Thursday, 30 June, 2022
School holiday rain bomb; New Zealand’s sky-high bunk beds; cockroaches from outer space; and the goat with the droopiest ears.
LINKS
Baby goat with enormous ears: https://www.avclub.com/simba-baby-goat-long-ears-pakistan-kid-1849093676
‘Have A Go’ Month – Australian Olympic Committee https://www.olympics.com.au/have-a-go/
Squiz Kids for Schools – Free 30 Day Trial: https://www.squizkids.com.au/squiz-kids-for-schools/
Squiz Kids Apple Subscriber Content – Free 30 Day Trial: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/squiz-kids/id1494238283
Squiz Kids Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/squizkids/?hl=en
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EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
THE LOWDOWN
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Just in time for school holidays, there’s a big ol’ cloud hanging over NSW and Queensland, promising a week ahead of cold and rainy weather – perfect conditions for that beach getaway your parents have planned.
From Sydney in NSW to as far north as Townsville in tropical Queensland – rain is expected to fall throughout the end of this week and into the weekend.
In fact, some parts of outback Queensland and the Northern Territory – where it is normally what’s called the dry season – are expected to receive record rainfall for this time of year – and temperatures across parts of Queensland where the sun normally shines are predicted to dip down towards zero. Yikes.
If you’re heading in that general direction these school holidays – maybe pack some board games.
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Meanwhile, it will be a day of disruption in NSW today – as teachers across the state go on strike. To go on strike means to not go to work – and teachers in both the public school and Catholic and independent school systems are walking off the job today to send a message to the NSW government that they are tired and stretched and feel both underpaid and overworked.
Nurses in NSW are also going on strike – and train drivers will also be out on strike today. What with the weather being so wet and cold – sounds all in all like a good day to stay home.
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 New Zealand .. where the world’s first sky-high bunk beds are being built.
Air New Zealand – the national airline for our cuzzy bros across the ditch – announced yesterday that they were building a set of bunk beds into their new aeroplanes for passengers to stretch out and have a sleep in when they’re on long-distance flights.
Called the ‘Skynest’, the bunk beds will be available to hire for four hour stretches for anyone in economy wanting to stretch out and have a horizontal nap during their trans-continental trip.
I would so do that.
Sheets and pillowcases get changed every four hours, with each new passenger that lies down. Must tell that to my teenage son: his sheets and pillow cases get changed every four months, if we’re lucky …
SPACED OUT
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The US space agency, NASA, wants its cockroaches back …
What in the wide world of space exploration am I talking about?
When NASA sent men to the moon back in the 1960s and 70s – the astronauts brought moon dust back to Earth with them. Scientists at the time fed that moon dust to cockroaches – to see if there was anything toxic in it.
There wasn’t – and the cockroaches were fine. But the insects were never returned to NASA – and now they’ve popped up in an online auction … or at least their preserved carcasses have – because no cockroach lives that long. Someone is offering the moon-dust insects for sale over the internet – where it is said they could fetch as much as half a million dollars.
NASA have asked for their cockroaches back – saying they remain the space agency’s property.
Half a million dollars for a bunch of dead cockroaches. I have some here at home I’d be happy to give them …
ANIMAL KINGDOM
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And so to Pakistan we go, where a goat with the longest, droopiest ears on record has been born and is being celebrated throughout the land.
Simba is a Nubian goat – which is a kind of goat common in Pakistan, where goats are raised for their meat and milk.
She was born in the capital Karachi earlier this month, and has ears that would make Dumbo the elephant green with envy.
The ears measure almost 50 cms in length and drag along the ground as she walks.
Her owner adores her and is loving the new-found fame that his little goat friend has brought him.
I’ve stuck a link in today’s episode notes to photos of the baby goat – for anyone who wants to check out the ears on this kid …. (DAD JOKE ALARM) … geddit? Baby goat, kid … oh dear, I’ll show myself out.
OLYMPICS MID ROLL
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(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…. to celebrate the Australian Olympic Committee has launched ‘Have A Go Month’ so we are bringing you a super sporty segment… And today’s Olympic sport in the Squiz Kids spotlight is Basketball.
You’ve probably heard the name Patty Mills before, he is the Aussie superstar basketball player who plays for the Brooklyn Nets all the way over in the United States. And last year he created history by becoming the first Indegenious Australian flag bearer at the Olympic Games. But before all that happened, he was a kid from Canberra who loved to play basketball with his mates.
There are so many possibilities when you have a go at Olympic Sports, you could even be a future Aussie flag bearer at the Olympic Games.
To have a go at the right sports for you and to find out more about ‘Have A Go Month’ go to haveago.olympics.com.au
SCHOOL HOLS CONTENT
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It’s school holiday time !!! (PARTY HORN) Some of you are already off on holidays, some of you finish up the school term at the end of this week … And while the daily news podcast is taking a little break – we’ve got plenty of excellent content for you to dive into these school hols.
By signing up to our Apple Subscriber Specials, you’ll have access to our special school holiday Kids v Adult Bumper Quizzes, our entire back catalogue of Squiz Kids Shortcuts and our super excellent Squiz The World podcasts – where you visit a different country each podcast. Perfect for those school holiday road trips or long days at home.
And the best bit? We’ve extended the free trial for a whole month
… search for Squiz Kids in the Apple podcasting app and click on ‘Give Me More’ … you’ll be glad you did ..
THE SQUIZ
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This is the part of the podcast where you get to test how well you’ve been listening …
- What country does Simba the long-eared goat live in?
- What moon-dust eating insects is NASA trying to recover from an online auction?
- What is Air New Zealand sticking into its planes to make long haul travel more comfortable?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s June 29 … it’s our second last episode for this school term … we’ve got one more day with you all tomorrow then we’re taking a break until Monday July 18 … ahhhhhhh.
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today … … Astrid from Wagga Wagga, Emilia from Hill End, Lydia from Yass, Affan and Myra from Point Cook and Lynn from Carlton.
Classroom shout outs are going to… class 3FT at Christ Church Grammar School in Perth and class F6 and Mrs Vella at Hammond Park Primary School and class F2 and Ms Walsh – also at Hammond Park Primary.
Lastly a welcoming shoutout to Caroline Rogers and her class at St Columba’s Catholic Primary School in South Perth – who have recently become fully fledged members of Squiz Kids for Schools. Thrilled to have you aboard over in W.A.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Pakistan
- Cockroaches
- Bunk beds