The Daily Valet. - 10/5/21, Tuesday

✔️ Locked Out and Totally Down

Tuesday, October 5th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Are we all caught up on what we missed on Instagram yesterday?

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Locked Out and Totally Down

Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram get back online after a major, worldwide outage

Depending on your job or your level of social media addiction, yesterday was either liberating or frustrating as Facebook suffered its worst outage in over a decade.

Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp all went out of service at 11:39 a.m. ET. By around 6 p.m. ET, users of all three platforms reported that some service had been restored, but full functionality remained elusive late into Monday evening.

So what happened? Was it a coincidence it occurred less than 24 hours after a whistleblower said the company chose profit over public safety? Facebook issued a statement late Monday apologizing for the outage and saying that no user data had been compromised. The company attributed the blackout to a “faulty configuration change.”

Facebook engineers were sent to one of its main U.S. data centers in California to restore service, meaning the fix couldn’t be done remotely. Further complicating matters, the outage temporarily broke the ability for some employees to access company buildings and conference rooms with their badges, reports the New York Times.

Accoring The Verge, the impact was far worse for multitudes of Facebook’s nearly 3 billion users, showing just how much the world has come to rely on it and its properties—to run businesses, connect with online communities, log on to multiple other websites and even order food.

It also showed that despite the presence of Twitter, Telegram, Signal, TikTok, Snapchat and a bevy of other platforms, nothing can easily replace the social networks we’ve grown accustomed to checking throughout the day. I, for one, was no more productive during the outage.

↦ Meanwhile: Mark Zuckerberg’s personal wealth fell by more than $6 billion in a few hours Monday, knocking him down a notch on the list of the world’s richest people.

A Digital Dollar?

Fed prepares to launch review of possible central bank digital currency

The Federal Reserve plans as early as this week to launch a review of the potential benefits and risks of issuing a U.S. digital currency.

Central banks around the world have begun experimenting with blockchain technology more broadly, as cryptocurrencies gain popularity. One reason is that digital currencies can slash the time needed for cross border payments to seconds from days and cut costs.

According to the Wall Street Journal, federal officials are divided on the matter, making it unlikely they will decide any time soon on whether to create a digital dollar.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell last month said that it is better to introduce a digital currency the right way than to push it early so that it is the first on the market.

Partner

Classics and classics for a reason. These watches never really went away, but are back in a big way.

The Upside of COVID Clean-Ups

Why “alternative assets” are heating up

Lockdowns, WFH boredom and other COVID clean-outs have unearthed long-forgotten trading cards, old comics and action figures. And casual collectors are now cashing in.

Until recently, card prices have remained relatively static over the last few decades—with only the rarest and oldest artifacts in the hobby turning a real profit. That began to change in the 2010s, as a renewed interest in the card industry allowed enthusiasts to play it like the stock market. Literally.

Call it the cardboard cash out: The total value of cards listed on the online marketplace eBay totaled more than $2 billion in the first half of the year—up 175% on the first six months of 2020, reports ABC News. Just last month, a baseball card sold for a record $6.6 million.

Beyond sports, buying and collecting trading cards of all kinds—Pokémon, Dungeons & Dragons, Magic: The Gathering—has exploded during the pandemic, so much so that Target banned their sale because customers had begun to physically fight over them at various locations. According to Vice, collectibles are becoming a bonafide asset class, and one that's democratized the financial ecosystem in fascinating new ways.

↦ Meanwhile: Topps is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the release of its first set of baseball cards with a collection of special NFTs for sale.

It’s Cider Season

There has never been a better time to drink hard cider

Autumn is here and, despite the aggressive push for pumpkin spice, it's unequivocally apple—and cider—season.

At its most basic definition, hard cider is fermented apple juice. But like wine, it contains multitudes, skewing tart, sour, dry, bitter, sweet, wild, herbal, acidic, sparkling with big bubbles, sparkling with fine, fizzy bubbles or not sparkling at all.

And now there's a new wave of ciders coming from American orchards, reports the Wall Street Journal. They've got the best artisanal, single-variety ciders worth trying along with some recipes for ways to use the stuff in both cocktails and cooking.

Of course, this fall-friendly brew is anything but new. The English have been guzzling it since before the Romans invaded. The Pilgrims brought it to America and planted orchards in order to make more. Benjamin Franklin happily chugged it, George Washington made his own from apples he grew and Abraham Lincoln undoubtedly poured plenty at the tavern he owned before he was president. How do you like them apples?

In Other News

↦ Hollywood Crews Vote to Authorize a Strike for Better Pay and Working Conditions

↦ Bubba Wallace Becomes Second Black Driver to Win in NASCAR Cup Series at a Rained-Out Talladega

↦ How Did Humans Lose Their Tails? Scientists Discover What Happened.

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The “tragedy of Safari 15”

Dressing James Bond

These Easymocs

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Blue Watches Are Back

Blue watches are once again in-demand and MR PORTER has all the ones to invest in

Some of the standouts from the recent Watches & Wonders (one of the biggest watch conventions in the world) are timepieces with a blue dial. Of course, this isn't exactly a new trend. But some of the most-sought-after brands have introduced a handful of fresh takes on the old school dial this year. There are full-on monochromatic styled timepieces with matching blue straps along with more subtle models boasting simple azure faces—and both are incredibly versatile.

They have an understated cool that allows them to not only stand out but stand apart from other black and white watches. They're sophisticated enough for the office and more formal affairs, but they're contemporary enough for casual weekend adventures. And the best ones are available now at MR PORTER. Here are four of our current favorites and the features that make each a worthy investment.

IWC Schaffhausen Laureus Sport for Good Pilots Limited-Edition Automatic Watch

IWC Schaffhausen Only 750 of these self-winding pilot’s watches were made, which means each is an instant collector’s item. The scratch-resistant blue ceramic case is complemented by a matching rubber strap with textile inlay.

Laureus Sport for Good Pilot's limited-edition automatic watch, $6,250 at MR PORTER

Jaeger LeCoultre Master Ultra Thin Moon Automatic Watch

Jaeger LeCoultre For men who are passionate about fine mechanics, this understated interpretation in stainless steel boasts a new petroleum blue sunray-brushed dial that lets every detail stand out.

Master Ultra Thin Moon automatic watch, $10,300 at MR PORTER

Piaget You can’t help but be drawn to this exquisite and intricate skeleton automatic mechanical movement. Of course, the 56 brilliant-cut diamonds surrounding the 18K white gold case certainly makes an impression.

Polo Skeleton automatic watch, $59,500 at MR PORTER

Vacheron Constantin You almost have to wear it to appreciate the thin silhouette of the white gold case and the blue lacquered sunburst dial. What’s more, the watch comes with three quick-change straps: A matching white gold bracelet, a rubber strap, and a leather strap.

Overseas Perpetual Calendar ultra-thin automatic watch, $97,000 at MR PORTER

Vacheron Constantin Overseas Perpetual Calendar Ultra-Thin Automatic Watch

↦ Get It: Browse all blue watches at MR PORTER

The Cap You Need Now

Cashmere beanie, $98 by Alex Mill

What does your watch cap say about you? Do you wear it for functional reasons, like over your ears? Or do you wear it simply for style and roll it up past your ears? Perhaps it depends on your local climate. One thing's for certain, with the colder months approaching, you'll need a good knit cap. Does not matter the color or if it's ribbed or waffle knit, just know that no man should be without one.