Shows
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 23: Council Clowns and Factory TownsHey everyone: Chris here posting the episode today, Bill is off to see AC/DC. One time I went to a Catholic funeral mass where “Dirty Deeds” was played in church, LOUD, so I think I’ve already had my best possible AC/DC experience.We talk about another dumb week at city council, where it seems Charles Luster is doubling down on his campaign to run on humans experiencing substance-use issues being a vector for litter. Moe Bergman for one is more than happy to follow him down that line of inquiry. Shocking, I know!Next up is...2025-05-041h 23
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 22: Whitey should stick to the moonSilicon Valley billionaires are so hermetically sealed off from community—so afraid of it, and yet so so so alone without it, so bitter to see others have it—they’re trying to “disrupt” the very concept. Via “Charter cities,” “freedom cities,” “network states,” and the “abundance agenda” libertarian dorks on both sides of the proverbial aisle have found their Next Big Thing: a remade municipality, free from the evils of government oversight, tax obligations, or and anything else they don’t personally like. Woke, for instance, or ummm people who don’t have homes. Instead of local democracy, wh...2025-04-281h 28
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 21: Evidence Dot ComThis podcast is available on all the major podcast players: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Overcast, Pocket CastsTough to coat this one with any sugar folks: Today we open with the news that our one competent city executive, Superintendent Rachel Monárrez, will be “going, going, back back to Cali” like Biggie Smalls come June. Read her statement here. You will be missed, Dr. Monárrez!We then spend the rest of the episode digesting and discussing Tuesday’s meeting of the Standing Committee on Public Safety, and how it illustrated the true power dynamics of the c...2025-04-181h 31
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 20: Student visa revocations at WPI, ClarkWe spend most of the show discussing the four foreign student visa revocations at WPI, (and late breaking, as we were recording, 12 revocations at Clark), and take a look at why and how it’s happening to hundreds around the country.From a statement sent Wednesday night from WPI President Grace Wang:WPI confirmed today that federal authorities have revoked the visas of four of our international students.Similar actions in recent days have affected hundreds of international students across the country, including at multiple colleges and universities in Massachusetts. WPI learned of th...2025-04-111h 17
Outdoor Cats PodcastO.C. Dispatch: Hands Off RallyReal quick audio recap of the rally this afternoon. The idea with these O.C. Dispatches: audio news reports in the public radio tradition, but here on this newsletter! Full weekly Worcester Sucks post tomorrow. Text below is more or less the same as the audio version. Cheers!“I have faith and I have hope. I have faith and I have hope. I have faith and I have hope.”Thousands chanted it in the rain, back at Etel Haxhiaj, who put the mantra in the cool air from the podium behind city hall. It took a li...2025-04-0608 min
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 19: Roy Rage (ft. Sue Mailman)Links to subscribe to the show on: Spotify, Apple Podcasts, YouTube, Overcast, Pocket Casts. Good and bad reviews also appreciated!We brought on school committee member Sue Mailman to discuss the new lawsuit against the Trump Administration. Worcester is a supporting character in the state-wide suit, led by Somerville and Easthampton. WPS, like districts across the state and country, stand to lose millions in funding as the Trump administration continues to dismantle the U.S. Department of Education. Statement from the school administration.And we also touch on the police report Kathi Roy filed against...2025-04-041h 23
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 18: Dog-Bite Ratios (ft. Tom Marino and John Keough)We brought on John Keough and Tom Marino from This Week In Worcester to rehash the council’s very deflating meeting Tuesday on the Department of Justice’s pattern and practice investigation into the Worcester Police Department. Short answer: don’t expect to hear too much more about this, and if ever a civilian review board proposal makes its way to the council floor, expect a split vote. The meeting was, however, the first time we’ve had the police chief on record answering questions about this report, and that provided some interesting glimpses into the internal machinations of the poli...2025-03-281h 44
The Fan Morning ShowFEED THE NEED 2025 - 8:00 AM HourIn this hour, Adam Crowley and Dorin Dickerson Jason Mackey from The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, former Penguin Tyler Kennedy and Bill Shaner from Hampton Beer Outlet each on The Fan Hotline as they continue to promote the Giant Eagle Feed The Need Radiothon!
