WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Sidebar: Cicada Salad, Rat Holes, and a Garbage-Bag Thief

Episode Date: April 26, 2024

In the final episode of Sidebar on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM, hosts Lauren Scott, Maddy Welsh, and Emilie Moneyhon discuss roasted cicada salads, Chicago's famous rat hole, a thief disguised as a garbage-bag, and more. Then, Emilie presents Lauren and Maddy with two true news stories and one fake one and they have to guess which one is the lie.

You are listening to Sidebar on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. Here are your hosts. This is Sidebar, the show where we bring you in the news you probably won't find on the front page. I'm Lauren Scott. I'm Maddie Welsh. And I'm Emily Moneyhun. Today we'll be talking about a cicada salad, a rat hole in the sidewalk, and some drunk vultures. Now let's get into it.

In PR, Chicago's. rat hole is removed after the city determined the sidewalk was damaged. A Chicago sidewalk landmark, some residents affectionately called the rat hole, was removed Wednesday after city officials determined the section bearing the imprint of an animal was damaged and needed to be replaced, officials said. Um, this imprint had been a quirk of the residential block for a while. People were coming by to take pictures next to it and it was a big fuss for everyone living around it and so they called the city and told them to get rid of it. So now the square of sidewalk containing the famous Chicago rat hole is in temporary storage.

So I'm guessing that like when they were pouring concrete for the sidewalk, a rat fell into it? Question mark? Yeah. actually like people that live around the area said I can't find the quote right now but they were like it's not even a freaking rat it was a squirrel so you know as I am looking at there is a picture that goes with the story it definitely does look more like a squirrel than a rat well when you think about it a squirrel is just a fluffy rat so this is true in terms of biology this reminds me of you remember that meme that was like the mean that was like wait it's the kid and he's like standing with like his hands in front of him and it's posted with the caption you know i had to do it to him remember that yeah and it's just like this kid in like a preppy outfit with like a suburban background well that is a place that's like 40 minutes away from where i live and it's like a place on google maps and people would go

and like recreate the picture this reminds me of that yeah Can you imagine if you live in that house? That'd be so annoying. I'd hate it. This is crazy though because apparently some Chicago residents said that this rat imprint had been there for almost two decades, which is kind of crazy. So it's understandable that this had become kind of an iconic Chicago thing. Speaking of, Maddie, you used to live in Chicago. It's true.

Did you ever stumble upon the rat imprint? I did not. Well, there was, the reason why it got so big all the sudden was because a comedian took a picture in front of it and like posted it on Instagram or something. I like the part that says that earlier this year, somebody filled it in with like plaster, but then people dug out the plaster from the hole. You can't stop the rat hole. I can completely get behind that. I feel like I would do the same if I was, I don't know, if I had some sort of like emotional or spiritual connection with this bat imprint,

I would not want someone filling it in. It said it's in temporary storage, right? What does that mean? Where is it going to go? Art museum, you know, the Met. Well, it's funny because it was talking about, in the article, they're saying how they had to use, like, concrete saw and a forklift and then finally a truck came to remove the slab and drive it away

and people are like wow all this just for a rat imprint like this is kind of crazy yeah because you imagine they probably usually just use like if there's a piece of messed up sidewalk they use like a jackhammer and they get it up and then they refill it and the workers were probably like you've got to be kidding me i'm going overtime for a freaking rat hole yeah like if you think about all of the sidewalks or just like concrete slabs where like historical like pretty important things have happened like I bet I bet some of that concrete is not being treated nearly as nice as this one

which is kind of funny to think about long live rat hole our next story is about a delicious new dish on the menu at a New Orleans restaurant from AP News as the nation prepares for trillions of red-eyed bugs known as periodical cicadas to emerge, it's worth noting that they're not just annoying, noisy pests. If prepared properly, they can also be tasty to eat.

Blocks away from such French Quarter Fine Dining stalwarts as Antoine's and Brennan's, the Audubon Insectarium in New Orleans has long served up an array of alternative insect-based treats at its Bug Apetit Cafe, overlooking the Mississippi River, cinnamon bug crunch, chili-fried waxworms, and crispy, Cajun Spites Crickets are among the menu items. But this new dish will feature the periodical cicadas that are going to be emerging this year. We talked about this in a previous episode when we talked about Cicada Geddon. I'm sorry if this insults like any cultures or lifestyles out there.

This is not. No, this is gross. I would never eat. a cicada salad if I could get a salad without cicadas. Like, I understand eating them for survival, but people are just doing it because they want to. That's weird. Hi, can I please get the cicada salad but with no cicadas?

