The Daily Valet. - 8/9/21, Monday

✔️ Olympic Grit and Grace

August 09, 2021

Monday, August 9th Edition

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor in Chief of Valet.

Can I wear my Team USA T-shirt for one more day?

Cory Ohlendorf, Editor ⋯ @coryohlendorf

Today’s edition is presented by

Today’s Big Story

Olympic Grit and Grace

Tokyo passes the baton to Paris after an imperfect but no less moving or memorable Games

Japan took its Olympic bow on Sunday. Tokyo extinguised the cauldron’s flame after staging a Games that was delayed by COVID-19 and hampered by a skeptical public but nonetheless still delivered all the greatness and inspiration that, frankly, we needed right now.

Tanya Joseph at the Financial Times called the Tokyo Games a balm for souls battered by the pandemic. “Finally, here was something in which everyone, everywhere, could take part.” I have to admit, it was nice to take a break from all the day-to-day worries and be mesmerized by feats of athleticism and strengths of all sorts.

This will be a Games remembered for a legendary gymnast putting her mental and physical health above medal ambitions. For competitors agreeing to a gold medal tie. Or a runner who fell down, but got back up ... only to win her race! The Tokyo Olympics, as the New York Times says, have been “a showcase for the beauty of resilience.”

Which is exactly what makes the Games so special in my eyes. It’s a celebration of individual talents and strengths, sure. But it’s also a reminder of the pay-off of hard work, dedication and teamwork. And how far good sportsmanship can go when it really counts.

That’s not to say this wasn’t at times, a very strange situation. In Tokyo’s well-orchestrated biosecurity bubble, the Olympic competition sites—38 in all—became eerie ghost ships, nary a spectator in sight. At many of the open-air events, the most consistent background noise comes from flocks of cicadas. But it worked. Only 32 of the over 11,000 athletes who competed tested positive for COVID.

What didn’t work as well was the broadcast. I watched these games everyday for the past two weeks and never quite figured out what was streaming when and on what service or app.

↦ Medal Table: Team USA finished on top of the medal table at Tokyo 2020, winning 113 medals (and the most gold) in 28 different sports.

Here We Go Again

COVID cases rise and Florida breaks the record for new daily infections

The U.S. is now averaging around 100,000 new COVID-19 infections a day, returning to a milestone last seen during the winter surge in yet another bleak reminder of how quickly the delta variant has spread through the country.

According to NPR, the U.S. was averaging about 11,000 cases a day in late June. Now the number is 107,143.

Even more shocking, 20% of all the new COVID cases in the U.S. are being diagnosed in one state ... Florida. And hospitalizations have increased at record-breaking levels for six consecutive days, according to the Department of Health and Human Services.

About 49.3% of Florida's population has been fully vaccinated, according to NBC's vaccination tracker. That puts Florida slightly behind other large states like California (53.3%), New York (57.5%) and Pennsylvania (52.8%) but ahead of Illinois (48.9%) and Texas (43.3%).

↦ Dig Deeper: Delta vanquishes all variant rivals as scientists race to understand its tricks.

Partner

This summer, the heat has been a cruel mistress. Dress in cool, comfortable staples to fight the oppressive weather in style.

The End of V-8s?

America still loves its gas-guzzling engines. But for how long?

They're loud, powerful and as American as apple pie. But you could also say that the V-8 engine is an endangered species.

It comes as no surprise that GM, Ford and other automakers are ramping up production of vehicles without any tailpipe emissions. “Electric cars are an inevitability,” one auto industry specialist told ABC News. “So many governments are mandating [electrification]. It's foolish to continue holding on to gas technology.”

Car and Driver spoke to the folks in charge at Dodge, Land Rover and Lexus, on the state of the high-horsepower V-8 amid a fully electric frontier. They discovered that while not quite endangered yet, they're roaming the land in fewer numbers than they once were. (For instance, V-8s are still healthier than the manual transmission.)

But that big engine will cost you. They found that the price really jumps when you spring for the V-8. And often, the high performance electric engines are nothing to sneeze at. One exec at Dodge put it this way: If customers are faced with the choice “between a slower, more expensive big-engine car and a faster, affordable electrified car they'll choose better performance more often than not.”

↦ Meanwhile: These '90s status symbol cars are now selling for practically peanuts.

Google to Hire More People With Autism

It hopes to strengthen the workplace with neurodiverse talent

Here's some good news to kick off the week: Google is teaming up with Stanford University in an effort to make its workforce more neurodiverse—hiring more people with autism and supporting them better.

The technology giant recently announced the program in a blog post. “These accommodations don't give those candidates an unfair advantage,” said Rob Enslin, president of global customer operations for Google Cloud. “It's just the opposite: They remove an unfair disadvantage so candidates have a fair and equitable chance to compete for the job.”

According to Disability Scoop, statistics show that just 29% of those across the autism spectrum have paid employment. But there's a growing trend to amplify the worthiness and, perhaps initially unseen, talents of disabled people in the workforce and how they can impact a myriad of industries.

But that doesn't mean it's always easy to get hired. 60 Minutes recently aired a story in which Anderson Cooper interviewed six autistic people from across the autism spectrum about what it's like not only to work, but to find it and maintain it successfully.

In Other News

↦ Lionel Messi Tears Up After Receiving a Standing Ovation During His Barcelona Exit Announcement

↦ California’s Dixie Fire Is Now the 2nd Largest in State History

↦ Cancel ‘Curry’? Why South Asian American Chefs Say It's Time for the Word to Go

Other Things We’re Talking About Today

Affordable Nike classics

Frozen honey?

The Cybertruck’s delay

Partner

A Cooler Way to Dress

What to wear in the hottest of weather

This summer, the heat has been a cruel mistress. But just because the weather has been swampy and oppressive, doesn't mean you can’t look and feel cool. It just requires pulling on the right pieces to breeze through the day. Right now, for me, that means relaxed camp collar shirts that are just baggy enough to ventilate the body. I pair them with easygoing shorts—usually cut from a linen-blend fabric and ideally secured with a simple drawstring. I never leave the house without SPF on, but a bucket hat provides portable shade wherever I go.

Of course, when you're not wearing much, the finishing touches make all the difference. Cubitts, an artisanal optician from London, makes some outstanding sunglasses that look vintage but have all the modern touches (and UV protection) you hope for today. Finally, I set myself apart from the Birkenstock brigade by opting for sandals with all the same slide-in comfort, but a bit more character.

Clockwise from top left:Ijebu camp-collar shirt, $235 by Post-Imperial; Sal 2 suede sandals, $350 by Yuketen; linen-cotton drawstring shorts, $85 by Club Monaco; sunscreen lotion, $20 by Salt & Stone; cotton-twill bucket hat, $50 by Polo Ralph Lauren; Chalton tortoiseshell sunglasses, $165 by Cubitts

↦ Get It: More summer style from MR PORTER

Stuff We Want

Resistance bands are highly effective. But let's be honest ... they way they dig into your hands? Not cool. TRX, known for its suspension training systems, has just debuted a solution. The TRX Bandit (front $29.95) is a set of removable handles that snap on to any resistance band. Highly portable and compact, these removable handles can go with you wherever your workout takes you. TRX also has videos on their site to help you utilize them in new ways and take your home workout to the next level. You can buy a set of handles by themselves (if you've already got bands) or upgrade to a set with four Strength Bands in various resistances.

↦ Want More The five stylish items to buy this week