Befriend your barista

Your Starbucks barista wouldn't mention it, of course, but being friendly goes a long way toward getting free drinks, discounts, and the freshest and tastiest pastries. That's what Amanda Ponzar, chief marketing officer for Community Health Charities, has learned. This loyal Starbucks enthusiast regularly shares social media photos of herself enjoying a Starbucks drink; it's also her place of choice for business meetings.

(Those Starbucks frappuccinos may be delicious, by the way, but you're best off drinking them rarely or never for this reason.)

Order two cake pops to get a secret discount

One of the first things Ponzar discovered from her Starbucks baristas is that if you order two cake pops at once, you get a discount (somewhere between 40 and 60 cents, she says). This is not the same thing as the cake-pop BOGO (buy one, get one free) sale, a rare event.

Check out the Starbucks where they won't write your name on the cup.

Save money on hot chocolate

• Caffeine is the most commonly used stimulant in the world.
• Up to 400 milligrams per day is the amount of caffeine that can be consumed without risks by the average healthy adult.
• Insomnia, muscle cramps, addiction, and incontinence are a few scary things that can happen as a result of drinking too much caffeine.

You aren't the only one who has a cup of coffee in the morning, a mid-day Starbucks run, and a soda in the afternoon just to stay awake.

Most of us think we can't function without caffeine, and we don't feel like ourselves when we have to go about our days with less caffeine than we're used to, but it's important to be mindful of some of the scary things that happen when you drink too much caffeine.

According to CBS News,"caffeine is the most commonly used stimulant in the world."The danger isn't necessarily the stimulant itself, but how much is consumed. The Mayo Clinic suggests that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine, about four cups, per day seems to be safe for most healthy adults.

Caffeine fixes come in a variety of preferences. But no matter what your vice is — coffee, soda, or energy drinks — scary things can happen when you drink too much of them.

You can't sleep.

It's easy to get caught up in a vicious cycle of caffeinating because you're tired, but can't sleep, so you're tired the next day, and have to have caffeine to stay awake, which in turn means you can't sleep again.

By now, you've likely already heard that caffeine can make it harder for you to fall asleep at night, especially if it's consumed later in the day. The more caffeine you consume, the more difficult it may be for you to have uninterrupted sleep at night.

A study published in the Journal of Science Translational Medicine found that caffeine "inserts a delay into the  approximately 24-hour metabolic rhythm that keeps your body running in time with the world." In other words, your circadian clock — the body's biological clock— is off by nearly an hour.This is part of the scientific reasoning as to why caffeine disrupts your sleep.

Your heart feels like it's beating out of your chest.

It may come in the form of jitters or feeling your heartbeat in your throat, or even feeling like your heart is going to beat out of your chest.

According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the consumption of energy drinks leads to "atrial fibrillation with high ventricular response (135-170 beats per minute)" in young people.

Basically, those who consume energy drinks might experience their heart beating much more rapidly and irregularly than usual, which can increase your risk for stroke and heart failure.

You may suffer from dehydration.

Have you ever noticed that the more caffeine you have, the more frequently you have to run off to the bathroom throughout the day? This is likely due to the diuretic and laxative properties associated with caffeine.

Along with causing you to take bathroom breaks more often, coffee also dehydrates you. While some say the dehydrating effects of caffeine depend on how often you drink coffee and therefore your tolerance for it (which is kind of frightening), founder of Nutritious Life, Keri Glassman, cautions "to limit your caffeine intake to moderate amounts — about one to two cups per day to avoid dehydration." This equates to about 200 milligrams or less.

• Bolivia signed a treaty ending the War of the Pacific in 1884, granting Chile 240 miles of coastline.
• That coastline is Bolivia's only outlet to the sea.
• More than 130 years later, Bolivia's government has taken Chile to the The Hague to reclaim access to the Pacific.

In April 1884, Bolivia signed a treaty ending the War of the Pacific, granting Chile 240 miles of coastline — and Bolivia's only outlet to the sea.

More than 130 years later, Bolivia's government has taken Chile to the The Hague to reclaim access to the Pacific.

Bolivia won the right to argue its case before the court in late 2015, and the two countries delivered their final arguments this month. On March 28 — the day Chile made its final statement to the court — Bolivian President Evo Morales led his country's army in a recreation of its 1879 victory at the Battle of Canchas Blancas.

Chile granted Bolivia trading access to the Pacific through its territory in a 1904 treaty in exchange for making the territorial loss permanent. But Morales said this month that Chile offered "no guarantee of free movement of people or goods," and Bolivia's lawyers have said the country only wants the court to ensure "Chile return to the negotiating table in good faith."

Chile has argued that previous treaties settled the matter, telling the court Bolivia wants "to force Chile to negotiate in perpetuity until its obsession is fulfilled."

Below, you can see how Bolivia recreated a victory in a war it's still contesting today.

SEE ALSO: The son of one of Mexico's most powerful kingpins describes growing up in the narco underworld — 'in a golden cage'

The War of the Pacific sprung from competing claims over a mineral-rich portion of the Atacama Desert, over which Bolivia, Chile, and Peru all claimed control.

Source: Business Insider

The three countries had claimed the area since they gained their independence from Spain in the 1820s, and a tax dispute prompted the war in 1879.

Source: Business Insider

The Battle of Canchas Blancas took place in western Bolivia on November 12, 1879. According to the recently discovered diary of a Bolivian colonel, several hundred Bolivian soldiers, peasants, and indigenous people armed with machetes, clubs, and stones defeated a force of about 1,500 Chilean soldiers backed by cavalry and artillery.

Source: Latin American Herald Tribune

• David Hogg, a student who survived last month's shooting in Parkland, Florida, has called for a boycott of companies that advertise on Laura Ingraham's Fox News show.
• On Wednesday, Ingraham posted a tweet mocking Hogg. She apologized to him on Thursday.
• Nestlé is the latest company to publicly confirm it will pull its ads from Ingraham's show.
• Here's how other companies have responded so far.

David Hogg, a student who survived the shooting last month at a high school in Parkland, Florida, on Wednesday called for a boycott of companies that advertise on Laura Ingraham's Fox News show in response to a tweet that mocked Hogg by saying he "whines" about college rejections.

