How We Bribed Our Way Into California History | Past To The Future

Lauran: [00:00:00] A senator from San Francisco calls you both land barons and accuses you of using Mexican trickery. Whoa. To block American progress. Whoa, whoa, whoa, boo.

We're we're gone.

Alright, everybody, we're back. Hi. Hello. It's the We are fine. Podcast. Welcome. How are you? Are you doing well? Are you fine? We're fine. I have a headache, but I'm fine. It'll be okay because we're gonna be playing a super fun game again tonight and we have a super fun person to play it with. Um, the educator.

Andrea is in the building. Yeah. What's up, Andrea? Hey, thank you guys so much for having me on. I'm so excited to be here and hang out with you guys. I know I, I. [00:01:00] Was I had the privilege of riding shotgun in Andrea's rental car all through California, um, with french fries all over the car. Listen, 

Andrea: listen, okay.

The amount of judgment I have received, first of all, when I was gonna say, hold on. When I only, only from Andy Miller, though. Only from Andy Miller. And here's the thing, when I picked Lauren up, there was not a fry in that car because what happened was I picked her up and the very famous Casey, I picked them both up at the airport.

Yes. And then we immediately went to in and out and got food. Yes. And then I was driving and being a safe driver and so I was less concerned about where the fries dropped and like, versus 

Lauran: where the car was on the right, 

Andrea: because driving from San Diego to Irvine is can, can be a bit of a nightmare. Like the, the five is a nightmare.

And so I was not, you know, I was trying to be, make sure we got there safe. And I, I did 

Lauran: offer to, to hand feed french fries, just like, you know, just baby bird [00:02:00] it into her mouth. Yeah. But she wasn't, she didn't wanna do that, you know? Yeah. 

Jordan: You could have stopped and just said, Lauren had food in the car. And I'd be like, oh, it was Lauren's fault based off of how my passenger seat looks in my car half the time.

Andrea: That is a lie. That is not a lie. That's a lie there. Unfortunately, I don't think I could. Honestly say that it was anyone's fault but mine, because anyone who's been in my vehicle that I drive around on a regular basis will also almost certainly find french fries or other food products askew. And I 

Lauran: stop looking at me.

I am 

Andrea: staring daggers at 

Jordan: you there. I think we found a's a single french 

Lauran: fry in my car. Single. More 

Jordan: like a hash brown. 

Lauran: Okay. Hash 

brown. I can't, I can't speak to hash browns. 

Andrea: I feel like the, the thing is, is like we're just, we're busy people and we have priorities. And I really, with my whole heart, forget that my car exists the second I get out of it and mm-hmm.

Am unaware of what's in the car until I pick somebody else up and I have to like, [00:03:00] throw a bunch of like, fast food bags or like random kids art and stuff. I like, you know, like we've got the kids. But like in California, I did not have kids with me. It was just us. And I still got judged by Andy. Listen, 

Lauran: it's, it's so relatable and I don't, I don't even mind 'cause I do the same thing.

With my, my car and I don't even have kids. Yeah. So don't feel bad. 'cause I don't even have that as an excuse. 

Andrea: Yeah. I, I would love to be like, well, and before I had kids immaculate vehicle, but that's never been the case. I did, okay, so one of the things, self-care, right. I'm like, one of the things that I'm gonna start doing is every other month there is one of my college students who started a car detailing service.

And so mm-hmm. I invest the money every other month he comes and cleans my car. So at least my car is clean every two months. And then I try and limp along in between, but, so I have an official french fry [00:04:00] scrapper every two months that comes and, and de disgusting is my car. 

Lauran: I need to do that. 

Jordan: And I was gonna ask Andrew, what is your favorite sponge to use while detailing your car?

Andrea: Wow. I mean, who could choose Honestly, so many options available. I like, I know blue ones, you like blue ones because they blend in with the water. Well, I have someone else wash my car, so 

Lauran: listen, I have that too, but it's just called my husband. Yeah. You know? 

Andrea: Yeah. 

Lauran: And it's also not free 'cause he just takes it to the car wash and does it there, but like I don't have to do it.

So there's a Right. It's a plus. 

Jordan: And I feel like, you know, a little disheartened now that I realize because what you do is you let it get so dirty that I get frustrated and then take it because I'm frustrated because, you know, I like, by the way, I like to keep immaculate cars. Do you have gas in your car?

See, 

Lauran: can I steal, steal your car tomorrow? 

Jordan: I was gonna bring this up. It's [00:05:00] gotten to you, keep you, you keep your car so disgusting. It's gotten to the point when you ask to do this, it's not disgusting. Yes. It's you. When you ask to do this, I come up with excuses to not give up my pristine car. 

Lauran: Okay. My, I, I will be fair.

I will be fair. My car. I don't keep it as pristine as you, but I will disagree that it's disgusting and I would be comfortable in my car and I think other people would too. 

Andrea: I would be comfortable in it. I can guarantee you. Thank you. And here's the thing, having Jordan clean it, it sounds like the cost is his judgment.

Yeah. I worth it is not free. Like that's not free. That it's not, there is a cost associated with that because my husband also, like, he judges me and I'm like, listen, I do all the drop offs. Listen, 

Lauran: I'm doing my best. Okay. Well we, uh, we have a game that we're gonna play today. Awesome. Um, it's called Past to the Future.

So how we play this game is we input the date [00:06:00] that this episode's gonna air. So it's gonna be April 4th. And then we take events in history that happened on that day and try to completely rewrite them in chaos. Amazing. So, yes. Okay. The event that we're going to rewrite today is the founding of Los Angeles.

So it's perfect that we talked about California Yes. For this whole first, you know, yes. 10 minutes of the episode. Um, so if you didn't know, Los Angeles was founded in 1850 and, um, this was the beginning of its development into a major metropolis. So we have already selected our characters. Jordan is going to be playing.

I listen, son. 

Jordan: You gotta say it. The snake. Say it with your chest. 

Lauran: Po Pico. His name is, I think, I hope it's, I hope it's po. It looks like sounds right. Sounds. I would think it, it's po. There's the, it looks 

Jordan: like Po. Pico. There's the thing over the i accent 

Lauran: over the I. Okay. So we've got PO Pico, the last governor of Mexican, California before it [00:07:00] became part of the us a wealthy landowner and a key figure in early Los Angeles politics.

Mm-hmm. You finally get to do politics, Jordan. You get to do politics. Yeah. Let's get political. And Andrea, she wanted to be rich, so she's gonna be Arcadia, Bandini, Sterns baker, and you know, she's rich when you have like three last names. Mm-hmm. Especially when 

Jordan: one of them's duh. Yeah. Yeah. There's a duh.

Lauran: Right? I love it. So Arcadia is a powerful landowner also and a socialite who played a major role in shaping early Los Angeles's economy and society. So we'll see how these two, uh, individuals end up shaping the future of Los Angeles much differently than it actually occurred. Oh 

Jordan: God. What if our choices lead to Los Angeles never existed?

