MONDAY, Feb 3 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR MONDAY, February 3, 2025
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: CONSENSUAL VALENTINE CARDS

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.)

FEED THE BIRDS DAY

FOUR CHAPLAINS DAY
Honoring the heroic actions of four chaplains aboard a torpedoed Army transport vessel during World War II. Full story is at fourchaplains(dot)(org).

NATIONAL CARROT CAKE DAY
The Days Of The Year website says this:
“Carrot Cake has been made since the Middle Ages, when sugar and other sweeteners were rare and very expensive, and so people used sweet vegetables to flavor their desserts.”

NATIONAL GOLDEN RETRIEVER DAY

NATIONAL MISSING PERSON’S DAY

NATIONAL PATIENT RECOGNITION DAY

THE DAY THE MUSIC DIED DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“The Day the Music Died Day commemorates the untimely death of singers Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper. These three Rock singers died in an airplane crash on February 3, 1959 at the height of their popularity. Every generation has their music idols. These three were among the top of the 1950’s generation. Those who grew up in the fifties mourned the premature deaths of their music idols. Memorials and remembrances occurred for years. Today, there are many websites memorializing their deaths, and detailing the events before and after the tragedy.”

February is:

Adopt a Rescued Rabbit Month
African American History Month
Celebration of Chocolate Month
International Boost Self Esteem Month
International Friendship Month
National Bird Feeding Month
National Snack Food Month
National Sweet Potato Month
Spunky Old Broads Month
Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Month

ENTERTAINMENT & CELEBRITIES

GRAMMY AWARD WINNERS

– Record of the Year: “Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar
– Album of the Year: Cowboy Carter – Beyoncé
– Song of the Year: “Not Like Us” – Kendrick Lamar
– New Artist: Chappell Roan
– Rock Performance: “Now and Then” — The Beatles (* The Beatles?)
– Rock Album: Hackney Diamonds — The Rolling Stones (* The Rolling Stones???)
– Rock Song: “Broken Man” – St. Vincent
– Pop Vocal Album: “Short n’ Sweet” — Sabrina Carpenter
– Pop Duo Group Performance: “”Die With A Smile” by Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars
– Country Album: “Cowboy Carter” — Beyoncé
– Country Song: “The Architect” — Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne, songwriters (Kacey Musgraves)
– Country Solo Performance: “It Takes A Woman” — Chris Stapleton
– Country Duo/Group Performance: “II Most Wanted” — Beyoncé Featuring Miley Cyrus
In other Grammy news:
– Kanye West and his wife Bianca Censori were escorted out of the 2025 Grammys after making their appearance on the red carpet. That’s because Censori showed up in a totally see-through dress, absolutely naked underneath. Police ushered the pair out after “the moment they pulled on the carpet.”
* Did Kanye’s house burn down? Did she lose everything in the fire? Is this because of the tariffs?
* But look at the money she saved on a dress she can only wear once.
* She’s such a golddigger. You can see her naked ambition.
* Maybe Kanye got the Grammys confused with a Diddy Party. And the invitation was BYOB.

WHAT TO WATCH – New and Returning Shows and Movies
Premiering Monday through Wednesday
Listings sourced from the TV Guide, EW and other websites

MONDAY, Feb 3

Season Premieres:
Bravo – “Below Deck Down Under”
NBC – “The Voice”
The CW – “All American”

TUESDAY, Feb 4

“Burden of Guilt”
Paramount+ – New Docuseries
Synopsis: A woman blamed for her baby brother’s unexplained death discovers that it may have been murder.

WEDNESDAY, Feb 5

“Alone Australia”
Netflix – 2023 Reality Show from Australia
Synopsis: Ten Australians are dropped in the merciless Tasmanian wilderness, completely isolated from the world and each other, stripped of modern possessions, contact and comforts, to self-document their experience.

“Celebrity Bear Hunt”
Netflix – New Survival Reality Series
Synopsis: British celebrities are dropped into a Central American jungle and then hunted by Bear Grylls as prey. Failing challenges leads to Bear Hunt elimination if caught.

“Kinda Pregnant”
Netflix – New Movie
Synopsis: When Lainy’s plan to settle down and start a family falls apart, she begins to wear a false pregnant belly, tells a lie — and accidentally falls for her dream guy. With Amy Schumer.

