WEDNESDAY, Feb 19 – DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION

MORNING SIDEKICK DAILY PREP TEXT VERSION FOR WEDNESDAY, February 19, 2025
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COMEDY MP3s POSTED ON OUR PREP SITE FOR TODAY: A&M AUTOLAND – Roundup

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.)

CHOCOLATE MINT DAY

COAST GUARD RESERVE BIRTHDAY
Established via the United States Reserve Act on Feb. 19, 1941.

IWO JIMA DAY
The New York Times Learning Blogs website says this:
“On Feb. 19, 1945, during World War II, some 30,000 United States Marines landed on the Western Pacific island of Iwo Jima, where they encountered ferocious resistance from Japanese forces. The Americans took control of the strategically important island after a month-long battle.”

NATIONAL ARABIAN HORSE DAY

NATIONAL VET GIRLS ROCK DAY
The Days of the Year website says this:
“National Vet Girls ROCK Day began in 2017. Vet Girls ROCK, an initiative under Active Veterans With Answers, was founded on this special day to honor and support women veterans. These women have served bravely and often face unique challenges after their service.”

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

AUDIO: FANS HATE THE NEW “WHITE LOTUS” THEME SONG

Planes are crashing, government’s collapsing, the country is freezing over, but the real problem now is: they changed the theme song to “The White Lotus.” Season 3 kicked off on Sunday, and viewers are outraged because the show changed its theme song.
– “Not to be dramatic, but the new theme song has quite literally ruined my whole weekend,” one Redditor wrote.
– “Genuinely hate that Mike White had the audacity to change the White Lotus intro song for season 3. I was choreographing a dance for episode one. I’m shook.”
– “New season of The White Lotus changed the theme song why would they do that.”
– “The only thing America can agree on right now is that the White Lotus season 3 theme song is NOT it.”
The show’s creator Mike White revealed why he changed the music. “I think that for the show to feel fresh, it needs to either expand or shift or change. It has a little bit more of an operatic, dramatic dimension because of the nature of exploring existential, spiritual themes.”
* Yeah, Mike, we don’t really care about your dramatic dimensions. We’re Americans! We like familiarity!
* The theme song’s supposed to make the show feel fresh? What about the other 64 minutes?
* Just explain why it takes place in Thailand and the theme has Greek accordion music.
* And just as I was finally able to sing the lyrics from the Season One theme.
CLIP: “The White Lotus” season 3 theme (note: it’s been shortened for time.)
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)com/prep/wp-content/uploads/WhiteLotusSeason3Theme(dot)mp3

RENT MICHAEL JORDAN’S OLD HOUSE FOR MARCH MADNESS

The current owner of what was once former Chicago Bulls superstar Michael Jordan’s 37,000 square-foot mansion is offering it for rent this spring. Jordan sold the Highland Park, Illinois, home on over 7 acres sometime around 2015. The current owner is now listing it for rent for the month of March, calling it “The Ultimate March Madness Retreat” where guests can “watch every buzzer-beater, Cinderella story, and championship moment unfold in your private sports haven.” The price for a month’s stay is just $230,000. Again, that’s for one month. But look what you get: 9 bedrooms, 15.5 bathrooms, a regulation-sized basketball court, championship-level putting green, tennis court, fitness center, gaming areas, infinity pool, state-of-the-art theatre, wine cellar, and cigar room.
* Well this just makes my man cave look pathetic.
* Guys, tell your wife: you NEED this. Just this one thing, and you’ll never ask for anything ever again.
* And, be fair. Tell her you’ll go halfsies on it with a friend.
* $230,000 isn’t bad in itself, but you’ve got the first and last month’s rent, plus the security deposit.
* For almost a quarter mil I’d want them to throw in endless Buffalo wings.
* I wonder how much commission Airbnb gets?

