FRIDAY, Nov 15 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR FRIDAY, November 15, 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, or the hundreds of disease awareness listings which occur each year.)

AMERICA RECYCLES DAY

NATIONAL BUNDT DAY

NATIONAL CLEAN OUT YOUR REFRIGERATOR DAY

NATIONAL DRUMMER DAY

NATIONAL PHILANTHROPY DAY

NATIONAL RAISIN BRAN CEREAL DAY

NATIONAL RECYCLING DAY

PACK YOUR MOM’S LUNCH DAY
The National Today website says this:
“Pack Your Mom’s Lunch Day takes place on November 15. Lola’s Diner created the holiday in 2011 to appreciate mothers. Thanks to meal-prepping videos and the abundance of recipes online, it’s easier than ever to make packed lunches. From sandwiches, wraps, and subs to pastries, soups, and salads, you won’t run out of ideas soon. Take this opportunity to spoil your mom by packing her favorite lunch. It’s a simple act of kindness, however, you’ll make things a little easier for her and she’ll feel loved and appreciated.”

November is:

Adopt a Senior Pet Month
Great American Smoke Out Month
National Adoption Month
National Military Family Month
National Native American Heritage Month
Raisin Bread Month
Stamp Collecting Month
Vegan Month

THE BUZZCPR BY THE AVERAGE PERSON SAVES LIVES

Can the average person save a life? New research shows that bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) can substantially improve a person’s odds of surviving a cardiac arrest. Researchers at Saint Luke’s Heart Institute and the University of Missouri-Kansas City looked at nearly 200,000 documented cardiac arrest cases that occurred outside of a hospital between 2013 and 2022. They found that bystander CPR consistently improved outcomes relative to no bystander CPR at all. But they also found diminishing returns the longer it took for CPR to start. The researchers note that this highlights the importance of encouraging everyday people to perform CPR. More than 350,000 cardiac arrests happen outside of the hospital in the U.S. annually, with about 9% of victims surviving. According to the study, CPR performed immediately could double or triple someone’s chances of survival.
* Screaming “Don’t die on me, you sonofabitch!” adds another 18% to the survival rate.
* Mouth-to-mouth resuscitation increases survival 23 percent, and your chances of a second date 36 percent.
* So performing CPR has better outcomes than no CPR at all. Thanks, Science!
* To time your CPR compressions, they used to say follow the beat of The Bee-Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive.” Important Update: If you’re too young to know that song, you can also use Taylor Swift’s “You’re Losing Me,” “Welcome to New York,” and “Sparks Fly.” (True – this was part of an official announcement by the American Heart Association last December.)
* JOKE: A 911 operator gets a call. “I’m out in the woods hunting with my friend, and he just collapsed! I think he’s dead! What do I do?” The 911 operator says, “Calm down sir. First you want to make sure that he’s really dead.” There’s a pause, then a loud bang. The guy comes back on the phone, he says, “Ok, now what?”

U.S. NEWS

INSURANCE FRAUDSTERS USED BEAR COSTUME

Four people in California were arrested and charged with insurance fraud after claiming their expensive cars were damaged by a bear. The owner of a 2010 Rolls-Royce Ghost submitted a video from a security camera to his insurance company to prove that a bear had wrecked the vehicle. The leather interior of the car was scratched with apparent claw marks. Upon investigation, the California Department of Insurance Fraud Division found that the “bear” was somebody dressed in a bear costume. After obtaining a search warrant, the bear costume was found in the suspects’ home. Detectives found two additional insurance claims where the suspects used the bear costume to damage a 2015 Mercedes G63 AMG and a 2022 Mercedes E350, and submit the damage to their insurance companies.
* Definitely dumber than the average bear.
* They should have said, “Officer, are you telling me someone from a furry convention wrecked my car?”
* Still, it was better than their first idea – a Sasquatch costume.
* It was, literally, a barefaced lie.
* How do the interiors of their cars keep getting damaged? Too cheap to clip their Saint Bernard’s nails?
* They’ll be hibernating for seven years, four with good behavior. Or rather, good BEARhavior.

