FRIDAY, Apr 9 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR FRIDAY, April 9, 2021
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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.)

NAME YOURSELF DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Name Yourself Day is your chance to give yourself whatever name you’d like … for a day. If you like your name, then change your name for just today. If you don’t like your name, use today to select a new name for life! Participating in Name Yourself Day is simple and easy. Go ahead, give it a try. Change your first, or middle, or last name. Or, change them all. Give yourself a cool and catchy nickname. Once you’ve selected your name, you’ve gotta communicate it to all of your family and friends. This could prove to be the hard part. It will likely take time for your new name to catch on.”

NATIONAL FORMER PRISONER OF WAR RECOGNITION DAY

WINSTON CHURCHILL DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Winston Churchill Day celebrates the day he was made an honorary US citizen. On this day in 1963, Winston Churchill became the very first person to become an honorary citizen. He was given this honor posthumously. There have only been 6 people (two are married couples who received it jointly) to be accorded this stature. What does it take to become an honorary US citizen? You have to have made extraordinary accomplishments or contributions in your life. And, then a law must be drafted and voted upon by the U.S. Senate. Celebrate today by reading and learning about Winston Churchill, Britain’s Prime Minister during World War II.”

April is:

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 Greyhound Adoption Month
National Humor Month
National Poetry Month

THE BUZZ

THE MOST DEADLY NATIONAL PARKS

As Americans venture back out into the world this summer, you might be planning on a visit to a national park, one of America’s greatest inventions. Before you go, be warned that nature can kill you in many, many different, horrible ways. Why, just last week, a giant redwood fell over and smashed a couple in their Honda. True story. Anyway, here are the Five Most Deadly National Parks:
1. Grand Canyon, Arizona (Death Count Since 2010: 134) – While falling off the Grand Canyon did account for 27 deaths there were also 42 deaths attributed to the extreme summer heat that can exacerbate health problems.
2. Yosemite, California (Death Count Since 2010: 126) – Falls have been the top cause of death in Yosemite, though 17 people have drowned in the Merced River.
3. Great Smoky Mountains, North Carolina and Tennessee (Death Count Since 2010: 92) – Motor vehicle crashes cause the most deaths at Great Smoky, with 37 perishing in the last ten years alone.
4. Sequoia and Kings Canyon, California (Death Count Since 2010: 75) – The drawing card here is Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 states. Falls and mountaineering deaths are the leading causes of fatality here.
5. Yellowstone, Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho (Death Count Since 2010: 52) – Over 20 park visitors have died in the thermal hot spots. Motor-vehicle crashes, medical issues, and natural death tied with 12 occurrences each since 2010.
* Are we sure we don’t just want to pave over everything?
* Please note over 75% of these deaths would not have happened if people would just PUT THEIR PHONES IN THEIR POCKETS AND WATCH WHERE THEY’RE WALKING.
* They forgot about these Other Dangerous National Parks:
– Six Bears Per Acre National Park, Montana
– The Floor is Lava National Park, Hawaii
– Loose Boulders National Monument, Utah
– Rabiesland, Michigan
– Free Alligator National Park, Florida
– Riptide Beach, New Jersey
* Remember, folks, when it comes to Charles Darwin’s principle of natural selection, resistance is futile.

U.S. NEWS

THE BAD TRIP HELP LINE

A San Francisco man named Joshua White has started what he calls the Fireside Project. It’s a psychedelic peer support line – a phone number you can call if you are having an intense psychedelic experience, or if you just want to process a previous trip. Set to go live April 14, the line will be available for a variety of purposes – people who accidentally ate too much cannabis, or maybe someone tripping on mushrooms just looking for someone to talk them through their cosmic journey. White says he is a psychologist with an focus in psychedelic therapy. He has experience volunteering with on-site psychedelic peer support at large-scale festivals like Burning Man.
* I think somebody better talk him down from doing this. He’s going to get some crazy calls.
* “Hello, is this the psychedelic support line? I’d like to talk to the rainbow trees, please.”
* What if you want to call them but your phone has melted into the arm of your chair?
* Or you get them on the line but when they talk, it’s backwards?
* The “bad trip” help line. How many calls are they going to get from confused old people complaining about their room on their last Carnival cruise?
* Four words of advice: Charge By The Minute.

MOST PEOPLE WOULD ACCEPT SLOWER DELIVERIES IF AMAZON WOULD TREAT THEIR EMPLOYEES BETTER

A new survey of over 1,200 people, conducted by GammaWire, reveals more than 67 percent would trade slower shipping for a guarantee that Amazon would take better care of its delivery and warehouse employees. The company has been accused of underpaying and overworking their workers, punishing them for not meeting unrealistic goals, and not giving them bathroom breaks so they’ve had to pee in bottles.
* They say that last one like that’s not a normal thing.
* Boy, not me, baby. I want it YESTERDAY. I don’t want to be pulled away from my Amazon streaming TV to have to find out where my Amazon delivery is.
* In a further survey of those 67 percent who would trade slower service for better working conditions, 63 percent of them said “not really.”
* If Amazon treated its employees humanely, what reason would I have to hate Jeff Bezos?
* Something tells me this survey would have turned out differently if they had done it, say, on December 15th.

