Beer And Conversation With Pigweed And Crowhill

P&C drink and review Smoke and Dagger black lager from Jack's Abby, then discuss expressive individualism.  On the one hand, individual expression and liberty are part of what we celebrate in America. We want people to be free of unnecessary constraints.  But even good things can be taken too far, and insisting that everyone should be able to express their psychological core -- however they define that, and however they like -- is too far.  The boys discuss. 

P&C drink and review Harpoon's Winter Warmer, then open the mailbag. Uncle Billy doesn't believe Joe Biden will run for president, and that Harris is a disaster for the Democratic Party. The boys discuss. Red Pill Rick wonders why spokesmodels and actresses are getting chunkier. Pigweed and Crowhill reflect on some possible examples and possible explanations. And probably get in trouble in the process. Chaz the Spaz asks why unelected officials are making laws. Pigweed has a relevant person experience with his county council and mask mandates.

P&C drink and review a Christmas Ale from Great Lakes Brewing, then discuss the metaverse. The boys define the metaverse, and then discuss its ups and downs. The metaverse offers very interesting options, like visiting new places, or reviewing a new house. The primary business application would be better meetings, eliminating the need for travel, and possibly using VR for advanced training. It might also make more opportunities for disabled people to participate in activities. On the negative side, there are a lot of disappointing, creepy and scary implications. Privacy will almost surely be lost. There will be less parental control, and more stalking, sexual grooming, and other nasty stuff. Is it a good thing? Does it even matter?

P&C drink and review Dirty Bastard by Founders, then discuss drugs. As a species, we all like a little buzz. Drugs and inebriation have been with us for as long as we have records. Beer production is very ancient, and some of our earliest writings are beer recipes. But it's not just beer. Humans have been taking marijuana, peyote -- even licking frogs. Why do we do it? There are some obvious answers. Distraction, pain management, healing, war (berserkers), sex (to loosen inhibitions), political control (Russians used vodka revenues to support military), religious experience ....

The boys drink and review Saranac's S'mores Porter, then put on their futuristic magic glasses and predict major events for 2022. Be sure to write these down and invest appropriately. P&C gaze into their crystal ball and review the future of culture, politics, technology, Covid, climate, the economy, foreign policy, Facebook's "Meta," sex, health, zombies, religion, Jordan Peterson, nature and sports. If you have a hard time telling when we're serious and when we're joking, so did we.

The boys drink and review Black Ox Rye Porter, then discuss gerrymandering, especially in Maryland. The Maryland legislature recently proposed a scheme to redraw Congressional districts in the Old Line State. Redistricting makes sense and is necessary as populations move. But it's come to be a partisan exercise in maximizing the representation of the party in power in the state. Both parties have abused this power. In deep blue Maryland, this means the Democrats are redrawing the lines to eliminate all Republican representation. When Republican Texas does the same, the Justice Department attacks. Somehow Maryland is getting a pass.

P&C review the latest DuClaw version of the "Pastryarchy," then discuss woke presuppositionalism. Crowhill explains what "presuppositionalism" means, and then the boys discuss the sorts of things that we all presuppose. Context. Goals. Value. Ethics. We can't even perceive the world without these things. So in some limited sense, the basic concept of "presuppositionalism" is true. How does this apply to the woke? First, there are things the woke all assume, which P&C review. But second, the woke don't seem to believe there's any common ground between the woke and the un-woke. The un-woke shouldn't even be allowed to speak.

The boys review Crowhill's Dopplebock, then discuss the war on drugs. This so-called war on drugs has been going on for decades. What has it accomplished? Drug use is up. Deaths by overdose are increasing. If we're really fighting a war on drugs, how should that affect our border policy?  What is the role of Big Pharma and pain management? How did the lockdown affect drug use? What about legalization?  

P&C drink and review Pigweed's latest homebrew, then discuss the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. MBTI is an enormously popular and financially successful personality test that categorizes people along four axes: Extroversion vs. Introversion, Sensing vs. Intuition, Thinking vs. Feeling, and Judging vs. Perceiving. Businesses seem to love it, and some people even put their MBTI personality type in their dating app, or their Facebook profile. But is it scientific? Is it really doing what people think it's doing?

