a patriotic make-over for the USA’s favourite over-used ingredient!

A new name for high fructose corn syrup:

The Corn Refiners Association, which represents firms that make the syrup, has been trying to improve the image of the much maligned sweetener with ad campaigns promoting it as a natural ingredient made from corn. Now, the group has petitioned the United States Food and Drug Administration to start calling the ingredient “corn sugar,” arguing that a name change is the only way to clear up consumer confusion about the product.

“Clearly the name is confusing consumers,” said Audrae Erickson, president of the Washington-based group, in an interview.

“I’m not eager to help the corn refiners sell more of their stuff,” Dr. Nestle wrote in an e-mail. “But you have to feel sorry for them. High-fructose corn syrup is the new trans fat. Everyone thinks it’s poison, and food companies are getting rid of it as fast as they can.”

Although food label changes aren’t common, the F.D.A. has allowed name changes in the past. The ingredient first called “low erucic acid rapeseed oil” was changed to “canola oil” in the 1980s. More recently, the F.D.A. allowed prunes to be called “dried plums.”

oh my god, it’s full of stars (it goes wub wub wub)

Been avoiding the internet a whole bunch as part of an experiment to see how much I can accomplish before I have to check my mail, (so far I seem to have an average gap of fourty-five minutes before tapping in), but I’m breaking radio silence to bring you THIS IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT!

Beat’s Antique has just self-released their third album, Blind Threshold, available as a $10 download.

Described by the band as “vaporous violins and Danny Elfman-esque dementia; glitchy, laser-guided harmonica provided by Blues Traveler frontman John Popper; and two very different vocal tracks that range between restless pop hooks provided by singer songwriter LYNX, to the vibrant Eastern European folk melodies of New York vocalist Eva Salina. All wrapped up into an intricate collection of orchestral textures, heavy beats and sub bass.”* it’s also available for sale as a physical CD. Listening to it, as I have been all day, only one question springs to mind, “why wasn’t this the soundtrack of Burning Man?”. To hell with those rich kid hippies with the massive sound rigs yet dishwater, tin can techno. This is what I want to be dancing to during my next whiteout.

*Also featuring blog darling, Mer, on theremin and violin.