Month: August 2023

There’s no getting around the fact there’s a massive amount of bourbon on the shelf these days. In the pursuit of covering all that I can, I end up reviewing and raving about bourbons that you might never get the chance to taste — much less actually find and buy. That’s a shame. But it’s also easily fixable in that there’s a ton of bourbon out there that you can easily find, try, buy, and enjoy. That means it’s time for a classic bourbon blind taste test of mainstream bourbons that everyone can find (one way or another).

To that end, I’m conducting this blind taste test with bourbons that all clock in under $40 — the range is really closer to $18-$35. That alone makes these bourbons far more accessible. That doesn’t mean that these aren’t good or special bourbons though. There are single-barrel bourbons and bottled-in-bond whiskeys in the mix with some serious competition.

Moreover, I’ve picked bourbons that are on shelves. Whether they’re in your state exactly, I cannot say. America is a big place, folks, and whiskey distribution isn’t equal. What I can say is that these bourbons are on most shelves around the country and actually cost their MSRP (manufacturer’s suggested retail price) without markups.

That makes our lineup today the following mainstream bourbons:

• George Dickel Bourbon Whisky Aged 8 Years
• Green River Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey
• Cooper’s Craft Barrel Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• McAfee Brothers Benchmark Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• J.T.S. Brown 100 Bottled In Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Weller The Original Wheated Bourbon Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky
• Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Knob Creek Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 9 Years
• Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
• Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

After blindly tasting these awesome mainstream bourbons, I’m going to rank them. This ranking is based solely on taste and depth. It’s really that easy so let’s dive right in!

• The 100 Best Bourbon Whiskeys From Kentucky, Ranked
• The Absolute Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The ‘Smoothest’ Bourbons On The Market, Blind Tasted And Ranked
• The 100 Best Bourbons That *Aren’t* From Kentucky, Ranked
• The 100 Best Bourbons Under $100 Right Now, Ranked

Part 1 — The Mainstream Bourbon Blind Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This nose is classic, with rich vanilla next to dry spicy tobacco leaves next to apple hand pies with sugar icing made with plenty of dark spices and butter.

Palate: The palate has a bran vibe that hints at a white Necco Wafer with a ripe white peach fresh off the tree with a hint of ginger bite to it.

Finish: The end circles back around to a vanilla wafer with nutmeg, orange zest, and a twinge of dark chocolate sauce leading to a dry and slightly molded wicker chair sitting in the sun.

Initial Thoughts:

This is a really nice bourbon with extra depth. That extra depth is very obviously from Tennessee (all the vanilla wafer) but it just works here.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

Nose: This pops on the nose with rich caramel next to soft roasted peach and apricot, cinnamon bark and nutmeg with a creamy vibe, and a hint of Cream of Wheat cut with maple syrup.

Palate: Toffee drives the palate toward Nutella and honey over buttermilk biscuits with an apple/pear tobacco aura that leads to a soft orange.

Finish: The end is rich and full of stewed fruits — peach, pear, orange, raisins — and a mild sense of oaky spice and a mild graininess.

Initial Thoughts:

This is delicious. The biscuitiness and jamminess feel like a sneaky afternoon treat via a quintessential glass of Kentucky bourbon.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sense of old oak and almost smoldering cinnamon bark on the nose with a hint of apple/pear cider cut with orange oils and a whisper of vanilla-nougat wafers.

Palate: That apple/pear cider vibe dominated the start of the palate with a Martinelli’s cider sweetness next to clove buds and more cinnamon bark, a light sense of vanilla cake, and burnt orange.

Finish: The cinnamon really attaches to the apple/pear cider on the finish with a fleeting sense of sweet oak and old evergreen pitch and an echo of orange tobacco.

Initial Thoughts:

This is bold on the nose and big on the palate with a deep bourbon vibe. This is good stuff.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Nose: That orange and caramel really come through on the nose with a thin line of creamy dark chocolate and some nutmeg and cinnamon.

Palate: The palate largely adheres to that flavor profile while adding in layers of dark fruit, old leather, mild oak, and orange cookies.

Finish: The finish arrives with a sense of winter spices and dark chocolate oranges next to a twinge of cherry-kissed spicy tobacco chew and a final note of rail bourbon vibes.

Initial Thoughts:

This feels like it’s trying as hard as it can to be a big and bold bourbon. Sadly, it ends up feeling kind of cheap by the time you get to the end.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Cream soda with a dash of cherry opens the nose next to dry leather tobacco pouches, salted caramel sauce, and a light touch of floral honey that’s just kissed with winter spice barks.

Palate: The palate brings forward dry and woody spices with a hint of eggnog creaminess leading toward honeyed Graham Crackers and a sweet tobacco chew.

Finish: The end turns the woody spice into Christmas nut cakes and gingerbread with more creamy vanilla, honey, and leather lingering the longest.

Initial Thoughts:

This is pretty goddamn tasty.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a sense of old oak next to sweet cherries, vanilla cookies, and that Buffalo Trace leathery vibe with a hint of spiced tobacco lurking underneath.

Palate: The palate has a sharp texture before malted vanilla ice cream over a hot apple pie cut with brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, and walnuts next to Frosted Raisin Bran takes over.

