MONDAY, Feb 17 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR MONDAY, February 17, 2025
(Print button is at bottom of post. To print with larger type, cut and paste content into a document, and print that document.)

COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: MCQUEASY’S SNOW BLOWER CLEANING

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.)

CHAMPION CRAB RACES DAY
The Worldwide Weird Holidays website says this:
“Jim Morgan founded the National Crab Racing Association (NCRA) in 1979. Since then, the NCRA has toured the USA and Canada, hosting crab races at fairs, festivals, seafood restaurants and corporate events.”

NATIONAL CAFE AU LAIT DAY

NATIONAL PTA FOUNDERS DAY
The PTA website says this:
“Founded in 1897 as the National Congress of Mothers, today’s PTA is a network of millions of families, students, teachers, administrators, and business and community leaders devoted to the educational success of children and the promotion of family engagement in schools.”

PRESIDENTS DAY

RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS DAY
The National Today website says this:
“Random Acts of Kindness Day was initiated in 1995 in Denver, Colorado by a nonprofit organization called The Random Acts Of Kindness Foundation. The event spread to New Zealand nine years later, in 2004, and the observance of the holiday became more and more widespread.”

WORLD HUMAN SPIRIT DAY
The Giftypedia website says this:
“On World Human Spirit Day people all over the world are encouraged to take 2 minutes of silence at 3pm Eastern Time to meditate to find the true spirit of freedom and peace that lives within each of us.”

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

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

MONDAY, February 17

“American Murder: Gabby Petito”
Netflix – New Docuseries
Synopsis: Examines the events leading to Petito’s murder during a 2021 cross-country trip and the manhunt for her fiancé.

“On TV: A Black History Month Special”
CBS – Special
Synopsis: A celebration of Black excellence in television, shining a spotlight on Black actors who are forging a path in daytime and primetime television, with CBS stars sharing their personal stories and reflections on their time in the entertainment industry.

TUESDAY, February 18

“Court of Gold”
Netflix – New Docuseries
Synopsis: Goes behind the scenes with the top medal contenders in men’s basketball as they battle for gold and glory at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

“George Lopez: Muy Católico”
Prime Video – Comedy Special
Synopsis: Lopez reflects on the challenges of getting older and touches on generational clashes and Latino superstitions.

“Rosebud Baker: The Mother Lode”
Netflix) – Comedy Special
Synopsis: A raw and hilarious look at motherhood in all its chaotic beauty, which Rosebud filmed both before and after giving birth.

“We Beat the Dream Team”
HBO – Docuseries
Synopsis: The little-known story of a group of college basketball players tasked with preparing Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, Michael Jordan, and the rest of the legendary “Dream Team” for their Olympic debut in 1992. In an unexpected twist, the college team defeated the NBA superstars in a scrimmage — ultimately helping to propel the Dream Team to gold.

WEDNESDAY, February 19

“Good Cop/Bad Cop”
The CW – New Series
Synopsis: Siblings working as detectives in a small town navigate quirky locals, limited resources, their strained relationship, and their father, who’s the police chief.

“Win or Lose”
Disney+ – New Animated Series
Synopsis: Revolves around a co-ed middle school softball team named the Pickles in the week leading up to their big championship game, with each episode showing the perspective of each member in the same events, each reflected in a unique visual style.

THE BUZZ

MUSIC WHILE YOU WORK

Do you listen to music while you work? A new study reveals the types of background music that can enhance both mood and performance. Researchers from various American universities tested how different types of background audio affected people’s ability to concentrate and perform well on a task that requires a lot of attention. Researchers tested four types of audio during a cognitive task: “work flow” music, “deep focus” music, pop hits, and office noise.
– Only the “work flow” music – characterized by a moderately fast tempo with clear, steady beats that didn’t overwhelm the listener, with simple melodies and in major keys, avoiding complex variations that might demand attention – improved both mood and performance. 76% of participants listening to work flow music showed improved mood and got progressively faster at the task while maintaining accuracy.
– Pop hits, despite their popularity, showed no significant benefits for either mood or performance.
– “Deep focus” music is described as more minimalist, with slower tempos and less defined rhythms.
– Basic office noise also showed no notable effects on job performance.
* So playing the kind of office noise you hear while working is no better than working while you hear office noise. Weird.
* If you’re at the dentist right now, and our station is playing in the speakers… well, good luck to you.
* If I read this right, the best kind of music for the office is EDM.
* They also found the worst music to play at work is polka music, which made people stop working and go home.
* So today, go to your boss and tell them you need to listen to “work flow” music because, “Dammit, boss, I want to work faster and better!”

