When it comes to commuting, a podcast is your best friend.

Whether you're driving a car, hopping on the subway, or riding on the bus, you can listen to podcasts anywhere. The great part about podcasts is that they make one for just about any person. You want to laugh? There's a podcast for that. You like cooking? There's a podcast for that. 

To make going through iTunes easier, we decided to pick the very best podcasts out there and sort them based on what kind of listening experience you're looking for. 

These are the 20 podcasts you should listen to on your commute:

For comedy fans: "WTF with Marc Maron"

Comedian Marc Maron gets deep and personal with other comedians, discussing their hopes, fears, and careers. 

"WTF" was a major breakthrough for podcasts. Maron first earned praise for revealing interviews with comedy giants like Louis C.K. and Robin Williams. He continues to bring on an array of fascinating guests: last year, President Barack Obama stepped into Maron's garage (where he records most of his interviews) for a chat. 

Download it here>>>

For improv fans: "Comedy Bang! Bang!"

Like all improvised comedy, "Comedy Bang! Bang!" can be very hit-or-miss, but when it's on, it's really on. The show circulates through a wide variety of guests. Most of the time, you'll find comedy staples like John Mulaney, Nick Kroll, and Chelsea Peretti. But every once in a while, "Mad Men" star Jon Hamm will pop in to play a character named Juan Jamon. The podcast was eventually turned into a TV show, which you can stream on Netflix.

If you don't live in a city with a big comedy scene, this is almost as good as going to a live show.

Download it here>>>

For comedy, but with a touch of philosophy: "You Made It Weird with Pete Holmes"

Pete Holmes, the standup with an infectious laugh, sits down with other comedians and talks about topics like love and religion.

Holmes' show constantly feels less like an interview and more like a conversation. He had on T.J. Miller ("Silicon Valley") and discussed the brain surgery that nearly ended his life. He had on Harris Wittels ("Parks and Recreation"), who got candid about his drug use just a few months before he died of an overdose. Sometimes, Holmes lets the podcasts run over three hours long. You don't need to be a comedy nerd to subscribe, but it certainly helps.

Download it here>>>

Between staying in touch with friends and family, trying to be a superstar at work, and keeping up with household chores, life can get pretty complicated. 

But a recent Quora threat called "How can I make my life simpler?" suggested that life doesn't always have to be as complicated as we make it.

Several users provided helpful suggestions on ways to streamline our day-to-day lives. Here are nine of our favorite ideas for how you can make every day a little bit simpler.

SEE ALSO: 15 things every 20-something should do to stand out at their first job

DON'T MISS: The worst interview advice people love to give

Just say no.

While it might not be easy, saying no to anything that adds clutter to your life leaves room for what's most important to you.

"You need to say no to everything that doesn't matter," says Oliver Emberton. "Practice saying no to everything by default, and making rare, precious exceptions."

Once you start, your priorities will become clearer.

Move abroad.

Quora user Mark Pan suggests moving to another country for a couple of years. The transition will force you to let go of big complications such as an unfulfilling job or a messy relationship, as well as force you to pare down your belongings.

"Once you come back, you'll have much less baggage, both tangible and intangible, and be able to start fresh in many aspects," he says.

Make up your mind.

Shrugging off decisions with a flip "I don't know" will only make choosing harder in the long run.

Radhika Devidas explains: "This 'I don't know' feeling that you get from time to time only means that you have to ponder some more to arrive at something solid. When you leave things at this stage, they tend to become huge and often cancerous when they catch your attention the second time."

To really get to know a place, seasoned travelers know you've got to befriend locals. What better way to do that than as a guest in their homes?

Homestays are great for those who want to completely immerse themselves in new cultures and surroundings on their trips (and save a ton by skipping hotel prices while they're at it). Similar to Airbnb, Homestay.com offers unique rentals all over the world — the only difference being that these come with hosts; locals that are happy to show you around.

Here are 12 beautiful homes from around the world that are worth the trip, and promise warm hospitality and insider knowledge you won't find in a guidebook.

