This is the Archer Adams Westminster Gothic Umbrella Collection.

Why We Love It: Drug store umbrellas are a dime a dozen, and finding yours in the heap at work or a restaurant is a pain. Not to mention they break almost as soon as you buy one.

This collection from Archer Adams, a popular British men's fashion label, are high-quality jet black umbrellas with a wide variety of designs available. There are 13 variations on the silver-plated handle alone: Horse, owl, serpent, skull, eagle, bull dog, leopard, Labrador, lion, toucan and frog, not to mention the lizard skin and Swarovski crystal versions. You'll never guess which umbrella is yours ever again.

They're made of nylon with a button mechanism to open the umbrella, a birch pole, and a black on black herringbone-print canopy.

Where To Buy: Available through Archer Adams London or MR PORTER.

Cost: $285.

Want to nominate a cool product for Stuff We Love? Send an email to Megan Willett at mwillett@businessinsider.com with "Stuff We Love" in the subject line.

DON'T MISS: Drive Safer With The 16-Inch 'No Blind Spot' Rear View Mirror

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The results of a five-year-long clinical trial appear to prove once and for all that we should all be eating like the Greeks. 

The study, published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that while people ages 55-80 on the Mediterranean diet did not lose any weight, their risk of heart disease and stroke decreased by almost 30 percent compared to those on a typical low-fat diet.

The study took place in Spain, where scientists randomly assigned 7,447 people who were either overweight, smokers, diabetic, or had any other heart disease risk factors to follow the Mediterranean diet or a low-fat one.

It was particularly significant because it wasconsidered to be the first major clinical trial to measure the diet's effect on heart risks. The results were so clear that by the end of five years, it was thought "unethical" to continue the study.

Research supporting the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet is nothing new, and it has long been associated with reduced risk for heart attack, cancer, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. Most analysis, however, has focused on the health of those living in Mediterranean countries (such as Greece and Southern Italy) who were already on the diet. 

Mediterranean diets are heavy on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts, and replace butter with olive and canola oils. Instead of using salt to flavor foods, the Mediterranean diet uses herbs and spices, and dieters are encouraged to eat fish and poultry at least twice a week and limit red meat to no more than a few times a month.

But it's all about being balanced — the diet also allows you to enjoy sweets in moderation, an occasional glass of red wine, and to try to eat as many meals as possible with family and friends.

SEE ALSO:  See Which Diet Plans People REALLY Like

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Pope Benedict XVI will officially retire at 8 p.m. tomorrow, but his retirement package is raising a few eyebrows — and resurrecting rumors about his sexuality.

Rather than decamp to some monastery in Germany as many expected, Benedict will instead stay living in the Vatican.

CNN reports he will be living in the Mater Ecclesiae (Mother of the Church) building, which formerly housed a cloistered convent in the Vatican gardens. He will be referred to as the "emeritus pope" and keep wearing the white — though he will lose his trademark red shoes, perhaps wearing a pair of "handcrafted brown loafers" instead, the WSJ reports.

One detail that has caused particular scrutiny is that the Pope will continue to live with his trusted secretary Archbishop Georg Ganswein, who will also be head of the new Pope's household — from the sounds of it, working two jobs.

The Vatican denies that Ganswein working for both the old Pope and the new Pope will cause any conflict of interest. But there's a more scandalous question as well, as put forward by Andrew Sullivan, perhaps the best-known Catholic blogger in America, today:

So Benedict’s handsome male companion will continue to live with him, while working for the other Pope during the day. Are we supposed to think that’s, well, a normal arrangement?

Sulivan, a gay man himself, has raised the question of the Pope's sexuality before (he doesn't suggest that the Pope has acted upon his sexual urges, we should note).

In 2010 he wrote that "it seems pretty obvious to me ... that the current Pope is a gay man," and went on to describe his reasoning:

When you look at the Pope's mental architecture (I've read a great deal of his writing over the last two decades) you do see that strong internal repression does make sense of his life and beliefs. At times, it seems to me, his gayness is almost wince-inducing. The prissy fastidiousness, the effeminate voice, the fixation on liturgy and ritual, and the over-the-top clothing accessories are one thing. But what resonates with me the most is a theology that seems crafted from solitary introspection into a perfect, abstract unity of belief. It is so perfect it reflects a life of withdrawal from the world of human relationship, rather than an interaction with it. Of course, this kind of work is not inherently homosexual; but I have known so many repressed gay men who can only live without severe pain in the world if they create a perfect abstraction of what it is, and what their role is in it.

Sullivan isn't exactly alone in his suspicions. He points towards a book by Angelo Quattrocchi (playfully titled "The Pope is Not Gay") that he felt reached similar conclusions. In addition, former Benedictine monk-priest and author Richard Sipe claims to have spoken to a number of Roman clerics and members of the Roman press corps who were "convinced" that Benedict XVI was gay.

Of course, it doesn't help the rumors that Ganswein has become something of a star in his own right. He's been dubbed the "The George Clooney of the Vatican,” and appeared on the cover of the Italian Vanity Fair under the headline “It’s no sin to be good looking.” Donatella Versace has even dedicated a menswear collection to him.

Now Watch: How The Next Pope Will Be Picked

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Growing up in Midland, Michigan, I was incredibly lucky that my parents were able to fund my undergraduate degree.

