The Pick 3 Show
Three generations, three choices, one epic argument. A fun podcast, where hosts born in different decades go head to head to rank their Top 3 picks on everything. Perfect for anyone who loves nostalgia, arguments and a lot of laughs!
The Pick 3 Show
Ep 73: Time stands still (what 3 things would you do)
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It appears that the PickMaster General was having an existential crisis when selecting this weeks topic for the Pick 3 panel. What would you do if you had the power to make time stand still? The panel all approached this one a little differently albeit it was Martin who seemed to struggle most with this abstract concept, to the point that it appeared to irritate him, much to the delight of Gareth & Andy. Join us for our trickiest debate to date.
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Three men with three decades of separation debate three tough choices every week. This is the Pick Three Show. Welcome to another episode of the Pick Three Show, a podcast that regularly challenges our panel and the listeners to select their top three choices to any topic of the Pickmaster General's choosing. Now he stroke she, because nobody really knows the actual identity of PMG, like to challenge the panel to create debate, disagreements, and frequently derision, remembering that there are no actual wrong choices, but plenty of dubious and poorly thought out opinions. Today the PMG was in a reflective and challenging mood, so the topic delivered for consideration was top three things you would do if time stood still, which has undoubtedly led to some consternation, and even the intelligent members of the panel are a little confused. To start with, where could we record an episode contemplating the freezing of the time space continuum and what would we choose to do in such a time vacuum? After some thought, we decided to record this episode in Stormont Castle, where it appears that time regularly stands still and that the good citizens of Northern Ireland have no clue as to what MLAs do to progress the agenda in our we small country. So here we are. We're in the long gallery, huddled around our portable recording kit whilst attempting to grapple with the most obscure topic PMG has ever sent us.
SPEAKER_03All our MLA listeners have just turned off after that intro.
SPEAKER_00I don't think they will. I think they will listen, and I think we will galvanize them into action and leading forward and making Northern Ireland the place it should be.
SPEAKER_01What a call to action. Great, great building.
SPEAKER_00Sorry, you're you're underwhelming great build great building.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but we're about to say the story. You know the way they had the Red Bull Soupbox Derby, yeah. Yeah. Did you and they go down the big hill, which is great. It was very good. Did you see the rain that it came on? Yes, there was rivers running down the path the way so it was awfully. It was also a hail storm at one point. Awful.
SPEAKER_00My son Johnny, who's a doctor, was there with uh another friend of his who's a doctor who'd brought his kids to see it. And Johnny said everybody had boundless enthusiasm until their first crash. Oh and the minute they had their first crash, even if their soapbox was still drivable, you could see in their eyes that they no longer had the enthusiasm they had at the top. Why the hell? It hurts when you when you crash. And Johnny was saying at the bottom there were two hay bales, and right beyond them is an ambulance rating to collect. So it's a weird thing that in the modern world, with so many things, health and safety prohibited, that our place of government will with a big hill, will have a soapbox story. You can't write that stuff. No, exactly.
SPEAKER_03But and people would badmouth Donald Trump for putting on a UFC event in the grinds of the White House.
SPEAKER_00Well, I don't think it should be in the grinds of the White House. Of course.
SPEAKER_01So this this topic whenever it came in, which which was a challenging topic, I do say, but I think we've all experienced it at one stage, and I'm gonna give you the where we experienced it, was COVID 19, March 20, you know, cities completely silent, roads empty, oceans without boats moving, no phones ringing, no pressure. It did feel I remember walking along a Malone Road and there wasn't a car, wasn't a person anywhere, and which is a typically busy road, and I'm thinking time has stood still. I am and for about two or three months it felt like that.
SPEAKER_03I I I like this when it whenever the Picmaster sent three, I was like, I've done my three very selfishly about things that I want to do, things that purposely are might mightn't be the most grandiose, but things I go, I would love that.
SPEAKER_01That would be good to do. And are we taking it as time stand still today?
SPEAKER_00Which is the question I've got from a number of listeners. Now, a number of listeners asked me that question, and then I answered it as best I could, and then they never sent me any choices. I I I I think people are slightly confused by what this topic is. Yeah. And I approached this topic slightly differently. At a point in your life, if you could have stopped time, oh I didn't do that. What would no, but this was the thing is, and this is a we exchanged a couple of messages trying to work out what PMG was asking us. And I was saying, is it it stops today? So today time stops still stand still, what would you choose to do? Or would you like a point in your life where time stood still for a while? And so I've done three on each side, but the ones that were time stand still today, they're much less emotive than the ones are if I could have stopped time at a point in time.
SPEAKER_01Well, I think I know, I think if with if if time stands still today, because I think then if we go back in time, it becomes too personal to us all because I think we go family members, you know, family members, that type of stuff, which will not be as of interest to the listeners.
SPEAKER_00I'm convinced any man are going to be of interest to the listeners now, anyway.
SPEAKER_03But anyway, no, I do want me to j jump into my first and this is and this is a really simple one, but it's one and I actually thought whenever I was picking mine, this would be right up Martin's alley. Because in a way, he's not a great fan of crowds and people, and all having the opportunity to click his fingers, time stop still, and live his everyday life. My number three is golf, precisely Carnley Golf Club. If I'm able to go down there, it's a nice sunny day, click my fingers, whatever, time stand still, and I can just play around leisurely at my own place, enjoying the sunshine, relaxing as I hit the ball around. People are frozen in their little places. I'm walking around them. I I love playing golf with other people, I love the crackle of the banter. There's certain times I just want to get out there myself and play, and that's very hard to do. So, number three for me, golf.
