The Daily Valet. - 5/12/22, Thursday

✔️ Inbox Infinity?

May 12, 2022

Thursday, May 12th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I’d be mortified if you knew just how many unread messages I have in my inbox currently.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Inbox Infinity?

A closer look at the movement to completely ignore your email and reset expectations about replying

“Inbox Zero” was first coined in 2007 by Merlin Mann, a blogger who championed “finding the time and attention to do your best creative work.” Since then, it has become what many people consider the pinnacle of digital organization. This is the complete opposite of that.

Welcome to “Inbox Infinity,” a term introduced by technology writer Taylor Lorenz in a piece in The Atlantic in 2019, but she has been expounding on it lately via TikTok. “Some people still delude themselves into thinking they can manage their email,” she says. “Software fixes such as Gmail smart replies have made responding to email easier, but often a response just elicits more email.”

Despite technological developments, we receive more email than ever. How much? In 2022, 333 billion emails are estimated to be sent ... every day. Email marketing software has made it easier to blast consumers with repeated messages at all hours. And if not managed carefully, you can get endless email notifications from all sorts of services and social accounts.

Lorenz described her process to NPR as just letting email messages wash over you and regarding your inbox more like social feeds. You can skim, but you don’t feel compelled to respond to everything and you ignore a lot. Of course, this is a tactic best reserved for your personal—not work—email.

Does it seem a bit reckless? Absolutely. Lorenz and others like tech writer Karl Voit say that this tactic comes with the very serious risk of missing an announcement or deadline. Voit says, “Inbox Zero should always be a viable method ... if not, email in general doesn’t work any more for those people.”

But that’s the whole point, right? Exerting some control and getting some zen in the place of stress. After all, email—outside of a professional setting—feels like it’s becoming less and less relevant. If you’re better at text messages, set up an away message letting people know where and how to reach you. And then let that little number on your inbox swell.

↦ Not Ready? If you’re not quite ready to completely ignore your inbox, there are some tactics to help make it more manageable. Try the four D method: Do, Delete, Delegate and Defer.

The War Endures

Putin appears committed to long-lasting war, as Ukraine also digs in

Ukraine's top prosecutor disclosed plans Wednesday for the first war crimes trial of a captured Russian soldier, as fighting raged in the east and south and the Kremlin left open the possibility of annexing a corner of the country it seized early in the invasion.

Last week, Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova told the U.S. Helsinki Commission that Russia had committed nearly 10,000 war crimes over the course of the war. But Ukraine is willing to turn over Russian prisoners in exchange for the evacuation of injured fighters at the Azovstal steel plant in Mariupol, a top official said Wednesday.

According to NBC News, both sides appear ready for an enduring conflict. The head of the U.S. intelligence community warned earlier in the week that there's no viable prospect for peace negotiations in the near term, predicting a protracted “war of attrition” that's likely to become “more unpredictable and escalatory.”

Putin isn't backing down. And, backed by billions in aid and weaponry from NATO allies, Ukrainian officials are increasingly confident they will be able to withstand and perhaps even counterattack against persistent onslaughts—possibly putting an end to Russian incursions in Eastern Europe.

↦ Meanwhile: The Senate is expected to vote in the coming days on a nearly $40 billion aid package for Ukraine that the House overwhelmingly approved Tuesday night.

The United States of Beer Drinkers

By the end of 2021, beer has become nearly a $100 billion industry

Americans like to drink. Since the turn of the millennium, alcohol consumption has risen steadily, in a reversal of its long decline throughout the 1980s and ’90s. Actual bars might have decreased in number, but drinking is acceptable in all sorts of new places: Salons and shops dole out Champagne and beers. Movie theaters serve alcohol, grocery stores now have wine bars and even some Starbucks serve booze.

Of course, the pandemic only kicked our collective drinking into overdrive, but who could blame anyone for wanting to get through the long days of uncertainty with a slight buzz? However, new research conducted by Echelon Insights indicates that's not entirely the case. They found that a majority of beer drinkers reported drinking about the same amount of beer (with nearly the same frequency) since the onset of the pandemic.

