WEDNESDAY, Mar 15 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR WEDNESDAY, March 15, 2023
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: A & M AUTOLAND – St Patrick’s Day – Snakes; MARCH MADNESS SOUNDER

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.)

AG DAY, CELEBRATING OUR BOUNTIFUL FOOD SUPPLY

DUMBSTRUCK DAY
The Cute Calendar website says this:
“Dumbstruck Day takes place on March 15. If you’re dumbstruck, you are so shocked that you’re unable to speak. You can use Dumbstruck Day to be dumbstruck over all the shocking things you see, hear, read and smell. ‘Dumbstruck’ is a combination of ‘dumb’ and ‘struck’: you are dumbstruck as if you are struck dumb with astonishment and surprise. ‘Dumb’ means ‘silent, silent, speechless, mute, unable to speak.'”

IDES OF MARCH / BRUTUS DAY
Wikipedia says this:
“The Ides of March is a day on the Roman calendar that corresponds to 15 March. It was marked by several religious observances and became notorious as the date of the assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BC. The death of Caesar made the Ides of March a turning point in Roman history, as one of the events that marked the transition from the historical period known as the Roman Republic to the Roman Empire. Brutus Day aims to promote recognition of the fact that betrayal, backstabbing and dirty politics aren’t by any means a thing of the past, and are as widespread and tactical in our modern, corporate lives as they were in the forums of ancient Rome. Watch your back, avoid office politics, and look out for your friends!”

NATIONAL EVERYTHING YOU THINK IS WRONG DAY
The Cute Calendar website says this:
“You should recognize during this day that we are all vulnerable and are not always right: it is a special day to recognize that everyone has a bad day once in a while and it can even happen to you.”

NATIONAL PEARS HELENE DAY

TRUE CONFESSIONS DAY
The Days Of The Year website says this:
“Keeping a guilty secret can be stressful and puts a strain on any relationship. On a lighter note, confessing your feelings to someone could start a beautiful new friendship! True Confessions Day is a day that was created to inspire people to let go of their secrets and have a day of honesty. It’s no surprise that confession is such a big part of many religions: it allows one to cleanse their heart of their troubles and move on with a clear conscience. Confessing a secret that’s been difficult to keep feels good and helps to relieve stress, so why not give True Confessions Day a try by getting something off your chest and talking things through with a loved one. Remember that honesty is the best policy all year round, so maybe celebrating True Confessions Day will help inspire openness in more relationships, which can only be a good thing.”

WORLD CONSUMER RIGHTS DAY

March is:

Adopt a Rescued Guinea Pig Month
American Red Cross Month
Employee Spirit Month
Expanding Girls’ Horizons in Science and Engineering Month
Gender Equality Month
Irish-American Heritage Month
National Craft Month
National Women Inventors Month
National Women’s History Month
Read an E-Book Month

ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITIES

CITY CHANGES NAME TO “SWIFT CITY” FOR TAYLOR SWIFT CONCERT

The city of Glendale, Arizona is changing its name in honor of Taylor Swift ahead of her upcoming concerts. Glendale will be known as “Swift City” this weekend, to coincide with Swift’s sold-out performances kicking off her Eras Tour on Friday and Saturday. The temporary name change was announced by Mayor Jerry Weiers, who used her song lyrics to say, “All Swifties are encouraged to share their smiles ‘that could light up this whole town’ because ‘the best people in life are free.’”
* Bro, she still won’t sleep with you.
* He knows this is only going to encourage her, right?
* Must be good to be the Mayor. You can change the name of your city to get front-row seats, instead of going through Ticketmaster like everyone else.
* Thanks, Mayor … for promoting an event that takes hundreds of thousands of dollars out of the local economy and gives it to Taylor Swift.
* How about next Saturday changing the name to Saturday Farmers Market City?
* Other stops on the tour include Swiftburgh, Pennsylvania; Tayledo, Ohio; and WichiTay-Tay-ta Falls, Texas.

THE BUZZ

AUDIO: THE ODDS OF PICKING ALL 63 GAMES CORRECTLY FOR MARCH MADNESS

March Madness started last night (Tuesday, March 14). Picking all the games correctly for March Madness has proven elusive so far. Maybe it’s because the odds of getting every result correct are one in nine quintillion. According to Tim Chartier – distinguished visiting professor at the US National Museum of Mathematics – nine quintillion is a nine followed by 18 zeroes. Or more simply put, according to Chartier, it is two to the power of 63. That’s two multiplied by two 63 times. To put it into context, he says it’s like someone picking one second in 292 billion years, and you have to guess which second it is. He says that the height of nine quintillion dollar bills stacked on top of one another is equivalent to the distance of going from Earth to Pluto over 60 times.
* It’s the same odds as math nerd Tim Chartier, distinguished visiting professor at the US National Museum of Mathematics, getting laid.
* Dummy! If you tried climbing that pile of dollar bills, it would fall over before you got three feet off the ground!
* He deserves to have the “distinguished” taken out of his title.
* How much better are the odds if you pick the games using ChatGPT?
* What I’m hearing is, there’s a chance. Call my bookie.
CLIP: Our “March Madness” sounder.
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)(com)/prep/wp-content/uploads/Sports-MarchMadnessJingle(dot)mp3

