The boys drink and review Hopsecutioner IPA by Terrapin Brewing, then discuss the social pendulum.
On a number of key issues, Pigweed feels he has held the minority opinion. “The wrong side of history,” as the left would say. He’s tempted to believe the pendulum is swinging back his way. His question to Crowhill: Is it?
How do we define a “minority view” these days? We’re given the impression that believing a man can become a women is the majority view. But that’s false if you look at the statistics.
The larger question is whether we all live in a tech-driven echo chamber, which only shows us things that fit our profile. How can we know what’s true when our sources of information are “curated” based on our preferences?
Is the pendulum moving …
Away from the trans madness?
Away from climate alarmism?
Away from St. George Floyd, DEI, BLM, “defund the police”?
Towards a more realistic perspective of how we handled COVID?
Trump was recently convicted of 34 felony violations related to falsifying business records in order to influence the 2016 election.
We’ve now had our first political show trial where those in power go against their political opponents.
Welcome to Venezuela.
Democrats keep telling us to that Donald Trump will use the power of government to take revenge against his political enemies. But isn’t that precisely what we’re seeing right now?
Biden has nothing to run on except lawfare against Trump, so he has weaponized the justice system against Donald Trump.
We keep hearing about “election interference,” but this is it.
Here are some of the reasons this is all bogus.
The prosecutor (Alvin Brag) was political, ran on a platform to get Trump, and revived goofy charges that had already been investigated and found empty.
Judge Merchan was political.
He had financial conflicts of interest involving his daughter, who is raising money on this issue.
He donated money to anti-Trump political effort.
He imposed a gag order on Trump.
He excluded defense witnesses
He preferred the prosecution in motions.
He allowed the salacious testimony of Stormy Daniels (which is very similar to why the Weinstein convinction was overturned).
He gave very strange jury instructions
This was a political jury.
There was no crime specified. The entire prosecution was based on a new and novel legal theory.
“The underlying crime is seemingly a minor misdemeanor – falsifying business records – which long ago expired under the statute of limitations. In order to turn it into a felony within the statute of limitations, prosecutors will have to show that Trump falsified the records in order to impact his election, thus constituting a federal election felony. …The problem is, however, that federal authorities have not prosecuted Trump for this federal election crime. Moreover, state prosecutors have no jurisdiction over federal election law. Finally, we were not even clear, when the trial began, as to precisely which federal election laws the District Attorney was relying on. ” –Dershowitz
This case would never have been brought against anyone but Trump. This is selective prosecution and sounds suspiciously like “show me the person and I’ll find the crime.”
The boys drink and review Depth Perception IPA by Terrapin Brewing, then discuss recent efforts to create a universal digital ID.
So much of daily life now requires a smart phone, an app, an account, … Sometimes you can’t even print out tickets. You have to have your phone. (Is it charged? Does it have service?)
You can’t drive without a transponder to pay tolls.
We’re leaving a permanent digital record of everything we do.
But that’s not enough. Governments are pushing us towards a single digital ID to have “completely transparency.” Everyone will know everything you do — and if you have nothing to hide, you shouldn’t worry about that, right?
No. The people who will have access to all your private data have biases and agendas. Sometimes they’ll be your enemy. With enough information, someone will be able to find a case against you. “Show me the man and I’ll find the crime.”
Also, this single repository will be hacked. Identity theft is already bad enough. Once we have digital IDs, the problem will multiply.
P&C drink and review All Purpose Pils, an Italian-style pilsner by DC Brau, then discuss the controversey over Kansas City Chief’s kicker Harrison Butker and his recent commencement speech.
Was it a mild-mannered, pro-family talk, or raging hate speech? That’s the problem we face today. It’s both — depending on whether you’re a sane person or a hair-on-fire liberal who listens to The View.
Butker is a conservative Catholic, and he speaks like one.
Are conservative Catholics allowed to speak their mind in public? Some people would say no.
