Fifteen years after getting drafted 199th overall, Tom Brady is making his record sixth Super Bowl appearance.

Since 2000 he has turned into the league's biggest celebrity with massive endorsement deals, a wildly successful significant other, and the ability to build $40-million mansions from scratch as a side job.

Brady earned $38 million in 2013, making him the 11th highest-paid athlete in the world.

Source: Forbes

A huge chunk of that came from a $30 million signing bonus he got from his renegotiated Patriots contract.

Source: PFT

The contract was designed to help the Patriots salary cap situation. As a result, Brady's salary was $2 million in 2014.

When you're on vacation, some hotels will make you feel like royalty — and others will treat you like it.

These 21 opulent hotel suites are guaranteed to do just that.

Most are accompanied by a lofty price tag, but when they include personal butlers, pillow service, and once-in-a-lifetime views, you should make sure they get onto your bucket list.

The two-bedroom Plateau Villa, Laucala Island Resort, Fiji

Nightly rate: From about $7,900

Imagine waking up, stepping out onto the yoga deck, and enjoying coffee or tea while looking out over Laucala Island’s coconut plantations. It’s not a bad way to live. More than 1,800 square feet of living space, plus an outdoor garden, bathing area, and dining pavilions allows guests to live in luxury the entirety of their stay. The Hilltop Estate is even more over-the-top , but available to stay by invite or application only — and will run you about $40,000 a night.

The Bridge Suite at Atlantis Paradise Island, Bahamas

Nightly rate:About $25,000

Suspended between Atlantis' Royal Towers 16 stories off the ground, the Bridge Suite is the most opulent accommodation at the Bahamas' premiere luxury resort destination. Take in the views of Paradise Island from the 12-foot, floor-to-ceiling windows, and indulge in the suite's unique amenities,like the piano in the living room, twin entertainment centers, a 24-karat gold chandelier, and a dedicated wait staff of seven.

Finch Hatton's Suite at Giraffe Manor, Kenya

Nightly rate:From $1,130

Built in 1932 and modeled on a Scottish hunting lodge, Kenya's Giraffe Manor offers luxury bedrooms with antique furnishings, striking art decor, and just-outside-the-window access to a giraffe sanctuary. Other safari animals wander the 140-acre property, too — if you're so inclined, stop by the David Sheldrick Elephant Orphanage and sponsor a baby elephant before returning home.

The Presidential Suite, Hotel Principe Di Savoia, Milan

Nightly rate: From about $12,700

The three-bedroom suite doesn’t just have a to-die-for bathroom — it has a to-die-for, Pompeian-styled spa, complete with a swimming pool, whirlpool, jacuzzi, sauna, and Turkish bath. While you stay, you can entertain guests in the formal dining room, make a drink at the bar, and cozy up by the real working fireplace.

Provocateur Suite at the Hard Rock Hotel, Las Vegas

Nightly rate:From $3,500

Designed to evoke a sexy, fetish-oriented environment, the Provocateur Suite sets the stage for guests to play out their most intimate fantasies. Claret red and shiny black decorative accents complement the custom-made furniture and dominatrix accessories throughout the suite — making this Sin City destination a thrill for even the most hardcore "50 Shades of Gray" fans.

The Towers, The Waldorf Astoria, New York

Nightly rate: From $499

The Waldorf Astoria considers the suites at the Towers to be their "hotel atop a hotel." More exclusive than its downstairs neighbors, it features a private entrance off East 50th Street and delicate, Victorian-style suites. Guests have their own dedicated concierge and daily breakfast in the Astoria Lounge. During your stay, make sure you take advantage of the Waldorf Astoria Spa between the twice-daily maid service — by the time you return your bed will have been turned down for pleasant dreams.

Villa La Cupola Suite, Westin Excelsior, Rome

Nightly rate: $30,000

For a mere $30,000 per night, stay in this two-story suite overlooking Rome's Via Veneto. The domed living room has a fresco inspired by Rome's Renaissance-era art, as well as a private kitchen, wine cellar, private elevator, and fitness room. Guests can also request a personal chauffeur, shopper, private tours of Rome's historical locations, and helicopter transfers.

Stone Canyon Suite at Hotel Bel-Air, California

Nightly rate:$725 - $1,700

Located just off Sunset Boulevard, the Hotel Bel-Air has a fleet of Mercedes cars that will shuttle you in comfort and luxury, anywhere within a three-mile radius of the hotel. But you may never want to leave the room, given the in-room iPad's room service ordering capability, spa tub with built in TV, heated limestone floors, and private garden patio.

The Royal Suite, The Toren, Amsterdam

Nightly rate: From $480

The split-level Royal Suite has a dark and sultry ambience, decked out in warm colors and fabrics. The lower level of the suite is where you can access the bathroom, an en suite bathing den with a whirlpool bath, high quality toiletries, robe, and slippers. The suite is also equipped with a Nespresso pod coffee maker, one of the best on the market.

