The Daily Valet. - 5/18/21, Tuesday

✔️ This Is Actually Good for You

May 18, 2021

Tuesday, May 18th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

When you finish reading this newsletter, you’ll want to leave work early today. Trust me.

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Swearing Is Good?

Americans curse ... a lot. And now kids are joining in.

Americans are cursing more today than ever before. In fact, the average American utters 80 to 90 curse words every day. That’s about five f*#king curse words every waking hour. But that might not be so bad. Turns out, swearing may help make you live a happier, healthier life in the long-run.

If you’ve ever banged your toe and then yelled an expletive, you’ll already know part of the reason for swearing’s appeal—it helps us cope with pain. According to the BBC, psychologists have actually proved this under controlled conditions in a lab.

One theory is that swearing has this effect because it triggers an emotional reaction in the brain and body. Consistent with this, swearing raises your heart rate and increases your sweat levels, both of which are signs of your body shifting into a survival ‘fight or flight’ mode.

It checks out. According to U.S. News & World Report, the average American experiences 1,205 stressful or frustrating events every year. More surprisingly, 52% of Americans said something as banal as slow WiFi is enough to push them to swear. Politics can send almost 17% of people into an expletive-filled bout of frustration.

Of course, the more you swear, the more people hear you ... including little ears. The New Yorker reports that kids have been cursing more during the pandemic. There’s a joke in there about swearing like sailors, but one parent aptly replies that it’s more like “submariners who have been deployed underwater with no sight of sky or land for six months at a time.”

Then again, maybe that's not such a bad thing. Prudes will say we cuss because we lack the words to make a better point. It's known as the “poverty-of-vocabulary” hypothesis, but is that really true? Hell no. According to research published in Scientific American, those who are fluent in fucks and other curse words are often eloquent and verbose when it comes to appropriate words too.

↦ Dig Deeper: Swear words are a fascinating aspect of language. Where do they come from? Netflix’s History of Swear Words, hosted by Nicolas Cage, answers those questions and more.

Long Working Hours Can Kill You

As many as 745,000 people die from it a year

Working long hours poses an occupational health risk that kills hundreds of thousands of people each year, according to the findings of a World Health Organization study.

People working 55 or more hours each week face an estimated 35% higher risk for a stroke and a 17% higher risk of dying from heart disease, compared to people following the widely accepted 35 to 40 hour workweek, the WHO says in a study that was published Monday in the journal Environment International.

Researchers said that often, the deaths occurred much later in life, sometimes decades later, then when the long hours were clocked.

Although the study did not cover this last year's pandemic, the findings come at a time when the number of people working long hours is increasing, and currently stands at nearly 10% of the total population globally, CNBC reports. “This trend puts even more people at risk of work-related disability and early death.” So ... I'll be taking off early today.

↦ Dig Deeper: Is “burnout” a modern affliction or more of a human condition? The New Yorker explores this unfortunate phenomenon.

Book an Airbnb Before They’re Gone

Vaccinations spur vacation rental demand

Airbnb has weathered the pandemic better than expected considering how much travel dipped over the past year. That's because people turned to its offering of larger spaces and locations away from major cities in the era of social distancing.

Now, the company is seeing a record number of searches and bookings as vaccines make summer vacations an attainable reality, reports Reuters.

While hotel chains like Marriott are betting on the leisure traveler returning to popular tourist destinations, Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky believes the hype around crowded, congested cities may be a relic of the pre-pandemic past.

Of course, Airbnb isn't the only name in the home-sharing game. Vrbo is unapologetically luring hosts from its main rival with cheeky ads and new perks as short-term-rental platforms look to grow supply ahead of a busy summer for travelers. Have you booked any summer travel yet?

↦ CounterPoint: Read why I've never personally booked an Airbnb, and don't plan to anytime soon.

Do You Take Your Music Seriously?

Check out the first “Triphonic” speaker

It's a speaker, but you might not know it by looking at it. But that makes sense, considering who made it.

Known as the Cell Alpha, the speaker comes courtesy of startup Syng. Founded by ex-Apple designer Christopher Stringer—who spent two decades working with the famed Jony Ive—the California-based audio brand says it aims to turn listening into a multi-sensory experience.

According to Robb Report, the Death Star-shaped device is the world's first “Triphonic” speaker, offering spatial audio capabilities beyond traditional stereo sound.

That's all thanks to the speaker's innovative three-driver configuration. It also has three microphones built into its stand that measure the geometry of the space it's situated in. This helps create the illusion of surround sound despite the fact it's a single speaker. Of course, there is also a companion Syng Space app available for setup and playback control.

↦ Check It Out: Interested? It's not cheap, but it is available to purchase now.

In Other News

↦ Biden Calls for Cease-Fire in Israel-Hamas Fighting As Pressure Mounts to Halt Violence

↦ What Executives Are Saying About the Future of Hybrid Work

↦ Mexico City Could Sink Up to 65 Feet

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Scenes from America’s reopening

The ‘Snake Eyes’ trailer

Drake’s championship rings

When a Collection Pays Off

One man’s baseball card collection could break records in online auction

When Florida physician Thomas Newman died of COVID-19, he left his family a huge legacy - a collection of sports cards worth some $20 million, including a Babe Ruth card that could set a new world record.

Newman, who died in January at age 73, kept the collection of more than 1,000 vintage and modern baseball, football and hockey trading cards mostly private outside his immediate family and friends.

It will be shared with the world at an online auction at California-based Memory Lane from June 21-July 10.

The jewel in the crown is a 1933 Babe Ruth card that auctioneers believe could break the $5.2 million world record price that was set in January for any single sports card. It's the only Mint 9 condition Babe Ruth card of its kind that is known to exist and comes to auction at a time when prices for sports trading cards have exploded. (The condition of cards is ranked on a 1-10 scale, so a 9 is near perfect.)

↦ FYI: Sports card collecting is having a historic boom right now and here’s why.

Not Your Dad’s Boat Shoes

Rancourt & Co. Coggins Brown Chromexcel Boat Shoe

Coggins brown Chromexcel boat shoe,$315 by Rancourt & Co.

Boat shoes are officially back and more rugged than ever. You might remember the footwear of choice for Ivy leaguers and yacht club members as something of a tired trend, but the heritage shoe is still just as smart and functional as it is timeless. In 2021, the stylish slip= refitted for 2021 include rugged upgrades and fashion-forward additions. No matter how you wear this seasonal staple, don't forget to go bold with the style.