• United Airlines is one of three airlines that fly nonstop from New York to Hong Kong.
• The 16-hour route, which takes passengers over the ice caps of the arctic, is one of the longest flights in the world.
• I decided to fly United Airlines Economy-class cabin to Hong Kong, to see what the experience was like after years of bad press about the airline.

United Airlines has had a rough couple of years.

For most Americans, United's recent history has made it an airline to avoid: the violent removal of passenger David Dao last year, the high-profile death of a d0g last month in an overhead compartment, and abysmal consumer-satisfaction ratings over the past several years.

That's before you get into passengers' increasing discontent with the airline's baggage fees, the "Basic Economy" ticket class, and shrinking seats, leading Wired to call United the "industry leader in the abandonment of basic decency."

It all made me a bit nervous when I was looking for a flight from New York to Hong Kong days before I needed to leave. While Cathay Pacific, American Airlines, and United all fly nonstop to Hong Kong, United was the only one available on such short notice.

Perhaps I'm a masochist, but it was a very reasonable $761 for a one-way ticket. And I was curious what United might be like on one of the world's longest routes.

I last flew United a few months back over Christmas on a visit to Seattle. The flight then went without incident, but the flight back was a nightmare of delays, overbooked seats, and forced checked bags.

Read on to see what I thought of my flight on United Airlines, departing from Newark Liberty International Airport at 4:00 p.m. for Hong Kong International Airport, operated on a 777-200.

SEE ALSO: I'm taking a trip around the world with only a carry-on suitcase — here's everything I packed

I arrived at Newark Liberty International Airport about two hours before my flight. I knew I wasn't checking a bag; I meticulously packed my carry-on so that I wouldn't have to.

The security screening was confusing. From the perspective of a regular traveler, TSA PreCheck and the various "priority" lines seem to be creating more harm than good. The regular security line was excruciatingly long while much-needed TSA officers waited around on the empty "priority" lines.

When I finally got through, I had just enough time to grab a bite to eat before boarding. I stopped at Wanderlust, one of the dozens of restaurants in United's new dedicated terminal at Newark. Like most of the options there, it was tasty but overpriced.

The Masters is the most prestigious golf tournament in the world, and most golfers yearn for an invitation, and with 87 golfers, this year's field will be the smallest in 21 years.

As it turns out, there are 19 different ways in which a golfer can come to receive an invitation. Many players qualify under multiple criteria, including Jordan Spieth, who qualifies under seven of the categories.

The qualifications are also always changing. For example, the USGA no longer holds the US public links championship where the winner used to receive an invite to the Masters. On the flip side, the Latin American amateur champ is a recent addition, and the reigning Olympic gold medalist is now an automatic qualifier in the year after the Olympics.

Below we take a look at the 19 different ways a golfer can qualify for the Masters and which of this year's 87 golfers qualified under each. We have listed the golfers only under their first qualification.

1. Winners of a previous Masters receive a lifetime invitation. There are 20 players in this year's tournament who have already won at least one green jacket, including last year's champ, Sergio Garcia.

Angel Cabrera
Fred Couples
Sergio Garcia (17, 18)
Trevor Immelman
Zach Johnson (3, 18)
Bernhard Langer
Sandy Lyle
Phil Mickelson (3, 16, 18)
Larry Mize
Mark O’Meara
Jose Maria Olazabal
Charl Schwartzel (12, 18)
Adam Scott (12, 18)
Vijay Singh
Jordan Spieth (2, 3, 12, 16, 17, 18)
Bubba Watson (16)
Mike Weir
Danny Willett
Tiger Woods
Ian Woosnam

If a player qualifies under more than one category, they are only listed in the first category with additional categories in parentheses.

Because of the qualifications, the Masters' field does not have a set size. This is important because it means older players with lifetime invitations are not taking spots from somebody who may have a better chance to compete.

Notable past champions who are still eligible to play but are not in the field include Ben Crenshaw, Fuzzy Zoeller, Nick Faldo, Craig Stadler, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Tom Watson, and Raymond Floyd.

Shortly after 8:00 p.m. on April 4, 1968, the news that Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. was murdered in Memphis, Tennessee reached Washington, DC.

The District had been an area where African Americans were supposedly treated better than those in places like Detroit, according to The Washington Post. Detroit, for example, was still recovering from a race riot that had happened a year earlier.

But King's assassination ignited a powder keg of pressure that had been building up from years of mistreatment and underinvestment that the African American community suffered.

Washington exploded in massive riots that lasted four days. When it was over, 13 people were dead, over 1,000 were injured, and hundreds of buildings were burned or damaged.

The AP has put together a collection that shows photos from the riots juxtaposed with the present-day city. Check out the incredible images here:

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke at DC's National Cathedral just a few days before his assassination in 1968.

After news of his death reached DC, riots erupted across the city.

The DC Metropolitan Police was over 80% white, despite the city being around 67% black, just one element that contributed to tensions between law enforcement and people living in city.

