Mass For Shut-ins: The Gin And Tacos Podcast

The President of the United States, a man who claims to possess unimaginable wealth, somehow cannot get a suit that fits him. Why? The reasons have more to do with his personality than you might think. Minicasts are short (approx. 5 min) stories for fans of quick, to-the-point podcasts and as a nice change of pace from the longer full episodes of Mass for Shut-ins.

The filibuster has an interesting history in the U.S. Senate, but the term itself has an even more convoluted story. It involves, separately, both pirates AND mercenaries. Minicasts are short (approx. 5 min) stories for fans of quick, to-the-point podcasts and as a nice change of pace from the longer full episodes of Mass for Shut-ins.

Story: Brother, have you seen my Vermeer? The crazy secret life of stolen art masterpieces. For more information on the Isabella Stewart Gardner heist covered in this podcast, check out Master Thieves by Steven Kurkjian. Or get a quick overview here.  Guests: Alyssa Bowen (@alyssaannbowen) UNC graduate student and anti-Silent Sam activist and Dr. Carolyn Holmes (@carolyneholmes) of Mississippi State University. For background on Silent Sam, here is a truncated history or follow Alyssa on Twitter. We recorded this interview the day before the statue was knocked down. I like to think we made it happen. Cocktail of the Month: Negroni Blanc, in honor of the Maple Tree Inn recently destroyed by fire. Question Cathy returns with the mailbag. This episode contains a short clip of "Been Caught Stealing" by Jane's Addiction. Support Mass for Shut-ins via Patreon. Contact me via Facebook, Twitter (@gin_and_tacos), or the venerable website Gin and Tacos. Brand new seriously kick-ass t-shirts are available. Buy one wh

Most people under 50 only know Steve Allen, if at all, as the answer to the trivia question, "Who was the first host of the Tonight Show?" Those who remember his normie comedy stylings would hardly call him a genius. But I'm here to talk you through it. Mass for Shut-ins Minicasts are ~5 minute stories to tide you over between full episodes, unless of course you don't like long podcasts. In that case, these are the perfect length for you. Support Mass for Shut-ins on Patreon (patreon.com/ginandtacos) or find Ed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as Gin and Tacos.

Story: THE MAN WHO SAVED THE WHALES - The true story of Abraham Gesner, the obscure Canadian geologist whose big discovery in 1846 made whaling unprofitable just as most whale species were on the brink of extinction.  Guest: Dr. Ari Kohen, professor of political theory at University of Nebraska - Lincoln, curator of TrumpWatch, co-founder of the Hero Roundtable, and author of Untangling Heroism. We talk about civility and maintaining one's sanity while trying to create a daily record of the Trump years.  Cocktail of the Month: the Americano. It's not a gin cocktail, but it's...gin adjacent. I expect angry feedback. Will Alexander joins us to share his delightful recipe for sourdough bread. Question Cathy returns for the mailbag. This episode contains short clips of "Kerosene" by Big Black and "Flying Whales" by Gojira. You'll understand why that was necessary when you listen. Support Mass for Shut-ins via Patreon. Contact me via Facebook, Twitter (@gin_and_tacos), or the venerable website Gin and Tacos. Bran

A brief look at the ORIGINAL Mass for Shut-ins - not this podcast, but the 1962-1992 public service broadcast on WGN-TV out of Chicago. I have discovered that the reference was not nearly as recognizable as I thought at first, so consider this an explainer if you've been curious what this seemingly random phrase means. Mass for Shut-ins Minicasts are ~5 minute stories to tide you over between full episodes, unless of course you don't like long podcasts. In that case, these are the perfect length for you. Support Mass for Shut-ins on Patreon (patreon.com/ginandtacos) or find Ed on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram as Gin and Tacos.

Story: THE RED SQUARE PILOT - The true story of Mathias Rust, the German teen who took his tiny Cessna 172 and invaded the Soviet Union with it. Late Cold War hijinks. May have very slightly hastened the fall of the USSR.  Guest: Dr. Lisa Wade, author of best-selling textbook "Gender" and the popular press book "American Hookup" about the sex lives of college students. She founded the excellent blog Sociological Images and can be found @lisawade.  Cocktail of the Month: Bee's Knees. It turns out that when your gin was made in someone's barn you had to put a LOT of sugar and citrus in it to make it drinkable. Topic: Stealth Voter Suppression. It's not all Voter ID laws - there are shadier, more low-key forms of voter suppression that YOU can do something about. Yes, you. Support Mass for Shut-ins via Patreon. Contact me via Facebook, Twitter (@gin_and_tacos), or the venerable website Gin and Tacos. Brand new seriously kick-ass t-shirts are available. Buy one why don't ya. Thanks: Dr. Timothy Rich, all the ba

The terrifying tones of the Emergency Broadcast / Alert System are a lot more interesting than you think. And since you think they're not interesting at all, I have a very low bar to clear. Minicasts will be in the area of 5 minutes, posted between episodes and without many bells and whistles (intro, music, etc) which is time consuming for me production-wise. They will be short, hopefully interesting, and unadorned. Just a quick story I feel like sharing. These won't be posted on a regular schedule, but rather whenever the opportunity and mood strike me. Maybe monthly, maybe more?

