When you’re busy, date nights are often the first thing to go. In order to keep the romance alive through the upcoming insanity of the holidays, we asked Melia Marden, new mom and executive chef at popular NYC spot The Smile, for her tips on pulling together easy weeknight date-nights-in. “I’m in the thick of this,” she tells us. “We put the baby to bed and then we try to make a nice dinner so it feels special and not like we’re eating just because we have to.” As it turns out, with a well-stocked kitchen and a little creativity, you can turn any Monday night meal into a romantic dinner.

1. Keep a stocked pantry

I always have canned tomatoes and kalamata olives in my pantry. It’s also good to have exotic spice mix on hand, which you can find at any specialty grocery store. You can use it on everything—toss it with roasted vegetables and you’ve got a delicious side or use it as a meat rub for a quick, tasty main-dish.

2. Buy wine by the case

If my husband and I find a wine that we like, we’ll get a case to have at the ready for romantic dinners. When you’re out at a restaurant and you both find something you like, make a note of it to buy for your next spontaneous date-night-in.

3. Splurge on good cheese

I get cheese from Murray’s Cheese. Instead of buying it at the supermarket, go to a specialty store—they carry better quality cheeses, they know how to keep it properly and they sell more of it so their current stock is always freshest. Look for something with a low water content, like an aged goat cheese, so you can keep it in the back of the fridge.

Ever wonder where Wall Streeters come from?

It turns out that many of them — at least the ones based in New York City — went into finance from one of 10 schools.

That's according to Emolument, a salary benchmarking website that collects self-reported pay data.

Emolument surveyed 2,800 NYC-based front- and back-office investment banking professionals. It did not include staff like those working in HR or communications.

Here are the top colleges.

SEE ALSO: A step-by-step guide on making a critical career move to land the Wall Street job of your dreams

10. University of Michigan & Ross School of Business — Ann Arbor, Michigan (1.6%)

9. Rutgers University — New Brunswick & Newark, New Jersey (1.7%)

8. MIT & Sloan School of Management — Cambridge, Massachusetts (1.9%)

Being fired is one of the most stressful things than can happen to a person.

So it's completely natural for anyone going through the dreaded process to feel a range of emotions — including intense anger and shock — which can prompt them to say or do things they will later regret, says Michael Kerr, an international business speakerand author of "The Humor Advantage."

"It's important to remember that being unprofessional in any way could do long-term damage to your personal brand and reputation," he says.

"You need to keep in mind that most successful people have been fired at some point in their life. It's a temporary setback that won't ruin your entire life, and it isn't necessarily personal," he said.

Remaining polite and leaving with your head held high will help the transition immensely, he adds:

"Do you want to leave in such a way that it will only reinforce the impression that they made the right choice in firing you? Or would you rather leave in such a classy way that your boss remains as supportive as possible during a very difficult time and remembers you in a more positive, professional light?"

As difficult as it is at the time, the best course of action is to try and keep a level head and not burn any bridges: "Take a deep breath and err on the side of saying nothing if you feel you can't keep control of your emotions."

Here are 14 things you should always try to say to the person firing you if you want to leave on a high note:

SEE ALSO: 13 things people say when they get fired that they later regret

'OK ... mmm-hmm ... yes ... I understand'

The first thing to do is to take in all the information and, as hard as it is in the moment, just listen and acknowledge what the person is saying, Kerr suggests.

'Can I have a moment to process this?'

If you think you're going to say or do something you might later regret, ask for a moment to process what's happening and compose yourself.

"Take a deep breath and even ask for a few moments if you need to collect your thoughts and rein in your emotions," Kerr says. "The key is to remain professional and not burn any bridges."

'Would you be able to explain why I am being let go?'

Without getting defensive, ask for specific details as to why you are being fired.

Kerr says, "As hard is this might be, hearing the specifics will help you come to terms with the dismissal, and help you be aware of future landmines when you go to work in another company."

It will also help you determine if your termination is justified.

Britney Spears seems to have left the lows of her highly publicized 2008 meltdown far behind her.

On Friday, she released her first album in three years, "Glory."

The pop star, who has sold more than 33 million albums in the US, is also riding high at her extended residency at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas. Like Kim Kardashian before her, Spears recently released a game with Glu Mobile, and she unveiled her 20th fragrance with Elizabeth Arden.

