If you fancy yourself a fan of country music, then Lance Roark’s brand new record is mandatory listening. Hailing from the Eastern Oklahoma town of Tahlequah, Roark has spent the majority of his life in the same locale that produced the greatest band in all the land – the Turnpike Troubadours. Fittingly, he first met the band’s co-founder and bassist R.C. Edwards at an open mic in town, and the two quickly became frequent collaborators. Roark played in Edwards’ band RC and the Ambers during Turnpike’s hiatus, and when the band finally got back together, he landed a co-write alongside Edwards on A Cat in the Rain with “Chipping Mill.” A frequent opener for Turnpike on the road these days, Roark’s handiwork is also included on their latest record The Price of Admission with “Ruby Ann,” another co-write with Edwards. Even more recently, Roark co-wrote a track called “Grace” alongside both Charlie Muncaster and Gary Stanton of Muscadine Bloodline that landed on their Longleaf Lo-Fi record that dropped within the past few weeks. Now, I want to make it clear that I only provide this context in an effort to endear Roark to country music fans who aren’t knowingly familiar with his music, though likely huge fans of some of the artists that admire his work the most. The high-profile artists with whom he has collaborated of late serve as a vote of confidence in his ability as a musician, and he leaves no doubt of his talent in his original music. Especially not in his brand new album. Titled Bad Reputation, Roark’s debut record dropped a few weeks ago, and it is an absolute force to be reckoned with. Featuring 11 original tracks that are all written or co-written by Roark, Bad Reputation extends the classic hard-driving red dirt sound of his prior catalog to bolster some of his strongest songwriting and storytelling to date. It makes sense that the Turnpike Troubadours have taken such a liking to Roark, because he has proved in this record that he is capable of doing something that Turnpike and Muscadine Bloodline have mastered and few other artists have managed to achieve. Roark has an incredible ability to write about a very specific geographical location, and utilizes vivid imagery and tedious attention to detail, in an effort to paint a picture for the listener of a place they’ve likely never visited. But through universal themes and the introduction of larger-than-life characters, Roark’s music, though rooted in Oklahoma, is relatable to most everyone who listens. No matter where they reside. Five of these songs were co-written alongside Turnpike’s Edwards, and a couple more alongside Roark’s wife Hannah, as the track list weaves seamlessly through love songs and tales of coming of age in Oklahoma and memories made along the way. My personal favorite, “Melissa Texas,” is a road warrior’s lament centered around a map dot town artists from the region are all too familiar with due to its location along U.S. 75 connecting Eastern Oklahoma to North Texas. A blistering red dirt rock and roll record that showcases he and his band’s vast sonic prowess, the final track “Stay” is the most poignant, as it finds Roark slowing things down and leaving no doubt behind his availability as a more vulnerable singer-songwriter. All in all, Lance Roark continues to prove with each release and each co-write that he is a name worthy of being on every country music fan’s radar, and his most recent record Bad Reputation features some of his best work to date. Give a few of my favorites a listen below, but make sure to give the album a good listen all the way through. You will not be disappointed. “Melissa Texas” “Rose Quartz Perfume” “Stay” This should come as no surprise, but I’ve heard Roark and his band are absolutely killer live, so hopefully they announce some shows here in the near future to promote the new project. Until then, the recorded music will just have to hold us over, and I plan on wearing this album out in the meantime. While we’re on the subject of Roark, check out the aforementioned co-writes he’s participated in that have landed on recent Turnpike Troubadours and Muscadine Bloodline albums. “Ruby Ann” – The Price of Admission by Turnpike Troubadours (Roark, Edwards) “Grace” – Longleaf Lo-Fi by Muscadine Bloodline (Roark, Stanton, Muncaster) “Chipping Mill” – A Cat in the Rain by Turnpike Troubadours (Roark, Edwards) The post Lance Roark Proves He Is Here To Stay With Killer Debut Record “Bad Reputation” first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

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Adulting often feels like an endless stream of responsibilities that everyone else seems to understand instinctively. Since no one ever handed out a guidebook for things like managing a home, maintaining relationships, or working within your own limitations, most of us simply learn through trial and error…usually while apologizing for a late bill or staring at a messy kitchen wondering how it got that way.But every now and then, someone shares a little trick that makes life feel less chaotic and a lot more doable. A recent Reddit thread asked people to name the "small adult cheat code" they wish they had learned earlier, and the answers were full of simple habits, mindset shifts, and relationship wisdom that genuinely make life easier. Here are some of the most helpful ones.Micro-tasks that make life more manageable Person writing in a journal with blue ink, wearing a pink sweater.Photo credit: CanvaThese are small actions that prevent chaos before it starts:"Don't put it down, put it away. Saying it to myself helps curb my ADHD habit of leaving things laying around everywhere.""Never underestimate the power of what you can get done in 10 minutes.""As a perfectionist, I’ve finally come to the idea now that sometimes an 85% well done job immediately in 10 minutes is a better way to operate than waiting until you have 3 hours for 100%.""No wasted motion. If I’m on the couch and need to go to the bathroom, I’ll tidy up the bathroom counter while I’m there and bring something out that’s meant for the living room. I struggle with cleaning (depression and cptsd) so this has really helped me stay on top of it."Systems that reduce mental load Woman in denim jacket smiling while using smartphone on a city street.Photo credit: CanvaHere are tools, routines, and mindsets for remembering what the brain simply won't:"Download a note app onto your phone if you don't already have one. Take notes of restaurants, movies, and music friends recommend to you, things your partner enjoys, to-dos, baby names you