Andrea: Uh, honestly. Oh my gosh. When the last time you've been to la it's, 

Jordan: oh, it's been like 10 years for me. It's not my favorite place in 

Lauran: a minute. So, um, it's not my favorite either. I'm not gonna lie. Yeah, [00:08:00] I know. I like, there's some nice spots, but it's too, it's too much city for me. Yeah. I ju Yeah, it's, it's a lot of people.

Isn't 

Jordan: one of your favorite places New York? 

Lauran: Yeah. But like, there's a way different vibe in LA than New York. Yeah. I think, 

Jordan: I think our producers are gonna fight you. 

Lauran: It's not that I, it's not like bad have to live there. They now it's not bad. They know. Yeah, it's not bad. It's just different. Just, it's just different.

It costs the same, same amount of people. Maybe more as New York. Yeah. As New York. Yeah. But it's. Different vibe. 

Jordan: I was gonna say it does not cost the same to live in LA as Youngstown, Ohio. No, 

Lauran: no, no, no, no. Not true. Absolutely not. No, I was talking LA to New York, right? Yeah. That's similar. Yeah. Okay. So the year's 1850, the birth of Los Angeles.

Los Angeles has just been officially incorporated as a city on April 4th, 1850, but this is no ordinary city launch. California has only recently become part of the United States after the Mexican American war, and tensions are high. [00:09:00] The future of the city depends on political alliances, land disputes, and the influence of key figures like U2.

Jordan: Oh boy. 

Lauran: Okay. So a, a group of American businessmen fresh from the east coast have arrived in town and are pushing for major development projects, but at the cost of Mexican landowners losing their properties. They wanna build a railway that could boost trade and connect Los Angeles to San Francisco, but this could also displace hundreds of longtime residents and shake up the balance of power.

You po Poco, no po o pco. 

Jordan: Can I, can I get a rewind on that one? Say that again. I'd like to hear that one more time. 

Lauran: Theo Poco is a fun name too, though. Po Poco. Yeah. You p Pico and Arcadia Bandini must decide how to handle this situation. Okay. Wait, are [00:10:00] we, 

Andrea: are we collaborating on this? Yeah. This is collaborative.

Lauran: Okay. I wasn't as, as the wealthy landowners of the time. You guys are probably in this, in similar circles. Socially. Yes. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. So, yeah, you guys have to decide how you're going to respond to these businessmen and their plans to build this railway. Okay. Here are, here are some choices that we have to make.

So am I 

Jordan: one of the dastardly businessmen or the ones that is getting his land stolen from him? 

Andrea: No, these are No, you were 

Lauran: the east coasters. 

Jordan: Okay. 

Andrea: Yeah. Yeah. And you were the The previous mayor. Governor. Governor, I think. Right. So come to take my land. No. Yes. So you're salty and I'm, I don't know how I got my money, but.

Uh, 

Lauran: yeah, that's a great question. I don't know how you got your money either. Yeah. Maybe you were born into money. Maybe. 

Andrea: I mean, as a woman in that era, that's pretty much the only option. 

Lauran: That's probably so, I was gonna say, I don't think women in that timeframe could even own bank accounts, so 

Andrea: No, not, it was like the [00:11:00] seventies or something.

Like way more recent than it should be. 

Lauran: Yeah. Like, oh, women could have fake 

Andrea: accounts of their own, 

Lauran: I'm gonna assume a scary amount of time. 

Andrea: Yeah. I'm gonna assume I'm a rich widow and I killed my husband. 

Lauran: Oh, I love that for I love that. I love that for your back story. Yeah. Okay, we're gonna go with that. So do we one, support the railway project?

You'll encourage the project believing that it will modernize Los Angeles and turn it into an economic powerhouse. However, this means negotiating land rights that could lead to local resistance. Two, fight against the project. You'll stand up for the local Mexican landowners arguing that their land should not be taken away for a development that only benefits American interests.

Three. Negotiate a compromise. You propose that some landowners will be paid fairly for their land while others keep their properties, ensuring both economic growth and local stability. Or four, use a sneaky strategy. [00:12:00] You secretly buy up key land before the businessmen can, ensuring that you control the terms of development and can decide who benefits most.

All right, so you guys have a decision to make. This is a tough one. 

Andrea: I mean, so what are 

Lauran: your thoughts? 

Andrea: My, my gut, like, we all know it. Like, I feel like this is like one of those where people are like, what would you do? And when you go to like a, like an, like when you do a Buzzfeed quiz and they're like, which princess are you the one who likes roses?

Like, I feel like we're supposed to be like standup for the Mexican landowners, but as, as a widow who recently murdered my own husband, my ethical standards are probably a little bit dicey. Yeah. Um, and if I'm maintaining my wealth and I'm thinking this far ahead and all these other people who are not even from this area, we're from this area, we know what's best for the people of California.

Mm-hmm. I feel like if we went and bought up the land before those, those outsiders came along, we could make sure that [00:13:00] things were equitable and fair and we stayed very, very rich. 

Jordan: I. Everyone benefit. Hundred percent agreeance. I was like, I don't wanna support them and I don't wanna compromise with them.

Screw them. They're from the east coast. I'm on the west coast. Right? And then I'm thinking like, yeah, we could fight against it, but how am I gonna make money in the fight? 

Lauran: Yeah. 

Jordan: The sneaky strategy. That's the Strat. 

Lauran: Hey. So now we know how the 1% makes their decision. 

Jordan: Absolutely. 

Lauran: Okay, so we're going with this.

This is a slippery slope, sneaky strategy. 

Jordan: Okay. See, I feel like we're, we're, we're gonna be, we're gonna, we're gonna hate ourselves at the end of this. 'cause we're gonna start off, you know, we're gonna be good with this land at the end of it. And I was like, look at all this money I'm making from it. Yes.

I'm not giving it up. I was gonna say, I'm excited about this one. 'cause I've never gotten to play the villain before. No, 

Andrea: no. We're on our villain 

Jordan: era here. 

Andrea: I mean, each villain is the, they're a hero in their own mind. Most, I don't think, see themselves as villains. They just, you know? Yeah, that's 

Lauran: true. 

Andrea: I'm helping others, 

Lauran: but also getting [00:14:00] rich in the process.

Andrea: Yes. Win-win. 

Lauran: All right, so you chose option four. The sneaky strategy, instead of fighting the American businessmen outright, PO Pico and Arcadia Bandini decide to outmaneuver them in a high stakes game of land acquisition using their deep knowledge of local ownership laws and insider connections. They work behind the scenes to purchase key plots of land before the businessmen can call, can claim that way.

I 

Jordan: really, really like the phrasing of ownership laws in insider connections instead of corruption. 

Lauran: Yeah, and 

Andrea: insider trading. Yes. 

