Earlier today, Insomniac Games released an action-packed trailer for their upcoming PlayStation 5 exclusive Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart. The trailer offered fans an extended look at the new title’s gameplay and photo mode, as well as formally introduced us to Rivet, a female Lombax from an alternate dimension where Dr. Nefarious — the series’ villain — reigns as emperor.
Yes! We finally revealed her name… you guessed it! Right?! Rivet is a Lombax resistance fighter from another dimension, where the evil Emperor Nefarious hunts all those who oppose him. You saw brand-new locations like Nefarious City, and alternate-dimension twists on old favorites like Sargasso and Torren IV along with a sneak-peak at some new weapons and gameplay mechanics.
The song we chose for the trailer has special meaning beyond just being a great, exciting track. It is from the (Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame nominated) band DEVO, a personal favorite of mine, but, some would say more importantly, the band that the incomparable Mark Mothersbaugh co-founded. I’m excited to announce that Mark is the Composer of the Rift Apart soundtrack! Beyond his work in DEVO, you’ve likely heard his compositions across the years whether it was in the original three Crash Bandicoot and Jak & Daxter games, as well as animated series like Rugrats, and the blockbuster film: Thor Ragnarok. We are so thrilled to be collaborating with Mark and cannot wait for you to hear the incredible score he’s come up with.
Rivet’s full reveal comes nearly a year after the game’s announcement trailer last summer, which left fans speculating just who the new character could be — especially since the Lombax species are very few and very far between in the series. While Rivet seems to play similarly to the series’ main protagonist, Ratchet, in many regards, it appears Insomniac is using some of what they learned working on the PlayStation Spider-Man games, incorporating similar swinging movements into her move set. It was also later announced Jennifer Hale, a voice actress known for her work in Mass Effect, Metal Gear Solid, BioShock Infinite, Metroid Prime, and Overwatch, will be voicing the game’s newest addition.
Ratchet and Clank: Rift Apart is available for preorder now, and will be released for PlayStation 5 exclusively on June 11.
When the documentary series Framing Britney Spears bowed on HBO back in February, it caused an avalanche of support to come the singer’s way. Long a target of condescending press coverage — not to mention still legally under the control of her domineering father — Spears found the public finally rallying to her side, hoping to correct years of unfair coverage. Now the team behind the doc look to be trying to do for Janet Jackson what they did for Britney.
According to US Weekly, Left/Right TV, who produced the Spears doc, are at work on a movie about the infamous halftime show at Super Bowl XXXVIII, in 2004. That’s the one where a performance by Jackson and Justin Timberlake resulted in a “wardrobe malfunction,” in which the latter ripped off part of her costume, exposing one of her breasts for half a second. The incident led to a massive fallout. The FCC tried, and failed, to fine CBS for over half a billion dollars, while some accused the two of staging it, with Jackson receiving more vitriol than Timberlake.
Neither Jackson nor Timberlake are involved in the movie, though the former is working on a documentary about her own career to coincide with the forthcoming 40th anniversary of her debut album, Janet Jackson. Timberlake, meanwhile, has come under fire over the last couple years, as the public has begun viewing his treatment of both Jackson and Spears, who he once dated, with a more critical eye. Indeed, after Framing Britney Spears debuted, he issued a formal apology to both parties.
“I specifically want to apologize to Britney Spears and Janet Jackson both individually, because I care for and respect these women and I know I failed,” he wrote in an Instagram post. “Because of my ignorance, I didn’t recognize it for all that it was while it was happening in my own life but I do not want to ever benefit from others being pulled down again.”
But even for lovers of American whiskey, the focus can sometimes be myopic — with big brands dominating the conversation. So we figured the time was right to shout out some American whiskeys that don’t get the due they rightly deserve. To find these gems, we asked a handful of bartenders for their picks. Click the prices to get a bottle for yourself.
Noah’s Mill from the Willet distillery is one of my favorite whiskeys that not too many know about. It’s not your average whiskey you find behind the bar, but it is definitely something add to your home bar.
Clyde May’s Special Reserve 110 proof is Alabama-style Whiskey, a relatively new category of American whiskey that ages new make with apples in the barrel. It would be wrong to lump this spirit with most other flavored liquors. Since the flavor comes only from the interaction of whiskey, barrel, and apples, the result is extremely subtle and well-integrated. It’s not particularly sweet, but you really get the brightness of apple, both in the nose and on the palate.
