With special guest Longinus, the boys drink and review Naked Elf by Troegs (a version of their seasonal Mad Elf), then discuss the history of all the funny traditions that make up our modern Christmas.
Was Jesus really born in a manger on the 25th of December? And speaking of dates, why do the Orthodox celebrate Christmas on a different day?
What did Saturnalia, the winter solstice, and Yule contribute to our Christmas traditions?
How did St. Nicholas get associated with Christmas?
Where did we get tree decorating, mistletoe, Yule logs, gift-giving men in fur cloaks, strange animals pulling sleighs, and the general festivity of the season?
Why are “scary ghost stories” associated with Christmas? And how did Thor’s goat get thrown into the mix?
Why did Oliver Cromwell and the early Americans have such a problem with Christmas?
Is Santa Claus really St. Nick, or is he the pagan Father Frost, or maybe Odin?
The boys discuss these and other fun stories about the origin of our modern Christmas celebration.
To help you get in the holiday spirit, here’s the latest edition of P&C’s “shortcut to the classics.” The expanded crew drinks and reviews Sam Adams’ Old Fezziwig ale and discusses the Charles Dickens classic.
Special guest Longinus starts the show with a brief bio of Dickens and provides some historical context to the story.
The boys discuss how the book differs from the various movie versions (not much), and provide background on some of the more striking and interesting details.
There are also 19th century concepts and terms we’re not used to today, like the treadmill for the poor, negus and smoking bishop (which were types of punch), and forfeits, a party game.
There are other little things that might have hidden meaning, like Scrooge’s first name. Why “Ebenezer”?
Other questions come up.
* Why can’t the ghost of Christmas future speak?
* Why did Scrooge (and no one else) get this special chance at redemption?
If you’ve seen one of the movies, you know the basic story, but the book is delightful and well worth reading.
The boys drink a sidecar cocktail, then discuss Joe Biden’s pardon of his son Hunter.
Despite repeatedly promising not to do it, Biden did what everyone knew he was going to do.
At this point, everyone is now on record as not trusting the justice system.
The timing of the pardon is interesting. Did he want to get it through before Kamala 25-amendmented him? Or, rather, did he want to do it before Hunter was actually sentenced?
Did Biden lie about his promise not to pardon Hunter, or did he mean it and change his mind?
Was the pardon self-defense? After all, Hunter could spill the beans on the Biden crime family, which could lead to lots of trouble for Joe.
The pardon isn’t small potatoes either. It’s a blanket pardon for anything he did or could have done over an 11-year period.
The pardon could backfire on Joe, since Hunter can no longer plead the 5th.
The boys enjoy their cocktail and discuss all the implications.
The boys drink Right Proper Pale Ale and discuss book bans.
Anne Arundel County in Maryland has become “a book sanctuary.” They want “all voices, all stories, and all perspectives to be protected.”
Crowhill calls it out as a flat lie and virtue signalling. These same people (or their intellectual fellow travelers) have been in favor of censorship on social media. Why is the library any different?
Should we make a distinction between what children can access and what adults can access?
A big part of the problem is the misuse of the word “banned.” You’re not banning a book if you choose not to stock it at the local library. You’re not banning a book if you believe children’s story hour shouldn’t include child pornography.
At the local library there are tables full of “banned books.” They’re so banned that they have a prominent place at the front of the library.
Are these “sanctuary libraries” going to include Mein Kampt, books on how to make your own suicide vests, “My Favorite Lynchings”?
The rhetoric is that “all views” are accepted. That’s a transparent lie.
While drinking a local stout, the boys ask whether abortion is really healthcare and then discuss that and related issues.
Healthcare is generally understood as the maintenance or improvement of health through prevention, diagnosis, treatment, or management of illness, injury, and other physical or mental impairments.
How does abortion fit in with that?
Pigweed and Crowhill evaluate the reality against the propaganda and the pro-choice slogans.
Is it really “my body, my choice”?
Do people really want to affirm Roe v. Wade?
Is it actually a “conversation with my doctor”?
“Keep your laws off my body!” Is that a legit legal standard?
So where should we draw the line? When does a fetus become a human with protected rights?
The boys drink and review a festive, Christmas beer, then discuss Trump’s selections for his cabinet and what we might expect from them. Nazi Germany, of course. And fascism. And the end of democracy. But beyond that ….
As of the time of the podcast, Trump has chosen …
Marco Rubio for Secretary of State
Pete Hegseth for Secretary of Defense
Matt Gaetz for Attorney General (although he withdrew)
Doug Burgum for Secretary of the Interior
Howard Lutnick for Commerce
Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for HHS
Sean Duffy for Transportation
Chris Wright for Energy
Linda McMahon for Education
Doug Collins for Veterans Affairs
Kristi Noem for Homeland Security
Other key positions include …
Lee Zeldin for EPA
Elisa Stefanik for the UN
Mike Huckabee as Ambassador to Israel
Tilsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence
John Ratcliffe for CIA
Tom Homan as “Border Czar”
… and a few others.
He’s also asked Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to head a new “Department of Government Efficiency.”
