Devils and Dirtbags: Recent Episodes
Crash Barry
Things are getting weird out there. in these days leading to the 2024 election, in Maine and across the country, hard right extremists are trying to destroy democracy. In this episode, we discuss strategies on how to fight the fash, starting with a conversation with author Mira Ptacin about the philosophical concept of “the paradox of tolerance” and how we should not tolerate intolerance. Then we speak to antifascist researcher Kate Ross about her work exposing chuds who try to hide behind masks and fake name. And we talk to investigative journalist Claire Goforth about her NAZI-LAND series for The Daily Dot, during which she travels to Maine, Idaho, Virginia before returning back to her Jacksonville stomping grounds to report on chud efforts to set up communities based upon hate.
You can read "No Hugs for Chuds, Part One" via The Crash Report on substack here which goes into great detail on the newly identified second-in-command of the Blood Tribe, a 23-year-old pagan, hitler-worshoping incel with an appetite for fisticuffs who goes by the name Nate Higgers.
Mira's website: miramptacin.com
Kate's twitter: https://twitter.com/kate_ross_/
Claire's series on the chuds. https://www.dailydot.com/naziland/
CONTENT WARNING: In this episode of Disinfomaniacs, Crash and Andy discuss Maine millionaire and wannabe gov Eliot Cutler and his arrest and jail sentence for possessing child sex abuse material. Then Crash explains how a flawed assessment protocol was used in court to mitigate Cutler’s punishment. Also, they look at the treatment center for rich folk with “problematic sexual behavior” where Cutler was “treated” and assessed with the same flawed test. And Crash reveals the Harvard “prank” on Natalie Wood that gained Cutler his first taste of fame and admittance to the Harvard Lampoon. To watch a short film of the Natalie Wood- Cutler incident and to read THE PRE- OBITUARY OF ELIOT CUTLER sign up for The Crash Report, a new substack newsletter about Maine politics, far-right extremism, chuds, Christian-Nationalism, bad priests, drunk Coasties and homesteading at thecrashreport.substack.com.
Crash takes a deep dive on why the fishy tale by GOP leader of the Maine House of Representatives of a rogue wave, angels and God is scientifically impossible. Also, Crash discusses the sternman's serious injuries due to Billy Bob Faulkingham acting like a fool while taking pics of breaking waves for social media. And how the media, his fellow politicians and his MAGA base swallowed Faulkingham's sea story, hook, line and sinker. Soundbites from WABI, WMTW, WGME, Newscenter 6 and clips from interview on WVOM-FM.
CW: This episode deals with allegations of sexual abuse, as well as domestic violence, grooming and discusses of heroin addiction. Listener be warned. You'll hear Justin Whynot, the vice-chair of the local Moms for Liberty chapter (and candidate for school board) tell the RSU 14 (Windham and Raymond, Maine) school board on 11/1/2023 that he'd been falsely accused of bad things by his daughter's maternal grandmother and that the allegations were being used against him as a political attack. We speak to the mother making the allegations that, about 20 years ago, the Moms for Liberty-endorsed candidate (then 20) had physically abused and introduced her then-14 year old daughter to sex, drugs and pregnancy, which all contributed to her now 36-year-old daughter's existence as a person with a drug addiction living on the streets of Portland, Maine.
In this episode we cover Hammer-the-chud-cult leader's recent decision about his land in Springfield, Maine and Shawn McB (the creepy dude from Trans-Panic in Maine, Parts 1 and 2) and his run for town council in Hampden Maine. But most importantly, we discuss the Lewiston Massacre, the mass shooting in Maine's second largest city last week. Andy O'Brien explains what was happening on the ground in L/A and Nathan Bernard reports on the on-line coverage and instant disinfo surrounding the tragedy.
CW: Lots of bad language and anti-LGBTQ rantings by a lunatic. NSFW or for kids. In this episode, we show a real life example of the trickle down impact of the hateful rhetoric being spewed by right-wing media influencers. Crash interviews a gun-toting Trump-loving homeowner in western Maine with the odd hobby of painting graphic and disturbing violent threats on the exterior of his ranch house for all the neighborhood kids to read.