Whiskey Acres Rye whiskey. This is a straight farm-to-table whiskey. This family grows everything on their own farm and distills and bottles it all right there. This whiskey has a nice bite but is great on the rocks. Support local!
Uncle Nearest 1884 Whiskey
Uncle Nearest
Emily Lawson, bartender and owner of Foxhole Public House in Bentonville, Arkansas
Fawn Weaver’s 1884 Premium Small Batch Uncle Nearest Whiskey needs to be at the top of everyone’s whiskey list this year. I have been following along with this brand since 2017, and love what they are producing. As the head of a woman of color-owned business, Fawn is blazing trails and making incredible sips and I am fully here for it.
Jim Beam Black Bourbon
Jim Beam
Austin Zimmer, bartender at Le Prive in New York City
Jim Beam Black. it’s a smooth whiskey with classic Bourbon vanilla notes, along with caramel and wood. The real taste experience is very quick, soft and light, and very satisfying. It doesn’t get its due because people don’t spend a long time thinking about Jim Beam.
Redwood Empire Lost Monarch Whiskey
Redwood Empire
Stephen Sylvester, bar manager at Piccalilli in Culver City, California
A blend of 60% rye and 40% bourbon brings the best of both worlds of sweetness and spice. Redwood Empire does three different whiskeys — one bourbon, one rye, one blend — all named after famous Redwood trees, each including the latitude and longitude of said tree on the bottle.
John Muir inspired labeling and partnering with Trees for the Future to plant a tree for each bottle sold highlights the importance of our forests.
Heaven Hill’s Mellow Corn, a straight — aged a minimum of two years — corn whiskey that is a staple at whiskey and cocktail bars, but not known by all. It’s often overlooked due to the bourbon craze. It is smooth and light. The sweetness of the corn is balanced with flavors added from barrel aging. The price point is beyond reasonable and the lightness of the whiskey is great for spring and summertime sipping or in cocktails.
Lately, my go-to bottle for a post-shift drink is the San Luis Valley Straight Rye from Laws Whiskey House. It has a lovely bouquet of orange spice, a rich mouthfeel, and a pleasant peppery finish that showcases the 100 percent rye mash bill. Everyone I’ve introduced it to has fallen in love with it and you can understand why.
Redwood Empire Pipe Dream Bourbon
Redwood Empire
Justin Frierson, beverage director, and operating partner at Eleven | Eleven in Chicago
This whiskey has a soft nose of maple and peach. Cinnamon, brown sugar, and apricot are also present, with a subtle white pepper and pumpkin finish. I enjoy selling it because it is complex as are all whiskeys in the Redwood Empire line. It’s also new to almost everyone I taste out on it and they are pleased every time.
Made from 100% malted barley, this Scottish-style American single malt is distilled two times in copper pot stills before being aged in new, charred American oak barrels for a minimum of two years. The result is 92 proof whiskey with flavors of brown sugar, vanilla, freshly brewed coffee, and subtle cooking spices.
This blend of 5, 7, and 8-year-old bourbons sourced from Kentucky and Tennessee is finished in seasoned wine casks from Napa Valley. The result is a rich, mellow sipping whiskey with notes of charred oak, toasted vanilla beans, buttery caramel, and a ton of pleasing fruity flavors.
As a Drizly affiliate, Uproxx may receive a commission pursuant to certain items on this list.
The Academy Awards is an evening for honoring the best achievements in film. But it’s also an event where the film industry unabashedly professes its progressive views to the world.
The nice thing about last night was that, for once, Hollywood’s talk about being inclusive was actually on display. The broadcast featured a diverse group of attendees and winners, putting to bed the #OscarsSoWhite critiques of the past six years, for now, at least.
Depending on where one stands on the political spectrum, Sunday’s broadcast was either an exhilarating night of celebrating progressive views or three hours of virtue signaling from some of the country’s richest and most powerful people.
However, there was a beautiful moment in the broadcast that everyone should appreciate. After being awarded the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 93rd Oscars, Tyler Perry gave a speech about unity that cut through America’s political divide and got to the heart of what real humanity is about.
