Podcasts about coffee with comrades

Episode Summary This week on Live Like the World is Dying, we have a short story about prepping called "Blood, Soil, & Frozen TV Dinners" by Matthew Dougal. It's a parody about two right-wing preppers who are faced with a collapse in society. After the story, there's an interview with the author about prepping mentalities and writing. This episode was reposted from the Strangers in a Tangled Wilderness podcast. The story can be read at tangledwilderness.org. Host Info Inmn can be found on Instagram @shadowtail.artificery Reader The Reader is Bea Flowers. If you would like to hear Bea narrate other things, or would like to get them to read things for you check them out at https://voicebea.wixsite.com/website Publisher Info This show is published by Strangers in A Tangled Wilderness. We can be found at www.tangledwilderness.org, or on Twitter @TangledWild and Instagram @Tangled_Wilderness. You can support the show on Patreon at www.patreon.com/strangersinatangledwilderness. Theme music The theme song was written and performed by Margaret Killjoy. You can find her at http://birdsbeforethestorm.net or on twitter @magpiekilljoy Transcript Live Like the World is Dying: “Blood, Soil, & Frozen TV Dinners” with Matthew Dougal **Inmn ** 00:16  Hello, and welcome to Live Like the World is Dying, your podcast for what feels like the end times. I'm your host today, Inmn Neruin, and today we have something a little different. I host another podcast called Strangers in a Tangled Wilderness where every month we take a zine that Strangers puts out and turn it into an audio feature and do an interview with the author. We had a two-part feature called Blood, Soil, and Frozen TV Dinners by Matthew Dougal, and it is a short story about prepping from a very strange perspective, that of two right-wing preppers facing a mysterious collapse of society. This short story is a parody and I promise that the two main pov characters are not the heroes of the tale. It's a fun story and I do an interview with Matthew afterward about prepping mentalities, fiction, and other neat stuff. If you like this episode, check out my other podcast that this is featured from. I did not re-record the outro, so you'll get a little taste of Margaret playing the piano, because she wrote the theme music for the Strangers podcast. You'll also get to hear our wonderful reader, Bea Flowers narrate the story. Follow along with the transcript or at Tangledwilderness.org where you can read all of our featured zines for free. But before all of that, we are a member of the Channel Zero Network of anarchist podcasts and here's a jingle from another show on that network.  [sings a simple melody] **Bea ** 02:49 “Blood, Soil, & Frozen TV Dinners” by Matthew Dougal. Read by Bea Flowers. Published by Strangers in a Tangled Wilderness.  Katie sat, wide-eyed, beneath the kitchen table and hugged her knees to her chest. She was shaking, vibrating visibly. Tanner put his finger to his lips and prayed that her silent tears would remain just that. There was no time to stop and calm her down. Not again. He moved slowly around the kitchen, fumbling through cupboards and pulling out pre-wrapped packages of food. Always be prepared. Tanner had practiced this before things went dark, but it was different doing it for real. His hands hadn't been so shaky, back then.  A noise, on the porch. His body froze before his mind registered the sound. Tanner dropped into a crouch and crossed the room to the window, willing every cell in his body to radiate confidence toward his baby girl. His hand found the Glock 17 at his belt and he brought it up in front of him, the familiar feel of the grip reassuring. He took a breath, steadied himself, and raised his eyes to the level of the windowsill. The muscles in his thighs steeled and he remained, unblinking, utterly still, staring out into the darkness.  After thirty or forty nerve-twanging seconds, Tanner drew breath and relaxed. His quads were burning, and they thanked him as he straightened. He could hear the specter of his ex-wife in his head, telling him to lose some weight, exercise more… Well she'd left, and that was 135 pounds gone right there. She'd probably say that was a good start.   An unbearably loud ringing pierced the silence and sent him diving to the floor, landing awkwardly on his gun and sounding a crash through the kitchen. A keening whine came from under the table, Katie shaken from her silence.  The doorbell.  Feeling foolish, Tanner twisted over his shoulder and hissed at his daughter to be quiet. Still prone, he crawled toward the hallway in the most reassuring manner he could manage and pointed his Glock at the front door.  Footsteps outside, then a shadow appeared at the window. Tanner's heart pounded in his ears—more violent pulses of silence than sound—and his vision blurred as panic flooded his body. He'd heard the early reports of armed groups in the streets, some sort of fighting downtown, but he hadn't really believed they would come here. His legs were weak, and he silently thanked God that he was already on the floor. The shape at the window didn't move, frozen in the gloom, silhouetted by flickering light coming from the street. As Tanner's head cleared he tried to take stock of what was happening.  The apparition was vaguely man-shaped but shorter and slighter, an ethereal grace evident even in its stillness. A voice called out, muffled through the door, the guttural singsong completely at odds with the sleek form at the window. Tanner couldn't understand everything, but he thought he caught the words “little girl.” A second shape mounted the porch alongside the first, similarly short but squat and stocky, and grunted something to its companion in an alien tongue. Fluorescent light flooded the yard and the voices momentarily disappeared beneath the growl of an angry engine. Tanner's breath caught. His trembling finger hovered over the trigger and he willed the barrel to still its swaying dance. Two shots exploded outside—loud shots, from a much bigger gun than his. The creatures spun to face this new threat, their chatter rising in pitch and speed. They sounded panicked.  “yalla! hawula' alnaas majnoon.” Tanner sensed his opportunity. He was forgotten. All those hours of training kicked in and muscle memory took over as he rose to one knee, took a two-handed grip, and unleashed a furious hail of fire at his front door.  “Keep your filthy hands off my daughter!” He fired until he felt the Glock stop kicking, the magazine spent. As the cacophony faded he realized he was screaming.  “Tanner! It's me, Blake. Stop shooting goddammit, they're gone.”  “Blake?” Tanner mechanically reloaded his gun. “Why…” His throat was raw, his voice barely audible even to him. He swallowed, fighting to control his breath, and cleared his throat. “What are you doing here?”  “Come to see if you were okay. Figured you and the kid might need a hand.”  A stocky, heavily muscled figure wearing fatigues and a plate carrier stepped up to the porch, visible through the splintered ruins that had been the front door. A halogen glow lanced through the holes, like the brilliant aura of some kind of avenging eagle.  “When this shit spread across the river from the city we locked down. It was touch-and-go for a while, but things quieted down eventually. When they did, I came straight over. Good thing I got here when I did. The quick little fuckers ran for it, but I think you hit one of ‘em.”  The figure stopped, pulled down the red, white and blue bandana covering its mouth, and spat. Tanner had never been more relieved to see his buddy's foul-mouthed face. Or his M1A SOCOM 16 rifle.  “We're alright.” Tanner's voice was exhausted, his body shivering as the adrenaline fled. “Thank God I was prepared. Still, it's good to see you.”  “Prepared, shit.” His buddy grinned. “I been telling you for years to get something heavy duty.” Blake kicked the splintered remains of the door and his grin faded. “You can't stay here. Those things'll be back. Grab your girl and jump in the truck. Let's head to mine, she'll be safe there.” The grin returned.“Prepared, shit.”  An hour later they were sitting in “the Hole,” as Blake affectionately called it. The Hole was both name and description, although it perhaps undersold the amount of effort that had gone into its construction. Attached to the garage by a short, downward-sloping corridor, The Hole was a full-blown bunker that spread underneath almost the entirety of Blake's backyard. Tanner was sitting in the main chamber eating Top Ramen, chicken flavor.  They had made the half-mile journey in silence—lights down on the Tacoma, Tanner jumpy, Blake grim, Katie in a state of shock. The streets had looked completely foreign, the usual calming glow of LEDs replaced by the orange flicker of scattered flames. The familiar hum of traffic had been gone. Instead, gunfire had cracked in the distance.  Blake's wife Lauren had buzzed them inside after Blake confirmed his identity via video feed—three times: at the gate, the door, and the entrance to the Hole. The security was impressive. Lauren had ushered them inside, AR-15 at the ready. “This is prepared,” Blake was saying, as Katie stared blankly at her untouched ramen. “Old owners, they had this backyard full of fruit trees, vegetables, fuckin' kale and kohlrabi. What good is that gonna do, I said, you gonna hide in the pumpkin patch with a slingshot? Idiots.  “Anyhow me and Lauren, we wanted to be ready, so I been building this the last two years. Ain't no one knows about it, not even the contractors…” Blake sliced a finger across his throat, then laughed, “I'm joking, but they were from one of them Mexican countries. Had no idea what they were building. Good workers, though, came here the right way. And I did the security all myself.”  Tanner laughed too, but at what he didn't quite know. “You took this all real serious.”  “Yessir. You never really believed, but we did. Earl Swanson was right, this here's been a long time coming. It's just like he said, and we listened. And here we are, while you was laying on the floor waving round that little waterpistol of yours.”  Tanner had listened too, but apparently not well enough. There was only so much time he could watch an angry man on TV shouting about the state of the nation, no matter how prophetic he was turning out to be. Tanner tried to put up a strong front and flex his knowledge. He had listened, dammit.  “Is this it, then? The invasion? Earl said they've been preparing it for years, brainwashing people. Recruiting sympathizers and traitors…”  “It's worse than that. The invasion started way back, we just didn't notice. Well, most of us didn't. Earl did. He tried to warn us, that the aliens'd started infiltrating, landing in remote parts of the country, blending in, looking just like us…” Blake spat. “Well, not quite like us. But close e-fucking-nough, hiding out and biding their time.” “And now it's out in the open…” Tanner looked from his friend's face to his daughter's, scared and staring, and trailed off. He may have been listening, but he sure as hell didn't understand.  “What's happening?” Tanner asked. “We've been laying low at home, locked down and trying to wait out whatever this is. We haven't heard a thing since the power cut out three days back.”  He could feel a surge of emotion building, pent-up adrenaline and stress and fear and loneliness rolling over him in a wave as they were released. His stoicism wobbled.  “We're… Katie's scared and confused, and tired and sick of hiding and we're all alone! What is all this? What's happening?” Tanner realized he was shouting and stopped, taking a deep breath and lowering his voice. “Blake, man, what the hell is going on?” Blake never flinched, just ran his tongue over his teeth in thought while he watched Tanner's outburst through hooded eyes. “Naw, we don't know nothing for sure. Swanson's been off-air for two days, since just after shit started going down. Said he was right, that it sure as shit seemed like those aliens he'd been warning us about were making a move, and the whole fuckin' lot of us did nothing. Well, seems like it blew up in our face. Last thing he said was he's heading somewhere safe to keep broadcasting, and he'd let us know when he found out more,” Blake paused, sucked his teeth, “We've had the TV and radio on non-stop since then, since we fired the generator up. Nothing.”  Lauren lent forward. “There was something, couple days back…”  “Nothing useful,” Blake cut in. He spat. “Same old fuckin' commie stations, same old crap. They took over the channels, emergency broadcasting. Said there was a ‘protest.' Stay inside, all under control, daddy government's here, blah blah,” he laughed “Hell of a protest. More like an insurrection. Doublespeak bullshit.”  “So what's the plan? We hide out? Lay low? Wait for the military?”  “The troops ain't coming, chief.” Blake grimaced, “Alien tentacles go deep. Probably strolling around in general's stars by now, the politicians just handing over the keys. This President'll have us kissing their feet before dinner.  “Nah, if we wanna fight back we can't rely on that fuckin' bunch of secretaries and scribes. We hole up here, wait for instructions.” He laughed again, “Huh, hole up in the Hole. That's funny.”  That grin was starting to get on Tanner's nerves. “Instructions from who? How long is that gonna take? Who's gonna fight back against… this?” “I know some people, from back in the old days. Good people. There's still patriots out there who won't give up this country without a fight.”   Tanner still bristled with questions, but he was starting to feel relieved. There were people in charge, and they had a plan. That was something he could work with. “What if it takes weeks? Months? Do we have food for that long?” Blake settled further into his chair, grinned that cocky grin. “I do, don't know about you.” Before the words were even out of his mouth he was already raising his palms, “Chill out, I'm joking. I'll put it on your tab. You're a lawyer, I know you're good for it. Show him, babe.”  Lauren got up and went over to a large yellow flag hanging on the concrete wall, pulling it aside to reveal a long, narrow room that ended abruptly at a large steel door. She flicked on the light.  “Dry storage,” she said, gesturing at the shelves lining both walls. Packets of ramen, boxes of cereal, rows of whiskey, and gleaming stacks of cans stared down at Tanner. “And cold storage,” Lauren continued as she stepped over to the door, kicking aside two enormous tubs of supplements and pulling it open to reveal a walk-in freezer. Tanner followed her inside as she happily chatted away, showing everything off like a house-proud hen.  “We've got everything we need. Steaks, hotdogs, chili, hamburgers, mac and cheese, chicken parmesan, mashed potatoes--whatever you want. There's a well, too, over the other side, we had that dug last summer. Tastes a bit funny, but it won't hurt you.” Tanner was hardly listening. He had never seen anything like it, never imagined anything on this scale. Blake really had taken preparing for the end of the world seriously. The freezer room was filled, wall to wall, with a treasure trove of gourmet excess; thousands upon thousands of frozen TV dinners.  Tanner stared at his microwaved salmon filet, fries drooping from his fork. Out of habit he was eating in front of the TV with Katie, though the display hadn't changed in… however many days it had been. Just the red, white and blue logo, a tile flipping between ads for pillows, brain pills, and frozen food, and the same scrolling red banner:  Breaking: The United States of America is under attack. Stand by for updates.  Katie was poking at her food silently, barely eating. Still no appetite. Tanner had told her they were safe, told her he wasn't going to let anyone hurt her, told her a hundred times in different ways that she was his precious little girl and he would make sure she was okay. It had made no difference. She had just looked up at him with big, frightened eyes that pulled at Tanner's heart. The only time she had spoken in the past 24 hours was to ask why he had tried to shoot people. Of course she didn't understand. Maybe he should ask Lauren to talk to her.  The TV display glitched, blipped, flicked to static and then to black. Tanner shoveled the fries into his mouth and rubbed his eyes. He'd been staring at a blank TV for too long. He chewed and stretched, squeezing his eyes shut and trying to straighten out his aching back.  Earl Swanson was on TV. Tanner blinked a few times to make sure he was seeing straight. Swanson's shirt was wrinkled, his hair a mess and his signature bowtie slightly crooked, but his face wore that familiar expression of righteously indignant bewilderment. It was him.  “Blake. Blake, get in here!”  Swanson was in what looked like a large living room rather than his usual studio. Bookshelves and a TV cabinet were visible behind him. There were shadows under his eyes and his wrinkles were clearly visible without his usual TV makeup, but his eyes were as sharp as ever. There was a strength to them, piercing the screen, full of faith and fire. It felt like he was in the room. He looked like he'd been in a fight, and won. He was back.  “Good evening America, and welcome to Earl Swanson Tonight.” “Blake!” Blake stuck his head through the door.  “What? I'm working out, give me a…. No shit.” Blake stepped into the room. He was topless, breathing heavily. His stomach was shiny with sweat, pooling and running down the chiseled channels between his well-defined muscles before disappearing behind the low-riding waistband of his camo pants. Tanner realized he was staring and felt his cheeks flush as he snapped his eyes back to his friend's.  “Blake, it's--” “Shut up, I'm trying to listen.” The rebuke slapped Tanner back to the present and back to the TV. He surreptitiously sat a little straighter and sucked in his gut, trying to ignore the heat rising in his face. “...cities up and down the west coast. From Seattle to San Diego, the alien invaders and the traitors from among our own citizens have taken control, sowing chaos and destruction. Order has broken down, and anarchy rules in the streets. Yet we hear nothing but silence from the White House. The elites in Washington won't do anything about this -- they encouraged it. They caused it! “No, it is up to patriotic Americans to stop this existential threat. It is up to us, to you and me and the other patriots out there. If you value the American way of life, if you respect the principles that built the greatest nation ever imagined, if you care about your family and the future of your children, then the time has come to stand up. Your country needs you.  “I have been warning about this day on this very program for years. If you have been listening, you will be prepared for this betrayal. You know what to do. Find other true Americans who are ready to fight for our civilization and our culture. Defend our Western values against this attack by anarchists and aliens who wish to destroy us. They tried to take our guns from us, to disarm us, and failed -- now is the time to use them. Seek out the prepared, the militias, the heroes. Fight back. Show them that we will not allow it. “I will be moving to an undisclosed safe location so I can keep you informed. You know your job. I am doing my part, will you do yours?” Swanson sat erect and defiant, no less commanding for his disheveled appearance. His willpower flowed from the screen in waves, washing over the watchers. It was compelling. It was urgent. It was the only option.  The screen went black.  Swanson's gaze bored into Tanner long after the TV went dark, burning with righteous fire, lip curling with fury. The heat in Tanner's cheeks sharpened, focused, began to spread into his chest and throughout his body. There was only one thought in his mind. “We gotta go.” It took him a second to realize that Blake had spoken the words out loud.  “We do. But where? I don't know anyone like that.” “You know me, and I know people. Don't worry about that. We gotta go to Baker City. I talked to one of my buddies from the marines this morning, he's headed to join one of the militias out east. They might not be big, but they're hard. They're something.” Tanner looked at Blake blankly, unable to quite comprehend what he was being told. Days of no news, no action, now everything all at once.  “But what's in Baker City? Don't you know anyone here? This is where we live, where we have the Hole, where we have a safe base.”  Blake was clearly agitated, shifting from foot to foot.  “It's not safe. Weren't you listening? It's fallen. The military ain't doing jack, like I fuckin' told you they wouldn't.” Blake stopped bouncing and steadied himself. “But my buddy said the boys in Baker held out. It was bloody, but they held strong. If we can get there in a hurry, we can join a caravan heading for Boise.”  “Baker… Boise? What the… Boise?! Surely it's safer in Texas, or… or…”  “Texas? And how far away is that? Look, I don't know nothing about nothing, but I know I ain't looking for safer. All I know is I got buddies in Baker, and they say Boise, and they are the fuckin' resistance. We got our orders, soldier. “The west had been invaded. Destroyed. Gone. You heard Swanson, same as me. Grids are down, water's down, TV's down--mostly, anyway. Sky's half full of fire and smoke, gangs roaming the streets, traitors and aliens taking or breaking whatever they can get their thieving hands on.” Tears came to Blake's eyes.  “It's a fucking mess out there, buddy. Anarchy. They've burned the lot.” It was a lot to chew on. Tanner put a piece of salmon in his mouth.  “I'm not gonna let some filthy aliens take my home, fuck my wife, invade my country, and steal the god damn US of A! The fight is right there, and I'm gonna fight it. Are you?”  Tanner's brain was spinning, but his blood was still hot from Swanson's speech. Blake's fire, delivered standing there half-naked like a Steven Seagal action figure, was rousing something inside him. His country needed him, and he felt the call in his bones. He put down his fork. He swallowed. He rose.  “Of course I'll fight. I'll put a bullet in every alien who steps foot on American soil. I'll put every collaborator in the dirt.” He saw himself, next to Blake, riding shotgun as they made a fighting escape through the streets. He saw a heroic journey to Baker City, filled with danger and righteous violence. He saw a triumphant return, at the head of an army, cleansing his city with purifying flame. And he saw Katie, small and fragile and beautiful. Perfect, and terrified. The flame wavered.  “But I'm fighting for her,” Tanner gestured, “I got my little girl, and I'm not so red-hot on riding out guns blazing to meet these savages with her hanging off my arm. She's the future of this country, and that's a future we have to protect.”  To Tanner's surprise, Blake took a half step back.  “Shit. I know, man. Katie and Lauren, the innocent and the pure. I'm thinking of them, too.” He dropped his shoulders, but held Tanner's gaze. “But it's not safe for them here neither. We're on our own, and all hell has broken loose up top. We fight for them, and they are the reason we have to fight.” Tanner paused, then nodded. He reached out and placed his hand on his friend's shoulder, fingers gripping the sweaty skin.  “Let's go pack the truck.”  As the sun set and twilight brought a low fog creeping across the city, they piled into the Tacoma with as many frozen dinners as they could carry.  Tanner rode in back. Lauren was up front, AR at the ready, while Blake drove, M1A by his side and his Glock taped to the dash. Katie was at Tanner's side, curled up below the window and hidden from view, and Tanner watched over her with his own Glock and a borrowed Remington 870. They were all a little jumpy. He and Lauren had wanted to maintain a shoot-on-sight policy. Blake had been more cautious. According to Swanson, there would be plenty of people collaborating with the aliens. Lights out, engine low, and hopefully they could slip right on by.  No one knew what to expect—Tanner suspected they were all terrified. He certainly was. Even Blake had swapped out his flag bandana for a more understated camo print. He had stashed the red, white and blue fabric in the bed of the truck with the rest of their gear.     They pulled out into streets Tanner knew, but didn't. He had driven them every day, on the way to work, to Katie's school, to church, to the mall. The streets were as familiar as a cold Coke, yet now, in some important way, they were… different. As they left the Hole and drove through the suburb he couldn't quite put his finger on it, but once Blake reached the main street and turned past the bars and shops and take-out joints, it hit him.  The streets were dead. The cars were gone. The steady flow of traffic, of people living their lives, had stopped. The parking lot in front of the drug store was empty; so was the one behind the bar. The convenience store, normally ticking over with a steady stream of customers buying cigarettes and beer, was dark behind its windows. Unintelligible graffiti in some alien script covered the ads for energy drinks, an expression of mindless violence across someone's hard work.  A light rain had started, misting around them and adding to the dreariness. A billboard loomed overhead, the lights that illuminated the Colgate-bright smiles of the models now permanently dark. Tanner was glad—the gloom obscured the flame-scarred destruction streaking the toothpaste company's perfect white message. “Disgusting,” Blake spat. He looked like he wanted to say more but pulled up short, shocked at the sudden sound of his own voice. His eyes focused back on the road and he fell into uneasy silence. The truck continued its crawl down the deserted street, barely clocking 20 miles an hour. Even at that speed, the low growl of the engine seemed unbearably loud as it reverberated among the carcasses of commerce and ricocheted down abandoned side streets.  They kept driving, and nothing kept happening. It was torturous. Every minute of unbroken inactivity twisted the crank on the tension in the car, until the unceasing hum of the engine began to seep into Tanner's brain. Every muscle in his arms and legs, primed and waiting and ready to spring, began to tremble, and his eyes focused and unfocused on nothing at all.  His frantic heartbeat messed with his breathing, a powerful panicked thud that matched the rumble of the pistons.  Overall, he was relieved when the road curved and they entered a strip of restaurants to see signs of life among the debris littered across the street in the distance.  It wasn't immediately clear through the gloom what was happening. Blake slowed the truck, now rolling along at barely more than walking pace, and they crept closer. The scene was illuminated by the flickering light of small fires and backlit by a pair of enormous floodlights, creating a glowing aura in the surrounding mist. Images began to resolve, ghostly figures flitting in and out of view and the harsh geometric shapes—not of debris, but of hastily manufactured barricades—throwing long shadows that lanced through the air around them as they approached.  All eyes were fixed on the barricades as they pulled within shouting distance, and Tanner nearly pissed himself when someone knocked on his window. He yelped, Blake swore, and Lauren's weapon x-rayed Tanner's head and pointed at the intruder. Tanner followed her lead and jerked his gun up to aim in the general direction of the window and for ten, twenty heartbeats nothing moved. Then another knock, and Blake hissed at them: “Put those things away you idiots, we're the good guys here. Whatever side that guy is on, so are we.”  Tanner slowly lowered the gun, then the window.  “Hey folks, no cars through here.” The man was clad head to toe in black—black jeans, black hoodie, black gloves, black bandana covering his face, black curly hair running with rainwater. No wonder they hadn't seen him. The stranger spotted their guns.  “Oh, nothing like that,” he added, catching the nervous energy in the truck, “You're a bit late to the party. No trouble ‘round here, this area's been cleaned out for days.” He chuckled, sending a shiver through Tanner.  “Some folks messed up the cop shop a while back, it was a bit of a fight. Streets were all blocked up anyway, so we set up a little kitchen here. Been feeding some folks. Symbolic, like, new world in the ruin of the old and all that.” The smile fell from his face as he took in the scene in the truck.  “Everything alright? Is she okay?”  He gestured at Katie, curled up and quivering silently beside Tanner. Tanner opened his mouth to respond, but Blake was quicker. “Sure, probably just spooked by that fucking mask. Look, we don't mean to bother you people. Just heading east, trying to cross the river. We'll go around you and your little kitchen.”  If the man took issue with Blake's tone, it didn't show.  “Bridge is a no-go, I'm afraid. Pigs blew the cables as they pulled out, some of it collapsed. It's way too unstable to cross.” He scratched at his temple. “What d'you want out that way, anyway? There's dangerous people out there, not exactly safe for… families.”  “We're heading for, uh, Hood River,” Tanner spoke up, “Taking supplies out to the girl's grandparents.”  “Indians,” Blake chimed in, “they need the help.” He winked at Tanner.  The stranger turned to Blake and met his eyes, holding his gaze for an unnerving moment. Then he seemed to resolve some internal discussion, relaxing his shoulders. “Well, you might be able to get across up St. Johns, last I heard the bridge was still intact. There's some folks in the park up there, you can ask them.”  “St. Johns? That's the wrong fucking way!”  “A bridge is a bridge. It's that or swim, champ.” “Can you at least call the, uh, your boss? Tell him you checked us out, ask if we can get across?”  The man smiled, but something hardened behind his eyes.  “My boss? Sure, sure. Look, I think it's time you moved on. Head on up there and tell ‘em what you told me, they'll let you out. There's a bunch of poor Indians waiting for their dinner.”  There was something strange about the way the man said “Indians,” but he patted the hood of the truck and turned away, waving them down a side street away from the barricade. As Blake slowly drove off, Tanner collapsed back into his seat and quickly rolled up the window. His underarms were cold with sweat, and he relaxed muscles he hadn't known were clenched.  Blake took the turn the stranger indicated, muttering that if he heard anyone say “folks” again he would hit them. Tanner stared out the window at the “little kitchen” as they passed. There must have been a couple hundred people, milling around a dozen or so small fires. They were all loosely centered around a large tent directly in front of the scorched skeleton of the precinct. Laughter and music drifted through the open window, and Tanner closed it. He didn't think he could see any aliens, but it was difficult to tell in the dark.  “Collaborators. Must be a ration station or something,” he muttered, mostly to himself.  Lauren heard him. “No, this has been going on much longer than that, it just wasn't so out in the open. Swanson warned us about it. He said they lure hungry people in with food.”  “Yeah,” cut in Blake, “this is how they recruit ‘em. Set up a kitchen, give ‘em food, homeless and crackheads and queers, mostly. Drugs too, probably, and spewing their propaganda. That guy was probably one of the junkies. Sure as shit looked like it, you see the way he stared at me?”  Tanner shuddered. A junkie. He had an overwhelming urge to wash his hands. He remembered the way the man had talked about the police station, his manic laugh in the face of such violence, and glanced back at the quickly fading light. And saw a small figure, tottering at the edge of the firelight. A child.  “Disgusting,” he said out loud.  “Yeah, disgusting. It's like Earl said,” Blake continued, “they been feeding people right under our fucking noses.”  They drove on toward the bridge. The streets were more cluttered here, both with people and the remnants of the riots, and they could only manage a slow pace as they picked their way through the destruction. Blake had to swerve to the wrong side of the road to avoid a group of people carrying trash bags, picking through the rubble.  “Looking for something to eat,” he grunted, and locked the doors.  Signs of violence were everywhere. Tanner's chest tightened as they drove past the law firm where he had started his career—the job that had brought him to the city after he finished college, working for his father's best friend and learning his profession. Inside the shattered windows it was nothing but a shell, the desks overturned and the computers gone. No one would be working there any more.  The destruction was completely random. Violence for its own sake. Beside the firm was a pawn shop, covered in graffiti and looted. Next to that, a Vietnamese restaurant, completely unharmed except for ‘Delicious, 5 stars' sprayed on the pavement outside. Across the road was an untouched convenience store and a bookshop with its doors wide open, light flooding out and people crowding the entrance. A donut shop and an Apple store destroyed, a mechanic and a bar looking like they had simply closed for the night. There was absolutely no pattern or reason to it.  They saw a Fred Meyers with every window broken, the front door jammed open with a twisted shopping cart. A movement caught Tanner's eye and he saw someone leaving from a side door, carrying a huge bag of stolen food. He hoped Blake didn't see—he might do something stupid, and Tanner didn't want to stop. It wasn't safe.  They made it a few more blocks when Lauren gasped and grabbed Blake's arm, making him brake. She gestured across the intersection to a KFC. Half the building had collapsed in what must have been an enormous fire; the half that still stood had been savagely attacked. She pointed to the entrance with a shaking finger. Someone—or something—had toppled the giant bucket sign and sent it crashing through the ceiling of the kitchen. Above the door, someone had scrawled a message in red spray paint:  FUCK YOU SANDERS OUR SECRET SPICES NOW There were more barricades set up near the bridge. Where the others had been makeshift, marking a boundary, these were more serious. They were to stop people getting through. Blake slowed before they got too close to the blockade, which they could now see was lined by shapes that very much suggested people. On both sides of the road the land fell away into darkness, sloping down to become a park that ran beneath the bridge.  The park itself, a rare green space normally dotted with dog walkers and children, was transformed. The once-quiet lawns were a mass of tents and makeshift structures, stages and bars and sound systems, the proud trees now decked out with effigies and lights. Fires burned everywhere, and the distant space was carpeted with a swarming mass of humanity, undulating to a throbbing cacophony of noise.  “This doesn't look good,” said Blake. He pulled over, a hundred yards or so short of the bridge.  “That guy said they would let us through,” said Tanner, “if we stick to our story.”  “He was a junkie,” scoffed Lauren.  “But he thought we were working with them,” said Tanner, “he had no reason to lie to us.”  “I guess it's worth a try. Anyway, they ain't gonna try anything against this much firepower.” Blake grunted. “Too late to change our minds now. They've seen us.”  He nodded at the barricade, where two shapes had detached from the mass. They moved toward the Tacoma, and Blake responded by flicking the lights to high beam and heading to meet them. As Blake swung back out into the road the beams cut through the darkness to illuminate the figures, throwing wild shadows from the two shapes until the truck steadied course and they coalesced into recognisable forms. One was a large man, white, with a nose ring and a loosely-tied blond ponytail. He was wearing a plaid shirt and carrying a large rifle. The other—Tanner's throat caught—the other looked like one of the aliens.  “Shit,” said Blake, as the headlights picked out at least half a dozen more shapes along the barricade, several with big guns visible. “Fuck.” He stopped the truck and rolled down the window, then cursed again and threw open the door.  “I'll be fucked if I'm gonna sit here and be pulled over like some criminal. Tanner, you're with me—let's go meet them man to man.” Tanner scrabbled for the door handle and chased after Blake, half-skipping to catch up. They pulled up a few paces before colliding with the approaching party. The blond man stepped forward.  “How's it going, dude?” he said.  “We need to get to Hood River,” said Blake, “we're trying—” “Yeah, we heard.” The man cut him off. “Bridge is closed to traffic, unfortunately. You wanna cross, you'll have to walk.”  Blake bristled. “Are you joking? We need to bring all this stuff. It's… important,” he objected. “You can't just keep people here!”  “We could,” said the blond man, calmly. He sounded confident in his assertion. Looking at the line of men—and women, Tanner realized—standing along the barricade, he agreed.  “But we're not,” the man continued. “You can go wherever you want. Take your shit, cross the bridge. Some folks have organized buses up the river, they'll take you. But the truck stays.”  “But that's my fucking truck!” Blake squealed. The man's eyebrows shot up and Tanner laid a hand on Blake's shoulder, squeezing it and hoping he got the message. The stranger paused, then sighed.  “Look, I'm sorry dude. I love my truck, too. But there was an attack at another camp last night by these so-called freedom fighters,” he grimaced. “Militia wackjobs, really. Word is they are gathering across the river, and we can't risk weapons and vehicles falling into the wrong hands. Especially not an arsenal like you folks got here.”  The alien stepped forward and, much to Tanner's surprise, spoke in perfect American English.  “Don't worry, it'll be here when you get back. We'll take real good care of it for you. They will appreciate the help guarding the buses and I'm sure they'll be more than happy to help you move these… important supplies.”  They signaled to the group at the barricade and two more figures made their way into the light of the truck's high beams. The first was a slim Black man in fatigues, wearing a red beret at a jaunty angle and carrying a AR-style rifle in one hand. The other was a woman, tall and imposing. She wore a leather jacket over a long black dress, which was slit to the thigh to reveal hints of slim, bare legs that stretched from the pavement to the heavens. Tanner blinked rapidly and swallowed. He had always had a soft spot for long legs in thigh-slit dresses.  As they came closer the man nodded at Tanner and Blake, but he was not what held their attention. The woman with the legs from God was also rocking a luxurious mustache that would have put Teddy Roosevelt to shame. As Tanner's eyes bulged, she caught his gaze and winked.  “Hello, boys. I'm Sunshine, they/them. I'll be with you on the bus.”  Tanner didn't know how to react. A fuzzy memory bounced around in the back of his head. “An investigation on college campuses found that increasing numbers of American citizens are using pronouns.” Earl's bewildered face frowned, then puckered. “These ‘theys' and ‘thems' are making a mockery of the American tradition, seeking to spread their insidious ideology among good, hard-working citizens, brainwashing young Americans into adopting these ‘pronouns.' What's next, people identifying a different age? A different race? We need to speak out against this perverse trend and most importantly, keep them away from our children.” _ That was it. These were the pronouns Swanson had warned them about. He gripped his gun and glanced at Blake, trying to get his mental footing.  Blake looked shocked, too, but quickly pulled himself together. He threw Tanner a sly look, one that hinted at an idea. “Give us a minute,” he snapped, and pulled away from Tanner, back to the truck. When they were both inside he turned on the occupants with a spark in his eyes.  “They must be talking about my boys, alive and kicking,” the old grin was back, his excitement barely contained. “Must have set up in the woods. We'll head over and find ‘em. Maybe they got word from Earl. If they're here, and they're fighting, maybe we don't have to go all the way to Boise after all.” “What's going on?” Lauren looked confused.  “We're leaving the truck. Grab the shit, cross the bridge, hijack their fucking commie-wagon and strike out east. Either we find them in Baker, or our boys find us first.”  Tanner was still coming to grips with the situation. “What about… them?” he said.  “Who?” “They… them. In the dress, with the pronouns!”  “And what are they going to do, stop us? You ever tried to fight wearing something like that? No. The four of us, across the bridge, grab the bus, easy.” “Katie's not hijacking any bus. She's eight, for God's sake. Maybe she and Lauren should stay here…”  “You stay here with Katie,” Lauren snapped, cutting Tanner off. “If you think it's safer, if you're looking for safer, you take her for a nice walk in the park down there. I'll be with my husband, taking my country back from these freaks.”  “I know you want to keep Katie safe,” Blake added, almost apologetically, “but you saw what it's like out there. You heard Swanson's warnings. These aren't people, they're animals, aliens. She's your baby fuckin' girl, man. You do what you're at peace with, but my wife sure as shit ain't staying here to get felt up by some dick in a dress.”  Tanner looked at Lauren. “But she's just a kid! What if she gets hurt.”  “What if she gets hurt _here? So you look after her. Be a man,” Lauren spat back.    Blake clapped Tanner on the shoulder and held his gaze. “It's do or die time, soldier. Let's get the fuck outta here, hook up with the resistance, then bring back the fury of God and freedom and the USA to take back this city and liberate my God damn truck!” Tanner looked at Katie, curled up in the footwell, and wanted to object. He wanted to take her somewhere safe, back to the Hole, where it was warm and they could hide from the aliens and the bad people and they had all the food they could need and they could wait for this all to be over.  