The United States is gradually becoming the land of the red, white, and green.

Starting January 1, it will be legal to smoke marijuana for medical use in 29 states, and Americans will be able to toke up without a doctor's letter in nine states. Support for the drug reached new highs in 2017. A Gallup poll showed that 64% of Americans favor legalization, and even a majority of Republicans back it.

The booming industry was expected to post nearly $10 billion in sales in 2017.

Here's a summary of where Americans can legally light up in 2018.

SEE ALSO: What marijuana really does to your body and brain

Alaska

Adults 21 and over can light up in Alaska. In early 2015, the northernmost US state made it legal for residents to use, possess, and transport up to an ounce of marijuana— roughly a sandwich bag full — for recreational use. The first pot shop opened for business in late 2016.

Alaska has pounced on the opportunity to make its recreational pot shops a destination for tourists. More than two million people visit Alaska annually and spend $2 billion.

California

The first state to legalize medical marijuana in 1996, California became even more pot-friendly in 2016 when it made it legal to use and carry up to an ounce of marijuana.

California began issuing temporary licenses to dispensaries in December that will allow those stores to sell nonmedical marijuana. The licenses will become valid on January 1, 2018.

But that doesn't mean all Californians will be able to buy marijuana at the stroke of midnight. Many cities in the Central Valley, including Fresno, have moved to ban recreational sales.

State rules dictate that marijuana will not be sold between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m.

Colorado

In Colorado, there are more marijuana dispensaries than Starbucks and McDonalds locations combined. Residents and tourists alike can buy up to one ounce of weed there.

The state joined Washington in becoming the first two states to legalize recreational marijuana in 2012.

• Season 7 of "Game of Thrones" was kind of a mess.
• But it wasn't all bad: "The Spoils of War" was one of the best television episodes of the year.
• The episode starts with some emotionally-packed character moments, including the reunion of the surviving Stark children.
• A lot of work went into making the battle at the end of the episode one of the best sequences in the show's history. Here, we take a look back at what made this episode so great.

There is no doubt that season seven of "Game of Thrones" was a messy season. The story accelerated at a confusing pace, Jon Snow traveled more than any full-time travel blogger would in their lifetime, and some of the major decisions characters made weren't believable. 

But the fourth episode of season seven, "The Spoils of War," is one the best episode of the season, one of the best of the series, and one of our favorite television episodes of 2017. It stuck with us, even months after it aired.

The episode kept things simple, relying on the complex relationships between characters more than the game of thrones that most of them have been playing (or avoiding) for so long. 

"The Spoils of War" begins with the reunion of the Stark sisters and ends with one of the most devastating battles in the show's history. It looks beautiful, but depicts hundreds of brutal deaths at the hands of one of its main characters, who is supposed to be one of the good guys.

The complicated way the battle was shot, with multiple perspectives from different characters on multiple sides of the battle, shows how devastating war is in real life and in the fictional world of Westeros. The excellent episode will make you laugh, cry, and pull your hair out.

So when reflecting on the best TV episodes of the year, we took a look back at "The Spoils of War" and the work that went into making it this good. Here's how they pulled it off.

SEE ALSO: All the TV shows coming in early 2018 — and whether you should watch them

It's the shortest episode in "Game of Thrones" history.

"Game of Thrones" usually expands the episodes that include battles. 

Season two's "Blackwater" is a self-contained episode, with Stannis' attack taking place throughout the episode, never leaving King's Landing. Like "Blackwater," season four's "The Watchers on the Wall" depicted one battle the entire episode, this time the Wildling at Castle Black. 

In season six, the "Battle of the Bastards" actually had two battles: the first was a short one showing Daenerys, Tyrion, Grey Worm, and dragons reclaiming Meereen from the Sons of the Harpy. The rest of the episode showed the iconic battle at Winterfell between Jon Snow and Ramsay Bolton. 

Although "The Spoils of War" depicts one of the shortest battles shown on the show, this one has the most impact. 

The reunion of Sansa and Arya could have been cheesy fan service, but instead it was jam-packed with tension.

Sansa and Arya's reunion could have been awful, filled with a lot of hugging and crying. 

But Sansa and Arya's relationship is complicated. Growing up with completely different personalities, they kind of resented each other, even though deep down they always loved each other. But it's been so long since they've seen each other that they don't know if they can trust each other anymore.

From Arya's perspective, Sansa let their father get executed by King Joffrey, because Sansa always wanted to be a princess. And now, with Jon Snow gone, she is the Lady of Winterfell.

