MONDAY, Apr 15 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR MONDAY, April 15, 2024
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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.)

JACKIE ROBINSON DAY
Wikipedia says this (and more):
“Jackie Robinson Day is a traditional event which occurs annually in Major League Baseball, commemorating and honoring the day Jackie Robinson made his major league debut. April 15 was Opening Day in 1947, Robinson’s first season in the Major Leagues. Initiated for the first time on April 15, 2004, Jackie Robinson Day is celebrated each year on that day. The festivity is a result of Robinson’s memorable career, best known for becoming the first black major league baseball player of the modern era in 1947. His debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers (today known as the Los Angeles Dodgers) ended approximately eighty years of baseball segregation. He also was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1962, remembered for his services with the number 42 jersey.”

NATIONAL GLAZED SPIRAL HAM DAY

RUBBER ERASER DAY

TITANIC REMEMBRANCE DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Titanic Remembrance Day is dedicated to the memory of the Titanic, and over 1500 people who died. On this day in 1912, the Titanic sank in the icy waters of the north Atlantic ocean. The Titanic was called ‘unsinkable’ and the ‘safest ship afloat’ by her builder and designer. However, on her maiden voyage from England to New York City, the cruise ship Titanic hit an iceberg in the Atlantic Ocean. This occurred on April 14, 1912 at 11:40p.m. Two hours later, with a gaping gash in her side, the ship quickly sank in icy waters. 1,522 passengers and crew died. The historic sinking of the Titanic spurred numerous television documentaries, specials, and big screen movies. Did you know? The Titanic had a sister ship, the Olympic. The ships were constructed around the same time, with the Olympic starting first. The Olympic was launched in 1910. She served as a cruise liner until pressed into service during WWI as a troop carrier. She was retired in 1935.”

U.S. TAX DAY

WORLD ART DAY

April is:

Adopt a Greyhound Month
Car Care Month
Celebrate Diversity Month
D.E.A.R Drop Everything and Read Month
International Guitar Month
Jazz Appreciation Month
Keep America Beautiful Month
National Card and Letter Writing Month
National Garden Month
National Humor Month
National Poetry Month

ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITIES

WHAT TO WATCH – New and Returning Shows and Movies
Premiering Monday through Wednesday
Listings sourced from the TV Guide and EW websites

TUESDAY, Apr 16

“An American Bombing: The Road to April 19th”
HBO – New Documentary
Synopsis: An exploration of the rise of antigovernment sentiment and homegrown terrorism through the lens of the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

“CTRL+ALT+DESIRE”
Paramount+ – New Docuseries
Synopsis: Opens a dark door to the haunting case of Grant Amato, a 29-year-old Florida man accused of murdering his own family execution style for the love of a cam girl.

WEDNESDAY, Apr 17

“Our Living World”
Netflix – New Docuseries
Synopsis: Explores the intelligence, resourcefulness and interconnectedness of life on our planet. Narrated by Cate Blanchett.

“Under the Bridge”
Hulu – New Series
Synopsis: Adaptation of Rebecca Godfrey’s true-crime novel about the 1997 murder of teenage girl Reena Virk in British Columbia, Canada. As Godfrey investigates the case, she exposes a hidden underworld of teenagers, mob mentality, and unheard cries for help.

Season Premiere:
Netflix – “The Circle”

“GOLDEN BACHELOR” COUPLE DIVORCING AFTER THREE MONTHS

Golden Bachelor couple Gerry Turner and Theresa Nist are divorcing, after just three months of TV marriage. Turner appeared on Good Morning America Friday, saying, “Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations, and we’ve looked closely at our situation. We just feel like it’s best for the happiness of each of us to live apart.” Turner, 72, and Nist, 70, met and got engaged on The Golden Bachelor, a spinoff of the dating series The Bachelor that features an elderly Bachelor and contestants. The couple, who were both widowed prior to meeting, married on live TV on January 4th.
* She found out the Golden Bachelor was a little tarnished.
* What was the real reason? Depends.
* Gerry, Theresa, on behalf of all America, thanks for wasting our time.
* At least they’re splitting before kids came along.
* It’s kinda sad when the couple featured on The Bachelor is too old to stay up and watch it.