But the fire in his belly wouldn't let him. He knew Blake was right, he knew that he should be ashamed of his moments of weakness. He saw Lauren gripping her rifle and staring at Blake with faith and devotion in her eyes and he knew that was the kind of man he wanted to be. Tanner breathed a silent promise to keep Katie safe, no matter the cost.  “Let's do it.” Blake pulled the truck up to the group of guards and they all piled out, Tanner standing straight and feeling tall, Blake's words ringing in his ears. It's do or die time. _ Two of the barricade guards came over to help them unload while the others stood around and watched, their mustachioed escort who made Tanner's skin crawl and the large blond man. Traitor. They stripped off the tray covering and began shifting gear, Blake and blondie up above handing packages down to everyone else. Tanner heard the guards muttering to each other.  “Holy shit, that's a lot of firepower.” The blond man snorted. “And a lot of nasty-ass TV dinners. Important supplies, my ass.”  Sunshine shrugged. “Folks eat what they eat. Not everyone lives in a Whole Foods and learned to make Tom Yum on their gap year,” they rebuked him. The man grimaced and scratched his jaw. “Yeah, right. That was unfair of me. Well, Thai cooking workshop tomorrow and I'll make a big pot, so at least folks here don't have to eat that frozen stuff… unless they want to.” They busied themselves unloading, bundling food and weapons into bags or tying them together for ease of carrying. Tanner was tying the straps of his backpack and settling it on his back when he heard a curse from the back of the truck. He glanced up, and, frozen in time, watched the next few seconds helplessly.  The blond man had pulled out one of the last few satchels, the one containing all their spare clothes. He was standing upright, arms held out, nose ring quivering in silent outrage. In his left hand he had Blake's flag bandana; in his right, Blake's spare jacket, rebel flag patch sitting proudly on the shoulder.  Blake reacted fastest. He dropped the food he was holding, raised his Glock, and with a vengeful crack the blond ponytail exploded in a spray of red.  The man in the beret raised his rifle and fired two shots into Blake's chest, sending him flying from the tray. A scream burst from Lauren as she reached for her gun, but the alien matched the sound and met her with a powerful tackle, sending both of them crashing into a pile of frozen hamburgers. Sunshine reached out and grabbed Tanner's arm. Time snapped back into motion for Tanner. He instinctively pulled away and shook his arm free of the grasping fingers. Stepping back, he spun and swung his fist in a wild roundhouse. It connected with Sunshine's jaw as they overbalanced toward him. Tanner watched them collapse in a heap. His gaze danced over the chaos unfolding around him, frantically searching for Katie. _There. Tanner picked her up and ran.  They plunged off the road and into the darkness. There was only one thought in his mind: get Katie across that bridge. She was sobbing, shaking in his grasp, and Tanner made what he hoped were comforting shushing noises as he ran. He knew this park—there was a staircase inside one of the support towers that rose from the park to the bridge overhead. That was his way out. Holding Katie tightly, breath ragged, he ran toward the orgy of light and noise pulsating below.  The two escapees burst into the mass of people. Tanner looked around, eyes darting, taking in the madness and trying to get his bearings. The sensory assault was overwhelming, but he slowly made out patterns in the polyrhythmic press. What had looked from above like a continuous swell of humanity was actually a hundred, a thousand separate groups and camps and parties. People flowed freely between them, groups forming and merging and coming apart in a chaotic, everchanging anarchy. A makeshift stage to his left throbbed with bass, colliding with the bone-jarring screams and guitars of a group of punks. Tanner found himself surrounded by ecstatic dancers, while a group almost under his feet sat staring into a campfire, oblivious to the rest of the world. He crashed through their doped-out reverie and bounced off two men, locked in a hungry embrace.  Tanner recoiled and turned away, shielding Katie with his body, searching desperately for the tower that would lead him out of this nightmare. Lights flashed, blinding, creating a sort of slideshow of horror as Tanner scanned the crowd. There. He found it. His escape from this festival of the damned. He soldiered on, caught up in a whirl of half-naked dancers, men, women, and everyone else, mindless of the frigid air as they span and writhed in rapture.  Tanner spotted an exit, an island of calm, and dove for it. He exploded from the throng, gasping for air, and breathed in the relative silence. Collecting himself, he was faced with rows of bodies, still, staring at something unseen up ahead, the very air trembling with collective anticipation.  A voice shattered his uneasy reprieve, loud and bombastic and dripping with drama.  “And now, my darlings, it is time for these fuckers to do what I do best—go down!” Tanner dashed through the crowd as they roared and surged into motion, and caught a glimpse of the scene ahead: two lines of people, straining on thick ropes, as a woman in lingerie and feathers pranced like a princess of hell before them. The ropes led upwards, where they were tied around the necks of two enormous metal figures. Lewis and Clark.  Tanner broke into a full sprint, shouldering bodies aside. He was almost there. Up ahead, rising from the chaos, was his stairway to the heavens. His legs trembled and his breath came in ragged sobs, but he couldn't slow down. Not when he was so close. He tore out of the crowd and into the comforting darkness of the spaces in between. His hysterical panic began to subside. One foot in front of the other. Keep running. They were going to make it. As he neared the tower a figure came into view at the base, looming from the shadows of the doorway, staring into the blackness beyond. A stocky, muscled figure wearing fatigues and a plate carrier. It couldn't be… “Blake! Blake, thank God.” Tears welled in Tanner's eyes as he reached his friend. Lauren was nowhere to be seen, but right now Tanner couldn't think about her. He had survived, and he had brought Katie through. His heartbeat was still frantic, but from exertion rather than fear. They were here. He, Katie, and Blake. Emotionally exhausted, physically spent, battered and terrified, but alive. They were going to be okay. He reached out to his friend. Blake turned—No, not Blake. A thick black beard engulfed the shadowy face, momentarily lit by the glowing ember of a huge cigar. The eyes were deep-set and dark, the skin weathered, wrinkled, brown. The face of an illegal alien.  Tanner's throat betrayed him. He squeaked, and nothing more would come out. His knees wobbled and threatened to give way, his feet froze in place. He wavered. He whimpered.  Puffing on the cigar, the alien took in his terrified face and the little girl slung over his shoulder. He gestured toward the doorway and blew out an enormous plume of smoke.  “Go, gringo.”  It was well past midnight when Katie ran into the side of a tent, fell on her bottom, and started crying. They had crossed the bridge, left the highway, and headed for the safety of the forest. Since then they had been wandering among the trees for hours, directionless, driven by fear, then by hope, then exhausted aimlessness. Tanner wasn't going anywhere except away from that park. He had briefly entertained the image of finding a group of militia, sitting around a fire, eating and laughing and, maybe, swapping stories with their old friend Blake. That was hours ago. Visions were fleeting in the fever dream of the forest. Since then, they had walked because they didn't know what else to do. Tanner stumbled over to Katie and collapsed beside her, holding her close and hushing her. He felt like crying too.  A flashlight clicked on inside the tent and a dreadlocked head poked out of the flap.  “Hey, there's someone here!” Rustling erupted from all around and more faces appeared. “Wasn't someone keeping watch?” “I thought you were.” “Doesn't matter, doesn't matter. Someone's crying.” “You folks okay?” Tanner and Katie were soon surrounded by a small group of people. He looked up at them. “Are you the militia?” “No, don't worry. You're safe here. We're friends.” “Although I guess we are a militia if you think about it. Sort of.”  “Shh, don't confuse the poor people. They're terrified.”  “Sorry. No, no militia. Someone get them a blanket and something to drink.” Minutes later, Tanner and Katie were wrapped in sleeping bags, sipping on hot cocoa. It was scalding and familiar and Tanner felt the tension of the past day fading, leaving bone-deep exhaustion in its place.  “Are you okay? What happened?” “Thank you. We were… we just need to sleep.”  “And you? What's your name? Are you alright?” Katie looked at her dad, then stared up from her tin mug. “I'm Katie. I'm scared.” “You're safe now. We'll help you. Look, we'll get you somewhere to sleep.” The first face they had seen rummaged around in a tent and brought out a bag. “Lucky we have a spare tent. I'll just put it up, won't be a second.” The tent was almost up by the time Tanner and Katie finished their drinks, and they got up and walked over, sleeping bags over their shoulders, holding hands. “Hey, thanks,” Tanner said. “I would have helped but I don't really know how. Never had much call for camping. I am, uh, was a lawyer,” he glanced around, “not criminal, uh… intellectual property. Copyright.”  “No problem, of course. Here, it's not hard. I'm just clipping the…” “This isn't the time for camping lessons, Jacob. Anyway, you'll scare the man, sharing information for free like that. They've been through enough already.”  “Sorry, yeah. Look, slide in. Take these sleeping mats. It'll do for tonight, I'll teach you tomorrow.”  Tanner and Katie squeezed into the tent, sleeping bags huddled together on the cold, hard ground, and slept. THE END **Inmn ** 1:03:01 Hello, and welcome to the show. Thank you so much for coming on today. Could you introduce yourself with your name, pronouns, and just a little bit about what you do in the world? **Matt ** 1:03:15 Yeah, hi, I'm Matt. He/him pronouns. And I'm a student again, after a really long time, actually, which is why I've just moved to where I'm living now. But I like to write, you know, mostly for me, and this is the first first thing I've published but I enjoy it. And yeah, I'm really grateful that you've taken an interest in it. **Inmn ** 1:03:37 Yeah, totally. I love the story. So we just listened to the second half of your story, Blood, Soil and Frozen TV Dinners and even though listeners just heard...just heard the whole story, I'm wondering if you could just kind of like walk us through the story in your--you know, from the mouth of the author--what is this story about? **Matt ** 1:04:01 So the story, for me, was about, to some extent, seeing yourself in some ways or, you know, people like you, through the eyes of...through the eyes of someone else, I guess, someone who's very different and might see things in a different way. So I always find it interesting to play with different perspectives or different characters instead of telling the story from a heroic perspective or something. And I wondered what a pathway to a better world might look like from someone who didn't necessarily want that to happen. So we have these, you know, preppers who--call them you want, right-wing conservatives, something like this--and what they might think, given the knowledge that they receive about the world, what they might think is happening when something happens that a lot of the rest of us might want. **Inmn ** 1:05:00 Yeah, totally. I really like how you put that. What was it, like, "a better world that they don't necessarily want?" [both laugh] Okay, well, how did this, how did this story kind of...like how did it come to be? What inspiration did you kind of draw from to craft this situation or these like personalities from Tanner and Blake or Earl Swanson? 1:05:35 Yeah, the story itself, there was a discussion last Halloween, I believe it was, on Coffee With Comrades, there was a interview with Pearson and Margaret Killjoy, talking about the discussion of the monster in literature, which is where I first took the idea that they were talking about seeing yourself as the monster in this idea and sometimes reveling in that or perhaps enjoying it. And that was where the first idea came from. And then the most specific layout of the story or main theme, I guess, was, I was doing something on the US Tax Office website. And there's this whole section for aliens, right, if you're an alien in the U.S., these are the tax rules you need to follow. And I just thought it was a funny word. You know, I'd seen it on Fox News or something before but it just struck me as really weird in such an official position. Yeah, and I just was playing with the ideas of this and, you know, I like thinking about utopias and things. And this is where the like the main shape of the story had come from, just the idea of seeing the monster, seeing the alien from there. And then specific characters, I mean, some of them are just kind of people that I've met, you know, Tanner and Blake, specifically, and I think Earl Swanson's character, I mean--I don't know it's possibly libelous--but we can probably figure out who that's meant to be, right? I think it's reasonably obvious. **Inmn ** 1:07:09 Totally, totally. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's super interesting. Yeah, it's funny, I was rereading the story today to prepare for this interview and I realized that the first time that I was reading it, because of this perspective of the.... I'm like, okay, I know, these are some, you know, at least center-right, far-right preppers and they're using the word "alien" and I don't actually know what they mean by this, which was, you know, maybe a purposeful being vague about it, but I was like, I don't know if they think that it's, you know, illegal aliens or undocumented  migrants or whatever or if they mean, like, literal from outer space aliens. And, yeah, I was like, I don't know what they mean by what they're talking about. And maybe they don't either.   1:08:20 This was part of the conceit, right, was setting it up like it's a pretend big reveal, I think, that it's a twist in the story that at some point gets revealed, but that's not really the point. It's not really meant to be a big trick or something like this, you know? I think in discussions in the editing, we talked about in the first page or so when they speaking Arabic, and it's reasonably obvious to anyone that knows Arabic who these people are, you know, it's not hidden, but this was the idea, that they may have meant illegal alien all along, was, you know, the way they we're using the term, but that they weren't necessarily drawing so much of a distinction between the two uses of the word alien, that in their minds a, sort of, invasion by one was the same as the invasion by the other to some extent. **Inmn ** 1:09:10 Yeah, which, you know, I actually really love that from the perspective of.... It's like maybe an interesting twist. I didn't listen to that interview with Pearson and Margaret, so I'm not sure what they talked about, but there's this kind of idea in a lot of spaces that I've been part of,you know, when people talk about things like assimilation or something, especially in queer spaces, of like, "We have to seem harmless to them. We have to seem innocent. We have to seem like we just want to be part of the group," you know, and then this other side that's like, "No, we want to be unknowable. We are claiming the monstrosity that they are putting on us," and I'm like, yeah, we're fucking.... I don't know, anarchists are kind of aliens, like, in an entirely other way of thinking, you know? 1:10:09 Yeah, and just considering some social norms is completely irrelevant or harmful or repressive and other things that other people would consider, perhaps, violent or something seem completely okay to other people. There is a complete sort of alienation of perspective from broader society, I think. And yeah, it is, there's a tension between sometimes wanting to go unnoticed, or, as you say, like assimilate, and even, for me, walking around, you know, sometimes you want to look like an anarchist and sometimes you don't. It's an interesting dynamic, I guess, that you can switch sometimes day-to-day. **Inmn ** 1:10:54 Yeah, yeah. Have you read much of--you know, love talking about this person on the show--have you read much of Ursula Le Guin's Hainish Cycle? 1:11:08 I've read only "The Dispossessed" and "The Left Hand of Darkness".  **Inmn ** 1:11:16 Great examples. I think "The Left Hand of Darkness," kind of brings out this idea of where the reader is going to maybe most identify with the alien, or whatever, in "The Left Hand of Darkness" being not the not the Gethens--or I don't remember what they're called. But then it's like, the more that we're reading the book... or there's some times where I'm this alien or, you know, our perspective person just doesn't understand this culture. And that's really painful. And then there are other times when I'm like, I don't know, maybe the alien's perspectives on the world are far more dissimilar to what a normal person on like our planet Earth would think, because they're advocating for a better world that is very alien to people on this planet. Does that make sense? **Matt ** 1:12:24 Yeah, I mean, in "The Dispossessed," I think it's the same dynamic with Shevak coming back to Earth and presenting the perspective, both ways that it seems incredibly alien to him and then the other way around to everyone else that's there, to the general culture there. Yeah. I think it's an interesting literary device to present the outsider point of view, I think, which I mean, is quite the opposite of what I did in this story, I presented the more mainstream point of view, I guess, but from the circles that we're in, it's funny to see from the outside what that looks like. **Inmn ** 1:13:02 Yeah, yeah, I had this very silly idea once for...I don't know if it was gonna be a short story or what but kind of, using that "alien" trope or like "Stranger in a Strange Land" trope as a way to talk to my parents about anarchism or about radical queer spheres. **Matt ** 1:13:27 Yeah, I mean, that's about as alien as it can get for a lot of people's parents, right. **Inmn ** 1:13:31 Totally. But just as some funny little zine that's like an introduction to the punk house, you know? **Matt ** 1:13:44 Yeah, viewed as some sort of interesting zoo creatures. **Inmn ** 1:13:46 Yeah. I was wondering if you could talk a little bit about the kind of political renderings of Tanner and Blake or ,rather, their differences in how they perceive or interact with either preparedness or this new world that they're encountering? **Matt ** 1:14:14 Yeah, I think that Blake's character is a lot.... He knows what he's doing, right? It's a lot more intentional and more--I guess educated is maybe not quite the right word--but a lot more of an actually constructed ideology, whereas for Tanner it's very much received. He's not so keen, not so entirely sold on the idea or doesn't necessarily know the idea. It feels like it's like lost and failing a lot of the time and I think that's why I found him a much more interesting character because that's how I feel a lot of people that I know and talk to and family members and friends and things or friends of people I know get pulled into a lot of these, you know, reactionary ideologies is kind of by accident a lot of the time, right? Because it's what's presented and what they're drawn into by someone who has a lot more investment in it than they do. And they just kind of bumble into it almost by accident. Yeah. **Inmn ** 1:15:20 Because it's what they're seeing on TV. People who are deeper into that philosophy are like.... It's like the people that they're around who are their own little echo chambers of, "Oh, okay, there's this thing happening. Not sure how I feel about it. But I'm being like, fed this perspective on it." **Matt ** 1:15:46 Yeah, and a lot of the social or interpersonal issues that draw people in as well, I think. I tried to make it seem relatively obvious that Tanner is envious of Blake in a lot of ways, right? He is, you know, hotter than him and he is cooler than him and he knows more than him and he's always trying to, like, live up to this ideal that he has just completely interpersonally with no politics or anything in it. And he just wants to live up to what he thinks Blake wants him to be, which it turns out, is a bad thing. I mean, I'm not trying to excuse Tanner's character too much here. But yeah, I think this is what's really dangerous a lot of the time actually, for people who don't necessarily have a fully formed belief in all of these philosophical systems or something that then puts them on the wrong side not by...not necessarily out of evil intention. **Inmn ** 1:16:54 Yeah. No, that's very true. And it's interesting talking about not excusing Tanner's character too much, but as I was reading the story I found myself like, not necessarily rooting for Tanner and Bl

