Under Rated Candy Bars

When it comes to chocolate candy, there are certain names that we automatically think of: Hershey Chocolate bars, Milky Way, Snickers, M&Ms... But what about the ones we don't normally think of? What about those strange candy bars that are tucked away behind the Hershey bars in the Walmart checkout line? The ones that have been sitting there so long they have a light coat of dust on the wrapper. Is it because they taste bad? Are their wrappers uninviting? Or is just that we as a society are so set in our ways of grabbing the most popular candy that we often overlook these hidden treasures? I say it is the latter! And so, I have compiled this list of Top 5 Under Rated Candy Bars. Enjoy!

Number 5 - The York Peppermint Patty

I understand that some people just don't like the taste of peppermint, and that may explain why this candy is not as popular as the power hitters, but more often then not, when I ask people about the this little peppermint treat, they have no idea what I'm talking about! I personally think the York Peppermint Patty is one of the more original candies out there, a perfect balance of simple flavors that work together harmoniously to create a delightful taste experience.

Number 4 - Mr. Goodbar

Here is a candy bar that you have about a 50% chance of seeing in your standard super market or other popular canby bar wrack. I don't know why, because it is one of the most delightful and subtle mixes of chocolate and peanuts I have ever tasted in a candy bar. The texture is not rough like the Nutrageous bar, and the flavor is not dominated by either the chocolate or the peanuts. Most people will say that Reeses candies are better when it comes to the chocolate/peanut flavor combo, but I say that is like comparing an apple to an orange. The Mr. Goodbar is a perfect balance of peanuts and chocolate and should be more widely appreciated than it is.

Number 3 - 100 Grand

This is the Crunch bar done right. It has the same crunchy texture from the crisped rice, but accentuated by a balanced mixture of chocolate and caramel. It has a rich flavor that isn't bland but not too overwhelming. Unfortunately, this is another candy bar you are likley to find missing at most candy stands. I'm starting to think the Hershey bar, Snickers, and Reeses are the Elitist Jerks of the candy bar world.

Number 2 - The Skor Bar

This and my Number 1 pick are getting into the realm of candy bars that are more misunderstood than geniunly disliked. When you first see a Skor bar, its not immediately apparent what you are getting yourself into. The shape and texture may put you off at first, but if you go the extra step and actually partake, I think you will be pleasantly surprised. Its butter toffee surrounded in milk chocolate is unique, set appart from the traditional chocolate bars like Hershey and Snickers. It offers a taste experience that will cure any bordeom you may have developed with chocolate bars.

Number 1 - The Whatchamacallit

This is one of those candy bars that you will almost never see at the checkout line. When last we found one, it was behind the Reeses candby box, there was only one left, and it was covered in dust. After confirming that it had not in fact expired, we discovered a flavor medly not found in any other candy bar. It has everything you could want! Peanut crisp, covered in a layer of caramel and dipped in milk chocolate. I know this sounds a lot like some other candy bars, but this one just does it right. And how can you not love a candy bar called a Whatchamacallit?! Apparently a lot of people can, and that is why it is my Number 1 Under Rated candy bar.

I hope that this list will serve to bring these candy bar masterpieces back to glory, if only to the few people who will read this, because they deserve every bit of love they can get.

*Face Palm*

Yesterday was a good day for silly things apparently. While at work, I encountered three different artifacts that made me laugh, *face palm*, or a combination of the two, so I thought I would share.

Below is a picture of an article I saw on Google News. The headline caught my attention immediately, as I became curious how an entire city would be capable of shooting at a truck.

Move over Texas, Don't Mess With Nashua!

This is a Pier 1 Imports add I received in my Gmail. The email title is what caught my attention, as I was unaware that lamps had gained the ability to levitate and thus it had to be said that these in fact did not.

How disappointing. I wonder if Target has the levitating models?

Last but by far not the least, I found this decision chart on my company's wiki FAQ forum. At first glance, it looks like it has to be a joke, but it was the serious answer to the question, "When do I know when to use SharePoint over Wiki?"

Apparently, if one is completely inept, has no arms, and is unconscious, they should use SharePoint. Thanks FAQ!

Why do I notice these things?

At least one person expressed interest in seeing my strange little observations about James Horner soundtracks, so here it is in all its glory.

Let me begin by saying that this is not a criticism. James Horner has produced some of the greatest film scores of our time, and I have a great deal of respect for his skill and achievements. This is simply my sharing things I have noticed about his music after having listened to it over the past decade, things I find humorous if nothing else.

Before going any further, if you have no idea who James Horner is or what he has done, it would probably be helpful to take a quick look at this. With that, the big thing I have noticed about James Horner's film scores is that he has a habit of using exact snipits from his earlier compositions in his newer ones. The best way I can explain this is with a list.

1. Star Trek II: Wrath of Khan (1982) music is heard in Project X
2. Project X is heard in Willow (1988)
3. Project X is heard in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989)
4. Braveheart (1995) is heard in Titanic (1997)
5. Titanic and Willow are heard in Avatar (2009)

What we see from this list is that Horner, on several occasions, has reused an exact or near-exact portion of one of his earlier scores in a more current work. What I found most intriguing about this is that some of the most recognizable music from films such as Willow and Honey, I Shrunk the Kids - music that is a staple of those movies and reminds us of them, didn't actually originate in those films. In the case of Willow and HIStK, some of their music came from Project X, a relatively unknown (but very good) movie from the late 80's staring Matthew Broderick and Helen Hunt. Who knew?

There is nothing wrong with Horner borrowing from his own past works. With as many movies as he has scored, one could argue that it would be impossible for him not to do so. For whatever reason, I found it incredibly entertaining to recognize music from an earlier movie in a newer movie. I have not seen every movie scored by James Horner, and now find myself motivated to watch them and look for yet more similarities.

I'm not sure where this is going

So this post started as a rant about how James Horner uses a lot of the same music in many of the movies he scores, then I realized about halfway through that anyone who might read it would then seriously question my sanity (as if they don't already), so I decided to go in a different direction.

TOP FIVE THINGS I WOULD LIKE TO DO AT WORK

I often find myself bored while at work, thus I occasionally think of some activities that might pep things up a bit, and thought I would share.

5. Create a blog for my cat on my corporate profile page
Recently, I have been working on promoting the use of our corporate knowledge management resources so as to facilitate the sharing of information and resources throughout the company. Most people are not that interested, so what better way to spark their interest than to make a blog that is written from the perspective of my cat. I'm sure Schroder would have some very insightful things to say about the economy, corporate environments, and even systems engineering.

4. Knit a scarf
When they ask me why I'm charging company hours to knit a scarf, I will calmly explain that if facilities would stop the vent above my desk from blowing -54 degree Celsius air onto my head I would no longer have a need for a scarf.

3. Stick a post-it on all my cube mate's monitors that says, "Kirk or Picard?"
I don't know why I wanted to do this, but it seemed funny at the time.

2. Walk into my boss's office and yell, "I love lamp!"
If I ever need a reason to get myself fired, I think this would do the trick.

1. Everytime someone's phone rings, play the "Hello! Hello!" sound bite from U2's Vertigo out loud.
I'm pretty sure this is a good indication of how bored I get at work.

So there you have it. I'll leave it to you to decide whether or not you would have rather read about James Horner reusing music in his movies.