“Love You to Death”
Apple TV+ – New Series from Spain
Synopsis: Tells the story of the cautious Raúl, who reconnects with free-spirited and newly pregnant Marta following his heart cancer diagnosis. They resume a friendship that began in childhood, and in a relationship brought together by fate, begin to test their beliefs about love. Can the commitment-phobic Marta fall in love? And can Raúl meet the love of his life?

“Super Bowl Greatest Commercials: Funniest of All Time”
CBS – Special

Season Premieres:
The CW – “Wild Cards”

 

THE BUZZ

CHILDHOOD HABITS RETAINED INTO ADULTHOOD

Reddit asked, “What’s one childhood habit you still have (or do)?” Some of the responses:
– “Eat the bad stuff first, save the good stuff for last.”
– “Run up the stairs on all fours (I’m 37 years old).”
– “Rub my feet together like a cricket when I’m relaxing or going to sleep.”
– “Whenever I’m really focused or nervous, I still stick my tongue out slightly – just like when I was learning to write in kindergarten.”
– “Separate the foods on my plate so they don’t touch.”
– “I flip sandwiches between bites to ensure I taste equal amounts of top and bottom bread.”
– “I will eat a piece of Oscar Meyer Bologna straight out of the package, and I’ll bite a smiley face into it.”
– “I close the closet door, or the clown might get me. I’m not even afraid of clowns, BUT THAT DOOR HAS TO BE CLOSED.”
– “I still sleep with 3 pillows – 2 underneath my head, 1 on top of it.”
– “I still count multiplication tables in my head, so I don’t forget them.”
– “I’m still jumping over imaginary hot lava.”
* PHONE TOPIC: What did you do as a kid that you still do today?

U.S. NEWS

PUNXSUTAWNEY PHIL PREDICTS WEATHER WILL HAPPEN

Punxsutawney Phil the groundhog predicted 10 more years of being woken up early and dragged out of his comfortable hole on Sunday. He also saw his shadow, meaning six more weeks of winter, according to folklore. If Pennsylvania’s fluffy meteorologist hadn’t seen his shadow, it would have meant Spring was near. Or not. You know the how the weather is, and people forget.
* Why can’t he predict something useful, like economic trends or winners at the track?
* If they want winter to end as quick as possible, why not just blindfold him?
* Has anybody ever explained why, when he sees the sun, it means it’s going to snow, but if he sees clouds it means it’s picnic weather? He’s got it bass-ackwards.
* Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania – Proudly turning its back on the scientific method since 1887.

18-WHEELER CRASHES INTO NEW JERSEY STRIP CLUB

A tractor-trailer crashed into a strip club in Pennsauken, New Jersey last Thursday night. The truck slammed into Club 2120, punching a hole into the side of the building. Authorities did not report any injuries. It is unclear what led up to the crash.
* Was Quentin Tarentino filming in the area?
* In all fairness, it’s kind of hard NOT to crash into a strip club in New Jersey.
* Usually you get the semi inside a strip club.
* Now it’s so cold inside the strippers have to wear clothes.
* What led up to the crash? I’m going to go out on a limb and say “bad driving.”

STARBUCKS CUTTING MENU BY A THIRD

The CEO of Starbucks announced that he is planning to eliminate about a third of its food and beverage menu items and cutting back on the highly customized drinks it’s known for. The problem Starbucks is having is that it’s taking too long for customers to get their orders. As part of his “Back to Starbucks” plan, CEO Brian Niccol says that several menu items would disappear by the end of September. Niccol did not specify which menu items would be eliminated, though it has been hinted that it would be some of the “overly complex” items.
* Now where will I get my coconut flakes with protein powder, yogurt and agave?
* So they’re getting rid of the monster drinks the person in front of me always orders. Good. Just gimme my coffee.
* In fact, Starbucks’ new slogan is “You’ll get what we give you and if you don’t like it, leave.” Same thing my wife tells me.
* Remember when announcements like these used to end with the phrase “… and we’re passing the savings along to you”? Me neither.