I walked away with my Michigan State diploma as one of the shrinking minority of students who didn't have to borrow from Uncle Sam, or worse, private student lenders.

But when I decided to pursue my Master's degree, I knew one thing for sure: My parents weren't going to keep me on their bankroll any longer.

I enrolled in New York University in the Fall of 2012 and I've been learning how to get by on my own ever since –– from navigating the tricky world of student loans to scraping together enough cash to pay rent. 

Chances are there are a lot of graduate (and undergraduate) students who can relate.

Network on the university's dime.

My school e-mail inbox is always piled high with networking events and grad school social outings. My department sponsors lots of speakers and career events with people from big-name media organizations.

Besides being a resume boost, they often come with free snacks and company swag. And the graduate school also sponsors a happy hour the first Friday of every month at a local bar –– a great way to meet people and snag a couple free drinks.

These meet-and-greets are events most schools have, and it's wise to glance through your email alerts if you're in the mood to mingle on the university's dime.

Apply for every scholarship possible, no matter how small.

The scholarship NYU offered me was a deciding factor in my grad school search, but  I needed to look for even more funding opportunities if I were going to last 18 months.

Finding the motivation to write an essay for a $1,000 scholarship was difficult knowing that a single semester at NYU cost roughly $20,000. But every bit counted. NYU's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences has a great tuition incentive program that matches at least half of all external scholarship dollars with tuition credits. 

Many other universities also offer merit-based graduate fellowships or teaching assistant  for certain majors, and research grants are often available for Master's candidates as well.

Don't take out a student loan until you've read the fine print.

As a newbie to student lending, I spent a solid day examining all of my options.

My advice: Take the time to read the fine print. Some federal loans don't start accumulating interest until you're finished with school. Many others do.

And even though private loans can look attractive, federal loans are almost always better –– you won't have to worry about variable interest rates jumping all over the place, and they have more flexible repayment options.

Online student loan calculators helped give me a better picture of how much my loans would cost me in the end. It wasn't a friendly number, but I was happy to have a realistic idea of what I was getting myself into and have a plan to pay it back before I signed on the dotted line.

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Forget London's monolithic new Shard, all eyes will surely be on the Bosco Verticale when it opens in Milan at the end of this year.

The new skyscraper promises to bring a hectare of forest into the city's central business district, as well as hundreds of new homes. Rather than cold steel and glass, the surface of this high-rise will ripple with organic life.

Made of two towers – one 80m high, the other 112m – Bosco Verticale is currently being planted with 730 specially cultivated trees, 11,000 groundcover plants and 5,000 shrubs. One of the principal architects, Stefano Boeri, calls it both "radical" and an "experiment"; a reaction against the "high parallelepipeds, clad by glass, steel or ceramic" he's witnessed in Dubai.

Big deal for 'biological architecture'

Jill Fehrenbacher, editor of Inhabitat and a follower of architecture trends, says proposals for buildings featuring copious vegetation are increasingly common. "I have yet to see very many of these 'living building' designs become reality, which is why the Bosco Verticale is such a big deal," she says.

The interdisciplinary team working on the project includes botanists as well as engineers. Their research has ventured into testing the wind resistance of certain species of tree in wind tunnels, as well as finding a suitably lightweight substrate able to meet plants' nutritional demands. The residents' needs are also important – trees will be trimmed so foliage doesn't interrupt their views.

Boeri explains that the Bosco Verticale "hands over to vegetation itself the task of absorbing the dust in the air and of creating an adequate micro-climate in order to filter out the sunlight. This is a kind of biological architecture, which refuses to adopt a strictly technological and mechanical approach to environmental sustainability."

Singapore sky gardens

The Park Royal on Pickering hotel in Singapore is another example of a towering building-cum-garden in a dense urban area, but this one is already open for business. WOHA, the architects, says it was inspired by headlands, promontories and planted terraces. Richard Hassell, the firm's founding director, enjoys blurring the distinction between hard architecture and soft landscapes but admits that working with plants is a challenge.

"For architects, it is quite a change in mindset to deal with living things," he says. "Normally an architect is trying to make things that are as static as possible, and resist wear and tear. But plants grow, and change, and drop leaves, and wilt and die if you forget about them."

Over-ambitious?

A 'living building' is never really finished. It will change over time and will require much more maintenance than one without plants. For both the Park Royal on Pickering and the Bosco Verticale, the upkeep will be centralised and carried out by specialist staff. Could such projects be called too labour- and energy-intensive? Jill Fehrenbacher doesn't think so.

"Living plants…clean the air and produce oxygen, they help humidify indoor air, they reduce storm water runoff and the urban heat island effect, and they help insulate a building," she argues. "Even though skyscrapers like the Bosco Verticale inherently use a tonne of resources and energy – simply by virtue of being a high-rise building – all of those trees and plants are going to be beneficial to the building occupants, neighbours and local environment."

And perhaps 'living buildings' have worth based on aesthetics alone. "At the very worst, a garden is a delight to the users, so even if there is minimum environmental value, there is still immense value in having more green spaces in dense cities," says Richard Hassell.

The visual impact of buildings like these can't be underestimated. Apparently Singapore's taxi drivers now make detours to drive past the planted hotel, while Stefano Boeri talks about his structures being "ecology billboards". Jill Fehrenbacher says such buildings will be everywhere in twenty years, as we "try to recreate some sort of primeval garden of paradise in our homes and workplaces".

