WEDNESDAY, Apr 30 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: A & M AUTOLAND – Cash Back

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. We present only those specially designated days we feel your listeners would find most interesting or significant.)

NATIONAL ADOPT A SHELTER PET DAY

NATIONAL BUGS BUNNY DAY
The Calendar-Holidays website says this:
“Bugs Bunny made his first appearance as ‘Happy Rabbit’ in ‘Porky’s Hare Hunt’ on April 30, 1938. His official debut as Bugs Bunny came in the 1940 short ‘A Wild Hare,’ which solidified his personality and catchphrase. Over the decades, Bugs has become a cultural icon, starring in Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies, feature films like ‘Space Jam,’ and even earning a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.”

NATIONAL HONESTY DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“National Honesty Day encourages us to be honest today, and every day. M. Hirsh Goldberg, former press secretary to a governor of Maryland and author of five books, created National Honesty Day in the early 1990s after spending four years researching and writing The Book of Lies. This book has been translated into Japanese, Korean and Chinese. Goldberg created this day because he felt that the month of April, which begins with a big day of lying (April Fools Day), should end on a higher moral note.”

NATIONAL OATMEAL COOKIE DAY

NATIONAL RAISIN DAY

April is:

Adopt a Greyhound Month
Car Care Month
Celebrate Diversity Month
D.E.A.R Drop Everything and Read Month
International Guitar Month
Jazz Appreciation Month
Keep America Beautiful Month
National Card and Letter Writing Month
National Garden Month
National Humor Month
National Poetry Month

THE BUZZCONTEST! KENTUCKY DERBY HORSE OR MARVEL SUPER VILLAIN?

Contest time! Is it a Marvel Comics Super Villain, or a horse running in this Saturday’s Kentucky Derby?
– Citizen Bull (HORSE)
– Neoequos (HORSE)
– Final Gambit (HORSE)
– Red Skull (Super Villain)
– Rodriguez (HORSE)
– Dormammu (Super Villain)
– Admire Daytona (HORSE)
– Luxor Cafe (HORSE)
– Moonstone (Super Villain)
– Grey Gargoyle (Super Villain)
– Burnham Square (HORSE)
– Baron Helmut Zemo (Super Villain)
– Grande (HORSE)
– Sovereignty (HORSE)
– Kraven the Hunter (Super Villain)
– Render Judgment (HORSE)
– Flying Mohawk (HORSE)
– Publisher (HORSE)
– Norman Osborn (Super Villain)
– Tiztastic (HORSE)
– Coal Battle (HORSE)
– Kingpin (Super Villain)
– Boomerang (Super Villain)
– Whirlwind (Super Villain)
– Sandman (HORSE)
– Baeza (HORSE)
– Proxima Midnight (Super Villain)
– Owen Almighty (HORSE)

SURVEY: 1/3 OF AMERICANS HATE HELPING SOMEONE MOVE

A new survey of 2,000 U.S. adults finds that one in four Americans will “try anything” to get out of helping a friend move. The poll, from Safeway Moving, found:
– More than a third (38%) hate being asked to help their friends and family move.
– 22% have backed out out of helping others move when asked.
– 35% have had others beg off during their own moves.
* This is why you should never let anyone know you own a pickup truck.
* Carrying heavy boxes, flatscreen TVs and furniture up and down stairs – TWICE. What’s not to love?
* “Help you move? Sorry, I drive a Tesla cybertruck. Those things are worthless for, y’know, truck things.”
* What this survey shows is, 2/3 of Americans are really bad at coming up with quick excuses for why they can’t help you move.
* This is a great survey, ’cause moving companies will read it and boost their prices by 20%.

U.S. NEWS

BRAWL BREAKS OUT ON CARNIVAL CRUISE SHIP

A massive brawl broke out among Carnival Cruise ship passengers in Texas. The violence erupted as scores of passengers were disembarking from the Carnival Jubilee when it docked in Galveston on Saturday following a week-long Caribbean jaunt. Video of the incident shows multiple passengers barging past barriers to trade blows. At one point, a man was shoved to the floor before a handful of others started violently pummeling him (* Bet he was the Bingo caller.) At least one person was arrested, and Carnival Cruises said 24 people have been placed on their Do Not Sail list. (* So Carnival Cruises has a “Naughty List.” That’s so cute!) It was not immediately clear what started the ruckus, but there were reports of altercations that occurred during the cruise.
* My guess is either too much booze or not enough booze.
* Maybe a tiff on a skiff led to a bruisin’ on the cruisin’.
* First, there were fights at Chuck E. Cheeses. Then at Waffle House. Now it’s Carnival Cruises. These hooligans are moving up in the world.
* This wouldn’t happen if they brought back walking the plank.

