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  13. <title>Greyhawk&#039;s Meanderings</title>
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  24. <title>Best Music of 2023</title>
  25. <link>https://blog.roling.com/2023/12/31/best-music-of-2023/</link>
  26. <comments>https://blog.roling.com/2023/12/31/best-music-of-2023/#respond</comments>
  27. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Greyhawk68]]></dc:creator>
  28. <pubDate>Sun, 31 Dec 2023 22:06:42 +0000</pubDate>
  29. <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
  30. <category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
  31. <category><![CDATA[2023]]></category>
  32. <category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
  33. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blog.roling.com/?p=4849</guid>
  34.  
  35. <description><![CDATA[<p>This year wasn't nearly as depressing and angry on the music front as last year, and there was some amazing stuff in rotation.   It was definitely a great music year.  Special emphasis on Beartooth for being a positive force, Sleep Token for pushing genres, Pierce the Veil for being the perfect album when I [&#8230;]</p>
  36. The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2023/12/31/best-music-of-2023/">Best Music of 2023</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></description>
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  46.    <h3 class="module-title">Some uplifting music this year even!</h3>    <div  class="tb_text_wrap">
  47.    <p>This year wasn&#8217;t nearly as depressing and angry on the music front as last <img data-tf-not-load="1" fetchpriority="high" loading="auto" decoding="sync" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-4850" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/favealbums23.png?resize=300%2C295&#038;ssl=1" alt="Favorite Albums of 2023" width="300" height="295" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/favealbums23.png?resize=300%2C295&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/favealbums23.png?w=470&amp;ssl=1 470w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" data-recalc-dims="1" />year, and there was some amazing stuff in rotation.   It was definitely a great music year.  Special emphasis on Beartooth for being a positive force, Sleep Token for pushing genres, Pierce the Veil for being the perfect album when I needed it, Hoodie Allen with one of the best breakup albums of all time, and Bad Omens, who technically came out at the tail end of 2022, but I&#8217;ve listened to them nearly nonstop since I found them.  Such a great album.  To hear songs from everyone below (including the honorable mentions) you can check it out on <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/favorite-albums-of-2023/pl.u-5x7yC9xb6V">Apple Music here</a>.</p><ul><li>Sleep Token &#8211; Take Me Back to Eden</li><li>Bad Omens &#8211; The Death of Peace of Mind</li><li>Piece The Veil &#8211; The Jaws of Life</li><li>The Used &#8211; Toxic Positivity</li><li>ILLENIUM &#8211; ILLENIUM</li><li>Waterparks &#8211; INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY</li><li>Hoodie Allen &#8211; Bub</li><li>All Time Low &#8211; Tell Me I’m Alive</li><li>Beartooth &#8211; The Surface</li><li>Story of the Year &#8211; Tear Me to Pieces</li><li>Nine Days &#8211; Slow Motion Life, Pt. 1</li><li>The Menzingers &#8211; Some of it Was True</li><li>Taking Back Sunday &#8211; 152</li><li>Thirty Seconds to Mars &#8211; It’s The End Of The World But It’s A Beautiful Day</li><li>Lil Lotus &#8211; Nosebleeder</li></ul><p>Honorable mentions: NF, Therapy?, Fall Out Boy. Depeche Mode, Skrillex, Paramore, MOD SUN, Extreme, Jason Mraz, grandson, K.Flay, Ren</p>    </div>
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  54. <!--/themify_builder_content-->The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2023/12/31/best-music-of-2023/">Best Music of 2023</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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  59. <title>Hello There Stranger</title>
  60. <link>https://blog.roling.com/2023/12/02/hello-there-stranger/</link>
  61. <comments>https://blog.roling.com/2023/12/02/hello-there-stranger/#respond</comments>
  62. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Greyhawk68]]></dc:creator>
  63. <pubDate>Sat, 02 Dec 2023 03:07:06 +0000</pubDate>
  64. <category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
  65. <category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
  66. <category><![CDATA[News and Politics]]></category>
  67. <category><![CDATA[Personal Life]]></category>
  68. <category><![CDATA[Writing]]></category>
  69. <category><![CDATA[anniversary]]></category>
  70. <category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
  71. <category><![CDATA[covid]]></category>
  72. <category><![CDATA[death]]></category>
  73. <category><![CDATA[health]]></category>
  74. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blog.roling.com/?p=4837</guid>
  75.  
