THURSDAY, Mar 20 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR THURSDAY, March 20, 2025
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: BIG TOP SNEAKERS; 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 – 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. We present only those specially designated days we feel your listeners would find most interesting or significant.)

GREAT AMERICAN MEATOUT DAY
The National Today website says this:
“Seeks to sensitize Americans and global citizens to the health and environmental benefits of depending on other sources of food than farm animals. The holiday is heavily pushed and engineered by the Farm Animal Rights Movement which is a pro-vegetarian movement that seeks to protect the rights of farm animals and play a role in preserving them from the age-long culture of cultivating them for food. The holiday usually involves campaigns by the FARM to encourage people to seek alternative food sources.”

INTERNATIONAL ASTROLOGY DAY

KISS YOUR FIANCE DAY
The Days of the Year website says this:
“Planning your wedding is an exciting and perhaps harrowing time. This day reminds those in the midst of planning their wedding to not let that planning process take precedence over retaining that special bond with the person you’ll be spending the rest of your life with.

NATIONAL RAVIOLI DAY

SPRING BEGINS – Spring Equinox: 5:01 a.m. EDT

THE GREAT AMERICAN MEATOUT
The Veg News website says this:
“The Great American Meatout is celebrated across the globe on March 20th every year. Animal-welfare organization Farm Animal Rights Movement coordinates the campaign, educating the general public on the health, environmental, and ethical benefits of living cruelty-free. Organizers encourage people to give veganism a try, sharing that each person who avoids eating animal products saves 28 animals and 190,000 gallons of water per year.”

March is:

Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month
American Red Cross Month
Employee Spirit Month
Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science and Engineering Month
Gender Equality Month
Irish-American Heritage Month
National Craft Month
National Women Inventors Month
National Women’s History Month
Read an E-Book Month

ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITIES

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

THURSDAY, Mar 20

“Happy Face”
Paramount+ – New Limited Series
Synopsis: Inspired by the true story of Melissa G. Moore, who learned at age 15 that her father was the notorious Happy Face Killer. When Melissa has to find out if an innocent man is about to be put to death for a crime her father committed, she’s pushed back into his orbit and forced to reckon with her own identity.

“Home Is Where the Heart Is”
Hallmark+ – Yet Another Home Renovation Show
Synopsis: Hallmark channel actor and woodworker Luke Macfarlane and designer Olivia Westbrooks take audiences inside a house that has been inherited or holds special familial meaning and is overdue for a facelift. Then they renovate it while maintaining its original charm.

“O’Dessa”
Hulu – New Film
Synopsis: In this post-apocalyptic musical drama (no, seriously), a farm girl goes on a journey to retrieve a family heirloom and rescue her one true love. Starring Stranger Things’ Sadie Sink.

“The Residence”
Netflix – New Series
Synopsis: Centers on an eccentric detective who is brought in to the White House to solve the murder of the White House head usher on the night of a state dinner at which all of the attendees are potential suspects. Netflix says it’s “a screwball whodunnit.”

Season Premiere:
Fox – “Farmer Wants a Wife”

FRIDAY, Mar 21

“GO!”
Netflix – New Series from South Africa
Synopsis: A young runner is given the opportunity of a scholarship to a prestigious school, but is he fast enough to outrun his secrets?

“Sing Sing”
Max – The theatrical release comes to streaming
Synopsis: Based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Maximum Security Prison, the film follows a group of incarcerated men who perform in a theater group, with a supporting cast that includes men who are alumni of the program.

DIRECTOR SCAMMED NETFLIX OUT OF $11 MILLION

A Hollywood writer-director was arrested Tuesday for swindling $11 million from Netflix. His name is Carl Eric Rinsch. He directed an actual movie, “47 Ronin.” He scammed Netflix by getting them to fund his next project, a sci-fi series called “White Horse” about a scientist who invents a humanlike species that turns against its creators. He had completed six shortform episodes of the series using his own money. He got Netflix to pay $11 million to expand the show into a series. Instead, Rinsch spent the cash on personal expenses:
– Several million on cryptocurrency
– $1.8 million on credit card bills
– $3.7 million on furniture and antiques
– $2.4 million for five Rolls-Royces and one Ferrari
– $652,000 on watches and clothes.
– Best of all, he used $1 million of their money on lawyers to sue Netflix for more money he claimed they owed him.
If convicted, he faces a maximum term of 90 years in prison.
* Dude, you’re about to become a Netflix documentary. And THEY’RE gonna pay for it!
* Carl Eric Rinsch – Netflix’s Grinch.
* On the bright side, sounds like we’re never gonna see that series about the scientist and his rebellious humanlike species, so – dodged a bullet THERE.
* Netflix just spent $320 million making “The Electric State,” which is getting savaged by critics and sci-fi fans. They’re not gonna miss 11 million.
* And, yes, folks, this is why your Netflix subscription just went up.

