Sure, you take fares and frequent flier miles into account when booking a flight.

But if you want to know how American carriers really stack up, you have to look at the raw data. So that's what we did.

We've created a list of the best airlines within the United States, based on the two most important factors for a trip: an enjoyable flying experience and a timely flight.

For in-flight experience, we relied on J.D. Power & Associates's 2013 North American Airline Satisfaction Study.

For on-time and cancellation ratings, we pulled data from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS).

Note that this list does not include every American airline. We considered only those for which we had reliable data from both the JD Power survey and the BTS. You'll notice carriers like Spirit, Virgin America, and Hawaiian Airlines are missing.

Read more about our methodology here.

9. American Airlines

In-Flight Experience: 660 out of 1000

Timeliness: 587.8 out of 1000

American Airlines is in a bad spot these days. It’s unpopular, and scored just 660 on the JD Power Satisfaction survey. It’s bankrupt, and the Department of Justice wants to stop the deal that could put it back in the black.

But there’s hope for the carrier. The government is open to settling the court fight over whether it can join forces with US Airways and reap the financial benefits. It has also rebranded, and although we don’t like its new logo, we hear great things about the experience on board the 777-300— the “new face” of American.

Our survey was based on in-flight experience data from J.D. Power & Associates's 2013 North American Airline Satisfaction Study and flight delay and cancellation numbers from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Click here to see our full methodology.

8. United Airlines

In-Flight Experience: 641 out of 1000

Timeliness: 628.5 out of 1000

Like US Airways, United Airlines found itself on a recent list of the most frustrating companies in America. Last year, a model accused the airline of killing her beloved golden retriever.

Now the airline is switching to lighter, thinner seats that it says will increase space for knees, but will also let it pack more people onto its planes.

At least it serves good vodka.

Our survey was based on in-flight experience data from J.D. Power & Associates's 2013 North American Airline Satisfaction Study and flight delay and cancellation numbers from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Click here to see our full methodology.

7. US Airways

In-Flight Experience: 630 out of 1000

Timeliness: 727.9 out of 1000

It’s one of the most disliked companies in America. It’s one of the worst for customer service. And the government doesn’t want it to complete a merger with American Airlines that would give it a financial boost.

It got the worst score in the JD Power satisfaction survey, but at least 85% of its flights are on time, so the unpleasant experience doesn’t last longer than it should.

Our survey was based on in-flight experience data from J.D. Power & Associates's 2013 North American Airline Satisfaction Study and flight delay and cancellation numbers from the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS). Click here to see our full methodology.

Last year, Vadim Sahakian and Artia Moghbel, two friends from middle school, did something most of us only daydream about. They quit their jobs and set off for a six-month adventure that took them across 13 countries in trucks, dirtbikes, and planes.

Sahakian, who worked in music production and multimedia, and Moghbel, who had a venture capital job working with early-stage startups, departed Los Angeles last August and headed to Alaska. They then roadtripped across the U.S. before visiting Africa and South and Central America.

Click here to jump right to their trip photos >>

To make the most of their trip, they were determined to avoid taking public transportation. "We had the itinerary in mind for a couple years and also knew that we did not want to travel from destination to destination by bus," Sahakian told Business Insider in an email. "Having our own transportation played a big role."

Each spent around $20,000 for the six-month trip, which included equipment and travel expenses. They spent a chunk of cash on a used truck in Alaska (which they later sold) and on motorcycles in Bolivia. The pair camped half the time, and spent the rest of their nights in hostels.

Sahakian said their biggest challenge was learning to ride dirt bikes in South America. "It was our first time on dirt bikes and our primer for learning how to shift gears and repair motorcycles was watching YouTube videos a couple days before our flight," he wrote. "Luckily we found a way to fix all our problems and operate the bikes."

Sahakian and Moghbel are back where they left off: Sahakian runs the music label Spirit Charity, and Moghbel is launching Glean, an online network for educators. But returning to the road isn't far from their minds. "We've been talking about buying motorcycles in India, riding over the Himalayas and into Nepal," Sahakian told us. "Then hopping over to Mongolia to ride around on horseback. Still just a pipe dream though."

