Thursday, 21 July, 2022
Aussie high-jumper on top of the world; Dinosaurs on the menu in China; Stranger Things’ YouTube video rush; and Emmanuel the interrupting emu.
LINKS
Eleanor Patterson makes high jump history: https://wwos.nine.com.au/videos/world-athletics-championships-2022-eleanor-patterson-wins-gold-medal-in-womens-high-jump-at-world-athletics-championships/cl5t0lvda00090jr3e7d1ck35
Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp43OdtAAkM
Most viewed music videos on YouTube: https://variety.com/2022/digital/news/gangnam-style-youtube-billion-views-club-1235317420/
Emmanuel the interrupting emu
Olympics: Have A Go Month: www.haveago.olympics.com.au
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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Until yesterday, Australia had never before won a high jumping medal at a world championships. But Victorian Eleanor Patterson changed all that yesterday, with a thrilling performance that ended with a gold medal around her neck at the World Athletics Championships in America.
For a while yesterday’s heats, Eleanor’s fans were worried that she would be eliminated. High jumpers, as you may know, only get three attempts to clear the bar. When it was at 1.98 metres, she missed twice… but made it on her final go. She then jumped 2 metres —something she’d never done before—and then, soared over the bar at 2.02 metres …. on her very first attempt. Enough to secure victory for Eleanor, and a place in Australian sporting history.
Now, I strongly suggest that you take a moment to measure out 2.02 metres. Then imagine taking a short runup, then jumping up and over a metal bar at that height. Incredible. And yes, of course, there’s a video in your episode notes.
Eleanor’s win comes just as the Aussie team make its final preparations for the Commonwealth Games which kick off in Birmingham, England next Thursday.
What’s that you say? You’d love a brief, kid-friendly, deep-dive podcast on the Commonwealth Games? Previewing all of Australia’s medal hopes and explaining the rich history of this huge sporting event? We’ve got you covered. Tomorrow we’ll be releasing a very special Squiz Kids Shortcut on the Comm Games – available to any of our Squiz Kids for Schools subscriber classrooms, or any parents who’ve signed up to our Squiz Kids Subscriber Specials .. links to free trials of both are in the epsiode notes … you’re welcome .
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 China – where dinosaurs are on the menu.
Not literally, mind you. Because, well, who wants to eat dinosaur? And even if you did, they’re extinct …
Rather, I’m talking about the restaurant in Sichuan in China where diners in the open air courtyard noticed indentations in the stone floor which scientists have just confirmed are dinosaur footprints.
The footprints belong to a type of dinosaur called a sauropod – which lived during the early Cretaceous period – so we’re talking up to about 140 million years ago.
Wowsers.
Sauropods, known for their long necks and tails, were the largest animals to ever walk the Earth.
Probably just as well they’re not literally on the menu … imagine how long it would take you to finish dinner if you ordered a sauropod steak ..
POP CULTURE CORNER
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If, like me, you’ve spent the last four days in bed recovering from a nasty flu … yes, that husky, nasal voice you hear is for a reason .. you’ll have had plenty of time to watch the new season of Stranger Things – and come to realise just how enormous the Kate Bush/Running Up That Hill revival has been.
Kate Bush was a pop star in the 80s. Her song, Running Up That Hill is used in the latest season of the Netflix series Stranger Things and has rocketed back to the top of the charts thanks to it.
And this week, Kate clocked up another milestone .. with the video to the song ticking over 100 million views on YouTube … which is in addition to the estimated $3.3m Ms Bush has earned in the last few months thanks to her song being introduced to a whole new audience.
I’ve stuck a link in today’s episode notes to the video clip – and also a link to the most watched music videos in the history of YouTube … there are some pearlers in there …
ANIMAL KINGDOM
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Introducing Emmanuel the Interrupting Emu … the native Australian animal who’s gone viral on TikTok for his habit of being a sticky beak.
Emmanuel belongs to a hobby farmer in Florida in the United States – whose TikTok videos have recently gone viral – meaning they have exploded in popularity on the internet – thanks to a pet Emu called Emmanuel who just can’t resist the camera.
“Don’t do it Emmanuel” has become its very own hashtag, thank to his owner yelling the command over and over trying to stop the inquisitive bird from pecking at the iphone while its filming.
I sense a full-blown Netflix series coming on … give the feathered fiend his own TV show, I say.
I’ve stuck a link to some of Emmanuel’s best hits in today’s episode notes. You’re very welcome.
OLYMPIC ‘HAVE A GO’ MONTH .. CURLING
(sound of clock ticking) … Hear that? That’s the clock counting down to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic & Paralympic Games – which if you can believe it, are only 10 years away…. And to celebrate the Australian Olympic Committee has launched ‘Have A Go Month’ – and today’s Winter Olympic sport in the Squiz Kids spotlight is curling.
Now, because we don’t get all that much ice and snow here in Australia – some of you will be scratching your heads going whaaaaat?
Curling is a team sport in which two teams take turns to slide big round stones across ice towards a target. In wintry countries, it’s totally a thing.
And thanks to the efforts of Aussies like Tahli Gill and Dean Hewitt, who became Australia’s first ever Olympic curlers when they competed at the Beijing 2022 Winter Games this year, it’s becoming a thing downunder too.
Curlers can have long Olympic careers – some compete well into their 40s. Maybe it’s the sport that could see you competing for Australia at the Olympic Games .. afterall, all you need to do is have a go.
To discover the right sport for you and to find out more about ‘Have A Go Month’ go to haveago.olympics.com.au – I’ve stuck a link to it in today’s episode notes.
THE SQUIZ
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This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you’ve been listening …
- In which country have dinosaur footprints been found in a restaurant?
- In which sporting event has Aussie Eleanor Patterson just won a world championship gold medal?
- What’s the name of the Netflix show that has caused a revival of 80s pop star Kate Bush?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s July 21 … a birthday for purple Wiggle Jeff Fatt, Aussie cricketer Marcus Harris, Geelong football legend Tom Hawkins – oh, and it’s Belgium’s National Day today – so be sure to have some mussels and chocolate .. but maybe not together.
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today….
Noah from Exter, Chloe from Arana Hills, Ava from Yarrawonga, George from Tamworth, Gordo from Narrandera and Kabe listening over in Canada.
A belated shout out goes to Courtney from Mitcham.
And because so many of you celebrated your birthday over the school holidays … we are going to continue to work our way through these holiday birthday shout outs – including… Banjo from Freshwater, Mary from Adamstown, Timmy from Wingello, Marcus from Templestowe, Brandon from Craigburn, Somya from Murrumbeena, Heidi from Exeter, Shaneque from Ashmont, Celine from Yagoona, Kade, Finn Jasmine, Holli and Logan all from Yarrawonga, Kiara from Woongarrah, Caitlyn from Randwick, Kealy, Kyan (pronounced Key-an) and Veer all from Cannon Hill.
Classroom shout outs go to Room 4 at Craigburn Public School and their teacher Miss Sporn who also celebrated a birthday during the recent holidays, to grade 5K and Mr Crossett at Alamanda College in Point Cook, grade 6K and Ms Webb at Dakabin State School and lastly to class 2MV and Ms Tyler at Ngunnawal Primary School in Canberra.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- China
- High jump
- Stranger Things