• Bill Hader used the anxieties he had on "Saturday Night Live" to create the character for his HBO series, "Barry," about a hitman who wants to be an actor — though he's awful at acting.
• Hader said the biggest challenge was making a hitman show that didn't imitate classics in the genre like "Get Shorty" or "Grosse Pointe Blank."
• He also opened up about helping to voice the "Star Wars" character BB-8 (and if he's getting any residuals from the work) and working alongside Tom Cruise in "Tropic Thunder."

Since walking away as a “Saturday Night Live” cast member in 2013, Bill Hader has bounced around doing a bunch of things: showing off his dramatic chops in the indie “The Skeleton Twins,” playing the leading man in “Trainwreck,” doing a lot of voiceover work (“Inside Out,” “Sausage Party,” “The Angry Birds Movie,” “The BFG”), and contributing to the voice of BB-8 for “The Force Awakens.”

Now he’s returning to television for the HBO series, “Barry” (series premieres March 25), which he said was inspired by the years of anxiety he battled with while on "SNL."

Cocreating the series with Alec Berg (“Silicon Valley” executive producer), Hader plays the title character, a former Marine who is now a hitman completely burnt out and in a midlife crisis. While on a job in Los Angeles, Barry suddenly finds acceptance when he mistakenly becomes part of a local theater class while tailing his target. Now Barry has to try to find a way to continue his passion (acting) while continuing his day job as a hitman. The show also marks the first time Hader has ever directed, as he helmed the first three episodes.

Business Insider sat down with Hader last month to talk about how he channeled his fears on "SNL" — or, as he put it, "the thing that you're good at is destroying you" — into a creative way to tell a hitman story, if he has received any residuals for voicing BB-8, and what it was like watching Tom Cruise become Les Grossman on the set of “Tropic Thunder.”

Jason Guerrasio: Was it harder to convince HBO of the “Barry” storyline or that you could play a hitman convincingly?

Bill Hader: [Laughs] I think it was maybe both. To be honest, HBO was really open. They didn't need a lot of convincing. I had a meeting with them and said, "I want to do a show," and they said, "We'd love to do something with you." And they had seen “The Skeleton Twins,” and they liked my performance and saw that I wanted to branch out and do more than just sketch comedy. I think if Alec and I came in and pitched a broad comedy idea they wouldn't have been as interested. However, you say hitman and it conjures up images of a guy in a skinny tie with two 45s.

Guerrasio: “Grosse Pointe Blank.”

Hader: Exactly.

Guerrasio: But you take that idea of an outsider looking for a community and then bring in the whole arc of a guy dealing with a dead-end job. The kicker is, though, it just happens to be the job he hates is being a hitman.

Hader: That's exactly what it is. We thought what's the thing that we could relate to and just copy-paste hitman into it.

Guerrasio: So why a hitman?

Hader: I totally pulled it out of thin air, I'm going to be totally honest. Alec and I worked on an idea for a month and a half and it just wasn't jelling.

Guerrasio: What was that?

Hader: I can't remember, it was based on a guy I knew back home in Oklahoma and it was much more a weird guy in the Midwest. It was more in tune with the shows you see now that are led by comedians. This show is his daily life and daily struggles. And then we hit this place where it had no narrative pull, and I like things like that. Where each episode ends and you go, "What's going to happen next?" And it didn't have big stakes. That got us thinking, the biggest stakes are life and death. And I just said, "Well, why don't I play a hitman?" And Alec was like, "Ugh, I hate that word."

Guerrasio: But if it's Jason Statham saying, "Why don't I play a hitman?” it's like, seen that before, but you saying it makes things interesting.

Hader: Yeah, because I said, "It's me." I remember going to HBO saying, "OK, it's me as a hitman — but me." And they laughed and we pitched what essentially the pilot was, beat for beat. How art can heal a person. I love reading, I love music, to me these aren't recreational, they fulfill my life. So we made it as the thing this guy is good at is hurting him.

Guerrasio: And is it true the show also gave you an outlet to explore some of the anxieties you went through performing on "Saturday Night Live"?

Hader: 100%. That was the thing, at "SNL" the anxiety was so high. The longer I was on the show the better I was getting at the show but my anxiety didn't go down. It was actually going up. So, again, the thing that you're good at is destroying you.

Guerrasio: Did you throw any specific experiences you dealt with on "SNL" into "Barry"?

Hader: I do have a stage-fright thing, it's gotten better. That was in the pilot a little. The closest thing in the pilot is when Barry goes to the bar with the theater class. I remember when I first got to "SNL" I was suddenly getting to hang out with Amy Poehler and Seth Meyers and Rachel Dratch, and Tina Fey, and Chris Parnell, all these people that I admired. And I would be at a bar with them and I felt very out of place. I have to work with them and they are all geniuses and I don't feel equipped.

Guerrasio: You direct the first three episodes of the season, did that just happen by accident?

Hader: I wanted to direct. I said I wanted to direct the pilot and that was kind of a big thing. HBO came back and said, "We want to do this pilot," and I went, "Cool, I want to direct it." And they went, "Huh, well, have you directed before?" And I was. like, "No. But I've been on a lot of sets." And they were like, "Hmm." And I think the only reason they let me direct it was because Alec would be there and he's directed a ton of stuff for them. It was a thing I wanted to do my whole life. Before I wanted to be an actor. My heroes were all filmmakers. So getting a chance to do that was amazing.

Guerrasio: You've said you watched a lot of true crime shows and movies to prepare for this, was that for a visual style or story?

Hader: More story. It's so hard because you just don't want to make it a TV show about other TV shows or movies.

Guerrasio: You did not want to end up down the "Get Shorty" road.

Hader: Yeah. It's so easy to end up there. And that’s not to disparage Elmore Leonard or "Get Shorty.” I remember we were out in the desert shooting a scene and I turn to Alec and I go, "We're doing 'Breaking Bad' right now." And he's like, "Yeah, I was thinking about that." We're thinking, hitman that wants to be an actor, chemistry teacher who wants to be a drug dealer, we were like “Fu--! How did we not see this?" But, I love "Breaking Bad" so it seeps in no matter what.

Guerrasio: Gonna change it up a little before we’re done. Did you do any BB-8 stuff for "The Last Jedi"?

