#5SmartReads- June 9, 2023

Hitha on the catastrophe not getting enough attention, the relationship between time and ambition, and the drug shortage crisis

June 09, 2023

While most of the northeastern United States and Canada were fixated on the wildfire and the air quality (and our western counterparts rightfully calling us out in our heightened alarm when we finally faced their norm), it would’ve been easy to miss this news.

The Kakhovka hydroelectric dam in Ukraine collapsed this week (cause still undetermined). The impact was massive - destroying over 10,000 homes, threatening the water supply in the region, and potentially putting the nearby Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in jeopardy.

The dam existed in a Russian-controlled part of Ukraine, and Kyiv and Moscow have been trading blame for the dam’s collapse. Regardless of how it happened, the impact of the tens of thousands of Ukrainians and Russians who have to be evacuated in this incident, and the greater impact of the war in general.

If the dam’s collapse was caused by a military strike, it would be a violation of the Geneva Conventions of 1949 (banning strikes on dams and critical infrastructure). And while the world has taken their sides in this war, I wonder how long this continues before it ends - and what else will happen.

“At the time, sending that email seemed like a last-grasp effort towards staying ‘on track,” whatever that means, when “what’s next” had lost all meaning. But even as I sent it, there wasn’t a rush of relief of pride. It happened in a haze, a kind of sinister autopilot where doing something meant something I had something to cling to. In the days after, I felt myself revert to my same-old self, who always felt she was lagging behind in school, in her career, in life milestones, and in comparison to the person she wanted to be.”

Reading Rainesford’s words was akin to standing in front of the mirror and seeing the real me at the end of the day - the worn makeup and dried contacts of the woman I project to the world covering up the anxious “am I even doing this right?” feelings that wash over me as I remove the mask.

These feelings didn’t happen overnight, nor directly because of us. They are the result of being conditioned to chase the gold stars, excel and overdeliver, and cultivate rock-solid discipline in school and activities that would set us up for professional success. What we didn’t learn is that success was always defined by someone else.

I absolutely loved this exploration of time and ambition, and why we think we need to live and achieve the way we do. This piece just left me more called in to read Rainesford’s new book, All the Gold Stars.

content warning - suicide

What makes dialing 988 so different from dialing 911?

If you have suicidal ideation or are undergoing a severe mental health episode, it can mean a lot to speak to a trained mental health responder. And while those answering the calls don’t know what happens when they hang up, they deliver on their priority to make the caller feel heard and is safe.

In Kentucky, the callers reflect what’s been happening in the state. With the heartbreaking increase of anti-LGBTQ bills being passed, 988 has been receiving significantly more calls from youth processing LGBT and gender identity concerns.

Those dialing 988 can also get assistance to find food, housing, transportation, or addiction help. And while 911 is still necessary, it’s clear that 988 is delivering the kind of care and help that those facing mental health crises need.

“We don’t want to criminalize mental health,” Keiffer said. “If (people are) experiencing a mental health challenge, I want them to feel secure and safe to reach out for help.”

“Involving law enforcement immediately makes that person feel more stressed out,” Keiffer explained. “Having a police officer knock at your door when you’re having, for many, the worst moment in their life…we want to avoid that if we can.”

I promise this is the last you’ll hear about Vanderpump Rules on 5SR for a while. And this article does an excellent job of both explaining the adductor fervor of Scandoval and shining a light on Ariana leading the reframe of the ‘angry woman’ to a righteous one - and one building a lot of wealth in the process.

Money is power. And Ariana is making the most of the awful situation she was put in to claim both.

Most celebrity profiles are guarded and projecting what the celebrity wants you to see. It takes a special talent and writer to share a profile as honest and vulnerable as this one. While I confess that Scandoval drew me into the Vanderpump universe, I can't help but reflect how this particular pop culture moment has ripped into our society - and hopefully leads to a wave of change where

  • a woman's anger is validated and supported,

  • a man faces the consequences of his actions, and

  • we listen to the vocal, opinionated women instead of demeaning them (no more Cassandra complex)

There's a reason why we don't manufacture essential generic drugs proactively in this country (or forecast accordingly).

It's a choice driven purely by profit. Lack-thereof in the case of old generics where there's usually several manufacturers, who all withdraw their supply because they aren't making enough of a profit.

But when lives are literally at stake, should profit be deciding these decisions?

I do have confidence that the FDA directed a significant audit and quality assessment of Qilu's cisplatin before offering temporary authorization of their cisplatin, and I wish the public and private sectors would proactively work together to prevent shortages like these from happening.

I talk about this at length on ’s excellent podcast. You can listen to the episode here:

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