WEDNESDAY, May 22 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR WEDNESDAY, May 22, 2024
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: A & M AUTOLAND – Push, Pull, or Lob

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.)

NATIONAL MARITIME DAY
A United States holiday created to recognize the maritime industry. It is observed on May 22, the date in 1819 that the American steamship Savannah set sail from Savannah, Georgia on the first ever transoceanic voyage under steam power.

NATIONAL SOLITAIRE DAY
On this day in 1990, Microsoft included the classic card game Solitaire in Windows 3.0. Microsoft Solitaire successfully helped teach computer users how to use a mouse and, in the process, ended up becoming one of the most played video games in history. In 2012, Microsoft evolved Solitaire into the free Microsoft Solitaire Collection, which features five of the top Solitaire games in one app. Since then, the game has become so popular that each year 33 billion games are played with over 3.2 trillion cards dealt.

NATIONAL VANILLA PUDDING DAY

WORLD GOTH DAY

May is:

Chip Your Pet Month / Pet Month
Date Your Mate Month
International Civility Awareness Month
National Barbeque Month
National Bike Month
National Egg Month
National Hamburger Month
National Military Appreciation Month
National Salad Month
National Salsa Month
Older Americans Month

ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITIES

CAITLIN CLARK DOES SOMETHING NO ATHLETE HAS DONE SINCE MICHAEL JORDAN

Breakout women’s basketball star Caitlin Clark has a new achievement that hasn’t been accomplished since Michael Jordan. Six NBA Finals MVP awards? No. Most points scored in a playoff game? No. She signed a multiyear endorsement deal with Wilson Sporting Goods. Wilson said that Clark will “test, advise and provide feedback on a range” of its basketball products, become a brand ambassador, and release new collections that celebrate her throughout the rest of 2024. In addition, she will “creatively direct her first-ever signature basketball line” – similar to Michael Jordan’s in the 80’s – that will roll out later this year. Financial terms of the deal were not released.
* I guess the athleticism comes when she jumps over all her piles of endorsement money.
* It’s great to live in a country where any young girl can grow up to have her own line of basketballs.
* How do you “test, advise and provide feedback” on basketball products? “Does it bounce?” “Yes. Next!”
* Her own basketball line? Don’t stop there! What about deodorants … sore muscle cream …
* Finally, a product endorsement Shaq didn’t get.

PHILLIES PLAYER BRYCE HARPER HELPS KID ASK FOR PROM DATE

Jake Portella, a student at Haddonfield Memorial High School in New Jersey, lives in the same neighborhood as Philadelphia Phillies first baseman Bryce Harper and had an idea. He walked over to Harper’s house and knocked on the door, and he asked Harper for help in asking a classmate to prom. Portella first explained an elaborate email plan, but then changed his mind and the two just walked over to the girl’s house and asked. A very shocked senior named Giulia answered the door and said yes.
* A first baseman knows you should never overthrow, just make a direct pitch.
* Sometimes you need to bring in a pinch hitter to score.
* First baseman helped him get a date, and now the kid’s sure to get to second base at least.
* Meanwhile, now there’s a line of guys outside Harper’s door, and he’s refusing to come to the door.

THE BUZZ

AUDIO: THE MOST MISPRONOUNCED BRANDS

A company called Business Financing scoured through the world’s biggest online pronunciation dictionary, Forvo, and ranked the number of times people clicked on every brand and company name to hear the pronunciation. After looking at more than 16,000 global brands, here are the ones that people needed the most help pronouncing. If there are any YOU don’t know how to pronounce, you can run them through the Forvo website’s pronunciation generator on-air!
1, French financial services company Société Générale
2. Peugeot
3. Porsche
4. Tommy Hilfiger
5. IKEA
6. BMW
7. Citroen
8. Marlboro
9. Mercedes-Benz
10. Louis Vuitton
11. Spotify
12. Lamborghini
13. Audi
14. Volkswagen
15. Carrefour
16. Hitachi
17. Samsung
18. Pfizer
19. Volvo
20. Hermès
* So many car companies people can’t pronounce? Thirteen car commercial every hour on any show on TV, and that still isn’t enough?
* Luxury car brands, luxury designer brands… I work in radio. I’m never gonna have a reason to say most of these.
* The wife and I were just over at the Icky-A store last weekend.
* Well, don’t I feel like a real maroon.
* For the life of me, I can’t figure out how to mispronounce BMW.
CLIP: Here’s our classic “Hard To Pronounce Composers” parody spot.
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)com/prep/wp-content/uploads/01-10-HardToPronounceComposers(dot)mp3