THE BUZZ

YOUR IDEA FOR A GAME SHOW

The website Fark asked readers for their ideas for a new game show. Some of the responses:
– “Eel or No Eel”
– “So You Think You Can Lance. A celebrity jousting competition.”
– “A cooking competition show, but the final round has the contestants’ teenage kids as the judges.”
– “A show where parents are locked in a soundproof glass cage while their 2-year-old is asked to choose between a check for a million dollars or a bowl with $3 worth of candy.”
– “Is This Illegal? – A panel of cops watch as contestants challenge themselves to commit acts in public that they think might not be a crime.”
– “Drinking with the Stars. See which celeb can hang and have a good time and which one goes off the rails and gets eliminated.”
– “Wheel of Fish”
– “Who’s Lane Is It Anyway? It’s a sort of a road rage competition.”
– “America’s Got Nothing Else To Watch”
* PHONE TOPIC: What’s your idea for a game show?
CLIP: Here’s an idea for a game show! “The Rock Hard Talent Show”
CLIP URL: morningsidekick(dot)com/prep/wp-content/uploads/RockHardTalentShow(dot)mp3

U.S. NEWS

PRISON SMUGGLERS ARRESTED WITH AIR CANNON

Police arrested two men who were attempting to shoot methamphetamine and tobacco into the Federal Correctional Institution in Pollock, Louisiana, with an air cannon. The two men, from Colorado, were attempting to use the cannon, that propels objects with compressed air, to launch the items over a security fence onto the grounds of the prison. The air cannon has a range over 350 feet. They were caught with $112,000 worth of tobacco and $89,500 worth of methamphetamine.
* So a carton and a half of Kools, and three 55-gallon drums worth of meth.
* Sure, it’s dumb. But it beats smuggling it in the USUAL way. Yuck!
* Are these the same meth cannons they use to shoot t-shirts into the stands at the basketball games? Who knew?
* That much contraband, with an air gun, it would have taken about 46 hours to get it all over the fence.
* An air cannon? C’mon, guys! It’s 2025! It’s all about DRONES now!

INTERNATIONAL NEWS

PRANKSTER CHANGES DIRECTIONAL ARROW DURING 10k RUN

A Scottish fun run was thrown into chaos when a prankster diverted the runners into nearby woods just as they were approaching the finish line. Around 150 people were running the 10k Castlemilk Trail Race in Glasgow on Sunday morning. But at the 9K mark, an imposter dressed in the uniform of a race official popped up and waved everybody down a forest path. Organizers later found that the large directional arrow at the spot had been removed and buried under some leaves, and a sign with a smaller arrow pointed in the direction the fake official was directing everybody. No one was injured as a result of the route change, but organizers blasted the hoaxer for endangering the runners.
* Endangered how? Poison ivy in the woods? Are there bears in Scotland?
* He turned the fun run into a pretty funny run, if you ask me.
* Where’s the part where he takes off the uniform revealing a running outfit, goes the other way, and wins the race?
* At what point did they realize they shoulda taken that left turn at Albuquerque?
* So 150 people have a good story to tell, and one guy has a GREAT story to tell.

CHINA SNOW VILLAGE FAKES THE SNOW

China is famous for faking things for its tourists. Once, a zoo shaved some Tibetan mastiff dogs to try and pass them off as lions. Another dyed two chow dogs black and white to look like panda bears. Yet another painted a couple of donkeys to look like zebras. Then there was the aquarium with the robot whale shark. And now, a tourist village famous for its scenic snowy landscape apologized for using cotton to create fake snow. The Chengdu Snow Village said the weather at the end of January was too warm, and in order to create a ‘snowy’ atmosphere the tourist site purchased a bunch of cotton batting, and draped it over rooftops and all over the grounds. After receiving lots of negative publicity and feedback, the Chengdu Snow Village apologized, offered tourists a refund, and shut down.
* Soon to re-open as the Amazing Chengdu Mud Village.
* Also, the cotton candy at the snack bar? Real cotton.
* It’s like when they open up the fire hoses over Niagara Falls during the dry spells.
* How fake did the snow look, on a scale of 1 to “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”?
* Jeeze, Disney fakes absolutely everything, and no one complains about that. In fact, they charge more for it.