Sahakian and Moghbel shared their trip photos with us: They are presented here along with their original captions. You can also check out their video, "Temporary Story," documenting the journey on Vimeo or at the end of this slideshow, or below.

Click here to see their journey >

Have an amazing travel story and photos to share? Send an email to thelife@businessinsider.com and we could feature your adventure next.

Temporary Story from Vadim Sahakian on Vimeo.

ALASKA: "Bought this truck to drive from Alaska to California for $6,000."

"5 days biking the road running through Denali National Park."

"We were lucky enough to call this camp. Sunset at 2 a.m. in Denali National Park under the watchful eye of Mt. McKinley."

Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Bill Dedman and Paul Clark Newell Jr.'s biography of Huguette Clark— the reclusive heiress who spent the last decades of her life in a New York City hospital room  — is finally on bookshelves this week.

The tale revealed in the book, "Empty Mansions: The Mysterious Life of Huguette Clark and the Spending of a Great American Fortune," is a fascinating one.

Clark was the daughter of a wealthy copper baron who became a U.S. senator. She lived a life of unimaginable opulence — Fifth Avenue apartments, country estates, a vast collection of art and antiques — but was also deeply private, largely secluding herself from the world, and leaving most of her wealth and real estate holdings untouched.

When she died in 2011 at the age of 104, Clark left a $300 million inheritance, which has been at the center of an ugly family feud (a trial over Clark's fortune is scheduled to start this month).

Before Dedman — an investigative reporter for NBC News — started digging into Clark's past, almost nothing was known of her. She was so secretive that no photos existed of her for decades before her death. So how did Dedman discover Clark's story?

He stumbled on it completely by accident, while house-hunting with his wife in suburban Connecticut.

He writes in the introduction to "Empty Mansions":

One evening, frustration turned to distraction. I began to scan the listings for houses we really couldn't afford, an exercise in American aspiration ... The most expensive house for sale in Connecticut, in the tony town of New Canaan, was priced at $24 million, marked down from $35 million. Billed as Le Chateau, "the beautiful castle," this charmer had 14,266 square feet of space tucked into 52 wooded acres with a river and a waterfall."

A quick look at public records revealed that the property taxes on the estate were $161,000, and that it hadn't been occupied since 1951, the year it was purchased. Dedman drove to the house the next day and met the caretaker, who said he hadn't met Clark in the 20 years he'd worked there. The caretaker asked Dedman: "Do you suppose she's been dead all these years?" 

He dug a little deeper, and found that Clark also had a massive estate in Santa Barbara, and a huge spread on Fifth Ave., neither of which had been touched for decades. 

He knew he'd stumbled on a fantastic story, and joined with Newell, Clark's cousin, who talked with her many times, to tell it.

Here's a clip of Dedman's appearance on "The Daily Show"where he tells the story to Jon Stewart:

You can pick up a copy of "Empty Mansions" at Amazon >

SEE ALSO: Huguette Clark Leaves Behind An Amazing Real Estate Portfolio

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The palace released a statement Thursday announcing His Royal Highness The Duke of Cambridge will leave the Royal Air Force after seven and a half years of service to focus on his Royal duties.

As the fourth successive generation of the British monarchy to become an RAF pilot, Prince William climbed the ranks to Flight Lieutenant Wales. He clocked 1,300 flying hours and undertook 156 search and rescue operations, according to the press release.

Over the next 12 months, the Duke of Cambridge will turn his attention to royal duties — working closely with the Royal Family through a program of official engagements at home and overseas.

He will also delve deeper into his conservation work, paying particular attention to endangered species.

CNN reports he will become president of United for Wildlife, a collaboration between environmental groups fighting to put an end to the illegal wildlife trade.

The Duke of Cambridge recently made headlines for tearing up watching footage of a rhino being attacked by a poacher in a CNN documentary, "Prince William's Passion: New Hope, New Father," which airs later this month.

With respect to his new dad duties, Kensington Palace announced that Prince William, Kate Middleton and Prince George will move in within the next few weeks.

SEE ALSO: 19 Iconic Photos Of Kate Middleton & Prince William

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Your clothing choice is a personal expression of who you are, from laid-back casual to polished and put together.

Your clothes can be even more revealing when you're in a management position, instantly broadcasting your personality and view of the world. 