Story: THE STAMP THAT MAILED A CANAL - How a 10-centavo Nicaraguan postage stamp turned the Nicaragua Canal into the Panama Canal in 1902. The tale combines all of your favorites: Gilded Age corrupt-af US congressional politics, comic-tragic Frenchmen, the Suez Canal, and hydrological engineering! Guest: Dr. Timothy Rich, who studies the Korean Peninsula as well as Taiwan and...Nigerian email scams? We discuss the recent developments in ROK-DPRK peace talks, Kim's fears and logic, and how Tim got the entire lyrics to "Sexy Back" published in an academic journal. Follow him on Twitter @timothysrich Cocktail of the Month: St. Christopher, the patron saint of gettin' you drunk this summer. Requires Aperol or equivalent, so add that to your shopping list to play along with this fun, easy recipe for a not-too-sweet summer drink. You get to mash cucumbers.  Episode contains a snippet, not licensed in any way, of the song "Panama" for educational and review purposes only. Support Mass for Shut-ins via Patreon. Conta

Story: THE ROGUE TYPESETTER who terrorized Victorian London. The mystery of the Harcourt Interpolation. Easily the most exciting moment in the history of type compositing.  Guest: SSgt. Katie Schmid, US Army (@SchmidCathrine), plaintiff challenging the Trump transgender military ban. Read more about Katie's story here. Topic: Duverger's Law and the American two-party system. Why does Germany's parliament have eight parties while we only get two parties that everyone seems to hate anyway? It has a lot to do with two thorny rules about how we elect our representatives... Cocktail of the Month: Gin Gimlet, the first drink I ever ordered in a bar. Hear that delightful tale of 20 year old teetotaling me trying to order a drink in a sticky-floored college bar. Under pressure, I folded. Support Mass for Shut-ins via Patreon. Contact me via Facebook, Twitter (@gin_and_tacos), or the venerable website Gin and Tacos. Thanks: SSgt. Katie Schmid, all the bands that contribute music (Waxeater, IfIHadAHiFi, The Sump Pumps

Story: DEATH BY UMBRELLA: The Georgi Markov story. A tale of intrigue and covert operations from the late Cold War that John Le Carre couldn't have scripted any better.  Guest: Mike Konczal (@rortybomb), Fellow at the Roosevelt Institute and contributor to Vox, The Nation, Dissent, and other fine publications. Mike and I discuss the art of punditry, appearing on TV without pants, the myth of a democratized economy, and stock buybacks. We also do Professor Brothers voices. Performance by ANDREW BENTLEY. See below for information on Andrew's upcoming live performances in Chicago. Topic: Why we're living in the Golden Age of Gerrymandering. Hint: It's not just because Republicans are assholes. But it's definitely partly because Republicans are assholes. Cocktail of the Month: Lime Rickey (aka Gin Rickey, but we'll get into the complicated nomenclature soon enough)   Support Mass for Shut-ins via Patreon. Contact me via Facebook, Twitter (@gin_and_tacos), or the venerable website Gin and Tacos. Thanks: Mike Koncz

Guest: 12-time Jeopardy! Champion Seth Wilson Topic: How you, yes YOU, can boost voter turnout Story: How to have a picnic in the Korean DMZ (and why it's at the 38th Parallel)  Cocktail of the Month: 24th Street Spritz Support Mass for Shut-ins via Patreon. Thanks: Seth Wilson, the bands that contribute music (Waxeater, IfIHadAHiFi, The Sump Pumps, Oscar Bait), Zachary Sielaff, #PostcardsToVoters, and all Patreon supporters, subscribers, and listeners.  

Episode 001 Topic: A history of impeachment and why it matters now Story: US Postal Service Missile Mail Cocktail: Corpse Reviver #2 Performance: Author Andrew Bentley reads "Erosion!" Guest: Helen Clarkson, CEO of The Climate Group, joins us to discuss the future of the planet, China, and why the British refuse to put ice in their beverages.