Despite her post-2008 success, Spears hasn't been in control of it, or her personal life, for those eight years. Her family decided to enact her father, Jamie, and lawyer Andrew Wallet as her conservators, or guardians. They oversee her finances and daily life.

Even so, Spears is still raking in cash and seemingly not left wanting for things to spend it on — she apparently loves Target just as much as the average person.

Here's how Britney Spears makes and spends her money:

SEE ALSO: How Britney Spears lost control of her life 8 years ago and then made an incredible career comeback

DON'T MISS: http://www.businessinsider.com/britney-spears-comeback-career-collapse-2016-8

Britney Spears ranked No. 99 on Forbes' list of the highest-earning celebrities in 2016, tying with Gisele Bündchen. Both earned $30.5 million.

This is a slight decrease for Spears, who made $31 million in 2015 and landed at No. 82 on Forbes' Celebrity 100 list.

Source: Forbes

Her total assets were valued at $45,982,505.75 in a 2014 legal filing.

Source: People

And it seems her sights for her career and brand are clear.

She told Variety in a 2014 cover story:

"I've been very hands-on with everything I've done since I had my children ... And it's just really important for me to understand the big picture, where everybody's coming from, what's the real purpose of this shoot and this song, or whatever it is in that moment that I'm doing. 

"It's important to learn to say no. With tours and all of that stuff, there are so many aspects that go into it, it's easy to have so many people around you saying, 'Oh yes, yes, you can afford this, you can afford this,' and then all of the sudden you've spent $20 million on your stage and you're like, 'Where's my money?'

"You have to make sure that you're on top of things and know where the money's going."

The Oakland Raiders are continuing their attempt to relocate to Las Vegas.

On Thursday, it was reported that they filed three trademarks for "Las Vegas Raiders," while reportedly trying to drum up $750 million in public funding.

Raiders owner Mark Davis has pledged $500 million toward the project, and according to a report from the Southern Nevada Tourism Infrastructure Committee, the stadium would cost a total of $1.9 billion.

While this is a far from concluded move, the renderings of the stadium, via MANICA Architecture, do portray a flashy, eye-catching stadium.

Take a look below.

The stadium won't be directly located in the heart of Las Vegas.

Much like Las Vegas itself, the stadium looks like an oasis in the desert.

According to the SNTIC report, Las Vegas can expect $100 million worth of media exposure per year from the Raiders.

The best things in life may be free, but that doesn't mean they won't take time, sweat, and perseverance to acquire.

That's especially the case when it comes to learning important life skills.

To ascertain which talents are worth the investment, one Quora reader posed the question: "What are the hardest and most useful skills to learn?"

We've highlighted our favorite takeaways, as well as a few other skills we thought were important.

SEE ALSO: 15 things successful 20-somethings do in their spare time

DON'T MISS: The 20 cities where Americans work the hardest

Mastering your sleep

There are so many prescribed sleep hacks out there it's often hard to keep track. But regardless of what you choose, establishing a ritual can help ensure you have restful nights.

Numerous studies show that being consistent with your sleep schedule makes it easier to fall asleep and wake up, and it helps promote better sleep in general.

Empathy

"You can be the most disciplined, brilliant, and even wealthy individual in the world, but if you don't care for or empathize with other people, then you are basically nothing but a sociopath," writes Kamia Taylor.

Empathy, as business owner Jane Wurdwand explains, is a fundamental human ability that has too readily been forsworn by modern business.

"Empathy — the ability to feel what others feel — is what makes good sales and service people truly great. Empathy as in team spirit — esprit d'corps — motivates people to try harder. Empathy drives employees to push beyond their own apathy, to go bigger, because they feel something bigger than just a paycheck," she writes.

Time management

Effective time management is one of the most highly valued skills by employers. While there is no one right way, it's important to find a system that works for you and stick to it, Alina Grzegorzewska explains. 

"The hardest thing to learn for me was how to plan," she writes. "Not to execute what I have planned, but to make so epic a to-do list and to schedule it so thoroughly that I'm really capable of completing all the tasks on the scheduled date."

