Episodes
Friday Dec 29, 2017
Friday Dec 29, 2017
It’s (finally) the end of 2017. We’ll give the year a big C-YA and look forward to 2018. It’s a little more casual talk today. Sean and Kevin talk about the year gone by, the holidays, and Sean’s on-going saga with buying a new camera lens. You’ll probably hear kids and Minecraft in the background; and, those long silences will be Sean staring at the new poster he put up in the wee hours of the morning. And who is the third most famous groundhog in PA? You can find out! All that and more on today’s podcast.
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Thanks to all of our members, contributors, listeners, readers, and supporters! Have a safe and happy New Year! Here's to keeping the fight going strong in 2018!
Friday Dec 22, 2017
Friday Dec 22, 2017
We have a special Out d'Coup Xtra for you as the New Year fast approaches. Today Sean and I are joined by Amanda Morris and Colleen Clemens from Inside 254 Podcast! It's our first-ever collaborative podcast and it's a good one! We talk about recent allegations of sexual misconduct in Pennsylvania state government and the need to hold the PA Democratic Party to account for its role in perpetuating a culture of repressive sexism. We also talk about why its necessary to start by believing the women who are speaking out against sexual misconduct and a toxic sexist culture. As more pressure is brought to bear on state and national legislators, we see hope in organizing efforts emerging in communities across the state.
Be sure to check out Inside 254 and consider becoming a patron or making a donation to support their awesome work.
You can also support all the work we do at Raging Chicken by becoming a member today!
Friday Dec 15, 2017
Friday Dec 15, 2017
Roy Moore. You and the horse you rode in on. Tom Perez, Chair of the DNC, still framing politics in Wall Street language. Says he’s “bullish” about Dems chances of taking back the Senate in the wake of Doug Jones’s win in Alabama. Charles Barkley having none of it. The tax bill is a done deal - or is it? Republicans with presidential hopes put on a good show to get minor adjustments to the bill. I’m betting they come around after they get the spotlight for a couple of days. Chair of the FCC, Ajit Pai, drinks from his stupid big Reese’s mug after killing net neutrality on Thursday. And can we talk about his Daily Caller video? I didn’t realize a 13-year-old is running the FCC. Disney is already positioning itself for a post-net neutrality landscape, buying a big chunk of 21st Century Fox. I think it’s time to start talking about the Internet at a public asset. Maybe we should take a look at what they’re doing in Chattanooga. And Paul Ryan wants women to live up to their potential and start having more kids.
Daylight is coming to Harrisburg Capitol. That’s according to State Representative Leanne Krueger-Braneky. Krueger-Braneky and a bipartisan group of women introduce a package of bills designed to go after a culture of harassment in the Capitol. In an article this week, Jan Murphy of the Patriot-News seems to be forecasting the coming storm of #MeToo allegations in the State Capitol. Pittsburgh DSA does not endorse John Fetterman or any other Democratic Party candidate seeking their support. What a difference a year makes for emerging left politics in the state. PA House passes SB3, the 20-week abortion ban. Wolf promises a veto. Paycheck deception bill fails. We’ll have to wait until the Supreme Court decision to really gut union power.
In today’s last call, we bring back more space news! Sean brought back Voyager last week. This week we’ve got space manufacturing, Elon Musk’s car, and lunar bases! Woo Hoo. Kevin has an awesome lunch at Saucony Creek along with pogo sticks, hoverboards, and misfit toys. And, a new edition of the podcast was hatched. Free Will has got Safeword in cans! Sean saddles up for a busy holiday season at Pizza Boy.
Friday Dec 08, 2017
Friday Dec 08, 2017
Trump is working hard to ignite an all-out war in the Middle East. It will be a great war, a fantastic war. California wildfires continue to rage with little containment in a dystopia window into our climate future. Irony abounds as climate-change denying Rupert Murdoch’s $30 million home burns to the ground. Sam Seder, the host of the Majority Report, is fired by MSNBC, after alt-right troll, Mike Cernovich tried to use a tweet Seder wrote in 2009 to discredit him. By Thursday, MSNBC reversed course saying they had messed up to cave to alt-right troll misinformation. Shout out the Majority Report crew for letting us use the sound clip from Jamie Peck for our intro music today. Rep. John Conyers and Senator Al Franken resign following sexual harassment and/or assault allegations. Republican Rep. Trent Franks resigns following revelations that he tried to get staffers to carry his baby as a surrogate. House ethics probe begins to look into Republican Rep. Blake Farenthold after it was revealed that he used $84,000 of taxpayer money to settle a sexual harassment suit brought by his former communications director. Meanwhile, the Republican Party throws its full support behind Roy Moore in Alabama. And, not one peep about the assaulter-in-chief. Koch brothers tax strategy memo leaked. “Avoid getting distracted” on the deficit, their counsel. And, net neutrality protests took place around the country yesterday. Get ready for “Break the Internet” on December 12.
