it FAO Schwarz where
it was sold and at, uh, Neiman Marcus

406
00:17:10,677 --> 00:17:12,587
and other stores and stuff like that.

407
00:17:13,177 --> 00:17:17,237
Becks: I feel like there's, you know, the,
the game Seven Degrees of Kevin Bacon.

408
00:17:17,237 --> 00:17:18,107
Mike Agrelius: Yes, yes, yes.

409
00:17:18,227 --> 00:17:18,687
I feel

410
00:17:18,787 --> 00:17:22,517
Becks: like there should be a new game
called, you know, Seven Degrees of Mike.

411
00:17:23,737 --> 00:17:23,987
Mike Agrelius: Thanks.

412
00:17:26,237 --> 00:17:26,467
Am I

413
00:17:26,467 --> 00:17:28,276
Becks: saying your last name correctly

414
00:17:28,276 --> 00:17:29,000
Mike Agrelius: as well?

415
00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:29,362
Agrileus.

416
00:17:29,362 --> 00:17:29,724
Agrileus.

417
00:17:29,724 --> 00:17:30,085
Agrileus.

418
00:17:30,085 --> 00:17:30,447
Agrileus.

419
00:17:30,447 --> 00:17:31,617
Do you

420
00:17:31,877 --> 00:17:33,937
Just Blane: have any, do you
use, do you have any, some

421
00:17:33,957 --> 00:17:34,977
other plays on your name though?

422
00:17:35,107 --> 00:17:35,507
That's right.

423
00:17:35,527 --> 00:17:36,917
You have, uh, Emma Grelias.

424
00:17:36,917 --> 00:17:39,431
Do you, are you using Emma
Grelias or something like that?

425
00:17:39,431 --> 00:17:41,647
Mike Agrelius: I use Emma
Grelias for my poetry books.

426
00:17:41,787 --> 00:17:42,147
Yep.

427
00:17:42,367 --> 00:17:47,167
And, uh, then, uh, Michael
Grelias when I'm in trouble.

428
00:17:47,247 --> 00:17:48,247
So that's about it.

429
00:17:48,727 --> 00:17:49,257
Becks: Okay.

430
00:17:49,407 --> 00:17:50,887
So that comes back to bite ya.

431
00:17:51,277 --> 00:17:52,797
Just Blane: I want to hear,
I want to hear a poem.

432
00:17:52,937 --> 00:17:55,117
I want to hear something good right
here, just off the top of your head.

433
00:17:56,177 --> 00:17:57,217
Mike Agrelius: Off the top of my head?

434
00:17:57,217 --> 00:17:58,652
I'm better with the dad jokes.

435
00:17:58,652 --> 00:17:58,932
Blane.

436
00:17:58,982 --> 00:18:00,092
I'm better with a dad joke.

437
00:18:00,822 --> 00:18:03,637
Why do people paint Easter eggs?

438
00:18:05,737 --> 00:18:08,337
Because it's so much easier
than wallpaper in them.

439
00:18:12,707 --> 00:18:13,257
Just Blane: I love it.

440
00:18:13,747 --> 00:18:14,497
They don't get old.

441
00:18:14,727 --> 00:18:15,677
These jokes don't get old.

442
00:18:15,677 --> 00:18:16,227
I mean, I'm a dad.

443
00:18:16,637 --> 00:18:17,837
Mike Agrelius: Here's your Christmas one.

444
00:18:17,867 --> 00:18:18,387
All right.

445
00:18:18,587 --> 00:18:18,837
All right.

446
00:18:18,837 --> 00:18:19,567
Christmas one.

447
00:18:19,597 --> 00:18:20,077
All right.

448
00:18:20,577 --> 00:18:23,707
So how much did Santa's
new, new sleigh cost?

449
00:18:25,917 --> 00:18:26,197
Nothing.

450
00:18:26,197 --> 00:18:27,127
It was on the house.

451
00:18:27,447 --> 00:18:27,747
Just Blane: Okay.

452
00:18:27,747 --> 00:18:31,997
Mike Agrelius: Hey,

453
00:18:31,997 --> 00:18:35,417
Just Blane: so, so you got a lot of jokes
built around, like holidays and stuff.

454
00:18:35,552 --> 00:18:39,352
Mike Agrelius: They're
just all kinds of jokes.

