WEDNESDAY, Apr 2 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR WEDNESDAY, April 2, 2025
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: A & M AUTOLAND – Moonlight Madness

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.)

INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S BOOK DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“International Children’s Book Day encourages reading, and promotes the love of books for children. The best and fastest way to develop our young children into intelligent human beings is by teaching them to read. Instilling a love of reading promotes a lifetime of learning and enjoyment. Libraries celebrate today with story telling hours and other events for young children. You can celebrate today by giving a new book to each of your kids. If they are too young to read, spend time reading stories to them. Its a great and memorable bonding time for you and your child.”

NATIONAL FERRET DAY
The National Today website says this:
“National Ferret Day is observed annually on April 2 to spread awareness, dispel misgivings, and educate people about taking care of the domesticated ferret. An intelligent, loyal and faithful companion, the ferret is frequently misunderstood as a nuisance because of its mischievous nature. On April 2 every year, ferret lovers and the American Ferret Association help the public understand more about these furry creatures.”

NATIONAL PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day celebrates the “PB and J” sandwich. Its the favorite lunchtime sandwich of American kids, and many adults, too. Some kids practically live on Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches.”

April is:

Adopt a Greyhound Month
Car Care Month
Celebrate Diversity Month
D.E.A.R Drop Everything and Read Month
International Guitar Month
Jazz Appreciation Month
Keep America Beautiful Month
National Card and Letter Writing Month
National Garden Month
National Humor Month
National Poetry Month

ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITIES

NEXT JAMES BOND TO BE SET IN THE OLD TIMES

Amazon, now the proud owners of the James Bond franchise, are said to be looking for the youngest ever James Bond. The prequels are going to be set in the 1950s and ’60s, the era Ian Fleming wrote the books. Producers are said to be looking for a 20-something actor.
* 007’s mission in the 1950’s will be to try and avert a nuclear family.
* Prequels? Will Bond have his License to Kill yet, or just a License to Smack Around?
* Will the Bond car in the 60’s be a Volkswagen minibus?
* What are they going to call a James Bond movie set in the 1950’s?
– The Spy Who Loved Lucy?
– For Your Eisenhower Only?
– On Her Majesty’s Swingin’ Secret Service?
– Edsels Are Forever?
– From Woodstock With Love, and Peace?
– Castropussy?

DOLLY PARTON’S JOLEANS JEANS

Country music icon Dolly Parton has partnered with Good American to release “Dolly’s Joleans,” a new line of blue jeans. Parton, 79, said in a statement, “It’s all about celebrating individuality with a touch of sparkle. I’m inspired by Good American’s ability to create clothes that make women feel confident and ready to shine!” (* I would bet Dolly didn’t really say that.) The jeans will be available at the Good American website and select Nordstrom stores.
* So, two, maybe three places.
* And YES, I know what you’re thinking: people have been trying to get into Dolly’s jeans for years.
* Dolly released “Jolean” in 1973. It took 52 years, but she finally found the right pants factory.
* She was going to come out with a line of blouses, but there isn’t enough material in the world.
* So how about a “9 to 5” alarm clock? “Hard Candy Christmas” hard Christmas candy? “Old Flames” scented candles?

