T minus 20
The year is 2004... Your polyphonic ringtone habit is sending you broke. 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 superbowl?
T minus 20, rewind to this week in history 20 years ago with Joe and Mel.
T minus 20
Orange revolution puts squeeze on Ukraine democracy
🎨 Orange is the New Revolution: Ukraine in 2004 wasn’t just a spot on the map—it was a movement. The Orange Revolution burst onto the scene as Ukrainians ditched political apathy for orange scarves and chants of democracy. Poison plots, rigged elections, and peaceful protests in Kyiv’s Maidan Square took the global stage. By December, Viktor Yushchenko triumphed in a re-vote, and Ukraine took its first big step toward Europe. Russia, unsurprisingly, wasn’t thrilled.
🚗 NASCAR Gets a Makeover: The 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup ended with Kurt Busch grabbing the championship in a season that introduced the Chase for the Cup. But the excitement came with heartbreak—a devastating Hendrick Motorsports tragedy earlier in the season cast a long shadow.
🎮 Touching is Good: Nintendo DS made its debut and changed handheld gaming forever. Dual screens, a touchscreen, wireless connectivity, and a built-in microphone? Take that, Game Boy Advance! With hits like Nintendogs and Brain Age, even Grandma was gaming.
🎵 A Melodic Medley: Gwen Stefani asked, "What You Waiting For?" while Kylie Minogue gave us her Ultimate greatest hits. Casey Donovan won Australian Idol, becoming the youngest winner yet—but Telstra's ad typo? A classic PR fail. Meanwhile, Ludacris was all about Get Back, and U2 dismantled an atomic bomb (metaphorically).
🗺️ National Treasure: Before Nic Cage memes, there was Nic Cage stealing the Declaration of Independence to unlock hidden clues in this hit adventure film. Half treasure hunt, half history lesson, 100% wild ride.
🌱 End of an Era: Burke’s Backyard hung up its gardening gloves after 17 years. Was it changing tastes or behind-the-scenes drama? Either way, Don Burke’s lawn mower got parked for good.
🎮 Enter Azeroth: World of Warcraft hit the shelves and reshaped online gaming. Love it or hate it, millions of players joined the Alliance or Horde to chase loot and glory. But starting WoW in 2024? That’s like showing up to Woodstock after the cleanup.
📚 Racing, Relics, and Regrets: Janet Evanovich’s Metro Girl delivered a spicy cocktail of NASCAR, Cuban gold, and cringe-worthy reviews. Critics hated it, laundromat shelves loved it.
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.
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.
Oh, 21 November 2004.
T minus.
The rest is history.
You know what? I'm very forgetful 20. Hello there.
Stop trying to make fetch happen. We're waiting for.
This is harder than I thought it would be.
My fellow Americans, let's roll.
If you find yourself kind of just a little bit out of step with the current era that you're residing in, you know you wish you could go back to the way things used to be. We can help you with that. We are here for you. We are here for you with our little podcast that we like to call T.
Hmm.
-20, where we go back. Time to this time 20 years ago, way back in 2004. And look, I hate to break it to you guys, but it ain't that much different to what it is now. However, there were significant things happening and that's why we're here to deliver them to you so that you don't have to go out and find it yourself and hopefully along the way you'll be mildly entertained if that's the case.
Hmm.
I've done for us and that's. Wonderful. We're your host, Joe and Mel. Hello.
Mel, welcome, friends. Yes, significant events that occurred 20 years ago, and we're gonna be looking at the week of the 21st to the 27th of November 2004.
Hundreds of thousands of pro democracy Ukrainians in the streets today protested against the results of the presidential election.
That was a big deal over in the Ukraine and in the Ukraine is a hot topic of conversation now. It was 20 years ago as well. See what I mean? Not.
Much different. So out of all the features, all the things that the US brings to the table. What? What do you think the most interesting?
I definitely think what's most interesting is what companies gonna do with the touch screen like. That's why I like feel the magic XY X is a really good example of like how they.
Can use a touchscreen for OK, that's enough, nerds. If you give the nerds an opportunity to have a conversation, they will tell you everything that they think that it's going to be great about the new Nintendo DS and Touch screen technology. It's something we take for granted, but it was a big deal back then.
No.
The touch screen.
Calm your nerves. The moment is finally upon us. There's a card in this envelope. Written on their card is the name of the winner of Australian Idol for 2000.
4 did you?
Written on that card is the winner of Australian Idol of 2004. I'm really sorry about the quality of the recording, but the only piece of information I could find for that was somebody who had obviously placed it on a TV with a VHS at a microphone down a well.
Get it off of.
VHS. Another thing like this.
This is unbelievably bad.
That sounds like when I used to put my stereo my boom box in front of rage and video hits and record it, and then you'd hear my mum in the background going if you'd cleaned your room. Yet the background of choir boys, she ruined choirboys telling me to clean my room. Yeah, I know.
It's. Yeah, it's not it. It's ditsy. You're like, running paradise? Mum, I'm busy. Yeah.
She willing my recording, that's.
What that?
Like.
It did be. That's all we we don't have a lot of time to pull the show together. So we do take what we can get. This is.
Bit. Ohh well, let's take what you yes. No. Whatever comes up in the the search results is the number one search. Yep, that'll do.
It's a. Hobby it's a hobby. It's not our full time occupation and we have to work really hard to cram it in on the in the very little amount of time that we have, you know, and I feel like if it wasn't, if it became more than a hobby, we probably wouldn't enjoy it as much. So that's a good thing.
Yes, we are hobbyists. Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.
I'm I'm very Zen at the moment. I've reached a new plane of just. Yeah. I'm. I'm calming down a lot. And I owe it to you. I owe it to you. I owe it to you for introducing me to this amazing Instagram account. Now my Instagram is was full.
You.
What?
Wow, really?
Hmm.
Full of heavy metal, barbecue and ****.
Hmm.
I was gonna say there's a lot of **** content that pops up in your face.
I just Instagram just keeps pushing me **** and I'm like, well, well, I mean, I do. I I I I have to say. And when they do push it to me, I'm like I have a look and I go I.
Knows you like *****. You're like, look and say no. Do they ever give you that little survey of do you like this content? Yes or no? When you get a set of boots.
And I'm like, oh. Also, do no, they don't actually do that.
You know how they ask you? Do you like this ad or do you like this?
Yeah, and it's like.
Content you never get asked. That about me, they're just like they're they're just like we don't need to ask you about this. We know the answer to this. Here's here's another pair of ****, mate. Yes. Great. Great.
And then you get the third option. It's like I don't think that's be on Instagram. Yeah, yeah, we know. He likes it. We know what you like. Take it. Take it. I got what you need. Exactly. It's. And you know what's more disturbing now is they think I'm. Stupid. So they're sending me AI generated ****, which I'm just not a.
Ohh yeah, so that extra ****** or something like that. Those are the AI hands with extra fingers.
Fan of at all? No, it's. Well, it's all good. You're like oh. Look at that and I can't do fingers. Yeah. And then you look at the hands and it's a major turn off. No, I need to thank you for breaking me out of that. All of that, and introducing me to the Instagram account.
You can't do boots. Yeah, yes.
Yes.
Peaceful, Barb. Ohh. She's a jam. I love peaceful Barb and her Nuggets of wisdom that she drops on Instagram on a daily basis. I'm and I'm not joking. I know it sounds like I'm trying to be funny. I'm not funny. Peaceful. Barb is great. She drops some profound.
Ohh, peaceful Bob. She's a gem, isn't she? Love her?
Yeah.
Content like for example this. I love this from peaceful Barb and this is just one of many.
Yes.
Hmm.
Manipulation is when they focus on how you reacted instead of how they treated you. Think about that for a minute. Think about it. I think there's something in that for all of us. Don't you remember thoughts for the day back in the 90s?
Date poignant.
There is.
Yes, it's kind of like that. She's very smart and she has a daughter as well. Her daughter does some they do like a.
Exactly.
A duo act sometimes. And I really like as well. She often will drop like she'll be like 5 is. There's lots of hard truths and she forces you to take a good hard look at yourself in the mirror. And it's like, I don't want a peaceful Barb, but because you.
Yes.
Hmm.
Said so, I will.
Hmm.
Ohh yeah, right. And she'll do like 5 hard truths, but she'll be baking like a souffle at the same. Time.
He's multitasking.
Should be cooking. It should be just like putting a new ingredient in with each hard truth. And it just it just softens it a little bit. When you've got Lemon meringue also telling. You to like pull your head. In it's.
And you know why?
Like I can take that because it's you. Peaceful bar. Yeah, I know.
Because she's peaceful, Barb. And. You know, Barb by name is something that's prickly and abrasive, but she's the complete opposite of that. Yeah, she's peaceful, Barb.
Ohh I did not even think of that.
Yeah, my favourite 1 and this is this is a really good one for anyone who's maybe going to a school reunion or, umm, hooking up with people that kind of knew you back in the day, but maybe don't know you now. And I know that I had my. What was it, 30 year school reunion this year and I didn't go, I just didn't go. I didn't have a good time at school and I didn't go. And this, I think what I read from peaceful Bob, the other day's affirmation and it just it just justifies and reinforces my decision and makes me feel great about that decision.
No. 3. The. Ah, good.
And at peace. Thank. Saab Barb, my therapist, told me yesterday. So this is reassuring as well as much as peaceful. Barb is dropped. Dropping Nuggets. Yes. She's also in therapy.
Bob. Ohh we all should be that should be just part of life. That should be BU everyone should have a therapist, yeah.
Right. I don't mind a bit. I don't mind a bit of therapy. As you accumulate experiences, you can't store them all up in the one brain. You need to offload them somewhere, and the therapist is the perfect person, cause your loved ones don't.
No, no. Yes.
Want to put up with this?
So if painful barbs that could imagine how good a therapist is, what's the therapist say?
Well, the her therapist told her yesterday. According to this, some people. Yeah, especially family, maybe friends. People. You used to go to school with? Will choose to remember and recognise only the version of you that they hold the most power over, no matter how long it's been and how much you've changed. Remember that next time you go to your school.
Reunion.
I think there's something in that for. All of us, don't you?
I do.
It's good, isn't it? See what?
I mean, I know when you're being particularly antsy and annoying, I know. But when you're being, like, particularly annoying, I'll be like, have you checked piece of bud yet today? Because I think the hard truths are the ones that you probably.
I'm saying, do you see what I mean? You introduced me to. Yes.
Need to pay attention to.
The hard truth.
The hard truths.
Thanks a lot.
Yes, but I do. Yes, I do. I do refer you there. I think she's great. I. Think.
She's I wholeheartedly endorse her. Yes, I think she's brilliant. And I thank you very much for introducing me to her. And if.
You're welcome. You're welcome. No **** on my feed.
No. Well, I do. I do find peace in **** as well. I really do. They they are.
But they are quite Zen, yes.
Regardless, late enough and let's get out of that.
Let's put them away. Put them, pack them back.
Let's. Put put him away. Exactly. Let's do that. The hatches matches and dispatch. Ally. Speaking of tips, this guy's got a great pair of them. The hatches matches and dispatches. Clue this week. Again, not a lot happening in the way of births, deaths and marriages. So we'll just go with the birthday. Sure. A celebrity. Who said this?
In the bra.
Back in the bra. Move on. Yes, OK.
You smart. You very smart. We're the best. You're a genius. I appreciate you.
I don't appreciate people who don't form full sentences when they say things the hatches, matches and dispatcher segment is what we'll we'll look at at the end of the show. We'll revisit this though.
