Last week, research firm IDC dropped a big bomb on Apple.

Google's smartphone operating system now powers a whopping 80% of devices worldwide. Apple's iOS operating system for iPhones only powers 13% of smartphones. iOS controlled about 16% of the worldwide smartphone market a year ago, according to IDC.

Apple should be freaking out, Jay Yarow says. (So does venture capitalist Fred Wilson and analyst Benedict Evans).

So how did Android, which debuted after the iPhone, get to where it is today. Here's a quick history lesson.

Android started as a separate company in 2003. It was run by Andy Rubin and a few other big names in the early world of mobile tech. They were trying to build software for phones and digital cameras.

Google bought Android in 2005. Andy Rubin and his team quietly worked on what would become the Android mobile operating system.

In 2008, Google partnered with T-Mobile to launch the first-ever Android smartphone, the G1.

If you're willing to pay for it, there's probably someone willing to ship it to you.

Shopping is obviously a big deal on the Internet with companies like Amazon and eBay making it possible to order nearly anything your heart desires and have it show up on your doorstep a few days later.

E-commerce sales ended up tipping the scales, generating over $1 trillion last year.

And if you're the high-roller type who's willing to shell out a little more than usual for your for your luxury goods or unusual items, the Internet has your back.

Barry Bonds's 715th home run ball – $220,100

Sports memorabilia can obviously command quite a price. Barry Bonds's 715th home run ball sold on eBay for just over $220,000.

Honus Wagner baseball card – $1.265 million

It's not all memorabilia, though – collectors are still nuts for baseball cards.

Honus Wagner is one of the most famous baseball players in major league history. A 1909 trading card bearing the famous ballplayer's face sold for $1.265 million on eBay in 2010.

The card was a promotional item for a cigarette company, but it was pulled from circulation when Wagner objected to the use of his image without permission. This made it so rare as to command such a high sale price.

Carving of James Dean and Elvis Presley – $1.5 million

How much do you love "King Creole"? How about "Rebel Without A Cause?"

Show your fanhood for Elivs Presley and James Dean with this $1.5 million woodcarving. It's still for sale at the time of this writing!

Behind the stars who shine in the spotlight on a day-to-day basis are an entourage of people who keep them looking good.

Daniel Craig has stunt double Bobby Holland Hanton to pull off James Bond's most daring moves. The Kardashians share the styling expertise of Monica Rose before walking the red carpet.

Makeup artists, publicists, stylists, and lawyers pull together celebs' images, while directors and screenwriters are the brains behind the projects that make them famous.

We discovered 30 of these Hollywood insiders who are quite the lookers themselves.

#30 Theresa Kang

Age: ~34

Her role: Scripted TV Agent, William Morris Endeavor

This agent has a reputation for being "shrewd and savvy"— which plays in favor of her clients, the show-creators of "Rogue,""Happy Endings," and "Awkward."

The UCLA grad handled small-screen projects by Steven Zaillian, Seth Gordon, and Guillermo del Toro.

#29 Ra Vincent

Age: N/A

His role: Set Designer

The New Zealand native decorated the set of the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy before working on "The Hobbit," for which he received a nomination for an Academy Award in production design. 

Vincent's artistic talents extend off the screen as well — he made a 30-foot-tall model of Gandalf for the Wellington, New Zealand premier of "The Hobbit,"which he says took two weeks to sculpt and another week to paint.

#28 Robin Baum

Age: N/A

Her role: Publicist, Slate PR

Baum is one of the most powerful publicists in Hollywood, whose clients include Johnny Depp, Ryan Gosling, Naomi Watts, and Orlando Bloom.

In 2001, Russell Crowe thanked her during his Oscar acceptance speech for "Gladiator."

We brought you the world's best scotches. Then you cooled down with some gin. But this is America — here's the bourbon.

In the "Whiskey - USA" category at last month's International Wine and Spirit Competition, great bottles of bourbon won a "Gold," but the very best took home a "Gold Outstanding" for setting the industry standard for excellence.

These bottles all went through the gauntlet. Wines and liquors are subject to professional blind tasting and chemical and microbiological analysis at the competition. Only the strong spirits survive.