Lauran: Yeah. They wanted to really hammer in 

Andrea: there that they did it legally. It was legal. It was on the up and up. It's fine. Behind the scenes. Yeah. 

Lauran: Okay. So. This is how you pulled it off.

Okay. Arcadia, using her elite social connection spreads rumors that another group of investors is about [00:15:00] to buy land, driving up demand and confusing potential buyers. Nice. Keo leverages his political experience to delay official land sales, buying time to finalize strategic purchases together. 

Jordan: Oh, I love that 

Lauran: you bribe a few local officials.

Ooh, nothing 

Jordan: illegal 

Lauran: now it feels like a crime. Yeah. Nothing illegal. Just, you know, some expedited paperwork. Mm-hmm. Yeah. It's the, it's the get this done 

Jordan: fast fee. 

Lauran: Right, right, right. To ensure that the most valuable land remains in your hands. Ahuh. Yeah. It definitely doesn't seem fishy at all. 

Jordan: Yeah, none of, none of what this is reading is corruption at all.

All 

Lauran: no. At all. It, it's fine. It seems, it all seems above board. No crime to be seen. Nope. Not from po and. Arcadia, the immediate consequences that actually happen from this choice of yours, um, is that now you own [00:16:00] some of the most important land around Los Angeles. So kudos to you. Look at congrats, uh, the businessmen, unfortunately, though, they're furious.

Do you think I care that they're mad? They're mad because you, they have no choice but to now negotiate with you for land rights. Ha ha ha. West 

Jordan: Coast is best coast. So 

Lauran: he's saying that from the Midwest. 

Jordan: Mm-hmm. 

Lauran: Um, 

Jordan: I get no coast 

Lauran: po. You have a new nickname. El Zoro de Los Angeles. That's a 

Andrea: cool 

Lauran: nickname. I love that.

That is a badass nickname. Not that last. That's 

Andrea: really cool. 

Lauran: It is cool. And you know, if you weren't 

Jordan: for, I was gonna say for familiar with any Spanish in the room who don't speak Spanish, would you like to translate athletes? Yes. The 

Lauran: Fox of Los Angeles. Ooh, 

Andrea: sneaky. I thought it was just an illusion to the movie Zoro.

No. 'cause I assume that movie's also based on some sort of situation where a guy was named Zoro and wore a mask. But I never knew that Zoro meant. 

Lauran: Do you know Zoros real name? 

Andrea: No. 

Lauran: Guy Fox? [00:17:00] 

Andrea: No. Antonio Banderas? 

Lauran: Yes. Oh yeah, you're right. It has been Antonio Bends. Antonio Bends. Yeah. Guy. Guy Fox. The The guy Fox Masks.

That's the reason. 

Jordan: He's guy who like, yeah, vendetta. That's a different movie. That's a 

Andrea: different movie. Oh, it's an entirely different movie. That's my bad. I was like, historically I don't think so because I'm pretty sure if Zoro is based on history, it would've been Mexico. But Fox is from Good thing. I 

Lauran: am rewriting history in this game because I just got you all.

Haha. That was a joke. 

Jordan: Like Guy Fox Day. Like that's a whole other thing. 

Lauran: Yeah, it is. That's not, I was mixing up, I was mixing up V for Vendetta for sure. 

Jordan: Did you look at that entire movie and be like, wow, why are they all wearing Antonio Bandera masks? That's real weird. 

Lauran: Oh listen guys, I am, I'm not cultured in the way of movies.

I'm really not. You're not. I'm not, but I just That's alright. It popped that, that connection [00:18:00] popped in my head so. Well I'm thinking V Vendetta proud of you anyway. That's alright. You know you live and you learn. I learn something new every day on this, on this show. A Arcadia. So you become one of the wealthiest landowners in the region as if you weren't already one of those.

That's right. Uh, giving you unparalleled influence over city development. So now you run the show, girl, we love to see it. Yeah. We love to see, uh, a queen. Mm-hmm. In, in power. Okay. So the unexpected twist to this, to this, uh, situation we got going on here. Just when you think you've secured victory, a new challenge arises.

Jordan: Who could, who thinks they could take us down? No one could take us down. Well, 

Lauran: the US government Oh, oh. Bring it on. The US government gets involved and word reaches Washington that, uh, California's new state officials or so California's new state officials, begin questioning the legality of [00:19:00] your purchases.

Jordan: Mm-hmm. Uhoh. I'd like to see them try to question. That's right. They don't have tanks yet. That's, it's just horses. Come on. Bring it on. 

Lauran: Yeah. A senator from San Francisco calls you both land barons and accuses you of using Mexican trickery. Whoa. To block American progress. Whoa, whoa, 

Andrea: whoa. Arcadia. That guy, boo.

I don't, my husband was maybe Mexican. Arcadia does not sound like an a traditionally Mexican name. 

Lauran: Stern's Baker doesn't sound Mexican either. 

Jordan: I'm also gonna say that's just a jerk move. We've gone from like originally the villains, now we're the good guys. 'cause that guy, that guy's a jerk. Yeah. That 

Lauran: guy's racist.

Yes, for sure. Mexican trickery. Ew. Insane. To block American Progress. Ugh, boo. Tomato tomato, the Governor of California demands a hearing where you must defend your land holdings. If you lose the state could seize some of your property and redistribute it to the [00:20:00] railway developers. If you bought the property, why would they give it to them?

Why wouldn't they just given back to the people you bought it off of? 

Jordan: Eminent domain, they're giving it to the capitalists. Are you kidding me? Oh, yeah. We're 

Andrea: capitalists. We just won the capitalism game. Yeah. And now they're trying to come for us. The, no, they are a hundred percent doing it because the railway developers are, um, giving money to all the politicians for their reelection campaigns.

Jordan: All right. So I really also like this idea of PO and Arcadia Go to court movie. 

Lauran: It sounds it does sound like a fun movie. Yeah. Yeah. 

Jordan: I'd watch 

Lauran: it. All right. So what is your next move? Are you gonna launch a legal defense to and hire some top lawyers to use the courts to prove that your land purchases were legitimate, slow, but reliable method?

Are you gonna bribe more people? Bribe some state officials? Well, more seems excessive. 

Andrea: We grease some wheels. 

Lauran: A risky but potentially [00:21:00] effective move if you grease the right palms. Oh, I should have, I should have changed that to wheels. If you grease the right wheels, the governor's office may forget about the issue.

Ah. Or you could make a political alliance, seek out powerful US allies, perhaps by offering land to influential politicians in exchange for their support. Or you could stage a fake crisis by manufacturing a bandit problem on the land in question, making the government believe it's unsafe and unsuitable for development.

Andrea: It doesn't help us because we want people buying it. Yeah. And developing it. 

Jordan: Yeah, we, yeah, it seems 

Lauran: counterproductive. Yeah, because, I mean, but you're right. But I wanna stage a fake crisis so bad. 

