MONDAY, July 8 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION
MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR MONDAY, July 8, 2024
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: LAWN CHIROPRACTOR
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 BLUEBERRY DAY
NATIONAL CHOCOLATE WITH ALMONDS DAY
NATIONAL FREEZER POP DAY
July is:
Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month
Air Conditioning Appreciation Month
Baked Bean Month
Cell Phone Courtesy Month
Family Reunion Month
International Blondie and Deborah Harry Month
National Blueberries Month
National Grilling Month
National Hot Dog Month
National Ice Cream Month
Melon 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, July 8
Season Premieres:
ABC – “The Bachelorette”
CW – “All American: Homecoming”
TUESDAY, July 9
“Melissa Etheridge: I’m Not Broken”
Paramount+ – New Docuseries
Synopsis: Tells an inspiring story of healing and transcendence through music when five female residents from the Topeka Correctional Facility, a women’s prison in Kansas, write letters to Etheridge that she uses as inspiration to create and perform an original song for them.
Season Premiere:
ABC – “Celebrity Family Feud”
WEDNESDAY, July 10
“Sunny”
Apple TV+ – New Series
Synopsis: Suzie Sakamoto, an American expat living in Japan, is gifted a state-of-the-art robot after her roboticist husband and young son die in a plane crash, but she freaks out when her bot starts acting strange.
“Receiver”
Netflix – New Docuseries
Synopsis: Follows the 2023 season of NFL receivers Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, George Kittle, Deebo Samuel and Amon-Ra St. Brown.
Season Premieres:
ABC – “Claim to Fame”
ABC – “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire”
THE BUZZ
HIDDEN FEATURES ON EVERYDAY ITEMS
Reddit asked, “What everyday item has a hidden feature that not everyone knows about?” Some of the responses:
– “Hairbrushes- some have a tiny ball at the end of the handle. If you pull that ball, it pops out to reveal a stick. That stick is used for cleaning the hair from your hairbrush and then it pops right back into the handle.”
– “Chinese food boxes unfold to become plates.”
– “The little pepper looking thing that hangs off of most pin cushions is filled with emery powder to help clean/sharpen your pins and needles.”
– “Most caulking guns have a hole near the handle that can be used to snip the tip of the caulking tube.”
– “Some truck beds have indented slots on the sides so you can put 2×6 boards across the bed to section it to keep stuff from sliding around.”
– “The metal part on the end of your tape measure isn’t loose, it’s designed to wiggle by the exact amount necessary to ensure you always get the correct measurement whether you’re measuring from an inside edge or an outside edge.”
– “A lot of microwaves have an option to turn the stupid annoying sounds off.”
– “Aluminum foil comes on a roll in a box. At the ends of the box are triangular cutouts that you are meant to push in, forming a spindle for the roll to rotate on, so the roll doesn’t pull out the box.”
– “On those gas station pumps that advertise to you while you gas up, there are buttons on each side of the screen. Pressing the second from the top on the right side will mute the speaker.”
– “Cars have this really neat lever that tells nearby people which direction you want to go before you move.” (* Hey – wait a minute!)
* PHONE TOPIC: Do you know of a special feature on an everyday item that no one else knows?
U.S. NEWS
FLORIDA BANK ROBBER ASKS FOR A PENNY
A bank robbery suspect was arrested after handing a teller a note demanding one cent. Michael Patrick Fleming, 41, entered a Chase Bank in Lady Lake, Florida, last Saturday and filled out a withdrawal slip for one cent. He handed the note to a teller. The teller told Fleming a one cent withdrawal wasn’t possible. He told the teller, “So you want me to say the other word?” The teller became fearful and notified law enforcement. Fleming was arrested on a charge of robbery. He did not have a weapon.
* And, literally, he has no cents.
* What was the other word? “Penny”? “Please”?
* So the teller called a COPPER!
* Was a gumball machine in the bank lobby?
* Well, that’s MY two cents.
SIX FLAGS, CEDAR FAIR PARKS MERGE
Theme park giants Six Flags and Cedar Fair have merged to become the largest amusement park operator in North America. The combined company’s portfolio now comprises 42 theme parks, water parks, and resort properties across the U.S., as well as Canada and Mexico. Selim Bassoul, executive chairman of the newly combined company’s board of directors, said, “We believe that by combining the best ideas and most successful entertainment practices of both Six Flags and Cedar Fair, the new Six Flags can deliver a superior level of joy and excitement that has yet to be experienced by regional park guests.”
* “Plus we can fire all the Cedar Fair middle managers we won’t need anymore! Cool, huh?”
* It’s still called Six Flags? Cedar Fair didn’t get to be a Seventh Flag? Sad.
