The Daily Valet. - 12/9/21, Thursday

✔️ The Year in Vibes

December 09, 2021

Thursday, December 9th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Good vibes only, please.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

The Year in Vibes

A year that feels as though it does and does not exist

This year saw a curious resurgence in use of the word “vibe” in casual conversation. “I tried to count but would lose track of how often it was deployed in conversations with friends,” writes The New Yorker’s Kyle Chayka. “I couldn’t stop myself from using it, either, the way you can’t stop yourself from yawning after someone else does.”

Back in the spring, he described vibes as, ultimately, “moments of audiovisual eloquence, ephemeral, multisensory collisions so sharp that they amount to poetry. They can be recorded and shared as TikTok videos or just observed as fleeting impressions.”

Maybe we used the word so much because 2021 itself has offered an unplaceable vibe. It is a year that feels as though it does and does not exist, a hangover from the depths of terror in 2020 that provides a significant improvement and yet remains vacuous and unstable.

For a moment, with the arrival of vaccines in the spring, we all thought we were on the cusp of Roaring Twenties vibes, if you will. Much was made of the coming hot vax summer of orgy and excess. Instead, with the serial announcement of new COVID-19 variants, we became strung up with tightrope vibes—as if we could fall backward in time at any moment. A year that never started can’t really end, either, and so the boundary of the New Year feels somewhat .... undefined.

And what about the word itself? Where did “vibes” come from? The absolute earliest uses of “vibrations” metaphysically (to describe feelings emitted by others) occurred at the turn of the twentieth century, but they were mainly isolated instances buried deep in the pages of random books, and never gained traction. As many would guess, this new definition was not popularized until the ’60s, thanks to the Beach Boys. But it’s difficult to pinpoint when and how “vibes” returned to the zeitgeist.

What we do know, is that anything—a sight, sound or feeling—can be representative of a mood in society at large, to which we can point and say, “That’s a vibe.” Chayka rounded up some of the strongest vibes we’ve all likely registered during this highly unconventional year. If you need me, I’ll be over here ... vibing out to Christmas music.

↦ Listen: This YouTube video featuring “Christmas oldies playing in another room with cozy crackling fireplace ambience” is definitely a vibe.

The Coronavirus Attacks Fat Tissue

It’s even more deadly in people with obesity

According to the New York Times, the coronavirus seems to target people carrying extra pounds. Patients who are overweight or obese have been more likely to develop severe COVID-19 and are more likely to die.

Now researchers have found that the virus infects both fat cells and certain immune cells within body fat, prompting a damaging defensive response in the body.

The findings may shed light not just on why patients with excess pounds are vulnerable to the virus, but also why certain younger adults with no other risks become so ill. Of course, this is particularly relevant to the United States, which has one of the highest rates of obesity in the world.

A constellation of physiological and social factors make the situation even more grim, reports Science. The biology of obesity includes impaired immunity, chronic inflammation, and blood that's prone to clot, all of which can worsen COVID-19. And because obesity is so stigmatized, people with obesity may avoid medical care.

↦ FYI: A new experimental chewing gum could reduce the amount of coronavirus particles in saliva and help slow transmission, according to a recent study.

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The “Great Resignation” Continues

But is it really what it seems to be?

The “Great Resignation” remains one of the buzziest economic stories of 2021. continued into October with 4.2 million Americans quitting their jobs that month, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics released Wednesday.

Hospitality and food, retail and arts, and entertainment and recreation continued to see high rates of workers quitting, although overall numbers were down from summer peaks. According to CNBC, the pandemic has seen quits surge to what had been record highs. Even with October's decline, the level is still 24% above where it was a year ago.

But about that term “Great Resignation”... as so often happens with other popular phrases and neologisms, use of the term and abuse of the term are in equal proportion.

The Atlantic has a good piece addressing the three popular myths about the Great Resignation and who is affected by it. For instance, what if I told you the Big Quit wasn’t really about “quitting” at all? Nor is it about white-collar burnout. Strange as it sounds, the increase in self-reported burnout is happening in industries where workers are less likely to quit.

↦ Dig Deeper: One overlooked driver of the Great Resignation? Fraying office friendships, reports Fortune.

The State of Our Drinking

Tequila and a craft beer comeback are the top trends going into 2022

This likely won't shock you, but Americans have responded to the stress of the pandemic by drinking more—a lot more for some. And binge drinking is up among older men, but not women.

What are they drinking? Tequila apparently. The spirit is coming for vodka's top spot in the booze world, according to new data by Drizly. The alcohol e-commerce site just released its third annual nationwide survey—compiled from more than 500 alcohol retailers during the month of November, along with yearly sales data from Drizly.

The big takeaways from the report: 2022 might be the year of tequila. Nearly 80% of retailers who responded say they plan to carry more tequila next year, on par with bourbon and 40 points ahead of vodka. This mirrors sales trends on Drizly, where tequila's share of spirits sales has grown by 13% over the past few years, while vodka's share has declined by 2%.

Another interesting finding? Craft beer is back. While half of retailers see themselves carrying more hard seltzer next year, 23% plan to stock less. And 57% said they expect to devote more shelf space to craft beer.

↦ To Your Health: The share of non-alcoholic beer, wine and other non-boozy alternatives are up on the site 120% since 2020.

In Other News

↦ In a Largely Symbolic Move, the Senate Votes to Block Biden’s Vaccine-or-Test Mandate

↦ Tiger Woods Set for Return, Commits to PNC Championship With Son Charlie

↦ Was the CIA Spying on James Brown?

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

The Negroni origin story

This December thought

2021’s best music

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’Tis the Season for Comfort

This time of year brings a lot of obligations. Whether you're going into the office, working out or relaxing at home, there's a brand making essential pieces to take you any and everywhere—comfortably. Public Rec's signature All Day Every Day Pant have a cult-following for a reason—the technical pants are more comfortable than jeans but more stylish than your standard sweats. What really sets them apart though is the near-custom sizing. The brand lets you choose your waist and inseam sizes to guarantee a perfect fit. This means they not only feel better, but look a whole lot sharper too. And with over 10,000 five-star reviews, it's easy to see why guys can't get enough of this incredibly versatile pant. But it's not just guys. Public Rec also has a women's line, with an All Day Jogger that's become just as popular. Herewith, a few of our favorite pieces to give ... or put on your own personal wish list.