From recognizable names like Jim Beam and Knob Creek to smaller distilleries that — if you can believe it — do not call Kentucky home, here are the best bourbons.

Jim Beam Signature Craft Bourbon Whiskey 12 YO

Comment: "Very expressive nose with ripe cherries, fruit cake and liquorice leading followed by vanilla and cinnamon. Great intensity in the mouth with slow deliberate movement across the palate depositing flavors of dried dates, dark brown sugar and treacle. Great texture and super balance. Concentration of flavors lead into everlasting finish."

Award: Gold 

Source: IWSC

Jim Beam Devil’s Cut Bourbon Whiskey 6 YO

Comment: "Unusual notes of spearmint on the nose then some hickory, treacle and spicy surround. Soft entry into the mouth with silky flow yet firm texture. Hints of rye with great dark sugar statement with a scatter of vanilla with some cinnamon. Some soft fruit and more honey come in at the finish. A great individual expression of Bourbon."

Award: Gold

Source: IWSC 

Knob Creek Single Barrel Reserve 9 YO

Comment: "The family resemblance is there but all in much higher gear. Enticing nose of nuttiness, honeycomb and vanilla in tight focus. Impactful entry into the mouth with the extra alcohol highlighting all the flavors. Rye and barley stand out with charred orange peel, rich honey and some treacle. Full flow across the palate and all in perfect balance. After the sweet sensations there is a decidedly dry but gorgeous finish."

Award: Gold

Source: IWSC

Agricultural machinery giant Deere & Co. beat expectations when it reported a quarterly profit of $2.56 per share. It also raised it's full-year earnings forecast.

As a global supplier with vendors on the ground, Deere offers key insights into what's going on in the global economy.

"Deere's success is a reflection of considerable strength in the farm sector, especially in North and South America," Deere CEO Samuel R. Allen said in a press release.

We combed through their latest earnings presentation to show the state of the agricultural sector around the world.

Europe's crisis continues to hurt demand for farm machinery. But the one bright spot is dairy farming.

China's agriculture sector will be supported by government subsidies while Indian harvest should be good because of a good monsoon.

The outlook for commodity prices is mixed.

Offering more than 600 sustainability-related classes and harvesting much of its dining hall's food on-campus, the University of Connecticut is America's "most green" college, according to Sierra magazine. 

Sierra released its annual ranking of colleges working toward sustainability and environmental responsibility today, featuring schools of various sizes across the country.

According to a press release, the magazine "examined the academic institutions making a difference for the planet, seeking out campuses that are creating tangible change in all categories of greenness – from what's served in dining halls to what's taught in lecture halls to what's powering the dorms."

This is Sierra's seventh annual "Coolest Colleges" list. UConn first entered the list in 2010 at number 49.

#10 University of California, Santa Barbara

UC Santa Barbara has a long history with sustainability education, having started its Environmental Studies Program in 1970. 

The school has recently established a grant committee called The Green Initiative Fund — TGIF — which gives funding to campus sustainability projects from UCSB students, staff, and faculty.

#9 American University

American introduced campus-wide compost bins this year, part of an initiative to send zero waste to landfill and incineration.

Faculty members who employ sustainable practices in their classroom — such as sending syllabi electronically or taking public transportation to campus — can apply for Green Teaching Certificates.

#8 Georgia Institute of Technology

Energy and sustainable infrastructure is one of Georgia Tech's "Core Research Areas," with various research centers on campus focused on topics ranging from battery technology to the direct conversion of sunlight into electricity.

Every April the school hosts one of the largest Earth Day celebrations in the Southeast, with eco-friendly giveaways and a clothing swap. 

The summer is coming to an all too speedy end, which means college students will soon make the mass exodus from their hometowns, vacations, and internships to return for a new school year in the fall.  

For some students, however, picking classes and meeting new people are just part of the already jam-packed celebrity lifestyle. 

We've found the 15 most famous kids in college this semester. These celebrities are pursuing their college degrees, juggling class and exams with the responsibilities of public life.

They're musicians, actors, models and athletes who somehow find a way to balance their college careers with their professional ones—an impressive feat for such young people. They go to school all over America, from New York University to California's University of Southern California.