From Sansa's perspective, Arya arrived in Winterfell unexpectedly and didn't hesitate to announce that she kills people now. Who's side is she on? Sansa has no idea, and neither does Arya. Their enemies are common, but they don't trust each other enough to reveal them.

The reunion in the crypts of Winterfell packs all this built-up resentment in, and adds a little joy. Despite all their differences, experiences, and loved ones lost since they parted, they're still excited to see each other alive in their home of Winterfell. 

Jon Snow and Theon Greyjoy unite, too. And it's even more intense.

Theon Greyjoy has come a long way and been through a lot (years of captivity and psychological torture at the hands of Ramsay Bolton) since he took Winterfell and pretended to kill Bran and Rickon back in season two. 

But Jon Snow doesn't know this. All he knows is that he saved Sansa, which Jon says is the only reason why he doesn't kill Theon when he and the surviving Greyjoys come to Dragonstone. 

There's also a lot Theon doesn't know about Jon, like that he literally died. 

Donald Trump Jr., the president's eldest son, has always been detail-oriented and business-focused, leaving the spotlight to his father and his sister Ivanka.

"I know the entertainment stuff helps us," he told Forbes in 2006. "But somebody's got to stay here to remind everybody that we build buildings."

Today, Trump is in charge of building those buildings, leading The Trump Organization with his brother Eric.

But his life hasn't been without drama, and he's always been one of his father's staunchest defenders. Now embroiled in the Russia investigation, many are wondering more about Donald Trump Jr. Here's what we know:

SEE ALSO: A 'serious case of amnesia': House Intel Democrat says Trump Jr. was 'pretty non-responsive' in 8-hour interview

DON'T MISS: From rich kid to first daughter: The life of Ivanka Trump

Donald Trump Jr. was born in Manhattan on December 31, 1977, to Donald Trump and his first wife, Ivana. As the first-born, he was named after his father.

Trump was whisked off to boarding school with his brother Eric after his parents' divorce. He went to The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, for high school.

Source: Vanity Fair

When he was 12, he didn't speak to his father for a year, after the elder Trump encouraged gossip magazines to chronicle his divorce from Ivana.

Source: The New York Times

• Impressing your boss is a crucial part of succeeding at your job.

• Asking for feedback is important, but reading your manager is also a great skill to have.

• Tough love and frequent check ins are some signs that your boss is impressed with you.

Does your boss think you're competent?

It's an important question. Getting along with your boss is a pretty crucial part of succeeding at work. Your manager likely controls whether or not you get promoted, demoted, or fired, after all. Your job is in their hands.

Some bosses make it clear if they adore you — non-romantically, of course. They heap on the praise, give positive and detailed feedback, and make you feel like you're an integral part of the success of the organization.

But not all managers are so open.

It's always good to ask for honest feedback. Before you make inquiries, though, here are a few signs that your boss probably is pretty impressed with your work:

SEE ALSO: 19 simple social skills that will make you more likable

They give you tough love

Suzanne Bates, CEO of Bates Communications and author of "All the Leader You Can Be," tells Business Insider that it can be difficult to figure out whether or not your boss likes you.

"A boss who sees you as promising may give you a lot of feedback, not all of it positive — some of it might be 'tough love' because he or she sees you as someone who can handle it and is ready for more responsibility," she said.

They ask for your input

Bruce Tulgan, the founder of RainmakerThinking and author of "It's Okay to Manage Your Boss," said that bosses confer more with the employees whom they like and trust.

"If the boss often asks your input in one-on-ones and team meetings and leaves plenty of time for you to talk and then responds favorably to what you say — these are good signs," he told Business Insider.

They're not always forthcoming with the compliments

You might think that managers shower the employees whom they value with praise, but Bates noted that this isn't always the case.

"They either think you already know you're in good standing, they don't want to seem to be favoring you, or they simply just forget because you do so many things well," she said.

Bates recommended that you ask for feedback and make it clear that you want your manager to tell it like it is.

Tulgan agreed, saying that workers shouldn't always expect unprompted feedback.

"You should always make sure you are getting expectations spelled out in vivid detail and you should be tracking your performance every step of the way," he said. "Keep score for yourself! Then you won't have to guess."

• Researchers and other experts have pinpointed some key behaviors of narcissists and psychopaths in conversation.
• Those behaviors include repeating the same false stories and using offensive language.
• Remember though: Even if you recognize some of these signs in a friend or coworker, you should leave the diagnosis to a mental-health professional.

