Hunt Hound Show

Several local fox hunts participated in a Hound show in Sterling MA. A good time was had by all. Old North Bridge Hounds took several firsts including the envied “pack class” trophy. Congratulations to Mim and Hum.

Launching the Windchaser

Yesterday I finished preparing the hull for launch staying overnight on the boat up on stanchions. In the evening I took in the Di Vinci Code which seemed to follow the book. In the morning I told John that the boat was ready and they proceeded to remove blocks and pallets that were in the way and send her to the sea. A hydraulic trailer is used to move the boat from the stanchions to the travel lift which lowers the craft into the water. Staff then jumps aboard to see if water is gushing in from any hole. None found, the boat is put at the dock for engine commissioning and rigging.

Rain, Rain and More Rain and a Selene 47

It is still raining which is delaying the commissioning of the Windchaser which may not get completed until the end of May. The reason is that tomorrow I am to start a trip to bring a Selene 47 passagemaker from Ft. Lauderdale FL to Rhode Island. It will be my first blue water adventure. Packing is in progress but as we will have a couple of days in Ft. Lauderdale before departure, it will be possible to purchase any items forgotten. We are trying to purchase some land in North Carolina at the same time so coordination could be an issue as we will be out of cell phone range for several days. Nothing is simple.

A medical test for sexual orientation

The following is from Science Magazine’s ScienceNow web site. Will job applicants in the future be screened for sexual orientation? Although expensive, it is now possible. Another implication of the work cited below is that sexual orientation is a biological not psychological phenomenon. The brain is really wired that way.

Gay or Straight? The Nose Knows
By Laura BlackburnScienceNOW Daily News9 May 2006
When it comes to responding to pheromonelike chemical signals, lesbian women are much more like heterosexual men than their straight counterparts, according to a new study. The findings could lead to new insights into the neural basis of sexual preference and behavior, say the researchers.
Pheromones are the ultimate aphrodisiacs. Many animals use the sex-specific scents to sniff out their partner of choice. The pheromones of female moths, for example, can attract a mate from several kilometers away. Whether the substances also play a role in human mating is less clear. Potential candidates include AND, a progesterone-derived molecule found in men's sweat, and EST, which is related to estrogen and found in pregnant women's urine. But neither has yet met the strict criteria that would define it as a pheromone.
Nevertheless, the compounds do seem to have sex-specific effects. In response to a whiff of AND, heterosexual women and homosexual men respond in the same way: The front part of their brain's hypothalamus, which plays a role in sexual behavior, starts to rev up. Heterosexual men, on the other hand, don't respond to AND. For them, EST hits the spot (ScienceNOW, 9 May 2005).
Neurologist Ivanka Savic-Berglund of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and colleagues wondered how lesbian women would respond to these substances. The team gave 12 lesbians a sniff of AND and EST and used positron emission tomography to measure blood flow in their brains. They then compared these results to those obtained from their previous studies on heterosexual men and women.
Much like heterosexual men, lesbians responded to EST but not AND. The way that EST activated the hypothalamus, however, was not identical in the two groups. In other words, the brain's response to female compound differed slightly depending on whether a man or woman was doing the smelling. This contrasts with the results of the previous study, in which the brain's response to a male hormone (AND) was almost exactly the same, regardless of the smeller. Thus, says Savic-Berglund, while gay men and straight women have an essentially identical response to an attractive hormone, gay women and straight men differ slightly in this response. This discrepancy may indicate that homosexuality does not work the same way in men and women--at least on a neural level, the team reports online this week in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
"This is a very nice study, with clear findings" says neuroscientist Sandra Witelson of the de Groote Medical School at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. Further research will allow scientists to unravel whether the relationship between sexual preference and brain response is learned or "hard-wired" into the brain and will give valuable insight into the differences between male and female homosexuality, she says.
Related sites
· Overview of human pheromones
· Positron Emission Tomography Scanning

Return to Port Clinton Ohio

After an excellent visit Mom has returned to Ohio via the infamous Logan airport. Things went smoothly but there are so many hurdles today that just going to the airport is exhausting. Central parking is being modified it yet again. It seems that they are adding additional floors to the parking lot one section at a time. Central Parking is now configured as two parking lots with bridges between them. You and enter at the western parking lot and then have to go through a maze watching the signs carefully to ensure that you get to a space somewhere close to the terminal from which you are going to embark. There are all sorts of zigs and zags and up and downs and restricted areas. It can be done but one has to be very observant. Fortunately for mom, Continental Airlines and gates are very close together in terminal C so we didn’t have to get a wheelchair for her. However, in going through security because of her pacemaker they had to take are aside and look for bombs and knives in a special area. It was something to watch my ad of 85 year old mother with their arms extended been patted down and scrutinized with a wand by one of the agents. I’m sure that this level of attention is a warning to would be terrorists. However, it all worked well ans she had a pleasant flight to Cleveland and was able to meet my brother in baggage claim.

