Imagine vandalizing your office or throwing a ketchup bottle at your boss's face. You'd get fired immediately, right?

Not necessarily.

According to Reddit, both of those things have actually happened without the perpetrators losing their jobs.

Hundreds of people have answered questions including "What's the craziest thing you've ever seen someone do and NOT get fired?" and "What big mistake have you made at work (cost company lots of money, impacted lots of employees, etc,) that you did NOT get fired for?"

Although INSIDER can't independently verify any of the claims, they sure are entertaining to read.

From calling in "dead" to starting a fire in the office while making pizza rolls, here are 14 wil things people have done at work — and somehow still kept their jobs.

1. She called in "dead."

"My roommate had a girl call in dead to work. She was too hungover so got her roommate to call her boss and say she died in a car accident. Everyone in her team thought she was dead for four days until she turned up the following Monday as if nothing happened. She didn't get fired and works in HR." - ImNotVeryImaginative

2. He passed out drunk on the floor.

"Kid came in an hour late, still drunk from the party he'd attended the previous night. He fell asleep on the floor in the middle of the office. He was sent home to sleep it off.

I was fired two weeks later for washing my uniform wrong. Government work, everybody! Never again." - phroexx

3. She had a profanity-filled meltdown.

"A co-worker asked to leave early, was told it was busy and she was needed. Proceeded to cuss out the supervisor and stormed out. Supervisor calls her back a few minutes later to write her up for her little meltdown, co-worker has bigger screaming meltdown, is threatening supervisor, security has to come and escort her from the building. She walks back in an hour later swearing at everyone, security quickly escorts her out again.

She was back the next day like nothing ever happened, she still works there. She's usually a sweet lady, too." - ihopeyoulikeapples

Every year, on the first Monday of May, A-list celebrities flock to New York City for the highly exclusive Met Gala.

To accompany their lavish outfits for this year's "Heavenly Bodies: Fashion and the Catholic Imagination," theme, celebrities committed to some extravagant beauty looks. Stars like Selena Gomez and Cara Delevingne were nearly dripping in gold, while others like "Game of Thrones" actress Emilia Clarke were flushed in pink blush. 

Here are 20 dramatic beauty looks celebrities channeled for the biggest night of fashion.

Kim Kardashian West's half-up half-down ponytail was as sleek as her glittering sequin Versace dress.

West's striking hairstyle brought all attention to her intense black smoky eye — the focus of her otherwise simple makeup look.

Gilded eyeshadow coated Emma Stone's eyelids.

The actress sealed the look with smooth waves in her hair and a warm, peachy lipstick.

Jennifer Lopez was the lash queen at the 2018 Met Gala.

Bronze matte makeup and a glossy natural lipstick completed her beauty look.

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:

• After reviewing dozens of contenders, our top pick for bed sheets are the 280-thread-count Pima Cotton Percale Sheets from L.L. Bean. Crisp, cool, and comfortable against your skin, these sheets make bedtime a treat.

Few would deny that at the end of a long, hard day, sliding into a comfortable bed outfitted with soft, smooth sheets that pamper your skin is one of life’s greatest pleasures. After all, you spend nearly a third of your life between those sheets, so why wouldn’t you want the best? So we’ve made it easy for you: We checked out all the top consumer buying websites, listened to opinions from bed sheet buyers, and tried sheets ourselves to compile our list of the five best bed sheet sets you can buy.

Thread count: higher isn’t always better

When it’s time to buy sheets, many people simply assume that the higher the thread count, the better, and make their choice based on this feature alone. While it’s true that thread count (a measurement of how many threads run vertically and horizontally in one square inch of fabric) is important, it turns out that there’s another factor that plays a bigger part in sheet comfort: type of fabric.

In fact, according to Consumer Reports, there’s no reason to pay extra for sheets with a thread count over 400, but it is worth your while to spend a little more on sheets made from the best cottons: Pima, Egyptian, or Supima. These long-fiber cottons weave into the softest, most comfortable sheets.

What about weave?

Weave is also important when it comes to choosing sheets you’ll love. There are two basic weaves: percale and sateen.

• Percale sheets have the same number of combed, tightly woven threads running horizontally and vertically. If you prefer sheets with a slightly crisp, cool feel, this is the weave to choose. Percale sheets are durable and strong, standing up to repeated washing even in hot water. Look for a thread count between 200 and 400 for lightweight sheets, 400 to 600 if you prefer more weight.
• Sateen sheets (not the same as satin, which is a fabric, not a weave) have more threads running vertically than horizontally, creating fabric with a slight sheen and a very soft, silky feel. Sateen sheets are generally more delicate than percale bedding, and more likely to pill or come apart in the wash. Still, if you crave the silkiest feel against your skin, this is the weave for you. Thread counts between 300 and 600 are the sweet spot for softness and strength.

Here are our top picks for the best sheets:

• Best sheets overall: L.L. Bean 280-thread-count Pima Cotton Percale Sheets 
• Best sateen sheets: Royal Velvet 400-thread-count WrinkleGuard Sheets
• Best luxurious sheets: Brooklinen’s Luxe Sheets
• Best budget sheets: Threshold Performance Sheet Set
• Best flannel sheets: Pinzon Velvet Flannel Sheets
• Best organic cotton sheets: Boll & Branch Signature Soft Hemmed Sheet Set
• Best bamboo rayon sheets: Classic Bamboo Sheets from Cariloha
• Best modal sheets: Pure Beech Modal Sateen Sheets
• Best jersey knit sheets: Brielle Cotton Jersey Knit Sheets
• Best Egyptian cotton sheets: Egyptian Cotton Sateen Sheet Set by Chateau Home Collection

Updated on 05/08/2018 By Malarie Gokey: Replaced our former budget pick and our former organic cotton pick with newly tested sheets recommended by Ayn-Monique Klahre in our guide to the best cotton sheets. Also updated prices and added links to our other bedding guides.

Read on in the slides below to learn all about our favorite sheets.

The best sheets overall

Why you'll love them: L.L. Bean’s wonderfully smooth 280-thread-count Pima Cotton Percale Sheets are durable, comfortable, and just the right weight to give you sweet dreams all year round.

