I so resonate with the "are you sure?" patronizing of women. I remember when my truck was stolen, and I called the cops. They showed up and asked me (not exaggerating) at least five times, "Are you sure that's where you parked it? Are you sure you didn't give anyone else a key? Not your boyfriend? Not your roommate?" On and on. Of course they soon recovered it, stripped and hotwired.
Same when my engine fused (thankfully just approaching the crest) of the San Francisco Bay Bridge. I cruised all the way down to a safe stop on the shoulder, called a tow truck (male driver) who was convinced I had run out of gas. Of course *I* knew my engine had smelled smoky just as I had approached the bridge, and that I'd called my mechanic from that slow-moving traffic to ask whether I should get on the bridge or not, and even mentioned that my car heater hadn't worked that morning (which should have been a dead giveaway, I now know, of a failed water system) and that despite the fact that he had told me to just "bring it in later," it was now kaput and anyway, I pay attention and have never, in 45 years of driving, run out of gas.
The amusing revenge against over-confident and under-respectful men in positions of authority came when I *did* "bring it in," rolling up unto my mechanic's raised driveway back in the city. "How did you get it here?" they asked, incredulous, knowing my car didn't run.
I had had it towed to my apartment on a hill, had put it in neutral and skillfully rolled downhill, around corners through stop signs, with just enough momentum to roll up onto their driveway and park. Voila!
Love this story. It sums up our current state so well. Imagine a mechanic, or a pest control company, not wanting to do the very thing that brings them income. That's sexism and arrogance. It defies logic and even self-interest.
I don’t really leave comments often. You need to know how important your posts are to my life and my mental health. I have too many naysayers in my life and I need a woman who knows her shit say often -yep, this is real and we’re not giving up yet. My son and daughter-in-law just moved in so we can create a multi-generational support system from a post-war 2-bedroom and a garage. Plans for solar, multiple gardens. Already using rain barrels and out of box thinking. Bought your book, subscribed, will buy your next book, too. I count you as my community.
Thank you! Comments like this keep me going. It's been a frustrating week, despite the headway on our projects. It's very good to know that people are doing real things, learning, and working together.
Cassandras are rarely credited. The ignorers (often also ignorami) prefer to "forget" that they were warned, and it's considered bad form (especially for women speaking to men) to say, "I told you so." Nor is it usually helpful, although in a functional and accountable system, it would be grounds for humility and listening better next time. The Stern (UK, Sir Nicholas) Report (on the costs of early vs late climate mitigation) comes to mind for me.
You've always been doing the right thing with your Substack, Jessica. People should be able to hear about an uncomfortable issue. They can always remain skeptical, if they are not ready to hear it. If they have a political disagreement, they could comment with their own view. There is no need for them to unsubscribe.
Also be on the lookout for the brown recluse. We had a spate of such cases in my town. The newspaper where I worked at the time covered it and a local man had a huge crater on his thigh from a spider bite. They are nothing to screw around with. If you think a spider bit you, seek help. Try to capture the spider if you can.
I don’t want to think about what a bite from either spider would do to a child.
Same for Brown Recluse spiders ("fiddlebacks"). One of our dogs was bitten by one in WV (probably a hitchhiker from our move from MO). An emergency vet didn't believe me until he saw the wound. I keep a No Pest insecticide strip hanging in my outdoor shed most of the year because they're endemic in MO. Nasty little things.
Good article as always. I was a subscriber for awhile / I think I paid for a year once, and was a monthly for a bit - scared with $$ now so I cut back on a number of subscriptions. I did spot you a 20 or so last month. You are an excellent writer with amazing insight- that said / in defense of all with their heads in the sand . . . When say dolphins encounter gas, oil, chemical spills etc- they swim through them. Their biological settings do not recognize chemical or oil spills as a threat - not ancient enough of a threat for it to be in their epigenetic memory . That’s how many of us are with the onslaught of modern life - we have no ancient frame of reference for what we all are now living through. We were just run through the largest human experiment ever on a global scale, we are assaulted daily with global issues we have no control to remedy, technology based on well proven gambling addiction stalks us by the minute and I think they basically have us all programmed that we are not insulted by the cartoon idiocy they force us to engage in daily / anything from drs appointment check ins to getting an oil change there is an app for that. Human beings have mass amnesia as a default/ it is a feature and not a bug. All you say has validity and hope you keep at it - but as you know / you are a Cassandra. ❤️🌙✌🏻💫
I so resonate with the "are you sure?" patronizing of women. I remember when my truck was stolen, and I called the cops. They showed up and asked me (not exaggerating) at least five times, "Are you sure that's where you parked it? Are you sure you didn't give anyone else a key? Not your boyfriend? Not your roommate?" On and on. Of course they soon recovered it, stripped and hotwired.
