The city of Los Angeles is known for its wide, sandy beaches, mild temperatures, and lack of humidity.

The combination of cool winters and warm summers sets it apart from almost every other city in the nation.

"Los Angeles is a hedonist’s paradise," Matthew Kahn wrote in his 2010 book "Climatopolis."

But rising temperatures are already putting that paradise at risk.

"Climate change will likely degrade LA’s ideal climate," wrote Kahn. "In the future LA’s climate will look like Jacksonville, Florida’s, climate today."

Sea level rise also threatens LA county's famous beaches, piers, and boardwalks, which attracted almost 41 million tourists who accounted for more than $16 billion in expenditures in 2012, according to a study by the University of Southern California Sea Program.

We've outlined some of the most significant effects of climate change today and how this will affect the LA region in the future.

Los Angeles County, which includes the city of Los Angeles, covers a land area of 4,000 square miles (shown in red). It stretches north along the coast past Malibu, south to include Long Beach, and includes two islands, 88 cities, and Angeles National Forest.

Los Angeles County is home to about 10 million people, making it among the most populated counties in the U.S.

Source: Business Insider

Los Angeles is known for its mild weather and year-round pleasant temperatures. It has warm winters with a January average of 59 degrees F and cool summers with an average July temperature of 73 degrees F.

Source: Los Angeles Almanac

Americans may not always realize it, but the United States is not the center of the world.

For every foreign-born artist like Lorde or Shakira who beat the odds and earned massive fame in the States, there's an artist who has achieved megastar status strictly outside the USA.

We scanned the globe and found 20 musical giants who get mobbed abroad but can walk down the street virtually unrecognized Stateside.

Musicians who are huge overseas >

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AKB48: A girl group with nearly 150 members

Imagine if J-Pop had its own massive Vegas-style revue in the heart of Tokyo. Meet AKB48, a girl group that boasts nearly 150 members — divided into five teams and distinguished by wardrobe color, with ages ranging from 12 to 37 — and performs daily at its own theatre.

The Guinness World Record holder for Largest Pop Group, AKB48 is a phenomenon in Japan because their success spans so many platforms: live performances, studio albums, video games and television, etc. It's not just a gimmick though, as Japan genuinely loves the group's music: AKB48 has won "Billboard" Japan's Top Pop Artists award four straight years, and they have the most million-selling singles in Japanese history.

Despite unprecedented popularity in Japan, they're mostly obscure over here. In fact, most Americans' first exposure to the girl group came last month when news spread that a saw-wielding man had attacked two members of AKB48 at a fan meet-and-greet in Japan.

Tokio Hotel: German glam rockers

Seven years ago, German glam rockers Tokio Hotel seemed on the verge of conquering America: They'd just won an MTV Video Music Award for Best New Artist, and their English-language debut "Scream" was hotly anticipated. And then they just kind of fizzled out.

"Scream" debuted at Number 39 on the Billboard 200, and 2009's "Humanoid" entered the charts just as meekly. However, perhaps thanks to their oddly misspelled band name, the group has been killing it in Japan. Despite a long hiatus, Tokio Hotel also still has a large following in Europe, Latin America and Asia. Apparently it's just Americans who didn't want to check into the Hotel for any prolonged period of time.

5 Seconds of Summer: Aussie fivesome

Forget Iggy Azalea. While the aforementioned Aussie rapper is killing it in America, 5 Seconds of Summer are taking over the rest of the world. With boy bands back in fashion thanks to One Direction and the Wanted, it seems that every nation is eager to produce their own blockbuster quintet. So far, Australia is winning: 5 Seconds of Summer have not only gained star status in their native country, they're also enjoying major success throughout Europe and South America, where they served as opening act on One Direction's "Where We Are" tour.

Now, the fivesome are showing signs of invading America: Their debut self-titled LP arrives via Capitol on July 22nd, but their singles "She Looks So Perfect" and "Don't Stop" have already penetrated the Billboard Hot 100 (and they turned out a memorable performance at the Billboard Awards). It won't be long before these guys aren't fit for this list. 

Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota's famous Twin Cities, have a lot of love for their local culture, from beer to bands to food trucks. Put together, there's little you can't find.

The Twin City small-business scene is thriving, with everything from an "Alice in Wonderland"-themed Korean restaurant to a custom hair-dye bar to a regional sake brewery.

We found 27 cool small businesses that show the best and brightest of the Twin Cities' innovation and creativity.

Askov Finlayson/The Bachelor Farmer/Marvel Bar

200 N. 1st Street, Minneapolis

What it is: A trendy clothing store/restaurant/bar owned by the sons of Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton.

Why it's cool: The Bachelor Farmer, Marvel Bar, and Askov Finlayson are all located in the same historic warehouse that brothers Eric and Andrew Dayton bought and restored.

Popular with hip diners, the Bachelor Farmer honors Minnesota's Nordic heritage and grows its produce on the roof. While they do great wine pairings, for cocktails you'll want to pop over to Marvel Bar, where whimsical mixed drinks dominate.

Waiting to be seated at either? Browse the racks at Askov Finlayson, a chic clothing and home-decor store that showcases brands one can't typically find in Minneapolis.

The Beez Kneez

2204 Minnehaha Ave. S., Minneapolis

What it is: Raw and local honey, delivered by bike.

Why it's cool: The Beez Kneez is an urban apiary, community beekeeping program, and educational honey house in the middle of Minneapolis. Run by two friends with a passion for cycling and sustainable beekeeping, they make it their responsibility to teach the community about the importance of bees to our food system and how to keep a hive.

They also fill orders of honey from their own hives and deliver it, by bicycle, wearing antennaed helmets.

Benjos Shoelaces

Online, based in Minneapolis

What it is: A stylish specialized shoelace company.

Why it's cool: Ben Hertz makes shoelaces that allow the wearer to express his or her individuality. It started years ago when he replaced some broken laces in Rome with a red pair, and the compliments started pouring in. But because Hertz couldn't find anything similar in the U.S., he decided to make his own so that he and others could add a cool, new punctuation of style detail with this distinct wardrobe addition.

Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, was a country notorious for its ongoing civil war. In recent years, the country has begun to reinvent itself alongside its new name.

Last year, book publisher Editions Didier Millet sent 30 photographers to travel around the country and capture scenes from the up-and-coming nation.

Now released as "7 Days in Myanmar," the photo book contains images of Myanmar's people, landscapes, and traditions from major urban centers to tourist sites and small villages. 

Shwedagon Pagoda dominates the skyline of Yangon, the former capital of Burma. The pagoda, known as The Golden Pagoda, was supposedly constructed during the time of the Buddha and is one of Myanmar's most popular tourist attractions.A shinpyu Buddhist novitation ceremony is held at the Shwedagon Pagoda. These young men leading the procession are dressed as royal princes, while the young girls who follow wear the costume and headdress of a princess.Workers carry heavy sacks of rice to a barge on the Yangon River. A hard day's work by the dock pays roughly $3 per day. To the right of the workers, a boat operator repairs his vessel with a hatchet.Young men wielding long swords train at Myanmar Thaing Federation's martial arts school in Yangon. In addition to bare-fisted combat, practitioners are trained to use long poles, swords, lances, and large knives.A night train stops at Naba station. Without electricity, these women sell food to passengers by candlelight.A train travel ling from Mandalay to Lashio crawls slowly across the famous Gokteik Viaduct. Originally built for the British by the Pennsylvania Steel Company in 1901, the crossing stands at 315 feet high and 2,257 feet across as it stretches over a deep ravine formed by the Myitnge River. Among the American engineers who constructed it was a young Herbert Hoover, who later became the 31st president of the United States.Win Sein Taw Ya is one of the largest reclining Buddhas in the world. The Buddha is filled with rooms that showcase dioramas of the teachings of Buddha. After 15 years of construction, it is still not complete.Myanmar's teenage soccer players are resourceful when it comes to creating a playing field, as they often turn backstreets and temple grounds into pitches and make goals out of bamboo stakes and twine. This platform at the base of a Mandalay Pagoda was turned into a soccer pitch.