Tyler Perry Accepts the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award
Perry was given the award for a lifetime of charitable work, including the time he paid for people’s groceries during the pandemic.
“Tyler knows what it is to be hungry, to be without a home, to feel unsafe and uncertain. So when he buys groceries for 1,000 of his neighbors, supports a women’s shelter, or quietly pays tuition for a hard-working student, Tyler is coming from a place of shared experience,” presenter Viola Davis said.
In his speech, Perry’s main theme was refusing hate. A tough ask in a time when the country is so politically polarized.
“And in this time, with all of the internet and social media and algorithms and everything that wants us to think a certain way, the 24-hour new cycle…it is my hope that all of us would teach our kids, and I want to remember: just refuse hate. Don’t hate anybody,” Perry said.
“I refuse to hate someone because they are a police officer. I refuse to hate someone because they are Asian. I would hope we would refuse hate,” he said.
Perry urged people to meet in “the middle” a place without hatred or judgment. “That’s where healing happens, that’s where conversation happens, that’s where change happens – it happens in the middle,” Perry said. “Anyone who wants to meet me to meet me in the middle to refuse hate and blanket judgment and lift someone’s feet off the ground, this one is for you, too.”
At first glance, asking people to come together in the middle doesn’t appear to be that original of a statement. But at a time when many have drawn up sides, choosing to be vulnerable, step out in the middle, and reach out to listen, is a pretty bold move.
That doesn’t mean to forget about one’s values. It means to be willing to have a conversation and find our shared humanity. This type of action is more important than ever when, as Perry noted, people are stuck in ideological bubbles and may not even understand what the other side is saying.
Perry proved just how brave you have to be to walk towards the middle when he said he refuses to hate someone because they’re a police officer. After that line, the applause he earned seemed to die down a bit. Was it a signal that his statement made a few people a little uncomfortable?
But change happens when we leave our comfort zone.
Look at you @tylerperry! Emmy and Oscar back to back. Happy to meet you in the middle! #Oscars https://t.co/nXPmu6S5SU
Perry’s words were powerful at a time when the nation is reeling from police violence. He challenged the notion that, as a Black man, he has to hate the police.
When, in fact, Perry appears to be standing with the vast majority of Black people (81%) who want the police to spend the same, or more, time in their neighborhoods. The important point is that a vast majority of Black (91%) also want the police to be held to higher standards of behavior and accountability.
Perry further explained why he gave his speech in a post-award interview.
“Just where we are in the country and the world, and everybody is grabbing a corner and a color, and they are all – nobody wants to come to the middle to have a conversation,” he said.
“Everybody is polarized, and it’s in the middle where things change,” he added. “So I’m hoping that that inspires people to meet us in the middle so that we can get back to some semblance of normal. As this pandemic is over, we can get to a place where we are showing love and kindness to each other again.”
Perry’s speech was challenging, uplifting and, ultimately, a practical way of seeing the world that allows us to all move forward. It’s also a wonderful example of why he’s seen as a humanitarian.
This post contains spoilers for ‘The Falcon and The Winter Solider.’
This past weekend, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier concluded and gave Marvel fans the moment they’ve all been waiting for: the inauguration of the next — and rightful — Captain America, Sam Wilson. In addition, fans finally got to see the broody Bucky Barnes achieve something resembling peace of mind and closure, something that he’s been sorely needing for the past 80 years or so.
However, just like its Disney+ predecessor, WandaVision, The Falcon and Winter Soldier finale did more than tell a fantastic story — it set things in motion for the Marvel Cinematic Universe in some pretty major ways, establishing not only the next Captain America but new villains and dynamics. So, what’s next for Sam, Bucky, and The Avengers in the MCU’s phase four? As always, Marvel Studio is keeping things delightfully open-ended, but has provided us with enough information to keep us psyched and speculating. Here are a few of our big questions and what we know so far.
Will TheFalcon and the Winter Soldier get a second season?
As of right now, there are no plans for a second season. Much like WandaVision, the short-and-sweet six-episode mini-series seemed more interested in setting up the universe’s upcoming full-length features rather than becoming an entity in itself.
Ooh, what kind of full-length features?