TRENDING

BURGLAR BREAKS INTO KEITH URBAN/NICOLE KIDMAN’S HOME

Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman were the victims of an apparent burglary over the weekend. TMZ reports that the break-in took place at the couple’s Los Angeles-area home. An intruder appeared to have smashed a glass window in order to enter the residence. Kidman and Urban were out of town at the time, but one of their employees arrived at the house and the intruder fled the property when they heard the employee coming. It’s not yet clear if anything was stolen from the home, or if they had another motive.

SHANE GILLIS, LADY GAGA TO HOST SNL

Saturday Night Live – maybe you’ve heard of this show? – has announced the hosts and musical guests for its first two episodes of March. Comedian Shane Gillis will host the March 1 episode, with Tate McRae to perform as musical guest. Lady Gaga will host and perform music on March 8. It is her second time hosting and fifth performing music on the show.

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

Millie Bobby Brown (actress, “Stranger Things,” “Enola Holmes” films, “Godzilla” films) … 21
Victoria Justice (singer, actress) … 32
Daniel Adair (drummer with Nickleback) … 50
Bellamy Young (actress, “Prodigal Son,” “Scandal”) … 55
Benicio Del Torro (actor) … 58
Jon Fishman (drummer with Phish) … 60
Seal (singer) … 62
Jeff Daniels (actor) … 70
Tony Iommi (guitarist with Black Sabbath) … 77
Smokey Robinson (singer) … 85

Today’s Birthdays grade: Today we have a full roster of names from across entertainment, and head and shoulders above them all is Millie Bobby Brown, the “Stranger Things” phenom who hits 21 with a wide-ranging list of successful movies, production credits, and the obligatory multi-million-dollar beauty and skincare brand. Always great to see a child star grow up and NOT go off the rails. Grade: A.

[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’d probably say I’m very strong. If somebody says something horrible, I’m like, ‘Okay, whatever.'”

(A) Donald Trump
(B) Kanye West
(C) Millie Bobby Brown

ANSWER: (C) Millie Bobby Brown

THIS DAY IN HISTORY

2010 – Golfer Tiger Woods admitted infidelity and acknowledged receiving therapy for sex addiction.
* In the middle of the scandal, he was voted “Athlete of the Decade” by The Associated Press. He was also named “Athlete of the Decade” by Playboy, Penthouse, and Hustler.

2004 – After sanctioning more than 2,800 gay marriages, the city of San Francisco sued the state of California, challenging its ban on same-sex marriages.
* Was this before or after Governor Arnold made his comment about “girly men”?

1981 – The first scientific reports about global warming – “The Greenhouse Effect” – made news.
* And we’ve been taking the heat ever since.

1913 – A prize was put inside a box of Cracker Jack for the first time.
* I think I got that box of Cracker Jack just the other day.

1906 – Food pioneer William Kellogg established his breakfast cereal company. His various cereals had been originally developed as health food for psychiatric patients.
* Insert your own “Froot Loops” joke here.

1878 – Thomas Edison patented the gramophone, the first phonograph.
* Whatever that is.

1847 – Rescuers finally reached the ill-fated Donnor Party of cannibalism fame in the Sierras.
* These folks make those “Survivor” contestants look like the cast of “Friends.”

THIS DAY IN MUSIC HISTORY

2004 – Johnny Cash’s family blocked an attempt by advertisers to use his hit song “Ring of Fire” to promote hemorrhoid relief products. Cash’s daughter Rosanne said the family “would never allow the song to be demeaned like that.”

1998 – Country singer Lorrie Morgan issued a strongly worded denial over an article in the tabloid Star magazine that claimed she had “a wild ride in the back seat of a limousine with President Bill Clinton.”

1995 – Baywatch’s Pamela Anderson married Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee on a Cancun beach. The bride wore a white bikini.

1991 – Rap group Public Enemy joined Irish singer Sinead O’Connor in boycotting the 1991 Grammy Awards. The group said it was upset the rap award would not be presented during the live TV ceremony.

1984 – Van Halen had their first No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: “Jump.”

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. Roughly 35% of Americans don’t have the ability to do THIS common thing. What is it?
Skip

2. Roughly 50% of adult Americans can’t do THIS. What is it?
Touch their toes

3. Roughly 35% of Americans know how to do THIS. What is it?
Drive a stick-shift

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