TUESDAY, Aug 6 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR TUESDAY, August 6, 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.)

FRESH BREATH DAY

NATIONAL NIGHT OUT (First Tuesday in August)
The NATW website says this:
“National Night Out is an annual community-building campaign that promotes police-community partnerships and neighborhood camaraderie to make our neighborhoods safer, more caring places to live. National Night Out enhances the relationship between neighbors and law enforcement providing a great opportunity to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances. Neighborhoods host block parties, festivals, parades, cookouts and various other community events with safety demonstrations, seminars, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, exhibits and much, much more.”

NATIONAL ROOT BEER FLOAT DAY

August is:

Black Business Month
Family Fun Month
International Peace Month
National Back to School Month
National Catfish Month
National Crayon Collection Month
National Goat Cheese Month
National Golf Month
National Panini Month
National Peach Month
National Sandwich Month

ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITIES

OLYMPIC NOTES: TUESDAY, AUGUST 6

(Note: We have several Olympic-themed comedy bits in the Comedy MP3 column on the Main Prep Page.)

– Paraguay Swimmer Kicked Out Of Olympic Village: Luana Alonso, a Paraguayan swimmer, has been kicked out of the Olympic village. Alonso, for all of her athletic ability, has also been using her incredible good looks for lots of self-promotion on social media. The 20-year-old, who has been a seriously competitive swimmer, failed to quality for her event, the 100m butterfly, then publicly announced her retirement. While losing athletes are allowed to stay until the end of the Olympic games this Sunday, August 11, the Paraguay coach told her to leave for allegedly distracting her teammates. Media outlets reported that Alonso had spent time in Disneyland instead of supporting her teammates, in addition to posting poses in sexy outfits on her Instagram. In a statement, the coach claimed Alonso’s presence had an inappropriate effect on her team.
* She didn’t bring anyone a mouse-ears hat from French Disneyland?

– Colin Jost Sent Home From Tahiti: Olympic surfing event. After a week of covering the games, SNL’s Colin Jost has been quietly sent home from the Olympic surfing competition in Tahiti. The comedian had been making daily visits to Olympic medical staff to tend to a cut to his foot he received from stepping on reef coral. The cut had developed a nasty staph infection. NBC tapped Australian weatherman, radio broadcaster and surfer Luke Bradnam to take his place.
* So he gets sent home from two weeks in TAHITI, which is awful, but he still gets to go home to Scarlett Johansson.

– Why I Am Not Going To The Olympics: There is a funny trend on TikTok called “Why I didn’t make the Olympics this year.” People are posting videos of themselves failing at athletic endeavors, writing “Sorry to announce…” or “Sad to report I did not make the team…” before showing themselves bellyflopping off a high-dive, or tripping into the vaulting horse, or flailing as they dismount the uneven bars.
Even actress Jennifer Garner posted a video attempting to jump up on a set of boxes, but instead landing on her knees, causing her to burst out laughing. She put text over the video that read: “Sad to announce I didn’t make the cut for Paris 2024.”

THE BUZZ

THE TOP THREE THINGS PEOPLE FORGET WHEN THEY GO ON VACATION

According to a poll of 2,000 adults, from Crystal Geyser Alpine Spring Water, here are the Top Three Things people find themselves leaving behind when they go on vacation:
1. Phone charger
2. Toiletries, beauty products, sunscreen
3. Medications
* Damn those couch cushions!
* People forget their sunscreen a lot? That explains how vacation spots can mark it up so much.
* Write these down and stop forgetting them, so some other items can get on the list. Like sunglasses and half-empty bags of chips.
* I’m not sure memory-shaming us is going to help Crystal Geyser sell more spring water.
* PHONE TOPIC: Did you ever leave something major behind on vacation?

