Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill

Latest Episodes:

550: 10 Mental Traps That Quietly Control Your Decisions Oct 01, 2025

Show notes

With special guest Longinus, the boys drink and review a Pub Ale from Black Abbey Brewing, then discuss ten ways that our quick (Type 1) thinking can deceive us, and how to compensate.

Why do we make choices that don’t make sense? From overconfidence to loss aversion, our brains are wired with shortcuts that keep us alive but can also trip us up in everyday life. In this episode, we break down 10 powerful mental traps —the hidden biases shaping your money, relationships, work, and even your health:

1. Anchoring Bias – Why the first number you see sets the stage.

2. Loss Aversion – Why losing hurts twice as much as winning feels good.

3. Availability Bias – Why vivid memories distort real risks.

4. Confirmation Bias – Why we only see what we already believe.

5. Planning Fallacy – Why "five minutes" always takes twenty.

6. Hindsight Bias – Why we always “knew it all along.”

7. Framing Effect – Why wording changes everything.

8. Sunk Cost Fallacy – Why we can’t let go, even when we should.

9. Overconfidence Effect – Why we think we’re better than average.

10. Present Bias – Why future you keeps getting cheated.

These aren’t just abstract concepts — they affect how you invest, how you plan, how you argue, and how you procrastinate. Once you see them, you’ll start noticing them everywhere.

👉 Hit play to learn how to recognize (and escape) these traps. Don’t let your brain’s shortcuts make your choices for you.

#Psychology #DecisionMaking #CognitiveBias #Podcast

Learn more at https://www.pigweedandcrowhill.com

549: Some short stories by Sinclair Lewis Sep 24, 2025

Show notes

P&C drink and review Space Jellyfish from Nepenthe brewery in Baltimore, then discuss some short stories by Sinclair Lewis. Pigweed starts off with a brief bio of Lewis and some big picture themes that occur in his writings. Then, with special guest Longinus, the boys review the following short stories. "The Willow Walk" is about Jasper and John Holt, two identical brothers who lead very different lives. But Jasper has a dark secret. "The Cat of the Stars" is an elaboration on the butterfly effect, where one small detail spins out of control and affects the life of many people in horrible ways. "The Ghost Patrol" tells the tale of an old policeman who can't shake his responsibility to his duties and continues to patrol his old beat even after his retirement. "Young Man Axelrod" decides, after a life as a successful farmer, that he should go back to college. He goes to Harvard hoping for the experience he has longed for all his life. This video is part of P&C's "shortcut to the classics" series. See here for more details. https://www.pigweedandcrowhill.com/shortcut-to-the-classics/

548: The East–West Schism of 1054: Why Christianity Divided Sep 18, 2025

Show notes

The boys drink and review "I Just Crush A Lot" a blueberry hibiscus tart ale from Calvert Brewing.

In 1054, a dramatic split forever changed the face of Christianity. Known as the Great Schism, it divided the Church into Roman Catholicism in the West and Eastern Orthodoxy in the East. But the break didn’t happen overnight—it was centuries in the making.

In this video, we’ll explore:

* The immediate crisis: papal legates and Patriarch Michael Cerularius trading excommunications.

* Political and cultural tensions: Rome vs. Constantinople, Latin vs. Greek, and the rise of Islam.

* Authority disputes: papal supremacy in the West vs. conciliar authority in the East.

* Theological differences: the Filioque controversy, Monophysitism, and contrasting spiritual emphases.

* Divergent practices: from unleavened vs. leavened bread, to clerical celibacy and fasting rules.

* The aftermath: how the Crusades, especially the sack of Constantinople, deepened the divide.

The Schism was not just about doctrine—it was about culture, politics, and identity. Understanding it helps explain why the Christian world looks the way it does today.

#GreatSchism #1054 #ChristianHistory #Catholic #Orthodox #ChurchHistory #Byzantine #Rome

547: Does more incarceration lead to less crime? Sep 17, 2025

Show notes

The boys drink and review Atlas Brewery's Festbier then ask whether locking up criminals results in less crime.

Why doesn’t mass incarceration always lead to lower crime rates? Research shows that most crimes are committed by a small group of career offenders -- 5–10% of criminals may be responsible for half of all crimes. Locking up these repeat offenders *does* reduce crime. But once those individuals are off the streets, the returns diminish.

This episode of beer and conversation explores:

* How chronic offenders drive violent and property crime

* Why locking up violent repeat offenders lowers crime

* Why incarcerating non-violent offenders often has little impact (and can even make things worse)

* Other factors, like broken families and gang dynamics, that continue to fuel crime

The key takeaway: targeted incarceration works — blanket incarceration does not.

#CrimeRates #Incarceration #RepeatOffenders #CriminalJustice #MassIncarceration #PublicSafety #CrimePolicy #JusticeReform #LawAndOrder

545: Should the feds fix the crime in Democrat-run cities? Sep 12, 2025

Show notes

P&C drink and review a Maibock from Guilford Hall Brewing, then discuss the problem of crime in (mostly Democrat-run) cities.

Crime in cities is nothing new, but is it so bad that the federal government needs to get involved?

Crime is one of the most divisive political issues in America today, and nowhere is the debate sharper than in the nation’s Democrat-run cities. Are recent reports of falling homicide rates proof that things are improving, or just cherry-picked statistics that ignore rising thefts, carjackings, and drug crises? We’ll look at the long decline of urban centers under one-party rule, the trade-off between “equity” policies and public safety, and the uncomfortable reality that many of the worst crime numbers in “red states” are concentrated in blue-governed metro areas.

