GoneTrending

We all know that Americans pay more for healthcare than every other country in the world. But how much more?

According an American expatriate who shared the story of his ER visit in a Taiwanese hospital, Americans are being taken to the cleaners when we go to the doctor. We live in a country that claims to be the greatest in the world, but where an emergency trip to the hospital can easily bankrupt someone.

Kevin Bozeat had that fact in mind when he fell ill while living in Taiwan and needed to go to the hospital. He didn’t have insurance and he had no idea how much it was going to cost him. He shared the experience in a now-viral Facebook post he called “The Horrors of Socialized Medicine: A first hand experience.”

---

Bozeat started vomiting one evening and couldn’t stop, unable to even keep water down. “My symptoms showed no signs of abating,” he wrote. “At this point I had to seek medical treatment, I knew I had to go to the hospital.”

“I wanted to avoid it,” he added. “I had no idea how different Taiwanese hospitals would be, whether I would be able to find an English speaking doctor, or what it would cost me (my US health insurance has lapsed and I don’t qualify for Taiwanese NHI).”

Taiwan’s National Health Insurance (NHI) is a single-payer system that covers all residents of Taiwan. Foreigners can take part in the system immediately upon obtaining a work permit, or after six months of living in the country. Bozeat was a student and hadn’t lived there long enough to be eligible yet.

But he needn’t have worried.

Bozeat’s bill for his entire hospital stay was a fraction of many insured American’s copays for emergency services.

And it’s not like he received substandard service for what he paid.

“My Taiwanese roommate called a taxi and took me to the ER at NTU Hospital,” Bozeat wrote. “I was immediately checked-in by an English speaking nurse. Within 20 minutes I was given IV fluids and anti-emetics. They took blood tests and did an ultrasound to ensure it wasn’t gall stones or appendicitis. From there I was given a diagnosis: a particularly severe case of Acute Viral Gastroenteritis (aka the stomach flu). After about 3 hours on an IV, I began to feel slightly better, my nausea disappeared and my stomach began to calm down.”

Bozeat was discharged with a prescription for anti-emetics and pain medication, and after a few days he was back to normal. This is when most of us would start panicking as we wait for the hospital bills to start arriving. But Bozeat was pleasantly surprised:

“The bill for the ER visit?…US $80.00. Eighty. American. Dollars. Out of pocket. Full cost. No discounts. No insurance. At one of the best hospitals in Taiwan. And if I had NHI, it would have been a fraction of that. This could have easily cost me hundreds or even thousands in the US without insurance. But here in Taiwan I was able to receive speedy, quality care comparable to what I would have gotten in a US hospital for relatively small amount of money.”

And it’s not like he received substandard service for what he paid.

“My Taiwanese roommate called a taxi and took me to the ER at NTU Hospital,” Bozeat wrote. “I was immediately checked-in by an English speaking nurse. Within 20 minutes I was given IV fluids and anti-emetics. They took blood tests and did an ultrasound to ensure it wasn’t gall stones or appendicitis. From there I was given a diagnosis: a particularly severe case of Acute Viral Gastroenteritis (aka the stomach flu). After about 3 hours on an IV, I began to feel slightly better, my nausea disappeared and my stomach began to calm down.”

Bozeat was discharged with a prescription for anti-emetics and pain medication, and after a few days he was back to normal. This is when most of us would start panicking as we wait for the hospital bills to start arriving. But Bozeat was pleasantly surprised:

“The bill for the ER visit?…US $80.00. Eighty. American. Dollars. Out of pocket. Full cost. No discounts. No insurance. At one of the best hospitals in Taiwan. And if I had NHI, it would have been a fraction of that. This could have easily cost me hundreds or even thousands in the US without insurance. But here in Taiwan I was able to receive speedy, quality care comparable to what I would have gotten in a US hospital for relatively small amount of money.”