  76. <description><![CDATA[<p>I’ve sat down to write numerous times this past year, and just never felt like finishing anything.  I just wasn’t mentally into documenting the crap I was going through.   I won’t touch on it too much other than I’m happy 2023 is about done. I will mention that nearly two and half years after we [&#8230;]</p>
  77. The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2023/12/02/hello-there-stranger/">Hello There Stranger</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></description>
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  87.    <h3 class="module-title">Or holy crap, how has it been a whole year?</h3>    <div  class="tb_text_wrap">
  88.    <p>I’ve sat down to write numerous times this past year, and just never felt like finishing anything.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I just wasn’t mentally into documenting the crap I was going through. <span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I won’t touch on it too much other than I’m happy 2023 is about done.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></p><p>I will mention that nearly two and half years after we went into lockdowns and I started writing my COVID Diaries, my wife, youngest daughter, and I finally caught COVID.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It hit us around the fourth of July holiday so we were stuck at home, and I was hit pretty hard.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I can only imagine how bad it would have been had I not been immunized.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>But it was inevitable, and now that’s something else checked off the list.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I just got my most recent booster, so hopefully I can avoid a winter strain.</p><p>The world is currently in chaos. We are around two years since Russia invaded Ukraine and there is no end in sight to that conflict. And now, Israel is trying to eradicate Hamas after its terrorist attack over a month ago.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>There are hate crimes rising against Jews and Muslims around the world. <span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It’s like a holiday for racist white people.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It just sucks, because I don’t want innocent people to die on either side. I’m against violence of any kind, especially when attacks have a blatant disregard for innocent life.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>There has been a recent pause in fighting while hostages have been traded.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Hopefully that is a sign there can be some negotiation, even though the cease fires just ended.</p><p>So the world is a powder keg and there is a possible super volcano ready to erupt in Iceland.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Yes, seriously.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>So we have that going for us.</p><p>One thing I wanted to touch on is that I lost one of my childhood best friends this past year to a heart attack.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>He was two years younger than myself, and in much better shape.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>It really hammered home how fragile life is and how quickly things can change.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I hadn’t spoken to him in years, but we were inseparable during the summer months.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Playing baseball, basketball and golf while riding around on our mopeds… It was a shock to my system at a time where I was very low myself.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>In fact, a couple week prior I had gone to the hospital thinking I was having a heart attack, only to find out it was anxiety.</p><p>To recover from my episode to hear my old friend had died was fairly devastating, but it gave me a renewed sense of wanting to be healthier.</p><p>I finally got tests done at the doctor that showed I had been dealing with a stomach bacterial infection for the last couple years that was causing me a lot of issues. <span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I felt sick a good portion of the last two years and this was probably the culprit. <span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>After finally getting the tests, we were able to attack it with antibiotics. In January I’ll get some additional tests to make sure it was fully eradicated. I’m already feeling a ton better, so I’m hopeful.</p><p>I’ve also closed my exercise rings on my Apple Watch every day this year. That is definitely having a positive impact as well.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Even on my sickest days I made sure to at least shuffle along on the treadmill for 30 minutes.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I’m feeling a lot better today than I have in a long time.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>And that’s good, because I want to be around a long time.</p><p>In other news, we passed a milestone in September. <span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>We marked 20 years of this blog. For the last 20 years, I have documented my life, shared technology, bitched about the state of the world, opined about music, gushed over gadgets and fell in love, and then out of of love, with social media.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>This blog was always written for me, to document what was going on in my life and to share it with the world. <span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>At times there were an unfathomable amount of people reading, and nowadays, maybe only a few. I hope I have enlightened, entertained, provoked or helped everyone reading this in some way.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>No matter whether we were close, or we never met, I hope this place has given you something.</p><p>Thanks for sticking around, and I don’t just mean the blog.<span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>I’m really glad you have. <span class="Apple-converted-space">  </span>Keep fucking going.</p>    </div>
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  95. <!--/themify_builder_content-->The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2023/12/02/hello-there-stranger/">Hello There Stranger</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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  98. </item>
  99. <item>
  100. <title>2022 Music Top Albums</title>
  101. <link>https://blog.roling.com/2022/12/31/2022-music-top-albums/</link>
  102. <comments>https://blog.roling.com/2022/12/31/2022-music-top-albums/#respond</comments>
  103. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Greyhawk68]]></dc:creator>
  104. <pubDate>Sat, 31 Dec 2022 21:29:33 +0000</pubDate>
  105. <category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>
  106. <category><![CDATA[Personal Life]]></category>
  107. <category><![CDATA[2022]]></category>
  108. <category><![CDATA[albums]]></category>
  109. <category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
  110. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blog.roling.com/?p=4822</guid>
  111.  
  112. <description><![CDATA[<p>2022 was a rough year, and with it I listened to a lot of angry and rather depressing music. That said, music has always been my emotional outlet, and these helped me “keep fucking going” in 2022</p>
  113. The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2022/12/31/2022-music-top-albums/">2022 Music Top Albums</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></description>
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  123.    <h3 class="module-title">The Year of Angry, Defiant and Depressing Music</h3>    <div  class="tb_text_wrap">
