• Amazon has been opening retail locations designed for picking up and returning items.
• The retailer has opened at least 30 of these stand-alone locations.
• We used one in the Los Angeles area to see what they're like. 

Customers can do only two things at Amazon pickup locations: pick up packages, and return them. That's all they're built for.

But for Amazon, being the online-shopping powerhouse it is, those are two very important purposes.

The locations function a lot like a post office, but just for Amazon packages. Get them sent to the building's address, and they'll be there when you're ready to pick them up. Packages can be kept there for up to two weeks.

Need to return an item? The service is free, since it doesn't actually need to go through the mail.

The pickup locations work a lot like the Amazon Locker system, which offers a place in convenience and grocery stores for customers to pick up packages. But by setting a time limit, the pickup location solves the problem of customers forgetting or neglecting to pick up their packages, something that can render the lockers unusable until some space is freed.

Amazon won't say exactly how many of these locations exist in the United States, but the number is at least 30 and growing. It just opened its first in the company's hometown of Seattle, to a surprising bit of fanfare for such a utilitarian device.

I visited the pickup location in Westwood, Los Angeles, a stone's throw from UCLA, to see what they're like to use. True to Amazon's ethos, it's simple and basic, but it works extremely efficiently.

It's perfect for a college student without a permanent address, or a tourist like me. One benefit for Prime members is that they can order some items for same-day or next-day pickup.

Here's what it's like to use an Amazon pickup location:

SEE ALSO: This year's Prime Day struggles show that not even Amazon can keep up with the monster it created

Amazon@Westwood is Amazon's pickup center in the downtown area of Westwood, Los Angeles. It's just a stone's throw from UCLA.

The locations are staffed with an employee behind a desk to help customers with whatever they may need.

I'm not really sure what you'd need help with, though. You can do only two things here: pick up orders, and drop off returns. Both require virtually no assistance.

• Costco recently removed the Polish hot dog from its food-court menu to make room for healthier and vegan options, including a new al pastor salad and an acai bowl.
• The al pastor salad is made with fresh vegetables and plant-based protein, and the acai bowl is topped with blueberries and strawberries.
  
• Costco is the latest among many mainstream retailers to introduce vegan options to meet growing demand.
• We tried Costco's two new menu items and were surprised by how much we liked them. 

Costco recently removed the fan-favorite Polish hot dog from its food court to make room for healthier and vegan options.

While many Costco members were excited about the addition of vegan options, Costco faced backlash for removing the Polish hot dog, a variation on its traditional hot dog, which will remain on the menu. The retailer responded to the backlash to the menu changes on Facebook, saying, "We try and keep our Food Court exciting by adding new items."

The new menu items, which include an al pastor salad with plant-based protein and an acai bowl with fresh fruit and Kirkland granola, are healthier than many of the other food-court offerings and can be vegan-friendly.

"Not everybody gets as excited about pizza and hot dogs as I do," Costco CEO Craig Jelinek told shareholders in January.

Costco is the latest among many mainstream brands to start adding vegan options to meet increased demand. Nestle acquired the vegan-meat supplier Sweet Earth in September. Campbell's recently acquired Pacific Foods, which makes nondairy milks. And White Castle added the plant-based Impossible Burger to its menu.

Considering the Costco food court is known for its cheap pizza and hot dogs, we were blown away by how good the options were. See what we thought:

SEE ALSO: 13 popular fast-food menu items that are surprisingly perfect for vegans

We visited a Costco in Brooklyn, New York, where the al pastor salad and the acai bowl were added to the menu in place of the Polish hot dog.

The salad was flattened from being stored in such a tight container, and it didn't look that exciting. It cost $4.99.

The salad came with a plant-based soy protein, chopped romaine lettuce, black beans, fresh vegetables, "banh mi vegetables," and a vegan dressing on the side, though it isn't specified anywhere what that is.

• The Landmark Mandarin Oriental is one of the most exclusive hotels in Hong Kong, and considered to be one of the best hotels in the world.
• I stayed at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental recently to see if it lives up to the hype.
• While the hotel's rooms are spacious — by Hong Kong standards — and full of nice touches, it's the hotel's facilities that make it stand out. The spa in particular makes the hotel worth a visit all by itself.

While the Four Seasons, The Langham, and the Mandarin Oriental get all the press in the Hong Kong hotel world, The Landmark, Mandarin Oriental's sister hotel, is hiding under the radar as one of the city's best.

The Mandarin Oriental hotel group's flagship property, the 500-room The Mandarin, opened in Hong Kong in 1963. The Landmark Mandarin Oriental is a fraction of the size, at 113 guest rooms and suites.

But as soon as you step in, you'll feel transported into an ocean of calm. 

Opened in 2003, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental has boutique hotel charm, with amenities and style of a grand five-star hotel.

From the sumptuous meals at the hotel's two-Michelin starred restaurant, Amber, to the 25,000 square-foot spa, the Landmark Mandarin Oriental is a hotel you can get lost in. 