Generally speaking, you shouldn't walk around looking to diagnose your friends and coworkers as psychopaths and narcissists.

If someone looks over your shoulder while you're talking or seems weirdly distant, there's a good chance they're just having an off day and don't have a pathological problem.

That said, if you notice a pattern of unusual behavior, it might very well warrant more attention.

We looked into the scientific literature and some expert insights to find out the most common conversational behaviors associated with psychopathy and narcissism.

Read on to see if you've noticed any of the following in people you know — or in yourself.

SEE ALSO: 5 heartbreaking aspects of dating a narcissist

DON'T MISS: 5 ways narcissism makes people stronger, smarter, and more successful

Psychopaths tend to speak slowly and quietly

A 2016 review of studies, published in the journal Aggression and Violent Behavior and highlighted on Inc., found that psychopaths tend to speak slowly and control their speech more so than non-psychopaths.

They also use fewer emotional words, keeping a relatively neutral tone.

Psychopaths tend to use more past-tense verbs

That's according to the 2016 review.

Researchers suspect this is because they're more psychologically and emotionally detached from the conversation topics.

Psychopaths tend to use emotional language without displaying much feeling

Psychopaths' language tends to lack what psychologists call an "emotional dimension," according to the 2016 review.

From the paper: "A psychopath can say, 'I love you,' without feeling anything else than asking for a cup of coffee."

When the Dow Jones industrial average was created in 1896, it had about a dozen stocks.

Apple's addition to the current list of 30 American conglomerates, in March 2015, shows just how far the index has come — it's no longer focused only on "industrial" companies.

Apple replaced AT&T, known as American Telephone & Telegraph when it joined the Dow in October 1916.

It took 77 years for the Dow to hit its first 1,000-point milestone. In 2017 alone, it has recorded five of those and is nearly at 25,000.

This index has seen a lot of turnover in its history, and only one of the original 12 members still holds a spot in it.

SEE ALSO: What Wall Street is predicting for the stock market in 2016

American Cotton Oil Company

What it did: It formed as a trust after several mill owners in Texas and Arkansas combined syndicates to regulate the price of seeds. It became a corporation in 1889 after the trust was dissolved through a lawsuit.

Where it is now: It evolved into a company that became part of Unilever, the maker of consumer products including Dove soap and Lipton tea. The original company was dropped from the Dow in 1901.

Sources: Scripophily, Wikipedia

American Sugar Company

What it did: It was the largest American company in the sugar-refining business in the early 20th century, with investments in the Caribbean. It was established in 1891 with $50 million in capital.

Where it is now: It has since been acquired by American Sugar Refining Inc., whose products include Domino Sugar. It was dropped from the Dow in 1930.

Source: Wikipedia

American Tobacco Company

What it did: The American Tobacco Company acquired over 200 competitors to become the dominant player in the industry. It was founded in 1890.

Where it is now: The Supreme Court ordered it to dissolve following an antitrust lawsuit. It splintered into many smaller companies and renamed itself Fortune Brands. It was dropped from the Dow in 1985.

Source: Wikipedia

It's the final weekend of the NFL regular season, but there is still plenty of business to be settled before we settle in for the playoff push.

While there is still a jumble of seeding to be arranged in both conferences that will come down to numerous tiebreakers on Sunday, nine teams — the Patriots, Steelers, Jaguars, Chiefs, Eagles, Vikings, Rams, Saints, and Panthers — have all punched their tickets to the postseason. For the remaining three spots in the playoffs, six teams remain in contention.

You can dive into every possible playoff permutation of the NFC and AFC through these useful graphics, but for those simply interested in who's in and who's out, there's a few key games you'll especially want to keep your eye on.

Below we break down every team that's still fighting to extend their season. All playoff percentages based on FiveThirtyEight's projections.

Atlanta Falcons

The Atlanta Falcons have the simplest path to the playoffs — beat the Panthers this week and they're in. Depending on how things fall, it's possible that these teams would meet again in the Wild Card round, but for now Atlanta fans should keep their thinking simple. Win and you're in.

Should the Falcons fall to the Panthers, they can still sneak into the playoffs if the Seahawks fall at home to the Cardinals.

Paths to the playoffs: 

• Falcons win
• Seahawks lose
• Falcons tie, Seahawks tie

Current chances: 70%

Seattle Seahawks

The Seahawks to win and the Falcons to stumble against the Panthers in order to keep playing into the postseason. Luckily for them, the Panthers still have something to play for, as they can potentially win their division with a win.

