The Daily Valet. - 3/10/21, Wednesday

✔️ Want to Catch a Movie?

Wednesday, March 10th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I really wish the Gatorade patch was lemon-lime scented, at least.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Ready for the Movie Theater?

Maybe everyone wants to go back to movie theaters after all

Movie theaters in New York City were allowed to reopen last weekend at 25% capacity after almost a full year of being shuttered due to COVID-19. The news was met with a mix of elation and concern from film fans on social media, given that the city is still averaging more than 3,900 new cases per day.

On Tuesday, based on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s reopening plan, Los Angeles moved from the purple tier to the less-restrictive red tier after the number of COVID-19 cases eased. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Los Angeles movie theaters may be only days away from reopening, albeit with a host of safety protocols, including 25 percent capacity or no more than 100 people in any auditorium.

The Ringer reports now that the virus is largely under control in China. Movie theaters have been completely reopened, and have remained so since late July—and a lot of people are going to see movies. Even tepid reviews aren’t keeping people from buying a ticket—outpacing the sales of blockbusters like Avengers: Endgame. The boom, they say, could be a sign of things to come stateside.

And with films like Godzilla vs. Kong and the IMAX re-release of Lord of the Rings still coming to theaters, what exactly is the current risk of seeing a movie in an enclosed room with strangers?

According to Polygon, it boils down to a personal choice made by an informed decision. While each state has a different set of guidelines to adhere to, the CEOs of four of the biggest theater chains decided to band together and instill a universal set of rules across their theaters. Known as CinemaSafe, the program now has more than 3,100 participating theaters.

And, in case you’re curious, a spreadsheet published by the National Association of Theatre Owners continually updates the restrictions on a state-by-state basis.

↦ Meanwhile: China's Film Bureau has approved a surprise plan for the director's 2009 sci-fi epic Avatar to get a wide re-release in the country on Friday.

Record Number of Migrant Children Detained at Border

With nearly half held past the legal limit

The number of unaccompanied migrant children detained along the southern border has tripled in the last two weeks to more than 3,250, filling facilities akin to jails as the Biden administration struggles to find room for them in shelters, according to documents obtained by The New York Times.

What's more, CBS News reports that nearly 1,400 unaccompanied minors had been held in Customs and Border Protection (CBP) holding facilities for more than three days as of Monday, despite the agency's legal obligation to transfer these children to shelters operated by the U.S. refugee agency within 72 hours of taking them into custody.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki declined to confirm Tuesday's numbers or characterize this as a “crisis.” But it certainly adds fuel to accusations from Republicans that President Biden has created a self-inflicted border crisis by slashing Trump-era policies.

Theresa Cardinal Brown, director of immigration and cross-border policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center, told PBS Newshour, “Government messages about coming or not coming have never been successful—no matter which administration has tried it—but the Biden administration is trying to figure out how it can humanely treat and process the migrants who are coming to the border.”

↦ Meanwhile: The White House said Tuesday that it's looking at new facilities to house the unaccompanied children.

Special Promotion

Put your pen to paper. Consider it a “new season” resolution—a small way to get better every day.

Jumping the Line for a Vaccine? It’s Possible.

And if you do it right, there’s nothing wrong with it

In the hustle to score an elusive vaccine appointment, the “leftover dose” has become the stuff of pandemic lore. Extra shots—which must be used within hours once taken out of cold storage—have been offered to drugstore customers buying midnight snacks, people who are accompanying their aging parents and those who show up at closing time at certain grocery stores or pharmacies.

But there's now a start-up is aiming to add some order to the rush for leftover doses. Dr. B, as the company is known, is matching vaccine providers with extra vaccines to people who are willing to get one at a moment's notice.

Another option? Volunteer. As more doses are made available and states ramp up vaccination distribution, volunteers are needed to do everything from direct traffic to check people in so vaccination sites run smoothly.

In return for their work, they’re often given a shot. Many people who don’t yet qualify for a vaccine—including those who are young and healthy—have been volunteering in hopes of getting a dose they otherwise may not receive for months.

↦ Good News: Experts stress that the vaccines are performing well. That's why we shouldn't panic about variants.

Gatorade Made a Sweat Patch

It tracks both your perspiration and hydration

Sports drink maker Gatorade is launching its first ever wearable device—a one-time use patch that analyzes sweat to provide athletes with insights about their athletic performance and hydration levels.

The company says the patch should be worn on the left inner arm during a single workout. It will fill up with sweat as the athlete exercises. After finishing the workout, you scan the patch using Gatorade's iPhone app (sorry, Android users) to reveal your unique sweat profile.

The profile is based on sweat levels, sodium losses in the forearm, body weight and workout type or intensity. The results provide hydration strategies to maximize performance and avoid cramping or dehydration.

But according to Engadget, who tested the patches out, you've really got to push yourself to register enough perspiration to get an accurate read. They say “unless you’re in danger of drowning in your own sweat, this might not give you any usable results.”

↦ Get It: Buy a two-pack of the patches now for $24.99 at Dick's Sporting Goods.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

These micro cabins

Sid Mashburn on watches

This weird forest face

Special Promotion

The Benefits of Journaling

It’s both cathartic and cool

If you're not keeping a journal yet, you probably want to start. Immediately. Consider it a “new season” resolution—a small way to get better every day. Some of the world's most influential men—from Benjamin Franklin and General George Patton to George Lucas and John D. Rockefeller—made a point of writing down their thoughts each day.

And many of today's most successful people do the same. Because, both then and now, these journals or pocket notebooks serve two distinct purposes: In the short term, it's a cathartic release of your thoughts and in the long term, it stands as an honest record of your life. Your ideas, achievements, hopes and fears captured for posterity.

Alan Ziegler, professor of writing at Columbia University in New York, and author of The Writing Workshop Notebook, told MR PORTER, “a journal helps us understand the outer world, and explore our inner world. It is a journey of possibility”. He says, “in these strange times, you may find comfort recounting pleasant memories, or what brings you joy; or lay out doubts and unfinished aspects of your life. It can be very good for your mental wellbeing, too.”

Caran d'ache Textured palladium-coated pen

Textured palladium-coated pen, $165 by Caran d'Ache

Kingsman embossed notebook, $60 by Smythson

Gilt-edged lined leather notebook, $65 by Montblanc

Leather notebook, $70 by Pineider

Higgs & Cricket Kinsman crystal whiskey tumblers

Kingsman crystal whiskey tumblers, $320 (for a set of two) by Higgs & Cricket

Bohemia candle, $45 by Byredo

↦ Shop: Journaling gear at MR PORTER

What We’re Buying

Even though the Samba is enjoying a current revival, the monochromatic simplicity of the Stan Smith makes it an unimpeachable classic. If you're looking for a minimalist sneaker that you can pair with any fit, this remains the one to beat. And this pair actually comes with a vintage-flavored “World Famous for Quality” badge near the heel. Meaning they're just different enough to warrant picking up a pair immediately.

↦ Get It $80 / $54.97 by adidas