  124.    <p style="font-weight: 400;">2022 was a rough year, and with it I listened to a lot of angry and rather <img data-tf-not-load="1" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-4823" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2022Albums.png?resize=296%2C300&#038;ssl=1" alt="" width="296" height="300" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2022Albums.png?resize=296%2C300&amp;ssl=1 296w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2022Albums.png?w=300&amp;ssl=1 300w" sizes="(max-width: 296px) 100vw, 296px" data-recalc-dims="1" />depressing music.  That said, music has always been my emotional outlet, and these albums helped me “keep fucking going” in 2022.  Metalcore factored in heavily, with insanely good albums from I Prevail, Architects, Silverstein, Sleeping with Sirens and Motionless in White.  I still listened to some great pop punk with Sueco, Papa Roach, Stand Atlantic, Magnolia Park and State Champs.  Mix in some emo and whatever Jeris Johnson is and that rounded out the majority of my listening.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Avril Lavigne had a resurgence with a really fantastic pop punk album and Demi Lovato moved away from pop to arguably one of the best pop punk albums of the year as well.   Polyphia are a prog rock group who have some of the most intricate guitar work I’ve ever heard and they were so vibey for upbeat background music for working and writing.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Dermot Kennedy and Tyrone Wells had great adult alternative albums, Machine Gun Kelly had another punk album and I really liked about half the album.  Then Jack White blew me away with Fear of the Dawn which I can only describe as “sounds like Jack White” as he’s pretty much a genre unto himself.  Hell even 80’s glam metal band Skid Row got a new singer and put out an excellent album of rock (if still a bit dated.)</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Music is my lifeline, and I now have my perfect listening environment in my home theater.  I’ve spent countless hours sitting in the Dolby Atmos sweet spot just letting the music wash over me.  Some of these albums had such good multi-channel mixes too.  I’m experiencing this music on a whole new level.  I’ve finally reached a childhood goal.  That was definitely a positive for the year.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Here&#8217;s to as much good music in 2023, and maybe a little more uplifting.  If you want to check out the best songs from my favorite new releases of the year, you can check it out <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/favorite-albums-of-2022/pl.u-4rLGtBj6Jm">here on Apple Music</a>.</p><ul><li>I Prevail – True Power</li><li>Architects – The Classic Symptoms of a Broken Spirit</li><li>Sueco – It Was Fun While it Lasted</li><li>Sleeping With Sirens – Complete Collapse</li><li>Silverstein – Misery Made Me</li><li>Jack White – Fear of the Dawn</li><li>Papa Roach – Ego Trip</li><li>The Wonder Years – The Hum Goes On Forever</li><li>Jeris Johnson – I wan BLOOD/I want love</li><li>Polyphia – Remember That You Will Die</li><li>Magnolia Park – Heart Eater EP</li><li>State Champs – Kings of the New Age</li><li>Stand Atlantic – f.e.a.r.</li><li>Palaye Royale – Fever Dream</li><li>Motionless in White – Scoring The End of the World</li><li>Avril Lavigne – Love Sux</li></ul><p style="font-weight: 400;">Honorable Mention: Demi Lovato, Dermot Kennedy, Electric Callboy, Tyrone Wells, Machine Gun Kelly</p>    </div>
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  131. <!--/themify_builder_content-->The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2022/12/31/2022-music-top-albums/">2022 Music Top Albums</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></content:encoded>
  132. <wfw:commentRss>https://blog.roling.com/2022/12/31/2022-music-top-albums/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
  133. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  134. </item>
  135. <item>
  136. <title>COVID Diaries Pt. 29</title>
  137. <link>https://blog.roling.com/2022/09/24/covid-diaries-pt-29/</link>
  138. <comments>https://blog.roling.com/2022/09/24/covid-diaries-pt-29/#respond</comments>
  139. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Greyhawk68]]></dc:creator>
  140. <pubDate>Sat, 24 Sep 2022 18:24:48 +0000</pubDate>
  141. <category><![CDATA[Blogging]]></category>
  142. <category><![CDATA[News and Politics]]></category>
  143. <category><![CDATA[Personal Life]]></category>
  144. <category><![CDATA[blogging]]></category>
  145. <category><![CDATA[car shopping]]></category>
  146. <category><![CDATA[covid]]></category>
  147. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blog.roling.com/?p=4800</guid>
  148.  
  149. <description><![CDATA[<p>The End of COVID, car shopping, new booster shots and this blog's anniversary.</p>
  150. The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2022/09/24/covid-diaries-pt-29/">COVID Diaries Pt. 29</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></description>
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  159. <div  class="module module-text tb_1m7m352   " data-lazy="1">
  160.    <h3 class="module-title">The End?</h3>    <div  class="tb_text_wrap">
  161.    <p style="font-weight: 400;">The end of what you may ask?  Well, I guess I will say it is the end of this series at least.  No one in the States is paying ANY attention to COVID at all.  Other than the immunocompromised that is. </p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Shortly after my last post, the CDC posted new guidelines that basically amounted to “Eh, we give up.”  So, people basically did.  You would be hard pressed to see many precautions any longer. Everything has basically eased back into what normal seems like.  Which means people are catching and passing around COVID all the time, but if you aren’t testing, you might not even know.  My mom had it for a second time during this period, and it was nothing more than a mild cold this time around. </p><p style="font-weight: 400;">At least one positive is the release of the Omicron focused booster shots.  They are out now, which should hopefully help combat the most common variants that are still circulating.  COVID isn’t over, but I’m sure it will end up becoming more of a yearly flu situation.  As such, this morning I got my updated booster AND my flu shot.  So hopefully I’m well protected for the fall.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Let’s see, what else happened since June?  The war in the Ukraine is still raging on, Boris Johnson resigned and the Queen died in the UK, R. Kelly was sentenced to prison for the rest of his life, there was another mass shooting in Highland Park, IL, James Caan, Ivana Trump, Anne Heche and Oliva Newton John all died.  Mar-a-Lago got raided due to improper storage and handling of classified documents, a childhood friend committed suicide, the NFL season began and a neighbor destroyed a privacy wall of trees on over 300 feet of my property.   So yeah, it’s been a hectic couple of months, and most of the news kinda sucked.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">On the good side, Biden got some legislation through that should help the economy and the middle class.  He also is forgiving some student load debt, so that’s huge for a lot of people as well.  Things are trending well going into the mid-terms.  We’ll see if it makes any difference.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">I’ve also been trying to buy a car for the last several months, and it has been a nightmare.  I want a hybrid as my last two cars were also hybrids.  I like being less reliant on gas and having the emissions better for the environment as well.  The problem is, due to sky high gas prices, EVERYONE wants hybrids. I haven’t been able to see the model I want in person because they are all sold before they ever hit a dealer’s lot.  I’ve had my name on waiting lists at several places, and even went to buy one, until they showed me the bill with a 20 percent markup of the price due to inventory scarcity.  They also added another $1200 in “protective coating”.    They added $7200 to the cost of the car.  I, not so nicely, told them what they could do with their offer.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">So, that is ongoing.  I’m finally supposed to have a vehicle coming in October.  I won’t believe it until I’m sitting behind the wheel though.  Fingers crossed.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Lastly, this is a special day for the blog, as it is our 19<sup>th</sup> anniversary of posting here.  Pretty wild that I’ve been writing down my thoughts on the interwebz for so long.  I want to at least hit the twenty-year mark before I hang this up though, so you’ll have to hear from me a tad bit longer.  Thanks for being a part of the ride.</p>    </div>
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  168. <!--/themify_builder_content-->The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2022/09/24/covid-diaries-pt-29/">COVID Diaries Pt. 29</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></content:encoded>
  169. <wfw:commentRss>https://blog.roling.com/2022/09/24/covid-diaries-pt-29/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
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  172. <item>
  173. <title>COVID Diaries Pt. 28</title>
  174. <link>https://blog.roling.com/2022/06/25/covid-diaries-pt-28/</link>
  175. <comments>https://blog.roling.com/2022/06/25/covid-diaries-pt-28/#respond</comments>
  176. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Greyhawk68]]></dc:creator>
  177. <pubDate>Sat, 25 Jun 2022 00:22:06 +0000</pubDate>
  178. <category><![CDATA[News and Politics]]></category>
  179. <category><![CDATA[Personal Life]]></category>
  180. <category><![CDATA[abortion]]></category>
  181. <category><![CDATA[gas prices]]></category>
  182. <category><![CDATA[mass shooting]]></category>
  183. <category><![CDATA[roe v wade]]></category>
  184. <category><![CDATA[russia]]></category>
  185. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blog.roling.com/?p=4795</guid>
  186.  