THE BUZZ

AUDIO: YESTERDAY’S CORPORATE APRIL FOOL’S PRANKS

Here is a roundup of some of the April Fool’s pranks pulled by the corporate world:
– Nestle announced its new “silent” Crunch bar, which uses cooked rice for “75% less noise.”
– Cadbury, maker of the cream egg you buy at the register, fake-announced that they were now selling individual packets of the goo that goes inside a Creme Egg. A video clip showed the goo being squeezed over French fries.
– A brewer called BrewDog advertised a limited-edition run of Hot Beer Lager – hot beer in a can to help people warm up on chilly days.
– Tic Tacs and Dr. Pepper teamed up to announce Dr Pepper-flavored Tic Tacs.
– Bird’s Eye came up with frozen Potato Waffholes, which are supposed to be the square cubes of potatoes left over when you make waffle fries. Similar to donut holes.
– Krispy Kreme claimed they were getting rid of their famous original glazed donut, to make room for other flavors.
– ElevenLabs created a “Text to Bark” service. Simply type in what you want to say, it changes it to a “bark” so your dog can understand it.
– Yahoo came up with a grass-covered keyboard in case someone tells you to “touch grass” during an online argument.
– Welch’s showed a $19 Welch’s Fruit Snacks Single Strawberry — a single, individually-packaged strawberry that cost $19.
– Soft drink maker Olipop announced it is teaming with Hidden Valley for a “ranch lover’s four pack,” featuring four different varieties of salad dressing-flavored soda: Classic Ranch, Hot Honey Ranch, Jalapeño Ranch and Garlic Ranch.
– Omaha Steaks came up with a 30-page preview of a non-existent romance novel called “Certified Tender,” said to be the first in the company’s line of romance novels based on meat. “Meat-cute romances,” they call them.
– Kikkoman came up with soy sauce-scented perfume.
– Husqvarna produced an ad for a new lawn mower that makes lawn circles instead of crop circles, making it look like your home has been visited by aliens.
– Mattress Firm and Denny’s teamed up on a bedroom furniture set with a warming drawer for Pancake Slams.
– The Royal Albert Hall in London announced that the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing a concert of Nokia phone ringtones.
– The Louvre in Paris said it’s turning its pyramid into a Bass Pro Shops megastore.
– OpenAI came up with a new voice for ChatGPT, called “Monday.” It has all the joy and expressiveness of of a Monday morning. The company says the voice, and it’s a real thing, will be available to users through the end of April. (see audio below)
CLIP: Open AI’s “Monday” voice for ChatGPT.
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)com/prep/wp-content/uploads/AprilFools-OpenAIMondayVoice(dot)mp3

U.S. NEWS

FAST FOOD DRIVE THRU RANKINGS

According to InTouch Insight, based on data from 2024, here are some rankings of fast food drive-thrus:
– The Fastest Service: Taco Bell, KFC, Wendy’s, Arby’s, Dunkin’
– Order Accuracy: Chick-fil-A, McDonald’s, Carl’s Jr, Hardees, KFC, Arby’s
– Chick-fil-A had the longest average number of cars — five — in a drive-thru line before being able to place your order.
– Those in a Chick-fil-A drive thru also had the longest wait: eight minutes for their order.
* Sounds like InTouch Insight hasn’t been in line at a Starbucks drive-thru at 7:30 a.m.
* And they checked out every single restaurant in every single chain to determine these ranking, right? Because fast food restaurants always have the same employees doing the same jobs every day, right?
* So you can either have your order fast, or you can have your order correct. For Americans, I don’t think that’s an issue. Just give me whatever you got that’s warm and make it snappy.
* Taco Bell fastest, Dunkin’ slowest. How is making a burrito faster than handing someone a donut and a cup of coffee?
* Just curious – which fast food chain’s food kills you the soonest?

AUDIO: HOOTERS FILES FOR BANKRUPTCY

Hooters, the restaurant chain known for chicken wings and skimpy waitstaff outfits, has filed for bankruptcy protection. The company ran into financial woes as its debts mounted, but it says it intends to stay open and resolve its troubles within months. A group of the company’s original founders that owns almost a third of Hooters’ US locations plans to buy and operate more of the outlets. The chain has been dealing with changing customer tastes over the past few years, as well as lawsuits ranging from racial discrimination to gender discrimination. And, like every other restaurant, they have been saddled with rising food costs.
* And that’s not everything going up at Hooters.
* OK, OK, let’s get them all out of the way:
– Hoooters is flat busted. Har har.
– They were having trouble with asset management.
– There was a falling out at the top.
– The place has been been flopping for years.
– I’m surprised they were able to stick it out for so long.
– Lately it’s been an udder failure.
– If you want to buy a Hooters, you have to be careful of an unsecured lien.
– Time to award the Hooters management team a booby prize.
CLIP: Let’s hope this other chain can stay in business: our classic “Hootmon’s” parody spot.
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)com/prep/wp-content/uploads/04-24-Hootmon-Restaurant(dot)mp3

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

WOMAN RUN OVER WHILE SAVING A PARKING SPACE

In Winnipeg, Canada, a 30-year-old woman was run over following an argument over a parking spot. She was standing in an empty spot, saving it for a family member who was on the way from the other side of the lot. But another driver got there first and wanted the spot. A verbal argument broke out, and then the driver of the waiting SUV pulled in, hitting the woman and trapping her underneath the front tires. The 40-year-old driver then tried to flee the scene, but authorities quickly caught up and arrested him. The woman was taken to the hospital and treated for lower body injuries.
* Boy, that is dedication: getting run over so a family member can have a parking spot. I don’t like anyone in my family enough to do that.
* Now that driver’s gonna be parkin’ his butt in a cell.
* A 40-year-old vs a 30-year-old. Is this a GenX vs Millennial thing?
* Anyway, that’s the rundown from Winnipeg today.
* This story is brought to you by Uber – where you never have to worry about parking.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

