TUESDAY, Dec 17 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR TUESDAY, December 17, 2024
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: SONG – MOMMY YELLS

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.)

NATIONAL MAPLE SYRUP DAY

PAN AMERICAN AVIATION DAY
The Time And Date Website says this:
“Pan American Aviation Day is annually observed in the United States on December 17. The day aims to stimulate people’s interest in aviation in American countries. It focuses on developing more rapid communications and a cultural development between the countries in the western hemisphere. Activities on the day include: school trips to aviation museums or centers; classroom exercises to stimulate students’ interest in and knowledge of the history and technological advancements of aviation in the western hemisphere; and special meetings or luncheons focusing on aviation.”

WRIGHT BROTHERS DAY
The Time And Date Website says this:
“Wright Brothers Day is celebrated in the United States on December 17 each year. The date commemorates the Wright brothers’ first successful flight in a heavier-than-air, mechanically propelled craft, accomplished on December 17, 1903, near Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Observations, including the annual Wright Brothers dinner where the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy is awarded in Washington DC, take place on or around this day. Celebrations are also held at Kitty Hawk in North Carolina and in Dayton, Ohio, where the brothers were born.”

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

THE BUZZYOUR AIR FRYER IS SPYING ON YOU FOR THE CHINESE

A November report from UK consumer advocacy group “Which?” looked at the top-rated air fryers on Amazon and studied the privacy risks around them. It turns out, your air fryer is spying on you. According to the study, if you buy an Aigostar or Xiaomi fryer air fryer and set up an owner account online, you are giving away:
– Your exact location
– Your gender and date of birth
– Tracking of where you go, via your phone’s location
– Permission to record audio on your phone
Which? also looked at smart watches, smart TVs, watches, and a number of other gadgets that will end up under Christmas trees this year. Here’s what they caution: Every electronic device you own is spying on you, especially if it’s connected to an app on your phone.
* A GOOD consumer advocacy group would come up with an anti-spying app.
* And they would have given us this warning before we bought air fryers on Black Friday.
* Why would you set up an online account for your air fryer? Do you need the latest air fryer news? Do they tell you which air fryers are dating? Does your air fryer get bored and surf TikTok?
* Actually it’s obvious: The Chinese want our recipes for sweet potato fries.

RESTING GIFT FACE

Have you ever had to use Resting Gift Face? That’s when someone gives you a Christmas present that you immediately know sucks, but you have to pretend to love it. A new survey from Scotch Tape of 2,000 people finds that over half of us – 57% – have needed to use their “resting gift face” during the holidays.
– Over the past three years, the average person has received two gifts they simply didn’t like. (* Only two bad gifts in THREE YEARS? Why can’t I be that lucky?)
– The top “dampeners of excitement” of getting a gift are 1) poor wrapping; 2) a gift wrapped in crumpled or old paper; and 3) using mismatched holiday themes (* Oh, man! I HATE when people use mismatched holiday themes!! What are mismatched holiday themes?)
– So what do you say to a crappy gift? Americans said they’d be most likely to respond with a, “thank you for thinking of me” (27%), “I love it” (23%), or “I really appreciate this” (21%).
– The survey finds that avoiding eye contact is the clearest sign of gift dissatisfaction (24%). This is followed by putting on a fake smile (20%), changing the tone of their voice (16%), or talking too much about how great the gift looks (16%).
* (to whomever read the story) Thanks so much for that. That was a wonderful story you shared with us all. Great story! And a great job reading it!
* The biggest giveaway is when someone opens a gift and immediately goes, “Oh that’s great! Hey, what did you get? Open yours now. Come on, open it. Open it.”
* Resting Gift Face is a skill acquired during childhood, when your grandmother gives you slippers and a bathrobe.
* Just remember, folks, you can sell unwanted gifts on eBay. It’s free money!!!
* PHONE TOPIC: Did you ever get a hugely disappointing or inappropriate gift?

TIKTOK TRAVEL TREND: FLYING NAKED

A new travel trend making its way around TikTok is called “flying naked.” It’s where you travel without any baggage or carry-on items – the latest way to avoid airline baggage fees. You show up with just the clothes on your back. Presumably, when you get to your destination you buy the few things you really need – cheap undies, extra t-shirt, razor, toothbrush, and soap, hopefully. Then, just leave it all behind when you leave. (* The environment loves that!) Some people – namely TikTokkers who are desperate for clicks – will film themselves flying (or attempting to board) wearing just a swimsuit.
* Which is great, ’cause it gives all the germs on the plane more places to go.
* If you’re wearing just a bathing suit, you better hope your plane is heading to Winter Park, Florida and not Winter Park, Colorado.
* Where do you keep your car keys for when you get home?
* So buying stuff at your destination costs at least as much as checking a bag. Yup, this is stupid enough for TikTok.
* It’s called TikTok in honor of all the seconds it’s stealing from your life that you’ll never get back.