Fox Hunting in Lincoln MA

The day was overcast and cool for May but our intrepid foxers ventured forth into the wilds of Lincoln MA to spread anise on the foliage. No large beasts were encountered and all returned safely to ground. My mother had come later with my wife who rode her main horse in the field. The hounds did a great job giving excellent voice as reported by Mrs. Glass. A small “tailgate” was enjoyed by the respectable but small field until it rained on the party. While not good for the “tailgate”, the rain is a bonus for my newly planted garden. Tonight it is dinner at Gibbit Hill followed by a talk at the Nashoba River Watershed Association. The picture is a Google satellite view with out path indicated by triangles.

Walking along the Nashua

I arose to an automatic coffee maker that had turned on at the appointed time and managed to spread coffee and grounds all over the counter. Fortunately it is a small four cupper and the mess was relatively contained. After filling Mom with coffee, active culture yogurt and cranberry crunch cereal we headed off to walk the dog through Riches Tree Farm along the Nashua river. There was little wind and the river serene as it meandered out of Groton. Walking a poodle is not easy as there is more stopping to get the latest scent followed by running ahead to the next one. One gets as much arm exercise as leg exercise in the process.

After the walk it was time to rototill the garden. It is not a large garden and I don’t have a rototiller so a small one was rented from a local garden center. It could really turn up the earth while throwing out rocks and working in horse manure and lime resulting in and excellent seedbed. A trip with Mom to the garden center allowed the purchase of sugar snap peas, lettuce, onions and kohlrabi. These veggies did not fill up the garden but represent the first batch to be followed by others in order to provide a constant stream of the green stuff. Friends from Groton came to dinner in the evening. They spent their winters at the same condo in Florida that Mom and Dad enjoyed for years. We had an excellent supper of steak tips with all the fixings. They are horse people and the husband is a Harvard grad who taught plant physiology at Tufts; so we all had something to talk about.

An excursion to New Hampshire and Maine

After much coffee, yogurt and cranberry crunch cereal we headed up North with our dog Gidget past Manchester, Concord and Franconia Notch to tour New Hampshire and central Maine. The day was beautiful with clear blue skies and only the occasional white fluffy cloud. The trees were just starting to leaf out but less so as we headed North. There was still snow on some of the otherwise green slopes of Cannon Mountain and of course, the top of Mount Washington shown white in the distance. In fact, the road to the top of the mountain was closed half way up to the top due to snow and ice. The ranger still wanted to charge us $20 for going four miles on the portion that was open so we demurred. After steak tips in Conway NH; our little group headed East past Sebago lake to the shore and South Freeport. My boat was sitting “on the hard” patiently waiting for it’s spring make over which should happen later in the week after Mom has returned to her place on the lake in Ohio.

Fox Hunting in Pepperill

Today the Old North Bridge Hounds galloped through the woods of Pepperell, MA near the boarder with New Hampshire. As usual, I joined other nature lovers in spreading anise over the recently blooming foliage for the hounds follow. We did a couple of different tracks ending up back at the start for the “tea” which is euphemistically called the “macho men’s tea” as most are organized and carried out by women. The “tea” included grilled sausages form a purveyor German sausage in Saugus and rather potent baked beans that are a specialty of one of the Masters of fox hounds. All went well with my mother enjoying the event. For this hunt, my wife led the field, as she is very familiar with the territory and the owner of the property was ill and could not perform the noble task . The picture is a satellite view of the area with our path overlaid on the image.

Mom's visit

My mother is visiting for a week from Ohio. She is 85 and doing quite well for her age. Friday we ventured south to the Tower Hill Botanical Garden in Boylston MA, http://www.towerhillbg.org/ , for a pleasant walk and lunch. Although beautiful, many of the exhibits were yet to bloom forth so the gardens were not as well flowered, as they will be a little later in the year. I especially like their systematic garden that arranges the plants in groups of relatedness highlighting the evolution of the plant world. The garden has several trails including one that goes to the top of the hill which has thie above view looking toward west.

A beautiful drive from Boston to Groton

The rain ls falling through heavy fog while I set at the cafe window waiting for my mothers plane to land at Logan airport. So far, it is only 5 minutes late. Parking is as usual a mess with the only available space being on the weather exposed top level of central parking. However, the space was close to the elevator providing easy access to the bridge to terminal C. Mom arrived and was in a wheelchair being pushed by an agreeable fellow of eastern European extraction. The long walks in an airport are difficult for her although short walks are no problem. After retrieving her small suitcase the three of us took the elevator to level 4 in order to cross the bridge to the parking lot and pay the ticket before proceeding to the top rainy level. Heaven help you if you don’t pay before trying to leave the lot. Fortunately our eastern European friend wheeled Mom all the way up to the car and we proceeded to drive out. This parking lot is always in flux and is some sort of gigantic intelligence testing machine. I passed with flying colors as none of the many poorly marked turns were missed and we exited the facility in good time with no mishaps. To make the return trip more interesting we took Storrow drive up the Charles, an saw a crew out practicing in the rain. Then we journeyed up rt. 2 to Lexington, passed the Allcott house in Concord and down monument street enjoying the many lovely homes and fields. Then we journeyed through Carlisle, Westford, Littleton and finally Groton taking in the bucolic views all the way. Once home and inspected by Gidget we had a lunch of tea and cookies admiring Wendy’s many beautiful flowers bathed in a gentle mist.

