Airport security changed forever

Rewind to 6–12 August 2006, when airport security changed forever, Christina Aguilera went full Old Hollywood, Tiger Woods was collecting milestones like Pokémon cards and your AOL search history suddenly wasn't as private as you thought.

✈️ The plot that changed flying forever
A foiled terror plot targeting multiple transatlantic flights threw airports into chaos and introduced the liquid restrictions we're still dealing with today. If you've ever argued with security over a bottle of sunscreen, this is where it all began.

🐯 Tiger hits 50
Tiger Woods claimed his 50th PGA Tour victory while sitting firmly at the top of the sporting world. Before the scandals, before the comeback, this was Peak Tiger – so dominant that rappers were using his name as shorthand for being the best.

🔍 Oops... there goes your privacy
AOL accidentally released 20 million search queries from 500,000 users, proving that "anonymous" data wasn't nearly as anonymous as everyone thought. It became one of the internet's biggest privacy wake-up calls and still feels eerily relevant.

💋 Xtina goes Back to Basics
Christina Aguilera swapped the Dirrty era for jazz, soul and vintage Hollywood glamour. The result? One of the biggest pop reinventions of the decade, complete with Ain't No Other Man, Hurt and Candyman.

🐾 Blue finds one last clue
After ten years of Handy Dandy Notebooks and Thinking Chairs, Blue's Clues aired its final original episode. We look back at the show that quietly revolutionised children's TV and the emotional Steve Burns comeback that made millennials unexpectedly cry years later.

🏁 Shake and bake!
Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby raced into cinemas, proving NASCAR, Will Ferrell and absurd one-liners were a winning combination. If you ain't first... well, you know the rest.

🎶 Don't loosen up those buttons just yet
The Pussycat Dolls' Buttons was climbing the charts, complete with the Snoop Dogg remix that became the version everyone remembers. It's pure mid-2000s pop perfection.

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

Transcript is auto generated. 

The year is 2006. We head to the hills and learn reality is scripted. Your Sony Cyber Shot uploads 462 blurry regrets. A Facebook poke makes everything complicated. And Twitter's like, cool story, you've got 140 characters. Go. T-minus 20. Rewind 20 years with Joe and Mel. 

Week on 6 August 2006. 

T-minus 20. Bringing sexy back. I want to forgive you. T-minus 20. I hate this long distance relationship. And I want to forget you. You have no style or some succession. This is a beauty. This is very nice. Yeah, boy. 

Welcome to T-minus 20, the nostalgia podcast that rewinds to the same week I said nostalgia really weirdly exactly 20 years ago. It was like awkward. It was like, nostalgia. It is. This is what happens when you're old. You start to get shaky. Look, we're going to uncover news, pop culture, wonderfully weird moments that shaped the mid-2000s. I'm 1/2 of the host. My name's Joe and that's Mel over there. Hello, Mel. 

Hi, I'm Half 2. Every week we ask one simple question. what on earth were we all thinking about? Sometimes it's a major world event, sometimes it's a forgotten reality TV moment, sometimes it's both. And this episode this week is taking us back to the 6th to the 12th of August 2006. 

Police say they have disrupted a plot to blow up planes in mid-air. Were we on the verge of our own 9-11? There is chaos at airports as security has stepped up to never before seen levels. And police raid homes in London and High Wycombe. 

We thought that 9-11 changed the way we fly and then this terror plot changed the way we flew or flied, flown. I'm off to a flying start this evening, this afternoon, this morning, wherever you're listening. Yeah, anyway, it was a big story. It was a big terror plot and we'll get to it very soon. 

Okay, we'll play Blue's Clues. That's a great idea. I love Blue's Clues. We are going to play Blues Clues because that's a really great game. Yeah. You ready? Let's go. 

Yeah, let's go. That's more my pace, I think. That's sort of, that's the mental level that I, the load that I'm about to deal with. A couple of clues. Just a little bit of Blues Clues. No terrible. Just keep it nice and simple. A milestone. 

We said goodbye to Blues Clues this week, 20 years ago. 

Here's a sweet pack of sugar coated candy. 

That's a lot. That was a lot of Christina's. That was like, Oh my God, we've cloned Christina Aguilera and they're all singing at us at once. 

That was great. Bit of a reinvention for her with an album release this week, 20 years ago. 

Yeah. 

Now, Blue's Clues. I'm going to have to guess that wasn't in your... I think we're a bit too old for Blue's Clues. 

Yeah, I was like an adult when Blue's Clues was on. 

We were more of the year of He-Man. 

And the Masters of the Universe. Yes. 

And we were talking. 

Saturday morning cartoons. 

Absolutely. We were discussing the other day whether or not it was a Saturday or a Sunday that it was on. For some reason I was thinking it was a Sunday because someone in my street missed it because of church, but no, I've actually found the TV guide from 1983. 

Are you serious? 

Here it is. 

Oh, you know when. 

Masters is in the 1983, the 29th of October 1983. It was on... CTC 7, which is Channel 7. Remember when it had the little star in the flag? 

I was watching TV like in Tasmania or out in, probably RVN Channel 2 or somewhere out in the regional New South Wales. 

Yeah. 

Well, at 7 A.m. when the television opened. Remember, remember back in the day the television closed overnight? Yeah, that's the close. They had the official close. 

Yeah, they play the anthem or some ****. 

Yeah, something like that. And then it'd just be a test pack. 

Just be in the snow till the next day. Just watch snow. 

The official close. 

I think, and it wouldn't come back on until like maybe 7 A.m. 

Got the proof here, the 19 eighty-three T.V. 

Guy, 7A.M. 

Well, isn't that great? The television closed, pickle me grandmother, yeah, I wish it still did that. 7A.M. was Praise the Lord. if you got too excited for the cartoons and got up too early to have your peanut butter toast waiting for He-Man, you'd have to watch the end of the church. 

That's alright, you get your peanut butter toast and be like body of Christ. 

Yeah, amen. 8am was Dinky Dog. 8.30 was Mighty Mouse. 9 A.m. was He-Man and the Masters of the Universe? 

Not He-Man. That's his Jamaican mate. He-Man. He-Man and the Masters of the Universe. 

And yeah, then the TV closed at 12:35 A.m. That was when it closed. 

But then we had the, I mean, we had rage though. We had rage through the night. That was great. I don't know. 

Not at this stage, not in the 80s. I've got the ABC schedule here. They didn't actually open it until 11 A.m. 

We're jumping decades like it's nobody's business this year. 

But anyway, back to He-Man. 

Yes. 

Wasn't it lovely to watch the movie with our son? 

Oh, you enjoyed the Masters of the Universe with the nostalgia. It was a snap kick in the feels of nostalgia and at time of recording it was just when, because Masters of the Universe, the movie, like everyone was. waiting for it. And then it kind of bombed at the box office because no one goes to the movies anymore. We just don't. We don't go to the movies anymore. We're lazy. I love going to the movies. I really like going to the movies. I rarely get to go to the movies to see anything that I want to see. 

I can't sit still at the movies. They're too long now. Every movie is over 2 hours. It's ridiculous and they need to bring back intermission. I can't sit calmly for three hours of movie at the movie theatre. It's too loud. 

Ladies and gentlemen, we are at the end of the attention span. This is because you're conditioned by your phone to only consume things in 15 minutes, seconds. 

