The week of Thanksgiving is one of the busiest times to travel all year. Traveling during holidays can be overwhelming, thanks to all of the extra crowds, flight delays, and cancellations. 

Thankfully, there are certain steps you can take to save yourself time and stay as relaxed as possible. 

We've put together 12 time-saving travel tips, from signing up for perks to using a simple trick to spot shorter lines.

Talia Avakian contributed reporting on a previous version of this article.

SEE ALSO: I flew over New York City in a doorless helicopter like a daredevil Instagrammer, and it was terrifying

Apply for TSA PreCheck status.

Signing up for TSA PreCheck or Global Entry can help save you valuable time, as you can keep your shoes, belts, and light jackets on as you go through security. You also don't have to remove your laptop or any liquids from your bag. 

It will help get you through an expedited line over Thanksgiving weekend as well as each time you travel afterward, making it a valuable investment.

Check in ahead of time.

Give yourself as few tasks to do at the airport as possible. Instead of waiting to pick up your boarding pass, check in ahead of time, either online or on your phone.

You can go paperless at most airport and use an electronic pass on your phone to board.

Download your airline's app.

American Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and British Airways are just a few of the airlines that have developed mobile apps to give travelers real-time information on flight delays and gate changes.

That way, if your gate has changed and you're short on time, you’ll know before you even get to the airport.

Four out of 45 US presidents have been assassinated over the course of American history.

But many more chief executives escaped assassination attempts thanks to heroic bystanders, diligent guards, misfiring pistols, and crazy luck.

Even two presidents who were eventually assassinated escaped previous attempts on their lives.

On a hot August night in 1864, a sniper shot Lincoln's hat off his head — missing his skull by inches — as he took a solo ride on his favorite horse "Old Abe," according to "1864: Lincoln at the Gates of History." Lincoln was later shot and killed by Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth, just five days after the surrender of Robert E. Lee.

Almost a century later, in 1960, retired postal worker Richard Paul Pavlick crammed his car with dynamite and plotted to ram the vehicle into Kennedy's limo in Palm Beach, Florida, according to Smithsonian magazine. He was motivated by his intense hatred of Catholics and the Kennedy family, but backed off when he saw that the president was with his wife and young children. Pavlick was later arrested and institutionalized until 1966, three years after Kennedy was assassinated by Lee Harvey Oswald while visiting Dallas, Texas.

But these 13 other presidents all experienced serious assassination threats and ultimately survived — and these are only the most dramatic, most-publicized instances. Undoubtedly, the Secret Service has thwarted many more over the years.

Here are 13 presidents who escaped attempts on their lives:

SEE ALSO: 14 US presidents who were members of one of the most powerful secret societies in history

Andrew Jackson

On a misty January day in 1835, Richard Lawrence, an out-of-work house painter who believed he was the 15th-century English king Richard III, walked into the US Capitol Building.

President Andrew Jackson was leaving the funeral of a House representative when the English national confronted him in the East Portico, brandishing a pistol.

He raised the gun at Andrew Jackson and pulled the trigger. Nothing happened.

"Let me alone! Let me alone!" Jackson yelled at Lawrence, according to Smithsonian magazine. "I know where this came from."

Lawrence discarded the weapon, produced a second pistol, and aimed the new gun at Jackson. It also misfired.

According to legend, Jackson subsequently flew at the man and thrashed him with his cane. Whether or not that's true, Lawrence's assassination attempt was unsuccessful. Smithsonian magazine reported that national anthem lyricist Francis Scott Key prosecuted his trial, where he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. Lawrence spent the rest of his life institutionalized.

As Time reported, the chance that both perfectly functional pistols would misfire was about one in 125,000. Jackson's survival may have depended on the dampness in the air that day.

Theodore Roosevelt

President Theodore Roosevelt was saved by the length of his speech after an assassin shot him in the chest with a .38-caliber revolver in 1912.

At the time, Roosevelt was running for the presidency on the Bull and Moose ticket. Saloon-owner John Schrank had begun stalking the former president after having an unusual dream.

According to "Killing the President: Assassinations, Attempts, and Rumored Attempts on U.S. Commanders-in-Chief," Schrank wrote: "In a dream I saw President McKinley sit up in his coffin pointing at a man in a monk’s attire in whom I recognized Theodore Roosevelt. The dead President said, 'This is my murderer — avenge my death.'"

Fortunately, Roosevelt had his notes with him when he was shot on October 14 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin — 50 pages of them, folded in his breast pocket next to his metal glasses case. These objects slowed the bullet and saved Roosevelt's life.

The ex-president continued to speak after letting his audience know he'd been shot, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Association:

"Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible. I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot; but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose. But fortunately I had my manuscript, so you see I was going to make a long speech, and there is a bullet — there is where the bullet went through — and it probably saved me from it going into my heart. The bullet is in me now, so that I cannot make a very long speech, but I will try my best."

