The Daily Valet. - 7/24/20, Friday

✔️ What's the Way Out?

July 24, 2020

Friday, July 24th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Person. Woman. Man. Newsletter. Weekend.

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today's edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

What’s the Way Out of This?

Can masks save us from more lockdowns?

The country has seen an unstoppable spike in COVID-19 infections, particularly in southern and western states, and Texas, California, Alabama, Idaho and Florida all announced record one-day death tolls this week. With a total of 4,028,741 cases and more than 144,000 deaths, the United States is by far the hardest-hit country in the world, with Brazil and India trailing.

More than 150 prominent U.S. medical experts, scientists, teachers, nurses and others have signed a letter urging political leaders to shut down the country and start over to contain the surging coronavirus pandemic.

According to CNN, the recommendations come as many states are grappling with record numbers of new cases along with overloaded hospitals, increasing unemployment rates and pressure to make decisions for the upcoming school year.

The letter contends that the only way to reopen the economy and the country safely is to follow a set of protocols that public health experts deem necessary for controlling the spread of the coronavirus.

Which, thankfully, much of the country and government leaders are coming around to. A new poll found that three out of four Americans favor requiring people to wear face coverings while outside their homes. And in recent days, more governors—including many initially heistant Republicans—have moved to mandate mask usage. Earlier this week, President Trump—arguably the nation’s most visible mask un-enthusiast—started referring to wearing them as “patriotic.”

So maybe there’s hope yet.

↦ Meanwhile President Trump announced Thursday he was scrapping the Republican presidential nominating convention in Florida as it's not the right time to do a "big, crowded convention."

Should You Worry About the Instacart Data Leak?

It’s best to change your password ...

Hundreds of thousands of Instacart customers' personal information is believed to be selling on the dark web. According to BuzzFeed News, this data includes names, the last four digits of credit card numbers, and order histories, and appears to have affected customers who used the grocery delivery service as recently as yesterday.

This is not good news. I'm a regular user of the grocery-delivery service and you probably are too. Their business has boomed during the pandemic.

The company's official line of defense at present appears to be blaming reused or recycled passwords. In a thread on Twitter, the company said its “investigation so far has shown that the Instacart platform was not compromised or breached,” adding that “we believe this is the result of credential stuffing—a technique used by 3rd party bad actors similar to phishing, and occurs when a person uses similar login credentials across various websites and apps.”

Lifehacker suggests updating your passwords—first for Instacart and then repeating for any other accounts that use the same combination. And I'd continue to keep my eye out for suspicious charges over the next few months.

↦ Smart Move: Use an encrypted password manager to easily and securely store your login information.

Special Promotion

Promise her a great time. This modern wellness company is ensuring plenty of buzzing and tingling in the bedroom.

The Stock Market Dips

And an examination of the president’s effect

Stocks fell again in volatile trading on Thursday as the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 353.51 points and the Nasdaq fell 244.71 points, reports CNBC.

The S&P 500 “is getting hit very hard as investors sell out of tech,” while the latest unemployment figures also dented market sentiment. But it will, no doubt, bounce back. It's been pretty resilient through all of this uncertainty.

You could say that President Trump has been good for the stock market—but not as good as most of his predecessors.

Which presidents have delivered the best stock returns? Forbes crunched the numbers for every American president since Harry Truman. And Democrats are dominating. According to their experts, Wall Street's obsession with politics is mostly misplaced: “Bull markets and bear markets come and go, and it's more to do with business cycles than presidents.”

How Short Are Your Shorts?

Because there’s a big case for 5-inch inseams

Sky's out, thighs out. That's the motto of summer style these days. Just ask any adventurous, stylish guy. Or dudes who don't skip leg day. Or the women of TikTok.

According to Mel, the ladies have declared, “there is one appropriate short-length option, and it's five inches. Fine, five-and-a-half inch shorts are good, too.”

While five-inch inseams aren't new, they've typically been avoided by most men. Perhaps they were seen as uncomfortably revealing or too feminine. But guys of all stripes are coming to embrace the freedom.

Wondering how to wear them? Inside Hook pulled together five different pairings of five-inch athletic style shorts and loafers, some more advanced than others.

↦ Buy: These breezy camp shorts, made from fast-drying techy fabrics, have emerged as the stylish dude's pick of shorts.

In Other News

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Quick fixes for smelly shoes

Brick Rolling

How Seattle’s NHL team became the “Kraken”

Special Promotion

An Intimacy Upgrade

Sometimes the smallest things make the biggest impact

We’ve told you about Promescent before in the newsletter. The cutting-edge personal wellness brand has made a name for itself with a line of effective products backed up by science and years of medical research. The collection ranges from modern condoms and delay sprays to a unique supplement formulated to boost your energy—both in life and in the bedroom. But one of their most popular items is the Female Arousal Gel.

A hybrid gel containing the best properties from both silicone and water-based lubes, it’s designed to be used with a partner or solo. It’s designed to target her most sensitive areas while heightening her arousal and pleasure. What’s it feel like? The company says it provides a gentle buzzing sensation that produces delightful effects within five minutes of application. What’s more, a little goes a long way. You’ll need just a pea-sized amount, so this tiny tube can get up to 75 uses. And then there’s the 100% satisfaction guarantee. So what do you have to lose?

↦ Get It: $19.95 / $16.95 w/code VALET15 at Promescent

Your Weekend Pairing

We Are Freestyle Love Supreme + a Remember the Alimony Cocktail

Before Hamilton made Lin-Manuel Miranda a household name, he honed his writing and freestyle rap skills in a hip-hop improv group created by a handful of Wesleyan University grads in the basement of a New York City bookstore.

The comedy troupe's energetic mash-up of rap, hip-hop, R&B crooning and improvisational audience participation made it a unique incubator for talent. This Hulu documentary combines old footage with a behind-the-scenes look at the show's recent Broadway engagement to tell a story about spontaneous creativity and the restorative powers of collaboration. It was initially delayed out of respect to June's BLM protests, but it's now streaming and the show is the feel-good origin story we so desperately need right now.

↦ Your Pairing:Honestly, I'm not sure what pairs well with a hip-hop improv documentary. But I do know I need a drink or two at the end of a long week. When I discovered this cocktail, the name sounded like something you'd hear at an improv show. But the three-ingredient drink, featured on Punch, is a savory twist on the classic negroni that mixes gin with Cynar and fino sherry.

What We’re Buying

You should definitely invest in a quality coffee maker. It's something you use everyday, but that doesn't mean you have to spend a lot. This wildly popular nine-cup brewer is endorsed by the Specialty Coffee Association for consistently delivering rich, gold-standard coffee. The controlled brew cycle replicates the pour over method for flavorful coffee at the simple turn of a dial. Plus, the double-walled stainless steel carafe keeps your coffee piping hot to the last drop.

↦ Get It $199.99 / $149.99 by OXO