WEDNESDAY, Apr 9 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR WEDNESDAY, April 9, 2025
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: A & M AUTOLAND – Nobody Comes Close

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.)

NATIONAL FORMER PRISONER OF WAR RECOGNITION DAY

NATIONAL GIN AND TONIC DAY

WINSTON CHURCHILL DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“Winston Churchill Day celebrates the day he was made an honorary US citizen. On this day in 1963, Winston Churchill became the very first person to become an honorary citizen. He was given this honor posthumously. There have only been 6 people (two are married couples who received it jointly) to be accorded this stature. What does it take to become an honorary US citizen? You have to have made extraordinary accomplishments or contributions in your life. And then a law must be drafted and voted upon by the U.S. Senate. Celebrate today by reading and learning about Winston Churchill, Britain’s Prime Minister during World War II.”

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

AUDIO: MINECRAFT MOVIE LAUNCHES “CHICKEN JOCKEY” TREND

A New Jersey movie theater has banned children from seeing the new hit “A Minecraft Movie” without an adult after an incident last Friday. A group of unsupervised boys engaged in what the theater called, quote, “completely unacceptable behavior, including vandalism” over a phrase used in the movie: “Chicken Jockey.” Which, as everyone knows, refers to a Minecraft zombie character riding a chicken like a horse. In the movie, Jack Black’s character is in a wrestling ring, and when he says the phrase, “chicken jockey,” one drops down from a box the ceiling. This causes kids in the audience to go nuts, jump out of their seats, throw popcorn, and generally cause a ruckus. And theater owners hate ruckuses. Several tween-aged boys were ejected from the theater.
* Got that, kids? Whatever you do, DON’T go crazy when the chicken jockey appears in the Minecraft Movie. We wouldn’t want this to spread.
* The one entertaining moment in the Minecraft movie, and the theater owners won’t let you enjoy it.
* “You kids be good or we’re gonna make you go watch Disney’s Snow White!”
* Is this better or worse than people throwing toast during The Rocky Horror Picture Show?
* So, sorry, mom or dad, you’re not going to be able to dump your kid at the movies for two hours just because of a few bad apples.
CLIP: Jack Black says, “Chicken jockey,” and the crowd goes wild.
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)com/prep/wp-content/uploads/ChickenJockey(dot)mp3

SNL TO GET PEABODY AWARD

Long-running (50 years) late-night sketch comedy series Saturday Night Live, which already has more than 100 Emmy awards, is being honored with a Peabody award. The Peabody is given to excellence in broadcasting. The show has won Peabodys previously in 1991 and 2009. This time, it’s the Peabody Institutional Award, an overall award for its “cutting-edge sketch comedy, pinpoint political satire, and always relevant musical guests.”
* It must have been Jack Black’s “Hot Cheetos Hemorrhoidal Ointment” commercial parody that put them over the edge for the Excellence in Broadcasting this year.
* 50 years! And we can all remember when we finally thought to ourselves: “I can’t go on spending 90 minutes a week on this waiting for the two funny sketches they have every month.”
* If you hang around long enough, they start making up special award categories for you: “Best Edgy Sketch Comedy Show Featuring A Rotating Supporting Cast With Guest Host Plugging A Movie.”
* Lorne Michaels better say he’d like to share this award with every president since Gerald Ford.
* You know, SNL may be 50 years old, and it may not appeal to you much anymore, and you may not recognize any of the cast members, and you’ve never heard of the musical guest, but… wait, I forgot where I was going with this.

THE BUZZ

THEY DO, IN FACT, MAKE THINGS LIKE THEY USED TO

Does today’s technology fall apart faster than it used to? You may think it does (* and it DOES), but a recent study finds that it doesn’t (* except that is DOES!). Norwegian researchers did a study of household appliances to see if they last as long as they used to. They examined decades of sales and ownership patterns in Norway to see how long appliances lasted in real-world use. What they found is:
– Washing machines and ovens did show significant lifespan decreases.
– Refrigerators, freezers, dishwashers, and dryers have maintained fairly consistent lifetimes throughout the years.
– Washing machines went from a working lifespan of about 19 years to less than 11 years. Although researchers found that Norwegian families ran approximately two washing cycles weekly in 1960, but by 2000, this had jumped to eight cycles per week, putting more wear and tear on the machine.
– Oven lifespans shortened from 24 years to around 14 years. The researchers believe that this is probably due to the fact that many ovens are built into cabinetry, and kitchen remodeling often triggers oven replacement for aesthetic reasons.
* No, the reason ovens break down is that they put the electronic control panel too close to the hot part of the oven. Electronics hate heat.
* If you don’t want your washing machine use to go from two cycles a week to eight, you could try finding a better deodorant.
* Did you know: the word “refrigerator” is Norwegian for “food warmer.”
* In Norway, when they make a prank call, do they ask, “Is your refrigerator skiing?”

