The Daily Valet. - 2/14/20, Friday
✔️ Let's Talk About V-Day
Friday, February 14th Edition
Happy Valentine’s Day ... I choose you and thank you for choosing to open this newsletter today.
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s Big Story
Let’s Talk About V-Day
From the origins of the holiday to the random traditions that have sprung up around the world
Well, it's Valentine's Day. And whether you're single or planning something special with your special someone, it can be a day full of stress and anxiety. So let's have a little fun and dig into this Hallmark holiday a bit.
While Hallmark denies its involvement in the creation of Valentine’s Day, the brand started selling specialty Valentine cards in 1913 and last year, more than 145 million greeting cards were bought (making it the second largest holiday for cards).
And it's not just paper. CNN estimated that 224 million roses are murdered each year, while $1.6 million will be spent on candy and over $4.4 billion on diamonds, gold and silver jewelry.
So how did it all start? The truth is a bit murky. According to the History Channel, February has long been celebrated as a month of romance. While the holiday commemorates the martyrdom of St. Valentine (one of them anyway), it's also a blend of both Christian and ancient Roman tradition (cupid is a Roman god with roots in Greek mythology).
The oldest known valentine still in existence today is a poem written in 1415 by Charles, Duke of Orleans, to his wife while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.
Around the world, traditions differ, reports Mental Floss. In Japan, it's the women who buy sweets for men. It's more about friendship in Estonia. And in South Africa, people literally wear their hearts on their sleeves—as it's customary to pin your Valentine's (or even your crush's) name to your shirt sleeve.
↦ 53%: The percentage of women who say they'd break up with their significant other if they got nothing for Valentine's Day.
Attorney General Says Trump Makes His Job “Impossible”
William Barr said the president’s attacks undermine the legal system and the Justice Department
Attorney General William Barr on Thursday issued a rare public criticism of President Donald Trump, telling ABC News that the president's tweets about Justice Department matters "make it impossible for me to do my job."
According to the Washington Post, the rare rebuke of the president by a sitting member of his Cabinet came days after the department overruled federal prosecutors in Roger Stone's criminal case, a decision that resulted in all four prosecutors quitting the case.
“I think it’s time to stop the tweeting about criminal cases,” Barr said, adding that such statements about the DOJ, about "our men and women here, cases and about judges before whom we have cases, make it impossible to assure the courts and the prosecutors and the department that we’re doing our work with integrity.”
Barr told ABC News that he and his staff had decided to recommend a lower sentence before Trump tweeted because they thought the recommended sentence was too long—but the president's criticism put them in a tough spot.
An Asteroid Is Hurtling Toward Earth
But it’s not as dangerous as it sounds
NASA has confirmed that an asteroid larger than the tallest man-made structure in the world is currently traveling towards Earth at a speed of almost 34,000 miles per hour, reports IGN.
If this type of asteroid would hit the Earth, it'd cause millions of deaths and likely a nuclear winter. But despite plenty of social media chatter, the "killer asteroid," known as 163373 (2002 PZ39) is expected to soar past our planet on Saturday morning from a distance of about 3.6 million miles.
NASA confirmed to Snopes that they're constantly monitoring the skies for potentially dangerous asteroids. In fact, the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies currently lists about 20 asteroids that will pass safely by earth over the next month.
↦ Further Away: NASA’s New Horizons spacecraft found building blocks for the solar system in the most distant object ever explored.
Golfing for Your Health
New study proves regular golf helps lower the risk of death
I'm usually up to try any and all health fads. Pulverizing my sore muscles with a Theragun? Absolutely. Celery juice? Sure (but gross). And now it looks like I'm going to have to try golf, which I've long seen as a rather boring sport.
According to a new study by researchers at the University of Missouri, playing a round of golf at least once a month—or preferably weekly if you can—will lower your risk of early death.
The study analyzed 10 years of data featuring 5,900 American golfers over the age of 65 between 1989 and 1999. The research found any general activity that keeps adults active and socializing on a monthly or weekly basis is enough to reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack.
So maybe this has less to do with the actual sport and more to do with the camaraderie of hanging with your buddies, casually drinking and enjoying an afternoon in the sun. And that's definitely something I can get behind ... you know, for my health.
↦ FYI: Golf is played by nearly 25 million people in the US, according to the National Golf Foundation.
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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Stock Up on Booze
Buy it now, just in case these tariffs get worse
Retaliatory tariffs on wine, spirits, cheese and dozens of other products between the US and the European Union are being felt all around on both sides of the Atlantic already, and the pain may be far from over, reports Barron's.
By Tuesday, the US Trade Representative (USTR) is expected to make a decision regarding the 25% tariffs it imposed on certain European Union wines, single-malt Scotch whisky and several kinds of dairy products from Italy and France last year.
The USTR may widen this list to include all still wines, no matter the alcohol content, as well as sparkling wines, non-alcoholic beer, brandies and whiskies from across Europe. Crucially, the trade office could raise these tariffs as high as 100%, a move that would be devastating to the industry, likely wiping out small importers, distributors and retailers in the US focused on European wine and spirits.
Amanda Smeltz, a New York wine director, told CNN that she fears that if a 100% tariff is imposed, certain items will disappear from the American market. "If you ever enjoyed a beautiful whiskey from Ireland or a fine bottle of wine on your birthday, you can kiss those things goodbye."
What We’re Buying
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Morning Motto
Remember, don’t sell yourself short.
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