Suite del Virrey at the Hotel Casa San Agustin, Colombia

Nightly rate: From $500

Named The World's Hottest New Hotel in 2013 by TripAdvisor, the Hotel Casa San Agustin's Suite del Virrey is evidence that the title is well-earned. The Suite del Virrey is two rooms, each with its own balcony and high, wooden beam-inlaid ceilings. Don't forget the private jacuzzi which sits, yes, out on the balcony. There on business? Just ask the concierge for an iPad.

Deluxesvit at Ice Hotel, Sweden

Nightly rate:About $1,153

In a small village 200 kilometers above the Arctic Circle, guests at the famous Ice Hotel sleep comfortably in -5 degree temperatures. Each room is unique, furnished with a large bed and seating area made of ice and snow, and decorated with hand-carved art installations by artists selected from around the world. The Deluxesvit also boasts an ensuite sauna and toilet.

The Royal Suite, Hôtel Plaza Athénée, Paris

Nightly rate: About $26,000

Another Dorchester Collection hotel, the Hôtel Plaza Athénée is center stage in the City of Lights on Avenue Montaigne. Its Royal Suite is on the fifth floor, and offers quite a lot for being the largest, and most expensive, suite in Paris: four bathrooms, antique French regency furniture, two security lobbies with a fingerprint scanner and, of course, location, location, location.

Royal Suite, The Burj al-Arab, Dubai

Nightly rate: $23,000

The largest suite in what is considered to be the most luxurious hotel in the world, the Royal Suite at the Burj al-Arab is completely over the top in every way. It includes two bedrooms, a private dining room and cinema, and private escalator to whisk you to the 780-square-meter paradise in complete seclusion.

The Imperial Suite, Park Hyatt Vendôme, France

Nightly rate: $20,000

At $20,000 a night, the Imperial Suite at the Park Hyatt Vendôme in Paris may just be the most romantic place in the world's most romantic city. The 230-square-meter suite features a massive living room and dining area, three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a private spa. Plus, it's impeccably decorated with contemporary art.

Jewel Suite, New York Palace, New York

Nightly rate: Starting at $25,000

The Jewel Suite, located in the newly renovated Towers section of the Palace, is a 5,000-square-foot triplex designed by jeweler Martin Katz. Ultra-glamorous amenities include private Maybach car service, complimentary champagne, and Michel Richard white chocolate diamond truffles in the grand parlor. And no need to go souvenir shopping — Jewel Suite guests will consult with Katz and receive a diamond ring designed by him.

Manta Resort Room at Manta Resort, Tanzania

Nightly rate:$900 – $1,500

The world's second underwater hotel room sits 13 feet beneath the surface of the Indian Ocean, off the coast of Tanzania. Designed by Swedish artist Mikael Genberg, the three-tiered suite includes a roof deck, a landing deck at sea level with a lounge and bathroom, and bedroom windows that afford a nearly 360-degree view of a nearby coral reef and dozens of species of fish.

The Luxury Tent, The Rock Petra, Jordan

Nightly rate: From $65

The Rock Petra offers the ultimate in desert glamping. Luxury tents accommodate up to four people with plush, comfortable beds and jeweled Bedouin-style decor. The camp is circled by a gorge of beautiful, ancient rock formations that date back to 7,000 B.C. Steep yourself in the Bedouin way of life with authentic and hearty communal dinners, and music and dancing around the campfire.

The Royal Penthouse Suite, Hotel President Wilson, Geneva

Nightly rate: About $69,000

If you’ve got CHF60,000 to spare — or just over US$69,000 — The Royal Penthouse Suite at the Hotel President Wilson in Geneva, Switzerland, will make a lovely place to stay. The private terrace sits up against bulletproof glass windows, and the bedrooms and living areas put state-of-the-art Bang & Olufsen technology front and center. The 12-bed, 12-bath suite says it sleeps six, but we have a feeling you could squeeze a few more in there.

Chairman Suite at Marina Bay Sands, Singapore

Nightly rate:About $17,000

The Chairman Suite, which comes in your choice of black-and-granite or gold-and-earth colors, offers unobstructed views of the striking Singapore city skyline and lush Gardens by the Bay from three balconies. The massive suite includes a master bedroom with His and Her closets and bathrooms, an exercise room with steam and sauna, and a game room with pool table and bar. A dedicated team of butlers and pillow menu — it's exactly what you think it is — will make you feel right at home.

