A meatball plate and Y2K fashion comeback

Rainbow Memorial Art is Removed by the Government, Then Restored by the People

In the middle of the night, a rainbow crosswalk honoring the 49 victims of the 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Florida was removed. As one of the most deadly mass shootings in the history of the United States, this piece of public art has served as a memorial for its victims for nearly a decade. Its sudden, unannounced removal by the state is, as Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer calls it, a “cruel political act.” State Senator Carlos Guillermo Smith, who is openly gay, shares the sentiment.

Taking to social media to call out Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, Smith wrote: “As condemnation pours in, Ron DeSantis is flailing to justify ordering the secret nighttime erasure of the Pulse memorial crosswalk. He claims he won’t allow the ‘politicization of roads.’ But he personally approved this memorial, understood its purpose, and knows full well there is zero evidence it causes safety issues. In fact, brightly colored crosswalks improve visibility for drivers. His claim is a lie — and he knows it.”

DeSantis doubled down on social media, stating, “We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes.” In his own social media post back in July, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “Taxpayers expect their dollars to fund safe streets, not rainbow crosswalks.” This was his casual statement to go with the new legislation that demands the removal of pavement surface art that is “associated with social, political, or ideological messages or images.” Of course, the “rainbow crosswalk” is the example all of these politicians use in a seeming attempt to vilify members of the LGBTQ+ community, and they are the heroes behind the erasure… ~cue eye roll~

So while state and federal officials continue to censor and deface public art, the public has stepped up and taken matters into their own hands. Smith joined other members of the public to fill the crosswalk once again with the colors of the rainbow using chalk. It isn’t a permanent solution, but it is a symbolic one. As Smith says of the initial removal, “The cruelty is the point. [DeSantis’] aim is to provoke — to dispirit, to bait people into overreaction so he can justify harsher retribution. But what he is finding instead is bipartisan disgust. And we will not give in. We will not be provoked. With steady resolve we say: we will not allow this to stand.”

Is the Chain Restaurant Officially Dead?

Another week, another brand misstep. You have to imagine that Cracker Barrel executives knew that perhaps some people wouldn’t love the minimalist redesign of the beloved restaurant’s logo. But surely, they could have never anticipated the firestorm it created. From plummeting stock values to being dragged into political discourse about being “woke,” it’s been a tough week for the beloved chain.

While keyboard warriors use Cracker Barrel’s marketing strategy as fodder, we tend to agree with Billy Binion’s view. In his piece for Reason, Binion makes a, well, reasonable argument for Cracker Barrel’s changes that also point to the downfall of the chain restaurant in general. While many of these places trade on the nostalgia felt by their loyal customers, it makes it difficult to change course or adapt to new trends.

Red Lobster, TGI Fridays, and even Hooters have all filed for bankruptcy recently, and chains are seeing profits drop dramatically. Growing up in a small town, these chain restaurants were all I knew. In fact, I don’t believe I ever went into a non-chain restaurant until I went to college in Boston. My formative years were spent throwing peanut shells on the floor of The Ground Round and, later, going out for weekly dinners at Applebee’s with friends. While it certainly wasn’t gourmet dining, at the time, it was a big deal.

So, what’s pushing the trend? Shall we blame it on Covid, like everything else? Are we simply more selective about where we’ll eat? And is this whole thing a death knell for Cracker Barrel? Better be sure to go down and get country-fried chicken and hashbrown casserole just in case.

• 🍝 IKEA is known for two things: minimalist design and Swedish meatballs. Now, the two have combined to create the ridiculous yet eye-catching Meatball Plate. This playful design by Gustaf Westman seems to be perfect for serving up 11 little meatballs.

• 🐄 The origins of Stonehenge are still a mystery, but the discovery of a Neolithic cow’s tooth is a new clue that researchers are excited about. Their analysis of the tooth suggests that the cattle likely came from Wales and helped move the stones to the site.