SEE ALSO: Extraordinary Images Of The Hottest Country In The World For Untapped Natural Resources

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A double tornado ripped through Nebraska yesterday, as more than 350 people of the small town of Pilger were forced to evacuate their homes.

While the residents of Pilger were fleeing the scene, storm chasers — photographers, videographers, and scientists who follow and track storms — rushed towards the twin tornadoes, a rare meteorological occurrence.

Kory Hartman and his Basehunters team got up close with the tornado, capturing stunning footage of the twin tornadoes. Here you can see the first tornado ripping across the highway, as the second follows in a parallel path.

The twin tornadoes were especially rare because both were of equal size and strength. Usually, there is a dominant tornado and a smaller one that follows.

“It’s less common for two tornadoes to track together for so long, especially with that same intensity,” meteorologist Barbara Mayes told the AP. “By no means is it unprecedented. But we don’t see it often.”

Generally, twin tornadoes peter out quickly, with one of the two tornadoes dying down. In the case of the Pilger tornadoes, both stayed strong for a consider period of time, tracking each other and laying down parallel destructive paths.

It’s been reported that 50 to 75 percent of Pilger was wiped out or heavily damaged by the storm. 

“It’s a complete mess,” Stanton County Commissioner Jerry Weatherholt told the AP.

As of right now, there have been two fatalities and at least 19 people injured. 

For more footage of the Pilger tornadoes and other storms, head over to Basehunters' Facebook and YouTube.

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When it comes to sports passion nothing brings out the crazy in fans more than international competitions.

Now mix that with the biggest tournament for the world's most popular sport and we end up with a show in the stands at the World Cup that is nearly as entertaining as the matches being played.

Let's take a look at some of the fans with the craziest costumes and attire from the first six days of the World Cup.

Fans love to wear costumes.

This Brazilian dressed up as a popular television comedy character in Brazil.

This Dutch fan didn't have enough orange, so he added some carrots.

Wall Streeters are just like us in many ways, sharing the urge to settle down and start a family at some point in their careers. 

We decided to track down a bunch of these Wall Street offspring to see what they've done with their legacies so far.

Some followed the family business path, while others strayed into new passions. From singer-songwriters to journalists and equestrians, these Wall Street kids are doing some remarkable things.

Let's meet the next generation. 

Alexander Soros, son of billionaire hedge fund manager George Soros

Age: 28 to 29 (est.)

About: Alex has established himself as a big-time philanthropist like his father. As a student, he's a big political donor, too.

He graduated from NYU in 2009. He's pursuing his doctorate in modern European history at the University of California – Berkeley, and has also started a social justice foundation in his name. 

Brian Tepper, son of billionaire hedge fund manager David Tepper (Appaloosa Management)

Age: 27 (est.)

About: Brian is a software engineer in the computer gaming field.

He graduated with a degree in game development from Full Sail University in Winter Park, Florida.

He has two sisters, Randi and Casey.

Caroline Gorman, daughter of Morgan Stanley CEO James Gorman

Age: 18

About: Caroline Gorman is another Wall Street progeny on a musical path. She sings and plays piano and guitar for her band, Madness and the Film.

Last year, the two-person band released "Scrapbook," a four song EP.

Summer is almost here, and pretty soon we'll all be looking for ways to stay cool in the heat. Instead of spending your day huddled around the A/C, take a trip to one of these water parks and soak up the sun on the slides and lazy rivers. 

We've compiled a list of the 12 best water parks in America, thanks to our friends at FindTheBest.

The parks are ranked by the number of water attractions, including slides, pools, lazy rivers, and parks. We broke any ties by comparing ticket prices and awarding cheaper parks with a higher slot. 

12. Six Flags Hurricane Harbor - Santa Clarita, CA

21 water attractions

Adult admission: $40

The California Six Flags Hurricane Harbor branch offers all types of pools, slides, rivers, and raft rides among its slide complexes and other water rides. Experience the stomach-dropping thrill of the Bonzai Pipelines, or whirl around the 60-foot wide funnel on the Tornado.

