The Daily Valet. - 12/6/21, Monday

✔️ Can This Go Too Far?

Monday, December 6th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

No one say anything about ‘Succession’ to me yet ...

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Can Wellness Go Too Far?

IV drips and longevity coaches are becoming standard

Demographers predict that as many as half of the children born in the developed world since 2000 will reach the age of 100 and beyond. Once a rare event, century-long lives will become commonplace by 2050. The near doubling of life expectancy presents a range of challenges—first and foremost, is how to stay healthy and vibrant well past middle age.

This must be why wellness and longevity are becoming as common as the pursuit of vanity muscles. According to Town & Country, the wealthy and powerful are investing in research labs that bill themselves as nothing short of modern-day Ponce de Leóns—laser-focused on solving intractable health issues and aiming to crack the code of immortality.

Lifestyle tops the list as the most important factor when determining how long a person will live, according to a recent CBS News poll. A person’s lifestyle comes out far ahead of a person’s genes (19%), their emotional well-being (16%) and economic status (13%).

In order to achieve a healthy lifestyle, people are hiring longevity coaches and wellness concierges, employed by companies like New York–based Parsley Health, which has raised over $36 million in funding on the back of its $175-a-month boutique primary care service, and Paris-based Salvagene, which promises to use “artificial intelligence in combination with deep genomics to achieve maximum health optimization.”

Meanwhile, IV drips—the kind you might get if you’re rushed to the hospital—are trending as a spa treatment, thanks in part to endorsements by celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Madonna.

The promise is that customized cocktails of fluids and vitamins can boost immunity, cure jet lag, ease allergies, restore energy, relax you or help you lose weight. But many experts say that people are simply paying for rapid hydration that bypasses the stomach. “The most important thing they’re getting is water with salt, which you could get from a sports drink,” says Dr. Sam Torbati, co-chair of emergency medicine at Cedars-Sinai in Los Angeles.

↦ Longevity Staple: Wellness gurus, biohackers and athletes have all sworn by the benefits of an infrared sauna. This blanket is like having a personal sauna in your home.

COVID Continues

The number of U.S. Omicron cases “likely to rise”

CDC director Dr. Rochelle Walensky on Sunday said that the number of “Omicron coronavirus cases in the United States is likely to rise.” And the newly discovered variant has already been detected in at least 16 states, fueling concerns about the strain's ability to drive up a new wave of infections.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the FDA is already in conversations about streamlining authorization for revamped vaccines. Agency officials have met with vaccine makers and are working to set guidelines for the type of data that will be needed to swiftly evaluate the safety and efficacy of changes to current vaccines.

Meanwhile, Omicron fuels the case for COVID boosters and experts are now saying a booster may soon become a requirement to be considered “fully vaccinated.” So far, booster uptake has been sluggish, and adding a third shot to vaccine mandates would be highly controversial.

Whether Omicron is more transmissible than prior variants is not yet known, but there are some signs that it may not cause more severe disease than the other variants, reports Axios.

↦ Track It: Here's where different strains are spreading.

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The Year in Emojis

Tears of joy prevailed (despite its detractors)

Blame the pandemic. After nearly two years of shutdowns and isolation, masks and social distancing, we should probably be happy that at least people are crying “tears of joy” rather than just, well, crying.

According to a new report from the Unicode Consortium, a nonprofit focused on digitizing the world's languages, the tears of joy emoji was the most used during 2021—despite members of Gen Z deeming it uncool (along with side parts and skinny jeans).

The heart emoji finished second, while the “rolling on the floor laughing” emoji—which looks a lot like the tears of joy emoji turned slightly sideways—came in third. This, to me, says we still need to find a better way to convey to friends and family that we're amused over text.

Interestingly, these emojis of the year rarely change. The Verge points out that the top 10 emoji has only seen one change between the two years, and even then, it was to swap two very similar emoji (“two hearts” with “smiling face with 3 hearts”).

↦ FYI: While there are 3,663 emoji in existence, the top 100 emoji represented 82% of all shares globally this year.

About That Saudi Grand Prix Race

Controversy, collisions and cursing

The first-ever visit to Saudi Arabia for the FIA Formula One World Championship had everything someone could currently expect from modern Grand Prix racing but turned up to eleven. First, a new race in a country accused of “sportswashing” a questionable record on human rights.

Then there was a new narrow, high-speed street circuit that was constructed for the race in a city near the coast and some controversial FIA decisions sprinkled in for good measure.

Lewis Hamilton, seven-times Formula 1 world champion, said he had received a warm welcome on arrival, but felt “duty-bound” to speak out amid human rights groups accusing Saudi Arabia of using the event to distract from scrutiny about its abuses.

And after a wacky and wild race, Hamilton won the Grand Prix to tie Max Verstappen in the points standings with one race to go in the 2021 Formula 1 season.

↦ Dig Deeper: Hamilton has been wearing an LGBTQ flag on his helmet to raise awareness over human rights and equality in the Arab nations.

In Other News

↦ Bob Dole, WWII Hero and Former Republican Senator, Dies at 98

↦ Behind Crypto’s Ugly Weekend, ‘Cascading’ Selloffs and Dashed Hopes for Bitcoin $100K

↦ Dallas Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban Buys an Entire—Virtually Empty—Texas Town

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The Kennedy Center Honors

What’s on our radar

The real Kendall Roy

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Don’t Leave the Party Early

Promescent’s discreet delay wipes are the key to a good, long time

It's cold outside, so you're no doubt looking to turn up the heat in the bedroom. But one of the most common problems men have in the bedroom often means the fun stops short. According to the Cleveland Clinic, premature ejaculation affects nearly 40% of men (though some doctors believe those estimates to be underreported). There are, of course, plenty of causes—from physical sensitivity and chemical imbalances to more psychological factors. But modern wellness brand Promescent is here to help.

Their best-selling Delay Spray is recommended by more than 2,000 healthcare professionals because it's so effective and reliable. Now, they offer convenient Delay Wipes that utilize all of the same technology but in a simple-to-apply wipe. Individually wrapped, they're quick, convenient and, most of all, discreet. Which means you can stash them in a bag or pocket and apply it quickly without spoiling any of the fun.

Especially if you're curious—and not ready to pay your doctor a visit—these wipes can keep you from shooting early. And the science is on your side. Studies have confirmed the efficacy of benzocaine, which is absorbed into nerve cells just below the skin to temporarily slow down a man's trigger response. Of course, a benefit of the wipes over a spray is that you can apply it only where you need it (so you won't feel overly desensitized). Which means you can stop worrying and focus on having (and giving) a good time.

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