Pennsylvania state Rep. Daryl Metcalfe went off the rails this week. He used a state committee hearing to come out as a heterosexual. We thought he deserved his very own remix (click here to listen). Oh, yeah, Metcalfe warns that the “illegal aliens” are coming. PA Student Power Network continues to build momentum for their Free College Campaign with a Free College Town Hall yesterday at the Community College of Philadelphia. They are Dark money beginning to do its work in the state. Koch brothers funded Campus Reform targets Kutztown University faculty member for encouraging students to attend tax bill rally. FreedomWorks and the Commonwealth Foundation caught using union busters to support Paycheck Deception legislation. Pennsylvania House Republicans attempted to strip health care coverage from members of the transgender community this week, but it got derailed. A
In space news, Voyager fires its thrusters successfully for the first time in over 37 years. NASA had to wait for nearly 19 hours to find out - kind of like a taste of a post-net-neutrality world. Kevin deals with his depression from not being able to attend SpaceCom this past week. Free Will released “Stay Tuned,” a nice imperial stout. And This Sunday they are hosting a Beer and Breakfast with Santa event with food from Down to Earth Cafe.
Friday Dec 01, 2017
Friday Dec 01, 2017
Republican #TaxScam is delayed, but not dead. We are on the brink of significant changes to American society, folks. If the GOP gets this, they also get legal status for fetuses and allow churches to become arms of conservative politicians. Rubio admits that once #TaxScam is passed Republicans are coming for Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare. Net Neutrality scheduled to be destroyed on December 14 thanks to former Verizon lawyer turned FCC chair, Ajit Pai. Fight for the Future, Demand Progress, and Free Press Action Fund calling for protests at Verizon stores around the country on December 7. Go to VerizonProtests.com for an action near you.
Former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn gets charged with making false statements, lying to the FBI. Does this mean that Flynn is now cooperating? Don Blankenship, Former CEO of Massey Energy and criminally responsible for the deaths of 29 miners at the Upper Big Branch Mine in West Virginia, now running for U.S. Senate for that state against Joe Manchin. And, Roy Moore is gaining ground in Alabama. That right, the child predator may actually make it to the Senate. Looks like Rex Tillerson - aka Wayne Tracker - is out at the head of the state department. Bring in the deep state. This follows reports that Tillerson is doing an excellent job of gutting the state department as more senior staffers leave or are forced out. Matt Lauer’s out at NBC and now wants $30 million. And Maleficent pays a special visit to the White House to decorate for the holidays. Or was it the Ice Queen? Depends on the time of day I guess.
The New York Times was at the center of a major controversy surrounding their profile of a white nationalist. Sean and I go deep into the issues surrounding both the article and the controversy. And Turning Point USA - an astroturfed, billionaire-backed, right-wing organization begins showing up on Pennsylvania college campuses. Kudos to some awesome reporting form a student journalist at IUP. Wonder who’s going to this year’s Turning Point USA Student Action Summit at the end of the semester? Gorka will be there! Sean gives us the lowdown on last week’s Capitol action by March on Harrisburg.
And it’s beer holiday time! Free Will have a tent at tomorrow’s Perkasie tree lighting. Saucony Creek wins with their first crowler event. New beers out from Pizza Boy as the holiday season gets underway.
Friday Nov 24, 2017
Out d'Coup Xtra | Noam Chomsky Interview from November 22, 2011
Friday Nov 24, 2017
Friday Nov 24, 2017
We didn’t want to leave you without a show this week, so we decided to give you a bit of a treat for Thanksgiving. Today you’re going to hear our first Raging Chicken interview from back in November 2011. Raging Chicken Press was just about four months old, but we were able to score an interview the day after he spoke at Kutztown University for World Philosophy Day.
We talked about the Occupy Movement - then in its second month of occupations around the country; social movements in the wake of the Tea Party victories and the Wisconsin Uprising; and the role of the university in social movements.
I’ll warn you ahead of time that the audio is less than stellar. Frankly, we were learning on the fly and our interview location was really noisy. But, still, it was a great talk that we wanted to share with you again as left political organizing is on the rise.
Monday Nov 20, 2017
Monday Nov 20, 2017
It's an uncharacteristically short Out d'Coup today. AND it's a Monday? What's up with that? We talk a bit about the Paradise Papers. Koch brothers throw in $500 million in bid to purchase Time, Inc. Sinclair Media basically writes the regulations to build a right-wing media network to challenge Fox - from the RIGHT. Republican Tax Plan amounts to another massive redistribution of income and wealth to the top fraction of the 1%.
