It's not because I like Cheap Vodka that I couldn't wait to try New Amsterdam Vodka. For me, really cheap Vodka is Taaka. There are better vodka brands that are still considered cheap by vodka drinkers, where-as Taaka is considered downright undrinkable by some. So how does New Amsterdam Vodka Compare? I thought very highly of New Amsterdam Gin and numerous friends agreed that it is a great gin for the price, so this is one I looked forward to trying and because it is priced about 50% higher than Taaka, I anxiously expected it to be notably better than what I would personally consider a, cheap vodka. So, how does New Amsterdam Stand up to a  Cheap Vodka and for that matter, a better one?

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In my search for the perfect pain analgesic I did some research on Max-Freeze vs BioFreeze and compared them to the highly rated Penetrex reviews on Amazon. Why? Last week I suffered another one of my, vintage, unnerving, wrenchingly painful neck cricks. I don’t know what it is about the holidays, especially the week in between Christmas and New Years, where some of the most painful maladies seem to occur to me; whether it’s a ruptured disc in the neck, gout or a strained lower back, I am always a little apprehensive from Christmas until the time leading up until New Years. Last year I escaped the holidays unscathed, but this year I wasn’t so lucky. At the onset of the neck pain and stiffness, I did the usual treatment of ice, alternating with brief periods of heat and Aleve Pain relievers. Nothing seemed to help the stiffness. By the 2^nd day, I was looking for relief and started researching pain cream reviews. Biofreeze and Penextrex reviews consistently ranked very high on Amazon and other websites. Here is what they said:

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What is the Best Neck Massager?

What is the best neck massager you can buy for stiff, sore necks, shoulders and back? Had I not discovered the Homedics Shiatsu Massager Pillow yesterday, I would not even be thinking about writing this article, much less actually sitting up straight and typing it. I gave myself two treatments with the Homemedics shiatsu massager pillow this morning. I literally feel as though I went into a professional Shiatsu spa for a professional massage. Shiatsu is a deep kneading form of massage that digs into tight, sore muscles; releases toxins and helps loosen up tension.  I have always been prone to getting stiff cricks in my neck. About 8 years ago, this rather common malady took on a whole new, more serious meaning when I was diagnosed with a ruptured disc in my neck.  After lots of ice, physical therapy and stretching every single day, I was able to avoid surgery and have even greatly reduced the frequency of neck 'cricks', as I call them.  On the rare occasion that I do suffer from a crick,  they usually seem to heal faster than they used to thanks for having the knowledge from my therapy, stretching and frequent use of ice.  This most recent neck crick was an exception. After two days, I was still feeling extremely sore, tense, tight and worried that my ruptured disc was acting up again. I was looking for a way to loosen up my tight muscles and kept stumbling upon reviews of these different types of the Homedics Shiatsu massager. Not all of the neck massagers by Homedics are equally praised by users as I'll explain.

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Put on your O Face

The first time I tried Horsetooth Hot Sauce anyone could tell by my own "O Face"  that this savory Habanero sauce is aptly named. But, the reason for my expressive o face isn't what you think. It has nothing to do with the heat of the Habanero heat, but everything to do with the flavor. The Horsetooth hot sauce people are selling their product short if they think the heat is the only reason the sauce will make you say, "oh". Habanero's  have always been one of my favorite peppers, not so much because they are hot but for their earthy, exotic flavor. If you can get past the heat, habanero's are the tastiest peppers on earth. The key is for the habanero peppers not to be so ridiculously hot that they you can't enjoy the flavor - and I think the Horsetooth hot sauce people have accomplished this feat with their O Face habanero sauce.
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What is the Strongest K Cup you can Buy?

What is the strongest K Cup coffee you can buy? I'm not certain, but I can definitely tell you that the Barista Prima Columbia is the strongest one I've tried to date. Barista Prima is not only the strongest k cup coffee I've tried, but competes with Starbucks as among the most expensive. I found an 18 pack of Barista Prima for $14.99 at my local Target store. The other brands; Newman's Organic, Caribou are $11.99 for an 18 Pack. The Starbucks sells for $13.99 for a 16 pack. Roughly, there is a 20% premium for Barista Prima over all of the non Starbucks Coffee K Cups. It is probably no coincidence that it also seems to be about 20% stronger than any of these other brands, including Starbucks. Perhaps, there is 20% more coffee inside the Barista Prima. Still, the Barista Prima brand is a little cheaper than Starbucks despite tasting like a stronger coffee. Target had the Starbucks on sale for $11.99 along with a $5.00 card for buying any selection of 2 Boxes of K Cups. Finally, I had a good excuse to try this peculiar, more expensive brand of coffee and compare it to Starbucks and the others.  I bought one box of the Barista Prima Columbia and one box of Starbucks Pike Place Roast. If you're curious as to how these different k cups price out per cup on a regular basis at Target, here is a quick break down: Read the rest of this entry

A four pack of Youngs Double Chocolate Stout in the 16.9oz cans found it's way to my home by mistake. I was at a beer and wine store looking at the dark imported beer when I grabbed a 4-pack of the Youngs Double Chocolate Stout, thinking I was getting an unusual variety of Guinness. It is close, but not quite the same. This one is made in England. While the size of the can and familiar rattling of the plastic ball is the same as Guinness, the most notable difference is chocolate. I don't mind hints of dark chocolate and coffee in my stout beers, but I was a little put off by the label which indicates that chocolate flavor is intentionally added to the brew. I prefer beers where the hints of dark chocolate flavoring comes as a natural result of brewing process and aging in the barrel. See my review on Bourbon Barrel Stout. To be honest, I would not have bought the Youngs had I read the label more carefully and had I known it was only 5.5% alcohol as opposed to the hefty 10.3% alcohol level of premium beers like Bourbon Barrel Stout and Woodcutter # 5 by Odell brewing in Fort Collins. England is a good distance away from Fort Collins, Colorado and so is the taste of this interesting beer. Read the rest of this entry