Monday, 6 June, 2022
Paddington Bear visits the Palace; Ukraine’s Operation Lion Rescue; Soccer champ’s scorpion goal; and bad news for snake haters.
LINKS
Paddington Bear meets the Queen – VIDEO: https://honey.nine.com.au/royals/queen-platinum-jubilee-2022-queen-elizabeth-paddington-bear-skit/cb13b51b-7ebb-49b5-9a81-a27e2ec17f87
Alou Kuol’s scorpion goal: https://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/don-t-ask-me-how-i-ve-done-it-young-socceroo-alou-kuol-scores-scorpion-goal-20220605-p5ar4s.html
YouTube compilation of scorpion goals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKlmXrD_ZuU
Tiger Snake in a tree: https://video.link/w/QvIvd
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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There were pop stars and entertainers, singers and soldiers and horses galore – there was a 22,000 strong crowd of flag-weaving Royalists crowded into the streets around Buckingham Palace – but in the end, it was bear in a blue duffle coat and red hat that stole the show yesterday as the Queen celebrated her Platinum Jubilee.
So – first things first. Who’s the Queen? That would be Queen Elizabeth II – the reigning monarch of Great Britain – who also happens to be Australia’s head of state. But more on that in a moment.
The Queen this weekend celebrated 70 years on the British throne – which is the longest any British monarch has ever ruled. She’s now 96 years old. So a remarkable achievement on all fronts.
And though there was a big music concert staged in front of Buckingham Palace in London on Saturday night – featuring everyone from Elton John to Alicia Keys- it was the pre-recorded afternoon tea between the Queen and Paddington Bear that stole the show.
With everyone’s favourite bear kindly offering the Queen a marmalade sandwich from his hat, as a thank you for her 70 years of service. I’ve stuck a link to video of the adorable moment in today’s episode notes.
As for the head of state thing: despite the fact we have our own Prime Minister and our own government that makes its own decisions, because of modern Australia’s historical connection to Britain – and the fact we are what’s called a Constitutional Monarchy – the Queen is still the head of state here in Australia.
Our new PM has appointed a minister in his government to examine whether that’s still an appropriate arrangement for our country, which is why you’re going to hear the word republic a whole lot more in the coming days, weeks and months. But that’s a subject for a whole other podcast. ..
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 Ukraine – where Operation Lion Rescue has been deemed a success.
The war in Ukraine has affected many thousands of lives – and it’s had an impact on the country’s animal population too. That includes a pride of nine lions who have lived most of their lives in a zoo in the Ukranian city of Odessa.
Pride is the collective noun for lions … a flock of birds, a school of fish, a pride of lions.
Problem is since the war started and visitors have stopped coming to the zoo, there have been no ticket sales to provide the money required to feed the lions.
So – with the help of an Australian animal welfare organisation, a brave group of animal lovers went into Odessa and with borrowed trucks managed to get the lions out of the zoo and across the border into the neighbouring country of Romania – where they will be for a few weeks now until permanent homes can be found for them in African countries like Zimbabwe and South Africa.
It will kind of be like Alex the lion from Madacasgar heading back to his homeland ..
SPORTS TIME
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So – have you ever heard of a scorpion goal? No – me neither. That was until yesterday when Aussie soccer champ Alou Kuol scored one whilst playing for Australia in an Asia World Cup game at the weekend.
A scorpion goal is where a player dives head first towards the goal while a ball is being crossed, and collects the ball with the back of their heel, sending it into the back of the net.
It’s called a scorpion goal because like a scorpion – it has a sting in its tail.
It’s incredibly athletic – requires incredible timing and skill – and maybe just a bit of luck.
Ask former Central Coast Mariners star, Kuol – who said after the match that he had no idea how he’d pulled it off.
No matter: it’s now made him eligible for the FIFA Puskas Award – given each year to the goal that fans vote the most beautiful of the year.
I’ve stuck a link to video of it in today’ episodes. Enjoy … and maybe don’t try to replicate on the oval at lunch time, yeah?
ANIMAL KINGDOM
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In bad news for ophidiophobes—let’s see if you can figure out what that means by listening carefully—three Aussie scientists have conclusively busted the myth that venomous snakes don’t climb.
You maybe already know that the Greek word phobia means fear. Some people have claustrophobia—they are afraid of tight spaces—and people who are afraid of spiders are called arachnophobes. The Greek word for snake is ophis, so people who are afraid of snakes have ophidiophobia. And if an ophidiophobe starts freaking out at a snake in a tree or on a roof, it’s common for their friends to reassure them by saying – hey don’t worry – everyone knows that venomous snakes don’t climb.
Wrong. The three experts found that there were at least 20 species of Australian venomous snakes that love to slither around in trees. I’ve put a link in your episode notes to a video of a tiger snake climbing a tree… if you can handle it! When the scientists expanded their research to snakes that climb things other than trees, or that climb when they’re threatened, that rose to 31 species – more than a quarter of all venomous snakes! Not the nicest news for ophidiophobes, is it?
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 war torn country has a pride of lions been rescued from?
- What colour hat does Paddington Bear wear?
- The French Open tennis tournament takes place each year in the capital city of France … which city am I talking about?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s June 6 … it’s a public holiday in Western Australia today – as they celebrate Western Australia Day .. it’s also World Pest Day – i’m sure the two are unrelated ..
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today…
Izzy from Vermont South, Jasper from Shoal Bay, Mohammad from Yass, Atari from Fitzroy, Eloise from Sydney, Isabella from Brookvale, Scarlett from Five Dock and Gemma from Wagga-Wagga.
And belated birthday shout outs go to Aria from Wollongong and Sylvie from Stanwell Park.
Classroom shoutouts are going to…Class 6S and Ms Foster at Kambala Girls School in Sydney, class 5W and Mrs Dunne at St Mary MacKillop Primary School in Birkdale and to grades 1 – 3 at Fitzroy North Primary School and wishing them lots of luck in their school concert performance this evening!
Lastly a welcoming shoutout to Ms Brits and grades 4, 5 and 6 at Crown Street Public School in Sydney – who have recently become fully fledged members of Squiz Kids for Schools. Delighted to have you aboard …
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Ukraine
- Red
- Paris