Inspired by New York's Fashion Week, we decided to take a closer look at the fashion choices of today's top executives and what it says about their management styles. We wondered, what does Marissa Mayer's preference for bold colors and patterns say about how she runs Yahoo? What about Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg's iconic hoodie?

With the help of stylist Tiffiny Dixon, founder of fashion consultancy MEO, here are some insights into what the clothes say about the leader.

Marissa Mayer's various patterns and colors shows she isn't afraid to think outside the box.

The CEO of Yahoo may often be criticized for being a fashionista who wears designer labels, but Dixon says this criticism comes from being a woman in a predominantly male industry. According to Dixon, the fact that Mayer continues to stay true to her fashion sense and is often seen in fun colors and patterns correlates with her ability to think outside the box.

Mayer shows this in her management style. Shortly after taking the reigns as Yahoo's CEO, the company took on a massive redesign of its site.

"She has been known for mixing things up," says Dixon, "whether she is establishing new requirements like implementing sign-up sheets outside her office for a five-minute meeting, or ending the long-standing work-from-home policy at Yahoo."

Mark Zuckerberg's fashion sense and management style has "risky business" written all over it.

When you think of the creator of Facebook, you probably think of him in his usual getup: jeans, t-shirt, and a hoodie.

Indeed, when he wore a hoodie to a meeting with venture capitalists back in May, some analysts questioned his "seriousness." Others asked if Zuckerberg's hoodie represented the new power suit. Whatever you think, the tech genius' casual wear is his way of staying true to his style despite what's going on around him. It may be risky, but it's what makes Zuckerberg who he is, Dixon says. It also makes Facebook what it is.

"[Zuckerberg] has been the name of the game since he decided to risk it all when he dropped out of Harvard to expand Facebook," she tells us. "Years later, Zuckerberg is still making risky decisions, as he often opts for hoodies when making important business presentations."

Elon Musk's fashion sense is sleek, cool, and put together — similar to his innovative and creative way of thinking.

When you see Musk, he is usually in a sleek, polished ensemble, but nothing too fashion-forward.

What does this say about him? Dixon thinks it means the creator of Tesla Motors is a "no-fuss guy."

"This personal style has definitely manifested itself into his $7.7 billion career story," she says. "From creating PayPal, making it super easy for small-business owners and consultants to run transactions, to government and non-profit organizations looking for electricity (SolarCity), Musk has definitely brought the no-fuss, easy-living experience to [his business life]."

This afternoon, Chevrolet officially unveiled the 2015 Suburban and Tahoe, the models that gobble up 75% of the large SUV market in the U.S.

Of course, they're packed with new, techie features like the next generation Chevy MyLink "infotainment" system. But there's one, much simpler, feature that really stood out.

Chevy calls it the "conversation mirror." We prefer "yelling mirror."

This hypothetical situation should strike fear in most Suburban and Tahoe drivers:

You're hauling a pack of children around town, and 80% of them are screaming/misbehaving/pioneering a novel form of terrible behavior. You turn around to figure out who's being the worst, so you can direct your yelling. Then you crash your car.

Of course, you're driving an enormous SUV, so everyone in the car is okay, and the tree/other car/small house got the worst of it. But it's still no fun.

In the 2015 model, this won't happen. The conversation mirror gives drivers a panoramic view of the backseat, and they barely need to take your eyes off the road to see which child is behaving the worst.

So do your scolding, keep your eyes ahead, and don't crash.  Check it out:

It holds your sunglasses, too!

RANKED: The Best Airlines In America

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With Ralph Lauren's Spring/Summer 2014 show this morning, Mercedes Benz Fashion Week in New York City has officially come to a close.

Now models, designers, and fashion editors are jetting off to London, where major fashion houses like Burberry Prorsum and Tom Ford will present their Spring collections at London Fashion Week.

But before hopping across the pond, let's take a look back at the most gorgeous, fashion-forward, and awe-inspiring looks from the past week in NYC.

Get ready to ogle some models.

The Betsey Johnson show was as crazy as you'd expect, but it was hard not to love the designer's cheeky underwear collection.

Models rocked va-va-voom dresses at the Venexiana show. This one is all sex appeal and sequins.

Fashionistas loved Lela Rose this year, especially the see-through trench this model is wearing.