I did some research, and the cost of living overall in Taiwan is about half what it is here. There is not a hospital that I know of in the U.S. where you can be admitted and discharged for anything close to $160, even for something as simple as a bee sting. (Seriously, an ER visit for a bee sting can set you back $12,000 in the U.S.)

Bozeat also pointed out that the taxes that pay for Taiwan’s health system are not that high.

Responding to the common complaint that we’d have to raise taxes to pay for universal healthcare, Bozeat continued his list:

“5: Yes, taxes pay for the healthcare here. No, they are not high. Try for yourself: The formula for the NHI monthly premium contribution for a single employed adult is: [your monthly income] x 0.0469 (4.69%) x 0.3 (30%) = Your monthly out-of-pocket healthcare premium.”

I did the math for a $60,000 per year income—it comes to $70.53/month. [Sigh.]

But Bozeat wasn’t done:

“6: It’s not perfect. Not everything is 100% covered. I had a good experience, but Im sure many people have had [non-financial] medical horror stories here.

7: This system exists because the Taiwanese government believes that healthcare is a right for all of its citizens, rather than a privilege for those who can afford it. Those aren’t my words, thats what the Ministry of Health said in its English language brochure. Every Taiwanese citizen and foreign permanent resident is entitled to, and required to enroll in the National Health Insurance Program (NHI). Everyone is covered, regardless of employment status, no one is uninsured, no one ever goes bankrupt due to medical bills.”

And the quality of care does not appear to be compromised in this system, either.

“I have yet to meet a Taiwanese person who wasn’t satisfied with, or even outright proud of their healthcare system,” Bozeat wrote. “My expat friends praise it, even those from countries with universal healthcare systems of their own. “

But Bozeat wasn’t done:”6: It’s not perfect. Not everything is 100% covered. I had a good experience, but Im sure many people have had [non-financial] medical horror stories here.7: This system exists because the Taiwanese government believes that healthcare is a right for all of its citizens, rather than a privilege for those who can afford it. Those aren’t my words, thats what the Ministry of Health said in its English language brochure. Every Taiwanese citizen and foreign permanent resident is entitled to, and required to enroll in the National Health Insurance Program (NHI). Everyone is covered, regardless of employment status, no one is uninsured, no one ever goes bankrupt due to medical bills.”
And the quality of care does not appear to be compromised in this system, either.”I have yet to meet a Taiwanese person who wasn’t satisfied with, or even outright proud of their healthcare system,” Bozeat wrote. “My expat friends praise it, even those from countries with universal healthcare systems of their own.”

This article originally appeared on 02.28.19

Fifty years ago, when Paul McCartney announced he had left the Beatles, the news dashed the hopes of millions of fans, while fueling false reunion rumors that persisted well into the new decade.

In a press release on April 10, 1970 for his first solo album, “McCartney,” he leaked his intention to leave. In doing so, he shocked his three bandmates.

The Beatles had symbolized the great communal spirit of the era. How could they possibly come apart?

---

Few at the time were aware of the underlying fissures. The power struggles in the group had been mounting at least since their manager, Brian Epstein, died in August of 1967.

‘Paul Quits the Beatles’

Was McCartney’s “announcement” official? His album appeared on April 17, and its press packet included a mock interview. In it, McCartney is asked, “Are you planning a new album or single with the Beatles?”

His response? “No.”

But he didn’t say whether the separation might prove permanent. The Daily Mirror nonetheless framed its headline conclusively: “Paul Quits the Beatles.”

The others worried this could hurt sales and sent Ringo as a peacemaker to McCartney’s London home to talk him down from releasing his solo album ahead of the band’s “Let It Be” album and film, which were slated to come out in May. Without any press present, McCartney shouted Ringo off his front stoop.

Lennon had kept quiet

Lennon, who had been active outside the band for months, felt particularly betrayed.

The previous September, soon after the band released “Abbey Road,” he had asked his bandmates for a “divorce.” But the others convinced him not to go public to prevent disrupting some delicate contract negotiations.