Paths to the playoffs: 

• Seahawks win, Falcons lose or tie
• Seahawks tie, Falcons lose

Current chances: 30%

Baltimore Ravens

For the Ravens, a spot in the AFC playoffs is all but secured. They control their own fate, and are playing the Bengals at home. If they win, they are in.

But should the Ravens stumble against the Bengals, they'd still be able to get a spot in the Wild Card round with a Bills loss to the Patriots or a Titans loss to the Jaguars. With so many outs remaining for Baltimore, fans should feel pretty comfortable about their postseason chances.

Paths to the playoffs: 

• Ravens win or tie
• Bills lose or tie
• Titans lose or tie

Current chances: 94%

• Alexis Stephens and Christian Parsons built a 130-square-foot tiny home on wheels in 2015.
• Since then, they've been traveling across the country living in different tiny home communities.
• These communities offer a minimalist and community-based lifestyle.
• Because "living rooms" aren't large, most of life happens around a shared fire pit outside.
• Communal meals are common, and your neighbors become your family. 

A few years ago, almost no one had even heard of a tiny house. But now? Instagram-ready photos of them are everywhere, millions watch shows about them and tens of thousands attend events to get a peek inside.

But these mini homes are more than just eye candy. Across the nation, more than a dozen cities have become officially tiny-home friendly and 50-plus communities of tiny homes have cropped up—everything from intimate backyard co-ops to full-on urban developments.

The tiny-house life has developed into a legit lifestyle choice for people who want to spend more time on their passions than on making mortgage payments.

We should know. After building our 130-square-foot tiny home on wheels in 2015, we headed out on our Tiny House Expedition, a two-and-a-half-year road trip to work on a documentary and community-education project about the tiny home movement.

Becoming temporary residents of so many of these tight-knit mini-neighborhoods along the way has been a crash course in what it’s like to live in a tiny house community. Paring down your shoe collection is really just the start. It’s a total rethink of daily life and what it means to be a neighbor.

SEE ALSO: 10 things you need to do in order to quit your job and travel the world, according to people who have done it

1. Everyone gets fed.

How often do you organize a potluck with your neighbors? In tiny-house communities, communal meals are not just for the 4th of July—they're business as usual. Tiny-house living has a strong culture of cooperation and connecting with neighbors, and shared meals are often a part of the weekly calendar.

Recently, we were cooking a big pot of chili at a temporary tiny-home community we'd formed outside Fort Worth, Texas, when we discovered we were missing peppers, onions—and cornbread! No problem. After a quick pow-wow at the campfire with our neighbors, the ingredients were found to finish up a batch of chili and fixings big enough to share with all. This "Hey, can I borrow a cup of sugar" culture is alive and well among the tiny-house crowd.

Even those disinclined to cook get in on the potluck culture. At Llamalopolis, a cluster of tiny homes and Airstreams in downtown Las Vegas, neighbors use Slack to send out impromptu food announcements like "I have dumplings to share!" and "I just ordered pizza; come have a slice!"

2. You'll get to know your neighbors well—really well.

3. There’s always room for one more pet.

It may seem counter-intuitive given how ruthless tiny house dwellers have to be about, say, how many pairs of jeans they can keep. But most of them find a way to make room for pets. Every community we've visited has dogs and cats—and we've also met pet chickens, goats, horses, and alpacas. Open roaming space and designated animal areas are to a tiny home community what a gym might be to a city apartment building—a must-have amenity and a place to gather.

Often, pets are free to roam the grounds, a joyful sight for pet lovers with seriously squashed indoor play space. The dogs who live at Llamalopolis in Las Vegas have become used to the alpacas that have the run of the place, but I never quite adjusted. I could never tell whether we were cool or at odds—especially when one of the alpacas nudged my hat and I whipped my head around to find myself nose to nose with a creature known to spit.

• We've driven dozens of cars and experienced numerous engines in 2017 — these are our favorites.
• Powerplants range from turbocharged four-cylinders to hybrids to big V8s.
• Customers can opt for fuel-efficient, performance, or a combination of each.

We can all agree that a big part of falling in love with a car is how it looks on the outside.

But ultimately, it's what's under the hood that really fires the emotions. An engine is a car's heart, and a great one is what separates a thrilling machine from the pack.

At Business Insider, we drove over 70 cars in 2017 and experienced everything from tiny fuel-sipping hybrids that didn't threaten 200 horsepower to massive V8s that could surmount 700 hp. There was even a 1,500 horsepower, quad-turbo, W16.

