Trauma Air

Summary

Podcast Summary: Everything is Fine – Episode “Trauma Air”

Release Date: January 20, 2025

Hosts: Jennifer Romolini and Kim France

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Introduction

In the episode titled “Trauma Air,” hosts Jennifer Romolini and Kim France delve into the harrowing experiences and broader societal impacts of the recent wildfires ravaging Los Angeles. The conversation is deeply personal, reflecting on immediate threats, community responses, and the intersecting challenges of climate change and technological advancements.

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The Wildfire Crisis in Los Angeles

Immediate Threats and Personal Impact

Kim France opens the discussion by sharing her frantic experience during the recent wildfires. At [01:21], she recounts packing her recording equipment into an evacuation bag as the fires in the Hollywood Hills surged closer:

Kim France [01:21]: "It's just been scary and sad and gross and it's just been debilitating. ... when last Wednesday night when the Hollywood Hills went up, I was like, that's close."

She describes the sight of six fires converging, creating an overwhelming and unprecedented situation in a city not typically susceptible to such widespread infernos. The intensity of the winds led to fire tornadoes, making traditional firefighting efforts nearly impossible.

Climate Change and Environmental Implications

The hosts attribute the severity of the fires directly to climate change. At [05:48], Kim emphatically states:

Kim France [05:48]: "It's simple and it's climate change. And that's it. That, this is it. It's climate change. Here's where we are. We caused fires."

They lament the escalating environmental crises, noting the transformative and destructive power of climate change on urban landscapes.

Disinformation and Social Media Chaos

Kim highlights the confusion and misinformation spread through social media during disasters. At [03:56], she shares an encounter with a conspiracy theorist friend on Twitter, underscoring the challenges of obtaining reliable information:

Kim France [03:56]: "Like a normal seeming lady ... starts posting conspiracy theories about how Newsom and Karen Bass were in it together. ... 'You trust the news.'"

The discussion emphasizes the mistrust in mainstream media and the proliferation of unfounded theories exacerbated by platforms like Twitter.

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Community Response and Socioeconomic Disparities

Class and Wealth Inequality

Kim voices frustration over how the fires have exposed and intensified existing wealth and class disparities. At [09:00], she criticizes the privatization of firefighting services:

Kim France [09:00]: "Rick Caruso, that cunt, he has all these malls and he hires these private firefighters to protect his mall ... while the houses just burning all around it."

The hosts discuss the inequitable distribution of resources, where affluent communities can afford better protection and assistance, leaving less privileged neighborhoods vulnerable.

Grassroots Community Support

Despite the systemic failures, Kim acknowledges the resilience and solidarity within communities. At [11:01], she praises groups in Altadena who have organized to support each other:

Kim France [11:01]: "The Altadena girls ... saving teenage girls ... collecting beauty products ... LA is really, like, really sort of coming together because community works so much faster than government."

This segment highlights the power of grassroots initiatives in times of crisis, contrasting sharply with governmental inefficiencies.

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Technological Challenges and AI Concerns

AI in Publishing and Ethical Dilemmas

Kim shifts focus to her professional frustrations with the publishing industry's adoption of AI. At [07:18], she reacts strongly to an offer from HarperCollins:

Kim France [07:18]: "Fuck them. ... we're gonna offer you $2,500 to give your book over to this fucking AI machine."

She discusses the ethical implications of using authors' work to train AI, emphasizing the potential for plagiarism and the devaluation of creative labor.

Impact of AI on Creativity and Employment

Further, Kim reflects on the broader ramifications of AI on creative industries and environmental sustainability:

Kim France [07:50]: "AI takes a lot of power and water. ... they're taking our planet while trying to create art."

The conversation underscores the intersection of technological advancements with environmental and ethical considerations.

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Personal Lives Amidst Chaos

Relocation and New Beginnings

Amidst the turmoil, Kim shares the positive news of moving to a new, more secure home. At [33:18], she describes her departure from pre-war houses to a townhouse that better suits her family’s needs:

Kim France [33:18]: "I move on Monday. ... Everything works. ... It feels like a Michelle Pfeiffer movie from the 90s."

This transition represents a fresh start, providing stability amidst ongoing environmental threats.

Health and Well-being

Jennifer Romolini updates on her recent trip to Houston for a memorial service and visits to the Rothko Chapel, reflecting on personal losses and the resilience required to navigate grief. At [15:11], she shares her mother's emotional struggles:

Jen Romolini [15:11]: "She knew it was coming. ... she said the trip for her was a good trip, too, you know."

The hosts discuss the importance of memorials and personal connections in coping with loss.

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Listener Questions and Interactive Segment

Managing Style Over 40

A listener asks about maintaining a cool and edgy style as one ages. Jen and Kim share their strategies for evolving personal fashion without compromising on classic and flattering pieces. At [40:13], Jen admits:

Jen Romolini [40:13]: "I just have no fantastic answer to this one because I find I really struggle with it too."

The hosts suggest investing in timeless wardrobe staples and accessorizing to inject personality.

Dealing with Friends Embracing Conspiracy Theories

Another listener inquires about handling friendships where close friends begin subscribing to increasingly wild conspiracy theories. Kim responds passionately at [52:35]:

Kim France [52:35]: "I have family members who are so fully in this camp that I've cut them out of my life because I can't deal with it."

They discuss the emotional toll and challenges of maintaining relationships under such strains, emphasizing the need for compassionate communication.

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Reflections and Conclusions

Enduring Trauma and Hope for Recovery

Throughout the episode, Jen and Kim oscillate between expressing frustration and showcasing hope. They draw parallels between the current wildfire crisis and past disasters like 9/11, recognizing both the devastation and the potential for community resilience.

Kim France [16:22]: "The aftermath has a similar vibe to New York and maybe that. To 9/11. ... it was ultimately a fire."

Solidarity and Future Outlook

The hosts conclude by reaffirming their commitment to their community and each other, despite ongoing challenges. They acknowledge the long road ahead but remain hopeful for Los Angeles’s recovery and the strengthening of community bonds.

Jen Romolini [33:20]: "I don't know, I'm just mad."

Kim France [33:27]: "That's a real bummer episode. Sorry, everybody."

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Notable Quotes

• Kim France [01:21]: "I'm okay. I'm okay. If I talk about it too much, I'll start crying."
• Kim France [05:48]: "It's simple and it's climate change. And that's it. That, this is it. It's climate change."
• Kim France [07:18]: "Fuck them. ... We're gonna offer you $2,500 to give your book over to this fucking AI machine."
• Kim France [09:00]: "Rick Caruso ... hires these private firefighters to protect his mall ... while the houses just burning all around it."
• Jen Romolini [15:11]: "She knew it was coming. ... she said the trip for her was a good trip, too, you know."
• Kim France [52:35]: "I've cut them out of my life because I can't deal with it."