Wishing Colleen Clemens a Happy Birthday! Check out her Raging Chicken article and interview on Out d'Coup Xtra! PA Student Power Network continues it's organizing for free tuition. March on Harrisburg readies for a day of direct action in the PA Capitol. And, believe it or not, the PA GOP has tapped Rick "Godly Heritage" Saccone to run in a special election for the disgraced Tim Murphy out in western Pennsylvania.
Sean tells a riveting tale of trying to get a glass of "wooder" at a bar. Some great local beer for Thanksgiving holidays from Free Will and Saucony Creek. No live show next week, but we just might have a pretty cool surprise for you!
End of the year membership special: Chris Robé’s book, Breaking the Spell: A History of Anarchist Filmmakers, Videotape Guerrillas, and Digital Ninjas, is our pick to close out 2017 and we're adding it to our bookshelf. You can too. Now through the end of the year, we will send your very own copy of Breaking the Spell if you become a member of Raging Chicken Press at the $10/month level. And, we'll send you some cool swag too! Become a member of Raging Chicken Press today!
Friday Nov 10, 2017
Friday Nov 10, 2017
It's another Members Only edition of Raging Chicken's Out d'Coup podcast. We get into the possibilities of taking back the PA house in 2018; the potential impact of a renewed labor activism; and why not sing Solidarity Forever together for once? Thanks to all our members! Want into the Coup? Become a member of Raging Chicken Press for as little as $5/month RIGHT HERE.
Now through the end of 2018, you can get a copy of Chris Robé's new book, Breaking the Spell: A History of Anarchist Filmmakers, Videotape Guerrillas, and Digital Ninjas by becoming a member of Raging Chicken at the $10/month level. We interviewed Chris for an Out d'Coup Xtra earlier this week. You can check out that interview HERE.
Friday Nov 10, 2017
Friday Nov 10, 2017
On today’s show, we’ve got our election day wrap up as Democrats and DSA members win big in Pennsylvania and across the country. Alabama Senate Republican candidate Roy Moore called out for sexually assaulting minors when he was the assistant District Attorney. Alabama State Auditor Jim Ziegler says it’s just like Joseph and Mary. Why is Chuck Schumer “looking out” for his “Republican friends.” Donna Brazile’s book continues to piss off Democrats. Huge electoral wins across the country. Big wins in Virginia, including a huge win by Lee Carter - a proud DSA member - who toppled VA Majority Whip, Republican Jackson Miller. Danica Roem became the first-ever transgender woman to be elected to state-wide office in VA. She beat out the crusty Republican, Robert Marshall, who was the leading voice behind the discriminatory bathroom bills targeting transgender men and women. Virginia Democrats also come close to flipping the House of Delegates. We’ll run through some of the huge wins by DSA members and Our Revolution endorsed candidates. Lots of reverse coattails this election. How significant are these wins? We’ll talk about this more on today’s members-only show.
Chester County and Delco Democrats win historic elections. Lehigh Valley Democrats win big. Both Pittsburgh DSA endorsed candidates win local judge races. Former Green Party member Michael Helfrich becomes the next mayor of York - winning on the Republican ticket. Shout out to Raging Chicken’s newest writer, Vanessa Baker, for her reporting on that race. “Unelectable” Larry Krasner wins HUGE - 40 point win against Republican Beth Grossman. Dr. Colleen Clemens from our friends over at Inside 254 podcast is now getting trolled by right-wing freaks after she tweets about “toxic masculinity” following the horrific shooting in Texas this past weekend. Following her interview with the Washington Free Beacon, she has now been targeted by Infowars, Daily Wire, and other publications sponsored by the demons of the deep.
Lots of beer news from Brewed and Bottled Craft Beer Shop on the New York/Canadian border. Shout out to Beer Belly Deli & Pub in Syracuse for the awesome grub and freshly tapped cask samples. Free Will releasing their annual cancer awareness collab, Saison de Rose this week. Lord Business will be hitting shelves soon. Saucony Creek hit their crowdfunding goal. Full steam ahead for their first ever crowler release. Pizza Boy released Eternal Sunshine, Doughboy, and Trung Latte this week. That an so much more.
Friday Nov 03, 2017
Friday Nov 03, 2017
It's here, folks! Our first-ever member's only podcast extra. Today, Sean and I talk about his recent article, "Dickinson Student Shows Up as Colin Kaepernick in Blackface for Halloween" and some right-wing trolls. Let us know what you think!