  187. <description><![CDATA[<p>It’s been a couple months again, but I had to post today with the news that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade.  The right to safe abortions will disappear in 13 states within a month and will leave many more shortly thereafter.  Never mind that this has been settled law for nearly five [&#8230;]</p>
  188. The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2022/06/25/covid-diaries-pt-28/">COVID Diaries Pt. 28</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></description>
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  198.    <h3 class="module-title">The End of Roe v. Wade</h3>    <div  class="tb_text_wrap">
  199.    <p style="font-weight: 400;">It’s been a couple months again, but I had to post today with the news that the Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade.  The right to safe abortions will disappear in 13 states within a month and will leave many more shortly thereafter.  Never mind that this has been settled law for nearly five decades.  Never mind that all the recent conservative Justices that were pushed onto the Supreme Court said in interviews that it was settled precedent.  They just changed their minds, or outright lied during their interviews.   And now here we are.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Clarence Thomas also signaled that this could pave the way for removing access to contraception, as well as same-sex marriage.   And his wife Ginni tried to help overturn the election, and that’s just somehow fine.  Things are very bad now, and I fear that they will get worse.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Something else that DID get worse were mass shootings.   Many happened since we last spoke, and the two most prominent ones were a racist hate crime in a black community grocery store in Buffalo, and the school shooting that took the lives of 19 children and several teachers in second to fourth grade classrooms in Texas.   The police waited and didn’t storm the shooter either, preventing possible life saving medical attention to the wounded children.   So MANY good guys with guns were too damn afraid to storm ONE bad guy with an AR-15.  Kind of ruins their whole narrative, doesn’t it? </p><p style="font-weight: 400;">In at least a slight, bare minimum glimmer of hope, today it looks like a very basic gun control bill was passed. It’s something, but it’s been so infuriating to see nothing done about this year after year, tragedy after tragedy, death after death.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">The Russian invasion of Ukraine is still going on, and people here don’t pay much attention, and it’s just so weird that there is that much pain and suffering going on and it’s not really spoken about.  People bitch about gas prices instead.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Yes, gas is near $6 a gallon which is the highest it’s ever been in my lifetime.   But we’re not getting blown up, or our land taken, or our people raped and murdered.  I’ll pay $6 and place the blame where it belongs, greedy oil companies that are making record profits, and Russia for fucking up the international oil supply with their bullshit war.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Oh, I’m still keeping these blog posts titled the COVID Diaries, because COVID *IS* still a thing.   We had a scare with exposure this past week, my nephew and niece contracted it, and it’s at high levels in many parts of the country including our own county.  During these past months, we surpassed ONE MILLION deaths due to COVID as well.  Just a staggering number.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">The good thing is that symptoms still tend to be very mild in those that are vaccinated and vaccines were finally approved for young children under 6.  Now everyone can get vaccinated, and soon there will be new vaccines that give even better protection from the Omicron variants.   So at least there is some good news there, even though no one is talking about it or acts like it exists.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">What else happened?   Well Naomi Judd committed suicide.  Ray Liotta died in his sleep.  The January 6<sup>th</sup>committee has had hearings that have released a ton of insanely damning evidence. Despite the overwhelming amount of evidence against the former regime, there are still people going to the rallies of the troglodyte that tried to overthrow the government.  So THAT is still a thing.  And lastly, the fed hiked interest rates to try to stop rampant inflation.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">So not a lot of feel good in the headlines the last couple of months.   Keep hanging in there, keep fighting for what you believe in, and keep fucking going.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">After today’s horrible Supreme Court ruling, just know that if any of you need to visit my state, and might need a supportive place to stay, just let me know.</p>    </div>
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  206. <!--/themify_builder_content-->The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2022/06/25/covid-diaries-pt-28/">COVID Diaries Pt. 28</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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  210. <item>
  211. <title>COVID Diaries Pt. 27</title>
  212. <link>https://blog.roling.com/2022/04/25/covid-diaries-pt-27/</link>
  213. <comments>https://blog.roling.com/2022/04/25/covid-diaries-pt-27/#respond</comments>
  214. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Greyhawk68]]></dc:creator>
  215. <pubDate>Mon, 25 Apr 2022 23:02:35 +0000</pubDate>
  216. <category><![CDATA[News and Politics]]></category>
  217. <category><![CDATA[Personal Life]]></category>
  218. <category><![CDATA[Chris rock]]></category>
  219. <category><![CDATA[covid]]></category>
  220. <category><![CDATA[elon musk]]></category>
  221. <category><![CDATA[las vegas]]></category>
  222. <category><![CDATA[russia]]></category>
  223. <category><![CDATA[twitter]]></category>
  224. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blog.roling.com/?p=4784</guid>
  225.  
