MONDAY, Dec 9 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR MONDAY, December 9, 2024
(Print button is at bottom of post. To print with larger type, cut and paste content into a document, and print that document.)

COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: SANTA NINJA WARRIOR

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.)

CHRISTMAS CARD DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Christmas Card Day honors Sir Henry Cole (1818 – 1874) of England. Cole created the first commercial Christmas Card in 1843. Just a few decades ago, sending Christmas cards through the mail was a holiday ‘must.’ Although sending cards through the mail continues to be very popular, the cost and time for writing and sending cards has caused many people to stop sending them. Free Ecards have surged in popularity. Animated Christmas and seasonal Ecards have made sending and receiving them a lot of fun. Today is a good day to send out your Christmas cards and holiday greetings.”

GREEN MONDAY
The Days of the Year website says this:
“In the retail world, Green Monday is one of the busiest and most lucrative shopping days in the industry. Occurring on the second Monday in December, Green Monday typically represents the last minute effort that many people make toward purchasing gifts for the Christmas holidays. That’s because this is usually the last day that people can shop online so that the purchases can still arrive in time for the holidays. Some business organizations define Green Monday as the last Monday that lands at least ten days prior to Christmas Day.”

NATIONAL LLAMA DAY

NATIONAL PASTRY DAY

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

ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITIES

WHAT TO WATCH – New and Returning Shows and Movies
Premiering Monday through Wednesday
Listings sourced from the TV Guide, EW and other websites

MONDAY, December 9

“The Real Full Monty”
Fox – Special
Synopsis: A group of male celebrities strip down to raise awareness for prostate, testicular, and colorectal cancer testing and research.

“The Simpsons Funday Football”
Disney+ and ESPN+ – Special
Synopsis: An animated Monday Night Football game transformed in real-time into the iconic Simpsons world using Sony’s Beyond Sports Technology. Atoms Stadium in Springfield will host the fully immersive fan viewing experience featuring the Cincinnati Bengals at the Dallas Cowboys, ESPN’s Monday Night Football game that evening.

Season Premiere:
Netflix – “The Great British Baking Show: Holidays”

TUESDAY, December 10

“Jamie Foxx: What Had Happened Was…”
Netflix – Comedy Special
Synopsis: In April 2023, Foxx was hospitalized for a mysterious illness which he has not discussed except for one public comment about a “bad headache” that caused him to black out for 20 days. Now he’s packaged the mystery into a “comedy special” in which recounts the whole story publicly for the first time. Ka-ching!

“Secret Level”
Prime Video – New Animated Series
Synopsis: The creators of Netflix’s “Love, Death + Robots” bring their sci-fi adult animation formula to Prime Video with an anthology set in the world of video games. Individual episodes will be based around the lore of games, including well-known classics like Pac-Man and Unreal Tournament, as well as smaller games like Spelunky and The Outer Worlds. The voice cast includes Arnold Schwarzenegger, Keanu Reeves, Kevin Hart and more.

WEDNESDAY, December 11

“Dream Productions”
Disney+ – New Animated Series
Synopsis: From the world of “Inside Out” comes “Dream Productions,” about the studio inside Riley’s mind where dreams really do come true every night, thanks to acclaimed director Paula Persimmon.

“Makayla’s Voice: A Letter to the World”
Netflix – Documentary
Synopsis: A teen with autism unlocks a joyous world of self-expression as she shares her voice for the first time using a letter board.

“Maria”
Netflix – New Movie
Synopsis: Angelina Jolie stars as acclaimed opera singer Maria Callas in her final days, telling the story of the woman behind the renowned voice.

“One Hundred Years of Solitude: Part 1”
Netflix – New Series
Synopsis: Follows generations of the Buendía family and their life within the utopian town that patriarch José Arcadio Buendía founded.

Season Premiere:
Netflix – “Queer Eye”

THE BUZZ

THE MOST DANGEROUS CHRISTMAS SONG WHEN DRIVING: FROSTY THE SNOWMAN

“Experts” are “warning” against listening in the car to Christmas music with a high rate of beats per minute because it could lead to an accident. A study from the South China University Of Technology finds songs with a BPM greater than 120 encourages dangerous driving habits, because the fast beats make you speed up or some such nonsense. Couple this with a warning from Max Coupland, CEO of Insuranceopedia, who says, “As the holiday season approaches, it’s important to recognize how music influences our driving habits. While festive tunes bring joy, some high-energy or distracting songs can impact our focus on the road.” Here, without any documentation or factual basis, are the Top 10 Most Dangerous Christmas Songs To Drive To This Holiday Season:
1. Frosty The Snowman
2. All I Want For Christmas Is You
3. Feliz Navidad
4. Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town
5. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
6. Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
7. Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
8. I Wish It Could Be Christmas Every Day
9. Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
10. I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus
* And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the reason you don’t assign Artificial Intelligence to write a news article.
* Sorry, I can’t take anything seriously that comes from a company called “Insuranceopedia.”
* I have to assume they’re talking about the speed metal version of “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas.”
* The real danger is taking your eyes off the road as you go scrambling for the volume knob to turn it off.