CARNIVAL CROWD PANICS OVER FART SPRAY

In Jennings Beach, Connecticut, the crowd at a beach carnival panicked after some kids let loose some ‘flatulence spray.’ A group of kids released the stink bomb near the exit of the McKinley Carnival, causing several people to scream and run from the area. More people began reacting to the screaming and began running themselves, without knowing the cause. Police want to reassure the public that it was a prank and not something more dangerous. There were no injuries.
* The only ones running towards the odor were the ride operators. They thought it might be a new guy.
* I guess when you have a crowd of people, the rule of “He who smelt it …” doesn’t apply.
* Awful odors always have been, and always will be, part of the joys of the traveling carnival.
* How bad was the stink, on a scale of 1 to eating an onion and cheese sandwich?
* The weird part? A can of fart spray is one of the prizes for the milk bottle toss.

FLORIDA MAN RESCUES EAGLE FROM ALLIGATOR LAKE

A Florida man jumped into action to rescue an injured bald eagle from an alligator-filled lake, with footage captured by his wife showing the man successfully retrieving the eagle from the water. Doug Hay, 69, of Lakewood Ranch, heard a splash and spotted a bald eagle flailing in the middle of the lake behind his home. He knew the water was home to at least one 7-foot alligator named Snoop – but he plunged right in despite the risk. Mr. Hay swam out to the eagle, which immediately clamped onto his arm with its talons. Exhausted, Hay barely made it back to shore with the bird, where his wife was filming the rescue on video. The Wildlife Center of Southwest Florida is now caring for the injured bird. They believe it may have been fighting with another eagle in the sky above the lake.
* “Thanks for the help, honey! Hope you get a lot of money selling that video to the news me— you just posted it for free???”
* I would say that Mr. Hay, who is a literal Florida man, is not really a “Florida Man.” He’s a hero.
* Of course, this story could have had a much different ending, in which case we’d be saying “What a dummy! What was he THINKING???”
* Do eagles have death matches over alligator lakes? Is this a thing?
* There’s around 1.3 million alligators in Florida that in total eat hundreds of thousands of wild animals every day, but I guess it’s a nice story all the same.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

CHILD DAMAGES $57 MILLION PAINTING

A child in the Netherlands damaged a painting worth nearly $57 million. The painting was abstract expressionist Mark Rothko’s “Grey, Orange on Maroon, No. 8,” which was on display at the Van Beuningen Museum in Rotterdam. The painting is about 7 feet square. There’s a big gray rectangle, below that is a smaller orange rectangle, and both sit on a purple background (which the artist called “Maroon.” According to the museum, “Small scratches are visible in the unvarnished paint layer in the lower part of the painting.” Restoration efforts are underway, but the museum has not given an estimate for how much that could cost. It’s not clear whether anyone will be held liable.
* Or if anyone really cares. Two rectangles? Come on.
* Turn the painting upside-down. The scratches will be up top where nobody can see them, and no one will notice that it’s upside down.
* A big gray rectangle, a smaller orange rectangle, a purple background. Imagine how big Bob Ross could have been if he’d painted stuff like this.
* Ironically, the value of the painting just went up another $10 million because it is now “the Rothko painting that was damaged.”

TRENDING

“MATCH GAME” COMING BACK, THIS TIME WITH MARTIN SHORT

“Match Game” is coming back to TV this summer. A revival of the classic game show has been greenlit for ABC with 75-year-old actor and comedian Martin Short as host. (* Knowing Martin Short, he will not only be the host but all six celebrity panelists as well.) Match Game originally aired in the 1960s and ‘70s with emcee Gene Rayburn. The game, which involves two contestants who try to match fill-in-the-blank answers with a panel of celebrities. It has resurfaced in different incarnations over the years, the most recent being in 2016 with host Alec Baldwin, who hosted the show until 2021.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

May 11, Sunday – Mother’s Day
May 26, Monday – Memorial Day
June 14, Saturday – Flag Day
June 15, Sunday – Father’s Day
June 20, Friday – Summer begins (The June solstice occurs at 10:42 P.M. EDT)

BIRTHDAYS

Kirsten Dunst (actress) … 43
Kunal Nayyar (actor, “Big Bang Theory,”) … 44
Sam Heughan (actor, “Outlander”) … 45
Johnny Galecki (actor, “Big Bang Theory,” “The Conners,” “Roseanne”) … 50
Bugs Bunny (cartoon character) … 87

Today’s Birthdays grade: TWO “Big Bang Theory” castmembers, the prolific and always good Kirsten Dunst, and maybe the world’s Number 1 most entertaining cartoon character (sorry, Mickey)! A no-brainer. Grade: A.