I recently visited on a business trip to Hong Kong, and it did not disappoint. Keep reading to check out my stay at The Landmark Mandarin Oriental:

SEE ALSO: I stayed at Hong Kong’s first 'capsule hotel' to see what it's like to live in micro — and the experience was a nightmare

Situated in central Hong Kong, The Landmark Mandarin Oriental is known for its luxurious design and legendary service. The front of the building was not flashy, but modern.

The entrance, connected to a large luxury mall, was understated. You have to go up a couple steps or a quick lift to enter the hotel.

While the lobby was not grand, it felt luxurious without being kitschy— it made sense for upmarket business travelers and fast-paced city dwellers.

• The Jaguar XF Sportbrake wagon arrives in the US for the 2018 model year.
• The Sportbrake is powered by a 380 horsepower, 3.0-liter supercharged V6.
• According to Jaguar, the XF wagon can hit 60 mph in 5.3 seconds.
• We loved the Jaguar's style, performance, and utility but found its interior to be a bit plain.
• The 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake S AWD starts at $70,450 while our test car carried an as-tested price of $71,445.

For decades, the tried and true station wagon was the preferred method of family transportation in the US. But the in the '90s and 2000s, its position in the automotive kingdom was usurped by the minivan. And over the past decade, the minivan's reign was ended by the crossover SUV.

Even as America's love affair with the wagon faded, it remained a mainstay for families in Europe. As a result, the Continent's automakers have continued to produce world-class wagons. 

And now it looks like wagons are making a comeback of sorts in the US. Will it once again dominate America's highways and byways? Probably not. But there is a slew of hot new wagons on the market that will tempt you into rejoining the club.

Since the vast majority of crossovers, probably a figure north of 95%, will never see terrain any more rugged than a grassy field, an all-wheel-drive wagon more than makes sense. (Those who do enjoy a spot of off-roading are probably better off in a truck or truck-based SUV and not a crossover.)

One of the hottest new contenders is the Jaguar XF Sportbrake S AWD wagon. Based on the mid-size second generation XF sedan, the Sportbrake is all-new for 2018.

Recently, Business Insider spent a week behind the wheel of a stunning Jaguar XF Sportbrake S AWD clad in a fiery Firenze red paint job. 

In the US, the XF Sportbrake is only available in the option-laden S and First Edition trim levels. As a result, our 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake S AWD starts at $70,450. With a $995 destination fee tacked on, our car came with an as-test price of $71,445.

So, is the 2018 Jaguar XF Sportbrake S AWD good enough for you to ditch the crossover and return to the wonderful world of wagons? Let's find out. 

SEE ALSO: I took a $163,000 Tesla Model X SUV on a road trip and discovered Tesla's greatest weapon isn't its cars

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

Meet the Jaguar XF Sportbrake.

It's based on Jag's stellar XF sedan and...

...Shares a platform with the company's award-winning F-PACE crossover SUV.

Five years ago, in 2013, Sony's PlayStation 4 and Microsoft's Xbox One were on the verge of launch.

Now, in 2018, the two consoles have come into their own — and they're more distinct from each other than ever before.

They're also more affordable than ever before. But which to buy?

The answer isn't so clear.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft has a problem with Xbox that it can't buy its way out of

1. Price.

The Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 cost approximately the same amount of money: The base level for each is $250 to $300 in North America.

The ranges in price come from bundle offerings, in which the consoles come with various games or extra controllers or services at a discount that still raise the overall cost. You're also likely to find sales that put the prices below $250.

That's all before we start talking about the more powerful, more expensive versions of the consoles: the $400 PlayStation 4 Pro and the $500 Xbox One X.

If you're looking for the best-looking games running on the most powerful console hardware, then you're looking at buying one of these step-up versions of the PS4 and the Xbox One. Both do everything the normal PS4 and Xbox One consoles do but have the added benefit of making games look ever better than usual.

In the case of the Xbox One X, games are able to natively run with 4K/HDR visuals; the PlayStation 4 Pro offers a similar visual boost, though a slightly less impressive one. If you just bought a super-high-end 4K/HDR television and want to see what it can do, the Xbox One X is your best option when it comes to gaming.

In general, though, for the average buyer, the Xbox One and the PlayStation 4 are evenly matched when it comes to price.

2. Games.

This is where things start to divide pretty sharply: Sony's PlayStation 4 simply has more games you can play on only the PlayStation 4.

From the "Uncharted" series to "The Last of Us" and "Bloodborne," Sony has a far richer lineup of exclusive games on the PlayStation 4. Coming heavies like "Spider-Man" and "Death Stranding" loom large on the horizon. And major third-party games like "Call of Duty,""Assassin's Creed,""Madden," and "FIFA" all show up on the PlayStation 4 as well as the Xbox One.

It has been Microsoft's biggest problem with the Xbox One in recent years: Not enough great games that can be played on only the Xbox One. There's "Halo" and "Forza," and the occasional new exclusive like "Sea of Thieves" and "State of Decay 2," but nothing of the scale that Sony's PS4 has.