SPEAKER_01I've done it a few times. So I have a Balmoral, you know, particularly a Sunday evening.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_01Just went down, hit the golf ball, and it you I understand exactly what the feeling is. It's just peace. Yes. No one there, no crowds, no nothing. So I can understand that.
SPEAKER_00But I think what you experienced doing that is very different to even what Andy is suggesting. Andy is suggesting that time has stood still. So he's standing on the first T, and in the middle of the third T is old Tom and his wife, who were out to play a nice little two-ball. And Andy's now there's frozen in time, but it doesn't mean they're immune from pain when he hits them in the back with a drive and all the rest of it. So what you're doing is time has stood still for everybody but you. Yeah. Yeah. And therefore you are looking at you're just walking around everybody. I think you'd be deeply unnerved by the whole prospect.
SPEAKER_03I'd be quite happy with it, actually.
SPEAKER_01I was thinking of it, actually. I also your scores come in a lot better whenever you're playing by yourself. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_00But let's say Ron, just throwing out a a name that doesn't mean anything, but let's say some local boy Ron is on the golf course and he's having a pee at the side of the fairway at the time. Oh yeah, Ronald Rood. He's he's frozen or something. He's frozen in time standing there. You know, it it's a weird concept, this. Yeah. Yeah, no. And I I am genuinely struggling to get my head around to what if time stood still and I could just drive out of here and go anywhere in East Belfast from Stormont and go to do things that I wanted to do. So And you could travel anywhere, by the way. Yeah, travel anywhere. But for example, there there used to be a prize given by a lot of competitions by the supermarkets, and it would be you could have a supermarket dash. So you were on your own at the supermarket and you were given two minutes. I remember that. And you had to be back at the check-in checkout desk, and people used to, and you were allowed one trolley, the trolley dash, and off the Winton. Yeah, yeah. And off people sprinted around, and that was it, that was a prize. That's as close as you get to that concept of where you say you are the only person able to do this at this point in time.
SPEAKER_01Let me uh go on to my number three.
SPEAKER_00Sorry, just to finish his golf one. Yeah. So you play your leisurely round, you're in in three and a half hours, because let's be honest, you're not going to be much longer than that, round Cornelly. You're in three and a half hours, you click your fingers, everybody comes back to life, and you just drive home.
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah.
SPEAKER_00So that that's That's a premise.
SPEAKER_03That's it. Time stood still. Because time stood still, Nicole says, Where were you for the last ten minutes? I'll be like, click my fingers again, time stand still again. Well that might lead on to my number two, actually.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so I'm going on to my number three because I love people watching. I would love to just be at a concert, flick my fingers, and just walk round looking at the expression on everybody's face to see, because I'd say there would be all types of expressions, you know, like you know, joy, interest, not liking it, the song, all those first things, and I'd just walk round that concert, or if it was a football match, could be another thing after a goal scored, and just watch everyone's face and just take it all in. Back to the concert. Have you a concert of mind that would be like I'm gonna go with my usual drama?
SPEAKER_00So there'd be a lot of faces with disappointment, a lot of faces well- not at all.
SPEAKER_01There will no, don't get me wrong, and this is why there there will be faces of disappointment because there are people there'll be people who will not like that particular song. There will be people who will like that song. Every song, and this is the beauty of music, creates a different reaction to different people, and I'd be able to see that.
SPEAKER_00I am really perplexed by aspects of all of this because I would genuinely say I think this is the hardest topic the PMG has sent us.
SPEAKER_01I agree with you, Martin. It really is for the intelligent people on the on the panel. What do you think?
SPEAKER_03I think so.
SPEAKER_01A lot of people thinking, yeah, and it requires you to sort of laterally think a little bit and come up with ideas.
SPEAKER_03You need that growth mindset to understand what it looks like.
SPEAKER_01I totally agree. And maybe maybe you've been buried too much in the factory, and we'll have to think of that from an HR perspective.
SPEAKER_03I think, yeah, there's a big there's a bigger issue here. But your emotion, like back to the people watching is a fantastic thing.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I love people watching.
SPEAKER_00You're walking around. Yeah, but I enjoy people watching, but not when I've had them frozen in time. No, but but people watching is amazing. Yeah, but you're walking through a concert, you're moving past people and just looking at their facial expressions. But Martin, there's loads of people. This is the thing, you've got loads of people how quickly before you're bored. Well, I'd go around the whole concert.
SPEAKER_02Seven and a half thousand, ten thousand people. I I I don't know. I don't know. But what I'm doing would you take each of their wallets?
SPEAKER_03I tell you what you'd do. You'd go on stage as well and look fine.
SPEAKER_00Look down. No, and that that I understand more than the original concept that he outlined. I can see No, I'm talking the whole experience. You'd go on stage. The way what would actually happen. I've worked this out now. In the space of he's talking and trying to justify it, I've worked out what would happen. He clicks his fingers, time stands still, he goes up on stage and he gets selfies with the band looking like he's singing, looking like anything else, with the crowd behind with all of their expressions on. That's what you do.
SPEAKER_01Oh no, if I photograph it, but but that's this.
SPEAKER_00You'd have all these selfies the day I sang with Durand. And then would you restart on the stage where you're up there? And then three bunchers run on and hoof them off.
