Story: Why does the President, and only the President, require natural born citizenship in the Constitution? If you think you know why, you're likely only half-correct. It has a lot to do with the way the document's authors understood the history of politics in monarchies. 

Guest: Astra Taylor (@astradisastra) is a documentarian and author whose recent book, Democracy May Not Exist, But We'll Miss It When It's Gone, and film, What is Democracy?, have both received great critical acclaim. We talk about what democracy means, how people can carve out the time to think about such theoretical issues, and why I'm disappointed that she isn't a Frederick Wiseman fan.  

Cocktail of the month: El Presidente, plus a look at blue curacao.

Question Cathy returns with the mailbag.

Please support Mass for Shut-ins, an independent and ad-free podcast, via Patreon. Contact me via Facebook, Twitter (@gin_and_tacos), or the venerable website Gin and Tacos. 

Thanks: Astra Taylor, all the bands that contribute music (Waxeater, IfIHadAHiFi, The Sump Pumps, Oscar Bait), Zachary Sielaff, Question Cathy, and all Patreon supporters, subscribers, and listeners.

Flying was luxurious (and costly) before 1977. Then deregulation happened. Now flying is cheap and bad. Pioneering low-cost / no-frills airlines like People Express showed us the way.

In its short life (1981-1987) People Express introduced many lamentable aspects to U.S. air travel: paying to check bags, exchanging comfort for low prices, and going to Newark for some reason. And wait until you hear about their "innovative" ticketing procedure. 

As Homer Simpson said, it introduced a generation of hicks to air travel. The hicks were all of us, it turns out. Because People Express failed, but today the whole industry operates on its business model.

Minicasts are short 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. Get full episodes on Stitcher, Apple Music, Spotify, and more.

A 90,000-seat stadium is built to host a single event, then torn down. And it was in, of all places, Toledo, Ohio.

In 1919 boxing was the king of the sports and entertainment world, and a match between two household names - Jack Dempsey and the little-remembered Jess Willard - was such a big event that its promoter could afford to build a stadium and use it like a Kleenex. In honor of the 100th anniversary of the fight, here's the whole improbable story. Enjoyment of sports is not required for this one.

Minicasts are short 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. Get full episodes on Stitcher, Apple Music, Spotify, and more.

Story: Today's new cars are crammed full of tech to compensate for unusually poor rear and blind spot visibility. They've also gotten much heavier since 2000 - and more dangerous to for pedestrians. All of these are unintended consequences of regulatory changes in the auto industry after the Firestone Tires / SUV rollover debacle of the late 90s. I tie all those threads together for you.

Guest: Amanda Litman (@amandalitman) co-founder of Run for Something. We talk about how people like you are running for (and winning) elected office, and why that's so important right now. I ask rhetorical questions like, why isn't the DNC throwing money at Run for Something (@runforsomething) to do the kind of local candidate recruitment it desperately needs. If you've thought about running, go take a look. 

Cocktail of the month: Rum Runner

Question Cathy returns with the mailbag.

Note on terminology for the story: here's an illustration of A, B, and C pillars on a car.

Please support Mass for Shut-ins, an independent and ad-free podcast, via Patreon. Contact me via Facebook, Twitter (@gin_and_tacos), or the venerable website Gin and Tacos. 

Thanks: Amanda Litman, all the bands that contribute music (Waxeater, IfIHadAHiFi, The Sump Pumps, Oscar Bait), Zachary Sielaff, Question Cathy, and all Patreon supporters, subscribers, and listeners.

After World War I, German utopian pacifist architect Herman Sörgel proposed a scheme to keep European nations busy (and not fighting wars!) for 100 years by damming the Strait of Gibraltar, the Dardanelles, and the Strait of Sicily. This would produce enormous amounts of hydroelectricity AND lower the Mediterranean Sea by over 600 feet. That would connect Africa and Europe into one supercontinent with thousands of square miles of new dry land. No more need to fight about territory, Herman believed.