Hader: No, no, no. That was really funny. That is J.J. Abrams being a really nice guy. That is him saying, "Oh, I know you like Star Wars, do you want to come in and do the thing?" But anybody could do that, what I did. It's a Peter Frampton talk box with an app J.J. had.

Guerrasio: It must be nice to be in the mythology.

Hader: Yeah. I mean, I'm singing BB-8 pictures now.

Guerrasio: Is there such a thing as BB-8 residuals?

Hader: That's a good question, I should ask my business manager. [Laughs] You're finding out how bad I am at this. If my dad reads this he would lose his sh--. “You gotta know how much f---ing money you have, you moron!”

Guerrasio: [Laughs]

Hader: I mean, I would hope so. But that was just J.J. calling me up and saying 'Hey, man, you wanna come do this?' And I was like, sure. I did a voice initially, I tried it as a voice. And it didn't work. And I was like, “Well, there you go, it didn't work.” And months later, I mean, there were billboards already out for the movie, and he called again and was like, “You wanna try again?”

Guerrasio: I read once in an interview you did that you were kind of shocked to run into Tom Cruise at the premiere of "Tropic Thunder" because when you worked with him on the movie he was Les Grossman the whole time. Did you mean he was in character the whole time?

Hader: No. He wasn't Method or anything like that. It was just easy to talk to him because he was in that makeup. We're talking about "Risky Business" and I'm asking him questions about "Eyes Wide Shut" and he was so cool and so nice, but he was dressed as Les Grossman. But then seeing him at the premiere and he's like, "Hey, man" and I'm, like, "Jesus, you're Tom Cruise!" and I got star struck because I finally was next to him without makeup.

Guerrasio: Did you come up with any bits on the fly on set for Tom to do as Les?

Hader: No. That was him and [screenwriter] Justin Theroux and [director] Ben Stiller. I was off to the side. I was just laughing at it all. I would improvise little things. I was just always trying to get him to yell at me. I would come up with stupid things to get him to get mad. I basically did an impersonation of an executive from Paramount that me and Ben know. Ben just liked the energy of me being this weird, calm guy and Les being this raging dude. But I don't think you can do Les Grossman right now. [Laughs] You would be in jail. It just seems he was a dying breed and hopefully dying in prison. [Laughs]

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• Nike recently released its new 90/10 pack sneakers, which are unfinished Nike sneaker designs that customers can complete. 
• The idea is that Nike has done 90% of the design, and it's up to customers to finish the other 10%.
• They came in Huarache, Special Field Air Force 1 Hi, Air More Money, Vandal Hi Supreme, and Air Force 1 Low models, but they've since all sold out.
• It shows how Nike is embracing customization in sneaker culture.
• INSIDER recently got its customization on at an exclusive Nike event, where they were able to customize their Nike 90/10 sneakers in all kinds of fun ways.
• Glitter, paint, wacky laces, colorful swooshes — nothing was off limits.

SEE ALSO: Adidas is banking on the hottest trend in sportswear to defy the American curse that's haunting Nike and Under Armour

Join the conversation about this story »

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• Narcissists share certain key behaviors. 
• One of the most common traits associated with narcissists is a lack of empathy, as well as an inability to relate to the emotions of others. 
• While narcissists may appear to have an inflated sense of self-importance, this often stems from low self-esteem and insecurity. 

Sometimes it seems like we live in a world plagued by people with an inflated sense of self-importance — like that one Facebook friend who brags about every minute of her life, or the coworker who drones on and on about how wonderful he is.

But it can be hard to decipher whether these people simply lack self-awareness or if they suffer from a deeper problem, like narcissism.

Dr. Ramani Durvasula, a professor of psychology at California State University, Los Angeles and a licensed clinical psychologist, shares some of the qualities that might make you, or someone you know, a narcissist.

SEE ALSO: 5 tips for making a long-distance relationship work, according to relationship experts

You blame others for your problems

Durvasula says one common quality of narcissists is never taking ownership when they make mistakes. They will blame anyone they can instead of admitting their wrongdoing.

You've been told you lack empathy

This is often recognized as the hallmark quality of narcissists. People with narcissistic personality disorder are often incapable of relating to the feelings of others.

If you do something kind for someone, you expect endless thanks

When narcissists buy someone a gift, they expect an inappropriate amount of gratitude. This quality applies in the workplace, too. "Let's say they help you, mentor you or advance you," Durvasula says. "They will expect you to thank them and be grateful for that for the rest of your life."

• Skytrax released its annual list of the best airports in the world at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Stockholm, Sweden.
• Singapore's Changi International Airport took the top spot for the sixth year in a row.
• Airports from Asia swept the top five spots.
• No US airport placed in the top 25.

The consumer-aviation website Skytrax held its annual World Airport Awards ceremony on Wednesday at the Passenger Terminal Expo in Stockholm, Sweden.

For the sixth consecutive year, Singapore Changi International Airport took home the crown as the world's best airport. The facility is one of Southeast Asia's largest transit hubs and is a major cog in the city-state's bustling economy.

Airports from Asia dominated the top of the Skytrax rankings, sweeping the first five spots. European airports also performed well, with four in the top 10. Only one North American airport made it into the top 15. No US Airports made it into the top 25 with Denver International being the highest-ranked at 29. 

The Skytrax annual rankings are based on the impressions of nearly 14 million flyers from over 100 countries. More than 550 airports were included in the survey, which covers 39 service and performance parameters, including facility comfort, the location of bathrooms, and the language skills of the airport staff.

Here's a closer look at the other airports that made it to the top of the prestigious Skytrax list:

SEE ALSO: The 11 best and worst airlines in America

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15. Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport (TPE)

Yearly passengers: 34 million

Previous rank: 21

Why it's awesome: Located just outside of the Taiwanese capital of Taipei, Taoyuan International is the largest airport in Taiwan. The airport is the home base for both China Airlines and EVA Air.

Skytrax reviewers praised the airport for its polite service, clean environment, and speedy immigration lines. Taoyuan was also once home to Taiwan's aviation museum, but the museum was shut down earlier this year to make way for further airport expansion.

Source: Skytrax World Airport Awards. Yearly passenger figure is for 2014, provided by Taoyuan International Airport.

