Troubling Times

Flesh Eating Bacteria

There have been three cases lately of people falling victim to the flesh eating bacteria in Georgia.  Most of us have heard about the young woman who cut her leg while on a zip line over a river.  She has been in intensive care, and had a leg, other foot, and both hands amputated. Another woman got it in the hospital after giving birth to twins.  The most recent is a man who probably got it from using a string trimmer and got a small cut on his leg from flying debris.  He has had two pounds of diseased flesh removed from his groin area.

There is really no way to prevent it.  Treatment includes powerful intravenous antibiotics and aggressive removal of diseased tissue, often including amputation.

Signs and symptoms from Wikipedia:

Over 70% of cases are recorded in patients with one of the following clinical situations: immunosuppression, diabetes, alcoholism/drug abuse, malignancies, and chronic systemic diseases. It occasionally occurs in people with an apparently normal general condition.

The infection begins locally at a site of trauma, which may be severe (such as the result of surgery), minor, or even non-apparent. Patients usually complain of intense pain that may seem excessive given the external appearance of the skin. With progression of the disease, often within hours, tissue becomes swollen. Diarrhea and vomiting are also common symptoms.

In the early stages, signs of inflammation may not be apparent if the bacteria are deep within the tissue. If they are not deep, signs of inflammation, such as redness and swollen or hot skin, develop very quickly. Skin color may progress to violet, and blisters may form, with subsequent necrosis (death) of the subcutaneous tissues.

Furthermore, patients with necrotizing fasciitis typically have a fever and appear very ill. Mortality rates have been noted as high as 73 percent if left untreated. Without surgery and medical assistance, such as antibiotics, the infection will rapidly progress and will eventually lead to death.

The Wikipedia page also shows some horrific photographs.

If you have the slightest thought that you may have been exposed to Necrotizing Fasciitis, please, please, please seek immediate ER attention and tell them of your suspicions.  This stuff is nothing to mess around with.


Racial Turmoil

As the Zimmerman/Martin case goes on, there seems to be an increase in "random" attacks on whites by blacks around the country.  Two reporters in nearby Norfolk, Va. were attacked by a mob at a stoplight.  A man in Baltimore was attacked, stripped and robbed as a crowd laughed and cheered on his attackers.  This week in Denver a woman was attacked at the McDonald's drive through and one of them said, "this is for you, you white b****."  A 78 year old man in Toledo was brutally beaten by several youths yelling "this is for Trayvon."

This is obviously not done or condoned by the vast majority of black people.  I truly hope that it won't lead to white mob attacks on random blacks, but there are people who have that as their goal.  I think that what the rest of us can do is practice situational awareness and don't get lured in to a confrontation.  Of course, that is just good common sense no matter your race.


Institutional Corruption

Asset forfeiture laws can be used effectively and properly.  When organized crime results in illegally gained wealth, forfeiture can be used to bring them down and to continue fighting such crime.  However, some law enforcement agencies misuse it to pad their coffers at the expense of innocent citizens and the trampling of the Constitution.  Here's a recent example out of Tennessee:


But There Is Some Good News!

The good folks at Emergency Essentials are having a great sale on long term storage foods and other survival gear going through May 31.  I am an affiliate, so if you go to their website through my link in the upper right corner, I'll get a small commission on any purchases you make, and it won't cost you anything extra.  Thanks!