Last week, Deadline reported a new Captain America movie is in the works, with The Falcon and The Winter Soldier showrunner Malcolm Spellman at the helm. While Marvel is staying tight-lipped about the film’s director and cast, Spellman’s involvement could easily mean the movie will feature Anthony Mackie reprising his role as the new Captain America and will follow his next steps in the star-spangled boots. Captain America 4 could even feature former Cap, Chris Evans himself, who earlier this year was rumored to be reprising his role in the MCU at some point, though, if true, would presumably in some small, supplemental way. However, at least one character in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier is sure to get more screen time: Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Valentina Allegra de Fontaine, who (in the comics) is an antagonistic double-agent working for the Russian spy ring Leviathan and the (wait for it) former lover of one Nick Fury. Fontaine might make her next appearance in Black Widow, which hits theaters July 9.
Apart from Sam and Val, what’s next for everyone else?
It’s highly unlikely we’ve seen the last of Bucky Barnes (Sebastian Stan), Joaquin Torres (Danny Ramirez), Baron Zemo (Daniel Brühl), John Walker (Wyatt Russell), Sharon Carter (Emily VanCamp), and Eli Bradley (Elijah Richardson). Bucky, for example, could have roles in the upcoming Avengers or Captain America movies. In addition, he also has close ties with Wakanda and could make an appearance in the Black Panther sequel and/or Disney+’s upcoming Wakanda series. Also on the side of good is Joaquin, who inherited Sam’s old wings in The Falcon and The Winter Soldier and appears to be on track to become the next Falcon and serve alongside his newly promoted friend.
Baron Zemo is an interesting one, being a character we already have quite a bit of rocky history with. However, The Falcon and The Winter Soldier showrunners seemed intent on making his character both more charming and redeemable in the series, leaving us speculating he might be around more. He was last seen headed to The Raft, a prison where, in the comics, Zemo created the villainous super-group called The Thunderbolts. John Walker and Sharon Carter are also a couple of characters seemingly up to no good, with Walker joining Fontaine to potentially use his super-solider talents outside the law and Sharon possibly setting herself up in a pretty cushiony role as double-agent.
Out of all of these characters however, Eli Bradley might just be one fans should be most excited about. In the comics, Eli joins the Young Avengers as Patriot, a hero modeled after Captain America. As we see the next generation of Avengers start to emerge — Cassie Lang as Stinger, Kamala Khan as Ms. Marvel, Riri Williams as Ironheart, Kate Bishop as Hawkeye, and America Chavez as Ms. America — we see the future of the MCU, and it’s looking to be quite a cast of diverse and enthusiastic newcomers.
And speaking of additions everyone is pretty stoked about, we haven’t forgotten that Disney purchased Fox a couple of years back and therefore has rights to the X-Men. While WandaVision has a much closer relationship with the X-Men, that didn’t stop The Falcon and The Winter Soldier from containing one big ol’ homage to the X-Men in the shape of Madripoor, a fictional Southeast Asian city commonly associated with Wolverine and his son, Daken. In addition, a scene from the upcoming Marvel movieShang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings takes place in the seaside city, and all this overlap cannot be a coincidence. Fingers crossed we finally get a chance to see Daken in action in Shang-Chi.
Until then, Marvel fans have something to look forward to with Loki, which hits Disney+ on June 11.
Movie fans of a certain age may remember that eliminating late fees was one of Blockbuster’s final, fatal mistakes early in the new millennium. But one Oklahoma woman rented Sabrina The Teenage Witch from the wrong store and ended up charged with a federal crime as a result.
The New York Times shared a wild story on Monday of a Norman, Oklahoma, woman who ended up with a bit of a legal mess afrer failing to return a VHS based on an Archie Comics character. Caron Scarborough Davis had a 21-year-old warrant out for her arrest filed by a now-shuttered movie rental store.
Prosecutors said that Ms. Davis had failed to return a copy of “Sabrina the Teenage Witch,” a television sitcom that aired from 1996 to 2003. She rented the tape from a video store in Norman, Okla., in 1999, according to court documents.
She was charged with embezzlement of rented property, and a warrant was issued for her arrest in March 2000. The store where she rented the tape, Movie Place, closed in 2008, according to KOKH Fox 25 in Oklahoma.