455
00:18:39,352 --> 00:18:44,782
I mean, one of, one of my faves, somebody,
you know, and the way I got a lot of

456
00:18:44,782 --> 00:18:50,002
these jokes, like I was in an elevator
one day going, uh, in, uh, upstairs to,

457
00:18:50,522 --> 00:18:52,012
uh, to visit somebody in the hospital.

458
00:18:52,012 --> 00:18:52,512
Okay.

459
00:18:52,912 --> 00:18:57,802
And as I'm going up, I, I said,
uh, anybody got a dad joke for me?

460
00:18:58,152 --> 00:18:59,822
And this one lady says, Oh, I got one.

461
00:19:00,452 --> 00:19:01,342
And she told me one.

462
00:19:01,342 --> 00:19:02,342
I'd never heard it before.

463
00:19:02,342 --> 00:19:03,752
I said, can I put it in my book?

464
00:19:03,792 --> 00:19:04,642
And she said, sure.

465
00:19:04,862 --> 00:19:09,232
It was, why don't pirates shower?

466
00:19:11,672 --> 00:19:13,712
Because they usually
just wash up on shore.

467
00:19:16,542 --> 00:19:17,172
I loved it.

468
00:19:17,222 --> 00:19:17,642
I loved it.

469
00:19:19,322 --> 00:19:21,162
There's one that, and I
had never heard it before.

470
00:19:21,482 --> 00:19:22,092
So I put it in.

471
00:19:22,102 --> 00:19:25,502
Then there's one that everybody's
heard before, uh, probably.

472
00:19:25,892 --> 00:19:28,262
Um, How much do pirates pay for corn?

473
00:19:30,082 --> 00:19:30,162
Just Blane: How

474
00:19:30,162 --> 00:19:30,342
Mike Agrelius: much?

475
00:19:30,342 --> 00:19:31,942
About a buck, about a buck an ear.

476
00:19:32,262 --> 00:19:32,552
Just Blane: Okay.

477
00:19:33,982 --> 00:19:34,242
Mike Agrelius: Yeah.

478
00:19:35,382 --> 00:19:38,122
Just Blane: That was
definitely more familiar.

479
00:19:38,562 --> 00:19:40,612
With you having all these dad
jokes and stuff though, you

480
00:19:40,612 --> 00:19:41,882
got to be a family man, right?

481
00:19:41,892 --> 00:19:43,252
Like this has got to be Oh, yes, sir.

482
00:19:43,302 --> 00:19:43,792
Yes, sir.

483
00:19:43,792 --> 00:19:44,322
Yes, sir.

484
00:19:44,762 --> 00:19:48,282
Yeah, that's what I was kind of hinting
at when I said you got a lot of jokes

485
00:19:48,282 --> 00:19:52,602
that revolve around the holidays, and I
just kind of, I kind of, I kind of paint

486
00:19:52,632 --> 00:19:55,072
holidays with family, and you seem like

487
00:19:56,392 --> 00:20:00,922
Mike Agrelius: Well, we got a big family,
okay, so I, I have four kids, my wife has

488
00:20:00,952 --> 00:20:03,332
six kids, so between us we have ten kids.

489
00:20:03,952 --> 00:20:07,392
Becks: You beat me out, wow,
that's not, that's hard to do.

490
00:20:07,967 --> 00:20:10,337
Mike Agrelius: And between
us, we have 17 grandkids.

491
00:20:10,787 --> 00:20:13,197
Becks: Oh, how fun.

492
00:20:13,207 --> 00:20:14,027
Grandkids are way

493
00:20:14,027 --> 00:20:16,707
Just Blane: more fun than the
regular kids I hear because you can

494
00:20:16,707 --> 00:20:17,947
always just, you can leave them.

495
00:20:17,947 --> 00:20:18,832
All

496
00:20:18,832 --> 00:20:19,717
Mike Agrelius: right.

497
00:20:19,717 --> 00:20:20,117
Goodbye.

498
00:20:21,467 --> 00:20:24,407
Here, have all this sugar
and I'm leaving now.

499
00:20:24,447 --> 00:20:25,277
Yeah, exactly.

500
00:20:25,357 --> 00:20:25,567
Yeah.