For many, understandably, the game-library comparison is enough to tip the scale in favor of Sony's PlayStation 4. But look deeper and you'll find the competition is more complicated.

3. Services.

Sony and Microsoft offer nearly identical services, which serve as a means of accessing online multiplayer gaming as well as offering "free" games (as long as you remain a paying subscriber).

In Sony's case, the service is PlayStation Network; in Microsoft's case, it's Xbox Live. They cost about the same amount of money ($60 a year) and offer access to online gaming on their respective platforms. Both dole out a handful of free games to paying subscribers every month, yours to play as long as you continue to subscribe.

PlayStation Network and Xbox Live are industry-standard services at this point. What makes each console stand out in the services department is its Netflix-like gaming services: PlayStation Now and Xbox Game Pass.

With PlayStation Now, users can stream more than 650 playable PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation 4 games on a PlayStation 4 or a PC. The games are running elsewhere — you just start playing. It costs $20 a month, or $100 a year.

With Game Pass, users can download and play more than 100 original Xbox, Xbox 360, and Xbox One games on the Xbox One. It costs $10 a month. Better yet: Any games Microsoft publishes show up on Game Pass at launch, including the next major "Halo" and "Forza" games. It's one of the best deals available in gaming for this alone.

Xbox Game Pass is a strong argument for owning an Xbox One and offers a glimpse into the future of video game consoles. Instead of dropping $60 a game, for $10 a month you have access to a massive library that includes new, major games. That's huge.

Making time for a solid arm workout isn't always easy, especially if you're in need of weights and other equipment.

But when you're on the road or have a few minutes to spare between events, it can be nice to have some quick, virtually equipment-free arm workouts up your sleeve.

We asked New York University physical-therapy professor Marilyn Moffat, who also wrote the book "Age Defying Fitness," for some of her favorite arm workouts that don't require weights.

Here are the nine she gave us, including modifications to help personalize your workout. Feel free to mix and match, or just do one exercise on its own. Repeat or hold each exercise until it gets to be too much, building up at your own pace.

And remember: If you have any unusual pain or problems with the exercises, stop doing them and consult a physical therapist.

SEE ALSO: The science-backed 7-minute fitness routine is a great way to get in shape

DON'T MISS: You can tell someone's lying to you by watching their face — here are 12 dead giveaways

Exercise #1: The dreaded plank. Keeping your arms directly under your shoulders, hold this pose for at least 30 seconds, until it gets to be too much.

To better distribute your weight, spread your fingers as wide as possible while in these poses. You should be able to feel the difference along your arms.

For a modification, try putting your forearms on the ground. You'll still feel the stretch along your arms (not to mention torso and legs).

• Etiquette standards have changed throughout the years.
• Some etiquette experts believe that old-fashioned manners that kids aren't taught anymore should be brought back.
• Here are 11 old-fashioned manners, like standing for introductions and asking for permission, that kids just aren't taught anymore.

Etiquette and manners seem to change over the years. Many kids don't learn old-fashionedmanners, like making eye contact and writing thank you notes by hand, anymore. However, some experts think these aspects of old-school etiquette should make a comeback.

"There are a few things kids should be taught that were once thought to be routine manners training," Diane Gottsman, national etiquette expert and author of "Modern Etiquette for a Better Life" told Business Insider in an email. "Etiquette skills are much more than learning when to say 'please' and 'thank you.' Courtesy requires thought and training, and kids thrive when they are given guidance and boundaries."

Below, etiquette experts weigh in on old-fashioned manners that kids aren't taught anymore.

SEE ALSO: 5 surprising etiquette differences between the US and Japan

1. Talking in person more than via technology

These days, when it comes to kids and manners, phones often seem to replace in-person conversations, Lisa Gaché, founder and CEO of Beverly Hills Manners and author of "Beverly Hills Manners: Golden Rules from the World’s Most Glamorous Zip Code," told Business Insider via email.

"Years ago, kids were taught how to speak, with emphasis on language, speech, and diction, but talk has since taken a back seat to tech," she said. "It seems face-to-face conversation and talking on the telephone are a last resort in a world where kids much prefer to communicate by typing on their tiny smartphones."

2. Addressing adults by their last names

Charles MacPherson, founder and president ofCharles MacPherson Associates, a training and recruiting firm for private household staff, said that children used to always call adults by their surnames, Mr. or Mrs. X, as a form of respect.

"Today, however, our society is much more casual," he told Business Insider in an email. "Children are not often taught to do this, so it is no longer practiced."

Gaché said she agreed. “Now, it is no longer in fashion, and adults are often encouraging kids to call them by their first names as a way to express to children that they are equals,” she said.

3. Standing for introductions

When you meet someone new, do you stand up to say hello?

"In years past, little boys were taught to stand and girls were taught to stay seated," Gottsman said. "Today, it's correct to teach your children that both girls and boys stand for introductions to show respect for themselves and the other person."

• Everyone has bad workplace habits.
• Whether you realize it or not, they could be driving your coworkers nuts.
• You're best avoiding certain habits at work, like eating smelly food at your desk or talking politics.