I don't know if we will. I just remembered I was supposed to do that bit and I didn't do it. Well, I'll try.
Ohh, you didn't do it. That's alright, I can treat. Him.
And do it in the background if we know.
I can pretty much go to town on them anyway, but we'll find out who they are at the end of the programme.
OK. Whoops.
On the 22nd of November 2004, we had what became known as Ukraine's Orange Revolution. It begins on the 22nd. This is a series of protests that led to political upheaval in Ukraine up until early 2. 1005. And what kind of triggered them was an election, so they.
I think that.
The election happened in a couple of phases and the second phase was what was called a runoff vote.
Yeah, I think if you look at how we have elections here in Australia or even to a lesser extent in America, I don't think they happen like that in.
The Ukraine? No, no. So they had the run off votes in November. So the 21st of November between two candidates.
Yes, Victor Yushchenko, who was campaigning for Democratic reform, transparency and European. Migration. Who and Victor Yankovic? The two victors. Yeah. Or. Or is it Yankovic?
Victor V Victor.
Yeah. Victor on Victor, he was seen as the Pro Russian candidate, Yanukovich or Yankovic. Yankovic is how you pronounce it. I'm sorry. Yes. Yes. Excuse me, my Russian. It's not my mother tongue.
Let's go with Yanukovich. There were allegations that the election was rigged by the authorities in favour of the latter. The latter victim, the the Pro Russian victor.
Well, that doesn't surprise me. That doesn't surprise you gotta remember. He'd be good mates with Putin, they'd be good friends.
The election took place in a highly charged atmosphere and the. The you say the name. What? What of the legend? Yankovic and the outgoing Presidents administration apparently using their control of the government and state apparatus for intimidation of Yushchenko and his supporters.
That's right. But they they, the Ukrainians loved Yushchenko. They wanted all of the things that you were the majority of Ukrainians, not all of them. That would have been conservatives, like any, any election. But it seems.
And.
Hmm. No, let it.
That the majority of people were in support of Yushchenko.
It seems like change hope.
Right. They wanted change. They had hope for.
Change and throughout the campaign he faced. Constant political harassment. There was a lot of negative press which was on government controlled television, so TV over there was controlled by the government. So there was a lot of negative.
Yes.
For him, and then in September 2004.
I remember this, I remember this.
He suffered dioxin. I think it's called poisoning under very mysterious circumstances.
They've poisoned him, allegedly.
And he he survived and returned to the campaign trail. But the poisoning poisoning made him really sick. And it actually disfigured. His face.
Yeah, he looked terrible. It was. It was a. It was so noticeable. It was like my God, what have they done to that poor man?
Horrible. And the two victors were neck and neck in the first round. So we have first round in October and.
Victor V Victor.
It was like 39.32 to Yanukovich and 39.87 to Yushchenko.
Hmm.
So Yushchenko slightly in front.
Only, I mean that's that's nothing.
We're about to go into the second round of voting.
Could you imagine if an election in this country was of even of that? Yeah.
Does that close? You wouldn't be able. To call it as early as what they do would.
Yeah. No, you wouldn't. You wouldn't? No.
You have to wait right until the end. On the eve of the second round of voting, the official count differed from the exit poll results. So the exit poll results gave you shenko and up to an 11% lead, while the official results gave the election win to Yanukovich by 3%.
So, but then if you go back to the 31st of October, when it's like 39.32 and 39.87, it's B. There's nothing in that you, if you were one of those candidates and you were on the wrong side of that, you would absolutely be asking for a recount for sure.
Recounts, yeah.
Oh.
So protests began because there was a feeling of a little bit of tinkering with the with the numbers.
Hundreds of thousands of pro democracy Ukrainians in the streets today protested against the results of the presidential election, pitting their candidate, the West leaning challenger Viktor Yushchenko, against the Pro Moscow Prime Minister. Victor Yanukovich. They claim Yanukovych's victory was rigged, with reports of ballot stuffing and voter intimidation.
Last night, the country's election Commission ignored reports of fraud, declaring Kremlin backed Viktor Yanukovych the winner.
Doctors confirmed that opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko was poisoned during the campaign. NBC's Pat Dawson reports the effects were startling. The healthy, vibrant opposition candidate for Ukraine's presidency transformed in a matter of a few weeks this fall into a gravely ill man, his face almost overnight. Changed into a scarred, bloated mask.
Right.
It's.
Weird. The whole dioxin poisoning thing is weed.
Yeah, but the names too being so similar, it'll be very it'll be very confusing on the ballot paper because they're both victors, and they're both the last.
Yes.
Names start with Y.
Yes.
Be easy to mistake. And go the wrong way, wouldn't it?
Hmm. Absolutely. I mean, yes. Could you imagine the confusion if people with like, like, low literacy? I was gonna say English as second language, but they're all Ukrainian.
Hello.
So as you heard there, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians gathered in Kiev's independence square wearing orange, which was the colour of Yushchenko's campaign demanding a new election and chanting for democracy. Shortly after the Revolution began, a tent city appears in independence.
Hmm.
Yes.
Wear and musicians performed celebrities made appearances. Riot police were deployed, but the protests were largely peaceful and the police didn't use force, and the movement eventually spread nationwide, and this was.
Hmm.
Often cited as potentially one of the first times that people use the Internet to mobilise in such a way. Yeah, because it started off in one area of Ukraine and then it just spread right across the country. And they said that it was really interesting the way in which.
To to rally people.
They mobilised through the Internet, they spread the information they shared with people right across the country. How you know what this result looks a little bit dodgy, but let's do something and let's do something that's peaceful as well.
Yes. Now I think. So much so that well, 18.4% of Ukrainians have admitted have claimed to have taken part in the Orange Revolution across the Ukraine. That's that's a pretty big chunk of Ukraine. And those are the the people that have admitted to be part of the Orange Revolution there would be. I mean, voting is a very private thing for a lot of people.
It's pretty substantial.
I don't tell people who I vote for, so if somebody said were you part of the Orange Revolution, I was. Ukrainian I'd be like, no. That's none of your business, hmm?
Yes, none of your beeswax. After weeks of protests and pressure, Ukraine Supreme Court annulled the initial run off results on December the 3rd and ordered a rerun of the election. So the RE vote was held on December 26th and Yushchenko wins clear majority.
Yeah. Yeah. And then Yanukovich conceded. Which is disappointing for Yanukovych. But the Orange Revolution was a a success. It was a symbol of Ukraine's push towards democratic reform and closer alignment with Europe. They wanted to break away, but that made things infinitely worse with their neighbours in Russia, who saw Ukraine as within their sphere of influence. They kinda had a little bit of ownership over Ukraine or they thought they did.
Yeah. Yes.
Hmm.
And like we said before, I mean look at what's happening right now. Yes, this is all a hangover from what happened 20 years ago and beyond probably. I mean we I'm not that ofay on the history of. But this is definitely a contributing factor to what's happening now.
It was a significant shift in their political trajectory, so they started moving towards a democratic reforms and Pro Western orientation and wanting to integrate with Western institutions such as the European Union and NATO. And this realignment was perceived by Russia as a threat.
Hmm.
To its influence, but Fast forward to 2010, the presidential election in 2010.
Yeah.
M.
Yanukovich. Becomes Yushchenko's successor. He then comes into power. So the guy that lost the pro Russian guy.
Wow. Still there, hanging out, waiting for his opportunity gets it in 20.
Gets into power in 2010 and interestingly, the Election Commission and international observers declare that the election was conducted fairly, so it was pretty heavily scrutinised after what had happened in 2004. He's in power until 2014, but throughout his leadership.
10.
Hmm.
Faced criticism for authoritarian tendencies, corruption. And that then resulted in what was called the Euro Maiden protests in 2014, which led to him fleeing Russia. And then we see Ukraine move away again from this Russian influence, which Zelensky have since continued.
Ohh, he had to run away, yes. Yes. Yes. Isn't that interesting? Isn't that interesting that Yanukovich had to flee and go into hiding? I mean, he's pretty easy to spot, though. Yanukovich, like, he basically got a curly wig and started doing parody songs and named himself Weird Al Yanukovych.
Yes.
Hmm.
Bit of sport now I'm intrigued by your sudden interest in NASCAR.
I love that you say I've got a sudden interest. There's been two stories in the history of this podcast, this.
About NASCAR, has there OK? Well and they have been significant stories. So alright, I.
Is the second. One, yeah, I think the second time we've spoken about it. Full disclosure, the choice for sport this week.
I didn't wanna tie you with the NASCAR brush. I'm sorry.
The the.
You've got too many teeth to be in Nas.
The choice this way was NASCAR or tennis and you know how I feel about tennis? Yeah.
Yes.
Ohh.
Have we spoken about tennis?
Well, it's very. It's popular. It's very popular sport, NASCAR to a lesser extent. But I I could get on board with NASCAR. Yeah, I feel like the food food would be good at NASCAR better than and I don't like strawberries and cream. So which is what they have at tennis where I'd so I'd rather go to NASCAR and just have like, you know, some beef short ribs and.
60.
7000 already. So let's focus in the car. The 56. Barb. Q That'd be BBQ, yeah.
And whatnot.
So it would this.
Yep, via.
The 6th NASCAR Nextel Cup Series wraps up on the 21st of November, wraps up in the Homestead, Miami Speedway, Florida.
Yes, this is Kurt Bush, wasn't it? Is that the guy?
Clinched his first championship. He was driving for Roush Racing.
Uh.
And consistently performed three wins, 21 top 10 finishes, and secures his position at the top. So. This goes for a while.
Yes, yes it is. And they had a new system in place this season in those cause they do it in a season and it was the chase for the Nextel Cup playoff system, which was a big change. So after the 1st 26 races.
It's not just one event.
The top 10. Drivers and any within 400 points of the leader had their points reset, which makes them really close for the final ten race playoff. So it's like, OK, you've made it here. You've gone through the playoffs, but now it's all better off when we start again, it's not accumulated points.
Hmm.
Start all over.
Well, that's because people were so far in front. You get towards the end and you go well. I already know that no one can beat them at this.
Which is.
Yes, yes. So it made it very exciting. And the thing was, is Kurt Bush was actually doing.
Stage. That's. Fair enough.
Quite well, and throughout the course of the season, so naturally you think that he's probably a favourite, but it wasn't that easy for him because of that reset. So like Chevrolet dominate the manufacturers Championship, securing 26 wins, 266 points, Ford follow with ten wins and 224 while Dodge achieved four wins at 194. And then there, of course, there was the plane crash that we're talking about.
Hmm.
Hmm.
Earlier during the competition in 2004 with Hendrick Motorsports personnel, which had a huge impact on the community, so there was some controversy around NASCAR's decision to go ahead with the race.
That was. The season, yeah.
Kirk Bush started his homestead weekend right by winning the poll, but the wheels came off the waggon literally, as bushes right front tyre fell off. Ohh, he loses the wheel or loses the tyre.
Wow. And he just misses slobber at the end of that wall.
Luckily for the 97 team, a caution for the runaway tyre kept Bush on the lead lap and his title hopes alive. Jimmy Johnson and Jeff Gordon could reach out and touch the title, which came down to a green, white chequered. City. Jimmy Johnson passed Jeff Gordon on the restart to take second place, but that would not be enough as Kirk Bush clinched the title for the first time in his career. Kurt Bush is the 2004 NASCAR series Champion Bushes Championship was the first under NASCAR two playoff system and the closest margin in NASCAR history of mere eight points.