Summary This month on Strangers, we have a short story by Caleb Wexler called First Tracks. It's a delightful slice-of-life story about life after the collapse...and skiing. After the story, Inmn and Caleb talk about writing, science fiction, and names. The word of the month this month is about the surprising origin of a common fear. Guest Info Caleb (they/them or any) cannot be found elsewhere really. However, you can find them on an episode of Coffee With Comrades. Publisher This podcast is published by Strangers In A Tangled Wilderness. We can be found at www.tangledwilderness.org or on Twitter @tangledwild. You can support this show by subscribing to our Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/strangersinatangledwilderness Our Kickstarter for Penumbra City can be found here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/penumbra-city/penumbra-city Host The Host is Inmn Neruin. You can find them on instagram @shadowtail.artificery or co-hosting Live Like the World is Dying. Reader The reader is Bea Flowers. It can be found at https://www.voices.com/profile/beaflowers Theme music The theme song was written and performed by Margaret Killjoy. You can find her at http://birdsbeforethestorm.net or on twitter @MagpieKilljoy.

On today's episode of Coffee with Comrades, I am pleased to be joined by Chris Robé, a professor of film and media studies at Florida Atlantic University and the author of the new book Abolishing Surveillance: Digital Media Activism and State Repression. Follow Chris on Twitter and pre-order a copy of Abolishing Surveillance!  Check out Another Carolina Anarchist Bookfair. Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Mastodon, Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud affiliate of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Nathanael Whale. Pick up a copy of my second book of poetry, Your Mind is the Cathedral Where I Finally Find god.

We chat with Pearson from the Coffee with Comrades podcast about our new web apps: the Working Class History Map and Stories app. This episode has been timed to coincide with the public launch of our web apps on January 31.Our podcast is brought to you by our patreon supporters. Our supporters fund our work, and in return get exclusive early access to podcast episodes, bonus episodes, free and discounted merchandise and other content. Join us or find out more at patreon.com/workingclasshistoryIn this episode, we talk about why we started the mapping project, what it's about, how people can use it, and about different ways of interacting with people's history. We also talk about how it differs from any other radical history mapping project.Check out the Map at map.workingclasshistory.comCheck out the Stories app at stories.workingclasshistory.comThere is an additional bonus episode with Pearson speaking about their experiences using the map on a trip to London. Coming later today exclusively for our patreon supporters.If you enjoy it, make sure to check out Coffee with Comrades, who are also supported by patreon. Connect with them here: Web: https://coffeewithcomrades.com/Patreon: http://www.patreon.com/coffeewithcomradesTwitter: http://twitter.com/coffeewcomradesAcknowledgementsThanks to our patreon supporters for making this podcast possible.Episode produced by Coffee with Comrades, additional editingby Jesse FrenchOur theme tune is Bella Ciao, thanks for permission to use it from Dischi del Sole. You can purchase it here or stream it here.

Shawn is joined by Pearson from Coffee With Comrades to have a discussion inspired by two books: Escape from Childhood by John C Holt, and Raising Free People by Akilah S. Richards....

I sit down with Pearson Bolt from Coffee with Comrades to discuss the absolute trip of a show that is Squid Game (2021) and how capitalism can absorb even the most scathing anti-capitalist messages to its own benefit. Spoilers beware!Follow me on social media!Twitter: @TallLeftist and @OvercriticalPodInstagram: @OvercriticalPodcastFacebook: Overcritical PodcastFollow Pearson and Coffee with Comrades!Twitter: @PearsonBolt and @CoffeewithComradesInstagram: @CoffeewithComradesWebsite: http://coffeewithcomrades.com/

Sole on Curiosity, Radical Communities, and Post American Studies Sole: http://www.soleone.org/ Sole Bandcamp: https://sole.bandcamp.com/music Propaganda of the Seed: https://edgewood-nursery.com/podcast DJ Pain 1: https://www.djpain1beats.com/ Post American Studies: https://www.emergencyhearts.com/catalog/eh162  Emergency Hearts: https://www.emergencyhearts.com/  Coffee With Comrades: https://coffeewithcomrades.libsyn.com/episode-160-went-to-bed-in-a-failed-state-woke-up-in-a-fugue-state-ft-sole-djpain1 Music by AwareNess: https://awareness0.bandcamp.com/ Please support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/timetalks Channel Zero Network: https://channelzeronetwork.com/

“The ultimate, hidden truth of the world is that it is something that we make and could just as easily make differently.” - David Graeber, The Utopia of RulesDedicated to the memory of David Graeber. Rest in power. Today's episode is a collaboration between Works in Theory and Coffee with Comrades to discuss David Graeber's What's the Point If We Can't Have Fun? (2014)Thank you to Coffee with Comrades for having us on your show!Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow them on Twitter, Instagram, and their website.Follow Works in Theory on Twitter, Instagram, or our website.Works in Theory & Coffee with Comrades are both proud members of the Channel Zero Network. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Holy shit, y'all, we fucking did it! 150 episodes of this silly, radical, wholesome podcast. 150 conversations, discussions, dialogues, interviews, chit-chats, back-and-forths. Wow wow wow wow wow wow. To celebrate, we do a bit of house-keeping and have a Q&A to mark the occasion. If you'd like, you can read the transcript for this episode. We also have a poll going for t-shirt designs. Let us know which you like the best! Be sure to stick around 'til the very end for some wild-ass bloopers. Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitterand Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Nathanael Whale.

On today's episode, historian, professor, and author Michael Reagan joins me to discuss his new book, Intersectional Class Struggle, available now through AK Press! Michael and I chat at length about the necessity of intersectionality, the modern dynamics of class struggle, the fetishization and veneration of the “working class” as it exists in the minds of many on the left today, the history and lineage of the Black feminist tradition and how it informed Michael's work, and a whole bunch more. Michael was a lovely person to chat with and I hope you enjoy listening to this episode just as much as we enjoyed recording it. Follow Michael Reagan on Twitter, visit his website, and pick up a copy of Intersectional Class Struggle! Support Coffee with Comradeson Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art.

- In this episode, Liz and Amy of the excellent podcast Rebel Steps describe some of the early lessons they had in the power of working together, as well as developing tactics and strategies, and share some inspiring stories along the way. Check out Rebel Steps at rebelsteps.com -- Theme song is "You Can (Mass Trespass 1932)" by Chumbawamba, used by permission -- You Don't Need Permission is happy to be a member of the Channel Zero Network of podcasts. Check out Coffee With Comrades and all of CZN's shows at channelzeronetwork.com

I recently caught up with the anarchist street artist, printmaker, and graphic designer NO Bonzo, a Portland-based illustrator who's been working on PM Press's forthcoming Mutual Aid: An Illuminated Factor of Evolution, Pyotr Kropotkin's seminal work on evolution, politics, and economics. The book is absolutely brilliant, you've never seen an edition of Kropotkin's magnum opus like this before. And, yes, Mutual Aid is his best work, not the Bread Book. Fight me, theory nerds. Bonzo and I had an absolutely lovely conversation ranging from me gushing over their work to us discussing art as praxis to the themes and inspirations behind their art to me gushing over their work more. There's a lot of me geeking out over how sick their stuff is. If you've frequented any lefty meme pages on Instagram, you've probably seen Bonzo's work floating around before. If you haven't already acquainted yourself with their aesthetic, you should definitely give it a peep before listening to this episode just because it'll provide a bit more context for our discussion. Follow Bonzo on Twitter and Instagram and visit their website. Purchase prints, patches, and stickers from Bonzo's Etsy Store. Pick up a copy of Mutual Aid: An Illuminated Factor of Evolution and/or Off With Their Heads: An Anti-Fascist Coloring Book for All Ages for 20% off using the promo code “COFFEE” at PM Press Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art.      

This episode is a special collaboration episode with our Channel Zero network partners in crime, Coffee with Comrades. We talk to Pearson from CwC to discuss the current iterations of reactionary politics, unpack the fascist imaginary, discuss ways to cope with the horrors of staring into the abyssal ugliness of far-right politics, and take some time to chat about some of the themes and topics of the book!

Today, we bring you a special collaboration with our Channel Zero Network friends and colleagues, 12 Rules For What!? In this edition of the program, Sam, Alex, and I discuss the current iterations of reactionary politics, unpack the fascist imaginary, discuss ways to cope with the horrors of staring into the abyssal ugliness of far-right politics, and take some time to chat about Alex and Sam's new book, The Post-Internet Far-Right. The three of us had a lovely conversation. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did. Check out 12 Rules for What!? wherever you get your podcasts, support their Patreon, and follow them on Twitter! Pre-order a copy of The Post-Internet Far-Right from Dog Section Press. Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art.

This week, I am joined by my lovely friend Kathrin, who hosts a YouTube channel that discusses political science and anthropology through a feminist lens. Kathrin and I spent the hour discussing prisons, police, and abolition. We chatted about the cancer of carceral feminism, the need to address patriarchal and masculinist fantasies of power on the left, the urgency of abolition as an anti-statist position that must be prefigured in the here and now, as well as the ways in which abolition is a presence: a thing we must actively build with our own communities. Support Kathrin on Patreon, follow her on Twitter, and subscribe to her YouTube channel! Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art.

We are back in action, once again, with another episode of Coffee with Comrades. I recently sat down with my friend and comrade, Cindy Milstein, to talk about her new edited anthology, There is Nothing So Whole as a Broken Heart: Mending the World as Jewish Anarchists. Cindy is one of the most gentle, compassionate, and lovely people we’ve ever had the pleasure of hosting on this show. Cindy and I discussed the compatability of Judaism and anarchism, the synthesis of identity, antifascism and antisemitism, international solidarity against settler colonialism and state oppression, queer and feminist Judaism(s), and the joys of youth and rebellion.  Pick up a copy of There is Nothing So Whole as a Broken Heart: Mending the World as Jewish Anarchists!  Follow Cindy on Twitter and Instagram. Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is proud to be part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm Books & Café. Check out our reading recommendations!  Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art.

We are back with your weekly helping of Coffee with Comrades and, boy, do we have a show for you! I sat down with my friend and comrade, author and activist Shane Burley, who’s new book, Why We Fight, is available now through AK Press! Shane and I discussed a whole host of topics: fascism and the far-right, anti-fascism and militant resistance, and the ongoing apocalyptic times we’re all living through. The conversation was lovely. Shane kicks ass and this collection of essays is absolutely spectacular—I cannot recommend it enough. Pick up a copy of Why We Fight! Follow Shane on Twitter and support his Patreon! Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and visit our website. Coffee with Comrades is a proud member of the Channel      Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is proud to be part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Coffee with Comrades is an affiliate of the Firestorm      Books & Café. Check out our reading      recommendations! Our logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy      some art.

This episode begins with a teaser for the next major Patreon-only miniseries in the style of Gun Barrel, the Kino James Bond series. Enjoy! Get hyped! Welcome to Oscarbaiting: a miniseries leading up to the 2021 Academy Awards in which Evan and a series of guests discuss the highs and lows of the Oscar-nominated films we, the movie-viewing public, are subjected to. On this episode, Pearson Bolt of Coffee With Comrades and Macabre Media joins me to discuss Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7, up for six awards, and Thomas Vinterberg's Another Round, nominated twice. ReComradationsPearson: Disco Elysium from ZA/UM Evan: The Third Man, dir. Carol Reed (1949) Join the Kino Lefter DiscordJoin the Kino Lefter Facebook group "Kino Lefter VIP Cinema Experience"Get access to Primo Lefter, our weekly bonus show on our Patreon for just $3 per month. 