As the Times piece notes, it’s actually unclear if the VHS is of the 1996 movie, the show that ran seven seasons that used that film as its unofficial pilot, or any of the made-for-tv movies that starred the same cast. Presumably, it’s one of the movies given that sales of full seasons on VHS were more rare than movies for a variety of reasons, not to mention the fact that the retail value of the missing VHS was $58.59, much more in line with a single film at the time.
Davis apparently learned about the warrant when she got married and tried to change her name at the state’s DMV.
“I thought I was going to have a heart attack,” she said.
Ms. Davis said motor vehicle officials referred her to the district attorney’s office for Cleveland County, Okla., where a woman explained the charge against her.
“She told me it was over the VHS tape and I had to make her repeat it because I thought, ‘This is insane,’” Ms. Davis said. “This girl is kidding me, right? She wasn’t kidding.”
Thankfully for Davis, the charge was dropped by local authorities due to the “best interest of justice,” which is another phrase for the store that requested the warrant is no longer in business.
The whole piece is really interesting and also includes an interview with the manager of the last remaining Blockbuster, which was chronicled in a very good documentary on, ironically, Netflix, last year. And it serves as a good reminder that just because the membership card in your old wallet may no longer work, you should probably check to see if that copy of Encino Man you “forgot” to return may cost you a lot more in legal fees than you should have just paid in late fees.
Running Wild With Bear Grylls (Nat Geo, 9:00pm) — Funnyman Keenan-Michael Key joins Bear to do the daredevil-in-nature thing, and there’s an unorthodox method of transportation involved as they go on an adventure in Ireland’s lava fields. The landscape is positively lunar in places, and there’s a 200-food cliff involved too. This sounds like a not-so-funny and life-altering experience, yet hopefully in an ultimately positive way.
National Geographic Presents: IMPACT with Gal Gadot (National Geographic on YouTube) — This short-form documentary series will run for six episodes to tell powerful stories of women who are leading violence-and-poverty-stricken communities. From Brazil to Puerto Rico, Michigan, California, Louisiana, and Tennessee, this series will show these women standing up while remaining unafraid to dream and lead. Each episode will release weekly before debuting as a full-length documentary special on the Nat Geo channel.
9-1-1 (Fox, 8:00pm) — Calls involving parents and children are the name of the game tonight, including a birthday party run amuck.
9-1-1: Lone Star (Fox, 9:00pm) — Disaster (and a bloody one at that) strikes at an ice cream shop, and a boy gets lost at his own birthday party while Owen’s seeing an “intervention.”
Pray, Obey, Kill (HBO, 9:00 & 10:00pm) — Tonight will see a double-dose installment of a five-part documentary series from investigative journalists Anton Berg and Martin Johnson in a project directed by The Bridge‘s Henrik Georgsson. Follow along while Berg and Johnson retrace what happened on a frigid night when a small Swedish village saw a woman murdered and a neighbor shot before a nanny confessed to the acts of violence while citing a strange motivation.
Debris (NBC, 10:00pm) — Debris off the coast ends up affecting a diver to the point where he inadvertently erases his sister’s existence, as Bryan and Finola are plotting their next move.
Breeders (FX, 10:00pm) — Martin Freeman’s starring turn in this comedy enters the sophomore season with new parenting challenges. This week, Ally and Paul are having major problems, and Paul refuses to discuss what happens while Luke won’t go to school.
The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Magic Johnson, Kate Upton, Moneybagg Yo
Late Night With Seth Meyers — Anna Kendrick, Phil Donahue, Marlo Thomas
In case you missed these picks from the weekend:
Mortal Kombat (Warner Bros. film on HBO Max) — We’ve got another blockbuster-type movie in our living rooms this weekend, and this incarnation promises to be R-rated to the max with plenty of carnage in tune with the video game. Among other qualifications to that point, James Wan produced, so that makes sense! In all seriousness, this is a more serious treatment than the 1990s film, and we’ll get to see Sub-Zero hunting down MMA fighter Cole Young, and someone will end up being the loser of the “finish him” concept. HBO Max released the first seven minutes of the film ahead of time, if you’d like to get a taste of the bloodshed coming to your TV screen.
