Gold Medals & Google Stocks - a week of wild windfalls

Get ready to rewind to a week where headlines, heartbreaks, and heroics took center stage! From the tense streets of Iraq to the Olympic glory in Athens.

🎥 A Captive’s Tale: On August 19, the world held its breath as Al-Jazeera aired a chilling video of American filmmaker Micah Garen, held captive by Iraqi insurgents. Documenting the looting of archaeological sites, Garen found himself in the clutches of militants demanding the U.S. pull out of Najaf—or else. For 10 harrowing days, his loved ones worked tirelessly behind the scenes, eventually securing his release. Micah, ever the storyteller, even penned a love note to his partner on a cigarette wrapper—now that’s a script Hollywood couldn’t write.

🏅 Thorpe’s Triumph: Over in Athens, the Olympic pool was on fire! Aussie sensation Ian Thorpe clinched gold in the “Race of the Century,” leaving legends like Phelps and van den Hoogenband in his wake. Meanwhile, the Aussie women’s relay team was unstoppable, bagging gold and setting records. But it wasn’t all golden—Greek sprinters Kenteris and Thanou stirred up scandal, dodging a drug test and staging a motorcycle crash. The fallout? A two-year ban and a national disgrace.

📈 Google Goes Public: On August 19, Google took its first steps as a publicly traded company, offering shares in a unique Dutch auction. The tech giant’s stock surged, raising $1.67 billion, and setting the stage for a new era in Silicon Valley. Not too shabby for a company that started in a garage, huh?

🎵 Chart-Toppers: On the airwaves, Christina Milian was turning up the heat with “Dip It Low,” while the UK couldn’t get enough of 3 of a Kind’s infectious “Babycakes.” Down under, Cosima De Vito’s emotional ballad “When the War Is Over” was all the rage, proving that even an Aussie Idol runner-up can conquer the charts.

🎬 Box Office Battles: At the movies, it was a showdown of epic proportions with “Alien vs. Predator” reigning supreme in the U.S.

💤 Pillow Talk: And for those who prefer cuddles to conflicts, the U.S. welcomed the bizarre yet oddly comforting Boyfriend Arm Pillow—a half-body pillow designed to simulate snuggling with a partner. Whether you’re single or just need an extra arm to hold onto, this pillow had you covered… literally.

So hit play and let’s journey back to a week where every headline told a story, every medal had a price, and every pillow had… an arm.

Hang with us on socials to chat more noughties nostalgia - Facebook (@tminus20) or Instagram (tminus20podcast). You can also contact us there if you want to be a part of the show.

Chapters

• 0:00 intro
• 0:26 show opener
• 10:18 news
• 17:11 sport
• 31:42 tech
• 37:34 music
• 1:01:26 movies and tv
• 1:08:10 romance
• 1:15:00 hatches, matches and dispatches
• 1:22:14 show closer

Transcript

Transcript is generated automatically.

The year is 2004. Your polyphonic ringtone habit is sending you broke. Yeah, George W Bush is sworn in for a second term, and in spite of everything going on, the most controversial thing is a wardrobe malfunction at the Super Bowl. T -, 20 rewind, 20 years with Joe and Mel. 

Wait. 

Oh, 15 August 2420. 

T minus. The rest is. 

History. You know what? 

I'm very forgetful 20. Hello. 

There. Stop trying to make fetch happen. 

You're fired. 

What we're waiting for, Wendy. 

This is harder than I thought it would be. 

My fellow Americans. 

Let's roll. 

Welcome aboard your personal time machine, a podcast that we like to call t -, 20, where we go back in time to two decades ago, all the way back to 2004, remembering when the iPod was King, Lance Armstrong was a hero, or so we thought, and Jason Bourne had a better short term memory than what you do. Now with your host Joe and Mel. Hello, Mel. 

Hello we are trying to remember the week of the 15th to the 21st of August 2000 and. 4. 

According to Al Jazeera television, a militant group calling itself. 

Yeah. 

The Martyrs Brigade released a video showing a man believed to be Micah Garin. 

Yes, another kidnapping over in the Middle East with a gentleman by the name of Michael Garran. You might remember that one will cover that story in the new segments. 

Mr Constantinos Cantares and Mr Caterina Tanu, along with their coach Christos Tacos. Surrendered their accreditations. 

We had some drama and some controversy at the Athens Olympics and Wild ride. This one was. 

Yes, accreditation surrendered. 

Hmm. 

The 30 something founders of Google had good reason to cheer today. On their first day of trading as a public company, they raised $1.7 billion in cash and made the stock of Google as valuable as General Motors. 

So many regrets, and one of those regrets would be, I mean, everyone talks about it now. If I could give myself advice 20 years ago to either buy Bitcoin. Or shares in Google. 

Well, I got ChatGPT to work out what those shares would be, because we're talking about Google going public, yes, what those shares would be worth today had you bought them. So I'll let you know what your. 

Well, we'll have. A look at those stories and more. 

Regret amounts to. 

Today, tonight, tomorrow, next week on T -. 20. I'm getting all weirded out by the whole time machine thing, and investing is a big thing. It is a big thing. I've been investing back in my health. So there was a time about. Ohh geez, it would have been sort of late 30s, early 40s where I decided to get fit and geez, I was. 

Oh. 

Fit. 

Yes, you were going to the gym pretty much every day, weren't you? I think he had. 

I was Sophie. Every single day, every single day, every single day. And then I guess I it's a bit of a. 

1. Off a week, yeah, yeah. 

Return of the math moment because I'm back, baby. I'm. I'm. Look, I'm. This is my 48th rotation around the sun and it's it's fast approaching. I'm gonna be 48 in a couple of weeks and and 50 is just looming over the horizon and it's really freaking me out. And you know, I think we're of a generation US Gen X's where we're sort of, if we've had, especially if we've had kids. 

He's back, baby. 

Late where? In between? 

Hmm. 

In bringing up and caring for young children and we're starting to think about what it's gonna look like when we have to maybe care for our parents, right. So the best thing that we can do is care for ourselves. So I'm like, I'm like, looking forecasting as to what the next 20 years of my life look like. 

Yeah. Yep. 

And. I'm just like, Oh my God, I need to do something. About this. So at the beginning of the year and I'm really, I'm actually quite proud of this at the beginning of the year, I weighed 120 kilos. And I, you know, I've tried dieting and doing all of those things and and and and it's never kind of worked, but I had a concerted effort to do it this time and actually started looking at things like nutrition and stuff and obsessing. But this is midlife crisis probably a bit too far into mid life in full effect. OK and so and I'm proud to say that I've I've lost 20 kilos. I'm about halfway to where I wanna be. And I'm feeling pretty good and I'm feeling so good that I'm like, well, it's time to go back to the gym and this is your fault, Mel, because you're the one that's motivated me to do this. Because Mel, ladies and gentlemen, is a fine fits specimen these days. Let me tell you. 

Yeah. 

I wouldn't go that. Far, but I too had that realised. 

Version of. 

Ohh yeah, over the hill already. Should probably be thinking about getting to the optimal health that I could as as the years progressed. 

Well, yeah. 

Just. 

Set things up well for the future. 

Well, one of my one of our very good friends gave us some advice once and and the comment is basically start how you wanna finish, right. So I wanna start like this next chapter or the second half of my life as fit as I possibly can and hopefully I'll I'll sort of maintain that I'll be because. 

Yeah. 

There's all these people that say once you get to 50, that's the body you're stuck with, right? So let's see how that pans out. But as a consequence, I'm like, alright. 

Yeah. 

Because I and I hated going there, even when I used to go there, I hated going there. But I was young and I could get away with it. But now I'm deciding to go back to the gym and I've gone back to the gym for the last few weeks just to do some weights and stuff like that. And and I actually feel better for it, although I did some weights today and I went a little bit too heavy and then I went to replace the gas. 

Yeah. 

Total. Have a barbecue and I've done something to my forearm. I couldn't even pick up the little 8K gas bottle at the petrol station. I had to get a young person to help me. Excuse me, young man, would you mind coming helping me lift this gas bottle in the car? Yes, yes. Young people today. Young. Look, I do have a lot of faith in humanity. When I see the way that young people today. 

Ohh did they? 

Did they help you? Were they helpful? That's nice. 

It's good to see. 

The youth of today, being polite and helpful. 

Goods. 

Carry themselves a lot of people bag young people, but there's some really good young people with the world, so that doesn't help me anyway, but I'm going to the gym. I'm the oldest person in the gym and I I look at how things have changed in gymnasiums, even in the last 20 years, like everything's connected. Nobody's talking to each other. All got headphones on and they've got weird spatial awareness. They walk around. 

Hmm. 

Yeah. 

Yeah. 

These kind of crazy entranced humanoids and and, and they're all fit and healthy and good looking and young. And like the the guys, the guys look like they are MMA fighters. Every guy in there looks like an MMA fighter. 

Ten boys. And they were. And they were all wearing fitted tracksuit pants as well. So you can see the muscles protruding. Wow. 

Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm like, hey, nice, nice tracksuit pants, mate. Do they come in, men. So so there's that. And then. 

They they they wear them well, they wear them very well, yes. 

And the women look Immaculate and look, I'm not one of these people that's gonna crap on anyone for going to the gym and trying to improve their their physical. 

Hmm. 

People's appearance or just their health in general because it is a big deal, it's a good thing to do, but the girls there as well, just so young, so attractive. 

But also meat axes like there's a lot of. Crop tops. So when? 

Yes. 

We went to the gym, it was baggy T-shirts over leggings. 

Still is still is for us. 

But. 

For everyone else, it's like you're wearing your bra as a top now, and the short short. It's and these women are lifting. I saw someone today. She would have been lifting about 7080 kilos in a squat. 

And you know what? And I blame like CrossFit for that. So, like all these and. 

Ohh, there's all that cross. Fit equipment in there too. I wouldn't even know what to do with it. 

Yeah. And it's what is? What's that joke? It's like, how? How can you tell if you're in the company of a a vegan crossfitter or whatever? And it's like, uh. 

It's very intimidating. 

Don't worry. They'll they'll. Yeah. So. But. But they were the girls. Were these shorts as well? This is a bunched up thing that kind of cleaves their **** cheeks. So it looks like 22, like perfectly manicured Volkswagen bonnets parked nose to nose. It's. 

That's how you. Hmm. 

Ohh yeah, this crunch this crunch. Yeah. It's kind of kind of separate and lift, isn't it? Yeah, the scrunch, I don't. I don't like the scrunch leggings. I'm probably. 

Yeah. And it's like I don't. 

The only one but I'm not. 

I just don't know. Where to? I don't know where to look like. I don't want to look at anyone, but I don't walk around with headphones in the gym cause I like my spatial awareness and and I'm like, get in, get it done and get out. No, it's very difficult. 

I'm not a fan. 