SPEAKER_03And then you'd pause time again.
SPEAKER_00Well, you you can't just keep pausing time.
SPEAKER_03Well that could be a second pick.
SPEAKER_01Well, but let's go back to the con the concept, is the human race, we're all different, and it is quite amazing that we all look different, react different, all those various things. And this is your time to take it all in and imagine it.
SPEAKER_00Other than it is a well-known fact that everybody in the world has a doppelganger, the person that looks almost identical to them. I actually saw your doppelganger not very long ago. You know, and I I noticed him because he was walking towards me, and I could just sort of I could just sort of tell.
SPEAKER_01You know, and uh Right, go on to your number three. What is yours?
SPEAKER_00Oh, I'm I'm gonna get a go at this now. You are it's gonna be very busy. This is gonna be good. No, it's not. That's the problem. I actually I mean, my my original pick is grumpy the days.
SPEAKER_03Oh, Pegmaster General be having words with him.
SPEAKER_01Exactly. I think you've got to approach everything. That's the difference between me and you. Open mindset.
SPEAKER_03I agree, I agree. Well, let we'll hold our thought till we hear as 30 might wow us. It might wow us.
SPEAKER_00Well, this would explain something for you two in particular, because uh you you'd be in management and those of us here at the factory. But uh if time stood still today, if I could flick my fingers right now, I have so much editing to catch up on. I could do it without any time pressure. I could just edit until I was finished, click the things, and I'll still have my day. Because I am behind on editing, not only this show, not this particular show, but other shows that we do, and my In the Footsteps of Giants golf podcast is behind schedule. And I would love some extra time just factored in. But I have a busy life. I don't get to do that. So I mean again I have to fit it in.
SPEAKER_03What sort of things were more important than editing yesterday then?
SPEAKER_00Um at Odyssey yesterday. Oh yeah, you set him up. Oh well, we begin to have we had a visitor to Odyssey uh that I was having to be there for, and so therefore, yes, most of Tuesday disappeared. And who's a visitor? It was a VIP visitor that we don't talk about.
SPEAKER_03Excellent. You know, we'll let our listeners guess who that was.
SPEAKER_00Why did he not talk about it? Well, I suppose in this context you can Yeah, because it was on TV. Yeah, it was. It was true. It wasn't a secret now that it's uh out of the way. And this actually, by the time this episode drops, it will probably be uh a couple of weeks out from it. So, yes, uh the king visited W5 uh Life yesterday in conjunction with work for the King's Trust, previously the Prince's Trust, and it's 50th anniversary, and we have a partnership with the King's Trust. So, yes, he was there to see some of the work that was being done.
SPEAKER_03Did he done W5 Life? Did he do any of the exhibits in W5 that we think?
SPEAKER_00He was in W5 Life, which is more of the educational centre than in the actual science centre. There are two, there's W5 and W5 Life. But anyway, yes, that was so I am definitely behind in the editing. So that's their first choice.
SPEAKER_03So on the editing lesson.
SPEAKER_00No, it's my third choice. Third choice, sorry.
SPEAKER_03Let's just remind ourselves. He once messaged us to say we were excellent podcasters. He did. I I blame the other guys on that golf podcast.
SPEAKER_00All I can say is you guys are easier to edit because you make more blatant mistakes. So they're easy and they come out more quickly. But the the reality is at the factory, the orders come in, the orders have to go out. Management will sell as many products as they can, but they don't realise that some of us have to produce them. So we need more time. So if I could flip if I could flick my fingers and stop time today, I'd buy myself a load of extra edit time.
SPEAKER_01It is Mr. Grumpy, right? I'll be lighting up this short number two.
SPEAKER_00Do you know something? I spoke to my union rep yesterday as well. I went, This is getting ridiculous.
SPEAKER_03Number two for me is sleep. That's a really simple one.
SPEAKER_00But sorry, you'd stop time so that you could go to sleep.
SPEAKER_03Uninterrupted sleep in a house with three kids under the age of ten. You guys have the luxury, you probably in the back of your mind have put that where kids were young to the back of your mind. We were like, I get woke three, four, five times a night with simple, trivial things.
SPEAKER_00He gets three times a night to go to the bathroom. I don't know.
SPEAKER_03But then I was thinking about it even more. I thought, wouldn't it be great? Hot summer's day. Actually have like a little bed out the front, and you could click time so you wouldn't get people going, look at him, he's on his sleep in his front garden and that's on law. That's what I'd probably do.
SPEAKER_01I I actually think that's a great choice for it's not a great choice. It is a great no, no, no, no, but you like again, you've forgotten that there, and probably you know, Debs did most of the rearing of the children, so it was probably.
SPEAKER_03I agree, it's a different time.
SPEAKER_01In a different time now, but I would say, you know, get any parent that has kids, no, you even babies or kids your age, they time where they can stop time, babies gonna sleep for ages, and they can catch up for sleep is the greatest gift out there. I remember whenever I used to take my daughter Charlotte, her and I used to go down to St. George's Market, she was my firstborn. Down would go down, and I'd see her falling asleep in the back of the car on the way home, and I knew that if I if she fell asleep now, I'm not gonna get a break. Yeah, I used to wind down the window, go down the M1, and I could see her trying to breathe with the wind blowing on her face because there was no way I was letting her sleep. So I totally understand that, Mark.
