Whether it's for work or for pleasure, traveling frequently isn't easy.  

Long flights are exhausting, and it can be a challenge to pack all of your belongings into one bag. 

We've rounded up some fun solutions that also make great gifts for that person you know who's always racking up the frequent flier miles. 

The Royce Leather Deluxe Passport Case will hold all of your important documents and look good while doing it.

With space for your passport, six credit cards, cash and extra travel documents, this case will protect all of your important things as you go from place to place. The leather is sleek, and the shoulder strap is removable. 

Price: $90

Organize your clothes and keep them clean with the Pack-It Specter Cube from Eagle Creek.

Weighing in at only one ounce, this nylon cube is a lightweight packing solution. The translucent fabric lets you see what clothing is rolled inside, so you don't have to dig around to find what you need. 

Price: $17

The Columbia Global Adventure Roll-Up Shirt is the ultimate button-down for travelers.

Moisture wicking technology will keep this shirt dry in any climate, but it's still nice enough to wear out to dinner. It even has a zippered chest pocket that would fit a passport perfectly. 

Price: $70

John Murphy, one of the founders of  for-profit education company University of Phoenix, is selling his San Francisco mansion for $27 million.

According to The Wall Street Journal, Murphy and his wife Paula Key bought the Pacific Heights nine-bedroom house in 1997 after discovering it came with a secret hidden Prohibition-era bar.

They closed the deal on the 13,000-square-foot mansion for $6.3 million, and are now selling it through listing agent Coldwell Banker Previews International.

The home has gorgeous views of San Francisco, as well as five levels that are all easily accessible with an elevator. In addition to the hidden bar that first attracted Murphy and his wife to the property, it also has an Art Deco ballroom, staff quarters, and a library.

Originally built in 1905 by a member of the Spreckels family (of the Spreckels Sugar Company fortune), the home was sold in 1929 to the prominent San Francisco family the Schwabachers, who then added the Prohibition bar and 1,200-square-foot ballroom.

Welcome to John Murphy's Pacific Heights mansion in San Francisco.

Source: Coldwell Bankers Preview International

The gorgeous home was first built in 1905, and expanded in 1929.

Source: Coldwell Bankers Preview International

There are five levels in the mansion that are accessible either by elevator or by the grand staircase.

Source: Coldwell Bankers Preview International

Out of 812 submissions to a contest intended to create the condom of the future, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation chose 11 winners.

The foundation said it wanted to create a new generation of condoms "that significantly preserve or enhance pleasure." That way, guys will actually want to wear condoms and, in theory, the global rates of unplanned pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections will decrease.

Each winner received $100,000 to pursue their designs.

Check them out below: 

• Heat conducting condom infused with antibacterial drugs: Graphene is a thin, crystalline form of carbon that's highly elastic and can conduct heat. Lakshminarayanan Ragupathy of HLL Lifecare Ltd. in India will produce condoms using graphene-based polymer composites. 
• Elastic condom: Using a new composite of elastic materials, a team from the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom proposes a condom that will feel more like skin-to-skin contact.
• Self-tightening condom: Layering multiple polymers allows the condom to gently tighten during intercourse. The material will put less pressure on the skin and increase sensation at key moments.  A team from Cambridge Design Partnership in the United Kingdom is designing it.
• Mucous condom: A team from Northwestern University will create a new polymeric material that mimics the properties of mucosal tissue, essentially what your bodily mucous membranes already feel like. Thus, a very natural feeling during intercourse.  
• Break-resistant condom: A nanoparticle coating helps prevent condom breakage. The coating, developed by researchers at Boston University Medical Center, works by trapping a thin layer of water to reduce friction and tearing forces. 
• Shape memory condom: Body heat will quickly fix the shape of the condom to the individual wearer. Researchers at the University of Oregon will tailor condoms with polyurethane linear and elastomeric materials, both of which will improve tactility and increase sensitivity.
• Wrapping condom: The California Family Health Council will make condoms that wrap and cling around the wearer instead of squeezing him. The non-toxic and hypoallergenic polyethylene condoms will also come with enhanced lubrication through a collaboration with a Colombian condom manufacturer.
• Superelastomer condom: Superelastomer technology allows condoms to be made ultra-thin, ultra-soft, strong and tear resistant. It also has a low-cost production method which will encourage use in developing countries. Researchers at the University of Tennessee will develop it.
• Cow tendon condom: Collagen fibers from cows' Achilles tendons, and possibly fish skin, will give the wearer more of a skin-to-skin feel with his partner. The materials in the condom, developed by researchers at Apex Medical Technologies in San Diego, will enhance strength and sensitivity.
• The Rapidom: A condom with applicators attached make putting it on possible with a single motion. Produced by Kimbranox Ltd. in South Africa, it makes application easier and, most importantly, helps get the condom on the right way. Putting the condom on inside-out, then reversing the direction, exposes a guy's partner to his pre-ejaculatory fluids and increases the risk for pregnancy and disease. 
• Condom Applicator Pack: A team from House of Petite Pty. Ltd. in Australia will build an applicator separate from the condom but sold in the same package. It's meant to keep the condom away from the wearer's hands, which can spread disease, and ensure the condom is put on in the right direction.

