FRIDAY, May 16 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP EMAIL AND TEXT VERSION FOR FRIDAY, May 16, 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.)

ACCOUNTING DAY

BIOGRAPHER’S DAY
Dr. Samuel Johnson met James Boswell on this date in 1763. Boswell would later write “The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.,” regarded as an important stage in the development of the modern genre of biography; many have called it the greatest biography written in English.

INTERNATIONAL PICKLE DAY

NATIONAL LOVE A TREE DAY

NATIONAL MIMOSA DAY

May is:

Chip Your Pet Month / Pet Month
Date Your Mate Month
International Civility Awareness Month
National Barbeque Month
National Bike Month
National Egg Month
National Hamburger Month
National Military Appreciation Month
National Salad Month
National Salsa Month
Older Americans Month

THE BUZZ

THE MOST POPULAR SOFT DRINKS

According to Beverage Digest, using data from 2024, here are the most popular soft drinks. For the first time, Pepsi isn’t even in the top three.
1. Coke (Coke has 19% of the market share, more than double that of any of its rivals.)
2. Dr Pepper (8.3% of market share)
3. Sprite (also 8.3% of market share)
4. Pepsi (7.9%)
5. Diet Coke
6. Mountain Dew
7. Coca-Cola Zero Sugar
8. Diet Pepsi
9. Fanta
10.Canada Dry Ginger Ale
* And yet, there’s, like, a dozen root beers out there and none of them make the top 10.

MEN DIE OF A BROKEN HEART MORE OFTEN THAN WOMEN

According to a new study, just published in the Journal of the American Heart Association, men are more likely to die from “broken heart syndrome” than women. Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, also known as broken heart syndrome, is brought on by physical or emotional stress and can affect people suffering from a traumatic event, like the death of a loved one or a divorce. (* Or being turned down for the prom, Nancy Flandreau!!! Yeah, I said it.) The study found that, while the syndrome is more likely to affect women, men are more than twice as likely to die from it.
* Stop breaking our hearts, ladies!
* So when I finally keel over, it’s going to be because I’m crestfallen, and not all the donuts and hamburgers.
* The one good thing about broken heart syndrome is the amount of fantastic break up songs. That Bon Iver guy’s gotten four entire albums out of one bad breakup. And a couple of EPs.
* There’s an entire music subgenre based on Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy. Although most people just call it the blues. “And now, master of the Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy guitar, BB King!”

U.S. NEWS

GUY TO SWIM AROUND MARTHA’S VINEYARD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW… JAWS

Endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh began a swim around Martha’s Vineyard on Thursday. Martha’s Vineyard is where “Jaws” was filmed 50 years ago. Pugh has completed a long-distance swim in every ocean of the world, often in extreme conditions. He says his 62-mile swim around Martha’s Vineyard island should take 12 days. He will, as usual, wear no wetsuit – just trunks, a cap and goggles. The water temperature around Martha’s Vineyard is about 47-degrees. He says he will swim for three or four hours in the brutally cold surf, mark his progress and spend the rest of the day on the Vineyard educating the public about sharks. He says, “I’m going to be speaking about sharks, sharks, sharks, sharks. Then, ultimately, I’ve got to get in the water afterwards and do the swim. I suppose you can imagine what I’ll be thinking about.”
* Yes – shrinkage.
* Oh my god, it’s the guy who just wants to talk about sharks! Run! Run away!!!
* So he’ll finish his swim around Memorial Day, and his fingers should be de-pruned by the 4th of July.

POPEYE’S MANAGER SHOOTS EMPLOYEE OVER BURNT BISCUITS

A Popeyes manager in Charlotte, North Carolina, is accused of shooting his co-worker over “burnt biscuits” last week. The shooting happened at around 6 p.m.- the dinner rush hour – on May 11. A witness said there was an argument over burned biscuits. Both went outside after one “challenged” the other, which led to a physical fight. During the fight, the manager allegedly pulled a gun and fired two rounds. The employee was shot in the groin and the chest. He was rushed to a hospital with critical injuries and underwent emergency surgery. The manager, Rodney Wood, 22, was arrested and charged with attempted first-degree murder.
* Frankly, I would love to give my business to a restaurant whose manager cares that much about his biscuits.
* God help the next customer who walks up to the counter asking for extra Sweet Heat Sauce.
* This won’t happen when the robots take over fast food.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

