Cinders

In honor of Mr. Cinders:

"My relationship with cats has saved me from a deadly, pervasive ignorance." -William S. Burroughs

"Do you have a cat? Or cats? They sleep baby. They can sleep 20 hours a day and they look beautiful. They know there's nothing to get excited about. The next meal. And a little something to kill now and then. When I'm being torn by forces, I just look at one or more of my cats. There are 9 of them. I just look at one of them sleeping or half-sleeping and I relax." -Charles Bukowski 4/16/92 12:39 a.m.

Couldn't find a good quote but Jack loved his cats!

Cinders came to me on a rainy day in fall. He was hiding from the cruel world on the cold pavement underneath my truck. When I stepped out to go to work he came up to me. He seemed to be asking for help. I sat down and let him warm up on my lap. When I got up the next day he was there again. He eventually came into the house through the dog door. He had a good end to his life. We did not force him to live and die slowly like we do with humans. I said good-bye and went home without him. This was very hard but it reminded me to take more time with the people (and animals) that I love. Life is not about quantity it is about quality. Cinders added a certain quality to this life.

As Tough Times Loom...

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ligand Pharmaceuticals Incorporated (NASDAQ:LGND - News) announced today that it is restructuring its business, pursuant to its new business model, by reducing its workforce by about 267 positions or approximately 76 percent.

LONDON, Feb 1 (Reuters) - AstraZeneca Plc (AZN.L: Quote, Profile , Research) plans to cut some 3,000 jobs, or 4.6 percent of its global workforce, to ensure future profit growth as generic competition bites and some key drugs start to mature, the company said on Thursday.

ZURICH, Feb 5 (Reuters) - Swiss drug maker Roche (ROG.VX: Quote, Profile , Research) plans to restructure its research and development activities around therapeutic areas to speed up decisions and increase efficiency.

A hard rain is falling. The scientists that are chucked out of the universities are not getting the job done. They are failing time and time again. They are using their scientific credentials to become businessmen. They are leaving the hardest part up to underlings.

A new paradigm must take shape. Scientists must return to the laboratory. They must figure out how to run clinical trials. The age of scientists as businessmen must end. Science is the way. The old way has brought about a hard rain, as Bob Dylan would say. A weeding out process must take place. Those who survive must emerge as scientists.