Future landscapes

More than mere gardens, planted high-rises have the potential to change our cityscapes. "For sure this is an experiment but to have a sequence of Bosco Verticales, to reach a critical mass, this could be quite interesting," says Boeri. "To deurbanise the urban environment is a radical alternative to expensive technology."

The proof of a building's appeal is surely when the architect himself decides to move in. Boeri has reserved himself a small apartment in Bosco Verticale, explaining he's "extremely attracted" to the idea of living high up in these soon-to-be leafy towers of trees.

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

SEE ALSO: The 65 Best New Buildings In The World

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McDonald's Chicken McNuggets are one of the fast food juggernaut's core menu items. They're offered all over the world and are gobbled up by the millions.

McDonald's has to make sure every piece is as perfect and standardized as possible — all the way down to the shape of the chicken.

So, there's a method to the McNugget madness.

We visited the McDonald's headquarters in Oak Brook, Ill., and sat in on a quality testing session. They had flown in chicken pros from suppliers like Tyson to grade the nuggets.

The McDonald's sensory team explained that Chicken McNuggets have four distinct shapes and in order to have a chance to meet the McDonald's "Gold Standard" for quality, they have to match them as perfectly as possible.

And each of those shapes has its own name.

Here are the four shapes of Chicken McNuggets, according to Barbara J. Booth, director of sensory science at McDonald's USA:

• Ball
• Bone
• Bell
• Boot

Elsewhere, it seems that McDonald's uses a different name for the "bone."

"There are four different Chicken McNugget shapes (the "boot," "ball," "bow-tie" and "bell")," McDonald's Canada wrote on its Q&A page.

But the perfect McNugget needs a lot more than a well-aligned shape, according to McDonald's standards. The company tests flavor, breading texture, meat texture, bite firmness, color, coating, and a whole lot more. It's a strangely thorough process.

Of course, if you've ever eaten at McDonald's, you know that this doesn't mean the nuggets come out perfectly every time in restaurants.

It's bad when you get a tiny, mutant McNugget in your box, but it's even worse when you get a whole batch of cold, soft ones that weren't prepared properly by staff.

Disclosure: McDonald's provided travel and accommodations for the trip.

SEE ALSO: Go Inside The Secret Test Kitchen Where McDonald's Invents New Menu Items [PHOTOS] >

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Michael Jordan expanded his real estate portfolio last week, the AP reports, buying a beautiful lakefront home in Cornelius, North Carolina for $2.8 million after it was foreclosed on.

The house is on the Peninsula Golf Course. It has six bedrooms, a pool, and is surrounded by water on three sides.

The views are unreal.

The view from the front steps

The front of the house from the water

The pool

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If you have to ask why anyone would spend $250,000 or so on a two-plus-two convertible, you probably don't even need to hear the answer; it simply won't make sense to you.

If, however, you can get over the sticker shock, you'll find what is almost certainly the best drop-top grand tourer in existence: the 2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible.

First things first: the stats. A twin-turbo 6.0-liter W-12 engine sits up front, sending 616 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque to all four wheels (in a proper 40/60 front/rear split, though the car can send up to 368 pound-feet of torque to any individual axle).

Curb weight tips in at just over 5,500 pounds--about the same as a Cadillac Escalade, and about 385 pounds heavier than the GT Speed coupe. Top speed is 202 mph, and despite the weight, the GT Speed Convertible will hit 60 mph in 4.1 seconds, and 100 mph in just 9.7 seconds. Gas mileage is about 12 mpg city and 20 mpg highway for a combined rating of 15 mpg.

What none of this tells you is how utterly excellent the Continental GT Speed Convertible is off the spec sheet. In the real world, where roads are wide-open and arrow-straight, curvy and cambered, or even treacherously snowy and icy, the GT Speed Convertible is simply unflappable. You don't just feel like you command the road and the environment behind the wheel of this super-tourer--you actually do.

Shocking foul-weather capability

That sense of command of the elements isn't just external, however. With Bentley's windscreen in place over the rear seats (sorry, no wind-free open-top touring for four), the neck-level seat heating vents wide open, and the seat heaters turned on, even freezing temperatures are tolerable with the top down, at speed.

You might want to pack some gloves though, as the steering wheel--at least on our well-kitted example--isn't heated.  If you'd rather skip the cold-weather preparation, however, just glide the electrically-operated soft top into place and enjoy the quiet and comfort of a coupe.

On our two-day tour from Las Vegas to Lake Tahoe and then on to San Francisco, we encountered the full run of four-season weather: warm, sunny desert, cool and clear high mountain roads, cold and rainy forests, and even an extended stretch of nearly blizzard-level ice and snow. In fact, the snowy section of Highway 50 we crossed was so slick the California Highway Patrol had shut the entire highway down as we came down out of the mountains.

So how, exactly, does a 616-horsepower convertible make it through conditions that saw dozens of SUVs, crossovers, and even 4x4 pickup trucks slide off into the ditch? For starters, a properly chosen set of Dunlop Wintersport tires.

