FRIDAY, July 11 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR FRIDAY, July 11, 2025
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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. We present only those specially designated days we feel your listeners would find most interesting or significant.)

ALL AMERICAN PET PHOTO DAY

CHEER UP THE LONELY DAY

NATIONAL BLUEBERRY MUFFIN DAY

NATIONAL FRENCH FRY DAY – Second Friday in July
Check your favorite fast food restaurant for free French fries offers.

NATIONAL MOJITO DAY

NATIONAL RAINIER CHERRY DAY

(FREE) SLURPEE DAY
Previously known as “7-Eleven Day,” Slurpee Day (also called Free Slurpee Day) is a commercial observance promoted by the convenience store chain on the date 7/11 which coincides with the stores’ name. The 7-Eleven website says the stores will celebrate Slurpee Day by offering a free small Slurpee® drink, plus you can use rewards at checkout on Slurpee Day to receive an additional FREE small Slurpee® drink redeemable anytime in July.

WORLD POPULATION DAY
Wikipedia says this:
“World Population Day is an annual event, observed on July 11 every year, which seeks to raise awareness of global population issues. The event was established by the Governing Council of the United Nations Development Program in 1989. It was inspired by the public interest in Five Billion Day on July 11, 1987, approximately the date on which the world’s population reached five billion people.”

July is:

Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month
Air Conditioning Appreciation Month
Baked Bean Month
Cell Phone Courtesy Month
Family Reunion Month
International Blondie and Deborah Harry Month
National Blueberries Month
National Grilling Month
National Hot Dog Month
National Ice Cream Month
Melon Month

THE BUZZWHAT MAKES PEOPLE COOL: A HANDY GUIDE

Are you cool? In a new study, researchers from Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez in Chile, the University of Arizona, and the University of Georgia conducted experiments from 2018 to 2022 with nearly 6,000 people across a dozen countries: Australia, Chile, China, Germany, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Spain, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey and the United States. The study claims to have found six characteristics that define “cool” people. Those same characteristics apply regardless of age, sex or nationality, suggesting “cool” appears to be consistent across countries. They point out that “cool” is not the same as “good,” as some of the traits can be negative. Researchers say the six characteristics that lead to people being considered “cool” around the world are: people being perceived to be more extroverted, hedonistic, powerful, adventurous, open and autonomous.
* So – rock stars. Kind of obvious, no?
* They left off “man-bun.” Those guys are the coolest.
* And here I thought it was my Ray-Bans.
* The most cool of all are people who don’t care if they’re cool, but there’s no way to tell who that is.
* I think the researchers found the exact six characteristics that aren’t found in any researcher.

MOST BORING CITIES IN THE U.S.

FinanceBuzz evaluated more than a dozen data points relating to excitement, culture, and popular activities in 75 of the biggest cities in America to find the most boring cities in the country. They looked at the culinary scene, nightlife, outdoor activities and things to do. Here are the Top 20 Most Boring Cities in America:
20. Charlotte, NC
19. Virginia Beach, VA
18. Houston, TX
17. Tucson, AZ
16. Indianapolis, IN
15. Tulsa, OK
14. Colorado Springs, CO
13. Lexington, KY
12. Louisville, KY
11. Albuquerque, NM
10. Phoenix, AZ
9. Tallahassee, FL
8. Columbus, OH
7. Oklahoma City, OK
6. San Antonio, TX
5. Memphis, TN
4. Sioux Falls, SD
3. Corpus Christi, TX
2. Wichita, KS
1. (most boring) Jacksonville, FL
* I fell asleep halfway through that list.
* Jacksonville, Virginia Beach, Tallahassee, Houston… any city with a beach, it’s okay to be boring. No one should go to the beach for excitement.
* I thought all of Kansas was boring, but it’s only Wichita? Good to know. Well, maybe not good for Wichita.
* Tulsa AND Oklahoma City… I guess if you want excitement in Oklahoma you have to go to Lawton.
* If a city being boring means it hasn’t been in the headlines recently, I’ll take it.