But some engines really stuck in our minds. Engines that were exceptional in more than just delivering propulsion for the car — engines that were actually significant, due to their reliability, power, innovation, or history.

Here are the 10 best engines we enjoyed in 2017 (in no particular order):

SEE ALSO: The most iconic cars from every decade

FOLLOW US: on Facebook for more car and transportation content!

1. The Nissan VQ series V6 is one of the most versatile engines in the world. The bulletproof powerplant can be found in everything from the Frontier pickup truck to the 370Z sports car and everything in between.

The long-serving engine is known for its reliability and strong power output.

2. The General Motors LT4 Supercharged V8 is the monster that lives beneath the hood of the Corvette Z06 ...

Tom Brady is a five-time Super Bowl champion and arguably the greatest quarterback of all time.

But that is just one thing that is going well for Brady. He is also the husband of the world's highest-paid supermodel, Gisele Bündchen, and he is the third-highest-paid NFL player of all time.

Brady is now 40 years old and in addition to being an NFL icon, he has become somewhat of a fashion icon off the field. However, Brady's fashion sense had humble beginnings.

Below we take a look at how his style has evolved over the years.

This post originally appeared on Business Insider in August and has been updated.

Brady's fashion decisions certainly had humble beginnings.

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Brady's high school yearbook photo reveals a nice, clean look, especially with his hair which will take on many forms over the years.

Before he was in the NFL, there was a time when Brady's suits weren't always tailored.

"The Last Jedi" has dazzled audiences around the world and introduced us to more characters and creatures in a single movie than ever before in the "Star Wars" saga.

The director Rian Johnson doesn't just push the storyline of Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren forward in unique ways — with help from legends from the original trilogy like Luke Skywalker and General Leia — but also gives us a bunch of newbies to love (or hate).

Here we look back on 36 characters from "The Last Jedi" and rank them from worst to best:

Warning: Spoilers below if you haven't seen "The Last Jedi."

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 11 best movies of 2017

36. BB-9E

The First Order's new droid had a lot of hype when it was first revealed before the movie opened, but it didn't get a lot of screen time. Maybe we'll see more of it in action in deleted scenes, but for now it's one of those cool-looking new things that feels as if it got thrown into the movie for merchandising reasons.

35. Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong'o)

Maz's appearance in "The Last Jedi" is another thing that feels horseshoed in. She's off fighting someone, somewhere, but has time to take a call? She drops some knowledge on our friends in the Resistance, but it's a random appearance.

34. Bargwill Tomder

This Cloddogran is the mean master of the stable kids who look over the Fathiers (space horses) on Canto Bight at the end of "The Last Jedi." From his looks, I think grown-ups are frightened of him, too.

• It's possible to drive safely in wintry road conditions.
• But a higher lever of attention is imperative.
• And sometimes the safest decision is to not drive at all.

Winter has kicked into high gear across the US. The Northeast is currently ringing in the New Year as the thermometer plunges and the snowstorms start to arrive.

When it comes to driving, few things are more difficult to deal with than snow, much less when a "wintry mix" of precipitation arrives. Ice, it goes without saying, is treacherous.

It is possible, of course, to drive and to drive safely in the white stuff. You just need to prepare yourself properly for the experience.

Here are 14 basic rules and guidelines to follow:

SEE ALSO: 10 things that make changing a tire much, much easier

SEE ALSO: FOLLOW US on Facebook for more car and transportation content!

1. Know when NOT to even think about driving.

So you've driven in the snow before and you've got a vehicle that can handle bad conditions. Does that mean you can deal with whatever Mother Nature throws at you?

It does not.

No one should be driving in a blizzard — for two main reasons. First, the simple fact that your car is on the road makes it more difficult for the authorities to clear the streets. If you get stuck, that's obviously a problem for the snow plows.

Second, if you do get stuck, you're an immediate distraction from what the emergency services really need to be doing, which is helping people who weren't stupid enough to take to the roads.

In a genuinely major-league snow storm, you should stay put and leave your vehicle alone, unless there's an absolute emergency.

What people in the US Northeast — especially in the New York City area, upstate New York, and New England — are facing is a classic example. It's a mess. Even the best snow drivers are advised to stay away from their cars.

2. Make sure you have a vehicle that CAN handle the snow.

Contrary to popular opinion, it is possible to manage a rear-wheel-drive car in the snow. You don't need all-wheel-drive or four-wheel-drive. You just need to know what you're doing.