But also, they're making movies 5 hours long now. It's ridiculous. Intermission. If there was intermission, I'd go back. 

Well, yeah, Masters of the Universe was 2 hours and 25 minutes. I mean, it's not the most intellectual films. 

Hour and a half is the sweet spot. 90 minutes is the sweet spot. 

I have to admit, when I do look on the streaming apps now, I'm on that age, I'm like, try and find me, and I use AI to help me try and find me as we discussed. previous episode, try and find me a movie that's under 90 minutes. 

One that's going to finish before my bedtime, otherwise it'll be on the knowledge. 

I tried to watch that new Spielberg one the other day, Disclosure Day. That's 2 1/2 hours. And I fell asleep in the opening 5 minutes of that movie and woke up during the rolling of the credits. 

I had to wake you up. 

Yes. 

I thought you had a nasty turn because you're asleep with your mouth open in a really odd position and I got a bit nervous. 

Oh, really? 

I must admit. Yeah. 

You looked a bit mummified, did I? 

Yeah, it was an odd mouth shape that you were pulling and I just didn't know what to do. I was getting ready to call an ambulance. 

Yeah, so we're kind of we're kind of jumping across generations here, but Masters of the Universe. Yes, back to Masters of the Universe at 9:00 in the morning. It was great to go and see. Well, then the thing that sparked this is School Holidays was on recently and it was like, Dad, can we go to the movies? And I'm just like, Because like I've been, it'd be a Mario thing or it'd be the Minions. It was going to be the Minions or something. 

Yeah. 

Or something to that effect, like the Minions or some other Toy Story 5 or something. I did actually have to go and endure that as well. But I got to a point where I, and I just, I thought it wasn't there anymore. And I was like, we are going to see Masters of the Universe. What's a Masters of the Universe, Dad? Well, gather round, son. And so we went and saw that. And then at time of recording, it had just come out on streaming because it bombed at the box office. So we got to watch it all together as a family, which was great. 

It was good. It was good. I do feel that He-Man should have had a fringe. I felt like that was a massive oversight. 

A bit of a betrayal for the, yeah. I mean, they were appealing to so much of the nostalgia and then they just left the fringe. They left the fringe. 

That was such a big, yeah, misstep. 

He-Man 's bangs. I mean, I think, yeah, it really was a misstep not putting He-Man 's bangs in. And I think it just, I mean, it would have added added so much weight to the character. Oh, it's the sorceress playing her recorder from a top castle gray skull. No, it's not. It's the hatches, matches and dispatches club. 

I have the power. 

Do you? Well, yeah, the strange powers were revealed to me the day I held aloft my magic recorder and played. 

I have the power, yes. 

Joe became the mighty battle shat. And I became her man, the most powerful recorder player in the universe. What am I doing? It's the hatches, matches and dispatches clue time. That's what it is. If you've never heard this podcast before, you're like, well, probably won't hear it again. But we did this little clue at the top of the show and then we revisit it at the end. It's called a hook. That's what we used to do in the old days, in the old radio days. 

Creative hooks put ***** in books. 

That's right. They certainly do. They get you the ratings. I don't know what they do here. Not much probably. But this week it's normally a birth, death or a marriage. And then when it's not one of those and we can't find anything else, it's just a birthday. And this week it's just a birthday, a celebrity birthday. They said this. 

Oh yeah, and don't be embarrassed. Fart, because everybody does it. It's a real icebreaker. 

Well, yes. Well, I tell you what though, if you're doing a fart that breaks ice, mate, you're a winner in my book. We'll find out who that is at the end of the show. Oh, over to Mel with this big news story. 

Oh, this was a big one actually, 10th of August 2006. We had another terror plot. in the skies. And this was a really big one that really changed how we travel and changed what you're packing, you carry on and still living with it today. Still part of the rules. 

That's right. It formed part of the rules. It was an extremely influential terror plot, I guess, in that regard. And it also, I mean, it was also a win for the authorities as well. 

Yes. 

And which just made it all the more better because As much as it was a scary news story, it was a good news story. 

Yes, so we had extremists, Al Qaeda inspired extremists, planning coordinated attacks. These attacks were on, the targets of the attacks were flights from the UK to North America. And on this day in 2006, UK police arrest 24 suspects. 

Well, I did, I mean, not this day, like this week. It was the 10th of August. Was that when they arrested the subjects? 

Yes. 

Wow. So here's me correcting you. And I'm not doing much better this week. So back to you. 

Well, I said 10th of August at the start, so I meant that on this day. That was the day I was referring to. 

It might. And again, we talk about the end of the attention span. 

Yes. Who are you? Where are we? What's going on? Suspects. 24 of them on the 10th of August after a lengthy surveillance operation. They were going to target multiple airliners simultaneously. And they believed it was going to involve passenger jets leaving the UK. It involved components of liquid explosives disguised as ordinary soft drinks. They were going to assemble the bombs after takeoff. And one of the really chilling details of all of this was that each bomber carried part of this explosive that they were then going to assemble, meaning that as individual components that they took on the plane, nothing was particularly suspicious on its own. The bomb would only exist up in the air. 

Yeah, their forces combined. 

Today's failed attempt is a logical extension of work already carried out by Al Qaeda in its development. of a micro bomb designed to evade airport detection. The terrorists, each carrying different components, board the aircraft and assemble the bomb itself in the toilet. Chemists have suggested three different scenarios to Sky News. The first is that two or more chemicals of a different density could be poured into a bottle before boarding. These could be kept apart by a membrane or simply shaken to create a potentially explosive cocktail. This could then be ignited using a detonator disguised as a phone, an MP3 player or an electronic key fob. The second possibility is that two chemicals could be carried on board the plane in separate containers and then mixed together. Again, a detonator would be used to trigger the explosion. The third scenario is that the terrorists might have planned to suspend a powdered explosive called TATP made from household cleaning products in a liquid. It would have the consistency of paint and also could be detonated using a hidden device. 

Isn't that scary? It is. But also quite ingenious. 

An MP3 player. Your iPod as the detonator. 

I never would have thought of that. Just the fact that, you know, the way they could separate the components Risky too. it's just, this is why the rules changed, right? This is exactly why the rules changed. But the list that was presented to court, like where were they going, I think is the big question. And the list that was presented in court included flights from Heathrow, all from Heathrow. They're all departing from Heathrow. San Francisco, Washington DC, Chicago, Toronto and Montreal. And they also believe that airlines including United, American Continental, Air Canada and British Airways were among the intended targets. 

And we mentioned they'd been under surveillance for a while. They'd been watched by British intelligence for well over a year. They weren't arrested immediately because authorities wanted to identify firstly who was involved, any overseas connections that they might have had and how it was all being financed. But in early August, something changed. According to the intelligence, they intercepted communications from Pakistan and they believed that the suspects had effectively received a go signal and authorities feared they were days away from actually boarding the aircraft, saying later on that they were very near to execution. They called it the most serious aviation plot since September 11. And some British security officials, in fact, described it internally as their version of 9-11. 

Yeah, so you can imagine the chaos. Have you ever been, you've been to Heathrow? 

Heathrow's chaotic at the best of times. 