A private island in Granada, Nicaragua

The 75,347 square-foot island is for guests only.

A tree house in Pomurpa, India

Not every tree house comes with its own swimming pool. This one does.

A romantic villa in Mykonos, Greece

The villa faces west on a hilltop, meaning you'll get to see some epic sunsets — like from the outdoor bed pictured.

Fabian Cancellara was already one of the greatest cyclists of all time, but after his ride in Rio on Wednesday he became even greater.

A quick glance at Cancellara's résumé shows that the Swiss rider they call Spartacus has won seven stages in the Tour de France as well as gold medals in the time trial at the world championships, national championships, and Olympic Games. He has won big stage races too.

While an excellent time trialist — for years the world's very best — Cancellara is perhaps best known as one of the greatest classics riders ever. He has won the cobbled Paris-Roubaix and Tour of Flanders three times each. He won another monument, Milan-Sanremo, for good measure — not to mention Strade Bianche three times and E3 Harelbeke three times.

So what better way to end such a storied career than to win a gold medal at the Olympics, which is what he did on Wednesday, beating the rising star Tom Dumoulin of the Netherlands and three-time Tour de France champion Chris Froome of Britain. Cancellara covered the 54.5-kilometer (33.9-mile route) in 1:12:15 to beat Dumoulin by 47 seconds and Froome by over a minute. The powerful Swiss rider's average speed was 45.3 kph (28.1 mph).

Cancellara, 35, insisted he would not reverse his decision to retire at the end of the year. "No, definitely not! I said at the beginning of the year what was going to happen this year," AFP reported. "Everyone has their own choice of when they want to continue ... It means a lot to participate in sport's highest event that the world presents and to win the gold medal in my retirement year, I think I'm just super proud."

Meanwhile, American Kristin Armstrong came out of retirement to win the women's time trial in Rio on Wednesday, making Olympic history.

Here are some photos from Cancellara's remarkable career:

SEE ALSO: Out of retirement and into gold, 42-year-old American Kristin Armstrong just made Olympic history

DON'T MISS: The coolest high and low tech at the Tour de France

Cancellara won a gold medal in the junior time-trial world championships in 1999.

Cancellara on his way to winning hist first major classic at the 2006 Paris-Roubaix.

Cancellara winning his first Paris-Roubaix, in 2006.

American swimmer Michael Phelps is the most-decorated Olympian of all time, as he's won a record 25 medals. Not all of these medals look the same, however. Phelps swam in the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 games, and the design for the hardware was different for each Olympics. 

In fact, Olympic medals look different for each Olympiad, reflecting the design influences of the time and the host country. Though there are some motifs that keep reappearing — including a decades-long stretch where the design remained consistent — medals from the Rio Games look very different from the prizes handed out to winners at the 1986 Games.

Here's what the medals looked like at every Summer Olympic Games of the modern era. The photographs come courtesy of the IOC.  

ATHENS 1896: Winners at the first Olympics of the modern era received a silver medal. The front of the medal depicts the Greek God Zeus' face, and he's holding a globe with the goddess of victory Nike on it.

The back depicts the Acropolis, an iconic Athenian ruin.

PARIS 1900: The medals at the second modern games are the only ones that are rectangular instead of round. The front shows a winged goddess flying over the city of Paris.

If your go-to conversation topics revolve around work and weather, then you probably don't enjoy going to networking events.

But talking to new people doesn't have to be such a drag.

There are ways to get the conversation going without resorting to irritating clichés.

Check out these 19 icebreakers that will help ease you into an engaging conversation with people you've never met before.

This is an update of an article originally written by Natalie Walters.

SEE ALSO: How to talk to anyone at a networking event

'Hello'

A smile, a name, and a confident handshake can sometimes go a long way, says Ariella Coombs, content manager for Careerealism.com: "Sometimes, the easiest way to meet someone is to offer a handshake and say, 'Hi, I'm Peter.'"

'Are you originally from [whatever city the event is in], or did your business bring you here?'

