Dentyne "Shiver Mint®"

Close but no cigar. I swear, I'm not trying to naysay every gum I try here, but COME ON! Let's call it beginner blogger's luck that I came across another gum letdown. I thought this might be a nice Wintermint flavor but it has a twinge of mouthwash flavor that just isn't appealing. I've chewed a few pieces anyway cause it does the trick, but I'm not loving every moment. I'm pretty sensitive to strong flavors but if I were to buy a minty flavor, I'd just go with peppermint or their Arctic Chill®.

Pros:

-Pretty color packaging
-Well....it is minty....
-I do love the foil pockets this gum comes in because there're no wrappers
-Freshens breath

Cons:

-Tastes like mouthwash in a not good way
-Generally not a good mint move

Bubblicious™

Hugh Walton
Bubblicious
2005
Still from 50 Minute Performance/Video

Now folks, I know I'm a mystery wrapped in a riddle....but this isn't me. This still was taken by my dear friend, Hugh Walton, as part of a performance video entitled, "Bubblicious." An acclaimed performance artist and visionary, Hugh filled a bucket with Bubblicious™ gum and literally stuffed as much as he could into his mouth and attempted to chew. As the drool persisted and the hot lights sweltered, this playground double-dog-dare ya turned into a gooey and personal mess as the gum began to take shape to Hugh's face and hands. And until Mr. Walton gets himself a fancy new website, this is all you get!

::Applause::

::Standing ovation::

Week 2: Trident "Green Apple Fusion®"

I did this tasting under special request from a friend who was as perplexed by the "Sweet and Sour" combo that gives one the option of choosing to chew either one. Now, why would you chew either sweet or sour? I mean, you can chew both at the same time, but what if you only want one piece of gum?

I dunno.

Pros:

+Initially tasty
+Though confusing, it's fun to choose between the two and it feels like an exciting experiment to put both pieces in your mouth...or, start with one and then pop the next.
+I like the little windows on the package that show a piece of each
+The concept looks as though this gum is giving you something to do

Cons:

-The taste eventually and somewhat quickly turns into a Xylitol-ish twinge
-The taste also leaves a slight mentholy essence in your throat which I have found with the newer Trident Bubblegum flavor. Not good for fruit.
-The "sour" piece texture is different and somewhat rougher on the shell

All in all, not an experience I'd spend money on again.

Week 1: Stride-"Always Mandarin™"

Let me just begin by saying that this was my first experience with Stride® gum. I found the specific "Always Mandarin™" orange flavor intriguing.

Pros:
+Attractive packaging and design with a corner slit fastener instead of the bottom slit fastener
+Some riddles on the inside of the flap...always a crowd pleaser
+Definitely long lasting flavor!
+Sugarfree
+Girlfriend and I both said "mmm!" during the first few chews.

Cons:
-Not a good flavor. Ends up tasting like chewable vitamins but does not *actually* posses nutrition.

For me, the "con" outway the pros. Who wants my last 12 pieces?

Let Us Begin

As the economy flat-lines and the job listings have more humor than pay, one may find him/herself at a, shall we say, standstill. No we have not quite given up on refreshing Craigslist every 30 seconds, but what can we do in the meantime? Dream about a simpler time when work was regular and skills weren't already outdated from that new class you took last week to update your skills? When companies didn't make billions of dollars by hiring specialized workers turn the wheels on no benefits?

Perhaps.

As someone who wasn't born during a time like that, I have nothing to say on that matter other than what a dream it is! In a time like today, we have choices. Options. I can buy my chicken cutlets, or I can buy my chicken cutlets thinly sliced and prepackaged. I can pick a screen size and a saturation level in said screen and whether or not I want my wall to wear it. (I have none of this). We live in a world of digital audio and kiwis. (According to my grandmother, in 1954, we didn't have kiwis.)

But folks, it's the little things that count. Like holding a door open, smiling at a stranger, and most importantly, gum. So many options, and so many pieces in a pack that trying a flavor becomes a commitment. So my friends, as I refresh Craigslist and send my resume into the abyss of internal hiring, allow me to volunteer my time. For you. The people.

Every week (lets keep it affordable) I will critique a new (to me) gum. And every week, we will all be closer to making the right choice for ourselves while stopping off at the corner store for something completely unrelated. In these times of uncertainty, let us be sure about one thing: Long lasting? Or flavor blasting?