• Royal Caribbean's newest ship, Symphony of the Seas, is the world's largest cruise ship.
• Measuring in at 1,188 feet, the vessel was unveiled on March 27 in Spain, where it is currently en route from Málaga to Barcelona.
• Some of the ship's most notable features include a zip-line and a bar that's operated by robots. 

Royal Caribbean recently unveiled photos of its newest ship, the 1,188-foot-long Symphony of the Seas. The vessel, the world's largest cruise ship, made its maiden voyage in Spain, where it is sailing from Málaga to Barcelona.

Given its unparalleled size, Symphony of the Seas boasts some pretty sweet features, including a beautiful deck-side pool, a zip-line, and even a robot-manned bar.

While cruises can be a bit hit-or-miss, you'll want to check out this astounding seacraft. Here are 13 photos that show what it's like aboard the world's largest cruise ship.

Even from the outside, Symphony of the Seas — world's largest cruise ship— is a sight to behold.

At 1,188 feet long and 238 feet tall, Royal Caribbean's Symphony of the Seas is the world's largest cruise ship — it's five times the size of the Titanic and can hold up 9,000 people.

The record was previously held by a fleet of other Oasis-class Royal Caribbean vessels (Allure of the Seas, Harmony of the Seas, and Oasis of the Seas). 

The ship was unveiled in Málaga, Spain, on March 27. It took 36 months to build.

Even at model scale, this ship — which took 4,700 shipbuilders and crew 36 months to complete — is a beaut.

Of course, a ship of this size will be packed with incredible amenities, like this huge pool — one of 23.

There are 18 decks to explore aboard.

The Solarium includes a giant swimming pool and four cantilevered whirlpools suspended 136 feet above the ocean.

ESPN on Monday announced the release of its direct-to-consumer subscription streaming service, ESPN+. 

ESPN+ will launch Thursday, April 12. It will be available for $4.99 per month or an annual fee of $49.99.

The subscription service has been conceived as an add-on to ESPN's current cable coverage, so its service will lack access to any of the content on ESPN's core channels, including ESPN, ESPN 2, and ESPN Classic.

But the company said in a release that ESPN+ include "thousands" of live games from a wide variety of sports, as well as a library of original shows, films, and other on-demand content.

The service will be available through an update to the ESPN app, which the company's president James Pitaro described as "completely re-imagined" and "increasingly personalized" in a statement on Monday.

Here's a rundown of all the live sporting events that ESPN+ will include: 

SEE ALSO: ESPN is making more money than ever off of subscribers despite its dwindling subscriber base

MLB — "More than 180 games"

ESPN said the service will feature an MLB game "each day, seven days per week" throughout the season, including every MLB team. 

NHL — "More than 180 games"

ESPN said the service will include "a daily NHL game" starting with the 2018-2019 NHL season.

Boxing — "Year-round schedule"

ESPN+ will feature "exclusive main event fights," including the match between Amir Khan vs. Phil Lo Greco on April 21, as well as "an unmatched library of legendary fights." 

This Thursday, golf fans around the world will turn their attention to Augusta National for the first men's major of the year, the Masters.

It is, as Jim Nantz has so often put it, "A tradition unlike any other," filled with incredible views and even more spectacular golf. This year's tournament has an added bit of intrigue with the recent play of Tiger Woods, who is back in the Masters' field after missing the previous two years — and ticket prices have been rising in anticipation of his comeback.

But while Woods will no doubt be the fan-favorite to win coming into the weekend, oddsmakers in Las Vegas have put him amongst eight others as the favorites to take home the green jacket.

Take a look below and see who Las Vegas believes has the best chance to win at the Masters this weekend. All lines are courtesy of Jeff Sherman and the Westgate Las Vegas Superbook.

Jordan Spieth

Current odds: 10/1

World ranking: No. 4

Best Masters finish: Win — 2015

One thing to know: Spieth hasn't gotten off to a great start this year, but just finished tied for third at the Houston Open and is in better form of late. He proved he can win at Augusta, but will still be looking to shake off the memories of 2016 when he put two balls in the water on the 12th and eventually came in second after holding a 5-stroke lead on Sunday.

Dustin Johnson

Current odds: 10/1

World ranking: No. 1

Best Masters finish: T4 — 2016

One thing to know: Dustin Johnson is the top-ranked golfer in the world, and with good reason. His powerful drives are unmatched, and on an Augusta course that rewards players that can get far down the fairway, he's a solid pick to make a strong finish on Sunday.

Justin Thomas

Current odds: 10/1

World ranking: No. 2

Best Masters finish: T22 — 2017

One thing to know: Justin Thomas is one of the most consistent young golfers you'll find on tour. Coming off the best year of his young career, Thomas is in fine form entering the Masters, having won the Honda Classic back in February. He's close friends with Spieth, and seeing the two together in one of the final pairings on Sunday could make for some high drama.

After a long hiatus, the long-running PlayStation video game series "God of War" is back — and it looks nuts.

For its big new entry on the PlayStation 4, "God of War" is getting an outright reboot.