Still, Lennon’s departure seemed imminent: He had played the Toronto Rock ‘n’ Roll Festival with his Plastic Ono Band in September 1969, and on Feb. 11, 1970, he performed a new solo track, “Instant Karma,” on the popular British TV show “Top of the Pops.” Yoko Ono sat behind him, knitting while blindfolded by a sanitary napkin.

In fact, Lennon behaved more and more like a solo artist, until McCartney countered with his own eponymous album. He wanted Apple to release this solo debut alongside the group’s new album, “Let It Be,” to dramatize the split.

By beating Lennon to the announcement, McCartney controlled the story and its timing, and undercut the other three’s interest in keeping it under wraps as new product hit stores.

Ray Connolly, a reporter at the Daily Mail, knew Lennon well enough to ring him up for comment. When I interviewed Connolly in 2008, he told me about their conversation.

Lennon was dumbfounded and enraged by the news. He had let Connolly in on his secret about leaving the band at his Montreal Bed-In in December 1969, but asked him to keep it quiet. Now he lambasted Connolly for not leaking it sooner.

“Why didn’t you write it when I told you in Canada at Christmas!” he exclaimed to Connolly, who reminded him that the conversation had been off the record. “You’re the f–king journalist, Connolly, not me,” snorted Lennon.

“We were all hurt [McCartney] didn’t tell us what he was going to do,” Lennon later told Rolling Stone. “Jesus Christ! He gets all the credit for it! I was a fool not to do what Paul did, which was use it to sell a record…”

It all falls apart

This public fracas had been bubbling under the band’s cheery surface for years. Timing and sales concealed deeper arguments about creative control and the return to live touring.

In January 1969, the group had started a roots project tentatively titled “Get Back.” It was supposed to be a back-to-the-basics recording without the artifice of studio trickery. But the whole venture was shelved as a new recording, “Abbey Road,” took shape.

When “Get Back” was eventually revived, Lennon – behind McCartney’s back – brought in American producer Phil Spector, best known for girl group hits like “Be My Baby,” to salvage the project. But this album was supposed to be band only – not embroidered with added strings and voices – and McCartney fumed when Spector added a female choir to his song “The Long and Winding Road.”

“Get Back” – which was renamed “Let it Be” – nonetheless moved forward. Spector mixed the album, and a cut of the feature film was readied for summer.

McCartney’s announcement and release of his solo album effectively short-circuited the plan. By announcing the breakup, he launched his solo career in advance of “Let It Be,” and nobody knew how it might disrupt the official Beatles’ project.

Throughout the remainder of 1970, fans watched in disbelief as the “Let It Be” movie portrayed the hallowed Beatles circling musical doldrums, bickering about arrangements and killing time running through oldies. The film finished with an ironic triumph – the famous live set on the roof of their Apple headquarters during which the band played “Get Back,” “Don’t Let Me Down” and a joyous “One After 909.”

The album, released on May 8, performed well and spawned two hit singles – the title track and “The Long and Winding Road” – but the group never recorded together again.

Their fans hoped against hope that four solo Beatles might someday find their way back to the thrills that had enchanted audiences for seven years. These rumors seemed most promising when McCartney joined Lennon for a Los Angeles recording session in 1974 with Stevie Wonder. But while they all played on one another’s solo efforts, the four never played a session together again.

At the beginning of 1970, autumn’s “Come Together”/”Something” single from “Abbey Road” still floated in the Billboard top 20; the “Let It Be” album and film helped extend fervor beyond what the papers reported. For a long time, the myth of the band endured on radio playlists and across several greatest hits compilations, but when John Lennon sang “The dream is over…” at the end of his own 1970 solo debut, “John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band,” few grasped the lyrics’ implacable truth.

Fans and critics chased every sliver of hope for the “next” Beatles, but few came close to recreating the band’s magic. There were prospects – first bands like Three Dog Night, the Flaming Groovies, Big Star and the Raspberries; later, Cheap Trick, the Romantics and the Knack – but these groups only aimed at the same heights the Beatles had conquered, and none sported the range, songwriting ability or ineffable chemistry of the Liverpool quartet.

