THURSDAY, Dec 7 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR THURSDAY, December 7, 2023
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: BROUGHT TO YOU BY

TODAY IS …
(All days repeat annually on today’s date unless otherwise noted; days may or may not be called “National”/”International”/”World” depending on source; sources listed often have additional info. We generally do not list special days which were created by commercial companies for the purpose of marketing, or the hundreds of disease awareness listings which occur each year.)

INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“International Civil Aviation Day promotes awareness of the importance of international civil aviation. This special day was created to promote and bring awareness to the importance of civil aviation for social and economic development around the world. It is also intended to promote the safety and efficiency of air transportation. Civil air transportation is an important part of a country’s infrastructure and transportation system. Take today to appreciate the civil air system in your country.”

LETTER WRITING DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Today is Letter Writing Day. Take a few minutes, and send someone a hand written letter. Letter writing is an almost lost skill. Most letters and notes nowadays are on emails and instant messages. Or, they are typed on an internet keyboard. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone, either printed or in cursive? … I thought so.”

NATIONAL COTTON CANDY DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“National Cotton Candy Day is today. Cotton Candy is a popular summertime treat. The Cotton Candy machine was patented in 1899 by William Morrison and John C. Wharton. They brought it to the St. Louis World’s Fair in 1904, where is was quite popular. Cotton Candy is a favorite at amusement parks, circuses, fairs, and sports venues. Cotton Candy was originally called fairy floss. It is made from Floss (or Flossine) sugar. We suggest you create a carnival atmosphere today, as you celebrate National Cotton Candy Day!”

PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Pearl Harbor Day commemorates the Japanese attack on the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor. The attack began at dawn December 7, 1941. It crippled the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and caused the U.S. to enter World War II. During the attack at Pearl Harbor, over 2,400 American serviceman and 68 civilians were killed. Five of the eight battleships at Pearl Harbor were sunk or sinking, and virtually all ships were damaged. On December 8, 1941 President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated in a speech to Congress it was ‘..a date which will live in infamy.’ The U.S. then declared war on Japan. On Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day, U.S. flags are to be flown at half staff.”

December is:

Exotic/Tropical Fruits Month
National Egg Nog Month
National Fruit Cake Month
National Stress-Free Family Holiday Month
National Write a Business Plan Month
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
Tomato Month
Winter Squash Month

ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITIES

WHAT TO WATCH – New and Returning Shows and Movies
Premiering Thursday through Sunday
Listings sourced from the TV Guide and EW websites.

THURSDAY, Dec 7

“My Life With the Walter Boys”
Netflix – New Teen Drama
Synopsis: When a tragedy disrupts her life, a teenager moves in with her guardian’s big family in a small town and learns lessons about love, hope and friendship.

Season Premieres:
Prime Video – “Coach”

FRIDAY, Dec 8

“Culprits”
Hulu – The British series comes to streaming
Synopsis: Follows a crew of experts who apparently pulled off a big job and have since scattered, taking on new identities, only to be pulled back together when someone starts killing them off one by one. Featuring British comedy icon Eddie Izzard.

“Leave the World Behind”
Netflix – New Movie
Synopsis: Tells the story of two families as they fight for survival amid an inexplicable blackout. With Julia Roberts, Mahershala Ali, and Ethan Hawke.

“Mr. Monk’s Last Case: A Monk Movie”
Peacock – New Movie
Synopsis: Adrian Monk takes on a final, personal case involving his stepdaughter Molly.

“Your Christmas or Mine 2”
Prime Video – New Movie
Synopsis: James and Hayley bring their clans together for a festive getaway on the ski slopes.

Season Premieres:
Netflix – “The Great British Baking Show: Holidays”

SATURDAY, Dec 9

“Doctor Who: The Giggle”
Disney+ – Special Program
Synopsis: The third and final special in which David Tennant returns as The Doctor.