It's understandable that, in all the time we spend with coworkers and bosses, we might have let a bad habit or two slip.

Many of these office faux pas, however, may be avoided — you just need to know what it is that drives everyone around you nuts.

For the sake of your office companions, take a moment to remind yourself what behavior at work may be getting on someone's last nerve.

DON'T MISS: 21 unprofessional email habits that make everyone hate you

SEE ALSO: 18 bad habits you should break to be more productive

SEE ALSO: 22 signs your coworkers secretly hate you

Showing up late to work

"Punctuality is critical," said Rosalinda Oropeza Randall, an etiquette and civility expert and author of "Don't Burp in the Boardroom."

"The professional thing to do is to arrive on time, ready to do what is expected. It's not like they just sprung this job on you," she said.

Rolling in 10 minutes late to every meeting

Similarly, arriving late to meetings shows that you neither respect your coworkers — who showed up on time, by the way — nor the meeting organizer, Vicky Oliver, author of "301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions," told Business Insider.

"Keeping people waiting can be construed as inconsiderate, rude, or arrogant," Randall said.

Calling in sick when you aren't

"Remember the adage that half of life is showing up," Oliver said.

You won't prove you deserve the promotion if you fake sick every few weeks.

• Knowing how to address a cover letter can be frustrating when that information isn't readily available.
• Many times, there are steps you can take to figure out who exactly the person reading your letter will be.
• But in an absolute pinch, certain ways of addressing your cover letter are more off-putting than others.
• Some of the worst ways to address a cover letter include "Dear HR professional" and a simple "Hi!"

Dear Reader,

We know it's frustrating when a job posting doesn't include the name of the person in charge of the hiring process.

We also know that's not an excuse to slap any salutation on your cover letter and send your application off.

According to Amanda Augustine, career advice expert for TopResume, you should always do some research to figure out who exactly the person reading your letter will be.

You can even play it safe by writing at the beginning of your cover letter: "I noticed you're working in [whatever department] at [whatever company]," so you show that based on your research, it looks like they're involved in the hiring process.

In the case that you absolutely, positively can't find a person's name, Augustine said certain ways of addressing your cover letter are more off-putting than others.

For example, "Dear Hiring Manager" and "Dear Recruiter" aren't great openings, but they're the best of many bad options.

Here's the full list of cover-letter openings, ranked in reverse order of egregiousness.

Sincerely,
Business Insider staff

P.S. This advice doesn't apply in the case of an anonymous job posting, when a company is deliberately keeping their name and the names of their employees confidential.

SEE ALSO: 7 ways to figure out who the hiring manager is when it's not listed in a job posting

DON'T MISS: Here's how to write an email to a potential employer

5. 'Dear Hiring Manager' or 'Dear Recruiter'

The language in your cover letter should be at once professional and conversational, Augustine said. And these openings aren't overly formal or casual, which is a plus.

But the lack of customization — you could submit this letter to any company you're applying to — will still stand out.

"You're not earning brownie points" with this salutation, Augustine said. "But you're not putting people off" either.

4. 'Dear HR Professional'

Augustine said this opening isn't necessarily accurate.

The person reading your application might not work in the company's human resources department, or they might call themselves a recruiter instead of a human resources professional.

3. 'Hello' or 'Hi'

With "Hello" and no name after it, you've gotten the conversational part down, but you've still failed to customize your letter.

"Hi" is a double whammy, since not only is it not customized, but it can also be considered slang, Augustine said.

• Facebook, Google, Netflix, and other top companies in the US are competing for the best talent out there.
• To compete, they offer some of the best benefits and perks around.
• But, considering a recent ban in Mountain View, California, on free cafeteria food — and another ban that may soon follow in San Francisco — companies may have to look beyond free grub to attract new hires.
• See which companies are raising the bar and going beyond free food to attract top talent.

Most of us spend a majority of our waking hours at work, so it's only natural that we want to enjoy our time in the office as much as we can. And perks help with that — a lot.

According to career site Glassdoor, more than half (57%) of all workers say perks and benefits are among the top things they consider when deciding whether to accept a job, and almost 80% of employees say they would prefer new benefits over a pay raise.

That's why some employers are raising the bar and going beyond standard vacation days, health insurance benefits, and 401k matching to attract top talent.

Companies like Airbnb and Google offer unique and surprising perks like travel stipends and death benefits, Glassdoor reports, while Facebook and Netflix have upped the ante for companies wanting to support new parents.

"Benefits and perks matter because they're an added piece of the total compensation puzzle," Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor's career trends analyst, told Business Insider. "Job seekers should understand what benefits and perks an employer may be offering, and do their research ahead of time to find companies that offer benefits that matter most to them."

Employees rated some of their favorite employee benefits on Glassdoor. The following perks are not only unique, but they also received a rating of at least 4.0 out of 5.0 on Glassdoor.

SEE ALSO: San Francisco Bay Area cities are cracking down on free food at Facebook and other tech companies

DON'T MISS: The 20 most flexible jobs for working parents

Generous paid parental leave at Netflix

Netflix offers one paid year of maternity and paternity leave to new parents. The company also allows parents to return part-time or full-time and take time off as needed throughout the year.