"Soooo @IngrahamAngle what are your biggest advertisers ... Asking for a friend," Hogg responded, adding the hashtag #BoycottIngramAdverts.

He later tweeted a list of companies he said were advertisers on Ingraham's show and urged his followers to contact them.

On Thursday morning, the pet-food company Nutrish confirmed on Twitter that it would pull ads from the show. TripAdvisor, Wayfair, and Nestlé later followed suit; the latter said it had "no plans to buy ads" on the show in the future. 

Ingraham apologized to Hogg on Twitter on Thursday.

"I apologize for any upset or hurt my tweet caused him or any of the brave victims of Parkland,"she wrote.

She continued: "For the record, I believe my show was the first to feature David immediately after that horrific shooting and even noted how 'poised' he was given the tragedy. As always, he's welcome to return to the show anytime for a productive discussion."

Here's how other companies have responded so far.

SEE ALSO: Rejected by 4 colleges 'and whines about it': A Fox News host mocked a Parkland shooting survivor — now he's going after her advertisers

Wayfair

On Thursday afternoon, the online furniture retailer confirmed to Business Insider that it would pull ads from the TV show.

"As a company, we support open dialogue and debate on issues," a representative said. "However, the decision of an adult to personally criticize a high school student who has lost his classmates in an unspeakable tragedy is not consistent with our values. We do not plan to continue advertising on this particular program."

TripAdvisor

TripAdvisor confirmed to Business Insider on Thursday that it would pull ads from the show.

A spokesman said the company does not "condone the inappropriate comments made by this broadcaster."

He continued: "These statements focused on a high school student cross the line of decency."

Here's the full statement from TripAdvisor:

"We believe strongly in the values of our company, especially the one that says, 'We are better together.'

"We also believe Americans can disagree while still being agreeable, and that the free exchange of ideas within a community, in a peaceful manner, is the cornerstone of our democracy.

"We do not, however, condone the inappropriate comments made by this broadcaster. In our view, these statements focused on a high school student cross the line of decency. As such, we have made a decision to stop advertising on that program.

"It is important to note that TripAdvisor has a global and diverse customer base, and is an active advertiser on a number of networks including news. Our media buys target a variety of time slots and audiences. That said, we will continue to monitor where our advertisements appear in the open market to ensure they fit our guidelines."

Nutrish

The pet-food company Nutrish was the first to publicly respond to requests on Twitter for it to remove its ads.

"We are in the process of removing our ads from Laura Ingraham's program,"the company tweeted on Thursday morning.

Joint-training exercises with allied nations is nothing new to the US military. It reinforces relations between foreign powers and familiarizes them with each other's standard operating procedures in the event of a military conflict.

As one of these important allies, South Korea has trained with the US military for years to stabilize the Korean peninsula in case of a flashpoint crisis. Because North and South Korea are technically still at war, the US's presence is seen by many as a deterrent to a conflict with North Korea.

The two major drills — Foal Eagle and Key Resolve — will include, respectively, 11,500 US troops and 290,000 South Korean troops, and 12,200 US troops and 10,000 South Korean troops.

Although the drills were originally scheduled for March, it was postponed after North Korea resumed diplomatic relations with South Korea amid the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Unlike previous years where North Korea claimed the drills were a precursor to a military strike, North Korea's response to this year's exercises has been surprisingly muted.

The Pentagon reiterated that the drills had a "defensive nature," and that this year's version would be "at a scale similar to that of the previous years."

Check out the photos of the US and South Korean military in action:

SEE ALSO: North Korea and South Korea met in the 'truce village' of Panmunjom — these extraordinary photos show what it's like

South Korean amphibious assault vehicles throw smoke bombs as they make it to the shore during Foal Eagle, March 30, 2015.

US Marines and South Korean soldiers await further orders inside their armored vehicle, during a joint combat training exercise.

US Marines also train in South Korean vehicles. Here, US Marines run out from a South Korean LVT-7 during a joint landing exercise for Foal Eagle, in Pohang, South Korea, March 31, 2014.

• Billionaire vacation perks far exceed luxury hotels and first-class flights. 
• Private Farrari driving lessons, after-hour visits to tourist sites, and private art tours are just some of the experiences Nota Bene Global plans for the its wealthiest clients. 
• Nota Bene Global plans vacations for the ultra-wealthy, who have net worths ranging from $10 million to $8 billion.

Billionaires don't vacation like the rest of us. 

Private Farrari driving lessons, after-hour visits to usually tourist-packed historical sites, and private art tours hosted by city's top curators and art historians are just some of the things that Nota Bene Global, a London-based, luxury travel- and lifestyle-management company, help coordinate for their mega-wealthy clientele.

"Ten to $20 million is the starting wealth [of our clients]," Anthony Lassman, the co-founder told Business Insider. "Some of them I know are worth between $1.5 to $8 billion," he said.

Vacation requests from high-end clients can come without much notice. "I once had a client ring me up saying, 'Oh it's really cold in Toronto, we think [we want to go to Brazil.]...on Saturday.' It was a Thursday," said Lassman.

He and his Italy-based agents recently planned a trip for an American billionaire who wanted to explore the food and art scene of Venice and Milan.

"He's the kind of guy who will be on a luxury yacht, but wants to eat in the simplest trattoria — just fresh, simple food," said Lassman. Impressed by the restaurants Nota Bene had chosen during his trip, the client later requested a separate trip and cooking lessons for his personal chef so he could bring the taste of Italy back home.

Below, a look at a sample itinerary of the type of Italian trip that Nota Bene can arrange. 

SEE ALSO: Airbnb for billionaires: Where the world's richest people stay when they travel

Day 1: Arrive in Venice. The mega-rich are generally fast tracked through immigration lines — allowing them to arrive at their hotel suites in no time. A private boat whisks travelers to their suite at the Aman Venice, located on the Canal Grande.

Day 2: All day private tour of Venice's contemporary art scene with one of the city's top curators and an art historian.

Stops include the Prada Foundation's Venice location, and the Punta della Dogana.

