The Daily Valet. - 10/29/21, Friday

✔️ Spooky Shenanigans

Friday, October 29th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

When do Reese’s peanut butter pumpkins go on sale?

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Halloween Shenanigans

The big skeleton is still huge and candy conspiracies just won’t die

After last year’s Halloween was all but canceled due to the pandemic’s lockdowns, people are really ready to celebrate this year.

In fact, Americans are expected to spend over $10 billion on Halloween in 2021, from candy and decorations to costumes for themselves, their kids and yes, even pets. (Skip the cutesy outfits and dress your dog up in something truly terrifying).

Speaking of decorations, remember the 12-foot giant skeleton that was all over social media last year? It’s back and bigger than ever. Well, not really—he sold out again. But you can find him on eBay for as much as $1,300 (the original costs $300). There are TikTok and Instagram hashtags galore, but the Morning Brew wanted to find out how Skelly came to be—and spoke with its creator, the merchant director for Home Depot.

Of course, it’s not all tricks and treats. Some people are concerned that with all the legalized cannabis in the U.S., THC-laced gummies could be handed out to kids, tricking innocent youngsters into accidentally getting high. Attorneys general in Ohio, New York, Illinois, Connecticut and Arkansas all released statements this week as part of a coordinated effort to advise parents about the dangers of marijuana edibles.

Historically, such acts have not just been rare, but very close to completely undocumented. One sociologist, who has studied the topic since 1983, told the New York Times he found virtually no evidence of it happening in real life, despite the annual ritual of headlines and warnings.

Perhaps it’s simply the macabre style of the holiday to think that an apple from a kind old lady has a razor blade in it, or the house that shelled out for full size candy bars laced them with laxatives. These are all warnings from previous decades. Now, the fear turns to pot. Trust me, THC-laced imitations of Sour Patch Kids will cost at least $20. That price makes them something few people would give away to a kid just for kicks.

↦ DIg Deeper: National Geographic delves into the twisted transatlantic history of American jack-o’-lanterns.

COVID Cases are Plummeting

New cases have fallen 57% since last month, thanks to increased immunity

The number of new COVID-19 cases continues to drop all across the country. The U.S. is now averaging roughly 70,000 new cases per day, a 20% drop over the past two weeks.

The number of COVID-related deaths also dropped during that time by about 14%—further signaling a downward trend in the country's fourth wave of the pandemic.

Still, there are some troubling indicators, including the onset of cold weather. As people head indoors, the virus can spread more easily and faster. With required mask use reduced in much of the U.S., the University of Washington's influential COVID-19 forecasting model is predicting increasing infections and hospitalizations in November.

But it's not guaranteed. In fact, infectious diseases scientist at Johns Hopkins told NBC News that he projects a continued decline in new cases. “Barring any introduction of a new variant, we should expect to have a relatively mild impact of COVID during that time.”

↦ FYI: Currently, more than 67% of the country’s eligble population ages 12 and above are fully vaccinated.

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Move Over Influencers

Welcome to the era of the independent creator

Despite the boom of the influencer economy over the past decade, creators who make their living posting content on YouTube, Instagram and more are continuing to face now-familiar challenges: the perils of building a business on the back of an ever-changing algorithm determined by Big Tech companies.

And, of course, for every TikTok star that is raking in big bucks, there are thousands of other creators who can barely make ends meet. Those harsh realities, coupled with the rise of new platforms such as Substack, Gumroad and Kajabi, which allow creators to connect with their fans and earn money from them directly, has led to what a new report dubs “the rise of the independent creator.”

Commissioned by Mighty Networks, another one of those new-ish platforms that allows creators to be more in control of their profits, the report examined the worklife and income of nearly 1,700 creators. “What came through loud and clear,” Mighty Networks' CEO told Fast Company, “is that creators are not ever going to leave social media.”

But the future will be about consolidating content and staying niche instead of going broad. Some interesting math: for a creator to earn $1,000 a month, they need either 229 Substack subscribers, 224 Patreon supporters, 100,000 Instagram followers, or 2 million monthly YouTube views.

A Weekend Pairing

Psycho + Cask-Strength Bourbon

Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho is the quintessential horror movie in my book. And what better weekend to rewatch ... or watch for the very fist time? Adapted from the Robert Bloch novel of the same name and loosely inspired by the murders of notorious midcentury serial killer Ed Gein, Psycho is the kind of bloodless horror movie which still manages to be unsettling and a little bit eerie. For a film that's over 60 years old, it's held up pretty well (hence the 95% Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes).

You no doubt know the story of the chance encounter between an embezzling clerk and a disturbed motel owner, and if you don't I won't spoil anything. What's interesting about the film is that there are very few heroes to root for. It's Hitchcock's neo-noir roots shining through—showing us that everybody is a villain in somebody's story. After all, “we all go a little mad sometimes,” right?

↦ Your Pairing:No cute cocktail for this classic black and white film. Just a good, stiff drink. Besides, in the original book, Norman apparently drinks himself into unconsciousness before getting himself into some untidy trouble. Elijah Craig Barrel Proof is relatively easy to find, and despite the high proof, it's actually remarkably balanced.

In Other News

↦ Facebook’s Corporate Parent Announced It Was Changing Its Name to ‘Meta' and the Internet Had a Field Day

↦ What Stays and What’s Gone From Biden’s Spending Bill (so Far)

↦ Now You Can View Earth From Aboard the ISS in VR

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Evil movie mirrors

Ben and Jerry’s cookie dough recipe

George Carlin

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What We’re Buying

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