Jordan: You want a false flag attack? 

Lauran: It just sounds fun. Okay. A bandit problem. That's like code for like raccoon infestation.

Like I, yeah. You know, 

Jordan: this isn't Parks and Rec. It, 

Lauran: [00:22:00] it reminds me of Parks and Rec, Andrea's blonde, like Amy Poer. Oh my God. Yeah. It could work. Could work. 

Andrea: Um, I mean, a fake crisis I feel like would end up hurting the people that we, you know, initially Yes. Sought out to also help. 

Lauran: Yes, you're right. 'cause they would 

Andrea: immediately assume the bandits are Mexican and then it would also hurt like the original landowners.

Jordan: Mm-hmm. 

Andrea: I, I tend to lean on the third one of making a political alliance because that is how everything gets done, is that we find the right people and grease some wheels and. Washington. 

Jordan: See, I, I'm torn between making a political alliance and then the legal defense because I do love me some wacky courtroom drama.

But the problem is, is I'm a, I wanna be a silly goose in the courtroom and I'm just [00:23:00] gonna lose. So I should probably go like, you spent all this money on this land, you know? Yeah. You 

Lauran: can't be a silly goose. 

Jordan: I probably should go with Andrea's, uh, suggestion of political alliance. 

Andrea: The, the legal defense situation also would, would mean that like everything would get tied up and they might seize it while everything was being investigated.

So then also we wouldn't have access and wouldn't be able to move land or any of that kind of stuff. Yeah. So it's better if it just goes away. 

Lauran: Yeah. Right. 'cause you'd have lots of like liens on the properties. Mm-hmm. And then also you would be, you know, in the court system, which we all know moves at the speed of light.

Yeah. So 

Jordan: how are they leaning on the property? I don't have any fences up. 

Lauran: Oh 

my God. All right, so we're making a political alliance here. We gotta seek out some powerful allies. Mm-hmm. And hopefully be able to make the government, uh, get off our back. 

Jordan: Mm-hmm. Alright. Yeah. I don't want the government investigating my corruption.

No. 

Lauran: Let's give them more corruption. [00:24:00] Yeah. All right. Realizing that legal battles and bribery could be risky. Po Pico and Arcadia Bandini decide to play the long game. Instead of fighting the system, they become part of it. By forging strategic alliances with powerful US politicians, they work to secure their land and influence in the new California government.

So, Arcadia hosts lavish social events at her estate, inviting, of course, she hosts the best parties. 

Jordan: Mm-hmm. 

Lauran: Inviting key state officials and business leaders. Over fine wine and extravagant feasts. She subtly influences their views, positioning herself as a visionary for Los Angeles rather than a land barren.

Well, she 

Jordan: sounds like the Jay Gatsby of the West Coast. She does. Yes. 

Lauran: Yes. Ooh, that's a good comparison. Mm-hmm. PO reaches out to Senator William Gwynn, one of California's first senators, and offers him a stake in a [00:25:00] Los Angeles land project. Gwynn, eager to expand his influence in Southern California agrees to support your claims in exchange for a cut of future developments.

You sound 

Jordan: smart, man. That sounds 

Lauran: like bribery kind also. 

Jordan: No. Just a smart No. See Lauren? No. There's a little bit entrepreneur. Yeah, that's a, that's an entrepreneurial investment. Mm-hmm. 

Lauran: Kinda sounds like lobbying. 

Jordan: Mm-hmm. No, 

Lauran: not 

Jordan: at all. No. 

Lauran: And the two of you strategically gift certain plots of land to military leaders and judges ensuring that if a court battle happens, the system is already tilted in your favor.

Jordan: See, we're just laying the groundwork for Citizens United, that's all 

Andrea: we're supporting. Civil servants. Yeah. In like really substantive ways and helping, supporting veterans local, yes. Supporting, boosting the local economy. Yeah. You're welcome. 

Lauran: Yeah. Law enforcement. Mm-hmm. [00:26:00] So the governor decides to drop the case, I stating that Los Angeles choice.

Los Los Angeles's. Land disputes are too complex to address immediately 

Jordan: Too complex. Look, there's so much illegal stuff going on here. We don't know where to start. Exactly. They're like, that seems 

Andrea: exhausting. 

Jordan: Nevermind. 

Lauran: Yes. It's like, we're just not, we're gonna just push this in the back and then pretend it didn't happen.

Senator Gwen publicly praises Po Pico for his con contributions to California's future, cementing his reputation as an ally of progress rather than an obstacle. Arcadia Bandini gains a direct line to high ranking politicians, making her one of the most politically connected women in California. Ooh, Nick.

Yeah. The businessmen back off realizing that to get any land, they now have to deal with you. Yeah. But not everyone's happy about it. Okay. A group of landowners, landowners feel betrayed, claiming you've [00:27:00] sold out Mexican Californians by working with us politicians. Some of your former allies are now turning against you, believing you've abandoned your people for power, 

Andrea: not for power, for money.

Yeah. Obviously it's different. It's different. Much more comfy than just power alone. 

Lauran: Uh 

Andrea: oh. 

Lauran: Now comes the revolt of the Rancheros. Oh, boy. 

Jordan: Okay. Oh gosh. With California, did we make a mistake? California. 

Lauran: California? Uh, yeah, I think you did. I think you'd done goofed With California's American led government expanding.

Mexican landowners feel more pressure than ever. A rebellion is brewing among Rancheros descendants of Spanish and Mexican settlers who are furious at US Laws that threaten their lands, word spreads that an uprising is planned against the government in Los Angeles. Some landowners want your support to lead a movement [00:28:00] against the Americans.

Others say you should stay neutral. But siding with the government could secure your power permanently. What do you do? Oh boy. I see the words 

Jordan: lead a rebellion. 

Lauran: You got some tough ones to make. Alright, so you could lead the rebellion, rally all the Mexican land owners, gather fighters, and launch an armed resistance against the US government.

This could make you heroes or criminals. 

Jordan: You'd know what my choice is. 

Lauran: Well, hold on from the others. He's like, you get three other options. You're like the kid in class. It's like, I know the answer. And you didn't even read the rest of the, the answers you want. Do I 

Jordan: have to when I get to lead a rebellion?

Yes. Oh no. 

Lauran: You could stay neutral. Sit back and see what happens. Lame. If the 

Jordan: lame, if the rebellion 

Lauran: succeeds, you align with them. If it fails, you'll claim you were never involved. That's 

Jordan: the coward's way out. La [00:29:00] safe, 

Lauran: but risky political play. Ooh. Or you could warn the US government secretly alert your new American allies about the rebellion so they can crush it before it begins.

This ensures your power and land remains untouched, but may make you traitors in the eyes of fellow California. Californias. Is that a, is that what I thought Californians? It is. I don't know. Okay. Maybe that's a, a special, is that just, uh, like a, a Spanish way of saying Californians? 

