Better living through chemistry

From the latest Great Strides newsletter:

...a new drug candidate that addresses the basic defect in CF, VX 770, entered Phase 2 clinical trials. This oral drug candidate, which aims to restore the function of the defective CFTR protein, has many steps to go before drug approval, but it is an exciting milestone in our ongoing efforts to advance drug development.

VX 770 looks interesting. I realize that it is several years from FDA approval but if the defective CFTR protein can be repaired - wow. The potential for those living with CF is huge.

A pink one as well

Bloomed on Memorial Day 2007

Poppies

One of my favorite flowers. Mine are in full bloom right now. Very fitting for this weekend.

Cranky Freeloaders

I was doing yard work today after getting home from work and as I would go from the front to the back I kept being buzzed by a female cardinal. After I few times I decided to see if maybe there was a nest somewhere. Found it in the vines growing up my antenna pole. There was a resident as well.



Mommy and daddy came back after a few minutes.





I sat down in a chair to see if I could get them going back to the nest. No luck. They didn't want me anywhere.

American Idol

Nope - didn't watch. Well I did watch the 30 seconds when the winner was announced. Other than that - no way. I heard some of it as Thing2 and the wife watched the whole season.

Ann Althouse is a fan. And Right Thoughts has a great comment about last night:

Sanjaya Malakar is sharing a stage with Smokey Robinson, and lo, the fourth seal did appear and open before them and a plague was released on the earth.

More here. (Rated R for language)

Bunny

We went on the Great Strides walk today. 6 quick miles. Came across this bunny about a quarter of the way.



Pretty tame. Probably abandoned. He got picked up later on by someone taking him home.

Can't Wait

Transformers

Protection

Time to teach Thing2 to shoot.

From the genius of Oleg Volk

Why carry a gun?

Tam has the answer.

Extreme closeup

Bought myself a Canon S3 (Yes I know the S5 was coming out but I don't like being the first to buy...) to replace my ancient Powershot A20. I've been playing with the camera since UPS delivered it yesterday. It's a fun camera. I've taken decent shots across poorly lit rooms, macro shots of carvings, and Buffy the Cockatiel Slayer.



That was taken about 2.5 inches from her face.

Time for a new laptop

As this is an excellent idea for an old one. Maybe the wife would like a MacBook for Christmas...

Now that is one serious game of Wii Tennis

Poor TV

How to Survive a Nine-Meter Kiddie-Pool High Dive

This had to hurt.

via Instapundit

Friday Night Lights

It's back for another year. Yea! Great show with an excellent cast. The bad news? NBC has stuck it at 10:00pm Eastern on Fridays.

Why renew a show to stick it in a dead zone time slot?

We ain't worth his spit

PFC Stephen C. Sanford

Sanford was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Marine Gen. Peter Pace, who traveled to Alaska to perform the ceremony. “As he was pinning the medal on, his hands kinda shook a little bit, and he said ‘Sorry, this is the first time I’ve given one of these out.’ I said, ‘Don’t worry General, it’s my first one too

Blackfive has the whole story.

$24,000 XBox 360

Auctioned for charity in Australia.

I'm a hero

Thing2 came out while I was working on one my PCs and said her iPod had froze. Did a hard reset and it's alive!

How to raise a kid the right way

Wish I had thought of this.

via Tam