TUESDAY, Nov 5 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP EMAIL AND TEXT VERSION FOR TUESDAY, November 24, 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.)

AMERICAN FOOTBALL DAY

GUY FAWKES DAY (GUNPOWDER DAY)
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Guy Fawkes Day and Gunpowder Day are one and the same. It commemorates the infamous Gunpowder Conspiracy of 1605 in England. In 1603, King James I took the throne in England. An avid Protestant, he began persecuting Catholics in the country. He forbade Catholics from practicing their religion, and punished Catholics who did not convert to the Protestant church. The Gunpowder Conspirators were a group of Catholics who sought to take action against the king. They plotted to blow up the British Houses of Parliament. They planned to do so when the king and his supporters were in the buildings. Their plot was uncovered on November 5, 1605. Thirty six barrels of gunpowder were found in the basement of Parliament. Guy Fawkes, the leader of the conspiracy, was arrested and tortured until he confessed. He was arrested just as he was about to ignite the gunpowder. People in England celebrate Gunpowder Day with fireworks and bonfires.”

NATIONAL CHINESE TAKEOUT DAY

NATIONAL DONUT DAY

NATIONAL LOVE YOUR RED HAIR DAY

November is:

Adopt a Senior Pet Month
Great American Smoke Out Month
National Adoption Month
National Military Family Month
National Native American Heritage Month
Raisin Bread Month
Stamp Collecting Month
Vegan Month

 

THE BUZZ

OUTRAGEOUS WEDDING STORIES

Reddit asked for some Wild Wedding Stories. Here are some of the responses:
– “A bride and groom, who blew it all their savings on travel and going out, wanted us to help pay for their destination wedding. They wanted us to pay for our plane tickets, and chip in for food and alcohol costs.”
– “My husband works in the trades and drives a big truck—not beat-up, just two years old. A week before the wedding, the couple emailed us asking if we could rent a vehicle ‘more in the aesthetic of the event.’ If not, they requested we park in the staff parking lot. We didn’t go.”
– “The bride had a complete emotional breakdown because the purple monogrammed napkins she ordered looked slightly too blue.”
– “The night before the wedding at the rehearsal, the bride realized the flower girl had the same shoes as her. She freaked out at 9 p.m. and made the flower girl’s mother buy different shoes before the ceremony.”
– “The groom’s great-aunt made it clear she wanted a personal server at the reception, which was reserved ONLY for her. She wanted to see the seating chart so she wouldn’t have to speak to anyone she didn’t like. She asked the couple to hire a band instead of a DJ because they ‘played too loud’ and were not as classy as a 10-piece band. Her final request was that no one wear the color or designer she had chosen for the reception.”
– “The couple didn’t ask for a physical gift. Instead, they asked me to clean their enormous house from top to bottom, set up the wedding tent in a field with a couple of other people, serve drinks all night, and give a prewritten speech about how pretty the bride was.”
– “I work at a bakery. One bride wanted a cake big enough to feed 500 people and wanted it to float. She expected us to somehow defy the laws of gravity and make it float. Apparently, she saw a floating cake in an anime and decided nothing else was acceptable. When I told her we couldn’t make floating cakes, she threw her coffee on the floor and cried that we were ruining her wedding.”
– “The couple wanted all the women at the wedding to carry a small dog in a purse. Most of us had small dogs, but those who didn’t were told to find one to borrow or even get a dog for this wedding.”
* PHONE TOPIC: Do you have an outrrageous wedding story?

WASHINGTON, D.C. DRINKS THE MOST WINE

Which U.S. state drinks the most wine? The Visual Capitalist data firm analyzed data from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.The stae that drinks the most wine: it’s not a state at all. It’s Washington, D.C. Districters of Columbians consume about 41 bottles a year. West Virginia citizens consume the least wine. The average across the US is 16.4 bottles a year. Here are the top 10 state in wine consumption:
1. District of Columbia
2. New Hampshire
3. Vermont
4. Delaware
5. California
6. Hawaii
7. Florida
8. Massachusetts
9. Nevada
10. Oregon
* Does the amount of wine consumed in Washington, D.C. go down when it isn’t an election year? Just curious.
* Why are they telling us this, and why on Election Day?

