Beer And Conversation With Pigweed And Crowhill

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.

P&C drink and review Pigweed's winter warmer beer, then discuss the vaccine mandates. The federal government can tell federal workers what to do. Where do they get the right to tell private employees what to do? This same cast of characters just recently told us they had no authority to issue a mandate, and had no intention to. Now they're issuing a mandate. What gives? It seems as if the government is always moving the goal posts. What we said yesterday was Gospel, which contradicts what we say today, which is also Gospel, and you'd better get in line or we'll cancel you. P&C address other questions, such as ... * Is Covid like smallpox? * Is Covid an emergency? * Does an emergency justify any proposed action? * Will the mandate create a bigger problem than it's intended to solve? It seems that we now have a professional / government / "expert" class that despises the general population. Or ... have we always had that, and they're only now saying it out loud.

P&C review Crowhill's Kentucky Common, then discuss Wrinkles the Clown. Parents have been heard to say, "We don't spank, we use the discipline clown." E.g., "You'd better be good, or I'll call Wrinkles." "Hello, Wrinkles," [child wailing in the background], "I have some very bad children here." The story of Wrinkles is very interesting, and more complicated than you might think. What should we think of a clown designed to scare children?

Democrats suffer surprising losses in Virginia and several other off-cycle elections. It seems to be a pretty clear repudiation of Biden and the ultra-left focus of the Democrats. In Virginia, McAuliffe insulted parents repeatedly, and tried to make the campaign about Trump. Youngkin walked a careful path, neither endorsing Trump nor alienating Trump supporters. Parents in Virginia punched back against the lies they've been repeatedly told, and repudiated the "your children belong to us" attitude of McAuliffe and the Democrats. P&C drink a cocktail and discuss the results.

P&C drink and review Sierra Nevada's Amber Marzen, then discuss the catastrophe that public education has become, highlighting some recent developments. The education establishment believes parents have no say in what their children are being taught. Parents are punching back, which provoked a school board association to collude with the Biden administration to call these parents "domestic terrorists." In Loudon county, school are covering up sexual assault to protect their stupid bathroom policies. In Fairfax county, teachers are lying about critical race theory. The boys say it's time to start paying attention to school board elections.

P&C drink and review Kostritzer Schwarzbier (a dark lager), then discuss weird song lyrics. The boys discuss song lyrics in general -- why do some people care, and others don't -- why is it so easy to misunderstand lyrics? Then they move on to stupid lyrics, sappy lyrics, and some famously (and hilariously) misheard lyrics. You'll have to endure some singing on this one, and we had to use our backup audio, so the quality isn't up to our normal standards.

P&C drink and review Schlafly's pumpkin beer, then get ready for Halloween with a discussion of zombies. The boys start with an overview of the history of zombies, from probable origins in Haiti, to the classic Night of the Living Dead, and then on to modern evolutions of the concept. Along with special guest Longinus, P&C discuss the meaning of the zombie. Why is it such an enduring concept for movies and TV shows?

Along with special guest Longinus, P&C review "The Fear," an imperial pumpkin beer from Flying Dog, then continue their "shortcut to the classics" series with a discussion of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. Considered one of the first horror novels, and also one of the first science fiction novels, the book has inspired more than its share of plays and movies, although most of the movies depart from the book in many details. You may be surprised what is and is not in the book. The boys review the plot and a few of the more prominent themes.

P&C review DuClaw's 25th anniversary version of Naked Fish, then talk about lessons learned from camping.  The major thing you learn from camping is to not be so fussy about bugs and dirt and discomfort. But there's more to it than that. It can be an opportunity for children to learn a little independence, and to stretch themselves and their perceptions of what they can do.  P&C reflect on different types of camping, share a couple of their camping stories, and generally celebrate the hobby. 

P&C drink and review Rogue's Hazelnut Brown Nectar, then discuss the Crusades. It's a very difficult and controversial subject, but the boys try to parse through some of it. There were multiple different crusades with different purposes, different personalities and different alliances. Some of the crusades were incredibly successful, while others were complete disasters. P&C stick mostly to the first crusade, reviewing its antecedents and trying to put it in historical perspective.