LEONARDO DICAPRIO’S ART DEALER SENTENCED FOR FRAUD

A New York art dealer who once counted actor Leonardo DiCaprio among her wealthy patrons was sentenced Wednesday to 30 months in federal prison after admitting to cheating clients out of $6.5 million in connection with the sale of 55 works of art. Prosecutors say 54-year-old Lisa Schiff sold artwork belonging to clients without telling them, or accepted their money to buy art that she didn’t end up purchasing. Schiff sobbed as she turned to her former friends and clients seated behind her in Manhattan federal court and apologized to them by name. She called herself a “coward” for hiding her deceit and “living lavishly” off money stolen from people who had “loved and trusted” her. “I am a guilty person and I am prepared to face my punishment,” Schiff said tearfully. “I am scared, but I am ready.”
* Looks like she’s about to enter her blue period.
* The January 6 rioters, crooked politicians, bank fraudsters all get off, but the art dealers – THEY’RE the ones who need to be behind bars to protect the public.
* And the guy who duct-taped a banana to a wall and sold it for $6.2 million – that’s not art fraud?
* I’m surprised she didn’t claim that she was … framed.
* She was an impasto! (that’s a very obscure joke for art majors out there.)

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. “Yes, McDonald’s Can Be Paired With Wine”
2. “The 9 Car Smells You Should Never Ignore”
3. “My Boyfriend’s Laundry Detergent Hack Makes No Sense”
And here’s a spare, in case you don’t like one of those three: “What Exactly Is In Trader Joe’s Cowboy Caviar?”

U.S. NEWS

EGG SHORTAGE: IGUANA EGGS

So, it’s come to this. In this time of high egg prices and egg shortages, a Florida man has a solution: iguana eggs. Like much of Florida, Marco Island is full of iguanas. They’re an invasive species, and they’ve proliferated on the island. John Johnson runs a business called Down Goes Iguana, where he removes and kills the critters. What’s more, he harvests iguana eggs from the dead iguanas, and he cooks and eats them. Iguana eggs are extracted directly from the abdomen, a string of 15-70 eggs, smaller than a ping pong ball, inside a membrane. He pops them open, mixes up the yellow yolks with a touch of milk, salt, pepper, garlic and a blend of Latin-inspired spices, and voila! Iguana omelet. Iguamelet, if you will. He says most people wouldn’t know the difference between iguana eggs and chicken eggs. “It tastes like eggs because they are eggs. It doesn’t get more Florida than this.”
* No, it doesn’t, because I’d also have to be drunk as a skunk to eat it.
* I do not want iguana eggs – not one! / I do not want them, John Johnson! (Apologies to Green Eggs and Ham)
* They say it’s good luck if you get a tail in your omelet.
* I can’t prove it, but I believe this is how Alien was born. Iguana eggs for breakfast, and then – pop! – xenomorph right out of your chest.
* Are we now supposed to build iguana coops in our backyards?
* When I think of eating iguana eggs, Iguana barf.

WEDDING CANCELED TWICE DUE TO BOMB THREATS

The Sheriff’s Office in Weld County, Colorado is asking the public for any information about bomb threats made to a wedding venue in the town of Keenesburg. The sheriff says that two threats were made against Lily Fresh Farm Event Center in October 2023. Yes, October 2023. The threats resulted in the same wedding being canceled twice.
* Worst of all, the couple lost their deposit on the honeymoon suite in Des Moines.
* It was awful, because the casserole for the reception was just not going to last until the third try.
* Usually people get bombed at the reception.
* Nice of the sheriff in rural Colorado to get right on this crime that happened, what, 18 months ago? Guess he was busy with cattle rustlers or something.
* Those short naps are great.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

15-YEAR-OLD NEW ZEALANDER BREAKS 4-MINUTE MILE

New Zealand athlete Sam Ruthe made history on Wednesday as he became the youngest person to run a sub-four-minute mile. Ruthe, who turns 16 in mid-April, ran a time of 3:58.35 at Go Media Stadium in Auckland. Wednesday’s performance took more than three seconds off his previous best mile time of 4.01.72.
* His coach told him, first one across the finish line gets a new Nintendo Switch, and zoom!
* This is a great story for parents who can’t even get their kids to make a milk run to Walmart.
* I can’t make a 4-minute bathroom break much less run a mile.
* Just reading this story out loud made my knees hurt.