Yes, you can't stare. You can't stare. 

Can't stare at anyone. 

And I don't know what the rules are these days. So back when we went to the gym, it was all about you'd have your pre workouts, which was effectively speed. 

Hmm. Yeah. 

Do we do pre? Do we do pre workouts anymore and then you know the protein shake today we had a protein shake afterwards and we're standing there and and you were shaking yours and I was like that we do this. 

Legal speed. I don't. 

Anymore. 

Yeah, well, nobody else does. 

I don't know that we. Walk around, shaking the shakes and looking a bit odd in the gym. I don't think we do. I think that was a misstep. 

Yes. Yes, the only reason why I do any of this is to purchase tickets to do bad things. Do you know what I'm saying? Like, it's like if I do this, I can drink the six pack of beer. I can have the burger and chips. I can do all those things. But if I don't, I can't do those things because then I end up back where I was like. 

Yes, that across five days, yeah. 

But and it yeah. 

Six months ago, and let me tell you, I was in a bad way. So I'm I'm and but the. Thing is, is it's it's. Just very intimidating being the oldest person in the. 

Gym. Ohh don't worry. They have duress alarms that you can wear around you now. Yeah, I think you should probably grab. 

Really I need one of those. Well, well, well. I got out of there today and some young man wanted to help me cross. 

One next time. 

The road. Good God, that's enough talk about health and fitness. This isn't the Joe Rogan podcast of the Drive with Doctor Peter Italian. This is t -, 20. We're we're talking. And let me tell you, 20 years ago, it does not seem that long ago until you actually decide to do anything for your own health. And then you realise that you've got 20 years of damage to undo and panel beating and all that sort of stuff. But we're talking about the hatches. Matches and dispatches clue. Right now, a celebrity. We've got a match this week, a celebrity wedding. A celebrity that got married and said this. 

I think it you have to be a little of everything. You have to be fun, honest. Definitely funny charity to be anthropic and just enjoy life. 

I'm going to give you a hint with this one enjoying life, this marriage I think was annulled within two months. We'll find out who that person was at the. 

Hmm. 

End of the show. 

19th of August 2004 we have a video that's aired on Al Jazeera showing Micah Garen sitting on the floor in front of masked, armed insurgents making demands. For his release. Mika is an American filmmaker and journalist and back in 2004 he was documenting looting of archaeological sites in conflict zones. Micah spent months in Iraq documenting the systematic dismantling of the nation's cultural and archaeological legacy. He was initially. 

M. 

Shooting footage with his partner, Marie Helene Carlton, who returned to New York to begin editing the food. 

To. 

In early August. 

And there was so much stuff happening in Iraq post the demise or the capture of Saddam Hussein. So like the palaces were all turned into barracks and stuff, but people were just it was a free for all people were looting and they were taking souvenirs and bits and pieces. And I wouldn't just say it was people from Iraq. I'd say it was people in the armed forces as well. Souvenirs. 

Yeah, the palaces and everything. Yeah, yeah. 

Whatever they could, anything that wasn't nailed down, they'll probably take. Priceless artworks, all sorts of things. So Mike is over there going. This is great. I'm gonna be able to make this fantastic documentary about. It's intriguing and I would love to have seen the outcome of it, but unfortunately on the 13th of August 2004, while he was in a market taking photos with the camera, just a normal SLR camera, he was kidnapped his his, his translator Amir and himself were were approached by a couple of militants. Armed with assault rifles and he was kidnapped, they took him and they led them away at gunpoint. 

Marie Helene learned of the kidnapping in a phone call from Micah's mother. And when the news was confirmed, she, along with his family and the couple's friends, began reaching out to contacts in the Middle East by email and over the phone. Three days into the kidnapping. Then the captors took Micah at gunpoint, brought him into a room to make a video, which is what aired on Al Jazeera. And CNN on the 19th of August. 

Yeah. So he's like it's one of those standard the hostage kind of videos. He's sitting on the floor in front of all these masked, armed insurgents. Calling themselves the Martyrs Brigade, which is a group loyal to the Shiite cleric Muqtada al Sadu, and you can you, you can see him sort of pleading for his life, asking for help and intervention. They threatened to kill him within 48 hours unless the US forces pull out of Najaf, where where they've been fighting. Outsiders rebels for a couple of weeks. 

Look this. 

According to Al Jazeera television, a militant group calling itself the Martyrs Brigade released a video showing a man believed to be Micah Garen in the video of the kidnappers, threatened to kill Garen if U.S. forces do not leave Najaf within 48 hours. 

Wow. 

Perhaps sensing something like this would happen, Garry's fiance had already made a written plea. I am appealing to Micah Garen's kidnappers to release him. He was simply doing his job as a journalist for the past two weeks, American forces in the job have battled militants loyal to radical cleric. Looked tada. Al sadder. Reportedly has accepted a peace plan calling for his men to disarm, but there's no sign yet of an end to the fighting. Garen and his Iraqi translator were abducted last Friday by two armed men. 

Yes. 

Then Garen works for four Corners media based here in New York. His work has appeared in archaeology, magazines, on PBS, and in the New York Times. He spent eight months in Iraq over the past year working on a documentary about the looting of historic sites. 

Michael later said that when the kidnappers came to get him for the filming. It was. The scariest moment throughout the whole ordeal? Yes, he was tied up and blindfolded and and was convinced that they were gonna kill him. And then when his partner and family saw the video after it was broadcast, obviously fearing the worst because we've seen what's happened to Daniel Pearl and obviously Nick Berg, which was right across the Internet. 

Yeah. Well, yeah. Yes. 

Yeah. And both of those kidnappings ended. In brutal deaths, which were. 

Broadcast. What do you. Yeah, of course. You're gonna feel the worst. Yeah. 

Yeah. So it's like, well, anything goes like, of course you would expect the absolute worse. You'd be like, well, I'm done for here. This is it. This is the end. It's all over. I've come to do this documentary. They've got me. Goodbye, everybody. This is the last you'll ever see of me. 

Very scary. 

The thing with these kidnappings is they make great news stories, great news stories, and I guess the more gruesome the outcome, the better it goes from a news point of view. So. So the media are all over this, and during the captivities there's this big behind the scenes effort to encourage Iraqi authority figures to secure his release, partially by his wife. Who? Who'd already? I don't know if he's his wife or his. Partner. And his sister, who who'd already written the letter and they were ready to kind of. 

Hmm. 

They mobilised, they're ready to go. 

Yeah, I think even before the video was released, yeah. 

Yeah. And then a lot of people within Yale University also were mobilised to try and help with his release because his dad was a professor there and they were actually able, they were successful. 

Yeah, yeah, this this one had a good outcome, yeah. 

Yeah. So ten days after his kidnapping, they appealed to Al Sada. Or sada or however you want to pronounce the ******** name. And they they turned him over umm and unharmed on the 22nd of August. Unbelievable. A really good outcome. Yeah, he was pretty thankful for that. He he thanked Moqtada al Sada and said that it was great that they they. They made those efforts and and it was great that he all those people came to his aid to help him get real. Least and then after he was released, he said he wanted to stay in Iraq and finish the project. Can you believe that? 

OK, I'm his partner and I'm like, no way in hell you get your home to New York right now. Stats. You can come and edit footage. That's it? Yeah. And. And he also said that after the night he was taken hostage. This is really scary and sad. He wrote. He wrote a message proclaiming. 

Yeah. 

His love for his partner and his dog with a read on a cigarette wrapper because. 

Ohh. 

Is he wasn't sure what was going to happen. He. Well, he was actually pretty confident that he would be killed and he kept it inside his shirt pocket the entire time. 

And they actually, they wrote a memoir about all of this, and it's it's available as an audio book as well. And and he narrates part of it. 

Wow. 

Yeah, I think they should have got somebody a bit more high profile to narrated, actually, he's a bit deadpan. 

Ohh, you're not impressed. 

Ah, no. I listened to a sample of it today. 

With his voice over. 

And I was like ohh. 

Well, he's a journalist, not a voice actor. 

Yeah. I mean, it's authentic. It's definitely authentic. No, but obviously a fantastic outcome given the terrible circumstances that happen there and a big, big news story this week and a little bit into next week as well. 

Yeah, yeah. 

Let's go over to sport to make us all feel better about the world, because it's still Olympic fever. 

Yes. Well, it's kind of sport and news, isn't it? Cause the Olympics just dominates coverage of everything while they're on. 

Yes. 

Yes, if you put the two together, it's called spews. 

Yes. And we fused out a big day for thorpy the thorpedo on the 16th of August 2004. He had the highly anticipated race of the century. I quote. That's what they were calling it, the men's 200 metres freestyle. 

Yes. 

They're getting to pull away from bonded Hogan bond. Still in 3rd, Keller was in fourth and Hackett was in fifth. Hackett's gonna have to get it going in lane two. He doesn't seem to be in it, so here comes the torpedo. Well, bombing, hold the bombs, not give it up, but he's. Gonna run out. Of the room, the torpedo. Who had bonded? Hogan Bond beaten four years ago, gets the Gold Bond and Hogan bond gets the silver and Phelps gets the Bronx. 

Phelps gets the bronze. There's something you don't hear every day, thought thought, but already, well, we talked about this last week where he won the 400, so he was already. 

Yes. Did. 

The favourite and and. 

He was the favourite, but it was a big deal because Phelps, easy, was pretty, pretty good at the time, and Vanden hooking bands that would be tricky. 

From the Netherlands, yes. 

Being an announcer, that would probably stress you out. Did you know Van in Dutch means of or from? 

Yes. 

And so van den Hugen band would be. 

Of the. 

From from the Hugen band. 

And then. Yes, from the hooking band, we are from the hoogan band. We're gonna play you a few tunes. Yes, yes. Well, we're very we're very famous for playing the hogans. Yes. No, fantastic instrument. I'm not really sure what the hooking would be if it was an instrument, but I feel like it'd be in the Horn section. 

I wonder what sort of music they know again. Great instruments. 

Big fan. 

I think you'd have a read. Yeah, for sure. 

Yes. Or maybe you read, yes, but definitely, definitely in the horn section. So so. 

Yeah. 

For Thorpe, he was the favourite, though who can band takes the lead at the start. Thorpe and fell close behind. Thorpe maintains a strong and steady pace, conserving energy for that final Sprint of by goodness. Didn't he Sprint in the last 50 metres he surges forward. 

Yes. 

Thorpe loves a surge, doesn't he? 

Takes a big surge from Thorpe, overtakes Van and Hoogan band, touches the wall first, wins the medal with a time of 14471 which was an Olympic record, which was just one. 

Yes. 

Beautiful and his jubilation at the end of that, he was quite ecstatic. There's that famous shot of him with his fist out of the water. Just going. Yes. He was very, very pumped up in that one. Yeah. The the 200 was a big one for him and and a big one for Australia. 