Not all deployments are created equal. Some troops primarily work at a desk performing critical operational tasks, while others are out and about undertaking various missions in the bush. Regardless, both schedules usually consist of long hours and a heavy workload which can run anybody down.

No matter the nature of the mission, staying in the fight and being alert is the key for any personnel deployed.

So if you’re worried about falling asleep when you need to be at your best, check out these simple tricks of the trade to stay awake whole on deployment.

SEE ALSO: The US military is facing a 'real war for talent' — but some valuable recruits could be scared away

1. Bangin' energy drinks

May seem obvious to the average population that drinking a Red Bull or pounding a Monster will get their minds firing on all cylinders. But in most cases, deployed troops just don’t sip a single energy drink — they take it to a whole new level by chugging multiple cans of the all mighty Rip-it.

2. Coffee lip

One ration the military never seems to ever run off of is coffee.

When you’re occupying a patrol base or sitting in a fighting hole, coffee machines will be scarce. So instead of filtering water through the grounds, pack a solid pinch of instant coffee from the ole handy dandy MREs into your lip. It tastes like sh*t, but it can help you keep shuteye at bay.

3. "Spicy eyes"

This doesn’t refer to “the look” that civilian reporter who came by the FOB to interview the colonel gave everyone. It means sprinkling a small amount of Tabasco sauce onto your finger and rubbing the contents under your eyes. Spicy!

If it burns a little and wakes you back up, you’re doing it right.

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.

The Insider Pick:

• Cufflinks add a bit of class and elegance to your shirt cuffs. The quality construction and classic aesthetics make the sterling silver and onyx cufflinks from J. Crew the top choice for any man. They’re easily the most versatile pair of cufflinks you'll own.

You’re probably aware of what cufflinks are, but it’s highly likely that you’ve never considered buying a set until now. That’s understandable: Cufflinks are, admittedly, one of the last things a man needs on his journey through the world of traditional menswear. But once you’ve already got to work sorting out your suits, neckties, dress shoes, and shirts, then it’s time to start shopping for those odds and ends you may have initially overlooked.

Along with wristwatches and tie bars, cufflinks are among the few pieces of jewelry that men can wear in a professional setting. Plus, they’re a requirement for those French cuff dress shirts you’ll eventually end up with, so the modern style-conscious gentleman should know when and how to don a pair. Cufflinks don’t just look great, they serve a very important purpose: Keeping your cuffs secured.

Unlike standard buttoned barrel cuffs found on the vast majority of collared shirts, French (or “double”) cuffs are cut longer and designed to fold back over themselves. Then, instead of buttoning the sleeves closed, you thread your links through the holes where the buttons would normally be in order to fasten the cuffs.

The general rule of menswear is to keep things simple, although it’s okay to be a little adventurous with your outfit, and accessories. Cufflinks, in particular, are the perfect way to do that. Links are available in a million different styles to suit just about any taste, but to help you get started, we’ve narrowed the field down to our five favorites that run the gamut from classic and conservative to casual and fun.

Read on in the slides below to see why the J. Crew silver and onyx cufflinks are our top pick and why you might also like the Brooks Brothers knot cufflinks, the Charles Tyrwhitt gold-plated cufflinks, the Hackett stud cufflinks, and the David Donahue Mercury dime cufflinks.

The best classic silver cufflinks

Why you'll love them: Genuine sterling silver and deep black onyx inserts lend the J. Crew cufflinks a timeless aesthetic that’s perfect for any suit and occasion.

Like the white pocket square, a high-quality pair of classically-styled silver cufflinks is an indispensable suiting accessory. The timeless and versatile appeal of sterling silver also makes it the metal of choice for almost any outfit and occasion from casual evening get-togethers to formal events.

It’s a good idea to start with a solid set of silver cufflinks for your first pair, owing to the fact that they look fantastic and go well with almost everything. Silver is the most common material for most cufflinks, with many designs featuring some sort of colored stone or enamel insert to add a bit of contrast.

Our pick is this pair from J. Crew, which is crafted from genuine sterling silver with a deep black onyx face that puts it well above cheaper cufflinks constructed of stainless steel and colored enamel. Aside from the quality materials, the classic and simple design of these cufflinks means you can don them with just about any French cuff dress shirt, suit, tie, and pocket square combo you can pull from your closet.

After you’ve built a nice rotation, the J. Crew silver and onyx cufflinks will likely remain the most versatile pair you’ll have in your collection. Even if you only end up with one or two French cuff shirts and don’t plan on buying more than a single set of links to wear with them, this is the pair to get.

Pros: Made of genuine sterling silver with a striking black onyx face, and the classic style places these cufflinks among the most versatile ones you can have in your rotation

Cons: The classic design is decidedly plain

Buy the J. Crew silver and onyx cufflinks for $88

The best knot cufflinks

Why you'll love them: The casual appeal of these Brooks Brothers knot cufflinks make them the perfect complement to any spring and summer ensemble.

Along with knit ties, contrast-tipped pocket squares, and monk strap shoes, knot cufflinks have become one of the biggest stars of the 21st-century menswear renaissance. It’s easy to see why: Knotted cufflinks are inexpensive, colorful, and casual compared to their metal counterparts, perfectly capturing the conservative-yet-lively ethos of American prep.

It’s only proper, therefore, that our pick come from Brooks Brothers, America’s oldest clothing retailer and the undisputed champion of preppy menswear. This style is considerably more casual than our other picks, but the Brooks Brothers knot cufflinks are the perfect way to introduce a little pop of color to any spring or summer suit when worn with an appropriate pocket square and necktie.

These would pair extremely well with knit tie or a contrast-tipped pocket square featuring the same color as the knotted fabric of the cufflinks. You could also just ditch the necktie altogether for a super-casual warm weather look. This is perhaps the only time you can do this with a French cuff shirt, so go for it.

Nonetheless, you’ve got a ton of colors to choose from here — 35, in fact — and darker knots would also match your more conservative suits and ties very well. At only $10 per pair, these knotted cufflinks are cheap enough that you may as well grab a few to keep all your style bases covered.