We've listed them here in alphabetical order. Let us know who we missed!

Callie Bost and Jennifer Polland contributed to this feature.

Justine Bateman

College: University of California, Los Angeles

Year: Sophomore

Though she's not exactly a kid anymore, the 47-year-old Bateman did get famous playing one on TV — the notoriously ditzy Mallory Keaton on "Family Ties."

Now, she's pursuing a degree in computer science at UCLA and even has a blog called "College Life" about the ins and outs of being an undergraduate in her 40s.  

Corinne Bishop

College: University of Southern California

Year: Sophomore 

Jamie Foxx's daughter shares both his original last name and his red carpet spotlight, appearing on her father's arm at multiple premiers, awards shows, and after parties since she was seven. 

Bishop, now 19, is a cheerleader and Public Relations major at USC. 

Justin Combs

College: University of California Los Angeles

Year: Sophomore

The son of Sean "P. Diddy" or "Puff Daddy" Combs, Justin Combs is attending UCLA —on a $54,000 football scholarship.

The son of a multi-millionaire, Combs faced a lot of criticism for accepting the scholarship, but the 5-foot-9, 170-pound defensive back defended his decision to accept the scholarship, tweeting that he "put that work in"and earned the scholarship.

Combs was red-shirted for the 2012 season and didn't see game time, but he has four remaining years of eligibility. 

Everyone wants to be a millionaire – but what does a billionaire want to be? They’re already so rich that their investing decisions might have more to do with making a big splash or scratching an itch than making a buck.

Jeff Bezos recently paid $250 million (1 percent of his fortune) for the Washington Post, which lost $50 million so far this year. Is it boredom? A childhood fantasy? The pursuit of glory? Here are 10 investments of the super-rich that make Bezos’s bold purchase of the Post look as safe as buying T-bills.

Being Citizen Kane

Bezos is not the first rich man to buy into newspapers. Warren Buffett, Carlos Slim and Jared Kushner invested large sums in struggling newspapers. Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes and entrepreneur Sidney Harman opened their checkbooks to keep magazines afloat (The New Republic and Newsweek, respectively). In Kane’s day, that’s how you made millions. Today, it’s a way to lose money. But acquiring the Washington Post is a great way to get noticed in the nation’s capitol.

Immortality

A 32-year-old Russian tech billionaire, Dmitry Itskov, has put much of his billion-dollar fortune into funding an immortality research center.

The cryogenic “freezes” of octogenarians are no longer cool. His plan is to put brains into indestructible avatars.

Hollywood fame

It’s tough to buy glamour in a city where an estimated 25,000 wealthy investors are trying to fund the next “Titanic.”

Shale oil billionaire Tim Headington funded a series of flops before landing Oscar winners “The Departed” and “The Aviator” (ironically about the most famed mogul-turned-producer, Howard Hughes). In truth, theatrical movies lose money even for studios. Investors would do better in Vegas.

The New York Times is reporting that Bill and Hillary Clinton will be enjoying their Hamptons downtime in a different mansion than the one they usually rent this month.

For the past two years, the Clintons have stayed at the East Hampton home of real estate developer Elie Hirschfeld.

This year, however, they're renting the $200,000-a-month Sagaponack mansion of Republican donor Michael Saperstein, according to The Daily Mail.

Hirschfeld says the reason the Clintons aren't returning to his oceanfront house this year was because he didn't rent it out, but the Times counters that Bill and Hillary didn't want to return anyway since they lost a large chunk of their deposit from landscaping and utility costs last year.

"There was an issue with the security deposit last summer,"a source told The New York Post. "The Clintons were dissatisfied with how much money they got back.”

The political power couple will instead be moving into Saperstein's Sagaponack home this weekend. Their new rental is a 6-bedroom mansion with beach access, a heated pool, and a gym.

This is the summer home in Sagaponack that the Clintons are renting from Republican donor Michael Saperstein.

Source: Corcoran Group Real Estate

The home was built in 2003 for $3.25 million, and the Clintons are renting it for $200,000 a month.

