DAILY DIRT: This kind of menu could drive a guy absolutely buggy

Daily Dirt for Saturday, March 25, 2023

I really don’t care if a locust tastes like seafood, popcorn or bacon. I’m not eating one. Pass the Milky Ways, please … Welcome to today’s three thoughts that make up Vol. 562 of The Daily Dirt.

1. Never once in my life has the thought of eating an insect crossed my mind. Never.

That’s why I found the following information so fascinating. Or possibly, disgusting. I’m still not sure.

“Although bugs aren’t often on the menu in many U.S. households, people the world over routinely eat insects,” wrote Lindsay Mack a few years ago for insider.com. “In fact, an estimated 2 billion people eat insects as part of their traditional diet worldwide, according to a report by the United Nations.”

More than 1,900 different species of insects have been used for food, that same report notes. The practice of eating bugs is known as entomophagy. Mack explained most of the edible bugs are best enjoyed spiced, fried, smoked or sautéed, just like any other tasty treat. (I’m sure the term “tasty” is being used loosely.)

I’m still not sold on the process, but here are some the most popular bugs that are consumed on a regular basis:

Gold medal: Grasshoppers. These bugs are arguably the most popular edible insect in the U.S. In fact, toasted grasshoppers have become a hit ballpark food at Seattle Mariners games, often selling out at the concession stand, according to Sports Illustrated. (What? No hot dogs available?)

Silver medal: Termites. “Eat the bugs that try to eat your house,” writes Miles Olson in Mother Earth News. “I have harvested them individually or in small groups and then toasted them in a hot pan. They have a high oil content relative to the size of their body and are quite tasty, with a slightly nutty flavor.” (Sounds great. Ugh.)

Bronze medal: Cicadas.O ften cooked up in garlic and salt, cicadas (locusts) are said to taste like seafood, popcorn or bacon, notes The New York Times. Some bug eaters also enjoy these bugs raw.

One final thought on this topic: Please just pass me the first available cheeseburger and a bag of chips or pretzels.

2. Earlier this week, we showcased some great names for pro wrestlers.

Today, we’re featuring some of the best monikers we’ve come across for women’s roller derby squads and their star players.

Here’s my favorite 10 team names:

• Beverly Killbillies
• Mason Dixon Roller Vixens
• Barbie Beaters
• Polly Wanna Smack Her
• Malice in Wonderland
• One Hit Wonders
• Roller Girls of the Apocalypse
• Fighting Thongs
• Wikibleedia
• New York Shock Exchange

And my 10 favorite individual roller derby names:

• Harlot O’Scara
• Pippi Longstompings
• Susan B. Agony
• Vladimir Naboobkov
• Audrey Deathburn
• Skate Hudson
• Skate Winslet
• Crush Limbaugh
• Lady MacDeath
• Goreticia Addams

3. I feel like I’m on a roll today (no pun intended), so how about we take this name thing one step farther?

How about these names for bowling teams?

• Bowling Stones
• Livin’ On A Spare
• Irritable Bowl Syndrome
• Spare Change
• Split Happens
• Bowl Movements
• That’s How We Roll
• Britney Spares
• Pin Bowl Wizards
• Splits and Giggles

Steve Thought O’ The Day – MLB Opening Day gets closer by the hour. Thought you might be interested in the cheapest and most expensive home opener prices. The Washington Nationals’ average ticket price for their home opener is $73. At the other end of the spectrum are the Los Angeles Dodgers, where the average price of a ticket at Dodger Stadium for the first game is $240. At St. Louis it is $182, while at Wrigley Field it is $142.

Steve Eighinger writes daily for Muddy River News. Someone please tell him he is not on a roll.