today's new york times: part un

well today has yeilded some rather good reads from the new york times. where to begin?
first off, let's look at some relatively encouraging news. republicans are actually calling for an end to the war in iraq and are asking for changes in the way we treat war detainees. gasp. although they don't admit to being fed up with the administration, it seems that they are finally coming to their senses.
now to the less encouraging:
now i learned in high school government that republicans favored less federal intervention. of course life has taught me that most people are hyporcrits. it appears that the fda rejected an application to make the morning after pill available without a prescription before a proper scientific review of the drug was even completed.

Top agency officials were deeply involved in the decision, which was "very, very rare," a top F.D.A. review official told investigators. The officials' decision to ignore the recommendation of an independent advisory committee as well as the agency's own scientific review staff was unprecedented, the report found. And a top official's "novel" rationale for rejecting the application contradicted past agency practices, it concluded.
The pill, called Plan B, is a flashpoint in the debate over abortion, in part because some abortion opponents consider the pill tantamount to ending a pregnancy. In scientific reviews, the F.D.A. has concluded that it is a contraceptive.
The report suggested that it quickly became apparent that the agency was not going to follow its usual path when it came to the pill. "For example," it said, "F.D.A. review staff told us that they were told early in the review process that the decision would be made by high-level management."

i really don't think i need to go in to how horrifying this is. a.) i am not quite sure how the argument that this pill "ends pregnancy" can stand up as the pill prevents implantation of sperm in an egg. but then again i tend to underestimate people's ignorance. especially when they have an agenda.
the morning after pill's application to be sold over the counter without a prescription was the only one out of 23 others to be rejected. it makes me wonder what the other 22 were, and whether they would benefit women's health or rights.
what might actually be more horrifying is this gem in the world of entertainment. that's right. nicole richie has written a novel. apparently this is a desperate attempt to be famous for something other than being lyonel richie's adopted daughter and paris hilton's left shoe.

"The Truth About Diamonds" (Regan Books) tells the story of a popular Hollywood socialite named Chloe Parker, who is the adopted daughter of a music star and his glamorous wife. Parker takes drugs, runs with a posse of wealthy brats and parties hard at all of the hottest nightclubs. She also stars in a reality series with a friend, who quickly turns into an enemy.

uh huh. a real fountain of creativity there aren't we, nicole? it seems that teenagers who were already major fans of hers came out in droves to her virgin records book signing last week. when interviewed she stated, "I almost felt like I didn't deserve it."