Author: Crowhill

The boys drink and review Troegenator by Troegs brewing, and then discuss our non-sensical energy policies.

In the same week California announced that all new cars in California could not be powered by gasoline after 2035, they announced the grid was having trouble and would people please refrain from charging their electric vehicles. Did they have the sense to recognize the humor in that?

To power all these lovely new electric cars, California would have to triple its generating capacity and vastly expand and enhance its power grid. Are they willing to spend that money and risk the wrath of the environmentalists?

The only possible way to achieve this goal is to use nukes. But the left hasn’t been willing to do that.

It’s as if energy policies are being written by ideologues rather than engineers. We’re planning to get rid of the energy that works to replace it with energy that doesn’t work.

Even if we make this transition from fossil fuels to other sources, what are we going to do with all the old batteries and solar cells? Do we have any idea or plan for that?

And since we clearly need to move to nuclear if we want to move to an electric-based energy economy, are we planning new nuclear plants?

We are not governed by serious people.

P&C drink and review Sunny Little Thing from Sierra Nevada, then discuss Howard Zinn and his partisan “history” books.

Zinn was a 60s leftist and one-time communist who wrote a “people’s history” of the United States, which has become way too influential, especially in the educational system. This anti-American propaganda has been used to poison young minds against the U.S.A.

One big problem with Zinn’s focus on American sins is that there’s no sense of proportion. E.g., “as compared to what?” When we evaluate the past, we have to measure people against their contemporaries, not against our 2022 view of what a perfect country should be.

Also, he is clearly re-interpreting American history from a Marxist perspective, but then pretends he is simply telling the truth and setting the record straight.

Zinn can write any book he wants, and, in fact, it’s useful to have a Marxist perspective on history. But it’s going too far for this narrow, partisan, anti-American view to be taught to our children, and it’s a crime that it’s used in schools.

Zinn doesn’t want to promote reform. He wants revolution. He can say what he wants, but he has no place in our education system.

P&C drink and review Coffee Among Friends Vanilla Latte Milk Stout by Monument Brewing, then discuss cat pictures and other silly things that are meant to inspire us.

Some popular motivational sayings are 100% stupid, while others are right some of the time, or at least you can put a good spin on them. P&C review some common ones they’ve seen and render judgment.

This is a fun and silly show, not meant to be taken too seriously.

The boys drink and review Crowhill’s 2022 Christmas Ale, then discuss censorship.

Is it okay for search engines to “curate” our search results, based on what they think we should know and be exposed to?

Should medical associations or journals crack down on doctors who propose alternative theories or treatments?

What about when the government gets involved and asks Big Tech to ban certain people or certain messages? Is it right for the FBI to tell Facebook what to suppress?

Is it different in times of war?

The boys think through the issues and come to the conclusion that there’s too much censorship in the world today.

In this special edition of Nooze and Booze, Pigweed and Crowhill do a spontaneous, off-the-cuff tribute to Queen Elizabeth II, who died on Sept. 8, 2022.

As Americans, P&C aren’t as familiar with the details of the transition of power, rules of succession, and so on, and spend some time asking questions and wondering what happens next.

The boys also reflect on monarchy in general, and discuss some of its positive aspects, such as having a source of stability that exists outside the political cycle.

God save the King!

Pigweed and Crowhill review an imperial stout and discuss humor.

What makes a joke funny? Can we classify different types of jokes? Why do we tell jokes? What social purpose do they serve?

Can humor serve as a corrective, to show us how things are supposed to be? Do jokes train people in what’s appropriate and inappropriate? The boys dig into these questions as they reflect on a recent Ricky Gervais performance.

The left used to defend offensive and irreverent humor. Now there are elements on the left that are trying to restrict humor.

Examining the nature and function of humor helps to explain why there’s an assault on humor now. People are trying to change sensibilities.

