Doctors Are The Third Leading Cause of Death in the US, Killing 225,000 People Every Year



This article in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) is the best article I have ever seen written in the published literature documenting the tragedy of the traditional medical paradigm.

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This information is a followup of the Institute of Medicine report which hit the papers in December of last year, but the data was hard to reference as it was not in peer-reviewed journal. Now it is published in JAMA which is the most widely circulated medical periodical in the world.

The author is Dr. Barbara Starfield of the Johns Hopkins School of Hygiene and Public Health and she desribes how the US health care system may contribute to poor health.

ALL THESE ARE DEATHS PER YEAR:
12,000 -- unnecessary surgery
7,000 -- medication errors in hospitals
20,000 -- other errors in hospitals
80,000 -- infections in hospitals
106,000 -- non-error, negative effects of drugs
These total to 225,000 deaths per year from iatrogenic causes!!

What does the word iatrogenic mean? This term is defined as induced in a patient by a physician's activity, manner, or therapy. Used especially of a complication of treatment.

Dr. Starfield offers several warnings in interpreting these numbers:
First, most of the data are derived from studies in hospitalized patients.
Second, these estimates are for deaths only and do not include negative effects that are associated with disability or discomfort.
Third, the estimates of death due to error are lower than those in the IOM report.

If the higher estimates are used, the deaths due to iatrogenic causes would range from 230,000 to 284,000. In any case, 225,000 deaths per year constitutes the third leading cause of death in the United States, after deaths from heart disease and cancer. Even if these figures are overestimated, there is a wide margin between these numbers of deaths and the next leading cause of death (cerebrovascular disease).

Another analysis concluded that between 4% and 18% of consecutive patients experience negative effects in outpatient settings,with:
116 million extra physician visits
77 million extra prescriptions
17 million emergency department visits
8 million hospitalizations
3 million long-term admissions
199,000 additional deaths
$77 billion in extra costs

The high cost of the health care system is considered to be a deficit, but seems to be tolerated under the assumption that better health results from more expensive care.

However, evidence from a few studies indicates that as many as 20% to 30% of patients receive inappropriate care.

An estimated 44,000 to 98,000 among them die each year as a result of medical errors.

This might be tolerated if it resulted in better health, but does it? Of 13 countries in a recent comparison, the United States ranks an average of 12th (second from the bottom) for 16 available health indicators. More specifically, the ranking of the US on several indicators was:
13th (last) for low-birth-weight percentages
13th for neonatal mortality and infant mortality overall
11th for postneonatal mortality
13th for years of potential life lost (excluding external causes)
11th for life expectancy at 1 year for females, 12th for males
10th for life expectancy at 15 years for females, 12th for males
10th for life expectancy at 40 years for females, 9th for males
7th for life expectancy at 65 years for females, 7th for males
3rd for life expectancy at 80 years for females, 3rd for males
10th for age-adjusted mortality

The poor performance of the US was recently confirmed by a World Health Organization study, which used different data and ranked the United States as 15th among 25 industrialized countries.

There is a perception that the American public "behaves badly" by smoking, drinking, and perpetrating violence." However the data does not support this assertion.
The proportion of females who smoke ranges from 14% in Japan to 41% in Denmark; in the United States, it is 24% (fifth best). For males, the range is from 26% in Sweden to 61% in Japan; it is 28% in the United States (third best).
The US ranks fifth best for alcoholic beverage consumption.
The US has relatively low consumption of animal fats (fifth lowest in men aged 55-64 years in 20 industrialized countries) and the third lowest mean cholesterol concentrations among men aged 50 to 70 years among 13 industrialized countries.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/07/30/doctors-death-part-one.aspx

These estimates of death due to error are lower than those in a recent Institutes of Medicine report, and if the higher estimates are used, the deaths due to iatrogenic causes would range from 230,000 to 284,000.

Even at the lower estimate of 225,000 deaths per year, this constitutes the third leading cause of death in the US, following heart disease and cancer.