Jordan: Maybe. 

Lauran: I'm not sure.

Well, couldn't tell you. Well tell Californians then. Mm-hmm. Or my, you know what? My favorite is gonna be the false flag stage. A fake attack. Send a small group of bandits to fake an uprising forcing the government to negotiate with Mexican landowners without war, a high risk, high reward bluff. 

Andrea: Hmm. I was really hoping that we would have an option [00:30:00] to like just send money to the rebels while pretending we're on America's side, which I feel like is the most American thing to do.

But that 

Jordan: is that. I was about to say that someone, someone seems to have read, read the CI playbook here. Here. So 

Andrea: be two-faced, is what you're saying? No, just do it the American way where you fund the people or you know, we fund whoever it is that we're actually against and then say we're remaining neutral.

I, I do, 

Jordan: I was gonna say that is totally a plan. We have never done in the Middle East. Never at all. Ever. Let's, 

Andrea: when? Not every time. I don't recall. I don't recall. Every few years we do it again. Um, I do like the false flag in this situation. It feels, it feels like it's, you know, because here's the thing, we're gonna re lead the rebellion, do I?

Me? A, a widow of, of many parties. I could not possibly do such a thing as to lead a rebellion. 

Lauran: We don't even know, we don't even know Arcadia's age at this point. She could be like elderly. She [00:31:00] could be like unsafe for, 

Andrea: I 

Lauran: don't want the vapors unsafe for battle. 

Jordan: How bad. I don't want the vapor. How badass would it be if Arcadia standing on top of the trench with a musket?

Andrea: I mean, that would the thing, here's the thing is we know how it gets remembered in history and PO Pico would be the only one remembered. And they would be like, and he brought some other people and then like Arcadia would get nothing. Like I would've like That's true. Even if Arcadia like let it, they'd be like, I don't know.

Some chicks were there sometimes I guess. But that might just be a lie. Like, 

Lauran: oh, 

Jordan: that's never happened. Yeah, definitely 

Lauran: not in like Washington's secret six, you know, the spy ring that helped win the Revolutionary War. Right. Some women that were super international, super spies and were forgotten for years.

Right. That never happens. 

Andrea: Right. It also just seems like our vibe to like pay people to go do something while we sit there and go. I [00:32:00] was gonna say no. An uprising. Well, who could have foresee definitely not funded by us. Right? Like 

Lauran: that's crazy. 

Jordan: Okay. I think we're doing the false flag. 

Lauran: Oh yes. Alright.

Listen, the more flag, the more chaos, the better. It just makes the history all the more chaotic. All right, so you guys are choosing to stage a fake attack rather than fully committing to either side, because that's too much risk. 

Jordan: Mm-hmm. 

Lauran: Po Pico and Arcadia Bandini Dev Devis, a high risk, high reward bluff, a staged uprising that will scare the US government into negotiating with Mexican landowners instead of outright seizing their land.

The plan, ke pico secretly gathers a small group of trusted rancheros convincing them to pose as rebels and stage a dramatic but harmless raid on Los Angeles government buildings. Sounds like you get to be part of Raid [00:33:00] Rebellion. Yes, yes. Arcadia ensures that powerful figures in the US government are in town when it happens.

Maximizing the fear factor while making sure no real harm is done. Was this on January 6th? Oh my God, 

Andrea: it's, it's sounds similar. I'm just, isn't it? It has some energy there. That seems familiar, but 

Lauran: yeah, it's, it's giving. Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Okay. So the Rebels fire shots into the air. They steal some documents and disappear into the countryside just enough to create panic without actually causing a real war.

So just a little bit of chaos. 

Jordan: Mm-hmm. 

Lauran: As a result, the US government freaks out and reports of a Mexican revolt spread like wildfire, forcing officials to consider compromises with landowners To prevent a real rebellion, PO Pico becomes a mediator. The government [00:34:00] unsure if he was involved or not. Calls on him to help calm tensions.

Andrea: Nice. 

Lauran: Giving him a powerful new role in negotiations. Look at me. Go. Yeah, you little deceiver. You Arcadia. Bandini gains even more influence. Yeah, I do. So she couldn't have enough already. 

Jordan: Mm-hmm. 

Lauran: Her wealth and connections make her a trusted advisor in the city's development, allowing her to shape Los Angeles's future in her favor.

And once again, the businessmen pushing for the railway suddenly wanna cut a deal with you. Seeing you as a powerful, as powerful figures who can maintain stability. Well, well, well how the turn tables 

Jordan: look at us. Go. 

Lauran: I am impressed because mm-hmm. I thought that was gonna go way worse than it did. It could have been horrible.

You helped us choose that one. Yeah. You 

Andrea: thought it was gonna go horrible. Well, 

Lauran: yeah. Fake attack. 

Jordan: Wait, hold on. Why are you tell, [00:35:00] why are you pushing us to bad answers then? 

Lauran: Because I wanna skew as far away from history far as I possibly can. That's my job as the narrator, is to just steer you off course. Be a bad influence.

Exactly. Okay. 

Jordan: Okay. 

Lauran: Exactly. But not everything goes as planned. So your, I mean, your plan was okay, but we got some, some chaos. One of the ranchero leaders who was in on the fake rebellion takes things a little too seriously and actually attacks a government officer. That sounds like it's always one just, and his name is probably just, you know, but 

Andrea: it's like overly excited.

Yeah. 

Lauran: But it's like you're given, you're given all the other rancheros a bad name. Like it's, it's always gotta be one person. Yeah. Mm-hmm. One apple spoils the bunch. 

Andrea: Yep. 

Lauran: Now there's a real problem. And the US government is demanding someone take responsibility. If you don't act fast, the government might crack down hard or might crack down harder than before [00:36:00] using this as an excuse to strip Mexican landowners of their rights entirely, bro.

It was one guy, it was just Gus. How is that on us, 

Andrea: Gus? 

Jordan: It's just Gus. 

Andrea: It's not us, 

Lauran: that guy, everybody else. Listen, someone's gotta answer for Gus's crimes. Yeah. And 

Jordan: he's not even our friend like Gus is for the crime. How can we even be held? 

Lauran: Doesn't even go here. We've never even met Gus. Well, you guys have to decide what the final move is gonna be.

Are you gonna quell the tensions or is it gonna get even worse? So, let's see. Okay. With tensions at an all time high, you have to resolve the situation before it spirals out of control. How do you handle the unexpected real attack that could destroy everything you've built? One. Blame the rogue ranchero leader claim that he went too far and offer him up to the authorities to protect everyone else.

This saves your status, but sacrifices one of your allies. Two. Frame. [00:37:00] Someone else accuse one of the American businessmen of secretly funding the rebellion to push the US government into a crackdown. This could turn the heat onto your enemies, but might be risky to pull off three. Try to deescalate peacefully.