We’ve been living in the world without Beatles ever since.

Tim Riley is Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director for Journalism, Emerson College

This article was originally published by The Conversation on 4.10.20. You can read it here.

It hasn’t even been a year since the beloved series “Ted Lasso,” which told the story of a kind hearted, folksy football coach and his team of believers, came to its final episode.

And yet, since the series ended, fans have yearned to have any type of chance to see some of their favorite characters come together again—which is what makes a surprise rock-n-roll duet between Jason Sudeikis, Ted Lasso himself, and Hannah Waddigham, who played boss and bestie Rebecca Welton.

A video quickly making the rounds online starts with Sudeikis sharing the stage with fellow “Saturday Night Live” star Will Forte, telling him “there’s nobody I would rather be singing this song with. ”

---

Then the recognizable guitar intro to “Shallow,” originally sung by Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga for the 2018 film “A Star is Born,” begins to play. Cue crowd applause.

Sudeikis, singing Cooper’s part, completely delivers the perfect blend of twang and rock needed for the tune—but then has one more trick up his sleeve. For just as Forte opens up his mouth to sing in place of Lady Gaga, a woman’s voice is heard instead.

Not just any woman, in fact. But ‘Ted Lasso’ costar and Broadway legend Hannah Waddingham.

Waddingham playfully shoos Forte away to take her rightful place on stage, where both she and Sudeikis finish out the iconic song.

Needless to say, viewers were beside themselves. Especially “Ted Lasso” fans.

“I can never ever properly put into words how much this video (of two of my LITERAL favorite human beings from my VERY favorite show) brings me the most joy I may have ever felt. Thank you times infinity for this!!!!!!” one person wrote on Youtube.

Another added, “This is perfect in all levels! 💜💜💜”

Perhaps the only thing better than seeing these two widely loved actors singing together, is the reason behind their surprise duet. Sudeikis was hosting for THUNDERGONG!, a benefit concert held by Steps of Faith, which helps amputees gain access to prosthetic limbs.

Brendan Hunt, aka “Coach Beard,” also made a guest appearance, making it a wholesome “Ted Lasso” reunion for a great cause.Watch. And enjoy Waddingham’s out-of-this-world belting ability:

If you’d like to make a donation, text STEPS to 44321 or visit https://stepsoffaith.kindful.com.

Jimmy Kimmel Live! returns this week with a slate of guests including Paul Dano, Nick Offerman, and Seth Rogen; Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, and Juno Temple; Julianne Moore and Glenn Howerton; and Emma Stone and Nathan Fielder. The musical guests include 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne, D4vd, The Hives, and Laufey. You can check out more on the musical guests for the week of November 13-17 below.

2 Chainz & Lil Wayne — November 13

Over five years after they first teased their reunion, 2 Chainz and Lil Wayne are releasing Welcome 2 ColleGrove, the follow-up to their original 2016 joint album Collegrove. Led by the single “Presha,” the album is due later this week.

D4vd — November 14

Fresh from his impressive performance at Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival this past weekend, the genre-agnostic Houston singer’s public profile has been rapidly growing courtesy of breakout singles “Romantic Homicide” and “Here With Me.” With two EPs under his belt this year and enough buzz to start a honey farm, D4vd (pronounced “David”) is a star on the rise.

The Hives — November 15

Speaking of bees, The Hives recently released their sixth studio album in August. The Death Of Randy Fitzsimmons was the band’s first release in over 11 years. The Swedish rockers are also granting access to their set via 1ota:

Laufey — November 16

Speaking of Scandinavia, Icelandic jazz singer Laufey takes the stage Thursday, perhaps performing her new single “Christmas Dreaming” to kick off the holiday season. If not, she’s got an impressive catalog of lovely songs that all have star-making potential, including one with D4vd, “This Is How It Feels.”