FOUR MEN TO CLIMB MT. EVEREST IN A WEEK

Four British men are planning to hop on a plane today (Friday 5/16) in London, fly 4,600 miles to Kathmandu in Nepal and then board a helicopter to Mount Everest’s base camp. From there, they’ll climb to the top – three days up, two days down, then fly home. Door to door, in a record seven days. Everest typically requires weeks of altitude acclimatization before climbers can attempt it because, starting at 26,200 feet, there is insufficient oxygen to sustain life. Climbers can become acutely hypoxic, with brain function severely impaired. But for months, these climbers have been sleeping in home hypoxic tents that gradually lower their oxygen levels, simulating high altitudes. They are also using xenon gas, which some scientists believe could boost red blood cell production and help speed altitude acclimatization.
* In this hurry-up, gotta-have-it now world, who has time to train properly to climb Mount Everest?
* They want to be home in time for next week’s episode of “Poker Face”, and I can understand that.
* After this, they’re going to tour the entire Louvre museum on e-scooters, should take about 45 minutes.

FREE THE FRENCH ORCAS

There’s a very sad story out of France. The country’s last two captive orcas are stranded in an algae-infested pool in an abandoned marine park near Cannes. Marineland Antibes closed on Jan. 5, in line with France’s bans on dolphin and whale shows enacted in 2021, leaving the two orcas, Wikie, 23, and her 11-year-old orca son, Keijo, trapped inside their pool along with 12 dolphins. Managers at the park are still legally responsible for the animals until they can be rehomed. Animal activists have circulated footage of the killer whales’ plight in the hopes that the French government will rehome them before it’s too late. Reportedly, French authorities are blocking efforts to transfer the animals to a marine zoo in Japan. And Spanish authorities rejected a proposal to move the animals to a marine park in Tenerife, claiming that the facility already has four orcas and doesn’t have enough space to house them in optimal conditions. The latest plan is rehomed to a sanctuary in Nova Scotia, Canada, where they can have more space to roam than the usual pool. Unfortunately, releasing Wikie and her son into the wild is not an option, as they were both born in captivity and therefore would likely not survive long.
* Come on, France. You transported Gerard Depardieu to a court to find him guilty of sexual assault. Use the same equipment to move these whales to safety!
* One of the problems, I hear, is that being French whale, they eat 300 pounds of liver pâté a day.
* I hope they’re keeping them active. Maybe give them a couple of luxury yachts to sink while they’re waiting.

TRENDING

P. DIDDY TRIAL: DAY 4

Cassie Ventura was grilled – GRILLED! – by her ex-boyfriend Sean “Diddy” Combs’ lawyers in his federal sex-trafficking trial in Manhattan on Thursday. At one point, the defense said they wanted Cassie on the witness stand through Monday. The judge said no, they need to finish cross-examining her today (Friday 5/16). Here is some of the testimony from Thursday:
– Cassie just told the jury that Sean “Diddy” Combs brought Britney Spears to her 21st birthday celebration, where the he made his first move on her. Combs, then 38 and 17 years her senior, was just her music producer, but when he kissed her that night, their relationship began shifting toward a romantic one.
– She says Combs had brought up her watching him with other women “frequently enough.”
– She acknowledged she carried on an affair in part to retaliate against Combs’ own infidelities. Cassie said it would have been “way too dangerous” if Sean “Diddy” Combs found out she was cheating on him with Kid Cudi. She used a burner phone with Cudi even when she was on a break with Combs.
– Several sexually explicit texts Cassie allegedly sent to Combs were revealed in court Thursday as the mogul’s defense tried to undercut her testimony that she was coerced into degrading “freak-offs.” “I’m always ready to ‘freak-off’ lol,” Ventura wrote in a Blackberry message to Combs on Aug. 5, 2009 — roughly two years into their relationship.
– The defense questioned whether Cassie had really witnessed Sean Combs dangle one of her friends over a balcony, as she previously testified that she had. “You learned about this after the fact,” defense attorney Anna Estevao said. “I saw what I saw, so I don’t know,” Ventura answered.

