The Cultural Scavenger: Recent Episodes
Andy Parker
Andy Parker has worn numerous hats in life. Professional actor, corporate headhunter, and elected official to name a few. He's also known as a gun-control activist who has appeared countless times in major news outlets, and in 2019 he added “author” to that list, with the publication of “For Alison: The Murder of a Young Journalist and a Father’s Fight for Gun Safety.” With that colorful history comes many backstories from music, theatre, and politics. Some serious, some hilarious, some outrageous, but Andy and his guests are all guaranteed to keep you thinking and engaged.
We're back schlepping and kvetching about Twitter (I"m not calling it X), and the usual suspects-- Congress, Facebook, and YouTube, with a MLB bonus kvetch!
Support the show
I'm back again with Eric Feinberg covering soup to nuts and our take on the crazy stuff happening in the news.
Support the show
I'm starting a new series with Eric Feinberg covering soup to nuts. It's what Joe Rogan would do if he wasn't crazy.
Support the show
Brian Stelter bypassed the traditional route and became a successful journalist at The New York Times and anchor at CNN. We cover a range of subjects from AI to Fox News to politics.
Support the show
He's another name you might not recognize from the acting world, but boy has he succeeded in an industry where on any given day, 95% of the union is unemployed. My dear old pal, John Leslie Wolfe shares his story.
Support the show
My second episode involving gun violence publishes on a horrible anniversary. February 14, 2018 is a day as tragic for Fred Guttenberg as it was for me on August 26, 2015.
He and I are a couple of pissed off dads who lost their beautiful daughters to unspeakable gun violence. What follows is a conversation on how we’ve dealt with the aftermath, how we’ve found purpose, and how we learned to live again.
Support the show
My next two episodes are a departure from the usual fare as I bring you some serious subject matter.
Witnessing a mass shooting is an experience no one should have. But fate transformed this senior citizen and true badass from a bystander and possible victim into a hero who helped prevent a horrific tragedy from becoming even worse.
Support the show
You’ve seen political ads that make candidates look heroic and others that make them look like ax murderers. What kind of person creates political ads, how does he do it and why? Find out from my next guest as I start the new season.
Support the show
It's a quick thank you with a cryptic nugget tucked in there!
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
It was difficult to not get really emotional during this interview. It certainly got me as I listened during the post-production editing. When you hear Aderson you'll know exactly why.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
How does a kid from Haiti with his only support coming from the guidance of brave parents become a force at one of the most prestigious law schools in the country? Hear his inspiring story, mixed with humor and humility in the next two episodes.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Gail Rubin a certified Thanatologist and self described "Doyenne of Death" tackles the how to's of planning for the ultimate destination with humor, grace and food for thought you'd never think of.
Check out her website after the episode: http://agoodgoodbye.com
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Meet Bill McCarren, the Executive Director of a tabernacle, of hallowed ground--the National Press Club.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Tessa Sullivan and her husband Brendan can't get back to their home away from home in Stanleytown, VA. So while she's stuck down under, hear how this brave woman became the face of the #MeToo movement in Australia.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
It took New York Times best-selling author, Judge Martin Clark 20 years to become that overnight sensation. And once he did, he became a prolific writer in the John Grisham mold. Enjoy the episode with this funny and thoughtful writer, who has become my new favorite author, and check out his body of work here:
http://martinclark.com.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
On what would have been her 30th birthday.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Amanda Simpson talks about her career as a test pilot and the challenges she faced as a transgender woman. Her amazing story, like many of my guests, is pretty badass.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
When he ran as Hilary Clinton’s running mate in 2016, one astute journalist coined the nickname for him-- “America’s Dad”-- because of his kind demeanor among other attributes. Tim Kaine is one of the most decent people I know, a devoted public servant, and now with his music, he's got a fallback in case politics don't work out! Here's his latest hit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljl5yTKVwGo
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Shawn Harper grew up with learning disabilities and in poverty. And even when he got to the NFL, he was still taunted with "you're not supposed to be here". He persisted and proved the doubters wrong. He is now a motivational speaker coaching business on overcoming disadvantages and succeeding.
Hear his inspirational story and for more great stuff go to www.ShawnHarper.org.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
He's back with another amazing story of getting an innocent man released from prison following a wrongful murder conviction. And there's more!
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Dan Casey is quite a character who has lived a life with enough eclectic stories to fill many a podcast episode. He's also an example of how one journalist can do amazing things and change lives. Here's Part 1. You'll definitely want to return for Part 2!
