Ep 63: Mercury is in Retrograde

We take our deepest dive yet, as Joe's recent experience of being hypnotised (or not being hypnotised, as he claims) leads us to explore the fascinating story of the CIA's secretive mind control programme, MK Ultra. We hear tales of secret brothels, bogus medical studies, fake hippie houses, and an awful lot of LSD; and we cross paths with the JFK assassination and Charles Manson - all as part of a secretive, bizarre mission to find ways to take control of the human mind. Along with that there's the completely separate matter of Darren's FIFA 23 addiction (and Joe's total inability to understand it), and Darren's hopes that he can someday turn it into a lucrative streaming career.

A listener's email about a small religious community in the south east sets off a wave of confusion, with Darren struggling to grasp the characteristics of cults and skin heads, and why none of those things are relevant to the discussion. There are also brain busters on swivel chairs vs tricycles, and a chance to insert some Air Jordans into iconic moments in Irish history.

We set off on an odyssey through the world of petty crime, and crime prevention, this week. Joe has been picking locks but doing it at all the wrong times, while Darren is wondering about the process of career progression for an up-and-coming gangster, and what life must be like wearing a Canada Goose puffer jacket in 26 degree heat. The lads wonder about the decline of the post office raid, and marvel at the sheer effort involved in an ATM heist. Joe wants to stop banning things just because they can hurt us, while Darren is reflecting on the legacy of Dublin hash – which leads Joe to contemplate the decline of the humble hot rock. And Joe accidentally finds himself cycling on a motorway, where he is almost killed by a bus with Darren’s face on the side.

A listener ensnares Joe in a sting in a sleepy Spanish town, and exposes his shameful behaviour to the world with an email detailing (in some detail) Joe's offences. Darren has some tips for a tourist's trip to Dublin, and some trouble coming up with a unique trait of his. The lads consider the benefits of a tour of Ireland's small towns, and Joe is accused of gross hypocrisy and (simultaneously) being the Dublin taxi driver of the high seas.

The lads return from their respective holidays and their show at Electric Picnic with much to talk about. Joe has been stealing swimming and surviving tuna attacks, while Daren went to Tenerife and entered the Very Good Very Nice multiverse. They both had very different experiences of electric Picnic, with Joe blagging his way into the most restricted areas of the festival and doing some major celebrity spotting, while Darren got lot in a dark car park. And there's been some aggro, from over enthusiastic "saleh" shouters, to tourists encroaching on Joe's pre-booked spaces.