Beer And Conversation With Pigweed And Crowhill

With special guest Longinus, the boys drink and review Noir, a black IPA from DuClaw, then discuss slang. In this episode of Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill, we dive into a wide-ranging (and occasionally grumpy) discussion on slang — what it is, where it comes from, and why so much of it drives us up the wall. From Valley Girl “like” to “literally” meaning its opposite, from “no worries” to “full stop,” we go through the phrases we love, the ones we tolerate, and the ones we refuse to say under any circumstances.Along the way, we explore:* Why slang spreads (and why it spreads faster now than ever)* The role of influencers, media, and subcultures in shaping language* How words become clever… and then unbearable* Whether language is evolving faster—or just differently* Why you’d be exposed instantly as a time traveler just by the way you talkWe also get into newer phrases like “based,” “not on my bingo card,” and “living rent free in my head,” and ask the deeper question: what does the way we s

You might remember the Police referring to "that book by Nabokov." Well this isn't it. It's an earlier book about a Russian immigrant. With special guest Longinus, the boys drink and review "Dance of Days" IPA by Atlas Brew Works, then take on Vladimir Nabokov’s Pnin — a novel that’s equal parts frustrating, funny, and quietly devastating.At first glance, Timofey Pnin looks like a classic “nice guy who finishes last”: awkward, socially out of place, and constantly overlooked. But as we dig deeper, the question becomes harder to answer. Is Pnin really a loser, or is he one of the only genuinely decent people in the story?We explore:* Whether Pnin is a victim of others… or of the narrator himself* The role of the unreliable narrator and what it does to your perception of the story* The strange structure of the novel—more like a series of vignettes than a traditional plot* The tension between Pnin’s outward awkwardness and the profound suffering underneath* Why this might be a book yo

In this episode of Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill, we crack open a Steady Eddie IPA and take on a big cultural question: why are people who hate Star Trek directing, producing, and writing the show?From the optimism of Star Trek: The Original Series and the (somewhat) moral clarity of Star Trek: The Next Generation to the confusion of modern efforts like Star Trek: Discovery, something clearly changed.We explore:* Why classic Star Trek worked as a moral framework without preaching* The shift from storytelling to ideology* How strong characters like Picard gave way to “feelings-first” writing* The difference between a future where humanity improves… and one where standards disappear* Why newer shows feel more like social commentary than science fictionAlong the way, we revisit favorite series, debate underrated entries like Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and ask whether anything in modern Trek—like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds—still captures the original spirit.This isn’t just about Star Trek. I

The boys drink and review a homebrewed porter, then discuss birthright citizenship. The question of birthright citizenship hinges on one phrase in the 14th Amendment, which reads "and subject to the jurisdiction thereof." What does that mean? The point of the amendment was to give citizenship to freed slaves, but it's been interpreted to mean that the child of an illegal immigrant, born in the U.S., is a citizen. Is that justified in the text? The boys discuss. This weird aspect of American law has led to many business opportunities for enterprising criminals. People make a lot of money bringing pregnant illegal aliens into the country. That's bad enough, but the Chinese have found ways to exploit this as a national security issue. They've been creating "American citizens" who are then raised in China. To what purpose, we wonder. While on the topic of the 14th amendment, the boys discuss the Obergefell decision, in which SCOTUS decided that states cannot prohibit same-sex marri

P&C drink a cream ale and reflect on the amazing life of Chuck Norris. Chuck Norris wasn’t just a movie star—he was the real deal. A multi-time martial arts champion with serious credentials, he built a reputation long before Hollywood ever noticed him.And yet, Hollywood did notice. From a run of classic action films to the long-running hit Walker, Texas Ranger, Norris proved he could carry a screen just as well as he could win a fight.He also wrote books, spoke openly about his faith, and built a broader legacy beyond film and television.But in the end, what may keep him most alive in popular culture is something completely unexpected: the legendary “Chuck Norris facts.”At the end of the episode, P&C share a few of their favorites—and reflect on how a genuine tough guy became an immortal punchline.