Source: Corcoran Group Real Estate

It has a swimming pool and pool house in the backyard.

Source: Corcoran Group Real Estate

Nothing changes faster these days than science and medical advice.

That's why, when it comes to your general health, it's hard to know what information is right, wrong, and somewhere in between.

To find some of the most common health questions that people have, we turned to a book called "Your Health: What Works, What Doesn't" published by Reader's Digest in June 2010.

The book consulted dozens of experts and culled through hundreds of studies to bring readers a definitive answer to controversial questions about diet, fitness, disease, and medicine.

We've supplemented these answers with our own research to present a bottom line.

Keep in mind that new research continuously changes our understanding of "good and bad" health advice. We've done our best to provide answers based on the most current scientific evidence.

Does olive oil prevent heart disease?

Short answer: Yes

The health benefits of olive oil come from the presence of polyphenols, antioxidants that reduce the risk of heart diseases and cancers.

But to get these healthy compounds, consumers should buy good-quality, fresh "extra-virgin" olive oil, which has the highest polyphenol content. Most commercially available olive oils have low levels of polyphenols associated with poor harvesting methods, improper storage, and heavy processing. 

Do cough syrups work?

Short answer: No

In 2006, the nation's chest physicians agreed that the majority of over-the-counter cough medicines don't actually work. These colorful syrups typically contain doses of codeine and dextromethorphan that are too small to be effective.

Only cough suppressants that contain older antihistamines seem to relieve coughs. That includes brompheniramine, an active ingredient in Dimetapp.

Does sugar cause hyperactivity?

Short answer: No

Following a review of 23 studies, a 1996 report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association concluded that sugar "does not affect the behavior or cognitive performance of children."

The age-old myth that kids misbehave when they eat large amounts of candy, cookies, and other junk food, could be related to the type of events where these foods are typically served. For example, kids are more wound-up at birthday parties and during Halloween when sweet treats tend to flow freely.

An ultimate golf getaway is just the right thing to relax and unwind.

But like all things, if you’re going to do it, make sure you do it right. Here are eight tips to help:

1. Know The Numbers

A golf vacation can be a complicated project to manage, especially if you are stopping by several courses in different locations.

To make sure you’re on track and have enough cash, you need to make sure you have enough money. Before you ever go on the trip, before you get people putting down deposits, you need to make sure you know the total cost.

We don’t think you have to cheap out, but identifying the total cost ahead of time will help you maximize your time on the course, hit as many as possible, and make sure you’re inviting the right people. There’s no point bringing people along who can’t afford the trip. You want to have fun and you want a getaway to remember.

 2. Decide If You’re Driving Or Flying

Whether you fly or travel really depends on the distance to your first location.

In reality, even if you fly, you’ll probably end up driving from course to course (assuming there’s more than one round planned on your vacation).

Either way, you’re going to need a car eventually. Want to bump around in a Nissan or Toyota? Not really! That doesn’t make for the ultimate getaway. Rent something fun. You don’t have to go nuts renting a Bugatti or something, but you can rent something with some horsepower.

3. Don’t Forget About The Nightlife

Yes, you have a 8:30 am tee time. Yes, you need to focus, Yes, you need to be relatively well behaved.Well, at least well-behaved on the course.

Just because you are hitting the course early, doesn’t mean you should ignore the nightlife of wherever you end up. When you reach your destination there are three things you can do to help find good restaurants, bars, and clubs:

•Get to know the people. Walk away from Google, it won’t help you. You need to ask people you know in that city where to go. If you don’t know anyone, find some locals and start picking their brains – they’ll be honest.
•Look for flyers. These things are regularly scattered all over a city and, if you strike out with the locals, they can help you pick a spot to crash.
•Don’t forget Reddit. Check out what’s happening in your destination city by using Reddit. You simply need to type reddit.com/r/[InsertCityName]. So, for example, reddit.com/r/montreal.

4. Find Luxurious Lodgings

If you plan your trip well, you can probably identify some golf resorts where you can stay, play and have fun.

If you don’t have that kind of luck, you don’t need to worry. There are a few things you can do to help you find a nice place to crash without breaking the bank. Here are some tips to help so you can save on hotels and drop as much as you want on the course:

•Compare prices. Shopping for hotels is no different than anything else – you need to shop around. Use the typical travel sites and be sure to call the hotel before you book online because not all fees are always disclosed through discount travel sites.
•Check out professional discounts. A lot of professional organizations and unions have landed their members discounts at hotels and they go largely unused. Do some research and see if you’re entitled to a discount anywhere.
•Be loyal. Do some research and join a hotel’s loyalty program. If you travel a lot for work (or even pleasure) the perks can add up and you can cash those in. (If you’re not currently a member of a loyalty program, TravelZoo provides a list.)

Don’t want to stay at hotels? Try services like like AirBNB, HomeAway or VRBO. They can help you have a “home” base while still traveling and golfing.

5. Pick Your Courses

Maybe you’re travelling to play that one course you and your friends have always wanted to play. Or, maybe you want to hit up a couple of courses that are located close to one another. Either way, the courses you select will impact the green fees you pay and the cost of gas or airfare.

The most important thing to remember, is that you’ll likely only play these tracks once. Enjoy the round and everything the course has to offer.

6. Pack Your Clubs Carefully

Don’t build your dream set of clubs only to have them destroyed en route to your dream golf getaway. If you don’t have a travel bag, Craig Better gives some great pointers on how to pack your clubs for a trip:

• Group all of your clubs together as closely as possible
• Put your tallest clubs in the middle of the pack
• Place your rain hood over your clubs to stop them from moving around too much
• Invest in a Stiff Arm, a telescoping device that goes in the middle of your bag and extends out to beyond the height of your tallest club

7. Ship Your Sticks Separately

We know United breaks guitars, don’t let them break your clubs. People have become so worried about airline’s ability to handle their clubs, new golf club delivery services have popped up.

Companies like ShipSticks will ship your clubs separately. It’s great because you don’t need to lug them through the airport, but they’re also insured should the unimaginable happen.

8. Get A Data Package

So, you’ve made the plans, gone on your trip and largely stayed on budget. The you get home and get your cellphone bill. Yikes!

We’ve all heard the stories of international travel gone awry when people go crazy with their data. Don’t be that person. Avoid a bad $22,000 roaming bill by planning ahead and purchasing an add-on package.

These are some tips that help us plan for our golf trips. What rules do you follow when planning a golf getaway? Leave a comment and let us know.

SEE ALSO: 34 Courses That Every Golfer Must Play

Join the conversation about this story »

The skinniest house in New York City just sold for $3.25 million, according to The New York Post.

The historic home — known as The Millay House— at 75 1/2 Bedford Street, has spent nearly two years on the market.

It's only 9 feet and 6 inches wide on the outside.

Inside, the widest room is a measly 8 feet by 4 inches.

It was originally built in 1873, and has housed famous residents such as children's book author Anna McGovern, anthropologist Margaret Meade, and most famously Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Edna St. Vincent Millay, who coined the phrase, "My candle burns at both ends."

Even though the home is only 990 square feet, it has three bedrooms, two full bathrooms, a custom-designed kitchen, and four wood-burning fireplaces.

There's even a sizable backyard.

This is 75 1/2 Bedford Street in New York City. Outside, the home only stretches 9 feet and 6 inches.

Source: TOWN Residential Real Estate

Inside, the widest room is only 8 feet and 4 inches wide. The home has been remodeled with big, open doors, windows, and a skylight on the third floor. Here, the kitchen looks out towards the backyard.

Source: TOWN Residential Real Estate

This tiny living room has the original wood-beamed ceiling as well as a small book shelf.

Source: TOWN Residential Real Estate

A year ago, tech venture capital investor Robin Chan— who has funded Twitter, Square and Foursquare, among others— put together a secret plan to stage what he calls a "coup d'etat" that would have rescued BlackBerry.

The plan was codenamed "BBX": Chan hoped to raise $6 billion, and then approach BlackBerry with this takeover plan, outlined in a PowerPoint deck on the following pages.