501
00:20:25,727 --> 00:20:25,987
Yeah.

502
00:20:25,987 --> 00:20:26,442
Yeah.

503
00:20:27,082 --> 00:20:28,382
Just Blane: But that's, that's incredible.

504
00:20:28,382 --> 00:20:29,082
Yeah, go ahead.

505
00:20:29,082 --> 00:20:29,132
Did

506
00:20:29,132 --> 00:20:33,282
Becks: your, did your family, like,
did your fathers or your grandfathers

507
00:20:33,282 --> 00:20:37,702
or, you know, that have any sort of,
um, play into your work and dad jokes?

508
00:20:37,762 --> 00:20:38,402
You know, my

509
00:20:38,442 --> 00:20:39,892
Mike Agrelius: dad, my dad's a funny guy.

510
00:20:39,942 --> 00:20:41,052
My dad's still alive.

511
00:20:41,442 --> 00:20:43,212
Uh, he's 90,

512
00:20:43,212 --> 00:20:43,422
Becks: 95.

513
00:20:43,422 --> 00:20:44,572
Oh, wow.

514
00:20:44,722 --> 00:20:49,162
Mike Agrelius: Um, in fact, it was
his 90th birthday that inspired me to

515
00:20:49,162 --> 00:20:52,807
really want to Uh, do my first kid book.

516
00:20:53,397 --> 00:20:56,907
So when he was nine, when he
was 90, he, he asked me, he was

517
00:20:56,907 --> 00:20:58,477
a veteran of the Korean war.

518
00:20:58,637 --> 00:20:59,147
Okay.

519
00:20:59,917 --> 00:21:04,227
And, and he, he said, I want
you to read a book before you

520
00:21:04,227 --> 00:21:05,627
come down to my birthday party.

521
00:21:05,627 --> 00:21:08,517
And it was a book about, about
Korea and the Korean war.

522
00:21:09,217 --> 00:21:09,387
Just Blane: And

523
00:21:09,387 --> 00:21:11,987
Mike Agrelius: I started reading
it, but literally I had nightmares.

524
00:21:12,517 --> 00:21:12,977
Just Blane: And

525
00:21:13,277 --> 00:21:15,467
Mike Agrelius: so I decided I'm
going to listen to the audio version.

526
00:21:15,467 --> 00:21:16,357
Maybe it'll be better.

527
00:21:16,832 --> 00:21:20,512
And so I went to, I called the
library and they said they had a copy.

528
00:21:20,512 --> 00:21:24,522
So I went in and while I was waiting
to see if they had a copy, I noticed

529
00:21:24,562 --> 00:21:30,042
that, uh, to one side of me was a
book that said yoga for old people.

530
00:21:30,752 --> 00:21:35,412
And next to it was a book
that said, Yoga for Babies.

531
00:21:36,042 --> 00:21:40,572
And on the next, on the other
side, it was Yoga for Dogs.

532
00:21:40,572 --> 00:21:41,412
I kid you not.

533
00:21:41,962 --> 00:21:45,432
And I said, this is the kind of
stuff we're promoting in the library.

534
00:21:45,962 --> 00:21:47,662
I think I should do that kid book.

535
00:21:47,992 --> 00:21:51,892
So I called my friend Val and I said,
Hey, I'm going to go for that book.

536
00:21:52,012 --> 00:21:53,292
And he said, I'm in.

537
00:21:53,582 --> 00:21:54,592
So we did it.

538
00:21:54,962 --> 00:21:56,472
And that was five years ago.

539
00:21:57,102 --> 00:22:02,042
And, uh, so now we have Hear
What's Here, Elephant Glue, and

540
00:22:02,332 --> 00:22:06,532
before Father's Day, um, whatever
floats your boat, we'll be out too.

541
00:22:07,142 --> 00:22:09,972
Just Blane: That's, that's the official
release date, is right around, it's

542
00:22:09,982 --> 00:22:11,362
going to be, well, just before,

543
00:22:11,702 --> 00:22:13,832
Mike Agrelius: like a week or two
before Father's Day, it should be.

544
00:22:14,277 --> 00:22:15,237
Just Blane: So they're already, they're

545
00:22:15,237 --> 00:22:17,327
Mike Agrelius: already, they're already
printed and they're ready to go.

