Paper Straws Suck And Are Bad for the Environment Too
Paper straws suck. I am disgustingly anti-paper straw. I’ve written about how we over-adjust as a society. Yes, we should take care of our planet. It’s the only one we have, but dammit there are better ways to make that happen than warring with fictional ‘Big Straw’ or are they warring with ‘Big Plastic’?. I would firmly plant my flag with ‘Big Straw’/’Big Plastic’ in this battle. What battle you might ask. The battle over what the vessel that gets my lidded drink to my mouth is made of. Well, guess what! I’m not the monster you might be thinking I am. A study in Europe has found that paper drinking straws might not be that great for the earth after all.
Scientists in Europe tested 39 straw brands in their study and 90% of the paper straws had those forever chemicals that had all of you straw truthers up in arms. The same chemicals are linked to health issues like cancer. They tested 20 different types of paper straws, and 18 of them contained low levels of forever chemicals that don’t break down in nature. Hypocrites! They also tested plastic straws, and 75% of those had forever chemicals too. So did 80% of bamboo straws, and 40% of glass straws. Glass straws? WTF are we doing using glass straws? One misjudged distance to your straw and you chomping on broken glass. The only straws that didn’t test positive for any forever chemicals are the stainless steel straws that come in a lot of the cups people are buying.
Listen, we need to take care of our home. There is no Earth 2. If there is we don’t have the technology to make it there because we’re wasting our time with paper straws. Also glass straws. What if the one guy who discovered the technology to get us to this Earth 2 hit his glass straw on his teeth shattering it all down his throat and killing him before he could tell someone else about his knowledge? I said on the air today that I’d rather drink out of a Twizzler than a paper straw. In the end, they both are equally as soggy, but at least I can eat the Twizzler.
[Source: phys.org]
Devour Desserts In South Jersey And Delco Is A Must-Try Dessert Shop
Devour Desserts is a must-try dessert shop, with locations in South Jersey and Delco. Their desserts take creativity to new heights. I recently went to their South Jersey shop and the cake was so delicious I had to share it with you!
When owner Misty Solomon was a little girl, her love for creating started at home with her EZ Bake Oven and complete freedom in the kitchen. “I was lucky enough to have a mom who would let me bake at 2 am if I wanted,” said Solomon. She has a passion for making all things delicious. She is a self-taught chocolatier and baker, who has never taken a single class.
The business began in 2011 because Misty was annoyed by Edible Arrangements. She used them exclusively for client and team gifts. After years, she felt under-served as a customer. This business was more of a hobby that quickly caught Misty’s attention and interest than a business.
Over 10 years and two storefronts later, she and her incredible team of artists serve over 2000 customers a month in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. They’ve even been awarded Best of Gloucester County 5 years in a row and were named among The Best of The Best in South Jersey Magazine.
The award-winning bakery has locations in South Jersey and Delco. One in Mantua, NJ, and another in Aston, PA.
A Personal Note From The Author:
My birthday snuck up on me this year. Two days prior to my birthday (but likely less than a full 48 hours) it dawned on me that I did not have a birthday cake lined up. The thing is, I wanted a pretty specific style of cake; a pink one frosted in a vintage style. I contacted Devour Desserts as a long shot, but to my surprise, a decorator got back to me. With little to no direction from me, Devour Desserts pulled off exactly what I wanted, and made it even better by using edible glitter spray.
Photo by Gina Cosenza
I got the cake of my dreams while giving this shop barely any notice. It felt like a Disney princess cake! They were accommodating, kind, and creative. The cake, might I add, tasted absolutely phenomenal as well. I got a confetti cake with vanilla buttercream.
The list below is not exhaustive, so you can check out their website and Instagram for more examples of their offerings!
Steve Vassalotti is co-host of “The Matt Cord Show with Steve Vassalotti” weekday mornings 6a-10a on 102.9 WMGK. He has been with the station since 2015. For WMGK he writes about inane nonsense that surrounds our daily lives, sports, food and other various topics. Steve writes about Philadelphia lifestyle content, the Philadelphia Eagles culture and trending topics.