Woven from 100% Pima cotton for the smoothest, softest, make-you-want-to-wiggle feel, L.L. Bean struck gold with its highly rated percale sheet set. As with all percale sheets, these have just a bit of a “crisp” finish, which feels nice and cool against your skin. They are the perfect weight for summer, and unless you live in a very cold climate or prefer to switch to heavier winter sheets, they are cozy enough for the colder months with the addition of a heavier blanket or comforter.

When you toss them in your washing machine and dryer, the sheets come out fresh, unwrinkled, and ready to coax you into the land of Nod. Sized to fit over mattresses up to 15 inches thick, these cotton sheets won’t slip or slide as you sleep, and they hold firm to the mattress. They are available in seven basic colors, although alas, no brights. There are a few prints, as well.

L.L. Bean customers praise these sheets for their refusal to pill, long life, and wrinkle resistance. Quite a few customers commented that they have purchased several sets of the L.L Bean sheets, and a common remark was, “These are the only sheets I’ll buy.”

Professional reviewers agree. We chose these sheets as our top pick in our guide to the best cotton sheets. In our testing, these sheets had a soft hand feel right out of the packaging and they were cool and soft to sleep on.

We're not the only ones who think the sheets are great. The Wirecutter has chosen the L.L. Bean 280-thread-count Percale Sheets as its number one choice three years running, saying these sheets offer a “superior cool feel at a great price.” The Wirecutter added that its experts love L.L. Bean’s lifetime guarantee, meaning you can return the sheets at any time for any reason.

ConsumerSearch is another review website that picked the L.L. Bean sheets as its top pick, saying the sheets are “ideal for lovers of crisp, 'old-school' cotton sheets.” The reviewer did comment that some buyers felt the sheets were a bit too rough, however, although they do get softer the more they are washed.

Pros: Smooth, crisp feel, durability, reasonable price

Cons: Only fit mattresses up to 15 inches thick, no bright colors, few prints

Buy the 280-thread-count Pima Cotton Percale Sheets at L.L. Bean for $109.00 (Twin),$129 (Full), $149 (Queen), $169 (King)

The best sateen sheets

Why you'll love them: If you like to journey to the land of Nod under the silkiest, softest sheets, you’ll love the feel of Royal Velvet WrinkleGuard Sheets from JC Penney.

These lovely sheets are woven from 100% cotton. Like all sateen sheets, they have a slight sheen that resembles silk, and gives the bedding an expensive look, although, in fact, these are very reasonably priced for such comfortable, high-quality bed sheets.

With a thread count of 400, the Royal Velvet WrinkleGuard sheets are super-soft against your skin, but still strong enough to resist excessive wear, rips from the washing machine, or an overly easy snag from your cat’s claws or your wedding ring. Still, it’s important to remember that in general, sateen sheets don’t last as long as percale weaves. Although highly praised by most buyers on the JC Penney website, several customers did, in fact, complain that their sheets wore out or ripped sooner than they expected.

As the name implies, the Royal Velvet WrinkleGuard sheets are treated at the fiber level to resist wrinkles, meaning there’s no need to break out the ironing board before making up your bed. JC Penney buyers appreciated this feature, and also the fact that the sheets don’t shrink after machine washing and drying.

The Wirecutter has chosen the Royal Velvet WrinkleGuard sheets three years running as the best choice for sateen sheets, praising their luxurious feel that is “better than sets twice the price.” The Wirecutter also commented that the bed sheets were indeed close to wrinkle-free and exhibited barely any signs of wear after three rounds of testing.

Sleep product research website Sleep Like the Dead also chose the Royal Velvet WrinkleGuard sheets as a top choice, with 95 percent out of 2,776 surveyed customers saying they were highly satisfied with the bedding.

Fitting mattresses up to 18 inches thick, available in several colors including red, blue, and chocolate brown, and with sizes up to California king, these silky-soft bed sheets win rave reviews from the majority of their owners.

We also like the Snowe Sateen Sheet Sets because they are the silkiest cotton sheets we've tested. They are about double the price, though since the JC Penny sheets are on sale.

Pros: Super-soft, highly durable for sateen sheets, wrinkle-resistant, and a great price

Cons: No patterns available, may wear out faster than percale sheets, not available in twin size

Buy the Full Royal Velvet WrinkleGuard Sheet Set at JC Penney for $69.99 or $55.99 with code SAVEBIG8 (previously $130.00)

Buy the Queen Royal Velvet WrinkleGuard Sheet Set on JC Penney for $79.99 or $63.99 with code SAVEBIG8 (previously $140.00)

Buy the King/CA King Royal Velvet WrinkleGuard Sheet Set on JC Penney for $89.99 or $71.99 with code SAVEBIG8 (previously $180.00)

The best luxury sheets

Why you'll love them: If you take your sleep comfort seriously, the pampering touch and good looks of Brooklinen’s Luxe Sheets will have you sleeping like a baby.

Started as a Kickstarter project in 2014, Brooklinen has quickly soared to the heights of success, due to its reasonable prices for high-quality bedding. Luxe Sheets start with the best long-fiber cotton, which is woven into single-ply yarn for the finest, yet softest threads. This also means that the finished thread count of 480 is the true number; many other manufacturers weave lower quality, 3-ply yarn into their sheets, then use this trick to inflate their thread count.

Brooklinen’s Luxe Collection is a sateen weave, with a soft-as-the-clouds feel. Because sateen is woven more tightly than percale, you’ll find these sheets cozy and warm, with a soothingly “heavy” feel that many sleepers love. In fact, the commerce editor of our Insider Picks' team has been sleeping on these sheets for more than two years, and reports that they are “hands down the best sheets I've ever put on my bed.”

Brooklinen customers echo our writer’s words, with most saying they loved the softness of the sheets, which increases every time they are washed. As a bonus, the sheets’ wrinkle-resistance improves with each wash, as well. And, by the way, you can do that washing in your machine, then either line-dry your bedding or use your dryer on low heat.

The buzz doesn’t stop there. Brooklinen has received positive press all over the web, with InStyle saying, “In order to design beautiful, affordable, and ridiculously comfortable sheets, Brooklinen co-founders Rich and Vicki simply focus on quality and manufacturing responsibly.” Vogue writes, “the allure of this brand is certainly its technique and use of long-staple Egyptian cotton, which produces sheets and comforters that are softer than most.”