The world is a big and beautiful place that travelers wish to explore. Unfortunately, some countries are closed to visitors, especially American travelers. Today, the U.S. has issued serious travel warnings to places like Syria and Yemen, making it hard -- not to mention, dangerous -- for Americans to visit such destinations. On the bright side, there are a number of spots that Americans can now visit that they couldn’t five, 10, or 20 years ago. So if you're a travel enthusiast looking for a place that's still slightly untouched by American tourism, check out this list below. 

1. Cuba

At the height of the Cold War, the United States placed an embargo on Cuba, partially as a response to the government's actions in aligning with the Soviet Union. It wasn't until 2014 that President Obama and Raul Castro began discussions to end the embargo between the two countries. After a year of talks, the U.S. reopened embassies in Cuba and Americans were finally able to travel to the country. Cruises from the U.S. started making stops in Cuba in May 2016. And starting August 31, there will even be direct flights from Miami and Fort Lauderdale. 

But before you start packing your bags, take note of the following restrictions. For one, Americans can’t travel to Cuba as tourists. You must apply for a general license from the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Licenses will only be granted to those traveling to Cuba for certain reasons, including family visits, official government business, journalistic, educational, or religious activities, public performances, humanitarian projects, and more. 

For those lucky enough to hook a license, there are some essential tidbits to keep in mind. Debit and credit cards don’t generally work in Cuba, so bring cash. There’s also a spending limit, so don’t splurge freely. Travelers can only bring $400 worth of Cuban merchandise back to the U.S. And most importantly -- behave. As a U.S. citizen, you’re subject to Cuban laws and their penalties might be harsher than you might expect. 

Perhaps the best way to experience Cuba right now is through a people-to-people educational program. These are generally week-long organized trips that allow Americans to visit the country for an educational purpose. This includes visiting local artists, taking dance or Spanish classes, meeting local leaders, and seeing different historical sites throughout the country. 

Where to Stay:

2. Vietnam

Following the end of the Vietnam War, the relationship between the U.S. and Vietnam was a bit rocky, to say the least. And so the U.S. enacted a trade embargo on Vietnam. Although this didn’t include a travel ban per se, it wasn’t easy for Americans to visit the country. In 1995, however, President Bill Clinton established full diplomatic relations with the country. Today, Americans can visit Vietnam under the following regulations. In addition to a passport, Americans must apply for a visa from a Vietnamese embassy prior to travel. Since Vietnam is a communist country, U.S. travelers should also be aware that all forms of political speech -- even private conversations -- that are critical of the government may result in arrest or detention. This also applies to those travelers who engage in non-sanctioned religious activities.  

Where to Stay:

3. Nicaragua

Ronald Reagan enforced the embargo on Nicaragua in 1985 that not only prohibited trade, but also prevented Nicaraguan planes and ships to land on U.S. soil. The travel and embargo ban was created in response to the actions of the Sandinista government at the time. That being said, it wasn’t easy for Americans to visit Nicaragua until 1990 when George H.W. Bush lifted the ban. 

Today, travelers can visit Nicaragua, but should be aware of current events within the country. With the upcoming election in November, there have been several protests, which have made the government wary of foreigners. Some travelers are denied entry into the country upon arrival, while others are questioned about their interaction with Nicaraguan citizens, their research or volunteer efforts in the country, and any activity that involves political unrest. Plus, the country is subject to protests and strikes, some of which turn violent. Do your research and check warnings before booking your trip.

Where to Stay:

Favoritism is alive and well in the workplace.

"Given the complexities involved in relationships at work and the myriad of factors that determine how much we like someone or respect their talents, it's simply human nature that we are going to, no matter how subtly, and despite our best intentions, play favorites," says Michael Kerr, an international business speaker and author of "The Humor Advantage."

Lynn Taylor, a national workplace expert and the author of "Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant: How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job," agrees and says there's often a fine line between bosses who appreciate an employee's good work and want to empower the person with more projects, and bosses who favor that employee to the detriment of others.

"If bosses are brazen in practicing favoritism, they can seriously hurt team morale and increase turnover — not to mention cause legal trouble by creating a hostile work environment," Taylor says.

Plus, she says, the more you're singled out and given special treatment, the more risk associated with securing the cooperation you need from your team. "It can put an overall strain on your productivity because your work should always be the focus," Taylor says. "Your office is not a popularity contest — and when it is, your days of glory can be fleeting."

If you suspect you're being favored, take a second to feel flattered, then stay humble, remain professionals, and talk to your boss if things get out of hand.

