Twin Terrors Macabre Manor of Mead Metal and Mayhem

Welcome back to the Macabre Manor!  And welcome to spooky season!  This year, we're starting early, but since most of us start celebrating Halloween in September (or earlier) anyway, why not?!  Plus, this will either make it easier on us or you'll get even more spooky episodes this season! This episode is on the 40th anniversary of The Black Cauldron.  A very misunderstood spooky animated film tha...

Welcome back to the Manor!  A few episodes ago, James mentioned that while Guinness would be his beer of choice, he wasn't sure if he'd be able to pick it out in a blind taste test.  So he picked up four different Irish stouts, all in nitro cans, and has done a blind taste test!  Will he pick which is Guinness?  Listen in! Also, he had two more nitro cans of Guinness to see which pours better, the...

Welcome back to the Manor!  As usual, when we're ramping up for spooky season, we find a few easier episodes to put out before then.  This time, James had been reading several beer related books from England/Britain and Ireland and put together some trivia.  We're calling it part five because we've done this before, but never actually used this type of title, so don't feel bad if you can't find th...

Welcome back to the Manor!  We briefly mentioned doing this episode a while back, during the Monty Python and the Holy Grail episodes, and here it is!  Nerd dice!  The largest possible fair die and also a set of dice that are the same as usually dice but with lower probability of getting doubles.  Want more?  Listen on? Next week's episode is about... honestly, we're not sure.  We're two months ah...

We interrupt our normal schedule (okay, we don't really have a normal schedule, so we're good anyway) to bring you a farewell and a tribute to Ozzy Osbourne.  We recorded this two days after his passing, but did want to get the second episode of Mellencamp's Scarecrow out on time. We get into our favorite albums and stories of Ozzy, whether about him or about us that involves him in any way, and a...

Welcome back to the Manor!  This year marks the 40th anniversary of the album "Scarecrow" by John Mellencamp.  After episode one, released back on July 4th for reasons, we're now releasing part 2, recorded on the same night, but we're putting it out today, as it was actually released 40 years ago yesterday.  (Which is why we're releasing it a day ahead of time on the 31st instead of Friday the 1st...

Welcome back to the Manor and welcome to when is the band not the band anymore redux!  Our first episode was some time ago, when back in episode 47 in 2019! But Jody had thoughts... and we all know where these go!  Places dark and awesome.  Join us and enjoy! Next week's episode is the second of our John Mellencamp Scarecrow album episodes. Get in touch with us at Podbean:  https://www.podbean.com...

Welcome back to the Manor and welcome to our 400th episode!  To celebrate the milestone, we're going back to one of our most beloved topics, Lord of the Rings!  We've each picked a fan theory that we found on-line and discuss what we agree and what we disagree about them.  Pour yourself a pint of brown ale from The Green Dragon, tamp your Old Toby into your pipe, and enjoy! Next week's episode is...

Welcome back to the Manor!  This week, we're discussing literary firsts.  That is, which were the first sci-fi and fantasy and general fiction books ever written.  Join in on the conversation! If you have a different idea, let us know! And we can hear you saying "what, no horror?" We did horror already!  Go back and listen to all of our Halloween episodes and you'll find it.  All one billion of th...

Welcome back to the Manor!  This year marks the 40th anniversary of the album "Scarecrow" by John Mellencamp.  Where's the Cougar you ask?  She's sleeping in the other room.  But seriously, this is a wonderful album that is very moving and deep.  We are releasing it on July 4th for reasons... reasons that you'll hear when you listen to the episode.  Part 2 was recorded on the same night, but we we...

Welcome back to the Manor!  This episode is all about... Voltron!  Defender of the Universe!  Up the Lions!  Or whatever... Voltron celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2024!  And we recorded this last year in 2024!  But due to various things, we kept forgetting to edit and put it out.  But here it is!  Enjoy! Next week's episode is the first of two parts on the 40th anniversary of John Mellencamp's...

Welcome back to the Manor and welcome back to the second (of two) episode on Monty Python and the Holy Grail's 50th anniversary!  We'll continue our usual thing of generally going through the plot, with as few spoilers as possible... but come on, it's been 50 years!  We also want to whet your appetite so you go watch it again or for the first time. And of course, we'll give background information...

Welcome back to the Manor and welcome back to another wonderful Monty Python episode.  This time it's on the 50th anniversary of their first full length movie, Monty Python and the Holy Grail!  We get into the background, how it was made and financed, things that were written but not put into the movie and then get into the movie itself up through the Book of the Film! Pour yourself a pint or a G&...