I think when I went there, it was being renovated as well, which made it even worse. But it's such a busy, massive airport that has so many people going in and out of it. So within hours, of these arrests, passengers weren't allowed to do things like take drinks on board, no liquids on board. You couldn't carry handbags. The 100 mil liquid rule was introduced very quickly across the entire world. So you can only take 100 mils of liquids on the plane. And it was one of those moments where that really did, that single security incident, which was the biggest one since 911, but unsuccessful obviously, changed everyday life at the airport. 

And isn't it interesting to think that travellers under 30 years of age have never known flying without these restrictions? 

That's right, yeah. 

They don't know any differently. 

No idea, yeah. 

Isn't that crazy? 

I can remember when people used to be able to smoke on planes. They still got the little snow smoking lights on them, some of the older planes. 

I remember my dad accidentally, he was at a trade show and he's been putting up signs and he had to cut things. He accidentally brought a box cutter on the plane once, but no, off you go, no worries. 

Take a box cutter on a plane, no problems at all. Not these days, they think you're a terrorist. But also, you know, with this, if you see a smoking light on the plane that you're on in 2026, if you're on a plane in 2026 and you see a smoking light, I would rethink. 

I might wait for the next one. 

Maybe just jack up, maybe increase your travel budget a little bit because you could be in a bit of trouble. Yeah. 

Several conspirators were convicted and received lengthy prison sentences and airport security remains far stricter today than it did even before 2006. I think some of the restrictions are starting to change now, care of newer scanning technology, but that's not across the board. 

Yeah, I think the last time I went through the detectives have changed and you need to stand sideways in them and you kind of got to like just like starfish kind of pose. 

They go up in your crotch too. They went in my crotch. 

Is somebody looking at my balls behind that? You know, that's what I'm thinking. 

They waved the thing in my crotch. 

Oh, the crotch wavy thing. The wand. 

The crotch wand. But they went up one leg and then down the other. They did a full like... 

Oh, that's good. 

Full crotch scan. 

They did a gooch swoop. Yeah, well, that's important. 

Felt a bit violated. I look, I know it's all for safety, but it just, I don't know. 

Have you had your gooch swoop today? Yes. It's in the interest of aviation safety. I mean, they should give them, they should name the moves, you know? 

They should. 

Because then you know what basically is. 

So, and you know what you're in for today. you're going to have to go through that particular manoeuvre. So, you just know you're ready. 

You've been selected as part of a random process, and today you are the lucky recipient of a gooch swoop. Yes, I'm just going to reach for my crotch wand now, and you know, if you start using your words and then we'll be a little bit more reassured, and then nobody's nervous. 

I've had a chest pat as well. 

A chest pat. Oh, yes. Bit of a little patty cakes on that. Yes, they must do. 

Go on, those don't look real, but make sure there's nothing in there. 

Make sure you're smuggling any liquids in there. Yes, wow, that's interesting. Yeah, it can't be an easy job working aviation security. And also the thing with these new rules though, and I don't want the technology to get too much better because I'm a dad now and I like to be at the airport about 8 hours before my flight. So the more rules that are put in place, the more of a buffer I'm allowed to allow for the time that I need to be at the airport by. So I can add a little bit of fat there, which is good. If you make things more efficient, you're going to ruin all of my dad's stuff. Over to sport. Speaking of gooch swoops, you wouldn't want to do one on this. You'd never know what you'd find on this bloke. 

No. 

After a gooch swoop. You'd need to disinfect your bloody wand, your crotch wand. Actually, this guy's crotch wand probably needs to be fumigated to get the flick man onto it, I reckon. Something like that. Just kill it with fire, actually. Yeah. 

Tiger Woods we're talking about. 

We are talking about Tiger Woods in the sport. 

A bit of a milestone in the sporting arena, can I just say, on the 6th of August. It's a milestone that almost nobody has ever reached before. He's 50th PGA. 

This is not PGA anymore. But yes, the PGA championship. 

His 50th victory. He had dominated men's golf since the late 1990s. He'd already won multiple Masters, Opens and PGA championships. And in 2006, this was still pretty high in his career. Some of the best golf he was playing in 2006. Yeah, he was doing pretty well. 

I mean, he's got video games named after him and stuff at this stage, like Tiger Woods is well and truly at the top of his game. 

Reached this milestone at just 30 years old and only a handful of golfers had ever reached it before. I think the guy who held the record was Jack Nicholaus. 

Yes, Jack Nicklaus, yes. 

Well, it's spelt Laos, Jack Nicholaus. Like Saint Nicholaus. Yes, that's nice. And now wondering if Tiger would catch up. 

Little known brother, you know, Jack Nicklaus. 

I don't know what Jack. Jack's record was, but yes, he was the one that held it. 

I think it was 50 PGA victories, wasn't it? 

No, they were wondering if he'd catch up to Jack. So Jack was more than 50, but I don't know exactly. 

I mean, well, I'm so disappointed in the fact that I know all about golf because it is such an exciting sport to watch on the TV. 

Well, I know Tiger Woods more from the hip-hop community. 

Oh, right, okay. Well, of course. 

And there was another interesting. 

I think everybody knows Tiger Woods more from the the fact that he just couldn't keep it in his pants. He's a bit of a pants man. I mean, everybody knows that. And that's kind of where he sits like good golfer, better pants man in the pop culture echelons. 

That's what I'm more interested in. But music journalists have actually tracked sports references over. 

Really. 

I'd like that job. That'd be a great job. 

To find sporting references in music. Well, I mean, there's a lot in hip hop, but it'd be usually something like probably basketball or NFL, right? 

Well, here's the Tiger Woods record. Well over 100 commercially released rap and hip hop songs mention Tiger Woods. That's not including like the freestyle bootleg mixtape stuff. This is commercially released over 100 and this spans over 30 years. 

Wow. 

So it starts in his early heyday when he's starting to win and become a bit of a well-known celebrity in the. 

Gulf. I mean, this isn't like, you know, Bob Dylan, here's a story of Hurricane. This is like What is this? is hip hop. So yeah. 

Well, we start off in the late 90s where a lot of the references in early 2000s were about how good he was at golf and him being the champion. I think one of the early ones was in 1997, Jay-Z, who you wit, part 2? 

Jay-Z rated AG, baby, that's all good. I sink this ball in your hole. I'm Tiger Woods. 

Oh, I sink this ball in your hole. I'm Tiger Woods. 

There's a lot of double entendre. Right. balls and sticks and strokes and all that kind of stuff. Of course. 

But this is pre-Tiger pants man. Yes. This is just like a little witty kind of sexual connotation connected to God. Exactly. 

To talk about the. 

Jay-Z is like, well, I'm actually a pants man. See? Yeah. 

We didn't know about Tiger at this stage. 

Yes. So he's like, there was almost, maybe there was some sort of juxtaposition. Maybe it was a premonition. You know, a sort of a more Sort of loose kind of figure attached to a more mainstream kind of corporate figure like Tiger. 

Maybe they manifested the parents sing. 

It's always the quiet ones, isn't it? Yes, OK. 

Common in 2004, Get 'em High. 

Oh, this is a Kanye West song. 

Oh, feat. 

Common. Right, my bad. Rock clubs like Tiger Woods in the Woods. I didn't know. 

Rock clubs like in the club versus golf clubs. 

Golf clubs, gotcha. 

But in the double entendre, he's talking about being in the club. But you know, Tiger has the club. 

I'm picking up what Common is putting down. 

Yes, good. It took you a minute, didn't it? That's okay. Don't worry about it. So we still like talking about him as this sporting hero. 