Now that was from that right. 

Was that his last Olympics or didn't? The one. Yes. Focus. He he resigned to focus on Thorpe's Angels. 

I think so. 

B. 

Yes, he retired in 2006 because he just lost his mojo, he said his motivation was waning. Yeah, he'd had enough. He wanted to embark on a TV career. 

Yeah, Sophie's angels very busy, very busy making over guys sheds. 

Yeah, but you. 

Can't you know, I mean, and he was a he was an icon. And and I I don't I wouldn't want to take anything away from him anything away from him. But you can't teach charisma and you can't make an athlete a television presenter or anything like that. Just not gonna work. So you know. 

No. 

I mean, he's commentating now who? He's commentating his Harris. 

Is he? Is he any good or gonna be? Commentating the swimming. 

Ming, you know what? He knows his stuff, and I think it's good to hear his perspective of it. Cause he brings the facts. But you need like you need a big lead commentator. So he does the colour you know. 

Yes, it brings the facts. 

Yeah. 

Does he do any surges? Does he like bring excitement or is he quite deadpan? 

He doesn't really. He doesn't really bring the excitement. He's the fax guy. And then the commentator guy does the. Yeah. Well, no, they don't bring him in. He's a he's a psychopath. I'm fairly certainly got restraining orders against him. Fence the pull. Shut the gate. Keep that ******** out of here. 

Fat. Yes. 

And they're bringing Laurie Lawrence or the guy that coaches Carney. 

Get him away. There was other. There was other medals happening this week though. For Australia 17th of August, Gold for Grant Hackett in the men's 1500 freestyle. 

Also 17 August, Jodie Henry for the Women's 100 metre freestyle. 

Yes, 20th of August and Amirs in the women's 500 metre time trial cycling. 

On 21 August 2004, we have the women's 4 by 100 medley relay, Giann, Rooney, Liesel Jones, Patria Thomas and Jodie Henry. 

Let's still had sour grapes about that because of all the the stuff with Sarah Ryan the week before. It wasn't her fault. It was the IT was the officials of the Australian team. 

With the. 

Patria replacing. So she did. No, it's not Patricia's fault. But then why did they put Patria in the other medal? Why did Patricia get to? 

In medley. 

Go and ohh look at this you realise. 

I'm not sure what her stroke was. Well, the medley is one where you do the freestyle butterfly. Breaststroke. Backstroke, right? 

Yeah, but she got to go and to realise. Yeah, she's already in this another one. 

Yes. And Sarah? Well, she Sarah didn't train. The medley reeler. 

Yeah, but that's what I'm saying. They could have let Sarah do the other relay, and Patrick could have. 

Hey. 

That relay. 

I don't know. I reckon you the the most the most feared person in the medley relay team would be the person that does butterfly cause that stroke is for psychos. It's just hectic. It's so hard. 

Could have shared it. 

The butterfly can't replace them. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I used to do it at the swimming carnival at school because no one would. 

Yeah. 

Go in it. 

How did you? 

And I'd be. 

Go. Yeah, you won. 

Yes, well, oh, no. I came second because there was one other person. She was a. She was a great swimmer. She her hair was actually green for most. Of the year from the chlorine. 

And that's all right. 

And there's no way I could beat her. But there was only two. 

Yes, that's right. So even though you want silver, your hair was. 

Of us in the race. 

Beautiful. Outstanding. There was also controversy on the there's always drama at the Olympics like there's, you know, they the drama in Paris, there was stuff happening at the boxing this year in Paris, you know, with the the female boxer who had their XY chromosomes. And they're like, that's a man. And it's like that. 

Ohh, bring it. Bring the drama please. Love it. Love. Olympic drama. 

Ohh yes yes. 

Person competed in Tokyo as a. Email. Not really sure everyone's getting their facts straight, but people were very quick to outrage. People were very quick to outrage on the 18th of August, though. In 2004, when two Greek sprinters, Costas Conterras and it Katerini Thanu, voluntarily withdrew after a doping scandal. And this was extraordinary. This story so Costas wins the gold medal in the 200 metres at the 2000 Sydney Olympics cost us and then ekaterini wins the silver medal. I don't have a silver. Thing at all. 

Why don't we go silver? 

Yes, yes. 

Great. In the 100 metres at the Sydney Olympics as well, they are considered hot ticket items, big medal contenders over in Athens and they're Greek. They're national heroes. They're like we cannot wait until Costas and Ekaterini come and take gold in Athens in their hometown, the hometown heroes. 

Yes, but national heroes hometown. 

But on the eve of the opening ceremony, they miss a scheduled drug test. Yes, they skipped. 

Yeah. It yes, this is like the official test. The IOC did the test. It's part of the pre competition testing. 

So they come round and look. 

Wouldn't you know? Like, isn't that part of going to the Olympics that you've gotta go and pee in a cup before anything else? 

Yes. Of course, of course. Happens. It's actually a really horrible thing. Drug testing for the Olympics or anything. So having worked with with elite athletes and and talking to them about it, they're like, it's the worst. I'm like what happens? 

Why you don't you don't. It's not peeing in. 

A cup it is, but they come around to your house and you, you can't. You can't take. 

Yeah. Yeah. 

Cup into a private location. 

Ohh it's not. Like when we did it in work, when you went into the toilet and then you put the cup in. 

No, no. 

The window and someone took. 

It. Yeah. No, that. What did you not? 

Do that for work. What? When I started work, I had to. Yes, I had to. I had to pee in a cup. And they're like. 

You have to do a physical. Right. Yeah. 

When you're done. 

Hmm. 

Just put it in the window. And then and close the window and then we close we open the window on the. 

We'll come and collect it for you. 

Other side and we take. 

Oh. 

It away. So I put my wee in the window and I. I was. I was too slow to close the window, and then I saw someone reach in and take my wee. 

And it just felt like something out of the Adams. 

Family. Thank you, thing. I just. I don't know, it just felt wrong. It's like that's mine. That's come out of my body. And then I was like, ohh hope they're wearing glove. Cause you know when you were in a cup you never get it all in the cups. You wanna spill on the side and it's warm. 

That's. Like where you. And spill it on the. Side. Yeah, you know. 

That'd be a bad. 

Yeah, but you had one of those things that, no, but you had one of those things like in the country motels where they put breakfast in it. Yeah, but it. But instead of breakfast, it's pee. 

Job. So you didn't have to do. Yes, just like the breakfast, yes. 

In a cup. 

But if you wee in the cup and then they take the cup away so. 

Wow. No. No. So what happened? We. No, they do. No, wait, they do. Just let me finish. 

You don't wee. In a cup. Do you do? Do you? A poo. 

OK. I'm sorry. 

Goodness me, you're getting very excited. 

I and I know. 

So what happens is the is the official knocks on your door comes around your house like it's time for the pee test, right? OK. And they have to pee in the cup, but they have to pee in the cup in front of the official because they don't want to be seen to be tampering with this and. And so think. 

Hmm. 

Uh. 

Don't trust you, hmm. 

About this right, think about that. Most of the athletes are early 20s. Hmm, maybe a bit younger. Gymnasts, they'll have to pay and have their children. You know, these officials come round and have to watch them do a wee. It's it's extremely confronting and a horrible thing to actually have to go through and do. It's it. I I I think it's traumatic. 

Hmm. Hmm. Ohh. They're very happy. Yeah. Yeah. 

Yeah, I'm just. I I'm. I'm sorry. I'm thinking way too much about it, but so you'd. Yeah, they'd have to. 

I I personally would have stage fright I if somebody said to me, OK, I'm gonna watch you pee 123. Go. I'd be like. 

Yes. 

Can't do it, so everyone, everyone effectively then would have to do a stand up wee so they could be sure. 

Well, no. Well, no, they can. They can observe like they can, but they have to go into the toilet with you and watch you and make sure. The the the stream connects with the bottom. Of the cup. 

Yes. And I thought ohh you missed the cup. You're not a very. Good. Either are you, that's. 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly. So these guys skip the test and I'm kind of like, yeah, I'd. I'd wanna. 

What they'd say to me. 

Hmm. 

Skip it too. 

No, that's the rules. You wanna win a medal? You pee in the cup. 

It is, it is so that. But these guys missed it. OK, so so Costas and and the Katerini miss it. And the reason why is they were reportedly involved in a motorcycle accident in Athens and they were taken to hospital by a passing motorist. Now motorcycle accidents. 

Come on, get over yourself. 

They did. 

A little bit more traumatic than having to pee. 

In a cup? You'd think so, yes. Yes, they said. They fell off a bike that was lent to them by their coach, Christos Secos. Yes, at the time, they just learned that they'd missed the test. And apparently we're fanging it back on the bike from crystals to get there, to turn themselves in. 

To say say hey, we missed the test. We're gonna turn ourselves in. 

Can we do our? Can we do our pee now please? 

Yes, well, apparently, allegedly. So they go to hospital for their injuries and and everyone's like. 

This is the story, yes. 

Hmm. Suspicious. 

Something's not adding up here. This is a little bit suss because the accident coincides with the failure to appear at the drug test, so the IC like right, we're gonna put an investigation into this and the circumstances surrounding the accident and the investigation reveals a whole bunch of inconsistencies. They never got their story straight between them. The reported details of the accident, the time, the location, all of that stuff, was brought into question and they were very inconsistent about that and because they missed the drug test. They were suspicious that they were avoiding being caught for doping. That was the that was what came. To mind it's. Like, well, you know, I think you're just trying to concoct a cock and bull story to say that you couldn't didn't do the test. 

Hmm. 

So then there's mounting pressure to admit what was actually going on. 

Yes. 

Yes. So they decide to voluntarily withdraw from the Olympics on 18 August 2004. 

Yes, and this is the the the statement from Giselle Davis from the IOC at the press conference. 

Mr Constantinos Cantares and Mr Caterina Tanu. Along with their coach, Christos Techos surrendered their accreditations. They thereby give up their place at the Athens Olympic Games and their chance to compete here in Athens. Athletes who have withdrawn from the Athens Olympic Games prior to competition are no longer participants. Therefore, the athletes unequivocal surrender this morning of their accreditations means that the IOC's sanction of expulsion from the games becomes a moot point. 

Hmm, so it doesn't matter. 

I would have come up with a better story. 

Well, they just, they pulled out. So it didn't matter, but. 

If you're gonna. Go like, come up with a more interesting story. 

Well, they were punished. So they were punished. Hmm. You know, it's. Yeah, it this is. It's not like it's like the dog ate my homework sort of stuff. So 2005, the International Association of Athletics Federation or I double AF. Ban both of them for two years for anti doping rule violations related to the missed test and the quote false accident claim. So they're saying that they they were lying that there was no accident. Costas retires from athletics following this scandal, but a Katerini goes back to compete after her ban but never regained. The level of success that she had, which of course then posts even more questions. Right? Yeah. The Greek judicial system take legal action against them and their coaches. They're like, God, the whole nation was. 

