M & M duels

Obviously from someone with WAY too much time on his or her hands . . .

Whenever I get a packet of M & Ms, I make it my duty to continue the strength and robustness of the candy as a species. To this end, I hold M & M duels.

Taking two candies between my thumb and forefinger, I apply pressure, squeezing them together until one of them cracks and splinters. That is the "loser," and I eat the inferior one immediately. The winner gets to go another round.

I have found that, in general, the brown and red M & Ms are tougher, and the newer blue ones are genetically inferior. I have hypothesized that the blue M & Ms as a race cannot survive long in the intense theatre of competition that is the modern candy and snack-food world.

Occasionally I will get a mutation, a candy that is misshapen, or pointier, or flatter than the rest. Almost invariably this proves to be a weakness, but on very rare occasions it gives the candy extra strength. In this way, the species continues to adapt to its environment.

When I reach the end of the pack, I am left with one M & M, the strongest of the herd. Since it would make no sense to eat this one as well, I pack it neatly in an envelope and send it to M & M Mars, A Division of Mars, Inc., along with a 3x5 card reading, "Please use this M & M for breeding purposes."

This week they wrote back to thank me, and sent me a coupon for a free 1/2 pound bag of M & Ms. I consider this "grant money." I have set aside the weekend for a grand tournament. From a field of hundreds, we will discover the true champion.

There can be only one!