SPEAKER_00I used to have a water mister in the car, and if the kids looked like they were falling asleep, I would reach back and spray them with water.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, but so so therefore, why can you understand these wanting uninterrupted sleep? I think that's a great one.
SPEAKER_00But you've got this amazing power to stop time. You can pause time to do uh something, and you and all he wants to do is pause time. So just imagine it, listeners, we're just about to pause time, and this is what happens. So we click our fingers. I'm way for sleep. Let's go.
SPEAKER_01Away for sleep, he's got sleep. I think it's good. See, you you don't understand it because you're I'm like, I'm okay now, but uninterrupted suit. I remember I used to hear every night Alexandra running buffal belt down the hallway, boom boom, jump into bed beside us and waking up.
SPEAKER_03Friend of mine, Steve, four kids, and it was his fiftieth birthday a couple years ago. I said to him, What'd you get for your 50th? He said, I said to my wife, I want one thing, I want a lion, nothing else, just a lion on that day because I haven't had a lion in the last 22 years.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. I remember thinking I last had a lion in 1977. I don't believe I've been in bed past seven o'clock in the morning any day since 1977.
SPEAKER_01I I've I haven't been in bed after eight, half eight now, uh so I haven't in like how many years. No, no, but that's I'm talking about last 30 years or whatever. Like student days, you would lie in the bed together.
SPEAKER_03I was never that person. No.
SPEAKER_01I was never a lion. I don't know. You know, I had friends who would stay in to 12 o'clock or whatever, even as a teenager. I was up.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_01So number two, sleep. You're number two, Garth. Number two goes back to my total quest for information and to see things. I would freeze time and I'd wander through places that you're not allowed to go to. MI5, number 10, the Trump's White House, and I'd get all the documents that are lying round. I would have a look at them and just read what exactly is going on. For example, you know, what is going on in this Iranian war or the Strait of Hormuz or whatever, and finding out the detail that is actually happening. Would you also look at some of the stock tips that Trump has made to go at and go, oh, is that why you've done that? And so it's like it under I I I always feel I don't understand how this world works. Do you not think that truly? I can see we can see it the way we can really use and that type of stuff, but what is actually going on in the background? And I'd be able to go and read those files and understand this.
SPEAKER_00I'm unnerved by one aspect of the concept. So you're going to go to MI5 and Trump's White House. Yeah. How long are you freezing time for?
SPEAKER_02Well, there's no.
SPEAKER_00The rest of us are standing as long as you want. No limit. No limit. So how are you getting to Trump's White House? Because everybody else, everybody else is frozen.
SPEAKER_03But you'd fly in, you'd click your fingers when you're over there. You'd purposely go.
SPEAKER_00Oh, so you're you're going to stop time several times to do this? I I can take one of them. You're being very pernicety about it.
SPEAKER_01I'm always perfect. I think his We need help has opened it.
SPEAKER_03You would fly in and immigration control at Washington would say, What are you here for? Purpose of your visit? You'd say, I just stop time, just a tourist to look around, gonna visit the White House. And then you get the White House tour, and then you'd go Do you remember the film Goldfinger?
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yes. Where Goldfinger, the planes flew over and put everyone to sleep, etc.
SPEAKER_00No, they were meant to be poor. Poisoning them and what happened was that the the guys who had worked this out they were wearing the gas masks and they actually pretended to be asleep. That's how that worked.
SPEAKER_01But anyway, it's like odd job. Yeah, you know, odd job and all the goals. So therefore I'd be able to go in and just read those documents.
SPEAKER_00I I get the concept. I I think you've set yourself an enormous target. And by the time you you I like it.
SPEAKER_03I like it.
SPEAKER_01I thank you, Andy. And I'm glad that I I knew you'd understand it better. It leads lots Grumpy McGrump here.
SPEAKER_03It leads into my number one. No, no, but he's he's got his number one. Oh, yeah. Okay. But I'm just saying I think at the moment they're not giving me a go because they're they're not happy. You're you're number two then, Martin. Let's see what you've got.
SPEAKER_01You know the the the this attitude he's given here today. This started the minute this came out. Did you see the did you read the text messages? Yeah, I noticed you didn't go back in the text message. I laughed. I laughed if you ignore it. I'll just let it fester. I was actually short linked to myself. I actually at one stage he was going on about that much. I was gonna go, okay, did you choose the topic then?
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Because he's been so grumpy. All this editing he has to do because of what mistakes on the other hand.
SPEAKER_00I like the challenge of these topics. I get it. I just found this one very difficult to identify exactly what PMG wants from us.
SPEAKER_01Welcome to our world whenever you start going on about Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit and Harry Potter. Remember we said to you, look at our faces whenever you're talking about that. That's what we're looking at now with you.
SPEAKER_03It's the rules of art. It rules of art. No, you might I don't know. Look at the flop. Let's give it a pencil of the doubt. Number two could be a few.
SPEAKER_00My original picks where I could stop time at any point in time were much better than this.
SPEAKER_03I'm talking about maybe that's another show.
SPEAKER_00No, it's not. Oh yes, it is. It is, it definitely is. Yeah. You're not making me cough, it's so bad. Oh, Brian. Uh my number two, based on this ludicrous premise that we have today, is I would like to flick time, stop it, so that I could go out and finish commissioning the sound equipment in my music studio, which takes a lot of time, and I don't have time to do it at the moment, and I want to get the band in and start playing, but I need to do a bit of work there. So I'm flicking time, going in, doing a lot of wiring where I'm not then going to waste uh a lot of time on everything, and then I can invite the boys around and we can play some good old rock and roll and have some actual fun. Do you think the the pressure of that house move has really got the?