He finished the rest of his speech with a bullet in his ribs, where it remained until his death in 1919.

Herbert Hoover

In 1928, President Herbert Hoover was nearly killed while visiting the Andes.

Argentine anarchists attempted to blow up his train, but the would-be assassin was seized before he could plant the bombs on the tracks.

After learning of the thwarted plot, Hoover tore the front page story from the newspaper so his wife Lou Henry Hoover wouldn't worry, according to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. The 31st president is said to have quipped that while he was unconcerned, "It's just as well that Lou shouldn't see it."

• The White House tradition of pardoning a turkey for Thanksgiving began under John F. Kennedy.
• No one really knows why American presidents do this.
• This year, President Trump continued the tradition.

Every year, before the President of the United States can sit down and fully enjoy a Thanksgiving meal with his family, he must first go through the odd tradition of "pardoning" the turkey that won't be eaten.

While the reason why the tradition started is still a bit of a mystery, the White House traces it all the way back to President Lincoln in 1863.

As the story goes, Lincoln's son, Tad, may or may not have persuaded his father not to eat the turkey they purchased for Christmas dinner. They instead adopted it as a pet, naming the turkey Jack.

However, it would be more than 100 years until a President — John F. Kennedy —formally "pardoned" a turkey on the White House grounds.

This year, on November 21, President Donald Trump continued the tradition by pardoning Drumstick (and Wishbone) in the Rose Garden. "That’s a big bird. Wow. I feel so good about myself," said Trump right before the pardoning.

Below, a look at the strange tradition.

SEE ALSO: The chef who's opening a restaurant in the controversial Trump SoHo hotel thinks he can succeed where others have failed — here's why

In 1963, President John F. Kennedy received his Thanksgiving turkey from the Poultry and Egg National Board. He officially pardoned the bird by saying, "Let's keep him going."

In 1967, the pardoning ceremony took place inside. Senator Everett Dirksen and representatives from the poultry industry and farm organizations presented a turkey to President Lyndon B. Johnson.

An incredibly creepy legend about President Richard Nixon's bird was recently confirmed by the Washington Post. As the story goes, the turkey was especially rambunctious, and its feet had to be nailed down to the table.

Source: Washington Post

• Buoy bills itself as the "Nest for water:" a $799 smart home device that hooks up to your plumbing and sends data to your smartphone.
• From the app, you can check out exactly how much water each of your home appliances uses, be alerted to leaks, and remotely shut off your home's emergency valve.
• Buoy is hoping to provide a solution to the rising water costs in the US.

If you've ever been curious about your home's water usage or attempted to find practical ways to curb water costs, then you're in luck: a new smart home device is here to help if you're willing to pay, and it's hitting the market today. 

Buoy is a $799 app-supported device that connects to your home's plumbing and sends information about each appliance's water use to your smartphone. From the app you can review detailed feedback about water usage, stay up-to-date on any leaks, make an emergency call to a plumber, and, in the event of an especially bad leak, shut off your home's emergency valve remotely.

Buoy's team is billing the device as the "Nest for water." It's a clever comparison — after all, it was only three years ago that the creators of the smart home learning thermostat, Nest Labs, was acquired by Google for $3.2 billion. 

The device was dreamed up by MIT engineer Keri Waters, who started thinking about practical ways to conserve water in 2014 during the devastating drought in Santa Cruz, California. When the state of California issued an emergency order to conserve water, Waters realized she didn't know which appliances in her home used the most water and didn't have a practical method for conserving her water use.

While California is still recovering from the drought, the US continues to grapple with water problems; a 2017 study by Michigan State University suggests that water costs for homeowners will only continue to rise, and estimates that within the next five years, as many as one in three homes will be unable to afford their monthly water bill.

Waters is betting that homeowners will look to tackle their water conservation problems with a new device, and the company is teaming up with a major insurance provider in an effort to help homeowners save on water costs.

But at $799 out of the box, Buoy is a pricey appliance. Waters estimates that the device will pay for itself in as little as a year by providing homeowners insight into the way they use water and pinpointing costly leaks — but we'll have to wait a bit until there's some cost-savings analysis from consumers to dig into the real-world savings. In the meantime, budget-conscious consumers or those looking to save on their water bill will have to weigh buying a $799 device with the promise of more data on how their home works and Buoy's estimates on what the device will save them in the long run.

Check out how Buoy works below:

Here's what Buoy looks like out of the box: the device includes a rechargeable battery that will need a two-hour recharge once every eight months.

Buoy's $799 price includes the device installation by a licensed plumber and a one year hardware guarantee. The device is estimated to last longer than ten years.

