Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill

Latest Episodes:

120: Food fads: Organic and GMO Apr 02, 2021

Show notes

P&C drink and review an abbey ale, then discuss food fads, and worries about new agricultural innovations.

Organic food. GMO. "All-natural." Does it really matter? Or is this just a big marketing ploy? What does "organic" really mean? And aren't all of our foods genetically modified?

The boys weigh the costs and benefits of scientifically modified food.

119: Jordan Peterson as Martin Luther 2 Mar 26, 2021

Show notes

P&C drink and review the latest Pastryarchy offering from DuClaw, then discuss the similarities between Martin Luther and Jordan Peterson.

Crowhill is convinced JP is on the edge of a major transformation, and can see similarities between Peterson and Luther -- especially in how they deal with the righteousness of God.

Peterson seems unable to deal with the moral weight of God's existence in a healthy way. It crushes him. It terrifies him. As it did Luther.

JP will have to solve this. And soon.

118: Milo Yiannopoulos Mar 21, 2021

Show notes

P&C drink and review Shiner's Candied Pecan ale, then discuss the recent shenanigans of Milo Yiannopoulos.

Milo used to be the flambouyant gay darling of the far right, until he seemed to advocate pedophilia, and then he dropped off the radar. We haven't heard much of Milo until he recently decided to come out as ex-gay! He's relegated his husband to the status of housemate, he's leading an online devotion to St. Joseph, and he's starting a new center for the much-despised "conversion therapy."

Is this just another attention-getting prank? What are we to make of Milo?

And why is "conversion therapy" such a unique problem? You can get goof-ball therapy to change any aspect of your personality that you like, except this? Why?

117: Monarchies, plus Meghan Mar 19, 2021

Show notes

P&C drink and review St. Michael's Amber Ale, then discuss monarchies.

They ask the obligatory question -- is Meghan Markle oppressed? -- and then discuss Piers Morgan, and the royal clown show in general. They move on to a general overview of the idea of monarchy, and whether such a thing is a good idea in the modern world.

It turns out that countries with constitutional monarchies do pretty well. P&C offer some ideas why that might be.

116: "Conspiracy" with Kenneth Branagh Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

P&C drink and review Pigweed's Cocoa / Peanut Butter Porter, then, with special guest Longinus, review the movie Conspiracy.

The movie covers the Wannsee Conference of 1942, where Reinhart Heydrich gathers German leaders to discuss the "evacuation" of Jews from German-occupied territory. Heydrich (played by Kenneth Branagh) puts an exclamation point on "German efficiency."

At first there is a lot of squabbling about the right approach from a legal / procedural point of view, but Heydrich leads them inexorably to a predetermined solution.

The horrifying story calls to mind a quote from C.S. Lewis: "The greatest evil is ... now done ... in clean, carpeted, warmed and well-lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut fingernails and smooth-shaven cheeks who do not need to raise their voices."

115: Elie Wiesel's "Night" Mar 16, 2021

Show notes

P&C review Glutenberg, a gluten-free IPA, then, along with special guest Longinus, discuss Elie Wiesel's Night.

We've covered some hard topics, but this was the most difficult. The book chronicles Wiesel's experiences leading to and then during his confinement in Auschwitz. The story takes you through all the small steps on his journey from being a boy who wants nothing more than to study Kabbalah to an innocent who is sentenced to a living Hell.

114: March 545: five topics in five minutes each Mar 09, 2021

Show notes

P&C Review Little Sumpin' Sumpin' from Lagunitas, then do five topics in five minutes each.

* What are the actual numbers on police murders, vs. what people believe.

* Thoughts on fat shaming.

* LSD therapy for depression and death anxiety?

* Meta humans, created by AI. What are the consequences?

* Is there a health benefit to looking at breasts?

Ep 113: Equity vs Equality Mar 05, 2021

Show notes

P&C drink and review Crowhill's anise-flavored porter, then discuss the differences between equality and equity.

Equality focuses on equal treatment. Equity focuses on equal outcomes.

Equity is the right choice in some situations, but not in others. But "equity" has become the modern rallying cry, as if it's a cure-all. Equity is particularly misplaced when it's applied to groups rather than to individuals, so the combination of equity and identity politics creates a particularly bad outcome.

Ep 112: UFOs and alien visitation Mar 02, 2021

Show notes

P&C drink and review O'Hara's Irish stout, then talk about UFOs.

Is there some great conspiracy to hide evidence that aliens have come to earth, or is it just a big nothing-burger?

P&C discuss the Fermi paradox and the Drake equation, and review some of the arguments that aliens have visited earth -- and find them wanting.

Ep 111: Erasing the past Feb 27, 2021

Show notes

P&C drink and review a double IPA, then discuss the 3-headed hydra of cancel culture: canceling the present, erasing the past, and banning people for the future. We're starting to see examples of the media editing old stories to change the past. It's literally Orwellian.

We see new initiatives to erase literal crimes to give someone a fresh start, but thought crimes from decades ago ruin lives.

And then there's the move to erase Donald Trump from Home Alone 2.

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