SUNDAY, Dec 10

“MasterChef Junior: Home for the Holidays”
Fox – New Food Competition Special
Synopsis: In this all-new two-night event, Gordon Ramsay welcomes nine young culinary contestants to cook up seasonal delights themed to Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Lunar New Year and more. The winner takes home the ultimate holiday gift: a $25,000 grand prize, a Viking Kitchen package and one-of-a-kind MasterChef snow globe trophy.

“Science Fair: The Series”
Nat Geo – New Docuseries
Synopsis: Follows the ups and downs of some of the most brilliant young innovators, engineers, and scientists on the road to the Big Show – the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF). Inspired by the Emmy award-winning documentary Science Fair.

TIME PERSON OF THE YEAR: TAYLOR SWIFT

Taylor Swift has been selected as Time magazine’s 2023 Person of the Year. The award goes to “the individual, group, or concept that has had the most influence on the world throughout the previous 12 months.”
* Or, barring that, the person with the highest grossing concert box office.
* Well, this is just going to go to her head.
* Vladimir Putin must be very disappointed today. He worked so hard for it.
* If this is what Time’s editorial board has to do so their daughters can meet Taylor Swift, then that’s what they have to do.
* Well, Madonna’s gonna be cranky for the next couple days.

FOX TO AIR M*A*S*H SPECIAL

The classic sitcom M*A*S*H ran on CBS for 11 years from 1972 to 1983 – you heard me, over 50 YEARS AGO. It was one their most popular shows ever and made them a ton of money. Which is why an upcoming M*A*S*H TV special is airing on Fox. On January 1, Fox will air “M*A*S*H: The Comedy That Changed Television,” featuring new interviews with scarily old cast members including Alan Alda, Gary Burghoff, William Christopher, Jamie Farr, Mike Farrell, Wayne Rogers, and Loretta Swit, and series executive producers Gene Reynolds and Burt Metcalfe. Not appearing because they’ve passed on: Writer/producer Larry Gelbart, Larry Linville (Maj. Frank Burns), Harry Morgan (Col. Sherman T. Potter), McLean Stevenson (Lt. Col. Henry Blake) and David Ogden Stiers (Maj. Charles Emerson Winchester III).
* This should be interesting, because Wayne Rogers died in 2015.
* If Fox puts as much effort into the show as they did researching the press release, it should be a ratings winner.
* They should call it “This Show Ruined Everyone’s Career, Except For That Bastard Alan Alda.”
* If their original fans watched the show in their 20s and 30s, it’ll be a big night for hearing aids and subtitles.

THE BUZZ

DUMB HEADLINES

Time for another episode of Three Dumb Headlines. These are actual, word-for-word headlines of stories found on the internet. There’s no story, no context, just the actual headline. Discuss them amongst yourselves. Then, encourage listeners to vote for the Dumbest Headline on your station’s social media page. Maybe ask them to leave a comment. Reveal the results in the next break.
Today’s Dumb Headlines:
1. “Judi Dench Accidentally Delivered A Nude Birthday Facetime Message”
2. “If You Never Know What Firmness Of Tofu To Buy, You Need To Read This”
3. “Why Are Belly Flops Painful? ”
And here’s a spare, in case you don’t like one of those three: “I Tried Rolling My Towels Instead of Folding Them, and I Did Not Expect the Results”