14. Vancouver International Airport (YVR)

Yearly passengers: 24.2 million

Previous rank: 13

Why it's great: Vancouver takes home the prize as the top-ranked airport in North America for the eighth year in a row, and for good reason. Customer reviewers on Skytrax cited YVR's friendly staff, high level of organization, and easy access to downtown Vancouver as some of the best things about the airport.

Vancouver International also boasts a floatplane terminal, as well as a sizable collection of art from the Pacific Northwest.

Source: Skytrax World Airport Awards. Yearly passenger figure is for 2017, provided by Vancouver International Airport.

13. Kansai International Airport (KIX)

Yearly passengers: 25.2 million

Previous rank: 12

Why it's awesome: Located on an artificial island in the Osaka Bay, Kansai International is a major hub for ANA and Japan Airlines.

Reviewers on Skytrax praised Kansai for its modern architecture, clean facilities, and helpful staff. The airport also boasts a Sky View observation deck that affords passengers spectacular views of incoming and outgoing flights.

Source: Skytrax World Airport Awards. Yearly passenger figure is for 2016, provided by Kansai International Airport.

• I regularly spend $800 per week on food and drink, about half my income.
• Living in Seattle gives me access to great markets and restaurants; food is my greatest passion.
• I'm remaining anonymous for privacy reasons.

I know, I know. I spend way too much on food and going out. The thing is, I love food, live alone, and work from home, so I need few excuses to entertain or go out. This social being needs human interaction — preferably over food and drink.

I live in Seattle and make $1,640 weekly, pretax. I freelance on the side, but that income varies greatly. The rent for my one-bedroom apartment is $1,425 a month, plus utilities. Other monthly expenses include my dog ($100), Pilates ($160), cellphone ($80), internet ($80), and occasional travel.

I steer clear of caffeine, so I don’t have a daily Starbucks fix. Water is my beverage of choice, sometimes carbonated courtesy of my SodaStream. Booze is my runner-up, and I admittedly spend big money to drink well.

I got rid of my wheels several years ago, and my company provides a transit pass, so I don’t have to worry about that expense. Also, I’m not a big shopper, nor into acquiring “stuff,” so my retail expenses are minimal.

A big chunk of my income goes to shared experiences, so what my savings lacks in zeros my quality of life makes up for in spades. Here’s what I spend on food, drinks, groceries, and dining out in a typical week. Totals include 9.6% sales tax where applicable.

Friday

Breakfast

I have a work hard/play hard attitude toward life. I don’t diet, but try to squeeze in healthy meals where I can. The Green Dream smoothie atPCC Natural Markets ($5.99), the community co-op that’s one block from my apartment, gives me the energy boost I need to start the day.

(Total: $6.57)

Lunch

I don’t work until 1 p.m. on Fridays, so I’ll frequently take myself out for lunch before starting my shift. One of my favorite go-tos is the Columbia City Ale House. Their Reuben ($14.95) is to die for, especially when paired with one of the brew pub’s many selections. I’m partial to the Hales Kolsch ($6.75).

Total (with $5.00 tip): = $28.89

Groceries

I made a post-work repeat appearance at PCC to pick up beer and fruit garnishes for cocktails for the weekend. Think: Negronis, my cocktail of choice.

12-pack of Aslan Light Lager ($19.50), organic Meyer lemon ($1.30), organic heirloom orange ($1.17), organic Anjou pear ($1.91)

Total: $23.88

Dinner

My boyfriend came over and we decided to check out the neighborhood newcomer, Bua 9 Thai. We ordered take-out gyoza, Pad Thai, and a luscious green curry with chicken that didn’t disappoint.

Total (with $5.00 tip): $37.50

Saturday

Brunch

I had a bunch of freelance work on my plate for the day, but a dear friend had just returned from a work trip to Thailand and had eschewed yoga in lieu of day drinking. We met at Super Six for brunch, where I indulged in the “Big Blue” Benny ($14) and a Super Michelada ($6).

Total (with $5.00 tip): $26.92

Dinner

Still full from brunch, I decided to go light for dinner and hit the salad bar, at yep, you guessed it, PCC. (I jokingly refer to it as my pantry, since it’s commonly a three times a day habit.)

Total: $8.99

Sunday

Brunch

It’s a known fact that I make the best breakfast sandwich on the planet. It costs waaay more than an Egg McMuffin, but is seriously so darn delicious. My boyfriend regularly comes over to indulge in breakfast sandwich brunch, complete with mimosas.

English muffins ($3.19), eggs ($3.89), Tillamook cheddar cheese ($5.99), arugula ($3.99), Mama Lil’s peppers ($7.99), Karam’s Original garlic sauce ($12.99), pound of black forest bacon ($7.99), two bottles of Prosecco (2 at $10 = $20), organic grapefruit juice ($7.99)

Total: $82.19

Lunch

I unapologetically love cheese. And although I love the Pacific Northwest, not a day goes by when I don’t long for the heirloom tomatoes I had living on the Central Coast of California. Whenever I can get my hands on a good-enough tomato, I turn into a caprese salad. So simple, so good.

Heirloom tomatoes ($6.82), whole milk mozzarella ($5.99) and basil ($4.99)

(I had olive oil and balsamic vinegar on hand)

Total: $19.51

Dinner

Chef Joel DeBilzan puts together themed Sunday feasts at Seafood Feast at Tavolàta. The Seafood Feast was off-the-hook featuring all of the Pacific Northwest’s finest from spot prawns to King salmon, Total knockout of an 11-course tasting menu!

$120.00 + Manhattan ($11), glass of La Spinetta Vermentino ($15) + 20% service charge

Total: $160.80

• Season two of the Netflix comedy "Santa Clarita Diet" is available on Friday.
• The show stars Drew Barrymore as a suburban realtor and mom who becomes a zombie. 
• Season one was fun, but a bit of a mess, and the show vastly improves in season two.

Want to watch Drew Barrymore eat people? You've come to the right place. 

Netflix's "Santa Clarita Diet" isn't for everyone. It's a quirky, violent, and weird satire of the zombie genre and of American suburban life. But it's improved a lot in season two, and is definitely worth giving a shot.