U.S. NEWS

NEW JERSEY DRONE CONSPIRACY THEORIES

Those darn drones in New Jersey – you know, the ones that are THE SIZE OF SMALL CARS – have sparked more that a few conspiracy theories. Here are some of them:
– The drones may be hunting for some kind of chemical leak or looking for a rogue nuclear weapon that’s somewhere in the U.S. The theory is that a nuclear weapon that went missing from Ukraine after the fall of the Soviet Union somehow made its way to U.S. soil recently and the American government is hunting for it with these drones.
– The drones are part of the U.S. military and training for drone warfare.
– The drones are actually Iranian in origin and are being launched from an Iranian mothership off the east coast.
– The Biden administration is using the drones to create something that will stop Trump getting into office.
– They are Interdimensional or Spiritual Entities, or a combination of both.
– The U.S. government is planning a staged alien invasion to distract Americans, called Project Blue Beam. The conspiracy theory pushes the idea that a fake alien invasion will be used to justify a world government and then be used to destroy Christianity and Judaism, replacing traditional religion with New Age beliefs.
* I think they may be aliens looking for intelligent life. That’s why they’ve been flying around so long over New Jersey.
* Maybe they are, in fact, small cars being launched from a secret U.S. Army catapult.
* Amazon delivery drones for refrigerators?
* Has no one even thought that it might be Tom Cruise filming Mission Impossible 10?
* PHONE TOPIC: Call in with your wildest theory.

CAR DRIVES INTO POOL AT INDOOR FITNESS CENTER

A driver lost control of his car and drove into a swimming pool in Redlands, California, last Friday. The unusual thing about the story is, it was an indoor swimming pool at a 24-Hour Fitness Center. Video footage from the incident shows a black car resting in the middle of the pool before it is lifted out. Fortunately, the pool was unoccupied at the time of the incident. The driver was treated for minor injuries. A statement from the Redlands Fire Department said, “Thankfully, no one was injured, but this could have been tragic.”
* No one was injured because, come on, it’s the holidays., Who goes to the gym at Christmastime?
* Did the driver yell “Cannonball!” as he drove into the pool?
* 24-Hour Fitness: join today and get a free car wash.
* Don’t you hate it when you flood your car’s engine?
* Maybe the car was a Plymouth Barracuda, looking to return to the water.

EMPTY WAYMO TAXI STUCK IN LOGIC LOOP, CIRCLES ROUNDABOUT 37 TIMES

Are you aware of Waymo robotaxis? These are driverless taxi cabs being deployed in several cities around the U.S. A video is now circulating on social media showing a Waymo robotaxi going around and around a traffic circle somewhere in Phoenix, Arizona. The driverless car was apparently stuck in a logic loop. It went around the circle 37 times before a Waymo engineer saw what was going on and was able to send it instructions to go park itself. Thankfully, there was no passenger inside.
* “Go park yourself.” That’s not exactly the instruction I would have sent.
* The Jetsons nailed it back in the 60’s: “Help! Jane! Stop this crazy thing!!!”
* Sounds like the Waymo software needs way mo’ work.
* ♫ ♩ “The Waymo in the circle goes round and round, round and round, round and round …” ♪ ♬
* Any time you think driverless cars are a good idea, just go remember that Tesla scene in that Julia Roberts movie “Leave the World Behind.” (hundreds of driverless white Teslas speed down a road and plow into each other.)

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

JAPANESE COMPANY WANTS TO MAKE SPACE SAKE

A Japanese saké maker wants to make a special batch of sake in space. Asahi Shuzo, the company behind the popular saké brand Dassai, plans to send ingredients to the International Space Station. Saké traditionally takes two months to make, going through a process of steaming, stirring and fermenting. The change in gravity can affect how heat transfers in fluid, making the fermentation process in space different than it is on Earth. If the process goes well and everything goes according to plan, the price of a bottle could be exorbitant: one single 100ml bottle would sell on Earth for $653,000. The company is known for producing expensive products that collectors spend thousands of dollars on.
* Especially after they’ve had a few.
* It’s expensive, but you split that four ways and it’s only $160,750 a glass. And I’m sure you’d get a free tuna roll with that.
* You’d literally just be pissing your money away, eventually.
* $653,000 for a couple glasses of rice wine. Yep, it’s a billionaire’s world now, everybody.

BIGGER BRUSSELS SPROUTS EXPECTED THIS YEAR

Good news for exactly nobody: farmers are forecasting Brussels sprouts will be 25% bigger this year in England. Good growing conditions along with the introduction of new varieties have resulted in a crop of super-sized sprouts for this festive season. The average sprout size this year is about a quarter of an inch bigger than last year, when growing and harvesting conditions were poor. Simon Tenwick, buying manager at the UK’s Tesco supermarket chain, says “We are certain sprout fans will be delighted.”
* Both of you.
* Fellas, you’re not helping the image of British food here.
* “25% bigger” sounded impressive. Then they had to go and explain that that meant “a quarter of an inch bigger.”
* You know what vegetable people actually like? French fries. Why not try growing those?