Well, maybe she's doing P tests. Yes, yes. 

Behind you, you embarrassed us when we were hosting the Olympics. Christos, the coach, was accused of being involved in the cover up as well. There was well, yes, it was his bike. So obviously, what did he do? He's just outside. He's. 

Well, she's back. 

Your bike was involved in this line. 

Just like oh. 

Just take me bunch. 

I'm just just tipped his bike over in the driveway and said yeah, it's ********. Buddy. 

They clearly fell off. Look at that dance. Yeah. 

Costas and Katerini crashed it. Yes, lots of developments over the years with it, though. They found that the accident was actually staged, but there was no conclusive evidence to charge them with doping offences. Faked the accident. There was no evidence to prove that they were doping, but why would you? 

Maybe they've faked it for another reason then. 

Well, maybe they. Just faked it because they were like ohh. We missed the test, you know anyway. 

Yeah, maybe. Ohh, we don't wanna pee in. A cup. 

National disappointment for the Greeks, though, were very upset. 

Yes, hometown, they were probably how many, how many Greek medals do they win? Usually they're not one of. 

Yeah. 

The countries that are right up the top. Top so it's probably their biggest hope. 

Host nation though. 

Hope. Well, they were probably the biggest. 

Hope for for. 

Metals, yes, yes, exactly. And they quite literally were taking the ****. Over to technology, but I think this is more of a combination of technology and finance. Ohh, where on the 19th of August Google becomes a publicly traded company via initial public offering. 

The 30 something founders of Google had good reason to cheer today on their first day of trading as a public company, they raised $1.7 billion in cash and made the stock of Google as valuable as General Motors. Sergey Brin and Larry Page achieved that success despite cutting the professional investment community out of the process. 

Most of Wall Street wanted this offering to fail. Loved that it was developing problems and hope that the stock price would crater or the offering would be postponed. 

The offering went off as scheduled, but the outcome was often in doubt. Google's decision to snub Wall Street investment bankers in favour of a complicated auction process soured big institutional buyers, and it was certainly risky to debut an Internet company in a sinking market for technology stocks. 

I am. Absolutely think there could have been a time and a place where the. IPO would have perf. 

Better now. It's not about the performance of the IPO. 

Good afternoon Google Diana. 

It's about the performance of the company. Google has more than doubled its profits in the last year selling Internet advertising. But with Microsoft and Yahoo Gunning for its search engine users, fortunes can quickly change. 

Hmm. 

Fortunes can quickly change well. The rest is history, isn't it, really? 

They were offering 19,605,052 shares to the public. Yeah, and they used a Dutch auction system. 

Yeah, which is what really annoyed the Wall Street guys. But if we just go back to the the Microsoft Yahoo thing, I mean, you know, Google, it has become such a an ingrained part of our vernacular now. 

Yes. 

Not not Yahoo it or. 

You know well, it's a verb, isn't it? To do it, Google is. A doing word. 

Yes. And like my well. 

Not just a, not just a proper noun. 

Well, and what's Microsoft now? They've got edge edge and edging means something completely different these days. Anyway. Yes, the auction system. 

It's a, it's a verb. 

Ed. Yes, Dutch auction system which is a departure from the traditional methods that usually I think you have investment bankers who allocate shares but they went with the Dutch auction because it gives individual investors a fair chance to participate and it sets a more market driven initial price. So in a Dutch auction you start with a high asking price. 

Yeah. 

And then you gradually lower it until a bit is. Elected or the price reaches a predetermined minimum. 

Yeah, and This is why the guys at Wall Street were so annoyed because it's like, well, this is not how it's done. And they're like, well, this is how we're doing it. Yes. So they open the stock at $100.01 per share. 

Hmm. 

Which is pretty much above the IPO price of $85. 

Yeah, that was their minimum, I think, yes. 

Yeah. And then they close at $100.34 per share, which is a 17% increase on the first day of trading, which doesn't sound like much when you look at it that way. 

Hmm. 

But when you get to the bottom line at the end of that day of trading, yes. 

Yes, it raises around $1.67 billion, making it one of the largest technology IPO's at the time. Ohh wow. Now I promise you that we do some maths. And who is who better than to math it for us and. 

OK. 

ChatGPT because. Like algorithms and stuff like obvious. 

Yeah, sure. 

Obviously supercomputers and so I popped it into GPT and I said, hey, if I bought one share in Google in 2004, what would it be worth today? So it gave me like it even showed it's working out. Didn't just give me an answer, showed me it showed me it's working out like full. 

Yeah. 

Ohh did it. It's nice of it to reveal its secrets. Yeah. Yeah, well, well done. 

Full mark. 

Had, like, something over something to the power of something. And an equal sign that looks like. Waves and I don't understand. 

Say nothing artificial about that intelligence. That's the real deal. 

Don't understand. Don't understand any of it. OK? What do you reckon? What do you reckon your $85 share from 2000? Four would be worth today, so if you bought one share in 2004, what would it be worth today in 2024? 

So if you had one share. Ah. God, I shuddered to even think because there was. There was 19 was it, 19,000,000 shares offered to the public on the day 19 1/2. They're about. What do I think $85 worth of Google shares would be worth now, is it? I mean, I'm going to sound like an idiot. Is it in the thousands? 

Hmm. 

No. 

In the hundreds, yes. Is it high hundreds. 

No. 

Low hundreds? Yes, like 120. 

Dollars $166.66. 

Really. 

Is that I was expecting millions. Yeah, I was expecting millions. And I was like, geez, I'm dumb for. Not buying that, that's not. 

Yeah. And then it doesn't really well. 

And at its highest point, and then said, well, what was it at its highest point? It did some other equation that was confusing. The highest closing price for Alphabet Inc, which is the owners of Google or something like that. Was on the 10th of July this year 192 dollars and. $0.66. 

Really. 

So it's. 

That's not. That's not a great return on investments really compared. 

No, it's double. Are you? To other tech. Is that accurate? 

Well, that's what that GPT did, and it's a super computer, so I believe it. 

Yeah. Well, there you go. Alright. OK. Thanks, Chad team. They they kind of burst the bubble. 

Hmm. 

A little bit do. 

I don't like that they had a Dutch auction, though. I'm sensing a bit of a Dutch theme tonight with Sandra Hogan. Hmm. Who can band? I reckon there'd definitely be a bassoon in the hoogan band. 

Yeah. Wait, shut the door to the studio. We have a Dutch oven if you like. Music. Tom. Mel. 

Yeah. Should we start with the US? Charts. 

I think that would be a wonderful idea. 

Side. 

Nobody. You got me going crazy. 

My baby boy. 

Keep breaking that back. I don't know how to act. So motion for my slow motion for back slow motion for me slow. 

Don't dance. He just pull up my pants. Hit. Do the rock away. Lean back, lean. Lean back. 

That is, that is the first time in about six months, I would say, and probably even longer, that usher has not been in the top five, no usher in the top five, no confessions, no burn. 

wow 

Probably more, yeah. 

No. 

No. 

Yeah. 

Yeah. Nothing. No usher in the charts. 

Wow. He would have been very cranky. 

This week, 20 years ago. 

Would he though? Or is? He just taking a well earned break before he plans his. Yeah. Yeah. Would he? Yup. It. 

No, I think. You'd have. You'd have this this show. Yeah, yeah, he'd be that kind of guy, you know? 

But I'm very excited. That lean backs, number one. I've still gotta edit it for my ringtone. Because I thought the start of it like the oht would be a great ringtone and then I figured out about 5 or 6 seconds and it's got the. 

Yes. 

Yeah. 

N word. 

Yes, you can't have that. You can't have that. 

So I need to find a radio edit and I then need to cut it up and add it to my phone so it's not. It's not quite done yet. 

Right. Yeah, because you don't want that that. 

But that will be my homework before next episode. I'll have lean back as my ringtone. Not that anyone will hear it because my phones been on. 

Well, yes. 

Silent for about 12 years. 

Yeah. And it's not like you ever answer your calls. Anyway. 

No, no. But I'm very happy to see Terra. Squad feet Fat Joe in at. 

Number one with Lynn Fat. 

Sorry, I burped. Then do you reckon it's embarrassing? Ohh, dear. That's too much for everyone. 

That's fine. That's fine. No one would have heard. It I was, I was still. 

Jumping maybe. I don't know. OK. 

Slow motion in at #2 that was. 

Can I just say that actually happens a lot behind the scenes, but we usually edited out? I don't know, but I was listening to it happen in real time and I was like, I don't. Think I can fix. That that's alright. OK. 

With. So now you've just brought. 

Attention to us. 

So it's all right, we all do it. It happens from time to time. 

Slow motion. Juvenile. Yeah, I think featuring the guy that passed at #2 sunshine, I got. No, I cannot remember. Who was sunshine by? I have no idea. 

Yeah. 

Sunshine. Ah. Why do you ask me these things? See. Now, if I if I know this. If I know this, I'm gonna look. Really. 

I cannot remember for the life of Miss and was only a week ago. And it was featuring someone. And you thought it was a Leah, but it was Leah. I know that it's feat, Leah. Who's the singer? It's a guy. 

You're. 

Very slow. Are you using edge? 

Little flip. 

Ohh that's right. 

This. 

Little flip flip. Not a full flip, just. 

A little flip. No. Turn me on. 

Sorry, I was. I was, yeah, I was edging. That's why it took so. 

Long to turn me on, Kevin. Like. 

As well, maybe if Kevin Little was around, I wouldn't have been edging would have gone all the way anyway. 

#4. 

No, and dip it low, which you've you've done a song breakdown for, dip it low. It was quite sexual. 

Yeah, it's. Well, it's just about hanging your bum out. Really. Dip it low. Pick it up slow, pop to pop to pop that thing, or whatever it is to drive your man wild. 

Yes, yes. There's a lot of flesh. 

That's that's our new entry this week by Christina Milian. 

Yeah. And specifically, if he's into **** stuff, really, like, gotta be into ****. Stuff. 

The scrunchy leggings stuff maybe? 

Yeah, if you did well that. Yeah, if you dipped it low in those things. Yeah. Yeah. 

Yes, yes. And say what you. 

Breakfast, second studio album, it's about time. 

And probably what you're about to have for lunch. But anyway, yes, it is about time for Christina Milian. She's arrived, in fact. 

Christina million. 

I I really liked her. The AM PM song. Did you? Yeah. That was her first album, though. 

Not so much. Dip it low though, like that's just it's not very classy. 

I wasn't well. I don't think it was that big here in Australia and I think the reason why was there were so many different versions, the original version. Featured fables, your favourite? One of your favourite rappers? Fabulous and the fabulous version was only in the US, Canada, Ireland and the UK. 