'Yay Days' at REI

REI encourages its employees to get outside by offering two paid days off each year, called "Yay Days," to enjoy their favorite outside activity.

Paid time off for volunteering at Salesforce

Salesforce employees receive six days of paid volunteer time off a year, as well as $1,000 a year to donate to a charity of their choice.

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.

Thick, heat-trapping leggings or scratchy, cheap paneling can turn exercise classes into interminable purgatories. You might walk out thinking you’re out of shape, the class was too hard, or you really do just hate working out in general, but the reality may be a little kinder: you just need better exercise gear.

What you wear to a workout can make or break the experience, so it’s worth a bit of research to make sure you’re only spending your money once — and spending it on the best version of what you need. If you’re going to invest in a gym or $30 yoga class, you should be armed with the tools that not only help you get the most out of your time and money, but make the exercise enjoyable enough to make you excited to go back.

I used to hate exercise classes, and now I go about four times a week. I’m not going to credit leggings with a fundamental shift in perspective, but they were oddly significant in getting me to start seeing myself as someone who might even like exercise in the beginning. After a few years of avid gym-going — and many enthusiastic searches for the perfect leggings as a product reviewer — below are eight of the best I’ve found, plus why you might want them. Hopefully, they can help make your own workouts more enjoyable, and, perhaps, maybe even a bit more consistent.

Check out the best 8 pairs of leggings I've tried yet below, including why they make the list:

The most flattering and versatile

Compressive High-Rise Legging, $68, available at Girlfriend Collective

I've written a bonafide love letter to these leggings before, but they're so deserving of the praise. 

I got a pair of the Girlfriend Collective leggings in 2016 when the Seattle-based startup was offering a free pair (if you paid for shipping) over the internet as a publicity stunt. Years later, they're still my favorite — and most flattering — pair of the more than 20 that I own. If you want leggings that feel like comfortable, broken-in Spanx for your entire body, these are for you. 

The leggings are made from thick, compressive, holds-you-in-all-the-right-places material that's opaque, pill-resistant (two years later and none to speak of), and has inventive, hyper-flattering seaming that elongates the legs and defines the waist. Plus, they come in a myriad of beautiful colors, are relatively affordable at as low as $58, and can be worn to workouts as well as out and about in the "athleisure" vein of dressing. 

Plus, each pair is created with 25 recycled water bottles (79% RPET) out of material made at Girlfriend Collective 's Fair Trade facility in Taiwan.

However, I wouldn't recommend their classic leggings for a HIIT workout. If you want a thinner, breathable version of their leggings that you can wear to hot workout classes comfortably, check out their latest line made from recycled fishing nets. They're not as compressive, but they're otherwise the same with much greater breathability. 

Find a full review here.

The best for comfortable, targeted compression

2XU MCS Run Compression Tight, $120, available at Amazon and Zappos

2XU is well-known for their workout gear, and, thanks to a few testing experiences, I find that the hype is generally well-deserved. While pricier than many options, the 2XU leggings typically make up for it in superior design and great materials — and, thanks to their notoriety, you should be able to find them for a bit less at Amazon and Zappos.

The MCS Run Compression Tight is my go-to for compression that doesn't feel restrictive, and they help me perform better during runs as well as shorten my recovery time. The MCS Run Compression Tights uses the MCS compression pattern (otherwise known as anatomical mapping) developed specifically for the impact that running has on the legs. What this means is that you won't experience blanket, all-over compression in this pair. Instead, the compression mapping targets muscles, tendons, and fascia groups used most during specific activities— like running.  By honing in on specific muscles rather than a universal application, you'll experience greater overall mobility with the benefits of compression: reduced muscle soreness and fatigue, improved performance, and decreased recovery time and risk of injury.

These also stand out for their considerable breathability despite feeling slightly thicker and more substantial than other pairs. 

It's worth mentioning that 2XU has had complaints about transparency in their leggings, perhaps because the material is still light enough to remain breathable. I haven't experienced this sheerness, and they've added paneling to mitigate the concern, but it's worth checking sizing before you buy to make sure you're getting the best size and doing a quick look before you leave the house.

Find a full review here.

The most unique designs

Brushed Tricolor Panel Leggings, $115, available at Nordstrom

I've written about the up-and-coming brand Boom Boom Athletica before, but it bears repeating: these leggings look and feel distinct. They're uniquely stylish, and they're ultimately just as functional as another pair of black leggings.

The Brushed Tricolor leggings are soft to the touch, but they don't trap heat the way a soft material often does. There's mesh paneling for added breathability, the moisture-wicking fabric dries quickly, and smooth flatlock seaming minimizes rubbing and irritation (and only helps streamline an already sleek silhouette). Plus, the antimicrobial fabric helps inhibit the growth of odor-causing bacteria. 