U.S. NEWS

HERTZ CAUGHT CHARGING TESLA RENTERS A GAS FEE

Hertz Rent-A-Car has been caught charging customers hundreds of dollars for not returning their car with a full tank of gas. The problem is, those cars were Teslas, which are fully electric. Auto enthusiast magazine The Drive first reported on the issue of a man who was charged almost $300 for not returning his Tesla with a full tank of gas. When he saw the bill, he complained but had a great deal of difficulty getting Hertz to reverse the charge. It wasn’t until the problem became public that the company finally apologized for the incident and refunded the customer. Since publishing the story, The Drive received many other complaints of similar billing problems. One customer received a $341 “Skip-the-Pump” fee on a Tesla. He tried getting the fee refunded, but customer service wouldn’t work with him until he started posting his troubles publicly. Another was charged $475 and, again, no refund until he took the matter public. Hertz claims it was a software issue and they have since fixed the problem.
* Yeah, they figured out how to block every customer’s social media.
* “Okay, here’s your missing gas, in these six 5-gallon gas cans. And see this? This is a cigarette lighter.”
* It’s all part of Hertz’s new slogan: “Cars – How Do They Work?”
* This would make a great commercial. For Avis.

THE CHEEZE-IT DINER

Do you like Cheeze-Its snack crackers? Then you’ll want to be in Woodstock, New York this week for the grand opening, and closing, of the Cheez-In Diner. Everything on the menu is made using Cheez-It crackers. They’ll be the crumb coating on your Cheezy Chicky Tendies, and the pie crust on your Sweet-N-Salty Cheezcake, and your burger will topped with lettuce, pickles and an Extra Big Cheez-It cracker, and even your vanilla milkshake will be blended with Cheez-Its and decorated with a crushed Cheez-It rim. The diner will remain open daily from 4 to 9 p.m. and till midnight over Memorial Day weekend, and then it will move on.
* Probably down to the Cheesapeak Bay, if they’re smart.
* Sorry, I’m a Goldfish crackers person.
* Cheeziest promotion ever.
* Is somebody seriously overestimating the appeal of Cheeze-Its? Or is there just no other restaurant within three hours of Woodstock, New York?
* From this weekend forward, Woodstock, New York, will be known for one thing and one thing only: Cheezy Chicken Tendies.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

GRANDDAUGHTERS STUCK WITH $280,000 BILL OVER $50 INHERITANCE

Here’s a recent legal case out of England. Frederick Ward, Sr. died in 2020. His son, Fred Jr., had died before him. Fred, Jr. had five now-grown daughters. When it came time to deal with Fred Sr.’s £500,000 estate, the ladies were each handed £50 in an envelope. In his will, Fred Sr. complained that the gals had barely visited him in his final years. Then, the five granddaughters decided to sue, claiming they deserved their late dad’s one-third share of the will. The judge ruled against them, and they now have to pay a £220,000 bill (US$ 279,700) to cover their own legal bills, in addition to the lawyer fees of their aunt and uncle for defending the claim against them.
* A surprise ending worthy of M. Night Shyamalan.
* Wasn’t this the plot of a Dickens novel?
* Why was the judge so harsh? Probably ’cause his grandkids don’t visit either.
* So who gets the inheritance, his cat or his budgie?
* We’ll be back after this break, and after I call my grandfather at the hospice.

MOTORCYCLIST ROBS LAMBORGHINI DRIVER, LAMBORGHINI RAMS MOTORCYCLIST

From Sao Paolo, Brazil, a video has emerged of a driver ramming his bright green Lamborghini into an armed robber who had just stolen his Rolex – and a streetlight pole. The video, from last Saturday, shows the crook driving up on a motorbike next to the expensive sports car as it was stopped at a red light Saturday. He pulled out a gun and robbed the driver of his Rolex. The light changes, traffic moves forward, the motorcyclist takes off in front of the Lamborghini, but the driver then rams the motorcycle into a streetlight pole, completely destroying the front of the Lamborghini. The suspect jumps back on his feet and runs away, leaving his motorbike at the scene along with a mobile phone and a 32-caliber handgun. Police have used the evidence to identify the suspect.
* Now how could the robber know that a guy in a Lamborghini would have an expensive watch?
* The damage to the Lamborghini has to be in the tens of thousands but, boy, I’m sure that felt good.
* Boy, I hope this never happens to me!
* Just to be sure, if I go to Sao Paolo, I’m renting a car.

COMPETITIVE EATER NOT HUNGRY ANYMORE

Takeru Kobayashi, the Japanese competitive eating legend who once won six consecutive Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contests (2001-2006), is retiring from food challenges because he’s no longer hungry. The 46-year-old Kobayashi spent more than two decades chowing down on hot dogs and other highly processed foods, earning him worldwide fame and an income of up to $650,000 per year. But in recent years, Kobayashi says his appetite started to wane and he now never feels hunger at all. He once went three days without eating. He’s announced his retirement in the new Netflix documentary “Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut” after doctors discovered his brain had become repelled by highly processed foods. He says, “When you eat too much, you lose the ability to smell the food, and you also ignore signals from your body, such as feeling full. I want to repair my brain and gut.” Kobayashi is now focusing on eating more nutritious foods in much smaller portions to try to rewire his brain.
* And the world’s all-you-can-eat buffet restaurants breathe a sigh of relief. His toilet, too.
* In fact, he wrote a personal letter of apology to Red Lobster for taking unfair advantage of their all-you-can-eat shrimp thing.
* He’s got, like, four refrigerators he needs to sell off, too.
* I once went three days without eating … any vegetables.
* His brain became repelled by highly processed foods? I guess that’s something that genetically can’t happen with Americans.

