Why are there so many conspiracies?

I don't remember our country having the level of paranoia that we seem to have.  It seems that everyday I'm hearing about something new.  Is Osama Bin Laden dead (yes, praise God!)?  People refuse to believe it without seeing pictures.  Was Obama born in the USA? Donald Trump and all sorts of dumbasses must see a birth certificate because they got a mass email that told them that Obama was lying! Did George Bush plan 9/11? People saw video of the planes and terrorists took credit for the attack yet people still don't believe it. Is that Comcast Xfinity commercial some sort of brainwashing/mind control?? OK, I made that conspiracy up but I think that answer is yes...i can't get the song out of my head...It's fun for you! It's fun for me! Come on everyone blindly spend their money on higher cable bills! 

It used to be that there were two good conspiracies.  Did aliens crash at Roswell and who really killed JFK? Now, it's like people got bored and have to turn everything into a conspiracy.  Our country has some serious trust issues!  I guess I can understand some level of questioning authority and government...but I think we have waded into the territory of ridiculousness.

Our new conspiracy culture has forced me to change my plans regarding running this half marathon.  Originally, I wanted no photo evidence of my attempt to go from heavy smoker to completing a half marathon.  I didn't find it necessary to document my tired, sweaty, pathetic face for all to see.  Unfortunately, I also don't want to be accused of not completing my intended goal!  What if Donald Trump decides to target me??  "Michael Ramsey needs to prove that he completed that half-marathon!" So, I now need to consider how to document my half-marathon training/attempt.     

Do runners shave II?

Blogging has been a cool experience so far.  There is something cool about spewing thoughts and having other people read them.  It's also awesome when people share their thoughts in comments section.  One of most interesting things about having a blog is that I can see how many people have read the blog and how they got here.  Admittedly, most of the people that read my blog get here via my facebook page where I post when I have a new entry.  People can follow the blog or subscribe to get the blog emailed to them, but most clicks come from facebook.  I am happy to say that I do have an international following! So, welcome readers from Canada, Russia, the United Kingdom, Italy, China, Denmark, the United Arab Emirates, Australia, and Finland, who probably accidentally clicked on my blog.  The really interesting part (at least to me) is that many people end up doing a google search to find out if runners shave their bodies and end up at my blog!  It makes me feel somewhat guilty that people are trying to find out actual information and end up reading my rambling blog and the entry I posted earlier about whether I was supposed to shave my body before the half marathon.  It makes me wonder what other phrases I could include in my blog that would get people to end up here.  If I mention "Royal Wedding" will that lead to thousands of clicks on my blog??  If I mention Sarah Palin or Barrack Obama, will that increase my readership??  I'm not sure but to those of you that happen to be looking for accurate information on whether runners shave their bodies, I apologize for not giving you any idea what to do.  I can tell you that when I attempt to run the half marathon in September, I do not intend to shave my body (but i have been considering shaving my head).

What could be worse than trying to run a half-marathon?

It is probably wrong to complain about registering for a baby shower.  But screw it! Attempting to register for a baby shower is practically enough to train me to run this half-marathon.  Let's start with the fun part.  Having a scanner gun and being able to walk around a store and zap things is pretty awesome (it would be more awesome if it were things that I wanted or needed).  The awesomeness of the scanner was quickly replaced by the overwhelming feeling of "What the hell did I get myself into?" which was followed with thoughts like "What's the difference between a receiving blanket and a burping cloth?" and "Why do I need them both?"  

Truthfully, I started to doubt my ability to be a good father as I stood in the store trying to fold up a stroller.  I could not figure it out!  I think we spent over two hours in the store trying to find all the things we needed and that didn't even get us close to being done.  One problem is that once you decide on an item you need, then you have to figure out which one will be the one to chose.  Am I expected to know which diaper receptacle will best prevent my house from smelling like baby poop?  They all look pretty effective in the pictures!  How did Michael Landon on Little House on the Prairie survive without a Diaper Genie??

I can safely say that trying to run a half marathon will be more fun than registering! It also seems that even at my slow pace (I'm still at about a 13 minute mile) it will take longer to register than it will for me to run the half-marathon.

Could this happen to me?

So, here is a link to something that could happen to me while attempting to run the half-marathon

http://deadspin.com/#!5793292/the-poopiness-of-the-long-distance-runner

This could be my worst fear!  I'm not really concerned with my finish time, so, I'd like to think that I could find a bathroom somewhere along the way.  But, I guess if you have to go, you have to go!