On robocalling

[dvandom]

One of the joys of election season is receiving automated electioneering phonecalls, or "robocalls". Especially when they're deceptive robocalls made to sound like they're from the opposition. Usually part of the conservative side's bag of tricks (not always, but usually).

So, in light of this, in addition to NeoCons and PaleoCons, I give you the new robotic Republican faction of dirty tricksters...DeceptiCons!

Comments

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

You never know. Up until recently I drank a LOT of Dr Pepper, which apparently makes me Republican.

[lord-xiphos.livejournal.com]

Wouldn't you like to be a Pepper, too?

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

Sadly, the 32oz fountain Dr Peppers I used to drink contain 80% of the carbs I should be having for an entire DAY. So I'm no longer a Pepper, sigh. (Diet Dr Pepper is barely drinkable, putting it ahead of most diet sodas, but still nothing I'd wanna spend money on. Sucks to not be able to taste artificial sweeteners.)

[foomf.livejournal.com]

Uh... How can you not taste Splenda? The stuff presents a chemical key for the 'sugar' receptor on your tongue.

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

I think it's a matter of overwhelming and shutting down rather than not triggering at all. The first sip or bite I can taste sweetness, but it fades FAST. The fact that saccharine, aspertame and sucralose all have that effect for me suggests that it's a "blinding" effect rather than lack of a specific receptor.

[foomf.livejournal.com]

Hm. Two possible mechanisms: the chemical not letting go, or more likely, the antagonist receptor triggering more strongly than the sensor receptor.

Here's an experiment. If it's just hypersensitivity, you should be able to take a teaspoon of splenda, add it to a 2-quart pitcher of water, add about an eighth-cup of lemon or lime juice.

To me, this tastes like one of those flavored-water drinks, very faintly sweet.

If you're hypersensitive to the chemical it would taste significantly sweet, and at that dilution, might not lose its punch.

If it's locking into the antagonist receptors and not letting go, it would have a momentary sweetness but then nothing. Further sips, even from a stronger solution of the chemical, would have very weak response.

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

I'll try something like that when I get home, and I have to wonder if I didn't sort of do so over the weekend. I was in Topeka and regretting my decision to stick with just water, so I grabbed a bottle of sparkling water with Splenda and added it to a cup of ice. It tasted sweeter longer, suggesting the dilution by meltwater was having an effect (it couldn't be just the cold, since I normally keep my fridge pretty frigid).

[dvandom.livejournal.com]

Hm, just diluting some sparkling water didn't help. I guess I'll need to cadge up a packet of powdered Splenda and try the more direct experiment.