Brooklinen offers the Luxe Sheets in five solid colors, along with stripes and dots. You can even mix-and-match colors or patterns within a sheet set, which is definitely a unique perk. The sheets fit mattresses up to 15 inches thick, so be sure to measure before ordering.

Pros: Super soft, high quality, mix-and-match sheet sets

Cons: Expensive, best if line-dried

Buy the Luxe Sheet Collection at Brooklinen for $129 (Twin/XL), $149 (Full/Queen), $159 (King/CA King)

• There's not really a one-size-fits-all definition when it comes to emotional intelligence, which can sometimes complicate people's ideas about their own level of emotional intelligence.
• That being said, your ability to empathize with others, work with others, and read and regulate emotions might indicate that you have high emotional intelligence.
• If you're not great at emotional intelligence right now, the good news is that there are things that you can do to better develop it.
  
  

There can be a lot of different things that come to mind when you talk about emotional intelligence, but although it's sort of a buzzword right now, a lot of people might not be exactly clear on what emotional intelligence actually is or what the phrase actually means.

As it turns out, there's probably a reason for that. Because there's no one clear-cut definition of what emotional intelligence is, it can be difficult for people to sort out exactly what it means. Generally, however, emotional intelligence has to do with your ability to recognize, acknowledge, and manage your own emotions and others'. Still, there are some signs that can give you more of an idea of where you're at on the emotional intelligence scale, and although you might think that it's just something that you aren't, that's just not true.

"I think everybody has it,"Kari Knutson, a professional speaker and counselor, told INSIDER. "I think everyone's born with some level of it and it's just how we cultivate it and develop it. I think everyone has it, but some people either cultivate it and are aware of it and utilize it more than others."

If you're still not sure whether you have a lot of emotional intelligence or just a little bit, there are a few things that you can watch out for that'll give you a better idea.

1. You can communicate assertively.

Highly-emotionally-intelligent people tell people what they need, Dr. Kate Dow, PhD, LPCC, a psychologist, empowerment coach, and author of "Fear-Less: The Art Of Using Anxiety To Your Advantage," told INSIDER.

"So when you have emotional intelligence, you're able to address conflict, concerns, needs, in a much calmer, straightforward way, and that's gonna improve your communication and your relationships with people, whether that's professional or personal," she added. "And as a result you have a sense of confidence because you can take care of yourself."

Because you can recognize the way that you're feeling and what you need in order to address the way that you're feeling, you're able to articulate that to other people, which means that you — and they — are all on the same page.

2. You're very empathetic.

"I think the biggest thing that we look for is empathy, so that would probably be the number one thing, is that they're very empathic, that they can form deep and meaningful connections with other people, not just superficial relationships, they have really deep relationships where they can be open and vulnerable,"Dr. Jennifer Weniger, PhD, a licensed psychologist, licensed marriage and family therapist, the educator over residency programs at Loma Linda University Behavioral Medicine Center and an associate clinical professor at the Loma Linda University School of Behavioral Health, told INSIDER.

Being able to not only recognize that someone is struggling, excited, angry, or something else, but also to be able to sit with them, relate to them, and try to give them what they need, shows that you're very emotionally intelligent.

3. You're artistic or can creatively solve problems.

Although being creative, in and of itself, might not mean that you're super high up on the emotional intelligence scale, people who are emotionally intelligent are also often creative, according to Psychology Today. Weniger noted that artistic skills might sometimes be an indicator that someone is emotionally intelligent, even if they think they're not.

• Prince Harry has finally settled down and will marry Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 for the royal wedding of the century.
• Before Prince Harry found Meghan, the world was certain he would tie the knot with his long time girlfriend Cressida Bonas.
• Who is Cressida Bonas, and why won't she be joining Prince Harry at the altar?

The countdown to the royal wedding has officially begun: Prince Harry will marry American actress and “Suits” star Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018 in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

While we wait for what is sure to be one of the biggest events of the year, let’s take a trip down memory lane.

Harry had quite the party-boy reputation before getting serious with Markle. (Will we ever forget the naked Vegas photos or his living his best life in Croatia?).

Harry’s love life has played out in the tabloids for years, and his most recent ex-girlfriend, Cressida Bonas, was rumored to be the one Harry would eventually propose to. The two started dating in 2012 and continued for two years before calling it quits in 2014.

Prince Harry’s biographer Katie Nicholl told Newsweek that the two broke up because Bonas didn’t love him enough to give up her own dreams and ambitions.

“She and Harry were very happy and were in love,” she said. “But, I think, for Cressida, her ambitions were to become an actress, she hated being defined as Prince Harry’s girlfriend.”

It appears that the two have moved on since their breakup four years ago. But who is the woman who decided the princess life just isn’t for her?

SEE ALSO: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are spending millions more on their wedding than Prince William and Kate Middleton did

1. Bonas met Harry through a royal family member

It seems that Harry’s cousin, Princess Eugenie, played matchmaker in this relationship. The princess introduced the two back in 2012, according to an article in US Weekly, as she and Bonas are close friends.

2. She’s an actress

According to her IMDB page, Bonas has appeared in films such as “Tulip Fever” with Alicia Vikander and “The Bye Bye Man” with Faye Dunaway.

She also starred as Daisy Buchanan in the play “Gatsby” at the Leicester Square Theater in 2016. “It’s a daunting role because there are so many versions of her out there,” she said of playing Daisy in an interview with the Evening Standard.

3. She’s also a singer and a dancer

She graduated from Leeds University, where she studied dance. When her sister, actress Isabella Calthorpe, married Sam Branson, son of Virgin tycoon Richard Branson, she sang for the 140 wedding guests in attendance. “I wanted to direct my singing at Bellie,” Bonas told Hello! Magazine. “But when I saw her burst into tears and bury her head under the table, I suddenly had no one to sing to.”

With all of the changes in society, parenting can seem to be more complicated than it used to be. Whether you're a parent of one or a parent of five, there never seems to be a rule book to "doing parenting right." And according to Alechia Reese — mom and PR and creative marketing director for Soledad O'Brien's PowHERful Foundation— that may have you questioning whether or not you're doing a good job.