  226. <description><![CDATA[<p>While I really wish for my title to be true, COVID is still causing issues.  China is locking down again which is affecting the supply chain, and cases are going up.  The good news is that hospitalizations are NOT going up, but we are still at the beginning of this blip, so I guess by [&#8230;]</p>
  227. The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2022/04/25/covid-diaries-pt-27/">COVID Diaries Pt. 27</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></description>
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  237.    <h3 class="module-title">Apparently COVID is Over!</h3>    <div  class="tb_text_wrap">
  238.    <p style="font-weight: 400;">While I really wish for my title to be true, COVID is still causing issues.  China is locking down again which is affecting the supply chain, and cases are going up.  The good news is that hospitalizations are NOT going up, but we are still at the beginning of this blip, so I guess by the next time I write we’ll know more.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">That said, in many places of the US, restrictions are gone.  No more mask mandates, no more distancing.  Massive festivals like Coachella went on as planned, and recently a federal judge ruled to end the mask mandate on public transportation like airplanes.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">I can’t say that I’ve kept up all the measures either.  The wife and I recently went on a trip to Las Vegas for five days.  It was a party for one of my good friends who turned 70.  There was 30+ people in attendance.  It was after the major winter surge, and we’re vaccinated and boosted, so we decided that we would accept the risk. It was the first time on a plane since 2019.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Well, it was like the pandemic never existed in Vegas.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">I’m sure it was pent up demand, but Vegas was busy, and you rarely saw a mask.  Crowds were shoulder to shoulder, restaurants were packed, and it was nice to be normal again.  It was nice, but it was so bizarre as well.  I’ve been a damn hermit for two years and rarely went anywhere other than work, so it was a shock to be around that many people again, but it felt good.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Even though it felt good, I just knew that a good percentage of those crowds were going to have COVID after that.  So, it’s mixed feelings.  I know we must start living our lives again, but I feel we’ve tried too early and each time it prolongs it a little more.   I’m just hoping that no strain turns bad, because it’s going to be extremely hard to shut anything down again.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Who knows, maybe this IS the end of COVID as a major threat. I can hope so, and hopefully it will just end up like a seasonal flu.   But I still think it will be a while before I can end this series. </p><p style="font-weight: 400;">I will mention that while in Vegas, I got a stomach bug that kept me with intestinal distress and nausea the entire trip.  I barely ate anything and lost ten pounds.  If you know me, you know how much I love food and especially food in Vegas.  So that was a bummer.  What did I have?  No clue, but it lasted two weeks.  Did I get it from my first meal there?  Did I catch it immediately while not masked up?  I honestly couldn’t tell you, but it wasn’t pleasant.  We were still able to make the most of the trip, but I was pretty miserable for about ten days.  It would be good to forget that, but I figure it needs to be here for posterity.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Since the last time I wrote, a lot has happened, so I’ll lay it all out here. </p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Gilbert Gottfried passed away.  My daughter also lost another friend to suicide.   Death has been busy these past years.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Will Smith slapped Chris Rock at the Oscars and was allowed to stay and then won best actor.  It was disgusting to say the least.  Smith has been barred from attending for 10 years, yet he’s still allowed to be nominated and win.   The whole situation just sucked.  I’m just a bigger Chris Rock fan than I’ve ever been.  He handled it about as well as you could.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Bruce Willis was diagnosed with Aphasia, a brain disorder that messes with cognition and speech, and it’s likely he’s had it for quite some time.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Ketanji Brown Jackson was the first black woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court despite stiff opposition from the right.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Washington Commanders quarterback Dewayne Haskins died after being struck by a truck on the side of a highway.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">There have been several more mass shootings as we’ve grown accustomed to, including one on the New York subway.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Russia’s war with Ukraine is still ongoing, with Russian soldiers being accused of many atrocities, and Russia has deported half a million Ukrainians to Russia and are holding them in camps as well.  Ukraine has been defending itself well however, even sinking the flagship of the Russian navy.  The Donbas region is where all the fighting is now taking place.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">And lastly, it’s being reported today that Elon Musk is going to buy Twitter.  He wants to take it private and become an absolutist free speech platform.  I’m not sure that will end well at all, but his $44 BILLION dollars are going to give it a try.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">I’m sorry but any one person being able to buy an entire platform that the world uses to communicate is too much power for an individual.  The only thing that I hope comes out of this are other viable alternatives.  Time will tell.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Keep fucking going.</p>    </div>
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  245. <!--/themify_builder_content-->The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2022/04/25/covid-diaries-pt-27/">COVID Diaries Pt. 27</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></content:encoded>
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  249. <item>
  250. <title>Covid Diaries Pt. 26</title>
  251. <link>https://blog.roling.com/2022/03/11/covid-diaries-pt-26/</link>
  252. <comments>https://blog.roling.com/2022/03/11/covid-diaries-pt-26/#respond</comments>
  253. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Greyhawk68]]></dc:creator>
  254. <pubDate>Fri, 11 Mar 2022 10:10:00 +0000</pubDate>
  255. <category><![CDATA[Personal Life]]></category>
  256. <category><![CDATA[death]]></category>
  257. <category><![CDATA[dog]]></category>
  258. <category><![CDATA[grief]]></category>
  259. <category><![CDATA[pepper]]></category>
  260. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blog.roling.com/?p=4776</guid>
  261.  