It still stars Kratos — the bald, extremely pale gentleman you see above with the axe — but he's on an entirely new journey, in an entirely new place, full of entirely new gods and creatures to violently murder.

With its April 20 launch date just around the corner, now's the time to prepare yourself!

You're still playing as Kratos, but he's a different guy than we're used to seeing.

Instead of a rage-filled marauder, Kratos is more solemn and stoic in the new "God of War."

There's a good reason for that: He's a father. This is Atreus, his son (of war).

• Netflix's original documentary show, "Chef's Table," features a different successful chef each episode.
• So far there have been three seasons of the show, and while each chef was accomplished before appearing on the show, it undoubtedly made them more well-known.
• Here's where the chefs are now.

Netflix takes you along with some of the world's best chefs in its documentary show, "Chef's Table," giving audiences an inside look into how some of the best think about food, talk about food, and, of course, cook food.

Each episode tells the story of one chef, letting you get a sense of who they are and how they work. Each chef was accomplished in their own right before being featured on the show, but in some cases they may not have been all that well-known outside of the food world prior to that.

The show often increases these chef's reach, making them known to more people than ever before. Massimo Bottura, for instance, featured on the show's very first episode, told Food & Wine that he thought 25 million people watched his episode of the show.

Most of these chefs haven't slowed down since their appearances on the show. Here's what they've been up to since then.

1. Massimo Bottura

Bottura feels strongly about fighting both food waste and world hunger. And although he was already working on this around the time his episode came out — he developed Refettorio Ambrosiano — a soup kitchen in Milan— for the 2015 Milan World Expo, as The Guardian reported — his project has grown quite a bit. During the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Bottura opened a Refettorio to serve that city's homeless population, and worked with chefs, community partners, and many others to serve meals made from food that was unfit to be sold at grocery stores.

Bottura and his wife, Lara Gilmore, founded Food for Soul, a non-profit organization of which Gilmore is president, in 2016. The organization has opened four Refeitorios total, including one in London in 2017 and one in Paris in March of 2018, and has plans for more.

As Reuters reported, Bottura also opened a 50-seat restaurant in Florence, Gucci Osteria. In 2016, Osteria Francescana came in at number one on The World's 50 Best Restaurants list, as Forbes reported. Bottura has also cooked special dinners around the world and wrote a book (with help from the chefs who cooked at Refettorio Ambrosiano in 2015) called "Bread is Gold," the proceeds of which go to Food for Soul, helping to fund its Refettorios and Social Table projects around the world.

2. Dan Barber

Dan Barber, was also featured on the first season of "Chef's Table." Like Bottura, Barber is passionate about fighting food waste — his pop-up concept WastED, which makes food out of food waste, appeared in New York and London in 2015 and 2017, respectively  but he's also been interested in plant breeding (specifically breeding for flavor), seed diversity, and more. Civil Eats reported that, in February of 2018, Barber and his partners, Michael Mazourek and Matthew Goldfarb, founded Row 7 Seed Co. The company sells seven different types of organic seeds, from beets to potatoes, and more.

3. Francis Mallmann

If you watched Francis Mallmann’s episode of "Chef's Table," chances are, you had thoughts about it. Mallmann lives in South America, spends quite a bit of time in more remote, secluded locations, and cooks with fire. Esquire reported that Mallmann and Vanina Chimeno, the mother of his young daughter shown in the episode, got married in 2016.

In 2017, as The New York Times reported, Mallmann opened a restaurant in Aix-en-Provence, France at Château La Coste, as well as a restaurant called Fuegos de Apalta at the Montes Winery Estate in Chile, Vine Pair reported. Also, Mallmann writes a weekly article for a newspaper, but they're not all about food, and he hopes to direct films.

• From huge expenses to dangerous scenes, a lot of things happened behind the scenes of the "Titanic" film.
• Leonardo DiCaprio wasn't actually the one drawing for the famous portrait scene.
• Director James Cameron spent more time on the sunken Titanic than the actual passengers.

Sink or swim? While history looks back on James Cameron’s towering epic film "Titanic" as one of the greatest box office hits of all time, there were many, many times where its success was less than certain. The production of the deeply ambitious big-budget spectacle was fraught with peril — and we aren’t talking about icebergs in the fog!

Ballooning expenses, dangerous scenes, confounding decisions, and a whole lot of risk-taking could have sent the movie straight to the bottom of the cinematic seas. It’s hard to believe now that everything from Leonardo DiCaprio’s casting to Celine Dion’s award-winning song almost didn’t happen, but this was a voyage almost as dangerous in many ways as the real Titanic’s Atlantic crossing.

It’s amazing how many calamities the production survived, keeping Cameron’s unforgettable vision intact. Just as with the legendary ship, the movie was bigger than anything that came before it, captained by an uncompromising director who pushed full steam ahead into some treacherous waters. But this boat definitely stayed afloat. Just wait ’till you see what it had to navigate through before safely harboring at the port of cinematic history.

