TUESDAY, Feb 11 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR TUESDAY, February 11, 2025
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: VALENTINE HOUSE OF HORROR

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.)

DON’T CRY OVER SPILLED MILK DAY
The National Day Calendar says this:
“In one of its oldest forms, the proverb was ‘No weeping for shed milk,’ as referenced by James Howell in 1659. The saying has evolved but still retains its original intent. There is no changing what is done, and crying over it serves no purpose.”

GET OUT YOUR GUITAR DAY

NATIONAL GUITAR DAY / GET OUT YOUR GUITAR DAY

NATIONAL INVENTOR’S DAY
The Cute Calendar website says this:
“Ronald Reagan as President of the United States proclaimed February 11, 1983 as National Inventors’ Day in the USA. In recognition of the enormous contribution inventors make to the nation and the world, Congress designated February 11, the anniversary of the birth of the inventor Thomas Alva Edison, who held over 1,000 patents, as National Inventors’ Day.”

(NATIONAL) MAKE A FRIEND DAY

SATISFIED STAYING SINGLE DAY

WHITE SHIRT DAY / WHITE T-SHIRT DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
“White Shirt Day honors the men and women who participated in a sitdown strike at General Motors in 1937. These autoworkers helped the United Auto Workers (UAW) union to become the sole bargaining agent for General Motors autoworkers. The strike ended on this day in 1937. Somewhere along the way, this day evolved into White T-Shirt Day for some people. Except for UAW workers and their families, this UAW event was probably lost or forgotten. Those who chanced across reference to White Shirt Day, most likely created their own version of this day, giving birth to the term White T-Shirt Day. Please wear a white shirt today. And, honor UAW workers, along with their accomplishments.”

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

THE BUZZSURVEY: DON’T OVERDO IT IN A NEW RELATIONSHIP

According to a poll of 2,000 adults, commissioned by Krispy Kreme, here are the Top 15 Ways To Scare Off Your Partner In A New Relationship:
1. Picking out baby names
2. Talking about moving in together before you’ve seen their home
3. Saying you love them very early on
4. Telling people you’re officially a couple when you’re still at the ‘talking’ stage
5. Calling the other person your ‘soulmate’
6. Asking to meet their parents
7. Chasing up texts if the other person doesn’t reply soon enough
8. Leaving a toothbrush at their place after the second date
9. Referring to their pet as ‘ours’ to other people when walking the dog
10. Filling their social media with pictures of you both together
11. Making really elaborate or over the top Valentine’s Day plans
12. Showering them with gifts
13. Putting a couple photo as your phone or laptop home screen
14. Planning a holiday together
15. Changing your relationship status on social media
* Yeah, don’t you just hate it when somebody showers you with gifts?
* Coming from Krispy Kreme, I’d have thought asking you for a bite of your donut would be high on the list.
* How creepy are these? The killer in “Heart Eyes” does eight of them.
* Play it safe, guys: Show up, pay for dinner, leave.

U.S. NEWS

MAN SECRETLY BUYS HOUSE SO IN-LAWS CAN’T

This story came up on Reddit’s “Am I the A-hole?” A guy writes, “My wife has a difficult relationship with her parents. We moved far from her parents a few years ago, and the distance has helped the relationship. But… a few weeks ago, a house two doors down from us — we live in a somewhat secluded neighborhood — went on the market. In-laws excitedly told us they were putting a bid in. They lowballed it. My wife was very worried. She does not want them as neighbors. Neither do I. I quickly formed an LLC and bid full ask. I can afford it. It was accepted, we close shortly, and I plan to rent it out. I did NOT tell my wife. Our finances are separate. I did not want to put her in a position where she would have to lie to her parents. The in-laws raged against the ‘mystery person’ who beat them on the house. I’ve told no one but my brother. He told me it was a jerk move. Was it?”
* How could a rich guy who can buy his way out of a problem be an a-hole?
* I think this is the plot of “Meet the Parents 4.”
* Women don’t know – nor would they appreciate – the many, many ways their men protect them. Just as well, they’d yell at us for it.
* A better move would have been to let them buy the house, move in, then pack up your family and move to a different neighborhood.
* PHONE TOPIC: Is this guy a jerk? Would you want your in-laws living two houses away?

POSTAL WORKERS STOLE $24 MILLION WORTH OF CHECKS

A former U.S. Postal Service employee in Charlotte, North Carolina was sentenced to prison last week after she and two co-conspirators stole checks worth over $24 million. Nakedra Shannon, 30, was sentenced to 5 years in prison for the crimes. Officials say that Shannon, who was employed by the post office from March 2021 to July 2023, stole incoming and outgoing checks while working as a mail processing clerk at a distribution center in Charlotte.
* After you’ve stolen the first 10 million, why are you still working at the Post Office?
* Twenty-four million in checks is fine, but the real money is in those commemorative stamps.
* Folks, please! When you mail a check, use a security envelope!
* If I were the judge, I would have sentenced her to two years time she worked at the post office. That’s punishment enough.
* We’re a quarter of the way through the 21st century. If you’re still using paper checks, you deserve what happens.

NEW TREND: WEARING THE APPLE WRISTWATCH ON YOUR ANKLE

A report from The New York Times points out a growing trend of users wearing their Apple Watches on their ankles. It turns out some Apple Watch owners’ wrists are too small to get a proper read of heart-rate monitoring. Also, some wearers have wrist tattoos, which confuse the watch’s sensors. So, people are wearing the watch on their ankle. Apple has noted in the past that its smartwatch is calibrated specifically for the wrist. The report of the watch being worn on the ankle arrives ahead of Apple’s Powerbeats Pro 2 launch, the company’s first headphones with built-in heart-rate monitoring.
* Those earplugs are going to have to go up your nose. Or worse.
* So, to tell the time, you have to pretend you’re tying your shoe or you look like an idiot.
* “Hey, what time is it?” “I don’t know, I’m wearing long pants.”
* Finally, an upside to having cankles.
* They keep piling up reasons to have chips put directly in our brains.

