Halsted Bernard comments that there is nothing sadder than a candy cane in April except perhaps free tuition that someone is not taking advantage of.

I wish him luck as he contemplates going back to school for a humanities program - it is a terrible job future but a wonderful set of things to know and to learn.

I disagree with him about the candy cane. I am one of those folks who like candy canes. I stock up at the holidays, buy extra when they go on sale, and eat them all year long. For some reason the peppermint-sugar ratio in a candy cane is just a bit different from a starlight mint, the cane is lighter tasting and the taste is pitched more tenor, less baritone if that makes any sense.

I think it has to do with the ratio of peppermint oil to peppermint extracts, or to the way the candy is processed into a bent stick rather than a decorated lump.

Of course, I also buy peppermint starlights in the five-pound bag. I do like hard candy, peppermint candy in particular, as the next best thing to chocolate.