Once Buoy is installed, it can start determining the way you use water in your home and send information to the Buoy app. Within the course of the first few weeks, Buoy can determine how many gallons of water you use when you shower, your average daily water usages per appliance, and even the amount of time you usually spend using them.

Ben Affleck currently stars as Batman in "Justice League," but it may not be that way in future films. The actor recently told USA Today he's "contemplating" starring in the stand-alone Batman film that's being directed by Matt Reeves ("War for the Planet of the Apes").

Affleck acknowledged that when he eventually leaves the role he'll want to "find a graceful and cool way to segue" from the Bat mantle. With the uncertain future of "Batfleck," fans are already taking to social media to suggest their thoughts for the next Caped Crusader.

In the event Affleck is on his way out of the role, INSIDER rounded up nine other men who would be perfect to don the cape and cowl.

SEE ALSO: Warner Bros. could reportedly lose up to around $100 million on 'Justice League'

Jake Gyllenhaal

According to Collider, director Matt Reeves reportedly met with Jake Gyllenhaal already for the upcoming standalone Batman movie and we're here for it. Gyllenhaal's on top of his game after "Nightcrawler" and "Southpaw."

Oscar Isaac

Oscar Isaac already won us over with his heroics saving the galaxy in "The Force Awakens." What's a few villains in Gotham City?

Jon Hamm

We didn't get Jon Hamm as the "Walking Dead" villain, but we're certain he would make a debonair Bruce Wayne.

Japan is dealing with what economists call a "demographic time bomb."

Through a vicious cycle of low fertility and low consumer spending, the country's economy has gradually shrunk over the last 20 years.

Japan has coped with this demographic time bomb in creative and sometimes extreme ways. But the reputation Japan still maintains as a tech leader with a booming economy belies the daily reality for many citizens.

Here are a handful of myths that put the demographic time bomb in perspective.

SEE ALSO: 'This is death to the family': Japan's fertility crisis is creating economic and social woes never seen before

MYTH: Japan is an economic powerhouse.

Japan's GDP is the third-largest in the world, at nearly $5 trillion. But its national debt is more than twice that, at $10.5 trillion.

(By way of comparison, the US has a GDP of $18.6 trillion and a debt of $20.5 trillion.)

Japan's financial woes began with a bubble in the mid-1980s that led to a full-blown crisis in the early 1990s. Since then, Japan has struggled to make it back to the level of prosperity it had in the 1960s, when it was the second-largest economy in the world.

MYTH: Japan's work ethic is a model of grit.

Ever since Japan's labor force avowed itself in the 1950s to rebuild the country post-WWII, Japanese citizens have been known for their tireless work ethic.

It's not uncommon for workers, still majority men, to log 12- or 16-hour days.

In recent years, this has led Japanese companies to see a rise in karoshi, or "death by overwork." Burdened by unsustainable work hours, some employees commit suicide or die by heart attack or stroke, highlighting the pressure workers are under to restore Japan's reputation.

MYTH: People in Japan aren't interested in having sex.

The simple reason for Japan's falling fertility rate is that people aren't having kids. But it's a more complex story as to why they don't, and one that doesn't square with some reports about Japanese people not taking an interest in sex.

Japan's labor market isn't designed for young people who hold egalitarian attitudes about gender and work. It's built for men to work at one company their whole lives, and for women to largely remain housewives.

But now that both sexes are committing themselves to incredibly long work hours, there literally aren't enough hours in the day for many people to have sex — regardless of their interest in making it a priority.

• I went vegan for a week to see what it was like.
• I failed at eating 100% vegan because there are a lot more regulations than I realized.
• That said, eliminating meat and eating a plant-based foods gave me more energy . 

Veganism has been taking the world by storm for over a decade and, being a meat and dairy lover, I avoided it at all costs. Lately, however, a number of celebrities like Kylie Jenner, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, and even Beyoncé have been eating vegan. This, along with buzz-worthy documentaries supporting veganism like "What the Health," inspired me to try the plant-based diet out for myself.

Before I could take on the challenge, I had to figure out what being a vegan entailed. Unlike vegetarians, who don't eat meat, vegans avoid any products that come from animals, like milk, dairy, and even eggs. Think full-on PETA style.

Although I believed I could get through a week without meat, I didn't know how I'd handle the "no dairy" part because cheese is my biggest weakness.

Keep scrolling to see how my week as a vegan went. 

Breakfast proved to be the toughest meal for me to get through as a vegan.

My typical go-to breakfast items are milk and cereal, Greek yogurt, bread with Nutella, or some kind of egg dish. All of these are vegan no-nos, so I really had to put some thought into what I was going to eat every morning.

I thought I had solved my problems by eating cereal with soy milk, a vegan alternative. I realized, however, that Cheerios are not vegan because they contain vitamin D3 derived from sheep. 