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Final Thoughts

“Trauma Air” is a poignant episode that intertwines personal narratives with pressing societal issues. Jennifer Romolini and Kim France offer a raw and honest exploration of the multifaceted challenges faced by women over 40 in navigating life’s turbulence, from environmental disasters to technological upheavals. Their candid dialogue not only sheds light on the immediate impacts of the wildfires but also invites listeners to reflect on broader themes of resilience, community, and ethical evolution in a rapidly changing world.

Transcript

[Kim France]

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[Kim France]

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[Jen Romolini]

Hi, and welcome to Everything Is Fine, a podcast for women over 40. We are your hosts. I'm Kim France.

[Kim France]

And I'm Jen Romolini.

[Jen Romolini]

And Jen, all the listeners. And also, I want to know the one thing you're not supposed to ask someone in Los Angeles right now, which is, are you okay?

[Kim France]

I'm okay. I'm okay. If I talk about it too much, I'll start crying. Like, I'm okay. I'm okay. It's just been scary and sad and gross and it's just been debilitating. It's just been. And, you know, I'm really lucky. I'm incredibly fortunate nothing happened to our house. You know, but, like, when I was getting on today, I was a little bit late because I had packed my recording equipment in our evacuation bag. Cause when last Wednesday night when the Hollywood Hills went up, I was like, that's close.

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah.

[Kim France]

And if that spreads to Griffith park, like, that's even closer. Like, it was starting to come in closer and closer and closer. And at one point, we were like, a little dot in the middle of six fires. And it was, you know, you don't know what to do. And, like, you know that, like, I mean, I have friends who, like, I have friends who saw fire out their window, grabbed their kids and their pets, and just fled in the night and lost everything.

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah.

[Kim France]

And, like, these are people who, like, you know, they weren't. They weren't, like, next to, like, the kid. It doesn't make any fucking sense. Like, it went through neighborhoods. It went and took out, like, grocery stores and coffee shops. Like, it. This. I mean, this is an unprecedented, like, you know, obviously Chicago fire, but we're gonna have city fires now. Which feels crazy to me.

[Jen Romolini]

That is the thing my friend Jen, my other friend Jen said to me because I let her know that I heartbreakingly canceled our trip out there. And she was like, the real horror is knowing that this can happen at any time.

[Kim France]

Right. It's also the winter. Like this is supposed to be. This is the rainy season quote unquote in la. This isn't fire season here. So. So you know, it's just been. And then you're, you're checking. The thing is what the other up thing is that I really realized in this week is where are you supposed to get information? Yeah, like I was listening. I was on the watch duty app, like who the knows? Suddenly there's just an app that's like, here's a. It's like a cartoon, you know, that everybody's on. And then I was listening to. I had a live stream of a local news station in la and that's where I was getting the most information and some npr. But it's like, where, where are you supposed to go? We don't even know where to go anymore. Like.

[Jen Romolini]

Right.

[Kim France]

It's just so up how. Because if you go on X. Jesus Christ. People are crazy on Twitter, what people are thinking about this disaster. Like there was this normal seeming lady who like I follow on Instagram because she has good gluten free recipes and like good gut health recipes and I have a lot of digestive issues. She's starts posting. They knew. She starts posting all these conspiracy theories about how Newsom and Karen Bass were in it together. And they were good. Like I was like, I. And I said to her, I was like, hey, all of this has been debunked. And she wrote me back and she was like, you trust the news.

[Jen Romolini]

Oh Christ.

[Kim France]

I was like, whoa, this is like end times.

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah. No, somebody said something to Paul too that was like, well, this was all blackrock trying to free up some property in Los Angeles to build new buildings. Like, who can. I don't understand if I guess people, simple people need like black and white explanations for things they don't understand.

[Kim France]

I'll tell you what they don't fucking. I'll tell you a simple explanation. It was a fire tornado. We were at social skills class last Tuesday night in Pasadena. So the fire was not that far from Pasadena. And on the way home the fires had just started, but they were far from us. So I didn't, I didn't really have any understanding of what was happening with the fires, but I could see what was happening on the ground. And it was so bad I didn't take the freeway home because I was like, I see trees moving, I see street signs really moving with this wind. The wind was so intense, we took surface streets the whole way home. It was like a 40 minute ride home. The ground on some streets was so full of debris that I couldn't see the street. I couldn't see where I was driving.

[Jen Romolini]

Oh, Jesus.

[Kim France]

And as we were driving through these streets going like, you know, 15, 20 miles an hour, I looked at my kid and I said, charlotte, be ready to duck. Because I was seeing like stop signs fully swaying in the wind. Because when you're dealing with a 700 mile per hour wind, like, like, of course they couldn't put out these fires. They couldn't fly, they couldn't fly planes. They couldn't do anything. Yeah, it was just fire was blowing around like, you know, I, I was afraid to drive. Like, it's, it's simple. It's simple and it's climate change. And that's it. That, this is it. It's climate change. Here's where we are. We caused fires. AI takes, people are like, there's a lack of water, fire. Stop using AI. AI takes like gallons of water for each search. It takes so much power and water. So that what, it can give us fucking like, bad results so that we can check our fucking wordles with this shitty chat bot who insults us. I got asked yesterday not to fucking rant, but I'm gonna fucking rant. HarperCollins reached out to me and. Fuck them. They reached out to me and they said, we're working with a tech partner who wants to use your. Who wants to take lots of our backlist to train AI, including my first book. Right. We're gonna offer you $2,500 to give your book over to this fucking AI machine.

[Jen Romolini]

And what did you say to them?

[Kim France]

I said, fuck off.

[Jen Romolini]

Good.

[Kim France]

I said, that's a hard no. So they're getting $5,000 a book and they're giving the authors. Oh, so thank you for $2,500. And this is what they said. They will never use more than 200 words in sequence verbatim. So it's just like plagiarizing.

[Jen Romolini]

Oh my God. That is. That is really depressing. It's just really, it's. It's one of the most depressing things I've heard about AI. That, that, yeah, that's crazy.

[Kim France]

And my first book, I mean, I'm a very voicey writer. My first book is like, it's a It's a career guide for misfits. But it's also very personal. And. And it's. You know, it talks about my history. My. Like, it's just like letting somebody just sort of strip your. Like. And what the. Are. What are they going to do? Are they going to write. Is AI going to write the novels now? Like, what are we doing? We're killing the end game for the. Exactly. What? That's what I keep saying. What is the end game? We're killing the planet. So what, we can train robots to. To create art. What the are we doing?

[Jen Romolini]

I know. It's been a really disturbing start to 2025.

[Kim France]

Yeah. No, man.

[Jen Romolini]

And that asshole isn't even president yet.

