Friday 14 August, 2020
The day Australia changed; Beirut’s big heart; Melbourne’s library of love; and a school teacher debuts for the West Coast Eagles.
LINKS
What’s Up Fox?
Reading: The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4a4R6shkRcM
Listening: Icy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LA4dIT7AOI
Watching: Quarantine Stereotypes: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eZUKSxE2UZg
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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Tomorrow is going to seem like any other Saturday for most of you tomorrow … no school, sports on the telly, hopefully a lazy day of doing not much at all. But if you get a moment tomorrow: stop and remember that it’s the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II.
What’s World War II? As the name suggests, it was a war that involved many of the world’s biggest countries – including Australia.
Modern Australia was still a relatively young country 75 years ago – and it was the first time we faced being invaded by a foreign enemy – in this case, it was Japan. Over a period of almost four years, there were many battles – and many Australians died. Your great grandparents might remember how the cities of Darwin and Sydney came under attack.
The war in the Pacific came to an end when American planes dropped atomic bombs on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki – unleashing a level of destruction the world had never seen before.
Why is it important to mark this occasion? Because as with Anzac Day, it’s important to honour the memory of those who gave their lives for their country, and for the freedoms we enjoy today. Just as Australia’s Prime Minister at the time, Ben Chifley said: “Let us remember those whose lives were given that we may enjoy this glorious moment and may look forward to a peace which they have won for us.”
SPIN THE GLOBE
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Each day we give the world globe a spin and find a news story from wherever it stops. And today, we’ve landed in Lebanon – whose capital city Beirut was devastated last week following a massive warehouse explosion at its port.
More than 250,000 people’s homes were damaged in the blast – and ruled by authorities to be unfit to live in. But in the midst of all that destruction – the human spirit has prevailed – and Beirut residents are rallying together to help one another out.
People with spare rooms in their apartments are offering them up to complete strangers, business owners are giving away their services for free – to help repair cars, or perform building repairs or even offer cosmetic surgery for free for those who suffered cuts and abrasions. Volunteers are collecting and distributing food, while others have used social media to band together and clean debris from streets – with Facebook groups springing up to link those in need with those who want to help out.
Because even in a disaster, the human desire to help is strong.
SPORTS TIME
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Amid all the noise around this weekend’s AFL clashes, there will be one quiet little story playing out at Perth’s Optus Stadium on Sunday that brings a smile to our dial.
When the West Coast Eagles run on to face Hawthorn – in their midst will be a 24 year-old school teacher, Nic Reid – making his AFL debut.
Which is to say: at an age when most AFL players are mid-career, school teacher Nic will be running on to play his very first game in the major league.
It’s been quite the rise through the ranks for Nic – who was about to play his 100th game in the amateur league, got bumped up to the state-based WAFL comp last season, kicked 23 goals from 15 games and has earned himself a spot on the club’s top team.
The moral of the story? It’s never too late to shine.
SQUIZ KIDS SALUTES
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And it’s a great big Squiz Kids salute today to the staff of the Yarra Plenty regional libraries in Victoria – who win this week’s award for going above and beyond the call of duty.
The libraries have had to close because of the COVID restrictions. But the librarians and staff were determined to keep in touch with all of their library members over the age of 70 – who have come to rely on the libraries as a place to meet, borrow books, spend time and be part of a community.
And so they started phoning them. All 8,000 of them. One by one. Some calls took five minutes. Others took half an hour. Every elderly library-goer received a call from a staff member – just to say hello, check in and see if they needed anything.
Gee us humans can be awesome when we want to be.
WHAT’S UP FOX?
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Every Friday we check in with Squiz Kids ambassador Flynn – known as the Fox to his friends – to see what he’s been reading, listening to and watching.
And the book that has captured his imagination this week is “The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and The Horse”. It’s beautifully illustrated and full of the most wonderful wisdom – including the poetic line: “Nothing beats kindness, it sits quietly beyond all things.”
On the listening front he’s been getting jiggy with the song “Icy” by Pink Sweats.
And as for watching: he’s sending a special YouTube message of solidarity to all the Squiz Kids in Melbourne – via the Dude Perfect “Quarantine Stereotypes” video. There’s a link to it – and all of these other cool things in today’s episode notes.
THE S’QUIZ
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This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you’ve been listening …
- Tomorrow marks the 75th anniversary of the end of what major event in history?
- Name the capital city of Lebanon?
- Nic Reid, the school teacher footballer, will make his AFL debut for which team this Sunday?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s August 14 ….. The Ekka public holiday in Queensland, plus it’s Red Nose Day – when we are all encouraged to buy a red nose and wear it for charity. So go and get your clown on …
It’s also a Friday – so that means it’s time to crank up the birthday backing track …
Happy birthday to these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today … Kye from Dubbo, Madeline from Crookwell, Raphael from Madora Bay, Robin from Walpole, Alessia and Gia from Sydney, Freya from Canberra, Saachi from Blacktown, Oliver from Port Kennedy, Barnaby from
Stanhope Gardens, Ruby from Fitzroy North, Ariella from Hobart, Ollie from Lowesdale, Yannis from Carlingford, Sophie from Wahroonga, Samantha from Melton, Jack from Valentine, Kyra from Melbourne, Blayde from Boorowa, Matilda from Mackay and Isabella from Oran Park
And a belated birthday shoutout…Mira from South Australia.
Weekend birthday shoutouts… Lucy from Mt Martha, Ollie from Orange, Flynn from Geelong, Liam and Anakin from Inverell, Leon and Alexia from Redlynch, Samantha from Leichhardt, Grace from Ainslie, Asha from Sheoak Grove , Tyler from Wollongbar, Emma from Bulimba, Alexandra from Putney, Omar and Mia from Chatswood, Anamaria from Hornsby, Maddie from Barnsley, Nate from Berwick, Hunter and Peter from Boorowa, Matthew from Ivanhoe and Ewan from Trevallyn.
Happy birthday one and all!
The S’Quiz Answers:
- World War II
- Lebanon
- West Coast Eagles