MONDAY, June 17 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR MONDAY, June 17, 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.)

EAT YOUR VEGETABLES DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Strategically created in the middle of National Fresh Fruit and Vegetables Month, this day is the perfect opportunity to re-introduce a healthy portion of vegetables into your diet. No doubt about it, Eat Your Vegetables Day was created to promote a more healthy diet … for life! On this day, you are encouraged to eat vegetables for every meal, and for a snack. Better still, try to be a vegetarian … for the day. Short of that, any additional vegetables at meal time today will honor the event, as well as make you a little healthier. We encourage parents to let the kids help with dinner, preparing the salad and vegetables. Along the way, you tell your kids a little about the importance of vegetables for a long and healthy life.”

NATIONAL APPLE STRUDEL DAY

NATIONAL CHERRY TART DAY

NATIONAL MASCOT DAY
The Wincalendar website says this:
“National Mascot Day was founded by David Raymond, who served as the original Phillie Phanatic, the beloved and iconic mascot of the Philadelphia Phillies MLB team, for over 16 years. Raymond started the tradition in 2017 to acknowledge the hard work and dedication that goes into bringing mascots to life, and to further recognize the impact these characters have on sports, entertainment, and communities at large.”

June is:

NATIONAL DJ MONTH – Yeah!
National Adopt a Cat / Adopt a Shelter Cat Month
African-American Music / Black Music Appreciation Month
Corn Month
Great Outdoors Month / National Camping Month
International Men’s Month
Lemon Month
LGBTQIA Pride Month
National Candy Month
National Fresh Fruit & Vegetables Month
National Iced Tea Month
National Rose Month
National Seafood Month
Women’s Golf 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

MONDAY, June 17

“Cult Massacre: One Day in Jonestown”
Hulu – New Docuseries
Synopsis: Survivors and eyewitnesses tell the immersive story of Jim Jones’ idealistic organization’s final hours that spiraled into a mass murder-suicide.

TUESDAY, June 18

“Here to Climb”
HBO – New Documentary
Synopsis: Follows professional climber Sasha DiGiulian’s rise from child prodigy to champion sport climber.

“Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution”
Netflix – New Documentary
Synopsis: Explores the history of LGBTQ+ stand-up comedy and its importance as an instrument for social change over the past five decades.

“Power of the Dream”
Prime Video – New Documentary
Synopsis: True story of how a group of professional women’s basketball players took on a WNBA team owner and rallied behind now-Senator Raphael Warnock, forever changing the landscape of their sport and the course of U.S. politics.

WEDNESDAY, June 19

“Black Barbie”
Netflix – New Documentary
Synopsis: The untold story of the first Black Barbie and the pivotal role three trailblazing women at Mattel had in creating a doll who looked like them.

Season Premiere:
Netflix – “Love Is Blind: Brazil”

POPE MEETS COMEDIANS

Pope Francis welcomed a star-studded group of comedians to the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on Friday. The group included Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Mike Birbiglia, Stephen Colbert, Jim Gaffigan, Conan O’Brien and Whoopi Goldberg. Goldberg posted an Instagram from Rome where she said, “So, we’re on our way over to see the pope. It is the butt crack of dawn, okay, but this is the time we’ve been told to come over.” Jim Gaffigan said “it felt like a meeting of everyone who couldn’t behave in church.” The pope praised the comedians for their “power to spread peace and smiles” amid current world events. He told them, “You manage to make people smile, even while dealing with problems and events, large and small. You denounce abuses of power. You give voice to forgotten situations. You highlight abuses. You point out inappropriate behavior. While communication today often generates conflict, you know how to bring together diverse and sometimes contrary realities. How much we need to learn from you! Please pray for me in favor, with a smile, not against!”
* Although it was hard to pay attention and not keep checking out the ceiling.
* He could have Instagrammed that, saved everyone the trip.
* Then he went, “Fallon? Oh, no, I wanted the OTHER Jimmy – Kimmel. The funny one.”
* He also asked the group if they could help him punch up his next encyclical.
* The pope had a 2-sacrificial wine minimum.

GORDON RAMSAY IN BICYCLE ACCIDENT

Chef Gordon Ramsay was in a bad cycling accident in Connecticut last week. In a video posted to his social media, he lifted his chef’s whites to show a massive purple bruise on his left side above his waist for which he required hospital treatment. Addressing the message to “all the dads out there” ahead of Father’s Day on Sunday, he said, “I want to wish you all a happy Father’s Day, but please, please, please wear a helmet. If I didn’t, honestly, I wouldn’t be here now.” On his Instagram, he also shared a before and after photograph showing substantial damage to his helmet. He clarified that he did not “break any bones or suffer any major injuries” but was “a bit bruised up looking like a purple potato.”
* A purple potato in a garlic butter glaze, to be precise.
* This takes “cruisin’ for a bruisin'” to a whole new level.
* Gee, I wonder what the first word out of his mouth was?
* First Simon Cowell, now Gordon Ramsay. What’s with bicycles trying to kill pompous middle-aged British celebrities?