There was one chance to capture the stairway scene

“Hey, we took the lens cap off the camera, right?” Filming giant scenes of epic destruction can be one of the most unnerving moments in a director’s career. When blowing up buildings or crashing cars, there’s often one chance to get things right as you won’t be un-exploding buildings after the scene is over. For "Titanic," the scene where the water comes crashing into the Grand Staircase room was one such moment.

Recreating it precisely at great expense, having designed it to break apart in a very specific way, Cameron had one chance to get it right because the whole set would be trashed in the take. Obviously, the scene worked out great. Cameron’s experience from "Terminator 2" when the Cyberdyne building gets blown up may have helped him work that one out.

James Cameron visited the actual sunken Titanic

Before making "Titanic," director James Cameron spent a whole lot of time visiting the actual wreckage of the doomed ocean liner himself. An avid and passionate deep sea diver, Cameron sunk to the bottom of the ocean and saw for himself the final resting place of the giant vessel. And it wasn’t just one or two times. He actually went down there so often, he ended up spending more time on the ship than any one of the original passengers did.

That adds up to days and days of living over a mile deep under the sea.

He may as well have started singing that song from"The Little Mermaid!" The experience was highly inspirational and led to a perfectionist approach in every aspect of creating the final film, which audiences totally felt on the screen.

Leo DiCaprio needed a stunt hand for the drawing scene

One of the most touching scenes in "Titanic" is the one where Jack Dawson, played by Leonardo DiCaprio, is sketching his one true love, Rose, played by Kate Winslet. She is posing as he lovingly renders her beauty. Nothing cements the trust and faith in their bond as this moment does. The thing is — Leo can’t draw!

The hand we see in the scene belongs to none other than James Cameron, who is an accomplished illustrator.

Okay, so they used a stunt hand, so what? Trouble was, Leo is a righty and Jimmy is a lefty. To maintain the illusion that it was Jack drawing, the film team had to mirror-image the shots in post-production, maintaining the consistency of the character’s dexterous orientation. Talk about camera tricks!

• Health and wellness are key components of thriving communities.
• U.S. News & World Report released its 2018 rankings of the healthiest communities in the US.
• The list below focuses on one of the factors used in the ranking: population health, including how many people participate in physical activity, life expectancy, and mental health.
• Olmsted County, Minnesota has the healthiest population in the country, according to the rankings. Falls Church City, Virginia, came out No. 1 overall.

The roughly 144,000 residents of Olmsted County, Minnesota are among the fittest, happiest, and longest-living people in the United States.

That's according to the 2018 U.S. News & World Report rankings of the healthiest communities in the country.

A number of factors were considered in the rankings, including population health, equity (think income inequality and disparity in health across different ethnic populations), education, economy, housing, food and nutrition, environment, public safety, community vitality, and infrastructure. Falls Church City, Virginia, came out No. 1 overall.

The list below focuses exclusively on one of the factors used in the U.S. News list to determine the healthiest cities: population health, which breaks down into sub-factors such as how many people have health insurance, how many people participate in regular physical activity, rates of cancer, life expectancy, and how many poor mental health days people have every month. Colorado communities appear multiple times on the list.

Communities were also identified as urban or rural, and as "high-performing" or "up-and-coming" based on their economic performance.

Read on to learn more about the communities with the healthiest populations in the US.

SEE ALSO: The 19 US states where young people are moving in, jobs are plentiful, and business is booming

25. Yankton County, South Dakota

Overall ranking: 334

Population health score: 86

Population: 22,438

Type of community: Urban, high-performing

Life expectancy: 80.5

Adults with no leisure-time physical activity: 18.7%

Poor mental health days per month: 2.6

24. Custer County, South Dakota

Overall ranking: 231

Population health score: 86

Population: 8,216

Type of community: Rural, high-performing

Life expectancy: 80

Adults with no leisure-time physical activity: 18.2%

Poor mental health days per month: 2.5

23. Broomfield County, Colorado

Overall ranking: 3

Population health score: 87

Population: 55,889

Type of community: Urban, high-performing

Life expectancy: 80

Adults with no leisure-time physical activity: 11.8%

Poor mental health days per month: 3

Flying is expensive enough as it is without giving into pre-flight temptations. According to experts, your time waiting at the airport can quickly tack on extra costs to your trip if you spend money on certain things without thinking it through.

Wi-Fi, food, neck pillows and many other items are just not worth buying at the airport — for the good of your wallet and your health.

These are the 15 things you should always avoid spending money on at the airport, according to travel experts.

1. Wi-Fi

If you're reading this story on RD.com, you must be using the Internet, and if you're anything like us, you probably sometimes feel fairly dependent on all that connectivity (Here are the signs you're addicted to your smartphone). No judgment! However, just say no to paying for Wi-Fi in the airport.