Bentley's proven all-wheel drive system and judicious use of the throttle and brake were the only other ingredients in an unflustered and uneventful drive down and out of the snow-covered Sierras. The whole package was so stable and controllable as to make it easy--truly impressive considering the car's rather oppositely-oriented design parameters.

Of course, things would not have been so simple and straightforward had the GT Speed Convertible been shod in its standard-issue Pirelli P Zero high-performance summer tires. In fact, the trip would have been downright impossible. But the Bentley Boy Scouts took the proper preparations, as we'd hope any informed owner would do, and it all worked out just fine.

Fair-weather fun

Line up the wheel, slam the throttle home, and let the eight-speed gearbox click off the changes, and the GT Speed Convertible is a veritable land-bound rocketship. Even with the top down, wind disturbance is minimal until you pass legal highway speeds, and only mildly disturbing as you go beyond triple digits. At a 60 mph cruise, you don't even have to raise your voice to hold a conversation.

But why let the eight-speed ZF automatic handle the shifts? There are paddles right? There are, but they're a bit distant from the wheel, mounted on the steering column, and they're not terrifically engaging or instantaneous even when you do find them. Better to click up a couple degrees of the variable sport mode and let the electronics do the work.

As you advance in speed, the the already-lower-than-normal GT Speed Convertible's dynamic suspension takes you progressively lower still, hunkering down to get below the wind. It can also range from smooth and comfortable to firm and sporty, with a simple adjustment made through the large center-mounted screen.

Despite the sports car-like acceleration and supercar top speed, the GT Speed Convertible is quick to remind you it's a large, hefty grand tourer should you think about caning it through a tight set of curves.

Neither the steering nor the suspension are happy to help you hustle its bulk at neck-straining lateral loads--but ease of the pace until the road opens into sweeping curves and long straights and the GT Speed Convertible devours pavement with a stability and eagerness that's hypnotizing. Just don't forget your radar detector--it's easy not to notice you're whipping along at 150 mph.

Everyday companion

Unlike the vast majority of the $250,000-$400,000 cars we've driven, however, the GT Speed Convertible is actually, well, useful. Far from being an avant garde take on design or luxury, the GT Speed Convertible is, ultimately, a very, very fast daily driver. The interior, though beautifully turned out and phenomenally well-made, is functional and straightforward--for the most part.

The interior even exudes a sense of durability--something that definitely cannot be said for most of the rest of the hyper-luxury segment, particularly in a certain independent English brand's products--with panels perfectly formed and precisely fitted, nary a squeak or rattle to be heard.

Our one beef with the GT Speed Convertible's daily utility is the infotainment system: it's laggy, a bit confusing at times in its menu structure, and, curiously, not seemingly integrated between the main center stack screen and the smaller one in front of the driver. That smaller screen is also controlled by one of the most obtuse button interfaces ever devised, let alone placed on a steering wheel, requiring a bit of a learning curve, and even once learned, some thumb gymnastics to properly actuate.

To Bentley's credit, it acknowledges the deficiencies in the infotainment system, and has plans for a much-improved system in the future. For now, however, one must simply persevere.

Epic in the truest, least-overused sense of the word

After six-hundred-plus miles and two epic days of travel behind the wheel of the 2013 Bentley Continental GT Speed Convertible, we found ourselves surprised that it's not just opulent, capable, and gorgeous, but truly functional. The combination is intoxicating.

It's enough to make even a mere mortal contemplate trading a home mortgage for a garage space and a sleeping bag. Anyone have a spare sleeping bag? 

TEST DRIVE: The 2013 Range Rover Is More Car Than You Will Ever Need

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A new study published this week by the New England Journal of Medicine showed that people at risk for heart disease can significantly lower the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke if they stick to a Mediterranean diet.

The diet has other health benefits as well, and is believed to contribute to longevity.

The Mediterranean is not a fad, but simply a healthier way of eating, emphasizing a combination of fresh vegetables, fruits, olive oil, and fish. It's also low on salt, red meat, and butter — essentially everything the American diet is known for.

Not sure how to embrace the Mediterranean diet? We've rounded up seven delicious and healthy dishes to get you started (click the photos to see the recipes).

Hummus With Spices: Hummus is insanely easy to make, All you need is garbanzo beans and tasty extras like cayenne pepper, sea salt, lemon juice, and garlic. Really kick it up a notch by blending roasted red peppers with the garbanzo beans.

Mediterranean Greek Salad: A classic staple of the Mediterranean diet is the Greek salad with sliced cucumbers, Feta cheese, black olives, Roma tomatoes, red onions, green beans, and more. It's also a favorite since you can essentially add however much or little of an ingredient you wish. 

Mediterranean Paella: Paella is a Valencian flavored rice dish that you can make with any type of meat and veggie combination you want. Try a seafood version with fish, onions, garlic, artichoke hearts, peas, lemons, mussels, parsley, and olive oil.

Mediterranean Couscous Salad: Quick-cooking couscous is a good-for-you meal that's made with steamed durum wheat granules. It becomes extremely flavorful when paired with Roma tomatoes, kalamata olives, onions, lemon juice, and Feta cheese. Serve chilled.

Mediterranean-Style Grilled Salmon: Grilling salmon is a healthier option than deep frying or breading. Top the filet with a mixture of basil, parsley, garlic, and lemon juice and then place herb-side down on the grill. The result is a tasty (and healthy!) fish entrée.