Lack of technology is certainly not a contributing factor to the US's low ranking.
Among 29 countries, the United States is second only to Japan in the availability of magnetic resonance imaging units and computed tomography scanners per million population. 17
Japan, however, ranks highest on health, whereas the US ranks among the lowest.
It is possible that the high use of technology in Japan is limited to diagnostic technology not matched by high rates of treatment, whereas in the US, high use of diagnostic technology may be linked to more treatment.
Supporting this possibility are data showing that the number of employees per bed (full-time equivalents) in the United States is highest among the countries ranked, whereas they are very low in Japan, far lower than can be accounted for by the common practice of having family members rather than hospital staff provide the amenities of hospital care.

http://www.naturalnews.com/021206.html

A popular message circulating the internet claims that "guns don't kill people, doctors do," based on statistics that theoretically show that doctors are responsible for more accidental deaths every year than firearms. Independent research by NaturalNews staff shows that this claim is based on a logical fallacy of comparing apples and oranges, but according to the hard statistics, doctors do indeed kill more people than guns.

The message, which sometimes says that doctors kill more people than guns and traffic accidents combined, has been circulating the internet for years. Like many urban legends that cross the internet, it has a lot of "facts" for its readers, but it is unlike most urban legends in that it quotes a source: "Statistics provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services." The message was even recounted in an article by Nathan Tabor. The letter claims that:

-- There are 700,000 physicians in the United States.
-- There are 120,000 accidental deaths in the United States caused by physicians every year, and the accidental death percentage per physician is 0.171.
-- There are 80 million gun owners in the United States.
-- There are 1,500 accidental deaths from guns every year, regardless of age group, and the accidental death percentage per gun owner is 0.0000188.

This means, the letter points out, that doctors are 9,000 times more deadly than gun owners.

Tabor's reason for pointing out these statistics seems to be the endorsement of second amendment rights, but the stats have turned the heads of many people, regardless of their stance on gun control. The claim has been reprinted across the internet on sites such as Rense.com, and other sites that warn of the dangers of modern medicine. NaturalNews staff members were unable to find DHHS figures that either supported or debunked the urban legend's claims. Such figures are hard to compare anyway, as the internet anti-chain-letter site BreakTheChain.org points out with responses gathered from the public:

-- Most people see doctors when their health is already poor, so that has to be considered a factor in any doctor-related deaths, accidental or otherwise.
-- Some people will never interact with a gun in their lifetime, but very few people will never see a doctor. This means that doctors could be more lethal simply due to a greater chance of public exposure to them.

As you can see, the doubts raised by these factors mean the statistics cannot be fairly compared, however NaturalNews's stance is that conventional medicine is still one of the top causes of death in the United States. Specifically, information obtained by Death by Medicine shows that an estimated 106,000 people die from adverse drug effects -- from properly prescribed drugs -- every year, and approximately 98,000 die annually from some sort of error by medical staff. Compare this to statistics from the Department of Justice and the U.S. Centers for Disease control for the year 2004, which show an estimated 16,137 people were victims of homicide (not just firearm murders) in the United States.

Most people can agree that doctors and guns can both be lethal. But comparing doctor deaths with gun deaths seems odd. For one thing, the intention is different. Doctors are usually trying to save patients, not kill them. Violent criminals who might use guns in committing a crime, however, often do have the intention of causing physical harm. Doctors may be dangerous through their ignorance or incompetence, but they are not actually out to kill anyone.

[Ed. Note: What about doctors who are armed? Gunpoint medicine is the use of firearms to force patients to undergo procedures like chemotherapy. I've covered it in the Abraham Cherrix articles. If we allow people with guns to enforce the dangerous practices of conventional medicine, then we have the worst of both worlds: ignorant doctors backed by guns.]

Curtis K's NDE

EXPERIENCE DESCRIPTION:

I suffered a heart attack September 03 2002 while I was on vacation. I was alone in my sister’s guest room at the time. Know one found me, know one revived me.

There was a point in my experience, where I had to let go of this life. I fought against dying as best I could. I knew what was happening to me, I never had anything like this happen to me before. While it was happening I didn’t know what I should do. As I was losing hold on my life, I felt sorry for myself as I began to let go. I felt was dying poorly.

A kind of darkness, came over me and I experienced a grayish dark void of infinite nothing-ness. I had no fear at this point. I had no concept of time or relationships to time or of moments passing. It was a very unusual feeling to say the least, not what we normally experience in the everyday reality of our lives. I felt myself becoming more and more aware, self-aware. I had feelings of expanding awareness, becoming everything known experiencing everything yet to be known. As this was happening, everything I had been taught, everything I believed in, everything I ever learned or thought throughout the course of my lifetime, fell away from me as if they never held meaning in the first place. This felt ok to me, I had no fear.