Maine has more lobsters than it knows what to do with.

With catches more than double what they were a decade ago — due to more fishermen, fewer predators, warmer water, and good conservation— the industry is struggling with pricing pressure and distribution constraints. Processing is the best way to expand distribution, but it's an underdeveloped industry, currently dominated by the Canadians.

Shucks Maine Lobster, an innovative processor near Portland is looking to expand operations. Shucks is one of just 16 processors in the state, according to the company's president John Hathaway. It's the only place in the United States that uses water pressure rather than cooking to loosen the meat from the shell, allowing workers to extract the meat in one piece.

This processing method allows Shucks to sell packaged lobster in its raw form, producing a fresher meal for buyers around the country. Restaurants and supermarkets can use the product in lieu of live lobsters, which are expensive to ship and store. Individual consumers like the so-called "Lazy Man's Lobster" because they don't have to deal with the trauma and mess of boiling and shucking a live lobster.

It's an impressive product, but the local industry still faces obstacles. Building new processing plants won't be cheap, and Shucks' multimillion dollar high pressure processor is particularly expensive. Then there's the challenge of developing a new market.

"There's a huge demand for Maine lobster," Hathaway said. "Outside of New England there are 300 million people that would potentially buy lobster if it were delivered in a convenient way." The biggest obstacle, he added, "is distribution and opening up those channels from the East Coast to West Coast and in between."

We toured the Shucks plant for a closer look at this innovative technology.

Shucks Maine Lobster is found in Richmond, Maine, about 45 minutes from Portland.

The processing facility is located inside what used to be a golf shoe factory.

One of just 16 processing facilities in the state, Shucks can process up to 30,000 pounds of soft-shell lobsters each day.

Young people in their late twenties who fashion themselves as outside of the mainstream — derisively referred to as hipsters — are a major force in New York, especially trendy neighborhoods like Williamsburg, Brooklyn. 

But how did they get there? Where do they all come from?

Fortunately these questions can be answered by the U.S. Census Bureau. Looking at their flows mapper— which measures people moving to or from a county to any other counties — we were able to find out where people were coming from when they moved to Brooklyn. 

Not only that, but we were also able to narrow down the age ranges. 

This map shows counties that had a significant number of people aged 25-30 who moved to Kings County, New York, also known as Brooklyn. These are prime candidates for hipsterdom. 

The grey areas on the map indicate regions where there are people moving from there to Brooklyn, but the Census doesn't have evidence to say they're between 25 and 30. The orange areas, though, are where a bunch of people are coming from:

So while we're not saying that all people between 25 and 30 who are moving from the rest of the country to Brooklyn are hipsters, this fits the bill.

There's mostly a ton of movement from the rest of the city and entire New York tri-state area, as well as California. 

If you look closer, you can also see that Brooklyn is bringing in people from Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Austin, and the Research Triangle in North Carolina. 

So next time you want to bash New York Hipsters, just realize that it's not New York that's the cause. It's all of you. 

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A frozen custard stand on a Jersey Shore boardwalk caught fire on Thursday and soon became completely engulfed in giant flames.

The pier is being evacuated, and explosions have been reported in the building, according to CBS in Philadelaphia.

Strong winds blew the fire from Kohr's Ice Cream in Seaside Park to adjacent buildings, according to The Newark Star-Ledger, and the blaze is also reportedly spreading to the boardwalk.

This shot shows how large the fire has grown:

Jesus H. How does this happen?! My heart is breaking over this Seaside boardwalk fire. pic.twitter.com/xD4tctJUOm

— Laura Ludlum (@BrownEyedNJGirl) September 12, 2013

Hurricane Sandy destroyed most of the boardwalk just last year, The Star-Ledger reported. It was just rebuilt earlier this year.

The cause of the fire is so far unclear. Several people are being treated for smoke inhalation.

The county sheriff is warning visitors to avoid the area, NBC New York reported.

