Bright Side: Otter Maps, Nacho Day, And A Robot That Takes Out Your Trash

Welcome to the Bright Side, a weekly roundup of all the good news and ideas you might have missed from the past week.

This week, there’s a map for that, it’s nacho November, robots take over a job we never wanted, and wieners — but make ’em fine art. 

Healing Maps For Voter Fatigue

Did anyone else sear their retinas by watching election maps this week? Refresh your peepers with a map that shows exactly where you can keep an otter as a pet (and float on your backs in your inflatable pool, holding hands-paws, and cracking open freshwater mussels together).

Tired of the election map? The yellow states are the states where you can legally own an otter. https://t.co/RuvBrYxctm

— Todd Jones ???? (@toddrjones) November 3, 2026

Otters not your thing? This map shows how close you lived to Algeria 300 million years ago. And this one reveals the most popular fast food of every state. Wanna know which ice cream flavor is the most popular in your state? Go here. (Lavender, Oregon? Really?) And this map (and quiz) puts “Y’all” vs. “You guys” to bed once and for all, youse guys. 

In Queso You Missed It

I’ll take on your enchiladas and chimichangas to argue that nachos are the most universally beloved tortilla dish other than chips straight out of the bag. Lucky for Tex-Mex lovers, it’s nacho average weekend because November 6 is National Nachos Day. Pass the squeezy cheese.

Ever since chef Ignacio Anaya first dreamed up fried tortilla chips, cheddar cheese, and jalapeños just south of the Texas border in 1943, we’ve been obsessed with riffing on the combo with cuisine-bending toppings like spicy California sushi and Greek gyro. Some even come in a plastic batting helmet, a miniature trash can, or a 3-foot tray at the Rose Bowl for $70. (So is this a single serving, or … ?)

 

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But since word on the street is that Taco Bell shrunk its nachos, there’s never been a better time to make your own tray at home. Keep it classy with traditional nacho toppings, or pantry-friendly with Margot Robbie’s “bogan” nachos (bogan means “unsophisticated” to Aussies) using canned beans for protein. And don’t knock PB&J Doritos nachos till you try ’em (file this one under “weird but it works”). Just keep your nachos from getting soggy by starting with two spaced-out layers of chips on the bottom followed by evenly distributed toppings, or alternating layers of chips and toppings that go as high as you like. 

Sausage Dogs As Art

At the risk of sounding like dog enthusiast Tess Weinhaus from “Drop Dead Gorgeous” (one of my top five movies ever), I’m intrigued by the dachshund exhibit at a German art gallery. Each featured artist has a close association with Germany’s historic pup. If Edie Sedgwick and Marilyn Monroe were artist Andy Warhol’s muses (Warhol also owned a dachshund himself), the wiener dogs of other masters like Pablo Picasso and David Hockney offer inspiration to the rest of us. 

Need your own puppy fix? Tune in to this live puppy cam from Finland any day of the week. Sounds like somebody’s good boy deserves the new Starbucks holiday pup cup. 

Welcome, Robots

Don’t freak out; it’s still in testing. But Revere Robotics has built a little yellow robot to do your chores. Specifically, Curbie is designed to take your garbage out, happily carting your trash bin from your door to the curb, rain or shine — no complaints. 

 

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Now’s the part where someone informs me that they like hauling their bins around, or that this is an overbuilt solution for a non-problem with everything going on in the world. I get it. But let’s see how the robots do with a few basic chores (I fully admit these humanoid housecleaners are the stuff of nightmares) before we make any rash decisions about handing everything over to our robot overlords. 

I’m Dreaming Of A …

I know we’re all still working on that candy haul, but The Old Farmer’s Almanac just released its holiday forecast, and it looks like it’s going to be a white Christmas this year. (Well, at least if you live in the Northeast. Or Alaska.) With the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree already heading to New York City, it’s never too early to break out the Moon Boots.

 

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So what actually counts as a “white Christmas”? Roughly an inch of snow on the ground by 7 a.m. on December 25. Since grass might still be peeking through, maybe we should call it white-ish, but this live map lets you check your precipitation status. There’s also a “chance of a white Christmas” between Ohio and the Pacific Northwest, and they’re calling for scattered plastic flamingos dressed in festive scarves in Florida.

Now that we have that nailed down, does anyone know what time you’re supposed to eat Thanksgiving dinner? Chefs say 3 p.m. — do you agree? (Quick follow-up question: Does anyone else’s dad pour milk over warm apple pie? Asking for a friend.)

In Case You Missed It

Check out highlights from Upstream this week!

AI Filmmakers Are Making Movies Hollywood Never Would

What Happened When I Stopped Dressing In Sweatpants For A Month

A Turtle, A Straw, And A Decade Of Bad Ideas

What ‘Sense And Sensibility’ Gets Right About Love That Modern Dating Gets Wrong

And my very own plea for Thanksgiving sanity: Are We Going To Let Christmas Gobble Up Thanksgiving?

Stop by the comments section (or email me) for free hugs and compliments from strangers. (Just putting it out there.) Enjoy your weekend! — Lauren

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