Pop Culture Frenzy, Round 68

Welcome once again to Pop Culture Frenzy. Today's question involves someone named Rubble who recently celebrated his 30th birthday.

Who is Rubble and what is the big deal about his birthday?
Bryan?

Rubble must be a rap artist.

Thirty is a rare milestone 

for rap artists.

Hostmaster:  incorrect.

Cyndi?

Rubble is a transgendered individual who

bravely endured cruel treatment

from right wing bigots for staying

true to herself.

Hostmaster:  incorrect.
Fluffy?

Rubble is a nickname given to a

thirty year old tree that has grown

 wild in the middle of a landfill. 

Hostmaster:  incorrect.
Molly?

Rubble is a cat who lives in

England.  They're saying he's the

oldest cat in the world.  Actually,

the oldest cat was Cream Puff

who was 38 when he died. 

Hostmaster:  correct.

So how much is that in

people years?

I don't know what that means.

Molly doesn't understand anthropocentric

thinking.  It's one of her most

 endearing qualities.

Spoken like a true dog.

Yay!  Cat fight!

 This round is officially over.

  Unofficially, I say we finish this

 cat fight in a more suitable location.

  Let's reconvene at the bar down the street!

Round 68
Fluffy/Molly    34
Bryan/Cyndi     31

Read about Rubble here.

Of the Collective

Collective nouns, that is.  There are cool words to describe groups of critters.  You know, a herd of cattle, a hum of bumblebees, a bucket of pheasants, a kindle of kittens, a business of ferrets....

A crow considers participating in a murder.

This member of an army of frogs is on guard duty.

Here we have a small charm of finches.

A bunch of ants are called a colony, clump or swarm.  The correct term probably depends on the activity going on or type of ant being described. We know this for sure.  Ants of the magic marker variety are called a drawing of ants.

This squirrel is on time out from his scurry.

A gang of turkeys looking for trouble.  Such hoodlum turkeys are also known as a raft.

A term inspired by famous bad guy George Raft?

Ducks stand in a puddling.

A dole of doves sit on a rock.

This is not a knot of toads.

One walking stick short of a faggot.  (OK.  I made that one up.)

Robin vs his Doppelganger

It began innocently enough.  Mr. Robin sought a mate with which to nest.

The trouble began during that necessary part of the courtship process that involves chasing away romantic rivals.

Mr. Robin had the tools:  manly good looks, courage, persistence.   Somehow, it went wrong.

You know that game where you stand before a mirror and chant taunts to dare evil to come through?

Mr. Robin played that game.  He's spending the season battling his own reflection.

Meanwhile, Mrs. Robin has moved on to nest with a mate that isn't going the way of Narcissus.

Pop Culture Frenzy, Round 67

Welcome once again to Pop Culture Frenzy.  Let's get on with it.

Yesterday was Earth Day.  What is Earth Day?
Bryan?

Earth Day owes it's origin to Ira Einhorn.

He killed his girlfriend then put her body in a trunk.

Naturally, dangerous fluids leaked from her decaying body.

This raised awareness on the importance of disposing of girlfriends and 

other garbage in an environmentally friendly manner.

Hostmaster:  incorrect.

Molly?

It's a hunting competition where

Dachshunds and short legged terriers

hunt critters in holes.

Hostmaster:  you're describing Earth Dogs not Earth Day.  Good effort though.

Cyndi?

Earth Day is a global initiative

to educate people about the fragility

of our planet and how we must protect it.

Hostmaster:  that sounds official.  

Yes, the fragile earth rife with volcanoes spewing lava,

quakes that leave huge crevices, tidal waves that  burst onto the

shore and pulverize everything somehow survived 

billions of years without our help.

People are ruining the planet.

So they must be controlled, right?  

Yes.  Over population and landfills

and fossil fuels in the air and animals

going extinct and forests decimated.

This cannot be allowed.  So people
must be forced to recycle and not pollute
the air and everything.

People have been recycling things since
there were people.  Do you really believe
that such common sense solutions are not
 good enough?

   

Of course not.  Not enough people
 have common sense so laws
must be passed.

And grocery stores should refuse to
offer their customers plastic bags
 to save the jellyfish.

And customers must be forced to use
cloth bags that require washing.
Better to waste the jellyfish's water
than clog up a landfill!

This round has become a landfill. 

 Happy day after Earth Day everybody!  

Round 67

Fluffy/Molly  33

Bryan/Cyndi   31

Baltimore Oriole

The Baltimore Oriole is a medium sized songbird about 7-8 inches in length. Their favored habitat is tall deciduous trees, often placing their nests on the highest branches.  They eat nectar, fruit and bugs.

Orioles migrate north in spring from their winter digs in Central and Northern South America.  The males arrive at the breeding grounds first.  They stake a territory claim and sing about it.  These territories are rather small and often right next to other Oriole territories.  Soon the females arrive, there's more singing and posturing too.  By mid May, most of the birds have paired up.








Thanks to the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for the cool map!


  Male Orioles are have a deep orange chest and rump with black head, shoulders and wings.  The female is yellowish  orange with olive gray trim.

Female Oriole photo courtesy of Bad Dog Ranch.

The female makes a nest using fibers from plant stalks, a favorite is Milkweed.  She weaves a nest.  This it is not artful weaving but holds up very well even in high winds.  The male does not assist but stays close by during the 5-8 days it takes to construct the nest.  He sings.




Some Oriole Family Facts

- a pair has 1 brood per year

-  3-6 eggs in a brood

-  incubation 12-14 days, done by female

-  nesting:  12-14 days, both parents feed young

-  fledging:  approximately 7 days

Photo of male Oriole from Macaulay Library

During the fledging period, the female goes into molt, abandons the family and leaves the territory.  The male remains with the youngsters until they are independent.  The male then goes into his molt but remains in the territory through late summer. 

He is Risen

We need an Easter reading.
How about some Paul?

OK.  I got one.  O death, where is your
victory?  O death, where is your sting?
The sting of death is sin, and the power
of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who
gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ.

And Paul goes on to say: Therefore,
my beloved brethren, be steadfast,
immovable, always abounding in the
word of the Lord, knowing that in the
Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Corinthians 15:55-58

Alleluia