In this episode, we tell the saga of Boneface, a Florida con-artist who duped Hammer (the neo-nazi setting up a compound in Maine) into believing he was an Ukrainian Freedom Fighter who fought and killed Russians alongside Azov Brigade. Thing is, Boneface was lying. Also, we cover how the right-wing media, including Alex Jones and Roger Stone, fell for, and amplified, Hammer's Sept. 2 Florida march and Boneface's tall tales.
Part 2 of our on-going series provides a close look at the folks and groups promoting transphobia Down East. Shawn McBreairty's lawyer, for instance, who has argued that laws regarding 'child sexual abuse content' be loosened. Or the convicted child sex offender who served as "Director of Advocacy" for the local anti-trans group “Parents Rights Maine" and has trouble telling the truth. And the tough-talking ex-cop who views himself as authority on all things, especially young adult literature and middle school curriculum. This episode explains how haters share and spew the vile anti-trans talking points that have become part of the Maine GOP platform.
School board meetings in Maine are getting pretty crazy. Long gone are the days when debate and discussion were focused on budgets, discipline policies and Maine school funding formula. Lately, thanks to the talking points furnished by far-right bigots and influencers like Maine's Shawn McBreairty and Larry Lockman, school boards and individual educators are being targeted by the followers of these chuds and have turned the public comment portions of board meetings into readings of the dirty bits of books they don't like. In Part 1 of our series "Trans-Panic in Maine," Andy O'Brien explains how we got here and who is responsible, namely McBrearity and Lockman and their useful idiots. CONTENT WARNING: This episode includes elderly chuds reading salacious material , so it's NSFW and not for the ears of children. HERE'S A LINK TO MOONCAT'S TWITTER. https://twitter.com/HeemanFragbard
We continue our discussion about the neo-Nazi in Springfield, Maine named Chris Pohlhaus, aka Hammer. Details include his plans to join the Ukraine war and to lead a huge march in Florida. Also we discuss Allegash Brewing and Planet Fitness' not wanting the chud as a customer AND how the Maine CDC says they can't go after the chud for illegally tattooing because he doesn't have an official address.
In Part Two of this two-parter, we continue our reporting on Chris Pohlhaus, aka Hammer, the Wotan-and-Hitler worshiping chud planning to turn 10 acres in Springfield, Maine into a tiny home community for his so-called "Blood Gang." This episode includes more details about Hammer's strategy and life, along with a discussion of the Pohlhaus' family tree, his Jewish lineage and his great-great-great uncle, who was imprisoned in two Nazi concentration camps during World War Two. Also, we briefly talk about white supremacist Tom Kawczynski's new plans, which sound like good news for Mainers. Content Warning: this episode includes discussions and language (including swearing) not suitable for children or the sensitive.
This is Part One of the story of a neo-Nazi influencer and itinerant tattooist Chris Pohlhaus aka “Hammer” who has plans to build a “tiny house compound” for neo-Nazis and their families, in Maine, on 10 acres of land he owns in a little town an hour northeast of Bangor.Also, Hammer is the dude spotted leading a dozen red-shirted and armed masked men with swastika flags protesting the "Rock-n-Roll Humanist Drag Queen Story Hour” in Wadsworth, Ohio on Saturday, March 11.Crash and Andy O'Brien discuss Hammer and his misadventures in Maine, involving the FBI and his normie pals, as well as Hammer's failed vacation in the England and Ireland.
Crash interviews his pal, Maine rock icon (and Grammy-winning songwriter) Dave Gutter, after they both smoked a bunch of OG Kush. Topics included Dave's musical relationships with David Bowie, Aaron Neville and Eric Krasno. Also, stories from the road with his band Rustic Overtones and the REAL reason Dave's mother doesn't like Crash.
