FRIDAY, July 18 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP EMAIL AND TEXT VERSION FOR FRIDAY, July 18, 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.)

NATIONAL CAVIAR DAY

NATIONAL SOUR CANDY DAY

NELSON MANDELA INTERNATIONAL DAY
The United Nations website says this:
“In November 2009, the UN General Assembly declared 18 July ‘Nelson Mandela International Day’ in recognition of the former South African President’s contribution to the culture of peace and freedom.”

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

ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITIES

CBS CANCELS STEPHEN COLBERT

CBS is cancelling The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Colbert made the announcement during the taping of Thursday night’s show. The network released a statement citing the reason: the economics of late-night TV have changed. Young viewers are not tuning in, and advertisers are not supporting the shows. CBS said: “We consider Stephen Colbert irreplaceable and will retire ‘The Late Show’ franchise” in May of 2026. We are proud that Stephen called CBS home. He and the broadcast will be remembered in the pantheon of greats that graced late night television. This is purely a financial decision against a challenging backdrop in late night. It is not related in any way to the show’s performance, content or other matters happening at Paramount.”
* By that, they mean the $16 million bribe CBS paid to the President to allow the network to be sold so all the executives could make a lot of money.
* Ironically, another year of The Late Show would cost exactly 16 million dollars. I bet.
* And this happens just three days after Colbert called out the network for paying the money. Coincidence? Sorry, I just don’t see it.
* If they get rid of Colbert, that means no one is safe. Look out, new Matlock.
* Well, more air time for that Hollywood Squares reboot, I guess.

COLDPLAY KISS CAM CATCHES CLANDESTINE CANOODLERS

Coldplay’s Wednesday night concert at Gillette Stadium in Boston caused a public relations disaster for a tech CEO. During the show, the band brought out the classic Kiss Cam gimmick, panning the audience for romantic-looking couples. The Kiss Cam landed on a man named Andy Byron, CEO of Astronomer, a software development firm reportedly valued at over $1 billion. In his arms, with his hand across her chest, was the company’s Chief People Officer, Kristin Cabot. The problem is, that woman is not Mr. Byron’s wife. As soon as they noticed themselves on camera, they panicked. Byron let go immediately, ducking behind a barrier like a man caught red-handed, while Cabot buried her face in her hands. Coldplay’s Chris Martin joked, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re very shy.” Right on both counts. The footage made its way online, and the internet is blowing up over the apparent affair.
* Well, that’s two less Coldplay fans.
* She was just doing her job as Chief People Officer. She was officiating the Chief Person.
* “You said you were working late!” “Well, it IS work! Do you know how much of an effort it is listening to Coldplay music???”
* PHONE TOPIC: What ruined your favorite band for you?
CLIP: Chris Martin describes the Kiss Cam action.

THE BUZZ

DOGS WATCH TV

A groundbarking study from Auburn University reveals that dogs are far more sophisticated TV viewers than anyone imagined. Rather than mindlessly watching whatever happens to be on (* like us!), dogs demonstrate genuine interest in television, and they have distinct preferences. In questioning dog owners, the researchers asked: Does the dog follow objects that move off-screen? Do they bark at certain sounds? How do they react to different animals versus humans or inanimate objects like cars? Here are some of the findings:
– 88.3% of dogs studied were reported to actively respond to television content.
– Dogs showed heightened interest in programs featuring other dogs, household pets like cats, and wild animals.
– Some dogs exhibited what researchers termed “anticipatory following,” tracking objects like a tennis ball moving across the screen and even looking behind the television as if expecting to find the disappeared object.
– Some dogs with higher anxiety levels exhibited what researchers called “cautious behavior. They reacted strongly to loud noises like doorbells or car horns, and loud human voices, and rapid movement on the screen.
* For some reason, they love that Owen Wilson show called “Stick.”
* And they love reruns of “Bones.”
* But they hated the show “Black Lightning.” Made them hide under the bed.
* My dog thinks The Dog Whisperer is a horror show.
* The weird thing is, dogs like watching TV but they feel most streaming series would have made a better 2-hour movie.
* PHONE TOPIC: Does your dog watch TV? What show does it like?

U.S. NEWS

MAN SUCKED INTO MRI MACHINE BY HIS METAL NECKLACE

A Long Island man was critically injured Wednesday after he entered an MRI room without permission while a scan was in progress. The 61-year-old was wearing a large metallic chain around his neck that caused him to be sucked into the machine, which operates using strong electromagnets. The incident happened at Nassau Open MRI in Westbury, Long Island.
* What about the poor schmuck who was already in the machine?
* Talk about pulling a fast one.
* What’s ironic is, his friends told him the necklace did not make him more attractive.

POWER STICK DEODORANT RECALLED

Of all the products to be recalled, here’s one of the oddest: Power Stick deodorants are under recall for manufacturing defects, according to the Food and Drug Administration. The recall impacts more than 67,000 cases of roll-on deodorants that were sold nationally. The recall notice doesn’t specify the issue with the deodorants. The recall involves 21,265 cases of Power Stick for Her Roll-on Antiperspirant Deodorant Powder Fresh; 22,482 cases of Power Stick Invisible Protection Roll-On Antiperspirant Deodorant Spring Fresh; and 23,467 cases of Power Stick Original Nourishing Invisible Protection Roll-On Antiperspirant Deodorant.
* What the hell? Does it attract hornets? Does it cause massive hair growth under your armpits? Does it turn your sweat into acid rain?
* Here I’m worried about the microplastics in my brain, and the FDA is concerned about my pitted-out shirts.
* How can any product called Original Nourishing Invisible Protection Roll-On Antiperspirant Deodorant Spring Fresh have anything wrong with it, except maybe a typo from the poor guy who had to design the label.