It's all really exciting. It's all very exciting and dramatic thanks to the music. But when you when you take all of that away from it, they drive around in circles. They're basically on a massive roundabout. Remember that song? Remember that song that they used to have when roundabouts were introduced coming to around?
That was dramatic, wasn't it? Sounded like a flame and then something called fire. Wrong.
To to click go the shears to just quietly coming to around about. Now's the time to slow. You will be driving around it to where you wanna. Go indicate before you leave. Make your intentions playing left into the exit road and off you go again. Clockwise direction round you go, which is your exit, is what you need to know and I can't remember the exit. Yes, I was on the TV. It's on the TV, mate.
Where the hell did you?
Get that? I have never heard that. I have never heard that before.
That's on TV and that's yeah. And that's what the NASCAR drivers got that going through their head while they're while they're going round in circles.
You just made that up.
When he when he actually when he turned off, when they he threw a tyre, he turned off to go into the pits and one of his front wheels.
I have never heard.
Just kept going. Around the track, which caused a major problem, but he still won. Yeah, but remember, we were talking about the plane.
Did it.
Crash with car.
Yeah, well, that was in this within this season. Yes, it was the that was in October, the Hendrick Motorsport and it was a bit controversial because they continued the race. They continued the race on that day and they continued the whole championship.
Hmm.
Yeah, few episodes ago. But didn't Hendrick Motorsports personnel win that race?
And so people felt. Yes, I think they did, but they didn't know what had happened till after the race. I would like to see them introduce. So, you know, they had that new thing where they lost all their points. Whatever. I'd like to see them do the Mario Kart.
But they didn't tell the drivers, yes.
Hmm.
Yep.
That would be great. Some power ups.
Do the Mario Kart thing like where you gotta drive on the road? Is it Japan where you can do the real life Mario Kart I'd like.
Yep. Oh yeah, yeah.
To. See them introduce that with a.
Yeah.
Few turtle shells and some.
That'll be good. Make it be more entertaining.
Some stars and the boxes. You know the boxes. And normally they give you a price, but sometimes there's a joke box and like.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Explodes and you die. Yeah, add.
Bye. That, yeah. Be like, welcome back to the Rainbow Rd Speedway.
To me, you're Mario. Who?
What a great segue into our technology segment, which is all about Nintendo.
Yes. Absolutely the best console ever. Yes and.
Really, for babies?
Wow. Yeah. Wow.
Yeah, I there, I said it. Yeah, yeah. I'm PlayStation, Xbox dude.
You went there?
Because I'm mature.
Yeah, right.
I like playing games that are for mature people.
Right, teabagging, so mature. No *** ******* on Nintendo.
Well, that's cause Mario can't squat. He could only jump up and hit his head on things. He could if somebody tea bagged over Mario, he'd be able to head bottom right in the balls.
20, 21st of November 2004 Nintendo releases the Nintendo DS the best selling handheld game console. Thank you very much in North America.
Yes.
Significant evolution in portable gaming. It introduced so many new features.
Yeah. Two screens and this guy. Super nerd otaku, the YouTuber went out on the opening day and interviewed people who were picking up their pre their pre-orders.
So out of all the features, all the things that they ask brings to the table. What do you think is the most interest?
Yeah.
I definitely think what's most interesting is what companies are gonna do with the touch screen. Like, that's why I like feel the magic XY X is a really good example of like how they can use the touch screen for new features like some of their games like Spiderman. It's used as a simple combo feature but like I think a lot of a lot of companies like Square Enix when they're making their Final Fantasy 3 remake. The rumour around for the Japanese version is that they got the touch screen. So you can. Like on fly on the fly, like special attacks and stuff like that. And there's a kind of cool kind of cool something. You know.
How about the wireless multiplayer you into that?
At all. Yeah, definitely into that. Like, I mean, there are too many towers right now that really support it. But like once Metro prime hunters comes out, then we're gonna. Know where it's at about Animal Crossing. DS definitely huge Animal Crossing fan, I think. I think Animal Crossing this is getting hot but I got to get a Japanese version of that.
That guy has got such a hard on for his day as he has to walk backwards out of the electronic store and so as not to impale anyone else in the queue. It's he's very excited for Final Fantasy, but he wants the Japanese version of Animal Crossing.
Yes. I wonder what comes with the Japanese version.
I don't know. Tom Nook speaks Japanese would be great. Yeah. Ohh. Hi. August simus. Welcome to Animal Crossing.
Wow saju. Is that the one where our son got stung? By the bees and had this face.
Yes, yes. Swollen ice for six months because we didn't know how to get rid of the. Swollen eye in Animal Crossing.
That was a.
Bummer. Yes, jewel.
Really was very upset about that, yeah.
Screens I know I probably shouldn't laugh hearing about that. It's very, very yes, dual screens, 2 LCD screens and the lower.
No, you shouldn't. Yes.
Hmm.
Yes.
One was a touch screen. I think you also got.
Uh-huh.
A stylist, didn't you?
Yeah, they came with a stylist and film.
And that was exciting because you could do new things, new interactive gameplay and you could control things in different ways that you hadn't been able to do on consoles before that. I think nintendogs.
Yeah. So they had the they had the little puppies. That was so cute. The nintendos, yes.
Brain age. They took full advantage of the touch screen and I think that's where we started to see the DS branching out to a wider audience. Your mum 4 to DF purely for sort of the brain training games and the Sudoku and the puzzles.
Well, I was going. Say. I was gonna say something and now I need to rephrase it now because you've said that my mum, I was gonna say yes. It appealed to a. Those people, she wouldn't appreciate that if you had to, like, go.
No, I said a broader audience, so not someone who would typically be a gamer. Ohh, right.
No, I'm saying that I'm saying that Nintendo is for babies and old people. That's what I'm saying. That's exactly what I am saying. No. Yes, that is what I am saying in my opinion, which is irrefutable because it is purely my opinion, is that Nintendo is for old people and babies and the DS is the flagship that.
No. A broader.
Brings old people and babies together, so the grandparents.
A broader.
Refined audience with impeccable taste.
Yes, yes.
Right.
Who like the Nintendo's far more superior console?
Right once. Once the grandkids, once the grandkids, once the grandkids are finished with Nintendogs, then grandma and Grandpa or Grandpa can play the brain age thing so that they can fight dementia.
It's perfect. It had a microphone and wireless connectivity. It's included built in microphone supported wireless communication, voice record.
Yes.
Commission multiplayer gaming without the need for physical connections. It also came with Picto chat, which was a preinstalled app that allowed you to draw, write and chat with other DS owners who are nearby. That's pretty ground breaking for 2004.
Hmm.
Yes. It sounds like it until everyone just starts sending some balls to each other, doesn't it?
Well, if you aren't drawing, what would you draw? That's pretty much I remember when I got my iPad and I got the my horn.
Hmm.
This.
App and I could.
Speaking and bowls, yes.
I could talk to other people who had horses and I could put my horse in a stable with other people. I had great chats, they were all horse people, and I'm not a horse person so.
Ohh. Are you? Hang on.
I had to lie.
Are you speaking in code right now? No. OK.
No, it was a horse, remember I. Had the horse called John.
Yes, yes, yes. So what sort of how did you fudge your way through that? How did you bluff the? Horse people.
Ohh, just spoke to them and I just.
What do they talk about? Horses brushing.
Oats, oats. You had to feed them oats and you had to tip the right amount in. And then I I think John died because I forgot to feed him. I was too busy talking about oats with.
Oats.
Right.
You killed your horse for not saying many, yeah.
The horse with.
The horse chicks. And then he was made into dog food, which they gave to. The nintendogs.
Backwards compatibility. This is good. This is really good because. It meant that you could use your Gameboy advanced games in the new content, so you didn't have to rebuy the games. That's a good selling point. I think that's that's very clever. Very clever.
On the yeah. A smart move. Agree with that. Anytime you do something next Gen, you gotta do some backwards. Hmm.
It had the health and education angle as well, so we start to see games that did the brain training. There was a personal trainer.
Yep.
Hmm.
There was cooking interactive recipes.
Hmm.
Yep.
Again, attracting a wider audience with impeccable taste.
Older players, older people, families as well.
Impeccable tastes in New York, Nintendo hosted a midnight. Launch at the World Store.
Ohh yeah, so you wanna appeal to old people and families and then you launch the ******* thing at midnight. I mean, yeah, well, chances up. I was gonna say the old people, probably getting up for a **** about.
Getting up to do away fans lined up to be amongst the first to purchase.
Then anyways, so you'll get them. It's going to the toilet and decided to walk down the shops and came.
Back with a D, yes, yes, 10 dogs. It included interactive demonstrations, appearances by executives cause just that's what you want.
Don't cry.
Like the the CEO of Nintendo coming to talk to you at midnight, that would be.
Nice.
Yeah.
A hoot? Wouldn't. It who showed you the consoles capabilities and and this was the weird thing. We've played the ads before. We've spoken about this the whole the slogan around touch touching is good and.
Right. I was a bit sexy and touching is good. Yeah, it was like that. It was a woman's voice. That was a bit disturbing. It's like.
And it's trying to be the.
Yeah, like touch, touch. The square touching is good. Touching is.
It's.
Good. And you're trying to appeal to the broader audience. I don't think that works. Gross. It cost 100 and 4999 US when it came out.
Didn't work. That's cheap for a console cost of living these days. That's bargain, although you probably get it second hand for 200 bucks. Given the cost of living.
I think. Game Boy. I think the Game Boy was $89.00 in the.
Yeah. Wow.
90s.
So that's not much more.
No, no, that's good. Sold him a half a million units in the first week.
Yeah.
In North America. Yes, see, there are lots of iterations as well. They have the DS light. You know the DSI. I don't know what that was. I think it investigated crimes. And then at the end of its production, they sold over 154,000,000 units. So that's pretty good, pretty good all around the world. One of the.
Best selling. Yes. Thank you very much.
Gaming consoles of all time. Why? Because old people and babies bought it. Let's go to music.
Let's sorry, it's just swallowing. Sorry, sorry.
That's not for babies. You're right. That was a big swig. I've I've driven you to drink. Yeah, sorry.
But salted my console of choice you'll be.
That. OK, you'll be alright.
Drowning with sirens? Ohh, let's start with the Australian #1 cause it's the. Same as last week.
Good on you, Gwen.
Yes, still like that song over in the US, top five sounded like this.
5. Are you right?
All these things I've got, I'm wonder.
Think about it over and over again.
3.
The pimps in the crib. Drop it like it's hot. Drop it like it's hot. Drop it like it's hot. Try to get it. You rock it like it's hard. Park it like it's hot.
Usher just again ruling the charts and showing no sign of letting up. Mind you, the goodies gone out the jar off the charts.
Hmm.
I don't think she'll let them out of. The jar I think the jar rolled away but. Still, had the lid was stilled.
People like ohh, we've left a lid on the jar for so long the goodies have actually gone past their use.
By date, we gotta check them out. Maybe it's one of those jars. You know, like when we get the sauerkraut just can't open. It no matter what you do, vacuum seals.
Yeah. Also big difference between best before and used by. By use by.
That's before as a suggestion, right, use, but that's before like.
Used bike very finite, very finite best before it's like I reckon it's gonna be pretty good if you eat it before this date, but I'm not sure what's gonna happen to you if you eat it past this date.
Maybe maybe see how you go. So you'll probably be fine.
The walls might melt. You might start to see things a vortex might open up a new wall.
The best, best before is just a yeah, whatever.
Hmm.
I don't take best before. Seriously. Yeah. Don't you? No, never.