WEIRD HOUSE RULES

Ever go to someone else’s house as a kid and discovered they had a strange way of doing things? Reddit asked, “What’s the most bizarre ‘house rule’ you’ve encountered at someone else’s home?” Some of the responses:
– “My great-aunt wouldn’t let kids inside during the day, and when we visited, if it was mealtime, she’d just hand the plates out the window to us.”
– “I had one friend who, every weekend, had to still wake up early and clean the house from top to bottom both days even though her mom was a stay-at-home mom and cleaned every day. When I slept over, I learned the girls (guests included) had to clean, but her brothers and father got to sleep in and never cleaned.”
– “My mother visited a long-time friend and stayed at her apartment. The bathroom at night was off-limits as it would ‘disturb the cat.’ She was given a bucket instead. My mother never went back.”
– “I went over to a new friend’s house after school once, and when I got there, I asked to use the bathroom. The mom handed me two squares of toilet tissue and directed me to the bathroom. There was no toilet paper in the bathroom, and you only got two squares.”
– “I was eating lunch over at my neighbors and it happened to be tomato soup and crackers. I grabbed some crackers and crushed them with my hands over the bowl and the mom told me, ‘Oh, we don’t do it that way around here!’ She proceeded to tell me that they put the crackers in the soup and crushed them with their spoon.”
– “At my friend’s house, we had to drag a rake behind us when we walked down the carpeted hall so as not to leave footprints.”
– “If we slammed the door as kids, my dad made us kiss the door to make it feel better.”
– “I went over to my best friend’s house for a sleepover, and I got in trouble for taking my shoes off. They had a strict ‘shoes on all the time’ rule except when sleeping.”
– “My friend’s mom was very stern and severe. The house was filthy and the girl’s mom would brush her teeth for her at night. She said it was because she got a cavity once, and she wasn’t allowed to brush her teeth anymore.”
– “My father-in-law used to turn the Wi-Fi off at nine p.m. every night, so it wasn’t ‘wasted.’ Told him it didn’t work that way, he didn’t believe us.”
– “Must be up by 9 a.m. and fully clothed. No pajamas or sweats, even if it was the weekend and even if you had no plans to go anywhere or do anything. We would wake up and just sit there.”
– “I slept over at a friend’s house when I was, like, six or seven. In the morning his mom had made muffins. The only way you could get a muffin is if you sang ‘The Muffin Man’ song. I did not know it, so I didn’t eat.”
“When I was around 8 at a friend’s house I asked for a drink, her mom gave me a baby bottle with juice in it. I laughed, but she didn’t laugh back. My friend took her own bottle and started drinking. I asked if I could please have a cup instead, but she told me children drink from bottles in their house. I never went there again.”
* PHONE TOPIC: Did you ever stay over at a friend’s house with a nutzo rule?

U.S. NEWS

SPEED CAMERA TELLS YOU WHETHER YOU’RE NAUGHTY OR NICE

For Christmas, Hackettstown, New Jersey police have set up a speed camera that tells drivers if they are naughty or nice. Drivers’ speeds are displayed by the radar as they pass by. If they are at the speed limit, they sign tells them they are nice. If they are speeding, it tells them they are naughty. Not surprisingly, there have been a lot more naughties.
* Santa Cop: starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. Coming this Christmas.
* It’s better than the old speed camera, which told you if you were hot or not.
* They should tell you whether you’re a Dasher or a Donder.
* What a cute story! Now get ready for speed cameras with AI facial recognition that can tell the police everywhere you go in your car.

EARN MONEY FROM YOUR ENERGY DRINK HORROR STORY

MiO, a product that calls itself “a liquid water enhancer,” has launched an ad campaign asking people who drink other energy drinks to share their bad experience with those drinks – Red Bull, Monster, Rockstar and the like. MiO will pay for your story of brain fog, jitters, fatigue, excessive sweating, headaches – but it better be funny (* as excessive sweating always is.) The more entertaining details, the better, they say. According to MiO, submissions will be judged on the following criteria: 50% entertainment value based on delivery and humor, 50% amount of damage caused by the energy drink. A written entry qualifies contestants to receive up to $50, while a video entry could offer up to $200. Along with the cash, select participants will get free MiO Energy “to provide a source of better energy for next time.” By the way, MiO is a little bottle of flavored liquid that contains caffeine, B vitamins and electrolytes – the same stuff that’s in other energy drinks. You add a few drops to a glass of regular water. So if you have a hi-larious story of overdosing on caffeine, tell it to the MiO website before December 19.
* What if you just don’t have the energy to submit it?
* You know what’ll be really entertaining? When your name shows up in a corporate libel lawsuit against MiO.
* Hmm, an entertaining story about side effects. ChatGPT can knock that out in about 40 seconds.
* How about “I sold the rights to my life to MiO for a lousy 50 bucks.” Is that a horror story?
* Liquid water enhancer? How about enhancing a tablespoon of water by adding two shots of whiskey?