The "Santa Clarita Diet," created by Victor Fresco ("Better Off Ted," "My Name is Earl"), debuted its first season on Netflix last year, and season two became available Friday. 

The show centers on a suburban family in Santa Clarita, California. Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant play Sheila and Joel Hammond, husband and wife real-estate agents with a teenage daughter. They live a standard, bland suburban life until one day, Sheila dies and is reborn as a zombie. Sheila's condition makes her more impulsive: She's more honest, aggressive, and her truest self — which helps her marriage with Joel.

But it also creates problems.

At first, she can eat raw meat and animals. But then her diet progresses to the point where she has to eat people to survive. 

Sheila and Joel, with the help of their daughter and their neighbor, try to figure out what happened to Sheila and why. And they also try to figure out who Sheila can eat to survive. She needs fresh human flesh, so she can't just take bodies from the morgue.

In an effort to murder but remain good people, Sheila and Joel try to only kill people who are bad. In season two, they come across a Nazi who is on a Nazi softball team. Sheila is convinced that's the perfect target for a surplus of food. 

While season one was a bit of a mess, it was still enjoyable. In season two, the show's found its footing and adds some hilarious and surprising twists to the narrative and characters. Barrymore and Olyphant's chemistry drives the show at this point, but the lore behind Sheila's condition, and the social satire at the show's heart, come together in a way that feels more natural than season one. 

Here's the trailer for "Santa Clarita Diet" season 2, out on Netflix now:

SEE ALSO: 5 comedians Netflix has paid insane amounts of money — including $40 million to Ricky Gervais

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• Toys R Us' clearance sales have begun. 
• Customers are complaining on social media that the discounts aren't living up to expectations. 
• The discounts are expected to increase in the coming weeks as the stores clear inventory.

Toys R Us is now running its going-out-of-business sales, but customers are already complaining that its discounts aren't living up to expectations. 

After Thursday's disappointing announcement that sales had been postponed, Toys R Us customers dashed to stores early Friday morning to shop the delayed going-out-of-business sales. 

The company posted a more cautious announcement on its liquidation information site, saying that it was "expecting" sales to start at all of its 735 stores on Friday; 170 stores already started sales in January.

Toys R Us did not confirm to Business Insider whether all 735 stores went on sale on Friday. A sales assistant at its Greenville, South Carolina, store told Business Insider that the sale had started there. Dozens of shoppers have also confirmed on social media that other locations are on sale. 

But after all the build-up, some are walking away disappointed. 

"Toys R Us so damn expensive even with a discount no wonder it's closing," on Twitter user wrote.

"ToysRUs sale is a bit of a let down. Whole store is 'up to 30% off' I don't think I saw a single area that was tagged higher than 10% off, though. Also the board game I wanted was already gone," another Twitter user wrote.

A sales assistant from the Greenville store told Business Insider that the discounts would start at 10%. These will increase in the coming weeks as the store tries to clear inventory, so it could pay off to wait before heading out on a shopping spree there.

Once all the inventory is cleared, these stores will close, so you'll want to time your visit for right before the stores run out of stock.

Customers are now complaining that even in its sales, Toys R Us is not competing with rivals on price. 

In a bankruptcy filing earlier this month, Toys R Us blamed Target, Walmart, and Amazon for its demise, claiming that these retailers created the "perfect storm" to kill off the chain after cutting prices on toys during the holiday season. Toys R Us said it could not offer such low prices because it relies exclusively on toys for profit.

More on Toys R Us' demise:

• Here's why Toys R Us couldn't be saved
• Toys R Us owes pregnant women a ton of money — and it's refusing to pay up
• We visited a Babies R Us store that's about to shut down — and it was a mess
• Toys R Us reveals closing dates for liquidating stores — and clearance sales will start this week
• Toys R Us gift cards will expire in 30 days
• These companies will be the biggest winners when Toys R Us closes its stores
• We visited one of the last Toys R Us stores to open — here's what it looked like
• Toys R Us fans are lamenting the death of the store — take a look back at what it was like in its heyday
• Toys R Us is closing stores across America — and analysts say Target is perfectly poised to pick up the pieces
• Chaos ensues as eager customers show up to Toys R Us clearance sales only to find they've been postponed with no warning
• A billionaire toy exec started a GoFundMe to bring Toys R Us back from the brink of death — and he's pledging $200 million

SEE ALSO: Chaos ensues as eager customers show up to Toys R Us clearance sales only to find they've been postponed with no warning

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After shortness of breath from climbing the stairs at home, Rich Roll, author of Finding Ultra, decided to completely change his lifestyle. Dropping 60 lbs in 6 months, this out-of-shape dad became an ultra-endurance athlete at 39. Following is a transcript of the video.

Rich Roll: Ultra-endurance sports didn't just change me physically, they actually gave me a brand new life. Throughout my 30s, I was climbing the corporate ladder, very intent on achieving the traditional idea of the American dream. But deep down inside, I started to question this path that I was on.

For well over a decade, I really hadn't been taking care of myself. I had become a junk food addict, I was 50 pounds overweight, kind of semi-depressed, and shortly before I turned 40, I was climbing up a simple flight of stairs to go to bed one evening, and I had to pause halfway. I was winded, I was out of breath, I had tightness in my chest, and it was a very specific moment in time in which I realized that not only that I needed to change my lifestyle habits but that I had the willingness that I truly wanted to.

I realized that vague ideas of eating better or working out a little bit or going to the gym weren't really going to work for me. I needed something specific, something definitive. I'd played around with a bunch of different diets, to no avail, and I sort of attempted this experiment in plant-based eating as kind of the last thing that I hadn't explored. And I didn't have a big expectation that it would make a big difference, but within about seven to 10 days of eating nothing but plants, nothing with a mother, nothing with a face, I experienced this extraordinary thing, like I had this resurgence in vitality, my mental acuity improved, my sleep improved, I had this sense of well-being and energy that I hadn't really felt since I was a teenager. And I didn't really know what I was doing, but I knew in that moment that I was onto something.

And it started getting me thinking about human potential and my own potential, because if I could make such a simple, basic shift and experience such a dramatic result, where were there other untapped reservoirs of potential that I could explore? And that's what got me interested, ultimately, in the world of ultra-endurance sports.

