Plan B is Approved!

As a feminist, I am pretty pleased that Plan B emergency contraceptives, also known as the morning-after-pill, will now be available over the counter. The battle to bring these pills to the public has been going on for over 3 years, and the FDA has delayed and delayed their decision. Their own science has said the pills are safe and effective, but partisan politics would not allow them to make a decision until now. Senators Clinton and Murray held up the confirmation of the new FDA head until a decision was made, and now it has actually happened. On the not so great note, the pill will only be available to women over 18 (young women can still get it with a prescription) and it will be "behind the counter," so pharmacists can check IDs. No doublt this will lead to lots of embarassing impusle purchase while working up the courage to ask for it(at best) and pharmacists lecturing thier patients and judging them all over the place or refusing to give it out (at worst).

One funny note-in reading the Times piece on this, I followed a line to a group at Princeton University doing EC Advocacy. They have a list of emergency contraceptives and the brand names they are sold/prescribed under in other contries. While most were standard pharma-type names, I did find it interesting that in Thailand, EC is called "Madonna." I wonder if it works best when taken with Kaballah water.

  

I Heart (Free) Cheese

Last night I went to the weekly free beer & cheese tasting at Bierkraft on 5th Avenue in Park Slope. Usually I walk by the store and cannot go in because, despite knowing it's full of delicious beer, cheese and chocolate, I cannot take the pungent cheese smell upon entering. However, knowing the tasting would be in the back, outdoor (ie-less pungent) area, I ventured in. I tried 5 delicious cheeses from spain. Well, one was kind of like feet. The other four were great though. I especially enjoyed the zamorano, a sheepsmilk cheese very similar to manchego.Also worth a try was the mahon, a cow's milk cheese that was very salty and had a suprisingly pleasing crunch. The beers were pretty good too. Tastings are Tuesdays at 7pm, but get there early. I almost didn't get in.

To Pick or Not to Pick?

Apparently the answer is-pick. For scabs, that is. The NY Times has come out with an article declaring that it is not only ok to pick a scab, but it is preferable and will lead to less scaring. Yeah for mild self-mutilators everywhere.

Baby Charley: Inside the Actor's Studio

  

What kind of geek are you?

No, this post is not another blog quiz. It's about an article about two camps of geek fighting it out-the crossword-ers and the sudoku-ites. Apparently, it's quite the bone of contention that while crossword may require more "art," sudoku pulls in so much cash that even Will Shortz, crossword editor for the Times has jumped on the bandwagon of publishing these puzzles. I like both. Crosswords are a fun challenge, but sudoku makes me feel smart.