Yes. 

And Luda was on Akon's song, Get Buzz. 

You like it like that, don't you, baby? The flow's insane and the stroke is crazy. My stroke's so good like Tiger Woods and I like a Tiger Woods. 

Luda actually likes Tiger A lot. He, because I've been listening to the Ludicrous mix on Spotify. 

From a creative point. 

Of view, there's a lot of Tiger. Well, I don't know, they might be friends, but there's a lot of Tiger references across Ludicrous. songs and songs feet Luda when he's rapping. So there's the Akon one, Get Buck, and he says, the flow's insane and the stroke is crazy. I stroke so good like Tiger Woods, then I roar like a Tiger Woods. Oh. Like that? 

It's like Tiger Woods. 

Roar like a Tiger Woods. I stroke so good. 

It's kind of Dr. Seuss-y. 

Yes, it was. 

This is very nice. 

But then we get to 2008, 2009, after the incident, after we discover he's a bit of a pants man. And the references to Tiger change slightly. This one was Luda's My Chick Bad Feet Nicki Minaj. 

Now your girl might be sick, but my girl's sicker. She rides that and she handles her liquor. I'm not gonna be out and fight. Coming out swinging like Tiger Tiger Woods wife. 

Wow. 

Ouch. 

That's yeah. Well, you're coming out swinging like Tiger Woods wife. Look, that's all great. I think hip hop, I think the hip hop references are great, but it's really, and it's surprisingly rock and heavy metal where Tiger Woods has really shone. 

Oh, he's found a niche, has he? 

Well, he's so much so, not so much a niche, but a divot. And that divot was by one Steel Panther, who, yes, are, I guess, a sort of a parody, comedy, rock, metal kind of band. But can perform. But really can perform. And they wrote a whole song simply called Just Like Tiger Woods. If you want to be like. 

Tiger Woods, fertilising ladies in the neighbourhood, get rid of rich and you will find all the hot chicks will want to blind. If you want to be like Tiger Woods. 

How good is that? Grip that shaft like I know you should. It's got some other great lyrics in there as well. Like if you want to be like Tiger Woods, text messages are never good. Have your best friend book all of your flights. Tell your wife that you're golfing nights. I mean, brilliant. Poetic in fact. 

Yeah, lovely. 

Over to the technology segment. And look, we get really stressed out about data leaks and all of that stuff these days. I mean, it seems like every second week something you've signed up for or a company that you've trusted with your personal information has gone the way of the, I don't know, data leak. I guess that's the way you describe it. They've been hacked. 

Well, it doesn't stress me out anymore because I've already been hacked. I can't like, they've already got my info. They're already scammed. I had that incident with the Amazon guy on the lube, remember? 

Yeah, I feel like that was fun. The Amazon guy telling you to get him, order some lube so you could shove it up your *** basically. That was it. 

That was my phone. 

I think it was. Yes. I mean, it's kind of like the dark web is something where like obviously my data exists over on the dark web somewhere waiting for someone to buy it. But I feel like it's like the dark web is like the upside down in Stranger Things or something like that. But I mean, data leaks have always been a thing. This one though, this wasn't so much a data leak as a data handing over. 

It was like, here, have some insight. 

Have some data. Look, we're not even going to leak it. We'll just give it to you. Because I mean, what's the worst that could happen? 

7th of August, AOL publicly releases 20 million unfiltered search keywords for 500, sorry, 500,000 users. containing personally identifiable information about their search habits. 

AOL decided for some reason that it would be a good idea to release a file containing over 20 million keywords collected from roughly 650,000 of its users over a three-month period. Just 3 days later, the file was deleted, but given how the internet works, by then the data had already been mirrored and immortalized on other sites and can still be referenced today without much effort at all. 

That's right. That's right. Once you take the on the internet, you cannot put it back on. Or if you do put it back on, that's fine. But somebody's taken the contents and copied the contents and then put it in their own box. 

I feel like this is worse than the dark web having my dog and a couple of passwords. This is your search history. I don't know about you, but I don't really want anyone knowing my search history. 

Yes, I would like to get a medic alert bracelet that says, please delete my search history. Just in the event of my own time. 

There should be something where it's connected to you and when your body is no longer, when you no longer have a pulse, it just disappears. 

I think that, yes, surely we can do that. You should be buried with your search history and it should be left to rot with your corpse. 

Yes. Names were removed, but users were identified by unique numbers. They gave each person a number. And journalists went, yeah, this doesn't seem too legit. And quickly demonstrated that people could still be identified through their searches. AOL removes the data, says, oopsie, sorry about that. But like they said, the info was up there. 

It was out there. Can you imagine your search history being... 

Look, mine would be boring but embarrassing, you know, like, why does my toenail look like a claw? 

Well, I mean, yeah, I think. 

Mine would be ailments. 

I think the way to do it now, though, is to look at like what you've put into AI, like your query stuff for... 

Well, that would be the equivalent today would be your questions of ChatGPT. 

So here we go. Okay. This is yours. Let me just give you the last 10 that I've done. All right. CPAP mask, pressure masks. That's one. There we go. Audio levels for Instagram. There's 2. Three, lacing eyelets tips. Four, Gore-Tex breathability. Five, remove subtitles, YouTube. Yeah, okay. Six, quad tightness causes. 

Ailments, see, there you go. 

Seven, cone removal advice. The dog had been to the pet. Oh, right, yes. What was that? Was that 7? Eight, tummy tuck costs Australia. 

I love that you've just released yours. You've just done an AOL on yourself. 

Yeah, I've got two more. I've got two more really good ones. Nine, TCL TV force restart. And #10, Vart reference time stamp. And that one, that was because that was for the Hatches, Matches and Dispatches clue. I needed to find a time stamp for the fire. 

Sure, that's what they all say. 

So there you go. But yes, so take that AOL. 

I mean, that was pretty useful. But let's talk about the sleuthing of the journos, because I think this is great. So #4417749 became one of the most famous of the anonymous users. She turned out, 4417749, turned out to be Thelma Arnold, a 62-year-old widow from Georgia. 

Yes. 

AOL are like, nah, it's all right, no, you've all got numbers, it's fine, data is anonymous. 

You're not Thelma anymore, you're just 4417749. 

So the New York Times went, okay, leave it with us. So they went through the search history. Some examples. Numb fingers, medical conditions affecting friends and family, health symptoms. 

Right, so they've got they've got some clues as to her physical state. 

Sixty single men. Well, that's not that's not in my search history. 

Right, OK. 

People with the surname Arnold. Local acquaintances. 

Just to make sure she's not dating a relative or something like that. 

Lil Burn, Georgia. 

That's where she's from. See, I don't know how big Lil Burn, Georgia is, so that question about the surname is probably really good. 

Home sold in Lil Burn, Georgia. Local businesses. Dog that urinates on everything. 

Right, she's got a few issues there. Yep. 

So by going through all of this, they looked up things like the location, the surname, homes that were sold around the area at the time. So they figured out that where the person probably lived in Lilburn, they probably had the name Arnold or knew people with the name Arnold. And they sort of narrowed down the area and then they did a good old door knock. 

Oh, that's. 

So they went around the area knocking it. 

That's very tenacious. I don't think I go that far, but yeah, okay. 

And eventually they find Thelma Arnold and the reporter read out those search terms that we just covered off there, including dog that urinates and everything. And Thelma's gone, yeah, that was me. They found her. They found her. And this was one of the first major examples showing that Right. 