U.S. NEWS

THREE PEOPLE MADE INCREDIBLE GUESSES IN THEIR NCAA BRACKETS

Every year there are stories about how impossible it is to fill out a perfect bracket in the NCAA men’s or women’s tournament. According to AP, the odds are somewhere around 1 in 9.2 quintillion in getting a perfect bracket. This year, according to ESPN, two people came within one game of perfection on the women’s side:
– Somebody picked 62 of 63 games right for the first time ever in ESPN’s women’s bracket challenge. The only mistake came in the tournament’s third game in the first round, when the person picked No. 8 Utah over No. 9 Indiana.
– Another person came within one game in the CBS Sports Bracket Challenge on the women’s side. The only mistake was picking No. 7 Oklahoma State to beat No. 10 South Dakota State, in the first round.
– Another person began their men’s bracket with a 57-0 mark, the longest win streak ever. There are a total of 67 games in the NCAA Tournament.
* AP needs to fire their statistics analyst.
* Or maybe one of those guys was AP’s statistics analyst, and he’s just trying to scare everyone off so he has a better shot.
* Or maybe with inflation, a quintillion just isn’t what it used to be.
* Does this mean I want these people to stand next to me in a lightning storm, or buy me a lottery ticket?

TEENAGERS ATTACK EASTER BUNNY

Three teenagers are accused of attacking an Easter Bunny at the Coastland Center Mall in Naples, Florida. The man in the bunny costume was attacked on the way to the break room. The teens – two 13-year-old boys and a 14-year-old boy – followed the bunny back to the staging area, tugging, pushing, pulling and trying to pull the costume apart. The kids were arrested for battery. The person who was in the bunny costume was not seriously injured.
* Except perhaps their dignity, but that would have happened even without the teens.
* Did the Easter Bunny have a basket of eggs they were trying to grab?
* The kids were probably hopped up on something.
* It’s kinda funny – the Easter Bunny was attacked by a 14-year-old and his Peeps.
* Easter Bunny got his Ash Wednesday handed to him.
* The creepy part was how the kids kept singing “Kill da waaaabit! Kill da waaaabit!” (See audio clip)
CLIP: Elmer Fudd sings “Kill da wabbit,” Bugs Bunny says it, incredulously.
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)com/prep/wp-content/uploads/elmer-fudd-and-bugs-bunny-kill-da-wabbit2(dot)mp3

OWNER FLOODS HIS OWN RESTAURANT WITH CLEAN WATER TO KEEP DIRTY FLOODWATER OUT

Andrew Masterson, co-owner of Captain’s Quarters Riverside Grille near Louisville, Kentucky, deliberately filled his riverfront restaurant with fresh water to keep dirty floodwaters out. With bad weather and widespread flooding on the way, Masterson and his staff first removed all the furniture and electrical appliances, then closed the doors and turned on the faucets and pumped well water into the building. The pressure of five feet of clean water inside kept the muddy river water from coming inside – in pictures you can clearly see the difference between the inside and outside water. When the flood recedes, he’ll have a wet room but no mud to clean up. It should work as long as he can keep the inside water lever higher than the outside water level.
* And when it’s all over, he has a new swim-up bar.
* When you don’t have enough duct tape, improvise.
* This is why you pay attention in physics class, kids. Although there still isn’t any need for algebra. Don’t let anyone tell you different.
* I can hear the insurance adjuster now: “Water damage? But Mr. Masterson, YOU filled the restaurant with water!”
* This method doesn’t work for fire, though.