Fox hunt and a garden nymph

Today the Old North Bridge Hounds met in Stow to run through the woods after sent laid by the intrepid foxes while being followed by staff and field. One such fox gloving up for the ordeal is shown below. It was a beautiful but cool day under blue skies. After the hunt, a truly delicious "tea" was enjoyed by the crew.

Upon returning home, I finished wiring the garden nymph fountain that now adorns our back yard. It worked on the first try and hopefully will provide many hours of enjoyment to us and the birds.

flowers of Spring

Modern dentistry and the replacement of an old filling with a new one

This morning started with a trip to the dentist for a filling. Dr. Eddy’s new office is filled with about every dental gadget that one can imagine. X-rays are done without film and displayed almost instantaneously on a flat panel video screen for all including the patient to see. The pictures can be manipulated to highlight cavities and other abnormalities that need attention. You can zoom in to enlarge the picture, increase the contrast to bring out small details and print out pictures. There is another screen in front of the patient that can display such pictures, show “how to floss” videos and display cable TV for viewing such informative shows as Imus in the Morning. In addition to all this he has a video wand that when appropriately positioned in one’s mouth will show and take pictures of the defective tooth. This can help convince one that dental intervention is really justified.

After a couple of novacane injections sufficient numbness set in to allow the grinding and drilling required for filling replacement. An old mercury amalgam filling was replaced with a new polymer one with before, during and after pictures being taken as displayed below. I do not recommend looking at these pictures while eating.

It is time to stop these notes as the novacane is starting to wear off.

Fox Hunting and Gnosticism

Today the intrepid foxes of the Old North Bridge Hounds took to the woods, hills and valleys spreading anise for the hounds to follow. While rain was predicted none appeared and the hunt went off without a hitch. My injuries were not a problem although there is a general ache that was exacerbated by time on an elliptical machine at my health club yesterday. That motion seems to be more of a problem to my back than walking or cycling both of which I did today. While cycling I finished listening to Elaine Pagles audio book on Gnosticism which describes forms of Christianity that publicly existed in the first few hundred years after the events of the New Testament. Their views were suppressed by the organized church because many rejected the Church hierarchy. There teachings are closer to what we would consider an “Eastern” religion focusing on the knowledge of self. Gnosticism is a hot topic today because of its inclusion in the Di Vinci code book.

Fox hunting in Massachusetts.

Today was the first fox hunt of the year. As usual, a small group of determined souls tramped through the underbrush spreading anise for the hounds to follow later in the morning. The temperature was cool but the sky bright blue and the ground rather dry making the hike through the woods easier than usual. Later in the year, the underbrush will have expanded making the trek more of a challenge. A usual there was a great party or “tea” after the hounds and hunters had returned. Back home I repaired the terminals on my wife’s corvette. They had corroded limiting the amperage available from the battery resulting in a slow crank rate. Good contact is critical for low voltage systems such as the 12 volts seen in cars. It may be that the auto industry will go to 24 volts in the near future as is currently used in airplanes. This would expand the number and types of accessories that can be supported.

Return to Groton from Southern Pines NC

We have made it home. The trip was uneventful and warmer than our excursion south. We left in 80 degree weather and came back to the 50’s with reduced numbers of leaves and flowers. It is great to be home but now the clean up begins.

Return to the north

The temperature today is to reach 90°. Tomorrow we will hook up the horse trailer and start our trek back to Massachusetts. It has been a good month and a half with the exception of a couple of adventures that were somewhat painful. Going over a jump with the horse is much advantageous to doing it by oneself. However, after a night in the hospital I am about back to normal. Yesterday I enjoyed an extensive bike ride up and down the hills of southern pines and Pinehurst. My only regret was not taking water to avoid dehydration. I made it back to the condo OK but was rather 30.

April it is a beautiful month and Southern Pines. The area is filled with dogwood trees planted and growing wild in the forest. Their white blossoms add a beautiful highlight to the rural scene. April here is something like May in Massachusetts. It is very pleasant to walk through the golf course grounds enjoying the warm breezes while admiring the flowers and trees.

Travel to the shore and a Rotary breakfast

Yesterday was a pleasant day for each trip to the shore. After helping to feed the horses I wended my way to through the Piedmont to look and boats, enjoy the water and talk and to other boaters. In the past this little trip has been interesting, especially the ability to chat with fellow boat people. However, being a weekday there was nothing there but boats which by themselves are not good conversationalists. I did meet one couple who they turned out to be horse people from western Virginia and had just moved to the shore They knew next to nothing about boats and perhaps too much about courses.