THE BUZZ

ODD PET PEEVES

Reddit asked, “What’s your biggest pet peeve that isn’t too common?” Some of the responses:
– “This door was closed when you entered the room. It should be closed when you leave the room.”
– “Whispering. I don’t know why, but the sound of two people talking in whispered tones drives me insane.”
– “I hate socks. I hate washing them, trying to find the mates, the marks they leave on my ankles, the way they come halfway off when I pull off my shoes, the way my big toes always wear a hole in the end; I hate everything about them.”
– “Volume on anything MUST be either an even number or an interval of 5.”
– “Local news anchors who say “We have a reporter ON SCENE. It’s on THE scene, you illiterates.”
– “Songs where the singer drags out every single word so the song doesn’t really get going.”
– “When people use my name in a conversation when there’s only the 2 of us talking.”
– “People cutting lettuce wrong.”
* PHONE TOPIC: Have you got a really weird pet peeve? No “leaving the toilet seat up” or “chewing loudly”. Something really weird.

U.S. NEWS

MAN BREAKS INTO HOUSE TO PERFORM EXORCISM

In Avon, Indiana, a man is facing charges after breaking into his former Chick-fil-A co-worker’s home to perform an exorcism. The break-in occurred around 1:15 a.m. last Tuesday. Police responded to a call and found the homeowner who said a man broke into the house through a window. They found 38-year-old Robert Nalker “covered in blood.” When asked why there was blood all over him, the man allegedly said, “I had to break in the window. I have to do an exorcism here tonight.” But wait – here’s where it starts to get weird: The suspect told police that he was trying to save a woman upstairs who he said was “possessed,” by performing an exorcism with a CD he had brought. He told police: “Play track number three, that will save her.” Officers learned the homeowner has known the intruder since 2002 and they worked together at Chick-fil-A, although Chick-fil-A headquarters confirmed that the man has not worked at the fast food chain for 20 years.
* Oh, come on! We HAVE to know what track three was!!!
* Because tracks 1 and 2 suck? Always put the hit in second position!
* It was probably a K-Pop album. That music is pure hell. (-or) Probably Billie Eilish. That voice will suck the soul right out of you.
* Imagine going through all that, and the homeowner says, “We don’t have a CD player. Do you have a Spotify account?”
* These nutty exorcism stories make my head spin.
* Good luck exorcising the blood stains out of the carpet.

BANK ROBBER WAS HOLDING A CHILD

The FBI needs help identifying a man accused of robbing a Fort Worth, Texas, bank while holding a small child. The robber walked into the First Convenience Bank inside a Walmart last Thursday. He passed the bank teller a note demanding cash while he had a child in a shopping cart. After stealing the money, he pushed the cart toward the exit, grabbed the child and fled. Authorities described the robber as a thin, white male between the ages of 35 and 45 years old. He was last seen wearing a baseball hat, black sunglasses, a multi-color “fishing shirt,” khaki-colored cargo shorts, and “Hey Dude” shoes.
* Well, you didn’t think he’d leave her in a hot car, did you? He could get into a lot of trouble for that.
* He is said to answer to the name “Mr. Mom.”
* I can’t believe I missed Take Your Daughter To Work Day.
* “Give me all your money. Hurry it up! We’re late for Aqua-Tots!”
* What do you think exploded first, the dye pack or the kid’s diaper?

AUDIO: 911 CALL OVER STINKY LITTER BOX

The Atlanta Police received a 911 call about a smelly cat litter box. The man, who lives in a rooming house, complained that another resident in the house is not properly cleaning her cat’s litter box, leaving a stench throughout the house. The neighbor had a previous cat which went outside, but that cat died, and this man – the caller – even buried it. But the woman came back with another cat the next day, and the owner doesn’t let it go out. The 911 operator advised the man that police were on their way to try and settle the situation. Meanwhile, the police remind everybody that 911 should only be used for emergencies.
* Obviously the police have never owned a cat with a nervous stomach.
* Smelly cat, it’s not your fault.
* What’s worse: A stinky littler box, or a barking dog? Let’s open the phones.
* This story brought to you by Febreze.
CLIP: The 911 call. (heavily edited for time and clarity)
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)com/prep/wp-content/uploads/911Call-SmellyCatBox(dot)mp3

PEPPER PONG: THE NEXT PICKLEBALL?