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar: This tart dessert is quintessential Mediterranean. Add strawberries (or any other type of berry) to a bowl and sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and a little bit of sugar.

"Brutti Ma Buoni" Cookies: On the Mediterranean diet, sweets are OK in moderation. These delicious Italian hazelnut cookies, made without butter, literally translate to "Ugly But Good." They look plain, but they're actually deliciously nutty with hazelnuts, sugar, egg whites, and vanilla extract.

DON'T MISS: How To Poach An Egg Like Julia Child

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Remember when you could rent New York City's famed Woolworth mansion for $150,000 a month? 

That's nothing compared to the asking rental price for the famed Beverly House in Beverly Hills, Calif., which will cost you a jaw-dropping $600,000 per month, according to Curbed LA.

At that price, it's the most expensive rental in the U.S.

What makes the mansion so special? Besides the fact that it's absolutely gorgeous with 50,000 square feet of living space, 29 bedrooms, 3.7 acres of original landscaping, and an Art Deco nightclub (seriously), the property listing on Hilton & Highland says the house was designed by famed architect Gordon Kaufmann.

It was originally built in 1926 for banking executive Milton Getz. Then in 1946, actress Marion Davies bought it for William Randolph Hearst who lived out the rest of his life here.

Other famous guests include John F. Kennedy and Jackie O., who stayed on their on their honeymoon, and the fictional producer Jack Woltz in The Godfather, who woke up to find the severed head of a horse in his bed — an offer he couldn't refuse.

Prefer to buy? The place is also listed for sale, at a whopping $115 million.

Welcome to the legendary Beverly House where JFK, William Randloph Hearst, and Milton Getz have all lived.

Source: Hilton & Hyland

The mansion is only three blocks from Sunset Boulevard, and sits on 3.7 acres of property.

Source: Hilton & Hyland

The landscaping was done by Paul Thiene, and is dotted with fountains, pools, and Venetian columns.

Source: Hilton & Hyland

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A fat salary isn’t the only way someone can strike it rich. Regardless of one’s income level, people who live below their means, invest wisely, and live modestly are on the path to real wealth.

Here are five frugal habits that many of the upper class have adopted to build long-lasting wealth and financial independence:

Drive a modest car. Your car should only serve the purpose of getting you safely and comfortably from point A to point B—nothing more. When you pull up to a stoplight in an expensive car, you might impress a stranger. However, don’t let the price tag of your car define your character or image, because at the end of the day most people could care less what type of car you drive. Let Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who drives a modest $30,000 Acura TSX entry-level sedan, be your role model on this one.

Buy a modest house. Warren Buffett famously still lives in the Omaha, Neb., home he bought back in 1958 for $31,500. Take Buffett’s cue and don’t overwhelm yourself with a large monthly mortgage payment. Buy a modest and comfortable home and use the money you save to build your savings and retirement fund.

Don’t carry wads if possible. Try to avoid traveling with a wallet packed with cash. According to Bankrate.com, 86 percent of people who spend cash on luxuries like expensive cars, jewelry, and electronics are non-millionaires trying to act the part by purchasing luxury brands. Instead, follow the example of oil mogul T. Boone Pickens, who famously shops with a grocery list and only carries the amount of cash he needs to make purchases.

Don’t pay full price. A great way to keep more of your money is by not paying full price on anything. Hilary Swank, who has an estimated net worth of $40 million, is commonly seen using coupons at the grocery store. Michelle Obama often opts to shop at Target or H&M rather than high-end department stores. A great way to build wealth is to have a frugal mindset and use the money you save on consumer goods to build your investments and savings accounts.

Have an action mentality. Almost all self-made millionaires have one thing in common: They are people of action. They don’t sit around feeling sorry for themselves waiting for something good to happen to them, as opposed to the people who I would say have the “lottery mentality.” People of action take appropriate risks, are constantly looking to improve themselves, and are addicted to knowledge, as it is the best way to gain a competitive advantage in life’s financial endeavors.

Truly rich people are those who take their income and turn it into wealth by investing wisely, saving, and living frugally. People who take their income and try to use it to support an unsustainable lifestyle are those who end up in debt and are unable to retire on their terms. When it comes to money and finances, it all boils down to choices and personal responsibility. Which road are you going to take?

SEE ALSO: 13 things you're better off buying used >

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This is part of our series on the Sexiest Scientists Alive.

A buzzing bee is not always something to swat at.

Even though 30-year-old Noah Wilson-Rich was afraid of every creepy-crawly passing by when he was younger, he is now a scientist who studies bees and bee diseases.

Bees are important not only because they pollinate flowers and crops, but also because they produce honey for our teas and beeswax, an ingredient found in products like lip balm, hand lotion and furniture polish.

Wilson-Rich, who received his Ph.D. from Tufts University, founded Boston-based Best Bees Company in 2010. The company supports people who want to own and care for their own beehive.

The scientist snapped some photos and explained his typical day at work.  

Wake up time is around 7 a.m., give or take a few snooze button smacks. I organize my day during my first cup of coffee. Today is Valentine’s Day, so I’m wearing my red hoodie while conspiring how to balance my two jobs and my relationship on this special — and busy — day.

The “Best Bees beemobile” is my ride on most days involving field work visiting beehives.