This morning I got up at 6:00 AM and dressed in the dark so that I would be attired properly for the sand hills Rotary meeting at the elegant Carolina hotel. There is nothing like eating breakfast under crystal chandeliers accompanied buy a pianist on a grand piano. At the start of the meeting an employee of the hotel came into the room to ask if anyone had a silver Buick as it had just been hit by another car in the parking lot. One of the members jumped up and exited with the employe only to combat a few minutes later chgrined. It turns out the whole thing was a prank by one of his fellow Rotarians. During the happy dollar time a member got up to say that he is building a house on a lake nearby and while the houses is in progress his dock is completed. The previous day he had caught his first fishoff his new dock. This was probably not the best time to relate to this story as the speaker for the day was from the fish and wildlife bureau who inquired as to the status of this Rotarian’s fishing license. I don’t know what happened after that meeting but the fish and wildlife officer was carrying a gun. He talked about the Lumber river which has been designated a wild river and the fact that they have problems with people poaching alligators. I didn’t realize that there were alligators this far north. On returning from the rotary breakfast it was time to feed the horses again and the cycle continues.

Repairing fences and course No. 2 at Pinehurst

This morning after feeding the forces I endeavored to repair some faulty latches on a couple of pasture gates. These latches are rather good in that they are easy to open even from horseback. However, the way they were installed would allow these latch to turn if the course pressed on with all its weight. In addition, our horse Mitzi had endeavored to open the gates by kicking and had cracked one of the supporting boards. So the process was to lower the latch on the metal gate to overlap a horizontal rail and then lower the fitting on the post so that they both join at the right place. These jobs never go smoothly. After the first latch was disassembled it became apparent that we needed longer lag bolts to secure the latch firmly. This meant a trip to Lowes for lag bolts, small screws and a drill of the proper size. With this accomplished we return to the pasture and completed the relocation of the first latch. This is a learning experience. After a few adjustments we were able to proceed to the second latch and this went more smoothly as we were now experts in the process.

On my way back from the fence maintenance I stopped to return the socket wrench set that I had borrowed from Hans. He was in the process of retract been the awning on his trailer. Things were not going well. It seems that these devices do not come with instructions and that the proper way to secure the awning for storage was not immediately apparent. After a certain amount of manipulation and pinched fingers we were able to get it to retract by turning a very recalcitrant lever so that the internal spring would roll up the awning. It did so with a big swoosh. After this success we then worked at disassembling the canopy setup in the pasture to protect the horse from rain. Horses rarely use these things. Again we were confronted with a structure without directions but it’s disassembly even with stuck joints is certainly easier and its erection.

After completing these tasks I drove over to Pinehurst so that I could purchase a new hat that said Pinehurst. I drove up to the Pinehurst club along and elegant boulevard filled with flowers and lined with trees in bloom. After parking the truck I strolled into the main facility and went directly to the pro shop. There I purchased a nice build cap that said Pinehurst and proceed to stroll around the rest of the facility looking as if I belonged. I did not. It turns out that to be there you there have to be a member of the Pinehurst club or stay at at one of a couple hotels such as the Carolina. The most famous course at Pinehurst is No. 2 of the eight in this club. There are many more called courses in the area. To play No. 2 you would have either to be a member of the club or stay at the Carolina. A night for two at the Carolina hotel costs $650.00. A round on No. 2, if they’re willing to let you play as this is often reserved for championships, is another $375.00 assuming that you don’t need a caddy though most of the people on the course seem to have one. I continued my stroll around the area including their three croquet courses. Perhaps I will have to get a little more practice under my belt to participate in this sport at this facility.

Shrubs at the condo

How we develop and activities in Southern Pines

This document is being produced with speech recognition In Microsoft Word (i.e. I talk but don't type, much)

I have brought a number of magazines down to Southern Pines. Finally there was time enough to look through the February 10, 2006 issue of Science magazine. On page 796 there is a review of gene regulatory networks and the evolution of animal body plans. If you ever wondered how this works the review is an excellent article to read. It is specially focuses on the highly conserved regulatory genes that are responsible for major body organization. The author states that these types of genes are conserved because any alteration would have a drastic negative effect on the organism. These large gene regulatory networks word (GRNs) exist in a very similar form in ourselves, the fruit fly and many other organisms. Such genes regulate intermediate regulatory genes which then regulate the genes that actually makes lectures look the way they do.

We decided to stay another week in Southern Pines as snow was reported in Massachusetts. Last night our neighbors in the condo invited us over for a party with other horse loving people. It was a potluck but the hostess provided an excellent chicken dish with curry sauce. The women spent most of the evening talking forces. The men talked about everything from flying a small plane over to Europe to the experiences of different people visiting communist countries. One couple in their eighties have flown their private single engine plane extensively in the U.S. and more than once over to Europe. Other excursions included a trip down to the tip of the Aleutian islands in Alaska. The pilot noted that as he approached the Russian coast near Nome Alaska that his radar detector lit up profusely. He was being watched. Today Hans and I attended the southern Pines Rotary meeting at the beautiful Long Leaf country club. The program included reports from several participants in a take teenagers to work day. It was a good experience for the teenagers but not a very exciting program. This week I have attended three different Rotary meetings. Tomorrow a steeplechase is scheduled with tailgate parties but it appears as if the weather may be stormy. Considering the $20.00 admission fee we may pass.