THE MAINE TREASURE HUNT

There’s a new treasure hunt happening in Maine. Kurt and Kelly Stokes of Newcastle have hidden $20,000 somewhere in the state and they’re inviting treasure seekers to come and get it. The couple created an elaborate game that will involve solving a secret, a riddle, and a puzzle. And, you’ll have to buy a special deck of cards or flash cards for $19.99 or $39.99, with a dollar from each sale going to the Maine Cancer Foundation. Kurt Stokes says they created the game, called the Dirigo Treasure Hunt, to celebrate Maine’s 200 years of statehood: “What better way to celebrate Maine than to get people out of the house, out of their town and exploring parts of the state they never knew existed?” The couple says that the treasure hunt is legal, ethical and environmentally responsible. The word “Dirigo” is the motto of Maine, a Latin word meaning “I direct” and it refers to the North Star.
* And that is our Maine Trivia for the year. Tomorrow, we do Wisconsin.
* It’s Maine, so the treasure’s gotta be in either a lighthouse or a lobster.
* Wait – are we allowed to look in Kurt and Kelly Stokes’ attic?
* What if there’s no $20,000? What if they’re going to wait and see if they sell enough decks of cards to put together the prize?
* Just remember: the real treasure is the friends you make along the journey. Because you’re never going to find the loot.

SMALL TOWN HOLDS ELECTION; NOBODY VOTES

The small southwest Missouri town of La Russell held an election on Tuesday to decide if it should annex itself into the Avilla Fire Protection District. Not one of the town’s 70 residents cast a ballot. The County Clerk checked several times to confirm that no votes were cast. Deborah Burton, the La Russell city clerk and her husband, Mayor Rick Burton, were the two who had put the issue on the ballot. They both collected the necessary signatures. But she didn’t vote, and neither did the mayor, because he was in the hospital until Wednesday.
* Well, Tuesday was that new dog grooming show on ABC, so people were probably preoccupied.
* Wasn’t there even a single prank write-in vote for Matthew McConaughey or Dwayne Johnson?
* Despite that, Donald Trump sent a team of lawyers into Missouri to overturn the vote and declare himself the winner of the fire district.
* It’s another argument for mail-in ballots. It would have cost probably 50 bucks at Office Depot for ballot printing and $38 in postage. And then they would have had fire protection, But, no. They deserve to burn.

TRENDING

DOLLY PARTON’S ICE CREAM BREAKS THE INTERNET

On Thursday, Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams released its Dolly Parton collaboration flavor, Strawberry Pretzel Pie. Within minutes, Jeni’s website appeared to experience some trouble. The company tweeted: “Did y’all just break our website?” A few hours later, the company tweeted, “To those of you trying to order Strawberry Pretzel Pie online, we are so sorry. This sucks. The flavor is NOT sold out. Our website issues have lasted longer than expected, but we are working on it and will let you know via email and social media when we’re back up and running.”

TV TONIGHT

ABC – “Shark Tank” – A product for cutting cheese. No thanks. I can cut the cheese just fine.

ABC – “20/20” – The search for a killer whose reign of terror left five Florida college students dead over four days. Did they HAVE to air this so close to Spring Break?

CBS – “MacGyver” – MacGyver tries to figure out what’s wrong with the Johnson & Johnson vaccine using a Ouija Board, a Magic 8-Ball, and a basement full of Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup.

CBS – “Magnum P.I.” – As Magnum and Higgins work a case to recover valuable stolen truffles, they also must care for a baby left abandoned at the gates of their estate. They think by putting in a baby we won’t notice how dumb the “valuable Stolen truffles” are.

NBC – “The Blacklist” – As Red and the task force search for Liz, she sets a new plan in motion that has catastrophic consequences. Well, there goes her performance bonus.

NBC – “Dateline” – When a woman is found dead in her SUV, the investigation into her murder reveals a tangled web of sex and lies. Oh, like we ALL don’t lie about sex.

FOX – “WWE Friday Night SmackDown” – Could we please focus on smacking down the COVID variants?

CW – “Whose Line Is It Anyway?” – Back-to-back reruns. Let’s hope even the cast is getting tired of it.