That said, if you've never taken your BMW 3-Series out in snow before, it's best to not test your non-existent skills. You would be better of with a front-wheel-drive car, with the weight of the engine over the drive wheels.

AWD and 4WD are better — but they're also no guarantee that you won't get stuck. Again, how much experience you have is important.

The bottom line is that if you know your car and have dealt with snow before — and you're not in the middle of a blizzard — you're OK. If not, it might be best to take your car out for a bit of practice.

3. Two words: SNOW TIRES.

Whether you have a rear-wheel-drive, front-wheel-drive, or AWD or 4WD vehicle, your best hedge against trouble in the snow when driving is snow tires.

You can put all-season tires on your car, but when there's serious snow on the ground, snow tires are your best friend.

They're made of different compounds than summer tires, enabling them to maintain traction in the cold. The treads are also designed to deliver better grip and prevent snow and slush from building up on the tires.

Winter tires aren't a fail-safe; you can still slip and slide and get stuck with them. But they're designed to deal with snow and in the opinion of many experts, are a good call if you live in a region where snows are frequent and heavy.

President Donald Trump did a lot of tweeting in 2017.

On many days, Trump's tweeting provided the headline material for his roller-coaster first year as president.

He attacked everyone from former President Barack Obama to actress Meryl Streep. He tweeted about the Russia investigation, "fake news," 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton, his travel ban, television hosts, and often what was airing on the "Fox & Friends" morning show in real time.

In total, Trump smashed the "tweet" button more than 2,500 times in 2017. And he is showing no signs of slowing down.

Here are the 60 most outlandish, eye-popping, and bombastic Trump tweets of 2017:

SEE ALSO: Obama-era ethics chief defends tweet urging people to stock up and 'take the streets' if Trump fires Mueller

DON'T MISS: 9 things Trump did since becoming president that the internet went nuts for

When he chastised "so-called 'Russian hacking'"

When he hit back at Hollywood legend Meryl Streep for calling him out in an acceptance speech

When he asked if we are "living in Nazi Germany?"

The Insider Picks team writes about stuff we think you'll like. Business Insider has affiliate partnerships so we get a share of the revenue from your purchase.

Shopping smart isn't just about buying things on the cheap — it's about investing in services that'll prevent you from having to make additional purchases in the future.

This line of thinking is especially difficult to adapt in the consumer tech world, where every company does their best to convince you that this year's Thing is constantly superior to last year's Whatever. However, there are certain gadgets out there that can actually pay for themselves in the right hands. Here are a few of them.

DON'T MISS: These are the 5 best handheld vacuums you can buy

An HD antenna

We've taken a look at a bunch of HD antennas recently, and this one from Monoprice provides solid reception at a good price. It's biggest drawback is that it's not omnidirectional, so for the best results, you'll need to point it in the direction of a tower to get the best reception.

I've never paid for cable, but bought an HDTV antenna recently and am very pleased with the results. You don't get nearly as many channels as you would with even a basic cable subscription, but on the other hand, you're not paying for cable every month. This is the perfect investment if you're looking for an inexpensive way to watch big network TV shows and events, like "The Big Bang Theory" or the Oscars, live.

Monoprice Large Paper Thin HDTV Antenna, $18.99, available at Amazon.

Rechargeable batteries and charging dock

Thankfully, a lot of electronics have transitioned away from running on standard batteries. But if you've still got a few stragglers that are still running fine, do yourself a favor and buy a set of rechargeable AA's or AAA's.

These Eneloop batteries from Panasonic can be recharged up to 2,100 times and can hold a majority of their charge for up to 7 years. They're likely to outlast whatever you're using them to power, and a four pack of Eneloop batteries only cost three times as much as a pack of regular batteries that you can only use once. A four pack should suit most people fine, but if you've got kids with lots of toys, it might be wise to step it up to an eight pack.

These batteries don't come with a recharging dock, so I'm also going to recommend an eight-bay dock from EPL here as well. 

Panasonic B Eneloop AA 2100 Cycle Ni-MH Pre-Charged Rechargeable Batteries (Pack 4), $12.99, available at Amazon.

EBL 8 Bay AA AAA Battery Charger with AA 2800mAh (4 Pack) and AAA 1100mAh (4 Pack) Ni-MH Rechargeable Batteries, $16.99, available at Amazon

An energy conserving outlet

Leaving an appliance running is both unsafe and energy inefficient. There are a few energy saving outlets on the market, but the consensus is that this one from Simple Touch is the best. 

