Wesley J. Smith

The human body and its constitutent parts are fast becoming among the world’s most valuable “natural resources.”  Indeed, ounce for ounce, human eggs are probably the most expensive (now) commodity in the world.Because human bodies are so valuable, biological colonialism . . . . Continue Reading »

Today, the NYT carried a letter to the editor from an Obama Adminstration representative, reacting to a column published in the Gray Lady’s op/ed page that criticized the government’s crackdown on medical marijuana, an issue we have discussed here also at SHS.  The letter . . . . Continue Reading »

By the President of the United States of AmericaAProclamationThe season is nigh when, according to the time-hallowed custom of our people, the President appoints a day as the especial occasion for praise and thanksgiving to God. This Thanksgiving finds the people still bowed with sorrow for the . . . . Continue Reading »

Donald Berwick has resigned as the head of Medicare.  From the Boston Globe story:Don Berwick, the Harvard professor who was tapped by the Obama administration to lead the overhaul of the massive Medicare and Medicaid programs, resigned today — just months before he was scheduled to leave . . . . Continue Reading »

A new Kaiser Permanente study shows that HIV infection adds dramatically to the risk of getting cancer (in addition to AIDS).  From the San Francisco Chronicle story:People with HIV infections have a higher risk of developing certain cancers  than those who aren’t infected, and . . . . Continue Reading »

The FDA has withdrawn approval for the use of Avastin to treat advanced terminal breast cancer as a life extender.  I wrote about this earlier, when the FDA decision was preliminary, suggesting that the benefit of the doubt should probably be given to keeping the drug approved.  I stated . . . . Continue Reading »

Sometimes a Tweet is better than a blog.  It forces me to be short winded, which makes Secondhand Smokette happy.  For anyone interested in some of my shorter thoughts than found here, my Twitter handle is @forcedexit.  Check it . . . . Continue Reading »

Fresh off the tremendous success of Eggsploitation, the CBC today released its new documentary Anonymous Father’s Day, which explores the impact of sperm donation on the children who result.  The trailer is embedded below.  And here’s a link if you are interested in . . . . Continue Reading »

Consider this an addendum to my Weekly Standard piece on media bias in reporting the collapse of Geron’s embryonic stem cell project that came out on Saturday.The LA Times finally got around to reporting the Geron collapse. Apparently, it had to figure out how to circle the wagons around . . . . Continue Reading »

When I first moved to San Francisco, I volunteered with Project Open Hand to deliver dinners to terminal AIDS patients. It was—and is—a wonderful organization that harnessed the energy of San Francisco’s liberal activist community and mixed it with practical planning to make . . . . Continue Reading »