Beer and Conversation Podcast

Your guide to the coming year

The boys drink and review Saranac’s S’mores Porter, then put on their futuristic magic glasses and predict major events for 2022. Be sure to write these down and invest appropriately.

P&C gaze into their crystal ball and review the future of culture, politics, technology, Covid, climate, the economy, foreign policy, Facebook’s “Meta,” sex, health, zombies, religion, Jordan Peterson, nature and sports.

If you have a hard time telling when we’re serious and when we’re joking, so did we.

Political parties solidify their power by drawing absurd congressional districts

The boys drink and review Black Ox Rye Porter, then discuss gerrymandering, especially in Maryland.

The Maryland legislature recently proposed a scheme to redraw Congressional districts in the Old Line State. The new districts are ridiculous.

Redistricting makes sense and is necessary as populations move. But it’s come to be a partisan exercise in maximizing the representation of the party in power in the state. Both parties have abused this power.

In deep blue Maryland, this means the Democrats are redrawing the lines to eliminate all Republican representation. When Republican Texas does the same, the Justice Department attacks. Somehow Maryland is getting a pass.

How are the woke like conservative Protestant Christians?

P&C review the latest DuClaw version of the “Pastryarchy,” then discuss woke presuppositionalism.

Crowhill explains what “presuppositionalism” means, and then the boys discuss the sorts of things that we all presuppose.

Context. Goals. Value. Ethics. We can’t even perceive the world without these things. So in some limited sense, the basic concept of “presuppositionalism” is true.

How does this apply to the woke?

First, there are things the woke all assume, which P&C review. But second, the woke don’t seem to believe there’s any common ground between the woke and the un-woke. The un-woke shouldn’t even be allowed to speak, they say.

There is also a component of transformational knowledge — that there are some things you can’t understand until you have experienced them. The boys discuss and review.

Did we win? Did we give up? Are we still fighting it?

The boys review Crowhill’s Dopplebock, then discuss the war on drugs.

This so-called war on drugs has been going on for decades. What has it accomplished? Drug use is up. Deaths by overdose are high and are increasing.

If we’re really fighting a war on drugs, how should that affect our border policy? 

What is the role of Big Pharma and pain management? How did the lockdown affect drug use? What about legalization?

Is this popular personality index of any real use?

P&C drink and review Pigweed’s latest homebrew, then discuss the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

MBTI is an enormously popular and financially successful personality test that categorizes people along four axes: Extroversion vs. Introversion, Sensing vs. Intuition, Thinking vs. Feeling, and Judging vs. Perceiving.

Businesses seem to love it, and some people even put their MBTI personality type in their dating app, or their Facebook profile.

But is it scientific? Is it really doing what people think it’s doing?

What makes the Renn Fest so peaceful and fun? The boys discuss.

P&C review Naughty or Nice, an IPA from Devil’s Backbone, then discuss the Renaissance festival.

Pigweed and Crowhill’s experience is entirely with the Maryland Renn Fest, which they hear is one of the better ones.

The Renn Fest is the happiest place on earth. Everyone is there to have a good time. There are no bad attitudes. No arguments. No conflicts.

It can get bawdy, and quite silly, and it’s not always purely “Renaissance.” The periods get a little confused. But it’s a great time.

Should you be munching on CBD gummies to cure your anxiety?

The boys drink and review a Guinness Christmas stout, then discuss CBD vs. THC.

If you believe the internet, CBD seems like a cure-all. But if you go to the web sites that sell it, the claims get much more modest!

Are there any decent studies to tell us what CBD can and can’t do? There are some, and they’re not that encouraging. While there are a few proven benefits of CBD, most of the claims are not supported by science.

Pigweed and Crowhill urge caution.

We satisfied Pigweed’s curiosity about mega churches

The boys review Pigweed’s most recent Pale Ale, then discuss a field trip to a local Evangelical church. Longinus came along as well, and contributed to the podcast.

The building itself was very plain — like an auditorium. There was no religious art. There was only one cross, which wasn’t even in a central location.

The music was upbeat, but a little weird. The service focused on the very long sermon, which was biblical, but a bit rambling.

The boys reflect on the experience and the religious and social implications.

The Tolstoy entry in our shortcut to the classics series.

P&C drink and review Old Rasputin, by North Coast Brewing Company, then review a short novel by Leo Tolstoy. Literary contributor Longinus joined in this podcast.

Ivan Ilyich seems like a decent man. When he’s tempted to think he’s not living his life the way he should, he scoffs. He does what’s expected of him, and observes all the proprieties!

But when he suffers an injury that slowly and inexorably leads to his death, he suffers a terrible battle with his conscience.

This short, dark story is worth a read, and some reflection.

Why are some people drawn to constant, unsolvable emotional crises?

P&C drink and review Crowhill’s Kentucky Brown Ale, then discuss people who are drawn to drama — in their own lives, or in the lives of their significant others.

You may be addicted to drama if …

* Life is a roller coaster.
* You storm in and out of relationships. And you sabotage them.
* Drama is a bad addiction. You hate it and need it at the same time.
* You’re Loud. Childish. Agressive. There’s a lot of yelling and crying.
* You compliment people a lot.
* You create emotional situations that can’t be solved.
* You’re drawn to social media.

P&C discuss.

Was it a good thing for society?

The boys drink and review Schlafly’s Salted Caramel Stout, then discuss the sexual revolution and the pill.

What was the sexual revolution about? Where did it come from, and why?

The boys start with Rousseau and Freud, then review technical and social changes that led up to the changes in the 1960s. There seemed to be a general trajectory towards men and women participating equally in society.

The three pillars of the sexual revolution were divorce, contraception and gender roles. P&C discuss the ups and downs.

The boys take a look at people who dress up as cartoon animals

P&C drink and review Hardywood Rum Barrel Pumpkin, then discuss the world of furries.

What is this furry business all about? Is it an excuse for kinky sex? A way for ugly people to hide behind a cute mask?

No. It’s a combination of comics, cosplay and cartoons, with a bit of escapism and childish fun.

P&C both thought they were going to be fairly negative about furries, but after looking into it a bit, they both ended up pretty sympathetic.

An old friend and podcast fan answers some of P&C’s questions

P&C drink and review Manor Hill brewing’s Amber Ale, then discuss Judaism.

Special guest JR reacts to questions about the first commandment, Jews as the chosen people, proselytizing, whether Jews believe in an afterlife, and what Jews think of Jesus.

They cover the divisions in Judaism: Orthodox, conservative, reformed, etc, and ask why so many Jews are liberal, when it seems it’s the conservatives who are more pro-Israel?

JR addresses the role of Israel in modern Judaism. Plus a lot more.

Why are comic book superheroes so popular?

P&C drink and review Crowhill’s Christmas ale, then discuss comic books.

The boys review their own personal experience with comics, then discuss modern issues with comic books, and movies based on comics.

Is this another example of extended childhood? Or are these superhero movies fulfilling some deep psychological need?

Also, the woke are ruining this too.

Finally, a true dog whistle.

P&C drink and review Southern Tier Nitro Coconut Truffle, then discuss the “Let’s Go Brandon” story.

The “Let’s Go Brandon” chant should have been a 2-day thing. Brandon Brown won his first NASCAR race. Kelli Stavast hears the crowd chanting “F Joe Biden,” and interprets it as “Let’s Go Brandon.” It’s funny and silly, and that should have been that.

But then, people who have a bone to pick with Joe Biden started picking it up as a less crude way of making their disappointment known.