Pros: The knotted style is perfect for casual suiting, they’re a great value at only $10 per pair, and you’ve got a myriad of colors to choose from

Cons: The design is decidedly more casual than most metal cufflinks

Buy the Brooks Brothers knot cufflinks for $10

The best gold-plated cufflinks

Why you'll love them: With warm gold plating and a deep burgundy Tudor rose insert, these cufflinks from Charles Tyrwhitt offer a striking yet understated English look.

Once you’ve got a pair or two of silver cufflinks, it’s not a bad idea to add some gold to your stable. When opting for this metal, it’s important to pare things down and pick links that aren’t too gaudy, as gold is generally considered a bit flashier than silver and can quickly veer into ostentation when you’re matching metals.

An under-stated accent like the burgundy rose face of the Charles Tyrwhitt cufflinks is perfect for adding some contrast that breaks up the gold’s hue a bit, as well as for bringing a touch of deep color to your outfit. In true British style, the dark red insert of these links appropriately depicts the Tudor rose, the heraldic emblem of England.

This historic symbol looks great by itself, but it also adds a bit of historic charm and always-welcome English style to the Charles Tyrwhitt cufflinks. The metal is truly gold-plated as well — not merely gold-colored brass — so you can enjoy all of the genuine glow and tarnish-free character of this beautiful precious metal.

Gold has a warmer tinge than silver, so it pairs very well with colors like green, orange, and red, whereas “cooler” metals like silver better complement grays and blues. Wear the Charles Tyrwhitt English rose cufflinks with any ensemble built around warm tones. For example, they’d make a perfect accent to a brown or olive green wool autumn suit.

Pros: The gold and burgundy create a lovely contrast, the deep red Tudor rose insert offers a touch of subtle yet highly attractive color, and they’re a great value for genuine gold-plated cufflinks

Cons: Gold isn’t as versatile as silver

Buy the Charles Tyrwhitt gold-plated and burgundy rose cufflinks for $59

• Retail is rife with strategies to get you to spend more, whether you're shopping in a brick-and-mortar store or online.
• Retailers also have tricks to make you use up their products faster.
• Those tactics include offering free shipping, encouraging bulk purchases — and even making the holes in eye drop bottles bigger, so you run out fast.

Retailers are smart. They know your weaknesses and how to capitalize on them.

So every time you go shopping — online or IRL — you're being taunted by infinite reasons to buy more, more, more.

Below is a list of some of the most creative (and frankly, impressive) strategies stores use to make you overspend and run out of products faster. Read on to avoid getting tricked.

SEE ALSO: 27 sneaky tactics stores use to trick you into spending more money

They constantly change the location of products

Can't find the trail mix even though you just picked some up a few weeks ago? Don't be surprised.

Business Insider's Áine Cain reported that Costco moves around its products in order to keep you moving around, scanning the shelves and ultimately buying more.

And it's a tactic that other stores use as well.

They allow you to check out with a single click

Business Insider previously reported on how a one-click checkout process (like on Amazon) can encourage overspending.

Because you don't need to enter billing, shipping, or credit card information, there's no immediate obstacle to buying whatever you want or need. That's great if you're in a rush — but not so great if you're on a budget.

They offer free shipping

Free shipping should be good for our wallets — after all, it means cutting the overall price of a purchase.

Alas, it's not always.

If the free-shipping threshold is, say, $50, you're more inclined to try to spend $50 (instead of the smaller amount you were planning to spend) so you can get them delivered gratis.

Somewhat counterintuitively, "Most people would rather spend more money buying things they don't need than pay for shipping costs," money-saving expert Andrea Woroch previously told Business Insider in an email.

• The more processed a food is, the greater the potential that exists for it to contain gluten.
• Cross-contamination can be an issue with foods like french fries and pre-seasoned meats.
• If something says it contains malt anything, stay away if you're gluten-free.
• When in doubt, read the label carefully.

Generally speaking, the more processed a food is, the more likely it is that it contains gluten.

If you cook and bake most of your meals from scratch, it's easier to control potential gluten sources.

But, if you're out and about, and just looking for something good to grab and go, here are 13 items you should probably avoid if you're gluten-free.

Pickles

If you're familiar with the fermentation process used for pickles, you know that some form of vinegar is usually used. If that form is malt vinegar — your pickles are not gluten-free.

Malt vinegar is made with barley malt. Unlike other vinegars, it is not distilled, which means the gluten is still present in the finished product, according to the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center.

Hot dogs and other sausages

Unless a hot dog or sausage specifically states that it is gluten-free, don't assume that it is. Recipes vary greatly, and some recipes involve bread crumbs.

Traditional British banger recipes call for rusks, which is a type of unleavened wheat bread. While gluten-free rusks are available, make sure that's what you're getting if you're hoping to avoid gluten.

French fries

Your favorite fries involve freshly-cut potatoes, salt, maybe some other seasonings, hot oil, and nothing else — right? Not if that fryer is also serving up onion rings, chicken nuggets, breaded fish patties, or any number of other battered and deep-fried foods.

Some restaurant facilities may have a dedicated gluten-free fryer, but you won't know for sure unless you ask.

• Woody from "Toy Story" was originally going to be a ventriloquist dummy.
• The cat from "The Godfather" was actually a stray found outside the studio.

The code in "The Matrix" comes from sushi recipes

Director James Cameron drew the sketch in "Titanic"

One famous "Pulp Fiction" scene was filmed backward

Sofia Vergara is a lot more than her beautiful curves and spot-on comedic timing.

The "Modern Family" star has been the highest-paid television actress for five years in a row, but her hard work started years before anyone knew her name.

You may think you know Vergara, who turns 45 on July 10th, but here are five things you probably didn't know about the Colombian beauty.

1. She's a natural blonde.

One of Vergara's earliest success secrets started with being able to recognize what would get her ahead. And, ironically, it started with her head. Known now for her flowing brunette locks, Vergara is a natural blonde. She made the switch to a darker do, because it was more marketable in Hollywood.

"I'm a natural blonde, like my siblings,"Vergara told Parade.

"When I started auditioning for American acting roles, they didn't know where to put me," she continued. "A blonde Latina? In L.A., they're used to Latin women looking more Mexican. But if you go to Uruguay, Argentina, Colombia, everybody is blonde."

2. She originally planned to be a dentist.

After high school, Vergara studied to be a dentist.

