THURSDAY, May 8 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR THURSDAY, May 8, 2025

COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: MUSIC BED FOR POPE ELECTION – WE HAVE PONTIFF!; 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 – 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.)

IRIS DAY

NATIONAL COCONUT CREAM PIE DAY

V-E Day
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Victory in Europe Day (V-E Day) commemorates the end of fighting in Europe during World War II. After years of war, The Third Reich of Nazi Germany was defeated. Millions of people were killed. Adolf Hitler, Germany’s Dictator, had committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin. The German Army ceased fighting on May 2, and formally surrendered unconditionally, on May 7th. The surrender of all German forces was arranged for May 8 at 11:01. The Allied countries planned to celebrate victory, and the cessation of hostilities. Did you Know? The original planned date for the celebration of V-E Day was May 9th, 1945. But journalists caught wind of the plans. So the U.S. and Britain moved the date up by a day to May 8th. Russia kept to the original planned date for May 9th. Russia still celebrates V-E Day on May 9th.”

WORLD DONKEY DAY
The National Today website says this:
“World Donkey Day was created by Ark Raziq, a scientist whose focus is on desert animals. He realized that the hardworking donkey wasn’t being recognized for its efforts in building our society. Their input has improved the quality of life for people all around the world. He started by creating a Facebook group talking about the animal. In 2018, World Donkey Day was officially set up and it’s been celebrated every year since. Its purpose is to spread information about donkeys and how they impact human lives.”

WORLD RED CROSS DAY and WORLD RED CRESCENT DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“World Red Cross Day remembers and recognizes the efforts of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies worldwide. According to the Red Cross website, this day recognizes: ‘Worldwide efforts to advocate for the relief of human suffering, whether from disease, famine, disaster, or war. On May 8, the American Red Cross puts special focus on our programs that keep children healthy and safe around the globe.’ The Red Cross provides humanitarian efforts and disaster relief around the world, wherever it is needed. There are millions of Red Cross volunteers.”

May is:

Chip Your Pet Month / Pet Month
Date Your Mate Month
International Civility Awareness Month
National Barbecue Month
National Bike Month
National Egg Month
National Hamburger Month
National Military Appreciation Month
National Salad Month
National Salsa Month
Older Americans 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, May 8
“Forever”
Netflix – New Series
Synopsis: Reunited as teens, two childhood friends fall deeply in love, experiencing the joy and heartache of a first romance that will change their lives forever.

“Octopus!”
Prime Video – New Documentary
Synopsis: Takes viewers on a journey into the mysterious and intelligent world of the octopus, combining science with personal narratives, surreal comedy, and emotional insight.

Season Premieres:
Max – “Conan O’Brien Must Go”
Netflix – “Blood of Zeus”
Peacock – “Poker Face”

FRIDAY, May 9

“Nonnas”
Netflix – New Movie
Synopsis: After losing his beloved mother, a man risks everything to honor her by opening an Italian restaurant with actual nonnas — grandmothers — as the chefs.

“Summer of 69”
Hulu – New Movie
Synopsis: An awkward high school senior hires an exotic dancer to help seduce her longtime crush before graduation, leading to unexpected friendship and lessons in self-confidence, acceptance, and adulthood.

“The Royals”
Netflix – New Series from India
Synopsis: An entitled prince and a self-made entrepreneur couldn’t be more different — but something keeps pulling them together.

“Too Hot to Handle: Italy”
Netflix – Hookup Reality Show
Synopsis: The “dating” show launches in Italy.

Season Premieres:
Apple TV+ – “Long Way Home”
Paramount+ – “RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars”

YELLOWSTONE BRAND BAKED BEANS RECALLED

The FDA has put out a recall of more than 4,500 cases of Yellowstone-brand baked beans due to the presence of undeclared soy. Soy is a major allergen and must be declared as an ingredient when used in food, but the company that makes the Yellowstone baked beans, Vietti Food Group, missed listing soy as an ingredient. The beans are sold in about 23 states, and mostly carried at Walmart.
* Boy, is there NO scam those Duttons won’t pull to make money?
* A half hour after you eat them, your intestines act like they’re being taken to the train station.
* They settle in your stomach like a rodeo bull rider – eight seconds and they’re out.
* Their slogan is, “Yellowstone Baked Beans: It’s How Rip Got His Nickname.”