Join the conversation about this story »

This post originally appeared on Details.com.

Paired with a shirt and tie, the gray flannel two-piece is at once classic and thoroughly modern. But don't stop there. Worn separately, the pants and jacket offer some equally sharp looks.

1. Classic

If you never want to think about what to wear to the office again, invest in a single-button flannel suit like this one.

When expertly tailored (note the hem length on the pants and that the cuff of the shirt is showing), it's a workhorse in your wardrobe.

Suit ($1,195) by Calvin Klein Collection. Shirt ($325) by Ralph Lauren Black Label. Tie ($150) by Alexander Olch. Pocket square ($130) by Dunhill. Shoes ($570) by Church's. Socks ($7) by Gold Toe.
 

2. Casual

When you need to put yourself together and don't want to go the suit route, try pairing the jacket with navy slacks and swapping the button down for a fitted cashmere sweater that won't add bulk.

Blazer ($1,075) by Black Fleece by Brooks Brothers. Sweater ($560) by Dries Van Noten. Pants ($570) by Salvatore Ferragamo. Shoes ($775) by Church's. Socks ($7) by Gold Toe.

3. Sneaker combo

Elevating the sneaker-suit combo, this burgundy duffle is more modern than its Paddington Bear predecessors and solves the problem of what to throw over a jacket when temperature nose-dives. 

Coat ($1,330) by Marni. Blazer ($425) and pants ($225) by J. Crew. Sweatshirt ($129) by Reigning Champ. Sneakers ($495) by Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane.

4. Mixed fabrics 

By mixing fabrics and textures — like this denim button-down and suede jacket — you can give your chinos a rest and wear suit pants on the weekend instead.

Jacket ($3,715) by Dunhill. Shirt ($65) by Banana Republic. Pants ($1,090) by Jil Sander. Belt ($460) and shoes ($880) by Bottega Veneta. Socks ($7) by Gold Toe.

More from Details:

• The Best of Men's Fall Fashion 2013: Tips, Trends & Editors' Picks
• Workouts Leaving You Exhausted? You May Have an Adrenal Imbalance
• The 5 Most Beer-Friendly Cities in Americ
• 5 Great Pro-Quality Camera Phones
• Are You Too Old For Your Outfit?
• The Ultimate Weights-Free Workout

SEE ALSO: The Best Bags For Guys To Carry To Work

Join the conversation about this story »

Prospect Park's 585-acres constitute the heart of Brooklyn. From the undulating greens of the Long Meadow to the parks' sculpted water features, it is the perfect place to get lost in the wilderness, right in the middle of New York City.

It was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead and Calvert Vaux, who had just designed Central Park. While that park is revered around the world, Prospect Park is a considered by many landscape enthusiasts to be their masterpiece. 

Free from many of the geographical constraints and political interferences that hampered their design of Central Park, Olmstead and Vaux could design the park as they saw fit. 

We took a day trip to see how it fares in the fall. It turns out, even with the chilly weather, there isn't a better place to have a picnic and watch the leaves turn.

The main entrance to Prospect Park faces the stunning Grand Army Plaza's Soldiers' And Sailors' Arch. It is adjacent to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, the flagship Brooklyn Public Library, and the Brooklyn Museum.

