America is designed to be a federation. Theoretically and within reason, as each state manages it’s own affairs, some will have good ideas and some will have bad ones. Also states (at least in theory) apply only those solutions desired by their people. Meaning a law appropriate for Massachusetts isn’t crammed down the throat of Wyoming; and vice versa. Oh how I wish we hadn’t drifted from that simple humility! The other advantage of a federation is that the nation’s people have an escape valve. They can move from state to state seeking the place they like best… as I have done more than once. (Indeed Americans do this all the time.)
I like it when states do weird things, so long as the stupidity remains at the state level and leaves me out of it. In particular, California regularly comes up with heroically ridiculous ideas. You gotta’ hand it to them; there’s nothing so pointless and minor that they won’t codify a solution to it… that often makes things worse in ironic and amusing ways. So long as they’re not pissing in my Cheerios I don’t care.
The idea of banning plastic straws, for example, is stupid and pointless but since they’re bossing themselves around it’s just a punchline. Enjoy some memes based on California’s newest brilliant idea:
Is it just me or does the new Starbuck’s lid appear a bit sexual?
I guess it could also be a urinal on it’s back.
I hate all “sippy cup” designs. I didn’t use a sippy cup when I was a toddler and I ‘aint starting now. Men do not drink from sippy cups.
Then again I always carry my own travel mug(s) and I browbeat Starbucks analogues into putting coffee into them. Ironically, they really really really prefer their disposable cups.
Personally owned travel mugs are a demonstration of “eco-think” circular logic. In the beginning coffee was served in thick, very effective foam cups. Then (way back in the stone age of the 1980’s) convenience stores started selling cheap plastic coffee cups which were (imagine this!) re-useable. They worked fine and you got a discount for having your own cup. This was supposed to “reduce waste” and it worked. It was such a hit that a market in add on cupholder devices for cars appeared overnight. Shortly after that, car manufacturers started putting 43 cupholders in every minivan. Within a decade everyone had a re-useable travel mug in their car.
Then, and I’ll never understand how, the people who bitch at us about re-using grocery bags drifted back into the disposable cup world. They started by modifying disposable coffee cups. First came replacing thermally efficient styrofoam (think beer cooler!) with paper that lets the hot liquid burn your fingers. Then came the paper ring to protect your fingers; because there’s nothing better than a cup that requires “assembly”. Then came the plastic cup with ice and a dome to accommodate the six ounces of whipped cream that they put on perfectly good iced coffee. Now they’re bitching about the straws that they put in the plastic cup they developed to display the whipped cream on top of their sugar drink. And then they needed that straw to get through all the whipped cream. What’s next, a disposable plastic seat to sit in while you drink it?
Meanwhile, I have been deplorably using the same travel mugs for thousands and thousands of cups of coffee. You should see the look on a “barista’s” face when dealing with this difficult development:
“Pour it in here.”
Blank look.
“Put the fucking coffee in here. And I don’t want whipped cream.”
“There’s no need to swear sir.”
“Yes there is. I haven’t had coffee yet. Make that not a problem.”
“Uh… OK. What size is this?” Looking longingly at the stack of plastic cups. “Is it a venti-pseudoItalian marketword?”
“I dunno. 16 ounces I guess. Pour the coffee now.”
“Sure. But I think the long term solution is to outlaw straws.”