SPEAKER_03He's like a different man. He is like a different man.
SPEAKER_00He is like a different man, isn't he? Listen, it's a very big estate to manage all the aspects of. You know, it's easy for you because you have what? Two up, two down, and two up, two down. And you you know, you have a bit of a bit of vacuuming, and Ruben who comes in and fixes your curtain pulls. Comes in and fixes the curtain pulls. Whereas some of us actually organise the staff around here to actually get things done. While I work in the factory.
SPEAKER_01I had to organise Ruben, and Ruben came in. Yeah, he was actually in fixing the shore. It was leaking a wee bit yesterday, so he got it sorted out.
SPEAKER_00Oh, that's good because I was worried about that.
SPEAKER_01He's brilliant.
SPEAKER_03So how how long is this going to take, Martin, to wire up? To get it the way I want it, probably three or four hours. All right, you could do that in the with the editing ones as well. One click does it all. One click, and I could be doing both.
SPEAKER_00Do you need a handle with it? No. But what I what I like there, do you know? Yeah, we could do, we could help you. It's one of those moments that you really understand how the pick three show works. Because as I was talking there, I noticed Gary. Gary? Gary, yeah. I noticed Gareth leant across and put his hand on Andy's knee. No, I think there's a Andy's knee. I think there's a relationship here that I don't fully understand. Which is why they get all like a couple of bad boys together. Because I think they're turned on us.
SPEAKER_02He's turned on us. Yeah, come on. So it's number one. That wasn't true. You lent across and I did. I poked him because I was about to poke you with something.
SPEAKER_03So number one, number three was editing, number two is wiring. Yeah. I can't wait for number one. I know.
SPEAKER_01Right, Abby, give us your number one.
SPEAKER_03Number one, bringing back a bit of normality to this area 51 in Nevada. Similar to the White House and number 10.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, we our mindsets are so open that we're I would drive up and that mindset's completely alien to me.
SPEAKER_03Oh, that's good. He's coming back. I would I would drive up and security would pull over the car. So everybody here for they would have their rifles and I would click my fingers. Take one of their passes, because I assume that they're not using biometrics. Walk in, look at all the UFOs, flying saucers, everything that they've got there. Hopefully, try to find some of the alien stuff they've got underground, spend a couple of hours, take a few photos, leave. Fantastic. Answer so many similar are inquisitive minds. Answer so many questions about what they're storing there.
SPEAKER_01I think I think of as I've got older. Substantially. Yeah, particularly during this podcast. They uh as I've got older, I want to understand the world better. Yes. Uh and I I've told you recently I started to buy the Financial Times again uh on a Saturday. And I have to say I'm enjoying it thoroughly for just various things that go on the world. Do you buy the physical paper? Physical paper. Okay. Yeah. And for example, and why you that triggers me, I read an article recently about the ghost ships that are uh transporting oil from the embargoed with the people who've got sanctions against them. No port to dock? No, no. They put they dock and all, but they fly they sail under the radar with all the oil. So for example, Venezuela were selling oil, or Roman were selling our oil to the Russians, etc. That type of stuff. That's good. So it started to open my mind a lot more. Open mind, and you'll understand that.
SPEAKER_03So what you don't know out there, you want to learn about it?
SPEAKER_01Yeah, you want to learn. So that Area 51, I think a great choice.
SPEAKER_00You see all of those ships moving around the ghost ships, it's a really slick operation. Oh gee. It's slightly come back.
SPEAKER_03What are your thoughts, Martin? Area 51. Would you like a wee look to see what's on?
SPEAKER_00To be honest, I get that one. Oh no, because I know your fascination with that, and I think the opportunity for you to go in and either debunk all of the sort of press that's put out about Air Fifty one that it's not really anything, etc. etc. Or to actually know a little bit more. That interests me a lot more.
SPEAKER_03Do you remember Colonel Lou first thing asked him what were aliens a thing? And he was very good to say, Andy, I haven't seen nothing ever in my lifetime, which reaffirmed my view.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03That he probably has, but he doesn't want to tell us. Didn't think this was a safe space for it.
SPEAKER_01He'd love to know.
SPEAKER_00I had a good conversation with Colonel Lou after that podcast, and he said, Martin, they sound brighter when on the on the podcast. When you meet them in real life, you know. But look, again, there are a lot of those questions. However, I saw something this morning that sent me into an incandescent rage, and that was that Bryson DeChambeau, the golfer, has now questioned whether or not we landed on the moon. And he then went to say, he said, Look, at the end of the day, Elon Musk's told me that they did. So I tend to believe Elon. And I'm going So he believes the lander, but he doesn't believe the footage. Is but he says the footage is fake. Do you know? I actually respond, I very rarely respond to Twitter or anything like that because it just annoys me, and I'm not prepared to engage in those games. But what I what I sent back was try to make a cut before you try and rewrite history. I was I was annoyed because for me, the whole Apollo programme and everything around that era is one of the things of my childhood. There, these were genuine heroes you looked up to. And I don't believe we should 50, 60 years on besmirch the risks those people took to actually achieve the unachievable. Which I believe they did, by the way. 100%. Yep.
SPEAKER_01Anyway, okay.
SPEAKER_03Go your number one, James.
