The Daily Valet. - 11/4/22, Friday
✔️ We're About to Fall Back
Friday, November 4th Edition
Who’s ready for shorter days? (Yeah ... no one.)
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s edition is presented by
Today’s Big Story
We’re About to Fall Back
Could this be our last daylight saving time change?
Daylight saving time ends this Sunday, Nov. 6, at 2 a.m, after which Americans will set their clocks back one hour. And while that blesses us with an extra hour of sleep, it also means we’ll be cleaving an hour of brightness out of our afternoons—at a time of year when days are already fast-dimming.
The ritual of turning the clocks back might not be the annoying chore it once was, thanks to smartphones, computers and other electronic gadgets that do it automatically. But the practice continues to stir emotions.
The complicated history of daylight saving time in the U.S. began in 1918. It was introduced as a temporary measure during World War I to conserve energy and maximize daylight. It returned during WWII and then states could choose whether to observe it and when it would begin and end. Confusion across state lines led Congress to pass the Uniform Time Act, which split the year into six months of standard time and six months of daylight saving. The U.S. tried permanent daylight saving time during the energy crisis in the 1970s, but it was considered a failed experiment.
But recently, there’s been a renewed interest in keeping the extra daylight. Changing clocks twice a year robs Americans of sleep and productivity and causes scheduling errors and other issues: A 2016 study estimated that the biannual switchover costs the U.S. more than $430 million a year.
Currently, 19 states have passed laws or resolutions stating that they would switch to permanent daylight saving time if the federal government ever allows them to do so. And March, the Senate unanimously voted to pass the Sunshine Protection Act, which would make daylight saving time permanent. If the bill passes the House and is signed into law by President Biden, once the clocks change in March, they won’t change back. Permanent DST would take effect on Nov. 5, 2023.
Sounds promising but The Hill reports that while people generally like the idea of abolishing the practice, there hasn’t been a consensus in the House on whether it’s daylight time or standard time that should become permanent—and that passing the bill just doesn’t seem to be a high priority for lawmakers. So the bill isn’t likely to go anywhere, at least anytime soon.
↦ FYI: One unintended but positive benefit of permanent Daylight Saving Time? Fewer cars hitting deer.
Feds Bust Massive Catalytic Converter Theft Ring
Emissions equipment theft is more lucrative than you’d think
Whether you drive a car or not, I'm sure you've heard about the recent rash of catalytic converter thefts. They've been going on since the early summer but have gone way up in recent months.
Thieves simply slide under cars (sometimes in broad daylight) with a handheld power saw, cut off the goods and stash the hoard in a garage until they can sell them to a scrap yard—if their local government hasn't established a law to prevent those sales, that is.
But this week, federal authorities took a big crack at catalytic converter thefts, announcing raids and arrests from California to New Jersey to break up a network of thieves, dealers and processors that netted hundreds of millions of dollars from this fast-growing crime.
According to Autoblog, the Department of Justice brought in a total of 21 defendants who have been charged in two separate indictments that also led to the seizure of nearly $550 million in assets, including homes, bank accounts, cash and—you guessed it—luxury cars.
↦ Dig Deeper: Why catalytic converters? Thieves steal them because pricey metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium are used inside exhaust systems to break down harmful gasses.
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Pizza Hut Introduces Melts
It’s like a folded slice, but more complicated
Pizza Hut has released not only a new menu item, but a new category of menu item—one simply called “Melts”. It's clearly a direct competitor to Papa John's Papadias: Both are essentially a quesadilla/pizza/calzone hybrid.
Basically a folded-up slice filled with various toppings (and an included dipping sauce), it's meant to appeal to customers as a portable, personal-size snack or meal. Insider says they could be “a better alternative to a personal pizza—if you're all about convenience.”
Look, I'm all about convenience. And pizza, for that matter. But was a slice of pizza that difficult, time-consuming or cumbersome? I don't think so. Call me old fashioned, but I'd rather national chains like Pizza Hut just focus on making better pizzas, but I realize that's not the name of the game when you're trying to get the attention of fast foot customers. You need gimmicks, right?
Case in point: Thrillist reports that since the Melts were made for singles, Pizza Hut is encouraging fans to “go solo” and actually paying them for refusing to share—both IRL and on social media. By signing the chain's MDA (Melts Disclosure Agreement) you could win a $100 gift card, which would buy you about 14 of these Pizza Hut-made Hot Pockets.
A Weekend Pairing
‘Blockbuster’ + an Apple Martini
Kids today will never know that thrill of walking into a Blockbuster and having that smell—a mixture of candy, plastic and printer paper—hit you right in the face. I loved it. And the seemingly unending choices before me. Of course, in the age of streaming, that new release you were dying to see is never “out of stock.” So there's that. But Netflix's new workplace sitcom is set in the last Blockbuster video rental store, as a hard-working manager tries to keep his store open and his staff happy.
I'll admit, when I heard that Netflix was making this, I was hoping for more of a nostalgic look back at the Blockbuster glory days, but this is set in modern day. Created by Vanessa Ramos, who is known for writing on Brooklyn Nine-Nine and Superstore, the show stars Randall Park as the manager, along with a strong supporting cast of comedic actors. Reviews have been mixed. IGN called it “heartfelt” and The Ringer says it “might be the most mean-spirited feel-good sitcom ever made.” But Variety says the show “quickly gets stuck in a low gear that never quite lets it live up to its potential.” Still, I think its worth checking out, if only to relive that feeling of stopping by your local Blockbuster on a Friday night.
↦ Your Pairing:Let's shake up an old school drink from the heyday of Blockbuster: The Apple Martini. The much-maligned cocktail has been enjoying a comeback of sorts along with other 'tinis. As the Spruce Eats points out, this isn't really a martini, it's more of an apple vodka sour. The tartness can be adjusted to fit the drinker's palate.
In Other News
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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What We’re Buying
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Morning Motto
It’s not always easy, but life is beautiful.
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That’s all for today...
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