DISNEY BUILDING THEME PARK IN ABU DHABI

Disney is set to open a theme park and resort in Abu Dhabi — its seventh location and first in the Middle East, the entertainment giant announced on Wednesday. The park will be situated on Yas Island, already a notable leisure destination in the United Arab Emirates that includes prominent attractions such as Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi.
* If there’s one thing that Disney knows, it’s profits, and I’m not talking about the prophet Mohammad.
* It’s the world’s richest country, so look for admission prices to be stated in Krugerrands.
* Instead of the Magic Kingdom, it’ll be called the Magic Sultanate.
* There are four lands: Caliphateland, Martyrland, and Sunniland and Shi-iteland, which are on opposite sides of the park.
* They’ve got a list of rides they’re working on:
– Sleeping Beauty’s Magic Oasis
– The Haunted Harem
– The Enchanted Tiki Tent
– Space Sand Dune
– Country Camel Jamboree
– Splash Mosque
– It’s a Small World After Jihad

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 Way You Decorate Your Laundry Room Could Actually Poison Your Kid”
2. “The One Bologna Myth That Will Never Die”
3. “Should We All Be Squatting More?”
And here’s a spare, in case you don’t like one of those three: “Tired Bumblebees Who Fell Asleep Inside Flowers With Pollen On Their Butts”

THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT

According to a new article in LaGrada magazine, a group of scientists used a supercomputer to determine when all life on Earth will end. Turns out it’s next Tuesday. JUST KIDDING! We’ve got about 1 billion years to go. Scientists with NASA and Japan’s Toho University used the computer to determine “when all life will end” on Earth and they say it will be the year 1,000,002,021 (One-billion, two-thousand and twenty one) because the sun is expanding. As it does, Earth will be heated “beyond the threshold of life.”
* That already happens a few days every summer in Florida.
* So it’s NOT the end of the world because I’ve taken away my daughter’s cellphone privileges. I’ll have to tell her that.
* However, the computer says robocalls will continue on for another 500,000 years or so.
* These scientists must be a laugh-a-minute.

U.S. NEWS

AUDIO: RACCOON WITH A METH PIPE

On Monday, Police in Springfield Township, Ohio, pulled over a driver with an active warrant and a suspended driver’s license. Behind the wheel was 55-year-old Victoria Vidal. While she was being questioned outside the car, the officer looked inside and saw a raccoon with a meth pipe in its mouth. Police confirmed that the raccoon, named Chewy, was a pet and that Vidal had the appropriate paperwork and documentation to own him. However, a subsequent search revealed that Vidal’s car contained a significant of methamphetamine, crack cocaine and three used glass meth pipes. She was arrested; Chewy was reported as “safe.”
* But his teeth are a mess.
* That’s weird. Raccoons are usually into amyl nitrite poppers.
* They dropped him off at a nearby garbage can, and everything was cool.
* Coming soon: Cocaine Bear 2: Meth Raccoon.”
CLIP: From the arrest video, the officer discovers the raccoon with the meth pipe. (This has been edited for length.)
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)com/prep/wp-content/uploads/RaccoonWithMethPipe(dot)mp3

FLORIDA MAN TRIES TO STEAL ATM LOCATED NEXT TO POLICE STATION

A man was arrested in DeFuniak Springs, Florida, after attempting to steal an ATM next door to the local police station. According to the DeFuniak Springs Police, around 3AM Sunday, April 26, the suspect obtained an excavator from a nearby construction site and drove it to a bank location adjacent to police headquarters. He used the equipment’s arm to try to dislodge the ATM from its concrete base. An officer watched what was happening, and as he attempted to talk to the suspect, the man fled the scene. Officers gave chase and apprehended the individual. When questioned, the suspect allegedly told officers, “I’d rather rob a bank than work for my brother.”
* How about going to prison? Is THAT better than working for his brother?
* He’s right – never work for a relative, it’s no end of grief.
* DeFuniak Springs has a population of 6,700 people. Chances are the cops know the brother. “You’re right, sir, your brother’s a jerk. You are free to go.”
* “Hey, do ya mind keeping the backhoe noise down, we’re trying to get a confession out of a guy.”