The most important job in the history of mankind has been making babies and raising them to be productive members of society. Somehow that idea has become hate speech.
Butker gave a conservative Catholic message to a conservative Catholic audience. Why is that a problem?
The “tolerant” liberals can’t abide it. Nobody is allowed to have (and certainly not speak) an opinion that hurts their feelings.
The lesson is clear. Modern culture is steeped in feminism, and if you speak against it, you’re an enemy.
P&C drink and review a dark lager from Guilford brewing, then recount their recent journey to Reading PA to hear Jordan Peterson on his “We who struggle with God” tour. Longinus was unable to attend, but contributes to the conversation.
Jordan Peterson is famous for being cagey about his religious beliefs, but recently he’s been a little more straight forward, and almost evangelical (in the sense that he is promoting religious belief). P&C expected Dr. Peterson to make his case for the existence of God in his talk.
The boys enjoyed the talk, but it wasn’t what they expected.
The show started with some live music, then an intro by Dr. John Vervake, who is somewhat of a fellow traveler with Peterson.
Dr. Peterson adopted the theme of sacrifice for the evening’s talk, and told stories about sacrifice: Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel.
It was all good stuff, and classic Peterson, but he didn’t do what P&C expected, which was to give an argument for the necessity of God.
With special guest Longinus, the boys drink and review Pigweed’s homebrew clone of Steady Eddy IPA, then discuss a novella from John Steinbeck.
After a brief biographical review of Steinbeck, the boys discuss the basic story, then their impressions of the book and its characters.
The novel begins with a description of Cannery Row in Monterey, California, during the Great Depression. The row is a small, tight-knit community centered around sardine canneries, inhabited by colorful characters.
Most of the story centers around Doc, a marine biologist, and Mack and the boys, who are collection of good-natured ne’er-do-wells.
P&C drink and review Crowhill’s homebrewed Tavern Ale, then discuss evolution.
They start with a quick review of Darwin and his times and how scientists were slowly coming to the realization that the origin of the earth and life spanned a far longer time span than the Bible seemed to allow.
There are still a lot of things we don’t know about our history, but there are some things we know for sure.
* The earth is old.
* Life is old (maybe a billion years).
* Most creatures that have lived have gone extinct.
* Creatures have changed over time.
* Evolution seems to explain certain things about modern biology.
Other things remain debatable, such as the question of what drives the changes. Modern evolutionary theory seems to be struggling with this question right now. P&C have their doubts about the modern consensus that random genetic mutation is the stuff of evolution.
P&C try to work through the issues, balancing philosophy, science, and common sense.
The boys drink and review Perni Haze IPA from Wicked Weed Brewing, then discuss Trump’s options for a running mate.
Trump is faced with a unique challenge because he can only serve one more term, so whoever he picks is likely to be the presidential nominee for 2028, and that person could potentially serve for eight years.
Christi Noem – P&C think she’s probably torpedoed her chances by writing in her memoir about shooting her dog.
Elise Stephanik – An unknown quantity to P&C. Not willing to recommend.
Vivek Ramaswammy – He was an early favorite of P&C, but his performance in the debates moved him down the list. He would make a great cabinet official.
Kari Lake – Seems to have gone off the edge a bit.
Tulsi Gabbard – P&C like her, but the fact that she’s been a Democrat for so long makes her too much of a long shot.
Marjory Taylor Green – She’s good as a firebrand / bomb thrower, and that role suits her, but she has no place in the White House.
Greg Abbott – Does he even want this job? Crowhill doesn’t trust him based on past behavior. He seems to be a johnny-come-lately on many conservative issues.
Sarah Huckabee Sander – She would work well with Trump, and P&C are impressed with her. But Crowhill is concerned she
Tucker Carlson – Why is he even on this list? Why would he be considered? Recently he’s started to show his wacky side. But he would make a good press secretary.
Tim Scott – He’s okay, but not exciting. No thrill here.
JD Vance – Let’s let him rock and roll in Ohio. He doesn’t help the ticket much.
