With Joel out to sea, Charlie awash in a sea of homework, and Jon lost in sea of diapers, Josh, Mama D, and Joe take on the local election scene in north Texas.

In a spicy, sometimes contentious discussion, the trio calls out the mistakes of the Democratic party, acknowledges the effectiveness of the GOP election machine, and try to find the best path forward for moving the nation forward.

Josh is a Denton County Democratic Precinct Chair (Precinct 3134, District 63) and Joe is the Democratic candidate for Texas State House District 106. Both are on the front lines, on different flanks, of the local election world.

Aside from breaking down the process and structures of the local election systems, the crew discusses the importance of safety during winter storms, as well as the most effective way of clearing armadillos from the road.

For the record, armadillos are not indigenous to Vermont. Just like ice and snow are not indigenous to Texas.

Charlie, Joel, Josh, Mama D, and Joe kick off 2026 by taking a deep dive --- including a few side trips and tin-foil hat moments --- on Venezuela, the game of global Risk that seems to be going on, and the killing of Renee Nicole Good by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in Minneapolis.

Joe shouts out Haley and the crew at Hive Bakery and a group of Moose shalle henceforth be known as a "flock of Meesen," thanks to Joel.

Charlie, Joel, Josh, Mama D, and Joe start with the economy, wander through the 12/17/2025 POTUS address/campaign rally speech, before deep diving into the frustrations facing all those involved in the political process...except for the ultra-wealthy, that is.

With Joel away, Diane moderates the episode as the group goes around the horn, deep-diving issues of the day. There's talk of Venezuela, elections, Christian Nationalism (of course), and more.

Diane announces that Joe is running for Texas House of Representatives, District 106!

You can help!

The Circle the Wagons Coalition -- Josh, Joel, Diane (aka Momma D), and Joe break down the happenings off the coast of Venezuela. An in-depth roundtable discussion wanders from the attacks on the drug runner/fishermen to local politics and the economic effects being felt locally.

Following the somewhat chaotic episode 9, Joel, Josh, Charlie, Mama D, and Smokey Joe are joined by economist and mathematician Jon Mayes to frame the discussion of the economy.

They tackle the US economy within the context of the global economy, the costs/benefits of college, Mike Duncan's REVOLUTIONS podcast, and more really nerdy economy topics.

Quotes from Matthew McConaughey, Nicholas Cage, Napoleon Dynamite, Hyman Roth, and Rick's assessment of Napoleon Dynamite kick things off.

Charlie, Diane, Joel, and Joe participate in a passionate, emotionally-charged discussion of the impact of the economy on individual lives. The first of a 4-6 part series to discuss and better understand the economy, what drives it, what matters (and what doesn't), and how to navigate life while finding a way to improve an increasingly unbalanced economic system.

Joel introduces the topic of bread and circuses. The concept of bread and circuses introduces the idea of superficial appeasement. Diane noted that the name of the sovereign democratic constitutional republic in HUNGER GAMES was Panem, the Latin word for "bread," a not too subtle callout by author Suzanne Collins.

Listen as the Circle the Wagons Coalition calls out the manifestation of this ancient Roman concept in today's society.