Hello Friends,

Happy late summer. This edition includes a few fun things, a few serious things, and one call to action.

How do The Simpsons translate into other languages?

The U.S. has long been an exporter of culture by way of TV and movies. Since the streaming era, that has only increased. The Simpsons, which has been around forever, is translated into I don’t even know how many languages. I really appreciate when the dubbing folks take the time to get the translations and the voice right. Tone of voice is really important in conveying a scene — Marge has to sound kind of cranky, and Homer has to be an idiot.

Four stars for Vancouver, B.C.

I recently took a short trip to Vancouver. It has a more modern, civilized feel than Portland, and it’s chock-a-block with tourists. Also, for the first time, I found myself grumbling at the number of cyclists. Yes, Ben, the cycling advocate! The preponderance of tourists, along with e-bikes that can fly by with no pedaling effort, and the shortage of, well, instruction (everyone has to take a driver’s test, but no one has to take a cycling test) can create a chaotic feel.

Still, I biked nearly everywhere and loved it! The infrastructure is quite good, including some bikeways where cars are not prohibited, but highly discouraged.

I also discovered the city is loaded with parks. Parks! Parks! Parks! Everywhere! Pass a park, ride two blocks, park! And people are using them too, not just in the city center. I stayed in the Strathcona neighborhood, and the nearby park was active with kids in the splash park, gatherings large and small.

Canadians are a bit more relaxed in their thinking about kids playgrounds and risk. I found:

• Two stations with gymnastics rings(!) and trapeze bar. (I long for this Portland, but it would take a decade and endless meetings just to get it considered.)

• Mini-trampolines.

Note: The above park is on the grounds of an elementary school, no joke.

I have a mini-rant, which I won’t include here, about our playgrounds being homogenized and stripped of all risk and character. I’ve been to playgrounds all around the U.S., and 90% of them have the same old apparatus.

If you want to dive into this topic, here’s a nice take.

Here’s what they used to include:

Dinosaur bodegas, the whimsical art installation

'Snarlboros' and 'The Pangea Post': Inside the MTA-sanctioned dinosaur bodega

New Yorkers are getting creative with defunct subway retail spaces

Presented nearly without comment.

Maybe another good reason to be more intentional about the music you’re listening to.

Why Is TikTok Overflowing With AI Country Music Erotica? | Pitchfork

Rabbit Holed is Kieran Press-Reynolds’ weekly column exploring songs and scenes at the intersection of music and digital culture, separating shitpost genius from shitpassé lameness. This week: AI’s freaky new groove in the realm of country music.

What else can I do to fight the fascist tide?

Thanks for asking — see below.

It’s easy. Really easy. You can write them while watching Reality TV or waiting for your pasta to boil. And they work! — but it’s a numbers game, and we need your numbers.

Captain Obvious does a flyover

Kids were surveyed, guess what they said?!

One Way Parents Can Fight the Phone-Based Childhood - The Atlantic

Children who were raised on screens need more freedom out in the real world.

Types of men in the modern U.S.

I could say a lot about this topic, but I don’t want to clog up the space. Written by a woman dating in the SF Bay area, this an excellent take on the challenges of being a man in present day United States. I especially appreciate:

• The writer’s compassion for men.

• Her rejection of the zero sum game argument coming from a corner of exclusionary feminism.

• Her acknowledgement that biology matters, and how it influences our desires, tendencies, and behavior.

• Her warnings that if we (society) don’t provide positive paths, role models, and healthy outlets for masculinity, we will end up ceding power to the toxic/right wing/incel/nihilist wing, and we’ll all be the worse for it.

Your Review: Dating Men In The Bay Area - Astral Codex Ten

Finalist #8 in the Review Contest

Closing quote

I dislike Cybertrucks because they are shit trucks, poorly made, expensive and unsafe. The design reminds me of a homophobic Pontiac Aztek.
- ‪Lexaprogrammer‬ on Bluesky