I've noticed it as well. I think when we were on 19.3, it was running pretty well, but after upgrading to 19.4 and 19.5 it's been fairly slow, and has gone out for a few minutes at a time (I'm on Voyager, for reference).
I haven't been on other instances enough to say if its a widespread thing, though.
I Want It That Way by Backstreet Boys
I liked it having 3 stripes as well, though this one isn't bad. But the thing about this version that won over the rest of the commission was that, when you hang this one vertically, it looks like a perspective drawing of a river flowing off into the distance, with the North Star in the sky above it. So this design is symbolic both vertically and horizontally.
I'd have to say Nier Automata, as well as the recent remaster of the game that came before it, Nier Replicant (ver 1.22...). Both are soul-crushing, which is helped by their amazing soundtracks. I definitely recommend them if you're looking for something to make you cry.
There's actually a term for that phenomenon: the Preparedness Paradox.