Woodstock is said to have defined a generation. The original plan was for about 50,000 people, but close to half a million people arrived on Max Yasgur’s dairy farm in Bethel, New York. The operations were a mess. The roads weren’t adequate. There weren’t enough porta-potties, security, or food. And there was a nasty storm. Despite the mess and the miserable circumstances, it was mostly peaceful, and the police said the attendees were courteous, considerate and well-behaved.

The original Woodstock was not the lovely peace and love fest that people seem to imagine. It was a mixed bag of poor planning, horrible execution, and a somewhat miserable experience — that changed people’s lives!

The main organizer — Michael Lang — apparently didn’t learn anything from the first event. The operations for Woodstock 1999 were even worse.

The event was held at an old military base. People were in the blazing sun on a concrete tarmac. There wasn’t enough water, and there was almost no shade.

There was very little “peace and love can change the world.” The bands were encouraging mayhem and violence. There were sexual assaults. Eventually, the whole place was set on fire. It was a catastrophe.

With special guest Longinus, the boys review Belhaven Scottish Ale, then discuss conspiracy theories, and why people believe them.

Conspiracies are real things, but “conspiracy theory” has taken on the tinge of the tin-foil hat crazies. That’s the sort of theory the boys discuss.

• What are the components of a conspiracy theory?
• What benefit does it give to the believer?
• How is the internet involved?

It’s usually a shared delusion, not an individual idea. And it usually fits with some legit zeitgeist in the culture. It resonates with some subpopulations.

Conspiracy theories are often irrefutable because any objection becomes evidence of the conspiracy theory. They also become part of a person’s self-identity.

People find a strange sense of safety and control when they believe in conspiracy theories because they have secret knowledge. They’ve peered behind the veil of deception.

There’s a feeling these days that conspiracy theories are more prominent on the political right. That is not true. Conspiracy theories are common on both ends of the political spectrum.

People who believe they are out of power are more likely to believe in conspiracy theories, and that changes over the years.

Along with special guest Longinus, P&C drink and review a homebrewed brown ale, then discuss the Book of Acts, as part of their “shortcut to the classics” series.

What book is more classic than the Bible? The boys choose Acts as the most representative “shortcut” because it includes elements of law, history, prophets, the gospel, and the epistles.

A simple outline of Acts would be that the message of Jesus spreads from Jerusalem, into Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. But it’s more complicated than that. There are questions about the role of Jew and Gentile, whether converts need to be circumcized, and how the church will view the on-going role of the law of Moses.

The book highlights the two main apostles of Christianity, starting with Peter’s ministry to the Jews in Jerusalem, and ending with Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles — not only in his missionary journeys, but in his witness to the center of power in the first century — Rome.

Acts is a historical narrative, which is fitting for a faith that is based in historical claims about particular acts and people who did real things in the real world.

The boys drink and review Triple Dog Triple IPA from Flying Dog Brewery, then respond to a listener question on gay marriage.

What does “marriage” mean? And are Pigweed and Crowhill in favor of same-sex marriage?

The boys start with biology. Pair bonding. Procreation. What goes on in the animal kingdom? When does monogamy make sense?

And what about property? Isn’t marriage largely about inheritance? Then there’s the issue of forming political bonds between different tribes.

It was only recently that marriage changed from being primarily about procreation and property to its current focus on love and romance. That separation of marriage from procreation to love is what set the stage for same-sex marriage.

The boys take a middle-of-the-road position. “Marriage” does not include same-sex unions. But that does not mean there should be no monogamous path for same-sex-attracted people.

The boys drink a “Patuxent Walnut,” then discuss three recent news items.

Pelosi goes to Taiwan. It was a ballsy move on her part. China stomped around, red-faced and furious, and threatened to shoot down her plane. But she went anyway. Was that right, or will she be the match that starts WW3?

P&C discuss the U.S.-Taiwan relationship in general, and tie it in with Pelosi’s visit and Biden’s recent bumbles about the U.S. defending the island against Chinese aggression.

Griner goes to jail. The 6’9″ basketball star went to Russia with a small amount of marijuana, gets arrested, and has become a pawn in “prison exchange” negotiations.