When you walk past the entrance, you come onto the Long Meadow, a 90-acre field of rolling meadows that disappear into the horizon.

The Long Meadow is the perfect place to escape the city and go for a run. Many school sports teams come to Prospect Park to practice or warm up.

Glassdoor.com, a job review website, just released its 2013 Retail Report Card, ranking the top 10 retailers to work for.

The report looked at over 250 companies and ranked them according to which ones had the most positive employee reviews written on Glassdoor's online job review forum.

Employees judged their job experience — including the flexibility of work schedules, the stress of the job environment, and the ability to develop a career with the retailer — on a scale from one to five, with five representing the highest employee satisfaction.

Scott Dobroski, Glassdoor's corporate communications manager and job community expert, also said the top ten companies in the report represent some of the highest-paid jobs available in retail. Glassdoor calculated ratings to the thousandth decimal to break any ties.

10. H&M

Career opportunities rating: 3.4

What employees think: “H&M offers growth opportunities, both personally and professionally. The corporate culture has real meaning, and the benefits are good.” – H&M Store Manager

Source: Glassdoor

9. The Gap

Career opportunities rating: 3.4

What employees think: “Flexible hours, good pay, opportunity for getting a raise, rewards program, flexible hours, discounts at gap, gap outlet, old navy, and banana republic. It's definitely a good place to work especially for someone going to school because they have flexible hours. We also do community service type stuff a couple times a year.” – The Gap Sales Associate 

Source: Glassdoor

8. Nordstrom

Career opportunities rating: 3.5

What employees think: “Great people, good benefits, 401k options if you stay long enough, tons of room for advancement, focused on promoting from within, healthy competition, awesome commission-based earning for sales representatives.” – Nordstrom Seasonal Cashier (Brea, CA)

Source: Glassdoor

Wholesale retailer Costco has the most satisfied employees, according to the 2013 Retail Report Card generated by Glassdoor.com, an online job review forum.

"Costco really values their full time, but also part time employees," Scott Dobroski, the corporate communications manager and job community expert at Glassdoor, told Business Insider. "Employees of Costco talked about great benefits for part time employees, frequent breaks and getting time and a half to work Sundays."

One Illinois-based cashier wrote of her experience working for Costco: “Movement around departments, benefits for part-time employees, flexible schedule, given good amount of time for breaks, and co-workers are friendly."

The Retail Report Card looked at over 250 companies and based its rankings according to which ones won the most positive reviews by employees writing in Glassdoor's online forum. Employees judged their job experience — including the flexibility of work schedules, the stress of the job environment, and the ability to develop a career with the retailer — on a scale from one to five. Dobroski also said the rankings represent some of the highest-paid jobs available in retail.  

Clothing stores like Nordstrom, J. Crew, The Gap and H&M dominated the rankings for employee satisfaction after Costco.

"Their employees appear to get really deep discounts," Dobroski said. 

"With the holiday season approaching," he said, "people are signing up for seasonal retail employment, so it's especially helpful to know now where the best places to work are."

SEE ALSO: The 10 Best Retailers To Work For

Join the conversation about this story »

At the time of the Cold War, Russia had nothing that could shoot the U2 out of the sky. Even their MiG jets had a ceiling 10,000 feet below the U2's gliding altitude.

One pilot said they'd buzz around below him, "like angry bees."

When the U-2 "Dragon Lady" debuted in 1957 it was an astonishing piece of technological achievement.

Able to fly reconnaissance from more than 13-miles above the earth, gather data through all weather conditions any time of day or night, while staying beyond the reach of Soviet military — it was an unbelievable achievement.

(Special thanks to the guys at Airmen magazine for the great imagery.)

When you plan on scraping the edge of space, you have to wear a space suit

At it's top altitude, if the spy plane's engine went down, it could glide more than 250 miles

Pilots were required to keep the bird in a five knot speed window

Microsoft went all out for the reveal of the Xbox One.

It hosted two massive launch parties in both NYC and Los Angeles, California for fans who pre-ordered the consoles.

We headed over to the party at the Best Buy Theater in Times Square.

The setup was a gamer's dream. There were tens of consoles to play, multiple bars, and a live concert featuring Macklemore and Ryan Lewis.