That's best. Yeah. I have high standards, so I like things to be at their best, so I will consume them before.
Really. I'll see mould on bread and I'll just pick the mould bit off. Just pull that part of the bread off the rest. Fine.
Wolf. And at what stage is the mould at its best? Hey, hey, it's getting deep, isn't it, really. So the good.
The blue cheese.
You're out anyway, and the new song is in.
Yes. Ohh yes. Your besties rolled on in jar.
Ohh, our favourite sex offender R Kelly and Ja Rule collaborated.
Jeffrey Aikens and Kelly.
An appropriate hookup that would be.
And uh shante, that's the old one.
Hmm.
Out out of. The three, isn't it #5 wonderful, wonderful.
Yeah. So they've, they've, they've snuck in. They've slid in at #5 or slithered. 4 was over and over with Nelly and Tim McGraw. 3 lose my breath Destiny's Child. And was it just Destiny's Child and that whatever that marching, whatever that marching band was, I don't think they get a credit and then drop it like it's hot. Snoop Dogg.
See my girl. Well. Is Destinys child, isn't it? Three of them.
7.
And Pharrell and. My Boo. Yeah, usher great #1.
That was good. Thank you. New number one in the UK, I'll stand by you girls. Aloud.
Then nobody hurt you.
So Speaking of best before or used by dates, yes, that song was originally done by the Pretenders. In 1994 the Pretenders version has so much more life and gusto and emotion and just power to it.
I love the pretenders. Yeah.
And it's not done by a girl group. It's sung by one woman who is a great singer. What? What is? I just don't know that a decade is a decade. Enough time for somebody to cover a song. Wouldn't you give it a little bit?
More time, I would say it should be at least 20 years, but remember, blue covered next two years later. So I think anything goes. As far as covers these days.
Yes, well.
But I think if if we're gonna.
Both of those songs were.
Be responsible if we're.
Going to be responsible, I think minimum 20 years.
I I just the pretenders are great and I just don't think that's uh.
It's minimum 20. It's it's fair, it's fair. This was for charity. So can you just stop? Well, I think you have to make allowances. It was to raise money for the children who need charity campaigns. So I think you can. Get away with it.
Ohh, they're just hiding behind the children. You need charity.
Of its charities. Think of the children. Think of the children, Joe.
Chrissy Hynde from the Pretenders would be a far better role model for those children than Girls Aloud.
Think of the children. The.
It right it it.
Raised a lot of money. They wouldn't say exactly how much, but I think GPT estimated a.
Really. So they wouldn't tell you how much, but it was a lot. It was a lot, yeah.
Few million. They, they estimated.
Took a bit off the top there just to cover touring costs. Maybe buy buy, buy a buy rental on a nice apartment for the girls. Allow girls something like that.
And. In 2024, they had their reunion tour and they paid tribute to Sarah Harding from the band.
Did.
Who died a couple?
Of years ago.
Ohh God, now I'm a *******, aren't I? Girls are loud, also spelled ALOUD. Yes, not allowed. As in I'll let them in.
You are you really?
Just girls are loud. Yes, as in loud making noise.
Hmm. They paid tribute to Sarah, incorporating her vocals into the performance in 2024, adding emotional layers. I think you just need to shut up.
Ohh what? Cause so. So all they had was a DAT machine. All they had was a DAT machine. Now if they had kept some of that money for the children in need charity campaign, they might have been able to. Fork out enough. For a hologram. Ohh. Tupac at Coachella. Imagine that. That would have changed the game, wouldn't it? Meanwhile, the Pretenders song endures, and nobody remembers that. So thank you for reminding us so. It was. That's nice it.
Let's see.
I remember that.
OK.
Was nice. It was good.
Can we move onto album? Sure. Good. We'll start with. Let's start with this one released 20 years ago Ultimate Kylie, which was her greatest hits album and.
Yeah.
Like we.
Think of Kylie and we. Often. Go. Ohh yeah. Hmm. Bubble gum pops had a.
No.
Few hits. Amazing tour. No incredible artist. Greatest hits. Think like this is only this is like probably.
Oh yeah.
I'd say 20% of the songs on there spinning around locomotion. Confide in me. Remember that song.
Hmm. Yep, Yep. That's probably one of my favourite songs. I love that song, yeah.
Gotta be certain. Loved that kids with Robbie Williams on a night like this can't get you out of my head. Love that one slow. Remember that one?
Not a fan of that one. Ohh yeah, that was good. Uh-huh. Slow was good too. I liked slow. Yes, yes, I sing that when I'm barbecuing. Briskets coming down.
That was the sexy naked people at the pool. Ohh gosh, so it was really. Nice. That makes me think of that. Naked people come into my world. Yep. So good. And it also featured 2 new tracks, including, I believe, in you and this one called giving you up.
With me slow. She just knew how she had that sound of the night club, and in particular I I I'm not ashamed to say, the Gay nightclub. She was huge in that scene. It was so funny when I went and saw Kylie at the Royal Theatre. I'm trying to think of what tour it was, but it was. It was, after all, the bubble gum stuff when she.
Oh yeah. Oh yeah.
Started to get into the mall.
Was it showgirl? Was that the one? No, I think that's the one where she got sick. And she.
All these stuff.
Had to postpone. Was that the show call?
I don't know. It was like I it. It was late 90s. It was late 90s and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a fantastic show.
But the costumes? OK. Yep.
And the vibe inside the venue was extraordinary. I've never seen a bunch of guys.
Hmm.
Hmm.
Lose their mind.
Ohh yeah.
Like a bunch of girls woods at a beat. It was hilarious and it but but, but the vibe was wonderful. It was such a cool thing to be a part of. It was a great concert. It's just.
There'll be a lot. Of. And hand waving. Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
And she's one of those artists where she just constantly reinvents herself, but not in the way that Madonna does not like, cause Madonna is very Madonna's very showy and promo in out there about. I'm reinventing myself, whereas Kylie.
Hmm.
Just sort of.
Behind the scenes, chipping away and then all of a sudden releases something and you're like. Ohh wow, that's so relevant.
Hmm.
Whereas yeah, other artists, they just keep doing the same old, same old, whereas every time she released something it was still, it still felt current and it still felt relevant, and it was always something that you could. Get up and dance to.
She doesn't. I just. She just. I don't know. She's less in your face and I don't. I don't know that she felt like she needed to prove anything. Maybe she did. I don't know.
Yes, yes.
But Madonna is always Madonna has an axe to grind, I find.
And Madonna likes the controversy, which is fine. I enjoy Madonna. I I think she's. I think she's great, but everyone's always like she's the queen of reinventing herself. But I think Kylie does it in such a subtle way, but still always remains relevant. And looking back over that track listing.
Ohh. Love it. I'm like, what's? She gonna do next?
Just like of course, like you forget how many amazing songs she's had over the years. Because I guess she's just not as showboating in that kind of way. And you're like all of these songs are amazing. I love all of.
Hmm.
Them this doesn't need to be. She doesn't need to be. She's a bit more regal whereas Madonna.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean has a more of a God complex. I think it's. So do I. So do I. Well, what else have we got? We got more albums. What else we got?
I love Madonna too. No shade on my. Ohh my gosh. OK, this guy I'm obsessed with at the moment. Low key obsessed. No. Probably not even low key. It's pretty.
I know you are, yeah. No, not at all. It's not low key.
Obvious isn't it? Luna.
Ludicrous.
Ludacris releases his album Red Light District, which is his fifth studio album, Collabs with DMX, the late DMX, late Night Dog and Nas featuring one of my favourite Ludacris.
Songs.
It is a pretty great song. I like it. I remember this song from Tropic Thunder.
Don't know me like that.
Deep.
I ain't playing around. Make one false move. I take it down. Get back. Get y'all know me like that.
I love it. Love that song.
I like. I like the uncensored version better but.
I I much prefer the uncensored version as well, but I just thought it'd be less work.
Yes, lot of less work for you that is.
In post, yeah.
A. That is a great song and.
Just the whole meaning of that song. It's just you've everyone's been there, where they've been. They've had someone just hanging over their shoulders, just wanting to engage you in conversation. Who's more familiar with you than you would care for them to be. And it's get back. You don't know me like that.
Yes.
Yes, I like the line too. It's like, can't you see we're in?
The club man shut the up.
Yeah, it's very good. Very good. Thank you. We're trying to concentrate on the music.
So good, so good. Be quiet in the club. We're trying to listen to the music and have a good time. Yeah, exactly.
I've I've warmed to ludicrous over time as well, and I think it was the Christmas movie that really won me over the Christmas movie that he was in last year. What was that called? I can't remember, just Google Ludacris, Christmas movie you wanna.
It was pretty good and he even said Ohh halfway through.
Watch it.
He's like, this is Ludacris.
That's he can use the words. It was pretty good with the Christmas movie. There's just an expectation.
Alright.
That it's gonna be trash.
I didn't mind it. What did he? He was on. His talk show is it where? I I shared it on our socials a little while ago. I don't know who's. Talk show.
It's probably Ellen, wasn't it in Ellen?
Some some singer. No, it's some singer or actor who's got a show. And before they come on stage for their interview, there's like this corridor that they walk down and all the production crew who work on the show line the corridor.
Kelly Clarkson. Yeah. Right.
And they do like a dance or a song as the person walks through. And Luda was walking through and they were doing the like.
Hmm.
Go Luda go.
Luda. And then they were singing get back and then they were singing another song and he was just like. Wow, he was stoked. It was so.
Good. Another.
One his show it is, but it's great.
That's OK. Another one of my favourite tunes of his and I think everyone probably again can relate is move *****. Get out the way. It's just it's just move. *****. Get out the way. Get out the way. *****. Get out the way. I mean that is genius.
Well, more genius as you cause I I was making a planner for work and I've started doing the time blocking technique. I believe it's called the Pomodoro technique. And so I've been designing it in the tomato, that's tomato and Italian.
Hmm.
Yes. The Pomodoro technique, right? That sounds like a fruit. Alright. And tomatoes are fruit. I did well.
There. And so I would like to the technique is like you give yourself 20 minutes to work on a task and then you move to the next one, cause the idea is like you don't spend too long on a task because when you get to 20.
Smart sometimes.
Minutes. You just. Wasting your time after that. Whatever. Anyway, I I did this thing and I designed it in Canberra and I really wanted.
Sure.
To have like just something at the top of the page like often you'll have like a A saying or a motivational like a motivate. And I'm like, I don't want that. And I'm like, I just want a line out of a song. It's kind of related. It's kind of funny. I'm like, who's my favourite artist at the moment? I'm like, I'm really low key loop.
Inspirational quotes, yeah. Yeah. Ludacris.
I wonder. And then you came up with, what did you come up with? It was great.
Move *****. Set out your day.
You're welcome.
And so every day when I'm planning my little pomodoro and I'm highlighting the hours and I'm writing in which task go where, I've just got that stuck in my head. I think of you and I think of Luke.
Hmm.
You think of me. And then you think you're Ludacris. Ohh God dammit.
I. Of both of you both. Of you, that's that's. A compliment. That's great. I thought that was really good.
Sure, sure, I'll. I'll pay that. We got another album from this, these horrible tax dodgers. You 2 you 2 released. How does dismantle an atomic bomb. And it had that single Vertigo on it.
Thank you.
Madam, please call vertical.
Everything.
In the South.