And so that's a human being, a journalist for the New York Times, probably just one person. One person who's grabbed that particular lot of search data. And so one person can only perform so many tasks at a time and one person's brain works at a certain pace that is relatively slow. We've talked about the pipelines for data between computers as opposed to people and the ones for the brain is more narrow than the ones. So imagine what artificial intelligence could do. 

Well, it would find all of those users probably in two seconds. 

Seconds, right, exactly. So that is really interesting. And today, I mean, we talk about companies being really cautious about releasing data sets, but it's not even releasing data sets that you have to worry about. 

We release them ourselves by typing away in these different apps and platforms. 

Exactly. And when was the last time? When was the last time you actually read the terms and conditions that you're agreeing to? Whatever. 

UK and AU, we've still got hips don't lie, Shakira, Shakira. 

Yes, we're in the music segment, just if you never, well, actually, that's all right, that's all right, because we do know that the people who have probably never heard this podcast before, there's no way. 

I'm pretty sure at the recorder they were like, I think I'm in the wrong spot. 

Over to you, Shakira. Yeah. I just, I thought I needed to clarify it. I just didn't think it was a satisfactory introduction. 

Oh, sorry. 

It's okay. 

I just breezed over it because she's been there for ages. I know, we've all know that. 

Our hips don't so much lie as give out and we've had enough. 

They crack. 

Yeah. 

They ache. 

That's right. We need a hip replacement. 

All right, let's go over to the top five of the US. 

It's going down, leave me in the mall It's going down, leave me in the club, it's going down. 

Loosen up my buttons, baby But you keep running up Saying what you gon' do to me But I ain't seen nothing to me now I've been waiting, waiting Think I'm gonna make that move now Baby, tell me if you like it Tell me if you like it. 

I think you're crazy. I think you're crazy. 

I'm this coolest girl. Whatever you are, I'm all alone. And it's you that I want. 

We've got some new stuff. 

One, one new song. 

One new song. 

One new song. 

One new song. 

Nelly Furtado, Promiscuous. 

That's not new, but it's, and it's just holding strong, holding firm at #1. 

Crazy, Niles Barclay. 

Holding firm at #2. A firm #2. Yes. 

We like. 

A very solid, very solid #2. 

Me and you, Cassie, #3. Yeah, And our new entry this week in at #4 was Buttons by PCD. 

Oh, you call them PCD. PCD, the Pussycat Dolls. 

Dolls. 

Who, I mean, we'll get to it in a minute. And then number #5 was... 

What's #5. 

It's going down by Young Jock. 

It felt like I couldn't take that away. 

Shout out to Glasgow who were hosting the Commonwealth Games just recently as well. I don't know why you didn't get I mean, it's going down. Perfect theme song for the 2026 Commonwealth Games. I mean, considering Melbourne obviously just turfed it and didn't want to do it. 

Oh, was that when we were supposed to do it? Yeah. Oh, right. 

So we probably shouldn't actually give any advice to the Scouts about that. 

No. 

We'll do what we ******* want to. You didn't want it, did you? No. So now it's going down. 

Let's talk about the new entry. 

Oh, the Pussycat Dolls. Sure. 

Was that painful? You looked like you were in pain. Your mouth did something funny again. 

It hurt a little bit. 

It was like when you nodded off the other night. What's your mouth doing? 

I don't know. I'll check the replay. 

I don't know. Your mouth don't lie. I don't know. Your lips don't lie. 

Who's lips? I don't know. Anyway, what are you doing? 

I'm being Shakira. 

I thought you might have been having some kind of episode as well. And if both of us have an episode, who's going to come in and save us? 

He's going to call the ambulance. 

I don't know. I mean, you know, the sun's in there on the iPad, so. 

We need a medic alert. 

Dog would probably eat our face before he'd come and rescue us, but anyway. 

Possibly. 

Yes, the Pussycat Doors. The Pussycat. 

One of the decades biggest selling girl groups. Well, I mean, Nicole. 

Yeah, that's what I, that's what I was going to get to. So that was like, I was like, it's only one person really, the pussycat dolls. Like the other guy, I mean. 

They go, and really? 

I do that sometimes too, but generally when I'm on the phone to someone and I'm not paying attention, I don't do that. That'd be strange. They'd be like, are you okay? Oh, I've got another call coming through. Actually, that's a good idea. 

I should try that. Yeah. 

Buttons enters the US charts this week. Features Snoop Dogg, one of their biggest worldwide hits, video in massive rotation, peaks at #3 in the US and reaches #2 here in Australia, but it didn't always have the DOGG. 

Is that right? I mean, once you've got Snoop Dogg on something, that's kind of, is that an endorsement? 

I feel like it is, yeah. 

It's like, it's like peak. 

Snoop approved. 

You peak once you Snoop approved. Yeah. 

Dogfather says yes. 

You're allowed into the club. You're allowed into the whatever lounge. 

Yeah, something like that. I don't know. 

Although pussycats and dogs, strange combination. 

Yeah, true. 

Yeah. 

You look like you're about to press the button. Are you going to loosen up your buttons over there? What are you doing? Your finger looks like it wants to press. 

I thought you wanted... I was just going to wait to see if you said something good and then I'd make it look really cool. 

Well, you made me nervous because your finger was twitching a little bit, so I think you should just press the button. 

I was just going to do the Snoop Dogg part. 

Okay, you do that. 

Because he's in the intro. Okay, go. 

Yeah, little mama, you looking good. I see you want to play with a player from the hood. Come holla at me, you got it like that. Big Snoop Dogg with the lead ***** cat. I'll show you how it go there. Me and you, one-on-one, treat it like a show that you look at me and I look at you, I'm reaching for your shirt, what you want me to do. 

And the way that he said the lead pussycat even knows, he knows where it's at with Nicole. 

Nicole, she's the lead pussycat. 

Yeah, wow. Buttons was the 4th single chosen off their original PCD album in 2005, but originally did not have him on it on the album version. So if you bought the album version, you'd be ****** because there's no DO. 

Double G. Would you just go and get the single? 

You have to go and buy the CD single. 

Or maybe download it? 

Yes, you could have bought it off of the iTunes. 

That's what all the cool kids were doing in 2002. 

That's true. 

Yeah, they were downloading. 

So they brought him in and recorded the two new rap verses for the release of the single, re-edited it and released it as a remix, but it was also the official radio single and music video. How? that came to be, Snoop performed with them on a sexy rendition of Santa Baby at the 2005 Radio Music Awards. And Interscope, the label thought the chemistry worked so well, let's do a remix. 

And then get him on buttons. 

And that's how it happened. 

Wow. What an interesting story. 

You like that story? 

Yeah, I mean, it's well, you know, it just sounds like a couple of corporate entities got together and said, that guy sells albums and these these guys sell albums and we can sell a lot more albums when we put the two of them together. I don't think it was like, they were at the Christmas at the Radio Music Awards and talking about collaboration. Do you know what I mean? Let's put our heads together. That version of Santa Baby went down so well. I mean, Snoop Dogg would have been stoned out of his gourd anyway, probably didn't even know where he was. And Nicole was probably just going, I've got this whole group on my shoulders. I'm basically carrying on like 4 other people. I don't really have time to think about anything else. So thank goodness. 