At the peak of training, I would say I was training about 25 hours a week, so it was really almost a second job, and at the time, I was still a practicing attorney, I have four kids, I'm busy doing a lot of things, and in order to make the time that was required to appropriately prepare for this race, I had to make some significant cuts and really look hard and fast at how I was spending my time on a day-to-day basis. I had to get rid of late-night television and sort of business meetings that could be pushed to a conference call or an email chain to free up the time that was required so I could show up at the starting line and know in my heart of hearts that I could complete this race.

I started training, which really connected me with myself in a very profound way, and to the surprise of myself and many other people, I ended up showing some prowess in this field and ended up competing at a very high level, specifically a race called Ultraman, which is a double Ironman distance triathlon. Over the course of three days, it completely circumnavigates the entire big island of Hawaii.

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• Brits and Americans might speak the same language, but there are plenty of British words, phrases, and slang that mean something totally different in America.
• These differences can cause embarrassment or even get you into trouble. If you ask a British woman about her pants, for example, she'll assume you're asking about her underwear, not her trousers.
• Brush up on these British words, phrases, and slang that mean something completely different in America to avoid any trouble down the road.

It's been said that England and America are two countries divided by a common language.

Different words, different pronunciations, and different spellings have created two distinct separations in the English language: British English and American English.

Words, phrases, and slang that mean one thing in the UK often mean a totally different thing in the US – and vice versa.

As a British expat living in New York, I can tell you with absolute certainty that there's nothing worse than saying something to an American and being met with a blank stare or a stifled giggle. I'm ashamed to admit that I've accidentally ordered a doughy, cheesy, savory "biscuit" instead of a cookie more than once.

Here are some common British words, phrases, and slang that mean something entirely different across the pond in America:

SEE ALSO: 6 major differences between how Americans and Brits work

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Pants

Don't ask a British person about their pants. You'll get a very funny look, and maybe even a slap round the face, because you'll be inquiring about their underwear and not their trousers.

How we'd say it in Britain: "When you get dressed you put your pants on first, then your trousers."

Jumper

In Britain, a jumper isn't a sleeveless dress worn as part of a school uniform — we'd call that a pinafore dress in the UK.

What we call a jumper in Britain is a cozy, knitted pullover you'd put on when it's cold out, or as it's known in America: a sweater.

How we'd say it in Britain: "Can you pass me my jumper? I'm freezing."

Football

We're talking about the game that made David Beckham famous. The one where your kick a ball with your foot. Not the game where you throw a ball and catch it in your hands, with the occasional kick thrown in for good measure – that game has no business being called football.

How we'd say it in Britain: "David Beckham was one of the best football players to ever play the game."

• Sugary drinks could be more dangerous for your health than sweet snacks.
• Researchers studied the death records of more than 17,000 American adults and found a link between drinking sweet beverages and dying early.
• They didn't establish the same deadly link in sugary foods, suggesting there's something extra potent about drinking your sugar. 

Drinking a lot of sugary coffee, tea, soda, or juice could be increasing your risk of an early death.

That's the finding of a groundbreaking study of over 17,000 Americans above the age of 45. The researchers behind the yet-to-be-published study found that over the course of six years, people who slurped more sugary drinks were more likely to die than those who sip unsweetened beverages. 

In fact, the results suggested that the more sugar a person drinks, the greater their chance of death.

Adults who guzzled at least 24 ounces of sugary beverages per day had twice the risk of dying from coronary heart disease compared to those who drank less than one ounce. Sugary-drink lovers also increased their risk of what the study called "all cause" mortality — an indication that drinking sugar might be deadly in a bunch of different ways. 

The study authors pointed out, however, that their finding doesn't establish cause and effect — since they were only observing trends, they can't say for sure that consuming more sugary drinks directly causes people to die. But there is a clear link between early death and the liquid sugar in sodas, decadent Frappuccinos, and fruit juice.

Interestingly, the study did not establish the same link for sweet foods — people who ate more of those were not found to have an increased risk of death. That suggests there may be something especially toxic about drinking something sugary.

What drinking sugar does to your body

Study author Jean Welsh told Business Insider that there's a scientific reason why sugary drinks are more potent than solid sweet foods.

"It's basically sugar and water, and no protein or fat to counteract that metabolism," Welsh said.

When we drink in sugar, fructose rushes into the liver, unabated by other nutrients like fiber that slow our digestion and help us feel full and satiated. 

"There's some pretty good evidence that when we drink liquid calories, like in sugary beverages, we don't eat less food as a result," Welsh said.

That's why drinking fruit juice is worse for you than eating a whole fruit: juicing strips the fruit of its fibers and most nutrient-dense parts, which leads the sugary liquid to temporarily raise your blood sugar, setting you up for a crash and leaving you hungry later. 

The US' sugar-drinking problem

Estimates suggest that American children and adults drink in around 7% of their daily calories from sweet beverages. 

Even though people in the US have cut back on the amount of soda they once drank, the number of calories we consume from sugar has been flat-lining in recent years, Welsh said. That's because sugar lurks in lots of other types of beverages, including fizzy kombuchas, coconut waters, sports drinks, and flavored vitamin elixirs. 

Most people probably don't understand how much sugar they're really drinking: a recent study of over 300 children and parents found that an overwhelming majority of moms and dads routinely underestimate how much sugar they're giving their children. That puts their kids at greater risk for becoming overweight.

The first step toward helping Americans be healthier, Welsh said, is simply developing a savvier understanding of how much sugar we're drinking day to day.

"We just have to be aware that it's a lot of calories that don't provide us with other nutrients," she said. "A little bit is great, but a lot could be a problem." 

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• San Francisco's metropolitan area lost more residents than it attracted between 2016 and 2017, according to US census data.
• People are leaving San Francisco because of the out-of-control housing prices. The city's median-priced home now costs $1.5 million.
• The nation's tech capital risks losing talent if they can't afford to live there.

People are leaving San Francisco because, as they say, the rent is too damn high.

US census data shows the region that includes San Francisco, Oakland, and Hayward — a city in the East Bay that offers a quicker commute to Silicon Valley — lost more residents than it attracted between 2016 and 2017. And the migration is worsening in the Bay Area's urban core.