546
00:22:17,327 --> 00:22:19,627
And in fact, I think they're
being shipped this week.

547
00:22:19,627 --> 00:22:19,937
So

548
00:22:20,357 --> 00:22:24,297
Just Blane: I posted a picture
and it was a giant what a palette.

549
00:22:24,327 --> 00:22:27,887
Is that what you want
to call it on your page?

550
00:22:28,727 --> 00:22:30,617
I bet you've already got
that whole palette sold.

551
00:22:32,142 --> 00:22:32,462
Becks: I feel like

552
00:22:32,842 --> 00:22:33,402
Just Blane: it's got to be.

553
00:22:34,522 --> 00:22:34,802
Becks: Yeah.

554
00:22:34,802 --> 00:22:35,882
Cause I'm going to buy it.

555
00:22:36,322 --> 00:22:38,897
Oh, you're going to
use that in all my game

556
00:22:38,897 --> 00:22:39,282
Just Blane: baskets.

557
00:22:39,562 --> 00:22:40,642
We should do that.

558
00:22:40,702 --> 00:22:42,172
We should absolutely do that.

559
00:22:42,182 --> 00:22:43,602
Mike, what else, man?

560
00:22:44,042 --> 00:22:50,112
I feel like there's a whole interview I
want to do with you about the board games.

561
00:22:50,132 --> 00:22:50,972
No, not even kidding you.

562
00:22:51,072 --> 00:22:51,472
Not even kidding.

563
00:22:51,472 --> 00:22:52,332
I'll

564
00:22:52,332 --> 00:22:54,052
Mike Agrelius: tell you
what, that's so interesting.

565
00:22:54,052 --> 00:22:54,682
You would say that.

566
00:22:55,422 --> 00:22:56,152
Abstracts.

567
00:22:56,672 --> 00:22:59,672
I've done, I've done eight different
board games and card games over the years.

568
00:22:59,672 --> 00:23:00,052
Okay.

569
00:23:00,052 --> 00:23:00,117
Okay.

570
00:23:00,117 --> 00:23:06,747
Made in the USA, which is a little card
game that I did two days after 9 11, just

571
00:23:06,747 --> 00:23:12,107
to kind of honor the first responders
and the, and, uh, the military people.

572
00:23:12,597 --> 00:23:18,197
And, um, I would love to, I would love
to talk to you about, uh, abstracts.

573
00:23:18,317 --> 00:23:22,827
I need to find someone to finish
off an app for the abstracts game.

574
00:23:22,887 --> 00:23:27,027
It's so if, if, if somebody
happens to, you know, happens to,

575
00:23:27,637 --> 00:23:31,067
um, Want to help me with an app.

576
00:23:31,447 --> 00:23:33,517
I've got it three
quarters of the way done.

577
00:23:33,687 --> 00:23:36,967
Um, but I need to finish
it off and monetize it too.

578
00:23:37,357 --> 00:23:37,947
Just Blane: I love that.

579
00:23:37,947 --> 00:23:38,917
Let's see if we can figure that out.

580
00:23:39,297 --> 00:23:39,567
Becks: Yeah.

581
00:23:39,567 --> 00:23:41,847
I know a couple of people I'll,
I'll be in touch with you.

582
00:23:41,847 --> 00:23:42,037
Yeah,

583
00:23:42,597 --> 00:23:43,277
Just Blane: let's do that.

584
00:23:43,477 --> 00:23:45,847
And then, like I said, I'd
love to talk to you again.

585
00:23:46,432 --> 00:23:49,862
All about the board games, video games.

586
00:23:49,862 --> 00:23:51,982
Maybe even, I feel like you
might even be a video game.

587
00:23:52,012 --> 00:23:52,832
Mike Agrelius: I don't know.

588
00:23:52,842 --> 00:23:53,552
Video games.

589
00:23:54,492 --> 00:23:56,902
Just Blane: We can put a controller
in your hands and I think you

590
00:23:56,902 --> 00:24:02,912
would, there's, there's a bunch
of games out there that there are.

591
00:24:03,057 --> 00:24:04,967
Game designers, like that's what you do.

592
00:24:04,967 --> 00:24:07,217
It's, it's somebody who I used

593
00:24:07,217 --> 00:24:09,337
Mike Agrelius: to be the director
of Game Inventors of America.