[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!

“Right now, I’m very healthy. I have no vices left. Except sugary breakfast cereal. And absinthe, of course.”

(A) Ozzy Osbourne
(B) Cher
(C) Johnny Galecki

ANSWER: (C) Johnny Galecki

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1997 – ABC aired the “coming out” episode of the sitcom “Ellen,” in which the title character, played by Ellen DeGeneres, revealed she is a lesbian.
* Then NBC stole the idea and came up with “Will and Grace.”

1975 – The Vietnam War ended, with the south surrendering unconditionally to the north.
* And the north surrendering unconditionally to American film directors.

1952 – Mr. Potato Head became the first toy advertised on television.
* Ironic when you consider how the kids eventually turned into couch potatoes.

1945 – Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler and his wife Eva Braun committed suicide in a bunker.
* Wow! When I play a bad golf shot I just swear and throw the club.

1901 – Ping-pong was created.
* It was the result of years of research on how to get hyperactive kids to want to stay in the basement.

1900 – Illinois Central Railroad engineer (John Luther) “Casey” Jones stayed at the controls of the runaway “Cannonball Express” train, trying to save his passengers. He was killed when his train hit a stalled train, but everyone else survived.
* Yeah, but they didn’t get a Grateful Dead song written about them.

1864 – New York became the first state to charge a hunting license fee.
* It takes a lot of nerve to demand money from armed people.

1852 – The first edition of Roget’s Thesaurus was printed.
* Hmm, maybe “published” is a better word … or “issued” … maybe “distributed” … I know – “released”! That’s it!

1813 – Rubber was patented.
* But most people were too embarrassed to ask for it.

1808 – The first practical typewriter was finished by Italian inventor Pellegrini Turri.
* He was tired of having to write out “Pellegrini Turri” by hand.

1803 – The U.S. doubled in size following the Louisiana Purchase.
* Kind of like how I double in size after every major holiday.

1798 – The Department of the Navy was formed.
* A new branch of the military. Just add water.

1789 – George Washington was inaugurated as the first president.
* Ever wonder what Washington would have thought of our modern presidents? This is the day each year, if you listen very closely at Washington’s grave, you can actually hear him spinning.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2023 – Country singer Willie Nelson hosted the second of two-night 90th birthday concerts for himself at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, Guest performers included Dave Matthews, Emmylou Harris, Keith Richards, Bob Wieir, Margo Price, Nathaniel Rateliffe, Dwight Yoakam, Sheryl Crow, and Billy Strings, among others. Note: Willie celebrates two birthdays because while he was actually born very late in the evening on April 29, he was born so late at night the country clerk wasn’t able to record it. So, on paper, his birthday is April 30. Willie explained, “I was born before midnight on the 29th but it didn’t get registered in the county courthouse until the next day, the 30th. So, it went out officially as the 30th. So I just do both days.”

2008 – Gail Renard, who was given the hand written lyrics to “Give Peace A Chance” by John Lennon in 1969, announced plans to sell the lyric sheet at a Christie’s auction. At the time, Lennon told Renard to hang on to the piece of paper, saying “It will be worth something someday.” The piece of music history was expected to fetch around $400,000, but when it was actually sold, it went for $790,000.

2008 – Mariah Carey married actor Nick Cannon in the Bahamas following a whirlwind two-month romance.

2008 – A giant inflatable pig which floated away during a Roger Waters concert was recovered in tatters in California. Two families from La Quinta who found what was left of the inflatable decided to share four life tickets to the Coachella festival that were offered as part of the reward.

2004 – New child abuse charges were made against Michael Jackson including a count of conspiracy, covering allegations of child abduction, extortion and false imprisonment. At trial, he was acquitted of all charges after the jury deliberated for about 32 hours over seven days.

2001 – A light aircraft carrying Sting went off the runway as it landed in Florence. None of the four aboard – Sting, a friend and two pilots – were hurt. Brake failure was suspected as the cause of the accident.

1999 – Darrell Sweet, the drummer for Scottish rock group Nazareth, suffered a fatal heart attack as the band arrived at an amphitheater in New Albany, Ind., to begin the second leg of its U.S. tour. He was 51.

1976 – The Who’s drummer Keith Moon paid nine cab drivers to block off both ends of a New York street so he could throw the contents of his hotel room out of the window.

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 70,000 people will do THIS for the first time today. What is it?
Use the internet

2. The average American does THIS dangerous activity 32 times a year. What is it?
Eating while driving

3. A generation ago, everyone did THIS, but today 35 percent of adults say they never have. What is it?
Write a check

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