Here are 14 signs you're the boss' favorite:

SEE ALSO: 12 signs you're about to be promoted at work

They include you in more meetings than your colleagues

This is a key sign, as it shows they respect your judgment and wisdom, and they recognize that you have positive contributions to make, says Kerr.

"No one enjoys being in meetings with people they don't have an affinity toward, so it's a reasonably good sign they also like you as a person." 

You're chosen for all the plum projects

When you're elected the boss' "fave," you often feel like you're on a roll and can't lose; one great project follows another.

"Your boss feels like you have a proven track record and is almost doubling down each time you get more responsibility because you're a good bet," says Taylor.

You are their go-to person in a crisis

If you are the first on your boss' radar for getting things done or dealing with a crisis, it means they have an enormous amount of trust in your abilities, Kerr says. 

One oddly affectionate nickname I have for my dog Oreo is "slug."

No couch or bed is safe from Oreo, a pit bull mix and professional lounger who gladly snoozes on wood, concrete, dirt, hard plastic dog toys, and even piles of rocks.

But are pit bulls really that lazy as far as dog breeds go? What about chunky bulldogs or droopy basset hounds or other lackadaisical pet canines?

To find out, Business Insider asked Whistle— a company that makes a GPS and activity-tracking dog collar— what the least active dog breeds are based on the data they see from the roughly 150,000 Americans who've used its products. (Like all data, this set has limitations — see our notes at the end.)

Here are the 42 least active breeds in the US, ranked by average minutes of activity a day.

And don't miss our list of the 43 most active breeds, too.

SEE ALSO: 16 ridiculous 'facts' about animals you should really stop repeating

#42: Anatolian Shepherd

Active an average of 66.45 minutes a day.

#41: Beagle

Active an average of 66.16 minutes a day.

#40: Pomeranian

Active an average of 66.11 minutes a day.

With well-publicized employee perks and great pay, it's easy see why Google consistently rates as not only the best tech company to work for, but the best company to work for overall in the US. 

Employees rate the company a 4.4 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, CEO Sundar Pichai is the highest rated CEO on the site, and the company has added 9,000 new jobs in the last year. 

But what's it really like to work there? 

We read through Glassdoor reviews to find out some of employees' favorite things about being a Googler.

Jillian D'Onfro contributed to an earlier version of this report.

SEE ALSO: 21 photos of the most impressive free food at Google

Google treats its employees to parties and outings like ski trips to Vermont and picnics during the summer.

One current Google employee writes: "Aaaaaamazing holiday parties (at Waldorf Astoria, NY Public Library, MoMA, etc.); overnight ski trips to Vermont; overnight nature trips to the Poconos in the summer; summer picnics at Chelsea piers; and on and on and on. I don't see this going away unless the company starts hurting financially."

Top executives like Alphabet CEO Larry Page and President Sergey Brin frequently hold forums on Fridays called TGIF, where employees can ask questions about the company.

"It's truly fair game to ask anything, no matter how controversial, and frequently the executives will be responsive," writes one current employee. 

Employees have access to gyms, volleyball courts, a bowling alley, and an outdoor sports park at Google's Mountain View campus.

Wellness is a priority at Google, so employees are encouraged to use the company's facilities to exercise, employees say.

Now that new music comes out every Friday — though not always on every streaming service — it can be hard to know where to find the next great song.

To help you out, Business Insider compiles this rundown of the best new music you can stream right now.

This week, The Weeknd appeared on a new song from Norwegian producer Cashmere Cat, and Led Zeppelin unearthed a previously unreleased song from 1969. 

Check out this week's best new songs:

SEE ALSO: The best new songs from the week of August 19

MORE GREAT MUSIC: Frank Ocean reveals his 50 favorite songs of all time

Led Zeppelin — "Sunshine Woman"

Led Zeppelin's lo-fi gem "Sunshine Woman" is a previously unreleased recording from their upcoming "The Complete BBC Sessions" album. The Guardian has said the track is "likely the best recording you will ever find of what might be the last previously unheard complete Zeppelin song to get an official release." 

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GoldLink — "Fall in Love"

GoldLink, a rapper and self-proclaimed "future bounce" artist, released his best and most infectious single to date with "Fall in Love." The Kaytranada and BadBadNotGood coproduced track sounds like it could have been composed by '80s funk icon Rick James. 