HOT NEW TREND? OLDER MEN DATING YOUNGER WOMEN

The New York Post claims that one of the big trends of this past year has been older men dating or marrying younger women. They say a huge number of men have partnered up this year with women young enough to be their daughters. Their evidence is overwhelming, as they’ve named exactly five examples:
– Actor Al Pacino, 82, welcomed a fourth child with his 29-year-old girlfriend Noor Alfallah.
– Robert DeNiro, 80, had a daughter with Tiffany Chen, 45.
– Actor Rufus Swell, 54, got engaged to Vivian Benitez, 27.
– Comedian Dane Cook, 51, married his fiancee, Kelsi Taylor, 24.
– Leonardo DiCaprio, 48, never dates a woman over the age of 26 and has been spotted with Vittoria Ceretti, 25.
* So… wealthy famous actors. Well, yeah – THEY can pull it off.
* Oh, honey, latching on to a rich and famous Sugar Daddy never goes out of style.
* When Al Pacino made The Godfather, it would still be 22 years before Noor Alfallah would be born. Creepy or not creepy?
* Although, hooking up with Dane Cook… Really? Dane Cook?
* They say if you want to date someone younger, you should divide your age by 2, add 7, and hand over 50 percent your bank account.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

AUSTRALIAN TEEN BITTEN BY HIDDEN POISONOUS OCTOPUS

An Australian teenager, Jacob Eggington, was looking for seashells for his young niece at popular Shoalwater Beach, south of Perth. He found a shell and put it in his pocket. When Jacob took the shell out of his pocket to give to his niece, a deadly blue-ringed octopus popped out and bit him. A few moments later he had a severe reaction. The 18-year-old had to be stretchered off the beach by paramedics and was taken to the hospital for six hours of treatment.
* Worst Squid Game ever.
* Or … Worst Plan Ever to Murder Your Niece.
* Meanwhile, the octopus took out it’s little notepad, crossed out #26, and wrote #27.
* The beautiful blue-ringed octopus, know as the douchebag of the sea.

TRENDING

COCO GAUFF IS HIGHEST PAID FEMALE ATHLETE OF 2023

Rising tennis star Coco Gauff was the highest paid female athlete in 2023, earning $22.7 million at just 19-years-old. Gauff won her first major singles title this year with a U.S. Open finals victory over world No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka. Here are the Top Five, according to Sportico:
1. Coco Gauff – $22.7 million
2. Iga Swwiatek (tennis) – $21.9 million
3. Eileen Gu (skier) – $20 million
4. Emma Raducanu (tennis) – $16.5 million
5. Naomi Osaka (tennis) – $15 million

THE FLAVOR OF NEXT YEAR: TAMARIND

The McCormick seasoning company has done a thorough inspection of the warehouse, found what they have a lot of laying around, and named it 2024’s “Flavor of the Year.” And that flavor is: tamarind. Tamarind has an acidic and tangy-sweet flavor and, says McCormick, who would never make up things to sell product, can be added to a number of foods such potato chips, ice cream and even coffee.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

Dec. 21, Thursday – Winter begins, winter solstice occurs at 10:27 P.M. EST
Dec. 25, Monday – Christmas
Dec. 31, Sunday – New Year’s Eve
Jan. 1, Monday – New Year’s Day 2024

BIRTHDAYS

Jennifer Carpenter (actress, “The Enemy Within,” “Limitless,” “Dexter”) … 44
Sunny Sweeney (country singer) … 47
Jeffrey Wright (actor, “Westworld”) … 58
Patrick Fabian (actor, Howard Hamlin on “Better Call Saul”) … 59
Larry Bird (basketball hall-of-famer) … 67
Johnny Bench (baseball hall-of-famer) … 76
Ellen Burstyn (actress, “Law & Order: Organized Crime”) … 91

BIRTHDAY QUOTE QUIZ – Ask your listeners “Who said it?” HINT: Today’s their birthday!

