FRIDAY, Dec 6 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR FRIDAY, December 6, 2024
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: THE FRIDAY CLUSTERFLICKS

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.)

NATIONAL BARTENDER DAY

NATIONAL MICROWAVE OVEN DAY

NATIONAL MINER’S DAY
The National Day Calendar website says this:
“This day was created as a day of reflection when we can show appreciation for the sacrifices, honor the accomplishments and remember the tragedies that these hard working individuals experienced. Mining is one of the most dangerous jobs in America and the miners put their lives at risk each and every day as they contend with health and safety issues as well as their uncertainty of the future. The worst mining disaster in American History occurred in the community of Monongah, West Virginia on December 6, 1907, when 362 men and boys lost their lives. Some say the number is closer to 500.”

NATIONAL PAWNBROKERS DAY

MITTEN TREE DAY
Commemorating the children’s story The Mitten Tree, by Candace Christiansen.

ST. NICHOLAS DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Yes, there really was a Christian Saint Nicholas. He lived in the country of Greece, just a couple hundred years after the birth of Christ. This day is in honor of Saint Nicholas and his life. Saint Nicholas became a priest, and later, a Bishop of the early Catholic Church. True to the Christian concept of giving up belongings and following Christ, St. Nicholas gave up all of his belongings. He was well known for giving to needy people, especially children.”

December is:

Exotic/Tropical Fruits Month
National Egg Nog Month
National Fruit Cake Month
National Stress-Free Family Holiday Month
National Write a Business Plan Month
Safe Toys and Gifts Month
Tomato Month
Winter Squash Month

THE BUZZDO WE CRY MORE ON AIRPLANES?

A writer for USA Today named Zach Wichter has investigated a theory that people cry more on airplanes. He noted that he was prone to crying whenever he flew, and that many people he knows has a story of crying unexpectedly while flying. It turns out that, while there’s no scientific evidence proving people cry more on planes, travel stress and anxiety can make flyers more emotional. Jennifer Cheavens, a professor of psychology at The Ohio State University, points out that when we travel “we’re tired, we’re not eating as we normally would, we’re not sleeping as we normally would,” and all of those things can lead to heightened emotions. Also, if you’re traveling for a funeral or leaving loved ones behind, you may feel more emotional than you normally would at home. But in the end, it’s not a matter of cabin pressurization or altitude, it’s just the added stress of travel.
* Unless you’re every baby in the world, then you cry just because you’re on an airplane.
* It is a proven fact, though, that people burst into tears when they find out they’re flying on Frontier.
* Not crying, but people have been known to scream uncontrollably when they realize they’re on a Boeing plane.
* Sometimes having my legs cramp up from having no room makes me tear up a little.
* Just another reason – when the drink cart comes around – to make it a double.
PHONE TOPIC: Do you cry on airplanes?

A.I. ACCURATELY PREDICTS 15-DAY WEATHER FORECAST

A new artificial intelligence-based weather model can deliver 15-day forecasts with unrivaled accuracy and speed, according to Google labs. GenCast, invented by London-based AI research laboratory Google DeepMind, “showed better forecasting skill” than the current best forecasting model. Google said GenCast surpassed the precision of the current models in more than 97 percent of the 1,320 real-world scenarios which they were both tested on. GenCast “consistently outperformed” the current leading forecast model when predicting extreme heat, extreme cold and high wind speeds. More accurate forecasting of extreme weather can help officials safeguard more lives, avert damage, and save money.
* Well, goodbye (your popular local weatherman)! Hope you at least get a cake on your way out.
* They don’t name the “current best forecasting model,” but I’ll bet it’s working on its resume.
* How do we know it’s not just plagiarizing other forecasts, like all A.I. does?
* When it comes to forecasting, A.I. will never replace my grandad’s bunion.
* They probably have an AI that can do this with the stock market, but they’re keeping it for themselves.

U.S. NEWS

AUDIO: WAR ON CHRISTMAS! FLORIDA BEAR STEALS YARD GRINCH

A family in Golden Gate Estates, Florida, near Naples, noticed on the day after Thanksgiving that their inflatable yard Grinch had been stolen. Mom Shanick Suarez thought it was a prank when a neighbor texted her a few days later to say the Grinch had been found two houses away. They put the Grinch back in place, but Suarez received an alert from her security camera early Wednesday morning and checked it to see a bear attacking her Grinch. (* Not a euphemism.) They thought it was the funniest thing ever, even when the bear dragged the Grinch off into the nearby woods. Suarez said they were able to find it later, but it was too damaged to make a return to the yard.
* I can just imagine what the bear was doing with it in the woods.
* Probably the same bear that got Leonardo DiCaprio in that movie.
* Maybe the bear was sent by the homeowner’s association: No Tacky Lawn Decorations!
* On the bright side, since the Grinch hates Christmas, it was happy to be taken out of the yard.
* At least the bear didn’t have the nerve to steal their giant inflatable Home Depot Halloween Skeleton.
* Sounds like Golden Gate Estates could use an actual gate.
CLIP: A “War on Christmas” sounder.
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)(com)/prep/wp-content/uploads/WarOnXmasSounder4(dot)mp3