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Hamilton Leithauser + Rostam — "When the Truth Is..."

The latest single from the fantastic new duo of Hamilton Leithauser (The Walkmen) and Rostam Batmanglij (Vampire Weekend), "When the Truth Is..." incorporates elements of doo-wop and soul for a superb, Vampire Weekend-style waltz track. 

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Job postings usually begin the same way: first the overview of the position, followed by a list of required skills and desired qualifications.

It can be extremely frustrating to know deep down that you'd be great for the job, even though you don't fit all the requirements.

The good news, says Aliza Licht, author of "Leave Your Mark: Land Your Dream Job. Kill It Your Career. Rock Social Media," is that it's still possible to get the job.

Here's what you'll want to do:

SEE ALSO: 3 common interview questions job seekers struggle with the most, and how you should answer them

SEE ALSO: Here's the avoidable mistake that can cost you a job

Don't count yourself out

Human Workplace CEO Liz Ryan writes on LinkedIn that the recruitment process of putting out job ads is "bureaucratic,""faulty," and "idiotic."

"The manager writes a job spec that describes an imaginary, magical person who doesn't exist on this planet. A compliant HR person takes the spec from the manager and publishes the job ad far and wide, no questions asked,"she writes.

As Scott Purcell, a Silicon Valley-based technology recruiter at Jobspring Partners, tells Quartz, a lot of job descriptions include everything the company could ever dream of having, which does include a list of things they need, but also includes things they may want to use in the future and every sort of technology in their environment.

"If you were to ask most hiring managers if they care about somebody that has every skill listed, versus somebody that has four or five [relevant skills] with a good attitude and a good work history, they're all going to say they care about the type of person, not some brand new technology skill," Purcell tells Quartz.

Unfortunately, the majority of people who don't apply for jobs say the reason isn't that they think they couldn't do the job well; it's that they think they won't get hired because they don't meet the qualifications.

But as "Great on the Job" author Jodi Glickman writes for HBR, they're missing a basic mathematical principal when deciding not to apply: rounding up.

If you're 60% qualified for a job based on its description, "Why round down rather than up when we’ve long been taught that a 0.5 gets rounded up to 1?" Glickman asks. She says that slight miscalculation can have huge repercussions in your professional life.

The bottom line is, if you think you're a fit for the job — and you can frame your skills to make a case — don't let an overly detailed job description intimidate you. It's likely you're more qualified than you think.

Understand the job and your skills

You always want to understand the job you're applying for — that's obvious — but when you're trying to position yourself outside of your normal area, it's even more critical than usual.

That's because you're selling your specific, transferable skills — not your previous titles. And the better you understand the job description, "the more you can hone in on what you know is important to that person," Licht explains. "You have to throw the skill set that you know they're looking for back at them."

Cut the jargon

Certain specifics may be very, very impressive to people inside your industry, but to people outside of it — like, say, the people in charge of hiring for the job you're trying to get — those details are (sadly) meaningless. Cut them from your résumé and cover letter.

Licht tells the story of a candidate looking to transition from healthcare PR to fashion PR — not, superficially, at least, a drastic career change. But her résumé was filled with the names of pharmaceutical companies and drugs, and those details weren't doing her any favors in fashion.

"The person in fashion is going to read this and think, 'OK, I don't know what you're talking about, I don't know these companies, these drugs mean nothing to me,'" Licht says. The thing the fashion people do care about? "The actual PR skills that she performed on behalf of these brands. That's the nugget that they're going to care about."

With summer almost coming to a close, enjoy the last hot days with a glass of chilled red wine. 

White wines are almost always sipped on chilled, but only certain kinds of reds fair well in cooler temperatures. 

James Tidwell, Master Sommelier at the Four Seasons Resort in Dallas, Texas, shared with us some of the best types of red wine that taste great chilled. 

"I would say the wines to look at in general are typically wines that have more acidity to them and wines that don’t have a lot of oak influence on them," said Tidwell.

Although these qualities are the defining characteristics of a chillable red wine, the description might be hard to decipher. Here are the five types Tidwell recommends. 

Pinot noir

Pinot noir is one of those red wines you'd never think to drink chilled, but Tidwell proves otherwise.

