TUESDAY, July 9 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR TUESDAY, July 9, 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.)

COW APPRECIATION DAY

NATIONAL SUGAR COOKIE 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

STEVE PERRY IMPOSTER SCAMS 75-YEAR-OLD FAN

A 75-year-old Journey fan in Cleveland, Ohio was scammed out of $122,000 by an online imposter posing as the band’s former singer Steve Perry. Back in January the woman responded to a Facebook message from someone claiming to be Perry. The message said he had a business opportunity and “needed a woman in his life.” Over the next several months the woman sent the Perry imposter $72,000 in wire transfers to various persons in various different states, as well as $50,000 in gift cards. When the imposter began demanding pictures of her passports and driver’s license, the woman realized she was being scammed and went to the police. They are attempting to track down the fraudster.
* Are they ABSOLUTELY sure this isn’t the real Steve Perry? He’s been out of the band awhile, maybe he needs the cash.
* She really took that Don’t Stop Believin’ song to heart. And Who’s Crying Now?
* He asked for the money, she said she’d send it Any Way You Want It. Faithfully. Girl Can’t Help It, She’s Stone In Love. Happy To Give. Be Good To Yourself. I’ll Be Alright Without You.
* Uh-oh. She just got a message saying it’s from Lindsey Buckingham and he needs money after being kicked out of Fleetwood Mac.

THE BUZZ

MY “I’M DATING AN IDIOT” MOMENT

Reddit asked, “What was your “I’m dating a idiot” moment? Some of the responses:
– “We had a heated debate about whether or not dinosaurs were alive during the American Revolution. Her stance was ‘there’s really no way to know’”
– “They put shrimp in my food to see if I am really allergic to seafood or just being ‘dramatic.’ Anaphylaxis occurred, epi-pen deployed, ambulance trip. The hospital suggested I press charges.”
– “He dropped me off the first day at a job. He was late picking me up and when I called to see what was up, he said it was because the car was stolen. I called a friend to come to get me. We saw his car on the way back to the apartment. He had driven across the street to get a soda and walked home, forgetting he had driven to the convenience store.”
– “She got a tattoo from her friend with the word Angle on it, thinking it said ‘angel.'”
– “She didn’t believe that a rice plant produced more than one grain.”
– “He swore up and down that there was a restaurant in the Statue of Liberty’s head.”
– “She tried cooking spaghetti in the microwave. I was awakened by the smoke alarm and in the microwave was dry spaghetti noodles in a bowl with a cup of spaghetti sauce. The noodles were burning.”
– “She was filling out a form and had to pull out her drivers license to verify how to spell her first name.”
– “I’m actually the idiot – she once caught me googling how to boil a hotdog.”
* PHONE TOPIC: My “I’m dating an idiot” moment.

U.S. NEWS

TEEN JUMPS FROM JETSKI TO ROGUE BOAT

A New Hampshire teen heroically jumped from a jetski onto a rogue boat to stop it from running around in circles after its captain was knocked off. It happened in Lake Winnipesaukee. A sailboat instructor had been teaching lessons to kids from his power boat when he bent over to reach for a tennis ball he used to teach turning. At that moment, in a wacky sequence of events, one of the kids’ boats tipped over onto the instructor’s boat, the mast from the student’s sailboat hit the boat’s throttle, the instructor went flying into the water and the boat took off in a circle. Brady Procon, 17, heard cries about the rogue boat. He transferred from his jetski onto his friend’s jetski, and together they rode alongside the unmanned boat, and Brady jumped in and grabbed the throttle. Neighbors are calling him a hero, but he says anybody could have done it.
* “Aw, shucks!” he added.
* The real hero is anybody who can spell Winnipesaukee.
* Did that student miss the lesson about not sailing too close to other boats?
* It’s a new movie franchise, Splashed and Furious.

