Missing the Bigger Picture on Suicide

I am completely cool with health care workers being warned to be on the lookout for suicide ideation among their cancer patients. When I was a hospice volunteer, I was trained similarly. I was told in no uncertain terms that if a patient threatened or even mentioned suicide, I was to tell the . . . . Continue Reading »

Cancer Killing Viruses?

I bring this very hopeful story up, not so much because of its substance, although it is a very hopeful apparent breakthrough. Rather, I want to illustrate an important point: In all of the brouhaha over cloning and embryonic stem cell research, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that most . . . . Continue Reading »

Secondhand Smoke’s 10,000 Friends

To my great delight and surprise, I have learned that there are about 10,000 discreet visits to Secondhand Smoke per month, with people checking in literally from every continent except Antarctica. Better yet, since I have been keeping track, the numbers seem to be slowly, but steadily, growing. . . . . Continue Reading »