Beer and Conversation with Pigweed and Crowhill

592: Will "AI Abundance" Make us All Rich?

The boys drink and review Dogfish Head's Sixty-One, which is an IPA brewed with Pinot Noir grapes, then discuss the idea that AI will make us all wealthy while Pigweed's cat prances around the studio. Elon Musk recently said that AI + robotics will eliminate scarcity to the point that there's no real point in saving for retirement. We'll have "universal high income." It's like the Star Trek vision of the future where all your needs are provided for. Does that make any sense? Can an economy function like that? Will "AI abundance" arrive simultaneously for every human need? Who will pay the taxes? What does "lack of scarcity" really mean? There can be an abundance of food, or healthcare. AI isn't going to make more beachfront. How do we get from here to there? What happens to property rights? Will the people who own the AI share their wealth with everybody else? Why? Who will make them do it? When people start losing jobs (by the millions), how will they live? The idea that we'll tax AI to pay the people who are laid off doesn't make sense. If you tax the AI to pay the displaced workers, what have you gained? The internal contradictions in the optimistic view of an AI-driven future are mind-boggling. The boys try to parse through it all. 📬 Send us your thoughts: pigweedshow@gmail.com 🌐 More episodes: pigweedandcrowhill.com👍 Like, subscribe, and tell a friend

591: Squatters' rights, content theft, and letters to the show

P&C drink and review Pigweed's homebrewed porter then discuss squatter's rights. Can somebody just take over your house when you're on vacation? There's a famous case in Maryland where some "activist" has moved in to a $2.3 million house that had been foreclosed on. Can she do that? Who's to stop her, and how? "Adverse possession" is the technical word for squatter's rights. But it only applies in narrow situations. Not just somebody moving in. Social media has made this worse. People share the location of unused houses and help people take possession of these homes. Sometimes they then rent the property out to others. This is a daily occurrence in Baltimore. The boys also reply to letters on recent topics we've covered, including psychology, consciousness and AI, and mental illnesses. Pigweed also notices that other podcasts and shows are picking up our topics without giving us any credit. The boys end the show with a reprise of the Potomac River problem. 📬 Send us your thoughts: pigweedshow@gmail.com 🌐 More episodes: pigweedandcrowhill.com👍 Like, subscribe, and tell a friend

590: Ancient Persia, Modern Iran, and war

The boys drink and review Crowhill's latest homebrew then discuss Iran. Persia was one of the first great empires. At times it stretched from Libya in the west, into India and the stans in the east, and stretched into the Slavic countries in the north. Some of the notable names are Cyrus, Darius, and Xerxes. Isaiah mentioned Cyrus as God's chosen but took a jab at Zoroastrianism in the process. Persian dominance came to an end in waves. First, Alexander the Great conquered them, then Islam came along and caused a bloody mess, then the Mongols invaded and slaughtered so many Persians that the population didn't recover until the mid 20th century. In more recent times, Iran was a very modern, pro-western country. Americans tend to think of Iran as a country full of screaming lunatics, but that's not true. It's not a particularly Muslim country. Mosque attendance is very low. But somehow that lunatic Ayatollah Khomeini was able to take over and the country has been under the thumb of crazies for decades. That might end soon. Protests against the oppressive regime have increased, and Donald Trump seems inclined to put an end to the rule of the mullahs. At the end of the show, the boys make some predictions about what comes next. We'll see. 📬 Send us your thoughts: pigweedshow@gmail.com 🌐 More episodes: pigweedandcrowhill.com👍 Like, subscribe, and tell a friend

589: The insufferable Michelle Obama

The boys drink and review Old Brown Dog by Smuttynose, then wonder why Michelle Obama is such a sourpuss despite her incredible good fortune. Despite being intelligent, wealthy, well-educated, and popular, she seems to be griping and complaining all the time. After Barack was elected she said, "For the first time in my adult life I am proud of my country." For the first time? Really? Everything is so hard for Michelle. She's such a victim and has had such a bad draw of the cards. Recently the boys watched a video contrasting Michelle's attitude towards being in the White House and J.D. Vance's attitude towards living in the Vice President's mansion. Vance is beaming about his fortune. Michelle complains. There's always an undercurrent of resentment when you listen to Michelle despite the fact that she's one of the most privileged people on the planet. But don't be fooled by all her successes. Everything is a burden. Michelle Obama is insufferable, and a major buzzkill. 📬 Send us your thoughts: pigweedshow@gmail.com 🌐 More episodes: pigweedandcrowhill.com👍 Like, subscribe, and tell a friend

588: Did the $1.2 Trillion Infrastructure Bill Actually Rebuild America?

The boys drink and review Ghost Stories, a smoked black lager from Burlington Beer Company, then discuss infrastructure. After the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge, President Biden promised it would be rebuilt “as soon as humanly possible” — and immediately assumed the federal government would foot the bill. But why is that assumption now automatic? And what does it tell us about the state of American infrastructure policy?In this episode, we take a hard look at the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) as it enters its final year. Using publicly available data and government reporting, we break down what’s actually happened versus what was promised.We discuss:* How infrastructure funding really works (authorized vs. obligated vs. outlaid)* Why “money spent” doesn’t mean “projects finished”* What’s moved fastest (roads and bridges) — and what’s lagged badly (broadband and EV charging)* Whether the IIJA genuinely created jobs, or merely supported an already-hot labor market* Why so little of the infrastructure transformation is visible to ordinary Americans* What happens next as the law expires in 2026 and Washington pivots to reauthorization debatesWe also offer a clear scorecard for the IIJA so far — not as a partisan talking point, but as a reality check on how massive federal programs actually unfold over time.If you’re wondering whether the Infrastructure Bill delivered, stalled, or quietly reshaped expectations about the federal government’s role in rebuilding America, this conversation is for you. 📬 Send us your thoughts: pigweedshow@gmail.com 🌐 More episodes: pigweedandcrowhill.com👍 Like, subscribe, and tell a friend