TOONOPHILA: FINDING CARTOON CHARACTERS SEXY

A psychology professor has written a new book about sexual fetishes, and has discovered – or maybe uncovered – something called “Toonaphilia” – in which individuals are sexually and/or emotionally attracted to cartoon characters. While sexualized characters such as Lara Croft or Jessica Rabbit might spring to mind, Dr. Mark Griffiths, a professor of behavioral addiction at Nottingham Trent University, has encountered toonophiles who are sexually attracted to somewhat more unusual cartoons. He says the most popular characters amongst toonophiles are Japanese anime characters, although he has also come across toonophiles who are attracted to Bugs Bunny, Ms Pacman, Jessica Rabbit, Betty Boop, and The Flintstones. Professor Griffiths’ new book is titled Sexual Perversions and Paraphilias: An A-Z.
* Z? Zoidberg the lobster-man from Futurama?
* Obviously Dr. Griffiths slept through the whole “Internet goes crazy for Elastigirl’s thick butt” episode.
* The Flintstones. Yeah, I know who you’re picturing right now: Betty Rubble. She had a good set of Pebbles, and a Great Gazoo. Wham Bam-Bam, Thank you, Ma’am!
* Oh, please. Name ANYTHING and you can find people who are sexually obsessed with it. Furniture, cars, stuffed animals, musical instruments …
* PHONE TOPIC: Who is your sexiest cartoon character?

U.S. NEWS

SUSPICIOUS BOX TURNS OUT TO BE DONUTS

Last Thursday afternoon, the bomb squad was called to John E. Smith Intermediate School in Butler, Ohio, on reports of a suspicious person. A man had called and then showed up at the school asking for a tour. The man had a box and when he was denied entry into the school, he left the box outside the building. The school went on lockdown and contacted local police to inspect the box “as an over abundance of caution.” The bomb squad came out to check the box, which was determined to be just donuts.
* I’m sorry, but if they were Krispy Kremes they were NOT “just donuts.” Come on. Show some respect.
* I guess if there’s anybody who can determine donuts, it’s the police.
* Maybe next time go with a box with a clear cellophane lid?
* Well, they ARE little gut bombs.
* I hope they don’t go on lockdown every time there’s an Amazon delivery.

GOLF COURSE WILL SUPPLY YOU WITH FRESH CLOTHES IF YOU POOP YOURSELF ON THE COURSE

Golf Digest has just written about a public golf course in Ohio with a special service. If you should have an accident in your pants while you are out on the links at Sable Creek Golf Course in Hartville, Ohio, they will bring out fresh clothes. They posted a note that says, “It happens, If you have an accident and need ‘wipes, underwear, fresh shorts’… we got you covered. Give us a call and we will discretely get these items to you.” They include the phone number to call. According to the comments section in Golf Digest, this is not an unusual occurrence.
* Although if you have them on speed dial, you might want to consider taking up another sport.
* I thought this is why you always keep a good supply of golf towels in your bag.
* Whatever happened to “go before you leave the house”?
* Is that what they call an explosion shot?
* Instead of calling out “fore!” do you call out “two!”?
* “How was your golf game this morning?” “Crappy!”
* And that’s the straight poop from Hartville, Ohio.

AIRLINE FLYING CHILDREN TO THE NORTH POLE

How about some good airline news for once? For the past seven years, United Airlines has been running a special program for children in need. It’s a “Fantasy Flight” to the “North Pole.” What happens is, the children and their families or caretakers – around 125 pre-selected travelers, generally children with cancer or those that are grieving over loss of an active duty soldier – will board a plane, take off, circle around and land but once off the plane they are taken to a hangar decorated like Santa’s Workshop at the North Pole. United staff and volunteers, dressed for Christmas, give the kids presents, play games, participate in activities and serve a nice meal for the families. This month, “Fantasy Flights” will take off from a dozen cities around the globe: Chicago, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Cleveland, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, Houston, Virginia, Tokyo, Guam and London.
* And what happened next? At the airport, they say / United’s reputation grew three sizes that day.
* And when the evening is over, it being United Airlines, the families are dragged out of the hangar screaming and sent on their way.
* Frontier Airlines is doing a similar program, but all they do is hand the kids the in-flight magazine and march them over to Sbarro Pizza in the food court.
* “How did we get to the North Pole in 45 minutes?” “Warp drive, kid.”

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

ITALIAN NUN ARRESTED FOR TIES TO THE MAFIA

An Italian nun is among 24 people arrested in northern Italy in connection with a mafia investigation. The nun, Sister Anna Donelli, was arrested for allegedly acting as a go-between for the ‘Ndrangheta mafia and its jailed gang members. Police say Sister Anna leveraged her position as a volunteer at the prison. She was an unsuspected figure, whose religious role allowed her “free access to the penitentiary facilities.” The ‘Ndrangheta, which is one of Europe’s most influential and dangerous criminal organizations.
* Did they call her The Godsister?
* She makes them a novena they couldn’t refuse.
* She came and went, and officials were nun the wiser.
* Twisted Sister!