"Airports take advantage of the fact that once you're past those security gates, you're a captive audience," explains Coleman Collins, former full-time traveler and author of the forthcoming: "The Road Warrior: A Practical Guide to Maintaining Your Health, Productivity, and Sanity While Traveling for Work." First off, the Wi-Fi is "slow and horrifically overpriced," he points out. But more importantly, "travel provides the perfect forced Internet break.Your emails can wait!" Instead of checking your handheld device, how about reading, engaging in a craft, or sitting quietly. It's one of many ways you can sneak mindfulness into everyday moments.

2. Electronics

If you've decided you can pass up the airport Wi-Fi, then perhaps you'll be open to passing up the opportunity to impulse-purchase electronics from those overpriced airport kiosks, even those little items like chargers and headsets you may have forgot to pack.

"Electronics purchased at the airport will cost you significantly more than if you had bought them ahead of time," says Lindsay Sakraida, director of content marketing with DealNews, a shopping comparison website. "Our research shows that electronics are, on average, 34% more expensive at the airport than what they would find online. For some of the smaller items, that could mean a difference of $10 to $15. For some of the more advanced technology digital cameras, you could be overpaying anywhere from $50 to $200. And that charger? It could be up to 50% more at the airport."

Collins notes specifically that headphones tend to be ridiculously overpriced at the airport. "If you must buy them, whether for an important call or just to survive a six-hour flight, you'll get prices closest to retail at those Best Buy kiosks."

3. Food

It's always a good idea to eat a good meal before you fly to avoid getting sick on a plane, but whatever you do, don't buy your food in the airport. "It's almost universally overpriced, not very tasty, not very good for you, or some combination of the three," Collins says. "Besides, most travelers eat at the airport solely as a way to kill time, and not because they're actually hungry."

• A rewatchable show could simply be a comedy that makes for perfect background noise.
• It could also be a show like "Game of Thrones," which requires multiple viewings to appreciate every minor detail.
• From "The Sopranos" to "The Office," these are the most rewatchable TV shows of all time. 

What makes a show rewatchable? It's a subjective thing, we know. However, there is a general consensus about certain, big-time shows. They're simply great to watch and explore and scrutinize thoroughly. 

Rewatchable shows aren't defined by genre. Comedies can make you laugh again and again. They're the most quotable. Great fantasy shows have deep mythos to lose yourself in. And many shows include inside jokes, easter eggs, and references you wouldn't even know about unless you rewatched them. So let's raise a glass to those invaluable television shows: The Rewatchables.

"The Wire"

The Wire isn't just the best show to rewatch, it demands to be rewatched. It's simply impossible to appreciate the seeming hundreds of layers to every plot and back story, and there are many of those in every episode.

Over The Wire's five seasons, the writing expands the scope of the series by focusing on a different aspect of Baltimore life (the docks, the schools, the newspaper) each season while always returning to the show's two chief subjects: the streets and the police. 

The effect is a profound, scary, funny, and heartbreaking portrait of a city and its people. Watching it multiple times only enhances one's appreciation for the show. Once you know who each and every character is, and know what every line is referring to... only then will you reach TV watching nirvana. The Wire can give it to you.

"Seinfeld"

The Sein. Seinfeld was, and probably still is, the most quotable TV show ever. It can change your vocabulary. Secrets are put in "the vault." Someone might be described as a "close-talker," while others rejected for not being "sponge-worthy." The world of Seinfeld is a vast universe and hardcore fans rewatch it and memorize it like nothing else. 

Seinfeld was the number one show when it went off the air and it contains tons of before-they-were-famous appearances that are fun to spot on a rewatch. Some actors play multiple characters and there are tons of inside jokes and call backs to past episodes. It's a fantastic show for trivia, as well.

"Game of Thrones"

This one runs deep. It must be rewatched. There's no way you can fully appreciate things like the death of John Arryn or the poisoning of Joffrey without seeing the show twice. Not only is the dialogue high-level and often like riddles, but EVERYONE LIES! You need to get to know everyone before you know who speaks the truth and when. Game of Thrones is exactly that — a game — for the characters and the audience alike. 

And then there are the books. Never before has a TV series been built from such a magnum opus as The Song of Ice and Fire. The mythos is thousands of pages deep and the show only touches on a small percentage of it. Reading the books and rewatching the show leads to a whole new level of understanding of everything. Thrones is the type of TV show you can get lost in for years. It's a rare thing.

• McDonald's is not exactly the healthiest option when it comes to dining out since its menu items are loaded with fats, sugars, and sodium.
• An order of large fries has 510 calories, which is more than a double cheeseburger.
• A McFlurry with M&M's has almost as much sugar as seven McDonald's apple pies.

There’s no doubt McDonald’s is the biggest player in the fast food game. With 68 million customers served each day and more than 35,000 restaurants worldwide, you’re bound to be within at least a few miles of the golden arches at any one time. With so many convenient locations (and tasty fries to boot), there’s no shame in hitting up the drive-through for breakfast, lunch, or dinner — unless you’re planning on ordering one of these 10 menu items.

Despite its bad rap, McDonald’s it is actually possible to eat healthy at McDonald’s. Unfortunately, a McFlurry with M&Ms and a Grand Mac don’t make the cut. If you find yourself at a Mickey D’s, be sure to stay away from these fattening, sugary, and high-sodium monstrosities. 

Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Sandwich

At fast-food chains, “crispy” is just code for “breaded with sugar and fried in fat.” Not only does this sandwich deep fry this chicken patty, it’s made with fattening buttermilk and topped with a heaping scoop of mayo dressing. This gives it more fat than three slices of Domino’s cheese pizza — and somehow more sugar than a glazed Krispy Kreme donut.

Big Breakfast with Hotcakes

If you’re looking to eat your entire day’s worth of fat, sodium, and sugar just at breakfast, then order the Big Breakfast with Hotcakes. With 5 grams over your recommended daily saturated fat allowance and enough calories to cover breakfast, lunch, and dinner, this meal will start your day off on the wrong foot.

Bacon Ranch Salad with Buttermilk Crispy Chicken

If you think you’re making a healthier choice by ordering a salad, think again. This one comes with two of the most fattening items on the menu: the Buttermilk Crispy Chicken Filet and Newman’s Own Ranch Dressing. Plus, it racks up more sodium than 7 small orders of fries — yikes!

On April 21, Queen Elizabeth II turns 92. And she'll be celebrating her birthday in style with a star-powered concert held at London's Royal Albert Hall.

The lineup for the bash is seriously impressive — would you expect any less for Her Majesty? — and features the likes of Sting, Shaggy, and the South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

These artists are among the many performers who have had the honor of singing for royalty in England and beyond. From Judy Garland to Josh Groban, here are 23 musicians and singers who have performed for royals.

Louis Armstrong performed at Buckingham Palace for King George V and Princess Margaret... and broke royal protocol.

Jazz legend Louis Armstrong played at Buckingham Palace on several occasions, first invited by King George V, a noted enthusiast of the improvisational musical genre. 

During a 1932 concert, Armstrong famously broke royal protocol. "This one's for you, Rex," he said, casually addressing the King before a song.

Armstrong returned in 1956 to perform for Princess Margaret.

Julie Andrews was one of many performers at the Royal Variety Performance (a fundraising event) over the years.

Thanks to the Royal Variety Performance, a fundraising event and variety show held annually since 1912 (when it was called the Royal Command Performance), many performers have had the opportunity to sing for England's royal family.

Julie Andrews sang at the London Palladium in 1948 for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother. At 13, she was the youngest solo performer in the event's history.

The stage and screen star returned to perform for Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at the 1958 and 1977 shows.

Judy Garland sang for Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at the 1957 Royal Variety Performance.

Film icon Judy Garland sang "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" for Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh at the 1957 Royal Variety Performance at the London Palladium. 

Her daughter, Liza Minnelli, followed in her footsteps and performed at the 2004 show.

• Panda Express co-founders and CEOs Andrew and Peggy Cherng have a combined net worth of more than $3 billion.
• Over 25 years, they oversaw Panda Express' growth from a single restaurant in a California mall to a 2,000-restaurant worldwide empire.
• They continue to own and operate virtually every Panda Express restaurant themselves.

In 25 years, Panda Express has transformed from a single restaurant in a southern California mall to a 2,000-location empire around the world.

The masterminds behind the American Chinese behemoth are Andrew and Peggy Cherng, the married couple that founded the company in the early 1980s and continues to own and operate every Panda Express themselves.

Today, the Cherngs have amassed a combined net worth of $3.3 billion, making them two of the richest people in America.

But the Cherngs weren't always on track to build a fast-food empire. Andrew earned a master's degree in mathematics before he opened his first restaurant, while Peggy earned a Ph.D. in electrical engineering, eventually using her expertise to pioneer the American Chinese restaurant industry.

Read on to see how the Cherngs made their fortune in America:

SEE ALSO: Forget the infamous reputation — Panda Express is the most authentic American Chinese chain in the world

DON'T MISS: Here's what 11 of the most successful people in America studied in college

Andrew and Peggy Cherng are the cofounders and CEOs of Panda Express, the American Chinese restaurant with nearly 2,000 locations worldwide. According to Forbes, the Cherngs have a combined net worth of $3.3 billion.

Source: Forbes

The Cherngs own and operate virtually every Panda Express location themselves — they don't franchise them out to other owners, making Panda Express a rarity among restaurant chains of its size.

Source: Business Insider

Andrew Cherng was born in Yangzhou, China. His father was a chef, but Andrew didn't enter the restaurant industry at first — he came to the US to study math, eventually earning a master's degree in applied mathematics from the University of Missouri.

Source: The New York Times

Much of Stephen Spielberg's latest flick, "Ready Player One," takes place in the Oasis, a fantastical virtual landscape and society where a person can go anywhere they wish to go, do anything they are bold enough to imagine, and be anyone they dare to be.

And while the best aspects of the Oasis are not yet readily accessible in the real world, the film's sci-fi-inspired imagery is more than enough to tempt anyone to take a break from reality with one of the many real VR headsets available on the market today. 