  262. <description><![CDATA[<p>Rest Easy My Friend NOTE: I&#8217;m posting this after taking a week to complete it. I just wanted to make sure it was posted on the day of her passing to commemorate the date. On the morning of Friday, March 11th 2022, we said goodbye to our pet, companion and family member, Ms. Pepper Pawts. We [&#8230;]</p>
  263. The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2022/03/11/covid-diaries-pt-26/">Covid Diaries Pt. 26</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></description>
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  273.    <h3 class="module-title">Rest Easy My Friend</h3>    <div  class="tb_text_wrap">
  274.    <p><strong>NOTE: I&#8217;m posting this after taking a week to complete it. I just<img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-4777" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/IMG_6427.jpg?resize=300%2C300&#038;ssl=1" alt="John and Pepper hugging" width="300" height="300" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/IMG_6427.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/IMG_6427.jpg?resize=1024%2C1024&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/IMG_6427.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/IMG_6427.jpg?resize=768%2C768&amp;ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/IMG_6427.jpg?resize=1536%2C1536&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/IMG_6427.jpg?resize=2048%2C2048&amp;ssl=1 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" data-recalc-dims="1" /> wanted to make sure it was posted on the day of her passing to commemorate the date.</strong></p>
  275. <p style="font-weight: 400;">On the morning of Friday, March 11<sup>th</sup> 2022, we said goodbye to our pet, companion and family member, Ms. Pepper Pawts.</p>
  276. <p style="font-weight: 400;">We rescued Pepper in the summer of 2013.  The shelter didn’t know how old she was but guessed around two years old.  She was definitely older, probably more like four or five at the time based on her mannerisms, but she fit in to our family immediately.  She was a husky mix with something that made her ears droop a little, and it was adorable.</p>
  277. <p style="font-weight: 400;">Pepper was such a calm, sweet dog.  She never barked at anyone or anything.  The only times she was ever vocal was one quick woof to ask to go out or in.  We would let her out on the deck and when she was ready, she would come to the door and let out one simple bark to let us know she wanted to come in. </p>
  278. <p style="font-weight: 400;">I miss her dearly.  I miss those barks, our walks, and our nighttime routine.</p>
  279. <p style="font-weight: 400;">Every night, for many years, Pepper would get in bed with myself and my wife, and I would pet Pep for ten minutes before going to sleep.  After that, she would snuggle up between us and sleep the rest of the evening.  These last couple of years Pepper could no longer jump on the bed, so she would go over and put her front paws on it and ask for us to lift her up.   It was sweet, and I loved that she still wanted to do it.  We tried stairs but she was always scared of them, but she still allowed us to lift her up.</p>
  280. <p style="font-weight: 400;">When the pandemic hit and everything locked down, Pepper and I started walking our property every day. We have about an acre, and the back half has a small grove of trees and then a field of natural grasses.  I mowed us a path so we could walk back there, and walk we did.</p>
  281. <p style="font-weight: 400;">Nearly every single day Pepper and I would take at least one walk and sometimes as many as five.  She never let me slack off.  No matter how down or apathetic I was, she made sure we went for our walks.  Even if I wasn’t feeling it, she would come lay her head on my knee and look up at me with those eyes.  I had to go.</p>
  282. <p style="font-weight: 400;">So, we would go, get our fresh air and get our joints moving.  It was my therapy in a world of lockdowns.  It helped me get through these last two years.  I owe a lot of my sanity to her because of that.  Sadly, on that Friday morning, we took our last walk together.</p>
  283. <p style="font-weight: 400;">Pepper had not been in good health, and it was obvious that it was time.</p>
  284. <p style="font-weight: 400;">We had a vet come to our home, and Pepper finally slept in peace, surrounded by us in her favorite spot in the living room.</p>
  285. <p style="font-weight: 400;">The rest of the day was extremely hard for me.  Probably one of the lowest days I’ve had since the pandemic started.  I went to bed at 8PM.  No dog to say goodnight to.  I woke up at four in the morning, and was careful to move my legs not to kick Pepper, who was no longer there. I couldn’t sleep any longer, so I got dressed and got up.  As I grabbed my coffee, I instinctively went to fill her water bowl which was no longer needed.  I composed myself and went out to the man cave.</p>
  286. <p style="font-weight: 400;">I tried to write this then, but I couldn’t even get through the first paragraph.</p>
  287. <p style="font-weight: 400;">After sitting in the dark and drinking coffee in silence, I decided that I had to go for that morning walk.  I went in and grabbed my coat and went outside in the dark in below zero wind chills.  I walked our familiar path and paused at all the places she used to sniff around.  I walked back and stopped to watch the sun rise.  It was shining brighter than it had in a long time.  Pep would have liked that.</p>
  288. <p style="font-weight: 400;">In the past couple of days, it’s gotten a little easier, but it will be a while before I don’t instinctively think of things I no longer have to do.  I don’t have to save a couple fries or a pizza crust for her, I don’t have to check to see if she needs to go for a walk, I don’t have to move clothes on the bed so she has a place to jump up.   Every time I catch myself it takes everything not to break down.</p>
  289. <p style="font-weight: 400;">On the Thursday after she passed, we received her ashes, and I laid her to rest along the path we would always walk.  We did it at sundown, golden hour, which is a time we tried to walk every day.  It was a beautiful night, and our resident hawk was flying around.   It was peaceful, which is how I’ll always remember her.</p>
  290. <p style="font-weight: 400;">As with everything, time heals all.  I’ll miss Pep, but I’m so happy for the time we spent together.  Rest in peace my friend.</p>
  291. <p style="font-weight: 400;">Keep fucking going.</p>    </div>
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  297. </div>
  298. <!--/themify_builder_content-->The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2022/03/11/covid-diaries-pt-26/">Covid Diaries Pt. 26</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></content:encoded>
  299. <wfw:commentRss>https://blog.roling.com/2022/03/11/covid-diaries-pt-26/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
  300. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  301. </item>
  302. <item>
  303. <title>COVID Diaries Pt. 25</title>
  304. <link>https://blog.roling.com/2022/03/02/covid-diaries-pt-25/</link>
  305. <comments>https://blog.roling.com/2022/03/02/covid-diaries-pt-25/#respond</comments>
  306. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Greyhawk68]]></dc:creator>
  307. <pubDate>Wed, 02 Mar 2022 23:05:17 +0000</pubDate>
  308. <category><![CDATA[News and Politics]]></category>
  309. <category><![CDATA[celebrity death]]></category>
  310. <category><![CDATA[covid]]></category>
  311. <category><![CDATA[ukraine]]></category>
  312. <category><![CDATA[war]]></category>
  313. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blog.roling.com/?p=4770</guid>
  314.  