Jules joins Pearson on Coffee with Comrades to reflect on one year’s time living in the age of COVID-19. Along the way, they discuss how the coronavirus has impacted society, emerging conspiracy theories, and the way capitalism has exacerbated the crisis. This is a heavy discussion that leaves space to mourn and grieve, not just for those we have lost, but for our ways of making our way in the world that have been stripped from us. Additional Links… Listen to Coffee with Comrades, a part of the Channel Zero Anarchist Podcast Network and the Revolutionary Left Radio Federation. Special thanks to Pearson of Coffee with Comrades for facilitating this conversation and collaboration. Follow Coffee with Comrades on Twitter, Instagram, Patreon Things mentioned by Jules during this conversation... The Slow Cancelling of the Future – Mark Fisher Capitalist Realism by Mark Fisher Cover of the New Yorker Magazine 12.7.20 Women With Cancer Awarded Billions in Baby Powder Suit The fiasco of the 1976 ‘swine flu affair’ The Spanish Flu actually came from Kansas Left anti-communism: The Unkindest Cut by Michael Parenti Permanent Links below… --- Follow us on Social Media: Twitter Facebook Medium Patreon --- Comments, concerns, criticisms, and vitriol: noeasyanswerspodcast@gmail.com --- Music provided by: Self-Taut --- Outro Music by Jules Taylor, "Darker Days" --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/noeasyanswers/support

Kristen R. Ghodsee returns to Rev Left on International Women's Day to discuss the real history of the holiday, socialist feminism, liberal co-option of radical history and movements, the Cold War alliances between socialist states and women in the global south, and so much more!  Kristen's website: https://kristenghodsee.com/ The AK47 podcast created and hosted by Kristen: https://kristenghodsee.com/podcast Outro Song: "Rät" by Penelope Scott SRA gofundme: https://www.gofundme.com/f/sra-community-range-and-defense-education-project   Southern New England SRA twitter: https://twitter.com/sne_sra   Coffee With Comrades episode with the SNE SRA: https://coffeewithcomrades.com/episode-122-under-no-pretext-ft-the-sne-sra Support Rev Left Radio: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio or make a one time donation: PayPal.me/revleft LEARN MORE ABOUT REV LEFT RADIO: www.revolutionaryleftradio.com

Building Working Class History [00:05:53] This week, I spoke with John from the Working Class History collective and host of their WCH podcast. We spoke about the new book, "Working Class History: Everyday Acts of Resistance", that WCH has published through PM Press, their archives, methodology, the project of popularizing working class, movement and human-sized history and a bunch more. More info on Working Class History at their website, WorkingClassHistory.Com, in their podcast and on twitter, instagram and facebook in a growing number of languages. If you thirst for more conversation with John, you're in luck as Firestorm Books will be hosting a presentation with him about the book on February 25 from 7-8:30pm eastern or UTC – 5. You can find out more at Firestorm.Coop/Calendar. Transcription PDF (Unimposed) Zine (Imposed PDF) Announcements Transcription & Support As an update on our transcription project, we've sent our first batch of zines to patreon subscribers over $10. Much thanks to everyone who is contributing at whatever level. We are still $75 short of covering our minimums for the transcription and podcasting fees, so if you think you can become a sustainer consider visiting patreon.com/TFSR. If you don't like patreon, we can receive ongoing donations from liberapay or paypal, as well as one-time donations via paypal and have merch for sale in our big cartel store. If you don't have cash but want to help out our project, that's great! Reach out with show ideas, tell some friends in meet space or on social media, rep our content, print out some zines and send them into prisoners, rate us on podcasting sites, translate our work, or if you have a community radio station in your area you want to hear us on, get in touch and we'll help you. We have some notes on our site under the broadcasting tab as well, for our weekly, 58 minute FCC friendly episodes. Letters for Sean Swain Our comrades continues to be denied access to regular communication with the outside by the Department of Corrections in Ohio as well as Virginia where he's being held. It's also notable that his website is currently down. Sean has a complaint pending before the Inter-American Human Rights Commission for the torture he suffered at the hands of the state of Ohio. He is also collecting support letters for his bid for clemency. You can find more details on instagram by following Swainiac1969, SwainRocks.Org, our Swain tab or by checking out the script up at https://cutt.ly/Hkph3KY. Thanks to Linda from Subversion1312 for reading this week's Sean script. [01:18:02] BAD News #42 The latest episode of BAD News: Angry Voices from around the world by the A-Radio network has just been released. You can find find past BadNews episodes at the A-Radio site. This month, you'll hear calls for support for the evicted ROG squat in Ljubljana, Slovenia, prisoner and prisoner solidarity updates from Greece, excerpts from a discussion of Russian anarchists about the current protests across that country and Alexei Nawalny, and a short piece highlighting the 100th anniversary of the death of Piotr Kropotkin. NoDAPL Grand Jury for Steve Martinez From fedbook FREE OUR COMRADE & RELATIVE STEVE MARTINEZ! Thank you for the birthday wishes, let's use this energy to Free & Support Steve! He resisted a Grand Jury for the second time in regards to alleged events from the NO DAPL struggle in Standing Rock, is currently NOT cooperating with authorities, & is awaiting federal extradition! Steve needs our support! Steve helped save our friend Sophia Wilansky's arm from gettin blown off by military weapons, & he is a solid & brave Indigenous warrior! We are asking our comrades to call the jail to DEMAND they release Steve who is wrongfully in custody at: 701-255-3113, & PLEASE WRITE STEVE in Burleigh Morton Cty Jail at: Steve Martinez Po Box 2499 Bismarck, ND 58502 money orders can also be sent to him in his name at that address, as well as to his government name above on jail.atm.com Loren Reed We're sharing a short rap by imprisoned indigenous, emo man, Loren Reed. Loren is facing years in prison for poorly chosen words in a private message on facebook during last summer's uprising. We've mentioned his situation before. You can learn more by following Tucson Anti-Repression Crew and you can hear a great interview on Loren's case done by fellow CZN member, the ItsGoingDown podcast. You can donate to his support by cashapp'ing TARC ($TucsonARC) or paypal'ing to paypal.me/prisonsupport, don't forget a note saying “For Loren”. Daniel Alan Baker In the run-up to the January 20th presidential inauguration, the far right around the US was threatening large, armed and violent rallies at US state capitols across the country. Daniel Alan Baker, a US army vet, former YPG volunteer combat medic, yoga instructor and leftist activist called for people to counter what could have been seen as the deadly sequel to January 6th events in DC. He was pre-emptively arrested by the FBI and is currently being held at Tallahassee's Federal Detention Center. Like Loren Reed, he is facing years in prison for statements made on social media. For more information, check out this article in Jacobin Magazine, or a great chat with supporters of Daniel's from CZN member-show Coffee With Comrades. Updates can be found at Instagram by following GuerillaGalleryTLH. A-Radio Network Live Show Join the A-Radio Network on Saturday, February 13th of 2021 from 14:00 till at least 20:00 o‘clock central European time, that's 8am to 2pm eastern or New York time for our 6th transnational live broadcast of anti-authoritarian and anarchist radios from deep within where anarchy reigns. Since 2016 this is an important part of our yearly gathering of the A Radio network. Due to the pandemic and strong restrictions given by Governments all over the world, this year's gathering was forced online. But don't worry, against all odds we will nonetheless join together online on February 14th to broadcast an international show full of interesting contributions and discussions with/from comrades based in different parts all over the world. And you, dear listeners are also invited! So far, our topics will include international experiences of: prison resistance; anarchy in the time of covid; Far Rightwing threats; and experiences organizing mutual aid! The show will be carried by (a) transnational and militant spirit which hopefully is highly infectious. We promise our bad anarchist jokes aren't lethal. You will find a more detailed schedule, a player for the show and a link to the livestream soon on www.a-radio-network.org and if you'd like to participate, you can also reach out to member projects that can be found on that same site! . … . .. Musical tracks in this episode: Bostich-El Vergel by Nortec Collective from The Tijuana Sessions Vol. 1 Not Great Men by Gang of Four from Entertainment!

James hops onto Coffee with Comrades (@coffeewcomrades on Twitter) to talk about Camp Mniluzahan, how it was formed, and where it's at now. This is a collab episode so also be sure to check out Coffee with Comrades for your anarchism stuff. The podcast has a Twitter @of_resurgence. We also have a Facebook! @ofresurgence You can also reach us by email for business opportunities at voicesofresurgence@gmail.com. Cover art was done by Eli and you can reach him @paintedturtleco on Twitter. James and Tai have a Twitter @oglalawarriorAW and @sp4cek1d.Subscribe to our Patreon! You can either sign up for $1 a month to gain access to the discord server or you can sign up for $5 a month to get an exclusive look at notes made for each episode.https://www.patreon.com/voicesoftheresurgenceAll Sacrit podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6z3B5h4FBtqq-k56Dqj0-A/featuredCamp Mniluzahan and Creek Patrol:info@creekpatrol.orghttps://www.campmniluzahan.org/https://www.mllegalfund.org/ Indigenous resistance:Wet’suwet’en Direct Action:https://unistoten.camp/Secwepemc Territory:tinyhousewarriors.com1492 Landback Lane:E transfer donations to landback6nations@gmail.comAlgonquin Territory:E transfer donations to moosemoratorium@gmail.comKanehsata:ke:Sign the "No archeological digs in Kanehsata:ke" action networkMi'kma'ki:E transfer donations to tara.nf@gmail.comLine 3 Resistance:https://www.stopline3.org/Border Wall Resistance:https://www.facebook.com/AntiBorderCollective/https://twitter.com/kumeyaayprotest?lang=enCamp Red Sleeves:https://twitter.com/redsleevesacaBLM Uprisings:https://linktr.ee/ceeetrlhttps://t.me/BLMProtestshttps://itsgoingdown.org/https://unicornriot.ninja/Song credit: Dj Shub-Indomitable ft. Northern Cree Singers

In this extra special festive bonus episode we join Pearson Bolt of the excellent Coffee with Comrades podcast to chat with Professor Ruth Kinna (Loughborough University) about her recent publication 'The Government of No One' (Pelican, 2019). We really enjoyed this opportunities to go in-depth into theory and history with one of the most prominent and lucid scholars of anarchism in the world. Many of Ruth's works are available for free here: https://repository.lboro.ac.uk/authors/Ruth_Kinna/1252950 and at Dog Section Press: https://dogsection.org/ If you enjoy our podcast do check out Coffee with Comrades, a brilliant show with over 100 episodes covering current events, theory, and action through a radical lens. You can subscribe to the show on your podcast app, follow on Twitter @coffeewcomrades and find the show here: https://www.coffeewithcomrades.com/.  Thanks to everyone who has tuned in to our show over this year, we've been amazed by the interest that our DIY show chatting about radical history has generated. A special thanks to all those who have joined us on the show: Constance Bantman, Ole Birk Laursen, Frank Jacob, Kathy Ferguson, Alan McGuire of the Sobremesa podcast, and Pearson and Ruth from this episode. We have several more interviews lined up for the new year, and if you have a work you'd like to discuss, have any recommendations for us, or have an idea for an ABC Bitesize, giving a summary of a foreign-language work to an English audience, then get in touch! Our email is abcwithdannyandjim@gmail.com, and you can follow us on Twitter and Facebook, both @abcdannyandjim.  --------------------------- The podcast music is Stealing Orchestra & Rafael Dionísio,  'Gente da minha terra (que me mete um nojo do caralho).' Reproduced from the Free Music Archive under a Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives (aka Music Sharing) 3.0 International License, available here: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Stealing_Orchestra__Rafael_Dionsio/_Rafael_Dionsio_-_Uma_Desgraa_Nunca_Vem_S/Gente_da_minha_terra_que_mete_um_nojo_do_caralho The podcast logo is an adapted version of the Left Book Club logo (1936-48), reproduced, edited and shared under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International licence. Original available here: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Left_Book_Club_logo.png The image in this episode is a photograph of Jim's cat, Nye, enjoying 'The Government of No One'. 

This episode is a celebration of The Last of Us 2 winning game of the year. The audio is sourced from Coffee With Comrades who was generous enough to let us use it. Follow them below and consider subscribing to their Patreon.  Patreon Twitter Website

Content Warning: This will contain language, beliefs, references and information that may offend listeners. Channel Zero Network shoutout to Coffee With Comrades. tracks: Run The Town - Casanova (2020) The Bigger Picture - Lil Baby (2020) MOTHER'S MILK - staHHr (prod. Crazy DJ Bazarro) (2020) A New Beginning - Dead Prez (2012) Earthseed - Octavia Butler Signing Off - Bambu (prod. Fatgums) (2020)  Interlude The Autobiography of Malcolm X As Told To Alex Haley, Narrated By Laurence Fishburne THE GET BACK (RIOT) - Kemba (prod. Comp Keyz) (2020) Dem A Fall - Tiye Phoenix (prod. DJStatic) (2020)  MaroonCast - Ep. 3 "Mutual Aid & Intentional Community No More Prisons - Faith Santilla (prod. Fatgums and Spon) (2020) ANTIFA - Lee Reed, Kay the Aquanaut & Mother Tareka (prod. I Khan) (2020) This Is America #129: Post-Election Analysis As The Trumpian State Calls On The Far Right For Support (feat. This Week In Fascism) Dittybop - Bambu (feat. Rocky G, Kiwi, & Ruby Ibarra) (prod. Mister REY) (2020) Outro MaroonCast cont... support this podcast and get bonus content by going to patreon.com/ransomnotes this podcast is a proud member of the Channel Zero Network.

In this special cross-podcast episode, Bob and Scott talk with the host of the anarchist podcast Coffee with Comrades (@coffeewcomrades) about street organizing-- the history of it, the current politics around it and the mechanics of how to do it.  We also go a bit into the history of the Green and Red Podcast, how Bob and Scott met, campaigns we organized and how we decided to start your favorite podcast.  This is our first cross-promotional episode, and we were really excited to join Coffee with Comrades.  Read more: Coffee with Comrades: https://www.coffeewithcomrades.com/ Organizing For Power Resource Guide: https://www.organizingforpower.org/resources-3/  Also, follow us on any of these social media channels: Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/GreenRedPodcast Twitter:  https://twitter.com/PodcastGreenRed Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/greenredpodcast YouTube: https://bit.ly/GreenAndRedOnYouTube Donate to Green and Red Podcast Become a recurring donor at  https://www.patreon.com/greenredpodcast Or make a one time donation here: https://bit.ly/DonateGandR This is a Green and Red Podcast production. Produced by Scott (@sparki1969) and Bob (@bobbuzzanco). "Green and Red Blues" by Moody.   Edits by Scott and Coffee with Comrades.

Hey folks, it's debate night in America! You know what that means-- time to take an edible and spend that time staring into your fridge. We're joined by Pearson of Coffee With Comrades to talk tax returns, central Texas' shitty verison of The Avengers, and the raw cope in the face of 2020's ongoing bizarreness. Follow us on Twitter: @CultureTruther @DeniRicardo @shenobi1kenobi @jjdemonic and @schnedwob Join our Discord to become a part of the community. Watch us on Twitch every Monday, Tuesday and Friday at 8PM CST! Find us on Everything: https://linktr.ee/psychicdolphingarage

This week, my friend Pearson from the podcast Coffee With Comrades joined me to talk about revolutionary hip-hop and hardcore music. Pearson and I created a mixtape of ten songs: 5 hip-hop tracks, 5 hardcore singles. We pushed them all together and created a meditation on sonic revolution, DIY practice and ethos, and reflected on the assembled songs' themes and ideas. This episode was a blast to record and we hope you really enjoy it.  You can also listen to the mixtape as a playlist on Spotify and YouTube! Support Coffee with Comrades on Patreon, follow them on Twitter and Instagram, and visit their website. Time Talks and Coffee with Comrades is a proud affiliate of the Channel Zero Network. Coffee with Comrades is a proud part of the Rev Left Radio Federation. Their logo was designed by Sydney Landis. Support her work, buy some art. You can follow me on Twitter and check out my Bandcamp, here is the Time Talks Patreon. Tracklist: Talib Kweli - The Proud Rise Against - State of the Union Big $ilky - Look At God! Incendiary - Front Toward Enemy Sole & DJ Pain 1 - The Teachings of Cube Stray From the Path - First World Problem Child (feat. Sam Carter) Dead Prez - Police State Silent Planet - Northern Fires (Guernica) Sima Lee - What is Freedom? Stick To Your Guns - Against Them All

On this episode, John and Gord speak with Breandan from Marxism And Moshpits, who is also an organizer with the Nebraska Left Coalition. We discuss the formation of this org, along with some of the main issues and features non-tendency Left-Wing organizations encounter. This is all in a process for us to look at how mutual aid organizing, as it becomes more and more important, might look for those in the educational community who want to get involved.  We also talk about the real pitfalls of what organizing looks like now, not to mention what types of strategies and tactics may need to change or be revisited. Keep in mind that there are a number of other Left Wing podcasts talking about this topic, so it this interests you, there is more to learn. Check out Coffee With Comrades, the SRA Podcast with Faye, and Rev Left with Brett, to name a few that are discussing the practical necessities we find ourselves encountering since COVID and the collapse of capitalist economic structures. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Little Red School House focuses on issues with our current education system and ways we can empower students, educators, and anyone who cares about education. Shouldn’t people be put before profits? Shouldn’t our children be educated to grow and learn instead of being treated like the means to the financial gain of those in power? If you agree with this so-called “radical” and “revolutionary” perspective, you’ve come to the right place! Join our educators, Gord Milstone, John Battalion, Cassie, Edward, Mina, and Fernando as they call out systemic problems and discuss how we can break down barriers in the educational system.

This week's episode is a special collaboration with fellow Channel Zero Network show Coffee with Comrades. We discuss what mourning can look like in the wake of a global pandemic, impending economic collapse, and climate change, how we're responding to these circumstances, and how the present moment can either lull us into complacency or catapult us into drastic social change. --- We had a blast recording with Pearson from Coffee with Comrades, and if you don't already listen check it out! http://coffeewithcomrades.com/ --- facebook.com/doomervbloomerpodcast facebook.com/groups/doomervbloomercommune twitter.com/doomervbloomer patreon.com/doomervbloomer doomervbloomer@gmail.com channelzeronetwork.com

Subscribe today for access to all premium episodes! www.patreon.com/LittleRedSchoolHouse.