 

U.S. NEWS

POTATOES GETTING HARDER TO GROW

Here’s horrible, horrible news: American farmers say potatoes are struggling to grow in some parts of the U.S., and we all may be paying a higher price for it. The crop is one of the most vulnerable to changing climates such as extreme heat and drought. Lesley Torrance, a biology professor and fellow at the James Hutton Institute, says, “Potatoes are a cool-climate crop. And of course climate change predictions are that we’re going to have hotter and drier summers. So that’s a big problem.” When temperatures reach 77 degrees Fahrenheit, potatoes stop focusing on growing and instead work on combatting heat. This reduces yields. And potatoes stop growing completely in soil that maintains a temperature of 85 degrees Fahrenheit.
* Since when did potatoes start reading thermometers?
* Don’t panic. The loss of a potato crop never hurt anybody. Though I may want to check the internet on that.
* They’re going to have to start picking the potato chips off the branches earlier.
* I see a big opportunity here for the pretzel industry.
* If I have to start eating kale chips, I’ll kill myself. I’ll kale myself.

ENTIRE POLICE FORCE RESIGNS FROM SMALL OKLAHOMA TOWN

The police chief and three officers that make up the entire four-person police department of the small town of Geary, Oklahoma and two of the town’s city council members resigned last Thursday, with little explanation. Geary is located about 50 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, and has a population of about 1,000 people. The now-former Police Chief Alicia Ford wrote in a social media post that the decision was difficult, “But it was the right decision for me and the other officers.” As for the two resigned city council members, there was already one vacancy, so now the four-person council is down to just one person.
* And THAT guy has misplaced the key to the meeting room, so this town is screwed.
* Let me guess – the town auditor is about to release a report on the town’s budget?
* I imagine the Venezuelan gangs have already moved in and taken over.

PORTA-POTTIES DROP ON HIGHWAY

Two portable toilets fell off the back of a truck Monday morning on a Cambridge, Massachusetts highway. The truck failed to clear the low Massachusetts Avenue overpass on Memorial Drive during the morning commute, knocking two porta-potties off the truck and onto the road during rush hour. The truck initially left the scene but returned about 20 minutes later to collect the cargo.
* Commuters had to go another way. And so did the people at the place where the porta-potties were being delivered.
* If you’re going under a low bridge, you gotta duck your head, which is a boat joke.
* Anyway, that’s the poop from Cambridge, Massachusetts.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

LAKE COMO AIR IN A CAN

Empty cans containing just air from Italy’s famous Lake Como are being sold to tourists for 10 euros a pop. Davide Abagnale, a consultant for the Italian marketing company which dreamed up the cans, says, “We wanted to create a reminder that people can easily take home in their suitcases.” He says that the cans are just a fun souvenir, pointing out out that, once the can is opened, “it obviously loses its charm a bit.”
* They say if you inhale a can and really savor it, you can get a whiff of George Clooney’s aftershave.
* This is a funny gimmick, until the air around Lake Como starts running out.
* If you shake the can before you open it, does it shoot out real fast?
* It’s fine, until someone farts in the canning factory.

AIRLINE PASSENGERS HEAR BANGING MID-FLIGHT

An American Airlines flight from Buenos Aires to New York was diverted back to the Argentina after passengers heard a mysterious banging noise coming from the cargo hold. The banging began roughly an hour into the flight. The passengers were told that someone, possibly a baggage handler, was trapped in the Boeing 777 cargo hold and banging against the hold’s sides with a blunt object for help. Upon landing and after a thorough search, police said they couldn’t find a single soul beneath the passenger cabin.
* So now Boeing planes are haunted. They just can’t catch a break.
* Ummm… did they check the landing gear well for dent marks?
* “We couldn’t find the cause of the banging you heard in the middle of the sky, so back on the plane, everybody – we’re goin’ to New York City!”

