21 September 2024 - Saturday Squiz

As hayfever season kicks in, this is your annual reminder to purchase some antihistamine, decongestant and tissue industry shares… This Saturday, if you’ve got a ride-or-die chip recommendation, a family drama update or anything else you want to tell us about, hit reply.

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🤷‍♀️ IDK: What happened to our childhood babysitter?

This week's top stories

When it rains, it pours…

1. It hadn’t happened in 40 years, and now twice in 2 months… - Ryan Routh, a 58yo from Hawaii, was arrested after he was found in the bushes with an assault rifle on former President Donald Trump’s Florida golf course. If you want a good read - this is our pick.

2. A series of dangerous explosions in Lebanon - Hezbollah fighters were targeted in 2 attacks - cue fingers being pointed at Israel, which has not claimed responsibility… It came as Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced "a new phase in the war" focused on the nation’s troubles with its northern neighbour as Hezbollah’s chief Hassan Nasrallah said Israel “crossed all the red lines”.

3. The Senate houses a grudge match - The Albanese Government wanted to get its Help to Buy housing legislation through the Senate this week, or at least a vote on it. The Coalition and the Greens weren’t playing ball, though - it’s been pushed off for a few weeks. That didn’t stop speculation of a double-dissolution election being called…

4. All by ourselves… - Australia is the last of the economies we compare ourselves to that hasn’t cut interest rates after the pandemic-sent high inflation spike. This was in the news this week as the US Federal Reserve moved to lower rates there for the first time in 4 years in an attempt to head off a recession.

5. Boys will be boys… - This is a story of an AFL player’s misguided Instagram post, a senior coach pretending to be a plane, and a captain sticking up for his team. If you’re confused about how this made the top 5 news stories of the week, just know that footy finals fever is raging hot…

S’Quiz me real good…

Reckon you can name the popstar who has announced a major world tour for early next year? Get into it with the Squiz Quiz.

Picture of the Week

New York Times’ photographer Doug Mills is one to follow on X if you’re into political pics. Taken after the assassination attempt this week, the Republican candidate is not adopting a small target strategy…

Question of the week

Making friends in unusual ways…

A man rescued by local council workers after being bitten by an eastern brown snake says they’re now “mates for life”.

It’s not something that happens every day, so the results are not surprising, but the responses we did get were gold. Here are a few of our favourites… 

No trauma, just friendship - “One of my closest friends is a 92yo woman - I’m 25yo. She was my babysitter, and whilst my siblings lost touch with her, somehow we didn’t and now call each other every second day.”

Built on solid foundations - “I went on a 3-day cruise to nowhere about 25 years ago when I separated from my husband. I’m still friends with the 3 strangers I was bunked up with… I’ve got no idea how - the first thing they said when they entered the room was, ‘I hope she’s not a [beep], and she is not getting the top bunk’. They didn’t know I was in the bathroom and could hear everything.”

A rip rush - “It was the classic Sandra Bullock-Keanu Reeves situation in Speed - my girlfriend and I got together after being saved from nearly drowning caught in a mega rip. It didn’t last, but what a rush!”

In the Kitchen

You know it will be a good brownie recipe when it’s full of actual chocolate, not just the coco. These were described as “possibly the best brownies I’ve ever had”... That’s gotta be enough to convince you, right?

A new way to vitamin A

Your skincare routine shouldn’t be a source of confusion or stress; it should be effective and uncomplicated. At least that’s what Go-To preaches, and their serum Very Amazing Retinal is proof it can be both. This potent but gentle vitamin A serum is packed with seriously effective ingredients (think: retinal, peptides, centella). The results? A serum clinically proven* to reduce the appearance of fine lines by 40%, wrinkles by 30%, and pigmentation by up to 70%. Find Very Amazing Retinal (and skin) here.

*Based on a 12-week clinical trial of 33 participants.

What we Squized this week

Your Shortcut to the Reserve Bank - We’re gearing up for another interest rate decision next week, so before that news lands why not get yourself up to speed on the role of the bank, how its decisions are impacting Aussies, and why its relationship with the government has hit a rocky patch. Read or listen here. 

Squiz Kids School Holiday Extravaganza - The Term 3 school holiday period is underway in Australia, and Squiz Kids has got you covered for it. They are rolling out adult v kid quizzes and from Tuesday to Thursday, a daily brain teaser, where the question is dropped in the morning and then at 2.30pm you get the answer. All to keep those little noggins churning while on break and to have some fun… Obviously. Search Squiz Kids on Apple or Spotify (and hit follow while you’re there).

Squiz the Week

Saturday - We’re gearing up to see who’s in the AFL Grand Final with the last preliminary final game between Geelong v Brisbane Lions on at 5.15pm in Melbourne 

Sunday - We don’t want to freak you out, but there are 100 days left in the year… 

Monday - Ooh la la Paris Fashion Week begins. And it’s the International Day of Sign Languages ✌️

Tuesday - A day we think’s pretty important - it’s National Punctuation Day. And an important day for economy nerds - Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock will announce the board’s latest interest rate decision 

Wednesday - At 7pm, it’s the final game of the Australia v England netball series in Bendigo… And think sky high, it’s World Dream Day  

Thursday - A few of our Olympians will be back in the pool for the Australian swimming short-course championships in Adelaide

Friday - It’s a public holiday in Victoria ahead of tomorrow's AFL Grand Final, and school’s out for NSW, South Aus, Tassie & ACT kids 

*All times in AEST

Double-Tapping

ICYMI, there was a harvest supermoon on Wednesday night. Don’t stress too much if you did - there’s another moon-linked spectacle to see on 17 October.