Jersey Shore Hurricane News has a video of the fire:

Here are some photos from the scene:

Large fire on the boardwalk at Seaside Park on the Jersey Shore https://t.co/qQltzJn2zwpic.twitter.com/I7thQxdCDS

— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) September 12, 2013

My favorite "frozen custard," aka amazing ice cream shop, Kohrs, is melting. #seasideparkboardwalk#jerseyshorepic.twitter.com/Bs4Jfq6GVw

— Courtney Colavita (@CoCoLaVita) September 12, 2013

RIGHT NOW! HUGE SMOKE BILLOWING FROM A MASSIVE 5 ALARM FIRE ON THE BOARDWALK AT THE JERSEY SHORE. CBS. #911BUFFpic.twitter.com/Of5ELNuj9K

— Operator (@911BUFF) September 12, 2013

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"Casa de Shenandoah," the Las Vegas home owned by singer Wayne Newton — aka Mr. Las Vegas — for more than 45 years, is being sold for a whopping $70 million.

Listed on real estate website Redfin, the 36-acre property has over eight separate homes, a huge garage, 37 stables, a tennis court, and even its own jumbo jet and terminal.

Even crazier, it once had a functioning zoo with Arabian horses, sloths, penguins, lemurs, and more than 100 birds.

Newton and his family lived at the ranch from the 1960s to 2010, when it was purchased by CSD LLC for $19.5 million to help the Newtons out of bankruptcy, according to the Associated Press. Originally, there were plans to turn the main home into a Wayne Newton-themed theme park with a gift shop and dinner theater.

But that dream fell through after an ugly legal battle between the Newtons and CSD. Developers claimed Newton would not move out of the mansion or hand over paraphernalia for the museum, while Newton claimed his family had nowhere to relocate and was unhappy with how the property was being looked after.

Newton finally settled this summer for an undisclosed sum and left. The animals have since been sold to wildlife centers, according to Redfin, and now a Las Vegas judge has greenlit Casa de Shenandoah's sale, though it still remains to be seen whether or not anyone will pay the exorbitant $70 million price tag.

The main house at Casa de Shenandoah is a two-story structure with three bedrooms, six and a half bathrooms, and more than 9,000 square feet.

There's also a nice swimming pool in the backyard.

The entire property spans 36 acres, and has eight separate homes.

In a new study on the "composition, consumption and consequences" of sugar, Credit Suisse flags an interesting chart measuring Diet Coke consumption vs. education.

The chart, broken down by region, shows that areas of the U.S. with more bachelor's degrees consume higher levels of Diet Coke as a share of the general Coca-Cola intake.

We're not sure you can quite say that smarter people drink Diet Coke, but it's a start.

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New York Fashion Week came to a close today, but the nearly two-week-long extravaganza didn't come cheap.

These days, it's hard to put on a fashion show for less than six figures, says The Vivant, which broke down the cost of a single runway show.

The Cost Breakdown of a Fashion Show:

Venue: $0 to $100,000

Hair and Makeup: $0 to $100,000

Stylist: $5,000 to $20,000

Public Relations: $10,000 to $25,000 for a monthly retainer

Models: $0 to $200,000

Lighting: $10,000 on up 

Invitations: $5,000 on up
 

Here's how they got their numbers.

Venue:

"The four venues at Lincoln Center (the official home of New York Fashion Week) range between $15,000 for the smallest space up to $50,000 for the largest venue, the Tent," reports the site.

While it may sound costly, it's actually one of the more reasonably priced venues considering everything from the lighting to the seating is already set up and and included in the price.

Designer Anna Sui recently said: “Every season I think about moving, but frankly, economically, the tents make sense.”

More expensive venues include the New York Public Library, where the Marchesa line showed this season. The historic location’s rental fees start at $50,000.

In 2011, Marc Jacobs used the 69th Regiment Armory on Lexington Avenue to house his million-dollar runway show.

Hair and Makeup:

"Teams of makeup artists can charge from $5,000 to $100,000 per show, though many brands like Maybelline actually sponsor fashion shows, and provide their services for free," says The Vivant.

Models:

"Interestingly, unless designers are using models with a high star wattage, models are often not paid and volunteer for exposure (or free clothes)," explains the site.

Celebrities In Front Row:

Cameron Silver, owner of LA's high-end vintage boutique Decades, explained to The Hollywood Reporter: "[Brands] fly [celebs] out and put them up ... unless they're contractually obliged to attend. Others pay them an appearance fee."