Shout out to Bobo. He's a big you 2 fan and apologies Gwen Stefani released love Angel music, baby featuring of course this song. Then it can we just take a moment to appreciate? Right. The wonder that is one of the big four of thrash, one of the Titans of thrash metal, anthrax, who did an album called the Greater of Two Evils where they had this their current singer John Bush, who was their current singer in 2004, recorded some of their greatest hits from the Belladonna era when they was had Joey. Belladonna, who's back with the band now as their vocalist? John Bush step. Been for a while there, for for several albums, but they were playing all these songs live and they just went into the studio one day and re recorded them. And I love this album because it it features John Bush, who I always so a lot of anthrax fans are like are you Bush era or belladonna era? And if I if I had to draw a line in the sand. Say I'm bushier, but I love all of it now and and it's kind of it's kind of irrelevant now. It's not even a conversation worth having, but it was great that they rerecorded this this song. Keep it in the. Family is one of my favourites on that album.
In your life, change your family. The real world, your door. You can't keep it in the family. You've got the longest way too far.
They just had some great songs on there.
That was a really big album, wasn't it? There was like a. Lot. Of yeah, sex on there.
I I think it was big for fans. I think if you didn't like anthrax, you probably didn't care. But they had a death rider. They did a cover of Deathrider, which is also the cover of their own song. They did death ride. They did mad house. That'd keep it in the family. Indians. I think they did. I am the law. That judge dredd. So, so many good songs are great. Album was the greater of two eagles and I love the artwork on it cause that was by Shepard Fairey who was really big at the time as well. The guy that did all the obey stuff. So it was cool. It was.
Ohh yes, yes yes. Yeah.
Just a cool album. I got it on final recently and it's one of my favourite.
It's.
Also, one of your favourites that I. Think you've got it on? Vinyl, you should have it on vinyl. Jessica Simpson with rejoice the Christmas album.
I'd like to see. I would like Jessica Simpson in vinyl for Christmas.
It's cold outside.
It's cold outside.
Johansen.
2.
That sounds like Alvin and the chipmunks. What is the voice? That she's because she Can't Sing, right?
Yeah, she's doing a bit of a.
Baby voice, breathless thing.
Because she's singing with husba at the time, no longer stay out of.
Right.
It Nicola Shay.
Right. And his range was probably more girly than hers. Yes, yeah.
Yeah. So maybe is like you have to go higher pitch. So I. Don't sound like a girl that I think. In my spot. By Christmas, t -, 20 I made a T -, 20 Christmas hits with all of the pop stars.
Probably is probably is. We'll need actually Gee whiz 14. Ohh, we're getting to November 21st of November the 20th of November. We don't need to.
Probably about time. I have to start. I'll. I'll put some share some links cause it is. It is a very good mix. If I do say so myself because it's all like it's *NSYNC and Britney. I think the sugar babes like it's all the artists, Mandy Moore, all the artists that were big early 2000s. It's quite the playlists. All the bangers, all the Christmas bangers.
Shot it out.
Hmm.
But. You need to we need can I? Can I just put one on there. They're like the Twisted Sister version of oh, come All Ye Faithful, that'd be.
Nice. OK, you can have one one.
Great. Excellent. Let's go to music news now. Let's do that.
Go to.
Oh. Oh I.
This is a big story in Australia. This is the second season of Australian Idol.
I totally forgot about. Australian Idol we haven't had any idle content this year. We've been neglecting it.
Yeah, this is. The youngest winner of Australian Idol at 16 years old, and apologies for the audio quality.
Calm your nerves. The moment is finally upon us. There's a card in this envelope. Written on that. Card is the name of the winner of Australian Idol for 2004. Well, this is in Anthony Casey. Congratulations to you both on reaching this point, you both worked so very hard, so very hard to be here on this stage. You're both incredible singers. It's been a delight to watch you grow and change over the course of the competition. As we all know there. The only one winner? Good luck to both of you. Australia. Here we go. The winner of Australian Idol 2004.
Yes.
Chasing going on.
Oh. Hello.
Boy, settle down, everyone. They were thrilled. They were elated.
Remember when we first started watching it? You. Picked her from. The start you said, I really like.
Yeah, she was good. She was a good singer.
Cause you you thought she was a goth chick. You're like.
Hmm.
Really like that young goth chick?
Yes.
You called it, you called it.
She was a great singer. She had a really good voice, but she went up against do you remember? Anthony Kalea, he sang. He sang the prayer. He was pretty. He was so young. I looked back at the footage. I was like, God, they were young. Well, she was 16. She looked older than him. He looked about four. He was a little guy with a big voice. Yes, but she did a Casey Chambers song, I believe, for her audition.
Sorry, yeah.
Yes.
Babyface. Yes, a teas.
Which was a million tears.
Soulful voice fan favourites and yeah, up against Anthony Clear. Her performance of listen with your heart. I keep thinking of.
Hmm.
Listen to your heart.
Yeah, it's a different song, isn't it?
That's.
Roxette, isn't it?
Yeah, she would have done that well too. I reckon. You know what was funny, though? And this is a cautionary tale for anyone who wants to purchase a domain name like cause in Australia. Itsalways.com dot AU. Right. But you always wanna double check. Whatyour.com counterpart might be.
Yes.
In.
Version is.
So what happened? This is hilarious. This is so funny. So Telstra were the major sponsor of Australian Idol, right? And they take out a half page ad in all the national newspapers and it includes what they think is her website, caseydonovan.com not.com dot AU.
I forgot about. This is so good. Good.
Yes.
And Casey donovan.com is a website that contains a memorial for the late American **** actor.
Home.
Katie Donovan, whose most notable work was boys in the sand. So yeah.
Quite the body of work.
Least it I mean.
Yeah.
Imagine that, though, like all the kiddies, because kids love idol. Yeah, kids are the ones voting.
Yeah.
Hmm.
Go to caseydonovan.com.
Go to caseydonovan.com and then just. Like.
Oh, my God. What is that? And then it's.
Yeah. Well, that's Casey Donovan. Or caseys Donovan. Yes, it's terrible. Terrible.
Isn't that embarrassing? I forgot about that till I read that I was like, that's right. I remember that. That's so good.
Do you remember that story? It was hilarious. So once it goes to print, I mean, you can't take it back. I'll take it back. Absolutely. Check your domain. It's a cautionary tale.
So good. Always check your WW double check your. Links. Oh my God. Do you think that person would have got?
Possibly I mean.
I'd love to know who that person is. I'd love to chat to them. How did?
Look, it's, I mean it's it's Telstra. It was a Telstra Telstra AD and Telstra were the sponsors so they probably outsourced it to somewhere in Malaysia anyway as a matter.
You feel when you found out.
But for all of all the things to. Link to though **** actor.
Hmm, spectacular. So good, so good. So she released that single listen with your heart, which went platinum. Stop the Aria charts. Listen with your heart. That's what I said.
Ohh my gosh.
With your heart not to your.
Heart, yes.
Isn't it? Did I say too?
No, I was just clarifying in case everyone else was thinking Roxette like me.
Yeah, it's not to be mistaken for the Roxette again. It's like the dot AU. It's a width and A2. You know, don't fall into the trap. In 2017, she was revealed as a celebrity contestant, and I'm A Celebrity. Get Me Out of here. I don't watch that show. So I was not interested in that factory, did she? She won that as the Queen of the Jungle. God help us all.
Gosh.
He won, though she won that one. Yeah, yeah. I think we've kind of really like over the years, there was a time when, you know, after idol she she had a she went through a lot of. Stuff and.
She got catfish to remember that she lost a lot of money.
She got catfished and she had a lot of mental health issues over time, and she sort of dropped out of the spotlight. We didn't hear from her. And then she came back. But she's always been really. Open and honest about her struggles over the.
Yeah.
And I think we've really embraced her. And then when she went on, I'm A Celebrity. Get Me Out of here. I think she must. I think she really opened up on that show as well. And just again became a fan favourite because she's just, she's very authentic. She's who she is. And people loved that about her. And we're all we're all rooting for her. And then she did like the cold.
Yeah.
Down, down campaign we're like go queen. Go go.
You see? Yeah, well, yeah, but I mean. You've done a competition where you're an idol, which is like supposed to be the pinnacle of pop music in this country. I mean, that's what they're going for. It's an idol, right? It's like it's God like status in the music business. Once you achieve this, it's fast tracking you to that. And then you do that in 2004. And then in 2017, you're the face of Coles.
The down down campaign, the big campaign big campaign.
The supermarket down down. I mean, she's always on the.
And she did a remix, but she. But again, though she's like, she's kind of self deprecating about that too, though she owns it. And I.
Yeah, I think that's the good thing it.
Think. There's something about her personality and she does the New Year's stuff every New Years, but she has fun with it. She has fun.
I was gonna say that. Yeah, she's very. She does. And she's always the best in show on that because the rest of it is so lacklustre. She's doing the musical circuit and she can sing. You're right. She's a very good singer. I think she's in the musical production of nine to five at the moment. She's been in Chicago. All of those things. So you know that's. I mean, it's been a big 20 years for Casey Donovan, lots of UPS and lots of downs and down downs and prices are down.
Hmm. Yep.
Over to the big and small screen portion of the programme, a new number one at the American box office and if you said to me Nicolas Cage is gonna steal the Bill of Independence and Hunt for treasure, I would be all in what an awesome film this was.
You're treasure hunters, aren't you?
We're more like treasure protectors.
All his life, Benjamin Gates has searched for a treasure no one believed existed.
Don't you get it, Ben? The treasure.
Is a myth to believe?
That, but what he thought was the final.
Clue Hunter and eight years of searching. And I'm three feet.
Away is only the beginning.
The Declaration of Independence.
You think there is a treasure map on the back of the Declaration of Independence?
The map is invisible.
Why would we make this? Up. We don't have it.
Where's your proof?
Bigfoot. Take it.
What about the map is bound to get out. Ian's going to. Try to steal it 90 seconds. The only way to protect the declaration is to. Steal it, steal the Declaration of Independence.
That's so good. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. A big dumb popcorn film. I am unashamedly a massive fan of Nicolas Cage, though good movies, bad movies, and anything in between. Nicolas Cage is one of those actors. Who is he? Just doesn't turn down role. So I don't. Think he'll be in anything and.
I've.
Always liked him. I liked he can't hear loves that.
Yeah. Connor was great when you put the Bunny back in the box. Yes, this one was awesome. National treasure. It's it. Like I said, big dumb popcorn film. Sometimes you just need that. You need that. A big, dumb popcorn adventure movie. It follows Ben Gates, who has spent his life pursuing a legendary hidden treasure that supposedly guarded by all of these.
It's not that.
Clues that are linked to American history, so it's full of Americana. This film it kicks off when he discovers that there is a clue hidden on the back of the declaration. Independence. And then his team, his mate Doctor Abigail Chase, who's played by Diane Kruger and Riley Poole, who's played by Justin Bath and embark on a journey to steal the Bill of Independence so they can examine it for clues. I mean, they they might, they could have tried asking first. I think they might have. They got enough back, which is why they decided to.
Hmm.
Steal it and then he's he's. He's evading Sean Bean, who plays a great bad guy. His name's Ian, which is he's not a really, you know, I mean, it's not a huge name for a villain. Hey, here's the the antagonist. He, Ian.
And. Doesn't sound like that guy and.
And.
It was a box office success, grossing over 347,000,000 worldwide. Do you think maybe it had something to do with Da Vinci Code as well? It's it feels a bit Da Vinci Code ish and that was such a big best selling New York Times book thing. Yeah, for like the last year and a half, I wonder if.
It's got a bit of that in it.
Yeah.
