Why does Halloween candy taste so much better?

It does taste better and I know why.

The only time of the year where all the popular candies are at their absolute best is during the Halloween season - which in modern times now starts in August.

Examples of popular candies are Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, Hershey's Miniatures variety bags that include small versions of the milk chocolate bar, Krackel, Mr. Goodbar, etc. There's also other popular candies like Kit Kat, M&M's, Life Savers, Skittles, Starburst, and so on, and so on.

But why? Why do these taste better during Halloween season?

Answer: Freshest candy you can buy, and the formula is different.

I best describe Halloween edition popular candies as having more punch to them regardless of what it is. The chocolate has more smoothness, the peanut butter has more presence, the caramel has a real nice texture to it, and the fruit flavored candies really have a good pop to them. Even the candies with nuts in them are ones where the taste is just better overall.

I'm totally convinced the formula used for Halloween edition candies is different from the regular run - especially if the size and/or shape is different.

An example of this is Reese's Bats. Obviously not the shape of the regular Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. This means they have to be made differently. The chocolate, peanut butter, sugar and salt content all have to be adjusted so the shape holds its form. This does affect the flavor.

Using the same candy, Reese's Miniatures. Those ABSOLUTELY taste different than the full size cups. The chocolate to peanut butter ratio is drastically different just so the mini-sized cup can hold its shape. However, they don't taste as good as Halloween edition Reese's with the custom shapes. Oh yeah, they still taste great, but custom shapes like the Bats really bring the punch.

With both Hershey's Miniatures and Nestle's Minis (mini Crunch bars, specifically), those absolutely taste better than the full size bars. When in compact form, again, you really get that punch out of them and they bring the flavor.

If you really want a popular candy at its absolute best, specifically seek out a Halloween version, even if the only thing different is the Halloween packaging.

Second and third best, in this order, are Easter edition and Christmas edition candies. But for the best of the best flavor, Halloween candies are always on top and most likely always will be. That actually does make sense to me. I totally expect candy companies to be at the top of their game for Halloween, and they always deliver.

Casio MWD100H is a weird one

The Casio MWD100H just appeared in my life...

...and I actually like it.

I did not buy this watch. Rather, it was given to me. The guy who owned this before got the watch, literally never set it and put it on a shelf. The last time I was at his place, I said hey, cool watch. Some time later, he remembered I said that and gave it to me. Now I own it.

The MWD100H is not expensive at all, but at the same time a model I never would have actually bought just based on the sizing alone.

This model has a 51.8mm lug-to-lug, 50.7mm diameter and is 13.7mm thick. Going by those numbers, the MWD100H should look like a pie plate on my small, flat wrist (about 6.6"), but it doesn't. It actually works. The somewhat-cushion shape of the case combined with the fact the bulk of the size comes from the bezel rather than the dial is where the magic happens.

There is part of me that still can't believe I can wear a watch almost 51mm in diameter and get away with it, but with this one, I can.

Strangely classy?

There's real metal on this thing. The bezel itself is a brushed steel with real set screws while the rest of the case is that fake steel shiny resin stuff, and underside has a steel plate for battery access.

That brushed steel bezel, for some reason, even with all the printing on it, gives this watch a classy look. But it's a classy look that will mess with your head.

Somehow, this watch escapes looking cheap even though it is. You see that metal bezel play with the light, reflections happen and you think hey, not bad. When you see the watch on your wrist in the mirror from a distance, you once again think hey, not bad.

This watch has presence while at the same time not being in-your-face about it. It looks more expensive than it is. It looks high-tech even though it's not.

And there's the whole big-yet-not thing going on tying it all together.

Like I said, the style of this watch will mess with your head.

I can't explain in photos, videos or words truly why this watch works. It just does.

Ultimately, this is a darned fine cheap daily wearer, especially for G-SHOCK owners or people that just prefer digital over analog.

One of the prettiest Jazzmasters I've ever seen

This one made me a believer in gold anodized pick guards.

The Fender Vintera II '50s Jazzmaster comes in two colors, Sonic Blue and Desert Sand. Don't even bother with the blue.

Before getting into this, "Vintera" means "Vintage Era", meaning vintage spec. 7.25" radius fingerboard (and it's a slab board, thank you very much), a fatter '50s C neck, 21 frets, and so on. This is basically a '59 Jazzmaster except it's new.