“I didn’t want to be an actress. I wanted to be a dentist, but you never know what life will bring you,” she told the New York Daily News. “But I can’t complain, I’m happy with what I’ve achieved.”

Her career path would forever be altered one day at the beach.

"I was 17. I was at the beach with my parents and some scout asked to take a Polaroid of me," Vergara told E! of the pivotal moment.

Her first big job was in a 1992 Pepsi commercial.

3. Vergara had a child at just 19 years old.

At 18, Vergara wed José González, who she described to Parade as her “high school sweetheart, the only one." A year later, they had a son, Manolo. But things didn't work out between the couple and a year later, when Vergara was 20, they divorced.

Vergara raised him as a single mother, and Manolo is now 24 years old and has his own modeling career.

Vergara has also found a new love in "True Blood" and "Magic Mike" actor Joe Manganiello, whom she married in November 2015.

• SRAM is the leading manufacturer of state-of-the-art bicycle components in the US. In 2017 it enjoyed strong growth while its competition was flat.
• CEO Stan Day told Business Insider that SRAM's product innovation was the driver of its success. It was awarded 16 patents last year alone.
• SRAM headquarters, in Chicago, is a positively cycling-obsessed work environment, and most employees are biking enthusiasts.
• The company carries on the strong tradition of bicycle-related manufacturing in the Midwest.
• But the industry faces challenges, including a soft market, distracted drivers, and even problems with autonomous-car technology.

CHICAGO — Set deep into the industrial-chic Fulton Market neighborhood of the revitalized West Loop, among the offices of Google, Uber, and other tech darlings, is the home of SRAM, the high-end bicycle-components maker that's coming off one of the best 12 months in its 31-year history.

"We were up 15% last year and continue to do well, and that's in a relatively flat market," CEO Stan Day told Business Insider on a visit to SRAM headquarters. SRAM's growth is driven by product innovation, Day said, whether it's the company's award-winning electronic-shifting system, aerodynamic wheels, or Tour de France-proven components.

SRAM, an acronym made up of its founders' initials, actually comprises several brands that together produce virtually all the components needed to build a road or mountain bike. The privately owned company got its start in the Windy City in 1987 with six employees and today has 3,500 worldwide.

Business Insider sat down with Day, one of SRAM's founders, after getting a tour of one of Chicago's most innovative companies.

Stan Day: Business is pretty good. We're up 15%, and that's when Shimano is up 1% and others are down a little, up a little. So we think we're doing better than most, and it's really being driven by the product innovation — eTap and Eagle drivetrains, for road and mountain, respectively. Those are on fire.

McMahon: What is SRAM's market share?

Day: Shimano is about $2 billion in sales in the bike industry; we're about $700 million. Then Fox is about $450 million total, but about $200 million in bike. And then it drops off. From there it gets small fast.

McMahon: Is Campagnolo a market factor?

Day: Not really a competitive factor. They are really a great brand, a classic brand. They're probably about $100 million in sales, with $60 million of that in wheels and $40 million in drivetrain. They are the historical, classic brand, but they're not really on the competitive or performance curve of what we and Shimano are producing.

SEE ALSO: Will Germany's Canyon Bicycles disrupt the American bicycle industry?

DON'T MISS: How Trek secretly tested the world's lightest production road bike and then unveiled it the day before the Tour de France

McMahon: The high-end road-bike market is soft. Why is that?

Day: We certainly don't have the turbo-charge effect that we had when Lance was popular. There's general softness in the bike market, but we're right at the inflection point in the road market where disc brakes are coming in and the disc availability is very limited, in terms of bike selection and, literally, availability.

I think — my hypothesis, my hope — is that consumers are postponing new high-end purchases until the suite of new disc bikes becomes more filled out. I mean, you could buy a few now, and you could build up a few, but even if you did a kit build, your frame selection is limited. So as we swing forward, there are going to be more standard-specced disc bikes and more frames available for kit builds. I think 2018 is going to be meaningfully better, and 2019 is going to be a lot better, because in another 18 months that entire category is going to be well populated.

McMahon: I've heard from some road cyclists, including industry insiders and even veteran pros, that they're doing less road cycling these days and instead seeking out trails and more off-road-type riding, in part because of distracted drivers and some of the horrific news stories you hear about. What's your perspective, as a year-round bike commuter and the head of a major cycling brand?

Day: Distracted driving is an incredible issue and a terrible thing. You can see it when you're commuting. People are texting or on their phones. It's horrendous. I think it's maybe a piece of why the road market has slowed a little bit. John Burke will say it is a factor. It's one of the reasons we're so into advocacy for more bike lanes. Bike lanes help a lot, even a stripe. And it doesn't have to be protected — just some visual. One of the things that drives me crazy here in Chicago is you go down some of these streets that were striped and now the paint has worn off. Like, Gimme some more paint!

There's work going on as well in the auto industry as we go self-driving, as we go driving-assisted. How can we see the bikes better? And proactively create the linkage into those information systems? So we're going to get better, meaningfully better, but right now we're in a little bit of a valley where we've got more cyclists on the road, which is great, but exacerbated by the problem with distracted driving, so we've got to get through this valley and come out the other side.

• Meghan Markle is being inducted into a tradition that requires the royal family to avoid eating certain things that could cause food poisoning. 
• Food-poisoning expert Bill Marler has cut certain foods out of his diet after more than two decades as a foodborne-illness attorney.
• Here are eight foods that Markle — and anyone trying to avoid food poisoning — should cut from their diet. 

Meghan Markle is preparing to follow in the footsteps of Queen Elizabeth II as the royal wedding date nears — and that includes culinary traditions. 

A "weird rule prevents the Queen and other royals from eating foods like mussels and rare steak when dining out,"The Sun reported. 

The Sun added: "They're advised to steer clear of foods which could cause food poisoning, like shellfish, rare meat and tap water when they're abroad." 

It's a sensible tradition — no one wants to be forced to alert the public that they need to miss a royal function because they have contracted food poisoning from slurping down raw oysters. According to The Sun, Queen Elizabeth follows the tradition closely, while other members of the royal family are more lenient. 