MY STUPID IDEA THAT WORKED

Reddit asked, “What is the dumbest idea you have had that actually worked?” Some of the responses:
– “Trying to catch a mouse, I put an empty Pringles can on the floor against the wall to attempt to scoop him in there, but he got startled and ran along the wall right into the can, which I quickly picked up and brought outside.”
– “A clock at my grandparents’ house was running backward, so I unplugged it, turned the plug 180 degrees, and plugged it back in.”
– “I patched a tire with a toothpick.”
– “I had to email a paper to a professor but hadn’t finished so I sent an email saying please find my paper attached but didn’t attach any. By the time the professor answered with ‘you forgot the attachment’ I had it finished and was able to send it off.”
– “I handed in a ‘book report’ that was actually just an .exe file converted to text and the teacher thought she ‘corrupted’ my file and just gave me a B.”
– “5th or 6th grade, we were supposed to read a book and write an essay about it. The day of the essay comes, still hadn’t read the book. Thought I could just get up early and plow through it. I get up on time and start reading. The book isn’t long, and soon I realize there’s this pattern that every certain number of pages something significant happened in the story. So I only read every X number of pages, finished the book and ended up being the only one in class getting an A for my essay.”
– “I was stationed in a combat zone, and ordered a part from Amazon. It actually arrived.”
– “I had a large lantern than ran on D batteries. It needed four but I only had three. So I crammed a bunch of pennies in the gap for the last battery and it worked!”
– “Trying to sneak out of a building unseen. Heard footsteps in the hallway coming. Threw a paper bag lunch against a wall down the hall that caught the person’s attention enough for me to sneak by unnoticed.”
* PHONE TOPIC: Did you have a dumb idea that ended up working?

U.S. NEWS

JUDGE SENTENCES SHOPLIFTERS TO WASH CARS

A Michigan judge is handing out unusual sentences to Walmart shoplifters. He’s ordering them to wash cars in a Walmart parking lot. Judge Jeffrey Clothier hopes the unusual form of community service will discourage people from stealing from Walmart and reward shoppers who patronize Walmart. The car washes will be free. Judge Clothier says, “I don’t think everybody that steals is a bad person. Sometimes people are just down on their luck. But there’s going to be consequences when you break the law.” Clothier began ordering the “Walmart wash” sentences last week for misdemeanor shoplifting at the store in Grand Blanc Township. He believes 75 to 100 people eventually will be ordered to wash cars at weekend events in March and April.
* “And after the car wash, go pick up my dry cleaning,” added the judge.
* Attention Walmart shoppers: LOCK YOUR CAR DOORS!!!!
* 75-to 100! Doesn’t anyone go to Walmart and NOT shoplift?
* March and April came, and business was so bad at the local car wash the workers had to be furloughed for eight weeks. And with no paychecks, they were forced to … shoplift from Walmart.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

SHARK BITES OFF WOMAN’S HANDS WHILE SHE TRIES TO GET SELFIE

A shark bit the hands off a woman along the shore in the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean. The woman, a 55-year-old Canadian, was trying to take a picture with the shark. She had gone only a few feet into the water “attempting to engage” with it when the 6-foot bull shark attacked her. One of her arms was amputated below the wrist and the other half way up her forearm. Her horrified husband rushed into the water to drive the shark away before it could strike again. Tourists gathered around the victim and used their clothes to stem the bleeding. The shark had been swimming in the area for around 40 minutes before striking.
* Help! Somebody call a nurse shark!
* Sharks are famously crabby about having their picture taken. Now she knows that first hand. And second hand.
* And now, ironically, she will never be able to take another selfie.
* Sorry, why do we celebrate Shark Week again?
* Other than that, how’d she like the beach?

NEWEST ROBBERY TARGET: OZEMPIC

The newest target of thieves – Ozempic. Pharmacists in São Paulo, Brazil, are being robbed of their supplies of Ozempic, Wegovy and Saxenda, the injectable weight-loss drugs. A month’s supply of Ozempic goes for around $120 to $190 in Brazil, while the average monthly income in the country is about $300. Some pharmacies, repeat victims of Ozempic theft, have taken to posting armed guards near the back room, where the drugs are stored. There have been reports of break-ins at pharmacies elsewhere, such as Michigan and Spain, and some criminal gangs have been robbing trucks making wholesale Ozempic deliveries.
* The suspects are described as armed and lanky.
* So far, they’ve been able to trace the robberies to something called the Oprah Cartel.
* Armed guards. Take a shot at taking the shots and you might get shot.
* Will the demand for Ozempic ever taper off? Fat chance.
* Anyway, that’s the skinny from Brazil.

