THURSDAY, Feb 20 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR THURSDAY, February 20, 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.)

CLEAN OUT YOUR BOOKCASE DAY

NATIONAL CHERRY PIE DAY

NATIONAL LOVE YOUR PET DAY
The Pet Guide website says this:
“National Love Your Pet Day is a day set aside for celebrating your companion, no matter which species you share your home with. Whether you celebrate this occasion every year or this is your first year recognizing the day, there are a lot of fun and creative ways to give your pet extra attention and affection:
– Buying your companion something they’re sure to like. For example, this might be a new chew toy for your dog, a new mouse toy for your cat, a neat new exercise ball for your hamster, or some new toys and perches that provide enrichment for your birds.
– When shopping for your pet for National Love Your Pet Day, consider getting them a new tasty treat that they can try.
– Heading outside for a mini adventure. This might involve finding a new trail to hike with your canine or going for a walk with your cat using a leash and harness or a stroller.
– Spending extra time with your pet doesn’t cost any money, and your pet is sure to enjoy the attention. This could be as simple as playing with your dog longer in the backyard or going for a longer walk with them. For your cat, it could be as simple as spending more time brushing them to smooth out their fur and give them a gentle massage.”

NATIONAL MUFFIN 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

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

THURSDAY, February 20

“Memes & Nightmares”
Hulu – New Documentary
Synopsis: The satirical docufilm explores the world of NBA Twitter, chronicling the NBA pop culture on social media, where memes and posts are shared by an online community that celebrates the game in its own way.

“Zero Day”
Netflix – New Limited Series
Synopsis: Robert De Niro stars as a former U.S. president in charge of a government commission formed to find those responsible for a devastating cyber attack. With Another reason to be excited: Zero Day boasts a “Friday Night Lights” stars Connie Britton and Jesse Plemons, Angela Bassett and Matthew Modine.

Season Premieres:
Prime Video – “Reacher”

FRIDAY, February 21

“A Thousand Blows”
Hulu – New Series
Synopsis: Explores the world of underground bare-knuckle boxing through a pair of Jamaican immigrants who get sucked into unsanctioned scrappin’ by the leader of the Forty Elephants and go up against a veteran boxer who isn’t keen on giving up his crown.

Season Premieres:
Apple TV+ – “Surface”
Netflix – “Pantheon”

SUNDAY, February 23

“Grosse Pointe Garden Society”
NBC – New Series
Synopsis: In a wealthy suburb where everything appears to be perfect on the surface, four members of the local garden club get entangled in a scandalous murder. On the night of the garden club’s annual gala, they bury the body in their own garden, but with mysteries, drama and deceit growing like weeds in each of their personal lives, this secret may not stay undiscovered for long.

“Screen Actors Guild Awards”
Netflix – Awards Show

“Suits LA”
NBC – New Series
Synopsis: The spin-off follows former New York federal prosecutor Ted Black, who has reinvented himself at the Hollywood-based entertainment law firm Black Lane Law. But with his career in crisis and secrets from his past threatening to come to light, Ted is forced to do things he never dreamed of doing.

“The Americas”
NBC – New Nature Series
Synopsis: The epic 10-part nature series, narrated by Tom Hanks, takes us inside some of the wildest corners of our continent.

“The Baldwins”
TLC – New Reality Show
Synopsis: An intimate, behind-the-scenes look into the lives of Alec and Hilaria Baldwin and their seven children.

Season Premieres:
Netflix – “Full Swing”
Paramount+ – “1923”

WILL SMITH, GRIM REAPER

Will Smith went on the “Broken Record Podcast” Tuesday where he was asked about a rumor that he once met rapper Notorious B.I.G. in 1997, and also spoke with Prince in 2016 — but both of them died hours later. Smith told podcast host Justin Richmond, “I don’t even want to say this out loud, ’cause it’s like, a terrible jinx. I met Biggie four hours before he got killed. And I talked to Prince eight hours before he died. I talked to Prince. He was saying me, him and Jay-Z should start an entertainment company. We talked that night, and in the morning, he was gone. I don’t know what that says about me.”
* Like a slap in the face, isn’t it.
* That’s not his first time as a death foreshadower. He killed it in “Men in Black,” too.
* On the other hand, sitting through “Wild Wild West” can suck the life out of you.
* Say, he hasn’t spoken with the Pope recently, has he?