Although there are vegan cereals out there, I ultimately opted for a bowl of rolled oats with fruit and almonds or a vegan granola bar in the morning. Despite having fewer options, I wasn't complaining. It was still pretty tasty. 

Making a vegan lunch, however, was actually pretty easy.

I got super into making vegan tacos and made them in a variety of different options. My favorite combo was black bean and sweet potato tacos with corn, tofu, tomato, avocado, and a hint of lime.

Trader Joe's vegan Japanese Style Fried Rice became my best friend.

I fell in love with Trader Joe's pre-made vegan Japanese Style Fried Rice. I'd heat some up, add extra tofu, throw it on a toasted corn tortilla, and sprinkle some vegan shredded soy cheese on top. It only took about three minutes to make, and it tasted so good.

• Many retailers are closing stores, but luxury still seems to be thriving.
• Cushman & Wakefield has crunched the numbers to find the most expensive streets shopping streets in America.
• These shopping areas have thrived despite the retail apocalypse.

If there's a retail apocalypse going on, nobody told the stores on 5th Avenue.

The upper reaches of the Manhattan street again ranked as the most expensive place in the US to rent space for a retail store. It's the most expensive shopping street in the country as well as the world, according to a new report by commercial real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield.

It seems that though many stores are indeed closing, the trend is mostly impacting lower-priced mall locations — and not the main streets in the US' biggest cities.

"While there has been a lot of discussion around store closures, the main high street markets have not been as adversely affected as some of the headlines might suggest," the report reads. 

Here are the most expensive shopping streets in America: 

SEE ALSO: This is the best year ever to shop online on Black Friday

9. Walnut Street — Philadelphia

Like many other cities, Philadelphia has gotten a retail boost from e-commerce-based brands that have opened stores in major shopping areas. The rent on Walnut Street averages $125 per square foot a year. 

8. Newbury Street — Boston

Boston's famous shopping street also has stores from e-commerce-based brands, but it's famous in its own right. That's good enough to command $130 per square foot in rent per year.

7. Worth Avenue — Palm Beach

Palm Beach's pricey boutiques also have pricey rent. It costs an average of $145 a square foot per year to rent on the main street, Worth Avenue.

• Apple, which Markets Insider reports has a current market cap of $871 billion, is one of the most prolific tech companies out there.

• Using Glassdoor, Business Insider looked into some of its employee benefits.

• Glassdoor users gave Apple's overall perks a 4.5 out of 5 stars on the site.

• One of its flashiest draws is its "beer bash"— a regular event featuring snacks, free booze, and celebrity cameos.

Throwing around lots of fancy employee perks seems to be the norm in the tech world.

Business Insider took a look at Apple's Glassdoor reviews to see if the tech giant was any different.

On Glassdoor, users gave Apple's overall benefits a 4.5 out of 5 stars on the site. Reviews indicated the company's tempting perks range from free, star-studded concerts to gym benefits.

Here's a look at some of the benefits Apple offers its employees:

SEE ALSO: Walmart's Jet.com is offering employees outrageous perks in the talent war with Amazon

DON'T MISS: 30 incredible perks companies like IKEA, Facebook, and Goldman Sachs offer their employees

According to Glassdoor, Apple employees get an annual 25% discount when they purchase an iPod, computer, or iPad. Every three years, workers can get $250 off an iPad or $500 off a Mac. Apple software is 50% off. The company also offers other discounts for family and friends, depending on the product.

Source: Glassdoor

Apple allows mothers to take four weeks of paid leave before giving birth and 14 weeks after. Non-birth parents get six weeks of paid time off, according to TIME.

Source: TIME

The tech company also covers the cost of egg freezing.

Source: Business Insider

The new OnePlus 5T is an excellent smartphone, but thing about it stands out from the rest — its $500 price.

That amount is actually near the top of what OnePlus has charged for its past smartphones. But the price is hundreds of dollars cheaper than that of many other top-of-the-line devices. Indeed, many of the latest flagship smartphones, including Apple's iPhone X and Samsung's Galaxy Note 8, cost more than $900.

Given that, you could be forgiven for thinking OnePlus made some serious compromises with the 5T to get its price so comparatively low. But you would be wrong. While the 5T does pose some trade-offs, they aren't truly meaningful. And I'd recommend the new phone even if it cost as much as its rivals.

Check out the OnePlus 5T:

SEE ALSO: This is the phone Android users should get if they like the iPhone X's design

The OnePlus 5T looks great.

Design-wise, the 5T doesn't out. But that's a good thing. It includes most of the latest design features of other contemporary phones, including narrow top and bottom borders around its screen and a metallic back. Combined, those elements make for a minimalistic, almost generic, design. It's functional, not flashy.

What is noticeable, though, is just how thin the 5T is compared to other top Android phones. On paper, the 7.3mm thick 5T may not seem that much thinner than Google's 7.9mm Pixel 2 XL or Samsung's 8.6mm Galaxy Note 8. But those fractions of a millimeter do make a noticeable difference.

