Squiz Today / 25 January 2019

Squiz Today – Friday, 25 January

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“It’s staggeringly nose stimulating.”

That’s what KFC says about the limited edition gravy-scented candle it has released in the UK. It’s not the first time the fast food mainstay has dabbled in the home/personal care category – Kiwiland has had a dirty-bird-scented candle, and Japan a fried-chook bath bomb. True story.


THE JOHN DORY FOR AUSTRALIA DAY

THE SQUIZ
Whether you’ll be waving your Aussie flag tomorrow and BBQ’ing up a storm in an inappropriate apron or not participating out of respect for the impact European settlement had on our First Australians, we should be able to agree on one thing - Oz is pretty great. And that the return of the Polly Waffle isn’t necessary. But we digress… Today, we’re arming you with some useful information about some notable Aussies. For tomorrow - or any day for that matter.

MAKE IT A RIPSNORTER...
No worries, mate. The people on our banknotes - who the bloody hell are they?

$5 - QEII. She’s not Australian. Move on...

$10 - Dame Mary Gilmore (1865-1962) was a writer and socialist passionate about workers' rights and the welfare of women, children and Indigenous Australians. She once had a thing with balladist Henry Lawson. Interesting woman… And on the other side is Banjo Paterson (1864-1941). Yes, he penned Waltzing Matilda and The Man From Snowy River, but do yourself a favour and read this.

$20 - Mary Reibey's (1777-1855) picture makes her look like an old granny, but she was fierce. Coming to Australia as a convict, she was widowed early, raised seven kids and ran many successful trading businesses (think coal, timber and skins/fur). Becoming rich, she put a lot into charity. On the flipside, there's John Flynn (1880-1951), the Presbyterian minister who founded the forerunner to the Royal Flying Doctor Service - the world’s first air ambulance.

$50 - The pineapple… There’s Edith Cowan (1861-1932) who was the first woman elected to an Australian parliament. Overcoming early setbacks (her mother died when she was 7yo, and at 15yo her father was hanged for murdering her step-mother), Cowan campaigned for the rights of women and children and won a seat in the WA Parliament in 1921. David Unaipon (1972-1967) graces the other side. He was an Indigenous inventor with a thing for perpetual motion. One of his claims to fame was that his work contributed to the development of the helicopter.

$100 - Dame Nellie Melba (1861-1931) - a diva/prima donna with a (nearly) three-octave range. The soprano was a legit international celeb/big deal in her day. And Sir John Monash (1865-1931), the civil-engineer-turned-war-general, is on the other side of the bill you’ll rarely see. He has recently been discussed for political reasons as well as historical.

And of course, the notes themselves are worth a mention. The CSIRO developed our polymer banknotes that have world-leading security features to help fight currency forgery. And they're more durable, environmentally friendly and less likely to carry dirt and disease than paper notes. Pretty clever, huh?

WHAT ABOUT OUR MODERN DAY SUPERSTARS?
Look no further than the finalists for the Australia Day Awards. The finalists for Australian of the Year are: para-athlete Kurt Fearnley (NSW); medico Mark Sullivan (Vic); copper Jon Rouse (Qld); Thai-cave-dive-heroes Craig Challen (WA) and Richard Harris (SA); young-parent educator Bernadette Black (Tas); former journo Virginia Haussegger (ACT); and anti-racism campaigner/former AFL star Michael Long. Challen and Harris are the bookies’ favourites. The winner will be announced tonight with the ABC broadcasting the ceremony from 7.30pm (AEDT).


SQUIZ THE REST

YOU GIVE ME FEVER...
Complaining about the heat on a hot day - is there anything more futile? And there’ll be plenty more opportunity to say “geez it’s hot” in the coming days. Records tumbled like a melting stack of icy-poles yesterday with Adelaide clocking a record high of 46.6C. People felt it. Melbourne hit 36C yesterday and is expected to head towards 40C today. Canberra, Brisbane and Darwin will head well into the 30s today. Perth is ok, but next week looks hot. Tassie is going to be hot today which won’t help firefighters there. And Sydney is expected to be in the 40Cs on the weekend. The energy regulator is asking Victorians and South Australians to watch their electricity use to make sure there's enough to go around. Make sure you drink some water, please…