"Mom guilt is a real thing. Many of today's women are building scalable and sustainable businesses, creating some symbolism of balance, and managing whole households while raising children — both with and without partners," she said. "The pressure, stress, strain, and resources necessary is beyond challenging. It's easy to succumb to the belief that with all the requirements needed to build, that you're neglecting the one thing that matters most: your children."

Although you may feel the same way, it doesn't mean it's true. Here are 11 signs to prove that you are a good parent — even if it may not feel like it.

Your child has failed at something and you let it happen.

No matter how old your child is, parents do their best to keep them from getting hurt. According to Armin Brott, author of "The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First Year"and publisher of MrDad.com, watching your child fail isn't such a bad thing.

"Too many parents try to protect their children from feeling the sting of disappointment or inconvenience. Skinned knees build character," said Brott. "When you let children fail, but discuss it later and talk about what they learned from the experience, you're teaching perseverance and the value of hard work."

Your children have their own identity.

Although every parent can see a little of themselves in their children, knowing that your child has their own identity is a good way to know that you're doing something right.

"The fact that your kids are passionate about something they know you might not like is a sign that they know your support is unconditional," Brott told INSIDER. "They know you're more interested in helping them become the best versions of themselves instead of turning them into copies of you."

Your kids practice safety habits even when they don't know you're watching.

It's typical for parents to think that their children let their advice go in one ear and right out of the other, but Brott said that that's not always the case.

"Keeping your kids safe is a huge part of your job, and your goal, as with most of parenting, is to raise kids who will make good choices on their own," Brott said. "The fact that they take basic safety precautions seriously is a sign that you've taught them well."

• Chain restaurants must now list calories on all menus, due to a federal rule that went into effect on Monday. 
• The new rule could hurt sales of high-calorie foods at restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory, Buffalo Wild Wings, and IHOP, which serve some of the unhealthiest meals in America, according to a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
• Among the nation's most unhealthy meals is a 16-ounce prime rib from Texas Roadhouse served with a loaded sweet potato and Caesar salad for a total of 2,820 calories.

Chain restaurants nationwide are required to list calories on all menus and menu boards starting this week. 

The new rule, which is part of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, could hurt sales of high-calorie foods.

That's bad news for restaurants like The Cheesecake Factory, Buffalo Wild Wings, and IHOP, which serve some of the unhealthiest meals in America, according to a report by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

For the center's annual "Xtreme Eating" list, its nutrition experts reviewed menus at 200 restaurant chains in the US to find the meals heaviest in calories, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar.

Here's the list, ranked lowest to highest by calories.

SEE ALSO: It costs nearly nothing to open a Chick-fil-A — but there's a catch

The Cheesecake Factory: Flying Gorilla drink (950 calories)

This chocolate and banana milkshake with dark chocolate and banana liqueurs packs 950 calories, 26 grams of saturated fat, and 60 grams of added sugar.  

Uno Pizzeria & Grill: Chocolate cake (1,740 calories)

Uno's chocolate cake is a huge serving, which is why it's called the "ridiculously awesome, insanely large chocolate cake" on the menu. 

It has 32 grams of saturated fat, 770 milligrams of sodium, and 168 grams of added sugar — about three times the daily recommended sugar limit. 

Buffalo Wild Wings: Cheese curd bacon burger with fries (1,950 calories)

Consuming this sandwich with a side of fries is the equivalent of eating five Burger King bacon double cheeseburgers, according to the report. It has 53 grams of saturated fat and 4,700 milligrams of sodium.

The first few months of 1942 saw Japan take control of islands throughout the Central and South Pacific, including the Philippines and Guam, as part of its plan to form a defensive perimeter to protect its empire and blunt Allied counterattacks.

By mid-April, Tokyo was ready to turn its attention to Port Moresby in what is now southeastern Papua New Guinea and at Tulagi in the central Solomon Islands. Establishing air bases there would provide better defensive positions, put Japanese planes within range of Australia, and be jumping-points for further advances, which would allow Japan to secure more resources and to cut supply and communications lines between Australia and the US.

The Japanese campaign, called Operation Mo, took shape in April, with Japan planning to capture Tulagi in early May, followed by the seizure of Port Moresby about a week later. But the US Navy had penetrated Japanese codes and was able to glean details of the operation from Japanese naval movements.

By April, British and US intelligence had a general idea of where and when the attack would come. The US sent a two carriers to counterattack, setting up what would become the Battle of the Coral Sea — the first naval battle in which aircraft carriers engaged each other and the combatants did not come within sight of each other, yielding an Allied victory that set the stage for Japan's defeat.

SEE ALSO: What it was like in the room when Nazi Germany finally surrendered to end World War II in Europe

Japan, concerned about the buildup of US forces in Australia, thought occupying Tulagi and setting up a seaplane base there would give it an advantage in the Coral Sea.

With considerable intelligence about Japanese plans, US Navy Adm. Chester Nimitz, commander of US forces in the Central Pacific, ordered task forces built around the carriers Lexington and Yorktown to the area at the beginning of May, where they would rendezvous with US and Australian warships.

Source: Barrett Tillman, "On Wave and Wing: The 100 Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier"; Royal Australian Navy official history

The two US task forces met on May 1, with Rear Adm. Frank Jack Fletcher taking overall command.

After refueling, Fletcher took the Yorktown into the Coral Sea to search for the Japanese. Late on May 3, he got intelligence about Japanese landings on Tulagi and the next morning launched strikes against the remnants of the landing force, catching them by surprise and sinking a destroyer and several minesweepers and damaging other vessels.

A second strike destroyed several of the aircraft the Japanese had based there, but construction on the base continued. Three US aircraft were downed, but all four fliers were rescued.

The main Japanese invasion force also left Rabaul, in New Britain, for Port Moresby, on May 4, taking a longer route to the east, raising the chance of an encounter with US naval forces led by Fletcher.

Source: Barrett Tillman, "On Wave and Wing: The 100 Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier"

On May 5, the Yorktown task force retired southward, looking to reunite with the Lexington task force and refuel.

The main Japanese force, consisting of two fleet aircraft carriers, was sailing southeastward along the Solomon Islands, headed toward the Coral Sea. Each side knew of the other's existence, but not their strength or location. A Yorktown patrol aircraft shot down a Japanese aircraft that morning, which likely prevented the Japanese from discovering more about the Allied force's position.

