The Daily Valet. - 10/25/21, Monday

✔️ Striketober

October 25, 2021

Monday, October 25th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I like candy corn. I do … so sue me.

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Striketober

Workers have become increasingly vocal about what they want, but will it lead to lasting change?

It’s officially Striketober in the U.S. Thousands of American employees—from factory floors to hospitals—are walking out on the job. In New York City, taxi drivers are on hunger strike, and McDonald’s workers will walk out to protest sexual harassment next.

The anti-work sub-Reddit is the fastest growing on the platform, currently filled with screenshots of employees texting their bosses things like, “No, sorry, I can’t come in to cover a shift on my day off. It’s my day off.” This follows an August in which the Department of Labor reported 4.3 million Americans had quit their jobs en masse, something that many have observed is akin to its own kind of strike.

Why now? A confluence of problems—exacerbated by the pandemic, but fomented over the last several decades of declining labor rights and power—has created a crisis moment for worker organizing to push for change. “A tight labor market has given workers across the country newfound leverage to demand raises from their employers, who are having a difficult time finding and retaining workers who are willing to accept middling wages while risking their lives,” explains Motherboard.

Experts say workers are seeing wages go up around the country (some fast food chains are paying more than $20 an hour)—and are using this knowledge to collectively pressure their employers into paying them more and to refuse deteriorating working conditions. Kellogg’s has proposed ending its workers’ cost-of-living raises; while John Deere wants to lower raises for its workers so that they no longer keep up with inflation. Both companies have employees currently striking.

It remains to be seen how much these strikes will accomplish in the long term. But already, concessions on that front have been won: After the 150,000-member strong Hollywood union, IATSE, threatened a strike, they won a tentative agreement to get 3% annual wage hikes.

President Biden has said that he supports the workers’ right to strike but White House officials say he doesn’t plan to get involved in any of the labor disputes involving more than 100,000 workers across the country. Instead, he’s taken the position that the decision to strike is up to the workers—leaving it to them and their employers to resolve disputes.

↦ Meanwhile: Forget the Great Resignation. Gen Z is driving a ‘Great Reshuffle’ as they quit their jobs in hopes of a better career.

Find Your Sleep Sweet Spot

Or suffer some rather serious consequences

Our sleep has taken quite the battering over 18 months of restrictions. The stress of the pandemic has led some to experience sleep difficulties dubbed “coronasomnia”, adding to the third of us who already suffer from sleep problems, according to the Sleep Foundation.

Now, as schedules shift and more people are heading back to the office, commutes and compressed WFH hours mean that our schedules are shifting again. But just one hour's change is enough to throw you off track, according to research reported on by The Telegraph.

What's more, getting less than six hours of sleep a night will adversely affect everything from your weight and brain to your immunity. Not only that, but being sleep deprived can affect how well we respond to vaccines—both COVID-19 booster jabs as well as seasonal flu shots.

But everyone is different. The key is to find your sleep “sweet spot.” This when you can sleep continuously though the four stages of sleep, four to six times each night. Since each cycle is roughly 90 minutes long, most people need seven to eight hours of relatively uninterrupted sleep to achieve this goal.

↦ FYI: Which state has the most sleep deprived residents in the country? USA Today investigates.

Partner

Want an instant boost of confidence? Try one of these good-for-you fragrances. They not only smell great, but actually help feed your skin.

Wild Weather Week

From bomb cyclones to nor’easters, this week has it all, coast to coast

You might want to stay weather aware as a barrage of threats unfolds across the United States this week—creating hazards seemingly from coast to coast.

We heard warnings about the bomb cyclone last week, but as the storm ramps up a firehouse of heavy rain across the West, new evacuation orders have been issued for vulnerable locations. Burn-scarred areas are now suffering mudslides, downed trees and flash floods.

The threats associated with this atmospheric river don't stop there. Several feet of snow are forecast for the Sierra Nevada mountain range creating nearly impossible driving conditions, according to the National Weather Service.

In fact, severe weather is possible early this week for a large part of the country. The same energy associated with the severe weather outbreak will translate to a powerful low pressure system known as a nor'easter along the East Coast by Tuesday and Wednesday.

About That Fatal Film Set Accident

Alec Baldwin was pointing the gun at the camera after being given the all-clear

Over the weekend, you likely heard that a gun fired by Alec Baldwin on the set of his new film killed the production's cinematographer. The immediate question was “how could that happen”?! We now know the actor was rehearsing a scene that involved pointing a revolver “towards the camera lens” when the gun went off.

According to an affidavit, an assistant director called out “cold gun” before handing the prop firearm to Baldwin. Vanity Fair says this production term means that the gun has been checked to ensure it doesn't have any live rounds.

The film's director, Joel Souza (who was also wounded by the gunfire) stated “there should never be live rounds whatsoever near or around the scene,” the affidavit said.

And the Associated Press reports that a crew member said she'd raised safety concerns in the past about the assistant director who authorities say unwittingly handed over the loaded firearm.

↦ Dig Deeper: A professional prop master, Scott Reeder, gives his thoughts and expertise on the tragedy that occurred on the set.

In Other News

↦ Marriage Rates Are Plummeting. Why Are Reality Dating Series so Popular?

↦ What to Know for the World Series Matchup Between the Houston Astros and Atlanta Braves

↦ The Scientific Reason Why Candy Corn Is so Polarizing

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The Polo Bar

This oral app

Smash burgers

Partner

Your Cologne Could Do So Much More

Pheroe’s fragrances have a secret weapon

I love being told I smell good. It gives you an instant boost of confidence and who doesn't like getting compliments? But a lot of fragrances these days can feel a little, well, heavy-handed. Personally, I like smelling fresh but not like I'm trying to smell like a noxious cologne ad in a magazine.

I want something subtle, sophisticated and unique. Which is what I really appreciate about Pheroe. They've created a range of colognes that are designed specifically for daily wear, cleverly packaged for guys on the go. Lighter and more approachable than standard spritzes, Pheroe's rollerballs make targeted applications easy—no overdoing it here.

But they don't just smell good. The formulas utilize natural oils such as nutrient-rich jojoba and skin-soothing marula that literally feed your skin. But what does it smell like, right? Well, my favorite is the Ocean scent—a shower-fresh clean fragrance that's warmed with sandalwood but balanced out with a light grassy touch of dried lavender and citrus fruits hanging in the sun. But the Savannah scent, with its deep, dark earthy notes is particularly nice for late-night adventures.

↦ Get It: $28 / $22.40 (with code VALET-20) at Pheroe

What We Want

You won't find a better suede jacket for this price ($595). We don't know how they did it and, frankly, we don't care. We're just happy that Buck Mason was able to make a jacket that looks (and feels) this good for less than $600. Cut from supple sueded calf leather, the suede actually endures a two-part tanning process that mellows the leather into a stunning patina with years of wear. Meaning it fits and feels like the perfect vintage jacket but is actually brand new.

↦ Want more? 5 stylish items to buy this week