"Pick the lighter or more fruit-forward ones, because they will be enhanced by chilling," said Tidwell. "They are typically lighter than cabernet [sauvignon] or merlot, but it still has some soul."

Cabernet franc

This ancestor of cabernet sauvignon does well in colder temperatures because it intrinsically is less oaked than other types of red wines.

According to the sommelier, the location of this type of wine is an important characteristic to consider. "The ones from the Noir valley are often labeled cabernet franc," said Tidwell. "But the ones from Bordeaux is a blend so there is a bigger, more oaked wine that is typically not conducive to chilling."

Lambrusco

Tidwell said one of the best wines to chill is Lambrusco, since the red wine's refreshing quality is further enhanced by chilling.

While there are many varieties of Lambrusco, from dry to sweet, and still to slightly bubbly, Tidwell says you can chill pretty much any variation. 

"It goes really well with salumi, or a ham and cheese plate," Tidwell added. "The crispness [of the wine] cleanses your palate."

Friday is National Dog Day, which means it's time to celebrate your furry friend (though you really should every day).

With hundreds of homeless dogs on the streets and in shelters all over the country, there are always animals looking for a good home. 

In honor of this special holiday, here are 19 celebrities who are all about pet adoption. 

Olivia Munn adopted Frank with her boyfriend Aaron Rodgers, through Love Leo Rescue in LA. She's always advocating for rescue operations.

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Frankie joins Chance Rodgers, another rescue.

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George and Amal Clooney adopted Millie the basset hound from the San Gabriel Valley Humane Society in 2015.

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She joins their other rescue dog, Louie. George also adopted a rescue dog named Nate for his parents earlier in 2016, according to TODAY.

Stereotypes aside, men and women have different habits, especially when it comes to travel. I've talked to tour companies, done my research, and learned from personal experience to find out what exactly these differences are. And while not everyone fits certain characteristics, here is what I found to be the major differences between men and women in their travel habits.

No one travel habit is better than the other, it's just in good fun to compare them. Sound off in the comments section below with your own thoughts and experiences on male and female travel habits.

Editor's Note: Special thanks to Greg Geronemus of smarTours, G Adventures Marketing Analyst Charlotte Lewis, Orange Sky Adventures, and Amex Travel for providing data.

SEE ALSO: The 25 top-trending tourist attractions this summer, according to TripAdvisor

Packing Habits

Women typically care more about what they pack, pack ahead of time, plan their outfits, and bring more items, while men typically wait to the last minute to pack and bring less.

There are tons of statistics out there to prove it: 54 percent of men pack within 24 hours of a trip, compared to 46 percent of women (SpringHill Suites). When it comes to business travel, women list packing as the first thing they do, compared to men who list booking a hotel as the number one priority (SpringHill Suites). And 91 percent of women admit to not wearing all of the clothes they pack (Holiday Hypermarket). Women bring on average 36 items for a one-week vacation while men bring only 18 items (Holiday Hypermarket).

I can personally attest to this habit as I am a chronic overpacker, but so is my dad. However, in the times I have traveled with males, I find that they always pack within a 24-hour window of departure, whereas myself and my other female travel partners start packing a few days in advance.

RELATED: The Single Worse Packing Mistake You Can Ever Make

Activity Choices

I think that how someone spends a vacation has more to do with interests and personalities than gender; however, I wanted to see if there are any major differences in how men and women spend their vacation.

G Adventures broke down their tour styles by gender and found that more U.S. men than women book the tour provider's "Active" style tours that include hiking, trekking, cycling, and kayaking, as well as "Marine" style tours which include sailing, river cruises, and polar expeditions. Alternatively, U.S. women book more "Yolo" G Adventure tours, which are geared towards 18 to 39-year-old travelers, as well as "Local Living" tours, which focus on cultural experiences.

And there are some statistics to back this up, the Travel Industry Association of America reports that three-quarters of women between the ages of 20 and 70 take nature, adventure, or cultural trips.

RELATED:The Top Five Most Requested Activities by Travelers

Group Travel vs. Solo Travel

Whether it's for safety reasons or just to have a stress-free vacation, women are more likely to book group tours than men. I spoke to a few group tour companies, and all see higher margins in female bookings. Orange Sky Adventures says 68 percent of their bookings come from females. Women account for 70 percent of bookings of smarTours trips.

