THURSDAY, July 25 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR THURSDAY, July 25, 2024
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: PROMOS-TO-GO

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.)

CULINARIANS DAY

NATIONAL CAROUSEL (MERRY-GO-ROUND) DAY

NATIONAL HOT FUDGE SUNDAE DAY

July is:

Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month
Air Conditioning Appreciation Month
Baked Bean Month
Cell Phone Courtesy Month
Family Reunion Month
International Blondie and Deborah Harry Month
National Blueberries Month
National Grilling Month
National Hot Dog Month
National Ice Cream Month
Melon Month

ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITIES

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

THURSDAY, July 25

“The Decameron”
Netflix – New Series
Synopsis: Nobles in 1348 Florence take their servants to a grand villa to wait out the Black Death, and what begins as a lavish party gets dicey.

Season Premiere:
Prime Video/Freevee – “Troppo”

FRIDAY, July 26

“2024 Paris Olympic Games: Opening Ceremony”
NBC/Peacock – Special

“Olympic Highlights with Kevin Hart and Kenan Thompson”
Peacock – Limited Commentary Series
Synopsis: The comedians deliver humorous commentary about the 2024 Olympics’ best and most unexpected moments.

Season Premiere:
Netflix – “Elite”

CHER MEMOIR TO BE IN TWO PARTS

Cher, 78, has written a memoir. It’s so long, it’s coming out in two parts. “Cher: The Memoir, Part One” will come out Nov. 19, with the second volume to follow in 2025. The book promises a “true story, in intimate detail,” starting with her “often-chaotic” childhood and famed and troubled partnership with Sonny Bono, and reveals the highly complicated relationship that made them world-famous, but eventually drove them apart.
* It’s so big it’s being priced at $7.95 a pound.
* I hope she includes her memories of the Lincoln assassination.
* It’s only right that her memoir come in two parts. Cher herself comes in about 8 or 9 parts.
* The second book is just an index of the guys she’s married or dated: Gregg Allman, Gene Simmons, David Geffen, Val Kilmer, Eric Stoltz, Tom Cruise, Richie Sambora… and the list goes on.

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. “Man Pulls On Underpants in Record Attempt”
2. “Mick Fleetwood to Release Blues Album With Ukulele Virtuoso”
3. “Gymnast Vigorously Demonstrates That Olympic Village Beds Are Not ‘Anti-Sex’”
And here’s a spare, in case you don’t like one of those three: “I Made Soap From My Own Body Fat”

IT’S NOT AS BAD AS PEOPLE SAY IT IS

Reddit asked,”What’s not nearly as bad as everyone thinks it is?” Some of the responses:
– “Going to the movies alone.”
– “Admitting you don’t know something.”
– “Apologizing.”
– “Dining out alone.”
– “Traveling alone.”
– “Saying no.”
– “Spiders. They’re not out to get you and ruin your life. They don’t even know you exist.”
– “Cilantro.”
– “Colonoscopy. You’re asleep through the whole thing, you’ll lose a few pounds from the prep, and it just might save your life.”
– “Living alone. Many people think it’s lonely or sad, but it can be incredibly peaceful and empowering to have your own space and independence.”
– “Nickleback.”
* PHONE TOPIC: Do you do any of these things alone? Do you agree that it’s not so bad?

FLUFFY COKE

A new trend on TikTok: something called the “fluffy Coke.” It’s being popularized by content creator Emma Grace and her grandma. Here’s is how you make a fluffy Coke: smear marshmallow fluff inside a tall glass. Dump in a lot of ice cubes. Then pour in the Coke, or diet Coke, or root beer or coffee. The problem with the drink is that the marshmallow fluff is not soluble in cold liquid. It will wind up sticking to the glass, requiring the drinker to scrape it off the sides with a straw. And then the straw gets filled with marshmallow and it’s useless.
* Too much work. I like my diabetes quick and easy.
* What’s up with Emma and her grandma? Sick of doing puzzles?
* There’s also a less fun video of them scrubbing glasses.
* Is a fluffy Coke like a fuzzy navel cocktail?
* Crazy idea: try this with hot chocolate. Nobody has ever added marshmallow to hot chocolate, have they?

