TUESDAY, Nov 19 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR TUESDAY, November 19, 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.)

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY DAY
The Checkiday Website says this:
“Created by the National Urban League, Equal Opportunity Day – also known as Dedication Day and Gettysburg Address Day – commemorates the day Abraham Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, in which he painted the Civil War not only as being about the Union but being about human equality as well. It has been observed annually on November 19th since 1956.”

INTERNATIONAL MEN’S DAY
The Days of the Year website says this:
“International Men’s Day seeks to raise awareness about mental health issues in men, as well as other health and societal issues, by encouraging men to open up and communicate with others. There is an emerging need for boys and young men to identify with positive role models that embody the true qualities of masculinity of kindness, generosity, inner strength, and natural, open communication. International Men’s Day is an excellent opportunity in our global culture to present the true face of masculinity.”

NATIONAL CARBONATED BEVERAGE WITH CAFFEINE DAY

NATIONAL ENTREPRENEURS DAY (Third Tuesday in November)
The Holidays Calendar website says this:
“National Entrepreneurs’ Day pays respect to all self-starters who have created their own businesses and enjoy a level of freedom that salaried employees do not have. This holiday also encourages people who are still “slaves to the grind” to consider whether starting their own business is right for them. Every year in the U.S., over 600,000 new businesses are created, and there are currently 31 million entrepreneurs. That’s approximately 16% of the adult workforce. These entrepreneurs form the backbone of the U.S. economy and help stimulate economic growth.”

NATIONAL PLAY MONOPOLY DAY

WORLD TOILET DAY
The Holiday Calendar website says this:
“This day has been celebrated since 2001 by the World Toilet Organization as a way to raise awareness of the global sanitation crisis and emphasize the importance of proper sanitation and hygiene. It is estimated that 4.2 billion people lack access to safe sanitation – making this an issue in need of urgent attention from world leaders, policy makers and citizens alike.”

November is:

Adopt a Senior Pet Month
Great American Smoke Out Month
National Adoption Month
National Military Family Month
National Native American Heritage Month
Raisin Bread Month
Stamp Collecting Month
Vegan Month

THE BUZZYOU CAN’T PROVE IT, BUT IT’S TRUE

Reddit asked, “What’s not scientifically proven, but you think is true?” Some of the responses:
– “The lane I switch to will always go slower than the lane I was previously in.”
– “Public transport is late only when you are on time. It’s never late, when you are late.”
– “I think that ginger ale at the coffee shop is just coke and sprite mixed together.”
– “The amount of hassle in your life is constant. It cannot be created or destroyed. It only changes form.”
– “If you’re doing a task and you think, ‘I’d better be careful because I don’t want THIS to happen,’ that exact thing will happen.”
– “When you’re in a relationship, girls can sense it and are more attracted to you.”
– “That restaurants have an ugly section.”
– “If I avoid wearing Buffalo Bills attire while watching a Bills game on TV, the Bills will win. If I wear so much as a t-shirt, they will lose.”
– “That Mars was the last planet we were on, not the next.”
– “Backwards time travel is possible but it will send you into a parallel universe where the consequences of what you do don’t impact your original universe. You can return to your universe but you can only bring mass and energy back.”
– “We have all become collectively dumber since COVID. I don’t know what is causing it, maybe COVID itself, but I’m sure it’s true.”
– “Printers are sentient beings, whose only purpose is to drive humanity mad.”
* PHONE TOPIC: What do you think is true, but can’t prove it. (and no God or Bigfoot!)

STUDY: PARENTS WITH SONS HAVE FASTER COGNITIVE DECLINE

According to a study published in the Journal of Psychiatric Research, scientists have discovered parents with at least one son have a faster rate of cognitive decline through life. Researchers from Charles University in Prague and Columbia University of New York monitored over 30,000 participants and their spouses who are above the age of 50, and regularly gave them cognitive tests. Out of that group, about 13,222 parents who have at least one son ended up experiencing cognitive decline faster than those without a son. The study did not fully reveal the exact reason for the faster cognitive decline in parents with sons compared to those having daughters, but suggested that it is maybe because daughters are more likely to look after their parents in their elderly years and offer emotional support. Daughters provide more social and emotional support than sons and often become informal caregivers. The thought of getting the support itself keeps the parents healthier as they grow older.
* Them’s the facts, folks. Parents: choose one.
* Maybe this is why you don’t hear much about Adam & Eve after Cain & Abel came along.
* They tried to find the nicest way possible of saying “Guys mostly dump their parents on their sisters.” Ouch!
* How about an app that tracks your kids’ contact with you, compares how much they care, and updates in real time showing them how the will’s going to be divided based on their scores?
* We’ve got two male cats. This is absolutely true. They have to keep reminding us we forgot to feed them.
* This is an awfully specific research topic. Have we really run out of things to study? Where’s the flying cars?

