The Spring weather this morning was so nice that I got a long extension cord and moved the treadmill outside. Ever on the lookout for ways to supplement my meager academic salary, I thought about ways to profit from this latest brilliant idea as I thrummed along in the vernal sunshine. What if, I mused, it were possible to break the electric umbilical tethering the 'mill to this fixed spot, perhaps using the latest in battery technology? Would not the treadmill then be free to trundle along the roadway, thereby offering the user alternatives to the normal view of a blank wall or Maurey Povich reruns? As the pace picked up and the endorphins began to work their magic, these vague ideas crystallized around the concept of a new type of vehicle for runners. Gripping the steering wheel for balance above the moving belt, its user would patter his way to work, somewhat in the manner of Fred Flintstone, thereby offsetting the necessary evil of commuting with the benefits of aerobic exercise. Ah, if only others could see the brilliance of this! -- ************************************************************************ Terry R. McConnell Mathematics/304B Carnegie/Syracuse, N.Y. 13244-1150 [email protected] http://barnyard.syr.edu/~tmc ************************************************************************