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Yes The limitations of language by itself, and the inability to form or accurately conceptualize of some of the experience when using it.

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event? Yes Believed, to have been brought on from

Food poisoning. (spoiled fish)

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? I had no concept of time, or even of moments passing. When I became aware of this, I seemed to realize, that the constructions I believed, were just constructions on the foundation of time related beliefs. Meaning, speed of light kinds of precepts and clock time learned behaviors. Everything was occurring at once. It disturbs me to consider my experience in comparison to accepted beliefs, weather in terms of scientific or religious.

The best answer I can give is, when I left my body.

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal every day consciousness and alertness? More consciousness and alertness than normal

If your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience was different from your normal every day consciousness and alertness, please explain: I had no concept of time, or even of moments passing. When I became aware of this, I seemed to realize, that the constructions I believed, were just constructions on the foundation of time related beliefs. Meaning, speed of light kinds of precepts and clock time learned behaviors. Everything was occurring at once. It disturbs me to consider my experience in comparison to accepted beliefs, weather in terms of scientific or religious.

The best answer I can give is, when I left my body.

Did your vision differ in any way from your normal, everyday vision (in any aspect, such as clarity, field of vision, colors, brightness, depth perception degree of solidness/transparency of objects, etc.)? Uncertain I was not seeing through eyes. I was seeing in some other way not known to me presently. Yet I seemed to be having visions related to a high detailed ability to remember. Thoughts seemed to materialize into things I could see. It seemed like sight, but felt more like memory.

Did your hearing differ in any way from your normal, everyday hearing (in any aspect, such as clarity, ability to recognize source of sound, pitch, loudness, etc.)?
Uncertain It is not presently known to me, how I was hearing, I conversed with three others during the experiences but it felt more like we were already aware of the sum of the conversation. The tonal qualities in word seemed secondary, more like memory.

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body? Yes

What emotions did you feel during the experience? While it was happening I didn’t know what I should do. I knew what was happening, I was scared in a way I had never experienced before that moment. As I was losing hold of my life, I felt profoundly sorry for myself. I felt my breathing stop and I felt myself suffocate. As I began to let go, I could feel the difference in my physical body and this other part of me. This other part seemed more intelligent than I knew myself to be. Its heath seems light and perfect, yet I could still feel the ills and abuses inflicted on my physical part. I was profoundly taken, all consumed in the events of the moment.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure? Uncertain I experienced some kind of transition, but I felt as if I were passing through some kind of membrane.

Did you see a light? Uncertain Sometimes I thought I was seeing and sometimes I thought I was remembering something I saw. I remember, an experience of black nothing-ness and gray infinite void. I not presently sure I was seeing at all.

Did you meet or see any other beings? Yes Three others, the one, informed me, they were each in various stages of humans evolutionary development. They all thought my manner of death was quite funny, and joked about it to me. Saying I didn’t have to die that way. In such a unpleasant, painful manner. There was more, but I don’t feel comfortable saying much more than this.

Did you experience a review of past events in your life? Yes I exist apart from my physical body and dwell within it as well.

All have this ability. It is a stage of development in a human’s being.

Matter is formed through a process related to interconnected-ness with aspects of a self yet to be known. There is more, I don’t feel comfortable saying much more than this.

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later? Uncertain I am uncertain about the question. After returning, and some months later, I began to experience a kind of hearing of others thoughts. A kind of insight into how each of us forms the elements of collective experience. I was alone; know one found me, I self revived somehow. The only physical objects were in the room where it happened. The other aspects of the experience were not within an experience I can presently describe.

Did you see or visit any beautiful or otherwise distinctive locations, levels or dimensions? Uncertain The aspects of my experience did not occur in a place, it sometimes contained elements I cannot presently describe. I felt myself to be part of everything that can possibly be known while still being able to dwell within a physical body. There is other kinds of existence that doesn’t utilize a physical forms.

Did you have any sense of altered space or time? Uncertain Speed of light, clock time, understood as precepts or learned behaviors, fell away. Everything is occurring all at once. Right Now! My beliefs at the time changed in a profound way. But because of returning, I had to relearn them and repress the experience. I began to realize that as I tried to regain my orientation to the known and accepted. I was appearing to others to be quite the borderline personality. I had to shut up, and fly right. It’s been six years now and I'm still concerned about my personal safety.