Sick of Pickleball? Sick of hearing about Pickleball? Get ready for a newscycle of Pepper Pong, the next Pickleball. Pepper Pong is a portable version of ping pong. It’s a little fold-up plastic net about the height of a pingpong net, and you can set it up on anything – any table, a car hood, a large flat rock – and you use ping pong-type paddles to knock a weighted, Nerf foam-style ball back and forth. There are three types of balls, each weighted to bounce with different velocities depending on your playing surface. “It’s so much more fun than real ping pong, and it’s so much more useful because you can play on any surface,” says creator Tom Filippini, who will be getting an unbelievable amount of free publicity for this thing. With the weighted balls, you don’t have to worry about the wind blowing your balls around. (* Unless you’re into that sort of thing.) And, hey, the whole Pepper Pong kit – plastic net, four paddles, balls – only costs $70.
* But what do I do with that $150 pickleball paddle I don”t use anymore?
* You get a point every time your opponent misses, and the first person who shouts out “This is dumb” wins.
* I prefer spending my leisure time as nature intended: staring at my cell phone.
* Pickleball, Pepper Pong, next – Breadminton.
* Any goofy sport is fine – as long as it’s not hackey sack.

OLD JELLY FOUND IN GEORGE WASHINGTON’S BASEMENT

Archaeologists at George Washington’s famous Mount Vernon home have discovered dozens of glass jars filled with fruit preserves in the cellar. Twenty-nine of the 35 bottles remain intact, and all contain either cherries, gooseberries or currants. Mount Vernon President Doug Bradburn called the discovery an “unprecedented” find, hoping to analyze the contents “that may provide a powerful glimpse into the origins of our nation.” They are also hoping the cherry pits discovered will be viable for future germination. The glass bottles were placed in the ground between 1758 and 1776 to refrigerate food, as was done at the time.
* 200 years of Mt. Vernon and nobody ever went down into the basement?
* They found it in the basement, underneath the ping pong table, next to the blacklight.
* They believe George Washington was stuffing some of that jelly in Dolly Madison’s Twinkie.
* They should put George Washington’s jelly together with George Washington Carver’s peanut butter and make sandwiches.
* Whatever happened to gooseberries, anyway?

GRAY WHALES ARE SHRINKING

A concerning new study finds that gray whales are a lot smaller today than they used to be. Scientists from Oregon State University have discovered a significant decrease in the body length of gray whales in the northeastern Pacific. The detailed research, published in Global Change Biology, reveals that whales in this region have shrunk by more than 13% over the last 20 years. On average, that means gray whales are roughly five feet and five inches shorter than they were at the start of the 21st century. Study authors fear this could be the first sign of this species’ eventual extinction.
* Or, they’ll live longer ’cause they can hide better.
* That ocean water is pretty cold, you know. Just sayin’.
* Maybe it’s just shrinkflation – you know, corporate package downsizing. Less product, same price?
* Ocean pollution from an Ozempic factory?
* The hard part of the study is standing the gray whale up against the door jamb so you can mark their height with a pen.
* Shrinkage, huh? I guess not every whale can be Moby Dick.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

BRITISH COPS STOP RUNAWAY COW BY RAMMING INTO IT

Britain’s interior minister on Saturday demanded an “urgent explanation” after police officers were filmed ramming a runaway cow with their car. Police officers responded on Friday evening to reports of a loose cow ”running at members of the public” in Staines-upon-Thames, just outside London. and damaging a car. Officers spent several hours trying to catch the animal, and eventually “a decision was made to stop it using a police car.” Footage showed a cow running in a residential road being hit by a police car, getting up, and then being hit again. The cow sustained a large cut to its leg and was being treated by a vet.
* “We’re just tenderizing it, gov’ner.”
* So Staines-upon-Thames ended up with stains upon their street.
* Who wants to drive all the way to London to find a zookeeper with a tranquilizer gun on a FRIDAY??
* Just another example of the way the British abuse their food.

TRENDING

THE TONY AWARDS

The Tony Awards were last night, honoring actors you’ve never heard of in plays you will never see. Here are the major winners:
– Best Musical: The Outsiders
– Leading Actress in a Musical: Maleah Joi Moon, Hell’s Kitchen
– Leading Actor in a Musical: Jonathan Groff, Merrily We Roll Along
– Best Play: Stereophonic
– Leading Actress in a Play: Sarah Paulson, Appropriate
– Leading Actor in a Play: Jeremy Strong, An Enemy of the People

R.E.M. REUNITED FOR ONE SONG AT HALL OF FAME CEREMONY

Despite saying they never would, and despite telling CBS news that it would take “a comet” to reunite them, the four members of R.E.M. – Michael Stipe, Mike Mills, Bill Berry and Peter Buck – reunited on stage at the Songwriter Hall Of Fame ceremony last Thursday night to perform an acoustic version of “Losing My Religion.” The band was being honored for their extensive songwriting. The band had actually been secretly planning the reunion since February. It’s been 15 years since R.E.M. performed live, and 13 since the band broke up.