In the second episode of Disinfomaniacs, we take a deep dive into the group of Christian Nationalists who staged a coup d'etat on January 28 and seized control of the executive committee of the Maine Republican Party. Andy O'Brien explains the background of new chairmen Joel Stetkis, while Nathan Bernard tells us about Heidi Sampson, whose votes and backers helped propel Stetkis to a landslide victory over the incumbent party chair Demi Kouzounas. And Crash has a long conversation with Vice-Chair Sam Bridges, the newly elected 18-year-old self-described Christian Nationalist who came out of nowhere to win the second-in-command position.
Coastie is the prequel to Crash Barry's Tough Island.
During Coastie, you’ll sail from the Gulf of Maine to the Gulf of Mexico aboard a 210 foot Coast Guard cutter, during the late 1980s drug war and war on Haitian refugees and witness the misadventures and mistakes of Seaman Barry, a 20-year-old stoner hippie-punk-and-wannabe poet deckhand. There’s lots of bad in these tales. Bad sex. Bad drugs. And bad men. Because Coastie is an in-depth look at hazing, toxic masculinity and group think.
In Coastie, there are many painful and often not-safe-for-work-or children’s ears moments, which is one of the reasons that except for Episode 1, Coastie will be exclusively published twice a month exclusively for Patreon subscribers. Visit crashbarry.com or https://www.patreon.com/crash_barry for more details on how to support Crash's work and gain access to lots and lots of perks and special content.
While Coastie is for subscribers-only, the latest episodes of Devils and Dirtbags and the Disinfomaniacs show with Nathan Bernard and Andy O’Brien, plus Open Ears Maine and a new monthly podcast about trying to live closer to nature will all remain FREE via the Crash Program pod-channel.
Coastie, though, like a rare bottle of small batch bourbon, will remain on the top shelf, out of reach of kids and the highly sensitive.
Crash and John McDonald were pals for a quarter century, first working together in talk radio back in the mid-1990s. John died on Dec. 20, 2022. This is Crash's tribute to him, one Maine storyteller to another.
Disinfomaniacs is a podcast about the liars, grifters and fascist charlatans intent on destroying democracy and, ultimately, civilization. Crash Barry, Nathan Bernard and Andy O'Brien report how propaganda trickles down to negatively impact local communities so they can expose, debunk and pre-bunk the disinfomaniacs. Episode One details the story of a millionaire somatic healing coach in Maine who was radicalized by Ben Shapiro and Matt Walsh and inspired to launch not one, but two anti-trans citizen referendums. Also, Christiane Northrup's post-election message to her followers: spoiler alert, she believes 2022 was stolen too!
In the series finale, Crash returns to Matinicus, twice. Also, Mary-Margaret confronts Crash again, 20 years later.
In this penultimate chapter, Crash hitchhikes to Portland and gets a sweet lift. Also, we learn how radio ruined the island. And Crash shaves his beard and moves off Matinicus, headed to the University of Southern Maine.
While camping with Alice on an even more remote Maine island, Crash is introduced to Carlos Castaneda. Then Crash’s parents visit Matinicus. Also, a scary Halloween tale of gunfire and whiskey.
A tragedy strikes the sheep living on Wheaton Island and a perfect Matinicus wedding where Captain Edwin and Crash show up wearing the same outfit. Content warning: this episode contains the death of animals and domestic abuse.
CONTENT WARNING: This chapter contains cats, poetry and a bizarre suicide. Also, Crash's wife sings a sonnet by Edna St. Vincent Millay.
One of Crash’s partying pals decides to return to church, only to experience God’s wrath. Thanks to Captain Edward and Nan, (and some psychedelics) Crash’s life gets better.
Crash and Captain Donald have a disagreement, Crash ends up working on a presidential campaign and someone Crash loves, dies.
Crash realizes he can’t pass the Able-Bodied Seaman’s drug test, Mary-Margaret gets in trouble and so does Captain Donald.
The “Perfect Storm of 1991” strikes outer Penobscot Bay, Crash almost dies (a couple of times) and the story of the January 1992 sinking of the tugboat Harkness during a winter gale. Luckily, Captain Vance Bunker, a true hero, willingly heads into the storm.