SPEAKER_01My number one. My number one, whenever this came down, was going to be that I was going to go into Martin's office and just rearrange things slightly. Oh, yeah. Slightly. Yeah. Because you know, his systems, I'm sure he's got the full systems or everything. Just go in and just misfile various bits of stuff just before we come in, or you know, mess around with the podcast a little bit before we start recording, just to watch. Oh, that's a felter. But I didn't go with that there because I thought Martin's a bit grumpy these days, so I better not do that. Grumpier. Grumpier, yeah, sorry.
SPEAKER_00I think I think that's a good description. Grumpier.
SPEAKER_01But what I did think then, this is a a chance where I could go around and do a lot of random acts of kindness without uh does it so leave gifts for people for gifts? Gifts. Ah good. You did put the tea in. Yeah, I did put gifts for people who I know or don't know. I like giving gifts, but I don't like being the person that gives gifts. Yeah, yeah. So I I don't I don't I don't like the actual handover of a gift. I like giving a gift, but I don't like the handover of it. I'd rather I would prefer them to be anonymous.
SPEAKER_00I think you've always been worried about being judged that your gift is too like nominal. Yeah. You know, rather than a proper gift.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, or or or you you I I don't really need to see people's reactions for the case.
SPEAKER_00That's interesting because you've spent you've top stopped time to go and see everybody's reaction in a concert, but you don't want to see people's reactions when you deliver a gift.
SPEAKER_01To my gift. I just want people to be surprised. It can be anonymous, and then I just know who it's from. That's anonymous. I know, but what what you then they'll never know, you'll never have any reaction from but they'll have a reaction to them in themselves. I've been given a gift by someone, and that was great. It's like that time, whenever you you pay something forward, you know, like you know, in the Starbucks and the other. I was just gonna ask, have you done that? Uh I've done a few times, yeah. But I don't think there's enough opportunities for that. No.
SPEAKER_00So you think in Starbucks that you pay for the next person who's going to walk up to the No, there's sometimes they do like for homeless or whatever that type of stuff. Oh, well, okay. That that's that's a little bit different. If you're paying it forward that they're going to actually give a cup of coffee.
SPEAKER_01I don't want to get paid forward to Andy coming along next. Because you know you're never getting it back. But I but I don't need to get it back.
SPEAKER_02I I don't like receiving gifts. So there is you not like receiving gifts at all.
SPEAKER_03No. I'm not great at gifts either. Really? No. Nicole will often say I am the worst person at the time. Oh, and Anna says it's because I'm so ungrateful. I'm like, I'm not ungrateful.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I just don't like receiving it.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_00That's very interesting. Because for all of us, it's nice to be appreciated by the people that you care about. So actually, what you're receiving is a gift from somebody who cares about you and yet you're grumpy about that gift. We're not being grumpy. I just don't know what to do. Well, he's indicating that he doesn't he's the worst person to buy a gift for.
SPEAKER_03No, I I would say there's certain things that people will buy. So, an example I said to the kids last year, don't buy me like it's Father's Day. Don't buy me any mugs, say happy Father's Day.
SPEAKER_00Well, they're not going to buy you one that says best father ever.
SPEAKER_03Oh, well, I've got several of those, Martin, which are best dad.
SPEAKER_01But then they're like the kids that live with you as well. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03So then they just appear and they're like, Oh, but they really wanted this wee trinket and this. The first thing goes to my mind is Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01And see, I don't like that words. I'm like, my daughters for my 50th birthday party bought me a gift from every decade.
SPEAKER_03Oh, that's lovely.
SPEAKER_01So, you know, like for example, whenever in my you know, below the age of 10, it was a picture of the Danny the Champion of the World book. Or then as a teens it was some kind of a like a bit of alcohol thing or whatever when you were going buck mad. And then each one was a different gift. It was superb. I like that gift, and I mean and that there is a real oh fantastic. Whereas if you get given a as you say, a mug, it's a real so yeah for my 40th Nicole.
SPEAKER_03I think you signed actually. Nicole sent little cards out because it was during COVID, everyone wrote them and sent them back. Lovely book was good to people.
SPEAKER_01He was not no, you're absolutely right. No, so my uh my thing is I'd like to. Sorry, I've ruined Andy's story. You got a lovely gift from the government.
SPEAKER_03That's the type of thing I love.
SPEAKER_01And that's the type of thing. But you're right. I don't like receiving gifts. I like giving, and I prefer to give it anonymously.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, but like yeah. So you want to freeze time and go out and do some anonymous acts of kindness. Yes. That's good. Which actually surprises me, but I think it's not a bad choice. Why does it surprise you? It surprises me. I I don't know why. It's just it's it's the anonymous act because I think you would enjoy that. I like anonymous.
SPEAKER_03Like you would say, hey, look, oh I've seen these guys.
SPEAKER_00You see, what you could do is in in that situation, just imagine you're in the you're in the park. Yeah. And you give a gift to each person who's in the park, and then you flick your fingers and you sit back and watch their reaction from afar to that. That I can understand. Yeah, well maybe you can do that.
SPEAKER_01I mean, that's okay. I can do that.
SPEAKER_00Because you want to see people going. And then you could pretend you'd been given a gift. Oh what what did you get? Oh, I I got I got a box of chocolate. Oh, that's lovely. What did you get? I got a bunch of flowers. What did you get, Gareth? I got 50 grand.
SPEAKER_01But you know, but those little things I think would be important. That's what I like to.