The boys drink and review Blackbeard's Breakfast, a robust porter, then discuss a new series about Merlin. The Daily Wire has entered the fantasy arena with *The Pendragon Cycle: Rise of the Merlin* — but to understand what they’re trying to do, you have to go back much further than Camelot.In this episode we trace the evolution of the Arthurian legend from its earliest Welsh roots to modern reinterpretations. The story didn’t start as knights and chivalry — it started with a war leader and a mad prophet in the woods. From there, it became a national myth under Geoffrey of Monmouth, a romantic tragedy in the French courts, and finally a moral and symbolic drama in writers like Alfred Lord Tennyson, C. S. Lewis, and Stephen R. Lawhead.Along the way, the core tension of the story takes shape:* Arthur represents order, law, and civilization.* Merlin represents mystery, prophecy, and the unseen world.* Lancelot and Guinevere introduce desire — the human element that breaks even the best systems.* Mordred brin

The boys drink and review some homebrewed porter, then ask if Trump is resetting the entire global order. Many people believe the international system built after 1991 has become unsustainable, unfair, and disconnected from American interests. Trump is trying to reset it from an America First perspective. * The old world order depended on American sacrifice without reciprocity* Trump replaced globalism with a more nationalist, power-based approach* Trump has been pressuring NATO allies to strengthen the alliance and make Europe step up * We've seen a shift from engagement with China to strategic competition* Trump believes foreign policy should answer to American interests, not international institutionsTrump has moved the U.S. from a system where America carried the burden for everyone else to one based on leverage, sovereignty, and shared responsibility. Critics see the same actions as reckless disruption.If you’re interested in foreign policy, the future of the world order, or the debate over nationali

Pigweed and Crowhill drink and review Lindemans Pecheresse, a Belgian Fruit Lambic, then discuss the show's uncanny ability to predict the future. In this episode we update past topics and predictions. An earlier show discussed kill switches and cameras in cars. There have been some developments to that story. On the show where we questioned whether psychiatry is science (mostly it isn't), the boys asked if it was time to bring back involuntary commitment. We also discussed the over-prescription of psychiatric drugs and the interesting correlation between mental health and going to church. Pigweed called attention to the problem of cousin marriage, and what do you know? -- Britain is experiencing a huge rise in birth defects as a result of cousin marriage from Pakistani immigrants. At peak trans madness, the boys predicted a time when the monsters who are promoting this barbarity were fined and jailed. We're starting to see it happen. Recently, some of these ghoulish doctors were fined millions of

The boys drink and review Finest Kind IPA from Smuttynose, then talk about efforts to make Alberta an independent nation. Pigweed's news feed has been full of talk about this burgeoning movement in Canada. Alberta is an energy rich province that sends a lot of money to Ottawa, but doesn't get much in return. Albertans hate being under the thumb of a government thousands of miles away with completely different values. The story seemed so exciting and right up Pigweed's alley ... until he realized his feed was exaggerating the popularity of the movement. It's at about 30 percent. But would Canada allow Alberta to leave even if Albertans voted for it? P&C have their doubts. Would Canada peacefully allow their cash cow to leave?

The boys drink and review a cream ale from Jailbreak Brewery, then discuss the dramatic decline in trust in our institutions. Trust in institutions used to be the default. Today, it’s the exception.From corruption and abuse of power to ideological capture and growing economic inequality, many people feel that the institutions that once anchored society — government, media, academia, and public health — have become distant, opaque, and unaccountable. When ordinary citizens see elites displaying obscene wealth, when justice appears unevenly applied, or when powerful organizations seem staffed by insiders and relatives, skepticism becomes inevitable.But there’s a deeper problem: institutions are not people.When trust breaks between individuals, you can repair it through conversation and accountability. With large bureaucracies that kind of repair is much harder.The discussion also examines how ideological conflict fuels distrust. Some argue that skepticism toward institutions reflects a rejection of facts. Other