MYSTERY SQUIRREL FLYERS IN SEATTLE

Somebody in Seattle, Washington, is posting squirrel-related flyers on lampposts and telephone poles all over town. For the last six months, the posters have popped up throughout the city. Each of the bulletins has a different message, but the topic is always the same: squirrels. All the flyers are linked to the same Instagram account: “SquirrelWatchingSeattle.”
– One pamphlet reads, “Looking for love. I am a single squirrel looking for an eligible lady squirrel.”
– Another flyer asks the community to prank their neighbors by putting acorns under the hoods of their cars.
– The best one has a picture of a guy in a squirrel costume and says, “I will come over to your house dressed up as a squirrel, and you can feed me peanuts out of your hand. This is NOT a kink. This is a serious art form. I will compensate you $22.68 an hour for your time. I will provide the peanuts.”
* Well, it sure doesn’t sound like a kink, so… okay.
* But the guy does sound a little squirrely.
* How many peanuts can one guy eat in an hour?
* Don’t let him fool you – there’s an elephant in that costume.
* At least he’s not offering to come over and chew through the wires in your attic.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

NEW ZEALAND GRANTS PERSONHOOD TO A MOUNTAIN

New Zealand has granted personhood status to one of its mountains. Mount Taranaki, an 8,261-foot stratovolcano popular among skiers and snowboarders, was recognized as a legal person in New Zealand last week. The indigenous Māori people believe the mountain to be among their ancestors. It is now viewed by the law as “a living and indivisible whole.” It has the rights, powers, duties, responsibilities and liabilities of a person. (* Who’s going to shovel its sidewalk in the winter?) The legal rights provided to the mountain are meant to be used for its preservation and the protection of its wildlife, and public access will continue. Members from the local Māori, along with government officials, will work together to manage it. New Zealand became the first country in the world to grant living rights to natural features in 2014 when it recognized the personhood of the Urewera sacred forest in North Island. And then, in 2017, the Whanganui river was deemed human and turned over to the care of the local indigenous people.
* Our new administration would have a hissy fit over this.
* Well, then – out with it. What are its pronouns?
* Now, the mountain wants to date, and it’s asking for the number of Mount Kilimanjaro. (I guess the mountain has a case of the MatterHorns.)
* I hope New Zealand doesn’t have Social Security, ’cause they would be paying it to the mountain, like, forever.
* A mountain, a forest and a water feature. Or, as Bob Ross would call it, a family portrait.

TRENDING

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (Jan 31 – Feb 2)

1. Dog Man – $36 million
2. Companion – $9.5 million
3. Mufasa – $6.1 million
4. One of Them Days – $6 million
5. Flight Risk – $5.6 million

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

February 12, Wednesday – Lincoln’s Birthday
February 14, Friday – Valentine’s Day
February 17, Monday – Presidents Day / Washington’s Birthday
March 9, Tuesday – Shrove Tuesday/Mardi Gras
March 9, Sunday – Daylight Saving Time Begins
March 17, Monday – St. Patrick’s Day
March 20, Thursday – Spring begins, Spring Equinox is 5:01 a.m. EDT

BIRTHDAYS

Elmo (“Sesame Street” character. This is his birthday according to the show, which describes him as perennially three-and-a-half years old.)
Brandon Micheal Hall (actor, “Search Party,” “God Friended Me”) … 32
Warwick Davis (actor, “Harry Potter” films, ““Willow”) … 55
Maura Tierney (actress, “The Affair”, “ER”) … 60
Michele Greene (actress, “Diagnosis Murder”, “L.A. Law”) … 63
Nathan Lane (actor, “Only Murders in the Building,” ” “Modern Family,” “The Producers”) … 69
Morgan Fairchild (actress) … 75
Dave Davies (musician with The Kinks) … 78

Today’s Birthdays grade: A full list today, but only two names that stand out for their target audiences – Elmo the muppet, unavoidable for parents of young kids, and Nathan Lane, if you’re a fan of “Only Murders in the Building.” Meh. Grade: C.

[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 am not a sad clown. I am not a sad clown.”

(A) Joker
(B) Pennywise
(C) Nathan Lane

ANSWER: (C) Nathan Lane

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2012 – Federal prosecutors dropped their investigation of Lance Armstrong, ending a nearly two-year effort aimed at determining whether the seven-time Tour de France winner and his teammates had participated in a doping program.
* If only they had been as relentless as Oprah when she got him to confess a year later.

1998 – A U.S. Marine jet sliced through a ski gondola cable in Italy, sending the car’s 20 occupants plunging 370 feet to their deaths.
* “The Few … The Proud … The … OOPS!”

1992 – The Prime Minister of Japan sparked a major controversy by calling American workers lazy, saying they were losing their drive to “live by the sweat of their brow.”
* I’ll have a response as soon as I get back from my break.