Rotary in Pinehurst NC

The meeting was early at 7:00 am but even at that early hour the members were very cordial to a Yankee in their midst. The Carolinian hotel in the middle of golf country provides rooms for $650 a night for two. Breakfast was a lavish buffet accompanied by melodies from a pianist using a grand piano. The meeting included a talk given by an individual who works for a state organization that provides books for young children living in poverty. Often these books are the only ones in the home. I spent 8 dollars to win the meeting lottery but returned my $5 winnings to the club.

http://www.hotelcarolinian.com/?gclid=CL_l4MyIloQCFSiPFQodtWYoug

Building a house in Southern Pines

Our friends Pat and Hans are building a house on a lot off Young,s road with the help of horse whisperer and all around handy guy Bob. Today a crew came in to lay the blocks of the foundation.

The old back is still acting up and the size of the black and blue area explains why exercise is not a viable option.

Dining alfresco with the horse and boat maintenance

The pictures are views of our condo environs.

Pat and Hans had us over for a dinner last evening under the stars next to their trailer and foundation of their new house. The air was warm and the sky clear with stars shining like diamonds on an inky background. Light pollution in the Boston area hides such brilliant shows. It was very pleasant with Pat’s horse in the pasture a few feet away, good wine and conversation. W fed the horses and went riding with Gail, Pat and Marsha E in the late morning while I read on the condo porch with Gidget. Marsha has a 17 hand three inch horse that can move right out. In the afternoon I took a bike ride which went well considering the back problems of late. On the trek a fellow was seen working on his tralierable sailboat in the yard not too far from our condo. About an hour was spent trading boat maintenance ideas and giving personal histories. He was from the Akron area living one mile from Magador, the original home of my mother. This lake sailor had purchased the boat in Wayland MA and trailered it down to Southern Pines during a break in the weather in February.

Dinner with Friends in Southern Pines

Last night W cooked a fantastic dinner in our condominium for Jack and Phyllis who reside for the winter in their condo next door. They are from Canada with he a golfer and she a horsewomen. This area fits their hobbies well as they can do their thing all winter long. Some pictures of Hyland Hills area are included. Back problems restrict my movement by expand my reading. The next book is on sailing in Canada, Sniffing the Coast, an Acadian voyage on loan from Jack and Phyllis.

Hitler’s Scientists by John Cornwell and recovery

A trip to the local Waldenbooks resulted in the purchase of a deeply discounted book, “Hitler’s Scientists”. Back problems due to an unscheduled dismount and impact with the cross-rail have resulted in much time for reading while my wife goes out riding leaving the dog and I to vegetate in the condo. The book’s content was a mystery. Would it be about Mengele and experiments in the concentration camps or the collaboration of other scientists with the Nazi regime? It has some of all this but also includes sections on the development of industrial chemistry, nuclear physics and quantum mechanics in the late 19th and early 20th century to provide background. Much of the book describes the forced exodus of Jewish scientists to England and the U.S. with the resulting negative impact on the Nazi nuclear bomb program. If Hitler had not thrown out his Jewish theoretical physicists he might have had the bomb first. In fact, the whole of theoretical physics was called, “Jewish physics”, in contrast to applied or Aryan physics. The book includes an excelled description of the development of the understanding of nuclear fission and the different discoveries that lead systematically to a practical atomic bomb. It is especially good at describing the personalities their historical context. My reading has included books on quantum mechanics and most recently Maxwell’s equations in an effort to better understand the development of these areas and how they have lead to modern theories of cosmology. So, what looked like a history of technology in the Third Reich turns out to also be an excellent exposition of the individuals and development of modern chemistry and physics.

A beautiful day in Southern Pines, Progeria and farnesyl transferase inhibitors

The sky is blue with white fluffy clouds floating by, the air warm with a gentle breeze and I sit in the condo writing this missive, constrained by back problems. This affliction still limits my mobility but things are improving with a reduced of use of opiates for pain amelioration. In reality, things are progressing faster than hoped. Part of the time has been used to further my reading on the disease Progeria and defects in the critical nuclear protein Lamin A. This nuclear wall structural protein could be very critical in aging. It may be that Progeria can be treated with farnesyl transferase inhibitors drugs that are currently in phase three clinical trials as cancer therapeutics. Farnesyl is a precursor of cholesterol and as a greasy lipid helps hold certain proteins on the cell or nuclear membrane. For lamin, A lack of removal of this lipid adduct causes the protein to clump on the nuclear membrane causing the symptoms of this disease that mimics premature aging. The big question is whether normal aging is at least partially the result of a similar defect and could be slowed or reduced by the use of farnesyl transferase inhibitors.
http://www.progeriaresearch.org/index.shtml

