Category: Uncategorized

The history of abortion in America and how SCOTUS has intervened

The boys drink and review 1623’s Nuestro Playa, then discuss abortion and the recent SCOTUS decision.

In Roe v. Wade, the court found a right to privacy in the constitution, although it wasn’t exactly clear where it was. The court tried to split the difference between the interests of states in protecting life and the idea of a right to privacy. Justice Blackmun, who wrote the Roe decision, invented a trimester system.

Many people thought Roe would be overturned in Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and while the trimester system was replaced with “viability,” the underlying right to privacy was upheld, and finally located. In the 14th amendment.

The current Supreme Court, with a bevy of new conservative justices, took up the issue in Dobbs v. Jackson. Someone at the court leaked a draft of Samuel Alito’s majority decision, and the left went insane. Now we have the final decision, which sticks pretty close to the leaked draft.

P&C review the main arguments in Dobbs and in the dissent.

What is causing the political divisions in our country today?

The boys review Otto’s Orchard Raspberry from Antietam Brewing, then discuss political polarization.

Polarization can be divided into ideological (differences on issues) and affective (where you don’t like or trust the other side). We seem to be plagued with both.

Is the political center defined as halfway between the extremes of both sides? And which side has moved further recently, the radical left or the radical right?

We seem to be losing the middle. People are moving to the left or the right, but the middle is emptying out. Why is this? The boys discuss several possible causes.

Finally, political polarization might be the result of a changed view of man. Is man a malleable creature that can be molded into the ideal citizen, or is there a human nature that we have to learn to deal with?

Where did we get the idea of Hell, and how has it developed over time?

Pigweed and Crowhill drink and review a Hefeweizen from 1623 Brewing, then discuss Hell and Satan.

We often read later understandings of Hell and Satan back into old texts, so we see the serpent in the garden of Eden as Satan, and Sheol in the Hebrew Bible as Hell. But it wasn’t always that way. The notion of Hell and the role of Satan wasn’t as clear in older texts as they became later.

Hell is much more clearly described in the New Testament, as is Satan, but the concepts continued to develop past that through art. Our modern notions of Hell might have more to do with Dante and Hieronymus Bosch than they do with the Bible.

Also, P&C were surprised to learn that Hell is not an exclusively western idea. There are notions of Hell in Buddhism, Hinduism, etc.

The boys review changes from Covid, from technology, and things they don’t like about restaurants

P&C drink and review Key Brewing Company’s Bail Money IPA, then discuss changes in restaurants.

We’ve lost more than 100,000 restaurants because of Covid. What will happen next? Will they come back, or will they be replaced?

What about food trucks, and Door Dash? How are they affecting the industry?

How will restaurants respond to customer expectations of “right now” efficiency? How has social media affected food service, and what’s the future of waiters in an era when you can order on a touch-screen device and have a robot deliver your food?

Walsh is standing against the looney left saying “stop.” P&C love it.

The boys drink and review Oliver Brewing’s Box Turtle Kolsch, then discuss that best-selling LGBT author, Matt Walsh.

P&C discuss their general impressions of Matt Walsh, then review some of his recent works, starting with Johnny the Walrus.

In this wonderful children’s book, little Johnny likes to pretend he’s a walrus. His woke mother felt she had to affirm Johnny as a walrus but eventually learns to be a responsible parent.

P&C both bought the book because they want to affirm sensible people who say no to the insane elements of the woke left. This is a great book to read to your kids. They’ll get it. All your woke friends won’t.

If this was all Matt Walsh did to save the culture, that would be enough. But he also produced a fantastic documentary called “What is a woman?” in which he interviews some truly frightening people saying incredibly scary things. It’s the kind of nonsense that’s so insane you’re not sure whether to laugh or cry.

His technique was simple. He asked simple questions and let these idiots speak for themselves. There’s no need to refute them. They’re self-evidently crazy.

Some history of climate control and how it changed America

Pigweed and Crowhill drink and review a homebrewed no-alcohol porter, then discuss the history and significance of air conditioning.

Special guest Longinus joins P&C to contribute his knowledge of history and the development of cities.

Refrigeration started with ice houses, ice boxes and ice-cooled freight cars, but eventually moved on to refrigeration, which relies on the laws of physics to create a cool environment. These amazing devices allowed modern refrigerators and air conditioning.

Longinus gives some history on how air conditioning slowly worked its way into industry and homes.

Air conditioning also had a big effect on the development of the South. Before air conditioning, businesses had to close down for the summer.

The boys review F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous classic work

Pigweed and Crowhill drink and review Vulpulin Tropical Pale Ale from Sly Fox Brewing, then review The Great Gatsby.

With special guest Longinus, P&C continue their “shortcut to the classics” series, picking a short work by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Following a quick biography of the man, the boys review the plot and discuss the meaning of the text.