[Kim France]

Exactly. And he's honestly the least of our worries, to be honest. Like, it's these fucking tech bros. What is their end game? They're building bunkers. What is that Nice. They're gonna eat. Fucking like, you have a whole nice land, grass, sky. You're gonna live in a fucking bunker and eat canned beans. What are we doing?

[Jen Romolini]

I know.

[Kim France]

And my other rant on this is like, the fires have just, as usual, just, like, exposed, like, the wealth and class disparity. I am having so many class issues. Like, just so many. Like, especially in Altadena, so many people with nothing lost everything. And it's like we're really, really focused on a lot of wealthy people. And a lot of people are very well resourced and have communities that. Well resourced. And meanwhile, there's so many, many people, like, who either lost everything or died in these fires, like, holding down houses that have been in their families for generations. Because their insurance got canceled.

[Jen Romolini]

Yes.

[Kim France]

And. And because. Because they knew that there was no way with their resources, they were going to be able to rebuild old men who died with, like, hoses in their hands. Like, I can't. I can't.

[Jen Romolini]

I know. There was one. What did I read about this morning? There was a father who wouldn't leave his son. His son was disabled. And they both died.

[Kim France]

And they both died. And like, they're. And fucking. Oh, God. And I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

[Jen Romolini]

Just.

[Kim France]

I'm almost done. And then we'll be normal. Fucking Rick Caruso, the fucking concierge firefighters that you can hire, that you can hire that we are privatizing fire fighting.

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah, that doesn't seem like a good idea.

[Kim France]

Rick Caruso, that cunt, he has all these malls and he hires these private firefighters to protect his mall in the Palisades while the houses are just burning. All around it. But, like, don't want to lose the dancing fountain. Like, I can't lose the Gucci store. I am so. I have radicalized.

[Jen Romolini]

It is. It has both just. It has both exposed, like, the worst of people. And as these situations often do the best of people.

[Kim France]

Yes, yes, that too. That too. The Altadena girls, who are, like, saving teenage girls all through Altadena and women and like, collecting beauty products and like, Converse and black hoodies and, you know, a lot of things for curly hair and for black women's hair and fake eyelashes and, like, there. There's a lot of groups here being very helpful and, like, LA is really, like, really sort of coming together because community works so much faster than government. But it's appalling. And I'm like, what can I get into in this last fucking end of my career to fight these motherfuckers? Like, what skills do I have that I can just change everything and start. I am so angry.

[Jen Romolini]

I feel the anger. It's coming through the screen.

[Kim France]

I'm sorry. Sorry.

[Jen Romolini]

It's okay.

[Kim France]

We haven't really talked, and I probably should not be doing this on air. I've just been. It's just been a mess.

[Jen Romolini]

No. And everybody really does want to know how you're doing. So I think we're actually talking about what we should be talking about.

[Kim France]

Well, I'm fine. My family is safe and fine. And we're. We're under red flag alert for, you know, days and days. And the air was horrible and we haven't been able to open a window, really. But that said, we're. We're fine. We didn't have to evacuate. So I'm lucky that I. I guess where I live is protected by both a freeway and the river. It's like those two things are. I guess it would be hard for fire to come. I don't know. I have no idea. Like, people who have lived here, Angelina's who have been here for a long time are like, yeah, they got the freeway and the river and I'm okay.

[Jen Romolini]

That sounds right.

[Kim France]

That sounds right. Like, okay, how's your week been?

[Jen Romolini]

My week's been fine. I went to Houston.

[Kim France]

Yeah? How was that?

[Jen Romolini]

Well, you know, I told everybody that Houston is, like, this very triggering place for me, but it ended up not triggering me too horribly.

[Kim France]

Good. Good.

[Jen Romolini]

It was good. We weren't there for very long. We went for this memorial service, and that was very nice. And then we went to the Rothko chapel. Cause that felt like a good thing to do while you're in Houston.

[Kim France]

Yeah.

[Jen Romolini]

You know, we had barbecue. It was really cold and rainy there, which was unusual. It's usually, you know, not too cold there, but it was all right. You know, I saw a lot of people who I knew from my childhood and hadn't seen in decades.

[Kim France]

Wow. That's always a trip. How did that feel?

[Jen Romolini]

And that was a little weird. It was a little weird to see these people because my mom. You know, the Jewish community in Houston is pretty small, and so my mom grew up with all these people who. Some of whom she's still friends with and all of whom are friends with each other. And then their children were born, and their children all hung out with each other.

[Kim France]

Wow.

[Jen Romolini]

So it's like this. So all these people who I knew from then were just there because they're the children of Marilyn's friends, you know.

[Kim France]

Okay. Okay.

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah. And that was, you know, that was interesting. You know, I always felt like I lost who I was when I went to Houston. I sort of dissociated.

[Kim France]

Yeah. Yeah, I understand that. Yeah.

[Jen Romolini]

And I don't feel like I did that this time, so that was good. And now I don't have to go back for another 15, 20 years.

[Kim France]

There you go. Maybe never.

[Jen Romolini]

Maybe never.

[Kim France]

Maybe never. Yeah. Yeah. How's your mom?

[Jen Romolini]

She's all right. This was a tough one for her. You know, this was a really, really close friend and someone she cared a lot about and whose daughter she's also close to.

[Kim France]

Yeah.

[Jen Romolini]

And she said, as we got to the memorial, she said, I don't know who all know here. I don't know who's still alive.

[Kim France]

I mean, that's the thing. People start dying. It's like.

[Jen Romolini]

I mean, start dying. She's 87. They've been dying, you know.

[Kim France]

Right, right, right.

[Jen Romolini]

But, you know, this is. You know, they're her. You know, Marilyn was a real core person for her, one of her really core friends, who she spoke to frequently and saw whenever she could, and she knew it was coming. There was dementia before for a while, and then she got cancer, so I think it brought her down. But she said the trip for her was a good trip, too, you know, so go figure. And Paul was a very good sport about all of it, and I was very glad I made him come.

[Kim France]

Good, good, good, good.

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah. But, you know, I mean, the fires have been on everyone's minds. I mean, they've been the same way. I mean, it's a very. People keep comparing the fires to 9, 11, and I keep doing it, and they're Obviously very different things. Like, you know, the loss of life was much greater at 9 11. But the loss of property. Yes, obviously much greater here. But I think, you know, what I said to you, I think was that, I think, you know, in la you must feel the way the rest those of us in New York felt after 9 11, which was that you just can't fucking get it unless you're there.