While The Vivant says celebrities sitting in the front row are paid up to $100,000, THR published a breakdown last year of which specific celebrities get paid to sit front and center:

• Beyoncé: Fashionista.com published a fee list in 2010 indicating that Beyoncé received up to $100,000 to appear in a front-row seat.
• Rihanna: One unnamed British publication reports she was paid about $97,500 to attend Karl Lagerfeld's fall 2012 show in Paris.
• Jessica Chastain: It's rumored she was paid $800,000 to do photo ops at last year's Armani Privé show — but a stylist insider says, "Of course, a lot of shows do pay, some more than others — $800,000 is totally exaggerated." (The fee likely was closer to $80,000.) Other Armani loyalists include Anne Hathaway and Cate Blanchett. 
  
• Chloe Sevigny's $65,000, per a U.K. pub, is in keeping with industry averages.
• Blake Lively and Kim Kardashian are in the $50,000 range.
• "High-end deals usually are exclusive; if a star goes to just one show (like Jennifer Lawrence, seated next to Harvey Weinstein, at Dior last July), bank on them having been paid in kind or as part of an ad contract requiring their attendance."

Other expenses include show producers, model casters, lighting, backstage catering, public relations, and stylists — but with more than 350 shows in nine days, the cost of a show can really vary.

SEE ALSO: The 26 Best Looks From The Runways At New York Fashion Week

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CARIBOU, Maine (AP) — Hundreds of multicolored balloons used Thursday to launch a balloonist for a trans-Atlantic crossing look like a page taken from the script of the movie "Up."

Instead of using a conventional hot-air balloon, Jonathan Trappe lifted off using more than 300 helium-filled balloons, like those used in in the animated movie.

Trappe's goal is to float across the ocean.

"The Atlantic Ocean has been crossed many times, and in many ways, but never quite like this," the North Carolina native said on his website, which detailed his efforts.

City Manager Austin Bleess said about 150 volunteers assisted in filling the helium balloons starting Wednesday night. Trappe and his balloons lifted off from a foggy softball field in northern Maine, near the Canadian border, at sunrise Thursday.

"Man, it was awesome," Bleess said. "It was amazing to watch."

Also on hand Thursday was Joe Kittinger, a retired Air Force officer who once set a record for jumping from a balloon 19.5 miles up and later became the first solo balloonist to cross the Atlantic in 1984.

As for Trappe, he's no stranger to the cluster balloons.

He's used them to fly in an office chair, and he's used them to lift a faux house, just like in the Disney-Pixar movie. In 2010, he crossed the English Channel using a cluster of balloons. For his trans-Atlantic crossing, the basket in which he's riding is actually a lifeboat that could be used if he ditches in the ocean.

Trappe worked on the trans-Atlantic crossing for two years and hoped to be the first person to succeed in doing so with a cluster of balloons. By Thursday evening, he was well on his way, headed toward Newfoundland.

The airborne journey, if it goes according to plan, could take anywhere from three days to six days. Wind currents could bring him to northern Africa or Norway.

___

Online:

http://clusterballoon.com/

Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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In the summer of the 1992, a 24-year-old named Chris McCandless died in his camp in the Alaskan wilderness. 

Several months earlier, McCandless had walked into the wilderness for a final great adventure after wandering the United States having given away all of his possessions.

That summer, in Alaska, McCandless camped in the shell of an old bus and subsisted on animals he hunted and plants he foraged. For several months, he thrived. But then something went wrong. In mid-September, McCandless's body and diaries were found by hunters. The assumption was that he had starved to death.

Jon Krakauer wrote a story about McCandless for Outside Magazine, and then a famous book called "Into The Wild," which was later made into a movie. 

Krakauer had a lot of sympathy for McCandless. In "Into The Wild," he portrayed him as a smart, adventurous, and capable — if devoutly idealistic — young man.

Many of Krakauer's readers, meanwhile, thought McCandless was a fool — a dreamy kid woefully unprepared for life in the wilderness who, in a sense, had gotten what was coming to him.

But how had McCandless died?

Had he really starved to death, despite being able to hunt and gather food?

In "Into the Wild," Krakauer speculated that what had killed McCandless was not actually starvation but wild potato seeds. McCandless had eaten lots of these seeds, and Krakauer speculated that a toxic alkaloid in the seeds had so weakened him that he had been unable to gather enough food.