 

DON’T CALL KEITH URBAN “MR. URBAN”

Keith Urban says there is one name that he hates to be called when he is out in public. Urban stopped by Much Music recently. He says when he responds to emails he’ll write “K or KU, cause I like KU. That’s my favorite way to be called.” But, he said, “Don’t call me Mr. Urban. It’s so official and I feel like a school principal or something.”
KELLY CLARKSON: ANOTHER SHOW

Starting late this summer, Kelly Clarkson will be on another new NBC show. The singer is hosting a four-part special called Songs & Stories With Kelly Clarkson, which will feature conversations with some of the biggest stars from the world of pop. The episodes will run an hour long each and find Clarkson in conversation with Gloria Estefan, Teddy Swims, Lizzo and the Jonas Brothers. The mini-series promises “heartfelt” conversations between Clarkson and the musical guests.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

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

Thomas Brodie-Sangster (actor, “The Queen’s Gambit,” “Maze Runners” movies, “Game of Thrones”) … 35
Megan Fox (actress) … 39
Joseph Morgan (actor, “The Originals,” “Vampire Diaries”) … 44
Tori Spelling (actress, “Beverly Hills 90210”) … 52
Rick Trevino (country singer) … 54
David Boreanaz (actor, “SEAL Team,” “Bones,” “Angel”) … 56
Janet Jackson (singer) … 59
Mare Winningham (actress) … 66
Debra Winger (actress) … 70
Pierce Brosnan (actor, “MobLand,” “The Unholy Trinity,” “Mama Mia!” movies, played James Bond before Daniel Craig) … 72
Danny Trejo (actor) … 81

Today’s Birthdays grade: Almost a dozen names? Crazy! We’ve got a James Bond who unfortunately put the “Mama Mia!” movies on his resume, the singer who gave us the phrase “wardrobe malfunction,” and one of the original badasses who showed all the other badasses to follow how it’s done. Everybody else is good, too, if you kind of squint and bypass Megan Fox. Grade: B-minus.

[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 kinda see everyone as competition. I’m a very competitive person. But I think that’s good. Competition is great. And as long as it’s friendly and not a malicious thing, then I think it’s cool.”

(A) Donald Trump
(B) Kanye West
(C) Janet Jackson

ANSWER: (C) Janet Jackson

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2013 – Human stem cells were successfully cloned.
* One step closer to replacing the brain cells we lose from beer.

1939 – Food stamps were first issued.
* Making it possible to send food via the U.S. Postal Service.

1929 – The first Oscar ceremony was held.
* It was much shorter then, ’cause there were less people in the world to thank.

1927 – The Supreme Court ruled bootleggers must pay income tax.
* You gotta love the IRS. Do what you want, just pay your damn taxes.

1891 – George A. Hormel & Company introduced Spam.
* If this had happened today, I suppose they’d announce it with e-mails.

1862 – Frenchman Jean Joseph Etienne Lenoir built the first automobile.
* How well did it work? How many people do you see driving “Lenoirs”?

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2013 – It was reported that George Michael had been injured in England after the car in which he was traveling crashed during the evening rush-hour. Ambulance crews confirmed that the singer had to be airlifted from the scene. Three days later Katherine Fox told The Sun newspaper that she was driving behind a silver Range Rover when the singer tumbled out of the passenger door onto the highway. She said Michael had “a nasty cut on his forehead and the back of his head. There was blood all down his face and on his teeth. He was breathing and conscious but in shock.”

2000 – “The Artist” announced that he was reclaiming the name “Prince” since his contract with Warner-Chappell had expired.

1998 – Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards fell while reaching for a book of nude art in his Connecticut home. The fall broke his ribs, causing the Stones to postpone many dates on their Bridges To Babylon tour.

1974 – Queen guitarist Brian May collapsed on stage in New York and was flown back to England, suffering from hepatitis.

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. You’re likely to do THIS on a Monday more than any other day of the week. What is it?
Cry

2. People do THIS more on Monday than any other day of the week. What is it?
Complain

3. THIS happens more on Monday than any other day. What is it?
Headaches

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