"UN slams, hoops jams and silicone plans"

Bolton's background shady

If Republican Sen. Lincoln Chafee votes 'yes' on John Bolton, recent opposition to Bolton's appointment as UN ambassador will be for naught. However, it is refreshing to see both Democrats and some Republicans make an effective stand in front of the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, which approves the nomination. This energy might just be the tonic to halt another divisive Bush-crony's ascension to a world policy post.

Further discussion is necessary in light of recent disclosures surrounding Bolton's bullying management style while working in the State Department. Bolton, a former prot?(c)g?(c) of Dick Cheney, represents the politicization of intelligence that occurred in the run up to the war in Iraq. His past comments disparaging the UN and its mission make his selection by the Bush administration appear even more abrasive. The delay will allow for more information to be presented regarding the nominee's past and can only help inform the public as to what can be expected if he secures the nomination to the UN.

ABA in a jam

Buffalo has picked up another professional sports team, this time in the American Basketball Association, but professional doesn't always mean profitable or helpful. In the 1970s, the Buffalo Braves played to packed houses, and more recently, UB and Niagara have proven themselves fan favorites on the college level, so there is evidence that a professional basketball team would thrive in the Queen City. However, the recent league-wide troubles of the NHL should give many fans pause about the ABA.

Buffalo is a great sports town that supports its teams. The first version of the ABA was pretty successful before its merger with the NBA, but the recent ABA incarnation has had trouble. The 2002-2003 season was cancelled due to reorganization and the league's finances are suspect. Buffalo should be able to support an ABA team, but does the ABA have the resources to support Buffalo? As Sabres fans can attest to, having a team without a league is good for nothing.

Silicone still dangerous

A federal advisory panel's recommendation that the Food and Drug Administration should approve a new form of the silicone breast should not come as a surprise. It is an indication of the current pro-corporation, pro-profits political environment today. For years, the FDA has opposed silicone implants as carcinogenic, and this decision by its scientific advisory board illustrates a step backward in protection against dangerous substances like the popular painkiller Vioxx.

When former members of an industry hold positions that regulate that industry--as is the apparent modus operandi of the Bush-era FDA--the public can be expected to suffer. Silicone is still a poisonous substance when inside the human body, no matter how supposedly safe its container is. The advantages of silicone over saline, whether profitable or "more lifelike," are not worth the public health risk silicone implants pose. It is time the FDA errs on the side of public health rather than to the medical technology industry's silver-lined pockets.