On May 6, the two US task forces met up. Their combined strength was two carriers, eight cruisers, and 13 destroyers — they also had 130 carrier-based planes. The main Japanese force continued moving south toward the Coral Sea. B-17 bombers based in Australia mounted an unsuccessful attack on the Japanese force, but the two naval forces were not in contact that day.

Source: Australian War Memorial; Barrett Tillman, "On Wave and Wing: The 100 Year Quest to Perfect the Aircraft Carrier"

America is such a vast and diverse country that foreigners are often confused and overwhelmed by it.

One European Reddit user decided to seek a little clarification by starting a thread that asked Americans to summarize their home state in one sentence.

The result is a list that might be helpful to foreigners, but will most definitely be amusing to Americans.

We rounded up 27 of the best answers below. Keep in mind that since all of these claims come from Reddit, we can't speak to how true they are — but they're certainly fun to read.

MICHIGAN: "Living somewhere on your right hand."

- Redditor qudat

WASHINGTON: "Where more things are legal, and everything is damp."

- Anonymous Redditor

CALIFORNIA: "It's perfect and amazing as long as you have enough money."

- Redditor mrcarlita

The truth is, we should honor our mothers every single day — and while showing gratitude can happen in a variety of ways, sometimes nothing says "thank you" better than the perfect gift. 

If you want to celebrate your mom with a token of your appreciation this Mother's Day, we've put together an affordable guide full of 15 gifts any mother is sure to love — all for $25 and under.

Keep reading to find your perfect gift below.

A mini heart-shaped plant

Of all the plant offerings from The Sill, an NYC-based plant apothecary founded by Eliza Blank, the Heart Hoya plant — so-called because of its heart-shaped leaf — is by far the cutest. Because it requires infrequent watering, all your mom needs to do is stick it in a sunny spot and watch it thrive.

Heart Hoya Plant, $10

Hand-roasted Ethiopian coffee

If you're on the hunt for a gift to appease a caffeine-enthusiast, look no further Sheba Roastery's hand-roasted Ethiopian coffee beans. A family-run business, Sheba makes micro roasted batches over an open flame to provide the most culturally accurate representation of the Ethiopian coffee experience — and the intense, complex flavors are out of this world.

Sheba Roastery Yirgacheffe Coffee Beans, $16

A portable perfume

Billed as the "ultimate personal fragrance," Glossier's cult-favorite perfume, Glossier You, now comes in a compact, solid form, so your mom can take it with her when she's on the go.

Glossier You Perfume Solid, $22

Once a community staple in suburbs across America, the golf course is now a slowly dying breed.

According to data from Foursquare, the location intelligence company, foot traffic to golf courses has gone down in the last year. While overall visits to golf courses were up 8% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2017, the number of unique visits also decreased by 11% in the same time period. 

This could mean that while regular golfers are continuing to enjoy the sport, the number of occasional or new players — who are trying it out for the first time — is going down. The Foursquare data was drawn from both implicit and explicit visits to golf courses, compared to the same period in 2016. 

Over 800 golf courses have shuttered across the US in the past decade, and data from the Sports & Fitness Industry Association has shown that millennials between the age of 18 to 30 have a lack of interest in playing the game. From Las Vegas, Nevada, to Mahwah, New Jersey, many courses are being replaced with housing developments.

We recently explored two closed golf courses in northern New Jersey, both of which are being turned into housing developments, to see firsthand what courses across the country look like as they become abandoned.        

SEE ALSO: 10 eerie photos of drive-in theaters that have been abandoned across the US

The Apple Ridge Country Club, located in Mahwah, New Jersey, opened in 1966.

Clinton Carlough bought the property, which was originally an apple orchard, and built the country club. It was family-owned and operated by the Carloughs until it was sold in 2014.

Source: NorthJersey.com 

Complete with an event space, 18-hole golf course, swimming pool, and tennis courts, Apple Ridge was a place the whole community could enjoy.

• Trader Joe's has developed a cult following for its wide selection of relatively affordable products.
• The grocery chain has launched a new podcast where executives talk about a number of topics, including why many of its products are private label, how its wines are so cheap, and why it sells bananas individually instead of by the pound.

Fans of Trader Joe's praise the grocery chain for its wide selection of private-label products, cheap wines, and approachable, nautical theme. At peak hours, people often wait in long lines just to get in to the store — and that's before they even do their shopping and then get in line to check out. 

Trader Joe's knows how obsessed people are — in response to questions and comments from fans wanting to know more about the brand, it launched a podcast to give shoppers an inside look at the company. The podcast is hosted by Marketing Director Tara Miller and Vice President of Marketing Product Matt Sloan, who cover topics like Trader Joe's products and values, the history of the chain, why it calls its employees crew members, and its famously cheap wines.

Here are some of the most interesting facts you may not know about the chain:

SEE ALSO: 16 time- and money-saving hacks you should know before your next trip to Trader Joe's

There is an actual Joe behind Trader Joe's. Joe Coulombe launched the Pronto Market convenience stores in the Los Angeles area in 1958, which became Trader Joe's in 1967. The original store is in Pasadena, California.

In its early days, the store had a deli counter-style experience. Trader Joe's made sandwiches, sliced cheese, and prepared food for customers. That evolved into today's Tasting Point.

There's a reason bananas are sold individually instead of by the pound. CEO Dan Bane explained that he once saw an elderly woman walk past the bananas without buying anything. He explain in the podcast, "I asked her, I said, 'Ma'am, if you don't mind me asking, I saw you looking at the bananas but you didn't, you didn't put anything in your cart.' And she says to me, 'Sonny…I may not live to that fourth banana.'"

Google kicked off its biggest event of the year – Google I/O – on Tuesday, where the company showed off some of the new features and improvements we can expect in the forthcoming Android P operating system.

Beyond the obligatory visual updates, Google P reflects Google's considerable investment in artificial intelligence: We saw several new features where phones running Android P could learn how you use your phone, and use that information to do things automatically for you. 

Also intriguing is that Android P will bring some thoughtful new features to help keep track of how addicted you are to your phone — and maybe, just maybe, help you put it down a little bit more.

