The Daily Valet. - 6/21/21, Monday
✔️ You're Grounded
Monday, June 21st Edition
Happy Prime Day ... what are we all buying today?
Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf
Today’s edition is presented by
Today’s Big Story
You’re Grounded
American Airlines cancels flights due to both staffing crunch and maintenance issues
Over the weekend, American Airlines canceled hundreds of flights due to staffing shortages, maintenance and other issues. Like other airlines, they’re suddenly dealing with packed flights as demand surges toward pre-pandemic levels.
About 6% of the airline’s mainline schedule, or 180 flights, were canceled on Sunday alone, reports CNBC. And about half of those were because of unavailable flight crews.
The airline, which rapidly increased flying to meet a surge in travel demand, is now trimming future flights into next month to alleviate potential strains on its operations.
According to the Wall Street Journal, the cull is relatively small—about 1% of all planned trips. But scrapping over 950 flights from the schedule is the latest sign of how tricky it has been for airlines to scale up after a year of depressed demand.
Plus, it no doubts screws with a lot of people’s summer travel plans. American said it will attempt to notify customers far in advance of their travel dates and provide an option for customers to rebook on alternative flight through its app.
Travel demand has definitely returned more sharply than most airline executives anticipated. United Airlines is desperate for baggage agents. Delta Air Lines’ customer service hotline quoted 21-hour wait times. Even the TSA struggled with staffing issues. I’ve flown twice in the past three weeks and have noticed huge lines at the limited spots serving coffee or food in the terminals. It’s clear people are traveling again. We simply need the industry to catch up.
↦ Meanwhile: American Airlines recently invested in an electric air taxi company.
Auto Deaths Tied to Economic Booms
Perhaps the most convincing argument for remote work yet
The COVID-19 pandemic introduced a massive push toward remote work for industries that could accommodate at-home workers. Now that large percentages of the U.S. population is vaccinated, companies are determining what the right formula is between in-office work and WFH hours.
But a new study is making an interesting argument for staying home: less deaths. The study, recently published in the journal Social Science & Medicine, revealed that traffic deaths tied to the workplace often increase during robust economic times and decline during recessions.
Researchers from the University of Miami found that traffic deaths are more closely a result of increased work than they are risky behaviors. Of course, this is only a preliminary study and more research would be needed to make a serious call.
Jalopnik puts it this way: less workers driving will no doubt cut down on deaths but also on the amount of cars releasing carbon emissions into the air. So no need to rush back to the office, right?
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Olympic Condoms?
Sure, but only as souvenirs to take home
The organizers of the 2020 Olympics have repeatedly vowed to put on a “safe and secure” Games next month in Japan. But safe sex—or anything approaching intimacy for that matter—will be forbidden for athletes competing in Tokyo.
The Olympic Village, a notorious hookup hotspot among athletes of all countries, will be stripped of its party atmosphere as local officials continue to take steps to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The International Olympic Committee repeated demands that residents of the athlete's village must observe social distancing guidelines to prevent an outbreak, threatening rule-breakers with a range of penalties, including fines, disqualification or even deportation.
Condoms will be distributed to the athletes—but not until they're leaving the Tokyo Games. Athletes will be allowed to bring alcohol into the village—but only permitted to consume it if they're alone in their rooms. This all feels a bit like the same tactics used on school trips. And we all experienced plenty of off-limit activities on those trips, right?
↦ FYI: Condoms have been given out at the Games since the 1988 Seoul Olympics to raise awareness of HIV and AIDS, and the practice has continued ever since.
$1.2 Million in Cars, Crushed
Smuggled vehicles were destroyed in a public display in the Philippines
Yes, that is a McLaren 620R being crushed by a backhoe. According to Road & Track, this display of destruction is the latest in an oddly long lineage of spectacular public crushing of illegally imported cars.
All of these vehicles, destined for different consignees, were seized after arriving into the Philippines illegally between 2018 and 2020.
The roster of vehicles crushed is enough to make any car enthusiast cringe. It includes the new McLaren 620R, along with a Lotus Exige S240, Mercedes-Benz SLK, Bentley Flying Spur and a Porsche 911.
Of course, the smashing is meant to discourage importation by showcasing the automotive carnage. But considering this keeps happening every couple of years ... it's hard to say if it really works.
↦ FYI: Presently, automobiles make up 8.3% of total imports into the U.S. and are the most imported commodity.
In Other News
Other Things We’re Talking About Today
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Prep Your Skin for Summer
These products are specially formulated to handle sweat, heat and humidity
Summer can be tough on your skin. The sun feels great on it, but too much can leave you in pain. Add to that the extra sweat and grime that accumulates from the heat and humidity, and you've got a recipe for disaster. So make sure you're taking good care of your skin with the right products.
Lumin is a California-based brand that was developed in South Korea—which means they know a lot about the sun and skincare. Its founders discovered that guys either weren't looking after their skin (or were borrowing from the women in their lives). They created a line that helps both out—simple, straightforward products that are made specifically for men's thicker, more stubborn skin. And while the blends contain high-grade ingredients, the prices are downright affordable considering the effectiveness of the products. What's more, through the whole month of June, you can get 20% off sitewide with the code MENSHEALTH20.
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Your Prime Day Plan
Amazon Prime Day runs today and tomorrow and while the deals will continue to drop, we've pulled together a few of the first items worth checking out. Of course, Prime Day (despite the name) no longer applies to only Amazon. While everyone hits up the retail behemoth, other online destinations are offering up some serious savings as well. We had our team pull together the best finds from a handful of stores to save you time and—more importantly—money.
12-cup showerhead drip coffee maker, $89.99 / $79.99 by KitchenAid; Slub cotton hoodie, $98 / $62.98 by Faherty; Greenflex Rough chukkas, $175 / $113.98 by Astorflex
Crystal wine glass set, $54 / $45.82 by RÖD; Personal fireplace, $95 / $76 by FLÎKR; Apple Watch Series 6 GPS, $399 / $329 by Apple
↦ Get It: Best Prime Day deals
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The Discerning Man’s Gummies
We're big fans of ASYSTEM's Superhuman supplements, so we were excited to hear they just launched a new line of gummies. But these aren't your everyday CBD gummies. In fact, these delicious chews are completely CBD-free. Instead, they're loaded with clinically-proven ingredients to deliver an immediate calming sensation. What's even more impressive is that studies found that with regular use, the majority of people taking these gummies were more optimistic and less anxious. It's a medical-grade solution with zero side effects. The only question is, do you prefer Sicilian lemon with ginger or blood orange with cayenne?
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Morning Motto
Live and let live (and love).
↦ Follow: @sterlinggraves
That’s all for today...
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