Finish: The end adds sweet cherry to the tart apple and layers it into a light tobacco leaf with a mild sense of old musty barrel warehouses with a hint of fall leaves outside but fades super fast.

Initial Thoughts:

This was grassy and earthy with a good depth. It’s good but not “OMFG! Where’s this been all my life” good.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose has classic hints of caramel and vanilla with a grassy underbelly next to soft cherry, hints of oak, and a touch of apple orchard.

Palate: That grassiness becomes vaguely floral as slightly spiced caramel apples arrive, along with a chewy mouthfeel that leads towards a soft mineral vibe — kind of like wet granite.

Finish: The end holds onto the fruit and sweetness as the oak and dried grass stay in your senses.

Initial Thoughts:

This is really good too. There’s a hint of nostalgia springing from the profile that endears this one to me.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

Nose: There’s a lovely nose at play with soft taco mix spice next to creamy vanilla, caramel-dipped cherries, a hint of pear skins, and plenty of nutmeg.

Palate: The palate has a minor note of cornbread muffins next to cherry-vanilla tobacco with a dash of leather and toffee.

Finish: The end leans into some fresh gingerbread with a vanilla frosting next to hints of pear candy cut with cinnamon and nutmeg.

Initial Thoughts:

This is pretty good. It’s a little cheap on the finish but offers real depth.

Taste 9

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose on this feels classic with a bold sense of vanilla pods, cinnamon, buttered and salted popcorn, and a good dose of cherry syrup with a hint of cotton candy.

Palate: The palate mixes orange and vanilla with a hint of sour cherry soda that leads to a nice Kentucky hug on the mid palate.

Finish: That warm hug fades toward black cherry, old leather boots, porch wicker, and a sense of dried cherry/cinnamon tobacco packed into an old pine box.

Initial Thoughts:

This is a nice classic bourbon. That’s it.

Taste 10

Tasting Notes:

Nose: The nose is classic Kentucky bourbon with clear dark cherry tobacco, apple cider doughnuts, plenty of cinnamon, eggnog creaminess, and a little rye grassiness (think dry sweetgrass).

Palate: The spice on the palate is squarely in the cinnamon category with creamy vanilla, more warm fruity tobacco, and a hint of orchard bark lurking in the background.

Finish: The end is warm but fades pretty quickly, leaving you with soft oak, dark spice, brown sugar, and a whisper of sweet and creamy grits.

Initial Thoughts:

This feels like classic mixing bourbon with a nice profile.

Taste 11

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Soft and sweet apple and cherry woods greet with a good dose of sour red berries dusted with brown winter spices, especially clove and nutmeg.

Palate: The palate leans into soft and salted caramel with a hint of those berries underneath while the spices get woodier and a thin line of green sweetgrass sneaks in.

Finish: The finish is silky and boils down to blackberry jam with a good dose of winter spice, old wood, and a hint of vanilla tobacco.

Initial Thoughts:

This is serious bourbon with real depth. I like this one a lot and want to go back for more.

Taste 12

Tasting Notes:

Nose: Sweet and buttery toffee is countered by burnt orange, old oak, and a hint of cumin and red chili pepper flakes.

Palate: The palate leans into soft vanilla pudding cups with a touch of butterscotch swirled in next to orange oils, nougat, and a hint of menthol tobacco.

Finish: The midpalate tobacco warmth gives way to a finish that’s full of woody winter spices and a whisper of Cherry Coke next to orange/clove by way of a dark chocolate bar flaked with salt.

Initial Thoughts:

This is another classic bourbon that is a little warm on the end. It’s good stuff otherwise.

Part 2 — The Mainstream Bourbon Ranking

12. McAfee Brothers Benchmark Single Barrel Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 4

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

This expression is from the single barrels that actually hit that prime spot/flavor profile to be bottled one at a time. This is the best of the best of the barrels earmarked for Benchmark in the Buffalo Trace warehouses. Those barrels are watered down slightly before bottling at a healthy 95-proof.

Bottom Line:

This was trying so hard not to feel cheap on the profile. That said, there’s enough going on that you can kind of forgive that stretching. In the end, this feels like a highball whiskey suited for good fizzy drinks with big garnishes.

11. Evan Williams Bottled-In-Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 8

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $17

The Whiskey:

Heaven Hill makes great whiskey, especially inexpensive bottled in bonds. This “b-i-b” is tailored for the Evan Williams flavor profile. Still, this is Heaven Hill, so we’re talking about the same mash bill, same warehouses, and same parent company as several entries on this list. This is simply built to match a higher-end Evan Williams vibe.

Bottom Line:

This is a good bourbon with a hint of cheapness in its profile. That hint really is me stretching to find something to nitpick. Overall, this is a nice bourbon that’s suitable for cocktails, highballs, and on the rocks partying.

10. Weller The Original Wheated Bourbon Special Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 6

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $25

The Whiskey:

This is the entry point to Weller. It’s a standard large-batched bourbon. The age of the barrels on this blend is also unknown. Overall, we know this is a classic wheated bourbon, and … that’s about it.

Bottom Line:

This was also very much in the “fine” column of this blind-tasting panel. There’s nothing wrong with it. There’s a nice earthy depth next to classic bourbon vibes. Still, it’s very clearly for mixing cocktails and highballs more than anything else.