There are a bunch of new features to show you, so check out what's coming in Android P:

SEE ALSO: Here's everything Google unveiled at its biggest conference of the year

Adaptive Battery will predict how you use your phone, to better manage your battery life.

Android P will have an Adaptive Battery feature that will figure out over time and usage which apps you'll use in the next few hours, which you'll use later today...and which apps you won't use at all. It'll use that information to allocate battery power towards those apps and services you'll use in the near future. 

Google's Dave Burke claims that test users saw a 30% reduction of apps that open needlessly when you're not using them. That's not to say that you'll get 30% better battery life, nor will it give your phone the multi-day battery life that users have long been hoping for. But it could improve overall battery life during a normal day of usage.

Adaptive Brightness will go one step further than simply adjusting your screen's brightness based on your surroundings.

Most smartphones already adjust the screen's brightness automatically based on your surrounding environment. Adaptive Brightness will let you customize the brightness, without turning off the automatic settings. Then, it'll learn from your habits.

Burke said that with Adaptive Brightness, half of test users made fewer manual brightness adjustments compared to previous versions of Android. 

App Actions

App Actions will learn what you do within apps most often at certain times of the day, and give you a shortcut to that action. If you always open Google Play Music at 2pm and queue up some Lady Gaga, App Actions might just start suggesting playing Lady Gaga when the time comes. 

• Conversation with strangers comes easily for some. For others, it can be an excruciating task.
• Small talk is a necessary skill for making connections and forming both personal and professional relationships.
• If you’re looking to improve your small-talk skills, here’s an expert take on the best tips for making conversation.

Small talk is excruciating for many people.

Unfortunately, it is a necessary evil if you want to make connections, both personal and professional.

“Small talk is the appetizer for any relationship,” Debra Fine, a internationally recognized expert on communication skills and bestselling author of “The Fine Art of Small Talk,” told Business Insider.

If you’re looking to improve your small-talk skills, here are Fine’s best tips for making conversation.

SEE ALSO: People hate small talk so much that some hosts have started banning it from their parties

1. Prepare some conversation topics based on the setting

Starting a conversation with a stranger can be daunting. How do you break the ice?

Fine suggested preparing a few conversation topics in advance.

"The best icebreaker you can use is one based on the free information about the occasion or location,” she said.

If you are at an event or party, for example, Fine recommended trying something like, “What is your connection to this event?” or, “How do you know the host?”

At an industry conference or function, you can try something like, “What do you know about the speaker?”

For a more general icebreaker, Fine said one of her go-tos is, “What keeps you busy?”

2. Be an active listener

Make sure to listen carefully when someone else is talking, Fine said. This not only makes people feel important, but also helps you listen for cues to keep the conversation going and bridge the gaps between topics.

To keep people engaged in conversation, Fine recommended actively showing the other person that you are listening through body language and verbal cues.

"Your body language is critical. You have to look like you're listening,” Fine said. Not making eye contact, fidgeting, playing with your hair, and having a defensive posture can make you seem uncomfortable or uninterested. “That can end a conversation pretty quickly,” she said.

Another trick is to verbally express that you are listening by periodically reacting with things like, "Uh-huh,""Right,"“OK,” “Mm-hm,” “I see,” "Oh wow," etc., while a person speaks, along with non-verbal cues like nodding or smiling when appropriate.

“Some quieter people are so polite, they do not want to interrupt,” Fine said. “If you don't say anything at all, you don't encourage people to keep talking.”

3. Ask questions, but don’t interrogate people

Asking people questions about themselves is a great way to initiate small talk, but it’s important to ask the right kinds of questions.

“I would never ask ‘Are you married?’ [or] ‘Do you have any kids?’” Fine said. Not only are these questions personal, she said, but they are yes or no questions that can lead to a dead end. “What if they say no? Where are we headed in this conversation?” Fine said.

Another thing to avoid is bombarding someone with several questions like, “Where are you from?” or, “What do you do?”

“You've now become an FBI agent,” Fine said.

She also warns against asking questions that might put someone on the spot.

“Don’t ask questions you don’t know the answer to that might become awkward,” she said. For example, say you run into an acquaintance who was working at a particular company the last time you saw them. Fine advises not to ask anything like, “How’s your job at ____?”

“What if that person just got fired or laid off?” she said. Instead, she recommended asking something like, “What’s new with work since I last saw you?”

"It's a very specific question that allows you to tell me what you want me to know,” Fine said. It invites detail, but doesn’t put the person on the spot.

• When you make the time to work out regularly, your body will probably thank you by feeling stronger and more energized.
• But sometimes, your workout habits might actually be hurting you without you even noticing what's happening.
• Some of these symptoms seemingly have little to do with working out, so you might not even realize it's your fitness regimen that's impacting your body.
  

If you make the time to work out regularly, you're no doubt doing great things for your body and mind, as regular exercise benefits both your body and brain, helping you not only feel stronger physically, but also doing wonders for your mental health.

But sometimes what you think are healthy exercise habits can actually hurt you, putting you at risk for physical and mental symptoms that are unpleasant at best and downright dangerous at worst.

We spoke to five fitness experts to get the scoop on whether your workout habits are causing you actual pain, and they dished on all the signs you're overdoing it or burning out your body, setting you up for potentially serious injuries in the process.

Some of these symptoms seemingly have little to do with working out, so you might not even realize it's your fitness regimen that's impacting your body. Here are 10 common signs your workout is actually hurting you.

1. You're in any amount of pain.

Gym buffs might love to say "no pain, no gain" but this is actually one of the most dangerous fitness myths out there. If you are experiencing any sort of workout pains, whether they're sharp, dull, or otherwise exacerbated by your physical activity, you need to stop before you further injure yourself.

Dr. Jasmine Marcus, a New York-based physical therapist, told us why pain during your workouts is a recipe for disaster.

"If you are in pain during a workout, that is a sign that you should stop what you are doing," she explained. "Pain is your body's way of protecting you and it most likely means you are injuring yourself."

If the pain is localized to one body part, and you're able to finish a workout, Dr. Marcus said you can continue working out … as long as you're sure to seek medical treatment for whatever it is that is bothering you.