THE BUZZ

DUMB HEADLINES

Time for another episode of Three Dumb Headlines. These are actual, word-for-word headlines of stories found on the internet. There’s no story, no context, just the actual headline. Discuss them amongst yourselves. Then, encourage listeners to vote for the Dumbest Headline on your station’s social media page. Maybe ask them to leave a comment. Reveal the results in the next break.
Today’s Dumb Headlines:
1. “This Fly Larva’s Butt Looks Like a Termite’s Head”
2. “How Dangerous Is It To Stick A Fork In A Toaster?”
3. “The History Of The Bundt Pan Is More Fascinating Than You Think”
And here’s a spare, in case you don’t like one of those three: “Why Cats Are The New Pigs”

THE WEIRDEST THING I SAW AT AN AIRPORT

Reddit asked, “What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever seen at an airport?” Some of the responses:
– “A handgun inside a raw chicken. And no, I’m not kidding.”
– “A grown-ass bearded man in a pink tutu and white patent leather pumps, pulling a Hello Kitty suitcase. Omaha.”
– “At Miami airport – A man that just had a hair transplant. People were complaining of the blood seeping from his bandages. It made the news that night.”
– “Miami has driverless wheelchairs that take passengers to their gates and return to their base unaided. It’s weird a.f.”
– “Last year I saw a man get his suitcase checked and it was full of mini Babybels. There were other cheeses as well but he had a crap load of them Babybels.”
– “Naked woman going through security.”
– “A guy in a full suit eating an onion like it was an apple. No hesitation.”
– “Saw a guy in full scuba gear at security check.”
– “Going through security at LaGuardia in NY. There’s a family ahead of me at the X-ray machine and everything stops. They pull a bag and open it up and pull out a huge butcher knife. The mother turns to the son, who was 11-12, and screams “WHY THE HELL DID YOU PUT THAT IN YOUR BAG!?! THAT’S ONE OF MY GOOD KNIVES! I PAID $80 FOR THOSE KNIVES!!!” Kid said, “I don’t know. I thought I might need it.” They confiscated the knife.”
– “I once saw a United flight take off on time.”
* PHONE TOPIC: What’s the strangest thing you’ve seen at an airport? Ever see a famous person there?

INTERNATIONAL NEWSGATOR GRABS GRANDAD GIFTING GRUB

A grandfather was left with severe injuries after a crocodile snatched his arm at a popular park in Indonesia. The Cimory Riverside Park is a popular dining and tourist spot. In addition to farm animals and reptiles, a recently rescued crocodile was being kept at the park. For some reason, they believed the croc was tame. It was being kept in a small, shallow tank the public could stand around and easily reach out and pet him. The elderly man reached out to offer food to the crocodile when it suddenly bit onto his arm and pulled him into the tank, lashing him back and forth in its jaws before releasing him. The man was treated for a severely injured arm. The park has since turned the crocodile over to qualified wildlife workers.
* Who do they think they are? Disney World?
* This is how they handle overcrowding at Asian tourist sites.
* Yeah, it’s a “popular dining spot” – for the ANIMALS.
* Stupid crocodile. It’s “DON’T bite the hand that feeds you.”
* You know, locals complain that the park costs an arm and a leg to get in. They aren’t kidding.

THE RETURN OF THE YUGO

People of a certain age may remember the Yugo – an infamous compact car built in what was once Yugoslavia. The Yugo was sold in the U.S. from 1985 to 1992, with a total of 141,651 sold. It was known for its for its ugly design, poor safety, and lousy reliability. (* So it fit right in with U.S. cars of the 1980’s.) The Yugo was voted Car Talk’s worst car of the millennium. It was promoted with a ten-year/100,000-mile warranty, free maintenance, and a price of only $4,500. But that was then. Well, now, guess what’s coming back! A man who calls himself – really – Professor Doctor Aleksandar Bjelić, an engineer, economist, and professor with decades of experience in the car industry, is behind the Yugo relaunch. He is buying the rights to the Yugo name, has filed trademark applications all over the world, and commissioned a Serbian designer to come up with styling proposals for the car. A working prototype is tentatively scheduled to debut in 2027.
* “Working” being the key word in that sentence.
* Well, I guess SOMEBODY has to give the Tesla Cybertruck a run for its money.
* The Yugo was the subject of many jokes back in the day. Here are a few:
– What makes a Yugo go faster? A tow truck.
– What do you call a Yugo at the top of a hill? A miracle.
– What do you call the Yugo owner’s manual? The bus timetable.
– How can you double the value of a Yugo? By filling its gasoline tank.
– What is the smallest part of a Yugo? The owners brain.
– What is the difference between a Yugo and a golf ball? You can drive a golf ball 200 yards.
– Two guys in a Yugo were arrested last night following a suspected push-by shooting.
* If they’re going to bring something from the 80s back, at least it’s not parachute pants.

TRENDING

“THE LAST OF US” RETURNS APRIL 13

It has been announced that “The Last of Us” will officially return to HBO for Season 2 on April 13. It will also be available to stream on Max. There will be seven episodes in the upcoming installment. Set five years after the events of the first season, this season will follow Joel (Pedro Pascal) and Ellie (Bella Ramsey) as they’re drawn into a conflict with both each other and a world that’s even more dangerous and unpredictable than the one they left.