9. Knob Creek Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey Aged 9 Years — Taste 9

ABV: 50%

Buy Here: $30

The Whiskey:

This is Jim Beam’s small batch entry point into the wider world of Knob Creek. The juice is the low-rye mash aged for nine years in new oak in Beam’s vast warehouses. The right barrels are then mingled and cut down to 100 proof before being bottled in new, wavy bottles.

Bottom Line:

This is classic Kentucky bourbon … that’s built for mixing whiskey-forward cocktails. Use it that way.

8. Bulleit Bourbon Frontier Whiskey Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 10

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $24

The Whiskey:

This whiskey embraces a high-rye mash bill that’s comprised of 68% corn, 28% rye, and 4% malted barley. The hot juice is then rested for six years before blending, cutting down to proof, and barreling. As far as we know, this is still mostly sourced juice but will likely start including Bulleit’s own whiskey in the next year or two.

Bottom Line:

This a perfectly average bourbon with classic notes (that’s not a bad thing). Use it for cocktails.

7. Wild Turkey 101 Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 12

ABV: 50.5%

Average Price: $19

The Whiskey:

A lot of Wild Turkey’s character comes from the hard and deep char they use on their oak barrels. 101 starts with a high-rye mash bill that leans into the wood and aging, having spent six years in the cask. A little of that soft Kentucky limestone water is added to cool it down a bit before bottling.

Bottom Line:

This is where we start getting a little more depth. And heat. Overall, this feels like the perfect on the rocks sipper or cocktail base for everyday sipping.

6. Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whisky — Taste 7

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $24

The Whisky:

This is Maker’s signature expression made with Red winter wheat and aged seasoned Ozark oak for six to seven years. This expression’s whiskey is sourced from only 150 barrels (making this a “small batch”). Those barrels are then blended and proofed with Kentucky limestone water before bottling and dipping in their iconic red wax.

Bottom Line:

This really stood out on this go around. There was a nostalgic vibe that just worked with a nice sweet depth countered by spice. This feels like a great Manhattan whiskey.

5. Cooper’s Craft Barrel Reserve Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 3

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $32

The Whiskey:

This whiskey is from Brown-Forman (which also makes Jack Daniels, Old Forester, King of Kentucky, and Woodford Reserve in the U.S.). The Kentucky-distilled juice is aged in special oak barrels that are chiseled before charring to create more surface space for carbon filtering and aging in the barrel. The best barrels and then batched, slightly proofed with that Kentucky limestone water, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This has some seriously good depth to it. Overall, I can see sipping this on a lazy weekday evening over a rock and being pretty happy about it.

4. George Dickel Bourbon Whisky Aged 8 Years — Taste 1

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $31

The Whisky:

The whisky in the bottle is the same Dickel Tennessee whiskey but pulled from barrels that leaned more into classic bourbon flavor notes instead of Dickel’s iconic Tennessee whisky notes. The barrels are a minimum of eight years old before they’re vatted. The whiskey is then cut down to a manageable 90-proof and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This was complex and delicious. There was a Tennessee feel to the profile that helped it ascend beyond average. I’d use this in a simple whiskey-forward cocktail or just on a big rock.

3. Green River Kentucky Straight Wheated Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 2

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $33

The Whiskey:

This new release from Bardstown Bourbon Company’s Green River distillery is a wheated classic. The whiskey in the bottle is made from a mash bill (recipe) of 70% Kentucky-grown corn, 21% wheat, and 9% malted 6-Row barley. That whiskey then spends four to six years mellowing before batching, proofing, and bottling as-is.

Bottom Line:

This was a damn fine sip of whiskey with real depth. I want to experiment with this with a ton of different cocktail combinations.

2. J.T.S. Brown 100 Bottled In Bond Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 5

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $16

The Whiskey:

This is a quality whiskey from Heaven Hill’s expansive bourbon mash bill (78% corn, 12% malted barley, and 10% rye). That means this is the same base juice as Elijah Craig, Evan Williams, several Parker’s Heritages, and Henry McKenna. It’s a bottled-in-bond, meaning it’s from similar stocks to their iconic Heaven Hill Bottled-in-Bond and a few other whiskeys on this list.

Bottom Line:

This had a great profile. It was more than classic. Say it with me, folks. This is quintessential Kentucky bourbon through and through. Drink it however you like to drink your whiskey.

1. Four Roses Small Batch Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey — Taste 11

ABV: 45%

Average Price: $27

The Whiskey:

Four Roses Small Batch Bourbon is a blend of four whiskeys. The blend is split evenly between the high and low-rye bourbons with a focus on “slight spice” and “rich fruit” yeasts — that means OBSK, OESK, OBSO, and OESO Four Roses recipes are in the mix. After six to seven years of aging, the whiskey is blended, cut with soft Kentucky water, and bottled.

Bottom Line:

This was the stand-out — not by far, but clearly so. This is just good goddamn bourbon that’s versatile. Drink it over some rocks. Mix it into your favorite cocktail. Or just sip it neat. You’ll be set no matter which whiskey path you take.

Part 3 — Final Thoughts on the Mainstream Bourbons

This was an illuminating panel. I really enjoyed a lot of these whiskeys. I don’t think I’d skip any of them. And every single one of these whiskeys is relatively cheap and findable. It only proves that you don’t need to chase huge-name-allocated expensive whiskeys all the time. If you’re looking for good to great bourbon, it’s 100% on the shelf right now for an excellent price.

