The Daily Valet. - 6/10/21, Thursday

✔️ Do You Remember ...

Thursday, June 10th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

On the bright side, tomorrow is already Friday.

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

How’s Your Memory?

The pandemic year has affected the way we remember and the way we forget things

The past 15 months have been hard on us all. And while there are brighter days ahead, we might be going into them forgetting a few things. Like where we put our AirPods or what that new coworker’s name is.

Even President Biden made an awkward joke about forgetting he was, in fact, president while speaking to soldiers in England yesterday.

So what’s going on? Are we losing our sh*t? Psychologists say that this is normal—things are busier than they have been in a really long time. Meaning there is currently a lot cluttering our minds. And one doctor tells Vice that absentmindedness can serve other purposes, like allowing us to focus on the bigger picture instead of life’s minutia.

Focusing on the future while staying present might be the key to sharpening your memory. Or at least accomplishing the things you might otherwise forget. After deciding you want to do something, make the most of the time when you are keyed into planning and act immediately. (If you know you’ll want a portable battery or a water bottle with you in the park, put them in your bag and put the bag by the door.)

Another way to improve your memory? Post on social media. Seriously. People are more likely to remember experiences, events and people that they post on social media, new research suggests. Even ephemeral social media channels like Stories and Snapchat can improve your recall later—despite the post eventually disappearing.

This is in contrast to how the internet has long been linked to memory problems, including a phenomenon called “The Google Effect.” That is a type of digital amnesia when people are less likely to remember facts and other information that can be easily found online.

↦ The Upside: Put technology to work for you. Ask Siri, demand answers from Alexa and clip an AirTag on anything you don't want to lose.

Keystone XL Pipeline Nixed

TC Energy officially terminates project

It's official: the Keystone XL is going away for good. The pipeline's developer announced Wednesday that it's terminating the project.

For years, the Obama, Trump and Biden administrations have gone back and forth on allowing the massive transcontinental project to move forward ... or not. On his first day in office, Joe Biden canceled the Presidential Permit that his predecessor had granted.

Heavy opposition from U.S. landowners, Native American tribes and environmentalists delayed the project for over 12 years.

Had construction on the 1,200-mile pipeline continued, it would have moved up to 830,000 barrels (35 million gallons) of crude daily—connecting in Nebraska to other pipelines that feed oil refineries on the U.S. Gulf Coast. Environmentalists who had fought the project since it was first announced in 2008 said its cancellation marks a “landmark moment” in the effort to curb the use of fossil fuels.

↦ FYI: This won't really hurt American jobs. The pipeline would have created around 11,000 temporary construction jobs and only 35 full-time positions once construction was complete, according to the State Department (PDF).

Partner

Do you take sleep seriously? Then you may want to reconsider what you're sleeping on.

A Pandemic Boom for Smart Devices

More American homes are filled with gadgets

The pandemic has increased the use of gadgets in an average U.S. household to 25 connected devices—including laptops, smartphones, streaming devices, smart TVs, headphones and gaming consoles, according to a Deloitte report.

“The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic was like a time machine that suddenly propelled us tens of years into the future,” Deloitte's vice chairman told Reuters.

Fitness has surfaced as a key theme in the Deloitte survey with 58% of households having a smartwatch or fitness tracker, and over half of respondents saying that during the pandemic they have consistently measured their walking steps and athletic performance, tracked heart health and monitored their sleep and calories.

Of course, despite the increase in the number of devices, one-third of survey respondents admit to feeling overwhelmed by the devices and subscriptions they need to manage. And honestly, same.

↦ FYI: Apple, Amazon and Google are teaming up for a new smart home standard, called Matter, that will make it easier to buy devices that work seamlessly together.

Starbucks Suffers a Supply Shortage

It was all fun and games until now

In the last few weeks, videos have been circulating on TikTok noting that Starbucks locations have been facing supply shortages. The coffee chain confirmed the shortfalls through a notification sent to Starbucks app users noting that “current supply shortages” are affecting menus nationwide.

According to the Wall Street Journal, cup stoppers and mocha flavoring are among the items that have run out, with some locations going low on Venti cups. The company is pausing production on several lower-sale items to focus on higher-selling products.

As the economy roars back to life, many businesses have run short on labor and the goods they need to serve the new spike in customers.

Starbucks has recovered much of the U.S. sales that evaporated earlier in the pandemic, and is now restoring limited seating to more of its locations. But it's unclear when they'll be able to remedy the current shortages.

↦ Meanwhile: Chipotle's 4% price increase is really, really not a big deal.

In Other News

↦ A ‘Ring of Fire’ Solar Eclipse Will Light Up the Sky This Morning

↦ A Folklorist Explains Loki’s Place in Mythology’s Pantheon of Trickster Heroes

↦ How Much Money Is ‘Enough’? This Simple Thought Experiment Gives You an Exact Number to Aim for

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

This Simpsons arcade game

The new Land Cruiser

Eating a year-old shriveled apple

Partner

The Key to High-Performance Sleep

Why elite athletes swear by MOLECULE mattresses

If you had the ability to supercharge your sleep, aid your workout recovery and wake up more refreshed, wouldn't you take the chance? There's a reason why elite athletes work hard to sleep well: Because there's bonafide science to back it up—in fact, the Mayo Clinic and Harvard Medical School have written about the connection among sleep, health and the immune system.

This is the same science that MOLECULE utilized to engineer their mattresses and bedding with a proprietary system that offers enhanced airflow and heat dissipation. That's because one of the most important factors that can influence the quality and duration of your body's recovery during sleep is an adequate drop in your core body temperature. The fact that MOLECULE's mattresses are also incredibly comfortable is almost an added bonus. Just ask World Champion icon Michael Phelps, who sleeps on one. “Sleep plays an important role in both physical and mental health,” he says. “I spent years perfecting my training regimen and getting good sleep is a huge component … I've felt a huge difference in my body's ability to fully rest and recover since sleeping on MOLECULE.”

↦ Learn More: MOLECULE mattress, starting at $699

Of course, if you're not ready to commit to a mattress just yet, consider upgrading your sheets.

Cooling percale performance sheets, from $119