Over
the years that my drinking water information site has been active, I have
been asked
to provide some personal details by visitors wishing to know how to cite the
information in research papers (or simply wanting to know what my credentials
are for putting together a drinking water information site):
I have lived most of my life in Littleton, Colorado, a southern suburb
of Denver. I graduated from Littleton High School, and earned a BA degree in
biology with a minor in chemistry from the University of Colorado in Boulder,
CO. I completed a Masters of Science in molecular genetics from Northern Arizona
University in Flagstaff, AZ. I have taught biology and physical science at
the high school and college levels. I am currently employed at the Denver VA
Medical Center and provide data analysis, database management, programming, computer support,
and quality management reporting for the National Surgical Quality Improvement
Program.
I have always been
interested in science and in understanding how things work, whether it is a
radio or the universe. I was very annoyed
a number of years ago when trying to locate useful information on the internet
about drinking water and water treatment options. Most of the
information I found was quite exaggerated, very biased, or just plain
wrong. The number of sites containing accurate information about
drinking water is far greater today than when I started my site (probably in
97), but there is still a tremendous amount of exaggerated, biased, and just plain
wrong information on the web.
With a solid background
in science, research training (both experimental and library), and a strong interest
in education and statistics, I decided to distill everything I knew or could
find out about drinking water and build my own reference site. I try to
find several reliable sources for everything I publish and then make certain
it is consistent with the knowledge I already have. As I discover new
information I try to post it.
In early
2010 I was invited to participate in an interview,
Drinking Water: Facts, Scams, and Treatment Methods, for the health website,
www.chetday.com. In the interview I
provide additional details about how I became involved in issues related to
drinking water treatment.
I hope you find the
information collected on my web sites useful.
Randy Johnson, MS - Biology
Some additional
personal information and interests below:
That's me
in the picture to the left
engaged in one of my favorite activities these days - on the risers singing with
the 100 voice, men's a cappella chorus I am privileged to be a member of,
Sound
of the Rockies (SoR) out of Denver, Colorado. SoR is
a competitive member of the Barbershop
Harmony Society, and the picture above was taken on the International Stage in Montreal, Quebec,
July 5, 2003 where the
chorus placed 7th in a field of 20
other district
champion
choruses from the United States, Canada, and England. I had never heard of
a barbershop chorus before November 2001, but on a whim, my wife and I
attended a SoR concert, and I was so amazed by the sound and energy coming from the
stage, that I determined to become a part of the group. You can read this
story at
YourHub.com.
The
summer of 2007, the chorus placed third at International Competition in our
hometown, Denver, CO.
You can view a
larger picture here or
listen to the 2007 Sound of the Rockies contest
performance
here.
 July 2008 in
Nashville, in Anaheim July 2009 and in Pittsburgh July 2010, Sound of the Rockies placed 4th in the
International Barbershop competition. In July of 2011 the chorus places
third in Kansas City.
There are
over 800 chapters of the Barbershop Harmony Society
in the United States and Canada. In many cities and towns these chapters,
which often consist of an a cappella chorus and several quartets, provide
top-quality, family entertainment opportunities in their
communities and an opportunity for men who love to sing to create some wonderful
harmony. I would strongly encourage anyone who loves music to
check the BHS
listings to see if there is a nearby chorus and/or quartet. Contact
them to find out when/where they will be performing or rehearsing, and plan to
attend a concert or attend a rehearsal. There are
other
men's and two women's (Sweet
Adelines, and Harmony,
Inc.) barbershop organizations around the world that you might find
rewarding to explore.
Listen
to Sound of the Rockies (1.4MB MP3 file)
On a
different note:
Besides
singing and work - and updating websites, I keep busy with a variety of activities and interests which
include:
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Astronomy
and cosmology - I am fascinated by the universe we inhabit, and
periodically, on dark nights (which are sadly becoming rarer as light
pollution increases), I drag my telescope out to look at the planets and
an assortment of deep space objects. I can only marvel at the
images
that the Hubble
Space Telescope has brought to the world.
One of the most
amazing events I have witnessed was watching the 2001
Leonid
meteor storm for several hours after midnight with my family as
"shooting stars" rained down out of a dark, clear sky at an incredible
rate! Took a lot of neat pictures - and later discovered I had forgotten to load my camera. |
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Geology
and amateur rock and mineral collecting - Living in Colorado provides
some fun locations for mineral and fossil collecting with my wife and
son. We spent one afternoon, for example, collecting calcite crystals
and chipping plain opal out of a hill near Grand Junction. |
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Gardening
- Although the recent Colorado drought has put a crimp in this activity, I enjoy
growing, harvesting, cooking and eating the produce of my garden. I
enjoy planting varieties of giant pumpkins, that if properly cared for,
can produce several hundred pound pumpkins. Mine have yet to top 100
pounds, but I keep trying. |
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Novice
Vintner
(a great use for water that's heavily contaminated with grape compounds) - An attempt ten years ago to brew wine from concord grapes
picked in a neighbor's yard effectively killed any desire to repeat the
experience - - - until recently. My wife and I enjoy a good bottle
of wine and we just (4/07) decided to try several of the varietal wine
kits on the market - started with a Cabernet Sauvignon (which will take
several years to mature) and will soon start brewing a Chardonnay (because
we don't wish to wait several years to begin drinking the fruits of our
labor).
August 2009 update: the two batches of wine mentioned above sadly are
gone (they turned out great). We started a 6-gallon batch from
California Cabernet Sauvignon grapes last fall, bottling in May 2009 -
it seems to be quite good, but we will not start drinking it until next
spring. Meanwhile we are trying to figure out which type of wine(s)
to make with this fall's harvest. |
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Web
and graphics design - I put this drinking water information site together
and I developed a series of web pages to promote my Dad's book,
A
Thread of Gold, a historical- fiction adventure novel
about the search for a lost gold bonanza in the the Colorado Rockies,
published in 2005. |
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Cooking
- My wife and I enjoy, when time allows, digging into the spice rack and
creating culinary masterpieces. We processed 50 pounds of
chokecherries we collected along the nearby Highline Canal (Aug 03) for
making jelly, and perhaps some wine. |
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Photography
- I enjoy trying to get just the right balance of light and composition in
a photograph. |
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Folk
singing and guitar playing - I have been singing and playing the
guitar since high school. My guitar has been a good companion
over the years at home, off at school, and on camping trips. |
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Reading
and collecting antique books & magazines - I enjoy
frequenting local book sales looking for interesting old books and
magazines.
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Yours in Harmony
Randy Johnson
Everything
You Always Wanted To Know About Drinking Water
Everything
You Always Wanted To Know About Selecting A Drinking Water Treatment System
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