Refried Beans | Seditious Conspiracy (feat. Meidas Touch) 1/13/22

Summary

Podcast Summary: The Daily Beans – "Refried Beans | Seditious Conspiracy (feat. Meidas Touch)"

Episode Title: Refried Beans | Seditious Conspiracy (feat. Meidas Touch)
Release Date: January 11, 2025
Hosts: Alison Gill and Amy Carrero
Guest: Brett and Ben Meiselas from Meidas Touch
Duration: Approximately 48 minutes

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Introduction

The episode opens with Alison Gill welcoming listeners to "Refried Beans," a special segment where past episodes are revisited to assess progress over time. She briefly expresses her fondness for refried beans, setting a light-hearted tone before delving into the day's heavy topics.

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Major News Topics

1. DOJ Charges Oath Keeper’s Stewart Rhodes with Seditious Conspiracy

[01:25] Alison Gill:
The primary focus of the episode is the Department of Justice’s indictment of Stewart Rhodes, the leader of the Oath Keepers, along with ten others, for seditious conspiracy related to the January 6th Capitol breach. Alison provides a detailed overview of the charges, emphasizing the severity and the DOJ’s commitment under Attorney General Garland.

Notable Quote:
[05:47] Alison Gill:
"This indictment is very thorough, and it shows Garland is not going to shy away from difficult cases and difficult charges."

Discussion Highlights:

• Planning and Execution: The indictment alleges Rhodes and co-conspirators planned to use force to overturn the 2020 election results.
• Arrests: Rhodes was apprehended in Texas, and Edward Vallejo in Arizona.
• Legal Implications: Seditious conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and significant fines.
• Alison’s Commentary: She commends the DOJ’s rigorous approach, asserting her longstanding support for the agency.

2. Supreme Court Blocks Biden’s Vaccine Mandates

[06:13] Ben Meiselas:
The Supreme Court has struck down the Biden administration's vaccine or test requirements for large private companies but upheld similar mandates for medical facilities receiving Medicare or Medicaid funds. The ruling marks a significant setback for federal COVID-19 policies.

Notable Quote:
[07:42] Ben Meiselas:
"We love to hear it. I mean, I would have preferred not any of this to happen, but if it was gonna happen, I'm glad that... we’ve all underestimated Garland."

Discussion Highlights:

• Mandate Details: Required businesses with 100+ employees to ensure vaccinations or weekly negative COVID tests.
• Dissenting Opinions: Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan disagreed with the majority, arguing for broader application.
• Impact on Workforce: This decision limits the federal government’s ability to enforce health measures in private sectors.

3. RNC Withdraws from Presidential Debates Organized by CPD

[10:12] Ben Meiselas:
The Republican National Committee plans to require presidential candidates to pledge not to participate in debates organized by the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD), signaling a major shift in the traditional debate framework.

Notable Quote:
[11:20] Alison Gill:
"You can't debate us. You can't question us."

Discussion Highlights:

• Historical Context: This would be one of the most significant changes in debate organization in over three decades.
• Rationale: Republicans argue that the CPD's processes favor Democratic candidates.
• Potential Consequences: Alison warns this move edges towards autocratic tendencies by disrupting established democratic norms.

4. Select Committee Subpoenas Social Media Giants

[08:09] Ben Meiselas:
The January 6th Select Committee has issued subpoenas to major social media companies—Alphabet (Google), Meta (Facebook), Reddit, and Twitter—to investigate the role of misinformation and extremist content in the Capitol attack.

Notable Quote:
[09:11] Alison Gill:
"It's disappointing that after months of engagement, we still do not have the documents and information necessary to answer those basic questions."

Discussion Highlights:

• Key Questions: The committee seeks to understand how social media platforms may have facilitated the spread of harmful content leading to the insurrection.
• Platforms’ Role: Emphasis on YouTube’s live streams, Meta’s coordination of the "Stop the Steal" movement, Reddit’s role in planning discussions, and Twitter's amplification of election fraud claims.
• Committee’s Stance: Frustration over inadequate cooperation from these tech giants despite previous requests.

5. Prince Andrew Stripped of Titles Amid Epstein Scandal

[12:24] Ben Meiselas:
Prince Andrew has been stripped of his military affiliations and royal patronages following allegations related to his association with Jeffrey Epstein.

Notable Quote:
[12:29] Alison Gill:
"Major. It's major. And Giuffre's lawsuit against Alan Dershowitz and his countersuit against her are still also playing out in the Southern District of New York."

Discussion Highlights:

• Legal Battles: Ghislaine Maxwell's lawsuit against Prince Andrew and his countersuit remain active.
• Consequences: Loss of titles marks a significant fall from grace for Prince Andrew within the British monarchy.
• Ongoing Legal Actions: Mention of unsealing John Does in Maxwell's case, potentially exposing more involved parties.

6. Ghislaine Maxwell’s Case Developments

[12:56] Ben Meiselas:
Ghislaine Maxwell has relinquished her objection to unsealing the identities of John Does in her trial, indicating a possible shift in her legal strategy.

Notable Quote:
[13:20] Alison Gill:
"The fact that Maxwell is no longer interested in keeping these names sealed doesn't mean, of course, they'll be revealed. That decision will be left to Judge Loretta Presca."

Discussion Highlights:

• Legal Implications: Maxwell’s acceptance to unseal names could lead to greater transparency and potential legal consequences for those involved.
• Judge’s Role: The final decision rests with Judge Loretta Presca.
• Significance: This move could pressure other co-conspirators to come forward or face public scrutiny.

7. Kyrsten Sinema Blocks Voting Rights Legislation

[14:06] Alison Gill:
Senator Kyrsten Sinema has effectively stalled voting rights legislation by delivering a speech against the filibuster repeal, leading to bipartisan concerns about the bill’s passage.

Notable Quote:
[11:20] Alison Gill:
"And so we just have to kind of all recognize that when you're quiet and slow, trust me, I know, because I... I have faith that it's happening."

Discussion Highlights:

• Legislative Hurdles: The House has passed voting rights legislation, but the Senate lacks the 51 votes needed to overcome the filibuster.
• Bipartisan Dynamics: Despite initial bipartisan support, Sinema’s stance has created doubt about the bill’s viability.
• Ongoing Efforts: President Biden is in discussions with Senators Manchin and Sinema in hopes of securing enough votes to pass the legislation.

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Guest Segment: Meidas Touch Partnership

Introduction of Meidas Touch Friends

[14:05] Alison Gill:
Alison introduces Brett and Ben Meiselas from Meidas Touch, highlighting their podcast network's alignment with MSW Media's mission.

Notable Quote:
[15:22] Brett Meiselas:
"When we created Midas Touch, our backgrounds and our various professions, you know, I was an 11-year litigator... Brett comes from an editing background."

Discussion Highlights:

• Origins of Meidas Touch: Started in March 2020 amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, evolving from a simple website to a robust political action committee and podcast network.
• Growth and Impact: Their content, particularly viral political ads, gained significant traction, leading to extensive outreach and influence in political campaigning.
• Collaboration Goals: Emphasis on promoting democracy, accountability, and combating misinformation through strategic media and podcasting efforts.
• Shared Vision: Both teams express mutual respect and a commitment to fostering informed, politically active communities to influence upcoming elections.