March 25, 2025, 8:00 Hour2025-03-2534 minThe Fan Morning ShowFEED THE NEED: Bill Shaner, Hampton Beer OutletBill Shaner from Hampton Beer Outlet comes on The Fan Hotline to share how he's supporting the Giant Eagle Feed The Need Radiothon, benefitting the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.2025-03-2503 min
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 17: Challenge Union. Change Our World. (ft. Maile Marguleas and Hadas Brownstein)“Challenge Convention. Change Our World.” That’s the slogan of Clark University, the hedge f—sorry, college currently refusing to even recognize its new undergraduate student-workers union. As the strike sails over the one-week mark, we sit down with two of its captains, Maile Marguleas and Hadas Brownstein.Help support the striking workers: The SYC Mutual Aid Fund For Strikers and other resources. The union’s Twitter and Instagram.We also recap our time on the strike line earlier this week, from a bench in University Park. New mobile pod rig worked well and it was nice!2025-03-221h 08
Outdoor Cats PodcastO.C. Dispatch: Clark student worker strikeTrying something new! What you’re looking at / listening to here is a trial run of O.C. Dispatches: audio news reports in the public radio tradition, but here on this newsletter!Chris and I went down to the strike line at Clark University yesterday (we’ll be putting up a full episode soon). I brought a portable audio interface and a mic with me—a poor man’s approximation of the rig NPR reporters use—then I got back and spent the whole day assembling this news spot. I had a lot of fun doing it. It’s inter...2025-03-2007 min
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 16: Time for an overhaul (ft. Keith Linhares)Éirinn go Brách, everyone! Hope Parade Day has treated you nicely.Today’s guest is Keith Linhares, who joined us to talk about his bid for the District 1 city council seat!His first run for office, he’ll be taking on former District 1 councilor Tony Economou, an avatar of the sort of entrenched townie politics that keeps the city stuck in the ‘80s. Keith wants to change that! A bunch of great moments on this episode, but I especially appreciate Keith’s take on the core difference in leadership style between progressives and what we might c...2025-03-171h 33
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 15: The Enshittification of Local Journalism (ft. Joanne McNeil)***First thing’s first: Justice for Mahmoud Khalil Fund and contact page for Congressman Jim McGovern. Good coverage of Khalil’s completely illegal kidnapping and detention in The Nation. Please share any news about local demonstrations in the comments or at billshaner@substack.com and we’ll update here as they come in.****We talk about Khalil’s horrible situation briefly, then get to the show we had planned: an interview with author Joanne McNeil! I think we can all agree that the internet is worse than it ever has been—a statement true of both the W...2025-03-121h 40
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 14: Cayden 4 Council! (ft. Cayden Davis)Today we have on a very special guest: Cayden Davis, a new and exciting candidate for at-large city council. Cayden’s a Main South resident, a public health professional, trans and proud of it! You may have seen him at the mic at City Council recently, letting rip some absolute public comment heaters. Davis came to city politics via the queer coalition that organized in opposition to the transphobia in city hall, and his campaign is a way of extending that enthusiasm and solidarity on to the November election. Hell yeah. Follow Cayden’s campaign: On Instagram, on T...2025-03-061h 45
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 13: Recall All ScientologistsAfter months of irregular and asymmetrical city council meetings Joe & Co finally got that which they desired on Tuesday: a quote unquote normal meeting. We go over the dominant themes of this business-as-usual six hour affair, including tax debt labor camps for senior citizens and a grand collusion of the city council and the Church of Scientology, according to a live streamer who wants recall elections for Worcester police officers (hell yeah). Oh and we talk about a ton of cool events coming up. TIP LINE: (508) 556-1017 Woo Havurah Purim Spectacular! 3/15 7PM Hotel Vernon Wo...2025-02-271h 18
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 12: Political Pie Throwing and Dead Kennedys (ft. Michael Stewart Foley)What do '78 San Fran and '25 Worcester have in common? Quite a bit, turns out. We bring on historian Michael Stewart Foley to talk about his book Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables, a history of the Dead Kennedys record by the same name and the context in which that work of art / protest document was birthed: San Francisco, 1978. After the assassinations of Harvey Milk and George Moscone, newly sworn in Mayor Dianne Feinstein ushered in a wretched era of city governance built on an axis of neoliberal evils: the real estate industry, the police, and the nascent culture...2025-02-211h 15