Hardwood Suite, Palms Casino, Las Vegas

Nightly rate: $25,000

The Hardwood suite, named for its private, indoor basketball court, covers 10,000 square feetover two floors. It also has a professional locker room and "NBA-sized" beds. The suite sleeps an entire basketball team, but has a capacity for 350 people in case of post-game after-parties. It’s not limited to players, though; non-basketball celebs like Russell Simmons and Paris Hilton have also taken full advantage of the lavish bar, dance floor and lounge, and 24-hour butler service here.

Maharajah's Pavilion, Raj Palace, India

Nightly rate: $15,000

The Maharajah's Pavilion is a four-story monster of a suite, with a private entrance, library, bar and lounge, pool, and spa, not to mention a dining room and kitchen. If the Maharajah's Pavilion is booked when you're looking to stay, not to worry: The hotel has a second presidential suite, the Shahi Mahal, which offers equally extravagant amenities.

SEE ALSO: The Best Hotel In Every State

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Maps are famous for distorting the earth. 

Because they portray our world in only two dimensions, continents and countries become skewed, as does our perception of how big they truly are.

And that doesn't even factor in how many people actually live in these places.

Inspired by a similar 10-year-old map by cartographer Paul Breding that resized countries based on their population size, college student Chase Mohrman decided to create his own updated version.

It quickly went viral on Reddit’s /r/mapporn and began to make the rounds on Vox and NPR. 

“It took me about three months of casual work,” Mohrman told Business Insider in an email. “It was super fun to make and share. I'm honored that the map is so popular!”

Using Wikipedia as a source and Microsoft Paint as his tool, Mohrman was able to keep the basic shapes of the countries recognizable, and even had a shout out to a few US cities and states including California, Texas, greater New York City, and his native Wisconsin.

“I'm actually a freshman at UW Eau Claire studying Computer Science,” Mohrman told us. “I just have a passion for maps and thought I could help educate people with this one. I think viewing the world in this way is helpful in geo-politics because it's a true representation of the part of the world that's most interesting to us: the people on it!”

Keep reading to see close ups of his incredible map.

Canada becomes a tiny strip on top of the US and greater NYC takes up a large chunk of the East Coast.

The UK and France become almost equal sizes in Mohrman's map and Russia shrinks down by a lot.

Here's the Middle East — Pakistan is double the size of Iran.

Nigeria far outpaces any other African country as a population hub.

China is the biggest country by far on the map. Japan has expanded by a lot too and Greater Seoul takes up half of South Korea.

Australia looks teensy tiny compared to India, which has caught up with China as being one of the world's most populated countries.

You can see the full high-res map here.

SEE ALSO: 15 Overlay Maps That Will Change The Way You See The World

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This amazing video was captured by Max's dad as he timed Max riding his electric Evolve skateboard around a parking lot. He hadn't noticed Max giving himself a pep talk until after he reviewed the GoPro footage.

Video courtesy of Little Big Pictures

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This amazing video shot over 14 days combines both stop motion and time-lapse of a man walking across America, from New York to San Francisco. The video is comprised of 2,770 meticulously planned individual still frames. 

Directed by Sam Griffith; Produced by Blake Heal; Cinematography by Peter Cote

Video courtesy of Sam Griffith

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Even though it’s one of the most classic cuts, most of us know next to nothing about standing rib roast AKA prime rib.

The New York Times recently wrote about a resurgence in the cut and how more and more restaurants are putting it back on menus. Perhaps it was time to learn a thing or two.

So we spoke with experts in the industry from both Old Homestead Steakhouse and BLT Steak. These are the 10 things you need to know about prime rib.

Prime rib is technically a roast, not a steak. That is, unless you slice the ribs into steaks before cooking, in which case it becomes a rib eye steak.

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You can expect to see a ton of new movie trailers during tonight's Super Bowl broadcast. One of the most anticipated is the spot for "Ted 2," the sequel to the 2012 box office smash that raked in more than $549 million at the international box office. 

The first movie's stars Mark Wahlberg and Seth MacFarlane (who voices the titular teddy bear) are back, but the sequel boasts a cavalcade of new talent, such as Morgan Freeman, Liam Neeson and Amanda Seyfried. 

Director Seth MacFarlane needs a box office hit after the disappointing performance of "A Million Ways To Die In The West." The western-spoof underperformed at the global box office with an underwhelming haul of $86 million.

"Ted 2" opens on June 26.

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If you were out partying last night, you're probably feeling at least a little rough today.

Perhaps your head is throbbing, your mouth is dry, and you are craving salt and sugar but aren't certain you can stomach any food. Even worse, if you have to get any work done, your mind is foggy and it's hard to focus.

We get it.

But what is it about veisalgia — the medical term for a hangover, derived from kveis, a Norwegian word that means "uneasiness following debauchery" and -algia, a Greek root that means "pain" — that leaves you feeling that way?