MOM & SON LOST IN WOODS, LEAVE A PAPER TRAIL

A mother and her 9-year-old son got lost in a remote forest last Friday on their way to a Boy Scout camp in California. They were rescued after crews searching for the missing family found handwritten notes by the woman asking for help. The two were traveling from Sacramento to Camp Wolfeboro when they got lost in a remote area after losing the GPS signal. The 49-year-old mother became disoriented trying to retrace their steps, and their vehicle got stuck in the dirt, stranding them in the dense forest. There was no cell service there. Their family reported them missing early Saturday afternoon after the camp reported them overdue. Rescuers began searching and soon found a handwritten note left by the mother asking for help. It was posted at an intersection of a remote Forest Service Road. It said, “Help = me and my son are stranded with no service and can’t call 911. We are ahead, up the road to the right. Please call 911 to get help for us.” Another note further up the road said, “Follow the strips of brown sheet.” She had begun leaving strips of a brown paper bag as a trail. They also left arrows made of rocks pointing in the direction they were traveling. Searchers found them staying with their vehicle, about a mile from the second note. Rescuers said they did the right thing by staying close to their car, because it’s the biggest, most obvious thing searchers can see while looking.
* Was there no crazed killer after them? No team of mafia hitmen? No coked-up bear? What a boring story. Not at all like the movies.
* As she’s tearing that brown paper bag up, I’m sure she’s thinking, “There goes dinner.”
* If you get lost and can’t find the Boy Scout camp, do you fail Boy Scouts?
* I mean, seriously – no compass, no map, no satellite phone, no emergency flare gun… that boy scout was not prepared.

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

Chace Crawford (actor, “The Boys,” “Gossip Girl”) … 40
Kristen Bell (actress, “The Good Place,” “House of Lies,” voice of Anna in “Frozen” franchise) … 45
Vin Diesel (actor, “Fast and Furious” movies, real name Mark Vincent) … 58
Elizabeth McGovern (actress, “Downton Abbey”) … 64
Ricky Skaggs (country singer/songwriter/musician) … 71
Sir Richard Branson (UK tycoon, owner of the Virgin group) … 75
James Brolin (actor, “Life in Pieces”) … 85

Today’s Birthdays grade: We’ve got stars from two giant franchises today, plus a billionaire. We could stop there but there’s also the Countess of Grantham, one of The Boys and Thanos’s daddy! And 1985’s Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year. Stellar! 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!

“The fan base I’ve been lucky enough to accumulate is made up of enlightened people. Just smart individuals. Every now and then, I read some fan mail, and these people can write better than me.”

(A) Ryan Seacrest
(B) Mike Tyson
(C) Vin Diesel

ANSWER: (C) Vin Diesel

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2018 – Google was fined a record $5.1 billion by the EU for abusing the dominance of its Android mobile operating system in the mobile phone market.
* Relax. Google has that much stuck in the cushions of its couch.

1995 – The oldest known musical instrument in the world was found in Slovenia. It was a crude wind instrument dating from 45,000 years ago.
* And buried alongside: one of The Rolling Stones’ first roadies.

1986 – The first videotapes showing the wreckage of the Titanic were released to the public.
* Giving James Cameron a great idea for a movie.

1969 – Senator Edward Kennedy drove off a wooden bridge leaving Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts, killing his passenger, an aide named Mary Jo Kopechne. The incident is thought to have forever barred him from a run for the presidency.
* Thereby probably saving HIS life.

1940 – The first successful helicopter flight took place in Stratford, Connecticut.
* “Successful” means the pilot lived.

1936 – The first Oscar Meyer Wienermobile rolled out of General Body Company’s factory in Chicago, IL.
* And it came loaded – mustard, ketchup, onions …

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2019 – Ed Sheeran broke yet another streaming record when his latest collaborative album “No. 6 Collaborations Project” racked up 69 million streams in a month on Spotify, which was the highest by any artist.

2008 – Rolling Stone guitarist Ronnie Wood was “seeking help” with his battle with alcohol in a rehabilitation center. The move followed tabloid speculation over the state of his 23-year marriage to former model Jo Wood.

2007 – Sting and his wife, Trudie Styler, were ordered to pay their former chef compensation after losing a sexual discrimination case. Jane Martin, 41, was fired by Styler after she became pregnant.

2001 – Kiss added another product to their ever-growing merchandising universe: the “Kiss Kasket.” The coffin featured the faces of the four founding members of the band, the Kiss logo and the words “Kiss Forever.” Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell was buried in one after he was shot and killed onstage in Dec 2004.

1991 – Bobby Brown married Whitney Houston at her New Jersey estate.

1953 – Truck driver Elvis Presley made his first ever recording when he paid $3.98 at a Memphis recording service to record two songs, “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin.”

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 1950, only 1 in 100 homes had more than 2 of THESE. Today, half of all homes do. What are they?
Bathrooms

2. About 56% of homes still have one of THESE. What is it?
A cordless phone

3. It s estimated that in three-quarters of homes that have THIS, it’s never used. What is it?
A pool table

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