The boys drink and review Sierra Nevada’s Cold IPA, then discuss Scientology.
If you had your choice, would you rather your child be woke or a scientologist? It’s a hard choice.
Pigweed starts the discussion with a bio of L. Ron Hubbard, the founder / creator of both Dianetics and its later manifestation, Scientology. He was one of the most prolific authors in history, with as many as 1,000 titles.
The distinguishing factors of Scientology include …
The reactive vs. the analytical mind. The reactive mind stores painful traumatic memories called “engrams.” You find these through “auditing.” Once you get rid of the reactive mind you’re “clear.”
Auditing is done with the E-meter, which is essentially a galvanometer.
Opposition to Psychiatry and Psychology are flawed because they focus on symptoms rather than addressing the underlying problem of engrams.
Focus on self-empowerment and personal responsibility
Bridge to total freedom
Thetans and spiritual identity.
Survival as a core drive
But there’s another side — the mythology, including the goofy story about Xenu throwing people into volcanoes 75 million years ago.
The boys drink and review “Raised by Wolves” from Right Proper brewing, then wonder if they’re suckers for paying their income taxes when other people seem to get away with not filing!
They start by steelmanning the arguments against the income tax, which include …
The “sovereign citizen” idea
Questions about the ratification of the 16th Amendment
That it’s a violation of the constitution’s original intent
The “voluntary compliance” language
That the income tax was not intended to apply to everyone
Pigweed and Crowhill examine these arguments and give their analysis.
Broadcasting from the Royal Oak pub, the boys drink and review Crowhill’s homebrewed porter then discuss the failure of our government-run schools and the American education system.
Over the last 40 years we’ve had an increased role in education by both governments and unions, we’ve spent more and more on education, but results are worse and worse. Why?
Private schools that spend far less per student get better educational outcomes, and homeschoolers — who spend very little — frequently outperform private schools.
At the same time, we keep hearing that teachers aren’t being payed enough.
Okay, so where is all this money going? It’s going to administrators.
The boys review some statistics and discuss possible remedies.
Pigweed and Crowhill enjoy a celebratory bottle of champaign as they review the 2024 election.
Which is the more important victory: that Donald Trump won, or that Harris lost?
The first time around, Trump didn’t have a “Trump Team.” He had to cobble together an administration through recommendations from people who didn’t agree with his policies and approach. That will be entirely different this time.
Once again, the pollsters have egg on their faces. Trump overperformed by a wide margin.
Why did this go wrong for the Democrats?
Kamala was a horrible candidate who ran a horrible campaign
She was never selected by any democratic vote
She has been completely incompetent as vice president
Her policies, such as they were, were completely out of touch with the country
She did nothing but call names and alienate people
Walz was super weird
With hope, we can look forward to these things from DJT:
Is it my imagination, or is there renewed interest in myth, ancient belief systems, and what some might call an “enchanted” worldview? Why do people pay to hear Jordan Peterson talk for hours on Genesis and not get past chapter 1 verse 1?
I don’t want to exaggerate the claim. Most people are only interested in what’s on their phone at the moment, but there is at least some reaction against what might be called the modern myth, which promotes a sterile, lifeless, meaningless (but allegedly “scientific”) worldview. People are bored. They feel adrift, and life doesn’t have any meaning beyond pleasure or worldly success.
Rod Dreher wrote an interesting substack about this called North Toward Valhalla. It’s well worth your time.
Dreher claims that films like “The Northman” tap into this fascination, depicting a world where ritual, ancestry, and the supernatural merge into a life of profound significance. (Here’s a great review of the film by The Critical Drinker.)
As Dreher reflects on tradition and modern faith he speaks to this longing for enchantment as something missing in the stripped-down, rationalized aspects of modern life. For young men, especially, who seek meaning and connection, this resurgence in mythic storytelling highlights a need for an identity rooted in purpose, honor, and spiritual wonder. It may help to explain why so many young men are addicted to games. They provide something like a sense of meaning or purpose.
The Modern Longing for Enchantment
Modern secular, technological society is a fantastic thing. It’s given us antibiotics and labor-saving technologies that are simply amazing. But there’s no dispute that it’s come at a cost. Secular society reduces life to the material, emphasizing logic, technology, and efficiency over mystery and meaning. While these advancements offer many benefits, Dreher argues that they leave a void, creating a sense of disconnection from life’s deeper meaning.
In stark contrast, the symbolic, hero-driven narrative of The Northman shows characters motivated by a sense of duty and destiny that transcends self-interest. It’s an appeal to something timeless and heroic. But beyond that, there’s a constant sense of immanent spiritual reality. The gods are as real in The Northman as the sky and the land.
Dreher’s analysis suggests that this type of worldview, which modernity often overlooks, fulfills a deep-rooted human desire to connect with the divine, the sacred, and the transcendent.
The movie is very interesting, and — if you can handle the gore — worth a watch. But I’d like to take a diversion and discuss the lessons it should present to the modern church.
Can the church re-enchant the world?
About a year ago (I think) Jordan Peterson issued a challenge to Christian churches. One element of that challenge was to put a big sign in front of the church that said “Young Men are Welcome Here.”