Source: Facebook/Six Flags Hurricane Harbor - Los Angeles

11. Castaway Cove Waterpark - Wichita Falls, TX

21 water attractions

Adult admission: $22

Castaway Cove Waterpark has a number of large, multi-faceted attractions. Hideaway Harbor, for example, shares water volleyball, water basketball, and a children's activity area all within one large pool.  

Source: Facebook/Castaway Cove Waterpark

10. Noah’s Ark Family Park - Wisconsin Dells, WI

22 water attractions

Adult admission: $33

With 10 slides and 12 water attractions, Noah's Ark Family Park is a large one, with more than 3 million square feet of space. It has a nice balance of entertainment for guests to explore, like the quarter mile-long Black Anaconda slide, which launches riders up to 30 mph.

Source: Facebook/Noah's Ark Waterpark

As the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and other Sunni extremist militants quickly gain territory in Iraq, the Kurdish Security Forces are increasing their own operations in an attempt to shelter Iraqi Kurdistan from war. 

The Kurdish forces, known as Peshmerga, have proven themselves to be the most effective bulwark so far against ISIS's blitz. The Peshmerga, whose name is Kurdish for "those who face death," have helped to limit ISIS's incursions towards Baghdad from the north. At the same time, the Kurds have also seized oil-rich Kirkuk, known as the "Kurdish Jerusalem," which is formally outside of the autonomous Kurdish Region in Iraq.

The Peshmerga's numbers, dedication, and discipline make them possibly the strongest fighting force in Iraq.

The Peshmerga began as a tribal force headed by Shaykh Mahmud Bazanji in 1919. Bazanji had the goal of forming the Kingdom of Kurdistan, but the British, Iraq's colonial administrators, quickly put down his revolt.

The Peshmerga continued to exist as a fighting force, but it splintered into two bitterly-opposed factions in 1975.

Following U.S.-mediated talks after the first-Gulf War in the early 1990s, the Kurdish factions eventually reached a rapprochement.

Anti-theft lunch bags may seem ridiculous, but they could keep your lunch away from prying hands.

These $4 bags were created by design company the., and disguise your sandwich or snack with tinted green patches in the plastic that make it look like mold is growing on both sides.And though they seem childish, the green splotched bags are slowly building steam. One happy customer wrote on Perpetual Kid that the bags are "THE most brilliant product ever made. We have a guy in our building that has been dubbed 'The Hamburgler' as he steals other people's food out of the community fridges. Since I have been using these, my lunch has remained absolutely safe."

And while most seem to be happy with their new sandwich bags, another reviewer points out that the only con would be if someone were cleaning out the fridge and threw away your sandwich or snack without looking closely.

Though these bags may be expensive at $4 for 25, if they keep away nosy coworkers (or hungry classmates), perhaps its worth it.

SEE ALSO: The Best Sandwich From Every US State

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This ultra luxurious penthouse in Manhattan belongs to an extremely private billionaire.

The 18,000-square-foot apartment, located a whopping 90 stories high, was recently redesigned by ODA Architecture. It contains nearly every amenity you can think of, including a sculpture garden with a 30-foot water wall and reflection pool, a game room, a day spa, and a recording studio, according to ODA.

The penthouse's extensive renovations reportedly took ODA four years to complete.  

The foyer sets an elegant tone that continues throughout the house.

This seating area is one of many rooms in the penthouse with stunning views.

The high ceilings in the living room make the area feel extra spacious.

Just in time for your summer vacation, TripAdvisor has announced the winners of its Travelers' Choice awards for attractions.

And the No. 1 tourist attraction in the U.S. is Gettysburg National Park in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, which sees well over 1 million visitors each year. Several states were represented on the list this year, but six of the attractions are in Washington, D.C.

To determine these awards, TripAdvisor looked at millions of traveler reviews and then created an algorithm that considered the quantity and quality of reviews for each attraction over a 12-month period.

25. Castillo de San Marcos, Saint Augustine, Florida

24. The Breakers, Newport, Rhode Island

23. Rockefeller Center, New York, New York

People love to post pictures of their food on social media.

But there’s a growing backlash to the perfectly styled food photos we see on lifestyle blogs, Instagram, and Pinterest. 