U.S. NEWS

FALLING FISH SMASHES TESLA WINDSHIELD

A fish dropped out of the sky and smashed into a New Jersey couple’s Tesla parked in their driveway, cracking the car’s windshield. Cynthia and Jeff Levine said they heard a crash outside their Atlantic Highlands home — about a mile from the nearest body of water. Then the car started honking its alarm. When they went to investigate, they found their Tesla’s windshield broken and covered in fish scales and blood. The bizarre incident was caught on the car’s security camera, which shows a small fish suddenly fall out of the sky and smack hard into the Tesla. The couple noted that they have an eagle’s nest in their backyard. The bird obviously dropped the fish.
* Buttertalons.
* Wow, right through the windshield. Holey mackerel.
* It was like a drone delivery from Red Lobster gone wrong.
* Coulda been worse. Coulda been a wheel from a Boeing.
* And on Monday, in New Hampshire, there was that video of that humpback whale jumping out of the water and smashing that boat. I’d avoid fish for awhile. And Teslas, too, just because.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

AUSTRALIAN SURFER LOSES LEG TO SHARK, LEG WASHES UP ON SHORE

The severed leg of a surfer who was attacked by a shark has washed up on an Australian beach, with doctors now racing to see if it can be reattached. Kai McKenzie, 23, was surfing near Port Macquarie in New South Wales on Tuesday, when a 10-foot great white shark bit him, taking his leg. He managed to catch a wave into shore, where an off-duty police officer used a dog leash as a makeshift tourniquet to stem his bleeding. McKenzie was rushed to a hospital. Meanwhile, his leg washed up a short time later. It was put on ice by locals before being taken to hospital, where a medical team was trying to figure out if it could be reattached.
* The sea was hungry that day, my friend.
* Shark bites a guy’s leg off and doesn’t even eat it? That’s just mean.
* Ticked off by Shark Week?
* You’ve heard of getting your sea legs? Well, here you go.
* It’s Australia – are they sure it was his?

SURVIVAL-TYPE REALITY SHOW CONTESTANT EATS PROTECTED BIRD

Two contestants in the latest season of USA Network’s “Race to Survive” were kicked off the reality show after one of them killed and ate a protected bird in New Zealand. On the show, contestants are supposed to hunt and forage for their food during the competition. Contestant Corry Jones admitted that he knew they were breaking the law when he caught, killed, and ate a native, flightless weka bird. But, he said, he was “desperate and hungry.” The weka species is extinct across large parts of New Zealand.
* In the other parts, it’s delicious.
* He said he knew it was wrong, but he was starving and it was either weka bird or Arby’s.
* Being flightless, I’d said the bird was asking for it.
* On “Race to Survive,” the bird lost.
* If this is supposed to make me tune into the show, it’s not working.

OLYMPICS: TIME FOR THE TRADITIONAL “OLYMPIC CONDOMS” STORY

Every time the Olympics roll around, the media likes to point out what happens when thousands of fit, good-looking single people in need of a release from years of grueling training get together. And what happens is: square dancing! No, not really. It’s sex, lots and lots of sex. This year, the Paris Games organizers – with the emphasis on “organ” – are providing 200,000 male condoms, 20,000 female condoms and 10,000 oral dams to athletes in the Olympic Village. That’s about 20 condoms per person for each of the 10,500 athletes.
* The athlete with the fewest condoms left at the end of the games gets a special gold medal, and a shot of penicillin.
* Any condoms left over get blown up as balloons for sale over by the Eiffel Tower.
* You want to keep a couple in your wallet, but the athletes all wear those tight body suits – where would they keep their wallet?
* After hours, the athletes hold their own little Love Games: There’s tonsil hockey, and the broad jump, and, of course, handball. Also, the Olympic basketball players like to do a little 3-on-3.
* The Olympic motto is “faster, higher, stronger.” The sex Olympic motto is “faster!, faster!!, faster!!!”
* Not all the new records set will be on the field.

