Way back in January, faithful viewer jeffNOTjon alerted us to the fact that a certain very famous brand of candy was about to undergo a radical change, and that Mac users could turn the situation to their advantage if they were organized and crafty. However, at the time, no action could yet be taken, so, instead of spreading the word to the short-memoried rabble (that's you) who would surely forget all about it long before the fateful time came upon us, we resolved to sit on the story until such time as massive action by the Mac community at large could be mobilized to change the world of confectionery for the better. And then, of course, we forgot all about it, and the "time for action" has been ticking away since last week.

But that's okay, see, because faithful viewer Woody Hanscom was kind enough to remind us before the entire window of opportunity had closed. Here's the sitch: Mars, Incorporated is looking to introduce a new color of M&M's, and they're holding a global vote to determine what the new hue will be. The three choices in the Global Color Vote are pink, purple, and... don't tell us you don't see this coming... aqua. That's right; if "Awesome Aqua" wins the vote, then Mac OS X's controversial but spiffy-looking graphical interface will gain further worldwide notoriety as one of the colors that melts in your mouth, not in your hand.

If you want to make a difference, visit the Aqua Campaign Headquarters to "shower your town with Aqua flyers and buttons," "Aqua-fy you [sic] desktop with wallpaper and icons," send an "Aqua e-Card" to potential voters, and even download "the Official Global Color Vote Screensaver." If you're not the political activist type, at least make sure you cast your vote at the site; the ballots are open until May 31st, and the winning color will be announced on June 19th. In August the new hue will be "available in all flavors of M&M's through the end of the year, when the company will decide whether to include it permanently." Remember, kidlings: a vote for Aqua is a vote for the Future of the Macintosh. This is clearly vitally important... we're just not entirely sure how, yet.