SPEAKER_03There's a great episode of The Simpsons where Mr. Burns is trying to improve his brand and he goes to donate a hundred thousand dollars to the the hospital, and Homer brings in the check. Oh, who's it? What's the name of the person donating? And Homer just says his own name and he's furious because the only reason he put the money is just to have his name on the hospital wing. Love that.
SPEAKER_00There are people that that will ostensibly gift because they want something in return over here. And I'm not a fan of that. No, I'm not. But I get I get what you're saying, and you would stop time to to run around doing random acts of kindness.
SPEAKER_01I think you you're you're right. There's people out there who will tell you I've done this, I've done that. And that annoys the life out of me. Yeah, no, I just get anonymous, and this this is.
SPEAKER_00No, well, I again that's why I am unaware of any random acts of kindness you've ever done, because you like to do them anonymously anonymously. So I mean I am obviously unaware of them. You are number one, Martin. Let's see. Okay. If I could click my fingers and stop time, I would take the lovely Deborah Jane to the cinema so that we could actually sit and watch a movie on our own in the cinema without a care in the world, knowing that all the stuff we have to do in the background is just in abeyance for a certain number of hours.
SPEAKER_02But why don't you just do that? Because there'd be other people there.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it's when I did my golf one, I was sitting thinking, cinema would be quite a good one as well.
SPEAKER_00So I I I went, you know, that would be the opportunity. Pick a really good movie that you want to go see and get the full experience of the cinema, but without the experience of other people interrupting.
SPEAKER_01So I I I'm gonna make that a wee bit easier for you. Have you been to the Avenue Cinema? Yeah, it's great. No, I haven't. Oh Castle Court. Yeah, you'll never go to the the other cinemas again. Lovely seats, you can order food to your chair, and whenever you go, if you went in an afternoon, it wouldn't be busy. Yeah. And you could have that cinema.
SPEAKER_00So why do you think I'd have time to go in the afternoon?
SPEAKER_01It's all about your time. It's about you, there's no such thing as having no time.
SPEAKER_00No, I have loads of time, but I have so much stuff to fit into that time. I have the same amount of time that you have every day.
SPEAKER_01And I fit it in easy enough.
SPEAKER_03Well, you do that. Avenue's a great cinema, actually.
SPEAKER_01You would love that, but you'd love that experience. Very romantic. In you go. Actually, that was our first date. So well, it was in Andes. What'd you watch? F the Formula One movie. Oh, yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00It was called F1, wasn't it? F1, yeah. Yeah. It's it's it's tough to remember. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01F1 movie, and it is a great big risk you took.
SPEAKER_00That was your first date. Go and see Brad Pitt. Yeah. You're going in there and Oh, I know that. Oh no. You're putting Brad Pitt up on the screen. Yeah, but you know, there's Brad and Skippy. And there's me. That's all there is. Brad and Skippy. So it sounds like a movie I'd go and see.
SPEAKER_03Martin, what would be the film choice you would have?
SPEAKER_00It's a very good point. And again, if I if if you could go back and experience seeing a movie again for the very first time as being part of it, that that would be uh the sort of thing I think it would be Death on the Nile.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
unknownRight.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, Agatha Christie. David Niven? No, it was the Peter Eustinov when he first. David Niven might have been in it as his sidekick at the time. Right, okay. But it came out in about nineteen seventy nine.
SPEAKER_03I was on BBC Two about a week ago. Yeah. Was it? I fired it on by accident. The kids are like, what an earth this rubbish? As I have no idea. And tip I in there it was.
SPEAKER_02Funny, uh sorry to jump across.
SPEAKER_00And the reason, by the way, gentlemen, because I'm not a fool. The reason is that was my first date movie with the lovely Deborah Jane in 1979. Oh nice. So there you go. You see it's called scoring points.
SPEAKER_03Winning the game. Did you uh pay pay for everything?
SPEAKER_00Yes.
SPEAKER_03Modern man or not modern man, actually.
SPEAKER_00In 1979, the rules were different. Not modern man. The rules were different. I mean, you were allowed to do things like that, and it wasn't regarded as well, what do you mean? I can't do you think I can't pay for myself? I'm going, I'm just treating you.
SPEAKER_03Martin, I am really looking forward to what your listener feedback was like, because the gusto you probably told him of.
SPEAKER_00I actually sent out what the Pickmaster General sent us, so it was exactly as sent to me. Okay, that's good. Let's office. Let's hear someone coming in. All right, Courtney Thompson, too hard, no choices. Okay. There's my first listener response. I'm going, right. And then Anne McKissick said, Can we pick when time stands still? I would stop time when my daughter was young to spend more time with her as a baby, and then also spend more time with loved ones before they passed away while they were still healthy. And I'm going, yeah, that's exactly the approach I was taking to all of this until my colleagues rocked up at Stormont and told me, No, you've got to do with just something normal.
SPEAKER_01My one of Robbie Maxwell, uh, I might rob a bank just to see how that goes.
SPEAKER_00Uh I really well because nobody's there to stop you. I think that's what he's actually saying here.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but uh but he said to see if it goes well. Yeah, he's probably probably thinking how you get in the CS.
SPEAKER_01See how that goes.
SPEAKER_02Oh, see how that goes.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, see I'd visit Buckingham Palace and walk round amongst all the royals standing still like statues. And then his last one, I might go around changing road signs around to see the chaos that does when time run freezes.
