THURSDAY, Feb 29 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR THURSDAY, February 29, 2024
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: PROMOS-TO-GO

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, or the hundreds of disease awareness listings which occur each year.)

BACHELOR’S DAY
The Time and Date website says this:
“According to an old Irish legend, or possibly history, St. Brigid struck a deal with St. Patrick to allow women to propose to men – and not just the other way around – every four years. This is believed to have been introduced to balance the traditional roles of men and women in a similar way to how leap day balances the calendar. In some places, leap day has been known as ‘Bachelor’s Day’ for the same reason. A man was expected to pay a penalty, such as a gown or money, if he refused a marriage proposal from a woman on Leap Day. In many European countries, especially in the upper classes of society, tradition dictates that any man who refuses a woman’s proposal on February 29 has to buy her 12 pairs of gloves. The intention is that the woman can wear the gloves to hide the embarrassment of not having an engagement ring. During the middle ages there were laws governing this tradition.”

INTERNATIONAL UNDERLINGS DAY
The International Underlings Facebook page says this:
“Since 1984 this is an annual celebration for everyone who is neither a boss nor professional assistant – hey they have their days already! It is celebrated on Feb 29 in keeping with the esteemed position of an Underling!”

LEAP YEAR DAY
Leap Trivia:
* The first people to institute a Leap Year system that added an extra day every four years were the Egyptians.
* The chances of being born on a Leap Day are 1 in 1,461.
* Our Gregorian calendar year still doesn’t match up exactly with a solar year. Eventually, the calendar will be off by one day … in about 3,300 years.

NATIONAL SURF AND TURF 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 and EW websites

THURSDAY, Feb 29

“Elsbeth”
CBS – New Series
Synopsis: “The Good Wife” spin-off in which unconventional attorney Elsbeth Tascioni becomes a consultant for the NYPD.

FRIDAY, Mar 1

“Spaceman”
Netflix – New Movie
Synopsis: Adam Sandler stars as Commander Jakub Procházka, a Czech cosmonaut tasked with a solo mission to explore a mysterious ancient cloud of dust that has appeared in our solar system.

“The Completely Made-Up Adventures of Dick Turpin”
Apple TV+ – New Series
Synopsis: English writer, comedian and TV host Noel Fielding plays a highway robber in 1735, a gentle soul in the harsh world of forest-based stick-ups, witches and curses.

Season Premiere:
Starz – “BMF”

SUNDAY, Mar 3

“The Regime”
HBO and Max – New Series
Synopsis: Stars Kate Winslet as the chancellor of a fictional Central European country that she leads with an iron fist while she battles it out with the leader of the opposition, played by Hugh Grant.

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. ” We All Need A Couch Friend In Our Lives”
2. “This Is What The Edge Of The Universe Looks Like, If There Even is One”
3. “Martha Stewart, 82, Makes Shocking Underwear Confession”
And here’s a spare, in case you don’t like one of those three: “10 Things Batman The Animated Series Did Better Than Any Batman Movie”

LEAP DAY LEGENDS

Leap Day comes with its own set of superstitions and traditions:
– The Irish call Leap Day “Bachelor’s Day” or “Ladies Privilege.” The tradition gave women the option to propose marriage on February 29. The legend is that in the 5th century St. Bridget appealed to St. Patrick to allow the babes of Ireland to ask for a man’s hand in marriage once a year. The pair settled on once every four years on Leap Day.
– In 1288, Scottish law granted women the right to propose during Leap Years. If a man rejected a woman’s marriage proposal on February 29, he had to pay her a pound for pain and suffering. In Denmark, the price for “no” is twelve pairs of gloves to cover the unwed ring finger of the dejected woman throughout the year ahead. In Finland, if a bachelor refuses a proposal on February 29th he owes the woman enough fabric to make a skirt.
– Also in Scotland, superstition holds that a Leap Day romance will only prove successful if the woman is wearing a red petticoat. Since no one wears a petticoat anymore, the woman should be wearing red underwear.
– In Taiwan, superstition states that parents are more likely to pass away during a Leap Year. Daughters would traditionally return home on or around Leap Day to prepare pig trotter noodles for their parents. The dish is believed to support health, wealth, and survival.
* So what we’ve learned today is, Leap Day is pretty lame. Someone needs to step their game up. I can’t believe Hallmark isn’t all over this.
* You’ve got four years to come up with something. Get at it.
* You can tell Leap Day to take a flying leap.

