THURSDAY, Dec 21 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR THURSDAY, December 21, 2023
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: GLOBAL BOOZEFINDER; BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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.)

FOREFATHER’S DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Forefather’s Day commemorates the Pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock in 1620. They left for the New World, to escape religious persecution. After a late fall start, the Mayflower set sail from England and landed at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts just before Christmas. This holiday is celebrated largely in New England. If you are not from New England, chances are this is the first you have heard of Forefather’s Day. The Pilgrims originally set sail from England in two ships, the Speedwell and the Mayflower. The Speedwell leaked so badly that they were forced to return to England. Ultimately, they all crammed into the Mayflower, and set sail from Plymouth, England. It was much later than they had planned. Strong fall west winds also delayed their arrival in the New World. Finally, on December 21, 1620 they landed.”

NATIONAL FLASHLIGHT DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Don’t be left in the dark on National Flashlight Day. The basic requirement for this day, is a flashlight and good batteries. Flick the switch, and you can put anything into your spotlight. We’d like to shed a little light on this special day. National Flashlight Day arrives on Winter Solstice, which is the shortest day … and longest night … of the year. There’s lots and lots of darkness. With all of those dark hours, your flashlight is apt to get a good workout. You never know when you will need a flashlight. National Flashlight Day is a good day to make sure you and your family know where the flashlights are. Test each flashlight, to be sure the batteries are good. When in doubt, replace the batteries with new ones. It is also a good idea to put a flashlight in your car. The flashlight was invented in 1898 by Joshua Lionel Cowen. However, this wasn’t his greatest invention. He also invented the Lionel train.”

WINTER BEGINS – Winter solstice occurs at 10:27 P.M. EST

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

PATRICK MAHOMES BUYS GOLF CARTS FOR THE FRONT LINE

Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes bought each of Kansas City’s offensive linemen golf carts for Christmas. Kansas City’s front line has allowed the second-fewest sacks this season, trailing only the Buffalo Bills. the Chiefs’ wide receivers have let him down. On the other hand, the Chiefs receivers have dropped the most passes in the NFL this season with 26, contributing to the Chiefs averaging just 22.8 points per game this season, the lowest since Mahomes became starter in 2018.
* The receivers all got e-bikes with the exploding batteries.
* If the offensive line had been #1 in fewest sacks, I bet they would have all had Tesla trucks.
* He’d better hang on to the receipts in case they don’t make the playoffs.

WHAT TO WATCH – New and Returning Shows and Movies
Premiering Thursday through Sunday
Listings sourced from the TV Guide and EW websites.

THURSDAY, Dec 21

“Dick Van Dyke: 98 Years of Magic”
CBS – Special
Synopsis: Looks at the entertainment icon’s extensive life and career.

Season Premiere:
Peacock – “Dr. Death”

FRIDAY, Dec 22

“Gyeongseong Creature Season 1 Part 1”
Netflix – New Series from Korea
Synopsis: Weaves together history, action and horror as it follows the lives of two people who investigate mysterious creatures in the spring of 1945.

“Rebel Moon — Part 1: A Child of Fire”
Netflix – New Series
Synopsis: When a colony on the edge of the galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of the tyrannical Regent Balisarius, they dispatch a young woman with a mysterious past to seek out warriors from neighboring planets to help them take a stand.

Season Premiere:
Disney+ – “What If…?”

SATURDAY, Dec 23

“Extended Family”
NBC – New Series
Synopsis: After an amicable divorce, Jim and Julia (Jon Cryer and Abigail Spencer) decide to continue to raise their kids at the family home while taking turns on who gets to stay with them. Navigating the waters of divorce and child-sharing gets more complicated for Jim when Trey (Donald Faison), the owner of his favorite sports team, enters the picture and wins Julia’s heart.

Season Premiere:
NBC – “Night Court”

THE BUZZ

DUMB HEADLINES

Time for another episode of Three Dumb Headlines. These are actual, word-for-word headlines of stories found on the internet. There’s no story, no context, just the actual headline. Discuss them amongst yourselves. Then, encourage listeners to vote for the Dumbest Headline on your station’s social media page. Maybe ask them to leave a comment. Reveal the results in the next break.
Today’s Dumb Headlines:
1. “The Shocking Way Rubber Bands Are Made Revealed In Wild Video”
2. “Man Sets Guinness Record For The World’s Largest Nasal Septum Flesh Tunnel”
3. “I Was Born Without Toenails — Now I’m An Online Sensation”
And here’s a spare, in case you don’t like one of those three: “Think Twice Before You Sear Meat With Freshly Cracked Pepper”

THE CHRISTMAS POTATO BONUS

Did you get a strange Christmas bonus? A woman who goes by Amanda B on X wrote: “My work is doing a potato bar as our Christmas bonus. I’m literally getting a hospital potato as a bonus. They also said it has a $15 value so it will be taxed on our next check.” She later shared a picture of her “$15 taxed potato” stuffed with a mixture of grated cheese and sour cream.
* Wow. Too cheap for chives.
* Would that be an Idaho-ho-ho potato?.
* What au gratin thing to do to your employees for Christmas.
* Tell us where she works so we can all never apply for a job there.
* It’s a hospital. Would it be so bad to give everyone 5 minutes in the meds locker?
* PHONE TOPIC: Did you get a particularly strange or awful Christmas bonus?

