The Daily Valet. - 12/18/20, Friday (copy 01)

✔️ Less Fun, More Trees

December 18, 2020

Friday, December 18th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Let’s all eat, drink and be merry (and safe) over the holidays.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

↦ I'll be off the next two weeks for a much-needed winter break.
↦ Regular newsletters will resume on January 4th.

Today's edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Less Fun, More Trees

Christmas is different this year, but everyone is still jonesing for a tree

Everyone loves the smell of a real Christmas tree, right? Which is why, according to The Hustle, American tree farms sell about 30 million freshly-cut evergreens to independent lots, big-box retailers and garden centers every year. At an average retail price of $75 a pop, these trees make for a $2 billion-a-year business.

How do they keep up with demand? At any given time, there are 350 million Christmas trees growing on farms across America in various stages of development. And the vast majority come from just four states: Oregon, North Carolina, Michigan and Pennsylvania.

The industry has gotten it down to a science—knowing exactly how many trees to plant to control supply and demand. Farmers are even using helicopters to help them harvest up to a thousand trees an hour. It was all working until 2020. The pandemic hit and forced most of us to stay home and have our own Christmas celebrations.

So now we’re all suddenly Kevin McCalister—on our own and obsessed with finding the perfect Christmas tree. According to The Atlantic, the run on trees is attributed to people grasping for a sense of nostalgic comfort. But putting numbers to these observations is a little tricky because the industry is almost charmingly low on data.

There are no flashy start-ups peddling Fraser firs via app—a Christmas miracle! Google Trends shows a higher and more sustained interest in real Christmas trees this year than any before it, but since trees are bought and sold through small, local businesses, it’s hard to quantify. Anecdotally, though, business is booming, even in an economically scarred country.

Other strange tree developments in 2020? The emergence of black artificial trees as a chic alternative to the traditional green pine. And people are swapping the star or angel tree topper for ... wait for it ... Baby Yoda. But hey, it’s been a tough year, I say do whatever gets you in the mood.

↦ Why? I can't stop thinking about these upside down trees.

More Hacking Attacks Found

Suspected Russian hacking campaign has been ongoing since March

The suspected Russian hacking campaign that has torn through the U.S. government zeroed in on more than 40 organizations and private companies, reports NBC News.

An alarming new alert issued by the Department of Homeland Security's cyber arm Thursday revealed that hackers used a variety of tactics and not just a single compromised software program.

The campaign, which U.S. officials believe is tied to the Kremlin, began at least as early as March, though it was discovered only last week, and has broken into multiple federal agencies. The Energy Department and its National Nuclear Security Administration (which maintains the American nuclear stockpile) were compromised as well, but according to the New York Times, an investigation found the hack did not affect any critical functions.

Echoing the government's warning, Microsoft said on Thursday that while countries have spied on each other for centuries, “the recent attackers used a technique that has put at risk the technology supply chain for the broader economy.”

↦ FYI: President-elect Biden warned that his administration would impose “substantial costs” on those responsible. President Trump has yet to say anything about the attack.

Special Promotion

Ready to get back in shape? “If you have a pulse, you can benefit from creatine.”

Where’s the Drip?

50 years of tax cuts for the rich failed to trickle down, economics study says

Tax cuts for the wealthy are always sold to the public by saying that such measures will "trickle down" and eventually boost jobs and incomes for everyone else. But a new study from the London School of Economics says 50 years of such tax cuts have only helped one group—the rich.

The study examined countries that passed tax reform in a specific year, comparing those that slashed taxes on the wealthy, with those that didn't. They found gross domestic product and unemployment rates were nearly identical after five years. But the analysis discovered one major change: The incomes of the rich grew much faster in countries where tax rates were lowered.

Which means instead of trickling down to the middle class, tax cuts for the rich may only exacerbate income inequality. According to The Conversation, the data suggests that low taxes on the rich bring economies little benefit—which makes a strong economic case for raising taxes on the wealthy to help repair public finances following the pandemic.

In an interview with Bloomberg, one of the authors of the study agreed: “Policy makers shouldn’t worry that raising taxes on the rich to fund the financial costs of the pandemic will harm their economies.”

↦ Meanwhile: Stimulus talks could spill into weekend as congressional leaders scramble to complete a deal on COVID relief.

Bucket List Bourbon

You know what’s better than your own bottle of whiskey? Your own barrel.

Our friends at Huckberry do some pretty cool things, but this is by far one of the coolest collaborations I've seen. The team worked with Buffalo Trace to select their very own barrel of bourbon.

A “barrel pick,” I've learned, is the process of selecting a unique barrel of bourbon, and then having that bottled exclusively for your own use. (Santa, if you're reading this ...) Normally, barrels of whiskey are produced and aged, then blended together to produce the bourbon we love. But no two barrels are exactly the same. The beauty of a barrel pick is the ability to pluck one of those barrels out and save it from the blending process.

The Huckberry team worked with AJ Hochhalter, the man behind the movie Neat: The Story of Bourbon to select the perfect barrel. “Sweet, full and easy drinking,” he says. “This one felt like a crowd pleaser.”

Unfortunately, a barrel isn't bottomless. It only produces around 250 bottles, so Huckberry won't be selling any of these specialty bottles. But, if you're interested in getting your hands on one, I'm told that they'll be giving away 10 bottles over on Instagram on Monday, the 21st.

↦ FYI: Buffalo Trace distillery is the home and team behind the famed Pappy Van Winkle.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

What you read most in 2020

The history of PEZ

Revenge on porch pirates

Special Promotion

Your Workout Secret Weapons

What creatine and collagen can do for your muscle gains, joint health and recovery

If you’re planning on getting into the shape this winter, than you might be thinking about supplements. After all, even those who eat clean and workout regularly could benefit from supplementing their diet with extra nutrients. But which ones are worth the hype? We asked Momentous Performance Engineer and co-founder of Allegiate gym Tim Caron. His short answer: “Anyone interested in feeling better, looking better, or performing better should be taking creatine and collagen.”

Performance Creatineby Momentous ($50)

Creatine is a natural peptide found in the human body in muscle tissue and in the brain. “I use it for both performance and health reasons,” says Caron. “It keeps our phosphate levels high, which in turn contributes to our ability to maintain a consistent stream of energy production.” And a 2017 study for the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that creatine supplements not only enhance an athletes' performance but also aid with post-exercise recovery. Researchers found that it's safe to take regularly and the consistently reported side effect of weight gain is solely from muscle, not fat, helping increase lean body mass.

Collagen Peptidesby Momentous ($55)

Collagen is often referred to as “the body’s scaffolding,” because it’s a protein that forms the connective tissue throughout our body. Caron says it’s a valuable tool for both recovery and for people with joint-connective tissue issues. “In my world they are one in the same—joint pain and recovery are interconnected.” Supplementing with collagen peptides helps regenerate the joint and the connective tissues around the body. According to a 2019 review in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, taking collagen supplements for several months can improve signs of aging while relieving stiff joints and sports-related joint pain. He also says it has a strong impact on hair, skin and nails which are great indicators of overall health. Because when you look good you feel good and vice versa, right?

↦ Learn More about Momentous

Special Promotion

The Best Tech Gifts for Everyone on Your List

It can be hard to shop for the people on your list who are gadget and tech-inclined. They know the latest and greatest stuff on the market, so you don’t want to give them something they’d think is outdated. But there are also so many amazing products on offer that will all but guarantee a pleased early adopter on your gift list. And right now, Dell is currently offering deals on a wide range of the latest technology and brands. But stock and prices are changing quickly, so click through today and grab that deal now.