Bright Side: The One Band That Ditches Politics

Welcome to the Bright Side, a weekly roundup of all the good news and ideas you might have missed from the past week.

This week, we’re all “fat bears” for that Halloween candy stash, wine that makes you feel like you’re floating, how eating together makes life worth living longer, and why the biggest rock band in history is so serious about having fun.

Creature feature

I have friends from when I worked as an artist in stop motion animation who I know have been designing their Halloween costumes since last Halloween. Unlike the viral “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” look golf influencer Paige Spiranac just debuted, their creations are lovingly handcrafted from head to creepy little toe. I love a brilliantly spooky ensemble, but I have more of the bandwidth for last-minute store-bought snacks. Give me an eyeball hot cocoa bomb and a “Purr-fect” box of chocolates with a Reese’s Peanut Butter Pumpkin on the side.

Well, I’ve met my spirit animal. We already wrapped up Fat Bear Week, but … once a fat bear, always a fat bear. One very unbothered Alaskan black bear satisfied its sweet tooth by walking straight through the automatic doors of an Anchorage hospital to dig into its stash of donated Halloween candy. New fear unlocked for any future hospital visits, but, hey, I’m not in the business of gatekeeping free snacks. I’m Kramer in “Seinfeld” with a mouthful of complimentary tortilla chips: “Are these free?”

Eating together 

Ina Garten is my personal patron saint of dinner parties, using “good vanilla” and casually tossing around the phrase “how easy is that?” as I burn the cookies. But on a recent episode of her new pod “Happy Hour,” she hosted actor Nathan Lane, who recalled an invitation to dine with legends of filmmaking Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks. Carl and Mel were famous for a 70-year friendship that at one point involved sharing a meal together in front of the TV (complete with little folding trays) at Carl’s Beverly Hills home every night.

When Carl died in 2020, Mel returned to his best friend’s home to eat dinner in front of the TV every night for a year. (I’m not crying; you’re crying.) Their daily routine was featured on an episode of “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” when Jerry Seinfeld interviewed Carl and brought takeout back for Carl and Mel from Nate ‘n Al’s (I’m undecided on the hot tongue sandwich Carl requested, but I’d take the chicken-in-a-pot that went to Mel). 

I was so touched by the simple gesture of two friends sharing a meal. Mel is now 100 years old (Carl lived to be 98), but maybe those TV dinners had something to do with their longevity. Research shows that while eating in isolation can lead to sadness and depression, those who eat most meals with someone else (anyone you enjoy!) often live longer. I’ve heard Arthur Brooks say that eating with others strengthens emotional bonds and creates memories. According to him, “The point of food isn’t food. The point of food is life and love.” 

Poppin’ bottles 

With another high-profile heist hitting the headlines this week — this one involved 30,000 bottles of Italian wine worth a cool 5 million euros — I’m once again a little envious of people with the talent for stealing things with a ton of flair. I apparently wasted my time playing soccer when I should have been developing James Bond’s life skills so I’d be on my mastermind friend’s speed dial to jump in on the greatest booze heist in Italian history. Can someone at least tell me where all this absconded vintage is allegedly being stored? I’ll bring the charcuterie.  

In more wine news, one blend hopes to make your next trip through TSA totally worth the wait. Winemaker Jesse Katz collaborated with United to pop bottles that bring the most flavor at 35,000 feet — where our taste buds typically get a little meh. His solution? Actually blend the wine mid-flight to nail the perfect ratio of cab sauv, malbec, merlot, petit verdot, and cab franc for the latest offering from Aperture Cellars. I’m pretending I’d ever be able to taste the difference between that and my ground-dwelling Bota Box pinot, but it’s about time air travel got an actual upgrade. Please pass those free peanuts with your pinky out.

Footloose and ideology-free

We all have our go-tos when everything in life feels like another lecture. Sports may be the last apolitical(ish) frontier. But locally, I also love my gym community where the laughter flows as we sweat for our lives, as well as a good movie (I just watched Guy Ritchie’s “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” on Netflix. Five out of five stars — definitely recommend). Another great escape? Music. And leave it to a few heavy metal bros to keep it that way. 

UNITED STATES: METALLICA SAYS THAT WE ARE HERE COME TO FORGET, NOT TO REMEMBER POLITICS

Sunday, 11th October 2026 https://t.co/QB0Dgdv2O2

— Agraprana Pahlawan (@skynewsagra) October 13, 2026

Currently doing a residency at the Las Vegas Sphere, Metallica frontman James Hetfield took a moment to thank the crowd for investing their time and money to be there and adding a very on-brand message (warning: rock ‘n’ roll language ahead): 

“I just gotta say, Metallica’s not here like some other entertainers to influence you with their bullsh*t, OK? We’re here to forget about all the outside sh*t. Metallica’s agenda is love, energy, and heavy music, baby!” 

Metallica’s not like other bands; it’s a cool band. Kinda makes me want to crank “Enter Sandman” at Costco tomorrow. (I mean, the first line is “Say your prayers,” so it’s family-style metal, right?) What do you do to stay sane amid the chaos? Share it with us in the comments because we could all use a little inner peace. 

Thank you dear readers who defended my use of the “Duck Tape” brand duct tape last week LOL. I’m just here to spark lively conversation (you can email me, too). I also loved the lesson in etymology from the reader who posted: “That map of strange city names lists ‘Nimrod, MN.’ But Nimrod was originally a great hunter/tracker in the book of Genesis. It was Bugs Bunny calling Elmer Fudd that, sarcastically, that made people think of it as an insult or the name of a buffoon.” Language is such an awesome tool to tell a story, wherever that tale may lead. OK, I’m off to bear-proof my candy stash (no one’s skimming my Twix). Enjoy your weekend! — Lauren