The Wall Street Journal reported that in the year ending July 1, census data shows the area had a net loss of almost 24,000 residents who moved into other parts of California or the US.

The San Francisco-Oakland-Hayward metropolitan area lost only half that many residents the year prior. As recently as 2013 – 2014, the region saw net annual gains of about 15,000 people.

A critical lack of affordable housing and sky-high rent prices have made the San Francisco Bay Area unlivable for many artists, artisans, longtime residents, and even tech entrepreneurs.

The median-priced home in San Francisco sells for $1.5 million, according to Paragon Real Estate Group. It's not uncommon for buyers to bid hundreds of thousands above asking and pay in all cash.

The situation has forced many to rent longer than they would like. In March, San Francisco's median two-bedroom rent of $3,040 was about two and a half times as high as the national average. Still, people are finding ways to make it work. They cram into communal housing, or "co-living" units, that offer perks like maid service and free internet in lieu of space. Some give up their internet, cable, and cars, while others take home wherever they go by living in vans.

The housing crisis could put Silicon Valley at risk

The San Francisco Bay Area, recognized as a global hub of tech finance and innovation, may be at risk of losing top tech workers if they can't afford to live there, even on six-figure salaries.

A recent report from Paragon Real Estate Group showed that the household income required to buy a median-priced home in San Francisco reached an all-time high of $303,000 in December.

Katherine Maher, executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, which is based in San Francisco, responded to the report on Twitter, saying: "As a non-profit employer, I cannot see how we reconcile this with a future for our organization in San Francisco."

She added: "Our local employees, particularly the younger ones, struggle to make ends meet. They leave when they start families. How can we be an equitable employer when only those who can afford to work for us, do?"

Brian Brennan, senior vice president at the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, told the Wall Street Journal that while the area's high-paying jobs and lifestyle still bring tech workers to the Bay Area, "it is hard to get the best talent outside of this region to come here and stay here."

SEE ALSO: All the crazy things happening in San Francisco because of its out-of-control housing prices

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• In Florida, there's a candy-themed Airbnb available to rent.
• The Sweet Escape House has a massive ice-cream cone shaped swimming pool, candy-themed rooms, and a life-size outdoor Candy Land board game replica.
• Rates to rent out The Sweet Escape House start at $1,104, and the home can sleep up to 54 guests.
• Watch the full INSIDER video of The Sweet Escape House below.

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• Amy Seimetz, the director of this week's episode of "Atlanta," explains coming up with the episode's most bizarre scene.
• She teases episode 7 of this season, which she also directed, titled "Champagne Papi" — yes, it's definitely a reference to Drake, she said.

Warning: Spoilers ahead if you haven’t seen the “Helen” episode of season 2 of “Atlanta.”

There was a lot to digest in this week’s episode of “Atlanta.”

Titled “Helen,” Earn (Donald Glover) and Van (Zazie Beetz) take a trip to Helen, Georgia, for a Fastnacht party (think Oktoberfest meets Halloween). And along with navigating the bizarre costumes and strange games, we also see that Earn and Van’s relationship is on shaky ground. The episode ends with the two parting ways.

“Helen” marks only the second time in two seasons of “Atlanta” that an episode was directed by someone other than Glover or Hiro Murai. Amy Seimetz (“The Girlfriend Experience”) was brought on to helm, and admitted she was hesitant at first to take on the job.

“It is one of my favorite shows and I Skyped with Donald and Hiro and I told them, 'I just want to make sure that you guys know I don't know how to direct someone else's script so there's going to be a lot of learning from my mistakes.’ And they were like, 'That's what we do, we don't know how to direct TV either,’” Seimetz recalled to Business Insider. “So as soon as they said that I was game to do it.”

First starting out her career as an actress (she was last seen in “Alien: Covenant”), Seimetz has created a impressive filmography behind the camera with her feature film “Sun Don’t Shine” and directing two seasons of “The Girlfriend Experience,” all of which she wrote or co-wrote.

Coming on “Atlanta,” Seimetz was relieved to find that she was given little restriction on what she could do. She said a big reason for that was the need for a female point-of-view, as the “Helen” episode is one of the rare times in the series when the focus is on the Van character.

“We haven’t gotten to see her internal struggle with Earn, what she’s going through while he’s trying to make Paper Boy a thing,” she said. “I think they wanted a woman to tackle that.”

It also helped that Seimetz had an emotional connection to Helen, Georgia. “10 years ago I had a breakup with my boyfriend in Helen,” she said.

But other than that incredible coincidence, she said she didn't recall Helen being as bizarre as the episode depicts it.

Along with the strange costumes everyone's wearing, at one point Earn and Van are sitting in a circle playing a game that involves two tennis balls being passed around and everyone trying to bounce the ball into two jars in the center of the circle. Puzzled by the game, Earn ends up with both balls and then just gets up from his seat and places the balls into the cartons. Everyone is in awe at what he did and he wins the game.

“That was completely made up,” Seimetz said of the game. “Donald told me he was watching some YouTube video of a Swedish game and he just couldn't figure out what the f--- they were doing. He thought it was just the whitest game that you could ever play. He said, 'When we make it up it needs to be that no one knows what's going on.’”

So on the day of shooting, Seimetz and Glover tried to explain the game to the cast. “People were like, 'I don't get the goal of the game,' and we were like, ‘We don't either, we just made it up right now!’ I still have no idea why Earn won the game.”

Seimetz’s work will be seen later this season on “Atlanta” in episode seven titled “Champagne Papi.” She said this episode will focus on Van and her friends having a girls night out on the town.

And is the title of the episode a reference to Drake, whose Instagram account is named that?

“It definitely is a Drake reference,” she said. “But the less you know about it the better.”

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• The Taedonggang beer shop is in Pyongyang, North Korea.
• The bar is named after North Korea's locally brewed beer, Taedonggang.
• There are no chairs or stools inside the bar.
• Watch the full INSIDER video on the Taedonggang beer shop, below.  