This question will help you jump-start an engaging conversation with ease because "it doesn't feel like you are asking for a stiff elevator speech," Diane Gottsman, national etiquette expert and owner of The Protocol School of Texas, tells U.S. News & World Report.

The conversation will allow both parties to talk about themselves, which is the ultimate goal of career-savvy people attending a networking event, Gottsman says.

'What motivated you to come to this event?'

Rather than asking the classics like "What's your name?" or "What do you do?" Darrah Brustein of Network Under 40/Finance Whiz Kids tells Inc. that she likes to ask what motivated an attendee to come to the event.

The answer to this question will give you insight into your conversation partner's career goals, and you may even find that you can help them to achieve those goals, Brustein says.

Prague is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The capital of the Czech Republic, it's a colorful mix of funky old buildings in the Old City, and shiny new ones everywhere else.

It's of enormous cultural and historical significance. At different points in history, it's been the capital of the Holy Roman Empire and of Bohemia. It's also been the birthplace or workplace of hundreds of important luminaries, like Mozart and Kafka.

Bisected by the Vltava River and connected by several beautiful antique bridges, Prague is the "city of a hundred spires." The city has a temperate climate, which makes it easy to visit. Here are some beautiful pictures that will make you want to go there. 

The city's known for its churches, and the St. Vitus Cathedral is the biggest and most historically important church in the country.

It houses the tombs of numerous emperors from the Holy Roman Empire and Kings of Bohemia.

The cathedral towers above the Prague Castle complex, the largest in the world. It's now the home of the Czech president.

According to Jonathan and Drew Scott, stars of the HGTV show "Property Brothers," you'll want to be careful how you renovate or remodel your home.

"Just as there are features you want in a house, and that also increase the value of the space, there are changes you should not make to a house," they write in their book, "Dream Home: The Property Brothers' Ultimate Guide to Finding & Fixing Your Perfect House." "These are features that can bite you back when it's time to sell."

Here are six renovation "no-nos," according to the Property Brothers:

SEE ALSO: 2 inexpensive tricks that could help your home sell for more money, from HGTV stars the 'Property Brothers'

DON'T MISS: The secret to selling your house for more money

1. Don't sacrifice limited bedrooms for storage

If you're considering converting your tiny third bedroom into a walk-in closet, take a moment to reconsider.

"In family-friendly neighborhoods, a house with three small bedrooms is still more valuable than a house with two bedrooms and a big closet," they write.

But if your home has four medium-size bedrooms with no master bedroom, then converting one of the rooms to expand another is a safer move, according to the Property Brothers.

2. Don't get rid of the only bathtub

Families with kids will — more likely than not — want to look for a house with a bathtub, the brothers warn.

"You don't have to have a bathtub in the master, unless the house is in a retirement community, but do keep a tub in the shared or family bedroom," they write.

3. Don't spend a fortune building a custom home theater

The idea of a movie room or home theater might be loved by buyers, but not everyone will be willing to pay for it, the brothers caution. It's also hard to keep up with the newest, best, or flattest televisions when technology is always changing.

"All the gear you spent a fortune on easily becomes dated," they write.

Home renovation is not a simple project to take on.

For many interior designers and DIY experts, renovations take months to complete and require an extensive amount of preparation and execution. The whole process is an arduous — and expensive —undertaking.

However, the stunning results make these difficult processes worthwhile. From drab to fab, here are some of the most dramatic before-and-after home makeovers from interior designers and bloggers.

Interior decorator Lauren Geremia, from Geremia Design, was determined to revamp this dim bachelor pad bedroom, which had no real style.

By mixing vintage and modern pieces (like the aged treasure chest and modern bed frame), Geremia was able to create a cool ambiance.

Geremia was also responsible for upgrading the living room in this Craftsman-style home.

Owning a car (or leasing one) means getting your ride serviced and sometimes repaired.

Thus, the eternal question: dealership or independent mechanic?

Each has its pluses and minuses. Dealerships get a bad name — for being expensive and pushing needless service to make money — but the service department of a dealership tends to be up-to-date on your car and in that sense can argue that you get what you pay for.