[Kim France]

Yeah, I think that's right. It has a similar. The aftermath, but we're still living through the aftermath. Has a similar vibe to New York and maybe that. To 9 11. And maybe that's because of the air. Honestly, the air has a similar, like, destruction in the air. Smell like trauma air. Really. Yeah, I felt it was similar as a person who's now been in both because I also feel like it's one of those things where like 911 didn't personally impact all of us. Right. But you knew somebody who had been personally impacted by it, so you. There was a palpable grief and just this feeling of like, this is so fucked up. This is a turning point. This is an inflection point. Like what. What happens after this? I don't know. Like it's. It's kind of unfathomable. Like, you know, I. I wrote. I wrote a large part of my book at this artist colony and like, working farm in Altadena called Zorthian Ranch. And it was the coolest. It was just the coolest place. Like, there were animals walking around, but then there were all these like, little structures. I mean, it's totally a fire hazard now that I think about it. There are all these little structures, all these little artists studios, and like, there were just materials everywhere. There were a lot of sculptors worked out of there, a lot of painters, and they rented out these cabins. You could rent them like an Airbnb. And I rented one for a week and I stayed there and it's gone.

[Jen Romolini]

See, this is the thing. There's so much funky, cool shit in Los Angeles.

[Kim France]

That's right.

[Jen Romolini]

It's what you love about Los Angeles. Like that place that's just gone now.

[Kim France]

Yes.

[Jen Romolini]

And, you know, I was emailing back and forth with Natalie, our wonderful editor.

[Kim France]

Yeah.

[Jen Romolini]

And she was just saying how heartbreaking this was.

[Kim France]

Yeah.

[Jen Romolini]

And I was like, you know, we were heartbroken after 9 11, but, you know, and we never thought the city was gonna be the same. But the city came back, you know, came back.

[Kim France]

Came back different, but it came back different.

[Jen Romolini]

It came back different. And so too will Los Angeles, you know, there's no way that Los Angeles won't come back.

[Kim France]

Yeah, I mean, it's, you know, and Los Angeles is sprawling and, you know, it didn't impact, like, it's so neighborhood specific, but basically it just decimated to full neighborhoods. So entire, like communities of people. Like, that's really what it is.

[Jen Romolini]

The one that made it the thing, the comparison that made me understand it was when someone. And this won't mean anything to people who aren't from New York and familiar with Brooklyn, but that the fire started in Central park and went all the way to Prospect Heights.

[Kim France]

That's right. That's right.

[Jen Romolini]

And just destruction, you know, just full destruction.

[Kim France]

I mean, yeah, like health food stores, like, where I get my hormones. The compounding pharmacy where I get my hormones is gone. Like, it's just little things that like, are just a part of your life. Like, oh, I go and I get my hormones and then I stop at this restaurant and then I get a coffee here and then, you know, and it's just, just. It's just. To have that just disappear is a really eerie. If it doesn't feel like a modern phenomenon, it doesn't feel like something that could happen. It feels like you're in the old, old timey times, you know? Yeah.

[Jen Romolini]

Like the Chicago Fire.

[Kim France]

Yeah, yeah. You'd think that we would, you know, but it was just when people are like, how did this happen? If you had been in those winds, you knew exactly how it happened. Because one. Because you. There were. There were a million embers just flying through the air. Flying air. Everything was dry.

[Jen Romolini]

And apparently the embers can travel very far.

[Kim France]

Yeah, yeah.

[Jen Romolini]

And especially in winds like that.

[Kim France]

Yeah. Thursday was probably the worst day. Thursday, the sky was red and it was raining. It was raining ash. So like, Jesus, Thursday was bad. And it was like, is that ash? Like, we took the dog for a walk with masks on. It's like, oh, no, that's actually pieces of books.

[Pace Case]

Oh.

[Jen Romolini]

Remember after 911 how everybody who lived in Carroll Gardens backyards were full of papers from the towers?

[Kim France]

Exactly. That's why that is the similarity for me, because that's how it feels. Because that was ultimately. I mean, among other horrible, nightmarish things, it was ultimately a fire.

[Jen Romolini]

And the other thing is similar to 911 is that for weeks and weeks after 9 11, we were all waiting for the other shoe to drop.

[Kim France]

That's right. That's right. That's right. Like tonight, social skills class has not been canceled, but the wind is supposed to pick up tonight and to back to where it was Last week, and the social skills class is in a red flag district, like, four miles from Altadena where the fire is still burning. And I'm like, are we doing this? Like, yeah, like, what are we doing? Like, I don't. I don't. I don't know. I don't know.

[Jen Romolini]

I always think of this one passage from a book by Don DeLillo, and it doesn't sound like anything when I describe it, but when I read it, it really struck with me. And it was about some kind of disaster. Some kind of disaster was happening, had happened. So there's all this traffic of people leaving the city. People are watching the news and leaving the city. And then there are all these cars coming into the city.

[Kim France]

Oh, wow. Why?

[Jen Romolini]

Because they didn't know it was, you know, they didn't get the information or. But it made me think of how things are in a crisis, you know, like, yeah, we'll have social skills class tonight. Why not?

[Kim France]

Yeah. No. Well, that was the thing. We were like, should we go? Should we evacuate now? We did not get an evacuation. Well, we did get. We got a bunch of false evacuation alerts, if you've ever heard an Amber alert. That's what they sound like. Like, really, really bad for the central nervous system. But we were like, should we go now? Because if we don't go now, is the traffic going to be too hard to get? Like, making those kinds of crazy calculations. And then, like, Alex was like, mapping, okay, well, if we. We could still get out, if. Without taking the freeway. Like, just stuff that's not, like, a part of our. Any of our daily life. That sort of real survival stuff starting to kick in.

[Jen Romolini]

Well, I want to get one of those survival kits I have.

[Kim France]

I mean, I've had. I've had one forever. I mean, ours is not updated, but yes, we have one. The radio and the lantern and the metal blanket and the, you know, not the foil blanket.

[Jen Romolini]

Like, yeah, all that metal blanket. All that stuff.

[Kim France]

Yeah, we have all that stuff. We have two backpacks of that stuff. And we now actually, because we're moving also, Also being trapped with all the windows closed in just a Boxville. It's like, is this. Should we bring it over to the new place? Is that safer? Like, what the fuck? I. I don't. But, you know, I knew where everything was, so I was able to. When we packed the car to evacuate, and the car's still packed, I was able to pack all of my, like, the stuff that I really wanted, you know, and that's. I said this to you, like what do you bring? Like what do you, you know. And I just like packed a backpack, a suitcase and I had a box of my kids old art, you know. And that was it that you know.

[Jen Romolini]

Everybody seemed to pack the same things. It became my favorite question to ask people in Los Angeles this week. What did you bring in the car? And it also, you know, kid art, important papers.

