It's Easter in January!

No, seriously. I was in the supermarket yesterday (the first day of January, if you're keeping score) and I braced myself to see all the Valentine's Day candy in the seasonal aisle.

I was not prepared for this:

It is January 2. Easter is April 16. Three and a half months away. Have some Easter candy!

Why stop there, supermarket? Why not bring out the dadblasted Halloween candy again? Why not just bring out next year's Christmas candy RIGHT THE HELL NOW?

You know what keeps a society together? It's not the laws or the billion rules made by petty bureaucrats in distant places. It's the unspoken agreements, the things we learn in childhood, most of which come from greater rules for living, some from obvious rational thought, and some from respect that members of healthy societies have for one another.

Don't steal.

Don't lie.

Don't cheat.

Help someone out who's in trouble.

Offer a square deal.

If you throw at the batter's head, expect one of your batters to get it next time.

And don't put holiday themed candy on the shelves three and a half months out!

Haven't people always lied, cheated, put out candy too early? Yes, yes, and no. Of course we know bad behavior exists wherever there are people. But the more we weaken our commonsense rules of civility -- you may call it pushing the envelope or thinking outside the box or being independent -- the more we have to make laws and petty bureaucrat rules and even take up arms to maintain order.

Does that mean putting out Easter candy on January 1 mean chaos is just around the corner? No, but it's a symptom of the same kind of thinking that leads down that path.

Plus, it's just stupid. Anyone seriously want to tell me that a Reese's egg tastes better than a Reese's heart? Because I'm not buying it.