Food-poisoning attorney Bill Marler follows a similarly strict diet, according to past conversations with Business Insider and an article by Health Insider from BottomLine. Marler has won more than $600 million for clients in foodborne-illness cases and has become convinced that some foods aren't worth the risk.

Here are the foods that Marler says anyone trying to avoid food poisoning should stay away from: 

SEE ALSO: 189 people are dead and hundreds more are seriously ill in the largest listeria outbreak in history

Raw water

Marler told Business Insider that the idea he would have to warn people against drinking unfiltered, untreated water didn't cross his mind until 2018.

"Almost everything conceivable that can make you sick can be found in water," Marler said.

Unfiltered, untreated water — even from the cleanest streams — can contain animal feces, spreading Giardia, which includes symptoms such as vomiting and diarrhea and results in roughly 4,600 hospitalizations a year. Hepatitis A, which resulted in 20 deaths in a California outbreak in 2017, can be spread through water if it isn't treated. E. coli and cholera can also be transmitted via untreated water.

Uncooked flour

Uncooked flour is on the other end of the spectrum — something that most people see as harmless, but that can actually spread bacteria, Marler says.

From late 2015 to 2016, 56 people in 24 states developed an E. coli infection from eating raw or uncooked flour, according to Consumer Reports.

Most people think that raw eggs are the biggest food-poisoning threat in cookie dough, Marler says. However, flour can also be a culprit — and you don't even have to eat it. Simply not washing your hands after getting uncooked flour on them can spread E. coli.

Raw oysters

Marler says that he has seen more foodborne illnesses linked to shellfish in the past five years than in the two preceding decades.

The culprit: warming waters. As global waters heat up, they produce microbial growth, which ends up in the raw oysters consumers are slurping down.

• The Karlmann King SUV was designed in Beijing by IAT Automobile Technology and shown at the Dubai International Motor Show in late 2017.
• The luxury car is fully equipped with a high-end entertainment system, including a PlayStation 4 gaming system.
• It's priced at a minimum of $2 million, but the price goes up if you choose to customize it with features like armored bodywork.

The custom-designed Karlmann King SUV is priced at a whopping $2 million.

The car includes luxury features such as Hi-Fi sound, private safes, widescreen TVs, phones, and a refrigerator. It also includes features like a coffee maker and a PlayStation 4 gaming system. For an additional cost, it can even be customized with armored bodywork. 

Design director Luciano D'Ambrosio described his creation as a "piece of art."  Take a look at the luxury SUV, which is based on a Ford F-550 commercial truck:

SEE ALSO: Here are the 15 best airports in the world

The Karlmann King SUV was designed by China-based IAT and is based on a Ford F-550 commercial truck.

The exterior of the car is cut like a diamond.

It's bulletproof, can withstand temperatures between -40 degrees and 200 degrees Fahrenheit, has four-wheel drive, and can go up to 87 mph.

Customer service workers are often treated like human sponges— they're expected to graciously absorb the negativity lobbed at them from condescending customers without biting back. But their cordial exteriors belie the truth: they don't forget their most outrageous customers.

When one Reddit user asked the community to share some of the dumbest things they've ever heard customers say, scores of client-facing employees shared their sordid tales. And though INSIDER can't independently verify any of these tales, they do make for some wild reading.

Check out some of the dumbest things customer service workers say they have heard customers say while on the job.

One woman didn't realize that bike tires had to be filled with air when she complained about her bike not working.

"A pleasant lady walked into the bike store I work at and asked us to help take her daughter's bike out of the car to find out why it wasn't riding as well as it had been when she got it. I stride over to her minivan and lug out a beautiful, spotless blue Bianchi. Looked like it had been ridden maybe twice.

Brakes were snappy, shifting was crisp, chain had zero rust and zero stretch. The bike was basically good as new.

Except the tires were empty. I asked her when her daughter filled them last.

'You have to fill them?'"— Reddit user cr4m62.

Another didn't quite understand the design of a gas pump when she crashed into one.

"Worked at a gas station. I watched a customer pull up, whip her door open, and slam it against the large, shiny silver pole that protects cars form running into gas pumps. She then proceeds to furiously get out, scream with her head facing the heavens, and run into the gas station, telling me I 'need to be more careful where I place those.'

The thing has been cemented into the... ground for over twenty years."— Reddit user Freakawn.

One guy didn't realize that he was at Lowe's, when he threatened to go to Lowe's for better service.

"'Man, ya'll don't know how to treat customers. It's why you all losing money. I'm going to Lowe's.'

From a customer yelling at customer service, in a Lowe's."— Reddit user ohitsmark.

The PlayStation 4 continues to be the most popular game console in the world. Over 70 million consoles have been sold, and that's just in the past four years.

In 2018, the console's dominance shows no signs of slowing — if major entries in the "God of War" and "Spider-Man" franchises don't ensure that, then the other huge blockbusters assuredly will.

Here's everything we know coming to the PlayStation 4 in 2018 so far!

SEE ALSO: This 26-year-old makes $500,000 every month playing 'Fortnite' in his bedroom — here's how he does it

1. "Shadow of the Colossus"

In 2018, the best game from 2005 is on the PlayStation 4. It's called "Shadow of the Colossus," and it's already out!

When the game originally launched in 2005, it was a revelation for PlayStation 2 owners. Though it may look like a standard video game, "Shadow of the Colossus" is anything but — the diminutive character you see above is who you play as, and he's got an objective: Take down gigantic monsters. But why? And what are these "monsters"? Are they monsters, or is he, for murdering them?

Release Date: February 6

2. "God of War"

The newest entry in the "God of War" franchise stars the same bald-headed marauder from previous games, but Kratos looks a bit different than the last time we saw him.

Aside from that epic new beard, he's apparently moved on from the Grecian setting of previous games to a more domestic existence in a Norse setting. At the very least, he looks like he'll be playing the role of a mentor — Kratos is a dad now (and there'll apparently be some interaction as the player using both Kratos and his son). This is not the same vengeance-driven hyperviolent demigod we're used to seeing — and, frankly, good— but a (slightly) more reserved family man.

Release Date: April 20

3. "Detroit: Become Human"

"Detroit: Become Human" is a game about artificial intelligence and humanity's future.