Use your influence to convince the governor that it was just a misunderstanding. Promising that the landowners are loyal and there's no need for retaliation. This is the most diplomatic path, but might make you look weak. Four, you can just pack up and flee to Mexico. Take your wealth of power and escape before things get worse.

You'll live comfortably, but you'll abandon your influence in Los Angeles forever. What's it gonna be? 

Jordan: I like the idea of framing someone else. 

Andrea: Same. Same, same. Because here's the thing. Yes, the RO rancher leader, like he screwed up, but here's the thing. He knows things. He knows it was us. Yeah, so [00:38:00] that's true.

He's one of ours. We him over, we gotta 

Jordan: protect ours. He could 

Andrea: rat you out. Yeah. Let's frame somebody. 

Jordan: He's part of the family. We've gotta protect the family. Well, you don't wanna, you don's, you 

Lauran: don't wanna just like flee to Mexico. You could live in paradise for like ever. 

Jordan: As, I'm gonna be honest, as much fun as just living in Mexico sounds, I feel like it's the coward's way out.

We started this whole thing, we gotta finish it. 

Andrea: Nah, it's true. And we also have all of this land tied up. We could flee there, but how are we gonna get our money from the land? Yeah. Everything. Like we still haven't done our deal with the railroads and all of that. So if we're fleeing, that looks really sketch and I want, I need to be here to secure my land holdings mm-hmm.

And parties, so. Right. 'cause then, 

Jordan: because if we, if we get our bag, then I can go down to Mexico and party on the beautiful beaches. That's exactly. So I want to enjoy the beaches in Mexico with lots of money. Plus if you, if you 

Lauran: flee mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. You could never return that. At least that part of the US ever again.

[00:39:00] Yeah. So let's, let's frame somebody. Alright. We're framing someone. 

Jordan: We can frame somebody at noon. Mm-hmm. Mark's on the beach in Mexico at five. Amazing. 

Lauran: Alright, that sounds like a good, a good deal. Can I come? 

Jordan: No, you're the narrator. Get outta here. 

Lauran: Oh, 

Andrea: no. Marks for you. 

Lauran: No marks for me. All right. So faced with the very real danger of losing everything, PO Pico and Arcadia Bandini decide to flip the blame onto their rivals, the same American businessmen who had been pushing them out of power in the first place.

If they can pull this off, they'll not only protect themselves, but also take down their biggest competition in the city's future development. So here's the coverup. This is what you guys decide to do. PO Pico meets with a few influential figures in Los Angeles and plants a dangerous rumor. See, here's the thing.

I feel like out of all of this [00:40:00] stuff, rumors have been the most dangerous thing that have happened. Yep. 

Jordan: Are you saying gossip's not good? 

Lauran: Yeah. 

Jordan: Wow. Look at that life lesson. 

Lauran: The rumor that you started was that certain wealthy American businessmen had been funding rebel groups to create unrest and force the US government to seize even more land.

Jordan: Wow. That sounds like that really could have happened and been truthful all along. 

Lauran: That would be crazy. Yeah. Arcadia Bandini using her elite social network, spreads the word at high society gatherings, ensuring the right people hear the rumor at the right time. Heck 

Andrea: yeah. 

Lauran: See, so not only do you need someone to create the rumor, but she need someone to distribute the rumor.

Jordan: Yeah. 

Lauran: So that makes you guys the, the powerful perfect. Team. Team. I 

Jordan: like that. Yeah. 

Lauran: Yeah. 

Jordan: I also don't think rumor's the right word here. That just [00:41:00] sounds like the truth. 

Lauran: I mean, nobody needs to know that. Yeah. Right. Well, on top of creating rumors, you guys also forged some evidence. Uh, you, uh, some forged e evidence conveniently surfaces a letter with a businessman's name on it that suggests he was in secret talks with the rebels.

Just so happens to appear, proof is right there. Yeah. What more do we need? 

Jordan: He used to be able to get away with so much back in the 18 hundreds. Oh 

Lauran: my God. Honestly, literally could get away with murder. Look 

Jordan: at this letter. It's from Doug. 

Andrea: Gus was not at fault.

Lauran: Well, let's check his IP address. What's that? Yeah, right. I have 

Jordan: no way to verify this, so it must be true. Yeah, 

Lauran: exactly. Literally. Alright, so the US government believes the story fearing a conspiracy against them. Yay. Officials launch an investigation [00:42:00] into several powerful businessmen pulling focus away from you.

The accused businessmen are arrested without concrete proof of their innocence. They're disgraced, and their influence in Los Angeles is shattered. Wait, isn't it innocent until proven guilty? 

Andrea: No, not back then. Especially not now either. I was gonna say, not now 

Lauran: either. Yeah. Pico and Arcadia Bandini become heroes.

Yeah, we do. The government thanks them for exposing the plot, cementing them as loyal figures in the city's leadership. You now hold absolute power over Los Angeles's land with your biggest rivals out of the way. You both become two of the most influential landowners in California history. However, not everyone is convinced.

Some people suspect the truth, whispering that PO and Arcadia orchestrated everything to eliminate [00:43:00] competition. However, with no proof, they can't act against you. 

Jordan: Wait, they don't just wanna fabricate proof like we did. Yeah. See, why? Why are you guys 

Lauran: right? Why are you guys innocent until proven guilty, but not the businessmen we have.

You have money 

Jordan: all the land in. 

Andrea: That's true. All the land, all the money. Don't they have money? 

Jordan: Yeah. The real baller here at the end would be to give away some of the land and just start handing out stuff. Look how powerful and rich we are. We're giving away land. 

Lauran: Arcadia's just over here. I couldn't do anything like I'm possibly 

Andrea: do anything wrong.

Lauran: Just here for the parties and the US government will now watch you more closely. 

Jordan: Yeah. But we did everything. Yeah, I was gonna 

Lauran: say like, now you guys could retire from your life of crime and Yeah. Right. Just relax at this point, point, I'm done doing it. Right? 

Jordan: Mm-hmm. 

Lauran: All right. So the, as a final outcome you guys took over Los Angeles through Cunning Deception [00:44:00] and Strategic Alliances, you secured your legacy in the founding of Los Angeles.

The where the railway project now moves forward, but under your terms mm-hmm. The city will grow exactly the way you want it to, and your names will forever be tied to its history. So. In our version of the story history remembers Pio Pico as the last great California leader. Okay, so it was California.

Andrea: Yeah. It must be people that were Mexican and then became, I guess, or like stayed after it became the us. 

Lauran: Yeah, that that makes sense. A man who played the, who played the Americans at their own game and kept control of his lands longer than almost anyone else. Haha. Arcadia. Ba. I always wanna say Ballardini.

Like Ballerini, like Kelsey Ballerini. Yeah. Arcadia Bandini is remembered as one of the wealthiest and most influential women in California's early days shaping Los Angeles into a city of [00:45:00] power, wealth, and political intrigue. Heck yeah. But history doesn't always tell the whole truth, and your rivals never saw it coming.

