THURSDAY, Jan 23 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR THURSDAY, January 23, 2025
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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 – including “holidays” created by the National Day Calendar and Wellcat websites to drive traffic to their websites – or the hundreds of disease awareness listings which occur each year.)

MEASURE YOUR FEET DAY
The Days of the Year website says this:
“The story behind National Measure Your Feet Day originates in ancient Iceland. Ancient Icelanders spent most of their free time participating in activities that involved their feet, and when spring, a time that is known for extreme rainstorms in Iceland came, the natives would run into their huts and celebrate the rain by measuring their feet. From there, it became known throughout the world, and National Measure Your Feet Day grew to be celebrated in various places in the world. So, how can you celebrate this day? One of the things that you can do is check the size of your shoes. The size of your shoes and ensuring that you have the correct fit is going to be important in maintaining foot health. If you have noticed that you have any pain in your foot, it doesn’t matter whether it is in the heel or the toes, this could be a sign that your shoes are too tight. It could also be a sign that your shoes are too loose because even loose shoes can cause your feet to have problems that they wouldn’t experience if you had the right size.”

NATIONAL HANDWRITING DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“National Handwriting Day was established by the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association in 1977. Their motive is obvious … to promote the consumption of pens, pencils, and writing paper. January 23rd was chosen because this is the birthday of John Hancock, the first person to sign the Declaration of Independence with his famously huge signature.”

NATIONAL PIE DAY / RHUBARB PIE DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“The American Pie Council created this day simply to celebrate pie. The American Pie Celebration began in 1986 to commemorate Crisco’s 75th anniversary of ‘serving foods to families everywhere.’ The American Pie Council sponsors the National Pie Championships where some of the best pie makers in the world enter their pies to win the American Pie Council’s Best Pie in America award.”

NATIONAL REPORT PHARMACEUTICAL FRAUD DAY
The National Today website says this:
“Reportedly, 10% of all Medicare funds are lost due to fraud, and one of the largest culprits of Medicare fraud allegations has been pharmaceutical companies. The government is spending $650 billion a year on the Medicare program, so it means that in one year, $65 billion is lost to Medicare fraud. National Report Pharmaceutical Fraud Day was established in 2017 by Joel D. Hesch, an attorney representing whistleblowers and helping them get rewards for reporting fraud. He worked in the Department of Justice (DOJ) Whistleblower Reward Office in Washington D.C. for more than 15 years and worked on cases recovering $1.5 billion.” For info on how to report fraud, visit howtoreportfraud (dot) (com).

January is:

Adopt a Rescued Bird Month
Be Kind to Food Servers Month
Family Fit Lifestyle Month
Financial Wellness Month
Get Organized Month
National Candy Month
National Clean Up Your Computer Month
National Hobby Month
National Skating Month
National Train Your Dog Month
Walk Your Pet Month

ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITIES

WHAT TO WATCH – New and Returning Shows and Movies
Premiering Thursday through Sunday
Listings sourced from the TV Guide, EW and other websites

THURSDAY, Jan 23

Season Premieres:
Netflix – “The Night Agent”
Prime Video – “Harlem”

FRIDAY, Jan 24

“Star Trek: Section 31”
Paramount+ – New Movie
Synopsis: Michelle Yeoh reprises her fan-favorite role of Emperor Philippa Georgiou – a character she played in Star Trek: Discovery – who joins a secret division of Starfleet. Tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets, she also must face the sins of her past.

SATURDAY, Jan 25

“Kobe: The Making of a Legend”
CNN – New Docuseries
Synopsis: Traces the story of Kobe Bryant from his childhood in Italy to his athletic superstardom, and provides an intimate look at his post-NBA aspirations as a storyteller and as a father.

SUNDAY, Jan 26

“Watson”
CBS – New Series
Synopsis: Yet another reimagining of the famous characters created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This time, Dr. John Watson is a 21st Century doctor who, a year after the death of his friend and partner Sherlock Holmes, resumes his medical career at a clinic dedicated to the treatment of rare diseases. However, he soon finds that his old life is not done with him yet.