You can set its timer to cut the power to whatever it is plugged into it after one, two, four, or eight hours. For example, if you listen to music to fall asleep, you can plug a speaker, stereo, or radio into the Simple Touch and set it to turn off in an hour or two. The Simple Touch does have a small power draw, but you'll end up saving on your energy bill every month. One thing to keep in mind is that you can only plug in appliances that draw a maximum of 1,000 watts — so larger appliances like space heaters and washing machines are a no go.

Simple Touch Auto Shut-Off Multi Setting Safety Outlet, $17.04, available at Amazon

Tom Brady is a bit of a health nut, which makes sense. It's hard to be one of the top quarterbacks in the NFL for 17 seasons without being in peak physical condition.

But over the past few years, Brady has gone from providing mystifying sound bites about his regimented lifestyle to building a full-fledged exercise empire along with his fitness guru, Alex Guerrero. Along with a book released in September, the TB12 product line includes apparel, gym equipment, and nutritional supplements, all geared towards the goal of "sustained peak performance."

But just how does Brady employ the TB12 method to get results in his day-to-day life? Below, find out more about one of the strictest lifestyles in all of sports.

At 40, Tom Brady is the oldest starting quarterback in the NFL, and he's also one of the best.

Read more: Bill Belichick had a great response to whether he plans on buying Tom Brady's new book

In an 18-season career, he has won five Super Bowl rings and has been named to 13 Pro Bowls, including the past nine editions.

But staying at the top of your game for nearly 20 years isn't easy — in fact, Brady is a bit of a fanatic when it comes to his physical fitness.

Another year is about to end, and as we all praise the movies that we loved (and made billions), it's also a time to look back on the ones that didn't turn out so great.

The list of 2017's worst-reviewed movies has a little bit of everything in it: the colossal box office duds, the movies that became nothing more than a joke on social media, and the one that cost its director a "Star Wars" movie.

Here are the 25 worst-reviewed movies of 2017, as rated by critics' scores on Metacritic:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: The 11 best movies of 2017

25. “The Book of Henry”

Metacritic score: 31/100 

What a critic said:“‘The Book of Henry’ is the most misguided film since the 2003 Gary Oldman abomination ‘Tiptoes.’ [Director Colin] Trevorrow is slated to helm an upcoming ‘Star Wars’ film, so y’all have fun with that.” — The Austin Chronicle (Editor’s Note: Three months after the release of this movie, Lucasfilm announced it had “mutually chosen to part ways” with Trevorrow on “Star Wars: Episode IX.”)

24. “Absolutely Anything”

Metacritic score: 31/100 

What a critic said:“[A] depressingly inept comedy.” — Screen Daily

23. “Friend Request”

Metacritic score: 31/100

What a critic said:“An utterly idiotic movie that uses social media as a conduit for witchcraft and mayhem.” — The Wrap

In the NFL, lots of players sign big contracts. But unlike other sports, NFL deals are rarely guaranteed and few players see all of the money in those large deals.

But a select few have gone on to make big money in their careers as there are now 26 players who have made at least $100 million.

The list of the 25 players with the most career earnings includes 17 active players, 17 quarterbacks, 1 Tom Brady, and 2 Mannings.

Using contract data obtained by Spotrac.com, here are the 25 highest-paid players in NFL history.

25. Champ Bailey, CB — $102.8 million

Seasons: 15

Highest single-season earnings: $16.5 million (2010; included $3 million roster bonus)

Championships: 0

Pro Bowls: 12

First-team All-Pro: 3

One thing to know: Bailey's largest contract came after the 2003 season, when he signed a seven-year, $63 million deal.

24. Alex Smith, QB — $106.5 million

Seasons: 12

Highest single-season earnings: $19.0 million (2014; included $18 million signing bonus)

Championships: 0

Pro Bowls: 2

First-team All-Pro: 0

One thing to know: Often referred to by the pejorative "game manager," Smith has his team to the playoffs for the fifth time in the last seven years.

23. Calvin Johnson, WR — $113.8 million

Seasons: 9

Highest single-season earnings: $25 million (2013; includes $20 million option bonus)

Championships: 0

Pro Bowls: 6

First-team All-Pro: 3

One thing to know: Johnson retired after the 2015 season because he was "in pain." He walked away from the final four years and $67.7 million on his contract.

• President Donald Trump's historic first year in office is nearing its end.
• Below are the official White House photos that stand out most from Trump's first year.