UNIQUE JOBS

Reddit asked, “What is the strangest job you have ever had?” Some of the responses:
– ” I once was a “professional line-holder” … I stood in line for concert tickets for people.”
– “I captured bumblebees in little jars, gently chilled them until they were docile, and glued tiny tracking tags onto their backs. Then I surveyed plots of flowering plants to try and spot any of the tagged bees.”
– “Pet food taster, what makes it strange is because some of them tasted good to me, I ask myself ‘Am I a pet?'”
– “I once got paid to untangle Christmas lights for an entire afternoon.”
– “Made, and fitted, prosthetic eyes.”
– “Selling musical toothbrushes.”
– “I was Santa Claus at a pet store one year. It’s bad enough we lie to our kids, but to our pets?”
– “My summer job was to dye unripe cherries red to make them appear ripe.”
– “Working as a professional sleeper for sleep studies.”
* Now there’s a dream job.
PHONE TOPIC: What is the oddest job you ever had?

U.S. NEWS

THE FROG OLYMPICS

The Dusky Gopher Frog Olympics took place at the Memphis Zoo in Tennessee last Friday as their frogs competed in a jumping competition. Big Chonky placed 3rd for the bronze; Kevin the frog won the silver; a frog named Beef Stroganoff won the gold. Big Chonky had a little trouble staying on the winners podium during pictures; he kept hopping off. While the contest is for fun, the Memphis Zoo is doing it as an experiment. They want to see how a change in environment may impact a frog’s locomotion. Half of their dusky gopher frogs were released into an outdoor pond enclosure, while the other half remained in their indoor glass tanks. The research team looks at their jumping ability, total distance jumped, endurance, length, and height of jumps to see if there are any differences between frogs in the two enclosure spaces.
* The zoo cafeteria is interested in also seeing if there’s a difference in taste.
* The frogs by the outdoor pond jumped farther, but that was probably because of the snakes.
* Winners get a medal and a week’s supply of flies.
* As Olympic athletes, the frogs were given a supply of condoms, but one of them kept saying “Rib it. Rib it.”

THE BALD EAGLE IS STILL NOT OUR OFFICIAL NATIONAL BIRD

The U.S. Senate has passed a bill officially designating the bald eagle as America’s national bird. Believe it or not, after more than 200 years of symbolizing our country, the bald eagle is not the ‘official’ national bird. Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), one of the bill’s cosponsors, said in a press release after the bill passed, “For more than 240 years, the bald eagle has been synonymous with American values, yet it is still not officially our national bird. I look forward to seeing this legislation pass the House and signed into law soon.” When the bald eagle was included on the national seal of the United States in 1782, its place as one of the nation’s most iconic symbols was solidified – but it was never formally ratified as the official bird.
* Did Thomas Jefferson get distracted that day?
* This is why when you see the eagle on official American stuff, it’s always frowning.
* Plus it’s annoyed at the name. Why not “valiant eagle” or “mighty eagle”? Why focus on the baldness?
* Just driving down the road every day, you’d think the official bird was the middle finger.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

WOMAN JAILED FOR OVERFEEDING HER DOG

A woman in Auckland, New Zealand has just been sentenced to two months in prison for overfeeding her pet dog until he became obese, unable to walk, and later died. Nuggi the dog was found by police in 2021. He weighed nearly 120 pounds and was barely able to move. Nuggi could not even walk 30 feet and had to stop three times to catch his breath. He was placed in the care of the SPCA where, despite shedding 20 pounds in two months, Nuggi succumbed to a liver hemorrhage. An autopsy indicated he suffered from additional health issues, including liver disease. The female owner had been feeding Nuggi up to 10 pieces of chicken a day, on top of dog biscuits. She was charged with “animal cruelty,” must pay a fine and is disqualified from owning dogs for a year.
* There is a large coalition of dogs protesting that this woman should be released immediately.
* Where did the police find him? At a Baskin-Robbins?
* I don’t know if the dog was eating a lot, but after it died, Alpo had to close down an entire factory.
* This would never happen with a cat. Too finicky.

PERFUME FOR DOGS

Italian fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana has created a new “fragrance mist” designed exclusively for dogs. At $100 a bottle, Fefé promises a “gentle and delicate” scent made to be gently worked into the fur to give your pup “a moment of scented pampering.” According to the company, Fefé combines scents like musk, sandalwood and ylang-ylang for an “olfactory masterpiece” it claims appeals to dogs, though it does advise avoiding the nose area when applying the scent.
* This is the part where we all pretend we know what ylang-ylang is.
* My dog already has a preferred scent: dead squirrel and anal gland.
* An Eau de Scooby-Doo? A little Eau de Drink-out-of-ze-Toilet?
* I’m sorry, but you spray any liquid onto a dog, you know what it smells like? Wet dog.
* $100 a bottle for an “olfactory masterpiece” dog perfume. Dolce & Gabbana should win an award for sheer nerve.

