The Daily Valet. - 8/2/22, Tuesday

✔️ Ticket Trouble

Tuesday, August 2nd Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

I’m gonna bid on some Bond memorabilia (and it’ll probably still be cheaper than a regular concert ticket).

Cory Ohlendorf , Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s Big Story

Ticketmaster Trouble

Those ridiculously inflated ticket prices are truly the scourge of live entertainment. But what’s new?

Even back when I was a teenager—lining up for early tickets or later buying tickets online—complaining about Ticketmaster’s near-monopoly and the excessive delivery, facility and service charges was almost obligatory.

Now, those pernicious incidental fees are nothing compared to the outrage over the leading ticket seller’s “dynamic pricing” model, which is back in the news following a recent tour announcement by Bruce Springsteen.

Much like blacklash Taylor Swift, U2, Kenny Chesney, Pink and the Eagles have encountered, fans of The Boss were understandably shocked when they encountered seats costing many times the normal price—up to $5,500 or so. And to be clear, no scalpers were selling those tickets.

Far Out compares “dynamic pricing” to a market-based model, similar to how airline tickets or hotel bookings are sold, or, more appropriately, to Uber’s surge pricing, where a cost of a ride can fluctuate depending on demand. Depending on the artist, venue or city, if demand is high, then ticket prices can rise aggressively. This allows Ticketmaster to gauge the marketplace as it gouges consumers.

And this is all before resellers get into the game. Even those selected by Ticketmaster for presales as part of the company’s Verified Fan feature (which was created to prevent bots from obtaining tickets before fans do) are having trouble buying tickets before the scalpers do. Michael Rapino, the CEO of Live Nation Entertainment (Ticketmaster’s parent company) doesn’t seem to mind. “We’re the only product out there that is worth more the second it’s sold,” he told the podcast The Compound & Friends in May.

Sure, the feature is helping artists make more money from tours, but they’re unfortunately doing so at the expense of many of their fans.

↦ Meanwhile: Organizers of Music Midtown, a major festival in Atlanta, announced Monday that it was pulling the plug over Georgia’s gun laws.

U.S. Strike Kills al-Qaeda Leader

Biden said “Justice has been delivered”

Last night you might've heard the news, so let me jump to the end: Right after President Biden's address, where he announced that al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul, CBS News wrapped its special report with a shot of One World Trade Center in Manhattan.

“All those that plotted the attack are either dead or captured,” anchor John Dickerson said. “One World Trade stands as the tallest building in the western hemisphere. A reminder of the resilience of New York City and the American people.”

According to the New York Times, the precision drone strike in the heart of downtown Kabul over the weekend capped a 21-year manhunt for an Egyptian radical who more than anyone besides Bin Laden was deemed responsible for the 9/11 attacks.

Biden, who was kept abreast of the strike as he isolated with a rebound case of COVID, spoke outdoors Monday from the Blue Room Balcony at the White House. “Justice has been delivered,” he said. “We make it clear again tonight, that no matter how long it takes, no matter where you hide, if you are a threat to our people, the United States will find you and take you out.”

↦ Dig Deeper: The Washington Post compiled a list of all the al-Qaeda and ISIS leaders killed in U.S. strikes or raids.

More Microplastics?

Another reminder that bottled water is more trouble than its worth

It really seems like the microplastics crisis keeps getting scarier. It keeps showing up in more and more places. Recently, it was found in the snow on Colorado's pristine mountaintops. And now it's in the bottled water we drink for its purported “purity.”

According to an alarming new study, 78% of bottled water from the best-selling brands in France was just found to be contaminated with microplastics. (A refresher: microplastics are tiny, virtually invisible fragments of plastic between 0.0001 and 5 millimeters.)

“Every week, we ingest an average of 5 grams, the equivalent of a credit card,” the NGO notes in its latest report. Researchers found that “changes in the gastrointestinal tract from plastic are linked to metabolic diseases like obesity, diabetes and chronic liver disease.”

According to Food Navigator, scientists at the State University of New York discovered there are roughly twice as many plastic particles in bottled water compared to tap water. Throw in all the money you save by filtering your tap water and filling your own reusable bottle, it's really no contest, right?

↦ FYI: Microplastics are ubiquitous in our environment, but experts tell Fast Company that we can take steps to reduce our exposure.

A Major James Bond Auction

Get ready to bid on badass cars, classic watches and a bionic eyeball

Over the last half-century, the James Bond franchise has gifted us with all manner of glorious cars, high-tech gadgets and memorable props. Now, some of those items can be yours.

Sixty Years of James Bond is a new auction from Christie's and EON Productions, wherein you can score some of the most coveted memorabilia from 007's legendary run on the big screen. The live auction officially begins September 28, but online bidding is already live, so you can begin perusing the site and placing bids.

Among the cars is one of seven Aston Martin DB5 replica stunt cars built specifically for the movie, complete with plenty of damage incurred during the pre-credits sequence. It would also seem to be one of the stunt cars fitted with Gatling gun props behind the headlights (you can read more about the team behind the stunts on Autoblog).

Other enviable vehicles include a 1981 Aston-Martin and a supercharged Land Rover Defender V8 110. But don't pass up other cool finds, from Omega watches and bionic eyeballs to some proper bespoke tuxedos, cut for various Bonds.

↦ Buy: Want something a little more affordable? How about this Aston Martin DB5, rendered from LEGOs for less than twenty bucks?

In Other News

↦ A Looming Pilot Strike for a Major Airline Would Hit 20 U.S. Airports

↦ Candy Crush: Hershey Says a Halloween Treat Shortage Is Coming

↦ Why Do Rich People Love Quiet?

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Fixing our bad Wi-Fi

Icebox cakes

She-Hulk

A Paper Towel Swap

How many do you think you use?

Here's an inconvenient truth: you probably use too many paper towels. Think about the way you've used them over the past week or so. A little excessive? I was the same way. The vast majority of Americans use paper towels for everything from drying their hands and soaking up spills to wiping down counters and dusting off shelves.

According to data by the market-research firm Euromonitor International, global spending on paper towels for use at home—not in office or public bathrooms—amounted to $12 billion. And Americans accounted for about $5.7 billion of that total. In other words, the U.S. spends nearly as much on paper towels as every other country in the world combined.

And that's a lot of paper that ends up in a landfill. Because despite being made of paper, they're not able to be “cleaned” during the recycling process. In fact, a dirty paper towel tossed into the recycle bin has been known to ruin an entire batch of perfectly good recyclable paper.

But here's the thing, when you switch to something better, you won't want to go back. Allow us to make the case, while also providing you with some options for more eco-friendly (and durable) replacements.

↦ Read: Why you should probably swap out your paper towels for these alternatives.

A Preppy Classic, Now With Some Edge

Model 3 sport coat,$1,350 by The Armoury

If there's ever a season to jump into brighter colors and take more of a risk, the tail of summer is the time to do it. This time of year has its fair share of formal occasions too—or excuses if you're more optimistic, to try something bolder and brighter. You can always hide behind your sunglasses if you have to.

Sure, a blazer doesn't sound rebellious, but when it's this loud or bright, there is a wink to wearing something more formal because you have to, but still keeping it light—both literally and figuratively.

The best part of this crop of neo-preppy outerwear is that with your jacket doing all the work, it simplifies everything else. A white shirt with a loafer or minimalist sneaker and you're set to take on most any functions and look damn good while doing it. Either way, we have you covered when you're ready to inject a little punk into today's prep.