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose? Yes Everything is occurring all at once. Right now and in every instant.

There is no instant that occurred before or after the other.

I experienced myself as a woman, as a man and as genderless.

People create the universe they know, and some universes, they don’t know.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? No

Did you become aware of future events? Yes
Future events will occur to a 100% certainty, if enough of the right kinds of people share in the belief of the given event. This is because certain elements of physical reality are shared by all of us. Using Newton as an example, we all believe that matter can be acted upon by other types of matter, an there by influence its direction and in turn effect the degrees of certainty. I believe now that all is possible, because it happens in the same instant, I cannot explain it very well to others at present.

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience you did not have prior to the experience? Yes I cannot explain it very well to others at present.

Have you shared this experience with others? Yes I had to shut up, and fly right. It’s been six years now; I'm still concerned about my personal safety. I’m still trying to regain a great deal of normal orientation. I am still contending with PTSD from the experience. I lost my job and most every thing I own and have a lack of concern about it.

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? No

How did you view the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened: Experience was definitely real everything I had been taught, everything I believed in, everything I ever learned or thought throughout the course of my lifetime, fell away from me as if they never held meaning in the first place. This felt ok to me, I had no fear.

Were there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or significant to you?

How do you currently view the reality of your experience: Experience was definitely real The experience itself, the NDE, would not have been something I would have ever thought to peruse on my own. Years before the NDE I was wanting and working hard to become an electronics engineer. Today I’m all consumed by it and struggling just to get by.

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience? Yes I do not pursue relationships anymore.

I ended the ones I had.

I limit the ones to family members.

I do not leave the house anymore unless I absolutely have too.

I sometimes think to make attempts to reconcile my experience, like now.

I got myself fired from my job.

Have your religious beliefs/practices changed specifically as a result of your experience? Yes It disturbs me to consider accepted beliefs weather in terms of scientific or religious.

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience? No

Did the questions asked and information you provided so far accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Yes They helped me remember some parts I’m choosing to forget.

Are there any other questions we could ask to help you communicate your experience? Consider advances, in different kinds of technology principles.

Consider different principles for the makeup of the physical matter.

Consider different principles related to the properties of matter, and where they came from, for that matter. (The Principles).

Consider different principles related to the origins and properties of God.

What are angels and devils?

Consider the origins and properties for creating a theology of opposites.

Henry O's NDE Compliments of NDERF.COM

Experience description:

I had heart attack and was getting catheterized, two stints, died twice on table, was fibbed twice burned pretty good. I saw bright vivid crystal fab colors very vivid and peaceful. Heard people yelling my name Henry, over and over again, I used some very vulgar language (ex-new york cop> I did not want to come back, did not want to be bothered. For two years I never told anyone anything other than I absolutely have no fear of dieing anymore, for fear I was an odd-ball, I never saw a tunnel, never saw Jesus, a bright light etc, just that beautifully colored deep cut crystal. Then one day my wife and I were talking to an herbalist, and she was talking about NDEs , which I never even heard of before, well I told her my story and she believes I had an NDE.

Dr says I need to go to Burlington in am for catheterization, get on table, tech says do you want to see the procedure? I said yes, so they go in the artery in my right thigh, he says you will see a small wire, I do they have three TV screens, I see my heart beating, really neat, then the wire comes in the main artery, the tech says ok now I am going to put in the dye a color contrast, and I watch my heart go black, I grab my chest yelling pain , pain, and the next thing I know is the crystal the yelling etc, so did I have an NDE/ who was the Irish nurse I was on no drugs, my wife saw and spoke to the nurses herself so I think I am not totally nuts. I am hoping you can tell me what I experienced.

Was the kind of experience difficult to express in words? Yes I did not hear or read since the incident about anyone seeing what I saw, Everyone else reported bright white light, Jesus, tunnel, departed loved ones etc, etc, etc. I saw these vivid colors of what I believe to be crystal, and the overwhelming feeling of knowing, there IS an after life and it is good, no fear of death what so ever ! Not to sound sick, but hearing of deaths since I feel kind of glad for them and look foreword to returning myself to where ever it was.