Everyone is new to Earth at some point in their lives. There’s just no getting around it. Whether you’re a human, a pig or an ant, at some point you were either hatched or born into a place that already existed before you arrived so you spend a little bit of time figuring things out. Granted, human children take a little longer to get the lay of the land, but that, “I’m new here” experience doesn’t end with homosapiens.

One Australian Sheppard puppy found out in the most amusing way possible that some stairs are a little trickier than others to navigate. Robin Bilby shared a video to social media of the spotted pup, named King attempting to follow his older dog siblings up the basement steps but somehow kept winding up back at the bottom. He was very determined and so was his tiny herd.

Every time he wound up right where he started, his siblings would run back down the stairs to try again.

---

They were attempting to show the confused puppy how to get up the steps but he just couldn’t do it. If you’ve ever been in a basement then you likely know that many basement steps don’t have backs to them so King was just getting up two steps then diving through the opening.

Surely, he thought he was making progress but there were about 10 more stairs he needed to climb.

The brown dog vocally expressed her frustration as she repeatedly walked the steps to show him how to do the seemingly easy task. The video has gone mega viral with over 4.6 million likes and more than 28.9 million views. Commenters were amused by King’s confusion but also felt sorry for the little guy.

“King is going places. Not upstairs, but places,” someone writes.

“The one teaching was like ‘just stop and pay attention, I swear if you jump through the stairs again…,” one person comments with a crying laughing emoji.

“Other dogs: KING!!! Why do we have to go through this every day with you?? King: I KEEP GETTING SUCKED INTO THE PORTAL!!!,” a commenter jokes.

Poor puppy, so glad he finally figured it out even if the dog teaching him was ready to pick him up and carry him up the steps. You can watch his journey through the portal below.

@robinjbilby

King is trying to figure out how the basement stairs work. 😂 #australianshepherdsoftiktok #puppiesoftiktok #puppytraining @frankbilby1

These days, certain shows have too many seasons, while other series are abandoned despite being critically acclaimed with a slew of dedicated fans. So even though The Great had a star-studded cast, witty writing, and cliffhangers to resolve, Hulu decided the best thing would be to let it die an undeserving death. This is the streaming era!

The beloved satire series ran for three seasons and followed Elle Fanning as Russian monarch Catherine the Great alongside Nicholas Hoult as Peter III, who she desperately wants dead. We will never know how those marriage counseling sessions panned out, in the end.

Now that the dust has settled after its cancellation announcement, Fanning took to Instagram to reflect on the show’s three seasons. Alongside a carousel of behind-the-scenes images, she wrote:

Scrolling down memory lane… I haven’t been able to properly share my thoughts after the news of The Great’s cancellation. This show has meant the world to me. The experiences shared. The memories I’ll never forget. Tony McNamara is a certified genius. The last 3 seasons have shaped me. Through playing Catherine I discovered parts of myself I didn’t know I had. I love every crew member and cast member deeply. And although I won’t get to lace up my corset one last time, I am forever proud of what we accomplished together. In my mind Catherine is left ‘shaking it all night long’ finally stepping into the leader we always knew she would become, a multitude of lovers thrown in for good measure, many macaroons, vodka shots, long winded speeches, battles of wit, and of course HUUU-F*CKING-ZZAHHHHSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hoult then commented on her post, praising the actress for her work on the series. “Too many brilliant moments on and off screen. YOU ARE THE GREATEST ” he replied.

Now, we have to hope that Bridgerton and The Buccaneers are enough to keep the corset industry in business for another decade or so.

(Via People)

The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon returns this week with a slate of guests including Dwayne Johnson, Taika Waititi, Jason Momoa, Elizabeth Debicki, and Scarlett Johansson. The musical guests include Cat Power, Robert Glasper with SiR & Alex Isley, and maybe even Black Thought. You can check out more on the musical guests for the week of November 13 – November 17 below.