In terms of looks, the thick waistband holds you in place while the combination of a dark color, wide width, and shape (with its central dip and accents on the sides) make your figure look even more hourglass. The smooth flatlock seaming I mentioned before makes for an uninterrupted silhouette. Personally, it reminds me of something Lara Croft would wear in a reboot — and I rarely leave the gym in them without someone stopping to ask where I got them.

Find a full review of the line here.

It's no secret that as times change, so does what's funny — look no further than the controversy surrounding director James Gunn and his problematic tweets. The "Guardians of the Galaxy" director was recently fired from the third film after offensive tweets of his from a decade ago resurfaced.

The following seven movies depict what it's like to be a college student— but they are wildly unfunny a couple of decades after their release. Filled with jokes that would never make it off the page in 2018, you might be surprised to find some of your favorites on the list.

Keep scrolling to see which college films don't deserve a passing grade today.

"Animal House" (1978) is both sexist and racist.

"Animal House" is an iconic film about a war between frat bros and the dean of their college, and plenty of people love it. But have you actually watched the whole thing recently? 

Pinto, ostensibly the film's "good guy," not only takes advantage of an intoxicated girl by making out with her until she passes out, he then ditches her outside her house in a shopping cart. Even worse, it turns out she was only 13 years old. 

In another scene of female objectification, a frat boy climbs a ladder outside a sorority house to watch the girls have a pillow fight in their underwear. Peeping Toms aren't funny or endearing — just see "13 Reasons Why" and the treatment of Tyler — and most college educated women don't have half-dressed pillow fights.

Lastly, bringing the movie into racist territory, the brothers of Delta Tau Chi decide to take a road-trip to blow off some steam. They stop at a roadhouse, but upon realizing that the patrons at said roadhouse are primarily African American, they decide to flee, as they equate being black with being scary.

"National Lampoon's Van Wilder" (2002) is about a whiny man-child who refuses to grow up.

Even Ryan Reynolds' appeal couldn't save this movie. He plays Van Wilder, a student who has been at Coolidge College for seven years because he refuses to graduate. He even has the audacity to get angry at his dad for cutting him off after paying seven years' worth of tuition.

Most of the jokes, as per the Washington Post, are "at the expense of the old, the fat, the infirm, foreigners, and women." This would certainly not fly in 2018.

"American Pie Presents: Beta House" (2007) is one of the worst installments of the "American Pie" franchise, which is saying something.

"Beta House" follows the younger brother of Stifler, a character from the original "American Pie" movies, as he pledges a fraternity. 

This movie makes the list for its blatant transphobia — a female character is afraid to get naked in front of Cooze (one of the pledges), which leads his friends to believe that she's hiding the fact that she has a penis. 

Plus, the film features a literal contest in which two frat brothers compete to see who can take the most bras off of girls.

So you’re thinking about going to grad school. Get ready to hear lots of opinions from everyone you decide to tell. And if you’re doing online research, get ready for lots of nay-saying from people whose careers worked out just fine without a graduate degree.

The important thing to remember is that everyone’s different and not all advice will apply to your current situation. And talking to people who’ve actually gone to grad school is your safest bed.

Only you can decide if grad school is right for you, but here are a few pointers if you’re about to start doing the research.

If your employer is paying for it, that’s a plus.

If you’re lucky enough to work for a company where they’ll pay fully or in part for your grad school, it might be a good idea to take advantage of their offer.

That is unless you can’t stand another day at the company or you plan to eventually switch to a career that has nothing to do with the degree. Only accept an employer’s offer of grad school tuition if all the conditions that apply make sense to you. If it’s a company or job you despise, locking yourself into more time there might not be worth it.

Going straight from undergrad to grad school might not be the best idea.

If you’re fresh out of undergrad and you still haven’t worked a 9-to-5 job, it might be a good idea to put off grad school, even if the job market seems bleak.

"If you’re just going to grad school because you don’t have any better ideas, you should probably reconsider your plan," writes Lux Alptraum at Quartz. There are vastly cheaper — and far less time-consuming — ways to do a little soul-searching … If, on the other hand, you have a concrete goal in mind — whether that’s becoming a lawyer, writing your novel, or gaining the skills that’ll push your career to the next level — grad school might actually be a good decision."

In other words, you should only go to grad school if you’re positive it’s the best thing for you.

If your undergrad debt is already unmanageable for you, tacking on more might be a mistake.

Millennials and Gen Z are already crippled by student debt. Hitting the pause button on your payments by re-enrolling in school might be tempting.

But make sure you have a financial plan for how you’re going to tackle your debt once grad school ends. The Wall Street Journal explains what happens to your undergrad debt if you decide to go to grad school. Here’s a hint: it doesn’t go away.

When Netflix debuted "Stranger Things" in 2016, audiences were enthused by the show and its stars became instantly famous. If you look throughout TV history, child stars have been around for some time, even if they’re not always in the leading role.

And they can make pretty good money, too, as evidenced by the following reported salaries of nine child TV stars.

Angus T. Jones made history as the highest-paid child actor ever.

Playing Jake Harper on the CBS show "Two and a Half Men," Angus T. Jones worked his way up to $300,000 per episode by age 17, in 2010, according to Entertainment Tonight. He made history as the highest-paid child actor ever.