BBX — which we noticed when it was mentioned on The Verge— would have replaced BlackBerry's management, and ditched the phone's operating system. In its place, Chan would have the company use an Android "fork," meaning a version of Android with some of BlackBerry's own tweaks and styling on top.

The plan didn't get enough backing and came to nothing.

Here's how Chan and his team envisioned the takeover of BlackBerry. You can download the deck in its entirety from Slideshare.

Blackberry officially announced plans to seek a buyer three days ago. That's why Chan decided to publish his abandoned takeover plan.

"Over a year ago, I helped form a secret product and engineering team based Silicon Valley that was keenly interested in taking over the company," he told his Facebook and Slideshare followers.

"We wanted to move the company and its passionate customers to a custom enterprise tier of Android."

Snowden, NSA, privacy, domestic surveillance, all of it. The head spins.

If you want to stay private, and make these concerns a non-issue, you should use Mike Tigas's Onion Browser.

It's an iPhone and iPad app that lets your device connect to the Tor network, which reroutes your web traffic through various servers before ultimately landing on your screen. You stay completely anonymized.

Onion Browser is simply a mobile browser that knows how to navigate all this rerouting, getting at this is a layer of the Internet that conventional browsers like Chrome and Firefox can't access.

If you want to take advantage of Tor on your phone, you'll need this app. It gets your phone connected to the same secure, anonymous network. Your browsing habits aren't recorded and you remain unidentifiable.

The app costs just $0.99 and is available right here.

Tap the icon to start the app.

It will start to connect to the Tor network.

This process will take several seconds as it runs through its routine.

The wearable tech revolution is upon us. But where is Apple in the fight?

Companies like Pebble, Fitbit, and Jawbone all have wrist-based trackers that sync with our smartphones. These gadgets take some of the most basic features already available and make them easier to access.

Rumors have been swirling for some time now that heavyweights like Apple, Samsung, and Google are hard at work on a smartwatches of their own.

Digital designer, James Ivaldi and his team at Jivaldi came up with this fun concept that imagines what a smartwatch offering from Apple could look like. While the idea is a bit far-fetched, it's still fun to dream about what could be.

Apple is rumored to be working on a wearable computer, supposedly called the iWatch. Designer and founder of design firm Jivaldi, LLC, James Ivaldi and his team came up with this amazing concept for fun.

Here is what Jivaldi imagines the iWatch packaging would look like. It's very Apple-esque.

The device is crafted from high-quality materials, something that Apple prides itself on.

Celebrities can be huge sources of pride for their home state, and the feeling is often mutual.

A New Hampshire diner named a burger after native Adam Sandler that was recreated in his films "Eight Crazy Nights" and "Grown Ups 2."

Former Brooklyn Nets part-owner, Jay Z, gave New York a new anthem with the Grammy-winning "Empire State of Mind."

Other celebs give back in times of tragedy.

Country girl Carrie Underwood donated $1 million to relief efforts after a tornado devastated her home state of Oklahoma in May, while Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi serve as co-chairs of New Jersey's Sandy Relief Fund.

While many relocate under the bright lights of New York City or Los Angeles, some celebs hold onto their residency.

A member of the North Carolina State "Wolfpack," Zach Galifiankis owns a 60-acre private farm in the rolling mountains of North Carolina.

We searched for the celebrities who exude the most state pride and contribute to their home state's character. Bonus points given if the person was actually born there.

Did we get your state right? Click to see a full, annotated version of the map above.

Alabama: Born in Cullman, country boy Channing Tatum called his uncle's 300-acre ranch in Wetumpka his "favorite place on the planet, by far."

Alaska: Grammy-nominated singer Jewel grew up living a subsistence lifestyle in Homer, where her family remains and stars in Discovery Channel's reality show, "Alaska: The Last Frontier."

Arizona: Emma Stone lived by a golf course her parents owned in Scottsdale before convincing them, via PowerPoint presentation, to move to L.A.

Hollywood and booze have been synonymous for a long time.

So it's no surprise that many iconic beverages gained prominence in our bars and restaurants thanks to the silver screen.

From cult movies to blockbusters, many films' secret stars are really the cocktails consumed by overpaid actors.

We picked out 12 famous adult beverages to grace some of the best movies in history.

