Friday, 4 December, 2020
Koala up a Xmas tree; Kavaan the elephant makes a friend; remote control car races on the Moon; and Drake makes a candle.
LINKS
Koala in a Christmas tree: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-12-03/adelaide-family-finds-koala-in-lounge-room-christmas-tree/12946548
Kavaan makes friends: https://www.bangkokpost.com/world/2028371/lonely-no-more-kaavan-the-elephant-makes-new-friend
What’s Up Fox:
Reading: https://maxcrumbly.com/
Listening: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAkMkVFwAoo
Watching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YaeDa_Uempk
International Cheetah Day: https://internationalcheetahday.com/
Check out our parent podcast and daily news email for adults: The Squiz: www.thesquiz.com.au
Squiz Kids Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squizkids/?hl=en
Got a birthday coming up and you want a shout-out? Send us an email at [email protected]
Squiz Kids is proudly supported by the Judith Neilson Institute for Journalism and Ideas.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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The Great Barrier Reef is one of the seven wonders of the natural world – the jewel in the crown of Queensland’s tourist attractions – and this weekend, will play host to the biggest coral party of the year.
Every year around this time – coral on the Great Barrier Reef release eggs into the water to be fertilised to create new corals.
It’s the way that coral reefs grow – and because of the size of the Great Barrier Reef (they don’t call it ‘great’ for nothing) – this spawning event, as it’s called, is the biggest of its kind in the world.
ABC TV will be broadcasting lots of it this weekend – for anyone wanting to get their marine biology on.
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A family in Adelaide got a bit of shock when they returned home yesterday to find a koala had let itself into their house and clambered up their Christmas tree.
The koala had made a space in between the baubles and decorations and seemed not the least bit inclined to move when the family came home. Not even the family dog was able to budge it.
Wildlife rescuers were eventually called – but even then, the koala made it pretty clear it was not the least bit interested in leaving his perch on the tree.
Probably figured it was the best place to wait for Santa.
There’s a link in today’s episode notes to a video of the koala Christmas tree incident.
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 Cambodia – where Kavaan the world’s loneliest elephant has finally made it to his new home and made contact with other elephants for the first time in eight years.
Having been rescued from a run-down zoo in Pakistan, and made the plane flight to Cambodia, Kavaan was transported by road to his new home – where he wasted no time getting to know his new friends.
Kavaan now lives in a sanctuary with three other elephants – where it is hoped he might eventually produce some baby elephants. Kavaan – from world’s loneliest elephant, to a proud father of baby elephants. Now that would be a good news story.
SPACED OUT
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He’s already built a rocket to take astronauts into space, now Tesla founder, Elon Musk is making plans to host a remote control car race … on the moon.
Mr Musk launched a competition earlier in the year for high school students around the world to design remote control cars capable of racing on the surface of the Moon. And a team of kids from Argentina and a team of kids from China won the comp. THey will now work with a man who designs cars with Ferrari to create the cars – which will be sent up to the Moon next October for the world’s very first on-Moon remote control car race.
How cool!
POP CULTURE CORNER
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OK – here’s your word for the day: it’s narcissism. And rather than explain what it is, I’m going to give you two prime examples of it.
American rapper Drake has released a candle that smells like him. According to his people, it has hints of “Musk, Amber, Cashmere, Suede, and Velvet.” If I released a candle that smelt like me it would be Rexona deodorant, dog hair and Darrell Lea Licorice Bullets. Which is maybe why I don’t have a candle.
Meanwhile, reality TV star and red carpet regular Kim Kardashian has gone out in public wearing a dress with her own face printed on it.
Narcissism is a word that comes from a Greek myth about a handsome young boy called Narcissus who stared into a pool and fell in love with his own reflection. Enough said.
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’s been keeping him turning the pages this week is The Misadventures of Max Crumbly … about a kid who was home-schooled by his grandma, but then begs to go to normal school – and then starts regretting it.
On the listening front: he’s had no choice but to listen to MAriah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas .. because his sister plays it over, and over, and over again..
And on the watching front: continuing his intention to only recommend Christmas movies between now and the end of the year – he’s watching The Christmas Chronicles – about a couple of kids who stowaway on Santa’s sleigh. Ho, ho, ho!
There are links to all these 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 …
- What’s the name of the reef off the coast of Queensland playing host to a major coral event this weekend?
- Where does inventor Elon Musk plan to hold a remote control car race next year?
- What’s the name of the rapper who’s just created a candle that smells like him?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s December 4 …. International Cheetah Day … a day to celebrate and help conserve one of the world’s most beautiful creatures. Check out the link in today’s episode to learn about cheetah conservation.
It’s also only 21 sleeps ‘til Christmas …that’s three weeks people!! You better not pout!
Plus it’s a Friday – and that means an extra long birthday shout outs – for which we’re gonna need the birthday reggae tune .. hit it ..
Happy birthday to these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today… Summer-Rose from Double Bay, Brinlee from Berowra Heights, Lucy from Vermont, Abbie from Cannon Hill, Chelsea from Galore, Ryan from Tullamarine, Dean from North Rocks, Logan from Craigburn, Noah from East Gosford, and Rylee from Alberton.
Weekend birthday shoutouts… to my beautiful daughter Rosie – of whom I couldn’t be more proud, Arky from Murarrie, Zoe from Sydney, George from Inverell, Mads from Wollongong, Annabel from Albury, Isla from Five Dock, Arthur from Box Hill North, Beau from Shoal Bay, Olive from Erskineville, Imogen from Currimundi, Ashton from Abbotsford, Chantelle from Victoria, Scarlet from Caringbah, Lachlan from Kiama, Jason from East Gosford, and Mia from Moorebank.
Happy birthday to you all.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Great Barrier Reef
- The Moon
- Drake