They can do the splits. I was watching the video clip because I was trying to see if Snoop Dogg actually was in it. 

Oh, Snoop Dogg can do the splits. 

No, the girls. 

That would be something that I. 

Would like to do. They were dancing on and there was a bar and then they liked, but they did the splits standing up. So the leg went right up and touched her on the ear. 

Oh really? 

It's very impressive. 

On the ear. 

So to know her own leg. So instead of doing the splits on the ground, she's standing up and holding the bar. And then she did the splits, like pulled the leg up. 

Please don't demonstrate. I don't want to just put my hip out. I think I've got my St. John's is expired. Yeah, I don't have the, I don't have the. 

Yeah, no, she did the splits. Well, I think two of them actually did. It was very impressive. 

Really. 

Yeah. 

So you know. That is impressive. That's a good skill to bring to the group. It's not just about the singing. 

It's about being able to perform the splits. 

Mobility. 

Yeah, right. Could they, what other things, what other prerequisites could there be if you needed to perform the splits? Perhaps, doing a bum drop on a trampoline, just stuff like that, being able to do that like wavy thing with your arms. I'm good at that. 

Yeah. Or curl your tongue. Curl your tongue. 

There you go. That's it. That's it. Oh, you're in the group. Yeah, great. No worries. You're hired. Thank you. Yeah. We'll go and get Snoop Dogg to do a collaboration with you. Are the Pussycat Dolls still going? I feel like. Was there a reunion on the horizon? 

I thought there was a few years ago, I think, but I think Nicole's been ******** over the years, maybe. I don't know. Look, I didn't really follow them too much at the time. And I didn't really like buttons because I don't like buttons on clothing that don't serve a function. I have a problem with buttons generally. And so when this song came out, I didn't, yeah, I was just like, oh, he's singing about my least favorite fastener. 

I know, the other thing is putting the Snoop Dogg with the Pussycat Dolls together as well. Like, you know, dogs are notorious for eating the **** out of the litter box. It's really gross. 

Really. 

Yeah, they love cats. Dogs do. They have scenes for it. Every time I take my dog for a walk around the neighbourhood, because you know how the neighbourhood cats are just free roaming around here everywhere. I mean, this could turn into a boom very quickly. Basically, every garden bed around our house is a litter box. 

Yes. 

And the dog just goes spare to try and get a hold of it and chomp on it. I don't know. 

They must have good food. They must be getting good stuff. 

Yeah, that's a weird fetish. I want to say, yeah. 

Okay, let's talk about an album release. 

Yeah, please. I'm making myself feel sick. 

Megalira releases, I think this one is her third album, I'm going to say. 

Right. 

Back to Basics. 

Right. Okay, so she's done a couple of things and now she wants to go back to basics. 

Because she had strips. 

Yeah. 

And. 

I mean, that sounds pretty, that's pretty back to basics. 

Isn't that Dirty on it? 

Well, maybe. 

Anyway, I'm going to say this is her third. It could be her 4th. And she's reinvented herself. This is the one where she becomes this 1940s jazz icon. Like total reinvention here. Released on the 11th of August, blends pop with jazz, soul, blues as a bit of swing influence in there. Features singles including Ain't No Other Man, Hurt and Candyman. 

Here's a one-stop shop, make my cherry pop. Here's a sweet talking sugar coated candy man, a sweet talking sugar coated candy man. 

Yeah, it was good. It was pretty good. I mean, she's got a fantastic voice. I love the layering of the production and all that stuff. I don't think I could endure that for a full album, though. 

It was a bit unexpected for her. I was a bit confused. I didn't hate it, but it wasn't really what I was expecting from her. And this is before, remember like pin-ups about about 10 years ago, like that whole pinup vibe came back into Vogue. 

She was a bit ahead of her time, I reckon. 

So the Sailor Jerry and the big curls and the Marilyn Monroe. 

Big ruby red lips. 

Yeah, all that kind of stuff. 

Heavy eyeshadow, long lashes. 

Yeah, she was a bit ahead of her time with that. And the album actually sampled a lot of obscure vintage recordings as well. But when you played that Candyman song though, I can't help but think, and this has been re-emerging across the social for a little while recently. There's footage of Paris Hilton when Kathy, her mum, I think it's when she had to, remember she had to go to jail for something. 

Oh yeah. 

Probably drink driving or something. I can't remember what it was. She had to go to jail anyway. 

It was a DUI. 

Her mum's driving her to jail and she's in the passage because she's not allowed to drive, obviously. 

Yes. 

And she's balling her eyes out and the window's wound, Kathy's wound the window down. First mistake. It's like, Kathy, come on, give your daughter some privacy. She's balling her eyes out and Candyman's blaring over the radio in the car. 

Oh my goodness. 

It's all I can visualize a crying Paris on the way to jail when I hear that song. 

What was big 20 years ago in the movies? Well, in Australia it was still You, Me and Dupree, number one in the Australian box office. But there was a film that had debuted over in the United States that had gone to #1, Talladega Nights, The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. Get something best for going now. 

I don't care, I'm having a baby. 

You just passed the hospital. Bobby was born. Mama, I'm going fast! To become the fastest man alive. That's my boy Ricky. 

Dear Lord baby Jesus, I want to thank you for my family. My 2 beautiful sons, Walker and Texas Ranger, and of course my red hot smoking wife, Carly. Woo. 

Ow! You know, it might be cool sometime you could set me up for a win. 

You can't have two number ones. 

Yeah, you can. That makes 11. 

But no man stays on top. 

Absolutely, ma'am. I'd love to sign your baby. You're not going to want to watch that forehead. 

Forever. Well, the big news is that NASCAR has gone French. 

I am coming for you, Ricky Bobby. He's in the wall. 

Uh-oh. Yep, I'm flying through the air. This is not good. 

Will Ferrell. Ricky Bobby is not a thinker. 

Give me a fastball, twist the line. What the hell's a fastball? Oh, no. Give me another. Ricky Bobby is a driver. Yeah, it's the real deal down there. Super real! Play to kill! Ricky Bobby wins it in reverse! What does that do? Did that blow your mind? That just happened. 

You don't drive with your eyes. You got to feel the road. The story of a man that could only count to number one. 

I'm embarrassed. I really thought I could feel it. 

The Ballad of Ricky Bobby. You got to learn to drive with the fear. Oh my God. There ain't nothing more frightening than driving with a live cougar. 

Ricky, control your heart rate. I can't control my heart rate. I got a cougar on me. 

The inimitable, that's all folks. The inimitable Will Ferrell as Richie Bobby was a classic, one of his classic films, I think, Talladega Nights. I mean, he had that chemistry with John C. Reilly. And then you dropped Sacha Baron Cohen in there, who was also quite popular at the time because of Borat and Ali G and whatnot. And Amy Adams is sort of the big Hollywood name that kind of ties it all together. And you've got comedy gold. Comedy Gold. The movie earned more than $160 million in the US alone. 

Everyone loved Will Ferrell, didn't they? 

Did, and he was very popular at the time. And I've been pretty hot and cold on a lot of Will Ferrell films. I've thought he's funny in some and really unfunny in others. 

Like Anchorman Ain't My Jam. No, I've never really been a fan. 

