MONDAY, Nov 18 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR MONDAY, November 18, 2024
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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.)

APPLE CIDER DAY

INTERNATIONAL OCCULT DAY
The National Today website says this:
“Occultism is as old as humans. We do not know who or what started it. But we do know that the word was coined somewhere around the 16th century in Europe. The term ‘occult’ refers to practices outside organized religions that have roots in magic, the supernatural, mythical beasts, and magical concoctions. Modern society considers occultism a pseudoscience. Occult Day, on the other hand, is devoted to dwelling on the mystery of what is unknown. It is a day for experimentation and the discovery of powers that have yet to be sensed and discovered — a day to try to find the full potential of the soul and nature around us.”

MICKEY MOUSE DAY
The Punchbowl website says this:
“Today is Mickey Mouse Day! This holiday celebrates the birthday of everyone’s favorite animated mouse. He’s also the first cartoon character to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Mickey’s big screen debut was in ‘Steamboat Willie’ on November 18th, 1928. He represents everything Disney-related, and is one of the most recognized universal symbols from the 20th Century.”

NATIONAL VICHYSSOISE DAY
The Days Of The Year website says this:
“Vichyssoise, pronounced ‘vish-e-swaz,’ is a soup made with pureed leeks, onions, potatoes, cream and chicken stock and is generally served cold. In 1917, Chef Louis Diat created the soup for his customers during the hot summer months of July and August in New York City to keep them cool. When he worked in the New York Ritz hotels, he remembered the hot leek and potato soup his mother would serve him and how he and his family would cool the soup by adding milk to it. While he originally served the soup during the colder seasons, his customers would ask for it so much that he placed it on the menu permanently.”

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

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

TUESDAY, November 19

“Interior Chinatown”
Hulu – New Series
Synopsis: The story follows Willis Wu, a background actor in the fictional procedural Black and White who dreams of becoming something so much bigger. But his plans are halted when he accidentally witnesses a crime.

“The French Montana Story: For Khadija”
Paramount+ – Documentary
Synopsis: Follows Montana’s rise to fame, from his single mother raising him in the Bronx to becoming a multi-platinum recording artist, the family’s immigrant journey, and Montana’s perseverance in the face of obstacles.

Season Premieres:
Bravo – “The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”
NBC – “Night Court”

WEDNESDAY, November 20

“58th Annual CMA Awards”
ABC – Awards Show

“Our Oceans”
Netflix – Docuseries
Synopsis: President Barack Obama narrates the extraordinary stories of marine life unfolding on and below the water.

“The Merry Gentlemen”
Netflix – New Movie
Synopsis: To save her parents’ small-town nightclub, a Broadway dancer stages an all-male, Christmas-themed revue and meets a guy with all the right moves.

GUY FIERI AND SAMMY HAGAR’S TEQUILA BATCH HIJACKED

Two trucks loaded with 24,240 bottles of Santo Tequila – a label co-owned by celebrity chef Guy Fieri and rocker Sammy Hagar – went missing last weekend in an apparent heist in Laredo, Texas. The hooch was valued at $1 million. Fieri said, “We’ve worked so hard, (* Like they make the tequila personally themselves!) this is our best year we’ve ever had in Santo.” He was amazed that both trucks were stolen. Guy says, “I mean, one is one. But now you’ve got to have double the amount of people to pull off the double heist. It just seems so much riskier to take two trucks.”
* I bet it was the Property Brothers. There’s two of them.
* It’s the best year they’ve ever had. Well, until last weekend.
* Sammy Hagar was angry because it was his job to put the worm in every bottle.
* You’d think Flavortown would have a better security force.

THE BUZZ

THE MOST COMPLICATED THINGS IN THE WORLD

Reddit asked, “What’s the most needlessly complicated thing in the world?” Some of the responses:
– “Calling any company anywhere about anything, anytime.”
– “Speaking to a live agent rather than an automated system.”
– “Websites that won’t allow you proceed until you accept cookies. Why even ask if they’re just going to FORCE us to accept???”
– “Printers. Give me a printer with a single power button and nothing else. I don’t need a touch screen or 10 different buttons just print the thing when I click PRINT.”
– “Microwaves. I don’t want 16 buttons and a clock.”
– “Quitting a gym is like trying to leave a cult.”
– “Health care.”
– “Insurance.”
– “Bacon packaging.”
– “Clamshell packaging.”
– “The KFC menu.”
– “The McDonald’s ordering kiosk.”
– “Some of these bra straps require a manual.”
* PHONE TOPIC: Do you have anything to add to The Most Complicated Things In The World?

