Just like it says, Popcorn Shorts is about the kind of things we think are really interesting, but don’t really need a large article to explain them. From the sublime to the ridiculous, check in here for crunchy bits of info you’ll love to munch. By the way, much (but not all) of our delicious Popcorn comes from articles we’ve posted on our Facebook page. If you’re on Facebook, please stop by and “Like” us and we’ll keep a fairly-constant-but-not-frequent-enough-to-be-annoying stream of these coming to your virtual door!
2015 Vehicle Dependability Awards
If you’re in the market for a new vehicle, then this is an article you’ll want to read. Every year J.D. Power releases a list of the most dependable cars, trucks, vans, and SUVs on the road. According to J.D. Power’s website, “The study, now in its 26th year, examines problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of 2012 model-year vehicles. Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles with a lower score reflecting higher quality. The study has been enhanced in 2015 to better measure the quality of today’s vehicles, particularly related to new technologies and features now being offered.” Did your dream car make the list? Find out now!
Great Hikes On The Oregon Coast
“I beheld the grandest and most pleasing prospects which my eyes ever surveyed,” wrote Capt. William Clark in 1806, when he and other members of the Lewis and Clark expedition became the first European Americans to survey the Oregon coast from ashore. Clark was describing what would later become Ecola State Park, but Ecola is just one of the breathtaking scenic areas along Oregon’s 364 miles of public-access beaches. Just in time for the amazing early Spring weather, Oregonian writer Terry Richard takes you on a tour of his 10 favorite places to hike. From desert dunes to roaring surf to awe-inspiring forests, you’re sure to find something to give your boots some needed exposure.
The Swiss Show Us How To Beat HSBC
Remember HSBC? Eric Holder fined them 10% of 1 year’s profit for laundering TRILLIONS in drug money for years, but he thought it would be too disruptive to the American banking system to pull their license or jail anyone. The Swiss disagree. When handed a cache of files accusing HSBC’s Swiss private banking arm of engaging in “aggravated money laundering”, they actually raided the HSBC offices to check. The current investigation is against HSBC, the company, but individuals (at least in Switzerland) are not immune and could face fines and up to 5 years in actual prison. A refreshing story of corporate accountability that could never take place in America anymore.
The Tow Trucks Are After You
No one likes tow truck drivers, but they arguably serve the purpose of keeping parking lots usable for the customers of the businesses providing them. However, they can easily get overly aggressive, maybe even bleeding over into thuggery. This Today report from Bethesda, Maryland, describes a new strategy for the draggin’ wagons… they stake out stores with divided parking lots. Let’s say you park in one of the spaces reserved for the barbershop, but go into the cell phone next door instead. The tow truck can swoop in, get you hooked up, and zoom away before you’re back. And it seems to be mostly legal…