TRENDING

SNL HOSTS FOR THE NEXT THREE WEEKS

Saturday Night Live announced their next three hosts.
– Oscar winner Mikey Madison (“Anora”) makes her SNL debut as host of the March 29 episode, with Morgan Wallen set as the musical guest.
– Jack Black hosts on April 5, with musical guests Elton John and Brandi Carlile.
– Jon Hamm hosts on April 12 with musical guest Lizzo.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

TODAY – Spring begins, Spring Equinox is 5:01 a.m. EDT
April 1, Tuesday – April Fools Day
April 15, Tuesday – U.S. Tax Day
May 11, Sunday – Mother’s Day
May 26, Monday – Memorial Day

BIRTHDAYS

Barrett Doss (actress, “Station 19”) … 36
Ruby Rose (actress, “Batwoman,” “Orange is the New Black”) … 39
Cedric Yarbrough (actor, “Speechless”) … 52
Kathy Ireland (model, designer, entrepreneur) … 62
Holly Hunter (actress, “Succession,” “Here and Now,” Elastigirl in “Incredibles” movies) … 67
Theresa Russell (actress) … 68
Spike Lee (film director) … 68
Carl Palmer (drummer, Emerson, Lake and Palmer) … 75
Hal Linden (actor, “Barney Miller”) … 94

Today’s Birthdays grade: A big list from across multiple fields, with special and not-so-special names mainly depending on your demographic. Grade: We’ll default to a mild C-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!

“It’s hard for me to get good work … it’s hard for me to find stuff that I want to do … there is not a lot of stuff around and the stuff that is around is not very complicated; it tends to lie a little flat.”

(A) Nicolas Cage
(B) Johnny Depp
(C) Holly Hunter

ANSWER: (C) Holly Hunter

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2003 – A U.S.-led coalition launched a ground invasion of Iraq after an ultimatum for Saddam Hussein and his sons to leave Iraq expired.
* Still waiting for someone to find those weapons of mass destruction.

1999 – The first non-stop, around-the-world balloon trip was made.
* Not quite sure why, though.

1996 – The British government announced the discovery of “Mad Cow Disease.”
* You’d be mad too if British doctors kept sticking you with needles.

1954 – The first newspaper vending machine was introduced.
* What a great deal! All the papers you can read for just 50 cents.

1897 – The first known intercollegiate basketball game was held, with Yale beating Penn 32-10.
* Picking brackets was REAL easy – only two teams!

1885 – John Matzeliger patented a shoe lacing machine.
* What I can’t figure out is – how does a guy who’s too lazy to tie his own shoes get the energy to invent a machine to do it?

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2000 – Madonna issued a statement to announce that she was three months pregnant with her second child.

1991 – Michael Jackson announced a long-term agreement with Sony Music and Columbia Pictures touted as having a possible worth of $1 billion. Under the plan, Jackson would have his own record label and an entertainment complex to produce records, music videos and theatrical films.

1991 – Conor Clapton, the 4-year-old son of rock guitarist Eric Clapton, died when he fell out the window of a 53rd-floor apartment in New York. A housekeeper who was cleaning the room had left a window open. The boy was in the custody of his mother, Italian actress Lori Del Santo, and the pair were visiting a friend’s apartment. The tragedy inspired his song “Tears in Heaven.”

1990 – Gloria Estefan, then with Miami Sound Machine, suffered a fractured vertebra when a tractor slammed into her tour bus near Scranton, Pa.

1969 – John Lennon married Yoko Ono at the British consulate in Gibraltar.

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 year, Americans spent 3 billion dollars on THIS. What is it?
NCAA Basketball Brackets

2. Americans spend almost 15 billion dollars a year on THIS. What is it?
Parking

3. In a recent year, Americans spent almost $75 billion on THESE. What are they?
Weddings

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