Notable Quote:
[26:23] Amy Carrero:
"I think it's just completely different. And people always say to me when, you know, I'm talking about January 6th related things and DOJ..."

Discussion Highlights:

• Justice Department Comparisons: Amy contrasts the current DOJ's actions under Garland with former Attorney General Bill Barr’s tenure.
• Public Hearings Anticipation: Anticipation for the January 6th committee’s public hearings, expected to shed substantial light on the events and underlying conspiracies.
• Maintaining Faith: Both hosts stress the importance of trusting the legal and investigative processes, despite public frustrations.

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Good News: Listener Submissions and Corrections

The hosts transition to a lighter segment where they read and respond to listener submissions, sharing personal stories, corrections, and moments of levity.

Listener Avery’s Correction on Polyamory

[33:14] Ben Meiselas:
Avery addresses a previous podcast episode's misrepresentation of polyamory in relation to Matt Gaetz, urging respectful and accurate portrayals of polyamorous relationships.

Notable Quote:
[35:01] Alison Gill:
"I would like to apologize for belittling it in any way. It was certainly not my intention..."

Discussion Highlights:

• Respectful Representation: Alison acknowledges and apologizes for the mischaracterization, committing to rectify the mistake by changing the episode title.
• Educational Moment: Emphasis on distinguishing between ethical non-monogamy and manipulative behaviors.

Listener Laura’s Personal Update

[37:24] Alison Gill:
Laura shares her experiences during 2021, including her mother's health struggles, her cat Esteban’s eye surgery, and receiving her first COVID-19 vaccine.

Notable Quote:
[38:03] Ben Meiselas:
"I remember every week going by, we got 250 followers, we got 400 followers. Pretty cool."

Discussion Highlights:

• Resilience and Positivity: Laura highlights both challenges and uplifting moments, encouraging community support and personal perseverance.
• Community Engagement: Hosts share photos of Laura’s pets, fostering a sense of community and personal connection.

Listener Chris’s Health Update

[39:39] Alison Gill:
Chris informs the hosts about his diagnosis with stage three colon cancer, his support system, and personal victories, including moving out of an abusive relationship.

Notable Quote:
[41:05] Ben Meiselas:
"Thank you for many readings of knowledge. How is the pepper?" (Note: This timestamp seems slightly off; possible transcription error.)

Discussion Highlights:

• Overcoming Adversity: Chris shares his battle with cancer and personal life changes, receiving supportive responses from the hosts.
• Community Support: Emphasis on the importance of listener contributions in sustaining mental health and resilience.

Listener Andrea’s Correction on Terminology

[43:14] Ben Meiselas:
Andrea, a certified biologist, corrects the hosts on the accurate use of the term "guano" versus "batshit," advocating for precise language.

Notable Quote:
[44:12] Alison Gill:
"I’m very glad that you brought this up, and I would like to apologize for belittling it in any way."

Discussion Highlights:

• Terminology Accuracy: Hosts engage in a humorous yet educational debate on appropriate terminology, reinforcing the importance of correct language.
• Community Interaction: The segment showcases the podcast’s commitment to listener feedback and accurate information dissemination.

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Conclusion

The episode wraps up with Alison and Amy encouraging listeners to stay informed, take care of their mental and physical health, and engage with upcoming content such as the MSW Book Club and "Mueller, She Wrote." They also promote their Patreon for ad-free content and community support.

Notable Quote:
[47:23] Ben Meiselas:
"It’s a freaking weekend, baby, and I’m going to stay indoors because of fucking Covid still doing it."

Final Thoughts:

• Health and Safety: Hosts reiterate the importance of vaccinations, mask-wearing, and personal well-being.
• Future Content Teasers: Previewing upcoming episodes and collaborations to keep the audience engaged and informed.

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Key Takeaways

• Justice Department’s Assertive Stance: The DOJ is actively pursuing high-profile cases related to the January 6th insurrection, demonstrating a commitment to accountability.
• Supreme Court’s Impact on Public Health Policies: The blocking of Biden’s vaccine mandates signifies a pivotal moment in federal public health enforcement.
• Political Debates Under Transformation: The RNC’s potential withdrawal from CPD-organized debates could reshape the landscape of presidential elections.
• Social Media Accountability: The Select Committee’s subpoenas highlight the crucial role of social media platforms in political misinformation and radicalization.
• Community and Accountability: The partnership with Meidas Touch underscores a unified effort to promote democratic values and informed political participation.
• Listener Engagement and Support: Personal stories and corrections from listeners emphasize the podcast’s role in fostering a supportive and informed community.

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Final Note:
"The Daily Beans" continues to blend hard-hitting political analysis with community engagement, providing listeners with both informative content and a sense of camaraderie. This episode particularly underscores the ongoing struggles and triumphs within the American political landscape, while also celebrating the resilience and support of its dedicated listener base.

Transcript

[Alison Gill]

MSW Media. Hey, everybody, it's Ag. And welcome to Refried Beans, where we play an episode of the Daily Beans podcast from the same week either one, two or three years ago so we can see how far we've come. So please enjoy this episode from days gone by and note the date in the intro. Refried beans. I like refried beans.

[Amy Carrero]

That's why I want to try fried.

[Alison Gill]

Beans, because maybe they're just as good and we're wasting time swearing. Daily beans. Daily beans. Daily beans.

[Amy Carrero]

Daily Beans.

[Alison Gill]

Hello and welcome to the Daily beans for Friday, January 14, 2022. Today, the Department of Justice charges oath keeper Stuart Rhodes and 10 others with seditious conspiracy. The Supreme Court strikes down some of Biden's vaccine mandates. The RNC signals they are unwilling to participate in presidential debates. The select committee subpoenas social media companies. The Queen strips Prince Andrew of his military affiliations and royal patronages. Ghislaine Maxwell removes her objection to unseal the names of John does in the Epstein case. And Kyrsten Sinema slams the door on voting rights for now. I'm Alison Gill.

[Ben Meiselas]

And I'm Amy Carrero.

[Alison Gill]

Happy Friday. Hi, Amy.

[Ben Meiselas]

Happy Friday. How you doing? How you doing?