By the time I arrive at the Best Bees Company Urban Beekeeping Laboratory around 9 a.m., two of our fabulous interns are already hard at work processing beeswax. Peggie dePasquale (left) is a student at Simmons College in Boston and Alia Marinone (right) is a student at Lesley University in Cambridge.

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Attention New Yorkers, it's time to whip out your spring social calendar as gala season is fast approaching. Soon, there will be more fêtes than you can shake a Chanel at.

So which galas should you attend? We've done the work for you, profiling the top ten stomping grounds of the city’s most well-heeled philanthropists.

Whether you’re fighting for the arts, a cure for cancer, a greener New York, or the life of a child, you can raise money for the causes you love and have a fabulous time doing so!

The New York Junior League 61st Annual Winter Ball

When: March 2nd 2013, 7pm

Where:The Pierre

What: First up on the calender is NYJL's 61st annual Winter Ball. As New York Junior League's largest annual fundraiser, this special event honors seven outstanding volunteers. With more than 550 guests attending the black tie gala, you can expect an evening of sartorial standouts. The theme this year is 'Monet at Midnight.'

Go HERE for tickets

School Of American Ballet Winter Ball

When: March 11, 2013 | 7pm

Where: David H. Koch Theater, Lincoln Center

What: Each year, the School of American Ballet throws their biggest bash in March. Don't be surprised if you find yourself surrounded by tiny, lithe, and extremely gifted dancers, for this glamorous black tie dinner dance is known for its talented guests.

Go HERE for tickets

MoMA 2013 Armory Party

When: March 6, 2013 | 9pm

Where: MoMa's Agnes Gund Garden Lobby

What: Dust off those dancing shoes and get ready to groove all night long when Solange Knowles hits the decks this year at MoMa's Armory Party. The benefit event showcases live music and DJs to celebrate the opening of the Armory show, the marquee international art fair held annually in New York City, devoted to showcasing the most important artworks of the 20th and 21st century. You better be quick though, tickets are selling like hotcakes—a sure sign that this is one party not to be missed.

Go HERE for tickets

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If you want to believe that wealth doesn't make you happier, there's plenty of data to back you up.

But mounting research shows that there are some elements of happiness that do increase as wealth increases. Take for example, relationships and work – two fundamental components of life satisfaction and happiness.

A survey from Spectrem Group found that individuals worth $5 million or more are far more satisfied with their jobs, relationships and work than those worth $100,000 or less.

(Read more: Wealth 'Poisons' Kids, Says Aussie Tycoon)

The study found that 53 percent of those worth $5 million or more were "very satisfied" with their job or previous job. That compares with only 21 percent for those worth $100,000 or less.

The multi-millionaires are also twice as satisfied with their social life, presumably since the wealthy have no shortage of friends and invitations.

Nearly three quarters of the penta-millionaires are very satisfied with their marriage or "committed relationship" – far more than the 45 percent reported for the merely affluent. Millionaires are also significantly more likely to report higher levels of satisfaction regarding their relationships with their children (59 percent vs. 52 percent).

(Read more: Why the Rich Hate Deficits – And Why They May Be Right)

The findings on relationships and kids are perhaps the most surprising, since we tend to think of large wealth leaving behind a trail of broken marriages, alienated offspring and artificial friendships. The survey shows that, in fact, solid family relationships may not only accompany large wealth – they may in fact be one of the causes.

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Keens Steakhouse, a 120 year-old restaurant well-loved for its no frills feel, was just given the James Beard 'Classics' Award. It's an accolade given to restaurants that elevate and uphold the American culinary tradition.

This is a huge deal. The James Beard Foundation was named for the cookbook author and teacher (James Beard) and seeks to educate and inspire Americans interested in our country's culinary tradition.

Basically, if you like to eat, you should know what the foundation is buzzing about. Everyone in the food world does, anyway.

Five restaurants win the Classics Award every year. This year, along with Keens, the winners are Kramarczuk's in Minneapolis, Frank Fat's in Sacarmento, Prince's Hot Chicken Shack in Nashville and C.F. Folks in Washington D.C..

Here's what James Beard said about the Classics Award and Keens in their press release (h/t eater):

New York, NY (February 28, 2013) – Today the James Beard Foundation announced the five recipients of its 2013 America's Classics Award, presented by The Coca-Cola Company. The America's Classics Award is given to restaurants that have timeless appeal and are beloved for quality food that reflects the character of their community. This year's honorees will be celebrated at the annual James Beard Foundation Awards, the nation's most prestigious recognition program honoring professionals in the food and beverage industry, in a ceremony taking place on Monday, May 6, 2013, at Lincoln Center's Avery Fisher Hall in New York City.

"The America's Classics Awards are always a highlight of the ceremony," said Susan Ungaro, president of the James Beard Foundation. "Our honorees come from all walks of life. We have the privilege of hearing their unique stories, which celebrate the great variety and authentic flavors of America's culinary scene. These local hangouts, neighborhood diners, and family restaurants truly bring communities together, a concept James Beard would have loved."...

New York City specializes in new restaurants, not old ones, and local interest in them is generally measured in months instead of years. So it's nothing short of astonishing that a 120-something-year-old restaurant has managed to stay both relevant and wildly popular in the middle of Manhattan.