WILLEM DAFOE RANDOMLY STOPPED FOR A STREET INTERVIEW

Willem Dafoe has gone viral on TikTok after someone randomly stopped him, in what appeared to be New York City, and asked him questions about his job. The interviewer seemed to have no idea who he was. (* Same with Willem Dafoe, sometimes.)
– In the video, the interviewer asks, “What do you do for a living?” Dafoe says, “I’m an actor.”
– The interviewer asked his name and what he liked about his job, and Dafoe replied, “It’s always different. Nothing’s ever the same.”
– Ask what kind of “advice” he would give up and coming actors or others interested in the field, Dafoe said that he doesn’t “give advice” because “everybody’s got to find their own way.” He did say that they should just “enjoy” their path.
– The interviewer then asked Dafoe how he wanted “to be remembered,” to which the actor replied, “I don’t think about that.”
– When asked where he could be in the next five years, he said he didn’t know, adding, “I mean, I have a hard time thinking beyond tomorrow.”
* And then he ate the interviewer.
* Celebrities! They’re just like us!
* Coulda been worse. He coulda been pulled into a blind taste test between Coke and Pepsi.
* Stupid interviewer! I want to know how he has a six-pack at age 69!
* After the interview, Dafoe said, “I’ll do your movie. Anything. I’ll be in it. What is it?”
* And that’s why we need TikTok to exist, I guess.

79 WAHLBURGERS TO GO

Do you know about Wahlburgers? It’s a burger restaurant owned by chef Paul Wahlberg and two of his nine siblings, actors Donnie and Mark Wahlberg. There was a reality TV show about it. Wahlburgers boasted 109 locations, but 79 of those were located inside Hy-Vee grocery stores, which are scattered mostly throughout America’s midwestern states. On Tuesday, Hy-Vee announced that they will be closing all 79 Wahlburgers locations inside their stores in favor of their own Market Grille burger stand. This move will bring the Wahlburgers footprint down to around 40 locations. Wahlburgers CEO Randy Sharpe tried to put a good spin on it, saying that these Hy-Vee locations were underperforming and didn’t account for a large portion of Wahlburgers sales. He says the chain wants to focus more on its actual restaurants, rather than what were essentially “kiosks in grocery stores.”
* Ooo – what a cheap shot!
* “I need that burger to go?” “Oh, it’s going, alright.”
* Quick, Mark, make another movie! Oh – he did – “Flight Risk,” opening Friday.
* Maybe change the menu – WAHL-dorf salads? Roasted WAHL-nuts? Spaghetti and meatbWAHLS?

THE BUZZ

DUMB HEADLINES

Time for another episode of Three Dumb Headlines. These are actual, word-for-word headlines of stories found on the internet. There’s no story, no context, just the actual headline. Discuss them amongst yourselves. Then, encourage listeners to vote for the Dumbest Headline on your station’s social media page. Maybe ask them to leave a comment. Reveal the results in the next break.
Today’s Dumb Headlines:
1. “Scallop Fishers Scoop Invasive Sea Vomit From Bay Of Fundy”
2. “The Death Of The Novelty Antenna Topper”
3. “The Worst Thing About My Kids Growing Up Is They Don’t Want To Go See Giant Colorful Pigeons With Me”
And here’s a spare, in case you don’t like one of those three: “Michelle Pfeiffer Loves A Black Turtleneck ”

SEXPERT: CRYING MEN MAKE THE BEST LOVERS

Men who cry are better in the sack. This according to Marina Lazaris, a relationship expert and author of Men Need Love Too. She says, “The fine line between vulnerability and masculinity is the biggest challenge for men in today’s society.” She explains that finding a man in touch with his emotions will allow people to find the “catch of a lifetime, rather than just a day.” Lazaris says, “Men who cry are the best lovers.”
* So if I’m reading this right, she’s slept with every man who’s ever watched the ending of “Field of Dreams.”
* I cry over sex, but that’s because of the self-loathing.
* One possible exception: Men who cry at the thought of hitting the dating scene.
* Guys, next time you go out on a date, keep an onion in your pocket for the tears.
* Men who cry may be the best lovers now, but wait ’til the sex robots hit the market.

U.S. NEWS

COP CRASHES CRUISER WHILE LOOKING AT PHONE PORN

A Florida sheriff’s deputy resigned from his job after crashing his patrol vehicle into a woman’s car last November while she was stopped for a school bus. After a review of bodycam footage, it was apparent he was looking at pornography on his phone at the time. Lake County Deputy Sheriff Tristan Macomber, 28, first told investigators he had been looking at texts sent by colleagues, eventually admitted he was viewing “inappropriate pictures” that he described as “boobs or whatnot.”
* And there was also a boob in the car.
* So he never saw the school bus coming? Or, rather, he never saw the school bus, coming?
* Hands on the wheel, pal! Hands on the wheel!
* You start looking at whatnot and pretty soon you’re into the hardcore whatsit, whatall and whatchamacallit.
* In police jargon, I think they call that an Operation Red Ball.
* Folks, don’t do stuff like this when you’re working. That’s what coffee breaks are for.

