6 October 2023 - Bed bugs and bare faces

If you’re feeling discombobulated after the Daylight Saving/public holiday double, take a eucalyptus leaf out of the book of this confident guy... This Saturday, if you have a project you never finished, a favourite Fat Bear Week contender, or anything else you want to share with us, hit reply.

⏱️ Reading time: 7 minutes

🤷‍♀️ IDK: What we’d do if we found ourselves in Mexico without a passport…

Prefer us in your ears?

Today's listening time: 24 minutes

This week's top stories

This is probably the last week for a while that the footy will be dominating the headlines - as of next week it will almost certainly be all about one thing…

1. Some thrilling games of footy - Condolences Queenslanders… Their teams lost by the skin of their teeth to Collingwood, Penrith and Newcastle in the AFL/NRL/NRLW grand finals. The cricket is up next - this video indicates some aren’t so pleased about that…

2. It’s the final countdown… - This time next week Aussies will be lining up for a democracy snag and a ballot paper in the Voice referendum. Some of the headlines this week: confusing signage, ‘No’ campaigner/Senator Lidia Thorpe was targeted by extremists, and there was this viral ‘Yes’ ad.

3. Wild weather everywhere - There was little reprieve for those in the east after a bushfire emergency in Victoria’s Gippsland region was quickly replaced by flash flooding… Fires also destroyed several homes on NSW’s South Coast, and a massive storm left thousands without power in South Oz. Stay safe out there…

4. A historic moment in US politics - Kevin McCarthy became the first Speaker of the US House of Representatives to be ousted in a vote led by his Republican colleague Matt Gaetz. A vote for his replacement will be held next week.

5. Ukraine faces a grim winter - As it heads into the cooler months, Russia claims it has signed up 335,000 more people to its "special military operation". And while ammunition supplies are running low in the West, the US gave Ukraine some that it had seized from Iran.

Picture of the week

We said in the Squiz Today that Paris’s bed bug infestation was making bigger headlines than Pamela Anderson’s makeup-free Fashion Week debut - but perhaps that’s not true, because this was one of the most-clicked links in the Squiz Today newsletter this week. The 56yo was widely praised for the move, which she said felt “freeing, and fun, and a little rebellious too”.

Question of the week

The question: What’s your travel horror story?

The story: Paris Fashion Week is underway, coinciding with a nasty bed bug plague in the French capital…

Fiona Morphett, a cold start to the New Year - “We caught a plane from Washington to Niagara Falls over New Year’s Eve. Our warm jackets were in our check-in luggage so we turned up at 11pm in Canada in a light jumper - the husband was wearing a t-shirt. We didn’t get our bags until 2 days later…”

Delaine Little, one-way traveller - “I accidentally crossed the US-Mexico border without my passport. After much panicking, my friend and I were escorted by an amazing taxi driver back to the border entry point and we were luckily allowed to cross back into the US. I only wanted to go have a look at the border and ended up with a much better story!”

Jo Sutton, a crappy cruise - “Getting food poisoning in Egypt right before a 24-hour cruise down the River Nile on a boat with no, ahem, toilet…”

Squiz Recommends

Reading - We went down a rabbit hole with news that the Sagrada Familia - Barcelona’s famous incomplete cathedral designed by architect Antoni Gaudi - is finally nearing completion. Here’s an excellent read with visuals about the race to finish it before 2026, which is the 100th anniversary of Gaudi’s death.

As for books… Founder of Aussie bikini brand Triangl Erin Deerings has released a new book called Hanging by a Thread*. It’s a candid look at the company’s overnight success and how Deerings navigated her mental health through a separation and caring for 2 young children. You can read an excerpt here.

Listening - Just ahead of Sir Paul McCartney’s tour of Oz, a new podcast delves into the lyrics written by one of the world’s greatest songwriters. In short 20-minute episodes, Macca chats to poet Paul Muldoon about tunes like Eleanor Rigby and Back in the USSR.

Watching - Wes Anderson isn’t everyone’s cup of tea but we’re fans. The director has released a new series of short films based on the stories of Roald Dahl, including The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar. Starring Ralph Fiennes as Dahl and Benedict Cumberbatch as the eponymous character, it’s a delightful watch that reminds us of a stage play. You can find all of them on Netflix.

*Buy using this link and The Squiz may earn a little commission.

In the Kitchen

Any meal involving pasta is a good one in our books, and this super-easy spinach and ricotta cannelloni is a winner. We used fresh lasagne sheets and simplified things by using jarred passata for the sauce - though if you really want to go all out you can make it from scratch. Show off…

What we Squized this week

Your Squiz Shortcut on New Zealand’s election - The Kiwis are heading going to the polls next Saturday in a vote that’s predicted to see a big shake-up of the Kiwi government. So we take a look at the state of play for the major parties, some of the key election issues, and the minor parties that could form a coalition. Have a listen or read here.

And our latest episode of Ask the Squiz… Our fifth ep covers some thorny issues around race, what the discussion about treaty is about, and how the Voice representatives would be selected if the referendum gets up. Have a listen here, and if you have any burning questions you want us to answer, shoot ‘em through by hitting reply.

And our podcasts are up for some awards - We’re super proud that we’ve been shortlisted for not one but 4 gongs at this year’s Australian Podcast Awards. Woohoo… We’re up for Best Daily Podcast for Squiz Today, Best Education Podcast for our kid-friendly media literacy program Newshounds, Best Branded Podcast for our How Far We've Come series with NGS Super, and Best Publisher. The winners are announced on 21 November, so keep your fingers/toes crossed for us…

Squiz the week

Saturday - Not that we ever need an excuse to buy more books, but it’s Love Your Bookshop Day

Sunday - The Aussie men are up in their first ODI World Cup match against India from 7.30pm

Monday - It’s back to school for kids in NSW, Western Oz, the ACT, and the NT

Tuesday - World Mental Health Day coincides with Far Bear Tuesday, where the winner of Fat Bear Week is announced

Wednesday - Voice advocate/WA Senator Patrick Dodson addresses the National Press Club from 12.30pm. And it’s the last day to apply for a postal vote for the referendum

Thursday - Federal Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Murray Watt addresses the Rural Press Club in Melbourne from 12.30pm. And the first Constellation Cup between Aussie and Kiwi netballers begins at 7.30pm

Friday - You won’t catch us celebrating World Egg Day (gag…). And it’s referendum eve

Let’s get Squizzical

Reckon you know which Aussie animal uses cooing and grunting noises to flirt? Have a crack at the Squiz Quiz.

Double-Tapping

Another thing we enjoyed watching this week was Netflix’s new 4-part doco series about football great/celebrity David Beckham. But it’s his wife Victoria aka Posh Spice who’s the real star of the show, as this clip proves…

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