Just a note: We're looking at hangover symptoms specifically here, not the effects of long term alcohol abuse or alcoholism, though frequent hangovers are a sign that you could have a drinking problem. 

Linette Lopez contributed to an earlier version of this article. 

A major component of hangovers has to do with the way our bodies break down alcohol.

Researchers still don't know exactly what causes a hangover, but the way we metabolize alcohol is at least partly responsible, according to Richard Stephens, a psychology professor and member of the Alcohol Hangover Research Group, an organization that's trying to answer questions in what they call the "neglected issue" of hangover studies.

Stephens told The Atlantic that one thing researchers know that our body first metabolizes ethanol, the main alcohol in booze. But after we break that down we start to break down other alcohols, including methanol, which our body turns into formaldehyde and formic acid — toxins that make you hurt.

This process happens about 10 hours after we stop drinking.

There's a biological basis for the idea that "hair of the dog" helps — but that also explains why hangovers are a risk factor for alcoholism.

If someone has a drink the next morning, their body will soon realize that there's more ethanol in their bodies to start breaking down. Since our bodies prefer ethanol, they'll stop breaking down methanol into those toxins at this point, which is why a bit of the "hair of the dog that bit you" can at least temporarily take the pain and sick feeling of a hangover away.

Stephens says that researchers think this is why hangovers may be a risk factor for alcoholism instead of a natural deterrent to becoming an alcoholic. Studies show that alcoholics get some of the most severe hangovers around.

Hangovers actually get less severe as you get older.

This may seem impossible — lots of people recall being able to party AND study back when they were in college. 

But a study in the journal Alcoholism of 51,645 Danish men and women found that the older someone gets, the less likely they are to experience a severe hangover after a binge drinking session — even after controlling for food consumption and quantity and frequency of regular drinking.

Our bet? You might just physically feel worse in general if you are older and less fit than you once were. Plus, you might have more responsibilities that force you to get off the couch.

In a small Finland town around 62 miles into the Arctic Circle, experts at The Finnish Meteorological Institute Arctic Research Centre are looking for signs of upcoming displays of Northern Lights in our skies. The centre has helped develop 'Auroras Now!', a space weather service which uses all-sky cameras and magnetic field alarm systems to monitor auroral activity.

 Produced by Devan Joseph. Animation by Alex Kuzoian. Video courtesy of Associated Press.

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The 2015 Sony World Photography Awards may be still open to submissions for another few weeks, but the World Photography Organization has decided to reveal a selection of some of their favorite submissions from the contest so far.

Last year’s contest, which saw more than 140,000 entries, was the Awards’ most successful in its seven-year history. Judging from the photos shared by the World Photography Organization, this year could be even better.

 To submit your own photos, head to the World Photo Organization. The contest is open to entries in the Open and Youth competitions until January 5th and in the Professional competition until January 8th. 

"I was taking pictures of some Orangutans in Bali, Indonesia and then it started to rain. Just before I put my camera away, I saw this Orangutan took a banana leaf and put it on top on his head to protect himself from the rain," said photographer Andrew Suryono.

Fiona, the girl in the photo, is the youngest of photographer Arief Siswandhono's two daughters. Fiona used to be scared of cats, which was why the family adopted two kittens. After seven months, Fiona is no longer afraid.

In the Lower Omo Valley of Southern Ethiopia, a man of the Hamar tribe collects wood to build a defensive fence for his cattle.

Wall Streeters do not have time. 

They do not have time to go shopping.

They do not have time to try on clothes.

They do not have time to drop off/pick up their dry cleaning.

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See what circus life is like»

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Despite being ranked at the bottom of the US News & World Report's "Best Overall Diets List," the Paleo diet remains a popular option among athletes and exercise fanatics.

Registered dietitian & exercise physiologist Samantha Heller says proceed with caution when opting for this high-protein diet. The risks may not be worth the potential rewards.

Produced by Sam Rega

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Good architecture has the ability to improve people's lives.

To celebrate the best buildings that achieve that goal, every year the architecture blog ArchDaily determines the best buildings in the world.

Eighteen thousand architects and enthusiasts participated in the nomination process of over 3,000 projects, ending up with 70 buildings nominated among in 14 catagories.

The nominated buildings are as inspiring as they are diverse, representing the very best new architecture around the world.

You can still vote for your favorite to become ArchDaily Building Of The Year— voting is open until February 4th.

COMMERCIAL ARCHITECTURE: Abu Dhabi Central Market, Abu Dhabi

Architects: Foster + Partners 

Cultura Bookstore, São Paulo, Brazil

Architects: Studio MK27 – Marcio Kogan + Diana Radomysler + Luciana Antunes + Marcio Tanaka + Mariana Ruzante

SunnyHills at Minami-Aoyama, Tokyo

Architects: Kengo Kuma _ Associates

The small businesses in the Windy City will blow you away.