That would be me. Well, here's what the salad is. The curator of animal collections at the Insectarium, He has been working on cicada dishes that may become part of a menu due to the cicada get-in that we talked about in a previous episode. So the salad is a green salad with apple, almonds, blueberry vinaigret, and roasted cicadas. Fried cicada nymphs were dressed on top with a warm mixture of creole mustard and soy sauce. And the chef said that, or whatever his job is, I do dragonflies in a similar. manner.

Oh, thank goodness they're roasted. Here's the thing, though, other than the cicada part, that sounds so bussing. It does, and the story says that depending on the type and the way they are prepared, cook cicadas taste similar to toasted seeds or nuts.

Which is really interesting. Which I also wouldn't like is the main component of a salad, to be fair. That being said, I would eat this. Well, who would actually be a big fan of this salad is my dog Hal who's back in Texas because he loves to eat cicadas except for the wings he'll eat their bodies but leave the wings he's a cultured dog he is very cultured and i think it's actually very proper of him maybe it's like a little sign of him

showing mercy or a sign to the other cicadas like not to mess with him i think there's definitely a deeper meaning behind house decisions mm-hmm i think that you know we could we could really race cicadas as a great sorts of protein this year. How much protein is really in a cicada though? Here's the thing. I think there actually is a lot of

protein and bugs unless people just kind of say that as a joke because you know any time someone's like oh, I might eat a fly. People will be like extra protein, you know, something like that. Yeah, but I'm talking about like they're just tiny little critters. So you have to

eat so many to like be the equivalent of like a steak. Well Maddie is currently looking up how much protein is in. No it's not me it's the research team. Oh yes I'm so sorry. A research team is actually currently on the job looking up to see how much protein is in a cicada so let's wait and give them some time. So what the research team found is that cicadas can have as much protein as a serving of red meat, which is about 100 grams per pound. So you do have to eat a pound of cicadas to get 100 grams of protein, but they also contain all nine key amino acids. Okay, but after the cicadas are roasted, they're going to weigh like nothing. So you better eat up. Listen, listen, I'm all for like eating bugs if, you know, that's,

That's what you were raised doing. If that's like all you have, that's fine. Actually, I've eaten a couple bugs of my life. So there's a lot to unpack here. We don't have the time to unpack that. One last note for our listeners is that you should be cautious about eating cicadas if you are allergic to seafood. because apparently they can set off a similar allergic reaction because they're related to the shrimp and lobster family.

So be smart about your cicada eating habits. So if you were one of those kids at the Nut Free Zone, don't be chomping on cicadas. And please pray for Lauren. Not to bug you, but I just wanted to remind you that you're listening to Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM And this is Sidebar. And the next thing that we have up for you is Emily's Little Game.

She's going to read us three new stories, two of which are true and one of which is false. And then Lauren and I will have to guess which one is false. Whoever guesses correctly wins eternal honor and glory. Let me just make a note here, which is that this is our last episode of Sidebar. And I do not think that Lauren has ever corrected. guessed which story was false. Is this true? I think that last time we recorded Sidebar, we both guessed it correct. But I will say that you have definitely guessed it correct more times than I have. Just wanted to put that on the record for our listeners. Emily, what do you have for us today?

Well, we're going to start off strong with a story from UPI News. Star Wars novice sought to watch nine films for $1,000. April 22nd. A final second. A final Financial Advice website is seeking someone who has never seen a single Star Wars movie to watch every film in the Skywalker Saga and make $1,000 in the process. Finance Buzz announced it is celebrating the upcoming Star Wars Day, aka May the 4th, by paying someone $1,000 to watch all nine of the Skywalker Saga films. We're looking for someone who's brand new to the franchise, a first-timer to the force, a true young Jedi, to rate and evaluate the saga from an outsider's perspective. the posting states, we'll use our Wookie Rookies analysis for an upcoming story on the franchise.

Applications are being accepted on the website through the end of the day, May 4th. This one is definitely true because you could not come up with Wookie Rookie. You are definitely not that nerdy to have come up with us, so this is definitely

not a lie. Oh! I don't know if I should be complimented. No, no, it's a good thing. Maybe. Star Wars is cool. Next one, also from UPI. Exams? The new carcinogens?

A 2020 study has compelled several universities, including UC Davis, to phase out exams for students. The study from the National Institutes of Health showed that the extreme pressure and stress of graded time-constrained evaluations such as exams have a direct correlation with the diagnosis of several types of cancer. UC Davis is one of the first prominent universities to publicly and, announced their steps for eliminating exams in all classes. Instead, grades will come from take-home assessments, projects, and papers. Chancellor Gary May said in a recent press release that, our students' health is our number one priority, and if the current system negatively affects that,

then the system needs to be changed. I'm going to say, I don't know, if I had a guess right now, I'd say maybe this is true because why would you make up a story so serious? And then also, I do know that, Just stress feeds cancer, so. So can I tell my professors next week that I can't take their exam because it's going to give me cancer? Yes.