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• Cool jobs are out there.
• How would you like to run a space-themed hostel, where guests bunk in glowing, futuristic pods?
• Well, that's exactly what Met A Space Pod owners Mavis Li and Justin Tang do in Singapore.
• Looking to work in the great outdoors?
• Nick Drader leads kayaking adventures and other tours across stunning Canadian glaciers.
• Martina Schuhmann puts her artistic and crafting skills to work in order to create unique rugs.
• Her creations look like they're made of smooth stones, but they are actually super soft felt.
• Meanwhile, art conservationist Julian Baumgartner transforms old and damaged paintings.
• He gives the works a second life, retouching tears and wiping away dingy varnish.
• Check out more cool jobs in action below.

SEE ALSO: From mermaids to treasure hunters, inside 6 incredible jobs most people would never think of pursuing

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• Costco's food court has attracted many fans.
• Some of the Costco food court's biggest fans may be the employees themselves.
• Some employees say you don't even need to be a store member to grab a hot dog or a slice of pizza at Costco's food court.
• The chain deliberately keeps prices low to better customers' shopping experiences.

Costco food courts have a bit of a cult following.

The retail chain is well-known for hawking cheap eats you can grab once you wrap up your shopping spree. But these food courts aren't just some tacked-on idea to help the store make a quick buck. They're kind of a big deal. In fact, in the pizza business, Costco is actually the 14th-largest pizza chain in the US.

If you're looking to grab something tasty and cheap, it's definitely a good option.

Costco employees have shared a number of tips that can help you make the most of your food court visit.

Here are a few things you should know before you visit Costco's food court:

SEE ALSO: 11 insider facts about shopping at Costco only employees know

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You don't always need a membership to shop there

A standard Costco membership, which costs $60 a year, can help a customer rack up huge savings.

But you don't necessarily need one to grab a bite to eat at the chain. Non-members also have a chance to swing by the food court, Business Insider's Jessica Tyler reported.

On Reddit, Costco employees said that, while the food courts are supposed to be members-only, the rule is rarely enforced in some stores.

"When I was a greeter, we didn't care," wrote one Costco employee in a Reddit AMA. "A couple years later they changed it to require a membership. I think we're being lenient again."

The employee went on to say that the debate over whether or not to serve non-members comes down to whether the food court is a "service" for existing members or a "money-maker" that could help attract new members.

The food is incredibly cheap but still delicious — and yes, employees eat it

You get a ton of bang for your buck at Costco food courts.

A hot dog and a beverage will cost you $1.50. A giant slice of pizza goes for $1.99, and a full pie is $9.95.

When Business Insider's Hollis Johnson visited a Costco food court in Brooklyn, he ordered practically everything on the menu. The whole smorgasbord came out to just over $25.

And, what's more, the food's pretty good, considering the deal.

"Costco's pizzas are pretty incredible considering the price," Costco worker Stefan Winter wrote on Quora. "Crust is yummy, toppings are good quality, what's not to love?"

There are more great options other than the pizza or hot dog, and some depend on where you live

While Costco's pizza and hot dogs might be the chain's most famous selections, there are a number of other options, too.

BBQ brisket sandwich, turkey-and-provolone sandwiches, a "confusing yet delicious" chicken bake, and massive churros are all on the menu, too.

Regional and temporary menu items also include poutine, clam chowder, piña colada-flavored smoothies, and fries.

Former Costco employee Robert Lu wrote on Quora that he typically hits up the store's food court during his lunch break. His favorite menu staple was the $1.99 slice of combo pizza, followed by gelato.

"Regardless of what you eat as the 'main course', the pistachio gelato — or any gelato — is to die for," he wrote.

• Summit, a socially conscious entrepreneurial collective, bought a mountain in Utah in 2013 for $40 million.
• The community is known for its progressive events with leaders at the forefront of their respective industries making up the attendee list.
• Summit has begun building 28 houses on Powder Mountain as a first step toward providing a more permanent location for its followers.

On Utah's Powder Mountain, you'll find some of the world's most influential individuals on what has been dubbed "the utopia of the millennial elite."

The socially conscious entrepreneurial community Summit, founded in 2008, purchased the mountain for $40 million in 2013, adding it to its repertoire of elite meeting grounds.

The collective is known for hosting gatherings designed to cultivate the biggest and brightest ideas of the millennial generation by bringing together leaders at the forefront of their respective industries. Richard Branson and Sophia Bush count themselves among the Summit clan, and anyone wanting to join must go through an application process beforehand.

Summit, which has been described as a mix of Ted Talks and Burning Man, is taking its progressive programming to the slopes. According to a report published in The Guardian, Summit's founders envision that the mountain will bring together its community members in a more permanent settlement. 

Powder Mountain is still under construction, but these photos give us an early peak inside the Utah utopia. Take a look.

SEE ALSO: Silicon Valley loves Burning Man and these tech executives are no exception

Welcome to Powder Mountain.

It's the largest skiable resort by acreage in the United States.

Source: PowderMountain.com

The closest city is Eden, Utah, at seven miles away. Salt Lake City sits 55 miles south.

• Taylor Swift announced in an Instagram post on Friday that she had donated to the March For Our Lives campaign started by the student activists of the Parkland school shooting.
• Swift, who has largely abstained from sharing her political views in the past, shared in the post that she supports gun-control reform. 
• She joins a growing list of celebrities who have spoken out in support of gun control and the Parkland student activists.

Taylor Swift took to Instagram on Friday to share her support for gun-control reform.

The pop singer, who has largely abstained from sharing her political views in the past, announced in the post that she had donated to the March for Our Lives campaign started by student activists in the wake of the Parkland school shooting last month. 

"No one should have to go to school in fear of gun violence. Or to a nightclub. Or to a concert. Or to a movie theater. Or to their place of worship," Swift wrote in the post.

"I’ve made a donation to show my support for the students, for the March For Our Lives campaign, for everyone affected by these tragedies, and to support gun reform," she continued. "I’m so moved by the Parkland High School students, faculty, by all families and friends of victims who have spoken out, trying to prevent this from happening again."

Swift follows a number of celebrities who have publicly expressed their support for the activism of the Parkland students in the wake of the shooting.

This week, Bill Murray wrote an op-ed for NBC News Think comparing the Parkland students to the students who helped end the Vietnam War. George Clooney wrote a letter to the Parkland students, saying that their activism made him "proud of my country again."