"If you can find something else to do in the gym that is not painful, however, you can keep working out. This may mean adjusting your form to avoid pain — for example stopping your knees from caving in while squatting — or skipping a body part altogether," she said.

"For example, if your shoulder is bothering you, you should avoid irritating it further with shoulder presses, but there's no reason you can't keep working out your lower body. Just make sure to eventually seek out treatment for your shoulder," she added.

Still, you should always listen to your body, because toughing it out through an injury could end up sidelining you longer than if you'd just given your body a chance to heal properly. If your pain is sharp, stabbing, or severe, or if you experience swelling, bruising, or any sort of open wound, seek medical assistance ASAP.

2. You're slogging through your workouts.

When it comes to working out, you might think just showing up earns you a gold star. Wrong. Unfortunately, if you find yourself absolutely dreading your workouts or push yourself through an activity you hate, there's a good chance you're exercising too much, which is a surefire way to set yourself up for injury.

As Dr. Marcus told us, "If you hate working out, there's no way you're going to stick to a consistent exercise routine. You need to find a workout that you actually enjoy."

And the good news is, there's no shortage of options out there, especially now with a wide variety of workout apps and fitness videos online to help guide you towards the routine of your dreams.

Dr. Marcus advises that you "try finding an exercise video or working out with a friend — anything to change up your routine and make it fun. You may hate going to the gym and trying to figure out how to lift weights, but you may realize you love taking a strength training class. Or you may hate running, but realize that riding a bike is way more fun. The best workout is the one you'll stick with."

Even if you've found a routine that you love, you simply can't work out every single day. Even professional athletes take regular rest days, so be sure to set realistic expectations for your workouts. Overtraining is the quickest way to guarantee an injury, because you're never giving your muscles a chance to repair and heal.

3. You're dizzy or weak.

If you're experiencing dizziness or feeling weak or malaised, that's not a good sign. Mitchell Starkman, a sports and orthopedic therapist at The Movement Centre in Toronto, Canada, told us that if you're woozy during a workout there's probably a good explanation.

"If you're consistently getting dizzy while working out, it's always a good idea to follow-up with your doctor first," he said, "That being said, many people become temporarily dizzy while training during position changes. For example, if you are doing an exercise that requires you to use a lot of internal pressure to stabilize your spine and move a lot of weight (like squats or deadlifts), it's common to feel a little light-headed or 'woozy' right afterward. The other common way this happens is getting up quickly from completing some floor exercises (like ab work)."

"The reason for both of these phenomena is simply your body attempting to balance the pressures in the body," he said. "In the example of moving a lot of body weight, or getting up too quickly from the floor, the body's pressure drastically changes. That means that as the body and heart are quickly trying to adapt to resist one type of pressure to another. This can lead to a momentary lapse of blood flow to the brain and hence, you can feel dizzy."

Another reason for dizziness? Your eating habits. Every person's dietary needs vary, but if you're frequently working out on an empty stomach, you might feel unwell, Starkman said.

• Life skills aren't as obvious as they may seem.
• To clarify things, we put together a list of some important competencies to have under your belt by the time you turn 30.
• Those include public speaking, giving a good handshake, and cooking basic meals.

There's no handbook for adult life.

Somehow you're just supposed to know that you should have more money coming in than going out and you shouldn't wear a fuzzy orange sweater to a job interview.

We've put together our own handbook of sorts for anyone transitioning from their 20s to their 30s, which lists many of the skills you'll need to survive as an adult in the modern world.

It's based on the Quora thread, "What are some of the most useful skills to know?" as well as scientific research and expert opinion.

We can't promise we've outlined every skill, but if you've mastered these, you're off to a good start:

SEE ALSO: 10 life skills every young professional should have

1. Accepting feedback gracefully

"For most of us it is hard to hear how we made a mistake or could have done something better," writes Quora user Pedram Keyani. "An amazing skill (which you can learn through practice) is to set aside your emotional response in the moment and focus on the information presented to you. Some of it will be valid and some of it invalid but let your brain decide that, not your ego."

Depending on what kind of feedback you're receiving, there are different strategies for responding with a cool head. For example, if your boss points out what she thinks is an error and you're not sure she's correct, you can say, "I hadn’t thought of that, and I’m going to look into it right away."

2. Apologizing sincerely

To err is human — but to craft a believable apology isn't a universal skill.

The apology "needs to be sincere, not qualified, not quantified, and also needs [to] outline how X will not happen again," Keyani says.

According to one CEO, there's a six-step strategy for successfully saying you're sorry:

1. Act quickly.

2. Apologize in person. 

3. Explain what happened. 

4. Show how you are going to avoid the problem in the future. 

5. Apologize.

6. Make restitution.

Keyani gives an example of what you might say if you were tardy for an appointment:

"I'm sorry I was late for the meeting. It must have been frustrating because you spent a lot of time preparing and got up early. I did a poor job accounting for traffic and didn't give myself enough buffer. That is my bad and I'm going to give myself an extra 10 minutes instead of five moving forward."

3. Managing your time wisely

There will probably never be a time in your life when you aren't juggling multiple personal and professional priorities. Time-management skills are a must, unless you want to feel constantly frazzled.

Perhaps the most important time-management lesson is that you should stick with one task at a time. Research suggests that multitasking is generally counterproductive, because the brain expends energy as it readjusts its focus from one activity to another.

You'd be wise, too, to limit the hours you spend working. Decades ago, Henry Ford discovered that productivity started to decline after employees logged more than 40 hours per week. Other research suggests that, after three weeks, 60-hour workweeks become less productive.

Although there's no clear definition of "wealthy," some people certainly grew up with more money others — and many of them didn't even realize it.

Thousands of people on Reddit responded to the question, "People who grew up wealthy and were "spoiled," what was something you didn’t realize not everyone had/did?"

Many of those who responded had no clue they were living in a privileged bubble until later in life. 

From jetting off to exotic locales in a private plane several times a year to having live-in maids clean and cook for them, here are 15 things that people who grew up wealthy initially had no idea everyone didn't do.