I have my doubts that young men will see that sign and say, “Gee, maybe I should give it a try.” But such a public display sets a mood and an expectation. The liturgy committee now has to address how their latest effemimate nonsense will affect young men. A public sign and commitment isn’t going to have an immediate effect, but it might work its leaven into the dough over time.
The Church has historically offered an enchanted view of the world, seeing life itself as part of a divine narrative. By recovering these elements, the Church can address the growing need for something beyond the immediate, something enchanted and mysterious.
Recovering Enchantment through the Sacramental Life
For the Catholic Church, a return to enchantment begins with a reemphasis on the sacraments as tangible encounters with the divine. As Dreher emphasizes, religious traditions that are rich in symbolism, ritual, and beauty resonate more deeply than those that have adopted a utilitarian approach. The Mass, confession, and even the act of lighting a candle are not mere symbols; they’re a way to participate in divine reality. They’re actions that remind believers of the divine presence permeating their lives.
Reclaiming the depth and beauty of the sacraments means encouraging believers to experience them as genuine encounters with God, where heaven and earth meet. This type of engagement fosters an understanding that every action has spiritual weight, just as in “The Northman” every oath and ritual has cosmic significance.
Art, architecture, and music have historically been a cornerstone of Catholic spirituality. Beautiful spaces and traditions serve as reminders of the divine, stirring a sense of reverence that words alone cannot convey. Dreher notes that traditional beauty in worship is not just about aesthetics but about reaching the soul.
Building Brotherhood and Purpose
Dreher frequently advocates for community as a vital aspect of spiritual life, especially in a fragmented modern world where people don’t even know their neighbors. Young men often desire to be part of something bigger than themselves, and they seek a sense of belonging and brotherhood. To foster this, the Church might focus on creating spaces where men can explore faith in a supportive, purposeful environment.
Just as “The Northman” appeals to the timeless call of honor and bravery, the Church can focus on stories of saints, martyrs, and biblical figures who faced trials with courage and conviction. There is a heroic tradition in Christianity, and it can inspire young men to see themselves as part of a grand, meaningful narrative.
Rekindling Mystery and the Transcendent
Dreher points out that the search for mystery is not about answers but about opening oneself to questions that resist easy explanation. Accepting mystery can be powerful, encouraging believers to see their faith as a journey of discovery rather than a set of conclusions (blech!). The Church’s emphasis on prayer, meditation, and the mysteries of the faith invite believers to embrace the unknown with reverence, engaging with God in a dynamic, personal way.
By reawakening a sense of enchantment and mystery, the Catholic Church can speak directly to the modern heart’s deep yearnings. A return to an “enchanted” vision of life — one that celebrates meaning, beauty, community, and purpose — may well be the antidote to the secular malaise that leaves so many young men adrift. Through the sacraments, sacred art, and stories of valor and sacrifice, the Church can inspire a generation longing for meaning, offering them a path into a life where the sacred and the heroic are not relics of the past but living realities.
The boys drink and review “Beast of Both Worlds,” a “Bi-Coastal IPA” from Lagunitas.
George Soros has become a whipping boy for the right. The man was born a Hungarian Jew and lived through both Naziism and communism, but made his respectable pile of money in the United States. P&C start off with a brief biography, but move on to speak about his underlying philosophy and the causes he promotes.
Soros was deeply influenced by the philosophy of Karl Popper and his concept of open and closed societies. In an open society individuals are free to think and act independently with minimal government control. An open society has pluralism and tolerance, democratic governance, change and reform (because no one holds the ultimate truth), and a commitment to our own limitations (fallibilism).
If giving to political causes qualifies a person as a philanthropist, Soros is a big one. His foundation supports …
Democracy and human rights
Education
Criminal justice reform
Public health
LGBTQIDYSDLKSDH rights
Immigration and refugee support
Racial and social justice
Economic equity
Media freedom
Climate change and environmental protection
All of these flow logically from his commitment to the “open society” concept, and Soros takes a very liberal stance on all these issues.
Science is real
Black Lives matter
Love is love
No human is illegal
Climate change is real
Women’s rights are human rights
Kindness is everything
What does that sign really mean? P&C break it down, line by line.
But there are other versions, like this, from a public school (if you can believe it).
The American dream is a scan
Policing originates from runaway slave patrols
Capitalism exploits
Colonialism is evil
The founding fathers were racist
American imperialism must end
America was built on genocide and slavery
This country is on stolen, indigenous land
With special guest Longinus, the boys drink and review Slightly Mighty IPA by Dogfish Head brewing, then discuss their recent jaunt down to Washington, D.C., to review the architecture on some key buildings.
Their trip took them to the George Washington Masonic National Memorial, St. Matthews cathedral, the Supreme Court, and the U.S. Capitol.
Longinus was able to give Pigweed and Crowhill some insights into the history and architecture of these amazing buildings.
The boys discuss the psychological effect and message of these buildings, but the show isn’t only about architecture. They discuss issues related to the freemasons, the Catholics, and the U.S. government.