[Alison Gill]

Oh, my God. Today is such a huge news day, especially in the investigation of the conspiracy to stop the certification of Biden's victory. Yes, I'm going to cover that story today. And then this weekend on Mueller, she wrote. I'm going to go into details in the 48 page indictment of Oath Keeper leader Stewart Rhodes and 10 others for seditious conspiracy. Now, later today, I'm going to be joined by two of the three brothers from Midas Touch some news of note today before we get into the hot notes themselves. The Senate on Tuesday passed a bipartisan bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to Emmett Till, the teenager savagely killed in 1955 by white supremacists in Mississippi and his mother, Mamie Till. Mobley and Joe Biden emerged from a meeting today with the Dem caucus expressing doubt that we will be able to pass voting rights legislation as Kirsten Sinema delivered a speech slamming the door on a filibuster. Carve out. The House has passed this legislation today and will send it over to the Senate, which will be forced to debate it under this process that requires debate for bills that are sent as messages for a third time to the opposite chamber. But ultimately the Senate would need 51 votes to overcome the filibuster to pass the bill, and they simply do not have those votes at this time. However, Joe Biden, as we speak, is meeting at the White House with Manchin and Sinema. So that's where we are with all that. All right, with that, let's hit the hot notes. Hot notes. All right. Top story today from the Department of Justice. A federal grand jury in the District of Columbia has returned an indictment which was unsealed today charging 11 defendants with seditious conspiracy and other charges for crimes related to the breach of the U.S. capitol January 6, which disrupted a joint session of the U.S. congress that was in the process of ascertaining and counting the electoral votes related to the presidential election. According to court documents, Elmer Stuart Rhodes III, 56, of Granbury, Texas, who is the founder and leader of the Oath Keepers, and Edward Vallejo, 63, of Phoenix, Arizona, are being charged for the first time in connection with the events leading up to and including January 6th. Rhodes was arrested this morning in Little Elm, Texas, and Vallejo was arrested this morning in Phoenix. The seditious conspiracy indictment alleges that following the election, Rhodes conspired with his co defendants and others to oppose by force the execution of the laws governing the transfer of presidential power by January 20, 2021. Beginning in late December 2020 via encrypted and private communications applications, Rhodes and various co conspirators coordinated and planned to Travel to Washington, D.C. on or around January 6th, the date of the certification of the Electoral College vote, and Rhodes and several co conspirators made plans to bring weapons to the area to support the operation. The co conspirators then traveled across the country to D.C. in early of January 2021. According to the seditious conspiracy indictment, the defendants conspired through a variety of manners and means, including organizing into teams that were prepared and willing to use force and to transport firearms and ammunition into Washington, D.C. recruiting members and affiliates to participate in the conspiracy organizing trainings to teach and learn paramilitary combat tactics bringing and contributing paramilitary gear, weapons and supplies including knives, batons, camouflage, combat uniforms, tactical vests with plates, helmets, eye protection and radio equipment to the Capitol grounds Breaching and attempting to take control of the Capitol grounds and building on January 6, 2021, in an effort to prevent, hinder and delay the certification of the Electoral College vote using force against law enforcement officers while inside the Capitol on January 6, continuing to plot after January 6, 2021, to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power and using websites, social media, text messaging and encrypted messaging applications to communicate with co conspirators and others. Now the charge of seditious conspiracy carries a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and up to $20,000 in fines. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the US Sentencing guidelines and other statutory. As you know, Amy, I've been a pretty staunch defender of the Department of Justice.

[Ben Meiselas]

Oh, yeah, baby. Let's look at your Twitter timeline.

[Alison Gill]

Okay, but I kind of underestimated him. Ooh. I thought that they would stick with obstructing an Official proceeding. Right. 18 U.S. code 1512. Because seditious conspiracy is very, very hard to prove. This indictment is very thorough, and it shows Garland is not going to shy away from difficult cases and difficult charges.

[Ben Meiselas]

Well, we love to hear it. I mean, I would have preferred not any of this to happen, but if it was gonna happen, I'm glad that a. You know, it seems like we've all underestimated Garland, and for that, I'm very happy about. Okay, next up. The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Biden administration from enforcing its sweeping vaccine or test requirements for large private companies, but allowed similar requirements to stand for medical facilities that take Medicare or Medicaid payments. The ruling came three days after the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's emergency measure started to take effect. The mandate required that businesses with 100 or more employees must get vaccinated or submit a negative COVID test weekly to enter the workplace. It also required unvaccinated workers to wear masks indoors at work. Liberal Justices Stephen Breyer, Sonia Sotomayor, and Elena Kagan dissented, writing that the majority seriously misapplies the applicable legal standards in halting the mandate from taking effect.

[Alison Gill]

Shocker.

[Ben Meiselas]

In a separate, simultaneously released ruling on the administration's vaccine rules for healthcare workers, a 5, 4 majority wrote, quote, we agree with the government that the Health and Human Services Secretary's rule falls within the authorities of Congress. Has conferred upon him. Hmm. Yeah, that makes sense. Justice Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett dissented from that railing.

[Alison Gill]

I fucking hate those guys.

[Ben Meiselas]

Spoiler alert. Spoiler.

[Alison Gill]

Big shocker. Now, in other news, Chairman Benny Thompson today announced that the select committee investigating January 6th has issued subpoenas to four social media companies as part of its investigation into the January 6 attack on the Capitol and its causes. After inadequate responses to prior requests for information, the Select Committee is demanding records from Alphabet, that's Google's parent company Meta, that's Facebook's parent company Reddit, and Twitter relating to the spread of misinformation efforts to overturn the 2020 election. Domestic violent extremism and foreign influence in the 2020 election, Chairman Thompson issued the following two key questions for the Select Committee are how the spread of misinformation and violent extremism contributed to the violent attack on our democracy, and what steps, if any, social media companies took to prevent their platforms from being breeding grounds for radicalizing people to violence. It's disappointing that after months of engagement, we still do not have the documents and information necessary to answer those basic questions. The Select Committee is working to get answers for the American people and help ensure nothing like January 6th ever happens again. We cannot allow our important work to be delayed any further. Now, the Select Committee issued subpoenas for records to the following social media companies there's four alphabets YouTube was a platform for significant communications by its users that were relevant to the planning and execution of January 6 attack on the United States Capitol, including live streams of the attack as it was taking place.

[Ben Meiselas]

Oh, for fuck's sake.

[Alison Gill]

Meta Platforms were reportedly used to share messages of hatred, violence and incitement to spread misinformation, disinformation and conspiracy theories around the election, and to coordinate, or attempt to coordinate the Stop the Steal movement. Public accounts about Facebook's Civic Integrity Team indicate Facebook has documents that are critical to the Select Committee's investigation and they still haven't fucking given them over. Reddit was a platform for the subreddit the Donald community that grew significantly on Reddit before migrating to the website. The Donald win. Can we change it to the Donald lost in 2020? Lost and continuing to Lose, which ultimately hosted significant discussions and Planning related to January 6th. Twitter subscribers reportedly used the platform for communications regarding the planning and execution of the assault, and Twitter was reportedly warned about potential violence being planned on the site in advance of January 6th. Twitter users also engaged in communications amplifying allegations of election fraud, including by the former president himself, so.

[Ben Meiselas]

Oh man. Well, in more good news, the Republican National Committee is preparing to change its rules to require presidential candidates seeking the party's nomination to sign a pledge to not participate in any debates sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. Am I reading that right?

[Alison Gill]

You are.

