Changes To Euphoric Recall
Unfortunately, I think my hand is all but forced.
I’ve decided to change this newsletter. Primarily because nobody reads it. That’s not a knock on those of you who’ve been kind enough to even subscribe; time is our most precious commodity, and even if you were all salivating week to week, waiting with bated breath for the next installment of Euphoric Recall, I’m sure you’d still have more important things to attend to than reading a(n often very) long essay-type thing.
But the bottom line is that even with a free newsletter, I still have very few subscribers, approximately half of whom on any given week don’t bother to open up the email, let alone read it.
Again, this is not me complaining. I’m just saying. There are many factors working against this newsletter’s potential rise in popularity (which I was aware of when I started), the most salient of them being that:
The “market” for writing that’s focused on politics and culture is already extremely saturated; even in terms of independent newsletters, I believe there are many more writers worthy of being read than I am, if only because they’ve been around for much longer. The number of subscribers they have (and the amount of money they’re making as a result) only serves to emphasize this.
Nobody reads anymore. The advent of the smartphone, in combination with the rise of social media, heralded this unfortunate change. Sure, everyone still reads, but it’s not real reading; it tends to be extremely fast — generally at the same pace that people scroll through Facebook or Twitter or Instagram or what have you — and is probably better characterized as a superficial skimming. Longer texts tend to intimidate people; they see long paragraphs and immediately steer clear, often scoffing with incredulity. How dare you expect me to give you that much of my focus—the nerve. It’s not a coincidence that since the year 2000, the average attention span has fallen from 12 seconds to 8 seconds (FYI: the attention span of a goldfish is 9 seconds), a precipitous decline that’s occurred in tandem with the total takeover of visual stimuli thanks to the Internet and the digital screen. The simple truth of the matter is that the majority of people can no longer manage the slow, sustained pace and prolonged focus that reading requires — both because of the decaying effects our electronic culture has on the mind and the sheer addictiveness of the magical portals we carry around everywhere — and even if this weren’t the case, people would almost certainly opt for something more entertaining.
I refuse to make Twitter a part of my life. Although, I have a confession to make: Recently, I did in fact create a Twitter profile. Faced with a subscriber base in the low double digits that was increasing at a rate of approximately 1 per blue moon, I decided to experiment and gauge the feasibility of using the platform as a way to promote this newsletter, and I kid you not, I lasted less than a few hours. My God, what an absolute dumpster fire. It was like being in a petri dish with the silt of society; the sheer number of morons on that platform capable of winning awards for the cranially-challenged is astounding.
I’m beginning to drone, so I’ll just cut to the chase: Euphoric Recall will now be a bi-weekly newsletter consisting of “Quotes of the Week” and “Numbers and Figures,” but in a generally extended format (i.e. — more quotes and numbers/figures, but not at the expense of significance; I’m not just going to throw in random, barely-noteworthy, minimally-interesting additions).
The way I see it, there’s definitely a market for such a thing, especially considering the few publications that used to do this stopped years ago (like seven years ago, actually), and I’m not sure why. But trust me, I’ve scoured the internet for another source that compiles noteworthy quotes and numbers from weekly news, hoping to find something I could draw from in an effort to save time compiling my own sections here on Euphoric Recall, but to no avail.
I hope people will generally be more inclined to subscribe; after all, such a newsletter is at least somewhat of a niche product, and in today’s constantly-on-the-go society, and with more things than ever before vying for our attention and time, I have to think it’ll be more appealing to a greater number of potential readers.
I haven’t decided if I’m going to continue with the “Archived Reads” section yet, but as of right now I think I’m going to discontinue “Mental Health Break.” (Both are still included below, though, since I’d already added them before writing this)
“The FBI has found scant evidence that the Jan. 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol was the result of an organized plot to overturn the presidential election result, according to four current and former law enforcement officials.” —Reuters. This revelation, which effectively nullifies the narrative obsessively promulgated by the mainstream media and the Democratic Party for the past eight months, has received virtually zero coverage.
“I recommend taking the vaccines.” —Former President Donald Trump, during a rally in Alabama. Trump’s recommendation was met with boos and jeers from the crowd.
“a more diverse, more inclusive society. this is fabulous news. now we need to prevent minority White rule.” —A tweet from Jennifer Rubin, an opinion writer with The Washington Post, in reference to an article celebrating that the recently released 2020 Census shows the number of white Americans has decreased for the first time ever.1
“When I was in Charlottesville, looking at these sick white brothers in neo-Nazi parties and the Klan spitting and cussing and carrying on, I could see the hounds of hell raging on the battlefield of their souls. But I also know that there’s greed in me. There’s hatred in me. People say, ‘Oh, you’re so qualitatively different than those gangsters.’ I say, ‘No, I’ve got gangster in me. I was a gangster before I met Jesus. Now I’m a redeemed sinner with gangster proclivities.’” —Cornel West, in an interview with The Atlantic. The famous professor has found himself out of step with cancel culture and the search for political purity among progressives, and recently left Harvard due to the school’s “narcissistic academic professionalism,” “anti-Palestinian prejudices,” and what he saw as indifference toward his mother’s recent death.