But wild potatoes are described in most guidebooks (including McCandless') as a non-toxic plant. So Krakauer's "toxic alkaloid" theory was ridiculed. Krakauer sent some seeds to a professor for tests, but the professor couldn't find any toxic alkaloids.

Krakauer was confused. But he didn't give up.

And, now, 21 years after McCandless's death, Krakauer thinks he has finally found the answer.

A researcher named Ronald Hamilton had written a paper arguing that McCandless had, in fact, been killed by the wild potato seeds, but not because of any "toxic alkaloids." Rather, Hamilton argued, McCandless's meager diet and malnutrition in the wilderness had made him susceptible to a rare but brutal affliction called "lathyrism" that gradually paralyzes its victims. Lathryrism occurs primarily in malnourished young men, and it is caused by the ingestion of an amino acid that was first discovered in the seeds of wild grass peas.

After reading Hamilton's paper, Krakauer sent a bunch of wild potato seeds to a chemist. The chemist found that, indeed, the wild potato seeds contained the amino acid that causes lathyrism.

So Chris McCandless may indeed have died of starvation, Krakauer concludes, in a long article in this week's New Yorker. But he starved not because he was alone in the wilderness, but because an amino acid in a plant that his guidebook had told him was safe had gradually paralyzed him. Once McCandless could no longer move, he could no longer gather more food. And, shortly thereafter, he died.

As Jon Krakauer notes at the end of his article, Chris McCandless would now be 45.

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JASON SOMERVILLE, a professional poker player, could see that all the cards had been dealt and the final board was 3, 4, 5, 6, 3. Mr Somerville had an ace and a king. His opponent paused. He was down to the final five seconds of his time bank before he finally bet. That could have meant one of two things. Either it was a hard decision, or he was distracted.

Had the game been in a casino, Mr Somerville would have been able to see which. But it was online, so he couldn't. Instead, he took into account how quickly the game had progressed previously, and called. He was right, and he won.

The best online poker players learn to decipher betting patterns as shrewdly as their offline peers read faces. Mr Somerville, for example, has won $2.3m over the past decade. But he has lost a packet, too: not only from losing but also because, until recently, he had little recourse when the people he beat did not pay up.

America tends to ban online gambling rather than regulate it. Since the Justice Department indicted popular gambling websites such as Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars in 2011, millions of Americans have turned to illegal betting sites. An estimated 1,700 offshore sites handle bets worth more than $4 billion a year. They offer scant safeguards for players; nor do they effectively keep out children.

Some states are trying to fix this mess. In February Nevada legalised online gambling. Within three months UltimatePoker.com, currently the only legal real-money online poker site, was open for business in the Silver State. New Jersey and Delaware have also approved online gambling in the past two years. Several other states are following. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Texas are working to legalise online gambling this year.

At the federal level, not much will change. In June Peter King, a Republican congressman from New York, introduced a bill to legalise most online gambling and set up a federal regulator, but it is unlikely to pass. No matter: the American Gaming Association, a casino-industry group, noted in a recent report that "all of our industry experts foresee the US market increasing in size over the next five years"as a result of some states legalising online gambling.

Mr Somerville, meanwhile, has moved from his native New York to Nevada. He says he finds the regulations there reassuring "after all the years of basically wild wild West [online] poker".

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JASON SOMERVILLE, a professional poker player, could see that all the cards had been dealt and the final board was 3, 4, 5, 6, 3. Mr Somerville had an ace and a king. His opponent paused. He was down to the final five seconds of his time bank before he finally bet. That could have meant one of two things. Either it was a hard decision, or he was distracted.

Had the game been in a casino, Mr Somerville would have been able to see which. But it was online, so he couldn't. Instead, he took into account how quickly the game had progressed previously, and called. He was right, and he won.

The best online poker players learn to decipher betting patterns as shrewdly as their offline peers read faces. Mr Somerville, for example, has won $2.3m over the past decade. But he has lost a packet, too: not only from losing but also because, until recently, he had little recourse when the people he beat did not pay up.