1. Eat at restaurants all the time

"It was only until later in life that I realized going out to restaurants, daily, isn't typical. I just figured that is how people normally ate. I thought home-cooked meals were the special ones." - squeeeeenis

2. Have live-in maids

"House servants. Seriously, they do all your chores and EVERYTHING around the house. A friend of mine had a maid who lived with them as a full-time job and had a room in their pool house." - UnexpectedRanting

3. Have vacation homes

"I thought everyone had a vacation home somewhere, and had a maid who cleaned the house. I came home from college my first year and looked around my neighborhood and saw it through different eyes. Suddenly I realized how big the houses were, and how most had three-car garages. That just felt normal to me until I went to school with people who didn't have those things." - Seachica

Disney's newest theme park, Shanghai Disneyland is nothing short of a marvel. With state of the art attractions, authentically Chinese entertainment and six intricately themed lands, it is overwhelming to decide what to do — especially if you're strapped for time.

I had the opportunity to visit the park for just one day, last August and wanted to make the most of my visit. After hours of research and studying the map (because SURPRISE! Shanghai Disneyland's layout is drastically different than any other Disney park), I came up with a plan to hit the most innovative and unique experiences in the park.

Here are a few of my must-do's and tips for your visit:

Enchanted Storybook Castle

It may seem like a no-brainer to visit Shanghai Disneyland’s central landmark, however, this majestic masterpiece is unlike no other Disney castle. The Enchanted Storybook Castle is the largest castle in Disney history, at 197 ft, and represents all of the Disney princesses.

In addition to the gorgeous main hall, the castle is home to the Royal Banquet Hall, several character meet and greets, the "once upon a time" interactive walkthrough, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, live shows and, of course, the firework display. Even if you don’t have any interest in the additional offerings, it is worth it just to walk through and admire the beauty of this one-of-a-kind castle.

TRON Lightcycle Power Run

If there is one attraction you NEED to experience during your visit to Shanghai Disneyland, it’s TRON Lightcycle Power Run. The high-speed roller coaster based on Disney’s 1982 film, "TRON," is an unbelievable and thrilling ride. I was told prior to my visit that I, an avid roller-coaster lover, was going to fall in love with how much fun TRON is. Honestly, it exceeded all expectations. From the moment you launch to the moment the ride is over, my cousin and I could not stop laughing — it was that much fun.

TRON is one of the seven attractions that offer a FastPass option. The FastPass program allows guests to come back at a designated time and wait in a shorter line. I highly recommend getting a FastPass for this ride considering it is one of the more popular attractions in the park. 

Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for the Sunken Treasure

Although there is a "Pirates of the Caribbean" attraction in every Disney park (with the exception of Hong Kong Disneyland, as they did not want a reminder of their horrid history with pirates), nothing quite compares to Shanghai Disneyland’s.

Pirates of the Caribbean Battle for the Sunken Treasure follows Captain Jack Sparrow and Davey Jones on a wild, swashbuckling journey through ship graveyards and even into battle.

It has come to my understanding that Pirate of the Caribbean is one of the most technologically advanced attractions Disney Imagineers have created. And holy Barbossa, it is INCREDIBLE.

Enormous pirate ships tower over guests as they sail past lifelike animatronics and massive projection screens. It is the most remarkable and jaw-dropping Disney attraction I have experienced.

Unfortunately, there is no FastPass option for Pirate of the Caribbean. Until that changes, I would recommend making it your duty to cross this attraction of your list first thing in the morning.

My family and I waited 90 minutes in 100-degree weather, on a packed queue but guys, trust me — it is worth it.

• It's common for Hollywood actors to get married and have kids. Even if the relationship doesn't last, they'll always have their child in common.
• Many of these couples fly under the radar or were together a while ago, so it's surprising to learn that they have kids together.

There are some pretty famous Hollywood couples and even more famous babies — looking at you, Blue Ivy.

However, some couples keep things low-key and thus, you may not have even realized they had kids together. We rounded up some former and current couples who have had children together under-the-radar.

Kate Beckinsale and Michael Sheen

After meeting in 1995, actors Kate Beckinsale ("Underworld") and Michael Sheen ("The Queen") dated for eight years and had daughter Lily. They broke up in 2003 but were spotted together at their daughter's high school graduation last year.

Alexis Bledel and Vincent Kartheiser

"Gilmore Girls" actress Alexis Bledel and "Mad Men" actor Vincent Kartheiser are a very low-key couple. They met on the set of the AMC drama, got married in 2014, and welcomed a baby boy in 2016. However, they've kept the little guy's name under wraps and have released no images of him to the public.

Kimberly Stewart and Benicio del Toro

Model Kimberly Stewart, daughter of rocker Rod Stewart, had a daughter, Delilah, with "Traffic" actor Benicio del Toro during a brief romance. Delilah was born in 2011.

Summer is just around the corner, and the open road beckons. From the miles of asphalt stretching before you to the wind whipping through your hair, road tripping is more popular than ever these days.

With the advent of GPS, adapters, 4G LTE technology, and more, modern-day road trips can be luxurious affairs — but back in the day, people had to make do without a surprising amount of things we now take for granted.

Keep reading to see just how road trips have changed over the years, below.

Roadside restaurants weren't as ubiquitous as they are now — so you packed food strategically.

Before the 1950s— the decade where fast food truly began to dominate the American culinary scene — restaurant options were limited, and few and far between. Therefore, if you packed something before you hopped in the car, you ate it — no matter how dry or bland.

Though there are millions of miles of road in the world, today people generally have an easier time finding food to subsist on at regular intervals during road trips today. 

In fact, countless articles have been written about road trip snacks, rather than meals, to pack, since it's widely assumed that you'll be able to stop for an actual meal during your travels.

Fitting everyone into a family-sized vehicle was like playing a game of Tetris, only with people.

Station wagons were popular choices for families in the 1960s, and the quintessential road trip car — but they were set up differently than cars are today.

For one thing, rear-facing seats were a common feature, which meant that some of the family traveled facing forward, while unlucky passengers — especially those who were prone to getting carsick — were delegated to the rear-facing seats in the back. 

Driving was a dangerous matter, considering seat belts weren't invented until 1959...

Nils Bohlin, a Volvo engineer, created the three-point seat belt in 1959 — which means anyone riding in an automobile before that was using more rudimentary safety technology.

Luckily, rather than patent his design, Bohlin prioritized safety over profit, and allowed other car manufacturers to implement his seat belts into their automobiles.