Indies are often what the real "car guys" endorse, but because they work on a broad range of vehicles, indies can sometimes be digging around to figure out an unfamiliar fix that a dealership could handle more easily.

It's a personal decision. But there are still some tips that can help you choose.

Is your new or lightly used car still under warranty? DEALERSHIP.

The whole reasons for getting a warranty, which typically covers most but not all things that can go wrong with your car, is so the dealership, through the manufacturer, will have to fix your new ride. 

Automakers and their dealers offer different levels of warranty coverage. Hyundai offers 10 years/100,000 miles on the powertrain (engine and transmission) of its cars to create confidence in its burgeoning brand in the US. Other car makers only do 3 years/30,000 (whichever comes first). 

Beyond the manufacturer's warranty, you can buy more coverage (an "extended" warranty). Warranties are standard on new and certified pre-owned vehicles, the top of the used-car heap. So if you have one, you might as well use it and have your car worked on at the dealership for any problems. 

Additionally, if you lease your cars, it makes the most sense to use the dealership; you're only driving the car for two years, not enough time to worry about something going wrong.

As for basic service, such as oil changes, you can decide for yourself whether to go to the dealership or drive over to Jiffy Lube.

Are you a total cheapskate? INDIE MECHANIC.

For years in Los Angeles, I kept an old Saab 900S as my "beater" car. 

Stuff was constantly breaking on it, but I wanted to fix only what was absolutely necessary. If it started and the transmission could shift gears, I was good. The sunroof didn't work, a sun visor fell off, as did most of the heater and A/C knobs, the seat heaters and the air conditioning system failed, the power antenna conked out, and the car would stall at idle. It also fired off an endless stream of warning lights.

Because my Saab-specialist indie mechanic had seen it all, he could advise me on what to repair and what to ignore. I wanted to ignore everything, and he wasn't obsessed with making money off me, so we only fixed was was absolutely necessary: battery, brakes, fuel lines, and so on.

The best thing an automotive cheapskate with an old car can do is find an honest independent mechanic. Plus, indie mechanics are almost always cheaper than the dealership (although if they don't know what they're doing, obviously they can be more expensive because you'll have to re-fix whatever they screwed up).

Are you obsessed with regular service intervals? DEALERSHIP.

If you want to keep careful track of every service you get for your car, from oil changes right on through to timing belts, engine builds, and bodywork, the dealership is you best bet.

The dealer's service department will keep track of when you need recommended service, contact you when the time rolls around, and provide you with documentation in the event that you want to provide this in a private transaction should you decide to sell your car yourself.

There's been a lot of complaining this summer about Hollywood releasing sequel after sequel from big movie franchises.

And yes, there have been a lot of big-budget movies that underperformed: "Independence Day: Resurgence,""Alice Through the Looking Glass,""Zoolander 2," and "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows" are just a few. 

But if you hate franchises, sorry: The movie sequels and adaptations will keep coming.

To see why Hollywood loves franchises, all you have to do is look at the top 10 highest-grossing movies of the summer so far, below. 

Note: All figures below are domestic gross totals via BoxOfficeMojo.com.

SEE ALSO: Why Hollywood hasn't learned anything from a miserable summer of box-office bombs

10. "The Angry Birds Movie" - $107.2 million

Based on the popular app.

9. "Ghostbusters" - $116.5 million

A female-led reboot of the franchise that began in 1984.

8. "The Legend of Tarzan" - $124 million

The latest movie based on the stories created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

Disrupting a whole business sector is the goal of many startups. Uber, Amazon, and Tesla all disrupted their sectors, and a lot of media attention has been spent analyzing them.

The companies on this list are those on the other side of the table — in danger of being disrupted by a startup, or savvy competitor, as well as being expensive relative to the market.

An analysis by Credit Suisse looked at disruption-prone companies "to be cautious on." To determine which businesses are the most susceptible to disruption, Credit Suisse looked at the impacts of globalization, innovation, and regulation on companies and found the businesses whose returns are most susceptible to changes in those areas.