SOMEONE LEFT CREMAINS AT A MOVIE THEATER

In Beloit, Wisconsin, police are looking for the owner of an urn containing ashes left behind at the Classic Cinemas theater in mid-to-late September. The movie theater initially kept the urn for a few weeks, hoping someone would claim it. In October, they turned it over to the police department. They are hoping that by spreading the word, they can reunite the ashes with the proper party. Police say, “If you can describe the urn, please send us a message or call our evidence room.”
* Don’t fall for that – they movie theater is gonna try and charge you for an extra ticket.
* The urn is intact, but there’s gum stuck to the bottom.
* Funeral home too cheap to slap a label on the bottom?
* How many times did poor grandma’s remains have to sit through “Joker: Folie à Deux” before someone found her?
* Are they sure it’s not one of those promotional popcorn buckets for “Bettlejuice Beetlejuice”?

COLOR OF THE YEAR: MOCHA

Pantone has announced that their color of the year is: Mocha Mousse. A press release calls it “An evocative soft brown that transports our senses into the pleasure and deliciousness it inspires. Infused with subtle elegance and earthy refinement, Mocha Mousse presents a discrete and tasteful touch of glamour.”
* Oh, what a load of…. brown.
* “Soft brown.” Why has Pantone decided to go so wild and crazy?
* Let me guess – someone suggested it while drinking their Starbucks?
* UPS must be thrilled. They don’t have to change the uniforms this year.
* Time to wait another year for the folks at Pantone to throw another dart at the color wheel poster.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

MURDER HORNETS IN EUROPE

Our old friend the Murder Hornet has now been spotted in Europe. Researchers in Spain are scrambling to find the nest belonging to the first southern giant hornets found in Europe. Nicknamed “murder hornets” because they are known to kill off beehives, the insects grow to an average length of 2 inches. They are native to parts of Asia including India, China, Thailand and Vietnam. They were first spotted in the United States in Washington state in late 2019. A giant hornet nest found in the U.S. was promptly destroyed in October 2020, but a live hornet was spotted in Washington the following year. Now, there have been two separate sightings of the giant hornets in Spain, in the northern city of Siero. A pair was spotted in March 2022, then another two in October 2023. Researchers are trying to find the nest, so they can destroy it.
* October 2023! It’s nice of Spain to give it all this time to do some house hunting.
* Murder Hornets. Just when you’ve forgotten about ’em, they show up again. Like Jeff Goldblum or the Menendez Brothers.
* I know Trump wants to send illegal immigrants to other countries, but I didn’t think he’d started yet.
* Other countries always want what America has. You know what? You can have our murder hornets. Take ’em.

TRENDING

RONNIE DUNN RECOVERING FROM SKI ACCIDENT

Brooks & Dunn singer Ronnie Dunn is taking eight weeks off the road as he recovers from a skiing injury. Sharing the news on social media, Ronnie posted a photo of his legs, including extensive bandaging around his left knee and thigh. He jokingly brought up his 2011 song “I Don’t Dance” in the caption of his post, writing, “Changing those lyrics from ‘I don’t dance with anybody but you’ to ‘I probably shouldn’t ski anymore at 72,'” Brooks wrote. “8 week vacation!!” He didn’t mention any details of the accident, but his daughter Haley posted an Instagram showing that he had a knee replacement.

CARRIE UNDERWOOD TO ROCK IN THE NEW YEAR

Carrie Underwood will be rockin’ in the new year on “Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Rockin’ Seacrest” this year. Carrie announced on Thursday (Dec. 5) that she’s booked for a headlining slot during the New Year’s Eve show. She will be singing her catalog of hits in a medley encompassing every era of her two-decade career.

