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PODCAST

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill

Pigweed and Crowhill

You like beer, and you like conversation, right? Of course you do. Pigweed and Crowhill review a beer (sometimes their own homebrews) and discuss issues of the day. They try to break down serious issues into bite-sized chunks, and add some humor when possible. But it"s all in good fun. Just two pals chatting over a beer.

society & culture

All Episodes

00:38:39

558: Does a million year old skull rewrite human...

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/10/22

The boys drink and review Jailbreak's Citra Lady Friend then discuss the implications of a million year old skull from China. P&C start with a review of the prevailing views on human evolution, including the "out of Africa" hypothesis. A little while ago, scientists in China found that a find from a few decades ago was older than expected, and more modern than expected. It's become common for headlines to claim that "this changes everything" -- but maybe this one

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00:35:50

557: Did Maryland actually need 700 new laws?

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/10/18

The boys drink and review Lord Baltimore from Key Brewing, then wonder whether Maryland really needed 700 new laws. What is the relationship between the citizen and the state? On one side you have the anarchist, who wants no government. Then you have the libertarian, who believes "that government is best that governs least." On the extreme left you have people who want the government involved in every decision, regulating everything the citizen does. Maryland leans in that direction. Wes

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00:26:24

556: Did Etsy witches curse Charlie Kirk?

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/10/17

The boys drink and review one of Crowhill's homebrews, then wonder about the fact that you can purchase curses on Etsy and Fiverr. What the heck? How should we view this? Recently, the feminist magazine Jezebel paid some witches on Etsy to curse Charlie Kirk. Shortly afterward he was assassinated. Megyn Kelly made a big deal about it. Did the witches score? C'mon. Do we really believe in curses? P&C try to back up and examine the concept of curses, the demonic, evil force, and how to

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00:34:35

555: Is Trump an authoritarian dictator, a threat to...

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/10/16

P&C drink Skipjack Pilsner and then wonder what in the world is going on with all this talk about Trump the dictator. The boys evaluate the liberal narrative that Trump is an authoritarian dictator and find it woefully lacking. The "big one" from the liberal side is January 6 and the claim that the election was stolen. There is some validity to that claim, but it's exaggerated. A lot. The bottom line is that an authoritarian dictator would have behaved very differently. Trump has

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00:35:44

554: Is a cashless society a good thing?

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/10/09

P&C drink and review Festifall, a Marzen lager by Southcounty Brewing, then discuss the prospect of a world without cash. Deepfakes, fake documents, and AI-generated “evidence” are becoming harder to spot — and that might be what finally pushes governments and businesses to demand trusted digital sources. But that trust comes at a price: a digital ID system that could track who you are, what you do, and even what you buy.In this episode, we explore:* How fake videos and online deception could

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00:39:48

553: Are conservatives now in favor of cancel culture?

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/10/08

The boys drink and review Pigweed's homebrewed Black IPA, then discuss cancel culture in the light of the Charlie Kirk story. Defenders of so-called cancel culture object to the term. They say it's just "consequence culture." Traditionally, conservatives have been against cancel culture -- because it's usually a weapon deployed by liberals against conservatives. But now, when liberals like Jimmy Kimmel are canceled for lying about Charlie Kirk, conservatives seem to have

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00:30:29

552: You've been warned. The promise and peril of...

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/10/02

The boys drink and review Sunset Eclipse from Dewey Beer then discuss whether artificial intelligence will destroy us. Crowhill says he uses AI all the time and loves it, but at the same time he's afraid it's going to destroy us all. Despite being warned -- over and over again, in literature and by contemporary experts -- we blithely continue on as if everything is okay. We have no reason to believe this. But don't worry. What could possibly go wrong? Intelligent people have been telling

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00:40:27

551: Liberals vs. Leftists: Is there a difference?

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/10/01

P&C drink and review a dopplebock from Troegs then ask whether there's a difference between a liberal and a leftist. Pigweed reflects on his youth and his admiration for the free spirit attitude of the hippies, and that while he hasn't moved, the Overton Window has moved around him, shifting him from left to right. The normal politics of a 1995 Democrat turn the left's hair on fire. Even recent quotes from Clinton, Obama, Schumer, and other Democrats are completely out of step with

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00:33:11

550: 10 Mental Traps That Quietly Control Your Decisions

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/10/01

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

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00:53:20

549: Some short stories by Sinclair Lewis

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/09/24

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

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00:26:59

548: The East–West Schism of 1054: Why Christianity...

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/09/18

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

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00:25:57

547: Does more incarceration lead to less crime?

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/09/17

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:*

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00:42:15

545: Should the feds fix the crime in Democrat-run...

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/09/12

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

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00:18:19

544: What is a contronym? Our weird English language.

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/09/10

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

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00:26:16

543: The media who cried wolf: When are these...

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/09/03

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,

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00:32:54

542: Why do politicians get so rich in office?

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/09/02

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

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00:38:40

541: Why Gerrymandering Still Shapes American Democracy

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/08/28

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

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00:40:38

540: More top-rated fairy tales from Grimm

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/08/14

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

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00:41:20

539: Daisy Miller by Henry James

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/08/11

With special guest Longinus, the boys drink and review a local IPA, then continue their "Shortcut to the classics" series with a review of "Daisy Miller" by Henry James. What makes Daisy so fascinating — and so frustrating? We discuss her headstrong independence, the social rules she challenges, and how her choices lead to tragedy. Along the way, we explore themes of innocence vs. experience, cultural clashes between Americans and Europeans, and James’s subtle commentary on

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00:31:27

536: The most important characters in English literature

Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill ·

2025/08/06

P&C drink and review a single-hop beer from Brookeville Beer Farm, then Crowhill quizzes Pigweed on the most important characters in English literature. Crowhill combined replies from both ChatGPT and Grok to create a test for Pigweed. The prompt read as follow: "Please give me a list of the 30 most important characters in English literature. By important I mean they have made a lasting impression on the culture, they're cited, they're imitated or referenced in other works, and so on. Please

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