COURT: ELEPHANTS ARE NOT PEOPLE

The Colorado Supreme Court on Tuesday ruled that five elderly elephants don’t have legal standing to sue their zoo because they’re not human. The Nonhuman Rights Project, an animal advocacy organization, sued to have the African elephants freed from the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and moved to an elephant sanctuary. A lower court had ruled that the elephants could not sue themselves out of a zoo, even if it was a human who filed a lawsuit for them. The Colorado Supreme Court ruled 6-0 in favor of that court decision, saying that from a legal standpoint, the question “boils down to whether an elephant is a person.” They are not, said the justices, and elephants “do not have standing to bring a claim” under Colorado law. The animal rights group had argued that elephants share numerous cognitive capacities with humans — including self-awareness, empathy, and the ability to learn and communicate in complex social groups.
* I’m sorry, but most humans these days lack self-awareness, empathy, and the ability to learn and communicate in complex social groups.
* And here they had their trunks all packed and ready to move.
* If five elephants really wanted to leave the zoo, I dare say there’s not much to stop them from doing so.
* So their argument was irrelephant?
* Sorry, but whoever came up with that lawsuit is a real dumbo.

AUDIO: HUMAN HEAD WASHES UP ON FLORIDA BEACH

A human head was found washed up on a south Florida beach. A beach worker was raking the the beach in Key Biscayne on Tuesday morning when they spotted something floating in the water along the shoreline and made the grim discovery. Miami-Dade Police Detective Andre Martin said that the head appears to belong to a man. (* That’s why he’s a detective.) He says it is currently unclear if he was the victim of a crime or if a marine animal or perhaps boating accident may have led to a decapitation. “There are a couple of working theories,” he said.
* Okay, but which one is ahead?
* Is this what they mean by establishing a beach head?
* I’ve heard of sea legs, but never sea heads.
* For now, they’re just identifying it as ‘Bob.’
* You just know at the funeral, somebody’s going to say, “Goodbye, old chum.”
CLIP: “This is not a boat accident.” from Jaws.
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)(com)/prep/wp-content/uploads/ThisIsNotABoatAccident(dot)mp3

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NHL GOALIE LETS ONE BY, DISTRACTED BY PLATE OF NACHOS

Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson said he was distracted by a tray of cheese-covered nachos thrown on the ice, allowing Oilers winger Corey Perry to score on him in Edmonton on Tuesday night. Less than five minutes into the third period, the Oilers skated into the Capitals’ zone with the nachos already having been tossed onto the ice by a fan. Perry took the puck from Oilers center Leon Draisaitl and blasted a shot a few feet away from the iced nachos. Thompson immediately started pointing at the nachos while complaining to the on-ice officials. Thompson later took the blame for the goal, saying, “Obviously, I’ve got to play to the whistle. That one’s on me.” He ended up making 30 saves in the game, and the Capitals won 3-2.
* But the nachos were a total loss, so really – did anybody win here?
* You have to do your job as goalie, even if cheese nachos are jalapeño face.
* What if someone throws a snowcone on the ice? Is that allowed? I can’t see where it would cause a problem.
* Dang. Now I’m gonna have to hit Taco Bell on the way home.

TRENDING

SONGWRITERS HALL OF FAME 2025

The Songwriters Hall of Fame has announced its inductees for 2025:
– George Clinton, for such songs as “Atomic Dog” and “I’d Rather Be With You”
– The Doobie Brothers for such songs as “China Grove,” “Black Water,” “Takin’ It to the Streets” and “Long Train Runnin'”
– Ashley Gorley, who wrote Post Malone’s “I Had Some Help” and Morgan Wallen’s “Last Night”
– Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, who wrote “Say My Name” for Destiny’s Child and “The Boy is Mine” for Monica and Brandy
– Mike Love (* ugh! OK, if you must) , who (* claims to have co-written) Beach Boys hits “California Girls” and “Good Vibrations”
– Tony Macaulay, who wrote “Build Me Up Buttercup” and “Baby Now That I’ve Found You” for The Foundations
Winners will be acknowledged during a ceremony June 12 in New York City.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

January 27, Monday – Int’l Holocaust Remembrance Day (UN)
January 29, Wednesday – Chinese New Year (The Year of the Wood Snake)
February 2, Sunday – Groundhog Day
February 12, Wednesday – Lincoln’s Birthday
February 14, Friday – Valentine’s Day
February 17, Monday – Presidents Day / Washington’s Birthday
March 9, Tuesday – Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras
March 9, Sunday – Daylight Saving Time Begins
March 17, Monday – St. Patrick’s Day
March 20, Thursday – Spring begins, Spring Equinox is 5:01 a.m. EDT