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 11: Clips In The ChamberClip show! We pull out some choice moments from the public comment section of the city council meeting Tuesday. From the hours and hours of impassioned testimony that preceded the council’s very weak move: voting 9-2 to support a symbolic statement of solidarity with the trans community, and also voting 7-4 against an investigation into transphobic comments made by a sitting city councilor. Couldn’t have done a better job of showing the public you don’t mean it.Like every meeting, the council is mostly useless and it is the people who show up to speak...2025-02-141h 25
The Big K Morning ShowSuper bowl Deals For Your WeekendOwner of Hampton Beer Outlet, Bill shaner, calls in to give listeners a few drink deals for their at home super bowl aprties.2025-02-0707 min
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 10: Sorry Miss Jackson (ft. Carla LeBlanc)Earlier this week a bit of tremendous news broke: Carolyn Jackson is gone bye bye cya later. For years Jackson has been the primary antagonist in the ongoing St. Vincent saga: nurses trying to make it less brutal for workers and dangerous for patients, the owners doing the opposite. The past year has seen a rash of complaints and grievances about unsafe conditions at the hospital. Jackson, on behalf of the Dallas-based conglomerate Tenet, has lashed out, firing whistleblowers and engaging in other union busting activities. But then on Monday an email hit internal systems that effective Feb. 14, Jackson...2025-02-061h 18
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 9: Denying Humanity (ft. Josh Croke)After Round Two of the pressure campaign from the queer community to make Candy Mero-Carlson pay for her bigotry, we talk with Josh Croke (@joshua.croke), an organizer of the demonstrations and founder of Love Your Labels and many other things. We talk about the council meeting Tuesday and the council’s two affirmative votes on public petitions from the queer community. What they mean and what they don’t! Then we take the conversation wider, to the nightmare times.That’s the first hour. After that, Chris and I talk about the Human Rights Commission, civilian review...2025-01-311h 34
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 8: An Empathy 101 Tutorial (ft. Etel Haxhiaj)We bring on District 5 City Councilor Etel Haxhiaj to recap and process the city council’s debate last night over whether to apologize to Thu Nguyen for a rash of bigotry, starting with Candy Mero-Carlson and culminating in a literal Fox News segment. Luckily, the vote was 8-2 to do so, but it doesn’t erase the great shame brought onto Worcester, nor does it show that our old guard councilors really understand the extent of it. Some links to things discussed within:Greg Opperman’s story for Worcester Sucks on Etel’s journey to America...2025-01-231h 13
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 7: Candy's A Big-"It"Posting a podcast at 2 a.m.—that’s the kind of week it’s been. The episode ends up being more or less a mutual talk therapy session on how to process the profoundly dehumanizing, deceptive and malicious attack that Candy Mero-Carlson and Joe Petty have launched against Thu Nguyen this week. We pick apart their statements, dismantle their thin arguments about attendance, and talk about what to do with who they showed themselves to be. Then a visit from Dr. Fingers. (This podcast is now available on all the major podcast players: Spotify, Apple Podcas...2025-01-171h 31
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 6: Coward! (Ft. Allie Cislo)We bring on Allie Cislo of Worcester Havurah and the multi-faith coalition behind the Gaza ceasefire resolution that the council voted against on Tuesday night. Yes you heard that right they voted 6-5 against the ceasing of firing. A decision explained in full in my post from yesterday, “A million tiny acts of cowardice.”Worcester Havurah’s Instagram and websiteThe Multi-Faith Coalition’s statement: Mayor Petty breaks a tie to grant City Council authority to refuse to vote on Ceasefire ResolutionGood BDS resources: Anti-Palestinian at the Core: The Origins and Growing Dangers...2025-01-101h 27
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 5: A Tale Of Two Blippis (ft. Shaun Connolly)We simply had to bring on Mr. Bad Advice himself Shaun Connolly to go over the mayor and the city manager’s top 10 songs of 2024, recently released to the Worcester Cultural Coalition (?) Instagram page. Joe Petty’s in particular is something else. Since the city said they’d do it then apparently didn’t, Chris put together playlists for each of them:—Joe Petty’s picks—Eric Batista’s picksOh and here’s Joe Petty (official) singing We Are The Champions (full song)As always, we appreciate your support and ask fo...2025-01-0354 min
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 4: Winners & Losers2024 was a big weird year for Worcester. A long strange trip, you could say. Chris and I go over the big story lines to figure out who won and who lost—and what that means for 2025, which is sure to be longer and stranger. Then we talk music for a bit! Speaking of: Outro music is “Nation” by Home Front. And the Clairo video shot at White Eagle featuring Beyond WrestlingManning Fireworks by MJ LendermanSome other useful links: D2 candidate Rob Bilotta’s campaign site (he needs cash and voluntee...2024-12-291h 14