It was an experience unlike any other.

We headed over to Times Square for the big Xbox One Launch party.

The party took place off of 7th Ave at the Best Buy Theater.

Fans who pre-ordered the next-gen console waited anxiously in line to enter.

It's almost turkey time.

Millions of Americans will soon be diving into the big bird, smothering it with gravy or cranberry sauce or both.

Many will also face the scornful stare of their vegetarian cousin, silently asking, "do you know how that turkey got here?"

We can assure you: You don't want to know.

From conception to carcass, here's the short, hellish life-cycle of some industry-produced turkeys.

Not the most romantic beginning...

Domestic turkeys aren't interested in sex, and even if they were, the size of their breasts would make it impossible.

To get around this problem, major turkey breeders rely on artificial breeding, which often takes place at separate artificial insemination facilities.

According to the Merck Veterinary Manual, the process involves "stimulating the copulatory organ by massaging the abdomen and the back over the testes... pushing the tail forward with one hand and, at the same time, using the thumb and forefinger of the same hand to 'milk' semen from the ducts of the organ."

Subsequently, the turkey semen is propelled into the oviduct via syringe. The semen produced by one male bird — a "tom"— can usually inseminate several hens.

Photo: Farm Sanctuary

Next, keep knocking up the same hen again and again...

As soon as a hen lays an egg — within one or two days — the breeders inseminate her again. She can keep this up for around 25 weeks, at which point she is "spent," says the National Turkey Federation.

Some breeders then ship off these hens to be processed for meat. Others take time to recondition the hen for another round of breeding.

The so-called "molting" (rehabilitation) of a turkey hen takes a leisurely 90 days, according to the NFT. Force-molting is much faster, however, and involves a 72-hour trauma in a completely dark room with no food or water, according to the Humane Society. This resets the hen, and she is ready to be knocked up again.

Then it's on to the hatchery

As soon as an egg hits the hay, inseminators ship it off to a separate facility for hatching.

At the hatchery, thousands of eggs are put in large incubators, set for high speed with bright lights and optimal heat and humidity, according to the Humane Society.

Turkey eggs hatch in less than a month.

I'm a fan of the HBO show Game of Thrones.

The show is set in the medieval-looking kingdom of Westeros.

In the frozen north beyond Westeros, there are hordes of barbarians called "wildlings."

To keep invading hordes out, ancient Westori built a giant wall spanning the country.

The concept is pretty fanciful.

Except it's based on reality.

More than 2,000 years ago, a man named Qin Shi Huang conquered several neighboring nations in what's now known as Asia.

To protect his new empire from the aggressive Xiongnu in the north, Qin Shi Huang decided to connect several ancient fortresses into a single gigantic wall.

Sixteen centuries later, Qin Shi Huang's wall still stood, having been rebuilt and buttressed over the years.

But the country he'd unified, now under new rulers was under siege. Again and again, huge masses of nomad warriors on horseback were riding down from the north and sacking cities. 

The rulers of the land decided to re-build the Wall. They built 25,000 watch towers along it. They stretched its length to 13,000 miles. 

These wall-builders were the Emperors of the Ming dynasty. Their wall was what we now know of as the Great Wall of China.

Good morning! The sun was up outside my room at the Kerry Hotel in Beijing.

That meant it was time to head downstairs to meet my tour.

After a short wait, they arrived.

The press days are over at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, and many wonderful new vehicles have been brought into the world.

More than 50 new cars made appearances at the show, as did some old classics and a few newcomers we've gotten to know over the past year.

For those who couldn't make the show — and those who are gearing up to attend but don't know where to start — we've rounded up the 26 coolest vehicles on display in Los Angeles this year.

From the final Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG to BMW's electric sports car to the Maserati for the masses, here's the best from this year's LA show.

The Macan is a special car for Porsche, representing the brand's first SUV. Maria Sharapova showed up on stage for extra dramatic effect.

Lexus took an already impressive IS 350, then added Brembro brakes, tons of fender flares, a custom suspension, and a custom paint job. The design won a DeviantArt contest, so it's dubbed the DeviantArt IS 350 F Sport.

We were bummed out to find the new WRX doesn't live up to the excitement Subaru built up with an awesome concept a few months ago. But it's still a WRX with a new turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, so we can't complain too much.

