Didn’t Igor name URGE? Indeed we did. Then how come we have been silent since Monday, since the day it was announced the curiously named URGE would finally go live on this Wednesday, the 17th? We had a meeting. It was agreed that we wouldn’t shoot our download prematurely. Not this time, not until there was a live URGE site to link to…

Really, this happens to lots of other blogs? Well, this has been building up for over a year, so, you know. Just go easy on the “micro soft” jokes. We’ve heard ‘em all.

At lest you forget, the Norwegians are not like us. They have different urges.

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…in the wrong direction. The new low linolenic soy and canola oils on the market bring some serious health benefits to the table, as well as some debate. First up, Dow’s entry, Natreon:

Developed by Dow AgroSciences LLC, Natreon canola oil is a naturally-stable alternative to partially hydrogenated oils used in commercial food applications. Natreon is now readily available to restaurants, food service and food manufacturers. Virtually trans fat-free and low in saturated fat, its use can substantially improve the nutrition profile of food products by reducing both trans fat and saturated fat.

And Vistive, from Monsanto:

Monsanto’s leading soybean breeders and research scientists have worked for more than a decade to develop VISTIVE soybeans, which Preete said not only provide yield parity with leading soybean varieties but also maintain outstanding agronomic benefits.

“We are very excited to give growers the opportunity to earn a premium on VISTIVE soybeans without sacrificing performance,” said Preete, who announced the commercialization of the new low-linolenic soybeans at the 2004 Farm Progress Show. “Growers don’t have to trade off yield and agronomics for this premium opportunity.” For 2005, VISTIVE soybeans will be available in Monsanto’s Asgrow®brand.

VISTIVE soybeans, which will have the Roundup Ready® trait, contain less than 3% linolenic acid, compared to 8% for traditional soybeans, resulting in a more stable soybean oil, with a better flavor profile, and less need for hydrogenation. Because soybeans with less linolenic acid reduce or eliminate the need for partial hydrogenation, trans fats in processed soybean oil can be reduced or eliminated.

Both seeds are Roundup Ready, meaning they are resistant to the herbicide Roundup. The idea is that the herbicide will kill everything in a field, except for the genetically engineered seeds and the resulting crop. Both Vistive and Natreon are technically classified as non-GMO, but for many, the debate is open.

As the trend toward and the debate over GMO foods heats up, neither Dow nor Monsanto are doing themselves a favor by giving their products names that make them sound like they were created in a lab. Natreon in particular sounds as if it were yanked off of the periodic table, while Vistive sounds like a pharmaceutical drug.

Today’s Baltimore Sun brings us a disturbing report that the Internet may no longer provide a level playing field for the Davids and Goliaths of the business world, or for information of any kind:

This is news to most people because the major news media have not actively pursued the story. Yet both the House and Senate commerce committees are promoting new rules governing the manner by which most Americans receive the Web. Congressional passage of new rules is widely anticipated, as is President Bush’s signature. Once this happens, the Internet will change before your eyes.

The proposed House legislation, the Communications Opportunity, Promotion and Enhancement Act (COPE), offers no protections for “network neutrality.”

Currently, your Internet provider does not voluntarily censor the Web as it enters your home. This levels the playing field between the tiniest blog and the most popular Web site.

Yet the big telecom companies want to alter this dynamic. AT&T and Verizon have publicly discussed their plans to divide the information superhighway into separate fast and slow lanes. Web sites and services willing to pay a toll will be channeled through the fast lane, while all others will be bottled up in the slower lanes. COPE, and similar telecom legislation offered in the Senate, does nothing to protect the consumer from this transformation of the Internet.

The telecoms are frustrated that commercial Web sites reap unlimited profits while those providing entry to your home for these companies are prevented from fully cashing in. If the new telecom regulations pass without safeguarding net neutrality, the big telecom companies will be able to prioritize the Web for you. They will be free to decide which Web sites get to your computer faster and which ones may take longer – or may not even show up at all.

Full article here