Miranda Cosgrove made really big bucks on "iCarly."

Miranda Cosgrove, the star of "iCarly" on Nickelodeon, wound up making a whopping an estimated $180,000 per episode of the show, which ran from 2007 to 2012, according to MTV.

Frankie Muniz made it big time as Malcolm.

When FOX’s "Malcolm in the Middle" first went on the air in 2000, Frankie Muniz was reportedly making $30,000 per episode as the titular star. However, by the end of the series in 2006, he was banking $120,000 an episode, according to The Richest.

Life is good for Evan Spiegel.

In 2017, he was given a $800 million bonus for taking his company, Snap Inc., public at a $33 billion valuation.

Snap's shares have since taken quite the hit, but Spiegel's net worth is still around $2.7 billion, making the 28-year-old one of the youngest billionaires in the world. Spiegel also took home the title of highest-paid CEO in the world in 2017. 

Things seem good at home, too: Spiegel is married to model and entrepreneur Miranda Kerr, and the couple welcomed their first child — a baby boy named Hart — earlier this year. 

To get a better picture of how Evan Spiegel got to where he is, we've pulled the highlights from profiles by LA Weekly, Forbes, Business Insider, court documents, and more.

Here's how Spiegel got his start and became one of the youngest billionaires in the world. 

Alex Heath contributed to an earlier version of this article.

SEE ALSO: The life and career rise of Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, the richest person in modern history

Spiegel grew up in the Pacific Palisades, a ritzy Los Angeles enclave just east of Malibu. He is the older son of two Ivy League-educated lawyers. His parents divorced when he was in high school.

When Spiegel turned 16 and got his driver's license, he was given a Cadillac Escalade, which he parked in the gated Southern California Edison parking lot next to his school. Spiegel's father represented Edison during the energy crisis.

Source: LA Weekly

Spiegel spent his early years at an ultra-exclusive school called Crossroads in Santa Monica, which costs tens of thousands per academic year. Other notable alumni include Tinder cofounder Sean Rad, Kate Hudson, Jonah Hill, Jack Black, and Gwyneth Paltrow.

Winnie the Pooh is back for another heartfelt adventure in "Christopher Robin."

The live-action movie tells the story of an adult Christopher Robin (Ewan McGregor) struggling to find the imagination and fun in life, but his childhood friends — Pooh and company — come back into his life to help him find it. 

"Christopher Robin" hits theaters August 3. 

See who is voicing the iconic characters below. 

Brad Garrett voices Eeyore, a donkey who always loses his tail.

Garrett has lent his deep and recognizable voice to many characters, including ones in "Finding Nemo,""Tangled," and "Ratatouille." He also starred on "Everybody Loves Raymond,""Fargo," and "This Is Us." He currently stars on "Single Parents." 

Peter Capaldi voices Rabbit, a farming rabbit.

Capaldi played the 12th Doctor on "Doctor Who" and starred in "Paddington." He won an Oscar for best live-action short film for "Franz Kafka's It's a Wonderful Life." 

Jim Cummings voices both Winnie the Pooh, a bear who loves honey, and Tigger, a tiger fond of jumping on his tail.

Cummings is a voice actor who has extensive list of characters to his name. He's the singing voice for characters in movies including "The Lion King,""Pocahontas," and "Anastasia." He has voiced both Pooh and Tigger in projects since 1988 and 1989, respectively. Other voice roles include "Aladdin,""Hercules,""The Road to El Dorado," and "Wreck-It Ralph." He's currently voicing multiple characters on "DuckTales. "

Making a non-vegan recipe vegan isn’t rocket science. Although it may seem like an unnecessary hassle rounding up vegan alternatives for ingredients like eggs, honey, and even refined white sugar, keeping your pantry stocked with a variety of vegan-friendly products will make things a whole lot easier. Plus, a lot of these vegan-approved substitutions can be used in place of multiple other non-vegan products.

1. Who needs butter when you have applesauce?

According to POPSUGAR,  you can use applesauce as a one-to-one replacement for butter in any recipe, although it is best used as a replacement in baking. But, be warned, this butter substitute will make your cake more dense than if you were using butter.

2. Flax and chia seeds can be used as a replacement for eggs.

Eggs provide structure, rise, and moisture to baked goods making them seem almost irreplaceable in most dessert recipes. Except, both flax seeds and chia seeds can be ground up and mixed with water to create a similar consistency, according to Tori Avey.

3. Craving buttermilk pancakes? There’s a vegan alternative for that too.

Buttermilk isn’t a popular non-vegan ingredient, but it’s an important one nonetheless. A great buttermilk alternative can be created by mixing one cup of soy milk with one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, according to The Kitchn.

The number on the scale is not the only factor when trying to lose weight. What matters more is how your body feels and how you feel about your body.

If you’re trying to hit a specific number, weighing yourself is a means to know if you’ve reached your goal. But common mistakes can alter your progress and make it seem like all your hard work is going nowhere.