Those platitudes aside, I would focus on the top six or seven bourbons though. Overall, the J.T.S. Brown is a masterpiece that is still somehow under $20. (Yes, I know you can’t get it in every single state). Then there’s the Four Roses Small Batch. That whiskey is just good. You can get it everywhere from CVS to Costco to your local dive. And it’s crazily affordable for the quality of whiskey in that bottle. That’s a win-win, folks.

Sexyy Red has had a great year as one of rap’s newest breakout stars. Her hit single “Pound Town” has received much viral success, leading Nicki Minaj to hop on a remix called “Pound Town 2.” Now, in her latest video, “I’m The Sh*t,” Red is looking back on her epic summer, reflecting on her year as one of the most exciting newcomers.

The video for “I’m The Sh*t” kicks off with Redd opening up various online news headlines (including one from Uproxx), her Instagram followers growing, and a bunch of concert and festival performances (as well as a quick clip from her iconic Uproxx Sessions).

Juxtaposed with the montage is Red twerking inside her home, with stacks of cash in hand.

“He said, ‘Damn, Sexyy Red, you sure are a sight to see’ / Tell your baby daddy you ain’t comin’ home ’cause you with me / All my hoes be hella sexy and you know I stay on fleek,” she raps on the track, maintaining the confidence she’s earned as one of hip-hop’s promising newcomers.

With her remarkable feats, and her unfiltered, unapologetic lyrical craft, it’s safe to say the St. Louis rapper has a promising career ahead of her.

You can see the video for “I’m The Sh*t” above.

ESPN’s NBA coverage has gone through quite the overhaul this offseason. It’s already been announced that the Worldwide Leader got rid of Jeff Van Gundy and Mark Jackson as the analysts in its top broadcast booth, and according to reports, Doris Burke will be elevated and Doc Rivers will be hired alongside Mike Breen for the network’s biggest games.

Things will look a little different before games, too, as Jalen Rose was also let go as part of the collection of layoffs that saw Van Gundy and Jackson leave the network. And while we’re waiting to figure out who will take his place, Andrew Marchand of the New York Post reports that there will be a change in who hosts ESPN’s NBA Finals coverage, as Mike Greenberg will see his workload lightened a bit and Malika Andrews get elevated.

Andrews has a rather busy schedule with ESPN, but in recent years, she’s turned herself into one of the faces of the network’s NBA coverage. Marchand noted that she’ll continue to host the daily program NBA Today, and that she’s been the individual ESPN has trusted to host the editions of NBA Countdown that Greenberg hasn’t hosted. Now, she’ll be elevated to the main broadcast of the Finals, where she’ll be joined by Stephen A. Smith, Michael Wilbon, and as Marchand reports, a to be determined replacement for Rose.

Going to the hospital isn’t fun for anybody, especially when you know you’re going to be there for a few days. None of your stuff is there and you’re left sporting a hospital gown while your real clothes are shoved in a bag somewhere. You’re reliant on the hospital to provide everything from food to shampoo and while they can customize your food to your dietary restrictions, when it comes to hair products, you’re usually stuck with whatever they have.

But all hair isn’t the same and hair products made for straight fine hair won’t work well for curly or kinky hair. Typically people who have kinky coils have to bring products from home but a good bit of hospital stays aren’t planned, so then what?

Katherine Lane found herself in this situation recently. But when she asked for a comb to braid down her hair, she was so surprised by what was brought to her room that she recored a video and uploaded it to TikTok.

Lane turns the camera around and shows a small hospital tub full of hair care products for textured hair that the nurse brought her. There were two bonnets, leave in conditioner, shampoo, a comb to detangle, one to part hair, a pick and more. The selection was impressive to say the least.

It seemed like the patient relations department had some diversity training or maybe the hospital is partnered with a program that provides these items. Commenters were just as excited as Lane.

@the_kitchen_drawer

Like bby whettt! They lit for that! #fypシ゚viral #fyp #hospital #christiannortheast #stl #fypp

“Girl you hit the jackpot! That hospital is dope,” one person wrote.

“Talk about Diversity and Inclusion! I love this,” another said.

“That is so cool! All mine carries is a fine comb and Johnson 2-1 shampoo,” a commenter revealed.

While this video shows how much this option is needed, it’s should be noted that this is something that other hospitals are starting to implement. The University of Maryland Medical System released a statement in February 2023, explaining that they would now carry personal care products for people with kinky hair. A hospital in New York announced their own initiative called the Crown Hair Care Project and several Children’s Hospitals are following suit.

One woman has partnered with over 4,000 hospitals to provide them with proper textured hair care products to better serve their patients with kinky curly hair. Having proper personal products in the hospital can make you feel more cared for and maybe even help you stay be more pleasant. Maybe one day in the near future access to textured hair care items during a hospital stay will be so normal that its an expectation and not the exception.

Everyone needs to know basic life skills no matter what gender we tend to associate with them. Sooner or later, one has to leave the nest, and mommy or daddy won’t be around to do your laundry or fix your flat tire.