AUDIO: CARJITSU

Just when you think you’ve seen the stupidest competitive sport ever (lookin’ at you, cornhole), along comes Carjitsu. It’s two guys wrestling INSIDE A SMALL CAR. A Russian man named Vik Mikheev, who holds a PhD in mathematics and black belts in both jiu-jitsu and judo, created the sport in 2020 with his friends (* No word on whether alcohol was involved, but hey – Russia, ammirite?). Two combatants grapple jujitsu style inside a vehicle, utilizing the seat belts and anything else available to them to get their opponent to tap out. Opponents start buckled in, and when the bell sounds they immediately remove their seat belts and start going at it. Mikheev and his friends have run small tournaments of Car Jitsu to study the aspects of jiu-jitsu application in such a confined space. There are also now several YouTube videos from America’s first Official CarJitsu Championship. (search CarJitsu)
* We used to do a form of this in high school; we called it after-prom.
* You should have to tap out by honking the horn with whatever appendage you still have free.
* Are you allowed to close the windows and fart to subdue your opponent?
* How about wrestling in a self-driving car going 120 on the Autobahn?
* This could open up a whole new line of sporting events held inside cars. Except for maybe javelin throw.
CLIP: Some Carjitsu play-by-play.
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)com/prep/wp-content/uploads/CarjitsuPlayByPlay(dot)mp3

THE BUZZ

WE SPEND $26 MORE WHEN WE SHOP HUNGRY

A survey from the Dole Food Company of 2,000 Americans found that most people make two grocery runs per week, with an average budget of $162. But more than three-quarters of respondents (76%) admitted they’re more likely to blow their budget if they shop while hungry. The average person will fork out an extra $26 per trip when they’re hungry. The biggest impulse buys at the checkout line? Bananas (33%), grapes (30%), and apples (22%).
* Yes, that’s why there are always bananas, grapes and apples in the racks at the checkout lines.
* Let’s see… who sponsored this survey again? Dole. There it is – bananas. Bingo!
* how did they do this survey? Leave questionnaires in the Dole employee lunchrooms?
* Shh! Quiet about this or Costco will stop giving out so many free samples!
* $26 is, what, two Snickers bars these days with the price of chocolate.

KIDS GET BORED IN HALF AN HOUR

According to a survey of 2,000 parents, commissioned by Elmers – the glue factory! – the average kid gets bored with whatever they are doing in just 33 minutes.
– On the bright side, four in five parents (81%) said their children prefer hands-on activities away from the video screen.
* Hands-on activities like the Nintendo Switch?
* They actually surveyed 4,000 parents, but after totaling half of the questionnaires, they lost interest.
* I always thought Disneyland should charge by the hour. Two rides, the kid’s bored already.
* I always remember what my father used to say: “So you’re bored, Timmy? I’ll teach you to be bored. How about going out and finding a job! That’s right, put down that Play-Doh get your hands busy with something that contributes to this household! Don’t cry. Don’t you cry! 4-year-olds don’t cry in this house!!”
* Bored in half an hour? Hey, be glad you’re not a cat.

BUTT SIZES OF THE WORLD

Researchers from Gitnux Marketdata have analyzed women’s butt sizes by nationality to find who has the widest or most narrow of hips. They do this to find the average women’s pants sizes, for clothing manufacturers. At least that’s what they claim. Number 1 in butts is South Africa where ladies have hips with a 41.73-inch circumference. Ohhhhh yeahhhhhhh…
Here are the full rankings of women’s hip sizes by nationality:
1. South Africa, 41.73 inches
2. Argentina, 41 inches
3. Sweden, 40.94 inches
4. Greece, 40.74 inches
5. Germany, 40.6 inches
6. Russia and Italy, both 40.55 inches
7. Australia, 40.5 inches
8. The Netherlands, 40.35 inches
9. Canada, 40.3 inches
10. France, 40.25 inches
11. USA, 40.2 inches
12. Nigeria, 38.56 inches
13. South Korea, 38 inches
14. Japan, 37.8 inches
15. China, 37.4 inches
16. India, 36.1 inches
* Looks like Gitnux put their crack team on this.
* Hey, Gitnux – would you send this info to the folks who make airline seats?
* The U.S. is only Number 11? Go ahead, ladies – have that other half of that muffin. With butter.
* I’d like to play Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls” right now but it’s probably too un-woke.

U.S. NEWS

MAN STOLE $1500 WORTH OF VIBRATORS

A Missouri, man is in jail accused of stealing more than $1,500 worth of vibrators from the Hustler Hollywood store in Berkeley. Police say that Christopher Booth, 34, entered the store one Wednesday evening last month (* Hump Day!) and took eight high-end vibrators from the shelves and shoved them – wait for it – in a white trash bag before fleeing. The vibrators made by Swedish sex toy company LELO retail for a little less than $200 each.
* “High-end” vibrator? Which end?
* All those vibrators and he couldn’t shake police.
* Now he’s screwed. Ironic!
* Anyway, that’s the buzz from Missouri.