Ohh 5 by. The list, yeah. Yes. Only only in five country. 

They had a remix featuring the German rapper Ohh. 

Right. 

Fabulous. 

A very good German accent was it? How would you do? Say fabulous in German? 

Fabulous. 

No, it wasn't a German fabulous. It was a German rapper called Sammy Deluxe. 

Sammy deluxe. 

Sammy Deluxe was on the that one, and that was released in Austria, Finland, France. Germany, Sweden and Switzerland, right? But here in Australia we had no rapper Sands rapper. 

Hmm. 

No. Ohh really for dip. 

It low? Yeah, just the solo version was just Christina, which is probably why it didn't. I don't think it did anything here because we wanted for Luis or Sammy. 

Really cut the wrap part out. Well. Yeah. OK. 

I was trying to do. I can't do German, can I? I know just it just doesn't. I just can't. I physically can't. 

No, it's cause you've got Dutch heritage and I think you, yeah, it's you, your grandmother, your grandmother would be very offended. 

I physically can't do it. So Australia, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and New Zealand. Well, that's why in the Netherlands we didn't. They didn't want the German rapper Sammy and Norway. So just Christina, so 3 versions, right. But from an American point of view, it was her most successful single good for her reaching #5. 

Exactly. 

Hmm. 

Yes. 

And yeah, I went in the top five in. The Netherlands as well. 

And is it a little bit more eclectic over in the UK they had a different #1 the the song is called Baby Cakes and the group is called. This is just that disposable UK pop. The group is called three of a kind. 

How? And. Step by step. Every minute. 

That's garage that's called garage. That's. 

What's? 

Like Craig, David's stuff. 

Is that garage? Is that called garage? Ohh. Spear. Garage, garage. Like Ali G. You know when he saw us, I was. I was listening to be a garage. Yes. Is that what that is? 

Yeah, the music, the music in the way that they sing. Yeah, yeah. 

Yes, correct. 

That's what that is, yes. 

I never knew that until just now. I was today years old when I found that out. 

Yeah. Artful Dodger as well. Reese. Reese Wines from the catapult selector. It is. Yes, baby cakes. When I worked in promotional advertising, we had a client. 

Spear garage. That's all garage garage. 

Where she worked. She bought like she used to buy the really expensive corporate gifts, like, you know, the pens that were engraved, not pad printed, like the metal pens, and engrave them. She'd definitely buy yourself now, like yes, but not neoprene. They're really nice plastic. The one that's really nice to roll your mouth over. Keep your mouth. 

Yeah. Yeah. Yep. USB sticks. Mouse mats. Sure. Yeah. Savings. 

All nice and clean. Yeah, look. 

Yeah. 

You buy all the expensive stuff, but. 

Isn't. That's an early 2000s problem, isn't it? Keeping your mouth ball clean? 

That your mouth will. Yes. Maybe you should have to open it up and pull the ball out. Wash your ball, wash your ball. You got a lot. I know. 

Yeah. 

Take the bowl out and wash your ball. Otherwise your mouth would stop working. Your bowl would get clogged up with lint. 

Why can't I? Why can't I double? 

Click on that. I'm a bulls dirty. 

Yeah, ohh my balls clogged. Got a clogged ball? 

Yeah, it was always clogged with dust and and the hands hand grips. 

On my mouse. Hmm. Hmm. 

Gross. Anyway, whenever she she'd ring up, she put an order in, and then she'd go. Thanks, baby cakes. And hang up. She'd call all of us, baby. 

She call you baby Kate. That's not appropriate. 

Cakes. 

But all of us, I just felt used, cause we were all called. None of us. 

It's not OK. And she was a. 

Were special. 

Client. Yeah, she was like, and she was really posh. And she's like, oh, look at it all. It depends. 

Thank you, baby cakes. 

Oh baby cakes. 

Beep, beep beep. She hang up anyway. Well, just reminded me of her, but they know they were garage Liana Caruana, AKA Miss tipster. 

Wow. 

Yes. Right, miss tips. 

Yes, Nicholas. 

Yeah, let's see. Like the footy tipping. You know. Maybe something like that? 

Nicholas Galante, AKA MC Devine and Mark Portelli. 

Hmm. 

Yeah. Ohh. They he didn't. He doesn't have a name. He's just mark patelli. 

Did. 

He was too tired to come up with. Anything. 

Well, Mark Patelli in itself has, I think Mark Patelli in itself is pretty good. Like why would you change that? I don't need an MC Devine or miss tipster. I'm mark patelli. Look out. Do you know who that was? No, that is Mark Patelli. 

Garch takes a lot of. Energy. Mark patelli. 

Mark Pacelli sounds expensive. 

They met on the day that. They recorded baby cakes. Hello. I'm still song together. 

What? Yeah. Hey, let's do a song. Let's call it baby cakes. It'll be number one in the UK. See, that's what I mean. That's that. That's offensive. It's horrible. It's just. Well, they obviously will manufacture. 

That's a bit disposable, isn't it? Yes, yes. 

Feel like Simon Cowell's behind? 

This you'd have to. Where did it come from? What is all of this? How? How did they? 

No, I don't know. I they weren't a reality show or anything. That the song, though, was inspired by the American made for TV movie called Baby Cakes starring Ricky Lake. 

Right. 

And that film was about a woman called grace. 

Can I guess? Is it a Christmas movie? If it's made for TV? It's gotta be. Christmas film ha ha. 

Yes, attempting to begin a romance with the guy who works on the subway that she boarded every day. So that song was about that. 

Uh. Gross, right? 

The band did record a follow up single called Wink One Eye, but that was never released unfortunately and. 

Yes. 

Really never saw the light of day, even after a number one in the UK charts. Wow. 

After benefits. Yes, after baby cakes. Yep, they never released it. Never saw further chart success. That was it. Nicolas then went on to become a professional party planner. And I think his party planning business had the word. Baby cakes in it. 

MC Devine became a party planner that's kind of appropriate. Yeah, I can see that happening. 

Yes. 

Yes, and it had the word baby cakes. It was something something baby cakes. 

Yeah. 

Leanna opted for a career in art. I'm not sure what. That's just a just a blanket art, art and mark became a professional poker player. 

Leonid marijuana. Just an artist. That makes perfect sense. Look, they're Mark Vitelli, professional poker player. 

Mark Patelli poker player. 

Yeah, professional poker players. You know, there's some things. There's something about professional poker. 

Kelly's professional poker players. 

And I'm I I don't want to. I don't want to isolate a portion of our audience that might play poker. Prof. 

They're shifting. 

Personally, but I do know a few professional poker players and they're all quits. 

So it's an interesting Remember Me to do poker down at the at the pub, at our pub, they'd wear sunglasses so you couldn't see it, but it's not so much your eyes that react to the cards you get. It's more like the. 

It is. There's something about, yes, yes, yes. 

Look on your face. Well, they're they're. 

Heads because they wear sunglasses and you see the reflection of the clouds in the sun. 

Collection. 

Glasses. They'd wear sunglasses, and they'd have headphones on. 

Hats and they'd wear hats. And they'd pull the hats down really low. 

Yeah, and they'd set them up in the pub. They'd take up the entire pub doing this poker competition, right? It's like the the Aussie Poker League or some like that and they come in and they think they're amazing. They all had, like, bad ***** moustaches and they'd wear sunglasses indoors and headphones and they would not put any money over the bar. They'd all drink freaking water. 

Yeah, dumb. 

And they were always really stressed. I've gotta be on there. A game can't smashed. 

You know. Yeah, and they wouldn't have it. Wouldn't wanna have any tells. Wouldn't wanna, you know, have your tells. So the other players can tell if you're bluffing or not. So they'll and they'll come in there and they think that they're these high stakes, High Roller poker players. 

9. 

And they just did this. It's not a joke. They're just kids, that's all. It's like you walk in, you'll be having you sit at the bar having a beer and you'd see these people walking with sunglasses and headphones on wearing, I don't know, BBQ shirts, like, you know, Lacoste or some like that. And they just, they'd sit there and they wouldn't speak to anyone. 

Ohh, it's patelli poker night again. Umm. 

Play poker. Yeah. And you know, I maybe it's like, you know what, I one day hopefully I'll hit the big leagues and I'll get. 

Do you? Yeah, that's. 

To. 

The thing though, do you win? Do you win? 

Take on Mark patelli. 

Do you win? A lot of money. Or do you in poker? 

At the hub. I don't know. You know what it's like. 

I think it's the poker where you know they they shoot you if you don't pay the money. That's where you win a. 

Lot of money, like the gangster poker. 

Ohh, right. Yeah. OK. I don't know. I just look back at when we went to Vegas and we went to that tattoo parlour and the lady that gave us the tattoos turned around and said to us, yes, well, we're talking about this. Yeah, but that's that's a lot. That's a story for another podcast because it's a long one. Yeah. You didn't use the proper aftercare, but. 

The tattoo that gave me an infection, yes. 

That was my fault. It's my fault. No, I know from me. 

That she said about Las Vegas, which I think sums up the gambling industry altogether, she said this city was not built on winners. And it's true. Like it's like, you know, it's an industry that's that's basically exists because people lose and that's what poker is all about. And look, nothing says loser to me like somebody sitting in a pub drinking water, wearing sunglasses and headphones, looking at a deck of cards for about four hours. 

Very profound. 

But nothing says winner to me like Australian Idol. 

Well. Yeah. Unless you, Cosima, who did not win because nodules. 

But. 

Winning this week in 2004, number one, number one with the war, is over. 

Yes. Yes, Cosma de Vito, Denny's sister. 

That songs the war is. Over. 

When the war is over, when the war is over, yes, that's a that is a cold chisel. 

Visit. 

Cover that she did. 

I didn't know that that was the name of that. 

Yes, it is called when the war is over. 

Song. 

I thought it was called. Ain't nobody gonna steal. This heart away. 

No, it's called when the war is over. It was originally done by Cold Chisel. John Farnham has also covered it. It lives many a time. I saw John Farnham do it in concerts and and the costumer did it. 

I was thinking of something else then towards. How many John Farnham concerts did you go to? OK, you said many times. 

1. But he was televised. Well, he was televised. Many. Times there was always a John Farnham concert on TV. Yeah, and simulcast as well on the radio. Remember, you used to be able to watch concert on the TV and simulcast on the radio. And here because there's. 

Ohh, New Years every new year. Ohh yes, you play it on the radio at the same time and it it'd never be synchronised. Be a little bit out. 

Ohh dependent on where you lived, I I always managed to achieve perfect sync with my simulcasts. Anyway, Kosma Kosma did this one kosma covered this cold chisel song. She did it on the show as well. I do remember before she went off because nodules. She did it pre nodules and then and then she surfaced. 

Your. Mouth would never and that was. Exactly. 

It was lips thinking it's never quite matched. Pre nodules. 