Progeria and life extension

Progeria is a rare disease that causes children to show severe signs of ageing very early in their short lives. A full description can be found at:

http://www.progeriaresearch.org/index.shtml

With support from the Progeria Research Foundation, Francis Collins of human genome fame identified the gene that is defective in afflicted individuals. It was a surprise. Instead of being a gene in energy metabolism, DNA repair, or autoimmune disease, the mutant gene turned out to be a gene for a structural protein found in the nucleus of the cell LMNA which produces a protein called Lamin A. In afflicted individuals the defective gene product or protein clumps on the nuclear cell membrane and distorts the nucleus impeding normal function. Just how this situation causes advanced aging in young individuals is not known but the defective protein, progerin, has been found to accumulate in cells of blood vessel walls in affected children’s. However, it may be that a pharmaceutical that can reverse some or all of the symptoms already exists!

Once formed many proteins undergo modification before they take on their normal function. The LMNA gene produces a protein called prelamin A that is subsequently modified by the addition of the lipid farnesyl, removal of some amino acids and the addition of a carboxymethyl group These modifications are subsequently removed by an enzyme, Ste24 (Zmpste24) that requires a specific binding site to do its thing. After all this modification the protein is ready to go to work stabilizing the cell nucleus. Because the mutant protein lacks the binding site that the Zlmpste24 enzyme requires, the modifications cannot be removed and the progerin clumps on the nuclear membrane.

This all sounds complicated but one can consider that the normal protein is packaged for transport to the nuclear membrane and once there unpackaged so that it can function normally. The mutant protein, progerin, is never taken out of the box.



A PNAS paper, (http://www.pnas.org_cgi_doi_10.1073_pnas.0503712102/ ), discusses what happens to mutant cells in culture when the addition of the lipid farnesyl is blocked. Farnesyl is added to the protein by the enzyme farnesyl transferase. Inhibitors of this enzyme have been developed as treatments for certain types of cancer. Application of enzyme inhibitor rac-R115777 significantly reversed abnormal nuclear morphology suggesting that they could be useful in treating Progeria.

In a subsequent study mice with Progeria were treated with a farnesyl transferase inhibitor and found to improve significantly. This provides significant hope for a treatment for children with Progeria.

The big question is whether these farnesyl transferase inhibitors will be useful in life extension in general. It may be that Progeria mimics aging but is caused by a different mechanism so that farnesyl transferase inhibitors will be of little utility for the rest of us. However, these finding points toward the status of these structural proteins as key factors in the aging process.

Unscheduled dismount

During a riding lesson on Saturday, I had an unplanned dismount over a jump. Some very nice pills were obtained but I will not be back in the saddle for a while. The weather has been cool but is warming up and Wendy’s riding is going well.

Another day in Southern Pines NC

Breakfast was sautéed bell pepper and sausage with plenty of Cholula hot sauce. This concoction really wakes you up. Next the horses were feed as usual and the pasture cleaned up followed by a return to the condo. I took off for my riding lesson that included a few passes over the jump swith some trouble picking up the correct lead at the canter after the jump. Sometimes Willy will do a flying lead change and sometimes he will not. After a quick run back to the condo and a shower I headed off to the Southern Pines Rotary meeting where I learned about the finances of Pinehurst NC from a town official. Did you know that Pinehurst has only been incorporated for 25 years while Southern Pines has been a town for over 100 years. Back at the condo Wendy took off to go riding but without companions as Gail was training her new horse and Pat was busy with other endeavors. On the driving range 140 balls zoomed out into the distance. Some were well hit but there is much room for improvement. After walking the dog another bike ride was enjoyed until it started to sprinkle and I returned to the condo. After my third shower of the day we are to head out for cocktails at a friends “Hunt Box” (a rather elegant home over a stable).

Cold Rainy Day

It rained most of the day but we all met for lunch at LuLu's in downtown Southern Pines. Harris was spirited back to the airport and the frigid North in the evening. I was left to fend for myself in the condo without transportation.

Genographic project, my ancestors and haplogroup L

The Genographic project (https://www3.nationalgeographic.com/genographic/index.html ) analyzed my DNA and put my parental origins in India. This is strange as my paternal line was thought to come from Northern Europe and I don’t look Indian. It is possible but my haplogroup “L” is rarely found out side of central India. They use small tandem repeats (STRs) of DNA as markers and there are a number of STRs on the Y chromosome. These STRs can vary in length and the differences in lengths can be compared to others around the world. Certain lengths of certain STRs are found more frequently in people from one region than from another. For example, STR DYS19 can have lengths of 10 to 19. These patterns can be used to show how and where one’s ancestors migrated out of Africa. However, the Genographic results listed my STR DYS389-2: as 16 but none of the databases I have consulted (such as http://ybase.org/shaplo.asp )lists a 389-2 with a length of 16. They are all above 20. I believe that the Genographic project made a mistake.

