Weekend Wrap 4/12/2026
Each weekend, I like to pause, reflect, and look back on the past week. This isn't a deep dive or grand reflection—just a quick review of a handful of things that brought me joy, made me think, or challenged me.
This week's wrap is coming out one day later because I wanted to include a link to the recent Middle of Culture episode, and it didn't make it up until Monday.
Music
My album of the year in 2021 was Archspire's brilliant Bleed The Future. A drummer change (huge shoes to fill in a band as fast and technical as Archspire), a Kickstarter campaign for their next album, and it finally arrived.
Too Fast to Die is calculated insanity. The music is too fast, precise, and technical to be true insanity. But you listen to these songs, and you wonder what is going through these guys' heads.
At the same time, it is important to understand just how smart the band is as songwriters. They know that 40 minutes of this would be too much, so they intelligently squeeze in moments of groove, and even more moments of tranquil melody. Honestly, in any year that didn't include Neurosis's brilliant album An Undying Love for a Burning World, Too Fast to Die would be my album of the year.
Books
I am almost done with Dungeon Crawler Carl #6, Eye of the Bedlam Bride. I continue to enjoy the books. I do find it interesting that things that seemed like they should have carried more weight just didn't. It fits, but also makes the books feel a little thin.
I will simply say this: As much as I am enjoying these books, the fervor over them online is a bit much. They are McDonald's. Hyper-palatable, but (at least so far) ultimately pretty disposable. That doesn't take away from enjoying them. But I just have a hard time getting so attached to books that don't leave me with anything when I am done.
As a counterpoint, I continue to think about The Gone Away World regularly, and it has been 15 years since I last read it. That's a book worth being passionate about. These? Not really. Maybe I'm missing something.
TV
Taskmaster is back!
I've only seen one episode of series 21 (that is all that is out), but it is great to have some TM to watch again. This season, Kumail Nanjiani is on this season, and it is funny to see people awed by his celebrity status. I look forward to watching the rest of this series. It is always a good time.
Movies
It only took ~11 years. But I finally watched Mad Max: Fury Road. It was for The Middle of Culture, but I've been meaning to watch it and finally did.
I won't lie, I had a tough time for the first third. Listen to the podcast episode to hear why: I won't get into it here. But once they hit the sandstorm, the visuals overwhelmed me and I was fully bought in.
It is an incredible action movie. One of the best ever made. And I was so glad it had a sliver of hope at the end. We could sure use a little hope.
Refinement
This week I nailed my workouts. That was great. I needed it. I also have been more productive in my creative endeavors, so the dashboard is getting pulled out now and then.
I still need to do better in the evening with my routine. I have been improving, but not nearly as locked in as I want to be. Small changes, over time. That is what I am focusing on.
Quote of the week
It is so easy to get focused on the end result and forget all the work, lessons, and joy to be found along the way. "Journey before destination."
But let us also remember how we get there. What good is it if we reach the top of the mountain with a trail of shame and regret on the way up? Let us be kind, honorable, and empathetic as we journey through life.
Memento Mori.
Seriously. We will all end up in the ground, or ashes in the wind. No one will care how we died. They will care how we lived. Let us live each day as we want to be remembered. Let our achievements be a testament of how we lived, not that we arrived.
Let us be better. The world deserves better than it is getting, but we can only control ourselves.
Area of improvement
This week is about consistency.
I have an unusual week with some travel for the second half. That always throws me off. I just want to be consistent and keep exercising and taking care of my sleep routine. This week isn't about change.
It is about avoiding change.
Wrapping up
I won't lie.
These last few months have been pretty difficult, personally. But change is happening. And already, I feel some relief from that change. That is a reason to hope.