At the time of this experience, was there an associated life threatening event? Uncertain I was diagnosed with kidney cancer the previous month and was en route to see the surgeon in Burlington when I had the heart attack in Berlin VT at Central Vermont Hospital exit to I89, here is where it really gets weird. My wife a licens3ed Registered nurse was driving I told her I was having a heart attack, she says no its just nerves, I responded BS I am having a heart attack!!! She pulled into CVH Isqid chest pains they rushed me to the rear with my wife present. This brunette nurse 5'6" 110 with thick Irish brogue comes in says lay down , I said I cant the pain increases when I try, She reaches out, touches my shoulder and says the pain is gone lay back, The pain was gone and I did lay back. She then says in this thick Irish brogue, You had a heart attack, The first blood work will be negative. The second blood work will show positive, and at this she exits the room. I looked at my wife puzzled and said she sounds exactly like my aunt Brigit, who raised me when I was very young, my mother had a drinking problem , this aunt Brigit was called a saint, always cared for family members devout catholic, never married, died around 1957 ? the doctor comes in and another nurse, they examine me do blood etc dr. says we are going to keep you over night. I asked who was the Irish nurse ? they both look at one another and say what Irish nurse ? The Dr says we have no Irish nurse, my wife says I saw her she has a thick Irish accent. Both say we have no nurse like that, we then described her again they say no such person works here. That was about 9am 2/7/01 at about 6pm more blood taken from hospital bed about 8pm the Dr says well the first blood test and exam showed nothing but the second shows you had a heart attack

At what time during the experience were you at your highest level of consciousness and alertness? 1 the nurse at cvh 2 on the table before I went out. 3 looking at the crystal I would asay I was totally focused

How did your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience compare to your normal every day consciousness and alertness? More consciousness and alertness than normal

If your highest level of consciousness and alertness during the experience was different from your normal every day consciousness and alertness, please explain: deeply engrossed and focused in a very pleasant and comforting way I did not want to be disturbed or come back to the voice of the tech yelling my name, he said when I asked what the hell that stink was, we lost you twice we had to defib you and burnt all the hair off your chest. I had burn marks for a week from that.

Did your vision differ in any way from your normal, everyday vision (in any aspect, such as clarity, field of vision, colors, brightness, depth perception degree of solidness/transparency of objects, etc.)? Yes the colors were so vivid I cant explain the colors, and I noticed when I moved my head ever so slightly the colors shot all over with such intensity I was absolutely amazed, engrossed, relaxed.

Did your hearing differ in any way from your normal, everyday hearing (in any aspect, such as clarity, ability to recognize source of sound, pitch, loudness, etc.)? No

Did you experience a separation of your consciousness from your body? Uncertain

What emotions did you feel during the experience? total amazement marveled at such color and discovering I could make them shoot around by ever so slightly moving my head, the depth of the crystal cuts, emotionally at peace, relaxed comforted, safe totally at ease and enjoying it a lot.

Did you pass into or through a tunnel or enclosure? No

Did you see a light? Uncertain if you consider the colors light yes, very much so. I now consider the colors light.

Did you meet or see any other beings? No

Did you experience a review of past events in your life? No

Did you observe or hear anything regarding people or events during your experience that could be verified later? Uncertain if you consider the cvh event part of the event then yes the Irish nurse, if you speak only of the colors, no.

Did you see or visit any beautiful or otherwise distinctive locations, levels or dimensions? Yes the colors the cut crystal as previously described

Did you have any sense of altered space or time? No

Did you have a sense of knowing special knowledge, universal order and/or purpose? Yes after i came around , ever since that I know there is more to the other side and it will be great, I remember hearing very distinctly " LOVE IS ALL THERE IS" twice by an unknown male voice, those words are now burnt in my mind forever.

Did you reach a boundary or limiting physical structure? Yes I knew the crystal was a wall, I do not know how high or wide # 29 the harmony came after re canting the love is all there is seems to fit every thing in the world and life, and I believe who ever said that was right.

Did you become aware of future events? No
#33 again no boarder or anything, but quite frankly I was very pissed off when I heard those voices calling my name. I did not want to go back

Did you have any psychic, paranormal or other special gifts following the experience you did not have prior to the experience? Uncertain not after but that Irish nurse before the event I just cant understand, no other issues

Have you shared this experience with others? Yes about two years the herbalist says the crystal is in the bible, that I went straight through to heaven, that's why I never experienced anything else, I don't know what she means, my wife and I are both amazed at the whole thing, I really don't know how friends and relatives were influenced, they seem un affected when I insist they not ever worry about death, perhaps they think I am a little cuckoo .