Join us as we discuss teacher burnout, and LRSH's origin story with Pearson, who's the host of the podcast Coffee with Comrades. Engage with us on Twitter @LRedSchoolHouse. Support us by becoming a member of the LRSH patreon page: patreon.com/LittleRedSchoolHouse. Please rate and review Little Red School House on iTunes too. This will help increase our reach.   Solidarity! ---------------------------------------------------------------- Little Red School House focuses on issues with our current education system and ways we can empower students, educators, and anyone who cares about education. Shouldn’t people be put before profits? Shouldn’t our children be educated to grow and learn instead of being treated like the means to the financial gain of those in power? If you agree with this so-called “radical” and “revolutionary” perspective, you’ve come to the right place! Join educators Gord Milstone and John Battalion as they call out systemic problems and discuss how we can break down barriers in the educational system.

This week we got the chance to sit down and catch up with Ben Turk, who is an anarchist and prison abolitionist living in Milwaukee WI, about some recent efforts that he has been involved in and some ways that listeners can plug in and do solidarity work from afar. We speak about the lockdowns that have been occuring in Columbia CI, continued efforts to raise awareness about solitary confinement and bringing mental healthcare services to people undergoing incarceration, efforts to change legislation regarding old law prisoners, efforts to free Chrystul Kizer, and how the face of anarchist abolitionist organizing is shifting.   If you're interested in getting networked with Ben and the work of Forum for Understanding Prisons, to help with compiling information from the WI DOC shift logs, to help support people being tortured via solitary confinement, to donate to efforts to free Chrystul Kizer, and many more you can email him at insurgent.ben@gmail.com or follow the websites prisonforum.org, freechrystul.wordpress.com, and fireinside.noblogs.org if you'd like to read more about prison abolition.   Link to the Washington Post article about the case of Chrystul Kizer   Detailed notes from our guest concerning the topics we covered in the show:   Resisting lockdowns at Columbia CI and elsewhere.   We leaped to action against the prolonged and excruciating lock-down at Columbia Correctional Institution, which started on November 8, and wasn't completely lifted until December 22. Midway through the lockdown Muhammad (Larry) Bracey was killed by guards through medical neglect. We posted 13 reports, letters or updates about the lockdown on our website. We also staged a New Year's Eeve noise demo outside Columbia and two rallies at the Wisconsin DOC building. We mirrored the demands of incarcerated people, including hunger strikers, who called for Warden Susan Novak to be fired. Our efforts got us a meeting with Secretary Carr and other top DOC officials, who haven't yet met our demands, but have fired some racist and sadistic guards, including multiple involved in Muhammad Bracey's death. Unfortunately, conditions remain unsafe at CCI following the lockdown, two more mendied preventable deaths on the week of January 13. We are still getting responses to our open records requests, and will put out more reports shining a continuous light on the horrors that creep in the corners of this institution. We will continue to fight for our demands until they are satisfied, including the firing of Susan Novak. How you can help this campaign: Show up. We plan to be wherever Secretary Carr is and to repeat our demands there. He will be appearing at a Supporters of Incarcerated People (SIP) meeting at Grace Episcopal Church on February 12. Join us there. Shine a light. Much of this work involves research, going through released records and correspondence with incarcerated people to generate reports and expose the hardships. Contact insurgent.ben@gmail.com if you would like to help with that work.  Remain vigilant. Shortly after the CCI lockdown, there was a 10 day lockdown at WaupunCorrectional. People held there say it was the worst they'dexperienced. We need to be ready to mobilize and maintain pressure to keep the DOC from dragging out more of these unlawful lockdowns and humanitarian violations.     Abolishing solitary confinement and advocating for mental health treatment.   Ending the torture of long term solitary confinement has been the driving goal of FFUP's work for more than 15 years. We are continuously dismayed to see this practice and attending tortures expanding in Wisconsin, despite inspiring reform efforts happening elsewhere.   In February, we will release a comprehensive report by FFUP founder Peg Swan, describing the history of solitary in Wisconsin and its many impacts, large and small. Joining testimonies from survivors, historical events and legal analysis, the report advocates for strong and decisive action toward restricting and eliminating Wisconsin's use solitary confinement and replacing it with mental health treatment.   Governor Evers and Secretary Carr have talked about reforming solitary confinement, but cautioned us that the changes will be gradual. David Crowley and other law-makers have introduced a bill calling for psychological reviews of people in solitary confinement. The trouble is, DOC doctors are already routinely altering mental health diagnoses to enable the use of restraint chairs and other forms of torture that aren't officially sanctioned for use on people diagnosed with serious mental illnesses. We expect that if the proposed law or similar restrictions come to pass, DOC staff will dodge their effect by continuing their practice of altering diagnoses to put whoever they want into solitary. Instead, Wisconsin needs the follow the success story in Colorado. When Rick Raemisch took over the DOC there, he made a dramatic commitment to replace solitary confinement with mindfulness practice and treatment. Within his first year, changes were happening, and now Colorado restricts solitary confinement to a maximum of 15 days.   How you can help this campaign: Reduce the harm of isolation. Peg Swan has begun an email newsletter and penpal program to provide people held in long term solitary confinement with what they need most: human connection. If you would like to receive the newsletter or can write to someone in solitary, you may help save lives. Contact Peg at pgswan3@aol.com. Contact Governor Evers. Tell him you support the abolition of long term solitary confinement. Half measures and gradual steps are not enough when lives hang in the balance. Call (608) 266-1212, email GovPress@wisconsin.gov, file public comment here.   Fighting for old law prisoners.   Volunteers with FFUP have been attending recent parole board meetings to track progress toward reforms and increased releases by the new administration. There are about 3000 people held in Wisconsin prisons under the old law, most of them would be released by the standard expectations of their sentencing judges by now if not for very regressive policies of the DOC and parole commission. Peg and other FFUP contacts maintain regular correspondence with many old law prisoners. Releasing these people will not only reunite them with their families, it will have a significant impact on the overcrowding that makes everyone's life harder in prison- both captives and staff.   Last spring Governor Evers appointed John Tate II to be the Chair of the Parole Commission, promising increased releases and long overdue justice for people sentenced before Dec 31, 1999. Unfortunately, from what we've observed in meetings transition to that agenda has been very difficult. On January 8, we witnessed an alarming level of obstruction, disrespect and apparent sabotage of reform efforts by parole commissioners. This behavior, combined with obstructive practices by DOC staff in classification, programming and community corrections are drastically curtailing the possibility for release of people incarcerated under the old law.   We have decided that a stronger public voice in support of reform and releases is necessary, so we're encouraging people to attend parole commission meetings and will follow the next meeting (Feb 5) with a rally. We also released Ben's notes from January publicly and sent them to hundreds of people incarcerated under the old law. Last summer we delivered a rules change petition to Governor Evers and Chairman Tate. At the monthly meetings we will be delivering the petitions again, showing increasing public support for the release of old law prisoners.   How you can help this campaign: Support Tate's confirmation. State Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald has delayed Tate's confirmation for seven months. Contact him to demand that he allow a confirmation vote for Chairman Tate. (608) 266-5660 or Sen.Fitzgerald@legis.wisconsin.gov  Voice support. Sign the petition calling for parole reform and expanded releases. Bear witness. Attend or invite people to the February 5 meeting at 9:30 and / or the rally at noon. Both at the DOC building 3099 E Washington.   Defending sex trafficking survivor Chrystul Kizer. On June 20, 2018 a 17 year old Black girl named Chrystul Kizer from Milwaukee defended herself against a 34 year old child pornographer and sex trafficker named Randal Volar, ending his life. Volar had been investigated by Kenosha police since at least February when he was arrested, but released despite possession of child pornography and other clear evidence. Kenosha DA Michael Graveley failed to charge Volar, but is now pursuing first degree murder charges against Chrystul.   FFUP volunteers are working closely with Chrystul and her family to raise awareness of her case and to demand that charges be dropped. We've helped pack the court for each of her preliminary hearings and taken control of the narrative around her case. We are also helping organize a rally at 5:30 pm on February 5 at UW Parkside, where Graveley teaches Criminal Law. On Thursday February 6, 8:45 am Chrystul has another hearing at Kenosha County Courthouse. She is requesting a bond reduction to one we can fundraise enough for, so she can come home while awaiting trial. How you can help this campaign: 1. Follow #FreeChrystul on social media and share the campaigns stories and updates. 2. Donate to Chrystul's family, sign the petition, write to Chrystul and ask organizations you're involved in to contact DA Graveley. -- Phone: (614) 704-4699 Forum For Understanding Prisons- prisonforum.org     Further interviews with Ben on The Final Straw:   August 19th Solidarity with Prisoners: Ben Turk of IWOC (originally aired 06/25/2017)   The Campaign to Fight Toxic Prisons (or FTP) and Ben Turk on the recent prisoner strikes (originally aired 05/17/2016)   Ben Turk on the silencing of Sean Swain, anarchist prisoner in Ohio (originally aired 04/21/2013)   Ben Turk on Insurgent Theatre + Prison Abolition (October 27, 2013) (originally aired 11/04/2013)   Waupun CI prisoners on Hunger Strikes (originally aired 07/19/2016) Announcements Appalachian Climate Action Camp From a call to participate in an Appalachian Climate Action Camp: People all over the world are mobilizing to combat the climate crisis. It's time to build skills and take action! Join us for 10 days of learning, training, and taking direct action to disrupt the systems that are destroying our climate. We will come together to build on Appalachia's rich history of direct action against extractive industries, which has included tree sits, blockades, and walk-ons to resist mountaintop removal, fracking, and fossil fuel pipelines. After fighting the Mountain Valley Pipeline for over two years, we aim to grow the resistance to fossil fuel exploitation and take power out of the hands of corporations and politicians that are threatening our collective future. We are inviting community members, activists, students, and families to learn the skills needed to execute a variety of actions that disrupt the power structures wrecking the environment we depend upon and contributing to climate change.  We will be hosting people in the southwestern Virginia/ southern West Virginia along the path of the Mountain Valley Pipeline, providing food and trainings to participants for 10 days. We will have more information in the coming weeks. If you are interested in coming to camp and joining the resistance please email appclimateactioncamp@protonmail.com. Location and more event details to follow upon registration! Floods in Eastern Kentucky and South West Virginia There's a request for funds for relief from recent floods in Appalachia in coal-country. Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, in partnership with local activists who helped support Black Jewel Miners Blockade are requesting funds and goods to Harlan County and surrounding areas. You can learn more on instagram at @weloveminersblockades, you can donate on venmo at mutualaidky, cashapp at $ekyswvafloods, paypal via floodreliefkyswva@gmail.com and you can email them there as well. Anti-ICE protestors harassed in Florida A group of activists known as the GEO9 who were arrested while protesting on December 3rd, 2019, outside the Boca Raton office of GEO Group, which contracts immigration prison services for ICE, have experienced ramped up harassment. They received misdemeanor charges for trespassing and the use of a megaphone and were released on their own recognizance after their initial arrests. But now apparently are facing felonies and one activist of the 9, Alexis Butler, was even rearrested under fishy circumstances at her house by Broward County Sheriff on February 7th. More info is available in the write-up at itsgoingdown.org linked in the show notes and a fundraiser for the activists legal defense via EverRibbon.com can be found in our notes as well. Chuck Africa is Free We are happy to announce that Chuck Sims Africa, the remaining member of the MOVE 9 left behind bars was released from prison after 42 years on February 7th, 2019. There is a fundraiser for his post-release situation up at https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-chuck-africa-rebuild to help Chuck get rolling on the outside. Free Them All! Michael Kimble Legal Defense His support crew needs funds to challenge his initial conviction. Here's the text from that site: Michael Kimble is a passionate freedom fighter who has been held captive by the Alabama Department of Corrections for nearly 33 years. After defending himself during a homophobic attack by a known white supremacist in 1987, Michael was arrested, charged with murder, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison. His trial was typical of what could be expected from a racist criminal justice system in Jefferson County, Alabama. Since his conviction, Michael has been fervently involved in efforts to free himself and others, assisting in legal defense for fellow inmates, organizing reading groups and Black History events, speaking up for queer folks behind bars, and helping to organize and agitate alongside the Free Alabama Movement for the historic national prison strike of September 2016. The Alabama prison system has recently come under fire from the federal government for its abhorrent conditions, and Holman Prison, where Michael is incarcerated, is being decommissioned and largely shut down. In this context, many Alabama prisoners have been successfully challenging the length of their original sentences. A group of Michael's supporters on the outside have recently joined forces to hire a new legal team to help him push for a sentence reduction. Given the amount of time already served, we are hoping this could result in his release. All the money raised will go directly towards filing motions for sentence reduction, and anything left over will be used to support Michael's day to day life inside with things like stamps, books, and commissary funds. Fingers crossed, we'll also be raising money to support Michael once he joins on the outside. For more information, check out this awesome interview with Michael from a few years back, as well as his blog. Until Every Cage is Empty, –Michael Kimble Support Crew The fundraiser is up at gofundme.com/f/free-michael-kimble. To hear our past interviews with Michael Kimble, check out our website. Channel Zero Network news Mid week, we'll be releasing an episode of Coffee With Comrades, where Pearson talks to Amy & Liz from Rebel Steps and Mitch from Red Strings & Maroons, all fellow members of CZN. The conversation engages the participants podcasts, CZN and radical media. This conversation happened in the context of CZN's continued fundraiser, which we'll have linked in our show notes. Also, if you do the reddit thing, check out the brand new Channel Zero Network subreddit! . … . .. Intro music by: Mad Skillz – Tip of the Tongue (instrumental)      

This week we have a very special collaborative episode with partner podcasts, Rebel Steps and Coffee With Comrades, from the Channel Zero Network. We dive into the utility and critiques of independent leftist media creators and why we feel creating explicitly leftist podcasts is important. If any listeners have interest in setting up their own podcast or questions about the process, please be encouraged to reach out via email! Hit up redstringsandmaroons@protonmail.comSupport the podcast and keep up with the show:Patreon: patreon.com/redstringsandmaroonWebsite: redstringsandmaroons.com (temporarily down)Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redstringsandmaroons Twitter: @Red_Stringer_NC Instagram: @Red_Stringer_NC Red Strings and Maroons is part of the Channel Zero Network - a network of anarchist projects and podcasts! Leave us a review on iTunes and FB to help us reach a larger audience!

In honor(?) of the Skywalker Saga ending, we've unlocked the crossover with one of our favorite podcasts, COFFEE WITH COMRADES, as we discuss the Bush Era Star Wars Extravaganza, REVENGE OF THE SITH.Become a $3 monthly subscriber to access Primo Lefter, our weekly premium show.Hop in the: Discord!

Rundown Mexie joins Pearson on the Coffee with Comrades podcast to talk ecology, anthropocentrism, and revolution. We talk about the importance of unsettling linear visions of progress that see humans as above or outside of the ecosystems we form part and of centring reciprocity in our praxis. We discuss how the human/nature dualism is baked […]

This time we delve into a short story by an incredible and beautiful Brazilian writer, João Guimarães Rosa. With this brief short story "The Third Bank of the River", we consider dealing with grief, trauma and death in general. Along with how sometimes narrative mysteries can truly be eternal. We hope you enjoy this episode and let us know what you've been thinking of the show so far! Leave us iTunes reviews, talk to us on Twitter... As we reach double digits, we hope to keep making good, fun and interesting content for everyone! The Third Bank of the River: http://www.sphstigers.org/ourpages/users/jasher/SSBootCampWebsite/The%20Third%20Bank%20of%20the%20River.pdf   RevLeftRadio with Cindy Milstein on grief: https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/grief Coffee With Comrades along with RevLeft and Black Banner Magic on death and more: http://coffeewithcomrades.com/episode-41-should-i-kill-myself-or-have-a-cup-of-coffee-ft-rev-left-radio-black-banner-magic   You can find us on Twitter @leftpagepod Please support our Patreon if you're interested and want to join the Poetry Club! https://www.patreon.com/leftpage  Intro Music: All Along the Watchtower, Jimi Hendrix, Electric Ladyland, 1968 Outro Music: A Terceira Margem do Rio [The Third Bank of the River], Caetano Veloso, Circuladô, 1991 ----------- We are a part of the Revolutionary Left Radio Federation so check them out here! @RevLeftRadio https://revolutionaryleftradio.libsyn.com/ -----------

The Wrong Boys join Pearson and Mel from Coffee with Comrades to talk about extremely online leftism, sectarian shenanigans, prefiguration, and Mr. Fred Rogers. check out the show and get the full...

