Author Topic: The Good News Thread (Read 1165212 times)

Adrian · « **Reply #4600 on:** 04 November, 2011, 07:36:14 am »

Quote from: Wowbagger on 03 November, 2011, 11:57:51 pm

Resuming from my last post on this thread, Mrs. Wow and I have been through a list of stuff and have selected a Thorn Raven Sport Tour (well now, there's a surprise) as her new bike, which we will order tomorrow. It will not be cheap but it will be worth it.

Assuming that Mr T hasn't barred you.

tiermat · « **Reply #4601 on:** 08 November, 2011, 09:06:06 am »

I have had an email telling me it will cost £137.40 (including VAT and delivery) to repair my sunglasses.

Why is that good news? Well, as I mentioned to a few on the Friday night ride, it's actually 2 pairs of sunglasses (Maui Jim's) with a combined value of over £400.

Right, off to find a padded bag and the cases for said sunglasses.

Wowbagger · « **Reply #4602 on:** 10 November, 2011, 08:53:48 am »

It's our younger daughter's 25th birthday today.

Her older sister has been given leave to tell me that she's in Paris. With a chap.

I've sent her a (hopefully) appropriately encouraging paternal email.

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #4603 on:** 10 November, 2011, 02:33:38 pm »

Lego Magazine has arrived. There's going to be an excited and happy little boy in an hour or so. Maybe a big one too!

Jules · « **Reply #4604 on:** 11 November, 2011, 11:02:21 pm »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 10 November, 2011, 02:33:38 pm

Lego Magazine has arrived. There's going to be an excited and happy little boy in an hour or so. Maybe a big one too!

We got one too. Doesn't take much to make a 6 year old's afternoon

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #4605 on:** 11 November, 2011, 11:05:53 pm »

Working out the anti-goblin battle cry was good! Good fun and good for reading and spelling.

woollypigs · « **Reply #4606 on:** 11 November, 2011, 11:08:30 pm »

Quote from: Jules on 11 November, 2011, 11:02:21 pm

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 10 November, 2011, 02:33:38 pm
Lego Magazine has arrived. There's going to be an excited and happy little boy in an hour or so. Maybe a big one too!

We got one too. Doesn't take much to make a 6 year old's afternoon

Mine have stopped coming

Used to get it but it stopped coming around five months ago.

MattH · « **Reply #4607 on:** 11 November, 2011, 11:17:29 pm »

Lego Magazine and Arrivee came together a couple of days ago here. Plenty of reading material

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #4608 on:** 12 November, 2011, 12:01:09 am »

I can feel a YACF project taking shape; a full size, working bike in Lego.

woollypigs · « **Reply #4609 on:** 12 November, 2011, 12:05:44 am »

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 12 November, 2011, 12:01:09 am

I can feel a YACF project taking shape; a full size, working bike in Lego.

He had a go

Jurek · « **Reply #4610 on:** 12 November, 2011, 12:07:38 am »

Quote from: woollypigs on 12 November, 2011, 12:05:44 am

Quote from: Cudzoziemiec on 12 November, 2011, 12:01:09 am
I can feel a YACF project taking shape; a full size, working bike in Lego.
He had a go

That's just a load of bright green pixels

EDIT: What on earth is going on with the pattern of that carpet?

Cudzoziemiec · « **Reply #4611 on:** 12 November, 2011, 12:22:59 am »

But it's got no pedals! And do the wheels actually go round? Still, the chain's certainly not slack.

CrinklyLion · « **Reply #4612 on:** 12 November, 2011, 03:23:17 pm »

My mate david and a school he worked with just won an award at bradford animation festival. A film made about this project http://www.onehullofarainforest.co.uk/

Adam · « **Reply #4613 on:** 12 November, 2011, 04:22:57 pm »

The good news is that my daughter has got a 2 week trial as a secretary/receptionist, with a firm of accountants.

Although the bad news is, I've had to spend £££££££ buying her office appropriate clothing.

Andrij · « **Reply #4614 on:** 14 November, 2011, 09:44:37 am »

My mood has greatly improved - the 16kg worth of books I ordered a few weeks ago arrived this morning.

David Martin · « **Reply #4615 on:** 14 November, 2011, 09:52:22 am »

I'd like to quote a press release.. This is really very good news indeed and a ray of hope for many. Having an orally active drug that is so effective is a real challenge and a real breakthrough. Hopefully now this has been demonstrated active in animal models it can be taken on to clinical trials.

Quote

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF DUNDEE AND MEDICINES FOR MALARIA VENTURE

PARTNERSHIP REACHES IMPORTANT MILESTONE IN DISCOVERY OF NEW DRUGS FOR MALARIA

Scientists at the University of Dundee are making rapid progress towards a potential new treatment for malaria. Dundee’s Drug Discovery Unit (DDU) initiated a project in partnership with Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV) around 18 months ago and has already identified a compound that is curative in a mouse model of malaria at very low doses, when given orally.