Likewise, your spouse won’t always be around to make sure you have a home-cooked meal or help you turn off the water when there’s a leaky faucet. Knowing how to fix things or handle basic domestic tasks also makes economic sense. Most people can’t afford to eat out every night, and plumbers are expensive.

A wonderful sense of freedom comes with being self-sufficient and not having to depend on anyone to get through the day.

A Reddit user named Key_Effective_2260 thought he was doing the right thing by teaching his stepdaughter how to mow the lawn, a chore typically associated with men, but was taken aback when his wife called him a “jerk” for doing so.

He took the question to the Reddit AITA subforum to determine if he was right, and the responses were all in his favor. Key_Effective_2260 is the father of four stepchildren, ages 8 to 15, and their biological father is out of the picture. So the kids now call him “dad.”

“The two oldest are guys, and I taught both of them stereotypical guy chores, fixing cars, cutting grass… etc. I started both of them when they were about 10,” he wrote. “My daughter Annie just turned 11. When she did turn ten I did start teaching her her more hands-off stuff since she was small. She is bigger now and stronger so we had our first lesson on cutting the grass and how a lawnmower works. She did really well ( little worried she would lose control of the mower since she is still short but my fears were unfounded). She did the whole yard and I’m quite proud of her.”

The dad seemed to be a good parent by teaching his stepdaughter how to mow the lawn. It’s a skill she’ll likely need if she ever owns a house, and it’s an excellent way for her to help her parents as she grows older.

“My wife had a fit though, she got in an argument about teaching her guy chores,” he said. “That she is too young ( the other two kids started before her age). I told her that she needs to stop babying her and that she needs to know how s**t works. She called me a jerk and left.”

The post received over 2,000 comments, and they unanimously supported the dad in the argument.

“Neither feminism nor misogyny will help you cook when you’re hungry, nor change a tire when you’re stranded. These are just general life skills everyone should know. I, too, wish my dad taught me ‘guy chores,'” Hellhoundsatemybaby wrote.

“Chores are chores. There aren’t guy or gal chores. Every skill is important in life,” 000-Hontaru_Tomoe responded. “You are teaching her how to manage her own household. I don’t mow these days…but I absolutely can. And that matters,” PracticalPimrose added. “Just like boys need to be taught laundry and cooking because they need the skills. Full stop.”

In the end, equality is all about ensuring everyone has the same opportunity to care for themselves and those they love in this world without being held back by prejudice and arbitrary rules. It’s comforting to see that a large group of people agree that teaching young girls to do chores, usually associated with men, is a great way to help them become independent women.

Fear is a finicky beast.

When my oldest daughter was in the deepest throes of a clinical phobia, her fear overtook everything. She practically became a hermit at 16, afraid to go anywhere. Thankfully, we found an excellent therapist who taught her how to tame her fear, to gently manage it, to approach it in such a way that allowed it to dissipate instead of continuing to dominate her every thought.

People who struggle with anxiety or fear, whether it stems from trauma or wonky brain wiring, understand how overwhelming it can be. Fear and anxiety can feel incapacitating at times, making you want to run far away or curl into the tiniest ball and disappear. But neither of those things actually helps. In fact, the first thing my daughter’s therapist told her is that avoidance always make anxiety worse.

Instead, she taught my daughter to approach that fearful voice in her head. After all, that voice was hers, and it desperately wanted to be heard and understood. Ignoring it, avoiding it, trying to distract it way simply made it yell louder. “Maybe you’re right,” she would say to that voice, even though it terrified her to do so. “Maybe you’re right, and maybe you’re wrong. Let’s just wait and see what happens”—that became her mantra to her own brain, and as counterintuitive as it seemed, it worked.

I could explain the science of the amygdala—the fight-or-flight center of the brain that acts on instinct—and why the “Maybe you’re right” approach helped retrain it not to overreact. But an artist has created a visual series that describes it in different terms that may resonate more with people who have experienced embracing fear.

Cécile Carre posted her series of paintings about fear on Facebook and they’ve been shared more than 12,000 times. As with any art, interpretations will naturally vary, but judging from the comments, people dealing with anxiety, fear, or unhealed trauma may find some truth in it.

The first image shows a girl curled in a fetal position with her back to a big, scary monster bearing down on her, with a word painted beneath it.

“Everyday…”

As the girl turns and faces the monster, it immediately looks less scary. Still big, still towering over her, but not terrifying.

“…Trying…”

As the girl walks toward the monster, she starts looking bigger. The monster transforms into a mirror image of herself, the terror of it literally melting away.

“…to watch…”

And then it becomes a child looking for comfort rushing into her arms. Even its color begins to blend with her own.

“…and embrace…”

And then a baby, purely in need of nurturing, wrapped lovingly in her arms.

“…my fear…”

And then…nothing. Just a simple, calm little diamond where the girl was.

“…until it disappears completely…”

The work of turning toward what you fear is not simple or easy, and it may take therapy, medication, or other methods to treat mental illness effectively. But this series of paintings shows what many experience when they stop avoiding and start approaching the roaring voice that tells them to be afraid. Though it’s thoroughly terrifying to make that initial turn—I saw it in my own daughter, and it took a lot of effort—seeing the beast shrink down and eventually disappear is an incredible gift.