Cat Power — Monday, November 13

The 30-year veteran of indie rock has a new album out called Cat Power Sings Dylan: The 1966 Royal Albert Hall Concert in which she faithfully reproduces the entire titular concert song-for-song — including an audience member shouting “Judas!” which someone actually did during Dylan’s concert. From “Mr. Tambourine Man” to “Just Like a Woman,” Power pays reverent homage to one of her musical inspirations.

Robert Glasper w/ SiR & Alex Isley — Tuesday, November 14

“Back To Love,” the song jazz revivalist Robert Glasper recorded for the Run The World season two soundtrack, finds the multi-instrumentalist collaborating with two of R&B’s most respected rising stars in SiR and Alex Isley. The song is also nominated for Best R&B Performance and Best R&B Song for the 66th Grammy Awards next year.

Black Thought — Wednesday, November 15

While the core member of The Tonight Show‘s house band appears on the guest list this week under his real name, Tariq Trotter, to promote his new memoir The Upcycled Self, let’s all cross our fingers for a matching musical performance. It’s rare that Tariq gets to sit on the couch himself, but it’s always a delight when he takes the stage.

If you’re not a seasoned vodka drinker, you probably assume that most vodkas taste the same. Sure, there’s a general feeling that if it’s more expensive it will be less harsh, but the even larger perception is that good vodka doesn’t really have a flavor at all. That’s not exactly true, though. While there are vodkas that make a point of being flavorless — Skyy comes to mind — the various base ingredients (corn, potatoes, rye, and various other grains are all commonly used) and distinct distillation and filtration processes give the spirit a real profile worth exploring.

To generalize a little more, higher-end or premium vodkas will have fewer congeners and harsh flavors and aromas because of the distillation process. High-end vodkas tend to be smooth and have more viscosity in the mouthfeel, less harsh burning (those ethanol flavor notes), and are often more flavorful. Low-end vodkas are harsh and are sometimes even watery with little to no aroma or flavor besides rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer. This is why committed vodka drinkers are more willing to pay for premium products.

But with a marketplace drenched in premium vodkas, how can you possibly find the best one? I selected eight of the most well-known, high-end vodkas and blindly nose and tasted each. I rated them on overall mouthfeel, aromas, and flavors, and how sippable each is. Keep reading to see how it all turned out.

Today’s Lineup:

• Absolut Elyx
• Grey Goose
• Belvedere
• CÎROC
• Stolichnaya Elit
• Ketel One
• Chopin Potato
• Crystal Head

Part 1: Premium Vodka Blind Tasting

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

The nose is surprisingly light on aromas. There is some vanilla and maybe some wheat, but not much else. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. That’s because the palate is creamy, soft, and filled with wheat, vanilla, caramel, licorice, and cracked black pepper. The finish is pleasantly warm and spicy.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

The nose is filled with citrus and fruit but is otherwise lacking in aromas. Drinking it brings forth a ton of grape-like fruity flavors. It was very smooth, but there weren’t really any discernable flavors other than grapes. It’s fairly underwhelming.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

It all starts with a nose of lemon peels, honey, and light spices. The palate is extremely soft with an herbal flavor and light honey. While smooth, there aren’t a ton of notable flavors overall. Not a bad vodka, just not one with a ton of flavor.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

The nose is very neutral and soft with a ton of citrus peel, vanilla bean, honey, floral, and black pepper aromas. There’s more going on with the palate. There are notes of white chocolate, vanilla beans, wildflowers, candied almonds, and spicy rye. The finish is creamy yet peppery in the best possible way.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

A lot is going on with this vodka’s nose. There are notes of vanilla, cereal grains, wheat, and light spices. On the palate, you’ll find flavors of sweet cream, vanilla, candied almonds, and a ton of baking spices. The finish is sweet, soft, and pleasantly warm. It’s the kind of vodka you’ll want to drink over and over again.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

The nose has a ton of vanilla beans and light spices, but not much else. The palate has a little more going on with more vanilla and some corn sweetness, cracked black pepper, and other gentle spices. The finish is a warming mix of sweetness and spice. Overall, decent but nothing to write home about.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

Complex aromas of cracked black pepper, cereal grains, vanilla, and gentle spices make for a very welcoming nose. Take one sip and you’ll be greeted with notes of peppery rye, sweet wheat, candied nuts, vanilla, and gentle floral flavors. The finish is creamy and very warming.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

The nose is filled with grassy, earthy aromas as well as vanilla and orchard fruits. The palate is more of the same with more vanilla, grass, pears, and cracked black pepper. It’s creamy, sweet, and perfectly spicy. The finish is long, warming, and lingering with no harshness whatsoever.

