and i spin my wheels again

every time i go to the gym i am struck by the irony of it all. here am i, expending energy to expend energy because i expend energy because i don't want to expend energy.

huh?

right. here it is again: i use the electrically-generated resistance on the exercise equipment at the gym to expend excess energy (i.e. all the crap that i've eaten), but i only have to do this because i drive a car rather than walk or bicycle.

see the irony? i think about this all the time with each turn on the elliptical exerciser. we're blind to the connection between biological energy and chemical energy, though the laws of thermodynamics state they have to be related, and if you go back far enough they are - where do fossil fuels come from again? oh right, fossils.

and then i think about this great mass of sweating bodies, working desperately to expend all their energy so it doesn't build up and become potential energy (i.e. fat), and i think, what a shame. someday i'll build a gym to harness all that energy, all those legs pumping and wheels turning. at the very least, i should be able to harness enough of the resistance generated to sustain the resistance people want to exercise.

i heard a rumor once of a bed that can generate electricity while you, you know, make love. it makes sense - the springs act as oscillators and you should be able to generate a few volts. sadly, i've not been able to confirm this device. but it makes you wonder - we're always looking at the big picture - we've got to build a nuclear reactor to produce enough electricity for millions. but the little things can add up - a few volts there, a few volts here, and pretty soon, you're off the grid. and what an aphrodisiac? come on, baby, we need to make some energy so we can cook dinner. heh heh.

i've often joked to ryan about rigging up a stationary bicycle to generate electricity while he exercises. i wish i were more savvy with electronics, otherwise, i'd be tempted to try.