Nikki Haley – She’s out. She’s burned her bridges with Trump and
Ron DeSantis – DeSantis is the top choice for P&C. But can the DeSantis – Trump feud heal? Probably.
Crowhill’s picks.
#1 – DeSantis
#2 – Tim Scott
After they finish with the VP picks, Pigweed has a burden he needs to take off his shoulder about the legitimacy of the 2020 election.
The numbers don’t seem to add up. Biden’s “rallies” were pathetic. There was no excitement. He was the most uninspiring, lame presidential candidate of P&C’s lives. He was worse than the little Dukey. Still, he managed to get more votes than any president ever.
The boys drink and review Sunshine Pilsner and Springtime Lager (both by Troeggs) while they discuss beer styles.
There are only two main categories of beer: lagers and ales. They are distinguished by the type of yeast used (not by color or strength). Lagers use a bottom-fermenting yeast that ferment at lower temperatures while ales use a top-fermenting yeast that ferment at slightly higher temperatures.
Lagers tend to be more crisp in flavor while ales tend to have more complex flavors.
Generally speaking we think of light-colored beers when we think of lagers, but there are dark lagers like a bock or a schwartz beer, and there are dark-ish lagers like Octoberfest or Dunkel. Lagers take longer to ferment.
Ales tend to be quick-fermenting beers that can be ready to drink in a week or two. Historically, ales were served at cellar temperature. (Warm by U.S. standards.)
Most modern craft beers are ales.
Some of the contrasts that make up the various beer styles are …
* Ale vs. lager
* Dark vs. light
* Malty (sweet) vs. dry
* Hoppy vs. mild
* Strong vs. weak
Ales were the more traditional beers in America, but when the Germans came over with their clean, crisp lagers, they won over the American palate, and American-style lagers became the standard.
P&C drink and review a Wee Heavy from Belhaven brewery, then discuss Pearl Davis and her opinions on men’s rights.
The boys first heard about Pearl when The Daily Wire’s Andrew Klavan and Michael Knowles interviewed her. She’s an anti-feminist but also somewhat anti-traditionalist.
Pearl tries to focus on reality – the facts on the ground – rather than coming from a particular ideological viewpoint.
From Pearl’s perspective, marriage is a raw deal for men. Here are some quotes from Pearl, to give you a feel for her point of view.
“Women can’t be criticized on the internet”
If a man says a woman isn’t wife material, is he allowed to have that opinion?
Traditional conservatives believe in holding men accountable. A man can’t be broke. He has to take care of his family. He has to stay in shape. When women do something wrong, it’s always because they were lied to. It’s always because of feminism.
Why is it that when women do something wrong it’s always somebody else’s fault?
“Women like to be objectified”
Women only cry about objectification when they can’t get what they want out of being objectified
“In all of history there have always been concubines. They have a place.”
“When women lead, societies and relationships go to Hell.”
“Why can’t we have a conversation about women without ‘but men.’”
“Women should submit to their husbands in all things.” (from the Bible)
“I prefer prostitutes to most tradcon women. At least the prostitutes are honest.”
“Don’t be a prostitute and then find God at 29.”
“Many women screw up their own lives and then make it everyone else’s problem.”
“I’m not the enemy. The real enemy is these simps and these old, bitter, single women with nothing better to do.”
“Old, bitter women lie to younger women because they don’t want to be alone in their misery.”
“Women are fatter than ever. They’re sluttier than ever. More mental disorders. More tattoos. More drinking.”
P&C drink and review Experimental Black IPA from Bell’s, then discuss Christian nationalism.
First, what the heck is Christian nationalism? Pigweed started with three theories.
A: An invention of the left to denigrate patriotic Christians.
B: It’s a real movement that is way overdue if we’re going to save this great nation.
C: It’s a real movement that is a threat to religious liberty and will transform America into a theocracy.
Were Christian nationalists behind Jan. 6, and do they want to create something like The Handmaid’s Tale? That’s what the left wants us to believe.