KUM & GO STORES REBRANDING

To the dismay of people with dirty minds everywhere, the midwest convenience store chain Kum & Go is changing its name. The chain was bought last year by the Maverik chain – that’s “Maverik” spelled wrong, with no ‘c’ – and beginning next year they will be rebranding the 400 Kum & Go stores as Maverik – again, that’s “Maverik” spelled wrong. Kum & Go was founded in Iowa in 1959 by Bill Krause and his father-in-law T.S. Gentle as Hampton Oil Co. They changed its name to Kum & Go in 1975. The K stood for Krause and the G stood for Gentle, and they went with Kum & Go because “it had the fewest number of letters so the signs would be cheaper.” The sexual innuendo just became an unintended bonus.
* So it’s a happy ending after all.
* They could make a fortune selling those old Kum & Go signs at auction.
* I never understood the name. Did they think people would pull up for milk or beer and then just never leave?
* Any reaction from In-N-Out Burger?
* All that’s left of the dirty convenience chains is the Pump & Pay and the Lickety Split.

THE POOPCOPTER

A man in Lino Lakes, Minnesota, is working on an invention that will change mankind. It’s a drone that will pick up dog doo. Caleb Olson, a software engineer, has designed a drone that can hover above the grass until it detects a “brown parcel.” It drops, it scoops, it takes it away. That last part seems to be the next problem to solve – where do you put it? So far, he has a unit that will pick up the poop. His next step is automating it so that, like a Roomba vacuum, you tell the drone the shape of your yard, and let it do it’s thing. He’s also working on a name. Mr. Olson says, “The Poopcopter is childish.” His other possibilities are the DooDoo Drone or the Poo Pilot or the Feces Flinger 5000.
* If you have a Great Dane, you’ll need the Feces Flinger 10,000.
* Call it the HeliCraptor! It’s right there, man.
* I don’t mean to pooh-pooh this idea, but it’s crap!
* What do you do with the poo? Do I have to think of everything? Send the drone over your neighbor’s yard and have the drone toss it up into the drone blades. It gets pureed and spread all over, fertilizing the lawn. Your neighbor’s lawn, that is. At night, when it’s dark.
* How about the drone has a built-in potato cannon?

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

SWEDISH MOOSE STOMPS BEEMERS

A moose wandered into an auto repair shop in Sweden and trampled all over three BMW cars, causing about $20,000 worth of damage. Viktor Örtegren, manager at Schmiedmann, a BMW specialist, heard loud noises in the shop. He found that a moose had wandered into the garage and was climbing all over a trio of parked BMWs, including a restored BMW 850i. The critter fled the garage of its own accord after causing about $20,000 worth of damage.
* Obviously the moose is a Mercedes-Benz fan.
* It wasn’t those guys from California in a moose costume, was it? (see “INSURANCE FRAUDSTERS USED BEAR COSTUME” story)
* Maybe it was looking for a Chevy Impala to mate with.
* “So hoof it over to Schmiedmann Motors today!”

NORWEGIAN FISHERMEN CATCH AMERICAN NUCLEAR SUBMARINE

A Norwegian fishing boat was on its way back to harbor in the northern region of Troms on Monday when they discovered their nets were entangled in a US navy nuclear-powered submarine weighing in at 7,800 tons. Harald Engen, the ship’s captain, said the 32-foot fishing boat had just emptied the nets and put them out again and were on their way back to harbor when they received a radio call from the coast guard telling them the USS Virginia had snagged their nets and dragged the nets two nautical miles out to sea, where they were eventually cut off. Mr. Engen has estimated his losses at around 40,000 Norwegian Krone (US$3500), roughly double what he earned for his halibut haul that day.
* Better try to collect now. You’re never gonna get reimbursed after January 20.
* Talk about The One That Got Away!
* Boy, we almost had the plot for another season of Jack Ryan. A DUMB season, but still …
* Let’s see Deadliest Catch try THAT.
* Nice to see our nuclear submarine force is keeping a close eye on Norway. Norway’s been quiet. TOO quiet.

AUDIO: “GRANDMA” CHATBOT FIGHTS BACK AGAINST PHONE SCAMMERS

Do you ever wish you could get back at phone scammers? Now you can. O2, a mobile network operator in the UK, has invented an AI chatbot to suck phone scammers into long meandering conversations. Called Daisy, the chatbot mimics the voice of an elderly woman, the most common target for phone scammers. When a scammer gets Daisy on the phone, the chatbot begins a long conversation that responds like a real person, but doesn’t go anywhere. If they do reach the point where the scammer asks for personal information, like bank details, Daisy will make up fake information. The purpose is to intentionally waste phone scammers’ time to keep them away from potential real victims as long as possible. O2 says they have attached the Daisy chatbot to “easy target” phone lists – elderly people who live alone – that scammers use for leads.
* They must have gotten the idea from my mother. I can’t get her off the phone.
* Don’t let Daisy make outgoing calls, or she’ll use DoorDash to order takeout from Denny’s.
* If you need the scammer to hang up so you can use the phone, Daisy will start asking them things like “What are you wearing?”
* Gotta admit, this is much easier and cheaper and than tracking the scammers down and arresting them.
CLIP: This is audio of “Daisy” in action with some actual scammers. Although the clips are too short to really appreciate what it does, you can get an idea of what it sounds like.
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)(com)/prep/wp-content/uploads/PhoneScamChatbotDaisy(dot).mp3