After nosey and and Guy had done their singles and stuff, she surfaced post nodules with it as a single and she was she was the wild card everyone thought. Cosima was a a favourite to win. 

Yes. 

Yes. 

It Dicko said she. Would have won. Dickey's money was on on her. 

It will, they reckon, yeah. Except nodules except nodules. So yeah. Speak. 

She had had speech therapy. 

To get over the nodule surgery. Yeah, they were quite bad, apparently, because she did. She lost her voice during she did a version of River Deep Mountain High. 

Yeah. 

Yeah, that's full on. 

And she lost her voice during that. 

Happens to the. Best of us? 

No it doesn't. It happens to, well, the the best of us. Who are you referring to? 

I don't know if you go hard you. 

Lose your voice, Harry. OK, it happens. 

Yeah, you do. Yeah. It's happened to me, barracking at the football, but I never got nodules, so Dicko reckons she would have won it. Is that right? 

To me all the time. 

No. 

Yeah, that was dicos. That was Dickey's. Inside scoop. Yeah, he was like, man, she would have won. 

OK. Yeah. Anyway, she recovered from the nodules, didn't she? But she didn't. Did she have a record deal? 

She was no. She was trying to get one. And I mean usually first, second, third, get deals. But she she couldn't. So she funded her own label, CDV customer. DeVito. I I think mum and dad chipped in. I think the family go fund me. 

Right, right, how? Ohh, the family. Do you reckon it was? I mean, Danny, she went over to Danny Devito's house. Hey, Danny, listen. He's like, what do? 

You want Uncle Dan? Need a? 

Yeah. Yeah. So the family bankrolled the single and yet. 

Record label if I'm sure. 

Well said. Financial help from her family. I don't. Know how much they chipped in. 

But The thing is, it's like a cover of a cold chisel song. So surely cold Chisel would have got all the royalties. So when the war is over. 

Would have had to pay them. You know, maybe they donated it. 

UM. Wow. Yeah. OK, so well that. 

Hmm. 

Would have been expensive for the. 

Family. Well, she also flew to LA to. 

Well, that's very that's expensive. 

And Diane. Diane. No, not Diane. Diane Warren, who did stuff for Celine and Christina Aguilera and Aerosmith, wrote the tracks on it. So that also would have been. 

Yes. 

Oh my God. Nice. 

Expensive, but she. 

Ohh that's right, cause she thought that though everyone was like oh customer is the new. 

Celine, that's what Diane Wynne said next, Celine, but a younger, a younger, edgier Celine, younger, edgier Celine down. 

Yeah, yeah. 

Yeah. 

Yeah, that's what they reckon. Yeah. I mean, I don't think you can get much more edgier. Than Céline Dion. 

She's pretty edgy. 

She's got she's. Yeah, well, she's she's going through a bit of a renaissance. I mean, she's cause what she got at the moment she got Gillian Barre syndrome. Doesn't. 

She was amazing. The other one could go alright. I'm going to get a martial stop it. 

Stiff person syndrome, yeah. 

She. Yeah. Terrible. Terrible. Anyway, we're talking about customer at the moment and on on the 9th of August. The AA sided when the war is over, single one night without you was released. It is, as I said, a cover of a cold. Diesel song and I have to say. It's not a great cover of it's a like if you. 

It's not edgy. Celine, you don't think that's play it again? Play it again. Do we get edgy? Celine, I need to. 

I just. I'm like, I see. Uh, really. 

Alright, that's that's lazy Celine. That's that's Celine. 

It's middle, it's middle. Of the road. 

When she wants to have a bit of a. Rest and not try very hard. 

It's middle of the road. It's Celine on a Sunday drive, you know, through the countryside. I think when you compare it to the original version that Cole Chisel did, or even the version that Farnham did, which is both versions, have got a lot of grit and a lot of power. 

Yeah. That's. 

Just a mediocre it's. It's as the kids would say these days. It's pretty mid. 

Yeah, it's not meant to be. Yeah. 

Dallas. 

Mids it's a beige ballad, yes. 

Mid. Yeah, it is, but it debuted at number one in Australia because Australian Idol. Yeah. And I think it actually got ahead of Paulini, didn't it? 

Ah well. 

Nodules. Yeah, something. He knocked her out. 

And and Missy Higgins as well. 

Of the chance. Yes. Missy was number one last week, yes. 

Yeah. And I just think that kind of sucks, but that just tells you how good the are your charts are. 

Certified, certified certified platinum. 

Well, how many units? Did she sell as certified blade? 

She shipped 70,000 by December. By December, just in time for Christmas. 

She shipped. Ohh. Thought you said something else then. Ohh good for her. Now if we got an. 

Ohh we this one is called. 

We do, right? I'm. I'm I I have to say I'm hating the music segment. 

This week, well, you're gonna hate it even more. Great. Take it all away. Is the second album for Ryan Cabrera. 

I'd love to. 

Hmm. 

Actually you will like where we land at the end of this Ryan Cabrera story. I. Yes, I think you will. And I think you'll go. 

Will I though? 

Ah, I never knew that. 

About Ryan Cabrera. 

Yes. 

Right. 

You will be shocked that you did. 

Lay it on me, then. 

Not know this, you'll. Be shook. So this is his second album he released Elm Street in 2001, but that was an independent release. No, take it all away. Features the singles on the way down and true selling over 66,000 copies in the first week. Have you got anything? 

Well, that would be a that would be a nightmare on Elm Street, wouldn't it? Yes. 

From take it all away. 

Unfortunately yes. 

You can take it all. I don't need it. Journey. I'll still be the same. You can take it all. 

That sounds to me like it might have been the title. 

Track from the album. I think it was. I was expecting you to maybe get on the way down or true, which were the official releases, but you thought I'll grab the title track. 

Yeah. No, I got take it all away. Why not? 

Fair enough. Some of the songs on the record were actually inspired by his break up with singer Ashley Simpson. 

No. 

They were going steady, they were going steady and thanks to a couple of famous girlfriends that he's had over the years, he has had a number of. 

Really. 

TV appearances. Good. For him. So her TV shows on at the moment. What was that called? That's a Simpsons show. He was on that. 

The Ashley Simpson. Yeah, very creative title. 

He was the BF at the time. 

Does what it says on the tin. 

She appeared in his music video for on the way down. That's the one that you played. 

Right. Aye. 

And he was also the opening act for Jessica Simpson, Ashley Sisters. 

Too. 

Tour. 

Ohh good. Keeping it in the family. Yeah, that's so Papa Joe can keep an eye on him. Figure him out, see what he's all about. 

Yes then. So then they, well, then they they broke up and he wrote some songs about her on the album. 

Ohh, good. And that's where he's like, you know, he's so despondent that that Ashley Simpsons left him so. 

You can take it all the way. 

She's like, take what? Like I'm more wealthy than you ever will be. 

You can feel the heartbreak, can't you actually say that? Poor Ryan. In 2010, he got over that cause, had a new girlfriend. He appears in several episodes of the hills in the 6th and final season. He was going out with Audrina. Patridge Partridge. 

Can you? Yeah, I guess you can hear it in your. Voice. Hmm. Hmm. 

Ohh. 

You know the. You're so selfish yourself. Send it all you care about is yourself. Audrina. 

Really. 

He was going out with Justin, Bobby, but she also went out. 

With. 

Brian Cabrera as well. Was it a love triangle? Cause that would be an exciting. 

Ryan, yes, I think that. 

Was. Like. 

Definitely. That was, I think that was post Justin Robinson. 

Yeah, yeah. And then they're referring to the herpes. 

You can take it all. 

I don't know if they have herpes that's alleged. That's purely speculation. Actually. It's just a rumour. It's not facts at all. It's fake news. Don't sue me because they're desperate these days. I don't know if they're stars still on the rise. 

Well, no, no, no, no. 

They're like I. 

No, here's where it gets interesting. 

Wonder if I'm a bit low on cash. There's probably a podcast. Talking about us. That I could sue. 

He is. Here's where it gets interesting. And you go. I never knew that. 

Sorry. 

At the end of 2019, he began dating professional wrestler Alexis Kaufman, better known as Alexa Bliss. Did you know this? See. 

No. 

No way I told you. Married. 

I told you be shook. They got married? Yes, yes. They got engaged. 2020 married, 2022. And she's on maternity leave at the moment I believe because she had a baby end of last year, a daughter November. 

Yeah. 

She she didn't. I think she's come back. I'm. Not sure I love Alexa bliss. 

Ohh she's never still ohh. OK, maybe she's just come back. But she was on maternity leave. A daughter. Hendricks. Rouge Cabrera. 

She's wonderful. 

Oh wow. 

So you're just gonna have to take all. Of that back. 

You can take. 

It back. Sorry, Ryan. I mean, Alexa Bliss is probably go. Oh, she's wonderful. Yeah, she's great. She's she's very sassy in the wrestling. She's quite creative. Yeah. She's, you know, she's got that all American girl cheerleader thing going on, but then she, but then she's dark. She's got a bit of a dark side. 

I like it too, yes. 

Yes. 

She's tough, tough. 

She's tiny. 

Didn't she go evil once? Yeah. 

Yeah, she's she's. No, no, no, no. She's like. 

It's like an evil robot or something. What was that story when she went bad? 

It was with. 

With with Bray White and the and the fiend a couple of years ago now, Bray White. 

It's like, well, she's a doll. An evil doll. 

Yeah, that sort of thing. Yeah. Bray Wyatt sadly passed away this year, which is terrible. But and Alexa Bliss was a a big fan of his. He helped her with her career a lot, actually. But this is not a wrestling podcast. I don't know what this podcast is anymore. 

Yeah, that was a good story. 

There's only one thing to talk about, really, in the entertainment segment, which is I feel a bit cheated to because I like, as I said, I hated the music segment and then we get to movies, which is stuff that I like and this I liked this movie, but it was terrible. Yeah. 

Ohh OK so bad it. Was good. 

Yeah, #1 at the US box office this week is this thing. 

Seven days ago, one of my satellites over Antarctica discovered a pyramid. 

We're exactly on the ice is. This. 

It's not on the ice. It's 2000 feet under it. 

Let's make history. I'll make. 

God, whoever built this pyramid believed in ritual sacrifice. 

Did you hear that? 

What did you say this room was? Called. 

Sacrificial chamber. 

This story's over here. This whole thing was a. Trap. We're not hunting us. We're in the middle of a war. 

Use. 

Space. 

You're ugly. 

I think you know what I think I wanna watch this. After we finished recording the podcast. Now that was alien versus predator. There was so much hype around this movie coming out. They I couldn't even believe they were doing a live action. Thing because. 

I. 

Remember, 20 years ago you I remember how excited I remember how excited you were about this. 

Yeah. Frothing so excited. 

Well. 