594
00:24:09,387 --> 00:24:10,197
So there you go.

595
00:24:10,267 --> 00:24:10,967
You've got a whole story.

596
00:24:10,967 --> 00:24:11,007
I

597
00:24:11,007 --> 00:24:12,907
Just Blane: want to, I got to
bring you on my video game podcast

598
00:24:13,167 --> 00:24:14,257
and we'll talk board games.

599
00:24:14,647 --> 00:24:15,467
Talk all that stuff.

600
00:24:15,497 --> 00:24:15,957
I love it.

601
00:24:16,707 --> 00:24:18,597
What else would you want to talk
about with the, with the books?

602
00:24:18,637 --> 00:24:20,207
You got anything else that we left out?

603
00:24:21,477 --> 00:24:23,147
Mike Agrelius: I'll give you
a little thing that I learned.

604
00:24:23,147 --> 00:24:23,527
Okay.

605
00:24:23,567 --> 00:24:24,147
Because I.

606
00:24:24,582 --> 00:24:26,992
You know, the first two books
were just poems I wrote when

607
00:24:26,992 --> 00:24:28,382
I was in high school, okay?

608
00:24:28,722 --> 00:24:29,642
From my little brother.

609
00:24:30,162 --> 00:24:34,152
And, um, and they were pretty easy and
my friend just did the illustrations real

610
00:24:34,152 --> 00:24:35,542
quick and we got them out real quick.

611
00:24:36,052 --> 00:24:41,292
This last book, even though, you know, a
lot of it is, is, is just borrowed stuff

612
00:24:41,292 --> 00:24:48,792
from dad jokes from all over the place,
that, um, I, I did a lot of research on

613
00:24:48,792 --> 00:24:51,162
jokes for the last year, on dad jokes.

614
00:24:51,582 --> 00:24:52,702
Here's what I found out.

615
00:24:52,782 --> 00:24:55,632
Two major articles, one in
the Wall Street Journal.

616
00:24:56,537 --> 00:25:00,967
And one in a thing called the
British Psychological Society.

617
00:25:01,637 --> 00:25:07,367
Both state that kids that are exposed
to dad jokes have better communication

618
00:25:07,367 --> 00:25:11,167
skills and an overall higher intellect.

619
00:25:11,677 --> 00:25:13,137
And the reason for that is.

620
00:25:13,687 --> 00:25:18,647
Is if kids don't understand why it's
funny or what a word means, one of the

621
00:25:18,647 --> 00:25:24,567
ones I read you was croak, you know, they
might relate, relate that to frogs, but

622
00:25:24,567 --> 00:25:26,037
they don't know why that's a funny joke.

623
00:25:26,037 --> 00:25:27,517
Well, why is that funny mom and dad?

624
00:25:27,877 --> 00:25:32,857
And then the communication
channels open, they're receptive to

625
00:25:32,857 --> 00:25:36,567
learning and they continue to ask
questions throughout their life.

626
00:25:37,617 --> 00:25:40,167
Becks: Oh, I like that.

627
00:25:40,167 --> 00:25:40,907
I

628
00:25:40,907 --> 00:25:43,927
Mike Agrelius: was blessed to
have a funny dad and a mom who

629
00:25:43,927 --> 00:25:45,167
loved the English language.

630
00:25:45,597 --> 00:25:49,627
And so that's how I, I kept
asking questions all the time

631
00:25:50,067 --> 00:25:53,057
and mom was my own private
dictionary and thesaurus, you know,

632
00:25:53,727 --> 00:25:54,337
Becks: I love that.

633
00:25:54,337 --> 00:25:57,757
And I love that that really shows
in your work throughout your life.

634
00:25:57,767 --> 00:26:01,727
That's, I mean, look at the
impact, just absolutely brilliant.

635
00:26:02,217 --> 00:26:03,317
Just Blane: Yeah, it really is.

636
00:26:03,317 --> 00:26:06,197
And, and we've known you for
here for a couple of months.

637
00:26:06,687 --> 00:26:10,997
And before we go, I want to
get you to do your 42 second.

638
00:26:12,507 --> 00:26:13,587
Mike Agrelius: I could do that for you.