WEDDING HORRORS

Reddit asked, “What’s the worst thing you’ve seen at a wedding?” Some of the responses:
– “The priest couldn’t pronounce the names of the bride and groom correctly.”
– “The priest forgot to actually marry them. He did this whole long ceremony but accidentally skipped the vows section. He had to get the couple back together after they got back from their honeymoon to perform that section by itself so that the union could be recognized by the church.”
– “Bride and groom went to take some outdoor photos after the ceremony. A kid, probably 6 or 7, ran up to a puddle the bride was carefully walking past and jumped in it. Her dress had mud splatter all the way up to her shoulder.”
– “The bride’s grandfather died while she was walking down the aisle. ”
– “I used to be a wedding registrar. I conducted one wedding where the bride’s father had passed away the year before. The ceremony was held outside in a walled garden, upon entering the garden guests were met by a skeleton which was dressed up in the father of the bride’s clothes and asked to shake his hand.”
– “The maid of honor (the bride’s sister) didn’t show up because she had been arrested for prostitution two nights before.”
– “My boyfriend’s oldest brother’s wedding. One of his mates got plastered, lost control of his bowels and pooped himself. In a kilt.”
– “Reception easily had 300+ guests. Each table had a centerpiece with a live betta fish in it. At the end, the mother of the bride was begging the kitchen staff for storage containers because they had like 100 fish and no plan for what to do with them. I went home with approximately 20 fish.”
– “Bride and groom cut their cake with a Japanese Katana, while the groom’s father explained how it had been used to kill people in WW2.”
– “They charged $2 for a piece of the wedding cake.”
* PHONE TOPIC: What’s the worst thing you’ve ever seen at a wedding?

U.S. NEWS

WENDY’S HAS CANCELED PLANS FOR SURGE PRICING

A day after announcing their plan, Wendy’s issued a statement on Tuesday night that it has “no plans” for surge pricing. The plan was for them to install electronic menu boards at all the restaurants, where the food prices could be changed instantly. The plan was to raise them a little during busy times, and lower them during not-so-busy times. In fact, Wendy’s CEO told shareholders it would “begin testing more enhanced features like dynamic pricing,” less than two weeks ago on its earnings call. The public instantly rose up against this plan, which was still over a year away from being implemented. Now, Wendy’s has issued a statement: “We said these menu boards would give us more flexibility to change the display of featured items. This was misconstrued in some media reports as an intent to raise prices when demand is highest at our restaurants. We have no plans to do that and would not raise prices when our customers are visiting us most.”
* “…it was all a dream. Just a dream, people. Not real. Ha ha… a dream…”
* “The people have spoken, and Wendy’s has listened, so we will keep our current policy of making all prices increases permanent.”
* It would have turned into a food auction: “What am I bid for this tasty, refreshing Frosty shake? The bidding will start at five dollars.”
* The company should just blame AI and be done with it.
* Hey, Wendy’s – Surge this.

TOURIST DRIVES OFF HAWAIIAN CLIFF, FALLS INTO SEA, IS OKAY

A Canadian tourist visiting Hawaii’s Big Island walked away nearly unscathed after he drove off a 60-foot cliff and fell into the ocean early Sunday morning. The unidentified 27-year-old was driving his rented Jeep along restricted backroads near the South Point cliff when the vehicle plunged off the cliff at around 3:30 a.m. The rental got stuck upside down on the rocks below, and when he crawled out he dropped directly into the water below him and was quickly swept away. Luckily, some local spear-fishermen camping out on the beach overnight witnessed the accident and then the man’s fall into the sea and called 911. First responders found the man floating on his back in the sea, coached him to swim toward the shore, and pulled him out. He only suffered a few facial scratches and mild hypothermia.
* …that is, until the lava flow hit the hospital.
* Hope he sprung for the rental insurance.
* Hmm … distracted taking a selfie? Making a crazy video for TikTok? Bad GPS?
* He said his next vacation will be in Australia, where it’s safe.

FORMER U.S. SURGEON GENERAL GETS EXORBITANT HOSPITAL BILL HE DOESN’T UNDERSTAND

The former surgeon general of the United States, Jerome Adams, 49, who served from 2017 until 2021, recently visited a Mayo Clinic ER in Scottsdale, Arizona, where he was treated for dehydration after a hike. He had lab work done, and received three IV bags for the dehydration. Then he got a $5,000 bill. His bill was coded “Level 5 visit,” usually reserved for things like strokes and chest pain. Adams — who, again, was the former Surgeon General of the United States — says he spent hours on the phone trying to understand the charge in an effort that he called “mentally taxing.” In the end he learned that he has a high-deductible health insurance plan, which makes him pay thousands out of pocket before insurance kicks in. Adams says: “If I’m in this situation with my knowledge and with my financial resources and with my bully pulpit, then the average Joe doesn’t stand a chance. The system is just broken.”
* Unless you’re the Mayo Clinic, in which case the system is operating wonderfully.
* So he wouldn’t be this upset if only he’d had a stroke or chest pain?
* He should have just asked the ER for a bottle of water. That would only have cost him $2,000.
* Well, thanks anyway for looking into the problem since you’re in a position to do something about it. Oh, wait, that’s right – you’re not surgeon general anymore. TS, kiddo.
* So what exactly did you do for four years? Play doctor?
* How much medical education do you need before you learn you should stay hydrated on a hike?