ANOTHER BOEING PLANE LOSES A WHEEL

Another wheel from the landing gear of a United Airlines flight fell off during takeoff on Monday. The flight landed safely at its destination, but this is the second time this year a Boeing plane has lost a wheel while in flight. The Boeing 757-200 took off from Los Angeles and landed at Denver International Airport two hours later. United said the wheel was found in Los Angeles. United experienced a similar incident with a Boeing plane back in March when a Boeing 777-200 took off from San Francisco and lost a wheel mere seconds after it was airborne.
* This company’s got a screw loose. Actually, a LOT of loose screws.
* Just curious – are the crew getting Hazard Pay?
* The tires keep falling off. / Goodyear? / No, it’s been a terrible year for Boeing.
* In fact, “The wheels are coming off’ is a pretty good metaphor for Boeing.
* Again, make up your mind: if you want that door plug to stay on, those bolts have to come from somewhere.
(NOTE – BACKGROUND: Yesterday it was announced Boeing has agreed to plead guilty to criminal fraud tied to the fatal 737 Max crashes, a decision that brands the U.S. aerospace giant a felon but allows it to avoid trial while it tries to turn the page from safety and manufacturing crises. Under the deal, Boeing would face a fine of up to $487.2 million, though the Justice Department recommended that the court credit Boeing with half that amount it paid under a previous agreement, resulting in a fine of $243.6 million. The plea deal requires the approval of a federal judge to take effect. The plea deal also installs an independent monitor to oversee compliance at Boeing for three years during a probationary period. Boeing would also have to invest at least $455 million in compliance and safety programs, according to a court filing. Boeing also agreed for its board of directors to meet with crash victims’ family members.)

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

THE MERLYMPICS

A woman from Provo, Utah, won the Merlympics this year. The Merlympics is a mermaid competition. It’s been been around since 2015 and the competition is held every two years. Mia Sim, 22, became the fastest mermaid in the world back in May when she competed at the Swiss Merlympics in Geneva, Switzerland. The Merlympics are “solely designed to prove athleticism.” All of the events are completed while wearing full mermaid or merman gear — competitors’ legs are bound from their hips to their toes in a tail. All mer-athletes must complete five events at the Merlympics:
– Ecology: The athlete dives down and retrieves as much trash as possible in 90 seconds.
– Figures: The competitor has to perform three of 10 mermaid figures.
– Underwater posing: Each person dives down and poses for a picture, and then has to swim away for the next person to take their spot. Sim said she thinks this one is the hardest.
– Rescue: The mermaid has to do a 25-meter submerged swim and rescue a dummy.
– Speed: The athletes race along the top of the water for 50 meters.
* There’s another tricky activity that isn’t in the competition – going to the bathroom.
* And the winner gets a lot of mer…chandise.
* This is Switzerland trying to keep France from getting all the summer sports attention.
* It must be fun to be a merman. I bet you get a lot of tail.
* These people sound like they’re smoking a little too much sea weed.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP SNAIL RACES

It was a holiday weekend, at least in the U.S., so you might have missed the World Championship Snail Races in Congham, UK. Crowds gathered despite the rain to watch the finest gastropod athletes compete, with over 150 snails taking part in the championships, which have been running since the 1960s. The snails are all placed inside an inner circle, and the first one to cross the 13-and-a- half-inch course and touch the outer black ring wins the race. A snail named Jeff was crowned victor, making it through several afternoon heats, gaining a spot in the grand final, and winning with a time of 4 minutes and 3 seconds. Simon Lilley, Jeff the snail’s owner, says Jeff has a rigorous training program and he loves to eat green leaves.
* He also prefers soft rock music, collects World War 1 memorabilia, and his favorite Marvel character is Wolverine.
* Way to go, slugger!
* Winner gets a prize, the losers get a nice butter sauce on top of linguini.
* This actually sounds more exciting than NBC’s coverage of the Olympics, where your have to sit through 10 minutes of backstory to get to a 2 minute event.
* Perfect story for a slow news day.

TRENDING

LUKE COMBS GIVES SON A TRACTOR-STYLE BIRTHDAY CAKE

Luke Combs and his wife Nicole have a son, Tex, who turned two years old last month. The family celebrated with a birthday cake decorated in John Deere green icing, and embellished with mini crop patches, ears of corn and a toy front end loader. The cake read “Happy Birthday Tex” in white letters, in the photo of it Nicole shared on social media.