FLORIDA ASSAULT WITH CHEESY NACHOS

A Florida nurse has been accused of shoving cheesy nachos down the leggings of her wife during a 3 AM domestic battery. Investigators say that the 40-year-old victim was “making nachos with nacho cheese in the kitchen” when her spouse, Allyson Swan, 39, “told her she shouldn’t be eating this late and made a comment about her weight.” An argument ensued. Ms. Swan walked over to her spouse, grabbed a handful of the cheesy nachos and “shoved them down the back” of the victim’s leggings. A physical fight ensued. A neighbor heard the noise and called police, who found the victim’s leggings had “what appeared to be nacho cheese on the interior backside–consistent with her story.” Police said the actual plate of cheesy nachos was left untouched.
* Lucky she wasn’t making sizzlin’ fajitas.
* Edam and weep, boys!
* The nacho cheese was all over her asiago, I bet.
* Cheese in the leggings. Something I’m familiar with. Don’t ask.

AUDIO: MURDERED MAN ADDRESSES HIS KILLER THRU A.I.

A man killed in a road rage incident was recreated through AI to address his killer at the sentencing hearing. Chris Pelkey was killed in a road rage shooting in Chandler, Arizona, in 2021. Pelkey was 37 years old when he was shot by Gabriel Horcasitas at a red light in 2021 after Pelkey exited his vehicle and walked back towards Horcasitas’s car. Last week at his killer’s sentencing hearing, a video was played. It was an AI recreation of Mr. Pelkey, dressed in a ballcap and green hoodie, addressing the court. The trial was over – the video was part of the “impact statements” that relatives of the victim get to make before sentencing. Pelkey’s sister, Stacey Wales, fed an AI model videos and audio of Pelkey and came up with a rendering that would match the sentiments and thoughts of a still-alive Pelkey. His sister called it a “Frankenstein of love.” In the video, the AI Pelkey thanked his family, the judge, and everyone who turned up for the hearing. Then he addressed his killer, saying: “It is a shame we encountered each other that day in those circumstances. In another life, we probably could have been friends. I believe in forgiveness, and a God who forgives. I always have, and I still do.” The judge allowed the AI usage, and ultimately sentenced Horcasitas to 10 and a half years in prison on manslaughter charges.
* And, yes, this is an episode of Black Mirror – “Be Right Back.”
* Oh, boy, there’s a lot you can do with this – coming back to life to address your killer: “Hi, remember when you killed me? I’m gonna haunt you until your dying day, you S.O.B.”
* Or your family: “I hid all the gold in my gggzzgzzzztgggttt” and have the image skitz out.
* Speaking of AI, this never would have happened if they’d both been in self-driving cars.
* What do they do with the AI now? Keep it around to attend family holidays? Or do they just turn it off and Chris dies a second time?
CLIP: An AI Chris Pelkey addresses the court and his killer.
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)com/prep/wp-content/uploads/DeadManTestifiesViaAI(dot)mp3

AUDIO: WEIGHTWATCHERS FILES CHAPTER 11

WeightWatchers has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in a bid to cut its debt after Ozempic and other hugely popular obesity drugs upended its business model. WeightWatchers began as weekly weight-loss support group meeting with 400 attendees, and quickly turned into a worldwide phenomena with millions of members across the globe. The company once boasted media mogul Oprah Winfrey as one of its top shareholders. They originally developed a point system for different foods in order to help users control their diet. Then they started selling their own branded diet food. And then, along came the diet drugs, blowing the WeightWatchers system out of the water. The company now focuses on overall wellness rather than just weight loss.
* When Oprah Winfrey bails on you, that’s a sign from the universe that things aren’t going to get better.
* They ought to change the name from WeightWatchers to “Shut Up And Give Me The Shot.”
* From shedding pounds to shedding members.
* Is there any future for them? Fat chance!
* Anyone want to buy a warehouse full of WeightWatchers Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Bars?
CLIP: I really think they’d have more success rebranding as WeightListeners. Here’s a commercial for them.
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)com/prep/wp-content/uploads/01-04-WeightListeners-Diet(dot)mp3

TRENDING

ANOTHER “YELLOWSTONE” SPINOFF “Y: MARSHALS”

Another Yellowstone spinoff has been announced. “Y: Marshals,” a working title for the new series, will follow Kayce Dutton, played by actor Luke Grimes, as he joins an elite unit of U.S. Marshals, combining his skills as a cowboy and Navy SEAL to bring Yellowstone justice to his home state of Montana. Taylor Sheridan is an executive producer on the show. It is scheduled to debut in Spring 2026 on CBS.