CYNTHIA ERIVO IN “JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR”

Hot off the hit movie “Wicked,” actress Cynthia Erivo will star as Jesus in a production of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Jesus Christ Superstar,” slated to run at the beginning of August at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The role marks the Oscar nominee’s return to the stage nearly a decade after her acclaimed Broadway debut in “The Color Purple” as Celie Harris, which earned her a Tony in 2016 for best lead actress in a musical. The casting has, as planned, caused controversy, sparking divided reactions on social media, with several branding the decision as “blasphemous” and “disrespectful” while supporters have lauded the news. (* You can see immediately that some people are going to have a problem with a green Jesus.)

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

Rihanna (singer) … 37
Trevor Noah (comedian, former “The Daily Show” host) … 41
Jocko Sims (actor, “New Amsterdam”) … 44
Chelsea Peretti (actress, “Brooklyn Nine-Nine”) … 47
Brian Littrell (singer with the Backstreet Boys) … 50
Cindy Crawford (model, makeup tycoon) … 59
French Stewart (actor, “Mom,” “Third Rock from the Sun”) … 61
Charles Barkley (retired NBA legend, TV analyst) … 62
Joel Hodgson (comedian, created “Mystery Science Theater 3000”) … 65

Today’s Birthdays grade: It’s a happy birthday for Rihanna – yesterday, her partner A$AP Rocky was found not guilty on felony weapon charges. We also have an NBA superstar, a 90s boybander still touring after 30 years, and more. Grade: B.

[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!

“People gonna talk whether you doing bad or good.”

(A) Elon Musk
(B) Vladimir Putin
(C) Rihanna

ANSWER: (C) Rihanna

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1998 – American Tara Lipinski became the youngest gold medalist in winter Olympics history when she won the ladies’ figure skating title at Nagano, Japan – she was 15 years old.
* Good job. When I was 15, my biggest accomplishment was sneaking cigarettes out of my Dad’s carton.

1980 – Joe Bower set off from Los Angeles on stilts and walked 3008 miles to Kentucky in 7 months.
* That sounds like a lot of walking, but you should have seen the size of the stilts.

1974 – Japanese World War Two Lieutenant Hiro Onada came out of the Philippine Island jungle where he had been hiding for twenty-nine years, not knowing the war had ended.
* I believe this is the origin of the expression “DOH!”

1962 – John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth.
* Followed a few years later by many 60s rock stars.

1872 – J.P. Cooley and Silas Noble of Granville, Massachusetts patented the toothpick manufacturing machine.
* Please – did it really take TWO GUYS to figure out how to make toothpicks?

1792 – The United States Post Office was created. Postage rates were 6 cents to 12 cents, depending on distance.
* They raised rates the following day.

1768 – The first American chartered fire insurance company opened.
* Their motto: “No one can hold a candle to us.”

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2017 – David Cassidy told People magazine that he was suffering from dementia two days after giving what appeared to be a drunken performance at a concert in California. He told the magazine that both his grandfather and mother (actress Evelyn Ward) had the disease in later life. Cassidy died from liver and kidney failure on November 21, 2017 at age 67.

2016 – A lock of John Lennon’s hair sold for $35,000 at an auction in Dallas, Texas. It had been clipped nearly 50 years earlier in 1967 for Lennon’s appearance in the film “How I Won the War.”

2008 – A 1976 Rolling Stones album bought for £2 at a car trunk sale sold for £4,000 at an auction. The “Black and Blue” LP was signed by John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Paul and Linda McCartney and George Harrison as well as members of the Rolling Stones. The seller obtained the album after haggling the cost down from £3.

2008 – Pink split from her husband Carey Hart following two years of marriage.

2003 – In West Warwick, RI, 99 people were killed when fire destroyed the nightclub The Station. The fire started with sparks from a pyrotechnic display being used by the band Great White. Ty Longley, guitarist for Great White, was one of the victims of the fire.

1997 – Ben and Jerry’s introduced their ice cream Phish Food, named after the rock group Phish.

1996 – Singer Barry Manilow was involved in a 5-car pile-up in Los Angeles.

1992 – Singer Paula Abdul and actor Emilio Estevez announced their engagement. It was the first marriage for both.

1991 – Bob Dylan was awarded a lifetime achievement award at the 33rd annual Grammy’ Awards.

1976 – All four members of Kiss had their footprints set into the pavement outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.

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 woman will do THIS, on average, 4 times more often than a man in their lifetime. What is it?
Go to a doctor

2. The average man has more of THIS than the average woman does. What is it?
Credit card debt

3. The average woman does THIS 5 times a day. The average guy does this 3 times a day. What is it?
Apologize for something

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