The Daily Valet. - 2/14/22, Monday
✔️ About Last Night
Monday, February 14th Edition
Will you be mine?
Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s Big Story
The Millennials’ Half Time Show
Early aughts nostalgia is the real winner here
You don’t come here for sports stats, so I’ll spare you my armchair analysis, but just in case you don't know, a late go-ahead touchdown toss cinched the first Super Bowl for the Rams as a Los Angeles team. It made for a very watchable game, but the real MVP was the half time show.
I was really looking forward to it until this now-vital tweet made a brilliant, yet brutal point. It allowed us '80s/'90s babies to time travel for a bit back to simpler times.
The show, which Jezebel says should’ve been branded as, “Gen Xers/Millennials, We Did This For You,” was stacked with legendary performers including Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige and surprise guest 50 Cent.
It was the third year of collaboration between the NFL and Roc Nation, the entertainment company founded by Jay-Z. But this performance, which Dr. Dre said would be an “unforgettable cultural moment,” definitely struck a chord, lighting up social media.
The NFL had reportedly denied Eminem’s request to kneel during the performance (in solidarity with former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick), but he did so anyway in defiance of their decree. They also tried to prevent Dr. Dre from rapping the line “still not loving police” in his song “Still D.R.E.,” but he didn’t listen either.
In its entirety, this show was easily one of the best the Super Bowl has seen in recent history—seated up in the top five of all time with U2’s performance after 9/11 and Prince’s rain-soaked magnum opus in 2007.
↦ Dig Deeper: The bizarre economy of Super Bowl merchandise: What happens to the Bengal’s pre-made ‘champion’ apparel now that they’ve lost?
Your Avocado Toast Is in Trouble
Shortly before the Super Bowl, the U.S. suspends avocado imports from Mexico
Avocado exports are the latest victim of the drug cartel turf battles and extortion of avocado growers in the only state in Mexico fully authorized to export to the American market.
The U.S. government suspended all imports of Mexican avocados “until further notice” after a U.S. plant safety inspector in Mexico received a threatening message, Mexico's Agriculture Department said in a statement. Why are drug cartels involved in the avocado trade? Because there's a lot of money to be made.
Mexico is the world's top grower and exporter of the fruit, and the U.S. is by far its largest customer. According to Bloomberg, consumption has doubled over the last decade as the we happily pay extra for guac, indulge in avocado toast and whip avocado into our smoothies.
That nearly insatiable appetite comes at a cost, reports Vox. To meet surging demand, Mexican farmers have cut down swaths of forest in the country. By some estimates, as many as 20,000 acres of forest are cut down each year and replaced with avocado plantations. Some researchers say that avocados should be certified for sustainability so that consumers can assess the impact of their purchases.
↦ Holy Guacamole: Americans eat, on average, 105 million pounds of avocados during the Super Bowl, by one recent estimate.
The IRS Backlog
Could this delay getting our refunds?
Nearly 24 million taxpayers are still waiting for the Internal Revenue Service to process their tax returns from last year, reports the Washington Post. The number is far larger than previously reported by the agency—with many refunds being held up for 10 months or more.
The backlog will only add to the slow service and delays already anticipated for the 2022 tax filing season. A report last month from the taxpayer advocate's office (which wrote that the IRS is “in crisis”) has already warned of refund delays.
A group of 30 Republicans described the situation as “untenable” in a letter sent last week to Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and IRS Commissioner Charles Rettig. But some in the GOP simultaneously are working to block any new federal aid that might help the beleaguered agency—a stance that drew sharp criticism from Democrats on Saturday.
So how long could it be? We won't know for a while, but the IRS assured CBS News that most Americans would get their refunds within 21 days of filing. They also said that returns with errors involving the third stimulus check, which are missing information or which have suspected fraud could take up to 120 days to resolve. But thankfully, some taxpayers are already reporting receiving their refunds, according to posts on social media.
↦ FYI: The IRS doesn't have scanning technology, relying instead on humans to open the mail and manually enter information into its system.
It’s Valentine’s Day
On the bright side, the candy goes on sale tomorrow
Whether you're single or attached, I want to wish you a happy Valentine's Day ... whatever that's worth. At the very least, have some fun today playing with Google's hamster doodle.
Did you know that Hallmark has been making Valentine's Day cards since 1916? And now the company says more than 145 million cards are exchanged every February 14th.
Of course, that's nothing compared to the $23.9 billion (yes, billion) we're expected to spend on gushy gifts, flowers and dinners this year—making it the second highest year on record, according to the annual survey by the National Retail Federation and Prosper Insights & Analytics.
And as the holiday has spread around the world, many cultures have put their own spin on it. Some of these traditions—such as mass weddings in the Philippines—are charming, while others—like obligatory gift-giving in Japan—inspire feelings that are less than warm and fuzzy.
↦ Further Reading: This is the perfect day to discuss the world's most misunderstood “love songs.”
In Other News
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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The Ultimate Home Coffee Setup
How to brew and prepare the perfect cup
Making good coffee is all about the ritual—putting in the time to do it right, bringing that first steaming cup to your lips and inhaling the rich aroma of a brew that's prepared just the way you like it.
Whether you take it black or with steamed milk or require all-natural stevia sweetener and a splash of almond milk, there are plenty of ways to upgrade your experience.
After all, why treat coffee as merely a tool to cure your sleepiness when you can follow the advice of experts for the ultimate coffee setup? And the upside of investing in quality home gear is that you end up saving all that coffee shop money.
We pulled together a few well-chosen pieces that will practically pay for themselves in a few months. The key is to stick to your routine. Practice makes perfect. Leave the experimenting to the baristas ... but follow their tips below for the perfect cup.
↦ Read: Our guide to making the perfect cup of coffee.
What We’re Eyeing
We're living in the golden age of slip-ons right now. Clogs, mules and loafers of all sorts are among the coolest footwear you can slide into these days. Birkenstock made big waves a few years ago when they introduced their popular Arizona sandals in squishy EVA foam. Now, after the Boston clog enjoyed a WFH renaissance, the brand has introduced a similar textured clog ($80) in the same material, but with a sturdy cork footbed. As our friends at Huckberry put it: “when shoes this comfy are this cool, the means we're doing something right.”
↦ Want more? 5 stylish items to buy this week
Today’s Deals
Expires 2/14
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↦ Want More? See all 43 sales
Morning Motto
To succeed, you need a plan.
↦ Follow: @jimkwik
That’s all for today...
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