* When a mommy and daddy rollercoaster love each other very much, they decide that they want to merge their assets, so they ride up a long, slow hill, and then it gets real fast and exciting and it’s all over in about 50 seconds.
* And nine months later, one of them screams, “My water park just broke!” and there’s a brand new Kiddieland.
* Somehow, I don’t think this will lower the price of Dippin’ Dots.
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
CUT OUT THE BACON, SAVE LIVES
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, estimate that if Americans cut their processed meat intake by just 30%, it could lead to nearly 353,000 fewer cases of Type 2 diabetes, 92,500 fewer cases of cardiovascular disease, and 53,300 fewer cases of colorectal cancer over 10 years. That’s roughly the equivalent of cutting out 10 slices of bacon each week.
* OK, but who’s the poor schlub who’s gonna cut out his ten slices of bacon and save all those lives?
* Let me guess – this research funded by the Haggis Promotional Council of Scotland?
* Next week, they tell Italy to cut back on the pasta.
* How much bacon do they think we eat over here, pass the porkbelly.
* Wow. When did Scotland become America’s nanny?
* (Note: 353,000 + 92,500 + 53,300 = 498,800 people helped out of a total U.S. population of over 333 million giving up bacon. Not even 2 tenths of one percent. Do they have calculators in Scotland?)
FRENCH CYCLIST FINED FOR MAKING L’AMOUR DURING RIDE
French cyclist Julien Bernard was riding through his home town of Gevrey-Chambertin in Friday’s Tour de France time trials. Bernard lives and trains in the region, and midway through the course he waved to the fans and gave some high-fives to his friends lining the route. Mid-race, he stopped for a moment to kiss his wife and child. For this, the Tour de France governing body fined him the equivalent of $200 and penalized him 20 points for “incorrect behavior.” Bernard later said that he had pushed extra-hard in the opening part of the time trial so he would have plenty of time to stop for a quick visit and still make it safely within the time cut.
* Well, doesn’t that sacre-blow.
* He should tell the governing body what THEY can kiss.
* How do you say “sourpuss” in French?
* Guy’s a regular Pepe Le Pew, especially after a 25-mile bike ride.
THE ACTUAL COST OF A DESIGNER PURSE
There is an investigation going on in Italy into the Dior fashion house. Prosecutors are looking into accusations that the company exploits workers to pump out expensive purses. Here’s what they found: the cost of producing a bag – one bag that retails for about $2,800 – costs – anyone want to guess? Anyone? Dior pays a Chinese supplier $57 per bag. Investigators found evidence that Chinese workers – and more than a few immigrants – were sleeping in the factory so bags could be produced around the clock, including holidays. The probe also found that safety devices on the gluing and brushing machines were removed so workers could operate them faster. In addition, the probe also extended to Giorgio Armani, finding that Armani paid contractors $99 per bag for products that sold for more than $1,900 in stores.
* If only there was some way of not having to buy a ridiculously overpriced handbag.
* I don’t think my purse/wallet has had $2800 in it total since I got it.
* I work in radio. I buy knock-offs.
* Sorry, but if all the Chinese forced-labor factories were shut down, the global economy would collapse.
AUSTRALIA TO DUMP FROZEN SPERM
A purge of frozen sperm has been ordered in the Australian state of Queensland, after an audit by its health watchdog found almost half of the vials were at risk of misidentification. An inquiry by the state’s health ombudsman found “systemic issues” concerning “quality and safety” for consumers, donors and donor-conceived children. The report said 42% of sperm donations, egg samples and embryos in Queensland had “identification and traceability” issues. It also reported on allegations from patients who accused IVF providers of mixing up sperm – which one family said had resulted in them parenting children from different biological fathers. The body recommended that all fertility providers destroy stored donor material that does not meet current identification standards.
* What a shame – all that hard work down the drain.
* Australian soap operas could get years of storylines out of this.
* This comes under the heading of “You had ONE JOB!”
* What kind of mislabeling? Did they forget the “This product may contain peanuts” warning?
* It’ll be a tough slog to refill the shelves, but I think Australian men will be up for it.
TRENDING
BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN’S DAUGHTER FAILS TO MAKE OLYMPIC CUT
Jessica Springsteen, daughter of Bruce, did not make this year’s U.S. Olympic equestrian team. On Saturday, the U.S. equestrian team revealed its roster for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, and Jessica, 32, was not on it. She had previously won a silver medal in Tokyo as part of the U.S. show jumping team in 2021. For his part, Bruce had even left a two-week break open on the European leg of his tour that coincided with the games so he could cheer his daughter on.