She’s not the only U.S. citizen who’s been arrested in Russia for drug possession. Mark Fogel, a former U.S. embassy official, was arrested for possession of 17 grams of marijuana — for which he had a prescription! But nobody says much about Fogel because he doesn’t have star privilege.

The FBI goes to Mar-a-Lago. On its face, this looks like Banana Republic behavior, where law enforcement is used against political enemies. But on the other hand, do we really trust Trump to do the right thing with classified documents, or to tell the truth about it after the fact?

Raiding a former president’s and potential future candidate’s home is unprecedented, and the FBI should have done far more to make sure this was all above the board. They did not, and the FBI has a huge black eye as a result.

The boys drink and review Old Pro from Union Brewing, then discuss narcissism.

Narcissus was an unfortunate fellow who fell in love with his own image, and lent his name to everyone who is a little too obsessed with themself.

Researchers say we have a narcissism epidemic. What’s causing it? A lack of meaning in life? Decline in religion? Social media? Smart phones?

We’ve created a culture where it’s expected that other people have to bow to and accommodate our personal preferences. “You must refer to me this way.” Really?

We no longer believe in status based on merit. We have a generation of kids who got trophies for participating, who were told that the world revolved around them — irrespective of their own accomplishments.

The boys drink and review Low Pitch Hazy IPA from Hi-Wire Brewing, then discuss the morality of suicide, euthanasia, doctor-assisted suicide, and related issues.

It’s illegal to kill yourself, and most religious traditions say it’s immoral. That view is increasingly challenged these days. There are lots of movements for “death with dignity” and similar concepts.

We have a natural revulsion to suicide, but sometimes it’s hard to come up with clear arguments for why it’s wrong, especially in very hard cases. And there are some cultures where suicide is an accepted part of life.

Modern people often believe that something can’t be wrong if it doesn’t hurt other people. How does a suicide harm other people? The boys discuss.

In honor cultures, suicide can be an honorable act where you take the shame away from your family.

Some people face the prospect of unending suffering, with no hope of recovery. Is it right to tell them they can’t end it?

The boys drink and review Double High-Pitch IPA from Hi-Wire Brewing, then discuss the invasion of Ukraine.

Pigweed gives a little historical background on the relationship between Ukraine and Russia, then P&C go through the four possible explanations of the situation recently offered by Jordan Peterson.

1. Putin is an evil expansionist thug who wants to expand his territory and restore the old Soviet Union.

2. [Following John Mearsheimer] The West has been provoking Putin by inviting all of Russia’s border states into NATO and the EU.

3. Russia’s concerned about the stability of its petrochemical-based economy and needs to secure bordering countries.

4. Russia is more serious about Christendom than the West is, and wants to save Ukraine from the decadent, anti-Christian West.

Each of these explanations might have a piece of the truth.

Also, how did the United States get drawn into this? It was understood — just a short time ago — that Ukraine was a horribly corrupt oligarchy, and we didn’t particularly care about it. Now we defend Ukraine as if we’re defending “democracy.”

There’s also a video version of the show.

The boys drink and review two awful beers from Heavy Seas, then discuss gay parenting in general, with a particular emphasis on the recent discussion on the topic between Jordan Peterson and Dave Rubin.

Jordan Peterson regularly encourages people to take on more responsibility in their lives, including getting married and having children. Dr. Peterson’s lectures had an impact on Dave Rubin, a gay man, who wondered, “what about me? How do I fit in?”

Peterson and Rubin talk about all the adjustments Rubin had to make to try to make this apply to his life with his gay partner. Does it even work? Can all the normal paths and expectations in heterosexual relationships and marriage simply transfer over to a gay relationship?

If meaning and purpose in life are so closely tied to marriage and children, how does this work for homosexuals? And should it?

Is it right to subject children to this experiment so that gay parents can feel self-actualized?

(What were the awful beers? Pina Colada IPA and Strawberry Banana IPA. They tasted fake.)