1966 – ESSA-1, the first operational weather satellite, was launched.
* For the first time, forecasters could use the latest advances in technology to make wrong predictions.

1913 – The 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, allowing Congress to impose a federal income tax, became law on February 3, 1913.
* Way to screw up a real nice Constitution.

1690 – The first paper money in America was issued in the Colony of Massachusetts.
* I’ll bet back then, just one dollar bill could buy you a brand new car.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2021 – Taylor Swift was being sued by a U.S. theme park called Evermore, which said the star’s latest album had infringed its trademark by using the same name. The theme park’s owners said Swift’s “Evermore” release had caused confusion about whether the two were linked saying there was a “dramatic departure from typical levels” of traffic on its website in the week after the album’s release. Taylor Swift countersued. Both suits were dropped in March, with no money exchanged.

2021 – Mariah Carey’s older sister Alison filed a “summons with notice” against her in a bid to sue her for $1.2m for “immense emotional distress” caused by remarks by Mariah in her memoir. In her complaint, Alison Carey referred to claims in the book that she gave 12-year-old Mariah Valium, had tried to pimp her out and threw boiling tea on her. She was seeking damages for the “heartless, vicious, vindictive, despicable and totally unnecessary public humiliation.” There had been no movement in the case at the time of Alison’s death in August, 2024.

2014 – Bruce Springsteen was at No. 1 on the U.S. charts with his eighteenth studio album “High Hopes.” His eleventh No.1 album in the U.S., it placed him third all-time for most No. 1 albums, only behind The Beatles and Jay-Z. The album is a collection of cover songs, out-takes and re-imagined versions of tracks from past albums, EPs and tours.

2010 – AC/DC singer Brian Johnson joined a growing group of critics of Bob Geldof and U2 singer Bono over their very public charity work, saying they should stop lecturing audiences about charity work and instead do their good deeds in private. Johnson said: “When I was a working man I didn’t want to go to a concert for some bastard to talk down to me that I should be thinking of some kid in Africa. I’m sorry mate, do it yourself, spend some of your own money and get it done. It just makes me angry.”

2006 – Former Dynasty star Heather Locklear filed for divorce from Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora after 11 years of marriage. She was previously married to Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee.

2004 – Sean Combs settled a $3 million court case filed by his former driver after an incident in 1999. Wardell Fenderson had driven Mr. Combs and his then-girlfriend Jennifer Lopez away from a New York nightclub where three people had been wounded in a shooting. Mr. Fenderson said he was traumatized by having guns in the car and being ordered to ignore police orders to stop, for which he was arrested.

2004 – R. Kelly appeared in court and entered of plea of not guilty to 21 charges of child pornography. Kelly, who was free on bond, did not talk during the brief hearing. Outside the Cook County Criminal Courthouse fans voiced their support for the singer, proclaiming his innocence with placards and T-shirts. Kelly had been arrested in Florida after he was indicted by a grand jury in Chicago on 21 counts of child pornography, stemming from a videotape that allegedly showed the star performing sexual acts with a 14-year-old girl.

2003 – The exclusive documentary “Living With Michael Jackson” was shown on UK television. Reporter Martin Bashir had spent eight months with the star. The show’s editor said “viewers will not believe what they’re seeing.”

1996 – Singer Queen Latifah was stopped by police for speeding. They found a concealed weapon and marijuana; she was given two years’ probation.

1979 – The Blues Brothers went to No.1 on the U.S. album chart with “Briefcase Full Of Blues.”

1973 – Elton John started a three-week run at No.1 on the U.S. singles chart with “Crocodile Rock,” Elton’s first of five U.S. No.1 singles.

1959 – 22-year-old Buddy Holly, The Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, aged 17, died in a plane crash shortly after take-off from Clear Lake, Iowa. The pilot of the single-engined Beechcraft Bonanza plane was also killed. Holly hired the plane after heating problems developed on his tour bus. All three were traveling to Fargo, North Dakota for the next show on their Winter Dance Party Tour which Holly had arranged – covering 24 cities in three weeks – to make money after the break-up of his band, The Crickets, the previous year. The day became known as “The Day The Music Died” in the song by Don McLean.

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. In a survey of Human Resources managers, 9% said THIS is a sign of creativity. What is it?
A messy desk

2. In the average workplace, 22% of your coworkers could say THIS about their spouse. What is it?
They met at work

3. More than 7 out of 10 American jobs have THIS in common. What is it?
They don’t require a college degree

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