[Ben Meiselas]

Omg. Okay. Republican committee officials alerted the debate commissioner to their plans in a letter sent on Thursday, a copy of which was obtained by the New York Times. I can't believe this is not fiction. If the change goes forward, it would be one of the most substantial shifts in how presidential and vice presidential debates have been conducted since the commission began organizing debates more than 30 years ago. The nonprofit commission founded by the two parties in 1987 to codify the debates as a permanent part of presidential elections describes itself as nonpartisan. But Republicans have complained for nearly a decade that the process favors the Democrats, mirroring increasing rancor from conservatives towards Washington based institutions. This is another step towards autocracy.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, I mean, we're not going to. You can't debate us. You, you can't question us.

[Ben Meiselas]

That's. I mean, would that, you think that'll backfire? I know, I just. Wow. I'm trying.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. I don't know how that's going to play out, but it's, it's basically the fascist party in our country saying, we don't debate you, you know? Wow. Scary. Yeah. And finally, as we know, this past December, Amy. A Manhattan jury in the trial of Ghislaine Maxwell returned guilty verdicts, five of the six charges against her. After six days of deliberations, Maxwell faced federal charges also that include conspiracy, violations of the Mann act and sex trafficking a minor for her role as Jeffrey Epstein's longtime confidant and now convicted accomplice. And again, I know sex trafficking a minor, I know that that's rape, but that's the criminal name of the charge. Giuffre, one of Epstein's many alleged victims, filed a federal lawsuit in New York in August of last year accusing Prince Andrew of sexually abusing her on multiple occasions when she was 17 years old. Today, the Queen stripped him of all his title, all his military honors, everything.

[Ben Meiselas]

That's really huge, right? That's like a really big deal. I don't think she does that.

[Alison Gill]

Major. It's major. And Giuffre's lawsuit against Alan Dershowitz and his countersuit against her are still also playing out in the Southern District of New York. Now, in a legal brief filed today, Giuffre requested that the judge unseal the names of the John does currently kept out of the public eye, in part due to their complaints of how disruptive the media attention would be to their lives. Not that raping a minor disrupts her life.

[Ben Meiselas]

Right.

[Alison Gill]

Maxwell has previously fought the unsealing of the legal names of the John does revealed in the still sealed court documents. But in a letter from her lawyer dated January 12, says Maxwell, quote, does not wish to further address detailed objections submitted by non party does. 17, 53, 54, 55, 73, 93 and 151.

[Ben Meiselas]

Wow.

[Alison Gill]

The fact that Maxwell is no longer interested in keeping these names sealed doesn't mean, of course, they'll be revealed. That decision will be left to Judge Loretta Presca, who is presiding over the case. What it does likely indicate, however, is that now that Maxwell is a convicted felon, she doesn't really care about protecting the names of the John does anymore. All right.

[Ben Meiselas]

Wow, wow, wow. That's a lot.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, it was a big news day. And, you know, we record the news the day prior. And so, you know, usually Fridays are the big news days. That's when we get the big dumps, the news dumps. And this is. This is Thursday stuff. So I'm interested to see what happens tomorrow.

[Ben Meiselas]

Oh, yeah.

[Alison Gill]

All right. We'll be right back with Midas Touch, who we've just joined forces with as a network partner to MSW Media.

[Ben Meiselas]

So Rads.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, they're awesome. We'll be right back after these messages. We'll be right back, everybody. Welcome back. Honored to be joined today by my brothers from another podcast network, Mother Ben and Brett Meisellus. They host and founded and started Midas Touch. Welcome, guys. How are you? Great.

[Brett Meiselas]

Thanks for having us on the show. How are you doing, Allison?

[Alison Gill]

I'm okay. I'm good. Just, oddly speaking, getting to speak with you guys today, the news weeks are getting heftier and heftier, I think, as we go on. So I'm very glad to talk to you guys today.

[Amy Carrero]

Action packed, Alison. Action packed. The fun don't stop.

[Brett Meiselas]

Well, the way it was action packed in the Trump administration for bad reasons, now it feels like action packed for the good reasons and accountability. So this is the part of the book that I like to read and that other. Those other chapters will live in infamy.

[Alison Gill]

Mm, no, I agree. And it, it is kind of nice where I think, you know, we're starting to see a little bit of movement toward. Well, actually a lot of movement toward accountability and justice. And, you know, I, I wanted to commend you guys on your ability to, you know, make noise and get noticed, but also be reasonable. That's a very tricky thing to do, I think.

[Brett Meiselas]

It is tricky. And it always, though, came from a place of being very thoughtful. When we created Midas Touch, you know, our backgrounds and our various profess, you know, I was an 11 year litigator. Brett comes from an editing background where he ran social media channels for some of the largest television shows. Jordi was a marketer. You know, we, we take what we do very, very seriously. We put in the hard work. You know, it's not like it's just tweeting to get attention for the sake of doing things. You know, it's really deeply understanding the processes, respecting the processes, challenging the processes and really learning every day and trying to get to the truth. And that's really what brought us to have so much respect for everything you do. Allison and Muller, she wrote the podcast Network because there's a level of discipline and seriousness that differentiates the network that you create, which I hope differentiates what we do at Midas Touch, which I think is felt in the size of our audiences. But you know, to some people, I don't know if they fully realize the effort, the work and the level of detail that it takes day in, day out to do some of these podcasts and to create this type of content the way you do. And again, I hope the way we.

[Alison Gill]

Do every day, a hundred percent you do. And that, you know, that is why I respect the work you do so much. I know the work that goes into it and it's evident in the product that you put out and what you do. And I can tell you from experience, the listeners know it too and appreciate it as well. And it's one of the reasons that I'm super excited that we are now network partners. Midas Touch on MSW Media are network partners. And I'm so very excited about that because I think that getting like minded, politically active, plugged in people together is going to be what helps us win elections in 2022, 2024 and beyond and get the truth out there in a reasonable, measured, tempered way. And So I absolutely 100% think that you, that you guys are on top of it. And I love every single one of your shows. Tell, tell me a little bit about how you started when you started Midas Touch and how that grew into the podcast network.

[Amy Carrero]

Yeah, so it started all in around March 2020, basically all of us.

[Alison Gill]

What a great month. That was fantastic years.

[Amy Carrero]

It's still going on. I think it's still March 2020 in many ways, but it started in March 2020 and you know, the world was going to shit and Covid was coming and Covid was here and we were all working from home at this point because everybody started understanding the threat as to what was going on. Everybody except one person, it seemed Donald Trump. Because we were watching the news from home when we were far too tuned in to CNN and MSNBC and all the cable news stations, watching Trump give those horrendous press conferences day in and day out, 15 going down to zero. It's going to disappear like a miracle. And each day we just became more horrified as it was going on. And so we started to panic internally and text messages to the Brothers, we were just like, you know, just sending rage texts. Like, what do we do? What's happening here? What's.

[Brett Meiselas]

What are we.