Every industry has its movers and shakers.

Men and women who, by virtue of their chutzpah and determination, built new companies, saved them from the brink of extinction, or forged new paths for others to follow.

To celebrate their creativity and bold innovation, we rounded up the business leaders who were major game-changers in tech, retail, entertainment, media, and finance this year.

Angela Ahrendts

CEO, Burberry (soon-to-be Retail Chief, Apple)

The CEO of Burberry will soon be leaving for the position of Retail Chief at Apple, but not before taking the luxury brand digital. Under Ahrendts' leadership, Burberry has built some incredibly tech-savvy retail stores where people can use their smartphones to learn more about a product.

On the brand side, Ahrendts, an American, turned Burberry from a label previously associated with stodgy outerwear to the biggest high-fashion brand in the U.K., worth an estimated $10.4 billion. 

All eyes are on her as she steps into her new role at Apple in 2014. Rumors that she'll be next in line for the CEO position have already started circulating.

Dan Akerson

CEO, General Motors

Cadillac has heavily renovated and created new versions of its ATS, XTS, and CTS sedans over the past two years, and the effort shows.

In May of this year, Cadillac sold 13,808 cars in the U.S.— a 40% increase from the year before. It's the fastest the brand has grown in nearly 40 years, according to a GM executive.

Akerson is credited with taking the Cadillac from being "Seinfeld's dad's car" to a luxury car maker on par with the likes of Audi and BMW.

Jeff Bezos

CEO, Amazon

Amazon is growing at breakneck speed. The e-commerce giant, which was once a two-dimensional book selling website, now sells nearly everything under the sun. And that may soon include cell phones.

Word has gotten out that Amazon has been working with HTC on a series of smartphones, one of which is in "an advanced stage of development,"a source tells the Financial Times. It's a different — and bigger — beast from making and selling Kindles, as now Amazon will have the support of service carriers behind them.

Amazon did $17.1 billion in net sales in the third quarter, with a 19% increase in active users.

Once again, Nick Saban is the highest-paid coach in college football.

While that may not be a surprise, some of the other names among the 25 highest-paid coaches may raise some eyebrows. As college football revenue continues to skyrocket, salaries for coaches continue to go up even at schools that are not traditional powerhouses.

USAToday.com has compiled the annual salary and outside income generated by most of the Division I college football programs (private schools are not obligated to release salary information for employees).

Here are the 25 highest-paid.

25. Steve Sarkisian, Washington — $2.58 million

Salary: $2,575,000

Other income: $0

Total Compensation: $2,575,000

24. Dana Holgorsen, West Virginia — $2.63 million

Salary: $2,630,000

Other income: $0

Total Compensation: $2,630,000

23. Dan Mullen, Mississippi State — $2.70 million

Salary: $2,700,000

Other income: $0

Total Compensation: $2,700,000

If you're a fan of witty t-shirts, you might already be obsessed with Threadless, a site that combines e-commerce with community.

Here's how Threadless works: Absolutely anyone can submit a shirt design that features absolutely anything. New designs are posted each week and the site's 2.5 million community members vote on which they like best. The most popular shirts get printed and the artist receives $2,000, $500 in Threadless gift cards, and royalties from the sales of their shirt. 

Check out some of the best techie shirts on Threadless>>

"We wanted to give artists an outlet to make the things that they were creating on their computers real," founder Jake Nickell told Business Insider. He and Jacob DeHart founded Threadless back in 2000 as a spin-off of an idea that Nickell had on a now-defunct web forum called Dreamless.

Nickell was working his way through art school at the time, after rejecting a full-ride for a computer engineering program. He was burned out on computers. After all, he had worked as a web developer since he was 15, a job he scored after teaching himself to code.

He discovered his love of art by ditching the glowing computer screen and picking up a paint can. He would create big, colorful graffiti around town in Crown Point, Indiana, where he lived. Once, his own dad called the cops on him.

He joined the web forum Dreamless because it combined his two passions: Art and technology. He started a thread where he asked fellow members to submit t-shirt designs, so he could print the best ones for the group to wear. Most of those first t-shirts were techie inside jokes but people were getting into it enough that he decided to build a website to host more user-submitted designs. He would sell the t-shirts for under $20.

