I thought this was supposed to feel good

Woohoo! A mile and a half again tonight. A bit slower, probably. My thighs have been killing me all day. At least they kept me from noticing my knees, which by comparison didn't hurt at all.
Also, 'running' is pretty broadly defined here. 'Jog', or 'brisk shuffle', might better define my pace for some (maybe half) of my 'run'. The rest is almost 'running'. I have some problems with my breathing rythm. I did before, too. My lungs almost always hurt for fifteen minutes or so afterward. I'd appreciate any tips anyone would care to offer. (As if anyone reads this but Tom. Tom, tips?) And, no, I can't look for advice in 'Running' magazine. Where would I get it? I'm not interested in the majority of its contents enough to subscribe, and it isn't carried by any of the stores around here.

Well, gotta go. I'm so tired I'm making way more typing errors than usual.

Microsoft. Don't get me started.

Okay, a mile and a half nearly killed me. (I only ran about 3/4 of a mile the first two times) But I ran the whole thing. No walking. When I got out of the Navy, a mile and a half was a joke.

I am sending Mom an invite to gmail. She uses Hotmail right now and it sucks. Marie sent her some pictures of Maggie, and Mom tried to send them to someone else. That person couldn't view the pictures. So, naturally, Mom asks me to do it. (Then she stands there making suggestions about how it might work, but that's another issue entirely) I don't know what Mom did, but it seems to me that it should have worked. But since it didn't I saved the pictures to the hard drive (and what a fight that was) and attatched the jpegs to a new message for Mom to send (that was a real main event, too). If I were designing a mail program, I might do it the same way. Provided that I was also a complete idiot.

Alas, for our time is past.

I have been missing the dice-and-paper RPGs I played as a kid. So I thought I'd give online games a try. I tried WoW when Caleb was still here (he's gone back to Ohio, TG). It was pretty lame. Not much different than Diablo II on Battlenet. There are two big problems, as I see it. First, you are limited to killing things. No actual roleplaying whatsoever. All quests are "go here, kill this thing, bring some item back." It gets boring fast. The second thing is that short, typed comments are not the same as being face to face with a group of real people, which is a lot more fun, even when the campaign and GM suck (which can happen). I admit, I have been playing DII on Battlenet some lately. It gets boring after about 30 minutes (every time). I had to stop.

As for running, I went a couple of times before we had company for a week. I'm going to run tonight (when it cools down a bit). Then, if not everyday, at least every other day. I found a solution for my knees. I take some ibuprofin about 45 minutes before I go. I'm probably doing a lot of damage to them, but unless someone gets me a Bowflex Treadclimber for my birthday (hint, hint), it's the best I can do.

Just kidding about the Treadclimber. I'd never ask anyone to spend that much on me. It would be nice to have one, though.

Same drug, new pusher

Caleb is no longer addicted to EverQuest. He is now addicted to World of Warcraft.

Please note: my birthday is coming up soon (July 6). I really don't expect anything, but if anyone is interested, I have a wishlist on Amazon.com. Use my email address (john.marley@gmail.com).

I want to start running again (I gave it up about six years ago). I'm finding out that I am a very lazy person. Excuses thus far: My knees hurt. The air here is too thin. No time (Ha!). Too cold. Too hot. I'll start tomorrow. I'll start Monday. I need to ease into it. --- Really, I'm just lazy.

That's it for now.

Been a while...

Sorry that it's been so long. I am easily distracted. A friend of mine once told me that I have the attention span of a flashcube.

A while ago, my brother Philip posted about some "Your water molecules are too small" scam. I found this in the June '05 issue of Popular Science. (This is one of the reasons I prefer Scientific American) I think it may be the same scam.

"Crystal Clear"
www.johnellis.com
Apparently, this machine changes the hydrogen bond angle from it's natural, "dead," 101 degrees to 114 degrees. This supposedly gives the water some amazing properties: removes "disease markers" from the water, kills "bad" bacteria without harming "good" bacteria, clears arteries, reduces or eliminates the effects of Lou Gehrig's Disease, and relieves Prostate cancer. My immediate question is: "Wouldn't all bacteria be affected the same by this new bond angle?"
I've read some of the website, and most of it makes absolutely no sense.

"Osmosis in trees and plants STOPS when it's raining and starts again when it's DRY! Using the water to make ordinary ice cubes, though the ENERGY is still there, it only expresses itself, and osmosis only occurs, when it's not raining. Water processed TRULY nature's way (God's way if you will) is "programmed" to respond this way. This is the water our Lord and nature wants you to have!"

What? Ice cubes have asomething to do with osmosis? Water is programmable? Does invoking God imbue credibility?

"Today's water is low in Electrons that destroy free radicals that cause disease."

How does changing the bond angle increase the number of electrons?

"My patents and proprietory secrets prove that I am THE ONLY PERSON IN THE WORLD that can find disease markers in water."

If all the scientists in the world are unable to duplicate your results, which is more likely? a) They are all incompetent, or b) You are a crackpot.

Read the "testimonials." This amazing water can make you lose weight, take the grey out of your hair, cure mastitis in cows (I have to show that one to Dad), relieve arthritis pain, and other incredible things. (Note: I use the word incredible literally: not believable)

Check it out. It's pretty funny. Right down to the disclaimer:

"However, since I am an engineer not a doctor, this information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Statements contained herein have not been evaluated by the Food & Drugs Administration, as in all health situations, as was done in this report, qualified professionals should be consulted."

I could be wrong, but this seems to translate to "I'm full of it."

I'll start a blog! Then I can pretend anyone cares what I think.

Ok, here's my blog. Are you happy now, Philip? If nothing else, it might improve my typing.

What should a reader (if there ever are any) expect?

1. I am not consistent. If a post contradicts an earlier one, just play along.

2. These are my actual thoughts and feelings. If you know me and I do or say something contrary to something posted here, this is real and that is fake.

3. Expect references to The Simpsons, and plenty of them. Also Futurama, Invader Zim, and some pretty obscure movies. Don't expect me to explain them. Expect asides, digressions and non-sequiturs, too.

4. If you are related to me (particularly on my mother's side) and I expound on religion (I probably will eventually), please don't stone me for heresy (or whatever).

5. If any of my posts are funny, it's entirely accidental.

6. I welcome responses, even hate mail. I would like to know if anyone reads this. Just, please proofread and spellcheck your reply. Especially the hate mail.

7. I am never out to provoke or offend anyone. I am, however, oblivious and often get carried away, so if I ever do offend you, I apologize now.

That's about all a reader can reliably expect. Please keep item 1 in mind as you read.

That's it for my first post.

Later,