Thank you, Cécile Carre, for illustrating that so beautifully. You can order her prints here.

This article originally appeared on 03.06.20

Imagine retiring early and spending the rest of your life on a cruise ship visiting exotic locations, meeting interesting people and eating delectable food. It sounds fantastic, but surely it’s a billionaire’s fantasy, right?

Not according to Angelyn Burk, 53, and her husband Richard. They’re living their best life hopping from ship to ship for around $100 a night, depending on the cruise. “Cruise costs vary quite a bit, our goal is to average about $100 per night, for the couple, or less across and entire calendar year,” Richard told Upworthy.

The Burks have called cruise ships their home since May 2021 and have no plans to go back to their lives as landlubbers. Angelyn took her first cruise in 1992 and it changed her goals in life forever.

“Our original plan was to stay in different countries for a month at a time and eventually retire to cruise ships as we got older,” Angelyn told 7 News. But a few years back, Angelyn crunched the numbers and realized they could start much sooner than expected.

“We love to travel and we were searching for a way to continuously travel in our retirement that made financial sense,” she said. They looked into deals they could find through loyalty memberships and then factored in the potential sale price of their home and realized their dream was totally affordable.

The rough math makes sense. If the couple hits their goal of spending $100 per night to live on a cruise ship, that’s $36,500 a year. Currently, the average price of a home in Tukwila, Washington—where the couple has a house—is about $607,000. Let’s say you moved there today, put down 20% and financed the rest, the mortgage would cost you around $44,000 a year.

Plus, on a cruise ship, the couple doesn’t have to pay for groceries.

The Burks are able to live their dream because they’ve spent a lifetime being responsible. “We have been frugal all our lives to save and invest in order to achieve our goal,” she says. “We are not into materialistic things but experiences.”

Angelyn says that cruising takes the stress out of travel. “It is leisurely travel without the complications of booking hotels, restaurants, and transportation while staying within our budget,” she told 7 News. The couple travels lightly with just two suitcases between them and if they need anything, they just buy it on the ship or in the next port.

The one thing to consider before embarking on a never-ending cruise is COVID-19. The coronavirus is easily spread in close quarters and a cruise ship that recently docked in Seattle had 100 people on board who tested positive for the virus. The CDC recommends that people get vaccinated before going on a cruise and that immunocompromised people should consult with their physicians before traveling.

Richard told Upworthy that he believes COVID-19 safety is still very important and has had both his shots and a booster. “I would suggest wearing a mask at all times when out in public no matter whether on a ship, in a movie theater, at a restaurant or even meeting with friends inside or outside,” he said.

After leaving their jobs and the mainland behind, the Burks completed a 21-day cruise via the Panama canal. They look forward to a 50-day cruise around the Adriatic Sea, taking in the sights of Europe, as well as a 51-day cruise from Seattle to Sydney, Australia.

The Burks’ favorite destinations, no matter how they get there, are Italy, Canada, Iceland and the Bahamas, but their ultimate favorite is Singapore.

Looking to give it all up and go on a permanent vacation just like the Burks? Angelyn has some advice for those wanting to get started.

This article was updated on May 17, 2022, after a conversation with Richard Burk.

The hosts of our podcast, “Upworthy Weekly” had a pretty funny take on the story.

This article originally appeared on 05.11.22

Writer and illustrator Aubrey Hirsch jokingly asked her followers on Twitter what’s a “universal thing that most men like?” because she was writing a comic and “just realized I don’t actually know any men in real life.” The tweet inspired an avalanche of funny responses.

Hirsch is the author of “Why We Never Talk About Sugar,” a collection of short stories, and her work has appeared in The New York Times, Child, American Short Fiction and Time.

The interesting thing about the responses is that they weren’t the typical stereotypes about men. She didn’t get a ton of people talking about sex, sports or toxic masculinity. Instead, there were a lot of folks that mentioned very specific male behaviors as if they were talking about a bizarre species they discovered in the wild.

There were two things that got the most comments on her post. First, men enjoy throwing heavy objects into bodies of water. Preferably, the larger the rock, the deeper the body of water and from the highest vantage point possible.

The other is watching construction sites. Evidently, the phenomenon is so popular in Italy that there is a specific word for this type of person in Italian.

Here are 19 of the best responses to the question, “What’s a universal thing that most men like?”

Whatu2019s a universal thing that most men like? Iu2019m making a comic but I just realized I donu2019t actually know any men in real life.

— Aubrey Hirsch (@Aubrey Hirsch)
1647902733

1.

It’s so common in Italy that there’s a name for ithttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umarell

— James Billot (@James Billot)
1647938793

When asked why men enjoy watching construction sites so much, a poster on Reddit named justdaps had the perfect response. “I just find it really satisfying and interesting to see the process behind things being built,” he wrote.

2.

https://t.co/SpjqBiViFr

— Daniel Larkin 🌹🏴 (@larkin721) March 22, 2022

3.

Me: Thinking intently trying to come up with a good answer.nAlso me seeing this tweet: Ooh, yeah, this is a good one. A good deep sounding sploosh with a big splash. Yeah, this is a good one.nWe aren’t complicated.