The companies were then sorted using a cash-flow return-on-investment (CFROI) analysis, which looks at the value of a company's assets over time and compares that to the company's skill at investing its money smartly, as represented by its cost of capital.

Simply put, if a company's investments are returning more money than they cost, then the company is probably doing well and will stay off this list. The companies are listed with the percent chance of achieving the CFROI implied by the market, or the probability that the company is able to live up to market expectations.

This number was calculated by looking at other analyst predictions and comparing them to Credit Suisse's predictions for cash flow.

The following seven companies are in danger of being disrupted and have poor CFROI ratios. Read on to find out which made the list:

No. 7. EOG Resources

Ticker: EOG

Probability of achieving CFROI implied by market: 29%

EOG resources is a natural-gas and oil exploration company headquartered in Texas. New technology and regulation are key concerns to Credit Suisse analysts, but the folks at Goldman Sachs recently rated the company a stock ready to skyrocket, so the verdict is still out on this one.

No. 6. Carrizo Oil and Gas

Ticker: CRZO

Probability of achieving CFROI implied by market: 23%

Carrizo is on this list for the same reasons as EOG. Increasing regulation or new technology not created by the oil-exploration company would put its revenue at risk.

No. 5. WisdomTree Investments

Ticker: WETF

Probability of achieving CFROI implied by market: 35%

WisdomTree is an asset manager specializing in exchange-traded funds. Credit Suisse said that globalization, innovation, and regulation are all concerns for WisdomTree.

One of the great things about Netflix is that it has brought thoughtful, compelling documentaries to a much wider audience that filmmakers could only dream of a decade ago.

And with binge-worthy titles like “Making a Murderer” and the vast ESPN “30 for 30” library being just a click away, you can get a lot of great nonfiction viewing any night of the week. You'll learn a lot more about the world, but don't worry — you'll also be entertained.

Here are 15 documentaries we think you should stream right away on Netflix.

SEE ALSO: All the "Avengers" and Marvel fans who nailed their cosplay at Comic-Con

1. “30 for 30” ESPN movies

Pretty much any “30 for 30” title is worth your time. The documentaries that highlight moments in sports that you may or may not be aware of are both entertaining and filled with emotion. A few we highly recommend: “No Crossover: The Tale of Allen Iverson”; “June 17th, 1994,” which looks at everything that happened in the world of sports at the time of O.J. Simpson's Bronco chase; “I Hate Christian Laettner”; and likely available in 2017 will be ESPN’s new masterwork, “O.J.: Made in America." 

2. “The Act of Killing”

Joshua Oppenheimer’s Oscar-nominated doc looks at the Indonesian genocide by having death-squad leaders reenact their mass killings. The results are both comical and heart-wrenching. 

3. “Blackfish”

Why is Sea World going to end killer-whale shows? It’s because of this incredible movie that looks at the abuse these magnificent creatures have endured for decades.

A scathing Justice Department report released Tuesday night on Baltimore's police department found that residents often perceive "two Baltimores," which experience radically different policing.

The "two Baltimores" perception appears to be backed up by the statistics.

The report found widespread and systemic practices of discriminating against African-Americans, including disproportionately high rates of stops, searches, arrests, and charges.

"The disparities described to us go beyond aggressive behavior and misconduct; some residents spoke about a police non-response to poor, minority areas as well as a lack of thorough investigation into crimes committed in these communities," the report said.

The report included numerous graphs to illustrate the racial disparities. We've included them here:

SEE ALSO: The Justice Department slammed Baltimore police in a scathing report — and the city has been scrambling to make changes

African Americans accounted for a whopping 84% of all pedestrian stops between 2010 and 2015, although they comprise just 63% of Baltimore's population, according to the report.

Disproportionate targeting of African-Americans during pedestrian stops occurs across the city — the report shows similar racial disparities even when the numbers are broken down by district.

Vehicle stops, too, occur at disproportionate rates. Baltimore officers reportedly stopped African-American drivers for traffic violations at a rate of 82%, although they make up just 60% of the city's driving age population.