ACUPUNCTURIST LEAVES PATIENT MID-PRICKING

An acupuncturist in Rock Rapids, Iowa, was fined by the state medical board after forgetting about a patient with needles inserted into their body, then going home to bed. The state board of medicine says Xiaodong “Dave” Wang inserted the needles into the patient at his office in Rock Rapids, then left. The patient waited for Wang to come back but eventually took the needles out on his own and called the Lyon County Sheriff’s office for help. The Board of Medicine charged Wang with professional incompetence and fined him $500.
* Professional incompetence? They’re saying the acupuncturist isn’t so sharp?
* No time in the pokey for the needle doctor?
* Still, with that big fine, he got the point.
* Boy, that Wang, huh? What a prick…that patient must have felt.
* And then the patient got stuck again, with the bill.

HELP WANTED: ALLIGATOR CATCHER

The Florida Wildlife Commission is looking for a nuisance alligator catcher. Florida’s Statewide Nuisance Alligator Program is accepting applications for contracted nuisance alligator trappers for Lake County. Generally, an alligator is deemed a nuisance if it is at least 4 feet in length and the caller believes it poses a threat to people, pets or property. There are situations when smaller alligators wind up in places that are not acceptable, such as swimming pools or garages, and must be removed. Applicants must have a clean criminal history, no fish or wildlife law violations and a valid working email address. Applications must be received by Tuesday, April 22, 2024. For more information, email FWCGator@MyFWC.com.
* To clarify: you must have a valid email, both hands and all ten fingers.
* “Nuisance” alligators. Nice PR. Makes it sounds like they’re just annoying, not DEADLY.
* Here are just some of the alligator stories we’ve covered:
– FLORIDA MAN LOSES ARM TO ALLIGATOR, THEN LOST IN WOODS FOR THREE DAYS
– ALLIGATOR FARM DIRECTOR LOSES HAND TO — WELL, YOU KNOW
– MAN RETRIEVING FRISBEE KILLED BY ALLIGATOR
– FLORIDA CYCLIST CRASHES, FALLS INTO WATER, IS ATTACKED BY ALLIGATOR
– MAN BIT IN FACE BY ALLIGATOR
– FLORIDA MAN PRIES OPEN ALLIGATOR JAWS TO SAVE DOG
– 10-YEAR-OLD GIRL PRIED OPEN ALLIGATOR JAWS TO FREE HERSELF
– BURGLAR ON THE LAM HIDES IN LAKE, ALLIGATOR EATS HIM
– MAN MOCKS ALLIGATOR, GETS EATEN
* Any health insurance? Does it include hospitalization?
* What’s with the clean criminal history? What do they think a criminally-minded person can do with an alligator?

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

CHINESE COMPANY GIVES EMPLOYEES DAYS OFF FOR BEING “SAD”

The owner of a supermarket and retail chain in China has announced that his employees can now take a day off if they’re just feeling unhappy. Yu Donglai, the founder and chairman of Pang Donglai stores, said, “Everyone has times when they’re not happy. So, if you’re not happy, don’t come to work.” Employees can take up to 10 sad days of additional leave per year, and they get to determine when that is. The Pang Donglai company is known for employee benefits that prioritize work-life balance. Some of the benefits include: only working seven hours a day, having weekends off, and getting 30 to 40 days of annual leave.
* The company made 80 dollars last year.
* If America gave you the day off work when you’re grumpy, we’d never have had any Indiana Jones movies.
* Sure, if you’re sad, don’t busy yourself and take your mind off it by working. Sit home and do nothing and stew about it.
* You take a day off ’cause you’re sad. Then you get your lower paycheck, and you have to take another day off.

TRENDING

LAINEY WILSON DOES TRACTOR COMMERCIAL

Country music star Lainey Wilson has filmed a new Tractor Supply commercial. The singer is extending her role as the company’s brand ambassador in 2024. Wilson is a fifth-generation farmer’s daughter. Her latest ad starts with Wilson enjoying life on the farm before loading up on a tour bus headed for Nashville. She says in a voiceover, “I’m from a farming community. A little town of 200 people. A fifth-generation farmer’s daughter. I consider myself a farmer, too. It’s about getting up every single day, planting those seeds, watering them and watching them grow. And sometimes when you find the right farming community, you can have the harvest of a lifetime.”