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

Nov. 28, Thursday – Thanksgiving
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

Sean Murray (actor, “NCIS”) … 47
Chad Kroeger (singer, guitarist with Nickelback) … 50
Jay Harrington (actor, “S.W.A.T.”) … 53
Jack Ingram (country singer) … 54
Steve Fossen (bass player with Heart) … 75
Anni-Frid Lyngstad (singer with Abba, ex-wife of Benny) … 79
Sam Waterston (actor, “Law and Order”) … 84
Petula Clark (1960s singer, real name Sally Owen) … 92

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

“Happy wife, happy life. I think every man learns that quick. Really quick.”

(A) Johnny Depp
(B) Tiger Woods
(C) Chad Kroeger

ANSWER: (C) Chad Kroeger

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2019 – “Joker” starring Joaquin Phoenix became the 1st R-rated film to earn $1 billion worldwide.
* Holy F-bomb!

2013 – Sony launched the Playstation 4, selling one million units on the first day.
* Easily making enough money to start work on the Playstation 5.

2012 – British Petroleum agreed to pay criminal fines of $4.5 billion in the Deep Water Horizon Oil Spill case.
* This time, it was a gusher of cash.

1995 – Lee Jee-Yung became the first person to bungee jump from a flying paraglider in South Korea.
* … successfully.

1937 – The first congressional session in air-conditioned chambers was held.
* After more than 100 years, finally a solution to all that hot air!

1926 – NBC debuted, as a radio network of 24 stations.
* “Hey, I don’t get why we’re using a peacock to symbolize radio??”

1904 – King Camp Gillette invented the first razor with disposable blades.
* Pretty sharp.

1806 – Explorer Zebulon Pike spotted the mountaintop now known as Pikes Peak.
* He came THIS CLOSE to naming it “Zebulon’s Zenith.”

1777 – The Continental Congress approved the Articles of Confederation, precursor to the U.S. Constitution.
* Even back then congress had a knack for multiplying the paperwork.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2022 – Ticketmaster sold more than 2 million tickets for Taylor Swift’s The Eras tour, the most tickets ever sold in a single day for an artist, amid hours-long wait times for fans.

2007 – Jay-Z went to No.1 on the U.S. album chart with “American Gangster,” his 10th No.1 album. This made the rapper joint second with Elvis Presley for the most No.1 albums on the chart; only The Beatles have had more, with 19. Since 1998, all eight of Jay-Z’s solo studio albums have hit No. 1, in addition to his “Collision Course” project with Linkin Park and his “Unfinished Business” collaboration with R. Kelly.

2005 – Carrie Underwood released her debut album “Some Hearts,” which won the 2006 Billboard Album of the Year.

2000 – Michael Abram, the Liverpool man who stabbed George Harrison after breaking into his home, was found not guilty due to mental problems, and was institutionalized.

1992 – Ozzy Osbourne announced his retirement after a gig in California, saying: “Who wants to be touring at 46?”

1990 – David Bowie opened on Broadway in the title role of “The Elephant Man.”

1990 – Milli Vanilli producer Frank Farian held a press conference to confirm the rumors that the two members of the group Rob and Fab had not sung on their records.

1980 – Kenny Rogers started a six-week run at No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Lady,” a song written and produced by Lionel Richie.

1969 – Janis Joplin was arrested in Tampa, FL on charges of using “vulgar and indecent language” at a concert. All the charges were eventually dropped.

1965 – The Rolling Stones appeared on NBC-TV’s “Hullabaloo” television show. The band performed “Get Off My Cloud.”

1959 – Named Johnny and the Moondogs at the time, The Beatles played in the final round of the “TV Star Search” competition at The Hippodrome Theatre, Manchester, England.

1956 – “Love Me Tender,” the first film starring Elvis Presley, premiered in New York.

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. A recent study found the average woman has $500 worth of THIS. What is it?
Unworn clothing

2. According to Prevention magazine, women who do THIS when grocery shopping are 50% less likely to make impulse buys. What is it?
They use the self-checkout

3. In a recent survey, women were asked, “What are the 3 gifts you dread getting the most?” Two of the three were gift certificates and tacky ornaments. THIS was #3. What is it?
Diet books

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