G Adventures' data also mirrors these industry norms with 63 percent of their U.S. travelers being female. More women (65 percent) have made solo bookings on G's group tours in the past five years, which supports the rising number of female solo travelers on group tours (Boston Globe).

I personally enjoy traveling with a companion, but when I travel alone I prefer doing so with a group so I don't have to do as much planning. It also affords the opportunity to meet new people.

RELATED: What You Learn By Traveling Alone

Britney Spears was unquestionably a central figure of the '90s (and 2000s) pop music universe — and she's still killing it today. But though she continues to produce singles, the glory days of music videos have faded.

Most of Britney's iconic work in the music video sector took place during the era of TRL and morning marathons of videos on VH1. We've gone back and rewatched each of her most popular videos, and ranked them on a pure basis of awesomeness and nostalgia.

Scroll down for a look at Britney Spears' 17 most iconic music videos.

17. "Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know" (2000)

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The quiet beach scene, Britney's tousled locks, a perfect crochet bikini top — this video is sensual and sweet and pretty darn great. The hunky love interest plays his role perfectly, from sweet noses kisses right down to the mysterious bullhorn tattoo on his shoulder.

"Don't Let Me Be The Last To Know" is an essential starting point for any Britney throwback video marathon.

Watch the full video here.

16. "My Prerogative" (2004)

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Britney's cover of Bobby Brown's "My Prerogative" is perceived to be one of the most personal music videos she's released to date.

Her now-ex-husband Kevin Federline (aka "K-Fed") is featured prominently in the video, which begins with Britney crashing a Porsche into a pool and concludes with her marrying K-Fed wearing a (now incredibly ironic) black gown. 

Watch the full video here.

15. "Circus" (2008)

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Taking the metaphorical term "media circus" and making it the literal stage of her 2008 comeback is one of Britney's best career moves, in this author's opinion.

With stellar choreography and amazing costume design, the video speaks for itself — Britney is an entertainer, and all we have to do is sit back and watch. 

Watch the full video here.

Speculation that Disney is going to buy Vice has placed the forward-thinking media company under new scrutiny, especially its new cable channel, Viceland.

Disney — which is currently Vice's largest outside investor, and whose joint TV venture with Hearst, A+E Networks, houses Viceland — seeks to reach more young men. And Vice seems to be just the means it can use to get them.

But new ratings information provided by The Wall Street Journal earlier this week has painted a dreary picture of the state of Viceland. According to the newspaper, the cable channel averaged 45,000 adult viewers under the age of 50, the demographic most desired by advertisers, in July.

Business Insider obtained the comparable Nielsen ratings for H2, which was about 92,000 adults under 50. That represents 51% less viewers in the demo than H2, the channel Viceland replaced.

On the surface, this seems like a clear-cut failure for Vice's first major TV channel outing. But actually, there's more to the story.

SEE ALSO: Early ratings estimates for Vice's new TV channel are out, and they don't look good

DON'T MISS: The 6 biggest things that are shaking up the TV industry right now

It's unfair to compare 6-month-old Viceland viewership to that of 5-year-old H2.

Question: Would you ever punish a six-month-old child for not being as tall as a five-year-old? Clearly, no. H2 had about five years to build its audience. It's illogical to believe that six-month-old Viceland could do the same.

Still, didn't Viceland inherit H2's viewers?

You may be thinking that Viceland actually had a head-start in the numbers with H2's audience. That would make sense if Viceland was aimed at the same viewers. Don't forget, H2's audience steered older and A+E Networks was aiming for a younger audience with Viceland. So in the process, Viceland would probably lose audience, while trying to attract younger viewers to the channel.

The plan seems to be working. According to Wall Street Journal's reported numbers, Viceland's viewership averages 17 years younger than H2's viewers. That's pretty significant.

Live TV viewing isn't exactly the Millennial style.

Finally, Viceland could be the first cable channel ever to consider cable as one of the platforms used to view its programming from its inception. As a channel geared toward younger viewers and in the age of cable cord-cutting, it hopes to appeal to delayed viewing via DVR and other online platforms. In that case, ratings aren't exactly its main measure of success, it's just one part of the equation.

A+E Networks requested that Nielsen abstain from measuring Viceland's ratings for its first six months. With just days to go, a more complete ratings picture will become available. But even then, how much does that really matter?

