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!
Oregon is building a Single Payer health plan
We’re loud and proud Single Payer advocates, but this has been sailing along under our radar. From Chuck Sheketoff’s op-ed in the Bend Bulletin… ” I am one of 13 gubernatorial appointees and voting members of the Joint Task Force on Universal Health Care created by the 2019 Legislature. In June, we released a status report presenting our current thinking on the design of a universal health care system. Our proposal is a work in progress, not final… Our plan will not be “Medicare for all.” Medicare requires premiums, co-pays and private insurance companies for supplemental or advantage plans. In contrast, we propose a single -payer plan. A new public corporation would be created to bear the financial risk that insurance companies and self-insured businesses carry today…”
NASA comes to Oregon… the final frontier!
(from the OPB article)- “Nearly 60 years ago, astronauts with the Apollo moon mission hiked around the lava beds of Central Oregon in their spacesuits for a real-world geology training course. NASA thought the volcanic formations in Oregon would be a good analog for what the astronauts would find on the surface of the moon. Now researchers and engineers are planning for the space agency’s next trip to the moon, and recently announced they were in Oregon once again last month testing new spacesuit technology. “During the Apollo program we landed in relatively flat areas. When we go back to the moon, now we’re aiming for the lunar south pole.” The moon’s south pole is much more rugged, with rocky hills and mountains. The geography makes several spots in Oregon ideal locations for testing…”
Renewables are the cheapest form of new electricity… but there’s more.
(from Visual Capitalist)- “Historically, renewables were expensive and lacked competitive pricing power relative to fossil fuels. However, this has changed notably over the last decade…” This world-changing difference makes a great chart, and that’s the ‘more’ we mean. We found this chart at Visual Capitalist, and we’re taking this opportunity to introduce you to them. They have a stunning array of beautiful, detailed, informative graphics on every conceiveable subject. Go browsing and you’ll spend hours on Biomass of the Earth, the Highest Paid Athletes, Afghanistan, World Languages, and you’ll just be getting started. A magificent site, and well worth your time… dig in!
If 911 was a test, we failed
The 911 Anniversary brought jingoistic patriotism, but also the opportunity for somber thought and deep introspection. After 20 years, there’s a lot to think about. Perhaps there have been victories since 911- we haven’t been attacked by outside forces, and Bin Laden is dead- but there have certainly been failures as well. The Washington Post, rather than offering a single Anniversary remebrance, offered a library of books examining 911 and its aftermath in-depth. You likely won’t read all of them (we certainly haven’t!) but you’ll find some very interesting people providing some very interesting perspectives on one of the most pivotal events most of us will ever see.