The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (Disney+ series) — It’s finale time. Sam Wilson and Bucky Barnes are still doing their buddy action-comedy thing, but things accelerated quickly (to put it mildly) when John Walker turned Captain America into a villain and got booted from the gig. This led to an honest-to-God surprise cameo, but there’s still plenty of loose ends to clean up. Who’s the Power Broker? Can the show decide if the Flag Smashers are baddies, or nah? Let’s all root for an action-packed finale with clarification on the Sharon Carter/Batroc issue and then send Bucky to Aruba, alright?
Kyle Shanahan and the San Francisco 49ers are, without a doubt, the team everyone is most interested in as the 2021 NFL Draft approaches. With the Jaguars set to take Trevor Lawrence first overall and the widespread assumption that Zach Wilson is going to the Jets, the Niners now control the draft with what they do with the No. 3 pick after trading up.
We know they are going to take a quarterback, but there has been significant debate about which of the three remaining top QBs will head to the Bay Area. Reports have indicated that Shanahan’s favorite QB is Alabama’s Mac Jones, but they’ve also gone to see Ohio State’s Justin Fields and North Dakota State’s Trey Lance. Whatever the case, it seems all but assured that a new starter is headed to San Francisco, which would push Jimmy Garoppolo out the door.
On Monday, Shanahan and GM John Lynch confirmed that they are looking for a new starting quarterback during a pre-Draft press conference.
Kyle Shanahan: “We could have sat there at 12, and waited which one came to us, if one did. … But we made a decision that we felt we needed to get a starting QB. We wanted to dicatate it. We’ll get the one that we feel is best for us.”
Naturally, that led to a question about Jimmy G’s future and whether he’d be traded over the course of this weekend’s Draft, and Shanahan decided to take the route of nihilism with his answer.
Will Jimmy Garoppolo be on the 49ers roster on Sunday?
Kyle Shanahan: “I can’t guarantee that anybody in the world will be alive Sunday so I can’t guarantee who will be on our roster on Sunday” pic.twitter.com/IlIM59GSpe
Well, that is certainly one way to avoid answering a question about trade rumors. Hopefully Jimmy G survives the weekend, whether that’s in San Francisco or being dealt elsewhere, and by Thursday night we will finally learn who Shanahan and Lynch settled on with the third pick. Go Niners, eat at Arby’s.
Earlier this month, a Facebook post by Tyfanee Fortuna went viral for her hilarious description of Prancer, a Chihuahua she was fostering. Fortuna was frustrated because she had tried to make the dog seem presentable to potential adopters for months, but nothing was working.
So, she went for broke by taking the brutally honest route, and people loved her candor.
“Ok, I’ve tried. I’ve tried for the last several months to post this dog for adoption and make him sound…palatable. The problem is, he’s just not,” Fortuna wrote. “There’s not a very big market for neurotic, man hating, animal hating, children hating dogs that look like gremlins. But I have to believe there’s someone out there for Prancer, because I am tired and so is my family.”
One of the big reasons it was tough finding a home for the dog is because he hates men.
“Prancer only likes women. Nothing else. He hates men more than women do, which says a lot,” she wrote. “If you have a husband don’t bother applying, unless you hate him.”
The dog is also terribly nervous and really, really angry.
“Every day we live in the grips of the demonic Chihuahua hellscape he has created in our home,” she continued. “If you own a Chihuahua you probably know what I’m talking about. He’s literally the Chihuahua meme that describes them as being 50% hate and 50% tremble. If you’re intrigued and horrified at how this animal sounds already, just wait….there’s more.”
Fortuna went on to describe the dog in terms familiar to horror fans, calling him a “chucky doll in a dogs body” and a “vessel for a traumatized Victorian child.”
The post went viral on Facebook earning over 70,000 shares. Although it was a great read for a lot of people, it still seemed hard to imagine anyone brave enough to adopt such an unpleasant beast.
However, when Ariel Davis, 36, from New Haven, Connecticut read the post, it inspired her to reach out to the Second Chance Pet Adoption League, located in Morris Plains, New Jersey, the shelter managing Prancer’s adoption.
Davis thought that Prancer reminded her of an old dog she once had.
“I had a dog that I adopted probably about seven years ago and I raised him from a puppy and he was a Chihuahua/Jack Russel Terrier mix,” she told Today. “He had a lot of the same qualities as Prancer, he was a little neurotic and he barked a lot and he didn’t work well with other people and other animals. I spent a lot of time working with him and understanding his personality and learning about myself through him.”