Same when my engine fused (thankfully just approaching the crest) of the San Francisco Bay Bridge. I cruised all the way down to a safe stop on the shoulder, called a tow truck (male driver) who was convinced I had run out of gas. Of course *I* knew my engine had smelled smoky just as I had approached the bridge, and that I'd called my mechanic from that slow-moving traffic to ask whether I should get on the bridge or not, and even mentioned that my car heater hadn't worked that morning (which should have been a dead giveaway, I now know, of a failed water system) and that despite the fact that he had told me to just "bring it in later," it was now kaput and anyway, I pay attention and have never, in 45 years of driving, run out of gas.
The amusing revenge against over-confident and under-respectful men in positions of authority came when I *did* "bring it in," rolling up unto my mechanic's raised driveway back in the city. "How did you get it here?" they asked, incredulous, knowing my car didn't run.
I had had it towed to my apartment on a hill, had put it in neutral and skillfully rolled downhill, around corners through stop signs, with just enough momentum to roll up onto their driveway and park. Voila!
Love this story. It sums up our current state so well. Imagine a mechanic, or a pest control company, not wanting to do the very thing that brings them income. That's sexism and arrogance. It defies logic and even self-interest.
Well put. Remain true to yourself and commitments.
Nuke it from orbit. It's the only way to be sure. 🔥
I don’t really leave comments often. You need to know how important your posts are to my life and my mental health. I have too many naysayers in my life and I need a woman who knows her shit say often -yep, this is real and we’re not giving up yet. My son and daughter-in-law just moved in so we can create a multi-generational support system from a post-war 2-bedroom and a garage. Plans for solar, multiple gardens. Already using rain barrels and out of box thinking. Bought your book, subscribed, will buy your next book, too. I count you as my community.
Thank you! Comments like this keep me going. It's been a frustrating week, despite the headway on our projects. It's very good to know that people are doing real things, learning, and working together.
Cassandras are rarely credited. The ignorers (often also ignorami) prefer to "forget" that they were warned, and it's considered bad form (especially for women speaking to men) to say, "I told you so." Nor is it usually helpful, although in a functional and accountable system, it would be grounds for humility and listening better next time. The Stern (UK, Sir Nicholas) Report (on the costs of early vs late climate mitigation) comes to mind for me.
Also, good spider analogy! 🕷 👍
Some options are much cheaper than a medical bill or funeral.
Thank you for this.
Anyone with common sense and multiple, vetted sources of reliable, redundant information knows that hard, ugly times are coming.
You've always been doing the right thing with your Substack, Jessica. People should be able to hear about an uncomfortable issue. They can always remain skeptical, if they are not ready to hear it. If they have a political disagreement, they could comment with their own view. There is no need for them to unsubscribe.
Also be on the lookout for the brown recluse. We had a spate of such cases in my town. The newspaper where I worked at the time covered it and a local man had a huge crater on his thigh from a spider bite. They are nothing to screw around with. If you think a spider bit you, seek help. Try to capture the spider if you can.
I don’t want to think about what a bite from either spider would do to a child.
Same for Brown Recluse spiders ("fiddlebacks"). One of our dogs was bitten by one in WV (probably a hitchhiker from our move from MO). An emergency vet didn't believe me until he saw the wound. I keep a No Pest insecticide strip hanging in my outdoor shed most of the year because they're endemic in MO. Nasty little things.
I used to catch Black Widows while crawling around under our trailer park home when I was a kid. Which, in hindsight, was kinda crazy.
Good news: Black Widows are shy and non-aggressive.
Bad news: Black Widows like heat. Their future is bright. 🫠
How and where can I buy your book, Jessica? What about crowdfunding support for your work on the extended version of your "survival illustrated" book?
🎯🎯🎯
Well, I'm sticking around.
Good article as always. I was a subscriber for awhile / I think I paid for a year once, and was a monthly for a bit - scared with $$ now so I cut back on a number of subscriptions. I did spot you a 20 or so last month. You are an excellent writer with amazing insight- that said / in defense of all with their heads in the sand . . . When say dolphins encounter gas, oil, chemical spills etc- they swim through them. Their biological settings do not recognize chemical or oil spills as a threat - not ancient enough of a threat for it to be in their epigenetic memory . That’s how many of us are with the onslaught of modern life - we have no ancient frame of reference for what we all are now living through. We were just run through the largest human experiment ever on a global scale, we are assaulted daily with global issues we have no control to remedy, technology based on well proven gambling addiction stalks us by the minute and I think they basically have us all programmed that we are not insulted by the cartoon idiocy they force us to engage in daily / anything from drs appointment check ins to getting an oil change there is an app for that. Human beings have mass amnesia as a default/ it is a feature and not a bug. All you say has validity and hope you keep at it - but as you know / you are a Cassandra. ❤️🌙✌🏻💫