The site grew bigger and bigger until eventually Nickell and partner DeHart needed to hire their first employee to help keep up with the demand. Nickell was a junior in college.

"I couldn’t see myself going to school and not being around to manage my company," he says. So he dropped out.

Today, Threadless sells millions of t-shirts per year. More than 1,000 designs are approved for voting each week. The t-shirts the company prints rarely flop because Nickell and his team have proof that people want them before they're made. The company now has about 80 employees.

"I still create code weekly," Nickell says. "I'm heavily, heavily involved in the design and development of the site."

The site has been live for 13 years, but Nickell doesn't want to stop innovating. He and his team have a few new features on the horizon and he's working on a way to refine Threadless's royalties model.

"Our road map right now has more going on than it has in a long time," he says.

This was one of the first 10 designs that Threadless ever printed.

Find it here. 

Designs can be of anything but a lot of members stick to the site's techie roots.

Find it here. 

Which means a lot of keyboard humor.

Find it here. 

Running a small business can be exceptionally rewarding, providing the opportunity to be your own boss and create jobs. But it's also incredibly difficult, and success or failure is yours to bear alone.

For a little insight and inspiration, we talked to several successful, highly motivated small business owners to find out how they make it work every day. 

Founders and business owners from around the U.S. shared their "secret weapon" that's helped them succeed. For some, it's a must-have technology. For others, it's a key management technique or a personal productivity hack. In all, it's the thing that sets them apart and gives them an edge.

Jordan Schau, CEO of Pure Fix Cycles, uses analytics tool SumAll.

Pure Fix is a Burbank, California-based producer of customizable bicycles. Schau says his secret weapon for business success is SumAll, a tool for small-business analytics.

It helps provide data on the impact of social networks like Facebook and Instagram, as well as analyzing the profit spread between wholesale and retail credit card purchases to see if customers were affected at all by a website relaunch.

"SumAll for us is simply a tool that helps us to quickly spot issues and make sure we are on the right track," said Schau. "It gives us immediate insights, which we can use to adjust our marketing tactics or implement other changes that help us serve our customers and grow our sales."

Charley Polachi, CEO of Polachi Access Executive Search, dictates his to-do lists.

Polachi has co-founded three different executive firms. His current business started in 2002.

His secret weapon is remarkably low-tech and helps keep him focused:

"When I drive to work or walk around Boston, you'll often see me speaking aloud," Polachi said. "And while many may look at it as if I'm speaking to myself, I'm actually using a dictating machine to create my 'to-do' items. Once in the office, I'll transcribe the list into a spiral notebook and prioritize the list."

He breaks the list into groups:

A. Must do, top priority

B. Hope to do, medium priority

C. If not done, no big deal, low priority

"This is a weapon I've been using for years," he says. "With the prevalence of smartphones, it's as easy as ever for someone to dictate notes and thoughts whenever necessary, but is still often overlooked. Being able to organize and prioritize the day is a skill most successful entrepreneurs exhibit."

Bobby Harris, CEO of BlueGrace Logistics, gives all employees access to the Twitter account.

BlueGrace, a Riverview, Fla.-based logistics franchise, has grown a whopping 394% since its founding in 2009. 

Harris, the founder and CEO, says his secret weapon is a culture that puts a premium on trust. He won't hire anyone he doesn't trust to access the company's files or social media accounts.

The active Twitter account is used by all employees and isn't monitored by leadership. Everyone in the office, including Harris, switch offices and cubicles with one another and leaves company information unlocked. At BlueGrace, Harris says employees are trusted to act like adults.

Thanksgiving cooking comes with its fair share of stressors.

From forgetting to buy the wine to burning the garage down when trying to deep-fry the turkey, lots of things could go wrong on the big day.

Have no fear — we’ve rounded up some tips and tricks to make this Thanksgiving run more smoothly.

Estimate 30 minutes of defrost time per pound of turkey. Let it thaw overnight in your garage to save precious fridge space for prepared side dishes.

Usually you would roast your turkey on a roasting rack, but there's a quick fix if you don't have one of those. Take a bunch of aluminum foil, roll it into a 3-foot snake, and then coil it into a swirl. Roast your turkey on top of the coil for a deliciously browned bird.