Crash trades cigarettes with some Russian sailors, scratches Captain Donald’s truck and almost gets stranded on a deserted island.
Crash wrestles with a cougar, Captain Donald rescues mariners-in-distress and a flock of puffins surround a shipwreck.
In Chapter 3 of Tough Island, Knox County Sheriff’s Deputy Jerold Day gets run off the island and Crash almost crashes Captain Donald’s boat. Plus, an underwater graveyard and how to dispose of an old vehicle or an ancient washing machine, island-style.
In Chapter 2, Crash moves into his room in Captain Donald’s fishhouse. Also, he goes for a motorcycle ride. And we meet Deputy Jerold Day, the first cop to ever live on Matinicus, Maine's most remote inhabited island.
After getting out of the U.S. Coast Guard in 1991, Crash moves to Matinicus, Maine's most remote inhabited island to work as a sternman aboard a lobster boat, The Dotted Eye. And he meets his new boss, Captain Donald, and his wife, Mary-Margaret. She was 100 percent gray. Her short hair. Her sunken eyes. Her skin. All the color of cigarette ash. Clothes. Aura. Minivan. All the same dismal hue.
Here's a little taste of Crash Barry's new podcast Tough Island, Maine retelling the story of the only police officer ever to live on Matinicus, Maine's most remote inhabited island. And Knox County Sheriff's Deputy Jerold Day was NOT a good cop. Subscribe to Tough Island wherever you get your podcasts. Or visit crashbarry.com for links to all his podcasts and books.
We hear a sad tale from "Sarah," the long-suffering wife of one of Richard Lavigne's victims. She tells us about her husband's abuse at the hands of the murderer priest and the impact it had their family.
On the night of May 21, 2021, the suspected murderer Richard Lavigne died at the age of 80 from COVID complications. The local DA claimed he was getting ready to arrest the former priest and charge him with Danny Croteau's murder, but since Lavigne was dead, he now considers the case closed. On this episode of Devils and Dirtbags, Crash discusses the news of the death of this notorious child molester with the author of the Hells Acres blog as they listen to never-before-heard audio of Lavigne.
In the season finale of Devils and Dirtbags, we tie up some loose ends and visit the spot where Danny Croteau was murdered on April 14th, 1972.
We hear from Danny Croteau's youngest sister, an inspirational woman named Cat, on how the 1972 murder of her brother impacted her entire family.
Crash knocks on the door of Richard Lavigne and the child molesting ex-priest has a lot to say.
Both Father James Scahill and reporter Bill Zajac knew Bishop Thomas Dupre was evil. How could they stop him?
How could men like Richard Lavigne, Father X and Charles Sullivan, plus dozens of other Springfield priests, get away with such evil criminal behavior?
Well, when the person in charge of a group is depraved, then, usually, the whole damn organization is rotten. For over 25 years, Thomas Dupre held a leadership role in the Springfield Diocese. And Thomas Dupre was a dirty lying rapist.
Father X, under the influence of bourbon and a willing listener, reveals all about his sordid family history... and why he turned out to be so evil.
Using the element of surprise, and a bottle of 100 proof bourbon, Crash gets Father X to tell his tale of woe.
The second of four episodes about a priestly serial molester of altar boys who never was punished and went on to work as a drug and alcohol counselor.
The first of four episodes about a priestly serial molester of altar boys who never was punished and went on to work as a drug and alcohol counselor.
Father Charles Sullivan was punished for his drunkenness, his whore-mongering and for threatening to shoot the Bishop. And he died alone, in disgrace, abandoned by the church.
Father Richard Lavigne gets arrested for multiple counts of child molestation and child rape. Will he ever be punished?
Episode Two begins with an apocalyptic Catholic doomsday cult with odd sexual practices. Meanwhile, the suspected murderer priest continues to molest altar boys.
Thirteen year old altar boy Danny Croteau was murdered on April 14, 1972. And a Catholic priest was the sole suspect.