Do they even know about the Delta variant!? —A sarcastic tweet from Elon Musk, posted with a photo of Talibs, who don’t wear masks.2
“Larry Elder is the Black face of white supremacy. You’ve been warned.” —The title of an article published in the L.A. Times by a woman named Erika D. Smith. It has, understandably, created an uproar. Larry Elder is a conservative radio talk show host who is currently the leading candidate to replace California Governor Gavin Newsom; recent polls show that nearly half of likely voters support recalling Newsom.
“It is totally inappropriate for a group like the American Bar Association to intrude into the content of law school curricula.” —Kate Stith, a professor and former acting dean at Yale Law School. The American Bar Association is poised to mandate diversity training and affirmative action at all of its accredited law schools, a move top legal scholars say could jeopardize academic freedom and force schools to violate federal law.
“How climate change helped strengthen the Taliban.” —Title of a report from CBS News. It was not well-received.
“The head of state emphasized our collective moral responsibility toward the Afghan men and women who need our protection and who share our values. We cannot abandon them.” —Part of the French government’s “readout” of a phone conversation between Emmanuel Macron, president of France, and Joe Biden, which the White House declined to include in its own readout that was subsequently released to the press.
“The attorney general's report was designed to be a political firecracker on an explosive topic and it worked. There was a political and media stampede but the truth will (come) out in time. Of that I am confident.” —Governor Andrew Cuomo, in a parting address after submitting his resignation on Monday.
“Biden has harsher words for Republican legislators than he does the Islamists overrunning Afghanistan, whom he continues to laughably coax into joining the international community.” —David Harsanyi, senior writer for National Review.
“The corporate media's ‘clicks-first, facts-later’ approach to journalism is harming our country. You succeeded in publishing a misleading, clickbait headline about one of your political opponents, but at the expense of deterring individuals infected with COVID from seeking life-saving treatment, which will cost lives. Was it worth it?” —Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in a scathing letter to the head of The Associated Press on Monday. In the letter, DeSantis said the news outlet “deserved blowback” for writing a false story claiming that his touting of a COVID antibody drug from Regeneron was linked to a political donor's investment in the company.
“I want to take this opportunity to speak to our brothers, the Taliban. We call on you to ensure the safe and secure passage of any individual in Afghanistan out of the country.” —Maryam Monsef, Canada’s “minister for women and gender equality,” during a virtual news conference on Wednesday.
“Difference between a challenger and incumbent: Every story on Elder gets into [the] dispute with an ex when he was talk show host. Stories on Newsom don’t get into his 2007 affair with an aide when he was mayor.” —Debra J. Saunders, a columnist and former White House correspondent, on the disparities in coverage between the two.
9: “Mega candy shops” selling American candy in central London, all within less than a square mile. Demand for American sweets has skyrocketed throughout the U.K., particularly during the last year. “Consumers are looking for comfort and nostalgia these days,” one food trend expert said, adding that people have a “strong sense of borrowed nostalgia” from the States.
66,436: Estimated homeless population of Los Angeles, according to a federal report.
2.94 million: Average Fox News Channel viewers over the past week (bolstered by viewers’ rapt attention to events in Afghanistan), making it the most-watched TV outlet on broadcast or cable, according to Nielsen company figures. For comparison: MSNBC saw a slight ratings dip from the previous week, averaging just under 1.2 million viewers compared to 1.29 million, while CNN rose 20.6%, averaging 943,00 viewers vs. the prior week’s 782,000. FNC was followed by broadcaster CBS with 2.57 million, NBC with 2.53 million, ABC with 2.39 million, and Fox with 1.38 million.3
155: Days that Henry “Enrique” Tarrio, the leader of the far-right group known as the “Proud Boys,” was sentenced to jail for burning a Black Lives Matter banner taken from a historic Black church and for bringing two high-capacity ammunition magazines to Washington, DC.
$6,500: Amount that Blackwater founder Erik Prince was charging, per seat, on a private charter out of Kabul, according to The Wall Street Journal.
34: Counts of rape and sexual assault that porn actor Ron Jeremy has been indicted on as he continues to await trial on charges that could result in a prison sentence of more than 300 years.
9: Lawyers who now face financial penalties and other sanctions after a judge Wednesday said they had abused the court system with a lawsuit seeking to decertify Michigan’s presidential election results and have voting machines impounded. U.S. District Judge Linda Parker said the effort was a sham intended to deceive the court and the public, just a few days after Biden’s 154,000-vote victory in the state was certified.
$1 billion: The price at which Axel Springer, the German media conglomerate, has agreed to buy the Washington-based Politico franchise. Between Politico's operations in North America, its joint venture in Europe, and Protocol, the company says it employs more than 500 journalists.
$200: Monthly surcharge all unvaccinated Delta Air Lines employees will soon be forced to pay for the company's health care plan, making the Georgia-based airline the first such major U.S. company to tie vaccination status to health care costs, a move other industries could soon follow. Delta’s CEO stated that the surcharge is meant to offset medical costs from a coronavirus infection — around $50,000 per person — which is more likely to occur in unvaccinated individuals.
Doggos listen to the phone call.
This isn't true. The number of white people isn't shrinking; it's the number of people who identity as white that's shrinking. The reasons for this are several, but it's directly correlated to equity initiatives — which are incontrovertibly discriminatory in favor of literally everyone but white people — and the reality that claiming to be a minority automatically confers victimhood status, which has become a form of social currency during a time when feelings matter more than facts. It also has to do with the simple fact that the census questions were altered for the first time in years so that people had fewer options from which to choose how to self-identity.