Chocolate redefined; Main St. project flailing

Must be the week of reBlogging, although this isn’t really my intent. As I’ve said before on this blog, I post whenever something catches my eye; the past couple weeks those eyecatchers have been news-snippets. Here are a few more:

Some industry big-shots are trying to change the way they can define chocolate. Apparently they want to replace cocoa butter with vegetable oil. According to Salon, “The Grocery Manufacturers Association, Chocolate Manufacturers Association and 10 other food industry groups want more flexibility in those rigid standards. They seek broad permission to add ingredients, use different techniques, employ new shapes and substitute ingredients — something the standards currently don’t allow.” Yuck. I can barely stand a lot of chocolates anymore after establishing my addiction to Lindt’s 70% chocolate bar. I hope Lindt isn’t a part of the aforementioned compainants.

In Siloam Springs news, the city approved new asphalt on Main Street. This is all well and good, but what happened to widening the road and putting in a median? It’s supposed to be the gateway to the city; two years back they added signage and a puddle with fountains where the road meets the highway, supposedly the first stages of improving Main Street. Where did the city take a wrong turn and forget this aesthetic improvement?

People in New Zealand think Facebook.com is a CIA conspiracy. Where would we be without conspiracy theorists! Which I am myself from time to time. I highly, highly doubt this particular theory has any truth to it, however.

And finally this morning, happy birthday to someone on the corner of Twin Springs and College in Siloam Springs today (via the following installation, which I took to be candles, photographed with cameraphone while biking to work):