TRENDING

RUBY SLIPPERS SELL FOR $28 MILLION

A pair of iconic ruby slippers that were worn by Judy Garland in “The Wizard of Oz” and stolen from a museum nearly two decades ago sold for a winning bid of $28 million at auction Saturday. The sparkly red shoes were on display at the Judy Garland Museum in her hometown of Grand Rapids, Minnesota, in 2005 when a thief used a hammer to smash the glass of the museum’s door and display case. Their whereabouts remained a mystery until the FBI recovered them in 2018. The shoes were finally returned this past February to memorabilia collector Michael Shaw, who had loaned them to the museum. They were one of several pairs that Garland wore during the filming, but only four pairs are known to have survived.

“ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU” STARTING TO TREND DOWN

Listenership numbers shows Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is starting to drop, according to data from music-tracking site Last.fm. Looking at 20 years’ worth of the song’s listenership on a given day, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is most popular in December. But it first started getting measurable airplay in November in 2010, and then its October listenership started rising in 2018. But listenership in the fall months took a hit this year, declining 35% from October 2023 to October 2024 and declining 22% from November 2023 to November 2024.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (12/6 – 12/8)

1. Moana 2 – $52 million
2. Wicked – $34.8 million
3. Gladiator 2 – $12.4 million
4. Red One – $7 million
5. Y2K – $2 million

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

Simon Helberg (actor, Howard Wolowitz on “The Big Bang Theory”) … 44
Jesse Metcalfe (actor, “Dallas,” “Desperate Housewives”) … 46
David Kersh (country singer) … 54
Lori Greiner (businesswoman, TV personality on “Shark Tank”) … 55
Felicity Huffman (actress, “American Crime,” “Desperate Housewives,” college admissions scandal convict) … 62
Donny Osmond (singer) … 67
John Malkovich (actor) … 71
Michael Dorn (actor, Worf the Klingon) … 72
Beau Bridges (actor) … 83
Dame Judy Dench (actress) … 90

Today’s Birthdays grade:

Today’s Birthdays grade: Iconic Judy Dench! Iconic John Malkovich! A star of “The Big Bang Theory”! Worf, the most famous Klingon! Today’s birthdays get a B-plus!

[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!

“If you’re going to be able to look back on something and laugh about it, you might as well laugh about it now.”

(A) Bill Cosby
(B) O.J. Simpson
(C) Donny Osmond

ANSWER: (C) Donny Osmond

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2002 – United Airlines filed the biggest bankruptcy in aviation history after losing $4 billion in the previous two years.
* Well, you know they didn’t lose the money by splurging on the in-flight food.

1994 – President Clinton fired Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders after learning she’d told a conference that masturbation should be discussed in school as a part of human sexuality.
* Because, you know, Bill Clinton is an authority on what’s right and proper when it comes to sex.

1993 – The U.S. Air Force destroyed the first of 500 Minuteman II missile silos marked for elimination under an arms control treaty.
* And the Navy collected the missiles and loaded them onto subs.

1843 – Henry Cole of London created the first Christmas cards. He was late in sending holiday notes, so Cole hired an artist and printer to make copies of his Christmas message, which he sent to his friends and family.
* Smart move, inventing the Christmas card. Even SMARTER would have been patenting it.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2010 – Eric Clapton announced he would sell off part of his extensive guitar collection to raise money for his Crossroads rehab Centre in Antigua. The auction, held on March 9, 2011, raised $2.15 million.

2006 – Mariah Carey threatened legal action against porn star Mary Carey in an attempt to stop her trademarking her similar-sounding stage name. The singer believed fans could get the two performers confused if the adult film actress Mary Carey’s trademark application was successful. Eventually, Mariah filed a lawsuit, and won.

2003 – Ozzy Osbourne was hospitalized after being injured in an ATV bike accident at his UK home. The singer, then 55, broke his collarbone, eight ribs and a vertebra in his neck. News of Osbourne’s accident reached the British House of Commons, where the government sent a goodwill message.

2001 – England’s Channel 4 TV apologized to viewers after Madonna said “m-f” during a live broadcast from an awards presentation.

1990 – Paula Abdul was taken to North Hollywood Medical Center after being involved in a car crash in Los Angeles.

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. At least 50% of women always have THIS at their workplace. What is it?
Snacks

2. People are 31% more likely to do THIS at work when it rains. What is it?
Complain

3. 58% of people have done THIS before work in the morning. What is it?
Shopped for groceries

(c) 2024
MORNING SIDEKICK RADIO SHOW PREP & COMEDY
8062 West Massey Circle
Littleton, CO 80128
USA
morningsidekick(at)gmail(dot)(com)
Tel: 303-727-9111