TRENDING

KEITH URBAN LOVES WAFFLE HOUSE

Country superstar Keith Urban loves to eat at Waffle House. Urban was a recent guest on the Literally! With Rob Lowe podcast, where he revealed his love for the place. “I do love Waffle House. How can you not?” Urban says. “Scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, chopped, diced — let’s go!”

KELLY CLARKSON HOSTING ” CHRISTMAS AT ROKEFELLER CENTER” THIS YEAR

Kelly Clarkson will return to host NBC’s Rockefeller Christmas Tree special. The 42-year-old singer and television personality announced on her talk show Monday that she will host the TV special Christmas at Rockefeller Center, which airs on December 4.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

TODAY – Election Day
Nov. 11, Monday – Veterans Day
Nov. 28, Thursday – Thanksgiving
Dec. 21, Saturday – Winter begins, winter solstice occurs at 4:21 a.m. (EST)
Dec. 25, Wednesday – Christmas
Dec. 31, Tuesday – New Year’s Eve
Jan. 1, Wednesday – New Year’s Day

BIRTHDAYS

Kevin Jonas (The Jonas Brothers) … 37
Luke Hemsworth (actor, “Westworld”) … 44
Jonny Greenwood (musician w Radiohead) … 53
Sam Rockwell (actor, “Iron Man 2”, “Moon”) … 56
Judy Reyes (actress, “Devious Maids”) … 57
Tatum O’Neal (actress) … 61
Tilda Swinton (actress, “Dr. Strange”) … 64
Bryan Adams (singer) … 65
Robert Patrick (actor, “True Blood,” “The X-Files”) … 66
Peter Noone (singer, Herman’s Hermits) … 77
Art Garfunkel (singer) … 83

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

“I’ve purged myself of bitterness and anger and remained open to love.”

(A) Donald Trump
(B) Vladimir Putin
(C) Tatum O’Neal

ANSWER: (C) Tatum O’Neal

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2006 – Saddam Hussein was convicted and sentenced by the Iraqi High Tribunal to hang for crimes against humanity.
* And tricking us about having WMDs.

1999 – A U.S. District Judge declared Microsoft a monopoly.
* A sucky, sucky monopoly.

1994 – George Foreman became boxing’s oldest heavyweight champion at age 45 by knocking out Michael Moorer in the 10th round of their WBA fight in Las Vegas.
* Which made Sylvester Stallone think HE could do it again, too.

1895 – George B. Selden of Rochester, N.Y., received the first U.S. patent for an automobile.
* I guess it couldn’t have been very good, ’cause nobody’s driving Seldens today.

1605 – The Gunpowder Plot failed when Guy Fawkes was seized before he could blow up the English Parliament.
* At first they didn’t know it was him, because he was wearing that mask from the movie “V.”

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2013 – Lady Gaga split from Troy Carter, who had managed her since 2007. Carter was credited with masterminding some of Gaga’s success, including her massive social media audience. She had 60 million Facebook fans and was among the top figures on Twitter with 40 million followers.

2010 – Keith Richards’ autobiography Life was at No. 1 on the New York Times Hardcover Nonfiction Bestseller list. The book by The Rolling Stones guitarist went on to be a million seller.

1995 – Garbage made their live debut when they played at The 7th Street Entry, Minneapolis.

1988 – “The Locomotion” became the first song to reach the U.S. Top 5 in three different versions, when Kylie Minogue made No.4, also a hit for Little Eva and Grand Funk Railroad.

1983 – Topper Headon of The Clash was arrested for walking his dog while drunk in London.

1982 – Brian Wilson was fired from The Beach Boys by his former colleagues.

1979 – Mick Jagger’s divorce from Bianca was finalized. The couple had married in St. Tropez in 1971.

1967 – Bee Gee Robin Gibb was a passenger on a train which crashed in South East London, killing 49 people and injuring 78. Robin was treated for shock.

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. Both men and women do THIS, but men typically do it in the morning, while women do it at night. What is it?
Worry about money

2. The average woman has 5 of THESE. The average man has even more. What are they?
Hats

3. Research finds that men neglect THIS after the age of 30, for women it’s just the opposite … what is it?
Their friends

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