So if you're thinking about investing in VR equipment and aren't sure where to start, fear not! There are lots of choices for every type of VR enthusiast:

SEE ALSO: All the futuristic technologies from 'Ready Player One,' and how close they are to becoming reality

IF YOU'RE ON A TIGHT BUDGET

The single most important factor in choosing a VR headset is determining how much money you're willing to spend. Keep in mind that when it comes to VR equipment, you really do get what you pay for.

There are plenty of cheap-but-limited mobile VR headsets like the BlitzWolf or the Homido, which range between $20 and $80, respectively. If they seem too good to be true, it's because they are. These cheap headsets can be great for looking at 360-videos and still images, but since they don't usually come with a controller, that's about all they're good for.

Essentially, with these low-cost mobile headsets, you'll be able to step into the virtual world but you won't be able to interact with it or move through virtual space. You'll be standing in the middle of the action, watching it all move past you on every side, which can still be really exciting for first-time VR users, but I absolutely recommend splurging for the next step up.

IF YOU'RE JUST GETTING STARTED, OR LOOKING FOR AN ON-THE-GO HEADSET

On the first rung of true VR experiences, you'll find mobile headsets like the Samsung Gear VR, and the Google Daydream View, starting around $100. Both devices offer impressive graphics and a very intuitive single controller, which you'll use to point to objects in space, move through the menus, and play games. 

The Gear VR is compatible with all of the Samsung Galaxy smartphones since the Galaxy Note 5. The Daydream can support all of the Google Pixel and Pixel 2 phones, as well as the Samsung Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+, Zenfone AR, LG V30, Moto Z, Z Force and Z2 Force, Axon 7, Mate 9 Pro, and the Huawei Porsche Design Mate 9.

While both headsets offer a great starting experience, they're limited to "stationary" VR, meaning they're intended to be used while sitting or standing in one place. This limitation prevents them from being truly comparable to the top-shelf headsets. 

IF YOU WANT FULL IMMERSION

Not all VR headsets offer equally immersive experiences. The top-tier kits like the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift come with two controllers (one for each hand) and have room-scale location-tracking technology that mimics your real-life movements like walking around the room, in the virtual space.

While the more basic headsets can give you the feeling that you exist as a floating head in VR, the high-quality kits feel much more natural because they help to create a believable virtual body for the user.

However, since these VR headsets require pretty powerful processors and a high-speed internet connection, the best devices on this list are also the most expensive. The HTC Vive starts at $500, while the Oculus Rift + Touch (the newest Oculus model) starts at $400. The PlayStation VR is a great console-focussed alternative that also offers room-scale tracking and two optional controllers, starting at $300.

Important note: These prices do not include the costs of the computers and game consoles that are required to power the headsets. The HTC Vive and Oculus headsets require a complementary "VR-ready computer," with an Intel Core i5-4590 or greater, along with a GTX 970 or AMD R9 290 graphics card, plus at least 4GB of RAM. So far, the PlayStation VR headset is really only compatible with PS4. Although it can be hooked up to a PC and an Xbox, the headset's functionality will be very limited in those circumstances.

• Costco stores are known for their sometimes outside-the-box offerings and deals.
• Some of the chain's more unexpected products have attracted particular notice from Costco employees.
• Business Insider reached out to workers to learn about Costco's less conventional items.

Costco stores boast a ton of deals, tasty food court options, and, occasionally, some straight-up surprising products.

Of course, we shouldn't really be surprised that a retail chain that sells vacations and cars also features a range of out-of-left-field items. Take emergency food kits that can feed a doomsday-prepping family for a year, for instance. Or gallon jars of mayonnaise. Costco has even gotten in on the art business, selling works by Henri Matisse in 2012.

Business Insider recently asked a number of Costco employees about the most unexpected products they had ever seen sold in a Costco. Here's what they had to share.

SEE ALSO: 8 Costco food court menu items employees swear by

DON'T MISS: Costco workers and members reveal 7 deals that aren't worth the money

SEE ALSO: Costco employees share the 15 things they wish shoppers would stop doing

The retail chain features an entire section dedicated to funeral necessities. Four Costco employees from Arizona, Illinois, Ohio, and Washington agreed that caskets were the most surprising product offered at the store. "They are cheap compared to other places," added the Illinois-based worker.

A Costco employee in Princeton, New Jersey, singled out Costco's kayaks as the chain's most unexpected item. The retail chain also sells paddle boards, inflatable sun decks, and pack rafts, for the aquatically-inclined.

Costco might not be the first store to come to mind when it comes to engagement ring shopping, but it has quite a selection. A Costco employee in San Diego noted that the store sold a "$50,000 ring," while a Roseville, California-based employee mentioned $21,000 rings and a $3,500 watch.

Bank of America Merrill Lynch released a list of short-term stock recommendations to clients on Monday.

"These high conviction ideas are based on our views of potential significant market and business-related catalysts that we think will affect these stocks in the quarter," the bank said in a note. 