I know that's probably. I didn't find him as Officer Will and Holly. I think it was in the, is it Jane Silent Bob Strike Back? I thought he was good in that. I really liked him in Old School. It was Hank the Tank. And I really liked him in Step Brothers with John C. Reilly. And it was good to see those two back on screen together. I don't know if this was before or after Step Brothers. I think it was after, actually. But the funny thing about this is the NASCAR community, they were very much taking the **** out of NASCAR. But the NASCAR community completely embraced it. They loved it. Did they? Despite the parody, they thought it was great. The jokes on it, though, probably can't be made in the same way they are today. So it was really memeable. You'll see lots of clips of this still popping up online of some of the funniest moments from Talladega Nights. 

And it's Will Ferrell, so people just quote it. Quote it to this day. Actually, I haven't seen this movie, but it did, when I was doing the research, it did throw out one of the quotes, which was, if you ain't first, you're last. I started a Teams meeting the other day. And you know how when you start the Teams meeting, it tells everyone else that? 

You've started the meeting. 

Everyone knows that you're the nerd that started the meeting. Because I like to, I like to. 

Oh look and she's here 2 minutes early. 

One minute is my rule. I go in one minute early because I just, I don't want to be exactly on time because it might click over to one minute past and then I'm late. So I was, no, I don't want to be first. I don't want to be first. Someone else can come in at 5 minutes too. That's fine. I just want to be one minute early and nobody else had pressed start. So I just did and I went in first. And so the next person to jump in said to me, if you ain't first till last. And I thought that was just them just making a comment. I didn't realise they were quoting this movie. 

They were quoting Talladega Nights. 

And I think that's happened to me a few times now. 

We were a feral fan. 

And I've just gone. 

Yeah, I guess I am. 

I'm going to be a minute earlier. All right. Now, next time this happens to me, I can go. 

And that person is probably, it's like, oh God, she hasn't seen Talladega Nights. She probably thinks I'm an idiot now. 

Right. I didn't quite get it though. I was like, but no, you're not last because you got in second. I don't understand. 

Exactly. 

I didn't say that. I just thought it. 

Yeah, good. That'd probably be good because well, I would have confirmed that you definitely haven't seen the film. That's for sure. So this is something that I've never seen. And that's, well, I've seen it and I was like, that's kid stuff. But it was a very popular show. And it had come to an end in 2006. I'm talking about Blue's Clues. 

Hi out there. It's me, Steve. Have you seen Blue, my puppy? Come on in. 

Oh, Jesus, that's enough. So that premiered on Nickelodeon in September 1996 and that's probably why I hadn't seen it because it was two years after I graduated high school. A bit too old for hunting around. 

Clues with the, was it a blue dog or was the dog just called me? 

I don't know. I mean, it's I don't understand. And had I have been watching this two years after, you know, leaving high school, you probably would have found me today quoting Talladega Nights. 

If you're not first, you're last. 

Yeah, exactly. 

It was designed for preschoolers 2 to 5. 

Yeah, so not people that have two years post-grad from high school? 

Based on research from child development experts. Host was Steve Burns, and Steve was only 22 years old when he got the job. And it became one of Nickelodeon's biggest preschool hits, airing in over 100 countries. Even though we didn't watch it, I still knew what it was. It took off. 

It was extraordinarily well. 

And there was merchandise. And it took off. 

And Blue's Clues left a big paw print because I do remember really. 

I didn't notice that. 

Yes, long after the fact. I know it's all a bit of a blur, but that's one of the ones that I was like, oh my God, you're watching Blue's Clues. That came out two years after I left high school. 

If you're not first, you're last. Can we put Talladega Nights on? Every episode followed the same simple mystery. Blue, an animated blue puppy. Oh, there you go, it was a blue puppy. Wanted viewers to figure something out. So to do that, she'd leave three paw print clues around the house. 

Do you know I was today years old when I discovered that Blue was female? You never had a look. 

It was different because Steve would talk directly to the audience, which is quite different for a lot of younger kids' shows, and would ask children questions and would stop and wait and actually pause so that they could answer. 

Just sit in the awkwardness. 

Yeah, collect clues in his notebook, he'd sit in the famous thinking chair, and then everyone would solve the mystery using the three clues. 

And that's, I mean, that's innovative in and of itself because if you look at a lot of the other kids' TV shows that were out at the time, it was very much, short attention span, bazillion miles an hour. 

Yeah, lots of color, lots of movement, lots of noise. 

And it's only gotten worse. 

This was deliberately slow. And they did that on purpose. Anyway, we get to 2002 and Steve Burns announces he's going to. 

That's right. 

And he hands over the show to his on-screen younger brother, Joe. Kids were like, hey, whatever. He's gone. 

He's going to college. See you later. 

Parents, Devo. Devo. Because Steve had spoken to millions of children for six years. 

Mind you. 

They felt hurt. 

Yeah. 

They felt betrayed. Steve is part of our family. We've solved these clues with Steve for six years and now he's just ****** ***. 

Well, the parents Maybe, but I feel like you contact if you contact years with Blue's Clues as a child, if you contact years with Blue's Clues is... up to six years, I think you probably need to think about maybe some tutoring or some kind of intervention because six years with Blue's Clues, like I'm assuming that the average child would maybe do one to two years of contact years with Blue's Clues before they've matured enough to move on to other shows like, I don't know, Degrassi. I don't know. I've just thrown it out there. But so the parents, I find that the parents are quite unfounded in their rage towards Steve for going to college. 

And we've got the internet now. So we decided to try and find out what had happened to Steve Burns. There were rumours that he died, that he'd overdosed, he was fired. 

Oh, that he was Marilyn Manson. 

Run off with the rocks. Yeah, Took out a rib. 

Yeah. 

He, Joe, little brother Joe, then hosts until this week in 2006, nobody really can. Joe says goodbye. But I think the thing that really sticks in my mind for Blue's Clues these days is on the 25th anniversary, Steve comes back. 

I remember this. 

And releases a surprise video speaking directly to the children and the ****** *** parents who'd grown up watching him. 

And this went viral. 

Hi. You got a second? Okay. Do you remember how when we were younger, we used to run around and hang out with Blue and find clues and talk to Mr. Salt, freak out about the mail and do all the fun stuff? And then one day I was like, oh, hey, guess what? Big news. I'm leaving. This is my brother Joe. He's your new best friend. And then I got on a bus and I left. And we didn't see each other for like a really long time. Can we just talk about that? because I realized that was kind of abrupt. I just kind of got up and went to college. And that was really challenging, by the way, but great because I got to use my mind and take a step at a time. And now I literally am doing many of the things that I wanted to do. And then look at you and look at all you have done and all you have accomplished in all that time. And it just, It's just so amazing, right? I mean, we started out with clues, and now it's what? Student loans and jobs and families. And some of it has been kind of hard. I know you know. And I wanted to tell you that I really couldn't have done all of that without your help. And in fact, All the help that you helped me with when we were younger is still helping me today, right now. And that's super cool. I guess I just wanted to say that after all these years, I never forgot you. Ever. And I'm super glad we're still friends. Thanks for listening. You look great, by the way. Whatever it is you're doing, it's working. 

Thanks, Steve. I didn't actually start watching you until about two years after I left high school. And look, the years have not been kind, mate, but I do appreciate the acknowledgement. That was amazing. 

Isn't that lovely? And did you notice that he still did the pause? Can I talk to you for a minute? And then he did the pause. 

I love it. 

Wasn't it beautiful? 