TRENDING

AIRLINES CLAIM TAYLOR SWIFT EUROPEAN TOUR HAS INCREASED INT’L FLIGHT BOOKINGS

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is attracting droves of international fans to attend her shows in Europe. United Airlines says it has seen an increase in interest for tickets to Lisbon, Portugal, up 25% from last year at this same time. Swift’s future tour stops, like Dublin and Madrid later this summer, are also in high demand, and bookings to Milan, Italy, and Munich, Germany, have seen a surge in demand of 45%. Delta Air Lines is also seeing an increase in demand for international flights. Cheaper ticket prices overseas have led to a more affordable Taylor concert experience. In Paris, 20% of the arena’s tickets were held by Americans, and in Sweden, an estimated 10,000 fans from the US flocked to the Stockholm’s Friends Arena for her show there.

HOLLY HUNTER TO HELM STAR TREK SHOW

Oscar winner Holly Hunter, best known for work in films including Raising Arizona, The Incredibles, and Home for the Holidays, has been cast as the lead in “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” a new Trek show coming to Paramount+. She’s playing “the captain and chancellor of the Academy, presiding over both the faculty and a new class of Starfleet cadets as they learn to navigate the galaxy in the 32nd century.” Filming begins this summer in Toronto where the biggest single Star Trek set ever will be constructed. It’s described as “a central academic atrium that will span two stories and include an amphitheater, classrooms, a mess hall, and a idyllic walkway lined with trees.”

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

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

Molly Ephraim (actress, “Last Man Standing”) … 38
Naomi Campbell (supermodel … 54
(Steven) Morrissey (singer, ex of The Smiths) … 65
Bernie Taupin (longtime lyricist with Elton John) … 74

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

“I’m capable of looking on the bright side. I just don’t do it very often.”

(A) Larry David
(B) Pope Francis
(C) Morrissey

ANSWER: (C) Morrissey

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2015 – Ireland became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage by popular vote.
* They used to just be famous for same-sex drinking and fighting.

1992 – Johnny Carson hosted NBC’s “Tonight Show” for the last time after nearly 30 years.
* Forcing Ed McMahon to go get a real job.

1955 – The oldest man ever to drive in the Grand Prix raced, and finished 6th.
* He confused the other drivers by leaving his turn signal on.

1933 – Scotsman John Mackay reported the first sighting of the “Loch Ness Monster.”
* It turned out “The Loch Ness Monster” was just how he referred to MRS. Mackay.

1931 – Canned rattlesnake meat went on sale for the first time in Florida.
* They say it tastes just like canned chicken.

1906 – The Wright Brothers patented an airplane.
* That’s when things really started to take off.

1892 – Dr. Sheffield, a British dentist, invented the toothpaste tube.
* Ironically, most British have yet to use one.

1891 – Thomas Edison allowed a few members of the public into his workshop to see his latest invention, the motion picture projector. Edison showed a short movie of a polite man bowing, smiling, waving and putting on a hat.
* Meanwhile, it cost a buck to see the GOOD movies down in the basement.

1868 – The Great Train Robbery took place near Marshfield, Indiana, as seven members of the Reno gang made off with $96,000 in cash, gold and bonds.
* $96,000? Today we’d call that The Piddley-Squat Train Robbery.

1841 – Henry Kennedy received a patent for the first reclining chair.
* And then he just rested on his laurels.

1761 – The U.S.’s first life insurance policy was issued in Philadelphia.
* Good idea – the revolution was just around the corner.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2016 – A guitar that Elvis Presley was given by his father sold for $334,000 at an auction in New York.

2011 – Four dead dogs in “sealed containers” were found in the Tennessee home of former Kiss guitarist Vinnie Vincent during an investigation that led to his arrest on charges of assaulting his wife.

2003 – A new statue of Jennifer Lopez was unveiled at Madame Tussauds in London. It was part of a new “A list” celebrity area that also featured Naomi Campbell and Samuel L Jackson.

2003 – Singer Ruben Studdard won 1st place on American Idol after 24 million viewers voted in the final. Studdard beat fellow finalist Clay Aiken in a tense live showdown.

2003 – The final manuscript of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, which was annotated by the composer, sold at an auction for $3.47 million.

1966 – Bruce Springsteen, at age 16, began his songwriting career in the back of a ’61 Mercury en route to a recording studio. He and George Theiss, the lead singer in Bruce’s first band, the Castiles, co-wrote “That’s What You Get” and “Baby I.”

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. Half the world’s population has never done THIS. What is it?
Made a telephone call

2. For every person on earth, there are 200 million of THESE. What are they?
Insects

3. Worldwide, people consume about 50 billion of THESE each year. What are they?
Aspirin tablets

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