[Amy Carrero]

Are we gonna, like, survive? Are we gonna live? And finally at some point, we're like, we gotta do like something. I don't know what that something is. Like, we all had full time jobs. We have to do something about this. That's all I know. And at a certain point, I turned to the brothers. I said, instead of us complaining about this in text messages to one another, I said, what if we create a website, Midas touch.com At least we could write like blog posts and get our thoughts out and have an outlet for our rage. And maybe somebody will agree with us along the way as to what we think the crisis is right now. And so we started this website and we're getting decent hits, you know, nothing compared to what we were. But we built it up from 0 followers to 100 followers. And I remember every week going by, we got 250 followers, we got 400 followers. Pretty cool. And being really excited about it. And then we started releasing these videos. Like Ben said, my. My background is in video editing. I worked for big TV talk shows doing video editing where I had to understand how to turn around video polished video clips really quickly to go with the news cycle. I worked for the Ellen DeGeneres Show. So on that show it's, you know, you'd get into work in the morning, at a certain point you get an assignment could be at, you know, 10am and they'd say, we need this project done by, you know, 2pm so that it airs on the show at 3pm and that means you need a final approved. So that means you need a version that already went through like three rounds of notes. So that just trained me in a way that somehow editing cat videos and human interest pieces for Ellen somehow translated into doing political ads against Trump and for Biden. And so we started making these videos and releasing them. The first one was one that your listeners may have seen. It used Ronald Reagan, Reagan's debate performance. Are you better off? From his, you know, everything he said. And it contradicted. Well, it contrasted the words that he was saying. Are you better off than you were four years ago with the realities that were going on during the Trump administration and that video, Basically, I put my phone down, I made lunch, I went back to my phone, and all of a sudden I had a billion notifications just, just way down the list. And I was like, oh, what the heck just happened? That was crazy. And the video basically got like a million views in like 24 to 48 hours. And we were basically like, okay, that's the void. That's what people are missing. That's what people need. Like, these videos, they're. That's what they're not seeing from, you know, the power structures, the dnc, whatever, what you may have it. And so we started making more. We made another, and we made another, and we made another. And then we made one called the Snake, which now has something like 10 million views, which became a really popular viral video about Trump. And then we just kind of went full steam ahead. Ultimately, we had to figure out, like, what is the best outlet for this? Like, how do we now take these videos and have real world effects, not only on digital spaces, which is important, but on maybe tv? Maybe we could get a billboard up, maybe we could do mailers. Maybe we could expand this into something larger. So we spoke with a billion attorneys, and everybody gave us the same conclusion, which is like, you have to start a political action committee. To which we responded, what the heck is a political action committee? I don't know what that even means. And, you know, slowly but surely, we. We created our political action committee on May 15. We made that the focus of our operation. At that point. Point we really stopped doing the website as a news kind of blogging website and focused exclusively on making these ads. And from the ads, we turned those into basically our vision at that point was maybe we could get one billboard up in a swing state, and that would be the coolest thing on the planet. But because of just the way things grew, we were able to get TV ads up in every state and in swing states, billboards up, mailers. We ran a big on the ground door knocking campaign in Georgia. And it just has been like the experience of a lifetime. And then you fast forward that to sometime. Kind of towards the end of that summer, Sirius XM originally hit us up and they said, hey, do you guys want to do a radio show? And our initial comment was, sure, we don't know how to do that, but we'll do it if you want to. If you want to put us on your airwaves, absolutely. And so we did that. And, you know, ultimately that was with Sirius for a little bit, until we kind of decided at the new year that, hey, you know, let's bring this internally and build a network around this and build a podcast that's accessible not only to subscribers, but that everybody can listen to and see what happens. And so our first episode of the Midas Touch podcast was actually, I believe, January 8, 2021, right after the insurrection. And so that's what we kicked off with, with, you know, nice Insurrection. That's as. As we do, you know.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. Your timing. Yeah. First of all, kickoff of the pandemic, then kick off of. Yeah, the plot to overthrow the government. Just, you know, radical coincidences. But yeah, no, that's really amazing. The growth, the upward mobility, the amount of people who listen to your stuff, wash your stuff, and the skills that, you know, you bring in from, as a litigator, as an editor, those things, having those things already, you know, in your quiver really was the perfect. Really make the difference.

[Amy Carrero]

It was the perfect combination of skills between me, Ben and. I gotta acknowledge the elephant in the room here too. Jordi is currently not here and Jordy has rapid. Jordy stands. And I just want to be aware that they're going to be vicious that Jordy's not here. I just want to say it's, it's. We're recording this at around 4pm it's past Jordy's bedtime. He needs to get his beauty rest. So please understand, Jordy goes to sleep very early. And you could blame Jordy for this and not the brothers.

[Brett Meiselas]

Jordy's awake for like four hours a day. He records the podcast, then he goes to sleep. So you get him for.

[Alison Gill]

My kind of guy.

[Amy Carrero]

Yeah. But, but in all seriousness, the combination of the skills of the brothers makes it all possible because Ben is very business minded and 30,000ft, you know, thinking and, and is also super creative and brilliant. And Jordy, you know, is a brilliant marketer and helped cultivate this incredible fan community, I guess you could call it, of just supporters called the Midas Mighty, who I just have so much love for. You might see if you're on Twitter, you might see people who have handles that say Midas and their name. And a lot of people are like, oh, are those employees of your. No, those are all just people who are supporters of us who believe in the, in the movement. And what that movement is about is democracy. It's. It's pro democracy. And that's really our one and only litmus test at the end of the day with Midas Touch is we don't really care where you are, where you are on the aisle. I mean, we consider ourselves more progressive, but we have really kind of stopped using that label because we think it's not really super helpful. But we just need people who are pro democracy right now. I mean, that's the existential battle right.

[Alison Gill]

Now, you have fascists and the rest of us. I mean, that's kind of how it's going right now. And that is a challenge for a lot of people because a lot of people within the Democratic Party have very different ideas and very great ideas, and they need to be debated and fleshed out. But I feel like right now we just need to secure the democracy. But again, that sometimes feels like an excuse to, you know, to put off those discussions. And so I understand all the real and reasonable concerns that don't have out there, and I love the way that you talk about them and address them without ignoring them. But, you know, the focus on the truth, I think, is what the biggest piece of this is. And now we're coming up here anytime now. Could be end of January, could be beginning of April. We haven't gotten a clear thing yet. We're going to start seeing these public hearings from the January 6th committee, and that's going to be like, the truth super bowl, at least for the insurrection, January 6 events leading up to January 6, the big lie, plot to overthrow the election, plot to overturn electors from seven states, et cetera. We didn't get that for the Mueller investigation. We didn't get that for these prior past crimes from the administration. But we're going to get it in spades very soon. And I'm really looking forward to your coverage of it, your commentary on it, because this is where the truth is, where the rubber meets the road. When the truth comes out to the American public, it puts pressure on the Department of Justice to act, if they aren't already.