U.S. NEWS

THIEVES STEAL CHURCH TOILET

A pastor walked into his South Memphis church last Sunday morning and found the building had been ransacked: the side door was ripped off, the speakers in the sanctuary were removed from the wall, and his office was a mess. Pastor Gregory Harris, of Greater New Hope Baptist Church, said, “The thing that got me the most was when I walked in my office, I could hear water running and the toilet was gone. They took the whole toilet.”
* As foretold in the book of John.
* That’s a lot of work. I bet they were pooped.
* As sins go, stealing the Throne of God has got to be the worst.
* Now when the Pastor has to go to the can, he can’t.

OARFISH, OMEN OF DOOM, WASHES UP ON CALIFORNIA BEACH

A 10-foot long, ribbon-shaped oarfish washed up dead on a California shore last week for the second time this year. The oarfish is also known as a “doom fish,” believed to signal disaster. It was found on a beach in Encinitas, in southern California. Oarfish are elusive creatures that dwell in the deep ocean, beyond the reach of sunlight. Monstrously-proportioned and strangely-shaped (like a long oar), oarfish have sparked myths for centuries and are sometimes referred to as the “doomsday fish” due to their reputation as predictors of natural disasters or earthquakes. For example, in Japan in 2011, 20 oarfish washed ashore in the months leading up to Japan’s most powerful recorded earthquake and tsunami that struck on March 11, 2011, and killed more than 15,000 people.
* I know what you’re thinking. The disaster fish washed up in the U.S. just as we were about to face our nation’s biggest disaster: the Mike Tyson/Jake Paul fight on Netflix.
* The disaster legend is true. The oarfish washes up on the beach, and I spilled half my coffee into my cup holder this morning on the way in.
* It wasn’t a good day for the oarfish, either.
* How does this work? Is the ocean leaving a dead fish on our doorstep, like the Mafia does when they want to whack a guy?

KFC-SCENTED CANDLES

KFC has come out with a pair of candles this holiday season that smell like their restaurants. There’s a “Bucket of Chicken” candle and a “Buttery Biscuit” candle. The Bucket of Chicken scent contains the aroma of peppercorn and celery, rounded out with base notes of oregano, sage, and garlic. The Buttery Biscuit has the aroma of golden honey and baked flour, with hints of caramel, butter, salt, buttermilk and toasted vanilla.
* Get ready to have your dog catch fire repeatedly.
* So now we know about a half dozen of those secret 11 herbs and spices.
* My house already smells like fried chicken all the time, when it doesn’t smell like hamburgers. And I don’t even have the candles.
* By the time the candles burn themselves out, you’ll have added five pounds.
* Sorry, vegans.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

PLANE OVERRUN BY HAMSTERS

In Portugal, an airplane was grounded for five days last week after 130 hamsters escaped their cages in the cargo bay. They were found running loose in the Airbus 320 on Tuesday after baggage handlers discovered their damaged cages when the flight touched down at an airport in the Azores. The hamsters were reportedly part of a delivery for a pet shop on the island which also included ferrets and some birds. The mass break-out forced the flight to be grounded instead of continuing the journey to Lisbon. Hamsters and other rodents like to chew on airplanes’ wires. Pictures released by the airport staff show the rodents running around the plane. Authorities began searching for them after passengers on board the plane disembarked and their luggage was removed.
* The passengers were wondering who spilled all the raisins on the floor.
* They found a dozen of them down in the landing gear, running around inside the wheels.
* They like to chew wires, so the first thing you do is follow the smell of cooking bacon.
* They know not to look in the plane’s galley, because not even hamsters like airplane food.
* There’s one solution to hamsters on a plane: snakes on a plane.

