End of the World Advise from “Billy Bob Blogger”

Author:
Doug Carlsten

I ran across a “Blog Page” this morning where someone was predicting the End of the World, and lamenting how you will be suffering because you won’t even be able to find the most rudimentary over the counter medicines at your local pharmacy.  They went on to suggest a bunch of herbal remedies, as substitutes to prescription, and over the counter drugs.  It became painfully obvious to me that they hadn’t really done their homework.  I love how people like to do a little research here on the internet… Declare themselves an expert, spew forth a bunch of crap, and the so called “Enlightened” follow their advice without question. (Who are the “Sheeple” and who aren’t?)  

Well… I’m not predicting the end of days just yet.  I try to shy away from dire doomsday predictions of anarchy and mayhem.  I will say however that every time I go to the grocery store, it’s painfully obvious, that despite what the talking heads on CNN are telling us, the Economy just isn’t getting any better.  Some 47 million Americans are on food stamps.  Millions upon millions of us are either unemployed, have given up looking for a decent job, or trying to make do with a part time paycheck.  Will the Economy crash?  Will it slide off into a “Depression” that might make the 1930’s look like kindergarten?  Will Doomsday happen?  These are things that YOU have to decide for yourself, but I can tell you that (Even today)… Far too many Americans are having to make decisions about whether to buy their monthly prescriptions —- or food to eat.

OK, so what if you lose your job, or prices climb to the point that you just can’t afford to shell out 15 bucks for a box of “Mucinex”?  What if there ARE shortages of such things?  Are we immune here in America to this?  What if a Middle Eastern political event makes oil become really expensive, and the price of everything that has to be shipped into the Country gets too expensive for most of us to afford? 

The so called “Expert” on this blog page was suggesting a bunch of herbal remedies, and some of them made sense to me, but he (She) also listed some pretty exotic stuff that also has to be shipped from far away places.  If you find yourself not able afford a bottle of Ibuprofen, then how in the Hell are you going to be able to get your hands on Curcumin which comes all the way from India?  (One of the suggested alternative cures for arthritis and other inflammatory disorders).  I’m no doctor, by the way so do your own homework, and ask a real expert before using any herbal medications.  It just seems to me that instead of following the advice of some “Yahoo” on the internet, we should be doing our own homework, and finding solutions we can really use.  Folklore says for example that a tea made from willow bark has some pretty powerful pain relieving, and anti inflammatory properties, and it doesn’t have to come all the way from India!!! Even Cinnamon, which was suggested as a cure for high cholesterol might get pretty expensive in the future.  It comes from a tree that grows in places like Sumatra, and Ethiopia, after all.  (I doubt that if I’m worrying about where my next meal is coming from, that I’ll be concerned about my cholesterol anyway!)  The German equivalent of the Food and Drug Administration has approved Echinacea (Purple Coneflower) for use to treat Urinary tract problems, and as an external treatment for minor wounds.  Now that’s something I can use, I’ve got the stuff growing in my front yard!!!  I don’t have to go out and buy Tea Tree Oil, which this “Expert” suggested you stock up a bunch of…  For it’s antibacterial properties.  After all if I’m able to afford to set aside a case of something, I’ll be buying up Neosporin.  (Tea Tree Oil comes from Australia by the way.)

The point I’m trying to make here is that we should all look before we take that “Leap of faith”, accepting the advice of some “Billy Bob Blogger”, who hasn’t thought things through.  Sure there’s a chance that you might not be able to afford, or find a lot of common medications in the future, even if it’s just because your income is too limited for some reason.  I just think we should be using our “Noggins” and finding things we can really use, like Mullein… A common weed found in vacant lots all over America.  It has lot’s of medical uses such as an “Expectorant”.   Wow! — I don’t need “Mucinex” after all……..