[Amy Carrero]

Yeah, no, I agree 100%. I'm excited for the public hearings, and I think, honestly think that, you know, I guess I see maybe some parallels, but I think the comparisons between what we're seeing with the January 6th Committee and Garland to Mueller are just incredibly off base. I just think it's just completely different. And people always say to me when, you know, I'm talking about January 6th related things and DOJ, they say, well, we all saw what happened. Bill Barr, you know, hid them all. I'm like, is Bill Barr in the DOJ right now? Like. Like, what do you think? You think Garland's going to hide his own case? Like, I don't understand those comparisons at the end of the day. Oh, well, in 2022, you know, if, if Republicans win, then this is all over. It's all over. And. And they're going to be able to impeach Biden and impeach. I'm like, no. Like, no, the investigation is going to go on. I mean, I share. I, believe me, I share everyone's frustrations and I want to see, you know, people in handcuffs and I want to see people indict. Like, I share. I understand where that comes from, but I think, you know, I think we have to be honest, though, with the process and not just be so quick to rage, click and rage, retweet and understand that these are, you know, people who know what they're doing and have a little bit of faith in the process.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah. And that shit seems like an opt to me. We know right now we are currently under social media misinformation. Attacks from Russia, China, and what are those attacks? Everyone's like, oh, they must have disappeared. It's not about anything. You know, they must. No, it's about disenfranchising, disillusioning voters, making you think your vote doesn't matter, bringing despair down and making people.

[Amy Carrero]

It's about the vision.

[Alison Gill]

I mean, yeah. Making people think, oh, well, you know, why do I even vote if we can't hold our bad guys accountable? That's where it's going. And it seems plain as day to me, but I love that you're combating that.

[Amy Carrero]

I think you may have said this the other day, but it was a comment that rang so true to me. It's. I believe it was you. You said something like, if you're kind of litmus test to vote is if somebody was arrested. Like, that is a weird way to look at the world. And my fear with the January six public hearings, my one little fear is that people think that these hearings are there for arrests, that the January six committee is going to come through and they're going to start locking people up and perp walk in. And I'm like, this is a research investigative committee. They could make referrals to doj, but they are not going to be arresting people and locking people up. So I'm already seeing a little bit of writing on the wall of people being disappointed that there are no arrests during these live hearings and. And all this stuff. But that's why I want to kind of set the stage and say, that's not going to happen.

[Alison Gill]

That's common. And I think Ben knows this. As a former litigator, you smoke out that sting, right? You set everyone up for disappointment by saying, charge Bannon with treason. And then when Bannon only gets charged with obstructing a proceeding, everyone goes, fuck Merrick Garland. He fucked us over. That should be treason. And so they're just setting up for disappointment. I think we all need to sort of temper our expectations. Justice rarely looks the way we want it to look viscerally. But I believe and have faith that it's happening. Fani Willis said the other day, who's an excellent prosecutor, she said, look, be patient, live your lives. She goes, go on, live your lives and just trust that you elected somebody who's working.

[Amy Carrero]

Which, by the way, I understand that's difficult in an age of Twitter, where you're getting fed a billion things a day. I get it. But it's true. I mean, it's true. Like, sometimes it's best maybe put down the, you know, put down the iPhone, step away, take a breather, enjoy your life, and trust that, you know things are going to happen. And that doesn't mean don't criticize. Nope, you should definitely be criticizing. You should definitely be holding people's feet to the fire. But, you know, this sort of outrage, you know, retweet. If you demand justice right now and retweet, I mean, you're just gonna. You're gonna set yourself up to just drive yourself crazy at the end of the day.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, I know. I agree. Well, gentlemen, I'm. I'm looking forward to what, what the future holds. If, If Omicron chills for a minute, maybe we can all meet up in D.C. for these hearings. Oh, my gosh, I might. I might be someone's plus one. I may be able to get us in. So let's talk offline about what we can do in the future to help keep bringing these honest discussions. And again, like I said, recognizing the real and reasonable concerns, because politics abhors a vacuum, the doj, by design, has to be quiet. And when you're quiet and slow, you're open for attack. And so I think we just have to kind of all recognize that when you're quiet and slow, trust me, I know, because I. Well, I'm not quiet. But anyway, I'm looking forward to working with you guys. Midas Touch tell everyone where they can find you, follow you, listen to your shows, etc.

[Amy Carrero]

You listen to the Midas Touch podcast anywhere you find podcasts, and we have a whole network of podcasts, which you can find if you go to Apple Podcasts or check our Twitter feed. We got one called Kremlin File, which is about Russia and relations and Putin and the rise of authoritarianism. We have one called Zuma in which is a podcast by Gen Z. But for everybody, Zoomers, as they, I guess, refer to Themselves, these kids these days. And we, we got the Politics girl podcast. Lee McGowan, she's, she's great.

[Alison Gill]

She is brilliant.

[Amy Carrero]

She's absolutely incredible. And one of the best messengers, I think that's like ever existed, like I was going to say in the Democratic Party. I think she's one of the clearest, the most concise, incredible messages. Politicians Skull Podcast. The Influence Continuum is a new podcast we just launched with Dr. Stephen Hassan.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, he's great too. I've spoken with him. He's been here on the beans and he's just absolutely. The depth of knowledge Former Mooney. The depth of knowledge he has about cults and how it applies to Trumpism is insane.

[Amy Carrero]

Anyway, I won't go through the entire network to bore you right now, but check out the Midas Touch podcast anywhere you get podcasts and go to Midas touch dot com. Follow us Midas Touch on all social platforms. And I just want to say, you know, thank you Alison and thanks for all you're doing. You keep me sane on a, on a daily basis. I love Daily Beans. I love that you've created this just powerhouse of a female driven, female owned podcast network which I think is really unique and special and you have such a clear voice and I'm just so grateful for all you're doing for our democracy and just to get all the information out there.

[Alison Gill]

Samesies, samesies. Thank you Brett. Thank you Ben. Thank you everybody. Stick around, we'll be right back with the good news. All right everybody, welcome back. It's time for the good news.

[Amy Carrero]

Who likes good news?

[Alison Gill]

Everyone? Then good news everyone. Good news. And if you have any good news or corrections, confessions you want to play any of the games that we play, send in Halloween photos, I take them all year. Or just pet tags.

[Ben Meiselas]

Ag, it's almost February. Not really. Why am I living in February? Maybe it's because when they say supposedly Omicron will be less, less oppressive, I don't know, but I'm already in February.

[Alison Gill]

You're just projecting yourself ahead to maybe better.

[Ben Meiselas]

Oh, I'm project yes, 100%.

[Alison Gill]

If you have anything you want to send to us, we welcome it. You can do [e-mail] and click on contact. And it's Friday. That means Amy's with us, as you can hear and know from the first segment and I'm very excited about this. So let's kick this off with a first note from Avery. Pronouns he and him. Dear Beans Queens, many thanks for providing the dosage of Snark that I desperately need in the mornings. This is part of correction and part venting. I was befuddled by the recent episode podcast titled Polyamorous Obstruction and the included claim that Matt Gaetz was in a polyamorous relationship. Matt Gaetz polyamorous? I thought maybe there was a joke there, but the humor never came. Fluid. Polyamory is about radical honesty, openness, respect, and authenticity. Polyamorism is a shedding of societal norms and cultural expectations, placing a high value on people's autonomy and ditching the tiresome hierarchical relationship structures and culturally predetermined relationship types. Matt Gaetz having multiple relationships doesn't make him polyamorous. It means he found a way to manipulate and entrap people in several ways simultaneously. This is particularly evident since the person you referred to in the pod is being implicated in his crimes. Enlisting multiple people to help with his sex trafficking schemes doesn't make Matt Gaetz polyamorous. We would call the former guy polyamorous too.