That thinness combined with its light weight make the 5T supremely comfortable to use.

The 5T's screen is great, especially considering the device's price.

The 5T's display is on par with those of other top Android smartphones. It has a 6-inch AMOLED screen with a 18:9 aspect ratio. That's more elongated than the typical smartphone screen from as recently as last year.

Some spec-scrutinizers may think the 1080p resolution on the 5T's display doesn't match up well with the 1440p resolution offered on most other Android flagship devices. But you'd be hard-pressed to notice much of a difference when actually comparing the phones side-by-side.

The 5T's display is beautiful. Its vibrant colors, and brightness and contrast levels equal those of displays on phones that cost $350 more.

The phone's performance is stellar.

Hiding underneath the 5T's minimalist outer shell you'll find specs that are as good or better than those of most of its rivals.

Like many of its newest competitors, the 5T includes Qualcomm's powerful Snapdragon 835 processor. But it has more memory than most of its rivals. Most top Android smartphones come with 4GB of RAM. By contrast, the base model of the 5T has 6GB and the top model has a whopping 8GB.

The more memory a device has, the faster it can typically switch between apps. And the 5T's extra RAM may make a difference if you customize your phone with software that offers a greater range of Android design and setting options.

I've been testing the higher-end model of the 5T, which costs $560 and comes with 128GB of storage and 8GB of RAM. I actually haven't noticed much of a difference in performance between it and the Pixel 2 XL, which has the same processor and half the RAM.

But I'm not going to complain about the extra memory, especially given that it's included in the 5T's sub-$600 price.

Getting paid to travel to new and exotic places sounds like a dream come true.

But as awesome as it may seem to work as a flight attendant, it's actually a lot more stressful than you might imagine.

A recent AskReddit thread asked flight attendants to recount the craziest thing they've ever seen happen while at work. And though INSIDER can't independently verify any of these tales, they do make for some wild reading.

Take a look at these eight horrifying things flight attendants say they've witnessed on the job.

"The puke rolled and splashed down the aisle almost all the way to the back galley."

"We had a school group of young children sitting in the front of the plane. On takeoff, one little boy leaned over into the aisle and threw up. The puke rolled and splashed down the aisle almost all the way to the back galley."— Redditor runLikeYerBeingChasd

"This was the most violent landing either of us had experienced."

"The captain had us secure the cabin early for landing as we were expecting some bad cross winds, which can lead to crazy turbulence. We secured and I took my jump seat with another FA in the back.

On approach, the wind was gusting so bad that my seat mate and I were being whipped from side to side pretty severely. We were both pretty scared as this was the most violent landing either of us had experienced. She grabbed my hand and we held hands until we were sure we weren't going off the runway."— Redditor body_by_monsanto

"They had to hose him off on the tarmac upon arrival."

"Probably my favorite story is about a gentleman who went into one of the lavs to relieve himself. As he flushed, and opened the gooseneck valve to the tank, the plane hit a pocket of dead air and dropped, like 15 feet vertically. Everything in the tank proceeded upwards at the speed of gravity. He was... covered. They had to hose him off on the tarmac upon arrival."— Redditor BatMally

Black Friday is the biggest shopping day of the year, and all kinds of crazy things happen when shopping malls are open for nearly 24 hours.

Retail employees see it all: the good, the bad, and the downright strange. To spare you from going out into the madness yourself, INSIDER turned to Reddit to find the biggest Black Friday fails throughout the years — and they didn't disappoint.

From the store that lost power to the couple who loves towels, keep reading for 11 of the most absurd Black Friday stories of all time.

The store that advertised a huge sale on a product that was low in stock.

Reddit user maybepants is a self-proclaimed Black Friday "veteran," but the biggest fail they ever encountered was when a store they worked at advertised a huge sale on digital cameras that were low in stock.

Moments before the doors opened, the district manager announced over the loudspeaker that the $200 cameras were on sale for $50, but he didn't mention that there were only four left before the store even opened.

As you can imagine, the situation devolved into chaos.

A confused shopper thought a security guard was cutting the line — so they punched him.

One year, a sleep-deprived shopper was agitated after waiting in line all night for a doorbuster item. When the store's security guard arrived just before the store opened, the shopper mistakenly thought he was another shopper cutting the line — so he punched the guard. A Reddit user who has since deleted their account saw the incident and said the rogue shopper is now banned from that store.

The couple who waited 14 hours for $2 towels.

People wait in line for all kinds of absurd things on Black Friday, but you have to draw the line somewhere. Reddit user Lineman72T hit his threshold when he saw a couple spend 14 hours in line just buy a bunch of $2 bath towels. 

We all have annoying habits, and travel tends to bring out the worst in people.

