TUESDAY, Feb 25 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR TUESDAY, February 25, 2025
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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.)

LET’S ALL EAT RIGHT DAY
The Holiday Calendar website says this:
“This day was first established in 1973 by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics as a way to promote proper nutrition and encourage people to adopt healthier eating habits. Whether you’re a fitness enthusiast or just looking to improve your overall well-being, this is the perfect opportunity to kickstart your journey towards a healthier lifestyle. So let’s all come together and make some delicious, nutritious meals on this special day!”

NATIONAL CHOCOLATE COVERED NUTS DAY

NATIONAL CLAM CHOWDER DAY

PISTOL PATENT DAY
The Holiday Insights website says this:
Samuel Colt, inventor of the pistol, received Patent #138 for his Colt Revolver – with a rotating chamber containing six bullets – on this day in 1836.

QUIET DAY
The Work Smart Live Smart website says this:
“STOP YELLING … it’s quiet day. Today is the day to lower the noise level. It originally started as a day in the Anglican church to focus on special devotions, meditations, and instructions. Quiet time helps the body relax and lowers blood pressure and heart rate. It allows the mind to focus and be more creative. It can boost your immune system and decrease the amount of pain that we feel. The results of one study published in the journal Stroke showed that the accumulated fatty plaque on artery walls actually diminished in people who meditated 20 minutes twice a day.”

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

FYRE FESTIVAL 2: DO YOU FEEL LUCKY?

Tickets went on sale Monday for Fyre Festival 2, nearly eight years after the disaster of the infamous Bahamas festival that led to its founder being convicted of wire fraud. The new event, which is scheduled to take place in Mexico’s Isla Mujeres from May 30 to June 2, is being advertised under the slogan “FYRE Festival 2 is real.” But before we go any further, let’s review what happened Fyre Festival #1 back in 2017.
– The plan was for people, who had paid more than $10,000 a ticket, to be flown into a small island in the Bahamas for a two-weekend music festival.
– Heavy rains fell, soaking the open tents and mattresses piled out in the open air for guest arrivals later that day.
– Those who showed up found there was no gourmet food or “modern geodesic dome accommodations,” which they had paid for. Instead, they received packaged sandwiches and were put up in poorly furnished tents.
– Thirty-three acts had signed up to play. All 33 cancelled before the festival.
– Many attendees were reportedly stranded on the island for days, as flights to and from the island were cancelled when the Bahamian government barred any planes from landing at the airport.
– The promoter, Billy McFarland, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in a scheme to defraud investors and a ticket vendor. In October 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to forfeit US$26 million.
OK, now, here we are, seven years later. Convicted felon Billy McFarland, fresh out of four years in prison, has announced Fyre Festival 2. He says in a statement, “I’m sure many people think I’m crazy for doing this again. But I feel I’d be crazy not to do it again. After years of reflection and now thoughtful planning, the new team and I have amazing plans for FYRE 2.” Tickets start at $1,400. No musical acts have been announced yet.
* Have they announced which lawyers will be handling the lawsuits?
* Well, I’m going. Something that bad can’t possibly happen twice.
* This doesn’t look good. His “team” consists of George Santos, Elizabeth Holmes and Bigfoot.
* It’s ok, it’s only money. Daddy’s money, usually, for these things.
* They call it the Fyre Festival because you might as well just set your money on fire.
* I’m betting Fyre Festival 2 goes up in flames.

THE BUZZ

THE WORST RESPONSES TO “I LOVE YOU”

Reddit asked, “What’s the worst response to ‘I love you’?” Some of the responses:
– “High five!”
– “Oh… ok.”
– “It’ll pass.”
– “No you don’t.”
– “Yikes.”
– “Who are you and why are you in my house?”
– “That costs extra.”
– “I would rather you didn’t.”
– “What do you want?”
– “I’m flattered.”
– “As a friend, right?”
– “I often tell my husband thank you when he says he loves me, I am thankful he does.”
– “My husband says ‘Why wouldn’t you?’”
– “Yeah, we need to talk…”
– “Sir, this is a Wendy’s.”
– “Well sir, now there’s a conflict of interest and I can no longer perform your colonoscopy.”
PHONE TOPIC: Did you ever have, or give, a bad response to “I love you”?

U.S. NEWS

STARBUCKS DROPPING THESE DRINKS

Starbucks has initiated a plan to bring customers back into the stores. Part of the plan is: Get Me My Drink Faster! The way to do this, they believe, is to get rid of the some of the over-the-top drinks that are very complicated and take too long to make. Here are 13 drinks that will no longer be available at Starbucks as of March 4:
– Iced Matcha Lemonade
– Espresso Frappuccino
– Caffè Vanilla Frappuccino
– White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino
– Java Chip Frappuccino
– Chai Crème Frappuccino
– Caramel Ribbon Crunch Crème Frappuccino
– Double Chocolaty Chip Crème Frappuccino
– Chocolate Cookie Crumble Crème Frappuccino
– White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino
– White Hot Chocolate
– Royal English Breakfast Latte
– Honey Almondmilk Flat White
* Noooo!!! Now where will I get my hot almond milk?
* Now I’ll never be able to decide what I like better – a White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino or a White Chocolate Crème Frappuccino or a White Hot Chocolate.
* It takes longer to say some of these than to make them.
* You can still enjoy a lot of these by getting a regular frappucino and adding candy.
* To anybody who ever ordered one of these drinks in line in front of me: I hope you go through withdrawal.

