Due to increasing competition for scarce natural resources, a barbarism haunts the planet. In the drive for expansion and profits, the endgame of the capitalist system promises imperialism, domination of impoverished peoples and an ecological nightmare. The capitalist path is a death trap, but there is a just, people-based alternative: Socialism. In this wide-ranging interview, Prof. Michael Lebowitz discusses his latest book, The Socialist Alternative: Real Human Development.

Legendary rock journalist, performer, novelist and countercultural gadfly since the 60s, Mick Farren discusses his newest book, Speed-Speed-Speedfreak (Feral House). Elvis Presley, The Hell’s Angels, Hunter S. Thompson, Truman Capote, the Beatles, Hank Williams, the Manson Family, Jack Keroauc, Johnny Cash, JFK, Adolph Hitler: all of the above were, at one time or another, to put it bluntly, speedfreaks.
 

An interview with Nicholas Schou, author of Orange Sunshine: The Brotherhood of Eternal Love and Its Quest to Spread Peace, Love, and Acid to the World. The inside story of the infamous gang of dope-dealing surfers who played a key role in the counterculture of the Sixties. It’s a mindblowing—and improbable—tale of drug smuggling, large scale marihuana farming and LSD distribution—basically, it’s the hidden history of how America got turned on. The story of the Brotherhood might’ve gone to the grave with the participants if not for Nicholas Schou’s intriguing history. Highly recommended.
 

Our new blogger Marc Campbell writes: I made the 88 Lines About 44 Women video using rare, and mostly forgotten, footage from some obscure Italian Mondo movies. Of the dozens of 88 Lines videos on youtube, mine is the only one made by someone actually associated with The Nails.  RCA (idiots) never released the song as a single, so, as a result, no video was made…until now. This video has been banned countless times by YouTube, but the current upload has somehow averted banishment.

Watch this and get a lot smarter in just 11 minutes! Radical sociologist David Harvey asks: is it time to look beyond capitalism towards a new social order that would allow us to live within a system that really could be responsible, just, and humane? From a speech given at the prestigious Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA). See the full speech here. The talkshow will returns in a few weeks.
 
Via the mighty Nerdcore!
 

Shot over the course of eighteen months, Julien Nitzberg’s amazing documentary film, The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia follows the often comical, sometimes tragic antics of the hell-raising hillbilly White family of Boone County, WV. The Whites engage in a mind-blowing array of anti-social and criminal activities with barely concealed glee. This must-see film is unlike like any documentary I’ve ever seen and finally, a year after this interview was taped, it’s getting released theatrically and on iTunes and Amazon.
 

Made by Hand: Searching for Meaning in a Throwaway World is Mark Frauenfelder, editor of Make and co-founder of Boing Boing’s ode to the DIY lifestyle and slowing life down enough to allow for purposeful—and life enhancing—activities. Mark discusses bee keeping, raising chickens and the four and a half months he and his family spent living on a tiny island in the South Pacific. He also talks about his recent appearance on The Colbert Report and about the burgeoning DIY Maker scene across America.

Beginning June 15, vintage Firesign Theatre radio shows, dating from 1970-72 will be rebroadcast for the first time since their original air dates on WFMU radio. This is comparable to being a James Joyce fanatic and finding not just one notebook where he’s working out the themes that would become fully developed in Ulysses and Finnegans Wake, but an entire crate of ‘em. Some of the most mind-bending, thought-provoking and hilarious material of their career and unheard for the past 40 years. A counter cultural treasure of the highest order. Firesign Theatre LIVE in Portland and Eugene, Oregon this weekend!

Rich Fulcher (Snuff Box, The Mighty Boosh) previews his gaggle of upcoming shows in Los Angeles, discusses the life and loves of his Eleanor the Tour Whore character and tells viewers about a few of the devilish insurrections of his new book, Tiny Acts of Rebellion: 97 Almost-Legal Ways to Stick It to the Man.

Chris Farrell of NPR’s Marketplace Money program interviewed about his anti-consumerist manifesto, The New Frugality: How to Consume Less, Save More, and Live Better. Living within your means is not only better for you on so many levels (less stress for instance) but it’s also better for the planet if we would just cut back on all the stupid stuff we consume.