Atlantropa was surprisingly popular and well-known during the Interwar period - and believe it or not, it is technically feasible. It would just be staggeringly expensive and, as Sörgel predicted, require decades of cooperative effort.

See what the Mediterranean might look like if Atlantropa were real. 

Minicasts are short (approx. 5-8 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.

Two police forces. Two sets of laws. Two postal systems. Two kinds of money. For 74 years the UK and France governed the island colony of the New Hebrides (since 1980, the independent nation of Vanuatu featured on Season 9 of Survivor) under a bizarre condominium arrangement. The islands were governed by the respective nations, with totally different laws and bureaucracies, on alternating days. And if you had a complaint, you appealed to...the king of Spain. Read that all again.

The New Hebrides flag was a flag of the UK and French flags. If your flag is the flags of two other countries, something is wrong.

How did this last for 74 years? The power of bureaucracy and indifference! Since independence the nation has faced some challenges we discuss here, but we're rooting for Vanuatu.

Please support Mass for Shut-ins, an independent and ad-free podcast, via Patreon. Contact me via Facebook, Twitter (@gin_and_tacos), or the venerable website Gin and Tacos. 

Thanks: Seth Wilson, all the bands that contribute music (Waxeater, IfIHadAHiFi, The Sump Pumps, Oscar Bait), Zachary Sielaff, Question Cathy, and all Patreon supporters, subscribers, and listeners.

In a life-or-death situation, would you engage in cannibalism? What do people even taste like?

In 1931, journalist and author William Seabrook wrote a book in which he answers that question for you...which is both extremely kind of him (so you don't have to find out on your own) and really gross and weird.

One hint: People taste like another thing we shouldn't be eating.

Minicasts are short (approx. 5-8 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: Diamond Jim Brady's Million Dollar Sauce. Famous gourmand and eccentric rich person of the Gilded Age goes to ludicrous lengths to steal the recipe for what is purported to be the world's most delicious sauce for Filet of Sole. How far would you go to satisfy a food craving? Spoiler alert - you wouldn't go as far as Diamond Jim. 

Guest: Amanda Kolson Hurley, author of the new book Radical Suburbs. We talk about what makes some suburbs interesting and why most of them aren't. Fans of urban planning, architecture, and America's vast range of issues with affordable and sustainable housing will find Amanda and her book fascinating. Extended version of the interview available on Patreon.

Cocktail of the month: The Suburban

Question Cathy returns with a special Patreon-only mailbag.

Please support Mass for Shut-ins, an independent and ad-free podcast, via Patreon. Contact me via Facebook, Twitter (@gin_and_tacos), or the venerable website Gin and Tacos. 

Thanks: Amanda Kolson Hurley, all the bands that contribute music (Waxeater, IfIHadAHiFi, The Sump Pumps, Oscar Bait), Zachary Sielaff, Question Cathy, and all Patreon supporters, subscribers, and listeners.

If you've ever wondered, "Is it possible to guarantee winning the lottery by buying one ticket for every possible combination of numbers?" this is the Minicast for you.

Does it work? Is it legal? Is it even POSSIBLE to do? You're about to find out.

Minicasts are short (approx. 5-8 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.

Guest: Dr. Daniel Immerwahr, associate professor of history at Northwestern University and author of the new "How to Hide an Empire: the history of the greater United States." We talk about the many ways in which America has maintained (and still maintains) an empire through territorial occupation, a network of military bases fanned out across the globe, and domination of international standards. Tales of various Guano Islands Act (1856) possessions are told, and you don't want to miss them. Extended version of the interview available on Patreon.

Cocktail of the month: Suffering Bastard

Question Cathy returns with a special Patreon-only mailbag.

Please support Mass for Shut-ins, an independent and ad-free podcast, via Patreon. Contact me via Facebook, Twitter (@gin_and_tacos), or the venerable website Gin and Tacos. 

Thanks: Dr. Immerwahr, all the bands that contribute music (Waxeater, IfIHadAHiFi, The Sump Pumps, Oscar Bait), Zachary Sielaff, Question Cathy, and all Patreon supporters, subscribers, and listeners.