Wednesday’s links talk little kids, little pet peeves and characters with little screen time.
New Zealand
Pay with The Force? Tiny Island Nation Mints ‘Star Wars’ Currency
Four words you’d never expect to hear: “Use the coin, Luke.”
Scientists: Japan’s Tsunami Broke Off Chunks of Antarctica
The remnants of the giant wave that hit Japan crashed into and fragmented an Antarctic ice shelf after the original tsunami, scientists say.
Unexpected Twist: Early Alfred Hitchcock Credit Found in New Zealand Archive
Mislabeled as “Twin Sisters,” Alfred Hitchcock’s earliest credited film, The White Shadow, had been rescued from a stash of unidentified ignitable nitrate prints that had been safeguarded at the New Zealand archive since 1989.
Lost Penguin ‘Happy Feet’ to Return to the Wild
The call of the wild led emperor penguin “Happy Feet” 2,000 miles from Antarctica. Now, after some human pampering, he’s heading home.
A Lucifer By Any Other Name Would Be Legal in New Zealand
Kids can be devils sometimes, can’t they? Well, not in New Zealand, they can’t.
Lost Penguin ‘Happy Feet’ Needs Permit to Head Home to Antarctica
Can’t Happy Feet, the now-famous New Zealand penguin, catch a break? In a trying turn of events, the poor bird can’t even get back home to Antarctica without a special permit.
Not-So-Happy Feet: Stranded Penguin Critical After Two Operations
It seems letting “nature take its course” may have proved a dangerous turn for little Happy Feet.
Emperor Penguin Gets Lost, Winds Up in New Zealand
Navigating between Antarctica and New Zealand seems obvious from the air. But what about from underwater? Or as a penguin?
Quakes in Christchurch: Why Today’s Big Temblors Won’t Be New Zealand’s Last
Earlier today, New Zealand underwent two large 5.3 and a 6.0 magnitude earthquakes in Christchurch, just five months after a 6.3 quake killed 181 people in the city on the nation’s South Island. Fortunately for the island nation, …
Celebrating Superman in Illinois: Nine Tourist Destinations Inspired by Pop Culture
With festivals dedicated to Superman (in Metropolis, Ill.), and Star Trek (in Vulcan, Alberta) on tap this weekend, check out nine of the best pop culture tourist destinations.
Shrek, New Zealand’s Biggest Celebrity Sheep, Dies at 16
You want celebrity? Then try being a sheep on the run in New Zealand.