Tuesday, 14 September, 2021
Dylan Alcott is the GOAT; Wrapping up the Arc de Triomphe; Justin Bieber’s big night out; and whales in massive feeding frenzy.
LINKS
Dylan Alcott wins Golden Slam: https://wwos.nine.com.au/tennis/us-open-dylan-alcott-wins-golden-slam-with-win-over-niels-vink/229bf0b1-f6c8-4d13-9510-e695ba267ab6
The Arc de Triomphe, wrapped: https://christojeanneclaude.net/timeline/
Christo and Jeanne-Claude’s website with major works: https://christojeanneclaude.net/press/major-projects/
Whales feeding frenzy https://www.instagram.com/p/CTwFpwMDYC0/
Masked Singer Trailer https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAr9oZpNrL8
Dannii Minogue https://www.danniiminogue.com/
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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You might have heard the expression, GOAT ,,, the four letters G.O.A.T standing for Greatest Of All Time.
It’s a title that Australia’s own Dylan Alcott can safely claim after winning the Men’s Singles Quad event at the US Open in New York yesterday morning – and in so doing, becoming the first male tennis player to achieve what’s called a Golden Slam.
A Golden Slam is when a player wins all four Grand Slams in a year – the Australian, French, US Opens and Wimbledon, plus a gold medal at the Paralympics.
Which is what Dylan did by beating Dutch man Niels Vink in straight sets yesterday.
Taking to the microphone after his victory, Dylan made an emotional speech – in which he talked about how hard it had been to grow up in a wheelchair. How he didn’t like himself very much, how he hated his disability and how sometimes he felt like getting through every day was just so hard.
But then he found tennis: and he found he was good at it – and he found there was a whole world out there he had no idea existed – and suddenly he found people just like him, and the world was just waiting to celebrate what an awesome individual he was.
Now that’s what we call a true champion.
There’s a link in today’s episode notes to the winning shot and Dylan savouring a well-earned victory.
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 Paris, where the Arc de Triomphe—one of the most famous landmarks in the French capital—has been wrapped up in shimmering, silver-blue fabric. The massive art and engineering project is the work of the husband-and-wife artists Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who also wrapped the German parliament building in silver fabric 1995; and in 1969, famously wrapped part of the Sydney coast in gray fabric. As in, wrapped some coastal cliffs in eastern Sydney in fabric. Because it’s art, baby.
Art experts say that wrapping enormous objects that are familiar to us makes us look at them differently, both when they’re wrapped and after the fabric comes off.
Yesterday, 95 people abseiled down the stone structure, carefully arranging 25,000 square metres of the material as they went. It will be on display until October 3… and is in your episode notes today.
POP CULTURE CORNER
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They’re called the VMAs – and that stands for video music awards. Because once upon a time – a song that didn’t have a video was barely a song at all. And they’re held by MTV – which is a TV channel dedicated to music.
And this year they had a distinctly Aussie flavour when The Kid Laroi opened proceedings with his best buddy Justin Bieber at a star studded ceremony in New York City yesterday.
Big winners on the night included the Biebs – who won Artist of the Year – beating Ariana Grande and Taylor Swift – Lil Nas X who picked up the trophy for Best Video for his son, Montero.
Battling it out for Best Song was Dua Lipa, BTS and Olivia Rodrigo … and the winner was… Olivia Rodrigo for her song Drivers. You won’t get that out of your head all day now ..
And when it came to Group of The Year, BTS got their own back, winning the award over Maroon 5 and the Jonas Brothers.
And for the over 30s among you out there … Rock legends Foo Fighters picked up the first-ever MTV Global Icon Award, belting out a medley of their biggest hits – while the entire show was opened by 63-year-old Madonna – in an outfit that was every bit as Madonna as her 1980s heyday. Rock and roll.
ANIMAL KINGDOM
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Whale watchers in Bermagui, down on the NSW South Coast were treated to a remarkable natural spectacle last week when up to 80 whales put on a display of bubble net feeding on a scale that marine scientists said they had only ever seen once before.
Working together, the huge group of whales herded a school of fish into a circle, before taking turns to swim underneath them, blow bubbles through their spout to force the fish to the surface, then thrusting through the middle, mouth wide open and having a good old feed.
It’s further evidence of how intelligent whales are – and how they live and work in sophisticated social groups – as well as communicate with one another with their whale calls.
I’ve stuck a link to video of the massive feeding frenzy in today’s episode notes. Open it up and look on in wonder…
Q+A CALL OUT
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Alright .. this is it people. Your last day to get questions in for Masked Singer judge and Aussie entertainment powerhouse, Dannii Minogue.
She’s very kindly taken time out from guessing who’s behind the masks to sit down and answer any questions you might have .. whether you trot off to dance lessons every week and want to know how to make it into a job, or you’re keen to know if Dannii, who’s mum to a Squiz Kid of her own, is different at home to how she appears on the TV .. she’s bravely agreed to take the hot seat and tackle any questions you care to ask.
Send your questions by the end of today to [email protected] .. and then keep listening later in the week for the Q+A to drop .. You’re very welcome …
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 Australian rap artist who opened the VMAs with Justin Bieber?
- Name the hero Aussie tennis player who’s just won a Golden Slam.
- What sort of giant marine mammals have been filmed in a feeding frenzy off the South Coast of NSW?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s September 13 .. it’s National Cream Filled Donut Day in the United States .. why we don’t celebrate that holiday here is beyond me.
It’s also a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today … Axel from Broken Hill, Abby from Lobethal, Leonie from Ruse, Jayden and Jeremy from Waitara, Oliver from Rouse Hill, Samuel from Petrie, Jemma from Port Macquarie, Pup from Carrol, Zoe from Wollongong, Ethan from Glen Innes, Hinata from South Guildford, Aranui from Redbank Plains, Tayla from Ryde, Anastasia and Iris from Abbotsford, Leo from Preston and twins Pippa and Charlie who are listening all the way over there in Auckland.
And a belated birthday shout out goes to Issy from Sydney.
Plus!! … Because our friends in Melbourne, Canberra and most of NSW are in lockdown – we’re sending out Home Learning Herograms ….
A home learning shoutout goes to all of the Year 4 students at Oran Park Public School…you are on the home straight towards holidays – from your Year 4 teachers.
Herograms also go to Mrs. Scott and grade 4 at Good Shepherd Primary School in Amaroo and to class 4G and Miss Ferrero at Our Lady of Dolours in Chatswood.
Another home learning shout out goes to class 3A and Mrs Ball and class 3D and Ms Holt at Beaumaris North Primary School.
A shout out to Sophie, Henry and Clare from Queanbeyan, – your mum says you have all been doing awesome work in lockdown. And lastly a herogram to the stage 2 students and class 3 /4B at Abbotsford Public School.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- The Kid Laroi
- Dylan Alcott
- Whales