Casino Royale (2006) - Vesper

James Bond is of course known for a martini, "shaken, not stirred." In this 2006 remake, he got a little more specific.

Recipe:

• 3 measures of Gordon's Gin
• 1 measure of vodka
• 1/2 measure Kina Lillet
• lemon peel for garnish

The Big Lebowski (1998) - White Russian

Perhaps the most iconic cult movie of all time, Jeff Bridges brings us "The Dude"— who drinks one these in just about every scene.

Recipe:

• 1 1/2 oz vodka
• 3/4 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur
• 3/4 oz cream (The Dude uses half and half mostly, and non-dairy creamer in one scene)

Groundhog Day (1993) - Sweet Vermouth on the rocks with a twist

Bill Murray keeps living the same day over and over again in this classic. He orders this drink to win the affection of the leading lady. "It always makes me think of Rome. The way the sun hits the buildings in the afternoon," Murray says tenderly.

Recipe:

• Sweet vermouth
• Ice
• Lemon twist

In addition to an active-duty military numbering more than 2 million, the Chinese have a paramilitary force with almost 4 million members. By comparison, the U.S. military has 1.4 million active-duty members.

They serve as an auxiliary force for the People's Liberation Army, and during times of peace, are primarily concerned with law enforcement and internal security.

They've previously received criticism for oppressing journalists and using violent tactics to quash protests in Tibet.  

Recently, Reuters published a photo of a Chinese paramilitary member crawling through the sand in 102-degree temperatures, so we decided to take a look at the paramilitary police training. 

SEE ALSO: China Freaked Out Over Japan's New Flat-Topped 'Destroyer'

The text on this wall reads "perfect mastery."

It certainly describes the Chinese paramilitary police.

They practice deadly choke holds.

It's time to eat all of the fresh lobster, seafood, and summer fare we can before Labor Day.

But here's something to think about while downing every lobster roll in sight before summer's end — our beloved shellfish was once a throw-away food.

Back when the first European settlers reached North America, they wrote that lobsters were so plentiful that piles up to two feet high would wash ashore in Massachusetts Bay Colony.

Instead of this leading to epic clam bakes with buckets filled with butter, the colonists were embarrassed by these unsightly "cockroaches of the sea."

In fact, lobsters were so plentiful and undesirable that they were commonly used as fertilizer and fish bait by Native Americans and colonists alike.

Their abundance also meant colonists had easy access to protein during bad seasons or harvests, so lobster quickly garnered a reputation as the poor man's meal. They were fed to prisoners, apprentices, and slaves as a way to save money.

But all that changed during the mid-1800s because of two things — canned food and railway transportation.

People living in the center of the country could now buy cheap canned lobster, which became one of the most popular canned products on the market. They could also afford reasonably-priced train tickets and take trips out to coastal American cities.

Fresh lobster was suddenly popular with early New England tourists. Because of the new demand, restaurants started serving the food and recipe books began describing the best way to poach and cook lobster.

Lobster had become a commodity instead of a nuisance. Prices began surging in the 1880s.

By World War II, lobster was considered a delicacy. Due to its new status, it was not rationed by the U.S., and the wartime economy allowed wealthy patrons to consume lobster and shellfish at unprecedented rates.

And we haven't slowed down since.

Today, even when market prices are low, restaurants and food trucks can still charge a premium on their lobster dishes.

And that's the story of how trains, tourism, and canned foods made a fertilizer into a gourmet treat.

SEE ALSO: 8 Foods You Should Eat In New England This Summer

Join the conversation about this story »

The Wall Street Journal reports that Jimmy Cayne, the former CEO of now-defunct investment bank Bear Stearns, is selling his Park Avenue apartment for $14.95 million. 

According to the Journal, Cayne and his wife purchased the apartment in 1981 for $1.1 million.

They haven't lived in it for years. 

Dolly Lenz Real Estate has the listing for the 510 Park Avenue apartment.

Now we're going to take a tour. 

First, here's Jimmy Cayne...

The apartment features its own private elevator landing.

Source: StreetEasy

The apartment is 5,000 square feet.

Source: StreetEasy