AUDIO: MOO DENG THE BABY HIPPO HAS A SONG

Moo Deng, the little pygmy hippo from Thailand that broke the world’s “Awwww” meter, now has an official song. The 50-second song “Moodeng Moodeng,” is available in Thai, English, Chinese and Japanese versions. The lyrics: “Moo Deng Moo Deng, boing boing boing / Mommy mommy, play with me.” Its music video consists of short clips of Moo Deng bouncing, playing with her keeper or hanging out with her mom. The catchy tune was produced by well-known Thai composer Mueanphet Ammara. Moo Deng — the name literally means “bouncy pork,” a type of meatball, in Thai — became a global phenomenon just a month after she was unveiled on Facebook by the Khao Kheow Open Zoo in Thailand.
* Oh, so it’s war Thailand wants? Release the “Baby Shark Song” on Thailand!
* And then bombard the country with Barney the Dinosaur DVDs.
* By “catchy song,” they mean that by the time you hear it for the third time, you’re ready to jump off a cliff.
* You may remember well-known Thai composer Mueanphet Ammara from his other great song, “Thailand Thailand Bangkok Bang / Bang Bang Bang Bang Bangkok.”
CLIP: “Moodeng Moodeng” song
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)(com)/prep/wp-content/uploads/MooDengSong(dot)mp3

WHEN OCTOPUSES RULE THE WORLD

Professor Tim Coulson of the University of Oxford has determined that, if humans were to ever completely leave this earth, the dominant species will be…. any guesses? Octopus. Octopuses are the species that are most likely to take over the world after humans. The cephalapods are said to possess the ‘physical and mental attributes necessary’ to evolve into the next civilization-building species. Their ‘dexterity, curiosity, ability to communicate with each other, and supreme intelligence’ means they could create complex tools to build a civilization underwater. And although the octopus is ‘unlikely’ to develop into a full land animal, it’s clever enough to ‘extend’ its time out the water to develop new methods of hunting. Professor Coulson, who is one of the world’s leading zoologists and biologists and has advised governments, said the octopus is now in ‘pole position’ to colonize the world in the event humanity dies out.
* Thank you, Doctor Octopus. Say hi to Spider-man for me.
* Said the world’s octopuses: “So long, suckers!”
* This news is not going to make the cockroaches happy.
* Did Tim the Professor explain why, if octopuses could evolve into the next civilization-building species, they haven’t done it in the 200 million years they’ve been around? Didn’t think so.
* There’s only one way to prevent this, and it’s going to take a lot of tartar sauce.

TRENDING

CONAN O’BRIEN TO HOST THE OSCARS

Conan O’Brien will be the sole host for the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025. It will be O’Brien’s first time hosting the broadcast. The Academy called Conan “the perfect person to help lead our global celebration of film with his brilliant humor, his love of movies, and his live TV expertise. His remarkable ability to connect with audiences will bring viewers together to do what the Oscars do best – honor the spectacular films and filmmakers of this year.” Said Conan: “America demanded it and now it’s happening: Taco Bell’s new Cheesy Chalupa Supreme. In other news, I’m hosting the Oscars.”

JASON HEAD, “THE VOICE” WINNER, SHOOTS SELF IN HUNTING ACCIDENT

2016 “The Voice” winner Jason ‘Sundance’ Head was rushed to a hospital after shooting himself in the stomach while hunting. The country singer, 46, best known for winning season 11 of the NBC singing competition, was hunting in the woods at his ranch in Texas when he somehow received a bullet to the stomach and was then airlifted to a hospital by helicopter. The singer’s wife Misty Head says he was “in good spirits considering the last several hours” and thanked everyone for all their prayers.

BETTY WHITE TO GET HER OWN POSTAGE STAMP

The US Postal Service has announced the Betty White is getting her own postage stamp. The loveable actress died in 2021 at the age of 99. White, well known to TV audiences thanks to major roles on The Golden Girls and The Mary Tyler Moore Show, “shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades” and “was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals,” the Post Office notes. You can expect to be licking Betty sometime next year.

MISS DENMARK WINS MISS UNIVERSE

Victoria Kjær Theilvig of Denmark has been crowned Miss Universe. Kjaer, an animal protection advocate who works in the diamond selling business, beat out Miss Nigeria at the competition Saturday night in Mexico City. Miss Mexico placed third. It is the first time a Danish contestant has won Miss Universe.