TUBI GETS MORE VIEWERS THAN THE STREAMERS

According to The Los Angeles Times, Tubi – the free streaming TV channel that airs everyone else’s reruns – had its most-watched month ever in May with an average of one million viewers. That’s more than Disney+ had (969,000) and a lot more than Peacock, Max, and Paramount+. Tubi also had more viewers than the Roku Channel and Pluto TV. According to the LA Times, YouTube is the only free ad-supported streaming platform with more viewers than Tubi.

GEORGE STRAIT SETS CONCERT RECORD

Country star George Strait broke a record this weekend – the biggest crowd ever at a ticketed concert. 110,905 people packed into Kyle Field in College Station Texas, to see the King of Country. According to Billboard, this beat the previous ticketed concert record by more than 3,000 people when the Grateful Dead performed in front of 107,019 people at Raceway Park in New Jersey in 1977.

CHARLES BARKLEY TO RETIRE FROM BROADCASTING AFTER NEXT SEASON

NBA and TV legend Charles Barkley said he plans to retire from broadcasting after the league’s 2024-2025 season. Barkley announced his decision Friday night after the Dallas Mavericks beat the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. His retirement plan coincides with Warner Bros. Discovery’s deal with the NBA expiring after next season. Barkley said, “No matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television. And I just want to say thank you to my NBA family. You guys have been great to me, my heart is full with joy and gratitude. But I’m gonna pass the baton at the end of next year.”

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (June 14-16)

1. Inside Out 2 – $155 million
2. Bad Boys: Ride or Die – $33 millions
3. Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes – $5.2 million
4. The Garfield Movie – $5 million
5. The Watchers – $3.6 million

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

June 19, Wednesday – Juneteenth
June 20, Thursday – Summer begins (The June solstice occurs at 4:50 P.M. EST)
July 4, Thursday – U.S. Independence Day
Sept. 2, Monday – Labor Day
Sept. 11, Wednesday – Patriot Day
Sept. 23, Sunday – Fall begins (Autumn Equinox is 8:44 a.m. EDT)

BIRTHDAYS

KJ Apa (actor, Archie on “Riverdale”) … 27
Venus Williams (tennis player) … 44
Jodie Whittaker (actress, former “Doctor Who”) … 42
Will Forte (actor-comedian, “Bodkin”) … 52
Greg Kinnear (actor) … 61
Barry Manilow (singer, songwriter) … 81

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

“I’ve joined the old-fart club.”

(A) Billy Joel
(B) Harrison Ford
(C) Barry Manilow

ANSWER: (C) Barry Manilow

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1994 – After refusing to give himself up on murder charges, O.J. Simpson led police on a rambling, slow-speed tour up and down southern California freeways.
* Footage later appeared on the Fox show “America’s Most Leisurely Police Chases.”

1972 – President Nixon’s eventual downfall began with the arrest of five burglars inside Democratic national headquarters in Washington’s Watergate complex.
* “I am not a crook. I hire that work out.”

1877 – Charles Elmer Hires first advertised his new soft drink – he called it “root beer.”
* Hires Root Beer would’ve given Coca-Cola a run for its money, but Charley didn’t add cocaine to HIS original formula.

1856 – The Statue of Liberty arrived in New York, a gift from France.
* Then they got the bill for the shipping, and they’ve been mean to us ever since.

1856 – The Republican Party opened its first convention, in Philadelphia.
* They would have held it a lot sooner, but there weren’t enough millionaires yet.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2012 – Bruce Springsteen played his longest show to date when he turned in a three-hour-and-48-minute, 32-song set at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid. This surpassed the previously longest show, Dec. 31, 1980 at the Nassau Coliseum, Long Island, New York, which clocked in at 3:43.

2009 – 60-year-old Billy Joel and his third wife, 27-year-old Katie Lee Joel, announced that were splitting up after nearly five years of marriage. Joel’s nine-year union with model Christie Brinkley ended in 1994. His nine-year marriage to Elizabeth Weber, for whom he wrote ‘Just The Way You Are,’ ended in 1982. It’s believed that Billy had a prenuptial agreement to protect the millions his many hits have earned.

1997 – Fans rioted at an Ozzfest concert in Columbus Ohio, after Ozzy Osbourne couldn’t perform due to throat problems. Angry fans broke windows, uprooted trees, and turned over a parked car.

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. In a recent survey, over 65% of people said they live in fear that THIS could happen to them at any moment. What is it?
They could get fired

2. A recent survey says 23% of us are guilty of THIS at work, at least once a week. What is it?
Arriving late

3. In a recent survey, 25% of people said if they won the lottery, they’d remain at their current job because of THIS. What is it?
Their co-workers

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