The opposite is the case. The left is trying to eliminate the influence of Christianity. The Amy Coney Barrett nomination process showed that clearly. We’ve come to the point that being a sincere believer might disqualify you from public office.
Four separate Supreme Court cases – that have never been overturned – say that the United States is a Christian nation.
What does that mean? Is it contrary to pluralism? Does it mean that we round up unbelievers and make them second-class citizens?
Quite the opposite. It’s because we’re a Christian nation that we give rights and respect to other people.
The fact is that all law is based on some system of morality. The only question is what morality you are going to use.
P&C drink and review Hell or High Watermelon from 21st Amendment Brewery (X: @21stAmendment), then, with special guest Longinus, discuss the cost of professional sports.
Why are we, in the words of Pigweed, willing to spend so much money to watch grown men play children’s games?
But that’s not to the point. The boys are focused on the cost of a baseball or football game. Why has it increased so much? Is it worth it?
From 1970 to the present – in today’s dollars – the cost for a family of four to attend a baseball game is about 4x. Who pays this, and why?
Along with this increase in prices, we have an increase in coverage. When Pigweed was a lad, there was one, one-hour show on sports. Now, we have several 24×7 sports stations talking about sports all year long.
There’s also the moral question. In a world that can’t decide what a woman is, sports provides some clear guidelines. The player is either in or out. The ball is in the strike zone or it’s not.
Another angle – people can’t sit quietly with their own thoughts. They need a distraction. Every bar and restaurant has constant sports.
Is sports filling a hole left by the lack of religion, or community? Also, to what extent is this a public question? Is it in the local government’s interest to get people involved in local sports?
P&C drink and review Crew Cab IPA from Big Truck brewery, then invite special guest Longinus to help them discuss a novella by Marquez. This is part of P&C’s on-going “shortcut to the classics” series.
The book is written by an old man about an old man who is reflecting on his life.
On his 90th birthday, the unnamed protagonist — who is a confirmed bachelor and frequent patron of brothels — wanted to give himself a night of wild love with an adolescent virgin. The book is about his reminiscenses, but mostly about his relationship with this one girl.
The protagonist has lived 90 years with no love in his life, but now, at the end, he falls madly in love with a very young girl, with whom he doesn’t have sex.
The book presents some deep reflections on love, sex, passion, and jealousy. In one sense, it’s a very raunchy and disturbing book, with difficult themes. In another sense, it’s an interesting commentary on love.
The main characters in “Memories of My Melancholy Whores” are:
The unnamed narrator: An aging journalist reflecting on his life and longing for connection on his 90th birthday.
Rosa Cabarcas: The owner of a brothel who arranges an encounter for the narrator.
Delgadita: A 14-year-old virgin girl offered by Rosa as part of a birthday gift to the narrator.
Florina de Dios Cargamantes: The narrator’s mother.
Damiana: The narrator’s maid.
In “Memories of My Melancholy Whores,” a nameless, aging journalist on his 90th birthday decides to treat himself to a night with a virgin. Accustomed to paying for companionship, he seeks a return to a youthful experience he never had. He contacts Rosa Cabarcas, a former madam, to arrange this encounter.
Rosa procures Delgadita, a young, impoverished girl, to fulfill the narrator’s request. However, the initial plan for a sexual encounter goes awry. Delgadita, exhausted from caring for her family, sleeps through the night heavily sedated.
Despite the lack of physical intimacy, the narrator becomes unexpectedly attached to Delgadita. He begins to care for her well-being, buying her clothes, books, and arranging for her education. They spend time together reading and talking, forming a unique and tender bond.
Through his interactions with Delgadita, the narrator reflects on his own life filled with loneliness and missed opportunities for love. He experiences a sense of renewal and awakens to a form of love he had never known.
The novel explores themes of aging, regret, the power of human connection, and the unexpected ways love can manifest. It’s important to note that the age difference between the narrator and Delgadita raises ethical questions, a point some readers find problematic.