Ohh, alien and aliens are probably my two best favourite films of all time. Yeah, I've got sculptures and they were very expensive. Yes, and they're they're in storage at the moment, which is so. 

You've got the dolls. Them. Of like styles. 

But aliens and alien? Just incredible. Unfortunately, the whole alien. Timeline, mythos, whatever is just a hot mess these days. I'm really looking forward actually this week because it's it. It came out in cinemas, I think last week or or maybe it's this week that it comes out alien Romulus, which is a new alien film which is back. They've stripped it right back to the the old school, kind of. I hope I can't wait to see it. I hope it's really good if you put alien or the predator in any film, even if it's, I'm gonna go and see it. OK, I'm just gonna go and see it because I love both franchises. And when I was a kid, they had a comic. That came out that was alien versus predator. And I was like, Oh my God. Like, this is perfect. Like, they just mashed the two up and the alien versus Predator Comics came out. They were massive sellers for dark Horse comics. I think it was. And they they did really well. And then of course. 

Ah. 

Like this? 

So is the movie based on the comic or is the movie just this merging? 

Well. 

Of the two. 

Kinda sorta, but kinda not as well. So what they're trying to do is obviously write it into the law of both films, so they're trying to bring these two universes together to say that aliens and predators exist in the same universe. Do you know? 

Rives. 

What I mean so? So. So they do it and they don't do it all that well really. 

Does it feel forced? 

It feels camp. It's it's it's camp. 

Is is that? How you felt about what's the other one, Freddy versus Jason, did you feel the same about that when they when they when they bring those? Yeah. 

Yeah, I didn't enjoy Freddy versus Jason either. I wanted it to be good, but I was just like, it's just a money spinner. Alien versus Predator was a bit different. I was excited for it because I'd gone through the comics and like, ohh these two universes together. This is wonderful. Superhero team up. 

Yeah. Well, if it's in the comic. You feel like they. Could do it. Yeah, yeah. 

Exactly. But they're trying to write the law of alien. Into predator so they bring them all to earth like they bring them all to Earth and they're in Antarctica. And and it's like it's in present day. So it's like it's aliens happens in the future. So Lance Henrickson, who was Bishop, the Android in aliens, the one that gets torn in half by the and that's got the milk for blood. Right. So. 

Hmm. 

It's the real life version of him, and his name is Charles Bishop Weyland. So they're thinking that he's the head of the Wayland Yutani. Company which is the company from alien and aliens. So they're trying to give us some back story, some exposition, right. And he funds this expedition to Antarctica and there's this heat source that they're detecting under the ice and it's a pyramid. And they're like, oh, my God. And then they've got this guide named Alexa, which is, I mean, cause Alexa has the answers. 

OK. Yep. 

Everything right. Yeah. And then and him and his team uncovered this pyramid, but they find out that the alien. 

Yes. 

Into there and then they turn out that it's like it's actually a hunting ground or a training facility for the predators who have been coming down to Earth to kill aliens for millions of years to train themselves to be better predators so that they can go out into outer space and hunt. The predators are like these, you know, cause you you when you watched predator the original 1. 

It has that noise, the clicking noise that. 

But it's yes, yes, but. But it was mysterious as well. The creature wasn't revealed until almost the very end of the film, right? So you didn't kind of know what it was, but now you know what it is. And you know what it looks like? And so they trot everything out really early. And there's lots of action. It's great. You've seen alien fighting the predator and the Predators got all. 

Hmm. Yeah, not too much for me. 

These gadgets, but it's just really camp like the predator. 

Who's the better fighter? Either my money would be on that alien one. 

And the eileens are the predator. Well, the eileens got the numbers and they got acid for blood and all of that sort of stuff. Humans. Yeah. Spoiler alert. I think. I don't know. It was silly. It was very silly. And the predators are really camping this. They're like these alien. 

So who won? 

OK. 

Batman, you know, but not like, not like Batman, like, you know, Christian Bale, Batman or Bat Fleck or even Michael Keaton. Batman. They're like Adam West, Batman. They're like, doing the batusi, and they've got the bat. Bat. Yeah, they got the bat shark repellent. So it's like soccer beef off, you know, against the aliens. 

Ah. 

Big Spang paw. 

Shook. 

Yeah. 

That's it was very camp. But it was still fun. It was really good. It didn't do very well with critics or audiences, though. People generally couldn't stand it. 22% for the critics and 39% for the audience. And you would think that that was enough to to turn people away, but they actually did a sequel, which is Alien versus Predator Requiem. I think they should have done. 

Hmm. 

One alien versus Predator, starring Alf and Michael Jackson problem. 

No. 

Oh yeah. 

I just gotta slip into something a little bit more comfortable, Mel. 

A little bit more edgy. 

If you don't mind my light, some candles. 

Get a bit. 

Edgy. Yeah, a little bit. Might fire up Microsoft Edge. 

We have some romance slash sleep news. 

Romance or sleep? Sleep. Actually, when you get to our age, sleep is very romantic. Ohh, I romanticise about sleep all the. 

It's romantic, I know. I love. I love sleep. I love sleep. Yeah. 

Time. Ohh, just a few minutes more. Ohh yeah. 

Yes, yes, it's euphoric, isn't it? Well, actually, you know what's funny? 

Uh-huh. 

I remember this story from 20 no, I remember this story from 20 years ago when we were on the radio because I mentioned this story when we were on air back 20 years ago because. 

Not this podcast, but yes, continue. Did you? 

I saw it pop. Up in the news that I. Was looking at I was like. 

Were we going steady at that? 

Stage. Yeah, we were, but nobody. 

Knew I was a secret still before we came out. 

The secret? Well, I think we were allowed. To say that we. Were going steady because it would have, like, ruined that it. 

It's like. Hey Canberra, have we got some news for you? 

Wouldn't. It would have. No one needs to hear that. No, but is. It would have ruined the dynamic because you know, light and shade, male, female, light and shade like you. You can't be like romantic or friendly like you just gotta go at each other cause you're the boy. 

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Ohh yeah, but you know, opposites attract. 

And you're the girl. 

What do you? Reckon. What? Hook up the old Microsoft PC and log on to edge. 

Two steps forward, three steps back or something. 

OK, right. Yes, yes, our opposites attract. Yeah. OK, yeah. 

Like that I don't. 

Know I just had Paul Abdul. 

Two steps, 2 steps. 

Back the boyfriend pillow. Ah, no, the boyfriend pillow. 

Right. 

Sorry, I got that wrong. So excited. 

This is what we you talked about this 20 years ago. 

And I still have the picture in my mind cause. 

How could I not remember this? 

The boyfriend arm pillow was released in the US. 

Meet the boyfriend pillow. You won't find him on a dating site. He's loyal and true. The boyfriend pillow is a perfect snuggle companion. Without the gassiness jealousy and aggravations. Get a boyfriend pillow for yourself, your girlfriend. Or if a friend is suffering a recent breakup. Maybe a loved one going away for college military deployment work travels. The applications are endless. It's the gift that keeps on. Living this pillow can be hugged and cuddled and will not annoy you. It's a perfect companion for restless nights, birthdays, Secret Santa, Valentine's Day or simply as a gag gift that your girlfriends will laugh actually use and fall deep in love with. 

I remember this now. I remember it. It was like half a torso and an arm, was it not right. 

Yes. 

Yeah. With an arm. Yeah. Yeah. So it it's like, if you like sleeping on your partner's chest, but you don't have a partner or. 

That only happens at the early stages of the relationship, surely? 

Or your partner. This is the thing. After a while, it's like Ohh, that's uncomfortable. Ohh, your nose whistling in my ear. Your chest has gotten up my nose. It just it's never comfortable. 

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, you're drooling on me. My arms going numb. You know, there's two sides to this, OK? It's, you know. 

So this is just. 

Yeah. 

Your your saliva is stuck my armpit together. 

I feel like I feel like in that scenario and This is why it only happens in the early days of the relationship. 

Yes. 

You just put up with it cause you think the other person really wants to, yes. 

Both months. 

Yeah. 

However, and it's like. But no, both parties are victims. Both parties are victims. In this scenario, one's got like, you know, he's like, oh, I guess I should be here, cause that's what he wants it. It's like I can't feel my fingers. Well, I'm really numb. 

Nice, very annoying. 

Yeah. 

Yeah. And it's like, can you stop nose whistling in my freaking ear? Yeah. And if you had a ****** ring as well as a guy, like, it's dangerous. 

Well. 

Ohh especially if if you if if your partner gets it in their mouth because it's like eating house keys. What's that thing it's like was it on family guys, ****** rings, taste like house. 

They. That's appt. That's an app description. 

I. 

Would there's some Family Guy? I'm pretty sure the *******. Peace, *******, taste like house peas. That's really gross. 

Boyfriend, not boyfriend. Pillow solves that problem. Uh-huh. Synthetic. Synthetic. Not natural fibres. It's not like you said. It's not a full body pillow. It's just a it's a torso and an arm. 

Yes, of course. 

Hmm. And so then you just, like, put your head in between the arm and the torso? 

In. 

No, but it had an add-on. Had an alarm clock which was just like this vibration and the arm starts shaking when it's time to wake up. Come on. Do you get up? Time to get up. 

Pete. 

Ohh God. 

That's terrifying. 

$77.00 US requires no further maintenance other than the occasional fluffing. 

Yeah. So does the boyfriend? Yeah. 

Cameo with A K Not cameo, where we're still waiting for that response was the company behind it. They were also looking at upgrade options this time 20 years ago after they released in. 

Hmm. 

Different models, including a more muscular version, cause the first one was corporate. I feel like the first one looked like it had a work shirt and a tie on. I don't think it was. 

Right, yeah. 

Naked. I think it had a shirt. 

Yeah, really. 

Yeah, I think it was a corporate colour, so. 

I mean naked 1/2 torso, you're. Like, that's just weird. 

Well, they started looking at bringing out one that. Was bit more rips more cups. 

That's weird. That reminds you like people have got fetishes for prosthetic limbs and. 

Stuff and they were also working. On a prototype for a fake. 

No offence to anyone who's got prosthetic limbs, but there are legitimately people that have fetishes for prosthetics. Yeah. Really. Ohh yeah, it takes all kinds of people to make the world go around. It's like. 

Is this? 

Gee, that was all I. 

Can't say that right, OK. How did you know? How do you even? 

Sorry. Yeah. Anyway, I kind of wish I hadn't brought that up actually. 

Know about this? 

Well, Mel. No, we're not going there. We're not going there. 

You need to get. Yeah. Anyway, so they were also looking at bringing out a female version, a fake female, that. 

Really. For the guys. 

A fake female lap shaped pillow for Matt, but no like when you watch the TV and your lie in. 

Our lap. 

Your. Girlfriend's lap. They will bring you out like a TV girlfriend. Lap pill. 