I I wonder if we're feeling like. We like a bit of conspiracy theory, particularly after all the world events and all that stuff that's going on, but let's have a bit of a just a big dumb conspiracy theory that we can all.
Of course.
Yeah.
Yeah. But like let's let's use like a history to create a work of fiction. I think it's wonderful. I think it's really great. Now, if you would have held a treasure hunt at a party and and Tom Hanks and Nicolas Cage were invited.
Yeah. Yeah. Yes.
I would put my money on Nicolas Cage finding the treasure before Tom Hanks. Yep, Yep, absolutely. I just feel like Nicolas Cage is is more tenacious. He's more open minded. He he'd explore the possibilities.
You go, you go. Team nick. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like Tom Hanks. Would be more distracted by irrelevant things. He seems very easily distracted. I think that would.
Do you think so? Too busy. Yeah, I feel like like Tom Hanks would be the sort of person who would own a Nintendo DS.
Be on his report card.
Yes, whereas whereas Nicolas Cage is probably a PlayStation guy, wow, I'm just saying it's saying 46% for the critics on Rotten Tomatoes, but 76% for the audience. They have spoken. National Treasure was great #1 Australia, Bridget Jones, edge of Reason. Let's go to TV. Let's go dance with the stars.
Wow. We love it. We love it.
Ohh.
Yeah. So we. Had the big finale on the 23rd of November 2004 of the first season of dancing with stars here in Australia and.
Hmm.
Raging success, by all accounts. Yes.
Our royalty, Australia's Princess or queen, I think, should be Australia's queen, actually Australia's queen.
Hmm.
Well, yeah, I I don't know what that does for the Republican movement or the monarchist movement really, but we say the unofficial queen, unofficial King and queen of Australia Layton Hewitt being the King and his partner, Beck, Beck Cartwright, Beck Hewitt.
Who cares? Who cares? Royalty. Royalty. Yes. Point coin. Home and away actress extraordinaire and her partner, Michael.
Yes.
Misna.
Yeah. Misener, who cares? I mean the candy.
Misna Misner he's married to someone famous, though now can't remember who someone famous.
You see.
But they're they're they're the the.
Take your places.
Crowned champions the first season dancing with the Stars.
She won it. She won it. She did. They were consistently strong throughout the entire season and back didn't wear much, and in fact there was one. There was one dance that they did. I think it might have been the cha CHA or the rumba, or one of those where she just wore a very small skirt and a.
Hmm. Hmm.
A sequinned bra. And that was it. She basically danced in her underwear for.
Hmm.
That one and and.
Listen to you wowzer ring. Just basically in her underwear.
Ah. It was wonderful and no, no, they do that with dancing.
Even they wear likes, there's mesh, there's like. Beige mesh under. It's not just bare skin, there's mesh stuff that looks.
Ohh. She had a bra on and there was no mesh. There was no, I'm telling you, I'm telling you there was. I am telling you beyond all shadow of a doubt there was no mesh. I watched the footage multiple times and if you think that's creepy.
Yeah, but there's mesh. There was. There's always mesh. That's not skin mesh stances mesh.
You should hear how creepy Darrell Summers. Was cool.
That's wonderful, mark. Thank you. Well, I oh, sorry. I I have a microphone here which because we had nowhere to put. A. Microphone on you. So I thought it out. Gee, you really nailed it. That was so exciting for us in the studio watching and sure, surely for everyone at home. You that lift where you had your hands behind your back. What? What? The part hurt the.
No.
Most. When you're doing, is fine.
I had my first bruise.
Yeah, your first bruise. I'll kiss it better later.
If I've got nowhere to put the microphone.
Uncle Darrell's gonna kiss better. Equally as cringed. I'll tell you where he could put the microphone straight up. Pauline Hanson's ****. He came second Bec Cartwright. Also Hewitt Beck Hewitt appeared on 2021 All Star series, and she initially tied with Luke Jacobs as the.
That's gross. Gross yuck.
Cure.
But the audience swayed their vote to Luke. Now that's a travesty. She would have been robbed and and.
That is, that's outrageous. Why would you vote for Luke instead of Australia's queen?
Yeah, I mean, you think they're gonna protest in the Ukraine? I mean, they should have been rioting in the streets. They should have burnt all of Australia.
Like Jacobs with AZ yeah.
Down for that. Yeah, our queen has been deposed by Luke Jacobs. What? What? On there, what did he host?
It was a kids show, the van.
Yeah, hold on. He used to host a whole bunch of kids. Shows Luke Jacobs and he did pop.
Stars remember the.
Yes.
The one we went to, we went to the the the initial. Did he cry? He cried in something. He cried, he cried in pop it was it pop stars.
Probably did. The point is you. I'll tell you.
We saw the first episode that he hosted. But he cried in something. Yeah, but it was. It was almost like a.
Fake cry. Look, if anyone's gonna put out a commemorative plate and and and and the subject matter is Luke Jacobs or Beck Cartwright.
It's not Luca Jacobs, that's for sure. Which plate are you buying?
I'm by. I'm on the back plate all the way. That's where I wanna put my.
Absolutely.
Cake squarely on the face of back Cartwright. Not bloody Luke Jacobs. You can kiss that better as much as you like.
9. That that is disgraceful. Why would the audience go with Luke Jacobs?
I don't know.
Over our queen.
Speaking of creepy TV show hosts, though, 26th of November Burke's backyard came to an end.
Hmm.
Hey, Ruth.
Back yard.
Very.
Very popular lifestyle gardening show Ed for.
Oh my God.
What was it? Years.
You're either watching Friday Night Football or Burkes. Backyard. Actually, weren't they on the same network? So I think it would be Burkes, backyard Burkes, backyard was Friday nights. I'm sure of it. And then it was of Burkes backyard. Then Friday Night Football potentially.
Better homes and gardens. Ran ran for men's.
Can't remember, but he was always on Friday. Nice.
Yeah, well, that makes sense because he tells you how to do your gardening, and then you go and do your gardening.
Yeah, I'd be like, oh, Christ, there's it's Friday night. I'm stuck at home. There's nothing on TV. I guess I'll watch Burke's backyard.
I watched Burkes backyard because I liked the pet segment with Katrina. It was Katrina Warren. I watched it. No doctor, Harry was better. Homes and gardens, wasn't he?
Yeah. And Doctor Harry, Doctor Harry was on me as well.
Ohh you're right.
But I think she ended up being on a doctor Harry show further down the track, but she was on. She was on bikes back down anyway, it's 80801987. It started hosted by Don Burke.
Right. Ohh. So incestuous this industry.
Yes, side note how much does the guy in our straight look like Tom Burke?
Ohh he does doesn't.
He I actually thought we did live in. Don Burke St for.
He and you know what?
The first few years that we lived.
Here he's got an impeccable garden, yes. Of his garden.
I know he's hedge and remember when the that little whirly wind went through the street and blew his tree.
Yes.
Over since I.
Yes, he's very upset about his tree blown over, puts his Australian flag up on the flagpole everyday.
Saw him cry. I think you cried. He's got a bell from a bell up front of his house. I think he is dog Burke.
Hmm.
Yeah. Yeah. Drives Alexis. Yes, gainfully single, too. I wouldn't mess with you though.
But he does look like Don Burke. I was. I honestly thought it was.
A little bit.
He does.
Don Burke for a while.
He does. He does. Maybe that's what creeps me out. Is the fact that he looks like Don. Burke, he's actually a.
Maybe yes.
Really nice guy, but he looks like Don Burke, much to.
His detriment, wide range of topics.
On Burke's backyards.
Ohh yeah.
Gardening tips, landscaping, cooking, DIY and obviously pet advice with Trina Warren.
MMM MMM.
Well, he's on air persona. We'll start with on Air Persona, Don engaging.
Well, everyone loved him. It was like g'day, g'day and hooo and all of that.
Hoo, he's the one that started Hoo.
Stuff. Hoo, yeah. Yeah, we didn't start it, but he certainly adopted it.
I think he started it.
Well, he started it on TV. He used it to sign.
Yeah.
Down to Earth, people loved him. Gardening enthusiasts, families, mums dads.
Off as like Hoo. Oh yeah, moms love.
He had gardening experts, chefs, home improvement specialists. It was, it was very similar to the better homes and gardens kind of. Show, but it was.
Yeah.
Just Don Burke. It was just him. He was he was.
There, holding the thought through in his own seat. Yes, yes.
The star, the star of the show. However, this time 20 years ago. Didn't come to the end of of its tenure, it was cancelled. Cancelled. Why?
It was cancelled. Yeah, for a couple of reasons. For a couple of reasons. Viewers weren't as interested. They changed their focus early. 2000s audiences preferred different lifestyle shows. Those with more modern, focused formats or faster paced like Backyard Blitz. I mean, reality TV's are the block. For example, the block started to get more popular and there was more targeted and structured.
Reality gardening. Yeah, yeah.
Approaches to home improvement designers almost like Burkes back out as a too broad for them. And then so the ratings went down. Years and years of high ratings, but all of a sudden, the viewers are going down, I think, because they're fast approaching the end of their life and. Dying and then other people probably aren't as interested. The next generation are so interested.
No, their next generation give a shout about Pete Los. No, no.
That's that's right, that's.
Right. You know, Nintendo DS being launched probably had something to do with it as well. They they were they. Were they the critics were saying that the format was outdated and the lifestyle genre was. A bit more competitive with shows. Like Backyard Blitz and the bloth.
That said, the gardening gurus.
Yeah. Amazing on the radio on the ABC.
Yes, I love that show. And I don't even garden.
Yes, it's very entertaining.
With that with Willow.
Yes, he's great on the ABC in Canberra. I love the garden gurus. It's a wonderful show, it's bright and it's it's vibrant.
Ah, incredible, yeah.
I like when they do the guess the plant and there's no way I'll ever guess it, cause I don't understand plants or anything like that, but I love it. The excitement are.
I agree.
They gonna guess it. Did they get it right?
Is. Oleander. You know the network was being restructured over at channel 9, so there was a lot of internal changes going around. They're probably trying to fire all the sex offenders and cost cutting measures at the time. So Burkes was pretty expensive to make.
Ah.
Because it was.
What?
Because the format was so broad, they'd have to do so much stuff on location. You know what it's like when you do TV. Location like people think it's just people think it's just one camera and away you go and you have a chat, but it's not. It's two cameras. It's light.
I gotta pay for lunch.
That's interesting.
It's it's lagging gear, it's charging batteries, it's driving out to the location. It's one interview is a minimum half day right. Minimum, minimum. Then you gotta do the podiums for lunch and all that sort of stuff. And then if we get right down to it.
Set up pat down. Yeah, they gotta pay around 50 bucks for lunch.
Don Burke, the human is just. Massive and Tracy Grimshaw took him to task on current affair and there's a lot of stuff came out. I mean he just was not a pleasant human being to be around.
But I do. Have a ribald sense of humour. Are your. Breasts free. I was talking to my daughter this morning and she said, well, you know your sense of humour at times. You know, I've seen people. Will you? Know roll their eyes a bit and I went. Human female has. Of an imitation derriere on her chest for the purposes of advertising for sets. Your balls. Ohh, just amazed at how warm that is. When I was on counter Worms and we're talking about language and I said. Nothing better than a. Good. Which?
You have called someone a a a dumb ****.
No, you're a pig.
There are a lot of people lying here. If you've never said it, Don, there are a lot of people lying.
Now I know. Well, I do know there's a.
Witch Hunt on are you saying that you believe this is a giant conspiracy?
I'm happy. To say to the people of Australia. I'm an Asperger's person.