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 3: Is there even a leash? (DOJ Files Part 2)In which we discuss: the police department’s intimidation tactics at city council this week (as illustrated in my most recent piece), the Department of Justice’s meeting at the YWCA Wednesday, the Longest Night Vigil on Thursday. It all culminates in the question: are we prepared to be as disciplined and organized as the police department showed themselves to be? Or are we going to let the same old inter-left squabbling sabotage this rare opportunity?This podcast can now be found on* Spotify* Apple Podcasts* YouTube* Overcast...2024-12-211h 38
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 2: The DOJ Files (Part 1)In this episode, we talk about what everyone’s talking about: the recent DOJ investigation report detailing sexual abuse, violence and racist patterns of policing at the WPD. We talk about it in a way you might not have heard someone talk about it yet… and we talk about why that is.Then, with that established, we focus on a statement made by Project Priceless, a self-advocacy group of unhoused women, that stands above the rest. We talk about why it matters so much, and why we need to follow their lead. Here’s Project Priceless’ statement, on a new...2024-12-131h 27
Outdoor Cats PodcastEpisode 1: Mutual Aid and Community ResilienceWelcome to Outdoor Cats! The latest addition to the Worcester Sucks local media empire, the idea here is simple: weekly broadcasts from a city that punishes you for caring.Today, we talk about mutual aid and community resilience. Are you tired of going to a rally and voting and not feeling like it got you anywhere? There are better ways to make change in your community, and plenty local examples of people doing it right now! We also talk about the real estate speculators and vulture capitalists ruining our city (and many others!). Relatedly, we cover why...2024-12-081h 12
The Riverfront: A Cincinnati Reds ShowOptions Galore and Votto...For President?The Riverfront Reds Show makes its return to the Hot Stove with a chat between Bill Lack and Seth Shaner who shared the news of the week - a lot of options being picked up or declined - and a trip down memory lane of a random player memory in Reds history.Thanks to the Patreon patrons who chimed in with some great memories and to Bill for introducing some of us to the name Champ Summers.You are invited to join our ever-growing family of Cincinnati sports fans (and support the podcast) on Patreon! Y...2024-11-0854 min
What's Shakin with ShanerPsycho Bob Says Where is Buffalo Bill Cody Buried?Send us a textJoin Psycho Bob & Shaner as they explore a contraversy or Buffalo Bill's final resting spot. Buffalo Bill Cody has been glamorized and criticized for over 100 years because of his role as a government scout, buffalo hunter, and Wild West Show promoter. We are not gonna jump into any of those topics but more specifically, where is he buried? Is he buried on Lookout Mountain outside of Denver or on a mountain outside of Cody, WY? 2024-07-2110 min
BAMC ShowcastNaughty Faeries Stripper AssassinsRecorded live at the Mesa Arizona Convention Center during Coffin Comics Sworn Fest 2022. I sit down with Wendy and Bill Shaner. Wendy is the creator, writer, and interior artist of Naughty Faeries Stripper Assassins, Ginger Snap, The Sireness, Naughty Faeries Wrestling, Luna Tales, and Gobblers. Bill is the support staff and logistics of the operation. We talk about how they got into comics, Naughty Faeries, Coffin/Chaos Comics, and the Kickstarter/Indy comic community in general. Wendy and Bill also talk about how to run and maintain successful Kickstarter campaigns from start to finish. We also mention and shout out...2024-02-2941 min
Real Ass PodcastCMLXXXIII. Uncle Barbecue (Joe List And Ryan Shaner)Joe List and Ryan Shaner join Luis J. Gomez and Zac Amico and discuss the Anthony Cumia and Bill Burr beef, Toight or Noight - the Tinder girl with herpes, whether they'd choose to eat a live gerbil or get herpes, the Greta Thunberg sex doll and the celebrities they'd like to have a sex doll look like, why Amy Schumer dropped out of working on the Barbie movie, Luis' review of The Super Mario Bros Movie, Scam That, Jew - using AI to close a voice for a ransom scam, the Houston student who punched his teacher for...2023-04-151h 13
Rigged: The Massachusetts Drug Lab Scandal PodcastWe Swear The Worcester PD Aren't TyrantsAs a police officer, how do you prove to a pastor who calls you a tyrant that you are, indeed, not a tyrant? If your name is Worcester Police Officer Michael Cappabianca Jr. it's simple. You taser the living shit out the priest inside his church and then throw a pregnant woman to the ground. You then arrest the pastor and his son and make up several charges that didn't happen. How could anyone ever consider this man to be a tyrant?! Today's episode has independent journalist Bill Shaner, Andrew Quemere and Chris Post talking all things...2022-11-251h 00
PS - Keep it 100EP 17: Psychedelics and Alternative Therapies - Part 1This is the first of a multi-part series; exploring psychedelic and other plant-based alternative therapies.
