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Shrooms. MDMA. Ketamine. They entered our consciousness as party drugs, but there's increasing evidence that they could be the end of the party for previously untreatable mental illnesses from depression to PTSD. In short, psychedelics have passed the acid test. The Guardian: Will the magic of psychedelics transform psychiatry? "There are now hopes that MDMA therapy could receive approval for certain treatments from US regulators by 2023, or perhaps even earlier – with psilocybin, the active ingredient of magic mushrooms, not far behind in the process. (A small study at Johns Hopkins University, published last year, suggested it could be four times more effective than traditional antidepressants.) You could say interest in psychedelics is mushrooming." As NextDraft's resident shrink Dr. Michael Levin explains: "The world's most successful retreat center would combine serious fitness, diet, great books, seminars, and psychedelics." (At least I think he said that, I might have been hallucinating.)
The Romans brought the newsletter into existence. Later, in the Middle Ages, newsletters became common forms of communication among extended families, traders, and those looking to share information in a format that eventually led to what we know (knew?) as the newspaper. After reviewing the history of this medium, of which I'm a frequent practitioner, I'm now convinced that when Caesar said "Et tu, Brute?" he was actually asking Brutus if he wanted to subscribe. Cut to 2020. Newsletters are more popular than ever. Extremely long story short: Rome fell. The newsletter didn't. Dave Pell in The Atlantic (on the one topic where he actually has some expertise): The Internet's Unkillable App. The noisier our digital lives get, the more popular the humble newsletter becomes.
3
THINGS BLOWING UP
"We expected inflation would get worse before it got better, but not this much worse. Particularly painful is the increase in food prices as we approach the holidays, and the rise in energy prices as we plan to travel more to family get-togethers." Pandemic-related inflation is still expected to ease next year, but in the meantime, it's worse than experts predicted. Axios: Inflation at its highest in 30 years.
WaPo: Serious about climate change? Get serious about peat. "These waterlogged, acidic, low-nutrient ecosystems are the most carbon-dense lands on Earth. You want to safely store carbon for a thousand years? Nothing beats peat. It's nature's vault."
"Instead of consulting immunologists, he consulted anti-vaxxer and podcast host Joe Rogan, who also contracted the virus. If he ever requires open-heart surgery will he hand the scalpel to romance writers because they know about matters of the heart?" Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: Aaron Rodgers Didn't Just Lie: His lies, his illogical defense, and his hubris damage all professional athletes. (Those he screwed over the most? The people in the huddle next to him.)
"Kheira Hamraoui was attacked following a team get-together on the 4th of November. Diallo was driving some team-mates home after the meal, when two masked men approached and dragged Hamraoui from the car. The men attacked Hamraoui's legs with an iron bar before fleeing the scene." French Football Star Aminata Diallo Arrested After Teammate Dragged From a Car And Assaulted.
8
INVENTING REALITY
From Time: The Best Inventions of 2021. Necessity is the mother of invention. I guess that makes stock market valuation the father.
9
LACK OF BRAND AWARENESS
"If you're taking U.S. Route 95 north out of Las Vegas, turn left at the alien-themed brothel, drive 7 miles beyond the giant cow, over the California border into the low desert, and you'll find it. A tiny town with no stores, no bars, no restaurants, only two residents and a mysterious building that makes no sense at all." Inside Death Valley Junction, the forgotten California town with two residents and an opera house. Weird that a place named Death Valley Junction wouldn't be more popular. Maybe they should rename it Graveyard.
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"It's a Google-y month! A spam update now + Page Experience coming soon. Meanwhile, local SEOs call Google out for relaunching GMB as GBP with SMB scare tactics, and publishers question trusting the search engine's privacy statements, given AMP court proceedings. SEOs needing a breather should focus on long form content and nifty flywheels in November."
Kristine Schachinger asked Google's John Mueller to clarify the extent of the Penguin algorithm, and his answer suggested a broader application than previously understood by many SEOs.
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