Mel, from the organizing committee of the Midwest Left Assembly, and co-host of Coffee With Comrades joins Breht to discuss the upcoming MLA event!  Learn more about the Midwest Left Assembly, and register, here: http://midwestleft.com Donate to the Midwest Left Assembly here: https://chuffed.org/project/midwest-left-assembly-2019 Follow Mel on Twitter @ColdBrewedTool and check out Coffee With Comrades here: http://www.coffeewithcomrades.com Outro Song: "People" by AJJ Support their music here: https://www.ajjtheband.com ------ LEARN MORE ABOUT REV LEFT RADIO: https://www.revolutionaryleftradio.com/ SUPPORT REV LEFT RADIO: www.patreon.com/revleftradio

In this episode, Breht explores issues surrounding the police, why you shouldn't talk to them, and what your rights are with regards to them. Check out the video version of this episode on our YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS-0-oTeom0 Shout-out to all our friends who contributed to this piece:   Shawn and Aaron from Srsly Wrong   Mexie from the Vegan Vanguard   Frank and Bruno from The Left Page   Mel and Pearson from Coffee With Comrades   Jon and Ash from Horror Vanguard   Gord and John from Little Red Schoolhouse   and of course, our wonderful Producer Dave ----------- Intro Music: "Sound of da Police" by KRS-One   Outro Music: "Two Cups of Tea" by Star Fucking Hipsters ----------   Check out Rev Left Radio Here: www.revolutionaryleftradio.com

Shawn and Aaron from Srsly Wrong join Breht and Alyson Escalante for a comradely debate and dialogue concerning Scientific Socialism.  Check out Srsly Wrong here: @SrslyWrong https://srslywrong.com https://www.patreon.com/srslywrong More From Alyson here: @Alysonesque https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XB2Cbir6ac8 https://failingthatinvent.home.blog   Outro Music: Private Lawns by Angus and Julia Stone ----------- Our logo was made by BARB, a communist graphic design collective! You can find them on twitter or insta @Barbaradical.  Intro music by Captain Planet. Find and support his music here:  https://djcaptainplanet.bandcamp.com --------------- Rev Left Spin-Off Shows: Red Menace (hosted by Breht and Alyson Escalante): Twitter: @Red_Menace_Pod Audio: http://redmenace.libsyn.com  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKdxX5eqQyk&t=144s Black Banner Magic (Season 2) Twitter: @blackbannerpod http://blackbannermagic.libsyn.com Hammer and Camera (The communist Siskel and Ebert):  Twitter: @HammerCamera http://hammercamera.libsyn.com Other Members of the Rev Left Radio Federation include: Coffee With Comrades: https://www.patreon.com/coffeewithcomrades Left Page: https://www.patreon.com/leftpage Little Red School House: http://littleredschoolhouse.libsyn.com ---- Please Rate and Review Revolutionary Left Radio on iTunes. This dramatically helps increase our reach. You can support the show financially by: Becoming a Patreon supporter (and receive access to bonus content including the Rev Left book club) here: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio - OR - making a one-time donation to the Rev Left Radio team here: paypal.me/revleft Get Rev Left Radio Merch (and genuinely support the show by doing so) here: https://www.teezily.com/stores/revleftradio --------------- This podcast is officially affiliated with The Nebraska Left Coalition, the Nebraska IWW, Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), Feed The People - Omaha, and the Marxist Center. Join the SRA here: https://www.socialistra.org/

Naomi and Nick from Means TV join Breht to discuss their incredible project, which is attempting to create an anti-capitalist and worker-owned media streaming site made by and for the revolutionary left! Find Means TV on twitter here: https://twitter.com/means_tv?lang=en  Donate to their fundraiser here: https://means.media  Email them at: Contact@Means.Media  Outro Music: "Radicalized" by Desaparecidos (an Omaha band, btw). Find and support them here: https://desaparecidos.bandcamp.com  ----- You can support our show by: Becoming a Patreon supporter (and receive access to bonus content including the Rev Left book club) here: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio - OR - making a one-time donation to the Rev Left Radio team here: www.paypal.me/revleft  ---- Our logo was made by BARB, a communist graphic design collective! You can find them on twitter or insta @Barbaradical.  Intro music by Captain Planet. Find and support his music here:  https://djcaptainplanet.bandcamp.com --------------- Rev Left Spin-Off Shows: Red Menace (hosted by Breht and Alyson Escalante): Twitter: @Red_Menace_Pod Audio: http://redmenace.libsyn.com  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKdxX5eqQyk&t=144s Black Banner Magic (Season 2 coming soon) Twitter: @blackbannerpod http://blackbannermagic.libsyn.com Hammer and Camera (The communist Siskel and Ebert):  Twitter: @HammerCamera http://hammercamera.libsyn.com   Other Members of the Rev Left Radio Federation include: Coffee With Comrades: https://www.patreon.com/coffeewithcomrades Left Page: https://www.patreon.com/leftpage Little Red School House: http://littleredschoolhouse.libsyn.com ---- Get Rev Left Radio Merch here (sizes run small, or order one or two sizes up from your normal size): https://www.teezily.com/stores/revleftradio --------------- This podcast is officially affiliated with The Nebraska Left Coalition, the Nebraska IWW, Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), Feed The People - Omaha, and the Marxist Center. Join the SRA here: https://www.socialistra.org/

Zoe (AKA Anarchopac) join's Breht for the second installment of our sub-series "In Dialogue With Anarchism". Topics include: Anarchist social theory, organizationally-minded tendencies within anarchism, the Marxist and Anarchist conceptions of the State, our different organizing strategies, whether or not we can work together, and more! Check out Anarchopac's YouTube page here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3FD64RRsrCLpiZNkq7ZkSg  Follow Zoe on Twitter here: https://twitter.com/anarchopac?lang=en  Outro Music: "Jesus Does The Dishes" by Wingnut Dishwasher's Union.  Find and support their music here: https://diybandits.bandcamp.com -------- You can support the show by: Becoming a Patreon supporter (and receive access to bonus content including the Rev Left book club) here: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio - OR - making a one-time donation to the Rev Left Radio team here: www.paypal.me/revleft  ---- Our logo was made by BARB, a communist graphic design collective! You can find them on twitter or insta @Barbaradical.  Intro music by Captain Planet. Find and support his music here:  https://djcaptainplanet.bandcamp.com --------------- Rev Left Spin-Off Shows: Red Menace (hosted by Breht and Alyson Escalante): Twitter: @Red_Menace_Pod Audio: http://redmenace.libsyn.com  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKdxX5eqQyk&t=144s Black Banner Magic (Season 2 coming soon) Twitter: @blackbannerpod http://blackbannermagic.libsyn.com Hammer and Camera (The communist Siskel and Ebert):  Twitter: @HammerCamera http://hammercamera.libsyn.com   Other Members of the Rev Left Radio Federation include: Coffee With Comrades: https://www.patreon.com/coffeewithcomrades Left Page: https://www.patreon.com/leftpage Little Red School House: http://littleredschoolhouse.libsyn.com ---- Get Rev Left Radio Merch here (sizes run small, or order one or two sizes up from your normal size): https://www.teezily.com/stores/revleftradio --------------- This podcast is officially affiliated with The Nebraska Left Coalition, the Nebraska IWW, Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), Feed The People - Omaha, and the Marxist Center. Join the SRA here: https://www.socialistra.org/

We recorded this episode in mid March 2019 while Pearson from Coffee with Comrades was visiting in Omaha, NE during Spring break. This freeform conversation first aired as a Patreon bonus for Rev Left Radio and is now unlocked and I'm excited to share this episode wherein we cover quite a bit: climate change effects happening in the now, fascist violence, and death. It's a heavy weight but filled with militant joy. Anyway, enjoy! Support Rev Left Radio on Patreon & follow on Twitter. Support Coffee With Comrades on Patreon & follow on Twitter. Coffee with Comrades is a member of the Channel Zero Network and part of the Rev Left Radio Federation along with Black Banner Magic.  Patreon.com/blackbannermagic follow me on Twitter @blackbannerpod Intro: "It Remembers" by Every Time I Die Interlude: "Bottle of Humans" by Sole Outro: "Witness" by Counterparts

Breht from Revolutionary Left Radio continues the discussion from our roundtable episode featuring Coffee With Comrades cohosts Mel and Pearson, and this time I talk about the collective unconscious and how it appears to us,  and we drill down on the cult of rationality that created the New Atheist  movement and its role in promoting Islamophobia over criticism of other religions, and their support of the US wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. We also discuss how those reactionary ideas of rationality were found earlier in Theodor Adorno's essay 'Theses Against Occultism' published in his book The Stars Down to Earth and other essays on the irrational in culture  Support Rev Left Radio on Patreon and follow on Twitter @RevLeftRadio Patreon.com/blackbannermagic Twitter: @blackbannerpod Email: BlackBannerMagic@riseup.net 2/3rds of every dollar raised through this Patreon will go to the Omaha Freedom Fund! community bail fund. As a member of the Revolutionary Left Radio federation of podcasts, Black Banner Magic records in the RevLeft bunker, and the last 1/3rd goes into studio and engineering costs. More info about OFF! can be found on omahafreedomfund.wordpress.com or on twitter @omahabail

Jon from Working Class History joins Breht for our first installment of our ongoing sub series “In Dialogue With Anarchism”. Find and Support WCH here: https://workingclasshistory.com Outro Music: Guerra by Bambu Find and Support his music here: https://bambubeatrock.bandcamp.com ----------- Our logo was made by BARB, a communist graphic design collective! You can find them on twitter or insta @Barbaradical.  Intro music by Captain Planet. Find and support his music here:  https://djcaptainplanet.bandcamp.com --------------- Rev Left Spin-Off Shows: Red Menace (hosted by Breht and Alyson Escalante): Twitter: @Red_Menace_Pod Audio: http://redmenace.libsyn.com  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKdxX5eqQyk&t=144s Black Banner Magic (Season 2 coming soon) Twitter: @blackbannerpod http://blackbannermagic.libsyn.com Hammer and Camera (The communist Siskel and Ebert):  Twitter: @HammerCamera http://hammercamera.libsyn.com   Other Members of the Rev Left Radio Federation include: Coffee With Comrades: https://www.patreon.com/coffeewithcomrades Left Page: https://www.patreon.com/leftpage Little Red School House: http://littleredschoolhouse.libsyn.com ---- Please Rate and Review Revolutionary Left Radio on iTunes. This dramatically helps increase our reach. You can support the show financially by: Becoming a Patreon supporter (and receive access to bonus content including the Rev Left book club) here: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio - OR - making a one-time donation to the Rev Left Radio team here: paypal.me/revleft Get Rev Left Radio Merch (and genuinely support the show by doing so) here: https://www.teezily.com/stores/revleftradio --------------- This podcast is officially affiliated with The Nebraska Left Coalition, the Nebraska IWW, Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), Feed The People - Omaha, and the Marxist Center. Join the SRA here: https://www.socialistra.org/

Greg from "In The Roots" podcast joins Breht to do a introductory examination of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.  In The Roots podcast can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/intheroots and here: https://m.soundcloud.com/intherootspod You can follow Greg on Twitter @_therealgreg_ Outro Music: The IMF by Black Wizard ----------- Our logo was made by BARB, a communist graphic design collective! You can find them on twitter or insta @Barbaradical.  Intro music by Captain Planet. Find and support his music here:  https://djcaptainplanet.bandcamp.com --------------- Rev Left Spin-Off Shows: Red Menace (hosted by Breht and Alyson Escalante): Twitter: @Red_Menace_Pod Audio: http://redmenace.libsyn.com  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKdxX5eqQyk&t=144s Black Banner Magic (Season 2 coming soon) Twitter: @blackbannerpod http://blackbannermagic.libsyn.com Hammer and Camera (The communist Siskel and Ebert):  Twitter: @HammerCamera http://hammercamera.libsyn.com   Other Members of the Rev Left Radio Federation include: Coffee With Comrades: https://www.patreon.com/coffeewithcomrades Left Page: https://www.patreon.com/leftpage Little Red School House: http://littleredschoolhouse.libsyn.com ---- Please Rate and Review Revolutionary Left Radio on iTunes. This dramatically helps increase our reach. You can support the show financially by: Becoming a Patreon supporter (and receive access to bonus content including the Rev Left book club) here: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio - OR - making a one-time donation to the Rev Left Radio team here: paypal.me/revleft Get Rev Left Radio Merch (and genuinely support the show by doing so) here: https://www.teezily.com/stores/revleftradio --------------- This podcast is officially affiliated with The Nebraska Left Coalition, the Nebraska IWW, Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), Feed The People - Omaha, and the Marxist Center. Join the SRA here: https://www.socialistra.org/

 Jared from Millennials Are Killing Capitalism joins Breht to discuss the MOVE organization, the bombing of MOVE in Philly in 1985, Mumia Abu Jamal, the history of racism and police violence in Philadelphia, and much, much more.  Ramona Africa's GoFundMe for her cancer treatments and medical needs - https://www.gofundme.com/helpsaveramonaafrica    Mobilization4Mumia - these are the comrades I work to support in Philly - https://mobilization4mumia.com/donate-1   MOVE 9 Legal Fund (Abolitionist Law Center) - https://abolitionistlawcenter.org/2018/11/05/action-alert-support-the-move-9-legal-fund/ Find "Millennials Are Killing Capitalism" here: https://millennialsarekillingcapitalism.libsyn.com/ Follow them on Twitter @MAKCapitalism Outro Music: Radical Dilemma by Rebel Diaz Find and support their music here: https://rebeldiaz.bandcamp.com/album/radical-dilemma ----------- Our logo was made by BARB, a communist graphic design collective! You can find them on twitter or insta @Barbaradical.  Intro music by Captain Planet. Find and support his music here:  https://djcaptainplanet.bandcamp.com --------------- Rev Left Spin-Off Shows: Red Menace (hosted by Breht and Alyson Escalante): Twitter: @Red_Menace_Pod Audio: http://redmenace.libsyn.com  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKdxX5eqQyk&t=144s Black Banner Magic (Season 2 coming soon) Twitter: @blackbannerpod http://blackbannermagic.libsyn.com   Hammer and Camera (The communist Siskel and Ebert):  Twitter: @HammerCamera http://hammercamera.libsyn.com   Other Members of the Rev Left Radio Federation include: Coffee With Comrades: https://www.patreon.com/coffeewithcomrades Left Page: https://www.patreon.com/leftpage Little red School House: http://littleredschoolhouse.libsyn.com ---- Please Rate and Review Revolutionary Left Radio on iTunes. This dramatically helps increase our reach. You can support the show financially by: Becoming a Patreon supporter (and receive access to bonus content including the Rev Left book club) here: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio - OR - making a one-time donation to the Rev Left Radio team here: paypal.me/revleft Get Rev Left Radio Merch (and genuinely support the show by doing so) here: https://www.teezily.com/stores/revleftradio --------------- This podcast is officially affiliated with The Nebraska Left Coalition, the Nebraska IWW, Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), Feed The People - Omaha, and the Marxist Center. Join the SRA here: https://www.socialistra.org/  

Donald Parkinson from Cosmonaut Magazine joins Breht to discuss the life, theory, and legacy of Bolshevik Revolutionary, Nikolai Bukharin. Find and support Cosmonaut Magazine here: https://cosmonaut.blog Follow Donald on Twitter: @donaldp1917 Please donate to help get the Marxist Center’s new magazine, Regeneration, off the ground if ya can: https://chuffed.org/project/revleftradio Outro Music: "39 Thieves" by Aesop Rock Find and support his music here: https://rhymesayers.com/artists/aesoprock ----------- Get Rev Left Radio Merch (and genuinely support the show by doing so) here: https://www.teezily.com/stores/revleftradio Our logo was made by BARB, a communist graphic design collective! You can find them on twitter or insta @Barbaradical. Please reach out to them if you are in need of any graphic design work for your leftist projects!  Intro music by Captain Planet. You can find and support his wonderful music here:  https://djcaptainplanet.bandcamp.com --------------- Rev Left Spin-Off Shows: Red Menace (hosted by Breht and Alyson Escalante; explaining and analyzing essential works of revolutionary theory and applying their lessons to our current conditions): Twitter: @Red_Menace_Pod Audio: http://redmenace.libsyn.com  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKdxX5eqQyk&t=144s Hammer and Camera (The communist Siskel and Ebert):  Twitter: @HammerCamera http://hammercamera.libsyn.com   Other Members of the Rev Left Radio Federation include: Coffee With Comrades: https://www.patreon.com/coffeewithcomrades Left Page: https://www.patreon.com/leftpage ---- Please Rate and Review Revolutionary Left Radio on iTunes. This dramatically helps increase our reach. Support the Show and get access to bonus content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio Follow us on Twitter @RevLeftRadio This podcast is officially affiliated with The Nebraska Left Coalition, the Nebraska IWW, Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), Feed The People - Omaha, and the Marxist Center. Join the SRA here: https://www.socialistra.org/