America tends to ban online gambling rather than regulate it. Since the Justice Department indicted popular gambling websites such as Full Tilt Poker and PokerStars in 2011, millions of Americans have turned to illegal betting sites. An estimated 1,700 offshore sites handle bets worth more than $4 billion a year. They offer scant safeguards for players; nor do they effectively keep out children.

Some states are trying to fix this mess. In February Nevada legalised online gambling. Within three months UltimatePoker.com, currently the only legal real-money online poker site, was open for business in the Silver State. New Jersey and Delaware have also approved online gambling in the past two years. Several other states are following. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, California, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, Mississippi, Pennsylvania and Texas are working to legalise online gambling this year.

At the federal level, not much will change. In June Peter King, a Republican congressman from New York, introduced a bill to legalise most online gambling and set up a federal regulator, but it is unlikely to pass. No matter: the American Gaming Association, a casino-industry group, noted in a recent report that "all of our industry experts foresee the US market increasing in size over the next five years"as a result of some states legalising online gambling.

Mr Somerville, meanwhile, has moved from his native New York to Nevada. He says he finds the regulations there reassuring "after all the years of basically wild wild West [online] poker".

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The Lehman Brothers sign that hung above the now-defunct investment bank's European headquarters in Canary Wharf is hitting the auction block again.

On September 17th, two days after the fifth anniversary of the demise of Lehman, the sign will be auctioned off in London by Christie's.  

It's unclear who the current owner is because they wish to remain anonymous.  They did pay a lot for the sign during the first auction, though. 

Back in 2010, the metal sign sold for £42,050 (or $66,439).  It was estimated to bring in only £2,000 - £3,000 (or $3,100 to $4,500). 

Now someone else will get a chance to have a piece of Lehman memorabilia in their home or office. 

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Russia's Federal Anti monopoly Service fined the dental clinic VelaDent for offending family values in an advertisement depicting an act of infidelity. Here's the ad, which encourages customers to "smile, even in difficult situations":

"Infidelity is an offensive manner of behavior in the family, and thereby violates the family foundations in terms of morality and ethics," the Russian agency said in its decision. 

After conducting a poll finding that 38% of Russian citizens were offended by the ad, the FAS fined VelaDent 100,000 rubles, which equates to a little more than $3,000.

SEE ALSO: Why Activists Are Demanding Procter & Gamble React To Russia's Horrific LGBT Discrimination

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This one comes straight from you — our gentlemen readers.

It has come to our attention that while some of you out there would love to dress fresh to death at all times, you believe that achieving that goal is beyond your means.

It's not.

Affordable men's fashion is everywhere, and with a few key pieces, you can make your wardrobe look crisp and tidy. Business Insider reached out to some of our favorite men's fashion bloggers and retailers to get their opinion on where to get a stylish wardrobe without breaking the bank.

Think about it: They love clothes, but a brother still needs money to eat.

We've organized this list by item, and with each item we've included a list of awesome retailers — including some you've probably never heard of — that carry what you need, in a reasonable price range.

Special thanks to Sabir Peele of Men's Style Pro, who sent us an especially awesome list of stores. Follow him on Instagram here.

Suits, under $650

Why you need them: For obvious reasons, you need a suit, and the truth is, it should be made to measure. Our good friend, The Fine Young Gentleman, wrote an excellent post for us about how you can get a made-to-measure suit without spending a trillion dollars. Read it. Then read it again.

Also, remember, you can't go wrong with gray, navy, and black.

Where to get them: FYG recommends brands like Indochino, Black Lapel, Knot Standard, and My Suit.

Follow FYG on Twitter here.

Dress shirts, $60-$85

Why you need them: This goes without saying: You need something to wear to the office, and you may not want to spend $200 on something from say, Thomas Pink.

Where to get them: For a perfect fit we highly recommend our friends at Hugh and Crye, based in DC. Also SuitSupply.com and Lands' End Canvas have good stuff ranging from $56-$80.

Casual shirts, $45-$85

Why you need them: Dude, you can't wear a T-shirt everywhere.

Where to get them: This item's not too hard to find, but we especially love Frank and Oak for this. Everything's under $50 and they have a great selection, but you have to sign up and be member (which is free). There's also NewLook.com (out of the U.K.), which has a huge variety of styles, fabrics, and brands at low prices.