The boys drink and review a peanut butter porter, then wonder about the nature of the mind and the self. We like to imagine that our minds are simple and unified — that we think, decide, and evaluate the world rationally. But the more we learn about the mind, the stranger that assumption becomes.Psychology talks about the conscious and unconscious mind. Behavioral economics divides thinking into fast and slow systems. Neuroscientists debate left brain vs. right brain. Moral psychologists describe the “elephant and rider.” Even the Bible describes a divided inner life: Jeremiah says the heart is so deceitful that we can't understand it, and Paul admits that the things he wants to do he often doesn’t do. There's a war of flesh vs. spirit. So which part of all that is actually "me"?In this episode, P&C explore the mysteries of the self. For starters, our perceptions are filtered before we even become aware of them. That brains that process that filtered information are shaped by millions of

P&C drink and review Manor Hill Brewing's Dunkel, then wonder if the U.N. still matters. The United Nations was founded after World War II with an ambitious mission: prevent global war, promote peace, and help nations cooperate on the world’s biggest problems.But nearly eighty years later, a fair question arises: does it do anything useful?The boys take a practical look at what the U.N. actually does today. It clearly hasn’t stopped major conflicts — from Ukraine to the Middle East — and it hasn’t been the engine that lifted countries out of poverty. So what role does it really play?We dig into the less glamorous side of the organization: peacekeeping missions that try to keep fragile countries from sliding back into civil war, humanitarian programs that feed millions of people, refugee operations, disease control, and the quiet international standards that keep things like aviation and shipping functioning smoothly.But that leads to deeper questions:* Is the U.N. a meaningful institution — or mostly

The boys drink and review Dogfish Head's Sixty-One, which is an IPA brewed with Pinot Noir grapes, then discuss the idea that AI will make us all wealthy while Pigweed's cat prances around the studio. Elon Musk recently said that AI + robotics will eliminate scarcity to the point that there's no real point in saving for retirement. We'll have "universal high income." It's like the Star Trek vision of the future where all your needs are provided for. Does that make any sense? Can an economy function like that? Will "AI abundance" arrive simultaneously for every human need? Who will pay the taxes? What does "lack of scarcity" really mean? There can be an abundance of food, or healthcare. AI isn't going to make more beachfront. How do we get from here to there? What happens to property rights? Will the people who own the AI share their wealth with everybody else? Why? Who will make them do it? When people start losing jobs (by the millions), how will they liv

P&C drink and review Pigweed's homebrewed porter then discuss squatter's rights. Can somebody just take over your house when you're on vacation? There's a famous case in Maryland where some "activist" has moved in to a $2.3 million house that had been foreclosed on. Can she do that? Who's to stop her, and how? "Adverse possession" is the technical word for squatter's rights. But it only applies in narrow situations. Not just somebody moving in. Social media has made this worse. People share the location of unused houses and help people take possession of these homes. Sometimes they then rent the property out to others. This is a daily occurrence in Baltimore. The boys also reply to letters on recent topics we've covered, including psychology, consciousness and AI, and mental illnesses. Pigweed also notices that other podcasts and shows are picking up our topics without giving us any credit. The boys end the show with a reprise of the Potomac River problem.

The boys drink and review Crowhill's latest homebrew then discuss Iran. Persia was one of the first great empires. At times it stretched from Libya in the west, into India and the stans in the east, and stretched into the Slavic countries in the north. Some of the notable names are Cyrus, Darius, and Xerxes. Isaiah mentioned Cyrus as God's chosen but took a jab at Zoroastrianism in the process. Persian dominance came to an end in waves. First, Alexander the Great conquered them, then Islam came along and caused a bloody mess, then the Mongols invaded and slaughtered so many Persians that the population didn't recover until the mid 20th century. In more recent times, Iran was a very modern, pro-western country. Americans tend to think of Iran as a country full of screaming lunatics, but that's not true. It's not a particularly Muslim country. Mosque attendance is very low. But somehow that lunatic Ayatollah Khomeini was able to take over and the country has been under the thumb of crazies f

