JDPFu.com 2025

I caught a Penn & Teller TV show recently and they had a guy on from QuackWatch debunking alternative medicine.

For me, it is really simple. If this stuff works, where are the scientific double-blind studies proving it. The alternative medicine people always say that you are an individual and their process is tailored specifically for you. It can’t be reproduced because everyone is different. Right, sure.

I’ve heard – no article to cite here, sorry – that 50% of all ailments get better on their own. Having someone work on you and only you does feel good mentally and i believe it could be why so many illogical people are paying for these bogus services.

I have read that 50% of back pains go away after 2 years with no treatment. So, if your back hurts, going to an alternative practicioner and paying them can harm you – by keeping you away from real medicine that is proven to work. It also wastes your money and if you are part of my insurance company – my money.

TT practicioners or Therapeutic Touch did agree to a study by a then 9 year old girl. They failed the testing. They performed less than chance would have guessed. They actually did worse than flipping a coin and guessing in the test. Therapeutic touch is paid for by many insurance programs and supported by almost 100,000 nurses. It appears that not all nurses understand the scientific method. My health insurance company has that to say about it.

Today, we make a list of important items to take with us should we need to leave home quickly for 3 days.

What’s Your Backup Plan?

Over the next few days and weeks, we’ll try to discuss what you need to plan in advance and what to take with you when a disaster occurs in your part of the world.

• Part 1-the scenario
• Part 2-Preparation is Key
• Part 3-System Backups

Don’t think disaster will happen? These people had now way to know their data center was going down.

About the author:
I’ve worked for a large telecom company designing computer and network systems that keep working after a disaster occurs. Those plans are tested twice a year – most of the time the first test doesn’t completely work, but you learn and make corrections. Over the years, you get better and better at it and learn that having the exact software stack isn’t all you need – sometimes the hardware is 1-of-a-kind too. Or the software assumed EXACT IP addresses and won’t work anywhere else or if an interfacing system isn’t at a particular IP address.
Don’t forget that all the normal people that run the computers and network are gone. They’ve been evacuated elsewhere and you need to plan for their extended absence. Not1 or 2 people, but hundreds of your critical support people. They don’t have cell phones.

Ok, so your life isn’t this complex. Neither is it as simple as jumping you and the family into the minivan and driving away. Be Prepared.

I was clearing undergrowth from my back yard again this morning – doing a little every day – and hit a yellow jacket hive/hole/something. At first, they looked like sweat bees and I was trying to decide how to photograph them best (nature photography as a hobby) … then a sting … and another and 10+ of them were on me.

Running like a little girl back to the deck … I found more stuck to my shirt and still stinging. Take off the shirt and find 5 stingers stuck all around it. Three on my work gloves … stinging, but not getting through the fabric.

I feel stings on my calves and behind the knee, but don’t see anything down there. Then another on my thigh. Still don’t see it. Pull off the shorts (Go UT!) quickly and find another stuck inside them, still stinging at the cloth. My sandals make good YJ killers.

By now, there are a few pimples where they stung me good and the venom is still a dull ache. Thankfully, I’m not allergic to bees, wasps or yellow jackets, but it still hurts. Most of the stings aren’t showing any signs and even the big pimples are going down now.

Life gets in the way of living sometimes.

Ok, so where’s my bug killer?

As many of you know, I’m losing a little weight while retired. The plan started in mid-November 2007.
Goals

1. Lose weight – about 100 lbs.
2. Increase cardio health, strength, & stamina
3. Consider getting ripped for the last 20 lbs.
4. Don’t gain any weight over Thanksgiving or Xmas holidays
5. Get my resting heart rate below 50 again, like it was in my 20s.

Strategy:

• Diet, exercise, weigh in daily, tracking, & graphing (XLS)
• Eat about 1700 calories a day – yes, that means I need to approximate calorie for foods I like
• Ski machine, free weights, outdoor activities
• No caffeine, no soda, avoid processed foods. Portion control.
• Eat breakfast (400+ cal) and lunch (~700 cal) for most of my daily calories – healthy snacks (~100 cal ea) too
• Fill in remaining daily calories for dinner – usually ~200 cal, so veggies and fruit or oatmeal work
• Nuts – there’s something about them and milk that helps me lose weight and feel full.