like, recipes to try. You think you'll remember everything but you won't. I thought this was an 'old man' move. It's not. It's wise is what it is.""Every time your spouse mentions something they like, make a note of it (I keep a document just for this in the Notes app on my phone). Then you won’t have to scramble to think of presents when Christmas arrives.""Having a boring ‘life admin’ routine once a week. I sit down for 30 minutes to pay bills, reply to emails, clean a bit, plan meals and budget. It sounds dull, but it stops 90 percent of the stress from 'adulting emergencies' before they even start.""Doing favors for my future self as if they are a completely separate person who I love and appreciate and want to succeed." Emotional and interpersonal wisdom Couple exchanging flowers, smiling in a cozy living room.Photo credit: CanvaHow to reduce unnecessary conflict and invest in relationships:"Don’t fight about hypothetical situations.""Decide in advance if something actually matters enough to have an argument about it. Many of my friends disagree with me about a lot of things and almost none of them are worth the friction of an actual argument.""Show up for people when they need it…A friend's starting a new business? Show up as a customer or find a suitable customer. Or put them in touch with an investor/peer/supplier/evangelist,...A colleague is going through a tough time in their personal life? Show up with whatever support is appropriate. Someone is moving houses. Yes they paid for movers, but still show up and help where you can…This is networking."Self-care as a responsibility Two people sketching vases on easels in an art studio.Photo credit: CanvaHere are some habits that help you operate as a healthier, more functional human:"Sleep is a magic problem solver. I most often did this with coding problems, but it works with anything. If you're stuck on a complex problem and feel like you're getting nowhere, sleep on it. I don't know if your brain works on it while you sleep, but you will find a solution very quickly the next day.""Have 3 hobbies. Something for you. Something with your friends. Something with your spouse. For me, it’s guitar, golf and bird watching."Each of these tiny lessons proves that adulting doesn't require perfection, just small acts of care that slowly build a life that works.

If you drive through almost any rural area in the United States, you will eventually come across a smattering of wind turbines. According to Cleanview's real-time database of wind farms, as of December 2025, there are 1,375 utility-scale wind farms in the U.S., and wind power is America's largest source of renewable energy. Yay for sustainability.Many of us see the giant white turbines on a regular basis and may have some passing curiosity about them. Why are the blades so skinny compared to windmills of old? Why are they always white? Why are there three blades and not two or four or five?The shape of the blades has to do with aerodynamics, which is also a part of why the vast majority of them are made with three blades. A video from MinutePhysics explains that there are three big reasons for the number of blades: physics (including aerodynamics), engineering, and human comfort. - YouTube www.youtube.com PhysicsPrimarily, it's all about torque (twisting force) vs. drag (resistance)."All else being equal, the more blades a windmill has, the more torque it can generate," the video states. "But also, the more drag it has, because each additional blade has to cut through the wind, and drag grows quickly the faster the windmill is spinning. So, in general, many bladed windmills work better at lower rotational speeds relative to wind speed. On the other hand, a windmill with fewer blades generates less torque, but also experiences less drag. So, fewer-bladed windmills tend to work better at higher rotational speeds."In looking at a graph of torque and drag on turbines with different numbers of blades, three blades are shown to be the most efficient overall. wind turbine GIF by Sandia National Labs Giphy Engineering"Windmills have to be strong enough to withstand the many different bending, rotational, and vibrational forces necessary for their operation," the video explains. Even numbers of blades have proven to be a problem in that way, creating more balance problems. "If the rotor has an odd number of blades, like three or five, the fact that blades don't come in pairs means that wind loads are more evenly distributed across the face of the rotor and so the bending and twisting forces are greatly reduced."And then there's wear and tear. "More blades cause less wear and tear, but more blades cost more money," the video states. "If you took the blades from two five-blade turbines, you'd have enough to make three three-blade turbines plus one left over." That makes three blades the best engineering choice. Workers maintaining or repairing a wind turbine.Photo credit: CanvaHuman ComfortPhysics and engineering make sense, but how does human comfort come into play with the three-blade design? "If you want to build a windmill, you need people to be okay with you building a windmill, so how it looks and how it sounds matters," the video points out. Fewer blades mean less visual clutter, favoring a two- or three-blade design."Three-blade rotors are generally considered more visually pleasing than a two-blade equivalent," the video asserts. "One possible reason for this is that the space taken up by a three-blade rotor in the horizontal and vertical directions changes only slightly over time, whereas a two-blade rotor switches back and forth and back and forth between mostly horizontal and mostly vertical and generally looks more choppy. Even at rest, people prefer the symmetry of three blades over two." The vast majority of wind turbines have three blades. Photo credit: CanvaAs far as sound goes, three-blade turbines are more efficient at slower speeds, meaning they are less noisy than two-blade turbines producing the same amount of power.So there you have it. What about the white color, you ask? For one, it's a neutral color (or one that most people don't find obtrusive). White is easily visible from the sky, making it helpful for aircraft to see while flying. White also reflects the sun's light and heat, which helps keep the turbine cooler and more durable. (However, some research indicates that painting turbines a different color might help reduce insect and bird mortality.)For now, the big white windmills aren't going anywhere, so we might as well know more about why they look the way they do.