From a nerdtastic bar in Wicker Park to an art gallery for carpentry lovers (or a carpentry store for art lovers) in Pilsen, these are the 25 coolest new businesses in Chicago.

We defined "new" as a business that opened in the past five years or so.

Know a cool small business we missed? Tell us in the comments.

5 Rabbit Cervecería

6398 West 74th St., Bedford Park

What it is:The first Latin microbrewery in the US.

Why it's cool: Located just outside Chicago, the first Latin microbrewery, or cervecería, in the US infuses its brews with ancho chili, piloncillo cane sugar, and other Latin flavors. Inspired by an Aztec myth, 5 Rabbit names all of its beers to coincide with the Aztec calendar.

Artizone

Online, based in Chicago and Dallas

What it is: An online specialty food shopping community.

Why it's cool: Artisanal foods ordered online and delivered to your door — that's Artizone. The clever, convenient service offers a curated collection of the very best artisans in your area. This unique portal provides aggregated access to authentic, handcrafted food items from the finest purveyors that have carefully curated high-quality products.

Artpentry

1932 South Halsted St., #102

What it is: A gallery and store that combines art and carpentry.

Why it's cool: Floyd Davis is a skilled carpenter who started Artpentry (the name combines the words "art" and "carpentry") as a place to showcase and sell his creative works, and the works of other independent, local artists. Also a space devoted to sound and music, Artpentry is best known for the Gentleman's Boombox, a collection of vintage trunks and suitcases converted into functional music players.

It seems that hedge fund titan Steve Cohen is adding to his extensive catalog of luxurious real estate, this time in Los Angeles.

According to Variety, rumor has it that Cohen is in the process of buying a $35 million mansion in Beverly Hills. 

The property used to belong to the actor Glenn Ford, but has since grown from 8,800 square feet and one bedroom to 12,664 square feet, with nine bedrooms and 13 bathrooms.

Other impressive purchases by Cohen include a $115 million Manhattan penthouse and a $62.5 million East Hamptons estate. Variety also lists another two mansions in New York City's West Village that Cohen bought for $23.4 million and $38.4 million, as well as his 35,000 square foot home in Greenwich, Connecticut.

His newest property is filled with flat-screen TVs, fireplaces, glass panel walls and has an outdoor saltwater swimming pool with its own special amenities, including color-changing lights and an underwater sound system.

The mansion spans more than 12,000 square feet and includes 9 bedrooms, 11 bathrooms and two half baths.

It's located right by the luxurious Beverly Hills Hotel.

The outdoors include a huge, tiled, saltwater swimming pool with a waterfall.

Shake Shack, the world's hottest better-burger chain, went public on Friday amid a rapid global expansion.

Burger King is part of the old guard, one of the uninspiring fast-food behemoths that are at risk of being disrupted.

For a direct comparison, we went to Downtown Brooklyn, where the two share a small triangular building across from the Kings County Supreme Court. I saw the stark differences for myself on the day of the IPO — and yes, the prices at these two restaurants are comparable.

The differences are striking. The Shake Shack's storefront is modern, clean, and inviting.

The Burger King is a bit dirtier, with many of the windows covered with signs and a shabby flag flying above.

I visited the area at lunchtime on a Friday, and both restaurants were busy with customers. Inside the well-lit Shake Shack, I found the short and orderly line, cordoned off with retractable dividers. It took me only four minutes, 40 seconds to get to the front and place my order.

Inside the Burger King, there were an equal number of people, but they were lined up in a confusing and messy queue. Waiting to order here took much longer than at Shake Shack — I waited more than 11 minutes.

The kitchen in Shake Shack looked clean, shiny, and new.

The Burger King kitchen didn't look quite as clean or shiny, but it was comparable to that of your average fast-food chain restaurant. After ordering, I waited for my food at Burger King for four minutes, 32 seconds.

Conversely, at Shake Shack, even though I was given this fancy buzzer wand, I still had to wait, along with a crowd of other hungry customers, for more than eight minutes for my Shack Burger and fries. This was one of the only positives in the BK column.

Once I did get my food at Shake Shack, though, the condiment stand was fully stocked with everything I would need.

Burger King? Not so much.

I sat down in Shake Shack to eat my delicious-smelling food. The seating areas were filled with light and looked clean and minimal, with wood accents, lots of windows, exposed brick, and interesting art.

Burger King had two floors to Shake Shack's one. I sat on the lower level, which featured darkly painted walls, somewhat outdated light fixtures, tiled floors, and standard fast-food booths and swivel chairs.