[Ben Meiselas]

Yup.

[Alison Gill]

And even if Matt Gaetz were polyamorous, which is highly doubtful and I'm not aware that he ever claimed to be, by including that qualifier in the story, it feels like an intentional degradation of polyamorism. Specifically. Now, I hope you include the qualifier of a monogamist every time a monogamous person is guilty of crimes, especially those related to sexual abuse. As a queer polyamorous person, I rarely see myself represented respectfully in pop culture and the media. It's almost always through negative commentary and almost never including today's pod represented accurately. Keep up the good work. I hope you can clarify what it means to be polyamorous to your listeners. I think you just did. Yeah, Avery. P.S. attaches my pet tax sprocket 14 year old beagle mix. Extra points if you can guess the mix. Oh, I'm gonna check.

[Ben Meiselas]

Oh boy.

[Alison Gill]

Sprocket's health has been declining these past couple years, but I'm incredibly grateful that he continues to be my pandemic buddy during these challenging times. Now, Avery, the reason I had said that was because I had read in an interview that his ex girlfriend had qualified their relationship as such. Now, it has nothing to do with any of this, however, and so it shouldn't have to be a qualifier. You're right, I didn't think about that. It's certainly not ethical non monogamy to jump on a three way call with an underage person that you've raped and try to trick her into not talking to the authorities. That unethical non monogamy but there are differences. There are differences between ethical non monogamy and polyamory. I mean, there are differences. And so I'm very glad that you brought this up, and I would like to apologize for belittling it in any way. It was certainly not my intention, and I think you know that by it seems in your writing here. But, you know, if I caused you any hurt or anything like that, I'm certainly sorry. I'm not going to sit here and tell you that I have friends that are polyamorous or that I've been in ethical non monogamous relationships, because none of that needs to be qualified. There's no defense for the reality of your feelings about this particular situation in this particular thing. So I'm going to make a note to change the title of that episode.

[Ben Meiselas]

Oh, cool.

[Alison Gill]

And so we can correct that so we can right that wrong. And I really appreciate you writing in with this.

[Ben Meiselas]

Yeah. Thanks for taking the time to educate us. I also have very little experience with polyamory, and I don't. You know, I learned something today, so I'm very grateful. Next up, we have Robin Correction. Lima, Ohio. Oh, shit. Oh, it's pronounced with a long I as in Lima bean, not as in Lima, Peru.

[Alison Gill]

Okay, FYI, I should know that. I should know that, being from Ohio.

[Ben Meiselas]

Oh, you're from Ohio. Okay. Oh, goodness, that's true. Although I don't know how to pronounce every town in Florida, but yeah, okay, I see what you're saying. I would have said Lima because of Peru, so there's that. FYI, Glee takes place in a fictionalized version of Lima.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah.

[Ben Meiselas]

Thank you for your work and thanks for the news and the laugh since the Kitchen days. Why is it fiction? Oh, it's because they didn't actually shoot there, so maybe they're like, the exteriors didn't look like Lima.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, must be.

[Ben Meiselas]

Got it.

[Alison Gill]

Must be. Okay, that was a short one, so why don't you go ahead and take the next one, too? Okay.

[Ben Meiselas]

Next one is from Laura. Pronouns, she, her. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels like 2021 was a little bit of a blur. And while it wasn't all shitty, it did take some potshots. Oh, yeah, totally. My mom's fight with congestive heart failure landed her in the hospital multiple times. But thankfully, she and my dad have come up with a whole system of spreadsheets to track meds and vitals and approximately 57 grab bars mounted around the house. Oh, grab bars. To keep her at home and as healthy as possible. Then this summer, my pod kitty hashtag center of my universe, Esteban, or Esteban had one of his eyes suddenly go very wonky. We treat one thing, it would exacerbate another. And while his fate was better than that of his nickname from the Life Aquatic okay, so I think he said Esteban in Life Quad because it's one of my favorite movies who was tragically eaten by a shark. The eye ultimately had to go. I'm very happy to say he is now the most handsome, fuzziest one eyed pirate kitty on the block. Besides all that, 2021 dished up some truly bright spots too. Like that magical day in March when I practically skipped to get my first Covid vax at the clinic around the corner from my house. And maybe when I got to hug my parents for the first time in a year and a half. Aww. It's been hard to keep my spirits up, but I do what I can, especially spending time outdoors around my beautiful hometown of San Diego. Oh hey. For pod tacks, attached are photos of Esteban, Dread Pirate of the High seas. Wow, bad pirate accent. Hiding in his cardboard pirate ship and dreads.

[Alison Gill]

That is Pirate of the High Seas.

[Ben Meiselas]

Pirate of the High seas. And yes, that is a tiny Jason Momoa in the corner. It's a long story. And as extra pod tacks, I've sent a photo from my latest adventure to a llama farm. Please don't say anything about about her wig. I hear they're very sensitive about their hair.

[Alison Gill]

Oh boy. I like that wig myself. I think that's great hair.

[Ben Meiselas]

We don't see anything.

[Alison Gill]

Look at the kitty with Momoa. And there. What a sweet sweetie.

[Ben Meiselas]

Oh, what a sweetie pie. What a beautiful cat.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, so floof. Looks like a little seal point rag doll or something. So cute. Thank you for sending that in. Next up from Chris Pronouns he and him. Hi Beans Queens Longtime listener from way back in the kitchen days. I'm writing with a mixed bag of news and a large pet tax to make up for it. First, the bad news. Just a few months after turning 40 last year, I was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer. Just two weeks before Christmas, I went through a whole rollercoaster of emotions, but my family and my partner feels weird to call a grown woman. My girlfriend are incredibly supportive and I'm coping much better now. Now onto the good news. 1. Your podcast has been a bright spot of comedy for me the past few weeks as I've been undergoing treatment, but I made it through the first round of chemotherapy and I still have all my hair.

[Ben Meiselas]

Amazing.

[Alison Gill]

I'm also finally moving out of my parents house after getting stuck there after leaving an emotionally abusive relationship. I'm so glad you got out of that.

[Ben Meiselas]

Wow.

[Alison Gill]

Finances and the pandemic had kept me there, but the partner and I got a condo so we can finally have a place of our own. That's so great.

[Ben Meiselas]

Aw.

[Alison Gill]

Enclosed as pet tacks of my parents menagerie. Starting at the top left and going across. Boots with the fur. A majestic tuxedo whom we adopted for my younger brother while he was going through a rough patch. Ty. Ty. One half of our Siamese tabby twins, Ella, our chonky tabby shishi. The other Siamese tabby, Tuffy and Nigel, Our bicolors and our Maltese poodle mix, Oliver.

[Ben Meiselas]

Ow.

[Alison Gill]

That is a menagerie. Additional good news and is my once troubled brother has gotten sober, moved out west with my other brother and has really gotten his life back on track. And our relationship is stronger than ever. That's so great.