Awful. So I I love that. Now you guys are like the leaders of LA with all of your land. Yeah. Uh, so did you ever give the, uh, Mexican land owners 

Andrea: their land back? Listen, there's a lot of things that might happen in the future. We just, there's a lot of business that we have to do first. 

Jordan: It is the most corporate answer I've ever heard.

Lauran: Okay. So what actually happened in history is that P Pico really did lose much of his land. Oh, P I'm so sorry. Yeah. I'm sorry. Pio due to American policies, but he fought hard to maintain power. 

Jordan: I hope I made him [00:46:00] proud then. I 

Lauran: think you did. Yeah, he is. He is just looking down on you. And smiling upon your mountains of land.

Jordan: Yay. 

Lauran: Arcadia did become one of the wealthiest landowners in California influencing the city's development. So a Arcadia, you actually reached your, crushed it. Your destiny crushed it. Look at that ac it. There we go. A hundred percent. 

Andrea: I'm actually very curious now about the actual woman and how she ended up being so wealthy in that time and actually holding any kind of power in that time.

Because that's rare that that's rare. And what a like, wild time to try like the building of a city in an undeveloped Los Angeles and all of that. Like that is wild to think about. 

Lauran: Yeah. So I'm gonna have to, I'm gonna have to do some information digging on Arcadia. So the railway and the land disputes shaped early Los Angeles, but in real life, Mexican landowners were actually slowly [00:47:00] pushed out by the American government.

Which is not great. Not great. Yeah. 

Andrea: Not great. 

Lauran: No. And seen across 

Andrea: history every time. 

Lauran: I was gonna say, it's not the, they're not the only ones that were pushed out of their land. I definitely 

Jordan: Not a trend that. 

Lauran: No, no. So, um, so yeah. So not only do we have to apologize now to the indigenous people of this land, but also Mexican, uh, individuals who were pushed out of their land.

Yeah, yeah. You know, when are we gonna learn, stop shoving people off their land? Don't do that. Don't do that. Just purchase it. Don't fair and square. Just don't. If you really want it that badly, be rich and buy their land. Just be rich. And if you can't, oh, 

Andrea: there's a message for.

Is it so, God, why weren't you rich? People we're really gonna legitimately think I have money and [00:48:00] I, dude, 

Lauran: dude, let us be clear. Uh, we're teachers, we're teachers. Now, professor, granted, we are also content creators, so we do have secondary sources of income. Yes. However, I am in no way in that kind of tax bracket where I could buy someone's land.

I could not, I could, I'm, I still have a mortgage. I cannot even Yeah. Buy my own whole house. So, yeah. 

Andrea: The most extravagant thing I have is, is that I have a student come and clean my car every other month. That is my extravagance right now. So we're not, I'm not in that baldini, uh, level. 

Lauran: Nah, we're, we're not at the same level as Arcadia.

She's right. She's transcended our financial wealth. Right. Um, okay. So, uh. How we changed history. Our strategy ensured that PO and Arcadia kept their land and influence making them undisputed [00:49:00] rulers of early Los Angeles instead of losing out to the Americans. Love it. So I, I, given that statement, I'm going to assume that Arcadia was also Mexican.

Yeah, that's what it sounds like. So, yeah. So in this case, the, the Mexican. Landowners kept their land and actually influenced more of Los Angeles. 

Andrea: Yeah. So you were asking how we were helping Mexican landowners. We are Mexican landowners. We, by helping ourselves, are helping Mexican landowners. 

Lauran: There you go.

Uh, we erased our biggest rivals from history and secured, total se, total control of the city's early development. So those guys, they just gone, we just got them arrested. Mm-hmm. Forged some documents, you know? 

Jordan: Mm-hmm. Cutthroat business, man. Yeah. Yeah. It's, it's just business. Yeah. Shrewd. Wait till the eighties come around man.

Whew. 

Lauran: Wolf of Wall Street. Yeah. The US government still built this railway, but you [00:50:00] guys decided on the terms instead of their own terms. Nice. Okay, so we did end up looking up Arcadia and, uh, this is a little bit about her. So a Arcadia Bandini Sterns Baker was born into one of the wealthiest and most, most influential California families in Mexican, California.

Her wealth came from several key sources. One. Family wealth and land ownership. She was born in 1825 to, to Juan Bandini, a wealthy landowner merchant and politician in Mexican, California. The Bandini family owned large ranches and properties across Southern California, including land that would later become part of Los Angeles and San Diego because land was the most valuable resource in early California.

Families like the Bandini accumulated wealth through cattle ranching, agriculture and strategic marriages. And then here's where it gets a little weird and kind of grody. [00:51:00] I'm a victim. Yeah, you're, you're definitely a child victim. Uh, so unfortunately, Arcadia. At just 14 years old. Ugh. That makes me cringe.

That's a 

Jordan: little young. Oh, it's very young. I was gonna say very young. 

Lauran: Yeah. It's the, it's the age of Romeo and Juliet also. Mm-hmm. Yep. Arcadia. Married Abel Stearns, a wealthy American businessman who had become one of the largest landowners in California. Stearns was a major land speculator and cattle rancher controlling large sections of California or Southern Cal, California, including parts of what is now Los Angeles, orange County, and Riverside.

Jordan: Man, I wish my job could be land speculation. Yeah, just 

Lauran: peculate some land. 

Jordan: That looks like a good piece of land. 

Lauran: I'll take it. 

Jordan: That Boulder. I like that Boulder. 

Lauran: Uh, but this marriage was important to them because Abel Sterns was one of the [00:52:00] richest men in California at the time. So I mean, although she became a child bride, which is gross, um mm-hmm.

She did marry into wealth. Uh, I dunno if that was her choice though, which gives me the, the heebie-jeebies. So 

Andrea: cannot imagine. It was, 

Lauran: no, I don't also imagine that it was, he bought huge amounts of land during the Mexican and early American periods. Through this marriage, Arcadia gained access to immense financial and political power.

So it sounds like at least she was like, you know, Hey, if I gotta be married to this dude and I'm 14 years old, at least I can benefit from it. Right. I guess I'm still grossed out by the child bride thing. 

Andrea: That's pretty bad. Yeah. We don't know how, how old he is, but too old. Okay. Wait, because it sounds like he has power already.

I was No. Yeah. Saying knowing 

Jordan: the marriages back then, he was definitely not around the same age, so no, he 

Andrea: wasn't 14 and. Land speculating. 

Lauran: No. But after he died in 1871, Arcadia inherited much of his estate, including [00:53:00] vast amounts of land across Southern California. She continued to invest in land in Los Angeles.

As it grew in the late 18 hundreds, uh, the value of her properties actually skyrocketed, which made her become one of the wealthiest women in California. And she actually controlled key areas like downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, and Beverly Hills, which would all be developed later on. No, you 

Jordan: picked the hotspots.