Let's talk about what really matters: the burgers. I ordered a Whopper and a small order of french fries at BK (the nice woman at the counter gave me a free Coke because she mistakenly made too many). The burger, while a bit sloppy and flat looking, tasted like the Burger King burger I was used to. The patty was a thin, uniform shape and had clearly been previously frozen. It had that signature "flame-broiled" taste but sort of lacked flavor otherwise. The cheese wasn't very melted and tasted a bit of plastic. The bun was starchy, but I do love those sesame seeds. It certainly wasn't amazing, but with this kind of fast food, you know what you're getting.

As a side note, my favorite part of Burger King used to be the extra-crunchy fries. Seems as if they've done away with those in favor of these thicker-cut steak fries. That was a bummer.

At Shake Shack, I ordered a Shake Burger and fries, the rough equivalent to Burger King's Whopper in terms of size (4oz patties on both burgers). The extra wait proved worth it, as my burger looked delicious. The bun was fuller, and the patty had signs of freshness. It had clearly been cooked on a stovetop, and the cheese was fully melted. Even the presentation was nicer, with a metal tray and wax paper.

The fries, however, left a little to be desired. They had a frozen-potato taste to them that turned me off. I didn't eat many of them.

Shake Shack had other things to offer that Burger King could not, like alcohol for sale ...

... and daily specials, sourced from local vendors.

Shake Shack even had a display describing the origins of all its ingredients, like the bacon for its bacon burgers. The food was purported to be all-natural and sustainably grown. Also, you can buy T-shirts.

Burger King didn't have anything like that.

In case you think I forgot, I checked out one of the most important parts of any restaurant: the bathroom. Burger King's was a multiple-person bathroom that didn't look as if it had been cleaned in a while.

Shake Shack's bathroom was a single-person room that was both larger and cleaner than Burger King's.

If you've read this far, it should be clear that I had the better experience at Shake Shack. I know what you're thinking: you get what you pay for, right? The Shake Shack experience is nicer because Shake Shack charges more for its products.

Here's the thing, though. They don't charge THAT much more. 

At Burger King, I paid about $7.50. 

At Shake Shack, I paid about $8.20.

Now, I know for some people, that extra 70 cents can mean a lot. And for those people, Burger King does have other, cheaper options that Shake Shack doesn't offer. But for most, it's a small price to pay for a better tasting experience with the same amount of food.

Also, the Shake Shack meal was slightly healthier, with 960 calories to Burger King's 990.

So unless Burger King significantly steps up its meal quality or significantly lowers its prices, you'll be seeing me at Shake Shack every time.

SEE ALSO: 11 reasons people are obsessed with Shake Shack

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Four years into my career as a country singer, I was tired. When I’d graduated from college, with a new record to sell and a full schedule of shows for the summer, it had seemed like the greatest thing in the world to travel through rural America and tell its story.

But now that I’d crisscrossed the country several times in my station wagon, I knew the sobering truth. I’d been lying.

As I listened to the people who came up to chat after my shows, it dawned on me that life in the heartland was not what I’d thought. Farming had become a grueling industrial occupation, squeezed between the corporations that sold farmers their chemicals and the corporations that bought their grain.

To my disappointment, I discovered that most American farmers weren’t actually growing food but rather raw ingredients for big food processors. These multinational corporations dictated everything their growers did, from the seeds they planted to the expensive fertilizers and herbicides they needed to grow them.

It was a losing game for the farmers, who kept sinking further into debt as their input costs rose and grain prices fell. But the arrangement was great for the corporations, which kept right on dealing chemicals to their captive suppliers of cheap corn, soy, and wheat.

Flush with marketing dollars, Big Food was working hard to convince middle America that their folksy branded products were the protectors of the family farm and its wholesome values. I thought about the companies that sponsored my shows and felt a creeping wave of guilt. I’d bought into their phony story hook, line, and sinker—and I was propagating it.

The song I always sang to open my concerts talked about corn popping up in neat rows next to a peaceful river. But in fact, the fertilizer running off America’s cornfields had so thoroughly choked the Mississippi watershed with nitrogen that farm towns were subsisting on bottled water, and the Gulf of Mexico was sporting a dead zone the size of Massachusetts.

It wasn’t as if the flood of fertilizer were helping farmers. All those fossil fuel–based chemicals were sending rural households into bankruptcy, just like gas prices were crushing me. As I drove away from the pump in Somerville, I realized it was time for me to tell the real story of farming, food, and rural America. Maybe I could even help to change it.

So in the spring of 2008, I quit the music business. And I joined the lentil underground.

Strictly speaking, I didn’t exactly know I was joining the lentil underground when I went to work for US senator Jon Tester in June of 2008. What I knew was that Jon was an organic farmer from a small town in my home state of Montana.

He seemed to have some good ideas for fixing the problems with American agriculture, so that farmers could make a good living growing healthy food. And in the process, he was changing the face of national politics. By unseating a three-term Republican incumbent, Jon had handed senate Democrats a razor-thin majority—and a flat-topped populist poster child.

