The Daily Valet. - 8/7/23, Monday
✔️ Tipflation Continues
Monday, August 7th Edition
By Cory Ohlendorf, Valet. Editor
Consider today's newsletter permission to walk around with Milk Bones in your pockets.
Today’s Big Story
Tipflation Continues
The tension behind tips continue, the asks are Getting ‘Out Of Control’ and tipping rage is kicking in
Feel like you're being asked to tip any and everywhere these days? You're not alone. In addition to the usual eateries, barber shops and cabs, customers are now being prompted to tip everywhere from convenience store counters to unmanned kiosks at airports and self-service car washes. Who exactly are we tipping when there are no workers around? Welcome to the age of tipflation.“People are really feeling imposed upon,” ettiqute expert tells CNBC. “We're already living through inflationary times. Everything is crazy expensive. And on top of that, you're being asked, every time you turn around, 'How much would you like to tip?' It feels pushy, it feels needy and almost every customer I speak with says, 'Why aren't businesses just paying people more?'”The mood is certainly souring. Around seven out of 10 Americans now have a negative view of tipping, according to new a Bankrate survey. And it's actually leading to less tips. Nearly 65% of those surveyed say they always tip servers, but that's down from 73% last year and 77% in 2019.The sad truth is that a lot of workers' wages across many industries haven't caught up to the rise in the cost of living, one economist tells Axios. That's also driving tipflation. “Shops and restaurants are expecting the customer to pick up the difference,” she says. But that's driving a lot of awkward interactions and resentment on both the part of the customer and the worker helping them.And as vendors offering pricey services who you might not typically tip and who might not even expect a tip—like wedding photographers and HVAC technicians—are using payment software that requests tips, leaving consumers confused about whether there are new rules. Especially considering that, according to Mike Lynn, a professor of consumer behavior at Cornell University with an expertise in tipping, gratuity norms are less consistent than people tend to think.
Beware:
CNBC explores why ‘tipflation’ might ruin your chances for a second date.
The Sun Is Brighter Than Expected
“We thought we had this star figured out, but that's not the case” - Scientists
Just when you think you know everything there is about the big ball of gas our world literally revolves around ... Scientists come forward with a fresh discovery. It appears that the sun produces higher energy light than was thought possible. An unusual type of telescope detected gamma rays with energies of over 1 tera electron volt—or at least five times more energetic than previously known.“After looking at six years' worth of data, out popped this excess of gamma rays,” Meher Un Nisa, a postdoctoral research associate at Michigan State University and co-author of a new paper about the findings, said in a statement. The results were so shocking, the team thought they'd messed up. But upon deliberation, however, researchers realized that such brightness definitely existed—and it was simply due to the sheer amount of gamma rays the sun seemed to be spitting out. “The sun is more surprising than we knew,” Nisa said.According to Futurism, the findings, which were undertaken by an international consortium of scientists from North America, Europe and Asia, are (pardon the pun) illuminating—but they also, like so many unprecedented discoveries, generate far more questions than answers. Now scientists will focus on how the sun produces such bright gamma rays and what role the sun's magnetic field might play.
Meanwhile:
Sun bears are not humans in bear costumes, but they deserve to go viral anyway.
An Unfortunate Exit for U.S. Women’s Soccer
USWNT’s World Cup exit was decided by mere millimeters
A fraction of a centimeter cost Team USA the game and a chance to defend its title at the Women's World Cup in Melbourne Sunday. The U.S. women's team dominated Sweden for much of the play, forcing fine saves from the goalkeeper, but the game was tied 0-0 after extra time. The match was ultimately decided in penalty kicks, where Sweden won out 5-4.The exit was called “historic” and other writers basically said the team “crashed out” of the tournament. It seems that the rest of the world has finally caught up to the United States. Public confidence in the once-dominant American team began to fade during a 0-0 draw with Portugal. Only a firm goalpost had saved the USWNT from a shocking group-stage exit.As The Athletic put it: This was the best the U.S. had played this World Cup, and to let it slip through their hands at the final moment through a fraction's fraction feels like the most heartbreaking option. The Americans have fallen victim to growing parity in women's soccer. Former powerhouse teams like the United States, Germany and Brazil were all sent home early while teams including Jamaica, Colombia and first-timers Morocco surpassed expectations. But the games continue today, when host Australia takes on Denmark and England faces Nigeria.
Dig Deeper:
The New York Times breaks down how the U.S. was eliminated from the World Cup, shot by shot.
Pet a Dog ASAP
Loving up other people's dogs, even briefly, will boost your health
In great news for everyone, it turns out even short, friendly interactions with dogs can be good for our health. If you're a dog lover like me, then you probably already know this. But now we've got hard data to back up our reasoning for stopping for every good boy and girl we encounter.One psychiatrist tells NPR that evidence is accumulating that levels of the stress hormone cortisol drop in people after just five to 20 minutes spent interacting with dogs—even if it's not their pet. There's also increases in oxytocin, that feel-good kind of bonding hormone. Even better? It's not just humans that benefit from these brief exchanges. “What I love about this research is that it's a two-way street,” she says. “We see the same thing in the dogs, so the dogs' oxytocin also increases when they interact with a human.”Similarly, a Swiss study last fall found that interactions with friendly dogs can supercharge our frontal cortex, the part of the brain overseeing how we think and feel. The science adds to existing research on the benefits of animal-assisted therapy in medically supervised neural rehabilitation for nervous system conditions, such as strokes, seizure disorders, brain trauma and infections. Of course, if you have a pup of your own, you're already doing your body some good, since ownership has also been linked to positive health outcomes, including better heart health and increased regular physical activity.
Whoops:
So much for a guard dog. A burglar was filmed taking a break from robbing a home to pet an overly friendly family dog.
In Other News
Reddit corporate claims victory over its disgruntled mods as they abandon the “John Oliver rule”.
Have you heard about ...
The Long Read
This is the fanciest farm you will ever see
They were envisioned as the palatial homes for the upper crust of society. Now, their only residents are hurdles of cattle and the occasional adventure explorers meandering like ghosts around the arched verandas and stone façades of hundreds of abandoned villas.”
- By Katherine McLaughlin
Read It:
//
Shopping
What We’re Buying
Vintage-inspired pants
These pants ($298) feel perfect for the current menswear moment. They're a little bit workwear, a bit relaxed yet still have some polish. According to Todd Snyder, they're actually inspired by a vintage find, and the design keeps many of the same utility details, including reinforced double knees and tool pockets. Cut from lightweight, garment-dyed Italian cotton, they're tailored with a longer-than-usual rise and a slightly wide leg—which means they're comfortable enough to wear now but will easily take you well into fall and winter.
Want more?
The five stylish items you should be buying this week.
Morning Motto
Do it for yourself.
▾
Follow:
Share today’s motto:
