Ultra low-cost carrier Ryanair is the subject of endless derision from travelers who hate its endless fees and lack of service, but there's no denying it does good business.

At the center of the unusual success story is Michael O'Leary, the airline's 52-year-old Irish CEO.

O'Leary is nothing like the usually staid airline boss.

He prefers Viking and French chambermaid outfits to suits and ties. He curses at journalists and uses press conferences to rant about European tax policies that drive him nuts.

He has required his chauffeur to drive in the bus lane to avoid traffic and been accused of telling lies in court.

And in a recent announcement that Ryanair wants to improve its service to win over more customers, he didn't mince words.

"We should try to eliminate things that unnecessarily piss people off," he said.

Once you know all that, the following images of O'Leary pulling faces and clowning around will come as no surprise. This just isn't normal CEO behavior.

O'Leary is open about his strong opinions, like business books are 'usually written by wankers.'

His thoughts on carbon taxes: 'Only in Europe would you get that kind of stupidity.'

He made it clear what he thought of the EU Commission's March 2012 decision to open in-depth investigations into how airports were being financed.

The Royal Observatory just announced its Astronomy Photographer Of The Year 2013 winners.

Australian photographer Mark Gee was chosen among a thousand amateur and professional photographers around the globe to win the top title.

His work is part of an exhibition of the winning photographers, which opened on Sept. 19 at the Royal Observatory Greenwich.

The Royal Observatory shared with us the winners and notable mentions of the competition. Their descriptions of the prizewinners can be found below the images.

Sir Patrick Moore prize for Best Newcomer: "Venus Transit, Foxhunters Grave, Welsh Highlands" by Sam Cornwell, U.K.

"For those lucky enough to see it, the transit of Venus was one of the astronomical highlights of 2012. As the Planet took just six hours to cross the face of the Sun, cloudy weather was a potential disaster for observers — the next transit will not take place until 2117. Here, the final moments of the transit are revealed by a chance gap in the clouds, allowing the photographer to capture the picture of a lifetime. Extreme care should always be taken when photographing the Sun as its heat and light can easily cause blindness and damage digital cameras. Specialist solar filters are available to allow photography and observations to be carried out safely."

Robotic Scope Image of the Year: "The Trapezium Cluster and Surrounding Nebula" by László Francsics, Hungary.

"The great Orion Nebula is often described as a 'stellar nursery' because of the huge number of stars which are being created within its clouds of dust and glowing gas. As dense clumps of gas collapse under their own gravity any remaining debris settles into a dark disc surrounding each newly-formed star. One of these 'protoplanetary discs' can be seen silhouetted against the bright background of glowing gas in the central star cluster of this image. Within the disc, material will condense still further, as planets, moons, asteroids and comets begin to form around the star."

People and Space Runner-Up: "Hi.Hello" by Ben Canales, U.S.A.

"Appearing like a column of smoke rising from the horizon, a dark lane of dust marks the plane of the Milky Way in this photograph. This dust plays a vital role in the life story of our galaxy. Formed from the ashes of dead and dying stars, the dust clouds are also the regions in which new stars will form."

Apple's two new iPhones, the iPhone 5S and iPhone 5C, launched today.

We just got our hands on one of each model, a "space gray" iPhone 5S and a blue plastic iPhone 5C.

Take a look.

Here's the box for the iPhone 5S. Let's get to it.

There it is!

The headphones and charging cable are stored underneath the iPhone 5S.

In the past few days, fake iPhones in the brand new models, 5S and 5C, have been flooding in the market, spotted in 20 countries, reports OpSec Security, a company that offers products and services to fight counterfeiting.

While fakes have not yet hit the U.S. in force, there's on doubt they are coming, soon.

Fake iPhones hit the market days BEFORE the real ones.

The first clue the iPhone is fake is that it costs less.

Fakes have NOT yet been found on U.S. sites like eBay, but today is the the first day the phones went on sale, so fakes will surely be arriving soon.

Looking back on it now, the years leading up to the Lehman collapse seem like a dream.

This was the era when:

-- Your friend who had majored in English went to work for an investment bank.

-- Your parents thought it would be a good idea to buy a second (or third!) home upstate.

-- "My Super Sweet 16" came into existence.

We wanted to go back to see just how absurd this moment was.

So we've scoured American (and a slice of global) culture and society from 2003 to 2008 to find the most absurd examples and reflections of financial excess. 

In retrospect, it is now ludicrously clear that we should've seen it all coming...