JOHN RICH SHOWS SUPPORT FOR MORGAN WALLEN

John Rich weighed in on fellow country music star Morgan Wallen’s arrest for allegedly throwing a chair off the sixth story of rooftop bar in Nashville, Tennessee. Rich, 50, who is one half of the duo Big & Rich with Big Kenny, shared his advice for the embattled 30-year-old “Wasted on You” singer, who was arrested on Sunday night. In a post he shared on X, John Rich wrote, “Reading about Morgan Wallen this morning, and I can’t help but recall all the destructive, crazy things I did early on in my career. The combo of intense pressure, expectations and over the top success is a dangerous cocktail. Thank God I had great mentors who helped guide me out of that mindset, and I hope Morgan has some people around him who care about him enough to help him find a new approach to life,” Rich added.

CBS ENDING “THE TALK” THIS XMAS

CBS is ending its morning talk show The Talk. The network announced Friday that the show will return for a shortened 15th season in the fall and will air its final episode in December. The Talk was created by actress Sara Gilbert, debuted on CBS in 2010 with Gilbert, Julie Chen Moonves, Holly Robinson Peete, Sharon Osbourne and Leah Remini as its hosts. The current panel features Sheryl Underwood, Akbar Gbajabiamila, Amanda Kloots, actress Natalie (* “Show Killer”) Morales and Jerry O’Connell. In it’s place, CBS is developing a new daytime drama titled The Gates, which would be the first daytime soap opera to feature a majority Black cast since 1989’s Generations on NBC.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (April 12-14)

1. Civil War – $25.7 million
2. Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire – $15 million
3. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire – $14 million
4. Monkey Man – $4.5 million
5. Kung Fu Panda 4 – $4.4 million

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

TODAY – U.S. Tax Day
May 12, Sunday – Mother’s Day
May 27, Monday – Memorial Day
June 14, Friday – Flag Day
June 16, Sunday – Father’s Day
June 20, Thursday – Summer begins (The June solstice occurs at 4:50 P.M. EST)

BIRTHDAYS

Maisie Williams (actress, “The New Mutants,” Arya Stark on “Game of Thrones”) … 27
Emma Watson (actress, “Beauty and the Beast,” “Harry Potter” movies) … 34
Samira Wiley (actress, “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Orange Is The New Black”) … 37
Seth Rogen (actor, writer) … 42
Ed O’Brien (guitarist with Radiohead) … 56
Emma Thompson (actress) … 65

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

“I’m not entirely comfortable saying I’m an actor, because it seems like a very weird, almost dorky thing to say you are.”

(A) Patrick Stewart
(B) Daniel Craig
(C) Seth Rogen

ANSWER: (C) Seth Rogen

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2019 – Fire broke out in the cathedral of Notre-Dame in Paris, causing extensive damage.
* Is the Hunchback okay? Is the Hunchback okay?

2000 – Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles became the 24th major league player to reach 3,000 hits.
* Big deal. Snoop Dogg can do 3,000 hits in one week.

1989 – Students in Beijing, China launched a series of pro democracy protests upon the death of former Communist Party leader Hu Yaobang; the protests culminated in the Tiananmen Square massacre.
* In China, the squeaky wheel gets the casket.

1958 – The first automobile power brakes were demonstrated.
* On the upside, you could stop really fast. On the downside, your head tended to go through the windshield.

1947 – Jackie Robinson, modern baseball’s first black major-league player, made his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers on opening day.
* And the sport of baseball hit a long overdue home run.

1912 – The British luxury liner Titanic sank in the North Atlantic off Newfoundland, less than three hours after striking an iceberg. About 1,500 people died.
* Too bad lifeboats were one of the luxuries.

1766 – An invention was patented which used a wicker basket lowered by a pulley – the first fire escape.
* And to make the wicker basket even safer in a fire, they soaked it in kerosene.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2015 – It was reported that in 2014, digital music revenues matched physical sales for the first time, with the digital market and the combination of CDs, vinyl and other physical formats each accounting for 46% of the global market.

2001 – Punk pioneer Joey Ramone of The Ramones died after losing a long battle with lymphatic cancer. He was 49.

1996 – Milli Vanilli singer (?) Rob Pilatus was jailed for 90 days by a Los Angeles judge for three violent attacks and parole violation.

1996 – The rest of Jerry Garcia’s ashes were scattered near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. A small portion had been scattered in the Ganges River in India 11 days earlier. The Grateful Dead leader had died on August 9th, 1995.

1982 – Billy Joel spent a month in a hospital after braking his left wrist when his motorbike hit a car in Long Island, New York.

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. 64% of people surveyed said THIS is unacceptable during a virtual work meeting. What is it?
Wearing sunglasses

2. 35% of people surveyed said THIS should not be worn in the workplace. What is it?
Animal prints

3. One in five people surveyed said they avoid certain co-workers because of THIS. What is it?
Bad breath

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