Why would anyone possibly need a desktop?

For most, it goes against all common sense to use a desktop because they're not as convenient and portable as a laptop, and a laptop does what you need it to do just fine. 

At the same time, the good ol' bulky, stationary desktop still has a place for many people. Here are five good reasons why you might want to use desktop computer.

SEE ALSO: Want a PC that plays games better than any console? Here's what you'll need

You can upgrade the parts, which is cheaper than buying a new laptop.

When a laptop starts to slow down, your only option is to buy a whole new one. Depending on what you need a computer for, a new laptop could cost thousands of dollars.

That's because you have to buy every single part inside the laptop brand new — the processor, motherboard, RAM, hard drive, and everything else. But most of the parts in your old laptop are probably still fine, and it's usually only the processor (and the motherboard it sits on) that needs upgrading.

With a desktop and a little know-how — or some handy YouTube videos to show you — you can easily replace an aging processor (and motherboard) for under $200.

That said, all-in-one desktops like the iMac can be a little difficult to upgrade.

You get more bang for your buck.

Depending on the brand, desktops and laptops with similar specs can often cost the same. Yet, the main differences between the two are the processor and the graphics processor.

Laptops use the smaller mobile version of a processor model, which often aren't quite as powerful as the full-size desktop versions. That could make a noticeable difference for people who use computers for power-intensive tasks, like photo or video editing.

Powerful desktops are cheaper than powerful laptops.

I picked a $1,699 laptop from a well-known name brand and compared it to a desktop PC you could assemble yourself with equivalent specs.

The parts I chose for the desktop equivalent of the laptop would cost me about $500 less than the desktop with the Windows 10 operating system included. On top of that, the full-size desktop parts are also more powerful than the laptop versions.

Nearly 19 miles from the nearest town, a monolithic structure called the Buzludzha Monument adorns the mountains of Bulgaria.

Surrounded by nothing but steep hills and clouds, this bizarre monument looks completely out of place with the scenic background — almost as if a spaceship had landed on the top of a cliff.

Photographer Romain Veillon, author of the urban exploration book "Ask the Dust," got an inside glimpse of the structure and took several photographs of the building.

Check out what the structure was for, and what it looks like today:

SEE ALSO: 17 eerie photos of abandoned Soviet spaces

The Buzludzha Monument was a man-made $35 million project, constructed by Bulgaria’s Communist Party in 1981, to commemorate socialist communism.

Source: The Economist

Since the area isn’t accessible by public transport, one must either drive or bike to the base of the mountain.

Source: The Economist

The monument is also closed to the public. To gain access, one must crawl through a small opening in the side, followed by a 10-meter drop.

Source: The Economist

This past weekend, I finally finished a game I've been playing for almost a full year. After hundreds of hours and literally thousands of deaths, I can definitively say "Bloodborne" is one of the best action adventure horror games ever made.

I had never played a game like "Bloodborne" before, but ever since my brother gifted it to me late last year, I hadn't been able to put the controller down. I spent hours each day slowly carving through the old city of Yharnam, exploring gorgeous Gothic architecture while hunting monstrous beasts and earning increasingly better weapons and gear along the way.

"Bloodborne" is made by a Japanese game company called From Software, which has made some of the most punishing video games of all time, including the beloved "Dark Souls" franchise. "Bloodborne" is similar to the "Dark Souls" games, but its mechanics reward a more aggressive playstyle, and thus, the game is a bit more approachable. Still, as I've learned, you will die a lot in this game — but this makes every victory that much sweeter.

If you've never heard of this game — or if you already own the game and can't stop thinking about it — this is what "Bloodborne" is all about. (Warning: Nightmare fuel ahead.)

SEE ALSO: This looks like the most beautiful game to come out in 2016

This is Yharnam, the Gothic city you'll be exploring in "Bloodborne."

And this is you. You are a Hunter.

As a hunter, it's your job to clean the streets of Yharnham from an endemic plague that's taken over the town and transformed most of its citizens into beasts.

