The Bedford by Martha Stewart. Image courtesy of Palm and Ocean/Caesars Entertainment…
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Martha Stewart’s first-ever restaurant is preparing to open on the Las Vegas Strip.
“Designed by Stewart, the 194-seat restaurant takes direct inspiration from her 1925 country farmhouse in Bedford, New York—the same farmhouse in which she opted to serve the home detention portion of her sentence in 2005. The design includes an accurate replica of her dining room and decor in a neutral, subtle color palette, while the restaurant’s kitchen features white marble counters and hanging copper pans. The restaurant also features a patio dining area, located beneath the fake sky of the outdoor-themed area of the casino. According to a release, the Bedford will prioritize local sourcing for the menu, which includes a classic nicoise salad with olive oil-packed tuna and vermouth-dressed potatoes and a starter of oysters Rockefeller with spinach and watercress.” [H/T Eater]
Google calls on Apple to fix the widely scorned green text bubbles on iMessage.
“For many iPhone users, there is a common annoyance when it comes to texting: A friend switches to Android and the message bubbles in the group chat turn green. When people text between iPhones and Android phones, things start to break: Pictures and videos get pixelated, messages sometimes don’t get sent, or they come late or out of order. Typing indicators become disabled, and reactions, like a thumbs up or heart, are written out in text instead of displayed as badges on the bubbles. People have been complaining about it for years. Google on Tuesday launched a marketing campaign slamming Apple over the issue. The search giant published a website called Get the Message, urging people to call out Apple on social media for ‘broken group chats.’” [H/T Forbes]
“When the Wind Blows” illustrated by Raymond Briggs. Image courtesy of the University of Brighton…
Raymond Briggs, the influential British illustrator of children’s books, dies at 88.
“Raymond Briggs, the British illustrator best known for creating the popular children’s picture book The Snowman, passed away at the age of 88. News of the artist’s death was announced by his publisher Penguin Random House on Twitter and confirmed by the University of Brighton, where Briggs taught for much of his life. The award-winning artist is best known for The Snowman, a wordless picture book released in 1978 that follows the story of a boy who makes a snowman that comes to life. Throughout his six-decade career, Briggs also created a number of satirical books for adults. Among his most well-known works is the graphic novel When The Wind Blows, which was also turned into an animation.” [H/T Dezeen]
Chicago plans to shift all city-owned facilities and operations to renewable energy.
“Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced this week that her administration’s plan to purchase clean, renewable energy for all city-owned facilities and operations by 2025 will move ahead following the finalization of a $422 million contract with Baltimore-headquartered Constellation Energy in collaboration with Swift Current Energy, headquartered in Boston. Per the Mayor’s Office, Chicago is one of the largest cities in the U.S. to make such a commitment, one slated to reduce the city’s carbon footprint by more than 290,000 metric tons—roughly equivalent to the emissions generated by 62,000 cars—per year.” [H/T The Architect’s Newspaper]
Two new programs are helping provide remote jobs for displaced Ukrainian designers.
“Since the beginning of the war on Ukraine, 7.1 million people have been displaced within the country, with 139 sites affected by the hostilities, including 62 religious sites, 12 museums, 26 historic buildings, 17 buildings dedicated to cultural activities, 15 museums, and seven libraries. Two new programs, Support by Design and Hireukrainiandesigners.org have joined forces to help provide remote jobs for designers in the war-torn country.” [H/T ArchDaily]
The recovered Tarsila do Amaral painting. Image courtesy of Rio de Janeiro Civil Service/AP…
Brazilian police seize a stolen $59 million Tarsila do Amaral painting from under a bed.
“Police in Brazil found a major work by Tarsila do Amaral, one of the country’s most important modern artists, beneath a bed on Wednesday during an investigation into a group of stolen artworks. The do Amaral painting is said to be worth 300 million reias, or $59.1 million. It is one of 16 paintings that police said were pilfered during an operation that ultimately involved 709 million reias ($139 million) worth of art, not counting the jewelry and cash that were also stolen.” [H/T ARTnews]
Heavy rain and flooding has damaged 19 culturally significant sites across Seoul.
“A total of 19 cases of damage to nationally recognized cultural heritage sites and items have been damaged by the heavy rain in the Greater Seoul area this week, the Cultural Heritage Administration reported Wednesday. Major mountain fortresses partially collapsed, while trees dating back hundreds of years were overturned with their branches broken. Burial mounds and stone works have been washed away. Walking trails at cultural heritage locations flooded within hours, which were shut down immediately to restrict public access for safety reasons.” [H/T The Korea Herald]
Today’s attractive distractions:
Madonna toasts her new greatest hits album with DiscoOasis, a pop-up rink.
Even in adulthood, there’s much fun to be had at Middle Ages dinner theater.
Pokémon Go’s cutting-edge 3D billboard celebrates World Cat Day in Tokyo.
Liberty Inn, the Meatpacking District’s last hourly stay hotel, goes up for sale.