Did you have any knowledge of near death experience (NDE) prior to your experience? Uncertain I heard about a bride Murphy when I was a kid about some woman who claimed to have lived before, I heard quips about people saying there was life after death and the tunnel and light, but never the colors or crystal

How did you view the reality of your experience shortly (days to weeks) after it happened: Experience was definitely real unexplainable, amazing, unbelievable, but always very real ever since it happened

Were there one or several parts of the experience especially meaningful or significant to you? all of them amaze me, I was never given to such stuff, as a NY cop I saw a lot of death I worked as a narcotics detective, no -knock strike force, we kept sane by joking about very bad situations, this experience has humbled me very much. I am different

How do you currently view the reality of your experience: Experience was definitely real the same all very real yet un-explainable, I never heard anyone else seeing crystal or colors and definitely the Irish nurse

Have your relationships changed specifically as a result of your experience? Yes more humble, no fear of death I believe there is a God some where, I believe we go some place great, I believe the voice that love is all there is, and it's not the Beatles song.

Have your religious beliefs/practices changed specifically as a result of your experience? Uncertain I now know of God but I believe now all religions pray to the same God and religions are mostly fear based and political bodies with a little of God thrown in, and again love is all there is, I don't go to church I don't feel the need. I know I am connected to a loving God just like you who are reading this are.

Following the experience, have you had any other events in your life, medications or substances which reproduced any part of the experience? No I wish

Is there anything else you would like to add concerning the experience? I sincerely would love to know if anyone else has ever reported any of my things, crystal, colors etc?????

Did the questions asked and information you provided so far accurately and comprehensively describe your experience? Yes

Are there any other questions we could ask to help you communicate your experience? I am glad to have found this one, I never knew of such a sight I feel surprised you knew so many questions to ask that fit the experience I had.

Today I got a call from a very good friend and one that has contact with some pretty prominent people. He was so sad, scared and worried, didn't want to pass on bad news but felt he should let me know. One of his close friends has a good source of information plus a high security clearance informed him that over the summer you would see more and more deployment by the military, come the end of summer into the early fall there "WILL" be martial law. The food source is being dried up gradually. Food will become so scarce and expensive families will be going hungry. This will be the start of a civil uprising and the military will be called into service to quell the looting, stealing, killing and destruction of property. This is all planned. Believe it or not but at least take the time to prepare for it just in case.

I am not telling you this is the gospel but I know where the information came from and it is certainly a credible source.

People, it more than likely cannot be stopped.. WAKE UP...You can still protect your family from most of the hard times with some planning. Do you want to see your children's eyes with hunger in them? Do you want to be on your knees begging for food ? I don't and I won't.

It is the beginning of spring now. Plant every square inch of land you can find, buy pots, buy dirt, buy food and put it away now while it is still here.

Those of you that say you don't have room... MAKE ROOM.. there are so many ways to increase space for your gardens, use your imagination.

How about a wall of food? simple, use PVC pipe, hook it to a rack or your fence or your patio supports. I have done this before just to see if it worked and to dress up a area of our patio that was not that attractive. I used 6" PVC pipes 10 feet long. just packed with good dirt and wired screen over the ends to allow drainage. Drilled holes in the pipe and planted. I grew flowers but vegetables can be grown just as easily. Just think.. put the smaller plants on the top tier, larger ones below. The only drawback is watering which with smaller containers you have to do regularly or you could just install a drip system?

How about planting your potatoes, asparagus and peanuts in bags? Easy to do and so much more prolific in production. Find some of the Tyvec we used for banners and signs during the campaign, cut into 4' lengths, stitch up two sides making a sack, poke holes for drainage in the bottom and add dirt. Plant all those potato eyes in the bags, add more compost or good dirt. As the plant grows add more dirt and when they are ready to harvest just dump out the bags, there are your future dinners. One bag can produce up to 30 pounds of potatoes. Do the same for Peanuts. The bags can be lined up alongside your garage, house, any out of the way place. ( Don't try using paper bags they will of course fall apart when wet)

How about all of those hanging baskets you saved from last years flowers? Cut holes in the bottoms and use coffee filters to keep in the dirt. Plant your cukes, squash, any vining plant in these and watch them grow. Easy to harvest and prolific producers as long as you keep them moist and fertilized. Ever heard of the upside down planters? Make your own.

