16 December 2023 - Saturday Squiz

It’s the little things with Woolworths

Just 9 more sleeps until Santa comes down the chimney and stops through your home looking for snacks… This Saturday, if you’ve got cyclone experience, a recipe recommendation, or anything else you want to share with us, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 9 minutes

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🤷‍♀️ IDK: If we know anyone worth $700 million over 10 years? Maybe the creators of Fat Bear Week…

This week's top stories

This week, it’s a list we reckon we could have guessed…

1. Cyclone Jasper blows up a storm - Poor FNQ, right in time for Christmas. It was a big story this week, boosted by the TV networks seemingly sending every crew and presenter they employ up there to cover the storm…

2. The UN General Assembly passes a ceasefire motion - Last time, Australia abstained from voting - this time we supported the motion, surprising prominent Jewish groups in Oz and many in the Albanese Government.

3. Queensland gets a new leader - Annastacia Palaszczuk’s resignation last Sunday was a bit of a surprise, but she had been under pressure in recent months with Labor’s position in the polls slipping. Steve Miles has stepped up, 11 months out from the next state election.

4. Cricket, and then more cricket - It’s that time of year when cricket lovers rejoice, and non-cricket lovers get on with their lives… This week, the first Test in the series against Pakistan batted off in Perth - and on day one, David Warner reminded us just how good he is.

5. Fixing Australia’s broken immigration system - That’s how the Albanese Government framed reforms announced this week to “bring migration back to sustainable levels, ensuring we have the skills we need for the future and, ultimately, make sure the system is working in the interests of all Australians.” It’s a discussion TBC in 2024…

Picture of the week

Steven Miles didn’t wait to be sworn in as Queensland’s leader to become the government’s chief wrangler of the state’s latest weather woe. The abrupt storm front knocked the Sunshine State about a bit this week. We’re talking about Jasper, not the political musical chairs…

Question of the week

The question: What show did you stream the most in 2023?

The story: Netflix has jumped on the year-in-review bandwagon, releasing its first ‘What We Watched: A Netflix Engagement Report’. It shows that global viewers couldn’t get enough of the US government thriller The Night Agent, with 812 million hours viewed this year.

Sally Winsor, loud chuckler - “Taskmaster (the original British version) on Binge - where 5 comedians perform tasks for Greg Davies and Alex Horne, hilarity ensues. Sometimes my hubby and I laugh so loud our cats leave in disgust!”

Ceymour, picks and sticks - “I have watched Lucifer about 3 times this year... All 6 seasons!.”

Tenita Campton, trash junkie/the latest addition to Team Squiz - “On an hours spent basis, I’ve got an inkling that my most streamed is Selling Sunset season 1… through 7.”

Squiz Recommends

Watching - Forged in Fire. This news special was aired on Nine last Sunday. Put together by the network’s former chief political editor Chris Uhlmann, it’s a 45-minute look at Russia’s war on Ukraine, how Aussies are supporting locals, and why it’s important for Western support for Ukraine continues. 

Reading - Two weeks ago, we read this great profile on Japanese baseballer Shohei Ohtani in the Wall Street Journal (paywall) - it was the first we’d heard of him. And this week, it was announced he’s inked the richest deal in US sports history, claiming $700 million over 10 years with the LA Dodgers. Why he’s so special is worth getting across. 

Cooking up a storm - We sent this out yesterday in newsletter form, but to reiterate… A good recipe recommendation floats our boat, so we’ve compiled our favourites into a list to share with you. It’s great if you need some inspiration to get you through the festive period. And you’re welcome… 

Buying - this pair of Cariuma sneakers. They're back in stock after clearing a 109K waitlist, and if you're into all things comfy/stylish, they're the perfect summer shoe. Cariuma and Pantone have also teamed up again to release sustainably-made kicks in the 2024 Colour of the Year, Peach Fuzz. Complete your summer look for 25% off using the code SQUIZ25.

*This is a sponsored recommendation

In the Kitchen

The little kid in us still considers a prawn cocktail a treat reserved for special occasions. We're grown-up now, and so is this recipe for a delicious prawn cocktail salad. The pasta spirals give it a bit of heft, so it will make a good entree that will stretch across a crowd ('cos cost of living pressures, right?). Or it's great for a summer lunch/dinner in its own right. We know you'll make it work...

What we Squized this week

Your Squiz Shortcut on the National Disability Insurance Scheme - this week, we got into the scheme that’s not been without its problems… Last week, a major review was released into the problems, so in this episode, we look back at why the NDIS was first created and what changes are on the cards to make it sustainable. Listen/read about it here.

And getting you across our work to help kids become critical consumers of media… - Squiz Kids’ Bryce Corbett and Amanda Bower have dropped a podcast ep about why they built Newshounds, and the evidence for why taking action now is important. If you’ve got 15 minutes, it’s a good listen.

Squiz the Week

Saturday - 30 years ago, Shannen Doherty (aka Brenda) was fired from Beverly Hills 90210 (1993)

Sunday - It’s the anniversary of PM Harold Holt's disappearance while swimming off a beach near Portsea, Victoria (1967) 

Monday - In the Christmas spirit, the first radio broadcast from space happened on this day in 1958, with US President Eisenhower sending a Christmas message 

Tuesday - A day of birthdays… Keith Richards (1943), Steven Spielberg (1946), Brad Pitt (1963) and Billie Eilish (2001). What a joint party that would be… 

Wednesday - Paul Keating became PM after defeating Bob Hawke for the leadership of the Labor Party in 1991. Merry Christmas, Bob… 

Thursday - It’s Gravy Day… according to Paul Kelly 

Friday - It’s the last edition of the Squiz Today newsletter and podcast before a 2-week break. Luck we have a stream of Chrissy content for you…

Let’s get Squizzical

Reckon you know what baseball team snapped up Japanese player Shohei Ohtani? Have a crack at the Squiz Quiz.

Double-Tapping

The Squiz team has been getting around the Elf of the Shelf content in the lead up to Chrissy and this article perfectly depicts how hilarious yet nonsensical the tradition really is..

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