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Some of my progressive friends will go "What!? You're giving someone at Fox News a forum?" Yes, I am. Dana Perino is quite accomplished. And she's also a kind soul like Alison was.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Michael Jones makes a difference every day. As Managing Director for Campaigns at Change.org he gets to shepherd projects that really do change lives. Meet a righteous warrior with amazing stories.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Eric Feinberg was an ad man who found himself in the battle to combat the evils of Google, Facebook, and Instagram. Hear how my friend and fellow internet warrior helps me fight the good fight.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Her grandmother was a WASP whose last request was to be laid to rest at Arlington National Cemetery. Erin Miller talks about her successful grassroots campaign to get a law passed in congress making it happen.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Washington Post veteran jounalist Laura Vozella talks about her career in the business and what it's like covering politics in Virginia.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Have you ever known a real boxer? How about a female boxer? Meet Alicia Doyle, author of A Fighting Chance.She's got more to throw at you than just a solid left hook.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Ben Williams is a gifted writer, storyteller, and pinball wizard. He captured my voice as the co-author of my book, For Alison, and now provides a voice for the curators at Virginia Museum of Natural History.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Fair warning. After you hear Professor Elliot Engel on this episode, you'll be downloading his lectures. Forget what you had to suffer through in school--You'll be laugh-out-loud entertained and will never have the same opinion of the likes of Dickens, Shakespeare, Poe, or his 100+ subjects ever again.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
JOSHUA M. GREENE is a popular lecturer on Holocaust history and the spiritual quest, and a brilliant, entertaining communicator. A former instructor at Hofstra and Fordham Universities, Greene is the recipient of numerous awards for his historical biographies and documentary films. And he's even got a great story about jamming with George Harrison.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Michael Levine has represented 58 Academy Award winners, 34 Grammy Award winners, and 43 New York Times best-sellers,] including Michael Jackson, Barbra Streisand, and George Carlin. His work has included non paid media counsel to former presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. It's been an interesting journey.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Acclaimed actor and playwright Mike Wiley has spent the last decade fulfilling his mission to bring educational theatre to young audiences and communities across the country. In the early days of his career, Wiley found few theatrical resources to shine a light on key events and figures in African-American history. To bring these stories to life, he started his own production company, and singlehandedly brought all his characters to life.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
I continue with Brad & Jenny as they talk about their journey from Broadway to Charleston.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
I catch up with my old pal Brad Moranz and his wife Jenny on what the road was like from being a Broadway triple threat to creating Charleston's greatest show. There are some great tales along the way!
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Hamlet Vineyards—A Virginia vineyard by Virginia natives with an old Virginia farmhouse and a farmhand named “Virginia”. In this episode, we’ll talk to that "farmhand" about her brainchild.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Alfredo Huerta is an American success story. He was brought to this country as a child and faced one calamity after another. Now he is the embodiment of the American dream.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
He's the Mandalorian of the whitewater universe. Travis Overstreet II is a badass that knows running a river or creek can be exhilarating and therapeutic. And he can show you--The Way.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
No, it's not deadly like Covid, but it is degrading the English language. I'm joined by Professor Ryan Parkhurst in an attempt to understand the consequences of always sounding like you're asking a question.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
How do you sustain a career as an actor? You’ve got to be good, resourceful, and sometimes have bit of the luck of the Irish. My friend Joe Hart talks about his serendipitous journey as an actor.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
You’ve seen her as national correspondent reporting from the White House, the Pentagon, and Capital Hill for ABC and NBC, and more recently with WUSA9 in Washington DC. Andrea McCarren was an award winning journalist for over 20 years. And now she’s gone to the dogs—in a good way.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
I didn't believe they existed before Alison's death. Then I believed. This is a tale of those "uncoincidental coincidences" that many of us have experienced. You can't make this stuff up.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Before the Eagles became household names, there was a band called Poco. I talk to its founder Rusty Young who inspired a whole new genre of music—country rock.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
How do those great stories get to CBS Sunday Morning every week? Award winning producer, Jay Kernis gives you the backstory on what it takes to air a segment.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
The only thing he’s got in common with the Jimmy McGill/Saul Goodman character is that he’s a very clever attorney. A former member of the Virginia House of Delegates for almost 20 years, Ward Armstrong is more like one of the witty country lawyers straight out of a John Grisham novel.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Yes, at first glance, I'd have thought the same thing. My guest, Brenna McDonough, has appeared in movies, television, commercials, and print ads. She also has some of the hardest working hands in show business.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
Being a Covid case investigator was like the proverbial box of chocolates--you never knew what you were going to get on any given day. It could be heartbreaking, and believe it or not-- hilarious, and everything in between.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
He may not be a household name, but his song sure it. It's a blast having a conversation with my old friend Randy Brooks as we talk about our shared history and how Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer came to be.
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)
As you find your greater purpose in life, sometimes you've got to be a son-of-a-bitch. As they say, it's a tough job, but somebody's got to do it!
Support the show (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=46786373)