EGG SMUGGLING AT THE BORDER

And now we’ve got egg smugglers. U.S. Customs and Border Protection is seeing a surge in illegal attempts to bring raw eggs across the border from Mexico. From October 2024 to February 2025, there has been a 29 percent increase in egg detentions at U.S. ports of entry compared to the same time last year. Just since January, CBP officers in the El Paso region have stopped over 90 individuals trying to bring raw eggs into the U.S. from Mexico. Raw egg imports from Mexico are strictly prohibited due to the risk of spreading diseases like highly pathogenic avian influenza – bird flu.
* And look how well that’s worked.
* Could they cook the eggs and send us breakfast burritos?
* This explains the massive Egg Tosses going on across the Rio Grande.
* This is the work of the Leghorn Cartel, and their boss, Pablo Eggscobar.
* Remember the good old days when all they smuggled was Acapulco Gold? Now it’s Rhode Island Red.

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

WOMAN STEALS RESTAURANT SINK

Last Thursday, a woman walked into the Jardim Rodizo restaurant in Altrincham, England, asking to use the restroom. She did, and she left. A little later, the staff noticed that the sink was missing from the ladies room. They reviewed the security camera tape which showed the woman walking in with a handbag that appears empty, but leaving moments later with something large inside the bag – his $150 imitation stone sink. Robert Melman, the restaurant owner, said all he could do was laugh.
* He couldn’t very well wash his hands of the whole affair could he?
* Usually it’s just the food that’s To-Go, not the fixtures.
* On the bright side, there wasn’t enough room left in her bag for the toilet.
* How low can you sink. Literally.
* Plumbing the depths of crime.

TRENDING

LESTER HOLT LEAVING NBC NIGHTLY NEWS

Lester Holt is planning on stepping down this summer from the NBC News anchor desk. (* For you youngsters out there, NBC is what they call a “TV Network,” where a man or a woman reads the “news” of the “day.”) Holt, now 65, has been NBC’s main anchorman since 2015. After that, he plans to devote himself full time to NBC News’ “Dateline,” which he has anchored since 2011.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

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
April 1, Tuesday – April Fools Day
April 15, Tuesday – U.S. Tax Day
May 11, Sunday – Mother’s Day
May 26, Monday – Memorial Day

BIRTHDAYS

Rashida Jones (actress, “Parks and Recreation,” “The Office”) … 49
Chelsea Handler (comedian) … 50
Anson Mount (actor, Captain Pike on “Star Trek: Discovery”) … 52
Sean Astin (actor, “Stranger Things,” “The Lord of the Rings”) … 54
Tea Leoni (actress, “Madam Secretary”) … 59
Carrot Top (“prop” comedian, resident at the Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas since 2005) … 60

Today’s Birthdays grade: Two fan-favorite fantasy/sci-fi stars, two tv-film stars, and two comedians. Oddball comic Carrot Top was once almost universally reviled, but is far off the radar of contemporary entertainment culture. So we won’t dwell. Grade: B-minus.

[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’m like the universe; either expanding or contracting at any given moment.”

(A) Jonah Hill
(B) Oprah Winfrey
(C) Sean Astin

ANSWER: (C) Sean Astin

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1940 – A hockey game (the New York Rangers vs. the Montreal Canadiens) was televised for the first time.
* “Okay – all you players smile for the camera! Uh – never mind.”

1913 – The 16th Amendment to the US Constitution was ratified, authorizing a graduated income tax.
* Please join me for a moment of silence as we lower our wallets to half-staff.

1836 – Inventor Samuel Colt patented his Colt revolver.
* One guess what happened to anybody who tried to copy it.

1751 – The first performing monkey was exhibited in America by Edward Willet.
* This may have given the colonists the idea of having their own senators and congressmen.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2015 – Madonna said she suffered whiplash as a result of her “nightmare” accident at the 2015 Brit Awards. The 56-year-old was pulled backwards off stage by a cape, which was supposed to fall from her shoulders, causing the singer to fall down a flight of steps.

2011 – Susan “Suze” Rotolo died from lung cancer. She was the one time girlfriend of Bob Dylan, and the inspiration of some of his early songs. Susan appeared in one of the decade’s signature images, walking with Dylan arm-in-arm for the cover photo of his breakthrough album “Freewheelin Bob Dylan.”

2010, Marie Osmond’s teenaged son, Michael Blosil, was found dead on the ground below an apartment balcony in Los Angeles, California.

2009 – President Obama honored Stevie Wonder, his musical hero, with America’s highest award for pop music, the Library of Congress’ Gershwin prize at a ceremony at the White House. The president said the Motown legend had been the soundtrack to his youth and he doubted that his wife would have married him if he hadn’t been a fan. Wonder’s song “Signed, Sealed, Delivered” had been the theme song during Obama’s first presidential campaign.

2006 – George Michael was found slumped over in a car in Hyde Park, London. A concerned person spotted the singer and called police who after being checked by paramedics was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs and then released on bail. Michael made a public statement about the incident and said “I was in possession of class C drugs which is an offense and I have no complaints about the police who were professional throughout.” He also said that the event was “my own stupid fault, as usual.”

1995 – Frank Sinatra performed his final concert at the Palm Springs Marriott Desert Spring Resort, as part of the Frank Sinatra Desert Classic golf tournament. The 79-year-old icon, who was one of the most popular entertainers of the 40s, 50s, and 60s, closed out the show with one of his signature hits, “The Best Is Yet to Come” (a title that was later etched on his tombstone). Sinatra’s final appearance in front of a live audience took place later in the year, during a star-studded 80th birthday event at The Shrine Auditorium.

1963 – The Beatles released their first U.S. single, “Please Please Me.”

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. By the time the average child graduates from high school, they will have eaten THIS over a thousand times. What is it?
A peanut butter and jelly sandwich

2. 40 years ago, 55% of children in America did THIS. Today, it’s down to about 12%. What is it?
Walk to school

3. Scientists have discovered that not only do gorillas play games, they play THIS game you played as a child. What is it?
Tag

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