THE DEVIL TALKS TURKEY
In Melbourne for the tennis, legendary US Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour spoke at an Australian Open event and made her views on a couple of Aussie-LGBTQ issues clear. Aiming at former Aussie champ Margaret Court’s opposition to same-sex marriage, Wintour said her name should not be on the stadium. "Intolerance has no place in tennis,” she said. And when it comes to the recent religious freedoms debate, she called out PM Scott Morrison. “That no one can be expelled from school for their orientation should not require clarification," she said. Note: it was the previous Labor Government that changed the law to allow religious schools to expel gay students. Not that it's happened. And both Labor and the Coalition support changing the law to rule it out.

HOUSEKEEPING!
Keeping you updated on some recent stories.

SEEKING ANSWERS ON YANG – A couple of details have come to light on Yang Hengjun's detention in China. The Australian citizen had been studying in New York, and with the US visas of his wife and her daughter expiring, they flew to China against the advice of friends. He's believed to under ‘residential surveillance' in Beijing and is facing criminal charges for endangered China's national security. Australian ministers expressed their disappointment.

VENEZUELA UPDATE - What a day. In addition to the US, seven South American nations, the UK and Canada have backed opposition leader Juan Guaidó who declared himself interim leader yesterday. Russia, however, has supported President Nicolás Maduro who has been an ally in the region. Hyperinflation, power cuts and food shortages have been hallmarks of Maduro’s time in power, something he and his supporters say is down to US sanctions.

SALA SEARCH CONTINUES - It's a recovery mission, not a rescue. Premier League soccer player Emiliano Sala and the pilot of the small plane that went missing in the English Channel earlier this week. Sala had sent some mates a voice message during the first leg of a return trip saying the plane "feels like it's falling to pieces". Prescient?

JOBS GALORE
Australia ended last year with a solid effort on creating jobs with unemployment coming down 0.1% to 5%. With slowing global growth (think China’s result this week…) and tight lending conditions with a nervous banking sector, people who know about these things say the Reserve Bank would be encouraged with the result. It’s also a good springboard for the Coalition Government given it’s looking to spruik its economic credentials in this election year. Maybe Treasurer Josh Frydenberg could get his key messages across Viktor and Rolf style?

NEW YORK’S MOST EXPENSIVE PENTHOUSE
Actually, it's America's most expensive home, and it was bought by billionaire investor Kenneth Griffin for US$238 million/A$333 million. Downside: it's not built yet. Upside: he'll be able to count Sting as a neighbour. Or maybe that’s a downside depending on his musical tastes…

FRIDAY LITES - THREE THINGS WE LIKED THIS WEEK
Trusted sources have told us the Netflix doco on the scam that was the Fyre Festival is good, so we’re hoping to find time to watch it this weekend. There’s also a doco that’s out on US streaming service Hulu, but that’s a bit harder to get. Need a refresher on what the heck we’re talking about? Here you go.

Stick with us... This article about actress/lifestyle guru Gwyneth Paltrow’s skill for commenting on famous people’s Instagram posts led us to follow Comments By Celebs. Because who doesn’t have a surplus of time they need to waste?

Aussie Aussie Aussie… with a multicultural twist. Are you thinking of something bbq-esq featuring lamb for the long weekend? Something a bit different, unusual etc? Try this. Note: do the prep tonight if you're thinking of firing up the barbie on Australia Day. And we believe the reference to ‘lamb ribs' in the recipe might be an error because you've deboned your lamb into chunks… Anyway, yum.

SQUIZ THE DAY

Friday

From 7.30pm (AEDT) - Australian of the Year Award Ceremony - Canberra

7.30pm (AEDT) - Australian Open Semi-Final - Novak Djokovic v Lucas Pouille

Burns Night

Saturday

Australia Day

7.30pm (AEDT) - Australian Open Women's Final - Naomi Osaka v Petra Kvitová

Republic Day - India

Sunday

7.30pm (AEDT) - Australian Open Men's Final - Rafael Nadal v ?

International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust

Monday

Australia Day Public Holiday

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