The game is set in a near-future version of real-world city Detroit, Michigan, which has become a manufacturing hub for artificially intelligent robots that look exactly like human beings. It stars a robot named Kara, the first robot to "wake up" from servitude and demand freedom.

In this sense, what the game's really about is consciousness, and what it means to be alive. How that story is told is up to you.

Release Date: May 25

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.

The Insider Pick:

• A golf glove does more than prevent blisters. It also gives you a high level of comfort, durability, and longevity. The best all-around golf glove is the Bionic StableGrip, as it gives golfers all of the features they need to enjoy a round of golf without getting in the way.

Although it may be hard to believe, there was a time in golf where woods actually were made of wood, golf balls consisted of leather and feathers, and the on-course beer cart was not a thing. Thankfully, modern golfers can play with much better equipment and enjoy their favorite beverage at any time while playing.

At one time, golfers also played without a glove. No moisture-wicking technology, no reinforced palm, and no Velcro closure. Although the first golf gloves were available for sale around 1900, according to Golfweek, professionals didn’t use them until the 1930s. By the 1960s, nearly all players, amateurs and pros, used gloves.

Today, golf gloves are as common as any other key piece of golf equipment. Wearing a glove on one hand will help you keep a sturdy grip on all aspects of your game. That's why we've done the research to find the best golf gloves you can buy.

Read on in the slides below to learn why the Bionic StableGrip golf glove is our top pick and why you might also like the FootJoy WeatherSof glove, the Grip Boost Golf Second Skin 2.0 glove, the Callaway Golf OptiColor glove, and the MG Golf DynaGrip glove.

SEE ALSO: 8 stylish men's golf shoes to wear on the green this season

The best golf glove overall

Why you'll love it: The Bionic StableGrip successfully combats all of the common complaints about golf gloves with extraordinary comfort and support.

If you hate the way your golf glove crumples up after every use, making it uncomfortable for several holes until it stretches out again, the Bionic StableGrip golf glove will solve that problem. It has excellent bounce-back, so it feels like new after every swing.

Additionally, Bionic has come up with the best golf glove for both durability and comfort. The fingers are pre-curled, ensuring an easier fit. The glove wicks away moisture on your hands with a terry cloth interior. The StableGrip glove feels incredibly natural and flexes to match your hand movement.

The StableGrip golf glove line is available in multiple sizes, and it’s made in either a right- or left-hand fit.

That’s a lot of positives in a single golf glove. Even if the Bionic StableGrip doesn’t cut a few strokes off your game, you’ll at least be comfortable during those (hopefully) occasional double-bogies.

Amazon buyers really love this glove, too. One buyer named James241 says the durability of the StableGrip golf glove is impressive, as it will last for dozens of rounds of golf without showing significant wear.

In a review, Laser Golf Rangefinder says the Bionic StableGrip uses multiple design features to create an amazingly natural and comfortable feel.

You’ll appreciate the long-lasting performance you receive from the StableGrip glove, Glove Spot says in its review, as it’ll maintain its shape and softness round after round.

Even though the Bionic StableGrip costs a little more than some other golf gloves, Amazon reviewer Jason says it’s worth the extra cost for longevity and performance.

However, a few Amazon reviewers say the StableGrip tends to tear around the reinforced palm or around the closure where you’ll stretch the flap to tighten the wrist area. So beware of that small niggle.

Pros: Excellent quality in a golf glove, gives you a natural fit and feel, glove bounces back nicely from round to round unlike many other gloves, long-lasting glove, offered in any size or hand fit you could need

Cons: More expensive than other golf gloves, may tear in the area around the closure flap

Buy the Bionic StableGrip Golf Glove on Amazon for $24.66 and up (price varies by size)

The best breathable golf glove

Why you'll love it: FootJoy’s WeatherSof golf glove has been around a long time, but constant updates to the design have helped it remain a popular choice.

The FootJoy WeatherSof golf glove has been available for purchase for almost three decades and remains one of the most popular gloves available. And there’s a good reason why: It’s incredibly comfortable to wear all day in all kinds of weather conditions, thanks to a breathable design.

This comfortable glove uses a mixture of Cabretta leather and synthetic materials to give it a high level of durability. The WeatherSof glove even has a mesh fabric hidden in the black stripes on the back of the glove for further breathability.

It's also surprisingly affordable. You will find the WeatherSof in multiple sizes, and you can choose to wear it on the left or right hand.

The exact placement of the leather and synthetic fabrics in this glove'es design help to make the WeatherSof comfortable and breathable, according to the Laser Golf Rangefinder review. 

The Golfalot review says the WeatherSof can handle both cold and hot conditions equally well, keeping your hand comfortable.

Golfers will love the feel of the WeatherSof glove, according to Amazon reviewer Larry. Another Amazon buyer, Drew, says this golf glove runs a little small, but it holds up nicely over multiple rounds.

Amazon reviewer Kristin Kegley agrees, saying that the FootJoy WeatherSof was a perfect golf glove for her golfing trip.

Pros: Strong price point, consists of a large amount of breathable fabric to keep your hand cool, available in multiple sizes, very popular model of golf glove, good level of durability

Cons: Sizes tend to run a little small, mesh backing may tear out over time

Buy the FootJoy WeatherSof Golf Glove on Amazon for $14.99 (price varies by size)

The best natural fit golf glove

Why you'll love it: The Grip Boost Second Skin 2.0 golf glove has an innovative design that uses stretchable webbing and mesh fabric to create a natural fit.

Innovation in a golf glove isn’t easy to find, but the Grip Boost Golf Second Skin 2.0 golf glove has created an intriguing design that’ll feel more comfortable than many other golf gloves.

The back of the glove features a webbing pattern that allows the glove to fit tightly, yet comfortably. The webbing stretches to make the glove more comfortable to wear, molding it to your hand.

The Golf Second Skin 2.0 golf glove has mesh windows and dimpled leather throughout the construction, allowing this glove to pull moisture away from your hand for more comfort. You can pick from multiple sizes, as well as a left- or right-handed fit. It’s also quite affordable.

