The Daily Valet. - 3/17/21, Wednesday

✔️ Uncomfortable Conversations

Wednesday, March 17th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I will not yield my time ...

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Massage Parlor Massacres

Three shootings, 8 dead and six of the victims were Asian women

At least eight people were killed and several others injured in a series of shootings at three spas in the Atlanta metro region Tuesday. The suspect has been taken into custody in connection with all three incidents, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Aaron Long, 21, of Woodstock, Georgia, was caught on video at the crime scenes and later arrested on a highway two hours south of Atlanta following a police chase. Six of the people killed were Asian, and two were white, according to law enforcement officials. All but one were women.

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in statement early Wednesday that its diplomats in Atlanta have confirmed from police that four of the victims who died were women of Korean descent. The ministry said the office of its Consulate General in Atlanta is trying to confirm the nationality of the women.

The killings came amid a recent wave of attacks against Asian Americans that coincided with the spread of the coronavirus across the United States. A new report by the organization Stop AAPI Hate shows there have been at least 3,795 reported hate incidents targeting Asian Americans in just the past year alone, from March 19, 2020, to the end of February.

It said that number represents a fraction of the true number of hate crimes committed against the community. These incidents range from verbal harassment and shunning to more extreme acts of physical attacks.

Details of the shootings are still to come, but in Seattle, the Police Department said on Tuesday night that it would increase patrols and outreach to support the city’s Asian-American community. The New York Police Department’s counterterrorism bureau said on Twitter that it would “be deploying assets to our great Asian communities across the city out of an abundance of caution.”

↦ Meanwhile: Across the internet, a serious game of Whac-A-Mole is underway to root out extremism.

Filibuster Talk Is Back

Biden supports an overhaul, McConnell warns of “scorched Earth Senate”

President Biden told ABC News Tuesday that he supports changing the Senate's filibuster rule by bringing back the talking filibuster, which requires a senator who wants to block legislation to hold the floor without taking a break.

According to Axios, Progressives have pressured Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to do away with the chamber's long-standing 60-vote threshold to pass major legislation on issues including climate change and voting rights. Biden hadn't publicly backed the possibility of an overhaul ... until now.

Some Democrats, arguing that the filibuster is an outdated procedure that cripples progress in ways the Founding Fathers never intended, want to abolish it, but Biden didn't go that far. He said, it could go back to the way it was when he was in the Senate: “You had to stand up and command the floor, you had to keep talking … so you've got to work for the filibuster.”

Not surprisingly, Republicans aren't happy. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell warned of a “scorched earth” landscape if Democrats end the filibuster, reports Fox News. He said the partisan gridlock of the Trump and Obama eras would look like “child's play” compared to what's to come.

↦ FYI: Filibuster reforms are fairly normal, and they happen more often than you might think.

Special Promotion

Want to boost your mood and your muscles? We've found new workout gear always motivates us to get moving.

It's St. Patrick’s Day

Pinch me ... we’re still at home

Across the nation, many St. Patrick's Day parades have been canceled for the second year amid the pandemic with several events scaled back or going virtual.

More people are expected to spend the holiday at home than past years, according to a survey of more than 3,000 consumers by Numerator. Only 9% plan to go to a bar this year compared to 38% in previous years. Of course, even those who don't celebrate will likely see some green today—since today's the day stimulus payments are supposed to hit bank accounts.

Something else to look out for today? Free donuts. Krispy Kreme is giving away free green glazed doughnuts for those who visit shops wearing green. No purchase is necessary, and the treats are available in-store, for pick-up and the drive-thru while supplies last.

And here's an interesting fact: You could say Happy St. Patrick's Day, Happy St. Paddy's Day, Lá fhéile Pádraig sona duit as gaeilge, or even call it St. Pat's, but Happy St. Patty's Day? Never say that.

↦ DIY: Voraciously shares six recipes to celebrate the holiday at home, from soda bread to Irish coffee.

Did the World Lose Its Libido?

People have been socially distant in the bedroom

Remember back to the early days of the pandemic, the memes predicting an onslaught of pregnancies because we were all going to be at home with nothing to do? The to-be generation even had a few nicknames—the “coronials” and the “quaranteens.”

But, instead of a baby boom, we're experiencing a baby bust. Global birth rates have plummeted to an all-time low. Sociologist Phil Cohen told CBS News, that this drop is the biggest he's witnessed since 1964—when the actual baby boom ended.

After a year of lockdowns, home schooling, social distancing and stress, sex drives are suffering, reports The Guardian. It is a situation playing out in bedrooms all over the world. In research conducted by the Kinsey Institute at Indiana University last year, nearly half of the respondents reported a decline in libidinous behavior.

And if you're okay with that (many people feel like they can't be bothered), that's okay. Relationship therapist Laura Vowels says it's a completely valid option, “especially during a pandemic. But if someone enjoyed that part of themselves and would like to have it back, that's a different story.”

↦ Homework: Therapist and podcast host Kate Moyle offers advice on how to approach the problem, whether you're a couple or single.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The Zoom Escaper

Listening to the Ikea catalog

This photo of Jared Leto

Special Promotion

Boost Your Activity

Home workouts don’t require a lot of space, just dedication

Anyone trying to balance it all—work, relationships, nutrition and fitness—will tell you that it can be a challenge to get it all in during the day. We don't even stand up enough to satisfy our fitness tracker on most days because we're often glued to our screens. But it's clear that the more active you are, the happier and healthier you'll be.

Getting off our glutes is vital for our minds as well as our bodies, especially when working from home. Exercise improves cognitive function, making your work day feel a whole lot easier. And it can be as powerful a mental pick-me-up as antidepressants or psychotherapy. According to MR PORTER's research, our bodies are powerful mood-altering tools if used the right way. The Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health found that running for just 15 minutes a day or walking for an hour reduces the chance of a low mood by 26%—the equivalent of taking a low-to-moderate dose of an anti-depressant pill.

We've found that new workout gear always motivates us to get moving. Pull on some fresh sneakers and a pair of shorts built for movement. And why not skip the fully PVC foam yoga mat and try one backed with natural igusa, or Japanese rush, instead?

Tatami yoga mat, $125 by By Japan

2-in-1 shorts, $60 by Salomon

Air-Wear stretch tank, $75 by District Vision

Zoom Fly 3 sneakers, $160 by Nike

At Ease sweatshirt, $130 by Lululemon

Mini massager, $200 by Therabody

↦ Want More? Shop workout gear at MR PORTER

What We’re Buying

Entireworld really came into their own during the pandemic. The relatively new brand just happens to make some of the most comfortable cotton basics, from relaxed tees and cushy socks to ultra soft sweats—which means that anyone who knew about them has been living in their staples for the better part of a year. As a way of saying thanks, the brand is offering 25% off with code FEELINGGOOD25 ... but you've got to use it today. I'll be picking up the vintage-inspired short-sleeve sweatshirt I've been eyeing for a while.

↦ Get It $68 / $51 at Entireworld