Bravo's "Flipping Out," the show about trying to buy homes, renovate them, and put them back on the market, may have best captured the Zeitgeist.

Though "Cribs" is arguably a close second.

MTV's "My Super Sweet Sixteen," about rich teenagers' lavish 16th birthday parties, was another good sign we'd reached peak excess.

What is the single dish visitors should not miss when visiting a foreign country?

Quora users set out to answer that question in a thread on the question-and-answer-based website, singling out the most iconic thing to eat in their homelands. We added in some of our own selections.

From wiener schnitzel in Austria to feijoada in Brazil to katsudon in Japan, don't miss these 35 dishes.

Australia: Pie floater

Often touted as the perfect hangover cure, a pie floater is an Australian-style meat pie that's sitting in a bowl of thick green pea soup. It's sometimes topped with tomato sauce, vinegar, and salt and pepper.

Pie floaters are "so fantastic to eat in winter and as a hangover cure,"wrote Quora user Kathryn B.

Flickr/noii's

Austria: Wiener Schnitzel

Wiener schnitzel, suggested by Quora user Felix H., is synonymous with Austria.

It's a very thin veal cutlet that's breaded and deep fried. It's usually served with lemon and parsley, and is accompanied by a side of potatoes or rice.

Wikimedia Commons

Argentina: Asado

Asado is the term to describe Argentina's delectable grilled meats—and grilled Argentinian steak is especially delicious.

"It is true that most of the good meat goes to the so called first world countries via exports, but I can guarantee that if you have a good 'asador' (the guy making the asado) the taste will be priceless, especially if you're in the countryside,"wrote Quora user Matias J.

Flickr/dr_pablogonzalez

What do you know about Syria's president, Bashar al-Assad?

He's a dictator.

His government has condoned the kidnapping, raping, torturing, and killing of the Syrian people. 

He has allegedly ordered chemical attacks on his citizens.

He and his wife love children, and soup kitchens, and comforting the wounded!

Wait, you didn't know that last one? Well, let me direct you to Bashar al-Assad's Instagram feed where you can look at images of him and his wife, Asma, showing the world just how sweet they can be. 

Currently, more than 40,000 people follow the account, though by no means is the majority duped into taking all of Assad's photos at face value. Many call out the Instagram feed as propaganda or post mean comments on some of the more saccharine photos ("Somebody will be rolling your head down the street soon, just like that," user mhughes69 writes below a picture of Assad's wife rolling a basketball to a child). 

Assad visiting the wounded in a military hospital.

Asma al-Assad filling children's bowls in a soup kitchen.

Asma also comes bearing other gifts, like this doll

"The rarest of occasions, one finds a work of art so inspired and classic that it can only be described as a masterpiece. This Fort Lauderdale castle provides the ultimate in design, craftsmanship and livability. From the bubbling waterfall, 1,000-gallon aquarium, home-theater and 60,000-gallon swimming pool every inch of this home incorporates the finest design, construction and artistry found anywhere."

So begins the seller's description of this unreal Fort Lauderdale home, available for sale on Ebay right now.

Even though the description says it cost more than $18 million to build, the Buy It Now price is set at a cool $5.3 million. And the extras are packed into it.

There's a movie theater. A wine cellar. A dock on the water for a 70-foot boat. And don't worry, there's a pool as well. With five bedrooms and five bathrooms, the house is 18,000 square feet of potential. Let's take a look around.

Here's the house from above. It makes the others look tiny.

It's actually located on an inlet.

Back on terra firma, here's a look at the front of the house.

Forbes put out its annual list of the richest people in America and it includes 28 people that own sports teams.

These 20 people own a total of 24 teams in the four major North American sports leagues, including 10 NBA teams, 9 NFL franchise, 4 NHL teams, and just one MLB club. In addition, several own other teams in the WNBA and the English Premier League.

All of them, however, have made their money outside of the sports world.

#19t Herb Simon

Estimated Net Worth: $1.95 billion

Forbes Rank: 293

Age: 78

How he got his fortune: Real estate

Teams owned: Indiana Pacers (NBA), Indiana Fever (WNBA)

Championships: One (2012 WNBA Championship)

#19t Robert Pera

Estimated Net Worth: $1.95 billion

Forbes Rank: 293

Age: 35

How he got his fortune: Chief Executive Officer, Ubiquiti Networks Inc

Teams owned: Memphis Grizzlies (NBA)

Championships: None

#18 Robert McNair

Estimated Net Worth: $2.0 billion

Forbes Rank: 273

Age: 76

How he got his fortune: Energy

Teams owned: Houston Texans (NFL)

Championships: None

With a controversial plan to develop NYCHA property, mayoral hopefuls spending an evening in one of the neighborhoods public housing developments, and the continually skyrocketing price of real estate, East Harlem (or Spanish Harlem( is one of the neighborhoods at the center of the gentrification debate in New York. 

One of the city's poorest districts, East Harlem has a median household income around $30,000, compared to around $55,000 for all of New York City, according to U.S. census data from 2010. But the area is also just north of Yorkville, one of Manhattan's wealthiest and most expensive neighborhoods, making it a prime spot for development.

Spending time in the area and talking to the people who live there you can see the changes taking place in this dynamic neighborhood.

East Harlem, Spanish Harlem or "El Barrio,"— from 96th St. to 125th St. (some say 146th St.) and Fifth Ave. and the East River.

Spanish Harlem is changing. Dark purple real estate is selling at prices that are much higher than the median income of the block ... i.e., rich people are moving in.

The new Spanish Harlem.

A stroll through some of the world's best food markets can provide more entertainment, drama, and eye-candy than anything you'll find on the Food Network.

The offerings not only tell a complex story about a country's landscape, they relate what's in season, what's for dinner, and what a culture holds dear.

They provide sustenance while doubling as a community center, with endless delicious pay-offs within.

These 15 iconic markets around the world are some of the richest in product, history, and local flavor.

Borough Market, London, England

Traditionalists shop side-by-side with trendsetting artisans at London's oldest market, which dates back 800 years. More than 100 stalls proffer baked goods, confections, cheese, charcuterie, wine, beer, fruit, veggies, spices, meat, fish and seafood, along with a staggering variety of dining options, from Thai street food to Indian dosa and Argentine empanadas. The market is so popular, it even publishes its own magazine, Market Life.

Carmel Market, Tel Aviv, Israel

A veritable opera awaits in each alley here, as vendors enjoy singing to sell their wares. Follow the music to fresh-baked bourekas—savory pastries filled with cheese, spinach, or potato—or to smoky grilled sausages or an entire Asian section for aficionados of Eastern ingredients. Minzar, the 24-hour restaurant on site, is a great stop for snacking.

Fish Market, Bergen, Norway

While browsers can buy some vacuum-sealed salmon to bring home as a souvenir, it's best to pull up a stool at one of the 40 purveyors to dive right into gems from the surrounding Nordic waters. This is where to compare and contrast crab and determine (once and for all) whether stone, king, or brown is what floats your boat; it's also where the adventurous can nibble on whale meat.

Next time you're feeling that midday energy dip, don't pour yourself another cup of coffee or reach for a candy bar.

Caffeine and sugar may give you an energy spike, but the crash that follows will leave you feeling even more tired than before.

Instead, try these 10 foods to help naturally boost your energy and keep you alert all day, elevating your mood and making you more productive.

Almonds are packed with Vitamin E and Magnesium.

Almonds make a great pick-me-up snack. Ounce for ounce these are some of the most nutrient-rich nuts, according to a study in the journal Nutrients. They are packed full of Vitamin E and Magnesium and contain lots of protein to help you sustain energy throughout the day.

Dark Chocolate has caffeine and theobromine.

Chocolate contains caffeine and theobromine, both of which will boost your energy levels.

In moderation, the caffeine and sugar in chocolate won't lead to an energy crash. As a general rule, the darker the chocolate the less sugar and the more energy-boosting potential it has.

Salmon is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

A 2004 review published in the journal Lipids in Health and Disease states that omega-3 fatty acids can elevate your mood and even protect against depression. Salmon is loaded with these kinds of fatty acids.

Giants like Google and Facebook are known for their killer perks. But there are some small companies that have no problem competing with these larger firms, offering competitive pay and state-of-the-art benefits to attract and retain talent.

Research, consulting, and training firm Great Place to Work today published its second annual ranking of the best small companies to work for, in collaboration with Fortune and based on thousands of employee surveys.

"There is a strong sense of inclusion and togetherness throughout each organization, which is a key component of a trust-based culture," says Leslie Caccamese, director of strategic research at Great Place to Work. "CEOs and senior-level executives make an effort to get to know employees personally, and will often participate in events like onboarding, training, recognition, and celebrations."