You've never before said that you've got.
Asperger's and I haven't been medically diagnosed, but I've worked it out that that's what what I've got.
And self diagnosed Asperger's. I think there was a huge uproar in the community when he actually made those comments.
OK.
I do remember that interview actually, and it was.
From those who were a bit neurodivergent, they were like how dare yeah, pull that one as an excuse for bad behaviour. There's so many layers that you can peel back from that statement and every figure one of them is wrong, like.
Yeah, yeah.
Yeah.
He's just he's just not a nice guy. But, I mean, this is the the we are finding a lot of this stuff out about the TV and the entertainment.
And.
Yeah, the people that were the spokespeople that you put forward were put up on these pedestals and they were they were groomed by executives to be bigger than or larger than life and wield a lot of power over other people. And that's what you get.
And their behaviour was excused and covered up because they were the ones that pulled in the big money to the network. Yeah. So it it was a blind eye or it was it was covered up to the point.
Yes.
There people were paid off and I think in in hindsight when we started to see all of that stuff come out later on, perhaps that was more the reason behind the show being cancelled. But you know, due to being sued and all of that kind of stuff at the time, they couldn't really say that that's what. It happened.
Yes, I thought channel 9 were pretty clever in sending Tracy Grimshaw after him and getting the exclusive interview because the other networks will start slinging mud at each other. But what you will begin to find, and if you've watched four Corners recently, about Channel 7 and things.
And the fact that he went on.
Yeah.
So that it's kind of across the board.
Ohh absolutely absolutely. And I think having I I I don't know that he knew what was gonna happen in that interview because he was quite relaxed and comfortable with her at the start and he had the holding lines ready. He thought it was going to be.
Yeah. I thought, I think he's gonna be a peer to peer thing and she just went after.
Along the lines. And he thought it was along the lines of infidelity. So he had. He had the holding lines around. Yep. You know, and I've let down my family and I've let down those who I've loved. And it was a it was a bad choice and blah, blah, blah. But he didn't realise that she was going to go where she went and bring up all of these other allegations, which were far worse. And then he just didn't know what to do.
Yeah, yeah. But that's exactly right, like once they.
But they've been protected all these years. And so he thinks that that is totally acceptable behaviour.
I know once they started to exhume Burke's backyard, they found a lot of skeletons. It should have been that that, that would be. That would be a ratings. But the Burkes close.
Ohh.
Hey, ray. Let's go over to video games, get a bit more mature now, talk about video games. I know we talked about the DS earlier, but there was just just when we thought we were done with games, we talked about Metal Gear Solid. We talked about 2004 was a big year for video games, Grand Theft Auto and.
Hmm.
This one.
Four years have passed since the mortal races banded together and stood united against the might of the Burning Legion. Though Azarath was saved, the tenuous pact between the Horde and the Alliance has all but evaporated. The drums of War Thunder once again.
It's good copy, isn't it? The drums of War Thunder once again, we're. Talking about World of Warcraft, I had mad FOMO with World of Warcraft cause it was a MMORPG. Massive multiplayer online role playing game and it was on PC and it was all consuming and I think it still is. It was wildly popular I can remember.
Wow.
With the patient.
That I think a whole generation was lost to World of Warcraft.
My cousin was mad into it and he's like, super clever and he built, like, fake Warcraft people. He got banned from it, he got.
Hmm.
Like bots. Yeah. Yeah. Cause he was mining. I think he was mining. It's very well.
I don't know what he was doing. I don't understand. But he got banned because he was too smart for World Warcraft and built like, fake Warcraft things.
Well. Yeah. So the fake Warcraft he thinks, is interesting. The This this game just swept the world by storm and it was developed by Blizzard and Entertainment, huge cultural phenomena. And it set the standard for all that followed because it had this huge open world, massive storytelling, lots of social interaction, and immersive gameplay. So you could form guilds and you could go off and perform the quests as a team with your mates together, which is wonderful bringing people who wouldn't normally have friends because they're stuck behind their computers. Together to make friends online and do stuff.
Well, stuck behind your computer.
Still sounds nice.
It took a long time to complete as well, didn't it? It was like hours and hours.
Yeah. And then there'd be. More content that would come as well. So players create characters from different races and classes and then they align with factions like the Alliance or the Horde. The good guys are the bad guys set in this world as Ross and it allows them to go around and do quests and fight monsters and interact with other players and build experience points, XP and loot. And all of that sort of stuff and that's that's where the real currency of the game is. Like people I remember in, I think it was China had there were whole factories of. People that were on Warcraft, Mining XP and loot and then and then they would sell the accounts to people for a premium. Yeah. So that they didn't have to do the grind because that's the grind, right? You have to work slowly to chip away at stuff and that's why it becomes very addictive.
That was their job. Ohh, so they'd get them to a certain stage and you just buy. That's smart. It's very small.
And that's why World of Warcraft was so successful as well, because it is very addictive. It's cooperative, but it's competitive and at the end of the day, you want to level things up so. You can complete certain tasks like if you're a level 12 dude and you go to try and fight a level 25 dude, you're probably gonna lose against the level 25 dude because you're not at the and it's.
What is what? How do you thoughts?
Well, it's, I don't know. I don't. I didn't have it. I didn't.
Do you have the soul? Do you? I don't even understand. I've got no idea.
Have. It I lost a lot of friends to it. You know, it was mediaeval. It's it's fantasy, so you know.
It's like larping.
Orcs and humans and elves and. All of that.
So there'd be swords, and there'd be those things that you surround with.
Sort of stuff.
Yeah, there's swords and. Bows and arrows and maces. Magic. Yeah. Morning stars. Yeah, all of those things. All of.
This.
With yeah, with the. The thing. With the spot.
So you so you do like, well, you do like dungeon raids and player versus player battles and all sorts of different things. There was a bit of variety, but it was very successful. First day in North America, 240,000 people log on within a year, over a million people are logging on and then worldwide it peaks at 12 million.
Armour, whichever shield, there'd be a shield.
In 2010, I think it's still going, I'm not sure.
Would this have been one of the first games where you are playing online in that kind of way?
In a.
I mean cause like Xbox has got this stuff that you can do online, but I just I feel like this is sort of next level kind of.
Halo and things like that where you just. Combat.
Connecting people around the world and joining together.
I think I think that you could, yes, I think you could do role playing games, but not in this, not with this kind of technology where you had the freedom to explore an open world like a Grand Theft Auto style world or anything like that. So it was new in that and it was very it was game changing. It's the most subscribed.
And.
Yeah.
Hmm.
Team and still one of the most influential games in gaming history, but not without controversy. And as usual, the wowsers come on. And it's funny, like we're talking about a current affair, going after Don Burke, and that's all great. But then the current affair also go after video games, and this is a very young Ben Fordham investigating some child's addiction, apparently was destroying his family because he was addicted to world.
Ah folks.
Oh.
Of Warcraft, it's a world of fantasy and fun. But for 16 year old Cameron Sandler, this is more than a game. It's an. Fiction and an illness.
I'm addicted to the game, but I'm not fully addicted like I can quit whenever I want. This really kicks ***, doesn't it?
It all started 18 months ago when Cameron discovered World of Warcraft.
Ohh, now I'm going to.
Kill you all, this never ending. Computer game is played by millions around the globe.
From America, Germany, China, all of Europe.
England and you've got friends in all. Of these places, yeah. And that's what you refer to them as your friends, yeah.
We'll start with that Ben Fordham.
My friends back. Yeah. How many friends have you got? Ben Fordham. Probably heaps. Yeah, but that that, you know, it was. I mean, it was addictive. You wanted to. There's nothing wrong with that, though. It's everything's great in moderation.
Hmm. Hmm.
If if his mum's concerned that he's spending too much time on the games. Like, maybe, just maybe she's like.
Tell him not to take it off.
Him.
Exactly like just do some parenting. Yeah, you know, hang out with them, get to know them, ask them how their day was. Perhaps get them to tell you a story for a change instead of preaching at them. You might actually have a conversation. They might feel interested, but at the moment, World of Warcraft is far more appealing than being lectured to by her. And Ben Fordham.
Parents.
Hello.
Ford.
Exactly.
Rack off Ben Fordham. I I don't know anything about it, so I went to Reddit to see to understand and on.
Hmm.
Yes, good that you can find out. Like Reddit's not bad for finding stuff out. Just.
Right. It's helpful. But it's it's good for the opinion.
Just don't believe everything you read on them. Opinions are fine.
Good to understand the. Razor CRO.
Hmm.
Jumps on Reddit and raiser CRO started playing wow this year. Ohh God this.
M.
Yeah. So, 2024, there's a crow.
Wow, indeed.
And dared to drop this comment on Reddit. I started playing World of Warcraft a few weeks ago and the more I play, the more I wonder why. This game is. So popular, so levelling is really boring, repetitive and generic, as mostly every other MMO.
Hmm.
During levelling, I really met another person. I'm like the only one playing the most popular MMORPG ever made.
That's quote unquote there too. Yeah, that's what he's throwing it back in their faces. Yeah.
Hmm.
Shades. When you finally reach Max level, you ditch campaign quests and start doing everything else. World quests, events, hunting, rare NPC's, dungeon. Rares, etcetera. Most of the time I found myself doing Dragon Flight rares and events solo. I felt lonely.
Hmm.
Sorry to hear that.
Well, yeah, you're playing a game 20 years after the fact, mate. Like, no one's there. The lobby's empty.
Achievement system is.
Achievement system is is not great. Many achievements cannot be achieved. I have approximately 80 to 100 hours in game time.
80 to 100 hours to wonder why the game is so popular.
Buddy. So he puts that in there and of course.
Ohh, they're gonna eviscerate. Team.
Many years too late, man, you mentioned this game being like other games. It's actually other games are like this game.
It's very true, very true.
You haven't even started the game and you think you've finished.
Ohh wow. That's elitist. Yeah, sure.
It.
Many achievements cannot be achieved. This is not true. And then it went into like about 500 paragraphs of why it's not true.
It's like every every reply is by the comic book guy from the Simpson.
The way you are supposed to enjoy wow is to join a Guild and do myths, plus dungeons, raid, or maybe even PvP at end games. Well, from what you said, it sounds like you either didn't participate in or didn't enjoy the major parts of end.
Quote unquote. Yeah. You sound sexy, doesn't it, hmm?
Game. Playing wow for the first time in 2024 will never give even 1% of the feeling of playing for the first time. Between 2005 to 2010. Back then it was revolutionary in terms of scale and Polish. And I love this last comment.
Hmm.
100 hours. So you just started?
Man, 100 hours I I've played games that have taken 100 hours to play and I just I don't have time for that. I love gaming, I love it. It's the.
100 hours. Ohh my gosh.
Most just wonderful thing to do when you want to empty your head out of everything else and just focus on a single task and not be concerned with what else is going on around you. It's such a great way to disconnect, but 100 hours.
Flowers.
When you're 48 years old, work a full time job and are a parent. Point is nigh on impossible. Like I only I would pay and games are expensive these days. I just bought the new Call of Duty. Cost me 140 bucks cause I got the deluxe edition cause I wanted some nice skins and stuff which don't do anything. It's a complete waste thing. So I'm like outfits. Yeah, yeah, cool and emotes.
Skins. It was that. Hairdos or something? You paid 100 bucks.
Just no, I paid. That's the whole game. But there was an extra little bit extra. I got a game pass thing and it's like I don't.
You paid extra just to make your guy look cool.
Know like you.
You're a very vain gamer.
I'm not and it's really hard to explain to somebody who's in.