BIRTHDAYS

Nick Harmer (bassist with Death Cab For Cutie) … 50
Tiffani Thiessen (actress, “White Collar,” “Beverly Hills, 90210,” “Saved by the Bell”) … 51
Norah O’Donnell (soon-to-be ex-anchor of “CBS Evening News”) … 51
Mariska Hargitay (actress, “Law and Order: Special Victims Unit”) … 61
Richard Dean Anderson (actor, “Stargate SG-1,” “MacGyver”) … 75
Patrick Simmons (founding member of The Doobie Brothers) … 77

Today’s Birthdays grade: “MacGyver” became such a big cultural icon it was rebooted, fans of “Law & Order: SVU” have been watching Mariska Hargitay for a quarter of a century, and at their peak, you couldn’t escape hearing The Doobie Brothers on the radio … Grade: C-plus.

[Want to try something different with the daily birthdays? Try grading them! Some days have “good” celebs, some have “great” celebs, some have “lousy” celebs. For fun, give the group an arbitrary grade: A-plus through F-minus. Sidekick will give you our take on it; you can to take the concept and run with it.]

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

“My mom always taught me to be sweet and polite and cross my legs because it’s what the guys like. Actually, they like a raunchy girl once in a while.”

(A) Miley Cyrus
(B) Martha Stewart
(C) Tiffani Thiessen

ANSWER: (C) Tiffani Thiessen

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2013 – U.S. armed forces overturned a 1994 ban on women serving in combat.
* Now we can REALLY kick butt!

2005 – Former “Tonight Show” host Johnny Carson died at age 79.
* “Therrrrrrrre … goes Johnny!”

1988 – The experimental airplane Voyager, piloted by Dick Rutan & Jeana Yeager, completed the first nonstop, round-the-world flight without refueling.
* It was the longest anyone had stayed that high – with the exception of Jerry Garcia.

1961 – The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that cities and states have the right to censor films.
* Leading the popular phrase “Banned in Boston” and a big increase in evening trips up the coast to Salem.

1909 – The first radio rescue was made at sea.
* I guess somebody really wanted to save their radio.

1849 – The envelope-making machine was patented.
* Now how about inventing a glue that tastes better?

1596 – Sir Walter Raleigh brought back the first consignment of tobacco to Britain.
* Class-action lawsuit, anyone?

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2014 – Justin Bieber was arrested after racing his yellow Lamborghini against another sports car on a Miami Beach street. Police said the singer did not co-operate when pulled over also charged him with resisting arrest without violence and having an expired driving license.

2003 – R. Kelly was arrested on new child pornography charges. The singer was detained in Miami after police said digital sex pictures were discovered at his home in Florida. The singer was already facing 21 charges relating to producing child pornography and allegedly appearing in a video having sex with an underage girl. He was charged with a further 12 counts of possession of child pornography. Kelly’s career ended in 2019 following his arrest and subsequent convictions on federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges involving sexual abuse of minors, and production of child pornography.

2001 – An English coroner criticized the rap singer Eminem’s lyrics as depressing during an inquest into the death of a schoolboy who threw himself in front of a train. The 17-year old boy had printed out the lyrics to Eminem’s track “Rock Bottom” before his death.

1995 – Courtney Love appeared in an Australian court on charges of abusing a flight attendant. The singer admitted to responding with an obscenity when a Quantas flight attendant told her to take her feet down from the airplane cabin wall. Love was sentenced to one month of good behavior.

1988 – Nirvana recorded a ten-song demo tape with the godfather of grunge, legendary Seattle producer Jack Endino. The Melvins’ Dale Crover sat in on drums. Sub Pop co-honcho Jonathan Poneman heard the tape and offered to put out a Nirvana single. They accepted.

1988 – No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “The Way You Make Me Feel” by Michael Jackson. The song was the third consecutive No. 1 hit from Jackson’s album “Bad,” the first time an artist accomplished that feat.

1986 – The first annual induction ceremony for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame was held in New York. Among those inducted were Chuck Berry, James Brown, Ray Charles, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.

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. About 50% of people say THIS is their favorite leisure activity. What is it?
Eating

2. A recent study shows 19% of people have lost their cell phone HERE. Where is it?
The laundry basket

3. 36% of people admit to doing THIS while they fly. What is it?
Flirting

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