But that's not to say we're not guzzling a lot of it. Visual Capitalist mapped out how America states stack up against each other in terms of annual beer consumption (among those aged 21 and up, of course). The visualization and findings use data from Top Agency and The Beer Institute.

What did they find? New Hampshire led the states in 2020 with the highest annual gallons-per-capita consumption, at 41.5 gallons per person; followed by Montana (41.1), North Dakota (37.5), South Dakota (37.3) and Vermont (34). All-American Budweiser remains widely popular, especially after retaining the top ranking in 23 states.

↦ By the Numbers: According to the Beer Institute, the number of American breweries grew by nearly 400% in the last decade—there are now 8,846 breweries in the U.S.

Airbnb Is Reinventing Itself

And they’re betting that ‘work from anywhere’ is the new permanent normal

Even though I'm not the biggest fan of Airbnb, their new redesign might change that. The company just reimagined the way users search for listings on the platform. Category search allows users to explore travel without having a specific destination in mind. Rather, they can look for A-frames or countryside homes or places near great golfing experiences.

The Verge says Airbnb is doubling down on its design category, which offers over 20,000 homes “chosen for their iconic architecture and interiors.” This category will feature homes from such architects as Lloyd Wright and Le Corbusier. Another category, OMG!, sorts stays simply based on how unique and interesting they are—be it a submarine, windmill or a skeletal home in the desert.

Other features allow users to find and book multiple places to stay over the course of a single trip, plus new protections to ensure a positive experience. These new “Split Stays” automatically show up grouped together with individual homes when searching for a destination. So if you're scrolling for a weeklong trip to France, you might see two similar homes in different locations paired together as a booking option mixed in with the rest.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky makes no bones about his belief that working in an office is an anachronism from another era. “The office, as we know it, is over,” he said in a recent interview. According to Forbes, the numbers seem to agree with him. In the first quarter of 2022, the company booked a record-breaking 102 million experiences and long-term stays on were at an all-time high, more than doubling the numbers from pre-pandemic days.

↦ FYI: Airbnb also just released its top destinations for summer 2022. Here’s where people are heading.

In Other News

↦ Senate Blocks Bill to Keep Abortion Legal Nationwide Ahead of Roe Decision

↦ Nike Blasts StockX for Selling Counterfeit Shoes

↦ Wait, Trader Joe Was a Real Guy?

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Love bites

Marshall’s new portable speaker

Steve McQueen’s Jag

Split the Check Like a Grown-Up

There's a right way (and a wrong way) to do it

Sharing a meal with friends or loved ones is supposed to be a pleasure. It's relaxing and should be full of good food, a comfortable environment and lots of laughs. It shouldn't be a time of petty bickering over a few bucks or resentment that someone's not putting in their fair share of the tip.

But like anything that's connected to finances, things can get a bit tricky and stressful. Don't ruin a great time by getting awkward when the bill comes. We consulted some etiquette experts for guidelines on how to handle it like a successful and responsible adult. This way, you can focus on what really matters—like who's getting the last bite of dessert.

And remember, if someone insists on picking up the tab, it's good manners to offer to cover the tip. It's simply a nice gesture of gratitude. Your host may (and likely will) turn you down, but at least you'll both feel good knowing you've made the offer.

↦ Read: How to split the check like a grown-up.

What We’re Buying

Knickerbocker Patch Pocket Denim Trouser

You're committed to denim year-round, and don't want to swap them out for shorts come summertime. We get it. Then this pair of jeans from Knickerbocker are just for you. Cut from a lightweight 10 oz. 100% cotton fabric that's super breathable, they feel more like chinos than jeans. Woven at the Candiani Mills in Italy, these jeans are cut in a wide, relaxed silhouette—so feel free to dress these up with a nice knit polo or an unstructured blazer for a laid back summertime vibe.

↦ Get It: $180 / $108 by Knickerbocker