From my first week on the job as Tester’s legislative correspondent for agriculture and natural resources, I started getting calls from his equally colorful fellow farmers. They surprised me with deeply considered, homegrown policy proposals, recalling an era of our democracy so distant that I’d long since dismissed it as mythological.

Was I on the phone with Franklin? Jefferson? I might as well have been, given how seriously these farmers took their civic duty to tinker, diagram, and reason their way to a better polity. Although I was dubious that I could do anything to shepherd these farmers’ unorthodox proposals to the floor of the Senate, I had to admit that my enthusiastic correspondents had some pretty good ideas.

Of course, most establishment types thought Jon’s buddies were crazy. Strange crops. Messy-looking fields. “Weed farmers,” one prominent constituent told me. “They’re a bunch of d--- weed farmers.”

But if these were weed farmers, I gathered, they were remarkably solvent ones. Unlike the other growers who called into the office, these organic farmers weren’t complaining about grain prices, because they didn’t sell to big corporations, and they were raising a lot more than just grain. They weren’t complaining about the cost of chemicals either, because they didn’t use them.

They’d found a crop that could grow its own fertilizer: lentils.

I got so curious about these farmers and their miraculous lentils that I started calling them, peppering them with questions about all the crops in their rotations. But as quickly as I’d gotten excited, I found myself frustrated again. I thought I’d happened onto a simple, technical solution to the crisis in farm country.

But instead, my farmer informants kept regaling me with meandering stories that dragged long into my lunch break before I finally cut them off with a polite “Thanks for sharing your thoughts.” I was about to give up when one of the farmers leveled with me. “I know you folks out in DC are always looking for a quick fix, and I just want you to know that this isn’t it,” the farmer said. “But if you’d like to come out and visit, you’re always welcome.”

I hung up the phone, grouchy. I was at work late again, vainly attempting to stay on top of the flood of e-mails about wolves, guns, and abortion. I knew the office wasn’t about to send me on a junket to Montana to check out a field of lentils. I was mad at myself for my foolish idealism, mad at myself for wasting time on a dead end.

But as I lay in bed that night, I started thinking more seriously about the farmer’s invitation. As he’d warned, this wouldn’t be a quick fix. It would take a long time to really understand what these organic growers were up to. I would need to quit my job and focus on this project full-time, probably for several years. I had a lot to learn about ecology, economics, and the real history of the agrarian West—not just the version I’d absorbed from country radio. And yet, maybe it was worth it.

The next evening, I started researching graduate schools, looking for a place where I could get the training I needed and then conduct in-depth field research. It wasn’t easy to find a doctoral program with the breadth I was looking for, since most departments focused their students on a highly specialized area of study.

But the PhD at UC Berkeley’s Geography Department seemed like a good fit. In June of 2009, after thirteen months in DC, I said good-bye to Jon Tester, promising that our next visit would be at his Montana farm. And in August, I moved to Northern California to register for my first semester of classes.

By the summer of 2011, I’d made it far enough into my formal studies to venture out to Montana to meet some farmers. I picked up my parents’ station wagon in Missoula, then headed off for a part of the state I’d never been to before—the dry plains just east of the Rocky Mountains. There, in a sleepy little town named Conrad, I found the man I was looking for: Dave Oien.

Dave wasn’t the first farmer I’d spoken to when I started working in the Tester office. In fact, I’m not sure I ever talked directly to him at all. But when I asked people to tell me who had convinced them to go organic, the answer always circled back to this little Conrad farm. On these 280 acres—his parents’ homestead—Dave had done something truly radical.

During the height of the 1980s farm crisis, he’d become the first in his county to plant organic lentils. Back then, Dave had been laughed off as a kook. But now he had more than a dozen other people growing for his small business, Timeless Seeds, which had gotten specialty lentils on the shelves at Whole Foods and on the menus of the nation’s finest restaurants.

Excerpted with permission from Gotham Books, from LENTIL UNDERGROUND by Liz Carlisle. Gotham Books is an imprint of Penguin Random House. Copyright 2015.

SEE ALSO: Here's Where America's Meat Comes From

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Cooking meat as an amateur can be overwhelming. 

We gathered a few tips for cooking steak, bacon, and more. 

From more hygienic practices, to hacks that will make cooking easier, here is the best advice we could find. 

1. Using the same cutting board for meat and vegetables.

Uncooked meat will leave bacteria on everything it touches, including your cutting boards, utensils and your own hands.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service recommends using separate boards for meat and vegetables.