MAN FROM AMAZON NO-CONTACT TRIBE WANDERS INTO RURAL TOWN

A man from one of the Amazon rainforest’s uncontacted tribes ventured into the rural town of Bela Rosa last week. The Amazon is home to many small tribes of people who have not had any contact with the modern world. The young man walked into Bela Rosa, in the southwestern Amazon, barefoot and wearing only a loincloth. The man was waving two sticks, leading locals to believe he was asking for fire. One resident tried unsuccessfully to show the man how to use a lighter. The man was fed some fish and brought to a facility that deals with indigenous people. 24 hours later, the man returned to his tribe.
* Finally, they figured out that he had simply lost his phone charger and came looking for a Best Buy.
* Also, he wanted to know what the hell these tariffs were that somebody put on his tribe.
* Good luck with the “no contact” once he tells everybody where to get free fish.
* He had two sticks. Isn’t it obvious? He was looking for a drum kit.

TRENDING

WEEKEND BOX OFFICE (Feb 14-16)

1. Captain America: Brave New World – $87 million
2. Paddington In Peru – $14.4 million
3. Dog Man – $10.2 million
4. Heart Eyes – $9.8 million
5. Mufasa – $4 million

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

TODAY – 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

Ed Sheeran (singer-songwriter) … 34
Joseph Gordon-Levitt (actor) … 44
Paris Hilton (heiress, media personality) … 44
Jerry O’Connell (actor, “Billions,” “Sliders,” voice actor on “Star Trek: Lower Decks”) … 51
Bryan White (Country singer) … 51
Michael Bay (director) … 61
Larry the Cable Guy (comedian, full name Daniel Lawrence Whitney) … 62
Lou Diamond Phillips (actor, “Prodigal Son”) … 63
Rene Russo (actress, Thor’s mother in Marvel movies) … 71

Today’s Birthdays grade: We’ve got a full slate that includes solid show biz names topped by a British music megastar. And then there’s Paris Hilton, whose greatest achievement was being born into the 1%, which she never lets us forget. So we could just ignore her and give today an A, or leave her in and … do much worse. You decide.

[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!

“Celebrity doesn’t have anything to do with art or craft. It’s about being rich and thinking that you’re better than everybody else.”

(A) Kim Kardashian
(B) Paris Hilton
(C) Joseph Gordon-Levitt

ANSWER: (C) Joseph Gordon-Levitt

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2002 – The new Transportation Security Administration took over supervision of aviation security from the airline industry and the Federal Aviation Administration.
* Let the luggage raiding begin!

1993 – Serial killer and part-time cannibal Jeffrey Dahmer was sentenced to life in prison. It turned out to be a very short sentence as fellow inmates beat him to death less than two years later.
* They didn’t approve of the way he played with his food.

1958 – Clare of Assisi was proclaimed the patron saint of television.
* The programs on the air today are going to get her kicked out of heaven.

1876 – The first sardines were canned, by Julius Wolff in Eastport, Maine.
* It was a profitable business, especially when he also started selling can openers.

1817 – Baltimore, Maryland became the first U.S. city lit by gas.
* This finally moved gas lighting out of the locker room and into the streets where it belonged.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2005 – A 1965 Fender Stratocaster guitar that belonged to Jimi Hendrix sold for over $150,000 at an auction in London.

2003 – The man behind the Backstreet Boys and *NSYNC was being investigated over complaints that aspiring stars paid $1,500 to appear on his website. Lou Pearlman was accused by Florida authorities of getting young actors and models to pay upfront to appear on his Trans Continental company’s website by saying he would also help them to find work.

2000 – John Lennon’s Steinway piano, on which he composed “Imagine,” went on display at the Beatles Story Museum in Liverpool.

1996 – A Platinum American Express card once belonging to Bruce Springsteen was sold for $4,500 at a New York memorabilia sale. The singer had given the expired card to a waiter in an LA restaurant by mistake and let him keep it as a souvenir.

1971 – James Taylor made his TV debut on The Johnny Cash Show. Other guests included Neil Young and Linda Ronstadt.

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. According to a job-seeking survey, people who put THIS on their resume are less likely to get the job. What is it?
A cutesy email address

2. A recent survey shows that the average person does THIS about 18 times a day while they’re at work. What is it?
Says a curse word

3. According to a survey with Yahoo! jobs, employees will most often do THIS on a Wednesday. What is it?
Fall asleep or take a nap at work

(c) 2025
MORNING SIDEKICK RADIO SHOW PREP & COMEDY
8062 West Massey Circle
Littleton, CO 80128
USA
morningsidekick(at)gmail(dot)(com)
Tel: 303-727-9111