Squiz Today / 25 February 2021

Squiz Today – Thursday, 25 February

SQUIZ SAYINGS

“Dare mighty things”

Was what a secret code in the parachute of the NASA Perseverance rover spelt out. The code was cracked by internet sleuths who may not have dared to leave their homes for the last year…


TIGER CRASH TAKES HIM OFF COURSE

THE SQUIZ
Golf legend Tiger Woods is recovering from surgery after a serious car crash on a notorious downhill stretch of road through Los Angeles. The 15-times major title champ's life was saved by his seatbelt and airbags, but he was trapped in the car wreck and suffered significant leg injuries.

WHAT HAPPENED?
The 45-year-old’s SUV crossed onto the wrong side of the road before hitting the curb and a tree. The car rolled and landed on its side off the roadway, and firefighters had to use a pry bar and an axe to free Woods from his vehicle. He was transferred to Harbor-UCLA Medical Center near Carson, California with serious leg injuries, and drugs and alcohol were ruled out as factors in the crash by officers at the scene, reports say. A statement released late yesterday was posted on Woods’ Twitter account saying his lower right leg and ankle had been operated on. Surgeons stabilised his open leg fractures (ie the bone was exposed to the air) by inserting a rod into the tibia, while injuries to his right foot and ankle were put back together with a combination of screws and pins.

GEEZ HE’S HAD A BAD RUN…
Right? The monogamy sceptic has seen more than his fair share of injuries, some of which have kept him away from golf for long stretches. In January, Woods underwent his 5th back surgery to remove a pressurised disc fragment that was pinching a nerve and causing discomfort. And in 2019, he had surgery to repair ligament damage in his left knee. But he’s no stranger to pushing through the pain, including the time he won the 2008 US Open with 2 stress fractures and a torn ACL in his left knee for 91 holes. Woods’ latest injuries, however, have cast a cloud over the next chapter of his career. The County Sheriff’s Deputy said: “It’s very fortunate that Mr Woods was able to come out of this alive.” And plenty of high profile prayers were sent his way…


SQUIZ THE REST


BRISSIE BRISSIE BRISSIE...

Chanting in public is discouraged during this pandemic, but surely news that the Queensland capital is set to host the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games deserves an ‘oi oi oi’... The International Olympic Committee confirmed its preference for Brisbane this morning after receiving a formal recommendation from the ‘Future Hosts’ subcommittee. It’s not a done deal, but it means Australia will enter exclusive negotiations ahead of bids including Doha (la), Germany (nein), Budapest (nem), and Korea (아니). We’ll find out later this year if Brissie has won gold. But before we get to 2032, we’ve got games in Tokyo this year, Paris (2024) and Los Angeles (2028) to get through first. That’s a lot of rhythmic gymnastic…


DEFENCE MINISTER IN CARDIAC SCARE

A last-minute cancellation of a highly-anticipated National Press Club address was unavoidable yesterday as Defence Minister Linda Reynolds was admitted to hospital on her cardiologist's advice. She remains on medical leave following 10 days of pressure over whether she responded appropriately to former staffer Brittany Higgins's claims of sexual assault. Reynolds was due to deliver a speech and face questions from the media on the same day Higgins made a formal statement to police. Higgins took to Twitter to wish her former boss well, as did MPs from across the parliament. But the cancellation meant the Press Club kitchen had to get creative with some surplus gourmet lobsters


MEANWHILE, IN CORONAVIRUS NEWS...

• A doctor has been stood down from the COVID-19 vaccine program after giving overdoses of the Pfizer medication to 2 elderly people at a Brisbane aged care home yesterday. Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt said the doctor had not completed the required vaccination training and an investigation is underway. Both the 88-year-old man and the 94-year-old woman have shown no signs of an adverse reaction.

• NSW residents can wedge their thonged feet back into their dancing shoes. From Friday, residents can dance at weddings and host 50 visitors at their homes. Drinking when standing at indoor venues will also be allowed from 17 March - St Patrick’s Day - if there are zero locally-acquired cases recorded over the coming 3 weeks.

• And Kiwilanders are in the sights of NSW, Victorian and Queensland health officials as the Auckland outbreak of the virus sits at 8 cases with restrictions on travel introduced yesterday. That’s despite our Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly announcing the resumption of quarantine free travel for New Zealanders on Saturday.


MASSIVE DRUG BUST EUROPE’S LARGEST

Yep, 23 tonnes of cocaine will do that… The haul from Paraguay destined for the Netherlands was seized in several shipments in Germany and Belgium earlier this month, officials said overnight. Some were hidden in a shipping container filled with wood blocks, others in tins of putty. It was "clear irregularities" with the shipments that saw officials take a closer look at what was coming in from the South American country that’s considered a key transit country for drugs. "This is the largest amount of cocaine ever seized in Europe and one of the largest single seizures worldwide," German customs said, referring to the Hamburg haul alone. Value: in the billions of dollars…


NIGHT OWLS AT A DISADVANTAGE

And that’s because their chronotype (your time-of-day preference for sleep/work/other activities) is better suited to get on with work activities later in the day/into the evenings. Meanwhile, sparkly morning types are built for traditional business hours. If you’re thinking ‘well, derr’, a new study looking at 5,881 born in 1966 in northern Finland takes it one step further. Night owls are at a disadvantage when it comes to standard performance measures at work with their underperformance odds twice as high as the early birds. That’s how strong our circadian rhythms are - and it's another reason to be suspicious of morning people…


APROPOS OF NOTHING

“A novice Secretary of State joins the administration of her rival, a president inaugurated after four years of American leadership that shrank from the world stage.” Sound familiar? It does to former Secretary of State/presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who is teaming up with mate/author Louise Penny to pen an international political thriller.

The world’s biggest cricket stadium - Sardar Patel Stadium Ahmedabad, India - opened yesterday for the latest match in the Test series between India and England. At full pax, it can seat 110,000 (but will be at half capacity this week because of COVID). The MCG can seat 100,024, and India’s always been great competitors on the pitch.

And Canada’s in the middle of a scandal - over butter. It’s not softening when left at room temperature - a disaster home cooks are melting over…

SQUIZ THE DAY

12.00pm (AEDT) - T20 Cricket - New Zealand v Australia - Dunedin, NZ

ABS Data Release - Private New Capital Expenditure and Expected Expenditure, December; Average Weekly Earnings, November

Birthdays for Chelsea Handler (1975), Rashida Jones (1976) and Jameela Jamil (1986)

Anniversary of:
• the Dalai Lama fleeing Tibet for British India to escape Chinese troops (1910)
• the birthdays of painter Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841) and Beatle George Harrison (1943)
• the deaths of playwright Tennessee Williams (1983) and legendary Aussie cricketer Don Bradman (2001)
• Fidel Castro retiring due to ill health after nearly 50 years as the President of Cuba (2008)

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