Yes. Ohh so you can watch telly and lie and. Your girlfriends less sit for the guys? Yes, seriously. 

Yes, yes. 

Yes, just buy a flashlight. And be done with it. They're we're very simple creatures like you guys wanna cuddle and all that sort of stuff. But we we're not into that. Flashlight. Ohh yeah, you can't help me. See you in the dark. 

Retro. 

Effectively, I don't know that a romance segment is a. Good fit for this job. 

I think that's our first and last romance slash. 

I think it gets us in a lot of trouble. I'll just say we're not. 

Sleep segment so. 

I think that's one thing that you and I as a couple have in common is we're not very romantic. 

We'll put that we'll put that one to bed, so to speak. Never speak of that again. Yes, OK. 

Ohh please please, it's time for this. A match this week for the hatches matches and dispatches segment, a celebrity that got married this time 20 years ago. That said this. 

I think it you have to be a little of everything. You have to be fun, honest, definitely funny. Charity to be philanthropic. 

Massive. 

Joy life. 

Yeah, Phil and philanthropic and enjoy life. 

That which it didn't. That felt a little bit out of. Place in the. List that felt like one of these things is not like the other. I wasn't expecting that word in amongst. You know fun, yeah. 

Being philanthropic, well, if you're a rich person, you'd use the word philanthropic. And if you said Nikki Hilton. You'd be correct. So. She got married this time 20 years ago. 

She did? She wed businessman Todd Andrew Meister at the Vegas wedding Chapel. 

Yes. Ohh dear, she was she was 21 at the time. He was 33. Yeah, not that there's anything wrong with that age. It's just a number. 

In a state with Nevada. 

30. Yes. 

Lee after midnight. Ohh, so it's actually the 16th of August cause it was just after midnight on the 15th stretch. Limo pulls up to the Vegas wedding. 

Right, OK. Yes. 

Chapel and a young couple arrived to say I do, and this young couple had been partying all weekend. 

Yes. 

Yes, with who, right? 

Tara Reeves, Nicole Ritchie, Bijou Phillips, Lindsay Lohan and her then partner Wilmer Valderrama forgot about that relationship. That was a good. 

Yep. 

Yes. We'll move out of Rama. Relationship Lindsey and Wilmer Valderrama? Yeah, that that's not the group that you wanna be with if you are. 

Now likes that couple. 

And like, let's say, OK. 

And if you're ending up at A at a wedding Chapel with that group, you probably. 

That's it, that's. 

Question the decision. 

A group you wanna be with if you wanna cut loose and have a lot of fun. That's not a group that you wanna be with. If you're about to make a major life decision. 

That's a dance floor gang, not a wedding Chapel gang. Yeah. 

Yeah, yeah, yeah. You need to. You need to figure out what time to leave before you turn into a pumpkin with those guys, right? Hmm. 

Yes, yes, that's that's a good call. So do you think karaoke is a good idea nito? 

Hmm. 

Well, yes. Well for Nikki Hilton, it was like let's marry Todd Andrew Meister, who was 33 years old. So they went to. The indoor garden Chapel in Vegas that. 

Sounds a bit budget for a Hilton. The indoor garden Chapel, any any hotel or motel with garden in. It is usually three or less stars. 

Most of. They might have an atrium or something. Don't you think you know, with it's usually a garden view room. Garden view room means that it's you're not going to look at much. You're just going to look at the. 

No gardens are. Crap. You don't see anything but anything with a garden in it that just, yeah, no. 

Anyway, only cost them a few $100 and they they were pronounced it. It took a while to get organised though, because it was like midnight when the limo pulled up. 

Well, there you go. See budget. 

They weren't pronounced man and wife until 2:30 in the morning. 

You have to sign a lot of papers. 

Nothing good is happening. It's like if you find yourself at an ATM at 1:00 AM and you're pulling 100 bucks out of that ATM at 1:00 AM. Yeah, nothing good is gonna come from that. 100 bucks. Nothing, nothing. 

Yeah, no. 

No, no. She wore a thigh skimming Aqua blue halter neck dress. I remember the dress because days later it was across all of the tabloids. 

Oh, the wedding dress, of course. 

And also a crystal accentuated wedding veil. I'm gonna guess that perhaps the venue gave it to her. I think it was a prop. I think it was a prop Vale I. 

Cobbled it together? Yeah, I'd say so, yeah. 

Don't think it was legit. 

Yeah. 

Her, her groom was wearing jeans. Yeah, Harris was obviously there. She was wearing a pink dress. She was bride bridesmaid. 

Oh good, I'm. Glad Paris is there. She would have loved Paris, would looked fantastic. She would have stolen the show. 

They they've been dating on and off since 2003. I remember. I remember being shocked by this because Paris was always the party girl and I felt like Micky was the. 

So you think family with each other, that's a year? 

One that was just like. Come on, Paris. You've been a bit too much. It's time to go home. I felt like she was. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I was quite shocked by this story when it happened at the time. And I was also shocked that she went to the budget. Wedding. I. 

Yeah, you thought she. Was the responsible one, not this weekend, baby. Yeah. 

Was expecting well. 

In in her defence, in her defence, Meister the the boy had. 

Something amazing. 

Proposed or he's not a boy. He's 33 years old. He's a man. Yeah, well, he might be. I mean, who knows? I don't know him. Anyway, he proposed to her earlier in the year. They plan to and they plan to get married in autumn 2000 and. 

The. 

Oh, OK. 

4. 

Boss. 

Right. Their autumn in 2004. So it's like August, you know. 

Boss. 

OK, so it was gonna happen. So maybe they're just like you could be bothered cause their weddings are a lot of work. So I guess if you're smashed and you can get married down the road instead of organising the table, you know, like, who's gonna sit where? Who do we invite? What do we eat? Dietary requirements. Cake so much. 

It's getting close like September's ordered. Not a month, yeah. 

Yeah. 

Well, this is the thing. They're they're they're, you know. 

Let's let's just. Yeah. OK, I understand. I understand. 

They're on the private jet. They're flying to Vegas. 

They're hanging out with Tara Reeves. 

Tara Reid jumps up and she's like, let's all do shots on the private jet before we even get there. She's like lemon drops. 

Well, what? What do you think's going to happen? 

That's on the private plane and it's like, alright, alright. Like I'm feeling it, I'm feeling it. We're hitting Vegas, baby. We're taking a jet. A private jet from probably LA to Vegas. MMM, that's not a lot of time, which is probably why you would have to do shots as opposed to have a beer or something. Because by the time you crack the beer and. 

Hmm. 

Finished your first one? You'd be there, but so yes, you do a couple of laps. We gotta finish a couple more beers. No. So, lemon, drop shots and away they go. And it's like, yeah, let's get married. Let's go. Why not? Anyway? Well, why not? Because in two, maybe three months time that married gets annulled. It's all over. Yeah, it didn't work out for him. 

Yes. Tables are. Ohh Gee. 

Oh well, she's remarried now. I can't remember the guy's. 

She is. It's a Rothschild. It's like one of the big one of the big families, the Rothschild. Ohh, I think they're lizards and yeah, and I. No, I think they're I think they're lizards in human suits and I think they're part of the Illuminati that really control the world. Yeah, like the Rothschilds and the Rockefellers. And. 

Name but he's. Yeah. He's. Are they lawyers? Are they? Are they lawyer? Family. No, they're not. I think they're, are they loyal finance? 

They. 

She well, she seems very serious nowadays, doesn't she? I do like her, though. I like her. Yeah, I like that. Yeah, I do. I've always liked her. And like I said, I always thought she was a sensible 1. 

Yeah. Yes. Well, she's a Rothschild. She should be serious, you know. Do you? Right. 

I was very surprised. By this weekend 20 years ago. 

Well, it's all fun and games until it turns into the TV series V and you see a peel of skin off and eat a. 

Our thoughts. Rat. That's all I'm saying. I thought that would have been Paris. That was, that was the thing. I was surprised that it was Nicky and not Paris at the time. 

Now. Is much more. 

Sensible. They're all sensible now. I love watching Paris with her two kids and she was with her two kids on the private jet. There was no lemon shots. They were wearing matching jammies. 

None. Were they beautiful? It's very nice. It's like colouring books. And if you're really good, you can go up and have a look at the code. 

Beautiful. Loved. It. 

That, as opposed to the cockpit that they're probably looking at in the early 2000s anyway, that's the end of the show. We're at the end of it, we've. 

Ah, thank God. No more romance. 

We've taken it. Yes, because if we had taken any more turns, it would have ended up really bad. Yeah. So thank you very much for checking us out this week. 

Thank. Thank you. If you're still here. 

Yeah, exactly. I mean, why wouldn't you be? You know, we had everything this week. We even had a romance segment. I mean, what more could you? 

Yes, appreciate you. 

Well. 

Ask for. I don't know if we'll ever do that again anyway. What's happening next week? 

Ohh I think. There is a really big Olympic moment. 

One, we've still got another. Oh, because the Olympics? Yeah. Kind of overlaps a little bit. 

I think the Olympics are still going Athens wise. Do you remember the story of lay down, Sally? 

Yes. Ohh, say no more. 

That will be. An interesting one to reflect on 20 years like hmm. 

Yeah, that will be an interesting one. We'll definitely revisit that. That was a big, big story and everyone hated that poor girl. It was hard rodeo then. Well. 

Yeah. 

You can find us on the socials, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok sofa, t -, 20 podcast. 

So you can't find us on TikTok because I don't like going there because people are mean and then you said I'll take over and you took over and you posted two things seven months ago and you've done nothing more. So can you stop saying TikTok? Because it's misleading. It's false advertising. 

Yeah, I haven't done much. Well, I think it. He says it in the outro as well, so. 

Well, I think you then you probably. Need to edit that. 

We paid money for it. 

Well, you can add, you can cut that bit out, put a bleep over it or. 

Like. 

Something it's just I. Just feel it's misleading people going to the TikTok trying to find us and the last thing there was whenever and we're saying we were two old women hating on Corey. 

Goodman. 

Which is, if you've looked at the recent footage of Corey Feldman trying to do a guitar solo like, I think we're ahead of our time. 

Still standing by those cops. 

Stand by him. I'll take him to the graves like Corey Feldman is a an idiot. Like he's a delusional idiot. Possibly he could have been in the sequel to the other sequel to Alien versus Predator. I'm sure I'm fairly certain he's a predator as well, you know. Anyway, that's that's a story for a A. Definitely another time. 

Ohh sorry, I've been up that can of worms. OK, not on TikTok. Join us on Instagram. It's much nicer. Yeah, smile. 

That's too much. Yes. Thank you very much. We really. Yeah. OK. Love you all. Love you all. See you next week. 

Thanks for taking the time to rewind. Join us next time for another week. That was 20 years ago. In the mean time, come and reminisce on the socials search for T -, 20 podcast on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.