If you have any sympathy for your flight attendants, who, day in and day out, are privy to some of the most extreme human behavior, you'd make an effort to do better.

The first step is knowing just what you're doing wrong.

Luckily for you, we asked flight attendants everywhere to share the annoying things they wish passengers would stop doing, and more than 60 were happy to chime in.

Here are 25 things you may not have even known you were doing wrong, and one thing you can probably stop worrying about:

DON'T MISS: Flight attendants share 25 things they'd love to tell passengers but can't

SEE ALSO: Flight attendants share 13 of their favorite travel hacks

Hogging the overhead bins

"Put the suitcases in the overhead and put your small bags underneath the seat in front so we don't have to run out of space and have to check bags."

Not saying hello

"I wish passengers would acknowledge the crew when they board."

Poor timing

"Stop trying to hand us trash on the beverage cart or asking us to take your trash while we're handing out food."

There's one stand-out feature of "Star Wars: Battlefront II:" It's ridiculously gorgeous.

The new game, which is available for Microsoft's Xbox One, Sony's PlayStation 4, and Windows PCs, is full of lovingly detailed scenes like the one above. Its visually stunning throughout, from its brief single-player campaign to its large-scale online multiplayer mode. 

Unfortunately, that's about the only good thing about "Battlefront 2."

SEE ALSO: The new 'Star Wars' game is embroiled in controversy, and fans are furious — here's what's going on

WARNING: Spoilers ahead!

This review will include important details about "Star Wars Battlefront II's" story and gameplay. So, if you don't want to see or read any spoilers, turn back!

Review note: I played a review copy of "Battlefront II" provided by game publisher Electronic Arts on a PlayStation 4 Pro in 4K resolution.

"Battlefront II" is a middling first-person shooter game wrapped in expensive clothing.

The first few times I shot a gun in "Battlefront II," it was cool. It made the characteristic "Star Wars" gun noise. The corresponding Storm Trooper or Rebel soldier reacted accordingly. 

The thousands of times after that were far less satisfying.

That's because the act of shooting in "Battlefront II" is terribly boring. There just aren’t a lot of weapons to choose from, and the game doesn’t allow you to customize the ones it does include in the single-player campaign.

What's more, there's an almost carnival game-like feeling to shooting weapons in "Battlefront II." For one thing, it generally doesn't seem to matter where on their bodies you hit your enemies. For another, those enemies repeatedly tend to come out of obvious "monster closets," areas of the game that open to release bad guys when you when you trip a particular trigger.

Worse than all that, though, is the enemy encounters aren't particularly exciting. The game has only a limited number of different types of enemies, and they aren't very smart. That may be an intentional reflection of how the movies portray Storm Troopers. But even if it is, it's just not very fun.

The single-player story is a mess, even by video game standards.

Compared with the original "Battlefront", "Battlefront II" has one big new feature: a single-player story mode.

The story focuses on Iden Versio, an Imperial Special Forces officer. In its pre-launch marketing of the game, Electronic Arts, "Battlefront II's publisher," has been billing Versio as a loyal member of the Bad Guys. 

Versio's story begins when she sees the second Death Star explode — as depicted in "Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi." That sends her on a mission of revenge — or so we're led to believe, anyway. What actually happens is she soon realizes she's fighting for the wrong side and abruptly changes her allegiances.

The problem is that her about-face is literally unbelievable. We're supposed to just swallow the idea that even though Versio is an elite forces commander whose father reported directly to the leaders of the Imperial Army, she didn't realize she was fighting for the Bad Guys until after the fall of the Empire.  

Versio's abrupt switch might have been OK if it had been handled well. But it's not. Instead, her "turning point" moment is so poorly executed it's impossible to believe. One minute she's blindly following orders, and the next minute she's turning on long-time colleagues and murdering dozens of former comrades. 

It's the kind of deus ex machina nonsense that video games are notorious for, but how it's handled in "Battlefront 2" is among the worst cases I've seen.

The annual Victoria's Secret Fashion Show will be taking place in Shanghai, China, Monday evening, and broadcast on November 28. 

The fashion show is considered one of the most prestigious gigs a model can land. Gaining your "Angel wings"— intricately designed pairs of wings given to the most highly regarded models in the show — is a whole other privilege.

Jan Planit, who used to head up top modeling agency IMG and now runs Planit Model Management, once told the New York Post: "There are very few special things you can achieve as a model. Getting your Angel wings is the ultimate."

The iconic shows are famed for their dramatic, colorful, and skimpy outfits, as well as their impressive lineup of entertainment. This year's musical guests include Harry Styles, Miguel, and Leslie Odom Jr.

Last year, 51 top models made the final cut for the show, just 14 of whom were designated "Victoria's Secret Angels"— brand ambassadors who travel the world promoting Victoria's Secret year-round. Best friends Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner became the most recent models to earn their wings on stage at the 2016 show.