That style of presentation and it's... I mean, it seems so simple, but I think that's a real art form. 

And I think he wore the same shirts. 

He wore a version. 

He wore not the same one. 

No, he's pretty much retained his shape. The years weren't so unkind to Steve is what they were to me. 

But isn't that just beautiful? And I wish He-Man would pop up and tell me that he's proud of me after all these years. Because, you know, Steve doesn't really resonate. But if it was He-Man, I'd just be bawling. 

Yes, you would. In today's story, we learned that Mel had a pretty decent life, but there were a few ups and downs. Mel's like, no **** He-Man. And then, I don't know, they'd tell a joke and be, And then they play the music out. Until next time. And just like Masters of the Universe, we're about to wrap this one up. We are about to wrap it up. We are at the end of the show, but we do need to do one more thing. Mel just held off a magic recorder of power again. Said by the power of numbskull and here we are. 

We're all the better for it, aren't we? 

That's right. The hatches, patches, and dispatches clue, a celebrity birthday, if you recall. The celebrity said this. 

Oh yeah, and don't be embarrassed if you do fart because everybody does it. Yeah, it does. It's a real icebreaker. 

Yes, and I just, I think that's a rare talent. If I could break ice with my farts, I would definitely put that on a variety show. If you said Jerry Halliwell. You would be correct. And that was an excerpt from Jerry Yoga. 

Jerry Yoga, my favorite. I've got it on VHS. And I did Jerry Yoga every day. Actually, Jerry's probably like my Blues Clues. She's my Steve. 

Oh, really? 

I did that every day in the early, late 90s, early 2000s. Was it early 2000s? I don't know. Well, it's on VHS, so yeah, probably. And I did it every day. And every time she mentioned that little fart thing, I had a quiet little giggle to myself while I was doing, I think it was at the start when we were doing our stretches and we're sort of rotating from side to side and pulling our knees into our chest. 

Yeah. 

And she did, she made a lot of interesting comments throughout it and it was great. 

Yeah, it was. What was she doing in 2006, Jerry? 

2006, baby. She'd left in the 90s. I couldn't go to school that day. I stayed home. I was at uni, so I was like, no, I can't go. 

Can't face the day? 

I was so upset. I was dead. Really? Yeah. Didn't go to school. When did you leave? I think it was 98, right at the height of their fame. And it was only the year before that she was in that Union Jack dress, which, you know, iconic. 

I love it. 

I got my hair done like her. She was my favorite spice. The red with the blonde stripes. loved her. Loved her. 

She was my favorite. 

She'd gone out on her own. She'd had a few songs. I think It's Raining Men was one of the biggies, one of her cover of that. But 2006, this time 20 years ago, she's welcoming her first child, Bluebell Madonna. 

Bluebell Madonna. 

Bluebell Madonna and copped a lot of flack over the name Bluebell. 

Really. 

Which isn't really that obscure when you think about it compared with some of the others. 

Yeah, it's not. I mean, it's, you know, it's okay. Okay, it's still got a very, it's a very celebrity name. 

She reunites with the Spice Girls in 2007 for the reunion tour. 

Oh yeah, yep. 

And obviously today, married to, well, former Red Bull Formula One team principal Christian Horner. 

Yes, I was surprised that they're still together, but she stood by her man. 

Yeah, oh, I thought they had split up, but no, they haven't. But I did enjoy on the Formula One when he was on the show, what was the show that we watched? And they were in his house and then there she is. I was like, my God. There's Sherry. 

There's Sherry. 

That was the highlight for me. 

Doing a yoga and farting in the background. No, she wasn't. She wasn't. She was a bit more front row than that, I think. She's an author as well. 

Children's and young adult books. 

She was in, which movie was she in? I think she was in the movie Gran Turismo. Was she? I think she might have played the mum in the movie Gran Turismo or some other car racing. So she was in a car racing film. Was it Gran Turismo? I think so, yeah. 

But yeah, she did go through that whole fitness thing too with. with yoga and she was really buff, I remember. 

Yes, I do. She was shredded. Jacks. Shreddy Halliwell. 

Happy birthday, Jerry. We love you. 

Indeed, we do. And that is, well, you especially, but yes, she was always my favorite Spice Girl as well and continues to be. Long may she reign. That is the end of this week's program. What is happening next week, Mel? 

There's a big breakthrough in the Jon Bernet Ramsey case. 

Oh, we're going to go. True crime. I like it when we go true crime. Sometimes our stats get a bit higher when we start doing true crime. Yeah, And then they get halfway through and they're like, this isn't a true crime podcast. What is it? 

But it's too late because we're taking these amateur sleuths. 

And I'm just like, I'll take your statistic. You'll never catch me. See? Yes. 

Beyonc� gets in trouble from the internet. It is probably one of the first really massive online petitions. 

Oh, where a celebrity gets in trouble from the internet. 

Yeah, aimed at beyonc�. That's quite interesting. Paris Hilton. 

We got a Paris story. That all seems like something worth sticking around for. It does sound okay. We'll see what we can do with it to try and ruin it for you if you like. If you want to come and talk about that too, just come and hit us up on the socials, you know, T-minus 20 podcast. Sometimes we do this thing called opening up the boom box where we read out your complaints and stuff like that. Specific complaints, boomer style complaints. Anyway, you can listen to past episodes, figure out what that's all about. But you can come and DM us about that. That'd be nice. And just generally just keep an eye out. Like we've put some videos up. 

I put a very good freestyle rap from Ludacris up recently. That was good. The guy that's been playing the rubber chickens. 

Yeah, great. 

That's really helped my algorithm. I've been getting a lot of rubber chicken content. It's pushed the RIP content out the door. Haven't had any RIP. I had a guy playing a turnip and a guy playing a beetroot and a guy crumping to Creed, I think. 

Can I tell you? Just because occasionally I breeze over just to see what's happening. happening on the podcast in case somebody mentioned something. I saw you put this on the socials or whatever. I'm like, did we? I don't know, Mel looks after it. So sometimes I check in with it. But it is. 

You know, were you spying on me? 

Well, no, it's but it's completely f***ed up my algorithm now. And all I'm getting at the moment is bloody heavy metal classic songs that I love to death being completely butchered by a guy playing them with rubber chickens. 

Oh no, that's good. He did a couple of Iron Maiden songs, that guy. 

I know. 

But I liked the other guy that put the rubber chicken in one of those massage things and used it as the base I'm not saying it's not ingenious. 

It's just a lot. 

Are you getting any people playing any vegetables? Are you getting any vegetable instrument content? 

Not really. That's a shame. No. However, I must say it actually probably did improve my news feed significantly. There's a lot of **** out there on the internet. So if you want to clean up your algo, you know, just come and give us a follow. 

Give us a few likes. 

Give us a few likes. Some of the stuff we post and then it'll clean your algorithm right up. 

It will. Squeaky clean. 

That's exactly right. Give it a good flush and away you go. And it's time for us to flush off as well. So you can come and find us on the socials. Like I was saying, T-minus 20 podcast is what you've got to search for if you want to do that. Thank you very much for your patronage in supporting our tiny little podcast that we do for free. We don't make any money off this or any of that sort of stuff. We just come in here and hang out and talk **** and do it for free because we enjoy it and we hope you do too because if you didn't, we probably wouldn't do it. So thanks. 

Yeah. 

Bye. 

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-minus 20 podcast on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.