Weekend Wrap 8/23/2025

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.

Another week has wrapped up. There were a handful of things this past week that really worked for me. And a few that didn't.

Music

For three albums, the mastermind behind Blackbraid has been blending the harshness of black metal with the power and beauty of nature that surrounds us. I was impressed by Blackbraid, loved Blackbraid II, but have been blown away by Blackbraid III.

This will be very high on my top list of albums of the year, and I've enjoyed it immensely over the last few weeks since its initial release. It affirms my assertion that some of the most interesting new music is found in what creative people are doing with black metal.

Games

Aside from the original, arcade classic, I have never played a DK game. I've never even really been interested in one. But the Switch 2 is just sitting there, begging for something new to play, and the buzz around Donkey Kong Bananza was super strong. So I jumped.

Having wrapped it up this past week, I can say it is one of the most fun video games I have played in years. It didn't matter how many times I found a banana; it always made me smile. Challenging, but not punishingly so, I love Bananza, and recommend it without reservation.

Quote of the week

This quote started this entire experiment.

After reading this interview, I knew I needed to check out Tiny Experiments. This embodies the entire reason behind my desire to start this site and find new ways to experiment. It resonates with me, and I've been thinking about it nearly non-stop.

What didn't work

Work.

Work really didn't work this week.

We are facing some challenges. Some are external, but too many are internal. I found myself struggling to maintain my calm and be a force for positivity in light of the internal roadblocks we are facing.

I've done this long enough to know: internal struggles don't vanish. They evolve, and I need to evolve how I handle them as well. But at least I know what to work on.

Wrapping up

Those are the standouts from this past week. Some things worked, others didn't. That's the whole point. I'll be back next week with more notes from this messy, imperfect practice.