Here are five things you're doing when weighing yourself that could give you inaccurate results. 

You’re weighing yourself at night.

After a full day of eating, it’s only natural that the number on the scale will go up. Where else would those three meals go? 

If you weigh yourself at night, you’re going to weigh more than you actually do, according to Discover Good Nutrition. Weigh yourself first thing the mornings, after your body has had a full night to digest your food. Otherwise, you’ll be seeing higher numbers that don’t correlate to all of your hard work.

And make sure you’re not wearing normal street clothes and shoes. A study in the International Journal of Obesity showed that clothes can actually add up to two pounds on the scale that doesn’t account for your actual body weight.

You’re weighing yourself every day.

Weight loss doesn’t happen overnight. And certain activities, foods, and drinks can cause it to look, on the scale, as you’ve gained or lost weight. You won’t see major changes from day to day, and checking the scale this frequently can actually do more harm than good to your mental state.

In all reality, according to a 2008 study, you can only expect to lose one to two pounds per week. And you won’t see those results from day to day. Similarly, a different study found that new diets low in sodium and carbohydrates can make it look like you’re losing a lot of weight fast but that’s just due to glycogen storage fluctuations.

Try weighing yourself once or twice a week. This gives your body more time to regulate its weight and show you real numbers that highlight progress.

You’re only listening to the scale and not your body.

When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s easy to let it take over and become the only thing you think about. But doing so can affect your progress and make it seem like what you’re doing is never good enough.

For instance, a study found that eating more sodium on some days than others can cause the numbers on the scale to spike — but that’s just because of water retention and has nothing to do with your body mass.

Just because the numbers on the scale aren’t moving, or aren’t moving fast enough, doesn’t mean your body isn’t changing. Muscle mass could be increasing, fat could be flying off, and endurance and stamina could be better than it’s been since your high school years. 

Getting healthier doesn’t always mean getting skinnier. It means a healthier, happier mind, body and soul overall. And that means more than the numbers on the scale — because being healthy isn’t just about your weight.

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle were both regular people before they married into the royal family. Now that they're duchesses, their lives are completely different. They follow royal protocol (most of the time), have access to enormous wealth and privilege, and live in the public eye under constant scrutiny.

Here are photos that show their before-and-after transformations from commoner to royal.

Kate Middleton graduated from St. Andrews with a degree in art history.

Prince William studied geography and graduated at the same ceremony.

She's part of that history now with her own portrait at the National Portrait Gallery.

The Director of the National Portrait Gallery Sandy Nairne shows Kate Middleton her portrait at the National Portrait Gallery.

She drove herself to her 25th birthday party.

Middleton leaves her apartment on her 25th birthday in 2007.

China’s new J-20, officially named Weilong or powerful dragon, is one of the world’s most advanced fighter jets and the country’s answer to the American F-22 Raptor.

In mid July the PLA Airforce released a video of a nighttime training exercise involving the stealth fighter as a demonstration of its combat readiness.

The Chinese warplane was developed by the Chengdu Aerospace corporation, which began testing them in 2011 before the first planes entered service in March 2017.

So far a few dozen J-20s have been produced for the PLA although the manufacturer is continuing to build more.

The F-22 Raptor was developed by Lockheed Martin for the exclusive use of the US Air Force. Exports even to America’s closest allies are banned to protect its stealth technology.

SEE ALSO: We asked a military analyst how the F-22, Su-57, and J-20 stealth planes match up

SEE ALSO: We asked an F-22 Raptor fighter-wing commander if he's worried about Russia's Su-57 stealth fighter

SEE ALSO: China's J-20 stealth fighters will likely patrol Taiwan's airspace soon — and the island nation is ready to counter

Design characteristics

The J-20 and F-22 are a similar size. The J-20 is 20.3 metres (66.6ft) long and has a 12.9 metre wingspan compared with the F-22’s 19m length and 13.6m wingspan.

Made of advance alloy materials, they also have similar empty weight of around 19,000kg.

The J-20’s loaded weight is slightly heavier, of around 32,000kg compared with the F-22’s 29,000kg, however the American fighter can take off with a maximum weight of 38,000kg, 2,000kg more than the J-20.

Performance

Both planes have a ceiling of 20km and a maximum speed of over Mach 2 (2,470km per hour) – faster than the speed of sound. The F-22 has a comparatively shorter range – with a combat radius of 800km, while the J-20’s large internal fuel tank can sustain a longer combat radius of 1,100km.

Engine

The F-22 is powered by afterburning turbofan F119-PW-100 engines, which enable it to super cruise at a speed of Mach 1.82. The engines have vectoring nozzles which enable it to perform agile manoeuvres event at supersonic speeds.

However, the engine is the J-20’s weakest link. Plans for China to develop its own advanced turbofan engines fell behind schedule. This meant the manufacturers had to rely on inferior engines – either the Chinese WS-10B or Russian-made AL-31FM2/3 – which severely affects its manoeuvrability and stealth capacity at supersonic speeds.

However, the new WS-15 engine, which is expected to be available next year, will go a long way to addressing this problem.