Cindy Milstein, Jewish anarchist, author, and organizer, joins Breht to discuss the collection of essays she compiled and edited titled "Rebellious Mourning".  Find Cindy's books from PM Press here: http://www.pmpress.org/content/article.php/CindyMilstein Find Cindy's books from AK Press here: https://www.akpress.org/rebellious-mourning.html Here is Cindy's interview on Solecast: http://www.soleone.org/solecast/2018/3/23/solecast-w-cindy-milstein-on-rebellious-mourning Here is Cindy's Interview on This is Hell: https://thisishell.com/guests/cindy-milstein Here is Cindy's interview on Final Straw: https://thefinalstrawradio.noblogs.org/post/category/cindy-milstein/  Here is the GoFundMe for Comrade Leah who is trying to get help paying her medical bills after being diagnosed with Cancer: https://www.gofundme.com/f/help-me-survive-cancer-and-prevent-homelessness Outro music by: AJJ - Coffin Dance Find and support their music here: https://www.ajjtheband.com/ Get Rev Left Radio Merch (and genuinely support the show by doing so) here: https://www.teezily.com/stores/revleftradio Here is an amazing podcast by two-time guest of the show Dr. Kristen R. Ghodsee covering the works Alexandra Kollontai (1872-1952), a Marxist Feminist who had radical ideas about the intersections of socialism and women's emancipation: http://ak47.buzzsprout.com -------------- Our logo was made by BARB, a communist graphic design collective! You can find them on twitter or insta @Barbaradical. Please reach out to them if you are in need of any graphic design work for your leftist projects!  Intro music by Captain Planet. You can find and support his wonderful music here:  https://djcaptainplanet.bandcamp.com --------------- Rev Left Spin-Off Shows: Red Menace (hosted by Breht and Alyson Escalante; explaining and analyzing essential works of revolutionary theory and applying their lessons to our current conditions): Twitter: @Red_Menace_Pod Audio: http://redmenace.libsyn.com  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKdxX5eqQyk&t=144s Hammer and Camera (The communist Siskel and Ebert):  Twitter: @HammerCamera http://hammercamera.libsyn.com   Other Members of the Rev Left Radio Federation include: Coffee With Comrades: https://www.patreon.com/coffeewithcomrades Left Page: https://www.patreon.com/leftpage ---- Please Rate and Review Revolutionary Left Radio on iTunes. This dramatically helps increase our reach. Support the Show and get access to bonus content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio Follow us on Twitter @RevLeftRadio This podcast is officially affiliated with The Nebraska Left Coalition, the Nebraska IWW, Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), Feed The People - Omaha, and the Marxist Center. Join the SRA here: https://www.socialistra.org/

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WORKING WOMEN'S DAY! Kristen R. Ghodsee, American ethnographer and Professor of Russian and East European Studies at the University of Pennsylvania, joins Breht once again to discuss her latest book, Why Women Have Better Sex Under Socialism: And Other Arguments For Economic Independence. Kristen's website is here: https://kristenghodsee.com/ Here is Kristen's latest article about International Women's Day: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/08/opinion/international-womens-day-socialism.html Here is Kristen's interview on Season of the Bitch: https://soundcloud.com/seasonofthebitch/episode-57-why-women-have-better-sex-under-socialism-ft-kristen-ghodsee Here is Dr. Kristen R. Ghodsee's podcast "A.K. 47", covering the works Alexandra Kollontai (1872-1952), a Marxist Feminist who had radical ideas about the intersections of socialism and women's emancipation: http://ak47.buzzsprout.com Outro Song: "Dope Queen Blues" by Adia Victoria Find and support Adia's music here: www.adiavictoria.com --------- Get Rev Left Radio Merch here: https://www.teezily.com/stores/revleftradio Our logo was made by BARB, a communist graphic design collective! You can find them on twitter or insta @Barbaradical.  Intro music by Captain Planet. You can find and support his wonderful music here:  https://djcaptainplanet.bandcamp.com --------------- Rev Left Spin-Off Shows: Red Menace (hosted by Breht and Alyson Escalante; explaining and analyzing essential works of revolutionary theory and applying their lessons to our current conditions): Twitter: @Red_Menace_Pod Audio: http://redmenace.libsyn.com  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKdxX5eqQyk&t=144s Hammer and Camera:  Twitter: @HammerCamera http://hammercamera.libsyn.com   Other Members of the Rev Left Radio Federation include: Coffee With Comrades: https://www.patreon.com/coffeewithcomrades Left Page: https://www.patreon.com/leftpage ---- Please Rate and Review Revolutionary Left Radio on iTunes. This dramatically helps increase our reach. Support the Show and get access to bonus content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio Follow us on Twitter @RevLeftRadio This podcast is officially affiliated with The Nebraska Left Coalition, the Nebraska IWW, Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), Feed The People - Omaha, and the Marxist Center. Join the SRA here: https://www.socialistra.org/

Chuka Ejeckam joins Breht to discuss and pay homage to the Black Panther Party leader and Marxist Revolutionary, Fred Hampton. Find and support Chuka and his work here: http://www.chukaejeckam.com/ Follow him on twitter @ChukaEjeckam Outro music by: Dead Prez - Food, Clothes, Shelter Get Rev Left Radio Merch (and genuinely support the show by doing so) here: https://www.teezily.com/stores/revleftradio Here is an amazing podcast by two-time guest of the show Dr. Kristen R. Ghodsee covering the works Alexandra Kollontai (1872-1952), a Marxist Feminist who had radical ideas about the intersections of socialism and women's emancipation: http://ak47.buzzsprout.com -------------- Our logo was made by BARB, a communist graphic design collective! You can find them on twitter or insta @Barbaradical. Please reach out to them if you are in need of any graphic design work for your leftist projects!  Intro music by Captain Planet. You can find and support his wonderful music here:  https://djcaptainplanet.bandcamp.com --------------- Rev Left Spin-Off Shows: Red Menace (hosted by Breht and Alyson Escalante; explaining and analyzing essential works of revolutionary theory and applying their lessons to our current conditions): Twitter: @Red_Menace_Pod Audio: http://redmenace.libsyn.com  Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mKdxX5eqQyk&t=144s Hammer and Camera (The communist Siskel and Ebert):  Twitter: @HammerCamera http://hammercamera.libsyn.com   Other Members of the Rev Left Radio Federation include: Coffee With Comrades: https://www.patreon.com/coffeewithcomrades Left Page: https://www.patreon.com/leftpage ---- Please Rate and Review Revolutionary Left Radio on iTunes. This dramatically helps increase our reach. Support the Show and get access to bonus content on Patreon here: https://www.patreon.com/RevLeftRadio Follow us on Twitter @RevLeftRadio This podcast is officially affiliated with The Nebraska Left Coalition, the Nebraska IWW, Socialist Rifle Association (SRA), Feed The People - Omaha, and the Marxist Center. Join the SRA here: https://www.socialistra.org/

This is our prequel episode to the "System" arc of Playing Out of Character Podcast! We meet the players (Pearson, Tristan, Taylor, and Kaleb) and the characters (Magz, Leonard, Rowan and Elliot) in the dirty, crime-ridden world of Tantalus. Special shout out to Taylor for the soundtrack, Gabriel (IG @gabicus) for the art. We mentioned the podcasts: Sum of All Fears, Coffee With Comrades, Macabre Media Podcast, Advantage D&D, and Shattered Worlds!

Our four heroes (?) are introduced onto the scene. We get rolling some dice and meet Vincent, the handler for the Coalition. The gang gets milkshakes and learns their first missive. Some of the podcast mentioned: Fates and Fable Maidens, Shattered Worlds RPG, Advantage 5e, Macabre Media Podcast, Sum of All Fear, Coffee With Comrades. We will have the next episode up for you all on March 3rd. Maybe.   We'll try to get it to you on March 3rd.

Our first review of a board game, our first female guest and her first appearance on a podcast. We played the 2004 board game and we are able to bump it into an episode last night after we played. Here is our review. Huge thanks to Pearson from Coffee With Comrades, Brock from Cocktail Massacre Party, and Dustin from The Final Boys for leaving reviews on the show. Follow us on Twitter to get updates on the show or if you wanna argue. We have a merch store through TeePublic Show Notes

This week's episode we review the found footage film, "Cloverfield", this is an intermediary show in preparation for next week and boy is the next show a doozie. In the meantime, check out Coffee With Comrades and two horror podcasts Frigay the 13th and Horror Junkies Podcast. Follow the show on Twitter and subscribe to our RSS feed.       Show Notes   I do not own the rights to the doctored soudbyte of "Cloverfield" nor do I own any of it's content. I do not own the rights to the music written and composed by Kevin McLeod.

This week, Pearson Bolt from Coffee With Comrades, comes on to talk about avant-garde horror. We tackle the two films "Antichrist" and "Salo, or the 120 Days of Sodom" also these movies are screwed up, so listen to the review with caution. Here are the show notes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1I-ePNNmIWT02NR1fdYELoEYgMHiC9kra1btfpB2wP0I/edit?usp=sharing I do not own the rights to the music by Kevin McLeod or the soundbyte from "Antichrist"

Here is an interview I did on the Coffee With Comrades podcast a month ago about Nuclear Winter 3. It was a fun conversation ranging from art theory stuff to permaculture/food autonomy, revolutionary organizing and mental health stuff. Great talk with some great folks. If you dug this conversation check out more podcasts from Coffee With Comrades. Get a free download of Nuclear Winter 3 here.

Mutual Aid in the Wake of Hurricane Michael This week on The Final Straw Radio, we feature a conversation with Pearson, an anarchist resident of Tallahassee, Florida, and is involved in storm relief mutual aid work in the wake of Hurricane Michael. Pearson is also the co-host of the leftist podcast “Coffee With Comrades”. For the hour we talk about Hurricane Michael, which just passed through the Florida Panhandle and up through the Carolinas, affecting Georgia and Alabama as well. Within a 36 hour period, the Hurricane ramped up from a Tropical Storm to a category 4 or 5 (depending on who you talk to) Hurricane. Michael was the strongest hurricane to hit that part of Florida ever on record, making landfall on Wednesday, October 10th in the morning and may be the third largest to hit the U.S. mainland with winds surges of up to 175 miles per hour and sustaining at 150. Because of the quick increase, localities in the storms path found themselves underprepared for such a devastating catastrophe. The state of Florida Department of Corrections refused to evacuate about 12 prisons that were in the Mandatory Evacuation areas in the path of Hurricane Michael despite a call-in campaign by Fight Toxic Prisons. For the hour, we talk about the immediate response efforts in Tallahassee, Mutual Aid Disaster Relief, anthropogenic or human-caused Climate Change and it's various impacts on the residents and environs of Florida, and a bunch of other related topics. Later, Pearson shares about his podcast, “Coffee with Comrades”, available at http://coffeewithcomrades.com/ Here are a few links for info if you're in Florida as well as ways to donate from a distance: Florida People's Advocacy Center in Tally is a safe space for people to come for disaster relief (trans inclusive and very supportive of undocumented individuals) Tallahassee DSA Fund: http://gofundme.com/dsa-tlh-hurricane-relief-fund Mutual Aid Disaster Relief: https://mutualaiddisasterrelief.org/donate/ Amazon Wishlist for the Panhandle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/3QUS9SLT7QD3/ref=cm_wl_huc_view Announcements Anti-Racists in Greenville, SC On Saturday, October 13th in Greenville, SC, there was a racist “Build The Wall” anti-immigration rally organized in support of Trumps xenophobic policies. Naturally, there was a counter-demonstration. Two anti-racists were arrested for picketing ordinances and another for disorderly conduct. If you'd like to help them, there's a paypal where donations are being collected for legal and any medical fees attached to this at paypal.me/upstatesc Connor Stevens post-release fund First, Connor Stevens, one of the convicted Cleveland 4, is up for potential parole as soon as November, 2018! From the fundraizr for Connor: “Connor Stevens is one of the Cleveland4. He is being released soon so we're raising funds to help get him basic necessities when he is released! It's possible he'll even be released by November! Click here if you are out of the US and would like to donate via Paypal The Cleveland 4 were four Occupy Cleveland activistswho were were arrested on April 30th, 2012, accused of plotting to blow up a bridge. But it was the FBI, working with an informant, that crafted the plot, produced the “explosives,” and coerced these four into participating. Connor took non-cooperating plea deals and pled guilty to all charges. The judge applied a “terrorism enhancement” to their sentences, elongating their sentences as well as subjecting them to harsher prison conditions. Connor served 8 years 1 month—all to be followed by lifetime supervised release.” You can find his post-release fundraiser at: https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/d1PY2c or by searching “Welcome Home Connor Stevens” at fundrazr.com. To hear our past coverage of the Cleveland 4 case, including an interview with Connors mother, you can check out (our website and search Cleveland 4) Zak Kostopoulos Zak Kostopoulos, an 33 year old lgbtq+ drag performer and activist who worked against prejudice faced by folks who are HIV positive was beaten to death in a homophobic attack near Omonia Square in Athens, Greece on September 21st. Zak lept into a jewelry store in order to avoid a nearby brawl when the emergency shutters descended, trapping him inside. He was then set upon by the owner of the shop and others who were heard uttering homophobic and hate statements against those with HIV. After escaping the store, by smashing through the window with a fire extinguisher, he was followed out by the owner and another thug. Zak was beaten to the ground while surrounded by mostly male onlookers. When police showed up, they handcuffed Zak. The murder was captured on camera. The shop owner was only arrested after the video went viral and he was only charged with manslaughter, not murder, as he claims to have been protecting his property, which is absurd. Following news of the murder, an emergency anarchist assembly was called and a march of 500 took the streets of Athens with smaller marches happening in nearby cities. Marches followed that week. Apologies for the wait in announcing this sad news which a listener sent us after the murder took place. We are thankful for being informed. Mumia Abu-Jamal There is a call for supporters of Mumia Abu-Jamal to fill the court room and the streets on October 29th from 8am til 11am in Philadelphia at the Criminal Justice Center, 13th and Filbert. Mumia is a former Black Panther, is a journalist and Political Prisoner who was put on death row for decades for the killing of a cop he says he did not commit. Mumia's trial has been recognized internationally, including by Amnesty International, as a political show trial. More info up at http://mobilization4mumia.com   Certain Days Calendar benefit show On October 19th at the Pine Box Rock Shop, 12 Gratton Street in Brooklyn, NY, there'll be a benefit for post-release funds by the organizers of the Certain Days: Freedom For Political Prisoners Calendar. From Certain Days: In the last year, we have been fortunate enough to welcome home a handful of political prisoners from US prisons. Our movements have not exactly been prepared for this good fortune, and so support committees, families and friends of these folks have been forced to scramble for funds for basic living expenses. In addition to that, many of these people have been targeted in the media and beyond by various law enforcement unions and organizations, making open fundraising online a difficult proposition. We need to step up our game and aid not only the handful of political prisoners that have been released this year but also, the people who may be leaving prison soon. The show will feature performances by Despairwolf, MAAFA_Hardcore, High Cost, and Trophy hunt and for a VERY reasonable price for a show in New York City as I understand. . ... . .. Playlist here.

Grab your favorite beer...or coffee...or chocolate milk, and join the Proles w/ special guests Coffee With Comrades, as they discuss some current events, The Paris Commune, and some spicy discussions about the dictatorship of the proletariat!  Donate to the cause here for awesome stuff: www.patreon.com/prolespod Please subscribe on your favorite podcast apps and rate or review to help extend our reach. Like and rate our facebook page at facebook.com/prolespod and follow us on Twitter @prolespod.   If you have any episode suggestions, or comments, DM us on either of those platforms or email us at prolesoftheroundtable@protonmail.com All episodes prior to episode 4 can be found on YouTube, so go check that out as well!   Sources/Suggested Reading: "Manifesto of the Paris Commune" by the Parisian Communards; "The Civil War in France" by Karl Marx; "The Paris Commune: Our First Revolution" on YouTube; "The Meaning of the Paris Commune w/Kristen Ross" The Majority Report on YouTube; "1871: The Paris Commune," Libcom.com; "The Fires of Paris: Why Do People Still Fight About The Paris Commune?" The New Yorker; "On The Barricade" Victor Hugo; "State and Revolution" V.I Lenin   Outro: Tony Babino, "L'Internationale"

Check out Coffee with Comrades's website here! Follow Coffee with Comrades on Twitter here! Join our patreon: www.patreon.com/LeftMediapodcast Bree and Pearson from Coffee with Comrades join Mike and Mitch to analyze and discuss V for Vendetta! Themes include: Idealism and Materialism, torture and imprisonment, Anarchism/Radicalism/Insurrectionary politics, Fascism, individualism, Women in Refrigerators, and how each of us all became radicalized! Intro/Outro theme: "Memphis Was A Revolutionary" by Mike Hewlett and the Racket

  Episode 0: What is Coffee with Comrades?   On the premiere episode of Coffee with Comrades, Bree and Pearson fumble through their first time recording a podcast together! Learn a bit about what motivated the two hosts to team-up and create this show. Twitter: @coffeewcomrades Website: https://www.coffeewithcomrades.com Intro: Woody Guthrie, "I Ain't Got No Home in this World" Outro: Father John Misty, "Bored in the U.S.A."