While being in the show or getting wings are honors in themselves, the money doesn't hurt either. Nine of the models who appeared in the 2016 show appeared on Forbes' list of the world’s 20 highest-paid models in 2016.

Scroll down to see the highest-paid Victoria's Secret models from last year's show, ranking in ascending order by their 2016 earnings, according to Forbes.

*The earnings are an estimate based on income from all modeling contracts, both from Victoria Secret as well as other companies.

9. Taylor Hill — $4 million.

Taylor Hill, the 21-year-old "girl next door from Colorado" and Vogue cover star, became the face of Topshop's AW16 campaign in July 2016. Since then her Instagram follower base has doubled — she now has 9.2 million followers of her @taylor_hill account.

Hill walked her first VS show in 2014 and became an Angel a year later.

8. Jasmines Tookes — $4 million.

Californian Jasmine Tookes is one of three women of color — out of all VS models — to make Forbes' highest-earning list in 2016.

The 26 year old gained her wings in 2015, after first walking a Victoria's Secret show in 2012.

7. Lily Aldridge — $4 million.

LA-born Lily Aldridge walked her first Victoria's Secret show in 2009, and became an Angel the following year. The 32 year old's favorite place in the world is her hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, according to her VS profile. Her Instagram has 5.1 million followers.

Walmart gathers more data than any other US retailer on what Americans are buying, thanks to its sheer size.

The company recently analyzed Walmart.com data to find out which items are the most popular in every state, and shared the results with Business Insider.

There were some products that were popular across the board, including mulch, microwave ovens, Mainstays pillows, and vacuums.

Other products had a surprising level of popularity by state, such as Zyrtec in California, traffic cones in Tennessee, puzzle storage in Illinois, and lemon cake in South Dakota.

Here are some of the most surprising top-selling items in every state, according to Walmart.

ALABAMA: Cake mixes

ALASKA: Bathroom decor

ARKANSAS: Baby products

•  When it came to this year's Victoria's Secret Fashion Show after-party, the Angels didn't disappoint with their ensembles.
• Some like Sara Sampaio and Devon Windsor dared to bare in cut-out dresses.
• While others like Bella Hadid and Jasmin Tookes were standouts in red. 
• Here are all the best looks from the famed pink carpet.

No Victoria's Secret Fashion Show is complete without an after-party — and the famous pink carpet that precedes it — and on Monday, this year's catwalkers changed into their respective soirée-ready ensembles to celebrate in Shanghai. As per usual, lace and sparkle proved to be among the most popular aesthetics, followed by a smattering of naked dresses that weren't too dissimilar from the actual lingerie that came down the runway. Now, who said the naked dress was dead?

Check out what everyone wore to get down after the 2017 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in Shanghai on Monday:

Jourdana Phillips

Alexinia Graham

Liu Wen

When you think about depression, it’s easy to envision a person who is the human embodiment of Eeyore: gloomy, pessimistic, and run-down. But in reality the condition can be much more nuanced than that: people with depression often appear totally fine to outsiders. It’s part of what makes the mood disorder so insidious.

For a condition that’s still sometimes misunderstood, depression is pretty common. In the United States, approximately 16 million adults, or about 6.7% of the population, has coped with at least one episode of major depression, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

Because the condition affects so many people, myths about depression can be harmful. For instance, if a depressed person has misconceptions about the treatment options that are available, and decides counseling is just too big of a commitment, then they may miss out on legitimately helpful treatment. Understanding the reality of depression can help you and your loved ones approach the condition from a better perspective.  

To learn more, INSIDER spoke with Debra Kissen of the Light on Anxiety CBT Treatment Center, who is also a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA), who took down some of the most common myths about depression.

Depressed people are disheveled and messy

When a character in a movie or show gets depressed, you can tell with a few different signs. They lie on the couch in a heap, surrounded by layers of takeout containers and junk food. Maybe they endure bouts of hysterical crying while they sit around in the same pajamas for days. This image does not always reflect reality,

The truth is, many depressed people still function pretty normally. Often they manage to go to work and keep up basic dress and hygiene standards, as Kissen explained. Surprisingly, a person who appears put-together and grounded may very well struggle with the feelings of hopelessness, lack of pleasure, and low energy that often characterize depression. Because the condition affects people internally, its effects are not always obvious to others.

Depression affects everyone the same way

Picture the average commercial for antidepressants. The lead actress wears a sad expression, the outside world is sad, because it’s dreary and rainy outside, and heck, even the dog looks sad. Granted, commercials have to convey a lot of information in a small amount of time, but depression is not a one-note condition.

In reality, depression can show up in a variety of different ways, and a depressed person does not always appear outwardly sad. In fact, depression may even manifest as crankiness or hostility, as Kissen said.

