Late one night, while watching "Unwrapped" (a sort of, where different foods come from type show with a happy spin), I learned that Lays spent an enormous amount of time, manpower, and resources determining the optimal strength required to pull open the tops of the their bags.

"What a ridiculous waste of money," I said aloud to the TV as a plant manager explained the testing process and the average "pull apart" capabilities of the average American. Well, suffice it to say that this little tidbit of information stuck with me.

From then on, anytime I opened a bag of Doritos or Cheetos or SunChips without any problem, I silently thought of that plant manager and all of the effort that went into satisfying my salty cravings.

Nevertheless, I still reasoned it was a waste of money.

However, just last week, I bought a bag of new-age, organic, alfalfa chips with barley juice and sea salt (yummy!) and just as I was about to break in to this holistic treat, I found the package un-openable. I readjusted my grip (probably a fluke I thought) and tried again. No beans.

"What the hell?!" I thought. I tried again, harder. Nothing. One more time, really pulling with all my might and BAM! it suddenly burst open - green and yellow chips scattering on the kitchen floor, alfalfa crumbs covering my shoes.

Truth is...we have very little awareness of the "convenience" factors that are built into our everyday lives. Gas stations at every block, EZ pass tolls, and debit cards are obvious, but companies everywhere take time and money to ensure convenience is just something we accept as a "given".

Okay, maybe the plant manager at Lays has a point...

And it's great to be an American. What a convenience!!