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Eastern Europe offers some of the cheapest holiday destinations on the continent, according to the 10th annual City Costs Barometer from Post Office Travel Money— and they're also pretty stunning.

Using price estimates from National and Regional Tourist Offices and average accommodation costs from Hotels.com, the Post Office City Costs Barometer 2018 looked at the total cost of a weekend trip to 36 cities in Europe to determine which ones offer the best value for money.

Along with the average cost of two nights of accommodation for two adults in a three-star hotel, in order to come up with the total cost, the study looked at the average price of typical tourist items, including: a three-course meal for two with a bottle of house wine, a cup of coffee, a coca-cola, a beer, and a glass of wine, a return bus or train transfer from the airport to the city, a 48-hour city travel card, a sightseeing tour, and a visit to a leading museum, a gallery, and a heritage attraction.

The cheapest destination came in at a highly affordable £164.80 ($232.62) for the entire weekend, while the second cheapest was close behind at £165.53 ($233.65).

Scroll down to see the 19 cheapest holiday destinations in Europe, ranked in ascending order by the total cost of a two-night trip, along with the average cost of some typical tourist items.

SEE ALSO: 25 under-the-radar places in Latin America to visit in your lifetime, according to the world’s top travel experts

SEE ALSO: The 13 cheapest holiday destinations in the world for couples

19. Palma, Majorca — £283.45 ($400.10).

Cup of coffee: £1.81

Bottle of beer: £2.72

Three-course meal for two with a bottle of house wine: £48.33

Return bus or train transfer from airport to city centre: £9.05

48-hour travel card: £9.05

Two nights' three-star weekend accommodation for two: £179.00

18. Berlin, Germany — £282.22 ($398.37).

Cup of coffee: £2.90

Bottle of beer: £2.26

Three-course meal for two with a bottle of house wine: £95.04

Return bus or train transfer from airport to city centre: £5.07

48-hour travel card: £12.67

Two nights' three-star weekend accommodation for two: £124.00

17. Rome, Italy — £281.86 ($397.86).

Cup of coffee: £2.37

Bottle of beer: £4.42

Three-course meal for two with a bottle of house wine: £55.39

Return bus or train transfer from airport to city centre: £8.06

48-hour travel card: £11.31

Two nights' three-star weekend accommodation for two: £127.00

• There are different types of attachment styles in relationships.
• People in healthy relationships have secure attachment styles, whereas others are avoidant or anxious.
• The way we use social media could reveal how we attach to other people, according to some research.
• Anxiously attached people are more likely to post about their relatonships, because they feel insecure in real life.
• It's important to remember that social media isn't real life, and it can't cover up real life problems.

How we attach to other people pretty much shapes how our romantic relationships go. If you grew up in a loving, caring environment, you're more likely to have developed a healthy attachment style. This means you're comfortable being open and honest with your partner, and you don't fear intimacy.

However, some people consistently push away people they have feelings for, because they believe they cannot rely on anyone. This usually comes from some sort of trauma in childhood, or it can be developed as a result of an abusive relationship in later life.

According to a study from the University of Kansas, published last year in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, there is also a link between how secure someone is in their close relationships and how they use social networks like Facebook.

Your social media habits could reveal how you approach relationships

The research looked at four separate studies that gave insights into how people with different attachment styles — avoidant, anxious, or secure — managed their friendship networks.

"If you're high on attachment avoidance, you're trying to avoid intimacy and tend not to trust others — downplaying the importance of emotions and relationships," said Omri Gillath, professor of psychology at the University of Kansas, and lead author of the study.

"Conversely, if you're high on attachment anxiety, you're very concerned with rejection and abandonment and tend to be overwhelmed by emotions. Being low on both — securely attached — associates with long, stable, satisfying relationships."

The researchers looked at the participants' social media friendship circles, which they evaluated for "tie strength" and "multiplexity" — which respectively mean looking at how intimate they felt with people, how often they interacted, and how many roles were filled, such as caring friend or work colleague, by individuals in their network.

Results showed people's social networks and the way they managed them could be predicted from their personality type.

"We found people high on attachment anxiety or avoidance had weaker tie strength," said Gillath. "Further, people high on avoidance reported lower multiplexity."

Also, people who were more avoidantly attached were less likely to initiate and maintain friendships, and more likely to dissolve ties.

Lots of posts could indicate relationship anxiety

An earlier study from 2014, also published in the journal Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, looked at something called "relationship visibility," which essentially means how often people in relationships posted about their partner online.

The researchers thought people with avoidant attachment styles would show a low desire for relationship visibility, whereas those with anxious attachment styles would seek out reassurance from people on social networks in lieu of getting it from their partner, and thus post more.

The results supported this hypothesis, and excessive posting about one's lover was shown to be a cover for feeling relationship insecurity.

"On a daily basis, when people felt more insecure about their partner's feelings, they tended to make their relationships visible," the study concluded.

In other words, someone who scores highly for anxious attachment is more likely to be busy posting on Instagram about their date night with their partner, whereas someone who is secure prefers to be in the moment.

Of course, this isn't an absolute rule — secure people post on social media too. But it makes sense if anxiously attached people are constantly seeking out validation for their relationship in the form of "likes" because they feel insecure.

It's difficult to break a relationship pattern

Unfortunately, anxious and avoidant people are often attracted to each other. The anxious one is pursuing someone emotionally unavailable because it feels familiar, all the time validating their anxious thoughts. Meanwhile, the avoidant one of the pair is safe in the knowledge they have a partner who is constantly after them and won't hurt them.

It's a toxic cycle, and only exaggerates relationship anxiety, which may lead the anxious partner to post even more on social media to make up for it.

Social media already has many negative connotations, even though the scientific evidence for it being bad for our health is shaky. It's important to remember that people are always portraying their "best" selves in their posts. They could be doing it because they are going through a tough time with their partner, or they might just think it was a good photo.

Either way, it's best not to jump to conclusions about someone else's relationship. But if you think you're posting social media posts a lot more than usual, it could be worth thinking about whether you're being fulfilled in your relationships or not. That way, you can focus your attention on the real problem, rather than covering it up with "favourites" and "likes" from the digital connections you've learned to seek assurance from.

SEE ALSO: Some people can't commit to relationships because they have an 'avoidant' attachment style — here's what it means

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