Albert Keen, a theater producer, opened the restaurant in 1885, when the Herald Square Theatre District thrived. Actors came in for a drink between acts. Today, the walls are decorated with over 50,000 clay pipes, from celebrated customers like Teddy Roosevelt and Albert Einstein, souvenirs from a era when smoke clouded many restaurants. George Schwarz, the current owner, took over in the late 1970s, investing much money and sweat equity in reviving the restaurant.

What Keens has always done well is to age and grill meat. They were one of the first restaurants to dry-age beef. It's a terrific place for a prime T-bone steak, well-charred on the outside and juicy within, served with a tangy-sweet house steak sauce. But their most famous cut of meat is not beef: it's the 26-ounce mutton chop. In one of their few nods to modernization, the mutton is now lamb, but it's still accompanied by homemade mint jelly.

The menu is stocked with classics like shrimp cocktail, iceberg wedge with chunky blue cheese, and extra-thick slices of smoked bacon, served unadorned on a plate. And the bar at Keens is one of the more democratic places in the city. Yes, it is a destination for Wall Streeters, artists, and fashion editors, but it also draws shoppers from nearby Macy's. The bar room is especially welcoming in the winter, when the fireplace roars and regulars nibble complimentary chicken wings or drink their way through the 275-plus selection of single-malt scotches.

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Bloomberg TV's Betty Liu visited Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently to take a spin in the company's controversial Model S.

Before they hit the road, Musk showed off his ride's sweet sound system, which he claims can play any song in the world via software called Slacker.

What song did he choose first? "Burn It Down" by Linkin Park.

Check it out:

SEE ALSO: How Tesla Came Back From The Dead >

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The parents of a 6-year-old transgendered girl have filed a complaint with the Colorado Civil Rights Division after an elementary school banned their daughter from using the girls' restroom.

Male by birth, Coy Mathis was 18 months old when she started to express to her parents that she was a girl. What Kathryn and Jeremy Mathis first thought was just a phase escalated to anxiety and depression as Coy grew older and wanted to be "fixed," the Transgender Legal Defense & Education Firm, which is representing the Mathis family in the case.

After a psychologist confirmed that Coy was transgendered, her parents decided to let Coy live life as a girl. The Fountain-Fort Carson School District was initially accepting, and allowed Coy to be enrolled as a girl student at the Eagleside Elementary School in Fountain, Colorado, according to the TLDEF.

But in December 2012, Coy was told she would have to stop using the girls' bathroom and start going to the boys' bathroom or nurse's bathroom instead. Her parents — fearing their daughter would be singled out and bullied — began homeschooling Coy.

The Mathis family officially filed a complaint this past Tuesday on Coy's behalf. The TLDEF points out out that the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act already prohibits this kind of treatment against transgender students in public schools. 

Moreover, the law also expressly covers bathroom rights, and says transgendered students should be allowed to use the facilities that they personally identify with, according to the TLDEF.

“We have five children and we love them all very much,” Kathyrn Mathis said in a press statement. “We want Coy to return to school to be with her teachers, her friends, and her siblings, but we are afraid to send her back until we know that the school is going to treat her fairly.  She is still just six years old, and we do not want one of our daughter’s earliest experiences to be our community telling her she’s not good enough.”

The school district's attorney, W. Kelly Dude, responded with a statement (via CNN):

The district firmly believes it has acted reasonably and fairly with respect to this issue. However, the district believes the appropriate and proper forum for discussing the issues identified in the charge is through the Division of Civil Rights process. The district is preparing a response to the charge which it will submit to the division. Therefore, the district will not comment further on this matter out of respect for the process which the parents have initiated."

DON'T MISS: The 22 Most Impressive Students At Harvard Right Now

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Bargain hunters all over the New York City know where to go to find the best deals on unique vintage and antique items.

They make their rounds to their favorite vendors and see what's new each week, either leaving empty-handed, or grinning ear to ear with a long lost treasure.

We've scouted out the 12 best flea markets in New York that can make anyone an A-list bargain spotter.

Artists & Fleas

Where it is: 88 Tenth Avenue, Manhattan, and 70 Seventh Street, Brooklyn

When it is: Sat. and Sun., 10am-7pm

What you’ll find: Artists & Fleas was co-founded by Amy Abrams and Ronen Glimer. It’s a weekend market with locations in Williamsburg and Chelsea Market that brings together the vintage and the contemporary designed by a number of local artists and designers. You’ll find anything from jewelry to accessories to bicycle parts to home decor.

Brooklyn Flea

Where it is: One Hanson Place, Brooklyn

When it is: Sat. and Sun., 10am-5pm

What you’ll find: While the flea market is usually outside, they move their location to the former Williamsburg Savings Bank at One Hanson Place during the winter. Founded in April 2008, Brooklyn Flea features hundreds of vendors every weekend selling antique and repurposed furniture, vintage clothing, collectibles, and handmade jewelry, art, and crafts by local artisans and designers. They also sell freshly made food.

Chelsea Antiques Garage

Where it is: 112 West 25th Street, Manhattan

When it is: Sat. and Sun., 9am-5pm

What you’ll find: Part of the Annex/Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market (HKFM) triad of markets, the Chelsea Antiques Garage has been open every weekend since 1994. Hundreds of vendors sell their wares on two floors of an indoor parking garage. It may seem a bit sketchy at first when you enter the dimly lit covered garage, but you can find things here that aren’t available anywhere else, which definitely makes it worth a visit.