639
00:26:13,827 --> 00:26:14,177
I want

640
00:26:14,177 --> 00:26:14,407
Just Blane: that

641
00:26:14,407 --> 00:26:14,527
Mike Agrelius: one,

642
00:26:14,627 --> 00:26:15,157
Just Blane: yeah.

643
00:26:15,347 --> 00:26:20,317
Mike Agrelius: Alright, this is, this
is, this is, uh, the entire book of Hear

644
00:26:20,317 --> 00:26:24,617
What's Here without the definitions or
the cute illustrations, which Val does a

645
00:26:24,617 --> 00:26:26,557
great job with, with the illustrations.

646
00:26:26,557 --> 00:26:27,507
Are you going to time me, Becks?

647
00:26:27,897 --> 00:26:28,447
Becks: You're a timer.

648
00:26:29,327 --> 00:26:29,847
Okay,

649
00:26:30,007 --> 00:26:31,437
Mike Agrelius: can you
find a pair of pears?

650
00:26:31,457 --> 00:26:32,707
Do you see the sea?

651
00:26:32,977 --> 00:26:35,637
Would you like to stare at
stairs or maybe be a bee?

652
00:26:35,957 --> 00:26:37,507
Do you think the deer's a deer?

653
00:26:37,517 --> 00:26:38,867
Is this knot a knot?

654
00:26:39,167 --> 00:26:41,967
Tell me what you hear here last
night the night got caught.

655
00:26:42,277 --> 00:26:44,997
Have you heard a whale wail
or seen a hare with hair?

656
00:26:45,337 --> 00:26:46,997
Do you think this pale is pale?

657
00:26:47,057 --> 00:26:48,337
Is that bear all bare?

658
00:26:48,337 --> 00:26:49,497
Which is my favorite illustration.

659
00:26:49,797 --> 00:26:51,317
Does the horse sound hoarse to you?

660
00:26:51,597 --> 00:26:52,847
Sail or sail, you can't.

661
00:26:53,137 --> 00:26:54,807
Has that one won one or two?

662
00:26:54,897 --> 00:26:56,127
Is that ant an ant?

663
00:26:56,447 --> 00:26:57,487
Did you see the flea flee?

664
00:26:57,487 --> 00:26:58,517
The maid has made the bed.

665
00:26:58,677 --> 00:27:00,487
That hole does not look whole to me.

666
00:27:00,657 --> 00:27:01,667
Have you read what's read?

667
00:27:02,007 --> 00:27:03,137
Can you find a pair of pairs?

668
00:27:03,137 --> 00:27:03,947
Do you hear what's here?

669
00:27:03,987 --> 00:27:05,717
These are more than just mere words.

670
00:27:05,787 --> 00:27:06,927
These are words that mirror.

671
00:27:07,297 --> 00:27:07,747
How'd I do?

672
00:27:07,757 --> 00:27:08,367
What's the time?

673
00:27:08,557 --> 00:27:09,377
Becks: You're under a minute.

674
00:27:11,007 --> 00:27:11,777
Just Blane: I timed it.

675
00:27:11,777 --> 00:27:12,197
I timed it.

676
00:27:12,207 --> 00:27:14,097
You were at about 38 seconds.

677
00:27:14,097 --> 00:27:15,617
Actually, you came in under.

678
00:27:16,477 --> 00:27:17,317
I love that.

679
00:27:17,317 --> 00:27:19,147
Just

680
00:27:19,227 --> 00:27:21,107
Mike Agrelius: those two
words, whole and whole.

681
00:27:22,647 --> 00:27:28,617
One means empty, void of things, and
the other means everything complete,

682
00:27:29,177 --> 00:27:30,707
and they sound exactly the same.

683
00:27:30,837 --> 00:27:32,517
And people say, well, one has a W.

684
00:27:32,737 --> 00:27:34,897
Well, I can't see the
W when we're talking.

685
00:27:35,357 --> 00:27:36,497
Becks: Yeah, correct.

686
00:27:36,537 --> 00:27:36,817
Yeah.

687
00:27:36,817 --> 00:27:36,997
The

688
00:27:36,997 --> 00:27:38,367
Mike Agrelius: English language is wacky.

689
00:27:39,197 --> 00:27:39,647
Just Blane: It is.