I am going to talk about and explore hidden modalities of healing, as well as uncover lost and forgotten truths about the history of certain 12 step programs, as well as how the founding members actually "came to believe."
The war on drugs is so deeply entwined with the war on our minds - and I'm here to shed a little bit of light on both.
Enjoy the show!
ilysm 2022-10-0928 min
Decades of Horror | Horror News RadioTHE ISLAND OF DR. MOREAU (1977) – Episode 166 – Decades Of Horror 1970s“His is the hand that makes. His is the hand that hurts. His is the hand that heals. His is the House of Pain. He who breaks the law shall be punished back to the House of Pain.” And you definitely don’t want to go to the House of Pain. Join your faithful Grue Crew – Doc Rotten, Chad Hunt, Bill Mulligan, and Jeff Mohr – as they take another trip to the tropics to visit H. G. Wells’ The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977). Decades of Horror 1970s Episode 166 – The Island of Dr. Moreau (1977) Join the Crew on the Gr...2022-07-061h 03
Public HearingARPA Wrapped (well, sort of) with Bill ShanerPart 9/9 from our series: ARPA Funding in WorcesterWe are back this week with the final episode of our ARPA Funding in Worcester series. Our guest this is episode is Bill Shaner founder of the “Worcester Sucks and I Love It” newsletter and a previous guest on the show. Josh and Bill talk about how we can continue to stay involved in the conversation surrounding how the remaining ARPA dollars will be spent in Worcester and how we can hold the city accountable so that the funding is sustainable and promoting equity within our community. ...2022-06-2128 min
Public HearingWorcester Sucks and I Love It — 2021 in Review with Bill ShanerWe are back with our first new episode of 2022 with our guest and Worcester-based journalist, Bill Shaner who runs the popular newsletter, Worcester Sucks and I Love It. In this episode, Josh and Bill give a run-down of 2021 in Worcester and talk about important local events and news such as Polar Park, the city council election, and the restructuring of the school committee. They also talk about the importance of supporting local journalism and media and how many local publications do not receive adequate funding. You can follow Bill and his work with the Worcester Sucks and I...2022-01-2056 min
508: A Show About WorcesterCOVID Is Over (Again) (508 #374)
508 is a show about Worcester. This week, we talk about local election results, Polar Park, COVID, Dune, commodities news, the rise of Bill Shaner, and the fall of underground punk shows.
Audio: Download the mp3 or see more formats.
Subscribe with iTunes | Subscribe with Google Play | Contact Info | Twitter feed | RSS
2021-11-0929 minPodcasts – Pie and CoffeeCOVID Is Over (Again) (508 #374)
508 is a show about Worcester. This week, we talk about local election results, Polar Park, COVID, Dune, commodities news, the rise of Bill Shaner, and the fall of underground punk shows.
Audio: Download the mp3 or see more formats.
Subscribe with iTunes | Subscribe with Google Play | Contact Info | Twitter feed | RSS
2021-11-0929 min
Sex Ed DebunkedMyth #6: You Can "Opt Out" of Sex Ed, with guest Bill ShanerOn this week's episode, Christine and Shannon talk to Bill Shaner, an independent journalist from Worcester, MA, about the new sex ed curriculum in Worcester school systems and the school committee candidate running on the "Opt Out" platform that would allow parents to pull their kids out of comprehensive sex ed. Read more about the Three R's Curriculum and check out Bill's coverage here. Additional resources: Age Appropriate Info on Puberty for Tweens - Amaze.orgHealthy, Sex Positive Conversations for Families - Talk With Your KidsComprehensive Family Talk Guide L...2021-10-2027 min