— Michael Miller (@Michael Miller)
1647967400

pic.twitter.com/33W9wqOYP4

— Uhtred Ragnarson (@Iskander861) March 22, 2022

Skipping a stone an unexpected number of times on a lake

— Van Weasel (@vanweezer) March 21, 2022

4.

standing while watching tvhttps://t.co/RJBUGPyJBw

— Russ Shanahan (@russshanahan) March 23, 2022

I have seen dudes do this and I have done it plenty of times myself. I usually stand while watching TV when I want to really focus on what’s happening and do not want to be distracted. This usually happens while watching sporting events or the news. It’s also a great way to use your body language to let other people know that there is something very important happening on the television.

5.

https://t.co/mlTq6HmYBJ

— Randojoeblow (@randojoeblow) March 21, 2022

6.

My work life got a lot easier when I started saying “I don’t know enough to have an opinion on this subject”. Life changing.

— PG (@PG)
1647907387

7.

A man will buy a knife, and if there is another man, he will ask to hold and admire it for 4 seconds and then give it back and say: “Nice.”

— Nathan (Elemeno P) (@realNathanWheat) March 22, 2022

8.

https://t.co/b56zP1KrTx

— AreaMantis, Hat Guy 👒 (@AreaMantis) March 23, 2022

9.

If a guy walks under a low hanging sign he will jump up and try to tap the bottom of the sign as he passes.

Guys like being asked to open jars.

Power tools. Give a guy a new drill and he’ll wander around looking for stuff that needs holes.

— Alan Morgan (@lettersndigits) March 21, 2022

When we do this 99% of the time we’re pretending that the sign is 10 feet high and that we have the ability to dunk a basketball. There are two types of men, those that can dunk and mere mortals.

10.

Memorizing favorite lines from their favorite movies, then reciting them with their friends (or even strangers) who’ve also memorized them, doing entire scenes. Extra points for using accents. A true source of unparalleled amusement & male bonding.

— cautiously optimistic 🙏🏼✌🏻 (@BethCal84918882) March 22, 2022

As a man, this one is near and dear to my heart. I can’t tell you the number of hours I have spent with my friends just throwing lines from “The Big Lebowski” back and forth.

“Nice marmot.”

“The Dude abides.”

“Say what you want about the tenets of national socialism, Dude. At least it’s an ethos.”

A movie that’s running up the ranks of being among the most quotable is another dude buddy pic, “Once Upon a Time … In Hollywood.”

“All right, that’s too hot. Anything we can do about that heat?” … “Rick, it’s a flamethrower.”

11.

Right, no-one else has posted this yet, I know my duty: pic.twitter.com/HPwd8qwgUP

— Katie (@ZiziFothSi) March 22, 2022

12.

Talking about their athletic glory days pic.twitter.com/9LmaG2oEiD

— Ben Ross (@BenRossTweets) March 21, 2022

13.

Dining tables made with resin pic.twitter.com/3WQOjEjvcK

— 🌹Robin Isomaa🐕 (@RobinIsomaa) March 22, 2022

14.

Using tie down straps to secure a load in the back of a truck, then twanging the straps and going “that’s not going anywhere”

— Gom Jabbarjaw (@SensitiveWigi) March 22, 2022

15.

When my dad had to chainsaw branches off a dead tree, neighbor men just gathered with various saws from all corners of the subdivision. It was like a siren song.

— Liz (@WarmestRegardss) March 21, 2022

16.

Posing for photos while holding fish.

— Jill Filipovic (@JillFilipovic) March 22, 2022

17.

Given a wood fire and a long branch, 100 of 100 men will find a reason to poke the fire every few minutes. Just, you know, to make sure things are burning evenly.

— Patrick Fessenbecker (@pfessenbecker) March 21, 2022

18.

explaining things to women

— ˗ˏˋ Hayley DeRoche ˎˊ˗ (@hayleyderoche) March 21, 2022

Unfortunately, this is true and men do far too much of it.

19.

When shopping at a grocery store, leaning forward with your forearms on the handle of the carriage, while you walk up and down the aisles

— Joe DellaGatta (@JoeDellaGatta) March 23, 2022

Evidently, after reading the responses, Hirsch knew what was going to happen next. No need to feel ashamed about going viral. It just means you created something that people love.

I really feel for the poor Buzzfeed intern currently searching for the perfect gifs to turn this into an article that will support 8 ad spots.

— Aubrey Hirsch (@aubreyhirsch) March 22, 2022

This story was originally published on 3.42.22.

One the more mysterious aspects of being human is our sense of intuition. This “sixth sense” isn’t something we can see or measure, but many people have experienced it in some form or fashion. Maybe it comes as a strong feeling that something isn’t right, or that we or someone else should or shouldn’t do something. It can be hard to read—not every feeling we get is truly our intuition—but there are plenty of examples of people trusting their instincts and being glad they did.

One such story has gone viral on TikTok. Jessica Higgs, a mom who works as an Instacart grocery delivery person, shared a story in an emotional video that illustrates the importance of listening to that inner voice when it prompts you to make sure someone is OK.

“I just want to start this off by saying if you see something, say something,” Higgs said.

She explained how she had done an Instacart order the previous day for a daughter who was ordering for her older dad who couldn’t shop for himself. She said she was going the extra mile like she always does for her customers, and that the daughter told her to just drop the groceries on the porch and he’d get them. That’s what Higgs would usually do.