CRAYOLA TO BRING BACK RETIRED COLORS

In news that will shake the world, the Crayola crayon company has announced that they are bringing back eight retired colors. In its history, Crayola has NEVER brought back a retired crayon. NEVER. But now they are. As part of its Limited Edition Retired Colors Crayon Pack, Crayola will bring back four colors that went away in 1990:
– Orange Red
– Violet Blue
– Lemon Yellow
– Burnt Umber
Also, three colors retired in 2003:
– Blizzard Blue
– Magic Mint
– Mulberry
And finally, Dandelion, which was retired in 2017. Crayola says, “Over the years, the company has received an outpouring of fan requests to bring back some of their retired favorites.”
* Yes, eight requests.
* So, how much more will they cost than regular colors? (Note: We just found a set of 12 Crayola Retired Colors Limited Edition crayons that sold on eBay on Sunday for … $79.98!)
* Orange Red? I believe the Red Orange in my 64-Colors-Sharpener-Included box will have something to say about that!
* Dandelion didn’t retire in 2017, it just took an extended sabbatical, for a book it was writing. Or, rather, coloring.
* Never mind bringing back limited edition crayons – when is the McRib sandwich coming back?

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

MONKEY KNOCKS OUT POWER FOR ALL OF SRI LANKA

Sri Lanka suffered a countrywide power outage. The cause: a monkey that climbed into a power station south of Colombo. The blackout began around midday on Sunday, leaving the island nation of 22 million people without electricity. The nation’s energy secretary told reporters, “A monkey came into contact with our grid transformer, causing an imbalance in the power system.”
* Shock the monkey!
* What’s Sri Lankan for “crispy critter”?
* People went bananas!
* On the bright side, no electricity meant they didn’t have to suffer through the Super Bowl, like we did.
* Sri Lankans said the experience was actually LESS fun than a barrel of monkeys.
* Sounds like the power station needs a moat. With ‘gators.

TRENDING

ELLA LANGLEY KEEPS $100 IN SINGLES IN A CAN

Rising country star Ella Langley says he has a $100, all in ones, stashed in a coffee can. In a video to fans, she says that these particularly dollar bills have a sentimental value. “This is the last $100 I made in a tip jar.” Langley says she used to bundle her singles until she reached $100 increments. The last time she ever packaged $100 together, she kept it as a memory of “pretty much where I started this whole thing from.”

ANTHONY MACKIE, “CAPTAIN AMERICA,” TO BE DAYTONA 500 GRAND MARSHALL

Actor Anthony Mackie, the current “Captain America,” has been named the Grand Marshall of this year’s Daytona 500, happening this Sunday. Mackie will give the command for drivers to start their engines. And, oh, by the way, Mackie’s new film “Captain America: Brave New World,” opens this Friday.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

TOMORROW – Lincoln’s Birthday
February 14, Friday – Valentine’s Day
February 17, Monday – Presidents Day / Washington’s Birthday
March 4, 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

Taylor Lautner (actor, “The Ridiculous 6,” “Twilight” movies) … 33
Kelly Rowland (singer with Destiny’s Child) … 44
Brandy (singer-actress, “Moesha”) … 46
Damian Lewis (actor, “Billions,” “Homeland”) … 54
Jennifer Aniston (actress) … 56
Sheryl Crow (singer) … 63
Tina Louise (actress, “Gilligan’s Island”) … 91

Today’s Birthdays grade: Huge names for people of all ages – castmembers from “Gilligan’s Island,” “Friends,” and the “Twilight” movies … and the others are no slouches either. 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!

“Nobody thinks of themselves as sexy, really. Some days you go, ‘Hey, I’m not doing too bad today.’ But if you try and be sexy, you’ll never be sexy.”

(A) Danny DeVito
(B) Christopher Walken
(C) Jennifer Aniston

ANSWER: (C) Jennifer Aniston

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2006 – Vice President Dick Cheney accidentally shot and wounded a companion during a weekend quail-hunting trip in Texas.
* His first thought: “Jon Stewart’s gonna have a FIELD DAY with this!!!”

2002 – The six stars on NBC’s “Friends” signed a deal for $24 million each for the ninth and final season of the series.
* Not a bad birthday for Jennifer Aniston.

1858 – A French girl, Bernadette Soubirous, claimed to have seen a vision of the Virgin Mary near Lourdes.
* Nowadays, people see religious figures in potato chips and grilled cheeses.

1752 – The first hospital in America opened, in Philadelphia.
* Some of the first patients are almost done filling out their admittance forms.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2012 – Whitney Houston was found dead in suite 434 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel, submerged in the bathtub. Beverly Hills paramedics arrived at approximately 3:30 p.m. and found the singer unresponsive and performed CPR. Houston was pronounced dead at 3:55 p.m. Local police said there were “no obvious signs of criminal intent.”

1992 – Motley Crue fired their singer Vince Neil when he turned up for rehearsals, claiming that he had lost his passion for the band and was now more involved with racing cars.

1986 – Boy George guest-stared on an episode of “The A-Team.”

1972 – David Bowie performed as “Ziggy Stardust” for the first time.

1967 – The Monkees announced that they would be playing all the instruments on all future recordings.

1964 – The Beatles played their first U.S. concert at the Colosseum in Washington, DC.

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. Surveys name THIS as the food women crave most. What is it?
Chocolate

2. Surveys name THIS as the food men crave most. What is it?
Meat

3. We’ve all heard of THIS food, but only about 17% of us have tried it. What is it?
Caviar

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