Mm-hmm. Yeah. 

Lauran: Yeah. And then get this, you're not a widow 'cause you had a second marriage. Oh. To Colonel Robert Baker, which gave her even more land, including the Rancho San Vien, Vicente and Santa Monica, which later became part of Modern Day Santa Monica. So. Long, long story short, Arcadia had some very strategic relationships in her life that obviously afforded her the wealth.

However, she seemed like, although she was given this wealth at birth, she didn't squander, [00:54:00] it seemed like she continued to invest in land to grow that wealth. Mm-hmm. Yeah. So she girl bossed her way to the top. Yeah. Yeah. I'm gonna, I'm gonna choose, she's choose an OG girl Boss. Yeah. I'm gonna choose to believe that she was a girl boss.

Yeah, I agree. So go Arcadia. Go Arcadia. Love that. Yeah. Alright, well I, I hope you had fun playing this game 'cause you killed it. Thank you. You just, you made so many interesting and strategic and sneaky choices and I love it so much. It was, it was a trip. 

Andrea: Yeah, it was fun. Yeah. And I am notoriously bad at history, so it is one of those where it's like, EV couldn't, couldn't have told you anything, even though I grew up in San Diego, like couldn't have told you one teeny tiny piece of the founding of Los Angeles or San Diego.

'cause I have no idea. So 

Lauran: neither could I. But that's what I love about this game is because every time we play it, we learn more stuff. Yeah. [00:55:00] And I had no, like, I had no clue. I'm from Ohio. Like I had no clue how Los Angeles was founded or the fact that there were people pushed off their land for them to do so and all that.

You know, I usually think 

Jordan: in our history, that's just a safe guess. 

Lauran: I mean, it is. Yeah. That's just a safe, unfortunately. But I didn't know that, so that's interesting to find out. Yeah. Well, uh, before we go, I know you have some cool stuff you're working on. So do you wanna share some of that with our, our listeners?

Andrea: Yes. So we have the second season of my podcast. Those who can't do, which maybe might have a new name, maybe won't, we'll have to wait and see that is gonna be coming out in the next few weeks and we're very, very excited about that. It's gonna be so fun. Um, and then I actually have some live shows that I'm gonna be doing.

Ooh, Ooh, very exciting. So I have, um, Kansas City, I'm gonna be doing at the [00:56:00] end of May at the Funny Bone. 

Jordan: Awesome. Um. 

Andrea: And then I've got June 7th, I'm gonna be in San Diego at Mic Drop Comedy. Um, and those are like just solo standup shows. And then, um, I'm also doing the Teacher's Lounge, which is a comedy tour with myself and Gasper Randazzo and Phil Lindsay.

Um, hilarious. Oh my gosh. They crack me up. Um, and we're gonna be starting that up probably in August, um, and gonna be hitting a bunch of cities. So lots of things kind of going on right now, but, um, yeah, it was, it was so fun coming on today. Thank you guys so much for having me. Yeah. 

Lauran: Yeah. I loved being on your show before too.

I was like, I was really nervous because I think that was the first time we'd ever like met in person, but not in person. Right. Was it, did you come on my podcast 

Andrea: before we met in? I think so. I. For? Yeah, I think, I think that's right. Think I think so. Yeah. I think I had you on the [00:57:00] podcast and it was early days.

Yeah. And so we were still like figuring out the format and all of that stuff. And then was like, then we met in California 

Lauran: afterward. 

Andrea: Yeah, yeah, yeah. So it's crazy. 

Lauran: It was, yeah. It's so crazy to see like, the evolution of our friendship. Right. I, I love you. I love having you on the show. It's been so fun. And I think you're hilarious.

So everyone needs to go check out Educator Andrea on all her socials and you'll get to hear fun things about her life and things that she hears her students say. And I, I can appreciate that because I like making content like that, so. That's right. It's my favorite. So you should go check it out too. But thank you for being here today.

Thank you. Yeah. We'll be right back guys.

Alright. And we're back. Yay. That was fun. That was fun. 

I liked how Andrea negotiated by bribery 

negotiated. Yeah. I, I was choosing my words 

carefully. And then I just laid down the hammer with the bribery. But I mean, [00:58:00] hey, you gotta, sometimes you gotta shake and bake. In our 

Jordan: crazy world, sometimes you have to grease some palms to, to, I don't know where that's going.

That's just it. Sometimes you 

Lauran: have to grease some palms, you know? I like that. 

Jordan: Nice. Nice. Short and terse to the point. 

Lauran: I like that we finally did an episode, um, of past to the future where we made some not great decisions. 

Jordan: Yeah. But you know what? I think in the grand scheme of things, 

Lauran: we were the heroes.

You were 

Jordan: so, 

Lauran: but behind closed doors, maybe not to everyone. The world may never know. 

Jordan: Well, what we definitely learned is that you could just write letters and say, Hey, here's a piece of evidence. 

Lauran: They'll definitely believe it and they'll 

Jordan: believe you. 

Lauran: Exactly. They'll definitely believe you. Well, you can let us know what you [00:59:00] thought of this, uh, historical adventure this time around.

Where at You can go to we are fine pod.com and let us know. You can also find our human content family at Instagram and TikTok at Human Content Pods. Or you can also email us at hello at we are find pod.com. Love to hear your feedback. If there's any particular historical events that maybe you wanna hear us do, uh, or even some historical figures you wanna hear incorporated into some of these adventures, I would like to hear those.

Jordan: That would be fun. 

Lauran: It would be fun. And you could also visit my YouTube channel, Mrs. William Fifth, to watch our full episodes if you prefer to see our lovely faces. There's 

Jordan: also now a video component on Spotify there that you can check out too. So a hundred 

Lauran: percent. Well, thank you for listening. We're your house, Lauren, Lauren and Jordan 

Jordan: Wooley.

Uh, this show has been executive produced by Lauren and Jordan Woolley. Aaron Corny. [01:00:00] Rob Goldman Ashanti Brook. 

Lauran: Special thank you to our guest today, Andrea Comb. Our 

Jordan: editor is Andrew Sims. 

Lauran: Our engineer is Jason Porto, and the music is by Ooma Bens v. To learn about our program, disclaimer and ethics, policy and submission verification and licensing terms, go to we are fine pod.com or reach out to us at Hello at we are fine pod.com With any questions and concerns, 

Jordan: we are fine as a human content production.

Bam,

we are.

Lauran: Hey you. 

Jordan: Hey, I love that shirt you're wearing. And you know what would go great with that shirt? What a nice big virtual hug. And you can get that by hitting some of these buttons down here. Subscribe, like, comment, we'll give you a big old virtual [01:01:00] hug. 

Lauran: Thank you so much for listening, and we will see you guys next Wednesday.

Bye.