JOHN CORBETT PICKED THE WRONG PATH

Actor John Corbett recently appeared on the “Fly on the Wall” podcast and expressed regret over limiting his career in Hollywood to strictly being an actor. Despite starring in “Northern Exposure” and “Sex and the City” and movies like the “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” franchise, he says he’s missed out on other creative roles in Hollywood. Corbett said, “Look, I’m in the fourth quarter of the football game now, in life and in showbiz. It’s just a fact. I can reveal now I picked the wrong thing to do with my life.” Corbett cited Emma Stone’s career as one that might’ve afforded him a more fulfilling Hollywood career as she not only acts but also produces and acts as a creative collaborator. “I’ve made a lot of money. I live in a beautiful home. People come to me at every restaurant I go in. I’m a friend of the world. But as far as a fulfilling creative work life, I didn’t write one line. I didn’t write one joke that made people laugh. So it’s been unfulfilling on that level.”

NICOLAS CAGE: IF YOU SEE ONE OF HIS MOVIES, MAKE IT “PIG”

Nicolas Cage was interviewed by The New Yorker. The actor has appeared in nearly 120 films since his breakout starring role in 1983’s Valley Girl. He was asked, of all his 120 movies, if he had to recommend just one, which would it be? He chose the 2021 drama “Pig,” in which he plays a despondent loner and former acclaimed chef on the hunt for thieves who stole his beloved truffle pig. Cage said, “‘Pig’ is something that I think people can get something out of, because tragedy is going to hit all of us at some point. It’s just a matter of when. It’s also a movie that to me is like a folk song. It’s very quiet, gentle movie, which is the polar opposite of people thinking I’m crazy.”

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

Fred Savage (actor, “The Grinder,” “The Wonder Years”) … 48
Jack White (musician) … 49
Courtney Love (singer/songwriter/musician, actress) … 60
Tom Hanks (actor) … 68
Jimmy Smits (actor) … 69
John Tesh (radio host, musician) … 72
Dean Koontz (author) … 79

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

“Some people go to bed at night thinking, ‘That was a good day.’ I am one of those who worries and asks, ‘How did I screw up today?'”

(A) Joe Biden
(B) Donald Trump
(C) Tom Hanks

ANSWER: (C) Tom Hanks

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2017 – CEO Elon Musk became the first person to own one of Tesla’s first mass market electric cars – the Model 3.
* Don’t ask about Models 1 and 2.

2004 – A Senate Intelligence Committee report concluded the CIA had provided unfounded assessments of the threat posed by Iraq. It was these unfounded assessments that the Bush administration relied on to justify going to war.
* Oopsie!

2002 – The Senate voted to entomb thousands of tons of radioactive waste inside Yucca Mountain in the Nevada desert, rejecting the state’s fervent protests.
* ‘Cause, of course, the Senate doesn’t meet in Nevada.

2001 – “The Office” mockumentary created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant, starring Ricky Gervais and Martin Freeman, premiered in the UK. International syndication of versions of the show in multiple countries would make Gervais and Merchant multi-millionaires.
* At least SOMEBODY got something good out of working in an office.

1997 – Mike Tyson was banned from the boxing ring and fined $3 million for biting off part of the ear of opponent Evander Holyfield.
* So the fine ended up taking a pretty good bite out of HIM.

1912 – The paper plate first went on the market.
* “Here – YOU try it with hot baked beans.” “No, YOU try it!” “No, YOU!”

1792 – Washington, DC became the capital of the United States.
* Thus triggering the Great Hooker Migration of 1793.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2013 – Former Fugees singer Lauryn Hill began a three-month prison sentence in Connecticut for tax evasion. The 38-year-old was sentenced in May for failing to pay tax on $1.8m of her earnings between 2005-07. After her release, Hill would be under parole supervision for a year, with the first three months to be spent confined to her home.

2004 – David Bowie was forced to cancel a string of European shows after emergency heart surgery. The 57-year-old singer had an operation in Germany, where he was on tour, to treat “an acutely blocked artery.” The star’s cancellation of 11 European dates was originally attributed to a shoulder injury.

1995 – The Grateful Dead gave their last concert with Jerry Garcia at Chicago’s Soldier Field.

1972 – Paul McCartney’s band Wings made its concert debut in Chateauvillon, France. It was McCartney’s first live performance since the breakup of the Beatles.

1956 – Dick Clark made his debut as host of “Bandstand” on a Philadelphia TV station. The name of the show was changed to “American Bandstand” when it went to ABC-TV.

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. THIS is the most common thing found in a person’s junk drawer. What is it?
Keys

2. The average person has 3 of THESE. What are they?
Credit cards

3. About 45 million Americans have at least one of THESE, and 17% wish they didn’t. What is it?
A tattoo

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