SPEAKER_03Johnny sent in Invest Wisely, Learn to Fly, which amused me slightly because if you're stopping time and you're getting on a plane yourself without an instructor.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that could go really well. And then if he gets killed trying to do it, who's gonna flick the fingers to unfreeze time? Yeah, true. That's poorly thought out.
SPEAKER_03Ron has sent in going back to the 10th tier Augusta when a young Rory was about to make a mistake or two and change that moment.
SPEAKER_00But you see, that's not the that's not the brief. This is what his No, but think about that. Right. Again, hang on, we spent a lot of time on this. We did, so you're now saying you're not saying it and change time. You're not going back and you are free.
SPEAKER_01Always changing time is difficult because you're the butterfly effect. With difficulty. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Um you mess with the space-time container you have no idea where we end up.
SPEAKER_03So a second was in a similar vein, change the lottery numbers, and number one, do better in exams.
SPEAKER_00Just before you go on, because that's triggered a thought, is we had a discussion one day with a group of mates one day, which is if you could go back in time and assassinate Adolf Hitler before the war started, would you do it? And most people's in instant reaction go, Well, yes, that would save millions of lives, that would do this, this would do that. And most people go, Yeah, that that probably that probably is a uh something you should do. And then you go, but what are the ramifications of doing everything changes? Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01It's like a film uh butterfly effects. Excellent. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Thomas said in build a house, stop growth of AI and stay on holiday forever.
SPEAKER_00Well forget to stay in on holiday forever. The actual halt of AI may be the most sensible thing that anybody has said. True. Because whilst I understand there are some benefits to AI, I am not worried about the benefits. I am worried about what it does elsewhere. Skynet.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. Sorry, did did you just I did for those of you listening in black and for those of you watching in black and white just yawned. Lewis sent in he doesn't like runners much. Tie runner shoelaces together mid-run.
SPEAKER_00In the middle of the marathon, imagine if you did that 10,000 and then you just unfroze time and watch 10,000 people fall over together.
SPEAKER_03Pete McQuillan going to a two-star mission restaurant in Dublin next month. Imagine clicking your fingers and removing food from fellow diners forks just before the food entered your mouth. All round bewilderment. Number two Pinehurst 2024 and sneak into that bunker with Bryson at the peak of his back swing move his ball one inch closer to his leading foot and hope for an almighty shank into the galleries. So he's understood it more than Ron with actually moving stuff.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03This is a this is bread and it's number one I'd love to snap my fingers and stop time just before my wife went and bought our cat. Hide her wallet let the air out of her tires etc etc I hate that creature and I'm currently researching airsoft weaponry.
SPEAKER_00Ashley Parks said if I could freeze time I'd do a range of silly pranks so something similar I presume to tying the shoelaces etc etc take a nap now he has two young kids see so he says take a nap and then and I thought he was a friend I thought he was someone that was part of the team he said I'd sneak into Martin's house and eat all his Wheatabicks. Oh that's a fact now I'm going if you're not used to doing that Ashley that could have ramifications once you started time again. But anyway and then he wrote and then I'll fill the boxes with Tesco or little versions so that Martin thinks Wheatabic has gone off. Oh brilliant and I'm going that is as mean spirited an answer as you're going to get to this.
SPEAKER_03Excellent Patty sent three and two are very similar to mine which are great. This one only parents will understand sleep for 14 hours without the guilt while the world struck my daughter waits for me. Pause time during an argument and come back with a perfect comeback. And then number one walk in the area 51 have a proper look around you've good company. Maybe jump into a saucer and take it for a spin.
SPEAKER_00I don't see so yeah some of our good embraced it yeah that was unquestionably I know you thought the day we did an episode on fictional worlds was your worst nightmare. Yeah I have to say that today has been from my point of view the hardest one we've ever attempted to tackle and I don't know that I've done a particularly good job from my point of view.
SPEAKER_01No but you know the where you've approached it is you know you've just moved house everything's all higgledy piggledy at the moment and you're applying it to not the West Wing the West Wing we have nearly perfect now. Yeah but you're applying it to this minute what to the world you're in and that's what's grumped you up I guarantee you grumped you up.
SPEAKER_03If he had his turn again he would love a wee walk around the White House.
SPEAKER_00Oh he would I think there's other places that would fascinate me more than the White House. If I'm being honest if you could stop time and be certain it was stopped I think a wee walk around in a couple of places in North Vietnam or places like that that you would just be terrified of ever and going or saying I'd love to know what the true story is behind that country.
SPEAKER_01Oh interesting North Korea you mean you said North Vietnam did I say North Vietnam I meant North Korea's wild thing he's made quite a few mistakes Gary?
SPEAKER_03I wouldn't be surprised if if there's some recording difficulties with this and it suddenly hits the shop floor.
SPEAKER_00Do you know it was funny there was it very rarely happens that there's a complete glitch on the tape that we can't use an episode at all. It has only ever happened once in the history of the pick three show. And listeners there is an episode that has never been released. There is an episode out there that is half edited because it's dire. And I just one day we'll we will reveal all on that maybe one day we will reveal all but until then we are going to have to leave Stormont here because the hardworking MLAs they want to get back to doing absolutely nothing and personally making time stand still in this province. But anyway we'll be back talking about something hopefully a little more or a little less obscure in the very near future but until then on behalf of the podcast my name is a very confused Martin. My name is Carl's Andy and we'll see you all soon at some time where time moves normally in the future