An interview with Dr. Nell Irvin Painter, the eminent American historian and retired Princeton University professor, discussing her fascinating new book The History of White People. The conversation begins with the answer to the question “What does Caucasian really mean?” As some who has been white my entire life, I admit that I didn’t know. Do you? I think many of you will find this conversation quite interesting.

He’s back! Kim Fowley, “the missing link between Chuck Berry and Orson Welles” returns for a second go ‘round. What does a typical day in the life of Kim Fowley consist of? Find out what he eats! Learn where the freaks are. Stories about Jimi and Janis, Alice Cooper, Charles Manson and more! And remember he doesn’t even take drugs…

Cult figure Kim Fowley, record producer, rock impresario, songwriter and musician. Manager of The Runaways, Animal Man and the original Mayor of the Sunset Strip. “One of the most colorful characters in the annals of rock & roll.” Thrill to gossipy stories of Sly Stone and Doris Day; Sonny and Cher; Cat Stevens, Led Zeppelin, Gene Vincent and more. Part 1

An interview with Dr. Barbara Oakley, Ph.D, the author of Evil Genes: Why Rome Fell, Hitler Rose, Enron Failed and My Sister Stole My Mother’s Boyfriend, an exploration of how genetics influence psychopathy. Are some people just bad seeds? Hear what the latest science has to say about nasty people and how they got that way.
 

Gina Welch is the author of In the In the Land of Believers: An Outsider’s Extraordinary Journey into the Heart of the Evangelical Church. Raised a secular Jew by a single mother in Berkeley, Gina spent two years “undercover” in Jerry Falwell’s Thomas Road Baptist Church in Lynchburg, VA trying to understand, for herself, Evangelical Christians. Her insights will surprise you.
 

Advice goddess Amy Alkon is one lady you do not want to mess with. Hear tales of her revenge against telemarketing companies, cell phone abusers, permissive parents and the thief who stole her pink car! (Who steals a pink car?) Her new book is I See Rude People: One woman’s battle to beat some manners into impolite society.
 

It was the blog post heard ‘round the world. When Charles Johnson wrote Why I Parted Ways With The Right in the space of a few minutes and posted it on his popular Little Green Footballs blog, he had no idea the firestorm it would set off. Nasty denunciations, death threats and a New York Times magazine feature article later, Charles Johnson joined me for a discussion of the right wing flame war directed at him, the Darwin-hating, know-nothing Creationists and the frenzied insanity (and racism) of the anti-Obama right. Part one is here. In case you are wondering if some of the comments are being removed, they are. Some of them go too far. We didn’t pull them because Charles asked us to. We’ve removed them because they don’t belong here, okay?
 

It was the blog post heard ‘round the world. When Charles Johnson wrote Why I Parted Ways With The Right in the space of a few minutes and posted it on his popular Little Green Footballs blog, he had no idea the firestorm it would set off. Nasty denunciations, death threats and a New York Times magazine feature article later, Charles Johnson joined me for a lively discussion about what happened to him, the Darwin-hating, know-nothing Creationists and the frenzied insanity (and racism) of the anti-Obama right. Part one of two.
 

Dr. James Hansen, the nation’s leading scientist on climate issues speaks out with the full truth about global warming. His new book is titled Storms of My Grandchildren: The Truth About the Coming Climate Catastrophe and Our Last Chance to Save Humanity. One day there will be statues in honor of James Hansen. Let’s just hope they don’t end up like the Statue of Liberty did in Planet of the Apes. Dr. Hansen is an adjunct professor at Columbia University and director of the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies.
 

Multi-disciplinary artist Rachel Rosenthal is one of America greatest living creators, truly a national treasure—although she chided me for saying this! For much of the past decade, we haven’t heard much from her, but now she has a new book, The DbD Experience (about her unorthodox teaching methods) and starting this weekend, Rachel Rosenthal is unveiling her new company, TOHUBOHU! Extreme Theater Ensemble in Los Angeles for three totally improvised performances on the 19th, 20th and 21st. Monthly performances after that.
Tickets at www.rachelrosenthal.org.