Letters for April 22
Readers sound off on vegan cooking, Desley Brooks, and our arts coverage.
"Dairy-Free Decadence," Taste, 3/18
A Compassionate Article
Thank you so very much for writing this article. It is wonderful to see your dedication to expose people to vegan alternatives! In fact, it would be great to do a follow-up story featuring Compassionate Cooks (www.compassionatecooks.com), a group run by Colleen Patrick-Goudreau, whose mission it is to demystify "vegan" cooking and baking — all while doing it healthfully and affordably — and joyfully. Patrick-Goudreau authored a cookbook titled, The Joy of Vegan Baking (www.joyofveganbaking.com), which was awarded Cookbook of the Year by VegNews Magazine. This cookbook is like HEAVEN in my kitchen and even my non-vegan friends rave about the breads and desserts I bring to work and parties.
Kristine Williams, Oakland
How Many Letters Must We Write Before You Stop the Slander?
The March 18 article, "Dairy-Free Decadence," may mislead consumers about high fructose corn syrup.
High fructose corn syrup may have a complicated-sounding name, but it's actually a simple sweetener, made from corn, that is nutritionally the same as sugar.
High fructose corn syrup is not sweeter than sugar; and high fructose corn syrup, sugar, and honey all contain the same number of calories (four calories per gram).
The American Medical Association in June 2008 helped put to rest misunderstandings about this sweetener and obesity, stating that "high fructose syrup does not appear to contribute to obesity more than other caloric sweeteners."
Even former critics of high fructose corn syrup dispel long-held myths and distance themselves from earlier speculation about the sweetener's link to obesity as the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition releases its 2008 Vol. 88 supplement's comprehensive scientific review.
Many confuse pure "fructose" with "high fructose corn syrup," a sweetener that never contains fructose alone, but always in combination with a roughly equivalent amount of a second sugar (glucose). Recent studies that have examined pure fructose — often at abnormally high levels — have been inappropriately applied to high fructose corn syrup and have caused significant consumer confusion.
High fructose corn syrup is made from corn, a natural grain product. High fructose corn syrup contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives and meets the US Food and Drug Administration's requirements for use of the term "natural."
Consumers can see the latest research and learn more about high fructose corn syrup at www.SweetSurprise.com.
Audrae Erickson, president, Corn Refiners
Association
"Desley Brooks Versus Chip Johnson," Full Disclosure, 3/18
A Double Standard
While I don't always agree with Councilwoman Desley Brooks, I do admire her for standing up to false allegation let by San Francisco Chronicle, Chip Johnson about the councilwoman involvement over the actions by then city administrator. It is not surprising giving that Johnson condemnation of Mayor Dellums over what he feel is not accountable to the people of Oakland.
It's funny, he never apply it when Attorney General Jerry Brown was mayor for eight years and Brown was as corrupt as ever with some back doors dealing and was very disrespectful toward the people of Oakland, especially people of color. On the hand, Mayor Dellums, while not perfect is trying his best to help Oakland like for example getting green jobs in the city and trying to get more cops on the street to fight crime that is questionable in my opinion.
Yet, Chip Johnson, along the Chronicle, the Tribune, and you, the Express, are not getting the current mayor the credit that he deserve but you praise former mayor, Jerry Brown but he didn't do anything but cause working-class people of color to leave Oakland due to his policy. This shows a racial double standard.
Billy Trice Jr., Oakland
"Convergence of Robins: Broken Stairs," Local Licks, 3/25
A Nice Portrait
Thanks for the kind words. Just wanted to say — I couldn't have written a better description of the music in two sentences if I tried. You are a really talented writer. The painting reference is right on (my other passion that I've neglected for the sake of this music.)
Nate Toutjian, Oakland
"From Poet to PA," Events, 3/11
A Lot of Cutters
Your article on James Schamus included the sentence: "Overnight, he transformed himself from a scholarly Berkeley Ph.D candidate to the guy who yells 'cut' on a film set and picks up everyone's lunch."
There are many people who yell "cut" on a movie set. First, it's the director, followed by the assistant director, followed by the production assistants. Perhaps a more accurate description of a PA would be "one of many people who yells 'cut' on a film set." (There are also female crew members as well.) I know that wouldn't have sounded as sexy though.
However, "picks up everyone's lunch." YOU BET!
Theresa Donahoe, Oakland
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Audrae Erickson of the Corn Refiners Association has a lot of nerve to suggest that high fructose corn syrup has been given a clean bill of health by anybody other than the corn growers and its lobbyists. The government continues to subsidize a crop that is largely inedible without first being processed. Consider the incredible significance of that -- hundreds of thousands of acres of corn that tastes like crap and must be turned into sweetners, ethanal, or "sustainable" plasticware because it is otherwise useless. You also should consider that any sweetener that requires protective goggles and gloves to be made (yes, high fructose corn syrup) is not something that should be put in our bodies. Rather than overproduce a product that has no nutritional value for humans or our livestock, we should rip it all out and grow real food -- natural, nutritional food that can be used to feed Americans and make them healthy again. If we have a surplus of that food, it should be shipped to other countries where people are starving to death on a daily basis rather than creating these harmful new industries. I wouldn't buy anything that includes processed corn products, and especially high fructose corn syrup, and would only eat corn if I could eat it right off the cob. Anything else just contributes to the greedy, unethical, and disgusting organizations that could care less that they are killing us. So, Audrae, stick that in your corn cob pipe and smoke it.
Audrae Erickson's lobbying for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) only tells, unsurprisingly, part of the story. HFCS is not one product, but a range that include varying blends of fructose and glucose, some sweeter than others.
The notion that HFCS contains "contains no artificial or synthetic ingredients or color additives and meets the US Food and Drug Administration's requirements for use of the term 'natural.'" may be technically true, but it's misleading. The fructose in HFCS is the product of a conversion instigated by enzyme treatment of milled corn's natural glucose, so it's not the case that the fructose is created as part of the corn's original growth.
The studies that Ms. Erickson recommends are but one side of a scientific debate that's only settled in the minds of those who grow and process corn for a living. There's a great deal more to read on this subject than the corn lobbyist would like you to believe.
Article on JR Valrey: Kind of impressive. Two points I take issue with. I think it is inflammatory to suggest that if Nadra Foster has a criminal record that would justify half a dozen Berkeley cops beat her for "trespassing." You should have left that out or in all fairness your readers should have been informed as to the previous record, as it could have been something not worthy of mention otherwise the unknown is potentially prejudicial.
Also, your readers would benefit knowing that the volunteers at KPFA are community activists and generally have more education than the paid staff. We are members of the highest professions. To illustrate, Michael Lenoir, M.D., Emmit A. Powell, a Gospel Artist and 30 plus year restaurant owner in S.F., educator Nick Alexander, PhD, Raquel Aguirre,Esq., Tom Mazzoline, 30 plus years Promoter of SF Blues Festival, and Engineer Malihe Razazan to name a few. JR, also a distinguished volunteer brings a much needed element to the station and airwaves; youth, vibrancy and an ear to the street if you will. It is this element that the major newspapers have refused to acknowledge. This oversight coupled with other factors of course has all but sealed their demise. Right on to the East Bay Express.
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