JOHN CENA RETIRING FROM WRESTLING, EVENTUALLY
John Cena announced his upcoming retirement from the wrestling ring on Saturday night, declaring next year’s WWE WrestleMania his final one. Cena spoke in Toronto to a crowd that clearly did not want him to go. Fans booed as the wrestler-turned-actor told them of his “official retirement,” which will include a farewell tour next year. “The 2025 Royal Rumble will be my last,” Cena said. “The 2025 Elimination Chamber will be my last. And I’m here tonight to announce that in Las Vegas, WrestleMania 2025 will be the last I compete in.” (* “Compete” – isn’t that cute?) Toward the end of a more than six-minute speech, the audience began a chant of “Thank you, Cena.” He called it an “incredible gesture of kindness.”
WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (July 5-7)
1. Despicable Me 4 – $75 million
2. Inside Out 2 – $33 million
3. A Quiet Place: Day One – $21 million
4. MaXXXine – $6.7 million
5. Bad Boys: Ride or Die – $6.5 million
ALMANAC
NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES
Sept. 2, Monday – Labor Day
Sept. 11, Wednesday – Patriot Day
Sept. 23, Sunday – Fall begins (Autumn Equinox is 8:44 a.m. EDT)
BIRTHDAYS
Maya Hawke (actress, “Stranger Things”) … 26
Sophia Bush (actress, “Chicago P.D.”) … 42
Milo Ventimiglia (actor, “This Is Us”) … 47
Beck (rock musician, songwriter, singer, born Beck David Campbell) … 54
Drew Womack (country singer w Sons of the Desert) … 54
Kevin Bacon (actor) … 66
Anjelica Huston (actress) … 73
Jeffrey Tambor (actor, “Transparent,” “Arrested Development,” “The Larry Sanders Show”) … 80
BIRTHDAY QUOTE QUIZ – Ask your listeners “Who said it?” HINT: Today’s their birthday!
“Any idiot can get laid when they’re famous. That’s easy. It’s getting laid when you’re not famous that takes some talent.”
(A) Bill Clinton
(B) George Clooney
(C) Kevin Bacon
ANSWER: (C) Kevin Bacon
THIS DAY IN HISTORY
1997 – The Mayo Clinic and the government warned the diet-drug combination known as “fen-phen” could cause serious heart and lung damage.
* That’s nice, but I thought they were supposed to be studying mayo?
1969 – Cigarette advertising was banned from radio and TV in the U.S.
* And cigarettes disappeared from the country within two years.
1947 – A press release stating that the wreckage of a crashed flying disk had been recovered near Roswell, New Mexico was issued by William Blanchard, Commander of the nearby 509th Bomb Group. Hours later the release was rescinded and a new one issued saying the 509th had mistakenly identified a weather balloon as wreckage of a flying saucer.
* Commander Blanchard also apologized, and explained he was kinda new at the whole “cover-up” thing.
1911 – The first woman to ride across America on horseback arrived in New York.
* Just couldn’t scrape together $900 for a Model T, huh?
1835 – The Liberty Bell was cracked on this date in 1835 while being rung during the funeral of Chief Justice John Marshall.
* This is what they get for giving the Liberty Bell casting job to the lowest bidder.
THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY
2016 – Canadian rapper and singer Drake was at No.1 on the U.S. chart with his fourth studio album Views. With Views, Drake also joined Adele, Michael Bublé and Taylor Swift as the only artists in the 2010s decade to have an album remain at No.1 on the Billboard 200 for six consecutive weeks.
2007 – Prince was forced offstage by police halfway through his set at the First Avenue nightclub during a late-night gig in his home town of Minneapolis. The club was only allowed to stay open until 3 a.m. but Prince took to the stage at 2.45 a.m.
2002 – Michael Jackson unleashed a sudden tirade on the music industry, accusing several music execs of racism and calling Sony head Tommy Mottola in particular “very, very, very devilish.”
1954 – Dewey Phillips of Memphis’ WHBQ radio played a new song, “That’s All Right (Mama),” and its flip side, “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” on his “Red Hot & Blue” R&B show. An instant hit, the song was immediately played 14 more times. Callers to the station insist that the singer, a local boy named Elvis Presley, must be a black man. Elvis himself, who knew of the airplay in advance, hid out at a local movie show, but response was so immediate and positive that Dewey tracked him down for a live radio interview later that evening.
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 do THIS right after vacation. What is it?
Call in sick to work
2. 17% of people have stolen THIS from work. What is it?
Toilet paper
3. According to almost 40% of people, THIS keeps them from being productive at work. What is it?
Hunger
(c) 2024
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