Part 2: The Rankings

8) Ketel One (Taste 3)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $36

The Vodka:

This Dutch vodka brand comes from the Nolet Distillery. It’s a 100% wheat-based vodka distilled in copper pot stills before being filtered over charcoal and resting in tile-line tanks. It’s known for its soft, easily mixable flavor profile.

Bottom Line:

This wheat-based vodka is known for its soft flavor profile. If that’s what you’re looking for, grab this one. If you’re looking for more flavor, look elsewhere.

7) CÎROC (Taste 2)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $30

The Vodka:

CÎROC is a trendy, premium vodka brand that’s most well-known for its relationship with Sean “Diddy” Combs. Using a history of wine-making, this grape-based vodka is distilled five full times. It’s known for its easy-drinking, fruity flavor profile.

Bottom Line:

CÎROC is a popular name, especially if you prefer celebrity-adjacent brands. It’s not harsh by any degree. It’s just not at all exciting.

6) Crystal Head (Taste 6)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $43

The Vodka:

Not only is Crystal Head Vodka unique because it comes in a literally skull-shaped bottle, but this Canadian vodka brand was founded by actor Dan Aykroyd and artist John Alexander. Launched in 2008, it’s a four-time distilled, seven-times filtered corn-based vodka.

Bottom Line:

This vodka is as mellow and drinkable as you’d expect from a corn-based vodka. But, for the price, you might as well just buy Tito’s instead.

5) Stolichnaya Elit (Taste 1)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $36

The Vodka:

With a name like “Elit” this had better be an amazing vodka, right? It’s already made from the highest quality neutral grain spirit made from wheat and rye. But it’s the freeze filtration process that gives this vodka its creamy, complex, nuanced flavor profile.

Bottom Line:

The mix of wheat and rye and freeze filtering gives this vodka a creamy, almost velvety mouthfeel and a nice mix of softness and spice.

4) Grey Goose (Taste 7)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $35

The Vodka:

There are few vodkas more well-known than Grey Goose. This French vodka is made using only two ingredients: single-origin Picardie winter wheat and natural spring water. This creates a simple, elegant vodka known for its soft, sippable flavor profile.

Bottom Line:

Grey Goose is surprisingly soft and creamy with just the right amount of spice to make it equally sippable as it is mixable.

3) Chopin Potato (Taste 8)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $30

The Vodka:

Not only is Chopin Potato Vodka gluten-free, it’s also the most-awarded potato vodka in the world. First launched in 1992, this Polish vodka is known for its full flavor because it doesn’t have a long list of ingredients. It’s simply made with potatoes (mostly sourced within twenty-five miles of the distillery), yeast, and purified artesian well water.

Bottom Line:

This vodka has more of an earthy, grassy flavor than some on the list and that’s definitely not a bad thing. It’s creamy, smooth, and has a really natural feel to it.

2) Absolut Elyx (Taste 5)

ABV: 42.3%

Average Price: $45

The Vodka:

Named as a reference to the word “elixir” Absolut Elyx is made using single-estate winter wheat from southern Sweden and is distilled using a manually operated copper pot still from 1921. The result is a complex, soft vodka that’s great for slow sipping or mixing into your favorite cocktail.

Bottom Line:

It’s clear that a lot of care went into crafting Absolut Elyx, It’s very soft and drinkable. The kind of vodka you’d actually want to drink neat or on the rocks.

