The Daily Valet. - 6/13/23, Tuesday
✔️ Fun Now Costs More
Tuesday, June 13th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
It's all fun and games ... until that bill comes.
Today’s Big Story
Fun Now Costs More
Everything from Casinos and skiing to just going to the movies is suddenly more upscale
When did all the good stuff go up in price? While we were all distracted by the price of eggs, it seems like whole segments of the leisure, hospitality and consumer goods industries have recalibrated to serve a smaller, richer clientele.Consider Six Flags: A recent profile in the Wall Street Journal recounts the theme-park's effort to justify higher prices with tastier food, VIP lounges with air conditioning, and better “streetmosphere,” including trees and sitting areas. The parks' admission price rose by 25%, and visitor spending rose by 22%, even as attendance fell by more than 26%. So far this year, customer daily spending is above $80 a person—almost twice what it was in 2019. As we mentioned in a previous newsletter, the same thing is happening in Las Vegas casinos.And it's not unlike what you'll find at local movie theaters, which have embraced perks from reclining chairs to dynamically priced seats to full meals to lure Americans away from their streaming services. And this is not merely confined to big-spending cities like New York and Los Angeles. CMX CineBistro, for example, has locations in Cincinnati, Richmond and Raleigh.The latest inflation data (for the month of May) is due to land today, but we already know that consumer prices remain stubbornly high. What may have begun as a response to supply-chain shortages and a tight labor market now seems to have outpaced input costs, as all sorts of companies continue to raise prices. Investment analyst Sam Rines calls this the “price over volume” strategy—instead of selling more stuff, focus instead on selling for more money.According to Slate, what's happening in leisure, hospitality, and some higher-end consumer goods is a little different: Business leaders have simply decided it makes more sense to prioritize fewer, higher-margin transactions than compete for market share, in some cases abandoning their low-price offerings entirely. Of course, it doesn't help that the states with the biggest tourist draw are also some of the most expensive to visit.
Meanwhile:
Disney is bringing back a 24-day private jet tour of its 12 theme parks, but it'll cost you $115,000. Which seems ... worth it.
Reddit “Goes Dark” in Protest
The subreddit blackout, explained
Moderators of some of the most popular communities on Reddit went “dark” Monday to protest the social network's decision to charge some third-party apps for the use of Reddit data. In fact, the huge influx of subreddits shifting to private mode caused the entire site to temporarily crash.According to a Twitch stream documenting the protest, more than 8,400 subreddits—including some of the most popular, like r/Music, r/funny, r/aww and r/todayilearned—were down. Most have committed to a 48-hour blackout, but a few have said they'll continue the protest “indefinitely,” per Engadget.The backlash against the company's new API policy kicked off after Christian Selig, the developer behind Reddit client app Apollo, shared that the new pricing would cost him as much as $20 million a year to keep his app going. He said Reddit would charge developers $12,000 for 50 million API requests.
FYI:
Reddit’s API pricing changes follow a similar move by Twitter in March to start charging developers for access to its API.
The Nuggets Win First NBA Title
Denver trailed at halftime of Game 5 but came back to Beat the Heat, 94-89
It took 56 years and 38 playoff appearances for the basketball team nestled in the high plains just east of the Rocky Mountains to finally reach the peak of its sport. On Monday, the Denver Nuggets became NBA champions, beating the Miami Heat 94-89.The Heat defied expectations by making a historic postseason run after nearly missing the playoffs, but in the end, had no miracles left. It really wasn't even close: Denver won three of their four games in the Finals by double digits. Nuggets center Nikola Jokić, 28, led the team with 28 points and 16 rebounds and was named the NBA Finals most valuable player. But Game 5's clincher was neither pretty nor easy. Unable to shake the tenacious Heat or the closing-night jitters, the Nuggets missed 20 of their first 22 3-pointers. They missed seven of their first 13 free throws. The Heat had a 7-point lead at halftime, and led by a point after the third quarter. “It was ugly and we couldn't make shots, but at the end we figured it out,” Jokić told NBC News. “I am just happy we won the game.”
FYI:
Jokić finished the postseason with a combined 52.9 points, rebounds and assists per game, the second most in NBA history, according to ESPN.
A Common Problem Gets a Quick Remedy
First-of-its-kind erectile dysfunction gel gets FDA’s OK for over-the-counter marketing
A first-of-its-kind topical gel for the treatment of erectile dysfunction, called Eroxon, has been authorized for over-the-counter marketing in the United States, according to pharmaceutical company Futura Medical, which developed the product.I know that this is an awkward subject, but it's also a serious one that affects more than 30 million men, including a lot of young guys. In fact, a quarter of all new erectile dysfunction cases are men under the age of 40. And the only help available before came after finding a doctor and getting a prescription.This new product, called Eroxon, is already available in Belgium and the United Kingdom. The topical gel comes in single-serve packets and has been proven to provide results within 10 minutes. That's a game-changer for men unable or unwilling to rely on a prescription like Viagra. Of course, it's not available just yet. Analysts estimate that Eroxon could be available in American stores by 2025.
Start at the sink:
Did you know that flossing daily actually ensures stronger, longer erections?
In Other News
The call echoed the tweets with which he summoned supporters on Jan. 6th.
Have you heard about ...
You Need a Real Cocktail Shaker
Your home bar isn't complete without one
If you’re interested in mixing drinks at home there's probably no more fundamental a piece of equipment to start with than a cocktail shaker. You'll use it to whip up virtually any cocktail containing citrus—think Gimlets, Daiquiris, Whiskey Sours and Sidecars—and the addition of a bar spoon would allow you to prepare stirred drinks in it as well (although you wouldn't want this to be your permanent arrangement, for a variety of reasons).Of course, there's no shortage of shakers on the market to choose from, and there are even a variety of styles—all of which offer pros and cons in terms of form and function. The cobbler shaker is probably the most common version found at home. It's a three piece vessel with built-in strainer. Each offer their charms, but here are a few we'd recommend, in a range of styles and prices.
Get Started:
Shopping
What We’re Buying
A storage bench
What's something that every home needs, no matter the size? More storage. It seems that storage is like money—it doesn't matter how much you have, you could always use just a little more, right? That's why storage benches are so damn useful. They not only offer extra seating in all the right places, they allow you to quickly and efficiently store the kind of things you need out of the way but quickly accessible.
Get It:
Nederin bench, $699 by Article
Morning Motto
Set-backs can be amazing teachers.
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