real progress

Down here in Cardiac City, our big supermarket chain is Publix. We have others, but Publix is the one we go to. For a couple of years there when grocery shopping online looked like the next big thing, they had Publix Direct, that was awesome. You'd go online, check off a bunch of stuff, and then two days later they'd bring large quantities of meat and beer RIGHT TO THE HOUSE.

But I digress.

One of the things that's great about Publix is their deli. They have a sub that for my money is one of the best in town. The bread is fresh from the bakery, it's a beautiful thing. Couple times a month I like to go over and pick up an Italian sub, I get the half and it does me just right. Ham, salami, capicola, provolone cheese, some lettuce, oil, vinegar, and toss a little oregano on there too please.

The other day I went there for a lunchtime sub. Usually when you get the half sub, they take the foot long roll and cut it in half, makes sense, right? LO and BEHOLD! They've now got half sized rolls, in addition to the foot long rolls. The significance here is huge. With the cut in half version of the rolls, there was a certain inconsistancy. You'd watch the counter person pick a roll, you might be thinking "go for the one on the left, no, the other one" or even worse, they grab an already cut roll from a previous sub. I dunno, I guess we're talking minor variations, but when you are as anal as I am, it adds up. Now, with the new and improved rolls, you get a complete sub experience from the first bite to the last. Even better, if you are like me and you like the crunchy bits on the end, you now get two heels with every sub! Fantastic.

So the next time someone complains to you about lack of progress in the world, you tell them "sure the economy is in the tank, sure rational thought is moving backwards, sure we're stuck in a cycle of war and divisive politics, but have you seen what they're doing at the Publix deli these days?"

Well done Publix, well done.