Shannon Nelson, better known by her online alias Pinky Nel, describes herself as a “Boomer grandma with an edge.” She also notes in her online bio that she's “big on family, friends, dogs and golf.” She makes a lot of content wherein nothing is off the table: ex-relationships, private parts, grandkids, being single, and hormone therapy.Now that she's 70, she has decided that there are things she no longer feels obligated to do. In fact, there are a few lists she has made detailing those things and many people feel totally seen. See on Instagram In the first clip, she writes, “One of the many benefits of getting older is that your "To Do" list changes into a "Not To Do" list. Here’s mine:I will no longer get a bikini wax. It's barbaric. It's inhumane. Not suitable for 70-year-old skin.I'm not wearing thong underwear. Or brassieres with wire in them. Or high heels… for obvious reasons.I gave up on coloring my hair.I don't drive at night. And while we're at it, I'm not doing THIS anymore. (She then gives a hilarious X-rated gesture with her hand) and proceeds, “I mean I am single and not dating, so chances of anybody expecting me to do that are pretty slim.I'm not going anywhere without a parking lot. I'm not gonna drive around for 20 minutes hoping somebody's gonna leave. Forget it!I am no longer watching gory or depressing movies. I just can't handle it.I'm not going to dinner at anyone's house where my dog isn't welcome. Or after 5:30. Make that 5:00!Also, I'm no longer gonna hold in my gas. It's not healthy. Also, I'm not gonna force my gas. It's been a good party trick with the grandkids. It's not safe.Finally? I am done with small talk. I'm also done with mansplaining. And I will no longer accept golf tips from a guy who's lousier than I am at the driving range.”She then asks her followers to “add anything to the list” and they sure do. There are over 114,000 likes on this clip alone and over 4,000 incredibly relatable comments.One Instagrammer writes, “I'm not apologizing for canceling plans if I don't really want to go. I'm not letting unsolicited advice mess with my head. I'm no longer afraid of saying no.”Another semi-jokingly adds, “I will no longer do anything I don’t enjoy doing—except maybe take a shower every now and then.”And it's not just the senior citizens who feel seen. “I’m 37 and have already given up all of this but the driving-related items.”This video was so popular, Nelson made another. See on Instagram In part two, she stands in her kitchen holding a cup of coffee and adds, “Here are a few additions to my 'not to do' list now that I'm almost 70.”“I've stopped saving for a rainy day. I'm not saving the ‘good China.’ Or the candles or my money. It's already raining. In fact, it's pouring.I'm no longer going to say that I read books. That's a lie. I listen to books. Ya know, the talking books. I don't care if that makes me sound dumb.And I'm putting an end to eating hot dogs without the bun. I don't care about the calories. Or the carbs! Wieners are just far better when there's buns. Buns and wieners. Giphy I'm not ever going to say ‘I'm circling back.’ I've never even ‘circled forward!’ And forget about ‘jumping on a call.’ I'm 70. I don't jump anymore. In fact, I'm not taking calls period. You can text me.I'm not changing my sheets every week. I'm single. And I'm clean. And so are the dogs.”Here, we see a shot of her two yellow dogs wagging their tails on the bed.“And finally, I'm not saving ‘I love you’ for special occasions. I say it every day. To my family, to my friends, to the dogs. Hell, I've even said it to my golf clubs. And I meant it. And if you've hung in this far, I probably love you too.”Again, the comments are totally supportive, some even from people a decade older. “I'm working towards 80," one said, "I love you. I don't wear makeup anymore unless I'm going to church. I don't wear a bra unless I'm going out and that's not very often. Growing old is wonderful. And oh by the way I change my sheets once a month. I'm clean. And I'm single so nobody cares.”Once again, Nelson comes back for round three. This time, she writes in the comment section, “Getting older comes with one gift: the freedom to stop doing sh*t you don’t care about.” See on Instagram This list includes:“You can put away the rubber gloves and the Vaseline, doc. I am no longer subjecting myself to a routine pap smear or rectal.I'm not checking on how I look from behind before I go out. If I can't see the problem? It's not a problem.I'm not brushing the dog's teeth. Or paying a thousand bucks to have them professionally cleaned. She's a dog! (She gently lifts up one of her pup's lips.) Look how nice they are!And forget about changing my bed sheets every week. I'll just switch sides! Flip the pillow over.And no more hanging onto things I can no longer wear anymore. Even though they are so beautiful.And finally, no more wincing when I see myself in the mirror. So I look my age! Aren't I supposed to?”