President Donald Trump's first year in office is drawing to a close, and White House photographers have documented just about every day in their hundreds of photos.

From Trump's first 100 days, to top-level meetings with cabinet members, national security officials, and foreign dignitaries, the photographers employed by the White House were given access to capture defining moments of Trump's presidency that the independent press corps were not.

Here are the White House photos that stand out most from Trump's first year in office:

SEE ALSO: The White House photographer has taken more than 2 million photos during Obama's presidency — here are the best

January 20, 2017: President-elect Donald Trump walks to take his seat for the inaugural swearing-in ceremony at the US Capitol in Washington, DC.

January 31, 2017: Trump joins Judge Neil Gorsuch, his wife Louise, and other in prayer in the Green Room of the White House, following Trump's announcement of Gorsuch as his nominee to the US Supreme Court.

February 28, 2017: Flanked by Vice President Mike Pence and House Speaker Paul Ryan, Trump delivers his Joint Address to Congress at the US Capitol Building in Washington, DC.

LONDON — 2017 was the year the initial coin offering (ICO) went mainstream. 

The fundraising method, first pioneered by Ethereum in 2014, was little used up to the start of this year but it has been widely taken up in 2017, eclipsing venture capital as a means of raising money for blockchain startups. Over $3.5 billion has been raised through ICOs this year.

ICOs are where startups issue their own digital currencies, structured like bitcoin. These tokens, which can be traded online despite the company being private, are sold for real money that startups then use to fund their projects.

Off3r, a website that lets people compare and contrast investment opportunity, rounded up data on the 10 largest ICOs of 2017.

Here are the ones that made the list:

10. SALT — $48 million

Total raised: $48 million.

ICO date: August.

Company location: United States.

What it does: Lets you use cryptocurrencies as security for fiat currency loans.

9. WAX — $68 million

Total raised: $68 million.

ICO date: November.

Company location: United States.

What it does: Offers technology that lets people set up online marketplaces at no cost.

8. TenX — $80 million

Total raised: $80 million.

ICO date: June.

Company location: Singapore.

What it does: Cryptocurrency debit card.

The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller National Home Price Index for October, released this morning, jumped 6.2% year-over-year (not-seasonally-adjusted), up from 6.1% in September. The index has now surpassed by 6.0% the crazy peak in July 2006 of Housing Bubble 1 and is up 46% from the trough of Housing Bust 1:

Real estate prices are subject to local dynamics but are impacted by national  and even global factors, such as the consequences of monetary policies, particularly in places where this liquidity washes ashore. This creates local housing bubbles. And they operate each on their schedules. When enough of these local bubbles occur simultaneously, it becomes a national housing bubble as depicted by the chart above.

The Case-Shiller Index is based on a rolling-three month average; today’s release was for August, September, and October data. Instead of median prices, the index uses “home price sales pairs.” For instance, it takes sales data from a house that sold in 2011 and then again in 2017, incorporates other factors, and uses algorithms to adjust the price movement into an index data point. The index was set at 100 for January 2000. An index value of 200 means prices as figured by the algorithm have doubled since then.

Here are the standouts among the housing bubbles in major metro areas:

Boston

The index for the Boston metro area ticked down on a monthly basis, the first decline after 22 months in a row of increases. It’s still up 6.9% year-over-year, a slightly slower pace then the 7.2% year-over-year surge in the prior month. During Housing Bubble 1, it soared 82% from January 2000 to October 2005, before the plunge set in. Now, after six years of relentless price increases, the index exceeds the peak of Housing Bubble 1 by 12.7%.

Seattle

The Case-Shiller home price index for the Seattle metro declined again by a tad on a month-to-month basis — first back-to-back declines since the end of 2014! However, the index is not seasonally adjusted, and a slight downturn this time of the year was not unusual before 2015. So this may be a sign that the housing market in Seattle is returning to some seasonal patterns, rather than just spiking no matter what. The index is up a breath-taking 12.7% year-over-year, 20% from the peak of Housing Bubble 1 (July 2007), and 79% from the trough of Housing Bust 1 in February 2011.

Denver

The index for the Denver metro rose again on a monthly basis, the 24th monthly increase in a row. It is up 6.6% year-over-year and has surged 44% above the prior peak in the summer of 2006. Note that Housing Bubble 1 and subsequently Housing Bust 1 mostly spared Denver. But in 2012, Housing Bubble 2 erupted with a vengeance.