But "if you can only have one board, cut all your vegetables first then go to your meat or fish, and wash in between,” Makiko Itoh, who runs the blog JustHungry.com, advised in a recent thread on Quora. “You should also keep all cooktops and work surfaces clean. Not to be overly paranoid but better safe than sorry later. Remember as a home cook you're the last line of defense food-health-wise for you and your family.”

To properly wash everything that has touched uncooked meat, use hot water and soap. The USDA also advises sanitizing cutting boards with bleach. 

2. Thawing uncooked meat at room temperature.

The "danger zone" for bacterial growth in food is between 40 degrees Fahrenheit and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. So don't listen to anyone that tells you thawing meat on the counter is a good idea.

The USDA advises using a cold-water bath or the refrigerator to thaw meat. The latter method is the easiest: You just take the meat out of the freezer and place it in the refrigerator. The meat should be thawed in 8 to 24 hours, depending on the weight.

For a quicker option, use a cold-water bath.

For this method, tightly seal your meat and place it in a bowl or pot of cool water. Change the water every 30 minutes so it continues to thaw. The process should take an hour or less for a one-pound package. A three-to-four pound package may take two or three hours. 

3. Cutting meat too soon after cooking.

It's important to let your meat cool for a couple minutes after cooking. "That cooling-off time helps the juices, which migrate to the center of the meat, to be distributed more evenly throughout," according to Cooking Light magazine. "With small cuts like a steak or boneless, skinless chicken breast, five minutes is adequate. A whole bird or standing rib roast requires 20 to 30 minutes. Tent the meat loosely with foil to keep it warm."

4. Keeping raw meat in the refrigerator for too long. 

For raw ground meats, poultry and most seafood, the USDA recommends refrigerating for no more than two days. Raw roasts, steaks and chops (beef, veal, lamb, and pork) can stay in the refrigerator for up to five days. So if you aren't going to cook it right away, it's best to freeze it. 

5. Not properly freezing your meat. 

If you are getting meat from the butcher, don't just throw the wrapped package into the freezer and forget about it. The quality of the meat will be preserved better (and you won't get freezer burn) if you wrap it properly in wax paper or aluminum foil (or both, as described here) and then seal it in an air-tight freezer bag. 

6. Crowding your pan.

"Food releases moisture as it's cooked, so leave room for the steam to escape," Cooking Light advises. By overcrowding the pan, you won't get the brown, caramelized crust that is critical for flavor.

7. Frying bacon in a pan.

To avoid the splattering, smoky mess of frying bacon on a stove top, consider cooking it in the oven. It's a surefire way to get the perfect, crispy strips you want without all the work and mess that the traditional method demands. 

Simply place the bacon strips on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil and stick them in the cold, unpreheated oven. Turn the heat to 400 degrees and set the timer for 18 minutes. Your bacon will be golden and crispy every time. For another oven-baked bacon recipe, click here. 

8. Slicing meat at room temperature.

If you are slicing meat into small chunks for a stir fry or a stew, partially freezing it will make cutting a lot easier. Popping thawed meat in the freezer for about 30 minutes should do the trick. 

9. Using worn wooden cutting boards with raw meat.

Some cooks warn against using wooden cutting boards with uncooked meat, poultry and seafood, saying bacteria can get stuck in the grooves of the wood. However, the USDA says nonporous surfaces, such as wood, are fine for raw meat as long as the boards aren't worn and cracked and they are properly cleaned and sanitized.

"Once cutting boards become excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves, they should be discarded," the USDA advises.

10. Using warm water to thaw your meat. 

Beginner cooks can become impatient with the cold-water thawing method, and might think that using warm water will quicken the process. But using warm water is no safer than letting it sit out on the counter, because it subjects your meat to the "danger zone."

SEE ALSO: How To Get Free Refills At Starbucks

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Scrambling to find an outlet as your phone battery slowly ticks closer to 1% can be a disaster. In a worst-case scenario, you're left virtually disconnected from the world.

It's pretty useful to have a charging power bank on hand. If you're going to get one, you might as well get the most intense one on the market: Jarv's TANK military grade charging power bank.

This charging power bank is designed with a hardcore lifestyle in mind. It's waterproof, shock-proof, dust-proof, and will survive in any and all weather conditions. Plus, it'll withstand drops from 12 feet high (so if you're clumsy, this is great news) and can be submerged in water for up to 30 minutes without any issues.

The TANK can charge a smartphone or tablet (three to four full charges on an iPhone 4, 5, or 6 and two full charges on a Samsung Galaxy S4/S5.)

And, of course, it looks cool. Just check out that rugged mosaic design.

So check out today's deal on the Jarv TANK military grade outdoor charging power bank — for $27.95. (That's 65% off.)

And if you're looking for something else, you can check out Amazon's other deals of the day here.

SEE ALSO:  The Drone Gift Guide: Four Drones To Help You Start Flying [Up To 55% Off]

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