April 15, Tuesday – U.S. Tax Day
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

Jesse Plemons (actor, “Zero Day,” “Civil War,” “Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Fargo”) … 37
Michael Fassbender (actor, “Black Bag,” “The Agency,” David/Walter in various “Alien” movies, Magneto in various “X-Men” movies, “Alien: Covenant” … 48
Pedro Pascal (actor, “Gladiator 2,” “The Last of Us,” “The Mandalorian”) is 50
Adam Rodriguez (actor, “Criminal Minds”) … 50
Roselyn Sanchez (actress, “Grand Hotel”, “Devious Maids”) … 52
Clark Gregg (actor, “Zero Day,” “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.”) … 63
Christopher Meloni (actor, “Law & Order: Organized Crime”) … 64
Emmylou Harris (country singer) … 78
Linda Hunt (actress, “NCIS: Los Angeles”) … 80

Today’s Birthdays grade: Big, big list today with two actors whose careers have exploded (in a good way), Pedro Pascal and Jesse Plemons who seem to be everywhere (too bad it’s not also Giancarlo Esposito’s birthday). Michael Fassbender’s on a tear, too. When you’re hot, you’re hot! Grade: B-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!

“Someone asked how I feel about Captain Crunch. I’m capable of eating an entire box of it without any milk. It is a sweet taste that is indescribable. Captain Crunch is its own flavor.”

(A) Gordon Ramsey
(B) Guy Fieri
(C) Pedro Pascal

ANSWER: (C) Pedro Pascal

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2011 – Highly radioactive water leaked into the sea from a crack at Japan’s stricken Fukushima nuclear power plant.
* Isn’t this how “Godzilla” began?

2007 – In its first case on climate change, the Supreme Court declared in a 5-4 ruling that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases are air pollutants under the Clean Air Act.
* Okay, everybody – stop exhaling!

1995 – Baseball owners accepted the players’ union offer to play without a contract, ending the longest and costliest strike in professional sports history.
* The players had to hold out for more money, to pay for the new generation of steroids coming on the market.

1978 – Velcro went on the market.
* And stuck there.

1966 – The Soviet Union’s “Luna 10” became the first spacecraft to orbit The Moon.
* It took pictures of a cold, desolate place with no life or resources … kinda like Russia.

1954 – Plans were announced for the building of Disneyland.
* Of course, back then it was just called the Magic Blueprint.

1877 – The first Easter season Egg Roll was held on the grounds of the White House in Washington, DC.
* And an hour later everybody was hungry again.

1845 – H. L. Fizeau and J. Leon Foucault took the first photograph of the Sun.
* What – it took TWO guys to point a camera at the Sun and click the shutter?

1827 – Joseph Dixon began manufacturing lead pencils.
* And the next day, several hundred were stuck in the ceiling of the factory.

1792 – Congress established the Philadelphia mint.
* It was delicious, AND freshened your breath!

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2006 – A John Lennon schoolbook containing the 12-year-old’s drawing of Lewis Carroll’s poem The Walrus and the Carpenter was sold at auction for $239,733. The poem inspired Lennon to write The Beatles’ 1967 song “I Am the Walrus.”

2001 – Mariah Carey signed the richest recording deal in history to date. The 31-year old singer signed a deal with Virgin for three albums worth over 90 million dollars. The singer had sold over 120 million records worldwide, scoring 14 U.S. No.1 singles.

1999 – The Black Crowes played a concert in Knoxville, Tennessee. Joshua Harmon, a teenager sitting in the second row, sued the band a year later for $385,000, claiming significant hearing loss.

1998 – Rob Pilatus, one half of disgraced pop duo Milli Vanilli, was found dead in a Frankfurt Hotel room after taking a lethal combination of drugs and alcohol.

1990 – In England, Eric Clapton was fined over $500 for speeding at 105 mph. Clapton was also banned from driving for three months.

1967 – 154 Austrian Rolling Stones fans were arrested when a riot broke out at a 14,000 seated Town Hall gig. A smoke bomb was thrown on the stage.

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. 66% of women would rather receive THIS than a marriage proposal. What is it?
A job promotion

2. 20% of women say the best compliment they can receive is about THIS. What is it?
Her purse

3. 40% of women said they did THIS when they were younger. What is it?
They were a Girl Scout

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