TRENDING

COCO GAUFF TO ALSO CARRY U.S. FLAG AT OLYMPICS

Tennis star Coco Gauff will join LeBron James as a flag bearer for the U.S. Olympic team at Friday’s opening ceremony. Gauff, the reigning U.S. Open champion, is set to make her Olympic debut at the Paris Games and will be the first tennis athlete to carry the U.S. flag. She and James were chosen by Team USA athletes. The 20-year-old Gauff made the American team for the Tokyo Games three years ago as a teenager but had to sit out those Olympics because she tested positive for COVID-19 right before she was supposed to fly to Japan.

“INSIDE OUT 2” IS HIGHEST GROSSING ANIMATED FILM EVER

The Pixar film “Inside Out 2” has, according to Variety, just became the highest-grossing animated film of all time. The movie has made $1.46 billion after just six weeks in theaters. It’s the highest grossing movie of 2024, the first movie this year to pass the billion dollar mark, and the fastest animated film to cross the $1 billion benchmark.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

Sept. 2, Monday – Labor Day
Sept. 11, Wednesday – Patriot Day
Sept. 23, Sunday – Fall begins (Autumn Equinox is 8:44 a.m. EDT)

BIRTHDAYS

Mason Cook (actor, “Speechless”) … 24
Jay R. Ferguson (actor, “Living Biblically,” “The Real O’Neals”) … 50
Matt LeBlanc (actor, “Man With a Plan,” “Episodes,” “Joey,” “Friends”) … 57
Iman (supermodel, widow of David Bowie) … 69

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

“The more cynical you become, the better off you’ll be.”

(A) Kermit the Frog
(B) Barney the Dinosaur
(C) Matt LeBlanc

ANSWER: (C) Matt LeBlanc

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2008 – California became the first state to ban trans fats from restaurant food.
* Fats that want to change their gender?

1978 – The first baby conceived outside a woman’s body was born. Louise Brown became known as the first “test tube baby.”
* Until then, test tube babies were inconceivable!

1971 – The first combined lung and heart transplant was carried out.
* The patient got a new lung, a new heart, and had to take out a new mortgage.

1962 -The House passed a bill requiring equal pay for equal work regardless of sex.
* I agree. You shouldn’t have to have sex to get equal pay.

1909 – French aviator Louis Bleriot became the first person to fly across the English Channel. Before leaving France on his flight he asked “Which way is England?”
* In those days, as long as you were wearing a cool aviator’s jacket and goggles, you could say any damn fool thing you wanted and you’d still be considered dashing.

1871 – The carousel was patented by Wilhelm Schneider.
* He should have simultaneously patented Dramamine.

1832 – The first fatal railroad accident in America occurred when four people were pitched over a cliff in Massachusetts, killing one.
* It would be years and years until train technology improved to the point where Amtrak could get fatality figures into the double digits.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2014 – Weird Al Yankovic became the first comedy act to have an album at the top of the U.S. charts in more than 50 years. It was “Mandatory Fun,” Yankovic’s 14th album, and his best-selling since 1991’s “Straight Outta Lynwood.” The last comedy album to reach No. 1 in the U.S. was Allan Sherman’s “My Son, the Nut” in 1963.

2002 – Two former members of Destiny’s Child settled out of court over the lyrics to “Survivor,” which they claimed were libelous. LeToya Luckett and LaTavia Roberson, who left the group in 2000, said that the song broke an agreement which prohibited both sides making “any public comment of a disparaging nature concerning one another.” The line, which they were suing over, said “You thought that I’d be stressed without you, but I’m chillin’. You thought I wouldn’t sell without you, sold nine million.”

1999 – This year’s Woodstock Festival ended with riots resulting in 120 people being arrested. Three people died during the 3-day festival in separate incidents and many were hospitalized after drinking polluted water.

1992 – Bruce Springsteen became a father when Patti Sciafa gave birth to a baby boy, Evan James.

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. In a recent survey, 43% of people said they believe they would be healthier if they ate THIS instead of what they are eating now. What is it?
Dog food

2. A recent study found that dads do THIS more than moms when it comes to their kids. What is it?
Reward them with unhealthy food

3. 24% of kids surveyed said that if they were President of the United States, they would do THIS every day. What is it?
They’d eat ice cream

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