This is such a simple construct for a video:<\/strong> Make an extremely difficult obstacle course and challenge a couple of the world\u2019s best bike handlers to try to ride it. But it was still so compelling and fun. (video<\/strong><\/a>)<\/p>\n An unlikely, but possible scenario you might find yourself in this upcoming weekend: You\u2019re at a barbecue or other gathering, chatting with someone you just met, and you\u2019ve covered the basics (your job, family, where you live, et cetera) and there\u2019s a pause in conversation. You need to think of something to say, or it\u2019s going to get awkward quickly. So you say, \u201cDid you know there\u2019s this town in Newfoundland and Labrador that\u2019s had these 110 vats of fish sauce that have been rotting in a defunct factory since 2001, and the smell has grown so bad that some people move out of town for the summer, but they\u2019re finally starting to clean it up?\u201d When the person you\u2019re talking to says, \u201cReally?\u201d you will of course need more information, and thanks to this Defector article, you will be prepared: Let Me And A Food Scientist Sample The Abandoned Fish Sauce Terrorizing A Small Canadian Town<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n This new double-feature episode of the Dirtbag Diaries<\/strong><\/a> includes my friend Mike Foote, who sent me a version of his story about his dad and herons just before the submission deadline, and I loved it, and assumed Fitz and Becca at the Dirtbag Diaries would love it too. And the second part is Natasha Buffo, who brought an early version of her story about the pondering whether or not to have a child to our 2023 Freeflow Institute writing workshop (when things were quite a bit different for her). I was psyched to see them together and thought it made for a great episode.<\/p>\n This article about men needing better fitness role models captured a feeling I think a lot of us might have about \u201cmanosphere\u201d-influenced wellness advice, and I found myself nodding when the author stopped looking at influencers and went looking for people he respected to see how they approached staying fit and healthy: \u201cIn aiming for a vision of fitness that avoids overemphasis on masculinity, I gravitated away from influencers and biohackers toward strong artists who had prioritized physical strength in their daily routines.\u201d [GIFT LINK<\/strong><\/a>] (thanks, Ben)<\/p>\n I\u2019ve been following Denver artist and muralist Thomas Evans for years now, and I remember when he announced the baggage sculpture he\u2019d installed at Denver International Airport (there\u2019s a photo of it on the homepage of his website here<\/strong><\/a>). I loved this video he shared on social media this week of \u00a0the process of cleaning the sculpture after 18 months<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n I almost put this video at the top of this newsletter, but I thought the bike obstacle course was a bit more interesting: Best moments of the Red Bull Dance Your Style Qualifiers in the U.S.<\/strong><\/a> (The first guy, who is amazing, comes back at the end of the video). (And yes, I know, that\u2019s two Red Bull videos in one newsletter)<\/p>\n![\"thumbnail](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/semi-rad.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/thumbnail-from-Pro-Riders-vs-Impossible-Bike-Obstacle-Course-Race.jpg?w=1500&ssl=1)