No.
So what? He's got better, a better cargo print on his cargo pants. His camo is a bit nice, so he's got the the deluxe camo.
A light eyed. It's not even bad. I don't.
Have what do you get?
I'm intrigued. I don't actually. You know what? I actually don't know. I don't know what I paid for.
But get a nice vest.
Ah. Do you know why? I don't know what I paid. For you don't have.
Because I don't.
That you're trying to play the game.
Know 100 hours.
Don't even have time to read a book, which is why we do books we don't read. So what have we got here? Another New York Times.
I was gonna.
Say also don't have time to read no.
Bestseller Fabulous, Janet Evanovich is back.
Janet Evanovich is one of Cheryl's faves. Yes, that's the Stephanie plum. Ohh, Rangers.
Shadow for Cheryl. Is this a Stephanie Plum book? This one?
No, unfortunately not met Fairy.
It's just a side project from Janet Evanovich.
Girl. It it's there's no Ranger. Unfortunately, it's very disappointed. And yeah, I don't know that there was a lot of sex scenes.
Needed to see other ranges.
Uh-huh.
In this one, unfortunately it's a bit of a shame.
Ohh no. This one's what's it called? Metro Girl, is it? Did you? Sorry. Wasn't paying attention. Still trying to think about where? Those what, what? What outfits? I actually ended up.
Mature girl. I already said that. It's OK, it's fine.
Let's see.
Did you get a Ranger outfit that would be worth it if you dress up as Ranger?
That'll. Yeah, that alright. Yeah, some cash this. OK, good. Can we get back to the book? The book? Yes. Don't rub my nose in my purchases. Yes. Janet Evanovich book Metro go. I think it was set in.
This will give you 50 bucks. This for that Ranger outfit. Janet evanovich.
Miami, or something like. It's got a bit of a retro kind of, so here we go.
Yes.
Like that.
That feels Miami feels like those palm trees with the floor.
Little bit. Miami vice. I think this is Bruce Wayne. TV is the YouTube channel. I got this from. Let's see Miami vice kind of theme. Yeah. OK buckle your seat belts. #1, New York Times bestselling author Janet Evanovich.
Like it?
Was moving into the fast lane with Metro Girl, a thrilling high Octane Miss adventure with high stakes hot nights of cold blooded murder, sunken treasure, a woman with a chassis built for. Speed and one very good, very sexy NASCAR driver who's going along for the ride in circles, round and round and round and round. Wild to Bill Barnaby's dropped off the face of the Earth and Big sister Alex heads for Miami. Miami. Don't you know of Miami bills? Last known sighting on a harrowing hunt to save her.
Morning.
Brother and maybe the world. Truth is Alex has been bailing her brother out of trouble since they were kids. Bill, that is, I think that's Bill. Yeah. Bills. Not a bad sort, though. More that he acts 1st and thinks later. Unfortunately this time around while Bill will be dead bill, if Alex doesn't find time. I understand the act first and think later because that's what I did when I spent the extra money on.
Yes.
I.
Go, Alex. Blast through the bars. South Beach and points her search to Key West and Kuva Kuva main laying waste to Miami Hitmen dodging Palmetto bugs big enough to eat her alive and putting the pedal to the middle with the NASCAR driver Sam ******.
Ah.
Engaged in a deadly race while bills borrowed hookers, 65 foot Hatteras and sailed off into the sunset. Just when ****** has plans for the boat ****** figures he'll attach himself to Alex and maybe run into Bill. Maybe ****** can salvage what's left of his vacation and maybe ****** will get lucky in love with Bill. Sweetie pie sister. After all, ****** is. NASCAR Kai and NASCAR Guy is good at revving a woman's engine. Is this the official synopsis? The race to the finish is hot and hard. Taking Alex and ****** into international waters, exposing a plot to grab Cuban gold and a sinister relic of the Cuban missile Crisis. I do not need to. Read the book now creative cussing and sexual innuendo included. That is basically the entire plot of the story. I don't need to read the book and I, you know. What I think it's great. It was really good.
Lynn Elliott, two stars once a month. They choose books for our library to send out to people who can't make it there to choose. Their own. Ohh Lynn. My home delivery readers are mostly older women. Many want to read romances quite a few like light Mystic. Stories several have given very clear instructions. Colon, no sex, no violence, no language, no American office metro girl would fail on all accounts. OK. Thanks, Lynn. Thanks, Lynn. It obviously has sex, violence, language in American authors.
Well. So it's the opposite of that well. Yeah. And, you know, old people that aren't interested in being titillated anymore.
But Lynn, you're doing God's work. Thank you for helping out the people who can't get to the library themselves. We appreciate you.
Mate, just get. The the newspaper delivered seriously. Melissa. One star. I was hoping a canister of nerve gas would just destroy every copy of this book so no one else who's thinking of reading will suffer. Well, how?
Would nerve gas destroy a book?
I was going to say you're an idiot, Melissa, because books don't have nerves. That's a that's a human.
Better destroy the reader, not the book.
Right. Yeah, she's a moron, clearly.
Moisture.
Well, it's.
Kristen Zimmerman, one. *.
Ah yes, the daughter of the man who invented The Walking frame.
Written for low reading level and the uneducated.
Ohh that's a bit rough isn't it? What are you saying? Ohh, I don't think Cheryl would be very happy with that comment. Heavy reader. One star. I picked it up from a free shelf in a laundromat. Thinking I would give it away on bookmooch. Then I gave it to a friend I thought would enjoy reading it. She did. But she gave it back to me when she was done, so I started reading it, and even though I didn't really like it, I had a really difficult time putting it down. This book sounds like herpes. So I couldn't stop reading this book, but when I finished it, I kind of felt dirty for having wasted my time and brain cells on this cotton candy of the mind. It's herpes of the mind. So that's what it is. And now the cover has separated from the book spine, so I can't even give it away on book. Mooch, I guess it will have to go back on the laundromat shelf.
Yes, yes.
Amazing.
Lovely laundromats, where they've got, like, a little local library in the laundromats. That's a good idea.
What a great what a great. Journey. Yeah. Well, because you gotta wait for your clothes, you know, might as well do something. You kill the time.
I know I'm just. Thinking that through, I think that's lovely. How did you break? The book Spine heavy reader.
Look, I don't know. I don't think. I want to. Mate, well, Burkes backyard was on Friday night and I had nothing better to do, so I picked up that book instead, and I certainly broke the spine.
Of it Taylor P1 star. Ohh my God, I feel awful after reading this book. Unrelated colon. My copy is signed and goes for 6 bucks on eBay. The other signed titles by this author range in the 20 to $60.00 area, so make your own judgement on that.
Ohh my God. I have an idea.
What's your ID?
We need to go on eBay, get a signed copy of that book and give it away to one of our loyal listeners.
For six bucks.
Yeah. And the winner is Cheryl.
Sure, let's do it.
Well, I'll tell you what. I'm really gonna have to spend some time with peaceful Barber after this episode just to get my Zen back on. Yeah, we're at the hatches. We are at the end. We're at the hatches. Matches and dispatches segment, and we're gonna do this.
Really. To cleanse yourself.
Celebrity celebrity having a birthday that said this.
Hmm.
You smart. You very smart. We're the best. You're a genius. I appreciate you.
I find it offensive when people don't form actual sentences and people still are able to extract meaning from what they say and not only that, but then put them on a pedestal. Platform and rate them as celebrities and not only that, they form. They can't form sentences and then they are still millionaires, probably on the cusp of being billionaires. You smart, you are smart. You know what? I'm saying yes. Like just use use the words, use the words that are put there for you to utilise in order to form the sentence.
Come on. It's his birthday. Give him a break.
If you said DJ Khaled.
I think.
You'll find, I think you'll find it's pronounced.
Shame on you.
DJ Khaled.
That's right. He's that *** ** * ***** that people just shout about at the beginning of pop songs.
Screens over songs ruining good. Since the early 2000s.
Yeah, I don't know that he shouts his name. I think other. People shout his name.
No, he does. He does the teach right now, he does that.
Don't they? DJ Khaled? That's that was a. That was part of a motivational speech from DJ Khaled, who's having a birthday.
Because that's who you want to motivate.
Yeah, I don't know when his birthday was. It was sometime this week. I I didn't really, really. Such that was your job. That was a huge. Do you wanna hit the rest? 26 November? Happy birthday, kid. Do you wanna hear his motivational speech?
You in life. Well, I was meant to do that. That was my fault. I forgot 26th of November.
Them doors that was closed. I ripped the doors off and took the hinges off, and when I took the hinges off, I put the. Changes in the boys hands. Yeah. And the boy hands you. Know I took the whole door. Off and the hinges and I put it in. The boys hands. What the?
Is he talking about? He took hinges off doors and put him in boys hands.
I don't. Know. I've no, I've.
And what did they do with the hinges? Because you can't do anything with hinges unless you have a door that you can open or close. So the hinges are completely useless to the boys. But he took the hinges off, apparently. Let's hear more.
This next part of the video is when you're doing push-ups or you're doing sit-ups. Whatever, let's get it another one. Another one. Another one. Another one. Another one. And another one and another one.
This next part of the video is for when you're doing push-ups or have you seen DJ Khaled? Yes, that dude has bigger **** than I do. OK. The only thing that he would be doing is when he says another one and another one and another one is eating biscuit. It's that's what DJ Khaled would be doing. Alright, well, can have another piece of.
Wow, it's his birthday. Cake called. He also doesn't like oral sex.
Hmm. Doesn't.
He revealed that he said he thinks that that's gross. You've never, he never go down on a woman, he thinks it's gross, he said.
Does.
That in a. Post the other year.
You know what would be gross is just watching that guy.
Eat he. He came to prominence. He was. A radio host actually. First gained recognition in the 90s. I'm doing this research on the. Fly.
Yeah, great. Excellent.
And I forgot. So this is according to Wikipedia, so. I'll throw it allegedly in. There as well 1990s radio. Host for 99 jams. I didn't realise this bit he was affiliated with Terror squad, as in Fat Joe. Lean back, lean back. He was the DJ for their live performances and after that he then went and did his own album called Listen with the three ends. The album in 2006.
Oh was.
Yeah.
The second album We the best.
Says that a lot 2007.
We the best we are the best. It's like them when he says them, it's those OK.
And. And then, yeah, he just did a few things over the years, and then he just started screaming, DJ Khaled over the top of everything. I'm sure he's. A lovely guy. I'm he's.
Yeah, sure. Eat heaps of cake. Be rich. He doesn't care about us. He doesn't. He doesn't. And I you know what? I need to calm down. I need to wrap the show up. I do. I do. And I and I think.
No, no. You need some peace for love. You need to go and read peaceful bar and let DJ Khaled enjoy his birthday.
I agree, and in closing, I'd like to leave you with some wisdom.
Ohh, you've got something, OK.
Good.
From peaceful Barb hard truths, I think you need some. Hard truths.
Every, every single thing you do today is something your 90 year old self will wish. They could go back and do.
Yes.
The good old days are happening now. Alright, amazing. That is far better than any motivational stuff from a fat DJ. OK, what are we doing next week?
Truth bomb. No. Idea.
Excellent, excellent. Find out what our ideas are next week. Thank you very much for listening to. We love you. We appreciate you the good old days are happening right now. You can find us on the socials, Facebook, Instagram, tick tock, search for t -, 20 podcast. We appreciate you more than you know. Thank you very much for downloading us. Listening to us wherever you are. 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 meantime, come and reminisce on the socials search for T -, 20 podcast on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok.