HREF="http://news.google.com/news?num=30&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=cluster:www%2enypost%2ecom%2fbusiness%2f71933%2ehtm">Various headlines reporting McDonald’s desire to stick someone else with money-losing but yummy Boston Market, as well as two other chains who d
on’t have franchises so I can’t vouch for. I had two initial reactions:
- Gilbert finally gets his payback
- Good job, guys, sell the chain with the best customer service.
I have to wonder why McD’s has never done the “Pizza Bell” thing and
built any larger stores with these other brands getting some
counterspace. Are they afraid of the Golden Arches being diluted as a
brand, or shown up? I don’t look forward to McDonald’s the way I did
when I was a kid. I think this turnabout dovetails nicely with when I
ceased to be impressed with the happy meal toys. The only thing that
would get me back into Happy Meals is if they brought back the Star Trek
ones from 1978 or whenever that first movie came out. I remember a tiny
board game, some kind of walkie-talkie-shaped “communicator” that showed
a comic-strip-type story, and, uh… that’s all I remember. It would
also be neat if they brought back the little cardboard boxes with the “M”
handle on top, but the plain ol’ paper sacks are so much cheaper, and the
target audience could probably care less.
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Kevin Dromedan sends this link to 70s-era Weight Watchers recipe
cards. Who’s up for Frankfurter Spectacular?!?
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“The answer,” the manufacturer site
promises, “for those who want an
energy-enhanced candy with a great cola taste!”
I’ll tell you what, they’re half right.
As all geeks must at some point, I had a vague flirtation
with Jolt “Twice the Caffeine” Cola. Every once in a while, I’ll see a
bottle of it and pick it up. It’s definitely not the best-tasting cola
out there, but it’s pretty good as long as it’s really, really cold.
When it starts to warm up it gets harder to drink. Oh, and I like the
way they’ve expanded upon the basic theme of extra caff – they have a
clear grape soda called “White Lightnin’” that’s pretty great.
Anyway, I picked up a tin of this candy at the Topic in the local mall
(if you want to judge my “mall-countercultural radar,” it’s pretty much
whatever’s left on the clearance rack of Hot Topic, once you remove the
plush pants, polyester KISS-pattenered button-ups, and Deftones
t-shirts). I think the tin was four bucks for about two dozen pieces.
I asked him what it tasted like, and he said “remember Bottle Caps?” Of
course I remember Bottle Caps. Best Wonka candy hands-down, except
possibly for Fun
Dip.
So I get the tin open and pop one. Yow, it’s bitter! There’s
definitely a vague Cola-Bottle-Caps type flavor, and if you enjoy
Penguin or Zingos caffeinated mints, you probably expect a bitter note
from your mints. But this isn’t a sour pucker. It’s a HOLY CATS
THAT’S BITTER grimace. Whereas Jolt Cola is a bit too sweet, this has no
such problem. There’s an iota of sweetness fighting to be recognized
behind the extreme woo-hah bitterness of it all.
Recommended? No. Unless you really like the Jolt Cola and are
dying to try a candy that really isn’t particularly sweet. Even then,
look for the paper-wrapped pack instead of the tin, so you can see if
you like the taste before you invest four bucks. If you’re dying for the
cola flavor in a candy you may try to seek out the
HREF="http://www.germancandyshop.com/home.html?target=p_17.html&lang=en-us">Haribo
Happy-Cola gummi snacks. I seem to recall enjoying Gatorgum every
now and then, too.
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