Semantics

A Food and Drug Administration advisory committee will meet June 17 to consider whether the agency should approve a new emergency contraceptive that studies show is more effective than Plan B, the only "morning-after pill" on the U.S. market.

HRA Pharma of Paris launched ulipristal acetate in October 2009 and sells it in 21 European countries under the brand name ellaOne. As in Europe, ulipristal would be available only by prescription in the USA. Plan B, the brand name for levonorgestrel, is available without a prescription to women 17 and older, but those under 17 require a prescription.

Plan B is approved for use up to 72 hours after unprotected sex; even within that window, though, it becomes less effective over time. But two company-funded trials involving more than 3,000 women, published in February, found that ulipristal was consistently effective up to 120 hours, or five days, after unprotected sex.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-06-08-contraceptive08_ST_N.htm

A pill that terminates pregnancy up to five days after conception is not a contraceptive, but an abortion pill.

I support abortion rights. I don't support imprecise language designed to confuse and obfuscate.

Unintended consequences

Citizens from lower socio-economic backgrounds were some of Obama's most ardent supporters, and most ardently support his policy initiatives.

Will news like this ever make them change their mind?

The rate of children living in poverty this year will climb to nearly 22%, the highest rate in two decades, according to an analysis by the non-profit Foundation for Child Development. Nearly 17% of children were living in poverty in 2006, before the recession began.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2010-06-08-1Achild08_ST_N.htm

The number of children living in poverty is increasing under Obama.

We need tough action, not tough talk

President Barack Obama says his talks with Gulf fishermen and oil spill experts are not an academic exercise. They're "so I know whose ass to kick."

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/07/1667935/obama-says-us-will-bounce-back.html

We already knew that Obama can use words to his advantage and give a good speech.

What we're waiting to see is whether he can competently handle a crisis.

I thought the stimulus saved their jobs

The story's the same across the country.

We were told teacher layoffs were prevented by the stimulus bill - - these were supposedly among the millions of jobs "saved".

As the school year draws to a close this week, more than a thousand Broward schools employees are finding out that their summer break might turn into a permanent one.

The Broward school district, struggling to make up at least a $130 million budget shortfall, announced Monday that 568 teachers are being laid off. Another 737 noninstructional employees, including aides, administrators and secretaries, are also on the layoff list.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/07/1668690/broward-schools-to-lay-off-568.html

While we ignore our increased involvement in Afghanistan . . .

Two more American troops were killed in Afghanistan on Tuesday, the military said, extending a spike of bloodshed into a second day and pushing the NATO losses in the country to 23 in just over a week.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/07/1667444/suicide-bombers-attack-afghan.html

Aren't you glad the "anti war" progressives" and "anti war" Democrats and "anti war" media united to get the "anti war" candidate elected?

For what it's worth

The other day, I was using the GPS on my cell phone to get to a family function, and I thought how my late mom (born in the 1920's) would have marvelled about that.

Then I thought how phone communication has evolved in the 80+ years since her birth, from party lines and switchboard operators to wireless and 3G and live streaming.

But, thanks to those with vested interests in internal combustion engines run on fossil fuels (industry, government, shareholders and unions) blocking technological progress, we're still basically driving 1920's style cars fueled by 1920's style energy.

We don't need new legislation or regulation. We need technological progress (unfettered by those with ties to the auto and oil industries) to make internal combustion engines and fossil fuel as obsolete as party lines and switchboards.

And in Iraq . . .

the war continues, although all the "anti war" protesters and politicians no longer seem to care (now that they're in charge).

Iraqi officials say a car bomb has exploded in a shopping area in western Baghdad, killing three people.

The attack in the Iraqi capital comes one day after a car bombing killed five people outside a Baghdad police station during an early morning shift change.

http://www.miamiherald.com/2010/06/06/1666209/bombs-kill-6-in-iraqi-capital.html