CW – “Penn & Teller: Fool Us” – Featuring a magician called Magical Bones, and yes, I can’t resist telling you that I do in fact have your magical bone right here for you.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

April 15, Thursday – This is NOT the federal tax filing due date for individuals this year – it has been extended to May 17
May 9, Sunday – Mother’s Day
May 17, Monday – U.S. Tax Day – deadline for filing taxes
May 31, Monday – Memorial Day
June 14, Monday – Flag Day
June 20, Sunday – Father’s Day
June 20, Sunday – Summer begins, Solstice is 11:32 p.m. EDT

BIRTHDAYS

Isaac Hempstead Wright (actor, Bran Stark on “Game of Thrones”) … 22
Kristen Stewart (actress, “Underwater”, “Twilight” movies) … 31
Jordan Masterson (actor, “Last Man Standing”) … 34
Leighton Meester (actress, “Gossip Girl”) … 35
Cynthia Nixon (actress) … 55
Dennis Quaid (actor) … 67

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

“It’s okay, you know? It’s okay to be you. It’s okay to just not be okay. It’s okay to not be okay.”

(A) Lindsay Lohan
(B) Charlie Sheen
(C) Kristen Stewart

ANSWER: (C) Kristen Stewart

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2017 – David Dao Duy Anh, a Vietnamese-American pulmonologist, was one of four passengers aboard a United aircraft selected for involuntary removal from the flight to make room for four “deadheading” airline employees who needed to travel on the flight. When Anh refused, O’Hare International Airport Aviation Security Officers forcibly and violently removed him. Twitter footage of the violent removal went viral, resulting in widespread outrage. United CEO Oscar Munoz was denied a previously planned promotion to chairman, and on April 27, Dao reached an “amicable” settlement with United, the terms of which were not publicly announced.
* United’s treatment of customers has gone so downhill since they were bought by the Mafia.

2003 – Iraqis celebrated the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime, beheading a toppled statue of their longtime ruler in downtown Baghdad.
* And that’s the last time they worked together to get something done.

1965 – The first game was played at the Houston Astrodome.
* The first BASEBALL game. The first GAME played was probably called “How Much Can We Raise with Municipal Bonds”?

1955 – The McDonalds fast-food chain was founded in Chicago.
* I remember growing up, watching their signs change, 1 million sold, 5 million sold, 10 million sold, thinking: “Daddy, please buy me some stock! Daddy, please buy me some stock!”

1947 – The Atomic Energy Commission was formed.
* A government agency known for its strong nucleus.

1872 – Samuel R. Percy patented dried milk.
* It went great with the dry cookies his wife baked.

1865 – America’s Civil War ended when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Yankee General Ulysses S. Grant.
* These days, America’s no longer divided into two camps. Now everybody fights with everybody else over all the big issues.

1833 – The first municipally-supported library was opened in the town of Peterborough, New Hampshire.
* Opening remarks were cut short when the librarian kept saying “Shhh!”

1831 – British Captain Robert Jenkins lost an ear to a band of Spanish brigands, starting a war between Britain and Spain.
* “Goodbye, Mom and Dad. I’m off to die for my country for the sake of Bob Jenkins’ stupid ear!”

1770 – Capt. James Cook discovers Botany Bay. It was the first Western sighting of Australia.
* Wow – What are the odds he’d find a land with the same name as a modern men’s clothing line?

1667 – The first public art exhibition was held in Paris.
* So, they’re not counting those prehistoric cave paintings, then …

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2018 – Fleetwood Mac confirmed they had fired Lindsey Buckingham, citing a disagreement over the band’s upcoming tour, announcing that Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Neil Finn of Crowded House would replace him. Buckingham would later claim that Stevie Nicks demanded his ouster because she thought he was disrespectful of her and smirked when she gave a thank-you speech at the January 26 MusicCares benefit in New York City.

2007 – Country western singer Tanya Tucker was sued by her manicurist for $300,000 over claims the star’s dog attacked and injured her.

2004 – A man was arrested for allegedly stalking Avril Lavigne. James Speedy, 30, from Seattle, Washington, was arrested after police searched his home. He was later released on $5,000 bail. Mr. Speedy had been under investigation since the previous summer for allegedly sending harassing letters and e-mails to the 19-year-old singer.

1998 – Pop star George Michael was arrested for investigation of engaging in misdemeanor lewd conduct. The arrest was made at Will Rogers Park in Beverly Hills, Calif., after an undercover officer allegedly observed Michael performing a lewd act in a park restroom.

1998 – A Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded pop star Michael Jackson $2.7 million in damages in his defamation-of-character suit against Victor Gutierrez. On the TV program Hard Copy, Gutierrez claimed to have seen a video of Jackson having sex with a boy.

1973 – Rock group Queen had its debut performance at the Marquee Theater in London.

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!

Note: These questions and answers assume a pre-COVID environment.

1. In surveys, 65% of women admit they do THIS, compared to 50% of men. What is it?
Sing in the car

2. On average, women do THIS 2 to 3 times a week, while men do it twice as often. What is it?
Shake hands (pre-COVID)

3. According to research, on average men do this 45% quicker than women. What is it?
Order from a menu

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