Log
What has happened so far? Basically, I’ve lost 3 lbs/week since starting. If this continues, by June 2008, I should be nearing my goal.

The No S Diet

- all data in this section is total loss, not weekly.

I had planned to watch this launch, but all the viewing Cape Canaveral tickets were sold out. After working as a contractor for 8 years in Houston – Shuttle On-board Flight Software and on Mission Control EDP software, I never got to watch a launch in Florida. I did watch a few from the JSC Mission Control Center and, early on, was forced to sit in the server data center next to the EDP project servers in case there was any problem that required physical correction. Not much fun since there was no headset link or TV or radio in the server rooms.

Anyways, the launch was on a Saturday after a holiday long weekend, so I didn’t want to brave the tourist and traffic to go.
Here’s the launch … youtube embedded video.

Enjoy.

Oh, and watch the landing – I re-wrote the nosewheel steering software and the aileron/elevon control software that makes all the landings since 1992 or so, perfect.

The Landing … on 6/14/2008. Notice how smooooooth it is. Thank you, thank you very much.

http://www.google.com/sky/\nAstronomy without leaving your house.

Pine Mtn Recreation Area
This is my 2nd trip to this trail – nothing important is new. See the other report for directions, parking, etc…

However, this time I did both the east and west trail loops. I’m in much better shape now. ;)

The trail map is accurate, for the most part, except where it is completely inaccurate. A few of the mileage markers on map simply don’t exist. Also, the number of switchbacks shown on the smaller trail is wholey inaccurate – there are approx. double the number shown. Why do I care? BECAUSE I WAS CLIMBING THE DAMN HILL THERE.

As always, it is good to be hiking on a Tuesday afternoon when everyone else is at work.

Pine Log Creek Trail
Overview
Trail is 4.5 mile compacted soil path crossing seven rustic footbridges over Pine Log Creek.

This trail system includes two loops – east and west. I hiked most of the western loop first, taking the most western trail at the split. Then took the link over a creek to the eastern loop. I took the southern trail at the loop split. There’s a small beaver dam.

Mileage Summary

Directions I-75 Exit 293, US 411 north approximately 7.7 miles. Turn right onto GA 140 east toward Waleska. Continue approximately 3.3 miles to Pine Log Creek Trail System parking area on left. I had to turn around and go back after passing the entrance.

Red Top Mountain
Overview

1. Homestead Trail Mileage: 4.4 miles total (which doesn’t match the 5.4 mils from the last time I did this exact trail)
2. Total Time: 1:30 with stops for photos. I’m getting into significantly better shape.
3. This was my first hike since returning from both Costa Rica and Argentina, I expected knee problems and didn’t have any – not even a pop. Two months ago, I was 13 lbs heavier. That doesn’t sound like much and I certainly haven’t been losing weight like I did the non-travel months. Since returning from Buenos Aires, I’ve struggled to follow my calorie restrictions, exercise and stop eating after 7pm. The BsAs lifestyle didn’t allow for any of that.
4. Back to Red Top Mtn – spring has fully sprung. The trail was full of green and about 10 butterflies. The butterflies were nothing like Iguazu Falls or Costa Rice in either density or coloration, but they were still nice to see in the mid-afternoon.
5. No insect bites at all – no DEET on either.
6. My boots, purchased at Blackcomb Mountain in British Columbia, are starting to show some wear. With my weight loss, the boots fit much better and I’ve changed from liner hiking socks to medium-cush hiking socks. Another 20 lbs down and I’ll need the heavy-cush socks.

Noticeable Sights
The main thing to see is that Lake Allatoona isn’t low anymore. According to the Corps of Engineers site, 840’ is the normal lake level in summer and considered full at that level. Wikipedia Article Paths that run near the lake have … perhaps 10’ of clearance which is probably the ideal lake level.