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

Kristen Stewart (actress) … 35
Jordan Masterson (actor, “Last Man Standing”) … 39
Leighton Meester (actress, “Gossip Girl”) … 39
Cynthia Nixon (actress) … 59
Joe Scarborough (talk show host, “Morning Joe”) … 62
Dennis Quaid (actor) … 71

Today’s Birthdays grade: Hmm. Well, unless you’re still a fan of the “Twilight” movies (which started in … 2008!!!) or Kristen Stewart, you’ll find it hard to get excited about today’s birthday list. We don’t blame you. Grade: D-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!

“It’s okay, you know? It’s okay to be you. It’s okay to just not be okay. It’s okay to not be okay.”

(A) Lindsay Lohan
(B) Charlie Sheen
(C) Kristen Stewart

ANSWER: (C) Kristen Stewart

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2017 – David Dao Duy Anh, a Vietnamese-American pulmonologist, was one of four passengers aboard a United aircraft selected for involuntary removal from the flight to make room for four “deadheading” airline employees who needed to travel on the flight. When Anh refused, O’Hare International Airport Aviation Security Officers forcibly and violently removed him. Twitter footage of the violent removal went viral, resulting in widespread outrage. United CEO Oscar Munoz was denied a previously planned promotion to chairman, and on April 27, Dao reached an “amicable” settlement with United, the terms of which were not publicly announced.
* United’s treatment of customers has gone so downhill since they were bought by the Mafia.

2003 – Iraqis celebrated the collapse of Saddam Hussein’s regime, beheading a toppled statue of their longtime ruler in downtown Baghdad.
* And that’s the last time they worked together to get something done.

1965 – The first game was played at the Houston Astrodome.
* The first BASEBALL game. The first GAME played was probably called “How Much Can We Raise with Municipal Bonds”?

1955 – The McDonalds fast-food chain was founded in Chicago.
* I remember growing up, watching their signs change, 1 million sold, 5 million sold, 10 million sold, thinking: “Daddy, please buy me some stock! Daddy, please buy me some stock!”

1947 – The Atomic Energy Commission was formed.
* A government agency known for its strong nucleus.

1865 – America’s Civil War ended when Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Yankee General Ulysses S. Grant.
* Thank goodness America is no longer divided into two sides that hate each other.

1833 – The first municipally-supported library was opened in the town of Peterborough, New Hampshire.
* Opening remarks were cut short when the librarian kept saying “Shhh!”

1831 – British Captain Robert Jenkins lost an ear to a band of Spanish brigands, starting a war between Britain and Spain.
* “Goodbye, Mom and Dad. I’m off to die for my country for the sake of Bob Jenkins’ stupid ear!”

1667 – The first public art exhibition was held in Paris.
* So, they’re not counting those prehistoric cave paintings, then …

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2018 – Fleetwood Mac confirmed they had fired Lindsey Buckingham, citing a disagreement over the band’s upcoming tour, announcing that Mike Campbell of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Neil Finn of Crowded House would replace him. Buckingham would later claim that Stevie Nicks demanded his ouster because she thought he was disrespectful of her and smirked when she gave a thank-you speech at the January 26 MusicCares benefit in New York City.

2007 – Country western singer Tanya Tucker was sued by her manicurist for $300,000 over claims the star’s dog attacked and injured her.

2004 – A man was arrested for allegedly stalking Avril Lavigne. James Speedy, 30, from Seattle, Washington, was arrested after police searched his home. He was later released on $5,000 bail. Mr. Speedy had been under investigation since the previous summer for allegedly sending harassing letters and e-mails to the then 19-year-old singer.

1998 – Pop star George Michael was arrested for investigation of engaging in misdemeanor lewd conduct. The arrest was made at Will Rogers Park in Beverly Hills, Calif., after an undercover officer allegedly observed Michael performing a lewd act in a park restroom.

1998 – A Los Angeles Superior Court jury awarded pop star Michael Jackson $2.7 million in damages in his defamation-of-character suit against Victor Gutierrez. On the TV program Hard Copy, Gutierrez claimed to have seen a video of Jackson having sex with a boy.

1973 – Rock group Queen had its debut performance at the Marquee Theater 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. About 1.4 million Americans have one of THESE as part of the household. What is it?
A pet rabbit

2. 25% of all American pet owners regularly do THIS with their dogs. What is it?
Take a shower. They get in the shower with the dog to scrub it down.

3. 1 in 4 pet owners have done THIS. What is it?
Tried their pet’s food

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