Here are the top eight:

SEE ALSO: The FDA just refused to review a new depression drug — and the company's stock is tanking (ALKS)

Abbott Laboratories (ABT)

Rationale: Driven by the medical technology company's recent launch of FreeStyle Libre, a new product for monitoring diabetes, analysts predict 7% revenue growth in the first quarter. 

BAML price target: $70.00

Current price: $58.38

Year-to-date performance: -1.00%

Data provided by Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Automatic Data Processing (ADP)

Rationale: ADP is expected to ramp up its sales force productivity. Corporate tax cuts also make the shares of the company — which is expected to use benefits to increase returns to shareholders — an attractive buy, according to analysts.

BAML price target: $138.00

Current price: $113.02

Year-to-date performance: -2.89%

Data provided by Bank of America Merrill Lynch

Coca-Cola European Partners (CCE)

Rationale: Cost-saving measures, led by a new marking partnership with The Coca-Cola Co (KO), could send CCE revenue climbing. Read more on CCE here.

BAML price target: $48.00

Current price: $40.88

Year-to-date performance: +2.87%

Data provided by Bank of America Merrill Lynch

• INSIDER spoke with a number of relationship experts about red flags in a relationship. 
• Many of the things people think are automatic red-flags actually aren't — if you are comfortable letting them go. 
• These include: having different fitness standards, height, and having many friends of the opposite sex. 

If you have been in the dating game for a while, chances are you know the traits that you deem a red flag. 

It's easy to see why. Getting hurt in relationships pretty much objectively sucks, so the temptation to rule people out based on red flags — the signs or characteristics that a person displays that let you know that you need to shut down your burgeoning relationship ASAP — is valid.

Of course, as New York-based matchmaker Sonya Kreizman told INSIDER, relationship red flags are more about personal preference than anything else. Before getting into a relationship, Kreizman recommends asking yourself, "Does this bother me? Will this bother me over time?" If so, that might be a personal flag for you. In that case, it's totally cool to cut your losses and move on.

That said, some so-called red flags have a bad reputation that they don't fully deserve.

INSIDER spoke with relationship experts to find out what "red flags" aren't as bad as you've been led to believe. Read on to find out if you've fallen prey to any of them.

SEE ALSO: Long-distance relationships are tough but possible — here are 5 expert tips for making it work

1. They still live at home.

Finding out that a potential partner still lives in their parents' basement is one of the oldest red flags in the book. But, according to Kreizman, it might not be a reason to write someone off immediately — as long as they have a good reason to be there.

"If he or she started their own business and have temporarily moved back home to pursue their grand vision to take over the world, this should be praised. Your man/woman knows how to save money and set priorities for a successful future," Kreizman told INSIDER. 

Think of it this way — Michael B. Jordan still lives with his parents, and he's in one of the highest-grossing movies of all time. Why can't your partner do the same?

If, however, your partner lives off their parents' income, Kreizman said you should "run."

2. They have different fitness standards than you.

It may seem vital to date someone who is aligned with your personal commitment to fitness, whether that involves regular triathlons or Netflix marathons.

But according to Rori Sassoon, the co-founder of Platinum Poire matchmaking service, it's not as big a deal as some people think. 

"A lot of people think that it's necessary to date someone who shares their same exact health and exercise values," Sassoon told INSIDER. "But you don't need that for a good relationship."

As long as your partner respects your fitness goals (or lack thereof), and you respect theirs, your relationship should be fine.

3. They're not as educated as you.

Many of us have grown up with the idea that everyone needs not only to go to college, but a high-rated one at that. So, it's not surprising that a lot people hold their dating partners to the same standards. But according to Sassoon, that's not such a great idea. 

"If someone is educated, at least, it doesn't really matter where they went to school or if they went to an Ivy just because you did," Sassoon told INSIDER. "You don't know a person's financial situation, what they can afford, and why they ended up where they are. It's just not a big deal in the long run."

Instead of getting fixated on degrees and pedigree, try to focus on what your potential partner is doing with their life now.

To the surprise of absolutely no one, Tiger Woods is the highest earning golfer of all time, and it's not even close.

Woods has made nearly $25 million more than the PGA Tour's second-highest all-time earner, Phil Mickelson. For further context, Woods' PGA Tour earnings are more than twice those of Dustin Johnson, the tour's fifth-highest all-time earner himself. 

However, fortunately for Woods' competitors, there has still been plenty of prize money in golf to go around. Below, we take a look at the highest earners on the PGA Tour of all time.

25 — Kenny Perry

Nationality: United States 

Earnings: $32,123,130

PGA Tour wins: 14

One thing to know: Perry is a fan of drag racing and Harley-Davidson motorcycles. 

24— K.J. Choi

Nationality: South Korea 

Earnings: $32,282,347

PGA Tour wins: 8

One thing to know: Choi was a powerlifter as a teenager before turning to golf 

23 — Brandt Snedeker

Nationality: United States 

Earnings: $32,603,444

PGA Tour wins: 8 

One thing to know: Graduated from Vanderbilt with a degree in Communications.