The Daily Valet. - 7/20/23, Thursday
✔️ The Early Bird Really Does Win Out
Thursday, July 20th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
I’m ready for lunch at 11 am, so I’m all for an early dinner.
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Today’s Big Story
Eating Early Is Cooler Than Ever
America Is Becoming a Nation of Early Birds, And Night owls are wondering where the action is
Dinner? Meet you at 8? Nah. For years, an early-bird dinner was supremely uncool—associated with retirees who needed to eat at a restaurant's first seating so they could be home in time to watch their “programs”. But oh, how the times have changed—quite literally.Ever since the pandemic, people have been inching earlier and earlier for dinner. According to data pulled from Resy, reservations across New York City made at 5:30 p.m., for example, have jumped from 7.75% over the past two years to 8.31% over the past six months. And Uber trips to restaurants between 4 and 5 p.m. have jumped 10% since 2019, the ride-sharing company told the Wall Street Journal. Meanwhile, after 8 p.m., rides to restaurants are down 9%.But they're not just opting for earlier meals. People are now seeing movies and theater shows earlier than ever before, and many are calling it quits well before midnight. Call it a modern Cinderella story. In response to this shift, some restaurants and bars are closing up shop earlier than ever before.In New Orleans, a city notorious for late nights, concert promoter River Beats used to schedule main acts to start as late as 1 a.m. Now, a typical event starts at 6 p.m. and ends at 11 p.m. at the latest. But why? Is it health? Do we all want more sleep? On the contrary, it seems that much of the earlier times are due to the fact that so many are working from home these days.Hybrid and remote workers have more flexibility in their schedules, and when they're working from home, they're simply more eager to head out into the world as soon as their workday is over. And it's often easier to shave a little off of quitting time when you're alone as well. So many opt to immediately grab a drink or eat dinner at a restaurant, or meet friends for a planned event. So beware night owls, you might be all alone at the bar ... that is, if they're even staying open.
Dig Deeper:
Natural morning people tend to live longer than those who like to stay up late, but doctors are still studying the root cause of this phenomenon.
This Extreme Heat Just Won’t Quit
Is this extreme weather the ‘new normal?’ There’s no such thing, some scientists say
It is hot. Really hot. And temperatures show no signs of easing anytime soon. In fact, 20% of the U.S. population—some 80 million people—are expected to face an air temperature or heat index above 105° Fahrenheit this weekend as a record-breaking heat wave persists over most of the South, the National Weather Service warns.So far, this summer in the Northern Hemisphere is playing out like an apocalypse movie: a tale of dangerous heat, floods and fire. But scientists warn this may only be a preview of the unpredictable chaos to come if the world continues to pump out planet-heating pollution. Most of the extra heat trapped by the build-up of greenhouse gases has gone into warming the surface ocean, one scientist explained to the BBC. That extra heat tends to get mixed downwards towards the deeper ocean, but movements in ocean currents (like this year's El Niño) can bring it back to the surface.As of this morning, about 115 million people in over a dozen states from California to Florida are under heat alerts. The unrelenting high temperatures not only threaten public health but they also strain power grids as people turn to air conditioning for cooling and ramp up energy demand. Which is to say, stay cool everyone.
Heat Index:
This is what the temperature feels like to the human body when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature. Anything 103°F or above can lead to dangerous heat disorders.
Partner
You can embrace this nouveau Bohemian style without going full-blown flower child.
Should Lawmakers Own Stock?
Kirsten Gillibrand and Josh Hawley to unveil bill as new poll shows public support for stock ban
Two U.S. senators are introducing bipartisan legislation this week that would prevent members of the executive and legislative branches—as well as their spouses and children—from trading individual company stocks. The bill, from Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (a Democrat from New York) and Josh Hawley (a Republican from Missouri) would also ban blind trusts, require increased filing transparency, and significantly increases penalties for violations, including fines of at least 10% of the value of the prohibited investments for members of Congress.Lawmakers have proposed around a dozen bills to regulate stock investments for members of Congress and executive branch employees so far this year. One bill suggested creating a public online database showing the stocks and mutual funds owned by executive branch officials. This new Gillibrand-Hawley proposal aims to create a similar database for lawmakers.There's increased scrutiny about stock ownership after a Wall Street Journal investigation found that many executive branch employees owned shares in companies that are regulated by the agencies they work for. And a recent poll found that 80% of voters support banning members of Congress, along with the president, vice president and Supreme Court justices from owning stocks.
FYI:
Gallup found that 61% of Americans own stock, based on its April Economy and Personal Finance survey.
Apple to Enter the Chatbot Race
“Apple GPT” is apparently being used internally
This is pretty much what we all knew would happen, right? Bloomberg reports that Apple is finally throwing its hat in the proverbial generative AI ring and joining, well, everybody else to contest for OpenAI's artificial intelligence crown.The company has built its own framework that can create large language models, called “Ajax,” as well as a chatbot service that internal engineers are calling “Apple GPT,” according to sources. CNET says it's no doubt part of the iPhone giant's bid to compete in the AI space.Apple CEO Tim Cook has been largely quiet on the matter of adopting generative AI in more of Apple's products, though he has said that he uses ChatGPT. He's explained in the past that his concerns with generative AI have more to do with security and that while there is a lot of potential in the technology, there are also a lot of issues that need to be sorted out before adopting it. Of course, this is what Apple is good at—they never need to be first at something. It's almost standard practice now to take their time and make sure to create the best-designed and most egalitarian version of something before bringing it to market.
FYI:
Though AI chatbots remain popular, ChatGPT did see its first dip in traffic this summer after massive, rapid growth.
In Other News
At least 3,500 doses have been shipped to antiabortion states since mid-June.
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Partner
Add Some Crunch to Your Summer Style
Now’s the time to embrace your Bohemian spirit with MR PORTER’s craft-centric menswear brands
Right now, we’re living in a time when sustainability and natural fabrics are colliding with Earth-loving brands and labels that are interested in creative uses for fabrics. The good news is that you can embrace this nouveau Bohemian style without going full-blown flower child in tie-dye. In fact, these pieces are perfect for summer's laidback, relaxed pace. MR PORTER is stocking the latest creations from cult, craft-centric menswear brands such as BODE and Story Mfg., with beatnik favorites like Birkenstock along with new-season pieces from fashion heavy-hitters Tom Ford, Saint Laurent and Brunello Cucinelli.
Crochet-knit shirt, $325 by Mr P.
Linen blend short, $140 by Mr P.
Silver and tortoiseshell aviators, $510 by Tom Ford
Mojave leather sandal, $745 by Saint Laurent
Gold vermeil ring, $185 by Miansai
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What We’re Buying
Hybrid shorts
These shorts have a lot going on. But that's the point. Saturdays calls it a “hybrid of a lounge short and a trouser short,” combining “a sense of ease and a polished fabrication.” And we like that explanation. We'd also say they're just badass shorts with a cool paisley pattern and a silky, flowing Tencel-cotton blend fabric that looks good with a myriad of shirt and shoe options.
Get It:
Ambrose tencel short, $155 / $77.50 by Saturdays NYC
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