• 📜 The Bayeux Tapestry was set to return to the UK for the first time in over 900 years, but now over 50,000 people have signed a petition on Change.org to block it from being loaned by France. Their reason? “It’s already very fragile. There are tears and holes in the fabric. Any movement, any vibration can cause damage.” However, a French official has denied the artifact’s fragility for transportation. It’s yet unclear how it will be transported though…

• 🛌 England’s oldest psychiatric hospital (Bethlem Royal Hospital) has provided never-before-seen works for “Between Sleeping and Waking” — an exhibition of work created by patients exploring themes of sleep, dreams, and nightmares. Now on view at Bethlem Museum of the Mind, this show is a truly haunting look at how sleep (or lack thereof) affects the mind.

• 🔦 Have you heard of biofluorescence? It’s basically light that’s emitted from living organisms. Photographer Ben Alldridge discovered a menagerie of biofluorescent animals (and plants) when he shone an ultraviolet light on them, and the images are illuminating.

• ⛪️ A church was moved in one whole piece to a different location. This century-old, 713-tonne piece of wooden architecture (Kiruna Church) was carefully lifted and relocated 5km away because of an expansion of the world’s largest iron ore mine in Sweden. The amount of planning and engineering involved in what has been dubbed “The Great Church Walk” is truly remarkable.

• 🏄 Gnarly opportunity alert! There’s now a $5,000 grant available for surfing’s next great photographer. In honor of Surfing Magazine photo editor Larry “Flame” Moore, this grant will be awarded to emerging surf photographers (ages 18-26). See more details and apply here.

• 👖 Y2K is back in fashion, and GAP is jumping on the bandwagon with an epic ad campaign with the global girl group Katseye, showing rivaling brands how to market denim (and reminding us of what a bop “Milkshake” is). GAP has reached into its archive to reintroduce its “long and lean” jean style after a 15-year absence. But don’t worry, it doesn’t look like showing your “whale tail” has made a comeback (yet). GAP’s version has been tweaked for today’s standards with a slightly higher back and a longer inseam, making it low, but not low low.

• 📺 Speaking of Y2K, the Dawson’s Creek cast is reuniting for the first time since the coming-of-age drama ended in 2003. On September 22, the entire cast from Katie Holmes to James Van Der Beek will be doing a live table read of the series pilot at a theater in New York. The sweetest part? It’s a show of solidarity for Van Der Beek, who has been battling stage 3 colorectal cancer, with proceeds going to charity F Cancer and Van Der Beek. Tickets are already sold out, but if you’ve already started humming “I Don’t Want to Wait,” let’s cross our fingers that they’ll sell streaming tickets.

• 🥤 In an age when the price of everything is on the rise, who knew that Arizona Iced Tea would be our savior? You might not have realized it, but the beverage has remained at the same 99-cent price point for 30 years. In a new interview, chairman and co-founder Don Vultaggio explains why he intends to keep the status quo even in the face of tariffs and other rising costs.

• 🧑‍⚖️ The Menendez Brothers rode a wave of renewed interest in their story all the way to a parole hearing. But alas, supporters of the brothers can’t celebrate yet, as both Lyle and Erik were denied parole for a variety of factors. Family members are calling foul, but the brothers could be up for another hearing in as few as 18 months. And when you consider that just last year they didn’t have any hope of parole, I suppose that’s a win.

• 👮‍♂️ According to The Hollywood Reporter, Nicholas Cage is in talks to star in the fifth season of True Detective. His casting would come on the heels of Jodie Foster’s acclaimed turn in the anthology, leaving us to wonder if the show can ride that wave to another stellar season. Or will we be left with another disappointment similar to Colin Farrell’s dismal season 2 after iconic performances by Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson in season 1? 

• 🍵 With the lack of good Real Housewives on air, people are firing up their VPNs and ordering Hayu (which streams Bravo shows abroad) to get a look at the Real Housewives of London. The Hayu-only show is getting good buzz for a fascinating cast that includes former members of Ladies of London (anyone else watch that gem?) and a smattering of socialites and fashionistas. Apparently, it’s bringing the silly drama we love, with the first episode ending in a seething fight over dentistry (yes, you read that right). If it performs well, expect to see it jump to the network à la the RHOM reboot.

• 💍 LEGOs have become a significant part of almost every parent’s life lately. LEGO lovers young and old will appreciate this ingenious hand-crafted LEGO jewelry that lets you change up the design and create anything your heart desires. It’s like having a bit of your childhood in the palm of your hand, and in this day and age, that’s the type of joy we need.