But let's talk about the gold anodized pick guard.

Firstly, the proper name for it is "1-ply gold anodized aluminum" pick guard, which Fender spells as pickguard.

Is it super-reflective? No, and it never has been. It's brushed, so it has a reflection that's diffused, i.e. normal. I'm totally fine with that because super-reflective attracts ugly fingerprints and scratches like crazy. Ask anybody that's ever used a mirror pick guard. Dumb idea to use one.

From a technical point of view, this style of pick guard is supposed to dramatically decrease signal noise. You know how some guys put aluminum or copper foil shielding on the back of the entire pick guard? Well, just imagine if the entire pick guard was a piece of aluminum instead. That's what this Jazzmaster has...

...but I don't care about that. What I do care about is how it looks.

I've seen this gold pick guard on many Jazzmasters and always hated the way it looked. It looks bad against any Fender body color you can think of - but not this one.

The Desert Sand finish absolutely and totally fits with the pick guard's look. It's the first time I've seen ANY finish that works with the gold guard.

Can you tell I like it? I sure do. And I'm certain anybody that gets one will like it too.

I suppose some will like the gold guard against the Sonic Blue finish, but I'm not one of them. Desert Sand all the way.

Going fragrance-free, a men's guide

I did this, so now I'm passing on the knowledge to you.

A clarification to start with: "Fragrance-free" means "no fragrance added". Some things will still have a scent to them. An example of that is bleach. Unscented bleach doesn't have any fragrance added to it, but of course will still smell like bleach. Other no-fragrance things won't have any scent at all.

Why did I go fragrance-free? As a middle aged man, my skin prefers the no-fragrance stuff.

Here's the stuff I use:

Deodorant

What I use: Baking soda

I stopped using deodorant years ago and switched to baking soda because it does the same job. Wet the armpit first, dab wet fingertips in baking soda, rub into armpit using a wide circle, pat dry with towel, done. If it doesn't work the first time, you missed a spot, do it again.

This is one of those "smells like nothing" things.

How long does it last? Anywhere from 8 hours to 2 days.

Laundry soap

What I use: White vinegar or bleach

For vinegar, 1/4 cup for small loads, 1/2 cup for regular loads, full cup for large loads. For bleach I use much less because not much is required for it to clean whites properly.

Both of these things have a scent to them, but no added scent, meaning no fragrance added. Vinegar smells like vinegar and bleach smells like bleach.

Here's a tip if you have one of those stupid "modern" clothes washing machines: Don't use the pull-out tray for either vinegar nor bleach. Get a measuring cup and fill to desired amount. Put the clothes in the washer first. Pour the desired amount out of the measuring cup directly on the clothes, close the door and start the wash cycle. If you try using that stupid pull-out tray instead, you'll get vinegar or bleach all over the place. Pour directly on the clothes instead.

Dryer sheets

What I use: Nothing

I stopped using dryer sheets altogether, because scented or unscented, they leave behind a residue.

Yes, I deal with static electricity on my clothes out of the dryer and don't care because it goes away on its own.

Yes, I know about the tennis ball wrapped in aluminum foil thing to stop static a dryer cycle generates. The constant thumping noises those make while the dryer is running drove me nuts, so I deal with the static instead.

Shampoo

What I use: Vanicream

This looks like something out of a doctor's office, but it is a truly 100% fragrance-free, dye-free shampoo for hair.

Conditioner

What I use: Nothing

Vanicream does make a fragrance-free conditioner just like they do with shampoo. I did buy some and try it out.

The conditioner works, but I found I really didn't need it, so I just use shampoo alone.

Bar soap

What I use: Kirk's Castile Fragrance Free

Men like simple bar soaps, and I'm no different. I wanted something simple with no fragrance added, and the no-fragrance version of Kirk's is it.

This soap is nothing more than a big white bar that does what soap is supposed to do, and is truly unscented.

Only 5 ingredients to this soap, which is really short, and that's fine. This soap only has what you need and nothing you don't.

Cologne

What I use: Nothing

Regardless of cologne I try, my skin doesn't agree with any of them, so I don't use it.

If I absolutely had to add a scent, I wouldn't use cologne at all. I'd use Pinaud Clubman talc instead. The scent of that is "smells like men's barbershop", and yes it's good as I've used it before.

The liquid version is Pinaud Clubman aftershave. Technically not a cologne, but basically acts the same way. I've also used this before as well. Good stuff.

These days I just use no added scent whatsoever, but if I had to add something, it would be one of the two above.

Where I make exceptions for scented stuff

Dish soap

While true Palmolive Fragrance Free exists, I still use Dawn Ultra because it doesn't seem to bother my hands and the scent is light.

Spray bottle bleach cleaner

It's easy to find unscented bleach cleaner in a spray bottle, but the straight bleach scent is a bit harsh (especially when cleaning in a small room like the bathroom). For this reason, I do use a spray bleach cleaner with added scent. The scent is light and the cleaning solution isn't touching my skin, so no issues there.

Car wipes

I use Armor All Protectant Wipes in the car. Obviously, these have added scent to them. In fact, I don't think there's any automotive interior cleaning product that doesn't have a fragrance added. These wipes don't seem to bother my skin, so I'm okay with them.

If I absolutely had to go fragrance-free with interior car cleaning, at least for plastic surfaces, I'd just use diluted white vinegar and paper towels to apply. The only reason I don't is because the Armor All stuff gives the plastics and vinyls a better look to them once cleaned.

When does middle age begin? When does it end?

I'm not at the fifth decade yet, but getting there.

I honestly don't know if middle age starts at 40 or 45. There is debate on that. Some even think it starts at 35.

In the United States, the very specific ages that are paid attention to most are 16, 18, 21, 25, 40, 50 and 65.

16

This matters to girls more than boys. Many girls have a "Sweet Sixteen" coming-of-age party to celebrate that specific age. The internet was not helpful in giving me any solid information on telling me why that is.

For boys, or at least for me, this was the age that made me eligible to apply for a driver's license. But I obviously didn't throw a party when I got mine.

18

At 18, you're legally an adult and can vote; these are two solid reasons why 18 is a big deal. Being eligible for military service is also a big deal.

21

The only reason anybody cares about this age is because that's the minimum age required to buy booze.

25

There are two reasons people care about this age.

Age 25 is the quarter-century mark. Some who reach this age feel "old" because at that point your teens are 6 years gone. I personally never felt that way when I was 25, but some do.

There's another interesting thing about age 25 in that it's usually the minimum age required to rent a car. Technically, it's mostly allowed to rent a car at age 21, but not without some tacked on fees due to the younger age.

40

This is considered the beginning of middle age. The first thing I ever saw back in my teens that told me "40 is old" had nothing to do with people. Rather, it was novelty stores.

I remember novelty stores carrying "over the hill" stuff in the mall (which you can still get), and the majority of that merchandise centered around reaching age 40. Some of it revolves around greater ages, but I'll get to those in a minute.

Not once did I ever find any of that stuff funny, even in my teens. I would see that novelty over-the-hill crap for sale and thought wow, that's insulting.

There was one of those "you're old" novelty merch things that was okay. 39 forever. I like that one. The joke is when you reach age 39, every birthday after that is always your 39th birthday and never changes. This is more for women than for men. In fact, years ago I remember seeing this lady in her 50s on my dad's bowling team that sometimes wore a "39 forever" sweater. When women do the 39-forever thing, it's cute in a good way.

I'm in my late forties. When I reached 40, my honest reaction to it was "meh".

50

I've not reached this age yet. People pay attention to this one because it's the half-century mark and the fifth decade of life.

On the internet, 50 is the age I see some people making a big deal out of. It's never 40.

I don't know if I'll feel this way once I reach 50, but from what I've seen from others that have, they consider that the crossover age. The realization you have more years behind than ahead of you, and that you'd better start getting some living done if you haven't started already.

The end of middle age?

Is this 65, which was formerly retirement age? Is it 67, which is now currently retirement age (at least in the US)? Is it 70?

I have no idea when middle age is supposed to end. And I don't think anybody else does either.

And what is the proper term for a person supposed to be after middle age ends? Senior? Elderly? Senior seems to be more polite.

Maybe when we can figure out when middle age ends, a name for anybody after that age can be decided upon.

Until then, we're all still just guessing.