This episode also asks whether Washington should step in. Should a president send in the National Guard to restore order, or would federal intervention undermine democracy and escalate tensions? We’ll explore the legal precedents, the failures of urban policy on homelessness and drugs, and what decades of the same leadership have delivered. Finally, we put the political question directly: after generations of Democratic mayors, is it time to try something different?

Join us as we cut through spin, examine the data, and confront the bigger cultural costs: broken trust in institutions, hollowed-out downtowns, and the growing question of whether America’s great cities can truly be saved.

544: What is a contronym? Our weird English language. Sep 10, 2025

Show notes

Pigweed and Crowhill drink and review a Fest Beer and discuss words that are their own opposites.

English is full of quirks, but few are as fascinating as contronyms, which are words that are their own opposites. “Sanction” can mean to approve or to punish. “Dust” can mean to sprinkle or to remove. “Left” can mean departed or remaining.

In this episode, we dive into the strange, witty, and sometimes confusing world of contranyms. Why do they exist? How do we make sense of them in everyday speech? And what do they reveal about the way language evolves?

Join us as we explore examples that will twist your brain, spark a few laughs, and make you appreciate just how slippery words can be. Whether you’re a word nerd, a casual listener, or someone who’s ever been baffled by English, this conversation is for you.

📬 Send us your thoughts: pigweedshow@gmail.com

🌐 More episodes: pigweedandcrowhill.com

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543: The media who cried wolf: When are these politicians going to jail? Sep 03, 2025

Show notes

P&C drink and review Duckpin pale ale, then ask why none of these politicians ever end up in jail.

We keep hearing, "Wait until it's our turn. We'll put these criminals in jail." But it never happens.

Why do the powerful never seem to face justice? From Tuskegee to Russiagate, from MKUltra to the Mueller Report, history is full of scandals that promise accountability but deliver only headlines and disappointment. The media teases shocking revelations, politicians grandstand, and the public argues — but prosecutions rarely come.

In this episode, we dig into decades of examples — CIA mind-control experiments, COINTELPRO, the 2008 financial crisis, January 6th, the Durham Report, the Epstein client list, and more — to uncover a frustrating pattern: the elite walk free while the rest of us are left angry, divided, and cynical.

We explore two competing explanations:

The Deep State Cover-Up Theory – powerful insiders protect their own, burying consequences under bureaucracy.

The Media Incentives Theory – outrage sells, and endless hype without closure keeps audiences hooked and advertisers happy.

If you’ve ever wondered why the “big one” never lands, this conversation connects the dots and asks the hard question: Is the system broken, or working exactly as designed?

542: Why do politicians get so rich in office? Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

The boys drink and review Pigweed's barley wine homebrew, then discuss the curious finances of our elected representatives. It’s no secret that many politicians leave office far wealthier than when they entered. But how does it happen? In this episode, we explore the perks, privileges, and backroom opportunities that come with political power. From insider connections and book deals to speaking fees, stock trades, and the revolving door between government and lobbying, we break down the factors that help turn public service into private fortune. Whether it’s corruption, clever networking, or simply the system at work, we ask the uncomfortable question: is politics serving the public—or serving itself?

541: Why Gerrymandering Still Shapes American Democracy Aug 28, 2025

Show notes

The boys drink and review Crowhill's latest homebrew, then discuss gerrymandering. Every ten years, new census data reshapes our political maps. But who decides where the lines go—and why does it matter so much? In this episode, we dive deep into gerrymandering: what it is, how it works, and why it has such a lasting impact on elections.We cover:* The basics of redistricting and why “one person, one vote” isn’t as simple as it sounds.* The two key strategies: packing and cracking voters.* The paradox of race in redistricting: sometimes illegal, sometimes required.* Why the Supreme Court stepped back from partisan gerrymandering cases.* Real-world examples from Texas, North Carolina, Wisconsin, and Florida.* The consequences for representation, polarization, and voter trust.* Possible reforms: independent commissions, mathematical “fair maps,” and state-level challenges.At the heart of it all is a question we pose to you: Should drawing political districts be a political act—or a purely mathematical one?If you’ve ever wondered why election results don’t always match the popular vote, or why so many districts look like Rorschach tests, this episode is for you.#gerrymandering

540: More top-rated fairy tales from Grimm Aug 14, 2025

Show notes

With special guest Longinus, the boys review Garage Beer, then discuss some fairy tales.

The two stories reviewed in today's episode came in at #2 and #1 in a recent contest between Grimm's fairy tales. Pigweed, Crowhill, and Longinus review the stories and evaluate the imagery and messages they contain.

Coming in at #2 is The Juniper Tree, which is a very grim Grimm fairy tale. It includes the classic child with an evil step mother, but this step mother's sins will curdle your blood. It includes a magical tree, a magical bird, biblical allusions, and more.

Coming in at #1 is the "The Story of the Youth Who Went Forth to Learn What Fear Was." This is an odd story in the Grimm canon, and very different from the others. The youth is a complete dolt who comically stumbles his way into wealth, fame, and position.

More at ...

https://www.pigweedandcrowhill.com/

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLYAjUk6LttQyUk_fV9F46R06OQgH39exQ

#fairytales #Grimmfairytales #stories #BrothersGrimm

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