Tailgate at the point to point and steeplechase in Southern Pines

After bruising their bottoms on horseback in the morning the girls decided to go to the steeplechase sponsored by the local fox hunt. I had been helping Hans put in some paddock gate hardware. Such devices never quite fit but with some skilful use of a chain saw the post was shaped to accept the hardware. A frantic call to spur me on so that we would not be late for the races had me leave Hans at the end of his drive and rush to pickup the thrill seekers. It all worked out and we munched on chips and sipped wine as the horses went by our excellent position on the rail. These were the last races on this field as it will soon be developed. Next year the races are to be at the Carolina horse park. In the evening Harris prepared a feast of coq-au-vin at Gail’s new house and a good time was had by all.

From Lancaster MA to Southern Pines NC

Harris flew in and Wendy picked her up at the airport. Later in the day the two went riding in the Moss Foundation Followed by a dinner out of the entire group.

Riding and cycling

Yesterday I had a riding lesson and then cycled 18 miles. The major problem was the hills. Even with 21 gears they can be pretty tough. Today I had another riding lesson and did some jumps. It has been several years since I did a jump course but it all came back and felt comfortable. My wife still has her cold but went riding anyway. When I returned she was asleep on the ground next to the trailer. Some people are really dedicated to riding. Tomorrow Harris comes for several days of riding and viewing the three day event and point to point scheduled for this weekend in Southern Pines.

A great party followed by a ride on Slick Willy

Last night Wendy prepared her fabulous chicken in onion sour cream sauce for a party at Gail’s with Pat and Hans in attendance. We set out on the deck enjoying the evening while talking and looking at the horses. Earlier I helped or watched Hans remove a window from his commercial property in downtown Southern Pines. With this experience an extraction of a problematic window at home may be possible. Today after feeding the horses I drove off the Fox Catcher Farm for a lesson on my old pal Slick Willy. He may not have remembered me from last year but the adventure went well and my arthosopically enhanced knee seemed to operate well. Tomorrow will tell more. In the afternoon Wendy walked Gidget and I rode my new bike in the reservoir park. The trail is interesting as there are many twists and turns and many very young or very old hikers to avoid. Thai food was enjoyed for dinner. Tomorrow Hans and I are off to Beneteau to watch them build sailboats.

The Zen of bicycle maintenance

It was a beautiful day with temperatures in the 80s. We fed the horses and I fitted my GPS to the handlebars of the birthday gift Schwinn. Hopefully, this device will reduce the experiences of going around in circles as in this area there are few straight roads. On one foray across Rt one down Young’s road things didn’t feel quite right. A quick inspection revealed a back tire that was flat on one side, the side next to the pavement. As this is a mountain bike I often ride on the side of the road in the grass. Unfortunately, this area is often littered with broken glass, a piece of which impacted my rear tire. The bike was walked back to the condo and the instruction manual consulted. In the “changing the tire” section, the manual instructed one to remove the wheel but gave not hit as to how this can be done successfully. The rear wheel has many attachments including breaks, gears and chain derailing mechanisms. After much searching a wheel removal section was discovered in the middle of something else and the extraction successfully accomplished. However, the tool kit for the bike was not robust enough to loosen the axel bolts so another trip to WalMart was required to purchase a 15 mm open-end wrench. You can’t buy just one. I now own a number of wrenches that I don’t need. The 15mm wrench worked and the wheel was extracted from the frame. Next the inner tube was pulled out with some other specialty tools and a new inner tube containing green goo to eliminate unexpected flatness was inserted. It all went smoothly. My wife’s 12 volt air pump did an excellent job of providing 55 lbs of inflation and off I went.

In the evening we enjoyed an excellent dinner at the condo next door talking about golf, horses and the meaning of life.

Leaving Virginia for Southern Pines

I got up early as Keith and Martin were driving to North to pick up a Norwich Terrier puppy. We wish them good luck with the new addition to their family.

I took the long way home through Norfolk down along the shore seeing Virginia Beach and then heading inland along Albemarle sound. In 2005 I joined Keith and Martin in their Bristol 48 for the first part of their trip down the inland waterway to the Bahamas. When I arrived back in Southern Pines Gail, Wendy and I went out for a dinner of prime rib. The future will have to include significant exercise to compensate for all the food I consumed over the last few days.

Touring Norfolk’s port, the battleship USS Wisconsin and Nauticus

In the morning Keith and I journeyed into Norfolk over the bridge and through the tunnel among all the Navy ships. The harbor is a very impressive sight. An Aegis cruiser was entering the port accompanied by a fire boat with plumes of water streaming from its water cannons. We parked near the shore and walked to the impressive Nauticus site at the National Maritime Center http://www.thenmc.org/ . This includes the battleship USS Wisconsin. Nauticus is a combination maritime and science museum. It is very well done with a combination of old fashioned museum and computer displays. The most impressive was the mock-up of the Aegis control room where a moderator demonstrates the different armaments. Then each seat has a control panel and one is asked to select the correct response to a threat in real time. It is not as easy as it sounds, especially when more than one threat presents itself at one time. For the finale everything comes in at once and the ship blows up. After this excitement we toured the battleship Wisconsin. However, unlike the battleship North Carolina in Wilmington one can’t go inside as the ship is still commissioned and could be pulled back into service as it was in the first Gulf War. After our tour we met Martin at a Marina filled with sailboat for an elegant dinner.