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (11/15-11/17)

1. Red One – $34 million
2. Venom: The Last Dance – $7.3 million
3. Best Christmas Pageant Ever – $5.4 million
4. Heretic – $5.1 million
5. The Wild Robot – $4.3 million

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

TJ Osborne (singer w Brothers Osborne) … 40
Chloë Sevigny (actress, “We Are Who We Are,” “American Horror Story”) … 50
Megyn Kelly (one-time TV journalist, now podcaster) … 54
Owen Wilson (actor) … 56
Kirk Hammett (guitarist with Metallica) … 62
Kevin Nealon (comedian, actor, “Man with a Plan,” “Weeds”) … 71

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

“I have never taken myself that seriously as an actor.”

(A) Rob Schneider
(B) David Spade
(C) Owen Wilson

ANSWER: (C) Owen Wilson

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2004 – Britain outlawed fox hunting in England and Wales.
* “Onward to Scotland!!!”

1997 – The press reported armed robbers stuck up a Microsoft manufacturing plant in Scotland the week before, getting away with over 100,000 CD-ROMs.
* Big deal. Microsoft revises its products so often, those CD-ROMs were worthless in less than three weeks.

1978 – 912 people died at the “People’s Temple” mass suicide in Guyana.
* I’ve never understood how you can get a good cult going if all the members kill themselves.

1963 – The first push-button telephones went into service in Pennsylvania.
* Forty years and we still haven’t come up with a verb to replace “dial.”

1928 – “Steamboat Willie,” the very first Mickey Mouse cartoon, premiered at the Colony Theatre in New York. It was the first animated talking picture ever shown.
* People were amazed that they could hear a recording of Mickey’s voice. They never even suspected that cartoons could talk!

1841 – U.S. Navy Captain Nathaniel B. Palmer discovered Antarctica.
* Some discovery. Basically, he went to the end of all the ice everybody knew about up ’til then, and saw MORE ICE.

1805 – Explorers Lewis and Clark reached the Pacific Ocean.
* And they celebrated with a latte at the newly-built Starbucks.

1307 – William Tell shot an arrow through an apple on his son’s head.
* “Nice job, Dad. Now – I need a change of pants.”

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2017 Shawn Mendes became the first singer under 18 to get three No. 1 singles on Billboard’s Adult Contemporary chart.

2005 – A Belgian songwriter won a plagiarism case against Madonna over her 1998 hit single “Frozen.” Salvatore Acquaviva claimed that the song copied one of his recordings, the judge agreed that Madonna’s single used four bars of his song “Ma Vie Fout L’camp,” which roughly translates as “My Life’s Getting Nowhere.”

2003 – More than five hundred Britney Spears fans camped overnight outside the Virgin Records Megastore in New York’s Times Square waiting to get the star to sign copies of her new album “In The Zone.”

2003 – Following allegations of sexual abuse of a 12-year-old boy, police raided Michael Jackson’s Neverland ranch. Jackson denied the allegations. The search came on the day that his latest greatest hits album, “Number Ones,” was released in the U.S.

2001 – Britney Spears scored her second U.S. No.1 album with “Britney.”

1999 – It was reported that Madonna had saved over $170,000 when buying a new South Kensington home after making a private sale and cutting out any estate agents.

1993 – Nirvana recorded their MTV unplugged special at Sony Studios, New York.

1993 – Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder was arrested in New Orleans for disturbing the peace after a fight broke out in a bar.

1992 – Black Sabbath was honored with a star at the Rock Walk in Hollywood.

1983 – R.E.M. made their first appearance outside the U.S. when they appeared on Britain’s Channel 4 TV show “The Tube.” The following night they made their live UK debut when the played at Dingwalls, London.

1978 – Billy Joel went to No.1 on the U.S. album chart with “52nd Street,” his first U.S. No.1 album.

1972 – Cat Stevens started a three-week run at No.1 on the U.S. album chart with “Catch Bull At Four.”

1956 – Fats Domino appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show performing “Blueberry Hill.”

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. 87% of us say we lose sleep because of THIS. What is it?
Our work or place of employment

2. 15% of us argue with co-workers over THIS. What is it?
The temperature in the room

3. When asked “Why do you feel burned out at work?”, 16% said it was because of THIS. What is it?
The commute

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