Okay. Good to know. And our final story, also from UPI News, because I have one source. It's tried and true, you know. Nine-year-old Seagull boy takes top spot in European screeching contest. The nine-year-old winner of a European Seagull imitating contest, has an origin story worthy of a Marvel hero after being bitten by a seagull. Derby Shire, England, boy Cooper Wallace, aka Seagull boy,

wore full Siegel regalia when he showed off his skills at the European Championship goal screeching event in Dupon, Belgium. Wallace took up the art of goal screeching after being nipped by a seagull during a trip to the beach. I just wanted to make the noise to remember I got pecked by one, but I like seagulls, he told the Times of London. The boy said he has a deep respect. for seagulls, and his imitation is more tribute than mockery. The judges analyze each contestant by criteria including the call themselves,

the competitor's seagull garb, and their ability to emulate sea bird behavior, which Wallace showed off by pecking at his sister's french fries. He scored a total of 92 points out of 100, handily winning the juvenile category and earning the most points of any competitor in any age range at the event. My school friends thought it was annoying at first, but not now. But not now. I did it, Wallace said. I have one question and one observation.

The question is, what is full seagull regalia? It's a beak, probably, and a headdress. All right, so you just told me the answer. My observation was going to be that, compared to the other two stories, while reading this one, you had a glee exuding from you that could not be contained. I agree with Maddie's observations and questions.

And I think that this is a big, fat lie. Number three, Siegel story is a lie. It was just too fun and jolly, and you were too excited. There's no way you get that excited about real things, Emily. You're wrong. And I'm so glad that you guys thought I'm a good enough writer

and witty enough to come up with that story, because it's hilarious. What's the lie? UC Davis. Oh, I was going to guess that. But your performance on this was, it just really threw me off. Thank you. I am so

impressed with you, Emily. That's unbelievable. What? I just totally thought that you not knowing the answer to what Siegel regalia was told me what the answer was. No, there's legit a picture that goes with this. And I wish our listeners could see it because it's hilarious. Oh yeah, you can. There's a video in fact, which maybe we can play. All right, we're going to go ahead and play this video for you. This clip is coming from BBC News. He's a champion seagull impersonator.

As an intrigued crowd of Belgian seagull enthusiasts, watch on from outside. The judges give nine-year-old Cooper nearly top marks. This is crazy, but good job to that little kid. Our listeners should look up that video, because it is a video of a British child in a seagull costume making seagull sounds. It's crazy. Our next story is coming from Huffington Post.

The headline reads, Porch Pirate dresses up as a trash bag to steal a package worth $10. Story goes on to say a homeowner in Sacramento California had some items stolen from his porch, but he got

a big laugh in return. The man checked his surveillance system on Friday and was shocked by what he saw. Someone hiding inside a trash bag, waddling up to his doorstep in order to steal a package. The thing that I find funniest about this is, well, first, the thief dressed up as a trash bag, and second, the package was only worth $10. Have you guys ever seen Toy Story 2?

Yes. Yes. Do you remember the part where... buzz, I think he's buzz light year. He like goes under a traffic cone and it's like walking across the street. Yeah. That's what this reminds me of. So true.

I want to know how he got two phone chargers for $10. That is a good deal. Yeah, I need to hop on Amazon. Maybe they were from Sheen. I love the quote from Munoz that says, at first I was kind of angry. But when I saw the video again, I was laughing because people these days have a lot of creativity. And then he said at the end that if they found the suspect, he has one thing that he'd say to him, that was a good one. Wow. Wholesome, profound, beautiful even?

What a good sport. I hope his phone doesn't die. All right, guys. Well, thank you so much for tuning into our very last ever episode of Sideboard. It has been such a joy to share our fun news stories with you this past semester. To all two and a half of you that are listening right now, thank you so much. You mean the world to us. You're the reason why we keep doing what we do. You have been listening to Sidebar on Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM. Signing out for the very last time, I'm Lauren Scott.

I'm Maddie Welsh. Emily Moneyhun. See at graduation. Just kidding. You can't get rid of us that easy. If you're ever missing us next year and you want to listen to previous episodes of Sidebar, go online to sidebar.com.com. We've had lots of fun with you on Radio Free Hillsdale

101.7 FM.