Hard to tell which thing to go with right about now -- we started our three-day weekend three hours ago, if this empty wine bottle's any indication -- so how about putting two items into one. They're kinda related anyway.

First up, UT Southwestern Medical Center's gonna participate in a study about the long-term effects of the West Nile Virus. That's because 7 percent of all U.S. cases of West Nile appear in Texas each year -- which translated last year to about 350 verified human infections in Dallas County, according to this subscription-only story. Since there's no West Nile vaccine, all docs can do is treat the symptoms, so for the trial UT Southwestern researchers will be using folks diagnosed with the illness at either UT Southwestern University Hospital, Parkland Memorial Hospital or the Dallas VA medical center.

In other irritant news, and thanks to Gawker for this one, over at her blog Jessica Simpson writes about going to Europe and "reading a book about Michelangelo," which prompted these Deep Thoughts from the Richardson native:

"Sometimes we are all so afraid to be honest with ourselves because we know that honesty will lead us somewhere off the path of the life we've mapped out in our minds. Today, I challenge us to ask ourselves this...

What if we allow our fear to provoke us into action?

Can facing our fear be what walks us to somewhere better?

I do not have your answers, but in the quest to find my own, I've discovered somewhere worth traveling to...

In my life, I ignore my fears too often, but then I'm left with nothing to challenge the best of me. I just remain cowering from my true identity. There is no discovery."