[Kim France]

Yeah, money, stuff like that. Money. Because you feel like for some reason suddenly you're not gonna be able to use an atm, which you know, who knows, who knows, who knows, who knows. I mean and ours is like change. Like it's like change and like a couple hundred dollar bills. Because my dad is still like an entire old Italian man who gives me a 50 here and there and 100. Like he's still that guy. So like I still. Because I haven't gone to the bank to deposit the hundred dollar bills he's given me over the years. Let's take a quick break from some ads. Support for Everything is fine comes from ritual. Did you know that in the winter time your skin tends to dry out? Of course you knew. That is a 10 tough time retaining moisture. Even if you're keeping up a big multiple step skincare routine, your skin gets drier. If looks a little crepier, a little more wrinkly. Well with rituals Hiacera skin supplement you can actually help fight that dryness. It's a clinically proven way to support skin hydration with science backed benefits like reducing wrinkles and improving skin smoothness. I love ritual. I've been using ritual for years now. I use their multivitamin, I use their melatonin and I use hyacinth which I find is a really easy thing to add to my routine. The they taste good. Hyocera tastes good, it doesn't smell bad. It's aesthetically pleasing packaging. I, I think that these are just stellar supplements. Hyacinth itself in a clinical study led to a 2.9 times increase in skin smoothness within 90 days as compared to a placebo. So you can enhance your skin care routine from the inside out with one capsule enhanced with soothing vanilla as well. So there's definitely some vanilla in there. It's also rigorously tested and validated by a third party for allergens, microbes and heavy metals. Ritual works with world class certification bodies to validate their products and they they have industry leading sustainability standards which I really love. So start Hyacara today to support your glow without compromising on clean science. Hyac from Ritual is a clinically proven skin supplement you can actually trust. Get 25% off your first month for a limited [e-mail]. fine. That's ritual.com fine for 25% off your first month. And we're back. One thing I did do, I had a long standing appointment. I didn't cancel it. And I went to tia, which I don't know if we've talked about TIA before. Tia, the Women's Health, like, network. It's. I know about it. Yeah, I've been there. I haven't been there. I hadn't switched them over as my primary care doctor because I had another. Whatever. It doesn't. It's too complicated. I'm not even going to get into it. But they do like full in totality women's health care. So they, you can. Their primary care, their gynecology. Like, I need to go get these fibroids. Check. I think I have new uterine fibroids, which you're not supposed to have after menopause, but I totally do because I'm uncomfortable. So like all of these things, they do everything. They do acupuncture, they even like, will do some mental health. Anyway, I went in for a physical with them and they were so wonderful. Like, I had a pap smear. I haven't had pap smear in years because why the. But I had one and they were like so careful and considerate and thoughtful and I was really like. I was like, oh, this is like, if anybody. And they have, they have full scale menopause care. That's what I wanted to talk about. I'm so scattered today. They have full scale scale menopause care and like, you can just book a menopause appointment. So if anybody has a TIA anywhere near you, I highly recommend them. As a healthcare provider, I had an excellent, excellent experience and I've only had excellent experiences with them, but this was the first time I went in for the full thing.

[Jen Romolini]

Right, right.

[Kim France]

I thought they were great and they have good referrals and the space is really beautiful. But it was just like the way she gave me a pap was so. I'd never actually been treated that gently and carefully before. Like, I'm about to touch your leg. I'm gonna do this. This is what's gonna happen now. Like, it's gonna like, really careful because I've had fucking paps by men that they're just like, whoop, whoop, whoop.

[Jen Romolini]

Like, yeah, no shit.

[Kim France]

Like the, the things like pinching you and, you know, the Speculate, whatever. So she was great.

[Jen Romolini]

No, I still remember my first pap smear, which was definitely given by a male doctor. I was like, what is this?

[Kim France]

I know, like, just. Yeah, just like, treated like a, you know, like a. A cadaver.

[Jen Romolini]

But. Oh, my God. Speaking of be treating women poorly, have you read that Neil Gaiman piece yet?

[Kim France]

Oh, God.

[Jen Romolini]

Oh, just crazy.

[Kim France]

It's a good thing that Mark Zuckerberg's out there going, we need more masculine energy.

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah, yeah.

[Kim France]

Do we fucking Mark Zuckerberg? Do we? With your fucking hair club for men, Your gold chain, you fucking ridiculous dweeb.

[Jen Romolini]

Fucking Mark Zuckerberg. We have Mark Zuckerberg, by the way. We know that you guys are agitating a little for us to move our Facebook group somewhere other than Facebook. And we are considering that we're figuring out the best and easiest way to do that that will not decimate the community.

[Kim France]

Yes. I don't. We don't want to lose the community. The community is so good, and it's so hard to find a place that's central and nobody wants another app. And, like, you know, it's hard. It's like what Facebook actually does well. The only thing it does well right now is these private groups. And so it has to be private.

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah.

[Kim France]

But we don't want it to be paid. So if anybody is school, there is someone I'm talking to. So thank you, person, but I've been a little distracted this week. But if anybody has any ideas of where to move our Facebook community and get away from Zuckerberg, the problem is Instagram. I'm not leaving Instagram. Instagram is like. I feel like I make money from Instagram. I mean, I don't, but I feel like I promote my work on Instagram. It's important.

[Jen Romolini]

I know. It's a. It's a real fucking conundrum.

[Kim France]

It really is.

[Jen Romolini]

You know, I mean, I feel the same way about Amazon. I've stopped linking to Amazon on the newsletter, but have I stopped shopping at Amazon? Like, the convenience is just too great.

[Kim France]

I know, I know.

[Jen Romolini]

It's. You know, and I feel like an asshole. Like, you know, I hate what Zuckerberg is doing. You know, I. I feel really torn.

[Kim France]

I know, I know. I do, too. I do, too. And I feel like there's something happening where I feel like the roosters have come home to roost or whatever. Like, I feel like they've been building this for so long, like, around us, and nobody was really noticing, like, how much power they were actually getting. These tech people and now I'm like, oh, shit, man. Are they going to win? Like, are they. As Elon. Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg and Bezos, are they. Is this it? Like, they have all the power and all the money.

[Jen Romolini]

I know. I think they're winning. That's for sure.

[Kim France]

Yeah.

[Jen Romolini]

And leaving a platform. I feel like leaving a platform as a protest thing is, you know, is it. I don't know.

[Kim France]

What does it do? What does it actually do?

[Jen Romolini]

What does it accomplish, you know, if a few of us, like, go, I've had it, and I'm out of here.

[Kim France]

That's right.

[Jen Romolini]

It's not going to happen in big enough numbers.

[Kim France]

That's right. I mean, that's what it would have to be. But then where do we all go?

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah, I know. We're just suckers for convenience with all of it, you know?

[Kim France]

Well, and connection. We're so isolated. We're suckers for connection. That's how they got us.

[Jen Romolini]

Yep.

[Kim France]

That's how they got us. Because your whole community, like, your whole online community is in one place. It's actually really hard to migrate a following from one place to another and a community from one place to another. I mean, that's how they got us.

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah.