TAYLOR SWIFT’S ERAS TOUR ENDS THIS SUNDAY

After more than 150 shows across five continents over nearly two years, Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is coming to an end this Sunday. She kicked it off in March 2023 and it will end Sunday in Vancouver, Canada. The show was a 3 1/2-hour showcase of 44 songs representing 10 different “eras” of her career. According to concert trade publication Pollstar, the tour has earned over $2 billion.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

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

Judd Apatow (producer, writer, director, actor, comedian) … 57
Nick Park (stop-motion animator, “Wallace & Gromit,” “Chicken Run,” etc.) … 66
Peter Buck (guitarist with R.E.M.) … 68
Steven Wright (droll comedian) … 69
Bill Lloyd (country singer, Foster and Lloyd) … 69

Today’s Birthdays grade: Most everybody on today’s birthday list peaked a while ago, except for … believe it or not, Nick Park. His latest, “Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl,” debuts in England on Christmas Day, comes to Netflix internationally on January 3, and has received universal acclaim from critics, gaining a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes! 100%! Crazy, right? So he elevates a blah day of birthdays to B-minus. Apologies if you just don’t find Wallace & Gromit all that entertaining.
[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!

“I always felt as a kid that I was under-appreciated, invisible or weird, but I’ve always secretly thought people would one day appreciate what is different about me.”

(A) Lady Gaga
(B) Elon Musk
(C) Judd Apatow

ANSWER: (C) Judd Apatow

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2006 – NASA revealed photographs taken by the Mars Global Surveyor suggesting the presence of liquid water on Mars.
* The news made a splash!

1964 – “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” first aired on TV.
* Never seen it.

1957 – America’s first attempt to launch a satellite failed when a Vanguard rocket blew up.
* On the bright side, the explosion looked really cool.

1905 – The Norwegian explorer Roald Amundsen discovered the true Magnetic North Pole after a 2-year trip.
* And thanks to his discovery, we can now … that is, it’s possible to … er, we can all … uh, what exactly is the Magnetic North pole good for again?

1884 – The construction of the Washington Monument was completed by Army engineers, after 34 years.
* And you thought that road work by your house was taking a long time.

1877 – Thomas Edison demonstrated the first gramophone, with a recording of himself reciting “Mary Had a Little Lamb.”
* The “B” side featured “Little Miss Muffet” and a hip-hop re-mix of “Mary Had A Little Lamb.”

1768 – The Encyclopedia Britannica made its debut.
* And the following day was the debut of the door-to-door salesman.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2023 – Taylor Swift capped off a stellar 2023 by being named Time Magazine’s Person of the year.

2013 – The electric guitar played by Bob Dylan at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival was sold at auction in New York for a record $965,000. The Fender Stratocaster had been in the possession of a New Jersey family for 48 years after Dylan left it on a private plane.

2003 – Elvis Costello married jazz artist Diana Krall in a ceremony at Elton John’s UK mansion. About 150 guests, including Sir Paul McCartney, attended the wedding. It was Costello’s third marriage.

1995 – Michael Jackson collapsed while rehearsing for an HBO special on a Manhattan theater stage. Tests showed that the entertainer was suffering from low blood pressure.

1988 – Singer Roy Orbison died of a heart attack.

1975 – Paul Simon went to No.1 on the U.S. album chart with “Still Crazy After All These Years,” his first U.S. No.1 solo album.

1975 – Rev. Charles Boykin of Tallahassee, Florida organized the burning of Elton John and Rolling Stones records, claiming they were sinful. Boykin was reacting to the results of a survey that said 984 of the 1,000 local unmarried mothers had sex when listening to rock music.

1969 – Led Zeppelin made their debut on the U.S. singles chart with “Whole Lotta Love.” It went on to reach No. 4 and was the first of six Top 40 singles for the group in the U.S.

1969 – One hit wonder Steam started a two-week run at No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Na Na Hey Hey Kiss Him Goodbye.”

1969 – The Rolling Stones played a free festival at Altamont in California, along with Jefferson Airplane, Santana, The Flying Burrito Brothers and Crosby Stills Nash & Young. Rolling Stones fan Meredith Hunter, an American man, was stabbed to death as the group played, by Hell’s Angels member Alan Passaro (the biker gang had been hired to police the event). It was claimed Hunter was waving a revolver. Later tried for murder, Passaro was acquitted on grounds of self-defense. One other man drowned, two men were killed in a hit-and run accident, and two babies were born.

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. 5% of people surveyed said wait until they are in a relationship for a year before allowing their partner to do THIS. What is it?
Allow them to drive their car

2. 90% of us say we do THIS in the car, but 80% won’t do it if anyone else is around. What is it?
Sing in the car

3. 14% of parents surveyed said they have almost crashed while doing THIS in the car. What is it?
Texting

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