Unfortunately, Davis had to give up both of her dogs to loving families when she went to rehab a few years back for marijuana addiction.
But after being clean for three years, she thought she was able to care for a dog again. “I read the article, I connected to it, and I was like you know what, why not? I’ll just send them an email. What’s the worst that could happen?” she said.
Davis thought she had the perfect home for the dog because as a lesbian with a female roommate, so there’s not a lot of men coming around the house. “It just felt like a perfect match… and the rest is history,” she said.
Davis and Prancer have been living together for a week and things are going pretty well.
“He is a small, neurotic dog and it’s been hard coming from a chaotic home,” she said. But he does great on walks and has made a wonderful impact on Davis’ life. “We’re one week into the adoption and he’s really changed my life, too.”
Davis and Prancer look like they have a wonderful future together.
“He’s helped me get out of the house actually and we go on walks and I want to take him to the beach,” she said. “He’s helping me get out of my shell and one of my goals is to help him become more adjusted to seeing other people.”
In a time when local businesses across the country are reeling from the pandemic and everyone could use an extra dose of joy, businesses in Christiansburg, Virginia are delighting the masses and getting some free marketing with a friendly sign war that has gone wildly viral.
It all started two weeks ago when Bridge Kaldro Music posted this message to Super Shoes, a neighboring business across the street: “Hey Super Shoes! Wanna start a sign war?”
After a few days, the shoe store took up the challenge: “Hey Bridge Kaldro! Our shoe strings are stronger than your guitar string.”
It was on.
“Your shoestring never got anyone a date,” wrote Bridge Kaldro.
“Keep your play dates,” retorted Super Shoes. “We specialize in solemates.”
Solemates. Clever.
Soon other businesses joined in, and the result is a friendly, socially-distanced flame game that’s leaving people in stitches.
Radio station COOL 106.3FM shared a collection of the signs on Facebook in a post that’s been shared nearly 400,000 times.
Kabuki Japanese Steakhouse hopped into the who’s-better-for-a-date fray: “Shoes and strings help get the date, but we seal the deal.”
To which Bridge Kaldro flung back: “What a ‘croc.’ IDK what stinks worse, your shoes or Kabuki’s sign.”
And that’s when the puns began.
“You got to b-sharp to make good shoe-shi and we won’t string you along,” wrote Kabuki.
Then they got sassy.
“Y’all got Crocs, but we got Godzilla. We shreddin’ this war like Kaldro shreds guitars.”
And Super Shoes pushed back with a practical point.
“Mosh pits and raw fish: Both more dangerous than shoe shopping.”
Then Bridge Kaldro called down the thunder on other businesses across the street.
“Anyone else? Come at me bro. Lookin’ at you 2 across the road.”
Soon a whole slew of businesses chimed in, including a pharmacy, church, gas station, and even a local library.
The Hampton Inn almost seemed to have the last word…
But it wasn’t over.
More and more signs have popped up all over town. Someone even created a Christianburg, VA Sign War Facebook group so people could see how the battle is progressing. As of this morning, it has more than 21,000 members—and the signs just keep on coming.
Jill Lawson
Kayla Cumbee Walton
Steve Costa
Even the sign shops in town got in on it.
Signarama/Kevin Altizer
The sign war is a positive for so many reasons, from the simple delight it’s bringing to the people observing it to the dollars it’s bringing to the businesses participating.
Ed Bridge, the owner of Bridge Kaldro, told WSLS 10 News that he had never heard of a sign war until the idea was suggested by an employee.
“I’m just so humbled because this is bigger than my little music store,” Bridge said. “If we can put this whole area a little bit more on the map for people coming to visit, why not?”
Kabuki Japanese Steakhouse owner Yoshi Koeda said business has been booming since he joined in the sign war.
“It’s amazing free advertisement for all of us,” he said. “That’s probably the best part of everything.”
Who knew that one employee’s idea to challenge another business to a sign war would escalate into something so epic? Just goes to show you how a little fun can go a long way.
Thank you, Christiansburg, for giving the whole world something to enjoy together. We definitely needed it.
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This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