U.S. NEWS

HERTZ OFFICE EMPTY, CUSTOMERS GRAB KEYS AND TAKE WHATEVER CAR THEY WANT

Workers at a Hertz Rent-a Car in Syracuse, New York, abandoned their posts, resulting in customers – including the mayor of Denver, Colorado – taking the keys to whatever rental cars they wanted. The incident happened back on July 19, a day after a global technology outage disrupted flights and other businesses in Central New York and beyond. That led to some employees working overtime, and not enough backup employees to cover. Around 20 travelers arrived at the Hertz at the Syracuse airport in the evening to find absolutely no workers. One of those customers was Mike Johnston, the mayor of Denver, Colorado. He was in Syracuse for a summer program his son was attending. Johnston and other customers with reservations took matters into their own hands: they found Hertz cars with keys in them and drove away. After someone complained, airport officials began looking at security cameras, which showed that all the workers left the location around 7 pm, a full six hours before they were supposed to leave. Hertz later said the employees on duty were immediately terminated and the office resumed normal operations the next day.
* So they hired all-new people to make you wait 90 minutes to get your car.
* Their first job – “Get those keys out of those cars!!!”
* If Denver isn’t calling Mike Johnston the Cowboy Mayor, they should now.
* I think you’re also allowed to do this with your airplane if your pilot is late.

THANKSGIVING: THE PILLOWCASE TURKEY

This year’s dumb idea for Thanksgiving: The Pillowcase Turkey. Pillowcase turkey is made by slathering the bird in butter and then wrapping it in bacon, and then shoving it in a clean cotton pillowcase that’s been soaked with a mixture of butter, wine and chicken broth to make sure the bird stays moist. After roasting and basting the pillowcase-wrapped turkey, remove the pillowcase and finish it up in a hot oven to get the bacon and skin nice and crispy.
* And then, once you get the grease fire in the oven out, simply carve and serve.
* “Why does my turkey taste like Pert shampoo?” “Oops, wrong pillowcase, grandma!”
* Be sure to give your guests a piece of the pillowcase for sucking on.
* Show this to Bobby Flay or Guy Fieri and watch their head explode.
* Well, it WOULD make a funny parody of The Bear on SNL.

DRIVING RATS LIKE TO REV THE ENGINE

A recent study at the University of Richmond Behavioral Neuroscience Laboratory taught rats to drive. And not only do the rats love to drive, they get so excited about the prospect of driving that they regularly rev the engine while waiting to take off. Maybe it’s because, as the rats drive around, they can pick up Froot Loops as treats for motivation. But why teach rats to drive at all? Neuroscientist and rat driving instructor Dr. Kelly Lambert said that driving is an interesting way to study how rodents acquire new skills. Unexpectedly, she found that the rats often jumped into the car and revved the “engine lever” before their vehicle was allowed to start moving.
* Hey – a real rat race!
* One new skill the rats acquired was the ability to flip the bird when another rat refused to let them merge into their lane.
* I just hope this leads to new methods of teaching human drivers how to use their turn signals.
* What kind of cars do they drive? Roadent-sters? Mous-eratis?
* The next step is to teach them to run errands, like driving to Starbucks and picking up some coffee for you.

TRENDING

BEYONCÉ TO PERFORM AT NFL XMAS DAY GAME

Beyoncé is returning to her hometown on Christmas Day to put on an NFL halftime show during the Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens game next month. This will be the first time she performs out songs live from her record-breaking Cowboy Carter album. Netflix, which is airing the game, hinted that Beyoncé is expected to bring along “some special guests” who are featured on the new album.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

Nov. 28, Thursday – Thanksgiving
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

Adam Driver (actor, “Megalopolis,” “Ferrari,” The Last Duel,” Kylo Ren in “Star Wars: Episode IX”) … 41
Jodie Foster (actress, director, producer) … 62
Meg Ryan (actress) … 63
Allison Janney (actress, “Palm Royale,” “Mom”) … 65
Ann Curry (broadcast journalist) … 68
Calvin Klein (fashion designer) … 82
Ted Turner (media mogul) … 86
Dick Cavett (talk show host) … 88
Today’s Birthdays grade: Adam, Jodie, Meg, Allison… all A’s. Although Adam Driver is in that awful movie “Megalopolis,” so today’s overall grade average: A-minus.
[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 have this really big face.”

(A) Scarlett Johansson
(B) Tori Spelling
(C) Adam Driver

ANSWER: (C) Adam Driver

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2001 – Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants became the first baseball player to win four Most Valuable Player Awards.
* “Better Living Through Chemistry”

1965 – Kellogg’s invented the Pop Tart.
* And a young Jerry Seinfeld thought “This deserves its own movie!!”

1911 – The ventilated hat was invented. It prevented headaches by allowing a free-flow of air around the head.
* For people who were too dumb to just take their hats OFF when they felt a headache coming on.

1863 – President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, declaring America to have a “government of the people, by the people and for the people.”
* Yes, but WHAT people?

1620 – The Mayflower landed at Cape Cod.
* Personally, I would have planned to land in May.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2012 – Two farmers were found not guilty of health and safety offenses after a giant hay bale crushed former ELO cellist Mike Edwards to death. He was killed instantly when the bale, weighing more than half a ton, rolled down a field and landed on his van near Totnes in Devon in September 2010.

1990 – The pop duo Milli Vanilli were stripped of their Grammy Award because other singers had lent their voices to the “Girl You Know It’s True” album.

1979 – Chuck Berry was released from Lompoc Prison in California after serving three months for tax evasion.

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. Shockingly, 40% of the American population has never done THIS. What is it?
Gone to a dentist

2. Most people consider THIS essential, but 12% of people don’t have one in their home. What is it?
An alarm clock

3. The average person has about 53 of THESE. What are they?
Articles of clothing in their closet

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