Professor Ian Gilbert one of the leaders of the research effort said, “This is tremendously exciting and amazing progress. We have discovered an entirely new class of compound that holds a great deal of antimalarial promise.”

The project started after the biology team at the DDU screened one of their collections of compounds against the malaria parasite. The results of this screen gave rise to a number of suitable chemical start points. Over the course of 18 months, two of these compound series have been modified and refined through cycles of compound design, chemical synthesis and biological testing to the point where they show excellent activity in a mouse model of malaria.

“MMV is pleased to be working with the dedicated team at the University of Dundee,” said Tim Wells, Chief Scientific Officer at MMV. “Malaria control and elimination continues to face numerous challenges, not least of which is the threat of emerging resistance to the current effective treatment – artemisinin. In preparation for this eventuality MMV and partners are researching over 50 projects in the largest-ever pipeline of antimalarial medicines. DDU scientists have given us more compounds to work on that we hope to take through the research process. If successful, this class of compounds could well become a new source of much-needed alternatives to artemisinin, one day.”

The research has now been focused on one of the compound series, which fulfils all of MMV’s criteria for an “early lead”, and has now entered the phase of drug discovery called “lead optimisation”. In this phase, the DDU team works to further improve the properties of the compounds to the point where they can select a candidate drug. Following further studies the candidate would then be ready to enter clinical trials. Based on current progress, the scientists hope to have selected a candidate within one year.

Dr Kevin Read, another leader of the DDU team said, “Malaria is a debilitating, often fatal parasitic disease that kills around one million people each year, mostly children under the age of 5, living in sub-Saharan Africa. Our compounds give hope that safe, affordable, new medicines to fight malaria will be ready to replace current drug treatments that are becoming ineffective due to the spread of drug resistance.”

tiermat · « **Reply #4616 on:** 15 November, 2011, 11:21:52 am »

I have just booked tickets for a Santa Special train trip on the Wensleydale Railway....

\o/

jogler · « **Reply #4617 on:** 15 November, 2011, 12:01:23 pm »

An eye test yesterday clearly indicated that apart from the obvious retina defect which dictates the need to wear specs, my are eyes are perfectly healthy which suggests a general well-being.
Apparently issues such as brain tumors,diabetes & some cancer symptoms can manifest themselves /be detected within your eyes.
The colour* pics the optician showed me were fascinating in detail of blood vessels & eye construction.

*this feature was a bit lost on me

& we had a laugh when part of the test involved differentiating between green & red numbers.Difference?what difference?

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #4618 on:** 15 November, 2011, 12:28:56 pm »

I left a message on a tradesman's answer phone yesterday, and he actually phoned me back today without the need for further prodding from me

interzen · « **Reply #4619 on:** 15 November, 2011, 12:38:03 pm »

Quote from: jogler on 15 November, 2011, 12:01:23 pm

Apparently issues such as brain tumors,diabetes & some cancer symptoms can manifest themselves /be detected within your eyes.

Indeed they can - one of the major problems associated with diabetes is retinopathy, and for this reason I have to go and have my eyes looked at on the 23rd. Wide-angle glaucoma is an issue too, but thankfully neither have affected me thus far (I've got excellent eyesight - I must have to be able to see through these glasses

)

Ironically enough, I have an interview with a company in York tomorrow who's line of business is software for optometrists.

jogler · « **Reply #4620 on:** 15 November, 2011, 12:42:22 pm »

Quote from: interzen on 15 November, 2011, 12:38:03 pm

Quote from: jogler on 15 November, 2011, 12:01:23 pm
(I've got excellent eyesight - I must have to be able to see through these glasses )

I've not heard that one before

CrinklyLion · « **Reply #4621 on:** 15 November, 2011, 10:47:42 pm »

Today, at some unnoticed point, my total odo ticked over 4k km. I don't think that's too shabby for a utility-cyclist-onna-sturdy-hybrid-led-sadly-astray. Especially when you consider it doesn't like my lights, so doesn't count most of my dark miles. And I only fitted it (actually, technically, I think I got Kim to fit it) in the middle of March. And I've spent the last 2 months off the bike due to injury.

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #4622 on:** 16 November, 2011, 09:43:32 pm »

I got my new veneer today, so I don't have a horrible manky black front tooth anymore

tiermat · « **Reply #4623 on:** 17 November, 2011, 03:57:06 pm »

I have just found out that the overtime, that I wasn't looking forward to doing, is unlikely to get approved, so I don't have to do it!!!

YAY!

At least I get to go shopping with TLD tonight instead of fixing routing issues, double win

Mrs Pingu · « **Reply #4624 on:** 17 November, 2011, 07:06:38 pm »

Bill Bailey 2moro night!
And I haz a half day too!
WIN