Kroger is going after Target and Walmart by expanding a new type of store featuring home goods, clothing, and kitchen appliances. 

The store, called Kroger Marketplace, features nearly everything you would find in a Target or Walmart store, but with a greater focus on groceries, alcohol, and prepared foods. 

The company says Marketplace is one of its "primary growth formats of the future"— in other words, it's expanding rapidly.

Kroger has nearly 3,000 stores, more than 120 of which are Marketplace stores. 

We went to three Marketplace stores in the Richmond, Virginia area to check them out. Here's what we found. 

SEE ALSO: McDonald's changed the recipe for its iconic Egg McMuffins — here's how they're made

The store is massive. This image shows only one quarter of the front of the buildings. Kroger Marketplace stores are typically 100,000 to 145,000 square feet — which is about three quarters of the size of a Walmart Supercenter.

Stepping inside, shoppers are greeted by the fresh produce department.

It's one of the biggest departments in the entire store, and it's meticulously organized.

Even seasoned diners can sometimes use a good refresher on the do's and don'ts of high-end restaurants.

A recent Quora thread asked for the rookie mistakes people can make at fancy restaurants. The responses are a good guide to how to get the most out of your experience.

We picked the 12 best rules to live by:

Don't fall for the 'decoy effect'

"Restaurants that incorporate the decoy effect in their wine list will include one or two top quality and very expensive wines, in order to shift the customer's view of a reasonable choice to a higher pricing level than would happen if the decoy was not in place.

"Seasoned diners at high-end restaurants scan the wine list descriptions for their favourite wines with little regard for price, so they are less likely to fall for the decoy effect."— Peter Baskerville (started and managed three restaurants in Australia)

Order from the chef, not from yourself

One mistake people make: "They order from themselves rather than from the chef. I'm not referring to substitutions and such, I mean ordering the boring chicken breast which is only there to appease boring folk.

"People should order what the place is known for, in the manner and progression the restaurant recommends. If at a steakhouse, get a steak — better yet get the cut of steak they are known for."— Jason Ezratty (former culinary consultant and restaurant owner)

Get the full experience

"Spend the requisite amount of time and money to get the full experience from the place. Don't skip wine/beverage and a first course just to save. If affordability is an issue, better to save up longer than half-ass it."— Jason Ezratty

Exactly a year ago today, August 10, we said good-bye to Google as we knew it when the company announced that it was blowing up its corporate structure.

What we always thought of as Google — search, Maps, Gmail, Android, YouTube, and all that money-making stuff — became a division of a larger company called Alphabet.

Experimental projects like self-driving cars and the connected-home division Nest became their own mini companies, each with its own CEO, and were lumped into Alphabet's financials as "Other Bets."

Let's check in on some of the massive changes over last 365 days:

SEE ALSO: Google's first 21 employees: Where are they now?

Larry Page is now the CEO of Alphabet, instead of Google, which has allowed him to keep a really low profile.

Page, who notoriously dislikes giving interviews, has stayed out of the spotlight even more since relinquishing control of the Google cash cow. He didn't even show up to the annual shareholders' meeting.

But we did learn this year that he's been secretly investing in flying-car startups on the side.

Meanwhile, Alphabet chairman Eric Schmidt has been fielding most of the questions about Google's increasing antitrust troubles.

Google now has three EU antitrust charges against it, with the latest added in July.

The core Google business, now run by Sundar Pichai, had a really busy year.

The company continues to pump out its big bucks from advertising — $19.14 billion this quarter — but it's also significantly increased its "other revenues," mostly from its cloud ad-enterprise business.

Google snagged Silicon Valley superstar Diane Greene to run that enterprise unit, and she's done a great job shaking things up and sealing new deals.

Although only a small fraction of the $2.2 billion in other revenues came from hardware sales this quarter, that's another area where Google had a big change. The company finally appointed its first hardware czar, Rick Osterloh, to keep all of its hardware efforts in one place.

Google also started ramping up its focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning, rolled out even more new YouTube ad products as it fights Facebook for TV dollars, and launched a new VR division.