690
00:27:40,237 --> 00:27:40,997
It really is.

691
00:27:41,007 --> 00:27:41,557
And

692
00:27:43,667 --> 00:27:46,097
I love what you did with, with,
I'm looking at it right now.

693
00:27:46,097 --> 00:27:46,927
Hear what's here.

694
00:27:47,017 --> 00:27:47,617
That, that book.

695
00:27:47,647 --> 00:27:49,777
I'm telling you, I enjoy it.

696
00:27:49,777 --> 00:27:50,867
Just looking through it.

697
00:27:51,197 --> 00:27:53,477
And then I'm going to read it to
my kids over and over and over.

698
00:27:54,427 --> 00:27:55,017
Beck School.

699
00:27:55,057 --> 00:27:56,807
19 year olds love these books.

700
00:27:56,807 --> 00:27:58,002
It's true.

701
00:27:58,002 --> 00:27:59,197
They do.

702
00:27:59,197 --> 00:28:00,867
It's seriously all of, for all ages.

703
00:28:01,127 --> 00:28:02,277
You're here for all ages.

704
00:28:02,277 --> 00:28:02,577
Literally.

705
00:28:02,597 --> 00:28:02,887
Literally.

706
00:28:02,997 --> 00:28:05,157
This is, this is one
thing I can sign off on.

707
00:28:05,157 --> 00:28:06,207
That's for all ages.

708
00:28:09,007 --> 00:28:10,697
We had a little mix of both
right there at the end.

709
00:28:10,697 --> 00:28:13,167
You had the reading of his book.

710
00:28:13,217 --> 00:28:13,817
I like that.

711
00:28:14,377 --> 00:28:15,757
Thank you for joining us here.

712
00:28:16,027 --> 00:28:17,057
We're going to be talking to you more.

713
00:28:17,887 --> 00:28:22,227
I really do appreciate getting to know
you over the last couple of months

714
00:28:22,317 --> 00:28:23,797
and getting to know you even more.

715
00:28:23,937 --> 00:28:24,537
I really do.

716
00:28:25,347 --> 00:28:28,047
Can't wait to get to see more
of what you do, because I know

717
00:28:28,487 --> 00:28:29,937
Mike Agrelius: Pledge a
buck on my Kickstarter.

718
00:28:29,937 --> 00:28:30,957
Just pledge one buck.

719
00:28:30,957 --> 00:28:31,477
That's all.

720
00:28:31,477 --> 00:28:32,057
Here you go.

721
00:28:32,117 --> 00:28:32,277
We

722
00:28:32,277 --> 00:28:33,747
Becks: absolutely will.

723
00:28:33,747 --> 00:28:34,657
Just Blane: I've already pledged mine.

724
00:28:34,667 --> 00:28:37,477
We'll make sure we get the link
up in the show notes for this.

725
00:28:39,087 --> 00:28:41,742
Anything else we can do to help you,
let us know, because I'm serious.

726
00:28:41,742 --> 00:28:42,357
You're wonderful.

727
00:28:42,357 --> 00:28:43,279
I appreciate you

728
00:28:43,279 --> 00:28:43,586
Mike Agrelius: guys.

729
00:28:43,586 --> 00:28:44,508
I love it.

730
00:28:44,508 --> 00:28:48,407
And I, I will be, uh, at some
of the farmer's markets over

731
00:28:48,407 --> 00:28:49,957
in Daybreak, uh, this year.

732
00:28:49,967 --> 00:28:50,427
So We'll

733
00:28:50,427 --> 00:28:50,897
Just Blane: be out there.

734
00:28:51,187 --> 00:28:55,912
Hey, he He was at the pop up market
with us, uh, a couple of weeks back,

735
00:28:56,752 --> 00:28:59,412
came over, told a couple of jokes,
said, I'm going to take a nap.

736
00:28:59,752 --> 00:29:04,352
He sat there and he really didn't think he
fell asleep for about got up and I am old.

737
00:29:04,712 --> 00:29:05,975
What can I say?

738
00:29:05,975 --> 00:29:07,640
I don't

739
00:29:07,640 --> 00:29:11,282
Becks: think old has anything
to do with it unless I am old.