[Ben Meiselas]

Wow. Wow, wow, wow. Lots to wow.

[Alison Gill]

Look at all these aminals.

[Ben Meiselas]

Look at all these aminals. Also, I don't know if this is like good advice, but one of my girlfriends went through chemo and radiation for breast cancer. Thankfully, she's cancer free, but I remember her doing some posts about wearing not frozen packs, look this up. But something like wearing a frozen pack on her eyebrows and her head to preserve as much hair as possible. And I know that the eyebrows for sure, she was able to keep all of her eyebrows, which was amazing.

[Alison Gill]

That's interesting. Yeah.

[Ben Meiselas]

So maybe look that up. I'm not sure how that works, but I remember a post about it.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, interesting.

[Ben Meiselas]

Yeah.

[Alison Gill]

All right, you got the last one today. Amy, bring us home.

[Ben Meiselas]

Okay, here we go. From Andrea. Oh, excuse me. Andrea. Pronouns. She, her. Hello, Andrea. Hello. Beans. Teams. Beans, teams. I guess there's more than one team. I don't know. I am so grateful for your show. Every day it keeps me grounded and laughing and holds me back from. From the edge of news related despair. I hear you. So to hopefully hold you back too, I have a rather silly correction. I heard on the show some discussion on the accuracy of the expression batshit. Oh, boy. It was suggested that the term that the correct term is actually guano. I've heard that from a movie from Ace Ventura. And yes, that is indeed the most precise correct term. However, I argue as a real certified biologist, even though I study bugs, not bats, that the shit in bat shit is technically an umbrella term for a Wide variety of fecal excrement. Oh, no. Including but not limited to guano, manure, cow patty. Oh, stop. Horse pucky, doggy doody, and the like. Just as the umbrella term critter, vermint and the like include all manner of small animals, so does the term shit encompass a broad range of types of animals? Excrement, as long as it's a digestive waste exiting the anus, just couldn't get through that. Or cloaca. Is that how you say that?

[Alison Gill]

Sure.

[Ben Meiselas]

That's a debate for another time. I think we can call it shit. So, while less precise than guano, which specifies a certain texture accumulation. I don't know. I'm no scatologist. Oh, boy. Scatologist.

[Alison Gill]

Scatologist. You got it. You got it.

[Ben Meiselas]

Okay. Scatologist batshit is an equally correct term, and I argue a far superior verbal expression of frustration than bat guano. So you may take this to Amy's court, should argument remain. And now, speaking of Amy, what really got me on to finally writing you was the chance to share my she Ra Halloween costume that I waited 15 years to finally have the right party to make it for amazing. The theme for the party was Heroes. Yes. I was so excited. Yes, it's an old school she Ra, but the one I loved as a kid, which I am so stoked, has been made a new for a new generation. Also included are my sweet fur baby Seymour. The 21. Am I reading that right? 21 pound kitty boy, who was found under a restaurant dumpster as a kitten, but clearly is no longer starving. And our big sweet doggo rolly Raleigh, like Kali, who we unfortunately lost to cancer. All on yes. Really? January 6, 2021. Oh. Cross your fingers that we connect with just the right dog to complete our home in 2022. I know we will. Thank you for everything.

[Alison Gill]

Look at this rad costume. Wow.

[Ben Meiselas]

My gosh, this costume is amazing.

[Alison Gill]

Praise the sword.

[Ben Meiselas]

The sword is really something. I love that kitty in the collie.

[Alison Gill]

Oh, look. Yeah. Bromther wants loops. That's what's happening in that photo. Oh, I gotta zoom in. Oh, no, it's not loops. I thought it might have been loops.

[Ben Meiselas]

What is it? Rice? Quinoa.

[Alison Gill]

It looks delicious. Whatever it is. I don't know, but Kitty wants some. Bromther wants some from Bromther.

[Ben Meiselas]

Omg. I can't believe that I just. I just said tried to say the word cloaca.

[Alison Gill]

Cloaca.

[Ben Meiselas]

Looks. Is that a. Is that just a term for asshole? I don't know. Let us know Is. Is asshole. Can we. Is this. I think this is an umbrella term as well.

[Alison Gill]

Batshit from a bat. Asshole, I think is fine. Really. I mean, but I. I did learn.

[Ben Meiselas]

That in Ace Ventura, but the one that they go to Africa, I don't know if that's like number three or number two. Now just get all of my.

[Alison Gill]

Now. I wanted to go back up to. To Avery's submission because he. He. He actually said guests are the mix of the beagle mix, and I think we failed. Oh, yeah, I think we failed to guess.

[Ben Meiselas]

Oh, we didn't. Yeah, we didn't guess.

[Alison Gill]

Is it a blue heeler? Oh, Australian cattle dog.

[Ben Meiselas]

Oh, I don't know. But he's such a cute little baby.

[Alison Gill]

Let us know, Avery. No, it doesn't say.

[Ben Meiselas]

Yeah, let us know. Oh, what a cute baby. We had a beagle. Sammy. Sammy boy.

[Alison Gill]

Hound dog.

[Ben Meiselas]

I needed some of this good news.

[Alison Gill]

Yeah, me too. And thanks for that thoughtful submission, Avery, and thanks to everybody for your submissions, especially this llama wig. Absolutely. One of my favorite things I've seen in a long time. If you have anything you want to send into us, you can do that by going to DailyBeansPod.com and clicking on Contact. Amy, do you have any final thoughts before we head into the weekend?

[Ben Meiselas]

It's a freaking weekend, baby, and I'm going to stay indoors because of fucking Covid still doing it. Yeah. I'm really hoping that Dr. Fauci's prediction of it kind of making its way downtown by the end of January will be correct, but we'll see.

[Alison Gill]

I hope so too. I hope so too. And in the meantime, I hope everyone's vaxxed and boosted. Yes. Wears a mask, an N95 or KN95 mask. And this weekend, you know, we've got the first couple chapters of the book Corruptible by Brian Kloss. I'll be covering that on the MSW Book Club. And Lincoln's Bible is going to be joining me for Muller She Wrote. So you definitely want to check that out. And of course, Daniel will be back Monday morning for the beans, and we'll see what kind of shit goes down on Friday. We do have our Happy hour at 4pm Pacific time for patrons. If you aren't a patron and want to be one and you want to get these shows, all those shows that I do ad free, you can do [e-mail] millershirote so everybody, until Sunday when we talk again, please take care of yourselves, take care of each other, take care of the planet, and take care of your mental health. I've been AG and I've been Amy Carrero and them's the Beans. Refried beans. I like refried beans. The Daily Beans is written and executive produced by Alison Gill with additional research and reporting by Dana Goldberg and Amy Carrero. Sound design and editing is by Desiree McFarlane with art and web design by Joel Reeder with Moxie Design Studios. Music for the Daily Beans is written and performed by they Might Be Giants and the show is a proud member of the MSW Media Network, a collection of creator owned podcasts dedicated to news, politics and justice. For more information please visit mswmedia.com.