I spent a couple of hours yesterday starting some seeds for the garden. Easy and relaxing work. I splurged and bought some new 6 pack containers which comes with a bottom tray and a top clear plastic dome cover to protect the seedlings from being washed away by heavy rain, cold, etc.

I like to use a sterile medium, Peat Moss and Perlite, it is free of diseases and bugs and insures a good start to your little plants. Use one part Perlite with 20 parts peat and you will have a perfect medium for starting anything.

Get your hands dirty and fill your little pots with the mix, leave about a half inch on the top of each section. Put in your seeds ( usually 2 seeds per container) add more soil to cover the seeds and press it down to insure good contact with the medium... Make sure you wet your peat mixture down before filling the containers. Peat is hard to wet totally and takes some mixing by hand to insure it is wet all the way through.

Then just cover and wait for nature to take its course:

Tim brought in a truck load of ruined hay to mulch our garden with and will get that on the garden tomorrow. Then the real work begins.. planting peas, beans, okra, peppers, eggplants and all the greens I love so much.. collards, kale, mustard and broccoli. These will do well even with some cold nights left to go.

Please people stock up your pantry, have enough food for your family for at least 6 months. A year would be better but I know how much it costs. Don't listen to the experts, buy what you normally eat no need to stock up on items that are recomended but you rarely eat. Make sure you have enough salt, sugar, oil, coffee, tea, chocolate and spices of all kinds. These will be the things people forget to store up on and will become good items to barter. Flour is already becoming scarce in our area, corn meal the same, Meat will become so expensive it will be out of reach for most of us but by buying now and canning it ( freezing is ok but if your power is cut off your meat will spoil so I just can it all) I must have 10 cases of hamburger canned, beef stew, Chicken "N" dumplings, Pork Chops, vegetable soups and spagetti sauce all ready to go. Just open the jar and heat and eat. So much better than the store brands and you know exactly what is in them. Roasts can be canned also very easily. If you don't have a pressure canner yet get one by hook or crook. It will be a Godsend if things go sour and I think they will shortly.

Think about building a dehydrator, easy to build, I used one of those closet bags for hanging suits etc and replaced the plastic with screen wire. Added shelves and I can hang it outside in the fresh air with all the vegetables on it to air dry. The indians did it hundreds of years ago and it is still a good idea. Dried food lasts a long time, can be stored easily and is ready to just add water and heat and eat.

Everyone is busy buying all the expensive water purifiers.. why? Build one.. easy.. look at how a alcohol still is built, make a small one. You will be making distilled water in no time. I made one out of a old pressure cooker just take off the jiggler and attach a metal or glass tube ( The first one I made used Aquarium tubing )to run to your water bottle. fill the cooker, turn it on and just watch the water start coming out of the spout. All the impurities will remain in the cooker and only pure steam will be put out to condense back into water. Add a pinch of salt to make it have some taste and you are in business.

When you go to the flea markets, yard sales etc make sure to snap up any and all canning jars and lids, you will need to can your produce for the next winters use.

Please take heed and start today. There is no time to lose and if you wait you may be one of the ones that are just begging for help from our wonderful Government which means you have to obey. You have to comply, you have to agree to be what ever they want you to be or you could just be left to starve !

DO NOT make your plans known to your neighbors unless they are also doing the same thing. When the SHTF there will be so many people on the streets looking for food for their families you will be a target. Just remember even a honest hardworking Christian will turn to anything to feed his children. He will steal, lie, even kill to keep his children from starving. Wouldn't you?

I urge all of you to go to our website and join our Bugout project. If it comes down to where there is no option of staying where you are and being safe you will have a safe place for your family to live and survive in a decent manner. There are only a limited amount of spaces to be had get yours now. This will be the best insurance you can buy for your family's safety.

The only people who will know where the site is are the ones that have sites there. We ask you to please keep the location secret as we do not need or want to be inundated with those who have not prepared and are looking for salvation. We are not hard hearted but realize we can only take care of ourselves and people who have invested in this project, we cannot save the world.