U.S. NEWS

DINOSAUR BONE DISCOVERED UNDER MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY

The Museum of Nature & Science in Denver, Colorado is currently updating its HVAC system, and they decided to check out geothermal energy. Digging a test hole deep under the museum, they drilled a core sample nearly 800 feet below the surface before reaching ancient bedrock from the Late Cretaceous Period. And that’s where they found a partial dinosaur bone dating back 67.5 million years. The museum calls it a monumental discovery. Not only is it exceedingly rare to find a dinosaur fossil in a narrow drill core, but this fossil turned out to be the deepest and older dinosaur bone ever discovered within the Denver city limits. The scientists identified the fossil as part of a vertebra from a plant-eating dinosaur, which lived in present-day Denver in the years before the catastrophic asteroid impact that ended the age of dinosaurs.
* In truth, the plant-eating dinosaurs left Denver long before the asteroid because the price of housing was so high.
* Couldn’t they have told people it was a more exciting dinosaur, like a T-Rex or Stegosaurus? It’ll attract more kids, and who’s gonna know?
* Are they sure it wasn’t a museum bone trying to dig its way to freedom?
* And this story JUST HAPPENS to come out when the new Jurassic World comes out. A likely coincidence.
* Did they also find any kryptonite? “Superman” is opening this weekend.

KELLOGG’S BOUGHT BY FERRERO FOODS

Ferrero, the Italian confectionery company best known for making Nutella and Tic Tacs, is buying the Kellogg’s cereal company in a $3.1 billion deal. By purchasing Kellogg’s, Ferrero appears to be making a big move into North America’s breakfast market. The company has bought the ice cream company that produces for Blue Bunny and Halo Top brands, in addition to Nestle’s American chocolate business.
* The first change: pasta is now a part of this nutritious breakfast.
* Tony the Tiger will now say, “They’re ggggrrrRRRANDATO!”
* The Rice Krispy guys are now Snap, Krackle and Paparazzi.
* There might be some changes to your favorite breakfast cereals:
– Frosted Minestroni-Wheats
– Calimari Krispies
– Apple Giaccos
– Special F
– Tutti Frooty Loops
– And, of course, Pope Tarts

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

MAN STEALS TABLE FULL OF RIGHT SHOES

A man stole 53 right-foot shoes from a business in Queensland, Australia. The unknown man was caught on security camera on July 7 walking up to a table full of right shoes. They were on display in front of the Shoe Fashion store – if you wanted to buy the shoes, you walked into the store and asked for the matching left one. The man loaded all 53 right-footed shoes into a suitcase, put it in his cart and left.
* Left – ha! I get it!
* I’ve heard of someone having two left feet, but two right feet?
* Nothing worse than a sneak thief.
* Time to start nailing the shoes to the display table.
* The store is hoping he does the right thing.
* The store now needs to take all the left shoes and donate them to wounded veterans. They’ll be heroes.

SURFER DISAPPEARS, FOUND ON REMOTE UNINHABITED ISLAND

A 19-year-old Australian man disappeared on Wednesday afternoon during a solo surf session on Wooli Beach, which is located 300 miles north of Sydney. His family alerted authorities, prompting a massive search. The man, Darcy Deefholts, was found alive the next day on North Solitary Island, a remote, uninhabited island that sits about seven miles off the coast He was taken to a hospital in stable condition. Officials haven’t detailed how Deefholts ended up on the island or what exactly happened during his night offshore.
* But he kept screaming, “Wilson! Wilson!”
* You’re supposed to surf toward the beach, not away from it. Time for a surfer refresher course.
* The worst part was the dolphins laughing at him the whole way.
* The sharks learned a hard lesson – you snooze, you lose.
* I’ll stick to surfing the internet, thank you.

RENT A JAPANESE GRANDMA

In Japan, there is a service is called OK Obaachan. It rents grandmas – Obaachan is Japanese for grandmother. For a fee of $22 to cover transportation and another $22 per hour, you can have your very own grandma. According to the OK Obaachan website, their grandmas have been hired to teach cooking, mediate family disputes, write things with their nice penmanship, and babysitting. They have been hired by men to stand by as they come out as gay to their parents, and also by women who want someone next to them as they break up with their boyfriends. They currently have a roster of about 100 ladies aged 60 to 94 with a range of abilities from housework, interpersonal skills, historical knowledge, and life experience.
* You know, $22 an hour is not a bad price to have someone come over and mow your lawn.
* “Do you have useful life experience that will help me to reach my dreams?” “Well, I lived 75 years and I’ve ended up renting myself out for $22 an hour, so you be the judge.”
* On the bright side, $22 an hour has GOT to be cheaper than daycare, right?
* Do they need one in their lineup that just sits around and complains that they’re chilly and need a sweater? Because my grandma’s looking to make some money.
* When you’re done with your grandma, you just leave the money in the Werther’s candy bowl on the dresser.