It's sometimes known as The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, but the holidays, or more specifically the stretch between Christmas and New Years, also have a dark side that's a little uncomfortable to talk about.The data is extremely clear: more people of all ages (except, fortunately, children) die around the holidays. Most of them pass away on three specific days.Deaths spike dramatically on: Christmas DayBoxing Day (The day after Christmas)New Year's DayIt's a phenomenon that's been studied and measured for years across many different countries around the world. The holidays are a beautiful time of year, but they are also a tough time for grief. Photo by Mariana B. on Unsplash There are more deaths in general during the winter months, but there are noticeable spikes on those days, in particular, and not just in America. Deaths due to natural causes like old age or cardiac events increase, as well as the number of people admitted to emergency rooms due to accidents or unexpected medical emergencies.CNN writes, fascinatingly, that a British study "found patients admitted to hospitals as emergencies on public holidays are significantly more likely to die than those admitted on other days of the week–including weekends."What's not clear is what causes this morbid trend.YouTuber Hospice Nurse Julie, who sees and works intimately with death on a daily basis, explains that there are a few reasons more people die so close to Christmas."In science they actually call this The Holiday Effect," she says, and it has a few possible explanations.First up is people avoiding getting medical treatment that might "ruin the holidays," she says. They may be having symptoms like chest pains but may not want to be in the hospital on Christmas, for example. Or they may put off necessary care because doctor's offices are closed around the holidays.The second cause is the stress of the holidays. "Not everyone has families they love being around," Julie says. "Being around your family...that's wonderful, and it can be hard. There can literally be cardiac events because of this stress and pressure.""Also there's loneliness, there's grief surrounding the holidays. Those things can truly increase stress hormones, they can be difficult on your heart," she says, in addition to all the other potential factors of people eating poorly, drinking too much, and having a disrupted routine. - YouTube www.youtube.com Hospice Nurse Julie says that one of the biggest reasons, however, should bring us some comfort.She says she works with a lot of families with a dying loved one who's in particularly rough shape and often thinks, "There's no way they'll make it to Christmas."But then they do. Somehow, they manage to hang on."So [in hospice] we see a lot of death December 26, December 27... They may even try to make it through the New Year."It's another phenomenon that has been well-observed. People in the final stages of dying have a miraculous ability to "hold on" for certain times, certain moments, or certain circumstances. Some people who are dying somehow "hold on" until after the holidays. Photo by S&B Vonlanthen on Unsplash Many people pass in the middle of the night, for example, when things are quiet. Or they've been known to wait just long enough for family to gather from out of town before they finally let go.It's a warm and comforting thought that, even if a family is struggling with the impending death of an older relative, the odds are in their favor that they may get to have that one last holiday season together.Some of The Holiday Effect, however, still remains a mystery. No one's been fully able to explain why deaths spike in the winter and on those three specific days.Though more people die in general during the winter months, deaths don't seem to be correlated to colder temperatures. The BBC reports that colder winters in the UK don't lead to more deaths, and warmer countries in general don't necessarily have fewer winter deaths.The numbers are also not linked to socio-economic status. In other words, the cold is not affecting people with less resources and shelter more so than anyone else. Researchers also can't definitively tie the trend to viruses like flu and the common cold.The holiday stress can't explain it all either. One study, per CNN, looked at people with severe Alzheimer's disease, people who wouldn't know or remember that it was Christmas and wouldn't be anxious about it, and found they were still more likely to die on or around those common days.Data also suggests that, while loneliness can be especially painful around the holidays, suicides do not spike the way general deaths do at this time of year.For now, The Holiday Effect remains only partially explained. The rest is still a mystery.

No, thank you. The post The band Pete Townshend called the Coca-Cola of classic rock: “All their albums were the same” first appeared on Far Out Magazine.

"Cry and laugh in the same song..." The post The singer Don Henley and Bruce Springsteen agree is America’s greatest ever first appeared on Far Out Magazine.