[Kim France]

That's a b. Oh, this is the bummer episode. Sorry, everybody.

[Jen Romolini]

Sorry, guys. On our Facebook page, guys, let us know how you feel about this, because we're really wrestling with it, as you can tell.

[Kim France]

Yeah. Because, like, my kids on Discord, and, like, I've tried to be on Discord. I don't know if you have, but it is. It is not intuitive to an old. I'm just saying it's like. It's like a different. It's like a different language over there. I mean, we could do it, but then we'd have no Discord.

[Jen Romolini]

No one lost people.

[Kim France]

I know people.

[Jen Romolini]

I lost people when I went. When I turned my blog into a substack. I mean, you just do. I mean, I got more people back eventually, but I did lose people. You just do. And I would hate to lose anything about this community.

[Kim France]

Right. I mean, you know, and then, like, what, are we all going to abandon Facebook? Like, is that really going to happen? Like, my kid follows my parents. They, like, love seeing, like, my parents Boomer updates. It's the only reason they're on Facebook. I was like, why are you on Facebook? And they were like, I just love. I love seeing Grandma and Grandpop. Like, I love. I love to know what they're doing. And it's like, where Are my parents going to move anywhere? No.

[Jen Romolini]

No, no.

[Kim France]

Yeah, it's the devil you know. I don't know. I don't know.

[Jen Romolini]

I don't know either.

[Kim France]

I have no answers.

[Jen Romolini]

I don't know.

[Kim France]

I have no answers. I have no answers. I'm just. I'm just mad.

[Jen Romolini]

I don't blame you. I'd be mad. I'd be mad.

[Kim France]

Yes.

[Jen Romolini]

You know, it's. This is fucked up. You live through a fucked up thing that's not over.

[Kim France]

Yeah, it's true. It's true. It's true. It's right.

[Jen Romolini]

That's.

[Kim France]

That's also part of it, is that it's not over. It's really, really not over, which is a real. A real bummer.

[Jen Romolini]

Okay, so let's talk about your new house.

[Kim France]

I mean, I'm moving on Monday.

[Jen Romolini]

Amazing.

[Kim France]

I move on Monday. I love it there. I think that I finally found exactly the house. Weirdly, all these years that I've been like, why would you ever live in a townhouse? And I was like, we're exactly townhouse people. We are townhouse people. We are condo people. This house has plenty of room for us. It's like, we don't mind touching walls with other people. It's not on the street, which is. Every house in LA I've had has been on the street, which can be really unnerving at night. You know, you can be very much like, what's going on? Because people are breaking into your cars and everything else. And I don't know, I feel really good about it. Our current landlord is the worst person in the world. She's so inconsiderate, greedy. Just always makes us feel bad if something's broken. And my new landlord's already like, very nice and helpful. So, I mean, upgrade all around. I'm very, very excited to move in there. It's a much better space for us. And I don't know why I have been so hell bent on character all these years. Like, no, but the house has to have character. It needs to have cool touches. When it's like, no, actually you just want an outlet.

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah, you want a well placed outlet.

[Kim France]

Yeah, you want a well placed outlet and a door that closes. And isn't that weird door that you can't. The knob is falling off. Like, I've only lived in places like, you know, pre war places my whole adult life, I think. Yeah.

[Jen Romolini]

You know, when I moved into, I had always lived in pre war places. And then I moved and lived for about six or seven years into this new building. On Delancey Street Street. And ultimately I decided that I needed to leave that neighborhood. But the apartment itself was a dream. Everything was brand new. Everything worked.

[Kim France]

Everything works. Like, you're just. You get so used to, like. Especially the outlet thing. The outlet thing of, like, a room having one outlet, and you're just plugging everything into it. You know, you have extension cords going. Like, that's how we've always been. And just like old wood floors that are, you know, just all up and. And, you know, not level. And I've never lived in a level home. I've always had a house. You put a marble at one end, it rolls to the other. So the new house is great. It feels like it's only 90s. It's not like. It's not new construction. So it feel. It feels like. I think I said this on the pod. It feels like a. A Michelle Pfeiffer movie from the 90s. I feel like I'm living in, like, a. Where like a LA stewardess would live. You know, I'm very. Oh, my God.

[Jen Romolini]

I didn't tell you what happened to me when I. When we were flying back from Houston.

[Kim France]

Oh, my God, tell me.

[Jen Romolini]

So we get on the plane, it's leaving on time, leaves the gate, going down the Runway. All of a sudden, there's a small commotion, and we turn back to the Runway. I mean, we turn back to the gate.

[Kim France]

Okay.

[Jen Romolini]

They say a passenger has a dog on the plane. The dog. They didn't say this, but the dog shat everywhere. Shat all over the seat, shat all over the floor. They're like, you all have to get off the plane, and we have to clean the airplane. Then. Then half an hour later, they were like, sorry, it's not cleanable. We're getting a new plane.

[Kim France]

Look, there are. And I'm sorry, I like dogs. I have a dog. There are too many fucking dogs on planes. There are too many dogs on planes. People are, like, legitimately allergic to dogs. And then all of a sudden, there's just too two dogs sitting next to you.

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah, that is something that they really haven't factored in. I once saw a woman exceedingly uncomfortable on a plane because she was allergic to cats. And there was a cat an aisle away from her, I think. And I'm the biggest dog lover, and I hate the idea of ever. Of Mr. Ever having to fly in the cargo hold. But after this experience, after this experience, I was like, who's to say Mr. Wouldn't Shit all over the floor? I certainly couldn't guarantee that.

[Kim France]

I can't believe it doesn't happen on like every flight with these dogs. I sat on a flight last year. The lady next to me had two dogs on her lap. One licked me. I didn't pay for that. I did not pay to get licked.

[Jen Romolini]

That's hilarious.

[Kim France]

Like, just two dogs in her lap. She's like feeding them, like hand feeding them. There were like two little dachshund, like, like very. They were furry wiener dogs. And like, cute enough. But like, I didn't, that's not. I, I can't believe that it's allowed. And there's so many dogs. The dogs are just like walking around airports all the time. Like, this is not. Nobody, nobody asked for this. I'm sorry. Like, you have to figure out transportation for your dog or at least keep them in a carrier, like, you know, calmly and sedated in a carrier, like under your seat, you know, you're being.

[Jen Romolini]

So amusingly angry today that I kind of just want to bring things up and see how mad you'll get about them.

[Kim France]

I'm telling you, I am. If the Andy Rooney job was still available, I, I would apply. I would be so good at it because I, I believe in justice and I'm angry. I'm angry. Okay, we have 14 minutes to answer listener questions.

[Jen Romolini]

Okay, let's go for some.

[Kim France]

Let's go for some. I didn't have much of a list today. Sorry.

[Jen Romolini]

That's okay. Your home list was the fires. That's okay.