The book is often considered a classic treatment of the roaring 20s. The writing is top-notch, and the story is interesting, but the characters are less than admirable.

Themes in the book include issues of class, old money vs. new money, the east vs. the midwest, family, faithfulness, and the American Dream.

P&C review the failures of the system and discuss alternatives

The boys drink and review Flying Dog’s Hop Electric hazy IPA, then discuss public education.

The extreme dysfunction of America’s public schools came to the attention of parents during Covid lockdowns. They were able to peer into the classroom and see and hear the nonsense their children have been taught.

The sensible among them were outraged, and the responsible among them are making other arrangements.

But it’s worse than that. Interest groups prevent schools from kicking out disruptive kids, and many parents don’t prepare their kids to be ready to learn.

P&C discuss local vs. top-down “public” education and ask whether the government be in charge of it.

And how does education fit in with having a shared, common culture?

What does cultural literacy mean in a multi-cultural society?

P&C drink and review Thirst Monster Kolsch from Union Brewing, then discuss cultural literacy. 

Is it just about “dead white males”? Is there some benefit to reading the Bible and the western canon? 

We say yes, for three reasons. It helps everyone understand the world they live in; it helps bind the culture together with common stories; and it allows people to enjoy our shared culture more. 

The boys discuss woke efforts to get rid of “man” as the description of the species, and the narcissism of pronouns.

The boys drink and review Sweetwater’s Glacial India Pale Cold Ale, then discuss the man of the week, pronouns, and other gender confusions.

A regular listener objected to “man” of the week. The boys discuss.

Do we have to change “fireman” to “fireperson”? What is the point here?

And how does this relate to pronouns and other “gender” issues of the day?

Some people think it’s “inclusive” to say “he or she,” or other silliness. The boys discuss that at length.

The sunshine state is an odd mix of wonderful and redneck.

The boys drink and review a homebrew dry hop experiment, then discuss Florida. Both of the boys have spent some time there, but Crowhill has spent about a year there, off and on.

The state is quite a mixed bag. It’s the vacation capital of the world, but it has some unique issues.

One thing you quickly notice is that it’s filled with lizards: anoles, iguanas and alligators. They’re usually not a problem, but they’re omnipresent.

While you expect Florida to be a paradise of bikinis and sand, there are a lot of people wearing bikinis who probably shouldn’t.

And it’s a touch too casual. C’mon, people. Can we please wear some decent clothes to dinner?

Then there’s “Florida man.”

P&C discuss these and other topics about the Sunshine State.

Where did this crazy town come from and how did it develop?

P&C drink and review a homebrew IPA, then discuss this weird place in the middle of the desert. How did a town founded by the Mormons becomes known for gambling? Why did a city spring up in that location? How did it develop? How did it take on some of its unique characteristics? Why did it get associated with prostitution, easy marriage, and divorce?

Along with special guest Longinus, the boys discuss the history and development of this strange town, and how it became the city we have today. Why did it shift from a western town with cowboy themes to more of a Miami-like, resort feel? And when did the mob get involved?

In another edition of P&C’s “shortcut to the classics,” the boys review a classic moral tale

Along with special guest Longinus, the boys drink and review Pigweed’s homebrew clone of Steady Eddy IPA, then discuss Melville’s last major work.

The story of Billy Budd is carefully crafted to create a tale of moral confusion and conflict. Set after the French revolution, and very shortly after two significant mutinies in the British fleet, the innocent Billy has run afoul of the law on a British warship. His case cries out for leniency, but it’s not a time for leniency.

The story makes you believe Melville was struggling with the conflict between justice and mercy.

This is a short, dense work, that’s well worth your attention.

It’s as if people are vying to be more of a victim than others. Is that a sound political base?

P&C drink and review BMore Sour from Oliver Brewing, then discuss the intersectional coalition.

“Intersectionality” is the complex cumulative way in which multiple forms of discrimination combine or intersect. It seems to turn “being a victim” on its head. People vie to have more victim boxes to check so they can be more oppressed and therefore — in a peculiar way — have more power.

Along with these categories is the assumption that people who check the same boxes have the same lived experiences and therefore the same opinions.

The Democratic Party seems to have abandoned its traditional base and has adopted something like this intersectional coalition as its new foudnation. Will it work? Does this intersectional coalition have enough in common to stay together?

When did juries start, and what is their function?

The boys drink and review Negra Modelo for Cinco de Mayo, then discuss the jury system.

Pigweed was recently called to jury duty, and the boys discuss the history and development of the jury system and some of the interesting details about it.

What does a “jury of peers” mean? How are juries selected?

The main purpose of a jury is protection against arbitrary government power. Is it doing that effectively?

What is jury nullification, and is it a good thing or not?

What should we do when a jury is under public pressure to reach a pre-determined verdict? Should we replace citizen juries with professional juries?