You know, I live in an area where there's randomly only paper straws and that really hard plastic lids at places.

I do really miss those perfect straws and the soft plastic lids. But I'm not gonna save them. The power of excess and ignorance and being able to throw something like that away, only to have effectively infinite more to replace it next time IS satisfying, and I miss that.

I've written about the science and engineering that goes into McDonald's' Coke, the ice, the water, the straw (omg the straw...), the carbonation, the fountain itself, the portioning in relation to the salt in the food, the syrup, and even the progressive changes in flavor as you get closer to finishing your meal and drink and the ice melts. There's so much that goes into it. Even if I'm the consumer on an assembly belt, a feedpig in a line of faceless feedpigs, I find the effort they've put in to maximize enjoyment absolutely incredible.

However, in the end, it's right to do what's right. We must move on and figure out better ways. McDonald's is now an evil company, it's garbage food, overpriced (I looked the other day: nine dollars USD for just a mcrib sandwich!!!), and terrible for you. It's time to find greener pastures and let it go. Support local, progressive businesses, as it's better for you, better quality, and weirdly also cheaper than right wing corporate industrifeed places like mcdonalds. Even a decent Vietnamese Bahn Mi is untouchable and is absolutely full of fresh vegetables and other fresh ingredients.