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

INDIAN MAN ATE 39 COINS, 37 MAGNETS

An Indian man went to the hospital complaining of repeated vomiting and pain in his abdomen. An X-ray showed a large mass in his stomach. Doctors successfully removed 39 coins and 37 magnets from the intestine of the 26-year-old patient, and diagnosed him with schizophrenia. When asked why he swallowed the metal, he told doctors he thought the zinc in the coins would help “build his body,” and the magnets would insure the coins stay in his body.
* He believed women found him more attractive. With the magnets, in case you missed that.
* Doctors told him “Change what you eat,” and that’s what he did – he started eating change.
* For a while there, he was his own piggy bank.
* We should put the daily recommended amount of zinc into some kind of supplement tablet so people wouldn’t have to eat coins.
* By the way, zinc is not magnetic. If only the man with 37 magnets would have had a way to test that.

TRENDING

RICHARD LEWIS DIES AT 76

Actor/comedian Richard Lewis has died. His publicist said that Lewis died at his home in Los Angeles on Tuesday night after suffering a heart attack. He was 76. Most known for his appearances on the HBO show “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” Lewis also starred in the TV sitcom “Anything but Love” (1989 to 1992) with Jamie Lee Curtis and also played in the films “Robin Hood: Men in Tights” and “Leaving Las Vegas.” He also regularly appeared on “The Late Show With David Letterman” and “The Howard Stern Show.” Lewis revealed in 2023 that he’d been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, recommitting himself at the time to working on “Curb Your Enthusiasm” alongside his longtime friend Larry David. “Curb Your Enthusiasm” will likely feature posthumous appearances by Lewis, who had refrained from appearing in the majority of Season 11 as he dealt with several surgeries.

ALMANAC

NOTABLE DATES, UPCOMING U.S. OBSERVANCES

March 10, Sunday – Daylight Saving Time Begins
March 17, Sunday – St. Patrick’s Day
March 19, Tuesday – Spring begins, Spring Equinox is 11:06 p.m. EDT
March 20, Wednesday – First full day of Spring
March 31, Sunday – Easter
April 1, Monday – April Fools Day
April 15, Monday – U.S. Tax Day
May 12, Sunday – Mother’s Day
May 27, Monday – Memorial Day

BIRTHDAYS

Peter Scanavino (actor, “Law & Order: SVU”) … 44
Ja Rule (rapper, actor) … 48
Antonio Sabato Jr. (actor) … 52
Tony Robbins (motivational speaker) … 64

BIRTHDAY QUOTE QUIZ – Ask your listeners “Who said it?” HINT: Today’s their birthday!

“I try to be a good person every day. If you didn’t like me, there would be something wrong with you, because I really go out and work as hard as I can to help people.”

(A) Donald Trump
(B) Vladimir Putin
(C) Antonio Sabato Jr.

ANSWER: (C) Antonio Sabato Jr.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

1968 – The discovery of the first pulsar, a star which emits regular radio waves, was announced by Dr. Jocelyn Bell Burnell at Cambridge, England.
* Unlike our morning show, which is usually emitting extremely IRREGULAR radio.

1960 – A report from the White House stated that America’s kids were getting too fat.
* Hah! Those kids back then had no idea what fat is! Look at us today!

1952 – New York City got it’s first “Walk / Don’t Walk” signs, installed at 44th Street and Broadway in Times Square. Eight out of ten people obeyed the signs.
* The other two gave them the finger.

1940 – “Gone With The Wind” won eight Oscars.
* Including “Best First Use Of A Curse Word In A Drama.”

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2019 – Ariana Grande was at No.1 on the U.S. album chart with her fifth studio album “Thank U, Next.” The album was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album at the 62nd Annual Grammy Awards while its second single, “7 Rings,” was nominated for Record of the Year and Best Pop Solo Performance.

2012 – Davy Jones of the Monkees died of a severe heart attack at the age of 66. Before the Monkees, he was a successful young actor, and was nominated for a Tony Award for his role as The Artful Dodger in the Broadway production of “Oliver!”. On February 9, 1964, he appeared with “Oliver!” castmate Georgia Brown on the same episode of The Ed Sullivan Show in which the Beatles made their first appearance. Jones said of that night, “I watched the Beatles from the side of the stage, I saw the girls going crazy, and I said to myself, this is it, I want a piece of that.”

2000 – Eric Clapton was banned from driving for six months after speeding at 45 mph in a 30 mph zone near his UK home in Surrey.

2000 – Sir Elton John stormed out of the opening of his new Broadway musical show, “Aida,” after complaining for 15 minutes that his songs had been ruined.

1968 -The Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper” won album of the year, best cover, and best engineered and recorded album at the Grammy Awards.

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. 21% of Americans surveyed said they follow THIS superstition. What is it?
Knocking on wood

2. 61% of people surveyed said they do THIS regularly via smart phone, but only 1 in 5 do it in person. What is it?
Say “I love you”

3. According to research, over 80% of people who try to do THIS fail. What is it?
Becoming a vegetarian

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