As it turns out, that person you know who gets annoyed by everything – from the brand of coffee you drink to the way the sun shines in the morning — may actually be suffering from depression. Sometimes this diagnosis even surprises the patient.  

Being positive will make depression go away

The belief that depression can be overcome with positivity tends to hurt the depressed person in two ways. First, well-meaning friends and family members often tell them to look on the bright side of life. Although this advice comes from a place of goodwill, depression is not the same as feeling blue or being in a bit of a funk.

Depression has to go on for a certain amount of time, and it involves a level of impairment, distress, and concentration and/or cognitive problems, as Kissen explained. In other words, feeling blue for a couple of days is normal for most anyone. But having trouble concentrating, feeling like your brain is fuzzy, and losing interest in favorite activities for several months on end may point to problems with depression, not just a passing frame of mind. Although a positive platitude might help fight a crummy mood, depression needs more serious treatment.

Kissen also explained that self-judgment — and the expectation that you can just snap out of depression with a little effort — also can make depressed people feel even worse.

“The depressed people then feel guilty over having no reason to be upset because so many people have it worse like they have no right to feel bad because their life on paper is good,” said Kissen. This self-condemnation just makes the person feel weak, dramatic, or unable to cope, and may ultimately deepen the depression.

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Technology can get expensive, but even the most useful tech doesn't have to cost that much.

Strip away a bunch of bells and whistles and you have products that can provide a tremendous amount of value without breaking the bank.

These 10 products will keep your devices charged and safe, while also keeping you entertained and free from clutter.

If you have $20 or $50 to spend, your options open up dramatically, but you'd be surprised at what you can get for less than $10.

DON'T MISS: 26 things under $20 we can't live without

SEE ALSO: 8 must-have iPhone accessories under $20

A USB hub

If you use a lot of accessories, chances are you'll probably run out of USB ports. This is especially true with notebooks, which have fewer USB ports to begin with. If you don't want to go all out and get a dock for your computer, this 4-port USB hub will probably do the trick. I like this hub because these are USB 3.0 ports, which are significantly faster than older USB 2.0 ports. You'll notice that difference the most if you connect an external hard drive to this hub for backups.

Anker Ultra Slim 4-Port USB 3.0 Data Hub, $9.99, available at Amazon

A USB phone charger for your car

Because Apple has removed the headphone jack on the iPhone 7, this multiport car charger is next on my to-buy list. It's great if you want to charge multiple devices at once, but I'm going to use it to keep my phone and Bluetooth audio adapter charged. That way I can listen to music through my car's stereo, and make sure my iPhone has enough juice to get me to my destination.

Anker 24W Dual USB Car Charger PowerDrive 2, $9.99, available at Amazon

A multiport USB adapter

If you argue with roommates or family members about who gets to charge their phone next, save yourself the aggravation and pick up one of these power adapters. Two people can charge their devices at once, and each USB port supplies 2.4 amps of power, which is great if your device supports fast charging. 

AUKEY USB Wall Charger, $9.99, available at Amazon

Celebrity children grow up in an insane spotlight. Not only are the paparazzi following their moms and dads around, they're also trying to get shots of the kids themselves, too.

But it's not all bad for famous children. These tots and toddlers will likely grow up to run the music industry, star in the next generation's biggest movies, and walk the red carpet at countless awards ceremonies.

Meet the kids that will one day rule Hollywood: 

Amy Daire contributed to an earlier version of this post. 

Girls might run the world right now, but in 15 or so years, it'll be Bey and Jay's kids laying down the law — regardless of their gender.

Blue Ivy Carter is already a force to be reckoned with. With a set of twin siblings by her side, the Carter trio will make the world theirs — just as their parents have. 

Now we're all just patiently waiting for more photos of the twins to surface. 

The Beckhams have four kids: Cruz, Romeo, Brooklyn, and Harper. All of them have athletic genes, killer looks, and great fashion sense.

Brooklyn has already started to make waves on magazine covers and is dating actress Chloë Grace Mortez. Young Harper has clearly buddied up with fashion icon Anna Wintour, so there's no telling what's in her future. Cruz and Romeo are sure to debut their own talents and dreams soon. 

David recently discussed Brooklyn growing up in an interview with Australian TV show "The Project."

"I think it's easier for me than his mum, you know? To see her little boy go out and date," Beckham said. "Obviously for mums, I think it's slightly more difficult with the boys but obviously once Harper starts, then I don't even want to think about that at the moment."

These young royals are ones to watch. Prince George will most likely be taking the royal reigns, while Princess Charlotte is set up to be the new Prince Harry.

Hopefully Charlotte will bring as much drama and entertainment as her uncle did in his prime or become a fashion icon like her mother.

The prince and princess are among several royal babies who will grow up in the royal limelight.