[Kim France]

My whole list was the fires. And also TIA Healthcare I recommend. Okay. How do you manage to have cool style as you get older? It was so easy when everything looked great on me and I could easily find cool things in vintage stores and wear them with unshakeable confidence. I'm becoming more afraid of taking fashion risks now because I don't want to look like a middle aged, mid sized lady who doesn't know how to dress. I think I dress okay in general, but not having the cool, edgy factor I always had is breaking my spirit a little. Thanks for any advice and I'm sending everyone good wishes. Thanks for reading my inane question during such a heartbreaking time for many. Thank you, listener. This is. We love inane questions. We live for them. Yes, this is hard.

[Jen Romolini]

As a middle aged, mid sized woman, I can say that this is really challenging. And as somebody even who has spent a lot of time, you know, personally and professionally thinking about clothes and shopping, I still have a really hard time with this one. I find that I keep Lines really clean. Yeah, you know, I just, I'll wear the same color head to toe a lot, which I think helps. You know, today I look. Today. It's so funny that this question came in today. Cause today I was looking in the full length mirror and I'm wearing a pair of J. Crew corduroys, a black sweater and a white button down. And I was like, do I look like anything? Like I remember when my attitudes, my wardrobe used to have a little bit of personality and like my outfits had, you know, interesting aspects and now I feel like it's just problem solving, you know. So I'm afraid I don't have, I don't have a fantastic answer to this one because I find I really struggle with it too. And I've given. I think I've kind of, of decided that like if, if one of the things I look like isn't edgy anymore, I. That may just have to be okay.

[Kim France]

I think you're 100% right. And I will say that I have, I have evolved even since starting this podcast because somebody said to us somewhere a couple of years ago I was like, oh, these like orthopedic shoes are so cute. The walrus hoffers. And somebody said be careful because at a certain point the cool old lady vintage just makes you look like an old lady. Like the cool old lady vintage look. So I can't wear like vintage clothes aren't right anymore. I just look like I look displaced somehow in them. Right. I think that it's not going to be edgy. It doesn't mean it can't be cool. I think that she's, she's got a point there. But you could still look cool, but it is more sleek and more classic. Like that's really the, that's really the, the look now. Like I don't really follow trends. Everybody keeps asking me about barrel jeans. I'm like, those things are leaving next year. I'm not investing $150 in barrel jeans. That next year are going to look ridiculous. Cuz I don't do that anymore. But like I feel like if you have a bunch of classic pieces that look really good on you that you're going to wear for the next 10 years. So invest in them. Then maybe you bring in some personality because also you can over accessorize in midlife. There's like entire parody videos about this, right? Like chunky necklace, chunky this, whatever. But you can like get a couple of like cool accessories, like a good belt, a nice pair of earrings, like a good A cool, A cool trendy jacket, you know?

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah.

[Kim France]

I think it's about having a base of classic pieces that fit you really well and you. You feel good in and you look good in. And then sort of like adding a trendy piece here and there.

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah.

[Kim France]

And prints. Good. And prints can really be fucked up. It's fucked up, though. They can be fucked up.

[Jen Romolini]

Prints are hard. Prints get harder. I wore less prints. Once I got a number of tattoos on my arms. I found that they clashed. Wearing prints just clashed. It was too much. And that's really when I stopped wearing as many prints.

[Kim France]

Yeah, I mean, I still wear. I still wear. I wear a lot of stripes and I. The floral has to be just right. Like I'm wearing a. I forget who makes this, but I'm wearing like, oh, Samantha pleat. I'm wearing a Samantha pleat turtleneck today that I really like. That is a cool.

[Jen Romolini]

It's very cute.

[Kim France]

It is a very cute print to it. But, you know, every. Everything I have, like, I have that on, but I have no accessories on. And I have a pair of jeans and a pair of black boots. Because this print is enough now.

[Jen Romolini]

Yep.

[Kim France]

If that makes sense. I mean, we could. I honestly, I could talk about this question for five years. Okay. Are frownies all they're hyped up to be? I'm not interested in any injections. We need trusted feedback on frownies. Funny you should ask listener. I just wrote a whole story about this. Frownies work temporarily. So if you are. If like you have a big meeting in the morning and you want to wear a set of frownies overnight, they're gonna work for about two, three hours after you wake up because they freeze the movement in your face. And they make temporarily. So it's kind of like Botox. And they make the wrinkles look less deep, but once you start moving your face again, the effect quickly goes away. So that's how long they work. So when you see them on social media, it's that somebody's peeled them off and yeah, it looks great right away, but within an hour or two, that effect's going to be gone. Some things that actually reduce the appearance of wrinkles and make them a little less deep. Retinol peptides are supposed to help. Red light therapy. What else? Oh, facial massage will have the same. And gua sha will have the same effect as frownies. It's a temporary effect, but it can help for a minute. And I've also heard for another story that I'm reporting out that collagen Supplements. Hydrolyzed collagen over time will help your body produce collagen, and that will thicken your skin and make your wrinkles look less deep. So those are the things that work. If you don't want to get Botox, but Botox. Nothing's going to do what Botox does.

[Jen Romolini]

Okay, good to know.

[Kim France]

What food do you hate and refuse to eat?

[Jen Romolini]

If you put a fucking raisin in my salad.

[Kim France]

Ah, I'll take you one step. I'll raise you on that one. A craisin.

[Jen Romolini]

A craisin, A raisin. A little bit of freeze dried pineapple. Any of it in a salad. I don't like sweet and savory at all, but like, when it comes to raisin. And I can't eat Sicilian food because it's this like amazing recipe and then they throw in currants.

[Kim France]

Oh, really?

[Jen Romolini]

Sicilian food has a lot of currants and raisins in it.

[Kim France]

I can't. A craisin is a craisin. I think it's like in my top five most hated foods. I'm always mad when I'm slipped a craisin. I really feel like it's a thing that fucking people do also. What is it even? I know it's a cranberry and a raisin, but get the fuck out of here. Why do we need to combine them?

[Jen Romolini]

I know.

[Kim France]

What else do you hate, food wise?

[Jen Romolini]

I mean, sweet and savory is my big one. Yeah, that's really my big one. I cannot, I cannot stand it when a perfect, like couscous. I always want to like couscous and I'm always picking out the shit in couscous. That's wrong.

[Kim France]

Yeah, I, I really have stopped liking tomatoes, which is a big. Especially a cherry tomato. My whole life I was like, cherry tomato. Not now. I'm like, no, I don't want that anywhere near me. I don't want that.

[Jen Romolini]

I think that my taste in food has definitely changed as I've gotten older.

[Kim France]

Yes, me too. 100%. 100%.

[Jen Romolini]

I used to really like a bagel with smoked salmon and cream cheese. Now I'm just like, ugh.