TRENDING

“WICKED: PART 2” GETS A NAME CHANGE

As you know, the “Wicked” musical that’s now in theaters is only part one. Universal studios has made a title change to the second half of Jon M. Chu’s Broadway adaptation, set for release in one year. “Wicked: Part 2” will now be titled “Wicked: For Good,” and will be released November 21, 2025. (* They want to tell you now in case you miss it next year.)

THE MOST PLAYED COUNTRY SONGS OF 2024

Billboard just released the year-end Country Airplay Songs list which includes the most-played songs on country radio.
1. Nate Smith, “World on Fire”
2. Post Malone, “I Had Some Help”
3. Warren Zeiders, “Pretty Little Poison”
4. Bailey Zimmerman, “Where It Ends”
5. Jelly Roll (Feat. Lainey Wilson), “Save Me”

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

Dec. 21, Saturday – Winter begins, winter solstice occurs at 4:21 a.m. (EST)
Dec. 25, Wednesday – Christmas
Dec. 31, Tuesday – New Year’s Eve
Jan. 1, Wednesday – New Year’s Day

BIRTHDAYS

Milla Jovovich (actress, “Resident Evil” movies, “Zoolander”) … 49
Giovanni Ribisi (actor, “Sneaky Pete,” “Avatar” movies) … 50
Mike Mills (bassist with R.E.M.) … 66
Bill Pullman (actor, “The Sinner” on USA Network, “Independence Day,” “1600 Penn”) … 71
Eugene Levy (actor, “Schitt’s Creek,” “SCTV”) … 78

Today’s Birthdays grade: A solid list, including a member of the multi-billion-dollar “Avatar” ensemble, and a co-creator of the first comedy to sweep all seven major Emmy Award comedy categories! A.

[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!

“If you are looking for the reward of ego gratification and acceptance and approval, that’s not always going to be there, and you can’t just live on that through your whole career.”

(A) Kanye West
(B) Miley Cyrus
(C) Bill Pullman

ANSWER: (C) Bill Pullman

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1989 – The very first episode of The Simpson’s was aired on Fox TV with the story “Simpsons Roasting On An Open Fire.”
* They were the first two-dimensional caricatures on TV to become a hit since “The Dukes of Hazzard.”

1969 – The U.S. Air Force closed its Project “Blue Book” by concluding there was no evidence of extraterrestrial spaceships behind thousands of UFO sightings.
* That’s what the Alien Overlords TOLD them to say.

1903 – A breakthrough in transportation occurred with the first sustained motorized aircraft flight, by Orville Wright.
* Originally, it was going to be Wilbur Wright but he was flying stand-by, and got bumped.

1777 – France recognized American independence.
* And said, “What you need now is a big statue of a lady with a torch.”

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2012 – Adele was named Billboard’s top artist of 2012, while her hit record “21” was named top album of the year in the music magazine’s annual review. The 24-year-old became the first to receive both accolades two years in a row.

2004 – Elvis Presley’s daughter Lisa Marie Presley agreed to sell 85% of his estate to businessman Robert Sillerman in a deal worth $100 million. Sillerman would run Presley’s Memphis home Graceland, and own Elvis’ name and the rights to all revenue from his music and films. In the deal Lisa Marie would retain possession of Graceland and many of her father’s “personal effects.”

2000 – Eminem was the subject of an Internet hoax after MTV reported that the rapper had been killed in a car crash en route to a party.

1996 – At a press conference, Celine Dion announced that a hectic recording and touring schedule was keeping her from her ultimate goal of becoming a mother. She said she would take a break and concentrate on starting a family with her husband and manager Rene Angelil.

1996 – To avoid missing concert dates, two of the Charlie Daniels’ Band members scheduled outpatient surgical procedures to coincide with a procedure Daniels was having. Bass player Charlie Hayward (tonsillectomy) and drummer Jack Gavin (shoulder surgery), joined Daniels (realignment of both knees) on the same day, in the same hospital.

1982 – Karen Carpenter made her last live appearance with The Carpenters when she performed in Sherman, California.

1962 – Bob Dylan arrived in England for the first time; he played his first UK date the following night at the Troubadour Club in London.

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. Nearly 75% of people surveyed said they don’t trust anyone but themselves to do THIS. What is it?
Cook their food

2. In a national poll, Americans said they feel most guilty about THIS. What is it?
Wasting or throwing away food

3. More than 50% of people surveyed said would give up junk food for a week for THIS. What is it?
An extra vacation day

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