The boys drink and review Old Brown Dog by Smuttynose, then wonder why Michelle Obama is such a sourpuss despite her incredible good fortune. Despite being intelligent, wealthy, well-educated, and popular, she seems to be griping and complaining all the time. After Barack was elected she said, "For the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country." For the first time? Really? Everything is so hard for Michelle. She's such a victim and has had such a bad draw of the cards. Recently the boys watched a video contrasting Michelle's attitude towards being in the White House and J.D. Vance's attitude towards living in the Vice President's mansion. Vance is beaming about his fortune. Michelle complains. There's always an undercurrent of resentment when you listen to Michelle despite the fact that she's one of the most privileged people on the planet. But don't be fooled by all her successes. Everything is a burden. Michelle Obama is insufferable, and a major buzzkill.

The boys drink and review Ghost Stories, a smoked black lager from Burlington Beer Company, then discuss infrastructure. After the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, President Biden promised it would be rebuilt “as soon as humanly possible” — and immediately assumed the federal government would foot the bill. But why is that assumption now automatic? And what does it tell us about the state of American infrastructure policy?In this episode, we take a hard look at the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) as it enters its final year. Using publicly available data and government reporting, we break down what’s actually happened versus what was promised.We discuss:* How infrastructure funding really works (authorized vs. obligated vs. outlaid)* Why “money spent” doesn’t mean “projects finished”* What’s moved fastest (roads and bridges) — and what’s lagged badly (broadband and EV charging)* Whether the IIJA genuinely created jobs, or merely supported an already-hot labor market* Why so little

The boys drink and review Sierra Nevada's Narwhal Imperial Stout, then discuss the obligation of the government to provide for the poor and how such efforts inevitably degrade into graft, corruption, and abuse -- like what we see in Minneapolis right now. There have always been poor people, and there has always been an obligation to help the less fortunate. In the past, much of that work was done by churches. The big transformation in government-run charity followed the Great Depression, where masses of unemployed men threatened to riot. So-called "welfare" system only got bigger over time, especially under President Johnson. At first, public assistance was just for the elderly, widows, and orphans. Today, an enormous percentage of the population gets some type of government benefit. The trouble is, whenever there's money changing hands, people try to get in on it and put themselves in the middle so they can get their cut. Charity is no exception. Unscrupulous actors find ways to cheat and r

Pigweed and Crowhill drink and review a Copper Legend, an Oktoberfest from Jack's Abbey brewing. The topic for today: Has the development of AI changed our perspective on whether or not we're living in a simulation? Starting with Nick Bostrom's famous essay, the boys discuss the issues and why we might not be as "real" as we think we are. The development of AI has made Bostrom's essay even more significant. The idea that simulated minds might soon outnumber "real" minds is no longer an abstract science fiction question. On top of all this, we have stories about discussion groups just for AI -- where the bots talk to the bots. Another approach to the issue is to question what "real" means anyway. Our concept of the real, the physical, seems less and less likely as we discover that the hard substances around us are mostly empty space. It might be all empty space, with no "things" there at all. It's no longer a question for college freshmen in a late-ni

With special guest Longinus, the boys drink and review an IPA from Cape May Brewing, then discuss the homogenization of culture, and how everything is starting to look the same. It's to the point where you're in a town three states away but you see the same stores, the same products on the shelves. Where's the local stuff? The boys discuss the history of this phenomenon, starting with the railroads and the Sears catalog, and moving on to the standardization of building materials and the expansion of chain stores. Some of this is good and logical, but sometimes you want to feel like you're in the South, or the West, or ... something different. A world of identical strip malls teaches us * Every place is replaceable* Nothing is sacred* Everything is for sale* History doesn’t matter* Roots are optionalLocal culture anchors people psychologically and morally. It says * You are somewhere.* You come from something.* This place has a past and a future.How do we encourage progress and also encourage l