Dieline's Friday Wrap-Up: Flat Canada Dry, Magic, Molly Baz's Wine, and Chick-fil-A Guilt

Not going to lie, y’all. It was a tough week as my Phillies lost the World Series.

But from the ashes of an improbable, white-knuckled championship run, a new Philadelphia hero emerged, a savior that can potentially bring us all together as a nation so that we can not only heal but dare to dream. Jesus went to the desert for 40 days after his baptism and was tempted by the devil; similarly, a steakhouse waiter—and folk hero—endured tremendous pain for all of us to bear witness and reflect on the trials and tribulations we must endure daily. 

I speak, of course, about Alexander Tominsky, aka the Rotisserie Chicken Guy, a great and noble hero who ate a rotisserie chicken every day for 40 days. On the final day, cheered on by hundreds of Philadelphians still reeling from a Houston death blow but longing to feel something—anything—again, Tominsky consumed his last chicken on an abandoned pier next to a Walmart. 

In the end, no matter the cost, we must all persevere and build the world we want to see.

Here are your links, friends.

Why, Yes, I WILL Drink This Wine

Get a load of this totally sweet Fisk wine label for Molly Baz’s newly launched wine brand. I predict buying a few bottles of this for my wife while smashing these pickle-stuffed potatoes.

Mythic Uncommon

A few talented kids at Seatle Children’s Autism Center had a fairly excellent MISE (sorry, I’m googling Magic the Gathering lingo) when they got to design their very own Magic: The Gathering cards. The Wizards of the Coast-owned brand even had their artists put their own spin on the kids’ artwork and released them as limited-edition cards.

1 Turntable, No Microphone

While I can’t afford a record player beyond my budget Audio Technica, I can at least gawk at the beautiful turntables you'll find in Phaidon’s latest oversized coffee table coaster, Revolution, The History of Turntable Design.

Written by Gideon Schwartz, the 300-page tome comes stuffed to the gills with turntable porn and explores the cultural impact of a musical format that’s still going strong (and wickedly overpriced).

About That Paper Bottle Though...

Brewdog has finally released their vodka made with substandard reject batches of beer. However, it appears as if the embattled Scottish brand has chosen to opt for a glass bottle instead of the paper one (with a plastic lining) they said they would use last February.

Guess they read Rudy’s article, no?

Oh, Canada

I've always loved Canada Dry's geographic shield with a crown, but the last logo looked more like a foaming dishwasher pod. I wrote about Wedge’s Canada Dry redesign this past week and how it mashed together all of the iterations of the logo in its 120-plus years and still made it feel relatively fresh.q

In Other Non-Rotisserie Chicken-Related News

Writer and sociologist Dr. B. Brian Foster wrote in Delish about his guilt and general conflicted feelings about being a Chick-fil-A customer. It offers a pretty good overview of the self-inflicted and much-deserved controversy the chicken chain has garnered over the years in light of its anti-LGBTQ donations. Here’s a good section from that piece:

What I am less unsure about is this: Capitalism is conflict. Sure, that’s 200-plus years of sociology and economics in three words, but if you’re someone who sees Chick-fil-A as hateful but likes their food, it’s as satisfying an answer as there is. Capitalism is conflict between individuals and groups over wealth, influence, and resources. The more we learn about the flawed people and companies whose hands shape every facet of American life, the more conflicted our consumer decisions become.

I will not tell you what to Believe or where to buy your chicken sandwiches. I will tell you that in a place and time where information (and misinformation) is as accessible as it has ever been, not knowing is not an excuse—and not caring is not responsible. Even if that answer leaves you feeling…unsatisfied.