1) Belvedere (Taste 4)

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $42

The Vodka:

One of the reasons Belvedere is so great is that it’s made with simple, pure ingredients with no adjuncts or unnecessary flavors. It’s simply made with Polska rye and purified water. Specifically, it’s made with a heritage grain called Dankowski rye. The result is a mellow, fruity, spicy vodka you won’t soon forget.

Bottom Line:

Exceptional ingredients give this rye-based vodka a sublime creamy, smooth body and peppery flavor profile you’ll crave immediately after your last sip.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

While it’s quite clear that I prefer well-balanced and soft vodkas, the real winners had complex aromas and palates. The vodkas that didn’t fare well were more neutral and flavorless on the nose and palate. Also, any harsh heat immediately pushed the vodka into a poor ranking.

In a new interview about her recent Vogue feature, Nicki Minaj expressed regret about getting plastic surgery earlier in her career, saying, she “could not believe” that she ever disliked the way she looked.

As she told the hosts of Vogue‘s The Run-Through podcast, “I guarantee you, if you change anything on your body and do anything surgical and all this, you’re going to — more than likely, not definitely, more than likely — look back one day and say, ‘I was fine just the way I was.’ And that’s what happened to me.”

She credited the change in her perspective to becoming a mother, saying, “Seeing my son did remind me of myself so much. My real self. And it made me think, ‘Why didn’t I like this?’ So weird. But seeing old photos, being able to look at old photos again made me realize, these old photos are beautiful.”

The “Last Time I Saw You” rapper has addressed her past insecurity before, telling Joe Budden she “didn’t feel complete or good enough” being in hip-hop around women with big butts — many the result of BBL (“Brazilian butt-lift”) surgery. More of her rap peers (and rivals) have been opening up about having surgeries, including Cardi B, Doja Cat, Latto, and SZA, who have all opened up about getting work done, but who have also warned fans about going overboard.

Minaj is working on her fifth studio album Pink Friday 2, which is scheduled to be released on December 8 after being pushed back twice. Check out her “73 Questions” with Vogue clip above.

Everyone is new to Earth at some point in their lives. There’s just no getting around it. Whether you’re a human, a pig or an ant, at some point you were either hatched or born into a place that already existed before you arrived so you spend a little bit of time figuring things out. Granted, human children take a little longer to get the lay of the land, but that, “I’m new here” experience doesn’t end with homosapiens.

One Australian Sheppard puppy found out in the most amusing way possible that some stairs are a little trickier than others to navigate. Robin Bilby shared a video to social media of the spotted pup, named King attempting to follow his older dog siblings up the basement steps but somehow kept winding up back at the bottom. He was very determined and so was his tiny herd.

Every time he wound up right where he started, his siblings would run back down the stairs to try again.

---

They were attempting to show the confused puppy how to get up the steps but he just couldn’t do it. If you’ve ever been in a basement then you likely know that many basement steps don’t have backs to them so King was just getting up two steps then diving through the opening.

Surely, he thought he was making progress but there were about 10 more stairs he needed to climb.

The brown dog vocally expressed her frustration as she repeatedly walked the steps to show him how to do the seemingly easy task. The video has gone mega viral with over 4.6 million likes and more than 28.9 million views. Commenters were amused by King’s confusion but also felt sorry for the little guy.

“King is going places. Not upstairs, but places,” someone writes.

“The one teaching was like ‘just stop and pay attention, I swear if you jump through the stairs again…,” one person comments with a crying laughing emoji.

“Other dogs: KING!!! Why do we have to go through this every day with you?? King: I KEEP GETTING SUCKED INTO THE PORTAL!!!,” a commenter jokes.

Poor puppy, so glad he finally figured it out even if the dog teaching him was ready to pick him up and carry him up the steps. You can watch his journey through the portal below.

@robinjbilby

King is trying to figure out how the basement stairs work. 😂 #australianshepherdsoftiktok #puppiesoftiktok #puppytraining @frankbilby1