Wednesday, September 25, 2013

The Best and Worst Candy and Flavors

There it is, the bright green of the box calling out to you. Mike and Ike specifically made this box for you, and it would just be plain rude to turn it down. Who are you to refuse a gift? You insensitive, callous, ungrateful jerk! You buy that box of candy before they slap you!

My friend told me today, while we were basking in the glow of the brightly colored candy aisle, that people always think that should not get excited over candy, but she will not accept that. As I watched her pick out the single pumpkin-shaped Reese's Candy bar, I realized that there should never be a time when you, as an adult, don't excited by something. Even as a senior in college. Especially as a senior in college.
"I bet it tastes like pumpkin, too!"

But there is a time you shouldn't get excited by something, and that is the flavor of banana. Honestly, the candy companies pushed that one out last just to say they've done something new and slap it on their resumes, but banana is the worst flavor. When was the last time you heard someone say their favorite candy flavor was banana? Oh, right, never. That is because it cannot count as a flavor! It's bland, and bananas are always thrown in with another flavor to say "Strawberry-banana" because you can't reuse a plain flavor in a bag of Tropical Starburst. It's not even creative! And you know who loves bananas? Old people. Because they're soft and bland. When you are ordering banana flavored things on purpose, you might as well pull out that AARP card to get a discount, and while you're at it, why don't you order grilled cheese and fruit at this restaurant and complain about things the waitress has no control over. Nice suspender pattern, by the way.
This banana isn't soft. This banana goes hard.Wait, is that an "E" at the end of banan-? 

I do love my grandparents, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with loving your grandparents. They tell the greatest stories. And volunteering for the army? Respect. 

Another flavor I wouldn't miss is green apple. God, green apple is the worst. I take it back, banana, green apple is worse. Way worse. There was nothing more disappointing than reaching into that Jolly Rancher bag and pulling out a green apple. When that happens, you might as well just chuck that across the street because the only good that come out of that is thinking of really creative ways to destroy the candy companies. Hey, sometimes the best creativity can come out of anger!

I would like to clear something up quickly. A lot of people like bananas. Hell, if they didn't, bananas would be way more of a seasonal thing, like mangoes or kiwi. And I've been known to eat a banana once in a while! And apples, though I stay away from the green ones. They aren't ripe yet, put 'em back! However, many things don't translate well to candy flavors. Butterscotch, for one. Cherry, for another. I don't even really like cherries on their own, but now I'm expected to stick a cherry-flavored Jolly Rancher in my mouth for an extended amount of time? I don't think so.

Good flavors, on the other hand, are a little more versatile. I hear blue raspberry is popular, but for short amounts of time. I can't imagine working on a whole pile of blue raspberry Jolly Ranchers all day. Strawberry ain't too bad, especially in Mike & Ikes or Starburst, but citrus is where it's at for me. I don't know what it is, but lime, lemon and orange are the best part of that package. I can't even think about getting sick on those.

But whatever your flavor is, you can't be as bad as that person who mixes M&Ms and Skittles. You are one sick, sadistic creep, and I hope you like being wrong 90% of the time when you're trying to distinguish between the two.
Yes, Satan? Oh, you want to play a game?

Monday, September 23, 2013

Checking In

So I haven't posted anything in.... admittedly too long. Remember when I said I was going to review a book a week and then occasionally write about something else random? HA. I mean, I lie to myself like everyone else, but this is ridiculous. It was probably setting myself up for failure to promise to anything in hindsight, but that happened and I'm moving past it. I can't say I haven't been reading this entire summer. In fact, I am ahead of schedule of my Goodreads book goal of 60 books this year- which is a little more than a book a week for all you math-challenged folk. I am apparently word-challenged as well because a red squiggly line appeared under that first "challenged" and I realized I had written "challanged."

Mondays.

So yeah, I actually have read 45 books this year (almost 46), and I didn't technically start this challenge until April, so I think that's pretty impressive. Admittedly, most of these books are in the 200-500 page range (approximately. It's hard to tell how long a book really is on an E-reader), so you could use that quantity/quality argument effectively against me. However, I think this is a good learning experience for me and I will set a lower goal in the future. More like 50. Even though I still have about 300 books on my to-read list. Even if I did read a book per week, that would still take me about 5.7 years! And I'm still using approximate numbers! It also doesn't help when you're in college and have to do homework and work on top of that, then you decide to write book reviews on top of that. I'm not even giving ratings or recommendations yet! Let's just say this blog needs to be re-vamped. And this isn't even for work or credit. Sigh.

So this is just a checking in, and I really want to write up all the books that I haven't reviewed yet and I still want to try for some funny or candid writing. My literary journalism class is inspiring me to write, and my fiercely competitive streak is compelling me to read and not only match my goal, but beat it.

Here are some reviews to expect in the future (in no particular order):
Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan (3rd in the Heroes of Olympus series)
Mr. Churchill's Secretary by Susan Elia MacNeal (1st in Maggie Hope series)
Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal (2nd in Maggie Hope series)
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Sorcery and Cecilia: or the Enchanted Chocolate Pot by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer (1st in Cecelia and Kate series)
Life, the Universe and Everything by Douglas Adams (3rd in Hitchhiker's Guide series)
So Long, and Thanks for all the Fish by Douglas Adams (4th in Hitchhiker's Guide series)
Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams (5th in Hitchhiker's Guide series)
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin (2nd in Song of Ice and Fire series)
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
The Yonahlassee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton Disclafani
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (1st in Peter Grant series)
Poison by Bridget Zinn
Asking for Trouble by Elizabeth Young
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs by Chuck Klosterman
The End Games by T. Michael Martin
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen
Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnergut
Heat Wave by "Richard Castle" (1st in Nikki Heat series)
Chocolat by Joanne Harris
Once On a Time by A. A. Milne
The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

I have other random ideas to write about as well, if i ever get around to them, but you can bet I am going to make myself very busy in the future.