  315. <description><![CDATA[<p>A few months have passed again.  The current news is that last week Russia invaded Ukraine.  The war is still ongoing, but the world united against Putin in ways I think a lot of us were shocked by.  The response has had crippling economic sanctions, but has even included things such as FIFA kicking Russia [&#8230;]</p>
  316. The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2022/03/02/covid-diaries-pt-25/">COVID Diaries Pt. 25</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></description>
  317. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<!--themify_builder_content-->
  318. <div id="themify_builder_content-4770" data-postid="4770" class="themify_builder_content themify_builder_content-4770 themify_builder tf_clear">
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  324. <!-- module text -->
  325. <div  class="module module-text tb_auop460   " data-lazy="1">
  326.    <h3 class="module-title">Let’s hope it’s not an oncoming train</h3>    <div  class="tb_text_wrap">
  327.    <p>A few months have passed again.  The current news is that last week Russia invaded Ukraine.  The war is still ongoing, but the world united against Putin in ways I think a lot of us were shocked by.  The response has had crippling economic sanctions, but has even included things such as FIFA kicking Russia out of the World Cup, pretty much every tech company refusing to do business with Russia, and even Switzerland standing against them and freezing bank accounts.</p><p>Ukraine still has a long way to go to win this thing, but the entire world is on their side. </p><p>During this crisis, I’ve come to realize how much Ukrainian software I use on a regular basis.   Mac staples like Clean My Max X, PDF Expert, the Spark email client, Grammarly and many more.  These people are still maintaining infrastructure while in the middle of bombardment.  It’s insane.  I hope all of them and the rest of the Ukrainian population can remain safe from Putin.</p><p>Outside of the current war, the Omicron variant spiked to its highest levels at the beginning of the year.  We surpassed 900,000 deaths in the US and over 1.5 million positive cases in one day, which are hard numbers to get your head around.  And one that could have been much lower if we didn’t have nutbags who were not masking or getting vaccinated in the name of “freedom.”</p><p>Because numbers have come way down after the latest spike, and there are no variants of concern right now, nearly everywhere has repealed guidelines.  No more mask mandate in Illinois or pretty much anywhere.  We’ve basically been told we can go back to normal.  Masks are still required on things like planes and such, but for the most part, everyone can go maskless when shopping or dining or whatever.</p><p>While I’m glad it’s happening, I do feel it’s a little premature.  There are still a lot of people who aren’t vaccinated who can get sick out there which could lead to another variant.   There are also still a lot of immunocompromised people too.  Since they are such high risk, everything going back to standard screws them more than anyone. </p><p>For me, I’ll still wear a mask on a plane and may do so for the rest of my life.  The next time I go to a tech conference, I might be tempted to wear one as well.   Both of those activities would often get me sick.  A cold from the plane or “con crud” from the conference.  I may even keep it up for local shopping, but we’ll see.</p><p>Due to the newfound optimism in the US, the wife and I finally decided to book a trip.  Soon we will be enjoying Vegas once again.  It’s been too long.   We are both vaccinated and boosted and hopefully that is enough going forward.</p><p>I have been careful and paranoid and pretty much a hermit for two years.  It’s time to get back to some of the things we missed out on. </p><p>This year I’ve started a daily journal.  Just jotting down what happened that day, what I did etc.  I’ve been enjoying it, but it makes me even less likely to post here.  We’ll see what happens going forward with the blog, but it might slow down even more.</p><p>But looking at the journal, there are some things that happened since the last post.  First, Betty White died right before her 100<sup>th</sup> birthday which is some cosmic bullshit.    The racist assholes that killed Ahmaud Arbery were convicted in Georgia and then convicted again by federal prosecutors for hate crimes as well.  Those men will be locked up for the rest of their lives as they should be.</p><p>Bob Saget died, so shortly after his friend Norm MacDonald.  Meat Loaf and Louie Anderson also died.  Q people started drinking their own piss and taking Viagra to treat COVID.   There were massive snowstorms that crippled the country several times.  Oh and Texas decided to outdo itself in shittiness by also passing an anti-trans bill and labeling parents supporting their children as child abuse.  In case I’ve ever been unclear, Fuck Texas and their asshole governor. </p><p>So that’s the catch up.  Hopefully, at least on the COVID front, we are truly seeing the light at the end of the tunnel this time.</p>    </div>
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  333. </div>
  334. <!--/themify_builder_content-->The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2022/03/02/covid-diaries-pt-25/">COVID Diaries Pt. 25</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></content:encoded>
  335. <wfw:commentRss>https://blog.roling.com/2022/03/02/covid-diaries-pt-25/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
  336. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  337. </item>
  338. <item>
  339. <title>2021 Music Top Ten</title>
  340. <link>https://blog.roling.com/2021/12/31/2021-music-top-t/</link>
  341. <comments>https://blog.roling.com/2021/12/31/2021-music-top-t/#respond</comments>
  342. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Greyhawk68]]></dc:creator>
  343. <pubDate>Fri, 31 Dec 2021 19:43:09 +0000</pubDate>
  344. <category><![CDATA[Uncategorized]]></category>
  345. <category><![CDATA[music]]></category>
  346. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blog.roling.com/?p=4729</guid>
  347.  