Even during humid weather, it’s easy to take these gloves on and off, which gives them a big advantage over other gloves that sometimes stick to the hand when they become wet.

In its write-up, Golf Sidekick likes the way these gloves feel while playing, especially if your hands usually feel hot during a round of golf. However, because of all of the mesh used in the design of the golf glove, the fabric may tear when placed under stress.

When you’re looking for a golf glove that fits the hand perfectly, Golf Unfiltered says the Grip Boost glove works well, as it won’t bunch up strangely on your hand or wear unevenly in the palm area.

Amazon reviewer Dominick Defilipo likes the lightweight and natural feel these Grip Boost Golf Second Skin gloves provide. Amazon reviewers Rich and Bonnie agree, saying the Grip Boost almost feels like you aren’t wearing a glove at all because of its natural fit.

Pros: Very comfortable fit and feel, nice price point for a golf glove, offered in numerous sizes so you can find the right fit, includes a mesh fabric to keep your hands dry and cool in all weather

Cons: Fabrics may tear when placed under stress, it’s a new glove design so longevity is unknown

Buy the Grip Boost Golf Second Skin 2.0 Golf Glove on Amazon for $14.99 (price varies by size)

• Who says an iconic outfit can only be worn once?
• These celebrities pulled the ultimate fashion faux pas, re-wearing their most iconic outfits of all time.
• Some reimagined theirs (like Jennifer Lopez and Geri Halliwell) while others (like Kim Kardashian in her infamous Met Gala dress) had a little Halloween fun in the same exact gowns they once made headlines for.

Be honest, when you think of certain pop culture icons, it's hard not to think of their most famous looks of all time. Whether it's Britney Spears and her "...Baby One More Time" schoolgirl outfit or Jennifer Lopez and that green Versace dress, some outfits remain etched in our cultural memory for all time.

And even though these looks are defined by one specific moment in history, we absolutely love when our favorite style icons recreate their most well-known style moments years — or even decades — later.

Check out the 9 celebrities who bravely recreated their most famous (or infamous!) outfits of all time.

Cher's outfit from the "If I Could Turn Back Time" music video

Few musicians have as many career-defining outfits as Cher, but she manages to slay it in little more than sparkles and leather straps no matter what year we're in. Case in point: Her outfit from 1989's "If I Could Turn Back Time" music video, featuring sparkles, straps, and a leather jacket covering up just enough to keep things PG-13.

The pop legend donned the daring outfit in three separate decades after releasing her hit single in the late ‘80s. She brought it back at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards, and then again at the 2017 Billboard Music Awards, proving that if anyone really can turn back time, it's Cher.

Geri Halliwell's Union Jack dress

When the Spice Girls burst onto the scene in 1996, few could have predicted the impact the five ladies would have on pop culture and music. But when Geri Halliwell (aka Ginger Spice) wore a low-cut, dangerously-short dress emblazoned with the Union Jack flag on it to the 1997 BRIT Awards, the fivesome cemented their status as the queens of Girl Power … all with the help of one very patriotic mini dress.

Halliwell was supposed to wear a "boring" black Gucci dress for the group's performance that night, but wanted to celebrate her British heritage instead, enlisting her sister Karen to help stitch a tea towel onto the front of the dress. The look became so iconic, Halliwell's Barbie doll likeness wore it, and she brought back an updated version loaded in sparkles for the Spice Girls' 2007 reunion tour.

Then, in 2012, she designed an entire Union Jack-themed clothing line after the dress, revealing that it's one of the only pieces from her Spice Girls wardrobe she still has today.

Britney Spears' outfit from the "... Baby One More Time" music video

Oh baby, baby! It's hard to believe that Britney Spears has been our pop princess for two whole decades, but she continues to slay the game, releasing new music and ending a wildly successful four-year residency in Las Vegas.

But no matter how much time passes, we'll always remember when Spears made her big debut in a super scandalous Catholic schoolgirl outfit, dancing around after class in the "...Baby One More Time" video.

The pom-pom pigtails, the short skirt, and the tied white blouse made it all, well, "not that innocent," introducing the world to the Britney we know and love today. So we loved when Spears paid homage to her most famous look during one of her legendary Instagram fashion shows in October 2017, donning a white cropped blouse and a plaid mini skirt just like she did back in 1998. Seems like she had to bring the look back one more time, and it's perfect.

• Want the best travel tips and packing hacks? There's no one better to ask than flight attendants.
• Flight attendants often spend more than 80 hours a month travelling and have a great deal of experience making the process more efficient and enjoyable.
• From securing upgrades and free goodies to packing lighter, flight attendants shared their best travel tips and packing hacks.

For flight attendants, who often spend more than 80 hours in the air a month, traveling can become almost second nature.

So who better to turn to for travel tips and tricks than the people with extensive knowledge on the matter?

We asked flight attendants to share their best travel hacks and packing tips with us and scoured the internet for more.

Here are 15 things that could help make your travel experiences easier and more enjoyable:

SEE ALSO: A day in the life of a United Airlines flight attendant, who woke up before 3 a.m. and ran circles around me for 9 hours

DON'T MISS: 11 truths about flying only flight attendants know

Get more attentive service from your flight attendants

"While most passengers tend to choose seats that are at the front of the aircraft so that they can disembark first and have a better chance of securing their preferred meal option, flight attendants know that if you're sitting towards the back, you'll receive the most attentive service," a flight attendant with 2.5 years' experience wrote for Oyster.

"The reason is simple: We like to avoid responding to call bells from the front of the plane because answering one means potentially flaunting whatever item the passenger has requested to everyone else along the way," she wrote. "This can cause a problem since planes often don't have enough extra vodka, pillows, earplugs, and toothbrushes, or the time on shorter flights to deviate from the service schedule.

"For passengers sitting near the back of the plane, however, it's much easier to slip in that second mini bottle of wine," she wrote.

Iron your clothes faster

"Use your flat iron to touch up your clothes when you're in a rush and there's no time for the ironing board," a flight attendant with 30 years' experience told Business Insider.

Always sleep in clean sheets

"Don't sleep on hotel sheets that don't have creases from being folded; someone slept on them already," a flight attendant with 19 years' experience told Business Insider.