P&C review "Naughty or Nice," an IPA from Devil's Backbone, then discuss the Renaissance festival. Pigweed and Crowhill have only been to the Maryland Renn Fest, which they hear is one of the better ones. The Renn Fest is the happiest place on earth. Everyone is there to have a good time. There are no bad attitudes. No arguments. No conflicts. It can get bawdy, and quite silly, and it's not always purely "Renaissance." The periods get a little confused. But it's a great time.

The boys drink and review a Christmas stout, then discuss CBD vs. THC. If you believe the internet, CBD seems like a cure-all. But if you go to the web sites that sell it, the claims get much more modest! Are there any decent studies to tell us what CBD can and can't do? There are some, and they're not that encouraging. While there are a few proven benefits of CBD, most of the claims are not supported by science. Pigweed and Crowhill urge caution.

The boys review Pigweed's Pale Ale, then discuss a field trip to a local Evangelical church. Longinus came along as well. The building itself was very plain -- like an auditorium. No religious art. There was only one cross, which wasn't even in a central location. The music was upbeat, but a little weird. The service focused on the very long sermon, which was biblical, but a bit rambling. The boys reflect on the experience and the religious and social implications.

P&C drink and review Old Rasputin, by North Coast Brewing Company, then review a short novel by Leo Tolstoy. Literary contributor Longinus joined in this podcast. Ivan Ilyich seems like a decent man. When he's tempted to think he's not living his life the way he should, he scoffs. He does what's expected of him, and observes all the proprieties! But when he suffers an injury that slowly and inexorably leads to his death, he suffers a terrible battle with his conscience. This short, dark story is worth a read, and some reflection.

P&C drink and review Crowhill's Kentucky Brown Ale, then discuss people who are drawn to drama -- in their own lives, or in the lives of their significant others. You may be addicted to drama if ... * Life is a roller coaster. * You storm in and out of relationships. And you sabotage them. * Drama is a bad addiction. You hate it and need it at the same time. * You're Loud. Childish. Agressive. There's a lot of yelling and crying. * You compliment people a lot. * You create emotional situations that can't be solved. * You're drawn to social media. P&C discuss.

The boys drink and review Schlafly's Salted Caramel Stout, then discuss the sexual revolution and the pill. What was the sexual revolution about? Where did it come from, and why? The boys start with Rousseau and Freud, then review technical and social changes that led up to the changes in the 1960s. There seemed to be a general trajectory towards men and women participating equally in society. The three pillars of the sexual revolution were divorce, contraception and gender roles. P&C discuss the ups and downs.

P&C drink and review Hardywood Rum Barrel Pumpkin, then discuss the world of furries. What is this furry business all about? Is it an excuse for kinky sex? A way for ugly people to hide behind a cute mask? No. It's a combination of comics, cosplay and cartoons, with a bit of escapism and childish fun. P&C both thought they were going to be fairly negative about furries, but after looking into it a bit, they both ended up pretty sympathetic.

P&C drink and review Manor Hill brewing's Amber Ale, then discuss Judaism. Special guest JR reacts to questions about the first commandment, Jews as the chosen people, proselytizing, whether Jews believe in an afterlife, and what do Jews think of Jesus. What are the divisions in Judaism: Orthodox, conservative, reformed, etc? Why are so many Jews liberal, when it seems it's the conservatives who are more pro-Jewish? What is the role of Israel in modern Judaism. Plus a lot more.

P&C drink and review Crowhill's Christmas ale, then discuss comic books. The boys review their own personal experience with comics, then discuss modern issues with comic books, and movies based on comics. Is this another example of extended childhood? Or are these superhero movies fulfilling some deep psychological need? Also, the woke are ruining this too.

P&C drink and review Southern Tier Nitro Coconut Truffle, then discuss the "Let's Go Brandon" phenomenon. The "Let's Go Brandon" chant should have been a 2-day story. Brandon Brown wins his first NASCAR race. Kelli Stavast hears the crowd chanting "F Joe Biden," and interprets it as "Let's Go Brandon." It's funny and silly, and that should have been that. But then, people who have a bone to pick with Joe Biden started picking it up as a less crude way of making their disappointment known.

The boys drink and review Bell's Amber Ale, then go through reader comments. They start with an update on The Flashman Incident and a review of indulgences and the crusades. One listener called the boys out on camping, and another corrected a mistake in the Frankenstein episode. A listener asks if there's a racial component to Night of the Living Dead? EricEatsBrains laid a huge philosophical question on the boys, and then MarshaMarshaMarsha asked if P&C support the ERA. P&C try to field these and several other tough reader questions.