Whether intentionally gross (see "Canned ham, pineapple, and flaming Cheetos sandwich" above), or just poorly photographed, "foodie fails” are cropping up on Twitter, Reddit, and other corners of the internet.

Bad food pictures really took off last November when Martha Stewart became a lightning rod after she posted a series of unappetizing pictures to Twitter.

Iceberg wedge with homemade Russian dressing. Perfect salad for the onion soup lunch pic.twitter.com/KQatWUKUdl

— Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) November 17, 2013

Best slow cooked onion soup with baguette croutons and gruyere and Comte cheese melted on top. Garden onions pic.twitter.com/VNFkeiV3o3

— Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) November 17, 2013

Now if any one thinks this is a bad photo you are ridiculous. Tartuffi bianchi and fettuccine at le cirque. pic.twitter.com/M7zG5lbB9M

— Martha Stewart (@MarthaStewart) November 21, 2013

Stewart has since either discovered editing tools and filters, or hired a social media director, since her food pictures have vastly improved. But they became a viral joke, with people asking if Martha Stewart took a picture whenever an awful food photo appeared.

Stewart's photos were also immediately picked up by Reddit's /r/sh***yfoodporn. The subreddit has been around since 2012, and has amassed almost 54,000 followers. The community promises its readers pictures of — what else? — “sh***y food," outlining in its rules that “Edible looking submissions are subject to removal without notice."

Though it was started two years ago as a community, it has continued to grow in popularity, even becoming a trending subreddit last month.

The community frequently uploads images of unappetizing food combinations, poorly photographed food, and any meal that looks disgusting but that Redditors claim to be delicious.

“Wonderful five-day-old pizza with barbecue sauce smothered in high-quality Velveeta Mac n Cheese,” said one poster. Redditors responded with “This looks like the embodiment of a good choice” and “I love you.”While some of the pictures are vaguely disgusting, they are a refreshingly honest departure from those stylized and filtered brunch shots, which Anthony Bourdain once called a "dysfunctional, even aggressive practice" in The Wrap.

"You don't want people to be eating dinner with you when you Instagram a picture of your food," he said. "You want them to be eating a bag of Cheetos on their couch in their underpants. It's a passive aggressive act."

Whereas the goal of most food pictures is bragging rights, /r/s***yfoodporn rejoices in awful photography and cooking — it's Pinterest Fails, but with food.

And /r/s***yfoodporn is not alone. An Instagram account called cookingforbae, which is dedicated to “struggle plates," exploded last year. With over 132,000 followers, cookingforbae posts some of the worst food photography fails across the internet.

#struggleplates has become its own Twitter hashtag, and Tumblr is also in on the action with Dimly Lit Meals For One— the name itself is the antithesis of most braggy "food porn" photos. Dimly Lit Meals For One suggests the exact opposite — food eaten quickly and alone.

Though it might not be the most appetizing of food trends, it’s certainly one of the funniest. And as long as food bloggers continue to show idealized and impossible-to-replicate pictures of food, there will be people who joyfully ridicule our horrible-looking meals.

WATCH NOW: How To Take Beautiful Photos Of Your Food For Instagram

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Good entrepreneurs make money. Great entrepreneurs make serious money. But truly successful entrepreneurs do more than make money. They make a difference not just to their balance sheets but also in the lives of their employees, their customers, and their communities. See how many of these qualities you possess... and how many you can adopt.

Click here to see the habits >

They Find Happiness in the Success of Others

Great business teams win because their most talented members are willing to sacrifice to make others happy. Great teams are made up of employees who help each other, know their roles, set aside personal goals, and value team success over everything else. Where does that attitude come from? You. Every truly successful entrepreneur feels a major chunk of their happiness comes from enjoying the success of their employees and their customers. Do you?

They Focus on What Customers Need

I may want to build buggies. I may be an awesome buggy builder. Problem is, few people need buggies anymore. I’ll have to convince people buggies are a great idea. When you provide what people need you don’t have to convince anyone; you only have to build a product that meets that need. Then you won’t need to look for customers – they’ll look for you.