740
00:29:11,292 --> 00:29:14,062
Maybe he

741
00:29:14,062 --> 00:29:15,322
Just Blane: walked up,
literally told about.

742
00:29:16,137 --> 00:29:17,257
Three to five jokes.

743
00:29:17,257 --> 00:29:17,807
Great ones.

744
00:29:17,937 --> 00:29:19,277
And then, and then Sid
is going to take a nap.

745
00:29:19,497 --> 00:29:20,677
I don't, I had no problem with it.

746
00:29:21,067 --> 00:29:21,847
I thought it was great.

747
00:29:22,887 --> 00:29:23,627
Thank you, Mike.

748
00:29:24,207 --> 00:29:24,817
Thank you.

749
00:29:25,307 --> 00:29:25,737
Becks: Mike.

750
00:29:25,797 --> 00:29:26,397
Take care.

751
00:29:26,656 --> 00:29:27,306
Oh my gosh.

752
00:29:27,306 --> 00:29:31,056
What a, just an incredible
interview with an incredible dude.

753
00:29:31,816 --> 00:29:34,226
Mike Agrelius, super talented.

754
00:29:34,226 --> 00:29:35,576
I'm telling you, these books are amazing.

755
00:29:36,046 --> 00:29:41,566
Uh, if you want to back that Kickstarter
he's talking about, I'll put the link up.

756
00:29:41,786 --> 00:29:43,306
You actually just go to kickstarter.

757
00:29:43,336 --> 00:29:43,776
com.

758
00:29:44,176 --> 00:29:47,636
If you search Mike Agrelius,
it'll pop up for you.

759
00:29:47,636 --> 00:29:49,036
This is what it looks like right here.

760
00:29:50,326 --> 00:29:54,186
I just want you to see though,
he's already met the goal, but

761
00:29:54,186 --> 00:29:55,156
that doesn't mean anything.

762
00:29:55,886 --> 00:29:56,636
Push him some money.

763
00:29:57,306 --> 00:30:00,876
A dollar, two dollars, whatever it is,
because it'll put the algorithm, it'll,

764
00:30:00,876 --> 00:30:03,176
it'll bump up on Kickstarter for him.

765
00:30:03,256 --> 00:30:06,686
And it'll also let him know that
you're interested in this book.

766
00:30:06,956 --> 00:30:08,026
You're not interested in this book.

767
00:30:08,026 --> 00:30:08,486
Why?

768
00:30:08,536 --> 00:30:09,166
What's wrong with you?

769
00:30:09,196 --> 00:30:09,616
No, I'm kidding.

770
00:30:10,096 --> 00:30:12,526
But the artwork is incredible.

771
00:30:12,526 --> 00:30:13,686
The kids will love this book.

772
00:30:13,696 --> 00:30:14,846
Dads will love this book.

773
00:30:15,296 --> 00:30:20,806
The jokes he has, he acquired these jokes
over the years from around the world.

774
00:30:20,806 --> 00:30:21,176
Really.

775
00:30:21,246 --> 00:30:23,576
He told me he got sent to
Mexico when he was down there

776
00:30:23,576 --> 00:30:24,606
just a couple of weeks back.

777
00:30:25,316 --> 00:30:29,106
Look, I got to tell you,
I've seen the, the, the,

778
00:30:31,271 --> 00:30:34,051
Preview of this book and I love it.

779
00:30:34,091 --> 00:30:35,131
I can't wait for it to come out.

780
00:30:35,161 --> 00:30:36,791
Thank you so much for joining this week.

781
00:30:36,981 --> 00:30:37,771
Thanks, Mike.

782
00:30:37,931 --> 00:30:40,191
Thanks, Emma Agrelius, the poet.

783
00:30:40,661 --> 00:30:41,991
I love that part about him too.

784
00:30:43,271 --> 00:30:45,461
We'll talk to him again soon,
man, and see how it's going.

785
00:30:45,461 --> 00:30:47,811
He's going to have multiple
books out coming soon.

786
00:30:48,241 --> 00:30:51,531
And if you need anything from Radio
Daybreak or from Ride the Wave Media,

787
00:30:51,571 --> 00:30:56,221
find us on social media at Ride
the Wave Media at Radio Daybreak.

788
00:30:56,881 --> 00:30:57,701
See you guys next week.