“Comedy is like math – you can check your answer because you know you’ve gotten it right if you get a laugh. It just makes sense to me.”

(A) Jim Parsons
(B) Neil deGrasse Tyson
(C) Jennifer Carpenter

ANSWER: (C) Jennifer Carpenter

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2002 – Iraq handed over its long-awaited arms declaration to the United Nations, denying it had weapons of mass destruction.
* They denied they had ’em, the inspectors didn’t see ’em … we invaded and never found ’em … Oops!

1972 – The last trip by humans to the Moon, Apollo 17, lifted off from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
* After you’ve driven an electric buggy up and down the hills of the Moon and hit a golf ball over the horizon, what else is there?

1945 – The microwave oven was invented.
* Now people could actually be impatient for a meal that takes longer than 5 minutes to cook.

1941 – The Japanese attacked the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, triggering the U.S.’s entry into World War Two.
* Duh! They would have made out so much better if they had just slowly and quietly started selling us cars.

1787 – Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution of the United States.
* They would have signed it sooner, but they had to get their attorneys to look at it.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2014 – Pink Floyd’s classic album, “The Dark Side Of The Moon,” made a surprise return to the Billboard chart when it landed at No.13, thanks to ultra-cheap pricing in the Google Play store where the album was discounted to 99 cents. Although it held the No.1 spot in the U.S. for only a week when released in 1973, it remained in the Billboard album chart for 741 weeks (over 14 years).

2005 – The MBE medal that John Lennon returned to the Queen was found in a royal vault at St. James’ Palace. Lennon returned his medal in November, 1969 with a letter accompanying saying, “Your Majesty, I am returning my MBE as a protest against Britain’s involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts. With Love, John Lennon.” Historians were calling for the medal to be put on public display.

2003 – Britney Spears was at No.1 on the U.S. album chart with “In The Zone,” the singer’s fourth U.S. No.1 album.

1996 – Toni Braxton started an 11-week run at No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Un-Break My Heart,” her second U.S. solo No.1.

1991 – Michael Jackson started a 7-week run at No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Black Or White,” his 12th solo No.1.

1977 – Inventor Dr. Peter Carl Goldmark was killed in a car crash at age 71. Goldmark invented the long-playing microgroove record in 1945 that revolutionized the way people listened to music.

1974 – Carl Douglas started a two-week run at No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Kung Fu Fighting.” The song was recorded in 10 minutes, started out as a B-side, and sold 10 million.

1967 – Otis Redding went into the studio to record “(Sittin’ On) The Dock Of The Bay.” The song went on to be his biggest hit. Redding didn’t see its release; he was killed 3 days later in a plane crash.

1964 – Beach Boy Brian Wilson married Marilyn Rovell in L.A. The couple divorced in 1979.

1962 – Bill Wyman auditioned for the Rolling Stones. At the age of 25, he was considerably older than the other members.

X-TREME TRIVIA CHALLENGE

Every installment of X-Treme Trivia Challenge includes three mystery factoids. Create your own “Impossible Question” contest – great for listener giveaways and phone interaction starters! Also a perfect sponsorship opportunity!

1. Americans produce 25% more of THIS from Thanksgiving to New Year’s than the rest of the year. What is it?
Garbage

2. Over 30% of THESE happen between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. What are they?
Engagements

The average person does THIS 9 times between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. What is it?
Watches a holiday-themed movie.

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