Cool stuff that’s too small for a big article
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 necessarily 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!
The Zoo You Never Knew… AMAZING animals you’ve never seen
The red-shanked douc that caught our eye; a stunning orange, black, red, and white money native to Vietnam. Its calm expression stood out from the normal Facebook feed, and with just a click to Facebook page of The Fabulous Weird Trotters we were hooked. It was a gorgeous tour of absolutely real animals you’ve (almost certainly!) never seen before… glossy black and red Dracula Parrots and Fire Snails, adorable fruit bats, even more adorabler goblin bats, the other-worldly Devils Flower Mantis and the crystal rainbow of the Chrysilla Voupe Jumping Spider, exotic moths, nightmare fish, and you’re just getting started. We had less success with their website, but you can reach it here)
The Navy Patents The Future
A lot of people over the years have applied for patents on perpetual motion machines. The US Patent Office routinely denies them because 1) they violate known physical laws and 2) they can’t be made to work. You might think this same thinking would apply to an aerospace/underwater craft based on inertial mass reduction, a gravitational wave generator, or a plasma compression fusion device, but the Navy has received patents on all these and more, all based on the work of Dr. Salvatore Pais and the Pais effect. Sounds sci-fi, but the Navy had to build prototypes of each technology to prove they worked! Fascinating story… start reading with this article from Vice.
Bernie Wins The InterTubes… Our Ultimate, Final Gallery
You may have seen Bernie Sanders popping up in some unusual places in the last few weeks. He and his mittens have leapt from their seat at Biden’s Inauguration to appear everywhere from Lincoln’s seat at the Lincoln Memorial to Megan Thee Stallion’s WAP video. You know you’ve tapped someone at the office and said “seen this one yet?”, but have you seen them ALL? Check out our ultimate, final gallery of Bernie Memes and see WELL OVER 300 OF THE ANNOYING LITTLE THINGS! Make one last stop here before you turn from the Bern!
What’s Your Place In The Covid Vaccine Line?
Instead of hoping for a vaccine that works, we now have five approved for use with hundreds more in development. That’s spectacularly good news for humanity but whether it’s good news for you is another question. Some people have already received their vaccination, but YOU may be days, weeks, or months from your own jab. Where are you in the line? The New York Times jumped in to help with their “Find Your Place in the Vaccine Line” calculator, and the Oregon Department of Health has all the details here at home. Our Dwyer Guinea Pig turned out to be behind 126.5 million people nationwide, and behind 273,000 fellow Oregonians. Anyone want to trade?
