Monday, 13 March, 2023
The Aussie ostrich up for an Oscar; Submarines on the shopping list; asteroid for Valentine’s Day; and the world’s ugliest dog.
LINKS
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Today’s Quick Links:
An Ostrich Told Me The World Is Fake And I Think I Believe It: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0CuuCc8QdLQ
Meet Lachlan Pendragon: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-09/meet-lachlan-pendragon—the-brisbane-film-student/102076824?fbclid=IwAR3kv-dukl7itvcagL8JUagkL4KvjaTkcAGywQw4dT2C_-fC38l9K4vlY0E
How to watch the 2023 Oscars in Australia: https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-03-12/oscars-2023-how-to-watch-australia-who-is-nominated/102072700
Valetine’s Day asteroid: https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/mar/10/nasa-asteroid-2023-dw-valentines-day
World’s Ugliest Dogs – 2022 Finalists: https://www.sonoma-marinfair.org/worlds_ugliest_dog_2019_home/
Dig Deeper:
Make a stop-motion animation: https://www.acmi.net.au/education/school-program-and-resources/make-stop-motion-animation/
Slices of Time: Eadweard Muybridge’s Cinematic Legacy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNU7sXkZmSw
Muybridge’s Zoopraxiscope: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG5erS2GNG0
A History of Submarines and U-Boats: https://www.worldwideboat.com/knowledgebase/a-history-of-submarines-and-u-boats
How Do Nuclear Powered Submarines Work: https://theconversation.com/how-do-nuclear-powered-submarines-work-a-nuclear-scientist-explains-168067
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THE LOWDOWN
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An Aussie ostrich from Brissie could be walking home with an Oscar today as the Academy Awards take place in Los Angeles.
What’s an Oscar? That’s the name of the gold statue that is given to winners at the Academy Awards – an annual event that recognises the best from the year of cinema just gone.
And why is an Aussie ostrich in the running? Because an Australian university student, Lachlan Pendragon, created an awesome short film called An Ostrich Told Me The World Is Fake And I Think I Believe It.
Yes, that’s the actual name of the film.
And he made it in his mum’s living room in Brisbane.
It’s what’s called stop motion animation … if you’ve ever watched Shaun the Sheep or Wallace and Grommit – you’d know what I am talking about. It’s an incredibly long, slow and painstaking way to make a movie. Every tiny movement of every character has to be captured as a still image – and then the still images are run together to create the impression of movement. There’s a great video in today’s episode notes explaining it.
Other Aussies who might walk home with an Oscar today include the actress Cate Blanchett and director, Baz Luhrmann for his movie, Elvis.
The ceremony starts around lunchtime – so there’ll be plenty of news about it all when you get home from school today.
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Weeks of torrential rain have taken a heavy toll on communities in the Gulf of Carpentaria where entire towns were this weekend completely flooded in – requiring the evacuation of all of their residents.
There were even reports yesterday of crocs swimming down the main streets of towns like Burketown. Yikes.
In northern WA, towns still cut off by floods have had to have food brought in by boat.
And residents of South East Queensland – including Brisbane – were bunkered down last night as heavy rains smashed them again …
Enough with the rain already …
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 San Diego – in the United States – a city on the coast of California – where Australia’s PM Anthony Albanese will this week be submarine shopping.
The Aussie PM will meet with America’s President Joe Biden, and Britain’s Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak – and is expected to announce Australia will buy at least three and possibly five US nuclear powered submarines – and place an order for a few more British ones.
What’s a nuclear powered submarine? It’s a sub whose engine is powered by nuclear energy. It can travel much further and for much longer under water than standard submarines. And it’s part of the Australian government’s attempt to modernise our military.
If you’re a fan of submarines: and let’s face it, they’re a pretty amazing piece of technology – imagine building a vessel that can stay underwater for weeks at a time while being the home of over 100 sailors?
Unbelievable.
SPACED OUT
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Do you have any plans for Valentines Day in 2046?
Given that it’s 23 years ahead – here’s hoping you’re celebrating it with someone special – maybe a special night out – dinner and a movie, maybe?
Perhaps just put a pin in those plans, with news yesterday that NASA has started monitoring an asteroid the size of an Olympic swimming pool which it says could be on a collision course with Earth and which – if it does collide with us – will do so on 14 February 2046.
But don’t worry too much. NASA also says the chances of it actually colliding with us is only one in 607. Which, for those of you who do fractions or probability in maths, means it probably won’t happen at all.
Too bad for you if you were thinking you’d have an excuse not to go on a lovey dovey Valentines’ date in 23 years…
ANIMAL KINGDOM
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Hands up if you have a dog. Keep your hands up if you think your dog is the cutest that ever walked the face of the Earth.
Those of you who put your hands down: there’s a competition you might be interested in.
It’s called the World’s Ugliest Dog Competition .. and it’s pretty much what it sounds like.
Entries have just opened for this year’s competition. And long-time listeners of Squiz Kids will remember last year’s winner had a face that only a mother could love.
Wonky eyes, a smushed up nose, hardly any hair, exposed teeth and a tongue that hangs permanently out. I’ve stuck a link to photos of last year’s winner, Mr Happy Face – and other finalists in today’s episode notes. There’s some real doozie in there.
And remember: the point of the competition is not to make fun of ugly dogs, but rather to celebrate that pooches come in all shapes and sizes – and variety is what makes the world an interesting place.
THE SQUIZ
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This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you’ve been listening …
- Which city in the United States will Aussie PM Anthony Albanese visit this week to announce a plan to buy submarines?
- Which city in Australia does Oscar nominated short film maker Lachlan Pendragon come from?
- What is the name of the pup that won last year’s World’s Ugliest Dog competition?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s March 13 – it’s a public holiday in Victoria, Tasmania, Canberra and South Australia .. hello? Is anyone out there?
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today… LAchlan from Flagstaff Hill, Ryder from Schofields, Mitchell from Wallaroo, Matilda from Dulwich Hill, Rose from Secret Harbour, Freya from Warrnambool, Charlie from Pitt Town and Lucas from Calamvale.
And belated shout outs go to… Ava from Eleebana, Henry from South Australia and Logan from Forster.
Classroom shoutouts go to…class D12 and Ms Hutton at Marryatville Primary School in Adelaide, Class 6P and Miss Ply at Oxford Falls Grammar School in Sydney, class 1L and Mr Lee at Birralee Primary School, class 4T and Miss Tully at Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School in Toowoomba and lastly class 6B with Mrs Trewhella at Echuca Primary School.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- San Diego
- Brisbane
- Mr Happy Face