"What Got You Here Won't Get You There" highlights the 20 workplace habits that keep business leaders from success.

Author Marshall Goldsmith, a top executive coach who's worked with more than 150 CEOs and been named multiple times to the Thinkers50 list of influential management thinkers, published the bestselling book with Mark Reiter in 2007.

His goal was to help managers at all levels pinpoint exactly which behaviors they need to change and how to do it.

The thrust is that just because you've been able to get by with your counterproductive habits doesn't mean you'll be able to reach the top of your field with those same tendencies.

If you're set on progressing in your career, you've got to commit yourself to a course of personal development, which will likely be as uncomfortable as it is rewarding.

Below, Business Insider breaks down the book's five most important insights on becoming an effective leader:

SEE ALSO: A leadership coach and bestselling author shares his favorite daily habit to start becoming a better person

1. Don't fall into the 'superstition trap'

Your destructive habits— from taking credit for others' efforts to constantly making excuses— probably aren't what helped you reach this level of success, and they definitely won't help you get further.

Here's Goldsmith:

"One of the greatest mistakes of successful people is the assumption, 'I behave this way, and I achieve results. Therefore, I must be achieving results because I behave this way.'

"This belief is sometimes true, but not across the board. That's where superstition kicks in. It creates the core fallacy necessitating this book, the reason that 'what got us here won't get us there.' I'm talking about the difference between success that happens because of our behavior and the success that comes in spite of our behavior."

2. Technical chops aren't enough for leaders

Interpersonal skills get more and more important as you climb the corporate ladder.

Here's Goldsmith:

"At the higher levels of organizational life, all the leading players are technically skilled. They're all smart. They're all up to date on the technical aspects of their job. …

"That's why behavioral issues become so important at the upper rungs of the corporate ladder. All other things being equal, your people skills (or lack of them) become more pronounced the higher up you go. In fact, even when all other things are not equal, your people skills often make the difference in how high you go."

3. Your effectiveness as a leader is based on others' perceptions of you

What you think of yourself doesn't matter as much — so stop trying to conform to some arbitrary notion of your unique self.

Here's Goldsmith:

"It's an interesting equation: Less me. More them. Equals success.

"Keep this in mind when you find yourself resisting change because you're clinging to a false — or pointless — notion of 'me.' It's not about you. It's about what other people think of you."

This is Ratho Farm. In the middle of Tasmania, it’s about 13,000km from Silicon Valley:

Ratho Farm

Settled in 1822, it’s recently opened up its doors for a wonderfully unique farmstay experience:

It’s also home to Australia’s oldest known golf course. Among the usual obstacles, you can count fencing and livestock:

Every semester, college students pack their bags and jet off to foreign countries to study abroad. The experience allows them to learn things they wouldn't be able to learn in their college classrooms. 

The Institute of International Education, a not-for-profit organization that researches the movement of international students, found that 304,467 American students studied abroad during the 2013-2014 school year — the most recent data available. 

The IIE's "Open Doors Data" is compiled with the help of the Bureau of Education and Cultural Affairs of the US Department of State. With this data, the IIE broke down the number of American studying in each country.

Business Insider used IIE's research to find the top 20 countries and then researched the basics of what they need to know before moving there: official language, currency, and exchange rate (as of early August). We then looked to Lonely Planet for the cost of a typical low-budget meal, since studying abroad can get costly.

Europe is the continent of choice, with eight countries featured on the list. South America is in second place with five countries. 

Read on to find out the 20 most popular countries where American students study abroad. 

SEE ALSO: The 50 best colleges in America

20. Chile

Number of students who study abroad: 3,333

Language: Spanish

Currency: Chilean peso (CH$)

Exchange rate: $0.0015 per peso

Average cost of a low-budget meal:CH$5000

19. Peru

Number of students who study abroad: 3,396

Language: Spanish (Quechua and Aymara are native languages used as well)

Currency: Peruvian sol (S), but many places accept American dollars

Exchange rate: $0.30 per sol

Average cost of a low-budget meal:S15 or less 

18. Denmark

Number of students who study abroad: 3,545

Language: Danish

Currency: Danish krone

Exchange rate: $0.15 per krone

Average cost of a low-budget meal:under Dkr125