DETAILS ON THE ACCIDENTAL GOLF CART DEATH OF JOHN ELWAY’S BUSINESS PARTNER

Recently, NFL legend John Elway lost his longtime friend and business partner Jeff Sperbeck in a tragic golf cart accident. Sperbeck, 62, died on April 30 from a severe head injury he suffered falling off of a cart driven by Elway. Authorities investigated the incident, and fresh details are being reported:
– Elway and his girlfriend and Sperbeck and his wife were among a group traveling back from an event at the Madison Club in La Quinta, Arizona. A caravan of “three or four golf carts with a total of 10 to 15 people” began making its way back to Elway’s home, no more than a quarter-mile away.
– Elway was driving a cart at the back of the caravan, with his girlfriend and Sperbeck’s wife sitting up front and Sperbeck and MTV personality Johnny Devenanzio, also known as Johnny Bananas, riding on the back.
– Elway was reportedly following the carts in front of him when Sperbeck fell off. Witnesses say there was no swerving or horseplay. No one was drunk, according to multiple sources. The cart didn’t hit anything. It had been a smooth ride.
– Sperbeck fell directly on his head and was clearly in grave danger. Elway called 9-1-1 but emergency and hospital personnel were unable to save him. He was placed on life support in order for his organs to be harvested for donation.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

May 11, Sunday – Mother’s Day
May 26, Monday – Memorial Day
June 14, Saturday – Flag Day
June 15, Sunday – Father’s Day
June 20, Friday – Summer begins (The June solstice occurs at 10:42 P.M. EDT)

BIRTHDAYS

Matt Davis (actor, “Grosse Pointe Garden Society,” “Legacies,” “The Originals,” “The Vampire Diaries”) … 47
Enrique Iglesias (singer) … 50
Del Gray (drummer with Little Texas) … 57
Melissa Gilbert (actress, “Little House On The Prairie”) … 61
Alex Van Halen (drummer with Van Halen) … 72
Philip Bailey (singer with Earth Wind & Fire) … 74
Toni Tennille (singer, “The Captain and Tennille”) … 85

Today’s Birthdays grade: The fanbases for a lot of today’s names are Baby Boomer-ish, plus a singer who’s still kinda popular, a 90s country band that’s still touring, and an actor in a current series. No losers but no superstars either. Grade: C.

[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!

“I’m a good person, but with many defects.”

(A) Vladimir Putin
(B) Kim Jong-un
(C) Enrique Iglesias

ANSWER: Enrique Iglesias

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2019 – Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes wrote a “New York Times” Op-Ed essay arguing that Facebook should be split up and regulated.
* Was he ever seen alive again?

1987 – Gary Hart quit the democratic presidential race over the Donna Rice affair.
* Why couldn’t he just wait until he got to the Oval Office to fool around, like other guys?

1952 – Mad Magazine debuted.
* With Alfred E. Neuman proving that even geeky looking kids could get on a magazine cover.

1886 – Jacob’s Pharmacy in Atlanta sold the first serving of pharmacist John Pemberton’s concoction Coca-Cola which, as you may know, in those days actually contained cocaine.
* So it was served with a straw …

1879 – George Selden of Rochester, New York, filed the first patent for an automobile – it was not granted until 1895.
* I’m thinking Henry Ford had the fix in at the patent office.

1847 – The rubber tire was invented.
* And all the people who crossed the country on wooden wagon wheels said, “Oh, sure – NOW you come up with a nice tire!”

1794 – The U.S. Post Office was established.
* And the next day, the first person ever said “The check’s in the mail.”

1660 – The British Monarchy was restored to the throne after the English Civil War.
* The throne was given back to the people it belonged to – a load of half-German aristocrats.

266 B.C. – The first recorded description of an umbrella was made, in ancient Rome.
* Of course, being carved out of stone, ancient Roman umbrellas were just a little cumbersome.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2006 – The Rolling Stones called off their forthcoming European tour after guitarist Keith Richards underwent emergency brain surgery. The 62 year-old guitarist suffered “mild concussion” when he fell out of a coconut tree while on vacation in Fiji.

1999 – Ricky Martin went to No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Livin’ La Vida Loca.”

1996 – A Los Angeles judge ruled against Tommy Lee and wife Pamela Anderson in their bid to keep Penthouse magazine from publishing still photos from an X-rated home movie that was stolen from their home.

1993 – Dire Straits guitarist Mark Knopfler got an honorary degree from England’s Newcastle University.

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. On an average day, Americans spend $8 million on THIS type of food. What is it?
Dog food

2. According to USA Today, THIS is the #1 item that vets remove from a dog stomach. What is it?
Women’s panties

3. The average dog costs its owner $717 a year. $35 a year is what it costs to own THIS. What is it?
Fish

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