“I get there and something was telling me no, you gotta help this man out,” she said. “He came out, and I was like OK let me help you, and I got the groceries. You’re not supposed to go into someone’s house, but I used my judgment and I brought the groceries inside and put them down wherever he wanted me to put them down. You’re not supposed to, but I did. And you’re supposed to just take a picture and leave, and I could not just leave.”

@jessicahiggs3

@Instacart #28DaysOfEucerin #fyp

Higgs noticed that the man looked really sick and she was really concerned. A voice in her head said, “You gotta say something. You gotta say something, Jess.” Rather than mark the order as complete, she messaged the man’s daughter and told her that it was really unprofessional to say something like this, but she felt like her dad wasn’t doing well. “There’s a propane tank in there,” she told the woman. “I was in there maybe five feet and I got dizzy. There’s got to be a leak. He might not be doing good because of this leak.”

The woman said she would send her son over to check it out and Higgs left. The woman changed her tip from $14 to $100, which Higgs appreciated, but the message she sent her the next morning was a much greater reward for her going the extra mile.

“Thank you so much, once my son went to check on my dad it turned out it was definitely leaking,” she wrote. “You definitely saved my dad and my younger son’s life!!!”

Through tears, Higgs said, “I’m just an Instacart worker, but if you see something, say something. I did and I’m so happy I did.”

Higgs’ TikTok has been viewed more than 15 million times and has been shared widely on social media. It has also attracted the attention of big companies.

Royal Caribbean Cruises shared a TikTok video of its own praising Higgs for her heroic act and offering her and her family a seven-day cruise anywhere in the world. “Cause even heroes need a vacation,” the company wrote.

@royalcaribbean

Stitch with @jessicahiggs3 – cause even heroes need a vacation. Thanks @captaincruiseguy

Old Navy connected with her and arranged a shopping spree where she got to model several new outfits. People Magazine commented, “You’re literally a HERO! Good job trusting your instincts. 💕” Even TikTok itself wrote, “You are amazing ❤️thank you for sharing this with all of us.”

Lots of commenters also pointed out that she’s not “just an Instacart worker.” Her work is important, she’s providing a needed service and any job done in a spirit of helping others should not be minimized. If she hadn’t been there doing her job well, that man may not be here. Never underestimate the difference each of us can make by the simple act of looking out for one another, friend and stranger alike.

Higgs’ heartfelt story touched millions, and she’s being rightly rewarded for listening to her heart and going out of her way to help someone. Gotta love seeing good things come to people doing good. Well done, Jessica Higgs.

This article originally appeared on 02.08.22

Animals can be far cleverer than we give them credit for, especially creatures we don’t think of as having distinct personalities. Most of us expect cats and dogs to do show us their unique quirks, but what about a flying squirrel?

A video is making its way around the internet that has people giggling over the dramatic antics of a large pet flying squirrel. It includes no narration explaining what’s happening and no context—it just shows a flying squirrel repeatedly faking its own death by broom.

That’s right. Death by broom. And from the way it looks, the little bugger came up with the idea on its own and made multiple attempts to create a convincing crime scene.

This is one you just have to see.

Twitter user @Birrellebee wrote that the squirrel “faked his own death, and created a whole crime scene…for attention. I think I’m in love.”

Whether the squirrel really did this just for attention or for some other reason isn’t clear, but no one seems to offering a more plausible explanation for it.

Watch:

u201cThis flying squirrel faked his own death, and created a whole crime sceneu2026for attention. I think Iu2019m in love. u201d

— Sarah Beeud83dudc1d (@Sarah Beeud83dudc1d)
1685808791

While some people have expressed understandable concern over flying squirrels living indoors as pets, we don’t know what the living situation here really is. Maybe the squirrel was injured and rescued. Maybe it can’t survive in the wild. We simply don’t know.

What we do know is that this adorable rodent deserves an Oscar for its performance. The way it gracefully somersaults right into position. The placing of the broomstick on its neck and splaying itself out flat on its back. The checking to see if anyone is looking. The repositioning of the murder weapon multiple times to figure out which one seems more believable.

Was that really what it was doing? Who knows. But it was a genuinely incredible performance nonetheless.

And of course, the people of the internet didn’t disappoint in the comments.

u201c@pimlius @nycsouthpaw Well, maybe he shouldu2019ve thought of that, befor being such a wee drama queen. Nobody likes an attention whore.u201d

— Sarah Beeud83dudc1d (@Sarah Beeud83dudc1d)
1685808791

u201c@RIDICULO_pathy @BirrelleBee I love this squirrel ud83dude02ud83eudd70u201d

— Sarah Beeud83dudc1d (@Sarah Beeud83dudc1d)
1685808791

“@GreigBeck @BirrelleBee @MAllanScott It’s an insurance scam.”

u201c@GreigBeck @BirrelleBee @MAllanScott Itu2019s an insurance scam.u201d

— Sarah Beeud83dudc1d (@Sarah Beeud83dudc1d)
1685808791

u201c@Marx_Bros_Thing @BirrelleBee Sameu201d

— Sarah Beeud83dudc1d (@Sarah Beeud83dudc1d)
1685808791

This article originally appeared on 6.6.23