Welcome back to the Manor!  And welcome to a different episode than originally planned!  Today (Thursday, June 5th, 2025) is the 13th anniversary of the passing of Ray Bradbury.  So tonight, we talked about Ray a bit and the things that we've done or have come out since our last Ray episodes, most of them back in 2020 for his 100th birthday year. This will be coming out just a few hours early so t...

Welcome back to the Manor!  Get ready to pour a pint of bitter or to light your pipe.  We're even okay if you play your violin while you listen, but we don't recommend doing any cocaine. Ever.  Not even a 7% solution.   Our first Sherlock Holmes episode!  Sure, we've mentioned him off the cuff a few times, but in this episode we're going all out and discussing the Hound of the Baskervilles!  Don't...

Welcome back to the Manor!  Have you ever wondered why some Scottish ales and some Belgian, particularly Trappist, ales have numbers on them?  Wonder no more!  We get into the shilling system used in Scotland and the numbering system used by Trappist brewers. Pour yourself a pint of either or something else and listen on! Next week's episode is on Sherlock Holmes and Scrooge McDuck!  Kind of. Get...

Welcome back to the Manor and welcome to another Monty Python episode!  Well, more or less.  It definitely involves Monty Python, or at least 1/6th of them, but also involves pubbing things.  So more or less what we always talk about.  Pour yourself a cask ale and enjoy this episode on the pub that started as one of, if not the first, micro-breweries!   Next week's episode is about the Scottish sh...

Welcome back to the Manor!  Welcome to our annual "best of" episode where Jody gives his top album picks and James gives his top picks of whatever he feels like (this year its pints of Guinness).  Yes, we know it's May, but we wanted to put some thought into it! Jody did anyway.  Enjoy! Next week's episode is about the Pythons Arms pub, a cross over between Monty Python and early micro-brewing. Ge...

Welcome back to the Manor and welcome back to the final episode of our Led Zeppelin Physical Graffiti's 50th anniversary episode!  We're wrapping thing up on the final bit of Led Zep's heyday.  There's more to come later this year, but for now, this will have to keep your Zep cravings in check.  Listen in and be ready for some melancholy!  A pint will help with that. Next week's episode is our ann...

Welcome back to the Manor!  While the news of this broke a fair bit ago, for those who didn't know, the man on the Led Zeppelin IV album (Signs as Percy likes to call  it) has been identified!  If you want to know more, pour yourself a pint and listen on! Next week's episode is the final episode (#5) of our Led Zep Physical Graffiti 50th anniversary arc! Get in touch with us at Podbean:  https://w...

Welcome back to the Manor and welcome to the 4th of 5 episodes on our Led Zeppelin 50th anniversary of Physical Graffiti arc!  This episode... touring!  Pour yourself a pint and enjoy! Next week's episode is about the artwork of Led Zeppelin's fourth album. Get in touch with us at Podbean:  https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-4pksr-a17e1a Or on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/twinterrorsmac...

Welcome back to the Manor!  Okay, the title is a bit misleading.  But would the title "study analyzes what happens when full pints are reduced to 2/3rds pint" have piqued your interest?  I think not! But it is an overlap, to see what would happen if pint sizes were reduced.  Listen in to see what happened when a study in the UK had a dozen voluntary pubs reduce their pint sizes.  Did it reduce dri...

Welcome back to the Manor and welcome to the median point of our Led Zeppelin 50th anniversary of Physical Graffiti arc!  This episode... the songs!  Pour yourself a pint and enjoy! Next week's episode is about the science and statistics of pints in UK pubs!  Actually even more exciting than it sounds, if that's possible! Get in touch with us at Podbean:  https://www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-4pk...

Welcome back to the Manor and welcome to another pub-ish episode and another HHGTTG episode!  We're talking about the pubs that go into the series... the radio series, the books, the films, life, the universe, and everything!  Fictional and real life pubs!  All of it and 42.  Pour yourself a pint or mix yourself a Pan Galactic Gargle Blaster and enjoy! Next week's episode is the third of our serie...

Welcome back to the Manor and welcome to another 50th anniversary arc for Led Zeppelin!  Physical Graffiti came out 50 years ago in 1975, so we're covering it this year!  Part 2 continues the story with the recording of the album, the album cover, and where the album charted.  Basically all things album related except the songs!  We'll get to those in part three, so hang in there. So pour yourself...