A Rocky April | Gearing Up for May | Raging Chicken Media

I feel like I am finally emerging from a prolonged slug-fest with a nasty little virus. About time. I can only hope that cycle of taking turns being sick has finally exited my home and that my wife, kids, and I can get a little breather. As I am sure readers of Raging Chicken Press have notices, April was not exactly a banner month for our little project. True, the articles we published in April were, to borrow a phrase from an old friend of mine, “stellar,” I was late getting the issue out and was not able to publish everything I wanted. Major kudos to our Social Media Organizer, Sean Kitchen, for keeping Raging Chicken alive and kicking online while I was down and out.

While our April was a bit rocky, a lot certainly happened and we are already gearing up for our May issue and lots of cool stuff over the summer. I wanted to fill you in on some of the things going on and to remind you that the deadline for the May issue is coming up soon!

Deadline for May issue

The deadline for the May issue of Raging Chicken Press is May 10th. In addition to some familiar voices, we hope to introduce you to some new contributors and to further expand our coverage of issues affecting our region.

This week I will also publish an “Early Edition” which will include contributions that I wanted to include in the April issue, but just couldn’t muster the energy to do my editorial work. So, look for the Early Edition in a couple of days.

Latest Subscriber Give-Away

Each month Raging Chicken Press gives away a “Must Read” book or two to one lucky subscriber. Last time around the “Must Reads” of the month were Uprising, by John Nichols and Moment of Clarity, by Lee Camp. Well, we have a winner! It’s taken me forever to make this announcement and just about as long to finally send the books out. Our winner? Brian Driesbach – the hardest working Steelworker organizer I know! Here’s what Brian had to say about Raging Chicken Press:

Raging Chicken Press is the 1st place I go to keep up to date with all the information on the war being waged against workers, the environment, students, women, the poor… With their educated and professional journalists, along with their citizen reporters out on the front-lines – this is one of the best blogs out there!

Thanks, Brian, for your words and the contributions you make everyday to the struggles of working families in PA and across the country.

Want to be eligible for our April give-away? Believe it or not, there is still time. All you have to do is enter your email in our subscriber box on the sidebar to the right. Shortly after you enter your email you should receive an email asking you to verify your subscription. Verify your subscription and you’re good-to-go. If you subscribe by tomorrow, you will be entered into April’s drawing to receive April’s “Must Reads”: Wisconsin Uprising: Labor Fights Back, by Michael Yates and Occupy!: Scenes from Occupied America, edited by Carla Blumenkranz, et.al. Next week I’ll be adding our two “Must Reads” for May – so, get subscribed!

Update on Fundraising

Our fundraising campaign on WePay continues. As of this writing we have raised $515.00! That may not seem like a lot when compared to our overall goal of $25,000, but it’s a really, really good start! Thanks again to everyone who has contributed!

And, remember, our $25,000 goal is based upon the funds that are necessary to make Raging Chicken Press a sustainable project, pay our interns, fund investigative journalism, publish a yearly “Best of Raging Chicken Press” in paperback and ebook format, upgrade our webpage and equipment, and a host of other projects. I had no idea how much we would be able to raise directly from the progressive community; now I have a better idea about what it’s going to take to make Raging Chicken Press sustainable. You’ll be hearing much more from me on the fundraising front in the weeks to come.

In the meantime, check out our fundraising page, contribute what you can — $5, $10, $25…whatever you can spare — and pass the word to your friends and family who think that supporting independent, progressive, activist media is a worthwhile investment in our futures.

You can also check out our store for great progressive t-shirts, bumper stickers, mugs, pins, posters and more! Get your progressive on and pick up something for your favorite rabble-rouser!

Closing Thoughts

As the 2012 campaign season kicks into high gear, I want to underscore how serious the situation is. The right-wing is seeking to roll back the clock by 100 years, stripping away hard-won rights that most of us thought were settled issues. It’s a reminder of just how vigilant we need to be. And, frankly, the Democratic party has not exactly had our backs either. The hard truth is that no one else is going to fight to protect our families, our communities, our schools, our rights, our children, our democracy, and our futures. We have to do it ourselves. Collectively and without apologies.

Onwards to a summer of rage,