[Kim France]

I'm in my smoked salmon era right now. I've entered my smoked salmon era because I'm always trying to get more protein into this physical form. I used to hate asparagus, but I love asparagus now. I used to hate it. I used to have to get like, my parents would make me eat it and I would like gag it down. Yeah, I, I don't really like red Meat. I wasn't raised eating it. So I can only really eat a braised, like a braised red meat. I'm not really, like, I'm not like if somebody put an amazing steak in front of me, I would be like, I can't, I, I still can't eat red meat. But that's not, I recognize that it's good. It's just not. It's just not for me. All right, we've answered that one. Let's see, what else do we have here? Can we talk about teeth? How do people get them so impossibly white?

[Jen Romolini]

They get them whitened or they use those Painful Crest white strips. I can't do any of it.

[Kim France]

Yeah, they get them whitened. They use the painful. They get them whitened. They use the Painful crest. I mean, I have fake teeth because I knocked on my teeth at a wedding drunk years ago. So my whole front teeth are all fake. So I have no idea what it is to deal with this. But apparently veneers are. The people who get veneers the most are middle aged women. Middle aged and older women are the, are now the, the people who get veneers more than anyone else, more than like actors, more than anybody because of this whole tooth problem. Because your teeth start getting yellow and they're just like sick of whitening them in a certain point. I guess the whitening doesn't work as well.

[Jen Romolini]

Huh?

[Kim France]

Okay, probably no one is in the mood to talk about this topic. I'm probably not a show topic. Oh, intrigued, okay. Especially these days. But how do you handle friends, good friends who subscribe increasingly to conspiracy theories that get wilder with time? I'm leaving family members and co workers out of this because those relationship dynamics are different. Friendships, close ones, are about choice. Do those who subscribe to these theories do so as some kind of result of trauma, as a way to feel, quote, in control? No. Things no one else knows. Is anyone else noticing this with otherwise or previously sane smart people? I used to notice it with men more, but increasingly now in my female friends and women around our age. I'm just wondering if there's been research on this or. I have no idea if there's been research on this or if anyone else has noticed an uptick. Especially in women our age who have never seemed especially conspiracy prone. I guess I'm just feeling baffled and frustrated with my own experience. I'm asking if it's just me.

[Jen Romolini]

I don't think it's just you, but it's not me. I haven't experienced that Really, I have.

[Kim France]

Experienced it, and I can't believe it. But I'll tell you why it's happening. It's happening because I'm just thinking about this because I found all my old timeout stuff, and I used to be the wellness editor at TimeOut, right? And so I dealt with all alternative health things. And, you know, I dealt with some. Some crazies, like, just absolute, like, energy clearing, like this Reiki will cure your cancer, you know, And I, you know, I, I have. I, I take a lot of supplements. I am like a. I believe in alternative health to a degree, as a supplement to Western medicine, you know, whatever. But I was thinking about how those people that I used to interview that were such a fringe element, you know, are now mainstream. Like that fucking woman, I'm gonna tell you, her name is Lil slipper. She has 1.5 million followers, right? Because she's telling people that the way to improve their gut health is, you know, that there's chemicals in all the food. And the way to improve. The only way to improve your gut health is to eat a beef brownie. Like, I don't fucking know. Like, seriously, it's like. And so I think that what's happening is women particularly, we're all. Our health is so neglected. So we always have looked to alternative health. And now I think the wellness community and the conspiracy theory community, I really feel like there's adjacencies and a ton of overlap. And so women that, you know, when got some acupuncture and, you know, whatever, it's now you're getting closer and closer to, oh, you know, big pharma is controlling everything, and it just keeps. It keeps getting deeper and deeper. It's the RFK thing, right?

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah.

[Kim France]

Like, a lot of women I know, not a lot, but a handful of smart, educated, like, amazing women I know are RFK supporters. Yeah. So it's. I, I. You're not alone. And I don't know what to do about it. I mean, you're, you know, you're saying, keep family members. I have family members who are so fully in this camp that I've cut them out of my life because I can't deal with it. But I don't know what you do, because I don't know how to talk to people. When you start getting into conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories are so easy because they make something that doesn't make sense make sense.

[Jen Romolini]

Yeah.

[Kim France]

So I don't know. I mean, I'm sure there are ways. There's like, language to have these conversations, but I don't know what they are. If anybody does know, I would love that.

[Jen Romolini]

I got seated next to someone on my flight back from Houston. A pilot. He was a pilot for the airlines. And it only took him about 10 minutes after I asked him how to download the Wi Fi to start talking about Christ with me.

[Kim France]

Oh, Jesus Christ.

[Jen Romolini]

And how relieved he was by the results of the election because things weren't making sense anymore. And I just kind of smiled at him and said, we're gonna really disagree on that. I'm afraid that's all you can do. That's all you can do.

[Kim France]

I mean. Yeah. And I don't know what you. I don't know how. I mean, I think there's a. There's a. This is an interesting topic that we should explain. Explore further when. When we have more time with maybe even a guest to be an interesting thing to get into. Like, how do you. Because I bet there's, like, a way to de. Brainwash people, like people who are in cults. I bet that's the same strategies, right? It's got to be the same strategies. All right, well, on that note, our.

[Jen Romolini]

Most uplifting episode ever.

[Kim France]

That's it. That's it. Thanks for everybody who reached out to me so much. I really appreciate it. And for caring about us and for continuing to listen to this show. And thanks for listening to Everything is fine. We're your hosts. I'm Jen Romelini.

[Jen Romolini]

And I'm Kim France.

[Kim France]

If you like the show, please rate and review it across the platforms. It really helps people find the show. It makes a difference. If you want to support the production of the show, you can join our [e-mail] everythingisfine. If you want to follow Kim, you can find her@kim france.substack.com you can find me at gen romelini. Com. We have a for now, a robust and private Facebook group. We're also @eif podcast on Instagram. The show is mixed and edited every week by Natalie Rivera. I'm glad you're safe. You are the best. And we will be back next week. Acast powers the world's best podcasts. Here's a show that we recommend.

[Pace Case]

Hi, I'm Pace Case.

[Bachelor Clues]

And I'm Bachelor Clues.

[Pace Case]

We host Game of Roses, the world's best reality TV podcast. We're covering every show in reality TV at the highest level possible. We analyze the Bachelor, Love is Blind, Perfect Match, Vanderpump, and anything else you find yourself watching with wine and popcorn.

[Bachelor Clues]

We break down errors, highlight plays MVPs and all the competitive elements that make reality TV a sport. And we interview superstar players like bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristow and Big Brother champion Taylor Hale.

[Pace Case]

If you want to know so much about reality TV, you can turn any casual conversation into a PhD level dissertation. You definitely want to check out Game of Roses.

[Kim France]

ACAST helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com.