Watercooler: Pop culture tidbits from squirrels to MJ

In this March 5, 2009 file photo, US singer Michael Jackson announces that he is set to play ten live concerts at the London O2 Arena in July, which he announced at a press conference at the London O2 Arena. Five years after Jackson's untimely death at age 50, the singer remains a pop culture powerhouse, proving to be just as big a moneymaker in death as in life. Jacksons death returned him to the top of the record charts and quickly generated hundreds of millions of dollars through deals for new albums and a movie created from his final rehearsals for his planned This Is It comeback concerts. (AP Photo/Joel Ryan, File)

Here are a few pop culture tidbits that happened to catch our eye.

■ Reno police suspect that an increase in bike thefts this summer may be connected with the upcoming Burning Man festival. Unlikely, because bike-riding requires more agility than most Burning Man attendees possess a day or so in.

■ A video of a man apparently kicking a squirrel over the edge of the Grand Canyon goes viral. If there’s anything at all to karma, the guy’s coming back as a toaster oven.

■ Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy describes his fight with the U.S. over unpaid grazing fees as a spiritual battle. Prompting others to even now invoke the deity (albeit nonreverently).

■ A Las Vegas home in which Michael Jackson ▶ once reportedly lived goes on sale for $19.5 million. Regrets and dashed promise not included.

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280.