TRENDING

LARRY DAVID RETURNING TO TV IN SKETCH SERIES

Larry David, of Curb Your Enthusiasm, is returning to television with a new sketch comedy series about American history. The HBO show will be a limited six-episode, half-hour sketch comedy series, which promises a mix of Curb Your Enthusiasm actors and “noteworthy guest stars.” Larry will star, executive produce, and co-write the show. Barack and Michelle Obama are two of the executive producers via their production company, Higher Ground. The logline for the show reads: “President and Mrs. Obama wanted to honor America’s 250th anniversary and celebrate the unique history of our nation on this special occasion… But then Larry David called.”

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

Sept. 1, Monday – Labor Day
Sept. 11, Thursday – Patriot Day
Sept. 22, Monday – Fall begins (Autumn Equinox is 2:19 p.m. EDT)

BIRTHDAYS

David Henrie (actor, “How I Met Your Mother,” “Wizards Beyond Waverly Place,” “Wizards of Waverly Place”) … 36
Justin Chambers (actor, “Grey’s Anatomy”) … 55
Jeff Corwin (TV wildlife expert, “Wildlife Nation with Jeff Corwin”) … 58
Suzanne Vega (singer/songwriter) … 66
Richie Sambora (former guitarist with Bon Jovi) … 66
Sela Ward (actress, “FBI”) … 69
Stephen Lang (actor, bad guy in “Avatar” movies, “Manhunter”) … 73

Today’s Birthdays grade: A broad collection including a former rock star guitarist, a wildlife expert, singers, actors and actresses. Nobody super-super-exciting (unless you’re a big Bon Jovi fan) but no losers either. Grade: C.

[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!

“Every year, I resolve to take good care of myself and stay in shape.”

(A) Jason Momoa
(B) Dwayne Johnson
(C) Justin Chambers

ANSWER: (C) Justin Chambers

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2021 – Billionaire Richard Branson flew to the edge of space on his Virgin Galactic rocket plane in a space tourism test.
* To show ordinary millionaires it was safe to buy tickets.

1995 – The United States normalized relations with Vietnam.
* We couldn’t defeat them on the battlefield – so we decided to hit them with our snack foods and movies!

1979 – Skylab, the first American space station, fell back to Earth several years earlier than expected, burning up in the atmosphere and showering debris over the Indian Ocean and Australia.
* On the bright side, it gave the crew a chance to practice their Emergency Evacuation.

1962 – The first transatlantic TV transmission via satellite was made – a short television program sent from the United States to France.
* The best part – no commercials.

1903 – The world’s first powerboat race took place in Cork, Ireland.
* It moved pretty slowly, ’til they managed to get off Cork and into the water.

1812 – The U.S. invaded Canada at Detroit.
* We were fighting for cheaper beer and donuts.

1804 – The United State’s first secretary of the treasury, Alexander Hamilton, was killed by Vice President Aaron Burr in a duel.
* And you thought today’s politics were rough.

1798 – The U.S. Marine Corps was formed.
* If they’d been around in 1776 the revolution would’ve been over in a week.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2019 – Mattel announced a new collectable Barbie doll inspired by David Bowie’s signature Ziggy Stardust fashion. Dubbed “Barbie as Bowie,” the doll is dressed as the late singer’s glam-rock alter ego, complete with a pair of red platform boots and topped with his fiery-red mullet.

2013 – Pearl Jam released their tenth studio album “Lightning Bolt” which went to No.1 on the U.S. album chart.

2009 – The Black Eyes Peas “I Gotta Feeling” started a 14-week run at No.1 on the U.S. singles chart, replacing the group’s previous single, “Boom Boom Pow,” which held the No.1 spot for 12 weeks. The feat made the group only the fourth act in chart history to replace themselves at the top spot.

2002 – The funeral of The Who’s bass player John Entwistle was held.

2000 – Lars Ulrich of Metallica was the first witness to testify at a U.S. Senate hearing over copyright law issues concerning free sharing of music files on Web sites such as Napster.

1992 – A line of eight ties designed by Jerry Garcia of The Grateful Dead went on sale in the U.S. President Bill Clinton bought a set. The collection grossed a million dollars in the U.S. by the end of the year.

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. In 1928, Americans did THIS an average of about twice a week. Now, we each do it about 5 times a year. What is it?
Go to the movies

2. The average person does THIS about 20 times a year. What is it?
Breaks the law

3. The average person does THIS about 84 times a year. What is it?
Sees or visits their parents

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