U.S. NEWS

CARJACKER DOESN’T EVEN MAKE IT DOWN THE DRIVEWAY

In Memphis, Tennessee, a man had just pulled his Honda Element into his parents’ driveway last Friday evening when a guy opened his car door, pointed a gun at him, and told him to get out of the vehicle and hand over his keys and wallet. The thief jumped into the car to steal it. As the carjacker was trying to back out of their driveway, he rolled down the window for some reason, and that’s when the victim realized the carjacker’s gun was missing a barrel. He reached in and punched the carjacker. That caused the carjacker to clip the side of their house and then back into a telephone pole alongside the driveway, where the car became stuck. He jumped out of the car and took off on foot.
* He was rolling down the window to yell, “See ya later, loser!!!”
* Run away – always a good backup plan.
* “Look out – he’s got a gun handle!”
* You just know that, in the end, the guy’s parents are going to be cited for having an unsafe driveway.
* This story brought to you by Ring security cameras.

WOMAN ATTACKS OLDER BOYFRIEND WITH AVOCADO

A 39-year-old Florida woman is facing a felony battery charge for allegedly striking her 68-year-old boyfriend in the head with an avocado. Police say that Karleen Biswanger (* !) and the victim have been living together in a St. Petersburg apartment for about a year. During a confrontation Sunday evening, Biswanger allegedly threw an avocado at the victim’s face causing injury to his right eye. She was arrested for battering a victim aged 65 or older, a felony.
* It should be assault with a deadly weapon. Do you know how much fat is in an avocado?
* Now she’s toast.
* Their relationship has taken a dip, and now it’s the pits.
* “I was just softening it for guacamole” is not a valid excuse.
* Who attacks a person with an avocado? Who can afford to?

LADY DJ SETS GUINNESS RECORD

A Texas woman whose career as a radio DJ radio spans more than 71 years was awarded a Guinness World Record for her tenure in broadcasting. Mary McCoy’s career was verified at 71 years, 357 days on Feb. 15. She got her start in 1951 when was singing in a talent show at radio station KMCO when she told the hosts she wanted her very own show. Four months later, her dream came true, and at 12 years of age, Mary was working five days a week hosting a 15-minute singing program. (* Station owners know free child labor when they see it!) The station went through some call letter changes over the years, from KMCO to KIKR and now KVST/K-Star Country in Huntsville. Now 85, Mary still hosts the two-hour Country Classics show six days a week.
* The station told her if she made it until Christmas, they might even consider giving her a raise.
* 71 years! I’ve had radio jobs that didn’t last 71 minutes.
* You know how radio stations always do traffic and weather? She was on radio before there was ever any traffic. Or weather.
* She started when radio was just a megaphone tied to the top of a telephone pole.
* She’s older than the Statler Brothers combined.
* She was in country radio when Dolly Parton was still wearing a training bra.
* They asked her what her secret was. She said, “I get behind the microphone and just imagine I’m talking to all of my friends… who are all in heaven now because they’re dead.”

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

FATHER PUNISHES SON WITH FORCED VIDEO GAMED PLAYING

After finding out his son was secretly playing mobile games late into the night, a man in China decided to punish him by making him to play for 17 hours straight. Mr. Huang found his son gaming at 1 a.m. on March 8. He had a rule that his son could only play half an hour on weekdays and one hour on weekends. To teach him a lesson, Mr. Huang told him he could play as long he wanted the next day, on the condition that he not sleep. The boy was elated, at first. But eventually his body started to ache after the long hours of sitting. He also fell asleep while playing, but the dad woke him up and demanded he continue playing. After 17 hours, the boy gave in, begging his father for “mercy.” He also wrote an apology letter in English saying he would not again play games in the middle of the night. Mr. Huang said he used the punishment only because he was sure his son could deal with it, saying his son usually has good grades and often goes outdoors.
* And when the story was made public, they were all arrested. Chinese regulations restrict playing online video games for those under 18 to a total of 3 hours per week, and only between 8pm and 9pm Friday, Saturday, Sunday and legal holidays. (* True!)
* Don’t let him catch you playing with yourself, kid.
* The swelling in his thumbs should be gone by May Day.
* My dad caught me smoking, and as punishment he made me watch him smoke my whole pack, and then another carton a week.
* So, did the kid at least get a high score?