Cook white meat and dark meat separately so they're each done to perfection.

One of a professional's most important daily rituals is how and when they sleep, since this affects how well they perform on the job.

For people at the top, who often face intense pressure and packed schedules, sometimes these sleeping habits can be quite strange.

Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps, for instance, sleeps in a high altitude chamber which forces his body to work even while resting. Meanwhile, famed writer Charles Dickens always slept facing north, and inventor Nikola Tesla never slept for more than two hours a night.

Here's a look at the most bizarre sleeping habits of highly successful people.

Tom Cruise sleeps in a sound-proof 'snoratorium.'

Cruise's snores are apparently so bad, he sleeps in a sound-proof "snoratorium."

"Whoever uses the snoring room cannot be heard outside the locked door," an alleged visitor to the actor's house told the Daily Mail. "It's very small, comfortable and dark, maybe a former nursery."

Winston Churchill took a two-hour nap every day.

Every day at 5 p.m., the prime minister would drink a weak whisky and soda before taking a nap for nearly two hours. Churchill said this "siesta," or short nap, allowed him to get one and a half day's worth of work out of every 24 hours.

Churchill was known to be a night owl and would often work through the night. Due to his irregular sleep schedule, he was said to hold War Cabinet meetings in his bath.

Mariah Carey surrounds her bed with 20 humidifiers and needs 15 hours of shut-eye per night.

"I've got to sleep 15 hours to sing the way I want to,"Carey told Interview magazine in 2007. She also admitted to sleeping with 20 humidifiers around her bed.

"Basically, it's like sleeping in a steam room," she said.

When picking a college, a school's location can sometimes be just as important as its academics. 

The American Institute of Economic Research has released its latest College Destination Index, which compared college towns around the country based on their academic environment, quality of life, and professional opportunity. 

The index separated the destinations by population size. Here we've rounded up the best of the small college towns, all with a population under 250,000. We've included select statistics about each town; click here to see the full report.

#20 Waterloo, IA

This small town, home to Allen College and Hawkeye Community College, has a remarkably low cost of living, and new businesses are cropping up all of the time. The much larger University of Northern Iowa, enrollment 13,000, is located in neighboring Cedar Falls. 

Student concentration: 118.4 college students per 1,000 people

Average rent for 2-bedroom apartment: $635

Income per capita: $36,605

Source: American Institute for Economic Research

#19 Bloomington, IN

Indiana University's flagship campus and its more than 32,000 undergrads are located here, which could explain why more than 42% of the city's 25-34 year-old population have at least a bachelor's degree. 

Student concentration: 237.8 college students per 1,000 people

Average rent for 2-bedroom apartment: $747

Income per capita: $30,252

Source: American Institute for Economic Research

#18 Logan, UT

This mountain town, site of Utah State University, has the lowest average rent of all of the college towns on this list. Its 3.6% unemployment rate is also one of America's lowest. 

Student concentration: 145 college students per 1,000 people

Average rent for 2-bedroom apartment: $631

Income per capita: $26,872

Source: American Institute for Economic Research

In November 1975, singer John Lennon named close friend Elton John as the godfather of his son with Yoko Ono, Sean.

DoYouRemember digs into the archives to find a few other celebrity godfathers of some of Hollywood’s biggest star children.

Check out the surprising pairings >>

A Golden Glove winner and an E! Reality star

The Godfather: Sugar Ray Leonard

The Goddaughter: Khloé Kardashian

Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard was a close personal friend of Khloé’s dad, Robert Kardashian, and though he’s retired from the ring we’re willing to wager he’d K.O. anybody who messed with her. Take heed, Lamar.

The King of Pop and the Princess of the Simple Life

The Godfather: Michael Jackson

The Goddaughter: Nicole Richie

Nicole’s adopted dad, Lionel Richie, was one of music’s biggest stars in the 1980s, and he and Michael Jackson were pals who collaborated on the smash hit “We Are the World.”

A convicted murderer and the star of 'Lethal Weapon 2'

The Godfather: Reggie Kray

The Goddaughter: Patsy Kensit

The actress probably didn’t have many people bugging her growing up, given the fact that one of the most notorious gangsters in the history of London was her godfather.