  348. <description><![CDATA[<p>2021 was another horrible year of the pandemic, but at least it produced some great music.  Rise Against put out one of the best albums of their career with Nowhere Generation.  Songs like Forfeit and Sudden Urge resonated so much and there really isn’t a bad song on the album.  Royal Blood had an insanely [&#8230;]</p>
  349. The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2021/12/31/2021-music-top-t/">2021 Music Top Ten</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></description>
  350. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<!--themify_builder_content-->
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  357. <!-- module text -->
  358. <div  class="module module-text tb_spu6805   " data-lazy="1">
  359.    <h3 class="module-title">The year of Punk and Pop Punk</h3>    <div  class="tb_text_wrap">
  360.    <p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-medium wp-image-4730" src="https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2021albums.png?resize=300%2C298&#038;ssl=1" alt="Top 2021 Albums" width="300" height="298" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2021albums.png?resize=300%2C298&amp;ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2021albums.png?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https://i0.wp.com/blog.roling.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/2021albums.png?w=502&amp;ssl=1 502w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" data-recalc-dims="1" />2021 was another horrible year of the pandemic, but at least it produced some great music.  Rise Against put out one of the best albums of their career with Nowhere Generation.  Songs like Forfeit and Sudden Urge resonated so much and there really isn’t a bad song on the album.  Royal Blood had an insanely good album as well.  Killer grooves and great lyrics along with some unique videos meant this was on rotation nearly continuously this year. Pop punk is having another wave due to Machine Gun Kelly and Travis Barker kicking it off last year.  Lil Lotus, jxdn and Mod Sun all dove into that genre and made great albums.  Mod Sun even had arguably the best song of the year with Flames, his duet with girlfriend Avril Lavigne.  This list has some fantastic music, and if you want to hear the highlights of the Top Ten and the honorable mentions, you can <a href="https://music.apple.com/us/playlist/favorite-albums-of-2021/pl.u-yDp1tgWjdq">check out the playlist on Apple Music</a>.</p><ul><li>Rise Against &#8211; Nowhere Generation</li><li>Royal Blood</li><li>Teenage Wrist &#8211; The Earth Is A Black Hole</li><li>MOD SUN &#8211; Internet Killed The Rockstar</li><li>Lil Lotus &#8211; Error Boy</li><li>The Pretty Reckless &#8211; Death By Rock And Roll</li><li>Twentyone Pilots &#8211; Scaled and Icy</li><li>JxDN &#8211; Tell Me About Tomorrow</li><li>The Offspring &#8211; Let The Bad Times Roll</li><li>Third Eye Blind &#8211; Our Bande Apart</li></ul><p>Honorable mention: Turnstile, Ed Sheeran, Foo Fighters. Toad The Wet Sprocket, Thrice, K.Flay, Tom Morello</p>    </div>
  361. </div>
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  367. <!--/themify_builder_content-->The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2021/12/31/2021-music-top-t/">2021 Music Top Ten</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></content:encoded>
  368. <wfw:commentRss>https://blog.roling.com/2021/12/31/2021-music-top-t/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
  369. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
  370. </item>
  371. <item>
  372. <title>COVID Diaries Pt. 24</title>
  373. <link>https://blog.roling.com/2021/12/22/covid-diaries-pt-24/</link>
  374. <comments>https://blog.roling.com/2021/12/22/covid-diaries-pt-24/#respond</comments>
  375. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Greyhawk68]]></dc:creator>
  376. <pubDate>Wed, 22 Dec 2021 19:14:32 +0000</pubDate>
  377. <category><![CDATA[News and Politics]]></category>
  378. <category><![CDATA[Personal Life]]></category>
  379. <category><![CDATA[booster]]></category>
  380. <category><![CDATA[covid]]></category>
  381. <category><![CDATA[omicron]]></category>
  382. <category><![CDATA[spiderman]]></category>
  383. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://blog.roling.com/?p=4726</guid>
  384.  
  385. <description><![CDATA[<p>Well, it’s been a couple of months again, just haven’t been all that motivated to write.  A few weeks ago I was going to blog here to catch up on everything, and that was the day Kyle R. was acquitted on all counts in the murder of protesters in Kenosha, WI.The kid crossed state lines, [&#8230;]</p>
  386. The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2021/12/22/covid-diaries-pt-24/">COVID Diaries Pt. 24</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></description>
  387. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<!--themify_builder_content-->
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  396.    <h3 class="module-title">COVID Resurrections</h3>    <div  class="tb_text_wrap">
  397.    <p>Well, it’s been a couple of months again, just haven’t been all that motivated to write.  A few weeks ago I was going to blog here to catch up on everything, and that was the day Kyle R. was acquitted on all counts in the murder of protesters in Kenosha, WI.</p><p>The kid crossed state lines, to defend property that wasn’t his, and obtained an assault rifle that he used.  He killed two people and seriously wounded another, and not a damn thing is going to happen to him.   If you read about the case, it’s pretty much because of the ways the laws are written.  That needs to change.  You shouldn’t be able to go looking for a fight while armed and then claim self-defense when you yourself instigated.  It’s appalling.</p><p>So that killed my motivation to write that day and then I let it slide.  Probably should have just put my hands to the keyboard, but hey, at least I’m here now.</p><p>Booster shots were approved for pretty much everyone now, so my whole family got ours immediately.  That’s really good news as the latest variant has taken the world by storm.  Omicron is the most recent mutation of the virus and it is way more transmissible than previous variants.  The NFL had to move games again because so many players came down with the virus.  The NHL hit pause on the season, and SNL had to essentially cancel and send almost all of their cast members home due to an outbreak.</p><p>All of this is hitting right as we go into the holidays, so it’s not a good trend.</p><p>Before Omicron, it almost seemed around here like the virus didn’t exist anymore.  Restaurants and movie theaters were packed, a lot of people weren’t really wearing masks and vaccination rates slowed a lot.   Sports stadiums were full.  Everyone let their guard down, and now hospitals are full again.  Make no mistake, the hospitals are full of people who refused to get vaccinated.  Those folks caught the virus, and that’s how mutations can happen.   Those selfish people are the ones responsible for this spike and responsible for how long this goes on.</p><p>Luckily Omicron is mild for people who have been vaccinated, which is good because it is infecting a lot of fully vaccinated people too.  I’m fearful that this recent surge is going to get much worse.  Let’s hope I’m wrong.  The US has already lost 800,000 people to this virus, and I shudder to think what the total can rise to.</p><p>The new Spiderman movie made $235 Million at the box office while being in theaters only this past weekend. I’m sure it was just pent-up demand to actually GO to a movie theater, but I imagine it was a major super spreader event now that Omicron is spiking.   Up next, the new Matrix Resurrections movie.  Luckily, I can watch that tonight on HBO Max so I don’t have to leave my house.  That is a much better option for anyone wanting this pandemic to actually, you know, end.</p><p>The next month is probably going to be pretty brutal folks, so hunker down, enjoy the holidays with your closest vaccinated family and friends, and please be safe. </p>    </div>
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  404. <!--/themify_builder_content-->The post <a href="https://blog.roling.com/2021/12/22/covid-diaries-pt-24/">COVID Diaries Pt. 24</a> first appeared on <a href="https://blog.roling.com">Greyhawk's Meanderings</a>.]]></content:encoded>
  405. <wfw:commentRss>https://blog.roling.com/2021/12/22/covid-diaries-pt-24/feed/</wfw:commentRss>
  406. <slash:comments>0</slash:comments>
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