TRENDING

SIR FREAKIN’ BRIAN MAY

King Charles III knighted Queen co-founder Brian May Tuesday, making him the first member of the legendary rock group to receive the honor. King Charles bestowed the honor by placing a ceremonial sword on May’s shoulder during the Investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, officially making May a “Knight Bachelor.” The knighthood means that May will now be referred to as “Sir Brian May.” In addition to being a legend of British rock music, May is also an astrophysicist and animal rights advocate who has led campaigns to end fox hunting and badger culling.

CMT MUSIC AWARDS PERFORMERS ANNOUNCED

Performers have been announced for the CMT Music Awards show on April 2. Lainey Wilson is the leading nominee at the show – she will perform, as well as Kane Brown and Kelsea Ballerini, who are hosting the show. Other artists scheduled to take the stage include Carrie Underwood, Blake Shelton, Carly Pearce, Cody Johnson, and Keith Urban, who are all nominees.

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ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

March 17, Friday – St. Patrick’s Day
March 20, Sunday – Spring begins, Spring Equinox is 5:24 p.m. EDT
March 21, Monday – First full day of Spring
April 1, Saturday – April Fools Day
April 9, Sunday – Easter
April 18, Tuesday – U.S. Tax Day
May 14, Sunday – Mother’s Day
May 29, Monday – Memorial Day

BIRTHDAYS

Brian Tee (actor, “Chicago Med/Fire/PD”) … 46
Eva Longoria Parker (actress, “Telenovela”) … 48
Kim Raver (actress, “Grey’s Anatomy”) … 56
Bret Michaels (rock singer w Poison, reality TV personality) … 60
Dee Snider (rock singer with Twisted Sister) … 68
Frances Conroy (actress, “American Horror Story”) … 70
Sly Stone (singer with Sly & The Family Stone, real name Sylvester Stewart) … 80
Mike Love (singer with the Beach Boys) … 82
Phil Lesh (bassist with the Grateful Dead) … 83
Judd Hirsch (actor, “The Fablemans,” “Numb3rs”, “Taxi”) … 88

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

“I always wanted to be a rock star as a kid.”

(A) Dr. Fauci
(B) Dr. Oz
(C) Dee Snider

ANSWER: (C) Dee Snider

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2018 – Toy chain Toys R Us announced it would close all its stores after filing for bankruptcy.
* Anybody want some giant inflatable giraffes?

1985 – The first Internet domain name, symbolics-dot-com, was registered by the Symbolics Computer Corp. of Massachusetts.
* They should have grabbed coca-cola-dot-com.

1962 – Five research groups simultaneously announced the discovery of anti-matter.
* Just in time to make “Star Trek” possible a few years later.

1938 – Oil was discovered in Saudi Arabia.
* The first thing they had to do was build a pipeline – to handle all our money pouring in.

1937 – The first blood bank opened in Chicago.
* Not to be confused with regular banks that bleed you dry on your credit cards.

1892 – The escalator was patented.
* Moving staircases would reign as the biggest tribute to laziness ‘til the invention of the TV dinner.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2010 – Sony Music announced the biggest recording deal in history with the estate of Michael Jackson worth more than $200m. The deal involved 10 album projects over seven years including one of previously unreleased material. Sony had sold about 31 million copies of Jackson’s albums worldwide since his death on 25 June, 2009.

2002 – Yoko Ono unveiled a seven-foot bronze statue of John Lennon overlooking the check-in hall of Liverpool John Lennon airport. The re-branding of the airport featured a sketch of Lennon’s face with the words “Above Us Only Sky.”

2000 – Mick Jagger was ordered to increase his child support payments to Brazilian model Luciana Morad from $5,500 a month to $10,000. Mick was asked to confirm that he was the father of her child by the court, while Ms. Morad was seeking a $10 million settlement. Morad told the court her monthly expenses: $3,500 for a nanny; $2,500–3,000 for food and $3,350 to rent her place on New York’s Upper West Side.

2000 – Sir Paul McCartney confirmed that he and former model Heather Mills had become “an item.” The two met after working on the same charity project.

1999 – Relatives of Buddy Holly filed a suit against MCA Records for allegedly hoarding royalty payments, forging contracts and illegally producing albums without the consent of the family.

1989 – The Rolling Stones signed a world record performing deal, earning themselves $70 million to do 50 North American dates.

1975 – The group T. Rex disbanded.

1975 – The Doobie Brothers went to No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Black Water,” the group’s first of two No.1’s.

1955 – Elvis Presley signed a management contract with Colonel Tom Parker. Parker had previously managed the “Great Parker Pony Circus” with one of the acts being a troupe of dancing chickens.

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. A quarter of all brands of bottled water have THIS in common. What is it?
They’re tap water

2. More than 4,000 tons of THIS will disappear this week. What is it?
Popcorn

3. About 19.5 million trees are used every year to make THESE. What is it?
Chopsticks

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