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Derek Lam — the well-known NYC-based designer who has dressed celebrities from Leighton Meester to Diane Kruger — has just listed his SoHo condo for $6 million, according to The Real Deal.

The loft looks out onto Greene Street in the fashionable downtown neighborhood, and is over 2,000 square fee,t with tons of light as illustrated by the listing on the Corcoran Group Real Estate website. It also has three bedrooms, a washer and dryer, gas fireplace, and is even pet friendly.

The Real Deal says property records show Lam and partner Jan-Hendrik Schlottmann, the CEO of Derek Lam International, bought the property for $4.65 million back in 2011.

Derek Lam's condo is right in the middle of New York's SoHo neighborhood on Greene Street.

Source: Corcoran Group Real Estate

The apartment building is seven floors, and comes with a keyed elevator and doorman.

Source: Corcoran Real Estate Group

The interior gets tons of light, and comes with a gas fireplace.

Source: Corcoran Real Estate Group

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January Jones, the Mad Men star, thinks that you should eat your placenta to beat the baby blues. But why are we so consumed with celebrity notions on motherhood, wonders Sally Peck?

January Jones: actress, model, parenting guru? The woman best known for playing Betty Draper on Mad Men has revealed her secret for staving off postpartum blues and fatigue: eat your placenta.

In an interview with Glamour magazine, the mother-of-one repeats her advice to pregnant women that they have their placentas dehydrated and turned into capsules. This is, she says, a “very civilised thing which can help women with depression and fatigue”. It's a big thing in Hollywood at the moment. The practice is, Jones assures readers, “not gross or witchcrafty”.

It may not be “witchcrafty”, but is it necessary?

Placentophagy is the act of mammals eating the placenta of their young after childbirth. Advocates believe that eating the placenta prevents postpartum depression, improves breast milk supply,and increases energy. The placenta contains high levels of prostaglandin, which stimulates the shrinking of the uterus, and small amounts of oxytocin, the lovely hormone which eases the stress of birth and stimulates breastfeeding.

There is, however, no scientific evidence that eating the placenta provides these hormonal effects in the mother.

One argument often cited by supporters of the practice is that “most mammals” (though, notably, not camels – hurrah for the hump!) eat their placentas, supposedly to disguise the fact that they’ve given birth, thereby warding off predators.

I don’t buy this “most mammals” argument. It’s overused. And it’s nuts. My labrador, Mathilde, has gorgeous, glossy black fur, perfect proportions, and the best temperament of anyone I have ever met. She is, in short, a fine specimen of a mammal.

She also eats the excrement of others. When she frolics in the Sussex Downs, she snacks on sheep turds. When she speeds around the parks of London, she often picks up packages that look distinctly human in origin.

According to a “How to raise your cat” book I had as a girl, male cats eat kittens they, themselves, have sired.

When rumours were rampant that Tom Cruise, that expert in childbirth, was planning to eat the placenta after his now ex-wife, Katie Holmes, gave birth to their daughter, Suri, Maggie Blott, a consultant obstetrician, told the BBC : "Animals eat their placenta to get nutrition - but when people are already well-nourished, there is no benefit, there is no reason to do it."

Mammals do not always have the right answers. Nor do celebrities.

Celebrities are people, just like you and me. I wouldn’t take advice from a random woman on the street who presented no particular credentials proving her parenting expertise, so why would I listen to January Jones?

The Beckham kids make it into ad campaigns, and onto the pages of tabloids on a daily basis. Peaches Geldof keeps us abreast of her expanding mid-section through her twitter account . There must be an enormous appetite for this: People magazine has a whole section of its website called Celebrity Babies, in which today we can keep up-to-date on Tabitha and Loretta (of Parker-Broderick fame) and their “adorable twin style”, ogle Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck’s “close-knit clan”, note that Lou Samuel (daughter of Heidi Klum and Seal) is now wearing lipstick… at the age of THREE, and emulate Josh Duhamel (who is he??) in his habit of having “’full conversations’ with his unborn child”. C-list celebrities (for example, Six from Blossom ) blog on the site about their experience as parents (top line: “Love is… slobbery baby kisses.”).

January Jones and I gave birth at around the same time to our first children. I suppose the point of these celebrity parenting sites is that people like me can look at images of Jones and enjoy the fact that we're both on this parenting path together - a sort of cyber Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

Except that we're not on the same journey. I read, on these celebrity gossip sites, that Jones was able to return to work after six weeks. Is it possible that – just perhaps – her ability to ward off postpartum depression and fatigue might have been helped along not by placenta pills but more by the fact that, as a successful actress, she had the means to pay for help? Marvelling over the arrival of your first-born is a hell of a lot more enjoyable when there is someone else to cook, clean, go grocery shopping, do the midnight, 2am, 4am and 6am feeds and, generally, provide the support you need so that you can get a bit of rest.

Producing another human involves a lot of substances in and out. With this pregnancy, I’ve had multiple, dramatic, and highly unattractive daily nosebleeds. They tend to come on in meetings or on the tube. The last time I gave birth, I lost nearly a litre of blood. I do not want any of those making a round-trip journey, thank you. And I certainly won’t be doing it because a celebrity told me to.

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