Several of the companies that made it on this list are professional staffing or IT firms, and all of them have fewer than 250 employees.

25. Globoforce

CEO: Eric Mosley

Employees: 93 

Revenue: n/a

Why it's great: This HR consulting firm loves recognizing its employees for successfully completing short-term projects through $25 "call outs" to $200 "Scream It!" awards.

Source: Great Place To Work

24. Daxko

CEO: Dave Gray

Employees: 241 

Revenue: $21.2 million

Why it's great: Employees at this software maker have access to video games and scooters and a laid-back dress code that allows for shorts and t-shirts.

Source: Great Place To Work

23. Alvarado Street Bakery

CEO: Joseph Tuck

Employees: 121 

Revenue: $28 million

Why it's great: Part-time employees get 95% health-care coverage working 20 hours a week and anyone with concerns can appeal to a neutral, five-member employee body called the Grievance Committee. 

Source: Great Place To Work

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.

It's difficult to believe, but today marks the nine-year anniversary of the series premiere of "Lost." 

J.J. Abrams' ABC drama was one of the most-watched shows, offering up one of the most-talked about and controversial endings in 2010.

While we're still not clear on everything that happened on the island — the smoke monster and the four-toed statue— we do know what happened to the survivors of Oceanic Flight 815 long after the show's end.

While some stars have gone on to Hollywood, many have ended up on different networks or another very successful ABC series. 

THEN: Matthew Fox was the leader of the Oceanic 815 survivors, Jack Shephard.

NOW: Fox has tried to become a breakout movie star, first in 2008's "Vantage Point" and as a villain in flop "Alex Cross."

Most recently he had a small role in zombie film "World War Z."

Fox also had some trouble with the law. In 2011, a Cleveland bus driver accused him of battery, while in May 2012, he was arrested for DUI in Oregon.

Co-star Dominic Monaghan claimed last year on Twitter Fox "beats women," an accusation Fox vehemently denied in Men's Fitness.

THEN: Evangeline Lilly played fugitive bad girl Kate Austin.

Tolkien fans will be thrilled to know they can have a real-life Hobbit experience at the Shire-themed Hobbit House of Montana.

It's the perfect place to spend Hobbit Day — Sept. 22, for the birthdays of both Bilbo and Frodo —  or Tolkien Week, the calendar week containing Sept. 22.

The adults-only, themed vacation rental, in Trout Falls, Mont., is available for $245 a night, May through October.

The Shire, as owners Steve and Chris Michaels call it, offers a pleasant, authentic experience, down to the last details of the doorknobs and cobblestones.

A welcoming sign greets you as you drive up on Hobbit Lane.

Don't drive in without making a stop at the Troll House first! Guests get a Troll House cookie when they check in.

Just like in "The Hobbit," everything really is underground. Take a look from this view from above. There are plenty of trails and paths to hike in the foothills of the Cabinet Mountains.

Many Arctic hybrids have already been seen in the wild.

In 2006, a white bear with brown splotches, believed to be a hybrid of a polar bear and a grizzly, was shot by Arctic hunters. Then in 2009, a possible hybrid of a right whale and a bowhead was photographed in the Bering Sea.

The increased hybridization of animals is a strong indication that our climate is changing. As Arctic sea ice continues to melt at drastic rates, different species of seals, whales, and bears previously blocked by huge slabs of ice will begin mingling in the same regions and possibly mating.

Hybrid animals are generally infertile. But the trend is worrisome because it could drive certain species to extinction since those animals are no longer mating with their own kind.

A study published in the journal Nature in 2010 listed 34 species that are at risk of cross-breeding because of a warming climate.

We asked artist Nickolay Lamm to help us imagine what some of those hybrid animals would like if they came to life. 

Elin Pierce, a writer and editor with a Ph.D. in biology, helped to hypothesize what features the hybrid animals would have, based on dominant features of the original two species, and any descriptions or photos of those hybrids that already exist in the wild.

A beluga whale is on the left and narwhal is on the right.

This is a beluga-narwhal hybrid. In this artist's interpretation, the hybrid has some narwhal coloring and the forehead has less of a bump. In the late 1980s, a whale skull thought to be that of a beluga-narwhal mix was found in west Greenland. Local hunters say they have also spotted the hybrid.

A polar bear is on the left and a grizzly bear is on the right.

There are certain areas of expertise that came naturally to us over the years: cars, space, aviation, and computers, to name a few.
During the first half of the past century, we even provided practical features for scientifically-minded housewives. But children and babies? Not so much.

