Tuesday, 27 October, 2020
Melbourne, you’re good to go; Italy’s strange green puppy; Lewis Hamilton makes history; and Elton John has a Barbie.
LINKS
Green puppy : https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/23/europe/green-puppy-italy-sci-intl/index.html
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 couldn’t find a donut in all of Melbourne yesterday after news that the city had recorded zero new cases of coronavirus and zero deaths – prompting many on social media to dub it ‘donut day’ … because donuts make the shape of the numeral zero. Geddit?
Supermarkets reported being sold out of the sugary treats as Melburnians sought to celebrate the end of 16 long weeks of lockdown by posting photos of themselves with donuts.
From midnight tonight, there will be an easing of restrictions in Melbourne – including the opening of shops, bars and restaurants – plus a scrapping of the rule limiting Melburnians from leaving their homes. Oh happy day!
Food courts will re-open, cafes, libraries and beauty salons will fling open their doors – and kids’ sport will be allowed to restart. And as if all of that wasn’t enough for freedom-starved Melburnians to get their heads around, the Premier, Daniel Andrews also indicated there would be a further relaxing of restrictions in two weeks’ time – including a lifting of the 25km ‘ring of steel’ border separating Melbourne city from regional Victoria – and allowing bigger groups to get together – just in time for end of school and Christmas get togethers. Welcome back Melbourne … You did real good.
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While Melbourne will be celebrating its new-found freedoms today, Queenslanders will be taking cover and battening down the hatches as a mega storm heads their way. The Bureau of Meteorology has forecast more wild weather in and around Brisbane today and tomorrow – after the region was smashed with wild winds and hail-stones the size of golf balls on Sunday. One homeowner in Ipswich – west of Brisbane – even had a tree branch come through his roof as he sat watching TV. Because when Queensland does storms – it really does storms.
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 Sardinia – an island off the coast of Italy – where a sheep farmer is celebrating the birth of a green puppy.
The puppy was the last born in a litter of five – and while all of his siblings had white fur, he had a distinctly green tinge.
While it’s not common for dogs to be green – it’s also not unheard of. According to scientists, it happens when white coloured pups come into contact with the same pigment that turns bruises green while they are in their mummy’s tummy.
The sheep farmer has given away all the white pups – but is keeping the green one – believing that it will bring good luck.
And the puppy’s name? Why .. Pistacchio – what else?
Of course there’s a link in today’s episode notes to a photo of Pistacchio.
SPORTS TIME
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English Formula 1 driver Lewis Hamilton has broken plenty of records in his time – but few have meant as much to him as the one he broke in Portugal over the weekend.
Having won the Portuguese Grand Prix, Hamilton clocked up 92 wins and in so doing, beat the record of 91 wins held by famous German Formula One driver, Michael Schumacher.
Having won 92 races, Hamilton is now on track to win seven Formula One championships .. which will be another record.
Not bad for a kid who used to race remote control cars at the age of five and took up go-karting at the age of six. Big dreams always start with the smallest of beginnings.
POP CULTURE CORNER
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He’s best known for the forty-odd years he’s spent at the top of the pop charts – churning out the sorts of hits that make your parents and grandparents dance in that embarrassing way around the living room.
But now Elton John has achieved what few other pop singers can say they’ve achieved – by having a Barbie doll created in his honour.
The Elton John Barbie doll sports big pink sunglasses, a pair of denim flares – which are jeans that flare out in the legs – and a glittery purple and blue jacket. It’s a 1970s fashion thing.
The singer said he was honoured to have been turned into a Barbie doll, saying “I hope that she inspires fans everywhere to fearlessly pursue their own dreams and limitless potential.”
Hear, hear.
JUNIOR MASTERCHEF CALL OUT
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Big thanks to all of you Squiz Kids who have sent in a question for Junior Masterchef’s Filo … the questions are EXCELLENT – as ever. The fan favourite who’s currently on our TV screens cooking up a junior storm will be sitting down to answer your questions in an upcoming Squiz Kids Q+A. If you want to ask Filo a question, you’ve got until this evening to send your question to [email protected]. So don’t just sit there, get emailing!
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 sugary treat was sold out across Melbourne yesterday as the city’s inhabitants celebrated ‘zero day’?
- What colour is the oddly-coloured puppy recently born on a sheep farm in Italy?
- Name the English Formula One driver who’s just broken the record for the most number of race wins?
SHOUT OUTS
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It’s October 27 … birthday of Aussie cricketer David Warner – and also of Captain James Cook … and that’s about as much as those two have in common.
It’s also 59 sleeps til Christmas … agh … we’ve broken the 60 sleeps barrier!! Start making your list!
Plus it’s a special day for these Squiz Kids celebrating a birthday today … Kai and Archie from Gosford East, Aidan from Wellington Point, Jonathan from Redbank Plains, Eden from North Rocks, Jayden from Birkdale, Nicholas from Albany Hills, Jesse from Maitland, Zara from NSW, Ruslan and Lara from Abbotsford, and Alivia from Rockingham.
Today’s belated birthday shoutouts go to… Makhaya from Exeter, Jacinda and Caitlin from Bungendore and Ivy from Mount Helen, whose birthday we missed last week. We hear that all she wanted for her birthday was to get the training wheels off her bike and a Squiz Kids shout out. We hope now you got everything you wanted Ivy!
Happy birthday one and all!
Classroom shoutouts… Starting with Mrs Wilcox and Grade 1 at Investigator College in Victor Harbour – with a special hello to Miss Dominique …. 3/4E at Abbotsford Public School, who are going to camp tomorrow, 4D at St Ives Public School, 3/4M at Tacking Point Public School, and Room 4 at Walpole Primary School.
The S’Quiz Answers:
- Donuts
- Green
- Lewis Hamilton