SDS Daily Briefing for Saturday, September 24

Props for Tox  My stepdaughter, whom I call "Tox" (long story) tricked out the blog with the new design.  Game ball to her.

"It's like digging post holes in concrete" A lawyer friend of mine in Lubbock uses this simile to describe a difficult task.  Today's work in the Victory Garden (I'd prefer to call it a "Survival Garden" but apparently that weirds people out when I do) seemed quite similar to digging holes in concrete.  The Texas drought really took its toll on my garden, and the dirt in it had really hardened.  In the 8x12 raised bed, I managed to get 80% of it tilled....after two hours of work.  Tomorrow's forecast calls for temps over 100 degrees, which makes me think I will wait a few more days before planting my winter spinach.

If you aren't doing any sort of vegetable or fruit gardening, I suggest you give it a try.  The easiest way to do it is to do container gardening - where you plant things in buckets, tubs, even kiddie pools - to see what works in your climate, to teach you how to do it, and most importantly to provide fresh food.  Ideally, I'd have a large enough yard where I could grow a lot of food, but I'm rather limited due to the trees.  Some gardening ability and skills are better than none. 

Pictures to follow as the garden progresses.

What Does Doc Say About Antibiotics?  I mentioned in Wednesday's daily briefing my father, the dentist (and hence the name "Doc" which his granddaughters call him), gave me a tremendous amount of information about what I and others call "ditch dentistry."  (He laughs everytime I use this phrase).  Tonight, I'll share some of his thoughts on what preppers should have in the way of antibiotics for dental emergencies and potentially other problems.

• Amoxicillin.  500 milligrams, three times a day for five to seven days.  If you have a tooth that hurts spontaneously and is sore, that's a typical indication of an infection.  Amoxicillin is appropriate here, provided you're not allergic.
• If you are allergic to Amoxicillin, then consider a Z Pack.  The Z Pack should be taken two to three times the first day, and then one dose a day thereafter for three to four days. 
• Cipro.  Cipro should be taken twice a day in 500mg dosages for five to seven days.  It is the drug of choice since it treats a broader spectrum of problems, including anthrax and dysentary.

Of course, none of these drugs are available without a script, so I asked him if he would have a problem prescribing these pills to a patient to have just in case.

"Yeah, I would have a problem with it.  The reason is because these drugs are reactive with over the counter medications.....letting people self prescribe can be dangerous," he opined.

So - what's a prepper to do?  One idea might be to visit with the folks at Surviving Healthy, who say they can provide you with an antibiotic package for preparedness needs.  Note I do not have any experience with this company, but it might be worth contacting to learn more about their services.

Business Owners - Think You Can't Be Successfully Sued For Failing To Adequately Prepare For Disasters?  Think Again.  I picked this up off of Twitter (you ARE following me on Twitter @SubDadSurvival, right?).  A hospital in New Orleans, impacted by Hurricane Katrina, found out the hard way.  As the standard of care continues to evolve, look for more businesses to get sued in the coming years for failing to prepare. 

"So if copper is falling like a mo-fo—which both signals and convinces the market that the economy is gonna suck—what does this mean for monetary policy?"  The guys at ZeroHedge always have a succinct writing style, and this article on what the price of copper can tells us about the economy is no exception.