Hence this compilation of the most dubious child-rearing technologies from the pages of Popular Science.

We'll be honest: As fond as we are of the crackpot inventions that have popped up on our pages over the years, we're not in the least bit surprised that most of the devices in this gallery never took off. At least half of them were made for the benefit of adults, rather than for infants, so in retrospect they look comically misguided.

See the list >

A motorized baby hammock suspended by wooden beams, for instance, looks more like a swinging jail cell than a cradle, while a UV lamp used for branding newborns in the hospital probably drew inspiration from a cattle prod. Then there's the baby can, literally a perforated can with a lid for storing babies on passenger trains.

At the same time, we meant well with the hooded baby gas masks and the baby sleeping porch, a compartment you could install outside the window (and 100 feet above ground) to give your baby fresh air.

Creeped out yet? Browse through our to see these inventions in detail (and to thank your lucky stars that none of them fell in your mother's hands).

Sleeping Porch: May 1916

A baby porch suspended a hundred feet above ground? What could possibly go wrong? As city populations grew, people grew concerned about raising young children in tight spaces. Inventors suggested the miniature sleeping porch, which could be installed outside any window.

The device seemed sturdy enough — an iron brace enabled it to carry 500 pounds of weight, while anchors protected the porch from strong winds. The compartment's barred windows and netting kept the baby from climbing out (and bugs from flying in), and as the image shows, it was roomy enough to hold a tiny carriage "so that the effort of the mother in taking the baby in and out is reduced to a minimum."

Read the full story in "Outdoors Yet Indoors"

Self-Operated Cradle: September 1917

Like most new parents, Sheldon D. Vanderburgh, an inventor from Hastings-on-Hudson, New York, felt exhausted from taking care of a constantly crying baby. The solution? A homemade baby hammock. First, Vanderburgh built a basket-like bed by fastening netting to round end pieces.

After hooking the basket onto a wooden frame, Vanderburgh realized that his swinging cradle would be far more effective if it could rock itself. He assembled a clock-spring motor that could rotate a crank arm attached to the shaft, and behold: a self-operated hammock. As a bonus, the gentle ticking noise would soothe his baby to sleep.

Read the full story in "Rock-a-Bye Baby--In Your Self-Operated Cradle"

Baby Holder: October 1917

Before babies irritated people on commercial flights, they disturbed the peace on passenger trains. "We have been hoping for years that some intelligent inventor would come along with a device to can obstreperous infants during the late hours of the night," we wrote. "We suggested a hermetically-sealed can wrapped in sound-proof material, but Caleb M. Prather, of Evanston, Illinois, who is the inventor of the can illustrated, sidestepped our instructions at several important points."

Unlike those of us who clamored for dual baby silencer/holder, Prather designed his perforated baby can as a portable cradle, period. During waking hours, the baby could sit tight on the open holder. While asleep, the lid would be closed and the would breathe through the air holes.

Despite its convenience, we expressed annoyance that the invention yielded few benefits to surrounding passengers."If the inventor will make his can air-tight and sould-proof — features which we originally suggested — we know of a bachelor who will buy a half dozen right away."

Read the full story in "Can the Baby When You Take a Journey"

As football has changed and evolved through the years, so have the cheerleaders.

Back in the 1960s and 1970s, cheerleaders stuck to leading the crowd and cheering on their teams with big poofy pom-poms.

Now, a lot of cheerleading squads have added on a dance element as well, and their outfits have gotten a lot ... flashier.

The Eagles cheerleaders debuted brand new, very skimpy, uniforms designed by Vera Wang. The trend of smaller and tighter seems to still be going strong.

The Baltimore Colts had cheerleaders in the early '60s.

And this is what the Indianapolis Colts cheerleaders' uniforms are like today.

Vikings cheerleaders take a break back in the '60s.

Tonight's 65th Primetime Emmy Awards will recognize and celebrate excellence in the television industry.

Celebrities ranging from Tina Fey and Sofia Vergara to the cast of "Girls" and "Breaking Bad" all converged on the red carpet before the show.

But before the stars take home their golden statues, see who won the awards for best and worst dressed.

BEST: Sofia Vergara matched the red carpet in this Vera Wang gown.

WORST: "Girls" creator and star Lena Dunham in printed Prada.

BEST: "Breaking Bad" actress Anna Gunn looked sleek in a black and pink dress by Romona Keveza.