TRENDING

TOM HANKS’ GUEST HOME ROBBED

The Los Angeles home of Tom Hanks and his wife actress/singer Rita Wilson was hit a few weeks ago by suspects believed to be part of the ongoing crews that have been burglarizing high-end neighborhoods. Sources say that a guest house on Hank’s property was burglarized but the suspects did not enter the main house. Nobody was home at the time and investigators don’t believe the burglars knew it was the actor’s or his actress/singer’s wife’s home.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

Sept. 2, Monday – Labor Day
Sept. 11, Wednesday – Patriot Day
Sept. 20, Friday – National POW/MIA Recognition Day (The third Friday of September)
Sept. 23, Sunday – Fall begins (Autumn Equinox is 8:44 a.m. EDT)
Oct. 14, Monday – Columbus Day
Oct. 16, Wednesday – National Boss’s Day
Oct. 31, Thursday – Halloween

BIRTHDAYS

Soleil Moon Frye (actress, “Punky Brewster”) … 48
Vera Farmiga (actress, “The Nun” movies, “Bates Motel”) … 51
Geri Halliwell (singer, Spice Girls) … 52
M. Night Shyamalan (writer-director) … 54
Michelle Yeoh (actress, “Star Trek: Section 31,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Crazy Rich Asians,” “Star Trek: Discovery,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”) … 62

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

“I know that I’ve overfed myself trying to prop myself up because I’m exhausted.”

(A) Adele
(B) Wynonna
(C) Geri Halliwell

ANSWER: (C) Geri Halliwell

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2023 – The film “Barbie” passed $1 billion at the global box office – its director Greta Gerwig became the first solo female filmmaker to do so.
* Now Barbie can REALLY get more outfits!

2001 – President George W. Bush received a memo entitled “Bin Laden Determined To Strike in U.S.” as part of his daily intelligence briefing.
* Oh … so THOSE were the dots we were supposed to connect!

1998 – Former White House intern Monica Lewinski spent 8 1/2 hours testifying before a grand jury about her relationship with U.S. President Clinton.
* After removing all of the “likes” and “you knows” it was only about 15 minutes long.

1971 – Chay Blyth completed the first round-the-world solo sail.
* All on his own? That guy should get out more.

1962 – Jamaica was declared independent from Britain.
* They wanted to keep all the good marijuana for themselves.

1945 – In a bid to force Japan to surrender in World War Two, the U.S. dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.
* Not long afterwards Japan got revenge by dumping their electronics and cars on us.

1926 – Swimmer Gertrude Ederle became the first American woman to swim the English Channel. She took 14 hours and 34 minutes.
* What? Was the ferry THAT overpriced?

1904 – Frankfurters sold in buns at the St. Louis Exposition became the first “hot dogs” sold in America.
* I think I got one of those original dogs last weekend from a vendor outside the hardware store.

1890 – Convicted murderer William Kemmler became the first person to die in an electric chair.
* It’s just as well – he would have died of shock when he saw the electricity bill.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2012 – Forbes declared Beyoncé and Jay-Z the highest-paid celebrity couple, with earnings of $78 million ($40 million for her, $38 million for him).

2009 – Steven Tyler was airlifted to hospital after falling off stage during a gig at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. The 61-year-old Aerosmith singer fell from a catwalk onto a couple of fans, suffering neck and shoulder injuries. The remainder of the show was cancelled.

2004 – Funk singer Rick James died of a heart attack at age 56.

1987 – The Beastie Boys sued the city of Jacksonville, FL for including the phrase “mature audience” on their concert tickets and ads.

1973 – Stevie Wonder lost his sense of smell after his car collided with a truck.

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. 37% of adults regret not doing THIS when they were younger. What is it?
Traveling abroad

2. According to research, 42% of us do THIS before going to bed. What is it?
Turn on a night light

3. Almost 1/4 of us over the age of 25 have never done THIS. What is it?
Gotten married

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