WHEN DO KIDS STOP BELIEVING IN SANTA CLAUS

At what point do children stop believing in Santa Claus? According to a survey done by the BetCarolina website (* a gambling site?):
– 48% of children stop believing in Santa Claus between the ages of 7- to 10-years old.
– Children in Texas hold the belief longer than any other state in the United States, on average, stopping at 10 years and 5 months.
* Yeah, well Texas also believes in a deregulated electric power grid where electricity is controlled by large independent corporations, and look how that turns out in a cold snap.
– South Carolina is second with 10 years, 2 months. New York is third with 10 years.
– Children in Oregon stop believing the soonest. On average, an Oregonian child stops believing at 7 years and 6 months.
* Seven is when Oregon kids stop believing in Santa and start believing in microbrews.
* It didn’t help when archeologists in Turkey uncovered the tomb of Saint Nicholas in 2022.
* I believe in Santa Claus but I do have my doubts about the Tooth Fairy.
* It seemed to work when I was a kid, but when I lost two teeth in a bar fight – nothing.
* Next up from BetCarolina: At what point do adults stop believing in the American Dream?

U.S. NEWS

MAN WANTS TO BUILD TALL BUILDING IN OKLAHOMA CITY

California developer Scot Matteson wants to build a 134-story skyscraper in downtown Oklahoma City. If completed as planned the supertall tower would become the second-tallest building in the country, behind only New York City’s One World Trade Center. This building would be more than twice the height of Oklahoma City’s current tallest building, the Devon Energy Center building. Matteson says he plans to submit full-scale renderings of the project by the end of the year. He tells the the Oklahoman newspaper, “I’m used to being told you can’t do things. But I’m used to getting it done.”
* “Because I’m a millionaire,” he added, unnecessarily.
* 134 stories, because 135 would just be dumb.
* You want to impress me, make it out of Legos.
* They say that, from the top, you’ll be able to see Oklahoma.
* Seriously, from the top you’ll have a 45 mile view. Hope you like corn.
* Big tall tower. Hey, Scot – overcompensate much?

SAN FRANCISCO COMMUTERS SUFFER THROUGH STINKY SECTION

For months now, California commuters taking Bay Area Rapid Transit trains from the East Bay to San Francisco have been complaining online about an offensive odor. The smell is detectable in Oakland, between the Lake Merritt and 12th Street stations. Some say is smells like a rotting corpse, others say it’s more of a “burning” or “chemical” smell while still others compare it to Corn Nuts. Safety crews haven’t noticed anything unusual in the area where the smell has been reported.
* How do so many San Franciscans know what rotting corpse smells like?
* Meh. THIS should have been “Mr. Monk’s Last Case,” not investigating his stepdaughter’s fiancé’s death.
* Corn Nuts – now with yummy rotting corpse flavor.
* Nobody’s claiming it’s Bigfoot? He’s supposed to have a serious odor problem.
* Hey, it’s San Francisco. Fire up your essential oil diffuser, snowflake!

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

MAN STEALS $23,000 FROM OTHER PLANE PASSENGERS MID-FLIGHT

A man stole around $23,260 from three passengers on a plane during a flight from Vietnam to Singapore. It happened December 16 on budget airline Scoot. Zhang Xiuqiang, a 52-year-old Chinese national, was somehow able to go through other passenger’s bags during the flight and steal $20,000 cash from one man’s satchel, an envelope full of money from a bag, and even more cash from someone’s backpack. A passenger saw what he was doing and alerted the flight crew. Mr. Xiuqiang was arrested when he got off the plane.
* The airline immediately offered him a job in baggage check, for a 20% cut of the action.
* What is somebody with $20,000 doing flying a budget airline?
* Cash, huh? Usually in this part of the world you look in the baggage and find smuggled turtles, tarantulas, bats, otters …
* $20,000 – that’s what you save by not checking your bag.

ALMANACNOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

TODAY – Winter begins, winter solstice occurs at 10:27 P.M. EST
Dec. 25, Monday – Christmas
Dec. 31, Sunday – New Year’s Eve
Jan. 1, Monday – New Year’s Day 2024

BIRTHDAYS

Kiefer Sutherland (actor, “Designated Survivor,” “24”) … 57
Andy Dick (actor-comedian, frequent substance-abuse meltdowner) … 58
Ray Romano (actor-comedian, “Vinyl'” “Parenthood,” “Men Of A Certain Age,” “Everybody Loves Raymond”) … 66
Jane Kaczmarek (actress, “Playing House,” “Malcolm in the Middle”) … 68
Samuel L. Jackson (actor) … 77
Jane Fonda (actress) … 86
Phil Donahue (former talk show host) … 88

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

“If my father had hugged me even once, I’d be an accountant right now.”

(A) Vladimir Putin
(B) Kim Jong-Un
(C) Ray Romano

ANSWER: (C) Ray Romano

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1970 – Elvis Presley met with President Richard M. Nixon in the Oval Office to discuss fighting drugs.
* It didn’t work.

1946 – The classic Christmas movie “It’s A Wonderful Life” had its premiere, a movie about how one man can touch so many others around him.
* I guess that would make it Harvey Weinstein’s favorite movie.

1914 – Charlie Chaplin appeared in the first feature-length silent film comedy.
* If only Adam Sandler’s movies were silent.

1913 – The first crossword puzzle was published, in the New York World.
* Somebody missed a great business opportunity when they decided to give away the answers for free.

1909 – The University of Copenhagen rejected Frederick Cook’s claim that he beat Robert Peary and was the first person to reach the North Pole.
* First? Hello? Santa’s been living there for hundreds of years! Duh!

1898 – Scientists Pierre and Marie Curie discovered the radioactive element radium.
* They glowed with pride!

1891 – 18 students played the first basketball game at Springfield College.
* They were suspended for recruiting violations the following day.

1620 – Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower went ashore for the first time at present-day Plymouth, MA.
* They would have kissed the soil, but, being uptight Pilgrims, that would have been considered immoral.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2019 – Mariah Carey topped the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 with “All I Want for Christmas Is You” for the first time, 25 years after its original release, thereby breaking several records, including the longest trip to number one. With estimated sales of over 16 million copies worldwide, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” is the best-selling holiday song by a female artist, and one of the best-selling physical singles in music history.

2014 – Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish formally converted their civil partnership to a marriage, hosting a ceremony at their Windsor estate in Berkshire. David and Victoria Beckham, Ed Sheeran, Lulu and actor David Walliams were among the guests.

2012 – “Gangnam Style” by South Korean musician Psy became the first YouTube video to reach a billion views. By the end of 2012, the song had topped the music charts of more than 30 countries.

2012 – Rolling Stones guitarist, 65-year-old Ronnie Wood, married his fiancee Sally Humphreys during a private ceremony in London. Keith Richards, Rod Stewart and Paul McCartney all attended the wedding.

2005 – Sir Elton John and his partner David Furnish became the first gay celebrities to register their relationship as a civil partnership. The 20-minute ceremony took place at The Guild Hall, Windsor, England, and guests included Ringo Starr, Victoria Beckham, Joss Stone, Sting, Elvis Costello, Jamie Cullum, George Michael and The Osbournes – Ozzy, Sharon, Jack and Kelly.

2003 – Eminem’s ex-wife Kimberley Mathers pleaded guilty to drug and driving offenses. Mathers had been pulled over by traffic police in June and was charged with possession of cocaine, driving with a suspended license, and maintaining a drug house in which police discovered marijuana and Ecstasy were dropped.

2003 – American Idol winner Ruben Studdard was at No.1 on the U.S. album chart with “Soulful.”

2001 – Police launched an investigation into why Olivia Harrison listed a non-existent Beverly Hills address as the place of George Harrison’s death.

1999 – Readers of Guitar magazine voted Noel Gallagher of Oasis the most overrated guitarist of the millennium. Jimi Hendrix was voted guitarist of the millennium with Nirvana’s “Nevermind” winning best album.

1985 – Heart went to No.1 on the U.S. album chart with their self-titled album.

1985 – Lionel Richie started a four-week run at No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Say You, Say Me.”

1976 – Barry Manilow appeared on the first night of a two-week gig at The Uris Theatre On Broadway, New York. Tickets were $20.

1969 – The Supremes made their last TV appearance together with Diana Ross on “The Ed Sullivan Show” singing their last No.1, “Someday We’ll Be Together.”

1968 – Glen Campbell went to No.1 on the U.S. album chart with “Wichita Lineman.”

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. 22% of people in a recent survey said THIS is the #1 thing on their Christmas wish list. What is it?
A new phone

2. IPhone users do THIS almost twice as much as Android users. What is it?
Take selfies

3. A recent survey found THIS is the #1 place people lose their phone. Where is it?
The supermarket

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