Visit to Keith and Martin

Today I drove from Southern Pines Mobjack VA to visit old friends from Groton who moved to a beautiful house with water on three sides and a 17-slip marina in the back yard. We talked and toured the new marina and enjoyed a fantastic meal. They are great cooks. Their property consists of a main house, a new cottage and a room over the garage re-done as an office with all sorts of computers. A marina building is under construction. This is going to be quite a facility.

Happy birthday to me

The day was taken up by horse feeding, golf, consulting, bike riding, golf, feeding horses, drinking and eating. Not a bad day. For three days I will be in Virginia visiting friends.
All the best to everyone

Computer problems, bikes and horses

This morning I got up and turned on the computer with no results. It couldn’t find the hard drive. After about an hour with a couple of local geeks (really good guys) the defect was repaired with no loss of data. I tried the computer “recovery disk” which began with the warning “all data will be lost”. What is one to recover from? Thank goodness for local geeks to compensate for the degenerate manufactures.

I did some more riding on my new Schwinn Sidewinder hoping to regain my endurance and strength. The process went well but I have still more to do to get back in shape. Hopefully, when the biking goes well I will move to horses. Our friend Gail bought a new gated horse that I will ride as things improve.

Pat and Hans' new place in Southern Pines

Pat and Hans are building a new house on 1 acre in Southern Pines next to the Foundation riding trails. They have brought down a trailer from MA for temporary housing until their new house is finished. Half the land is fenced and occupied by the horse they brought down from Massachusetts. We met there last night for a celebration around a small fire on the newly seeded pasture. There could be a bare spot. Unfortunately, no one brought any marshmallows so we had to settle for wine. The temperature was below freezing although a day before the temp was in the high 70s. The nights may be cool in Southern Pines this time of year but it warms up into the 50s during the day.

How to go to the Moon the right way

There is finally a new moon program and it is worthy of support but I worry about the goal. Hopefully, it will not be another look around and go home program. The goal set by President Kennedy was wrong! His goal was to send men to the moon and bring them back alive. This was a $200 billion publicity stunt in today’s dollars. There is immense physical wealth to be gained from permanent access to the Moon. IT is made of stuff and has ample solar energy available as well as being a much safer location for the use of nuclear energy than the Earth. With today’s technology we need only dirt and energy to make everything we need. There are trillions of dollars of new wealth to be gained form utilizing the moon. Everything we do on the Earth hurts it while everything we do on the Moon is an improvement. It would have been so much better to have followed up on the original Moon program rather than develop the space station.

In the first Moon program we should have established a permanent base first and then looked around. Supplies could have been sent ahead so that the astronauts wouldn’t have to carry all their supplies with them. This would have required being able to hit the same general spot more than once and perhaps such precision was difficult with the technology available at that time. We are going back using updated versions of the systems employed 40 years ago. These include expendable rockets with even the lunar lander being a bigger version of the original units. They are designed backwards. The rocket is on the bottom so that the crew and cargo are on the top. For the larger new unit this means that the astronauts will have to climb down a rather long ladder to reach the surface. Not falling will be one of the major challenges of the process. Carrying down materials to the surface will be even more difficult. The rockets should be on the sides or top so that the cargo will be close to the surface and can be deposited in a way similar to that used for ship containers today.

What we really need is a reusable orbiter that works. The shuttle should have been canned long ago and a new orbiter using knowledge gained from the shuttle created. A new orbiter with the capacity of a 747 freighter should come from a contest in which the winner receives 50 billion dollars when the orbiter has proven its practicality. It would be designed and built with venture and private money. The prize would minimize the commercial risk to make such an investment attractive. The prize money would be to cover the design costs and those of the first unit(s). Then purpose is to create an industry selling orbiters whose per unit cost is a few billion dollars to businesses and other countries. If we don’t do this soon we may loose the talent and infrastructure that would make such a program possible. The economic good news is that many nations around the world are becoming more prosperous with the bad news being that they are now very effective competitors. As a country we need something to sell that will not be done cheaper and better in a few years in China and India. The U.S. needs an effective space program.

Warm weather in Southern Pines

Today we may hit a temperature record. This morning I helped feed the horses as usual and then ran some errands as the riders got ready for their third day on the trails. Today is Mitzi’s second foray. Our condo is blessed as a high speed wireless internet connection that appeared out of nowhere. The laptop just picked it up. In the past my cell phone was the only way out as the condo management blocks data use of their phone system. The cell phone worked but was very slow. However, a brief chat with our next door neighbors form Canada disclosed that they are the source of the internet blessing. I quickly offered some of my computer expertise as partial payment for the use of their bandwidth. Hopefully they will not realize the immense power they have over me.