They Make Money So They Can Make More Things

I’ve never met a successful entrepreneur who said his or her primary goal was to get rich. Sure, wealth is on the list, but they’re more excited by the thought of doing something new, of making a difference, of creating opportunities for others – in short, they hope to build a company of significance. A company they’re proud of. A company that lasts.
Because when you do all those things, the money follows.

Summer TV was once reserved for reruns and replacement series. No more. Now, some of the most innovative and original programming debuts, while other excellent shows return for their second season. From director Steven Soderbergh’s highly-anticipated period drama, The Knick, on Cinemax, to undiscovered comedy gems like Nathan for You, on Comedy Central, to sci-fi thrillers like The Leftovers (photo above), on HBO, we present ten shows you’ll be talking about long into the fall.

DRAMAS

Masters of Sex (Showtime, July 13)

Where will Dr. William Masters (Martin Sheen) conduct his sex research now that he’s lost his, ahem, position at the university hospital? That question hangs over the season two premiere of this excellent period piece loosely based on the true story of Masters and his assistant Dr. Virginia Johnson’s investigation into the sexual tastes of the prudish 1950s. The show was voted a 2013 top ten pick by The American Film Institute.

Manhattan (WGN America, July 27)

The story of The Manhattan Project—the World War II race to build the first atomic bomb before the Germans—has been told many times but never in a TV series. We’re looking forward to the combo of history and mystery from director Thomas Schlamme, who knows a thing or two about government and politics. He’s a veteran of The West Wing. Stars John Benjamin Hickey from The Big C.This baby can’t possibly bomb.

The Knick (Cinemax, August 8)

Director Steven Soderbergh’s ten-part series is the most highly anticipated show of the summer TV season. It stars Clive Owen as a doctor who works in a turn-of-the-century New York hospital performing experimental surgery to save lives—in the days before anesthesia and antibiotics. Drenched in period atmosphere and not for the squeamish, The Knick (short for The Knickerbocker Hospital) is destined to be the next big binge hit.

SCIENCE FICTION

The Leftovers (HBO, June 29)

Rapture? Alien abduction? Rift in the space-time continuum? The Leftovers will have you tossing at night trying to guess what caused the mysterious disappearance of two percent of the world’s population. Survivors live in chaos. The show is based on the thought-provoking novel by Tom Perrotta. Bleak? Sure. But when The New York Times describes a book’s plot as “the best Twilight Zoneepisode you never saw,” you know it’s got the goods to be good TV.

Under the Dome (CBS, June 30)

Based loosely on a 2009 Stephen King book, Dome was a big hit out of the box last season before ratings started to slide. Paging Stephen King. The great horror author himself personally penned the season two opener. That’s reason enough to watch. The series follows the lives of ordinary people in a small Maine town. The sci-fi twist? They’re trapped under a massive, invisible, inescapable dome. That means no communication with the outside world. Tell your friends about it.

Extant (CBS, July 9)

After returning home from a 13-month solo mission in outer space, astronaut Molly Woods finds herself inexplicably pregnant. But how? And more important here, with what? The star power of Extant alone is worth the mission—Halle Berry plays Woods. Steven Spielberg produced. Join the crew.

The Strain (FX, July 13)

More vampires? Yes, but director Guillermo del Toro (Pan’s Labyrinth) brings his original take to the tale. Del Toro’s bloodsuckers are infected with an ancient virus and they’re spreading it around town. The Strain is more like the smartly unsettling 28 Days Later than the Southern gothic True Blood. Camp and romance are out. Terror is back.

COMEDIES

Almost Royal (BBC America, June 21)

BBC America’s first original “scripted” comedy. We say “scripted” because the series leaves plenty of room for improvisation. Almost Royal is in the tradition ofBorat—you know, Brit twit gets embarrassingly entangled in American culture, makes everyone squirm, and makes us laugh at the other guys. But this variation stars a brother and sister of modest nobility who are touring the USA to find a final resting place for their late father’s ashes. It’s a royal riot, guv’nor.

Nathan for You (Comedy Central, July 1)

Can season two of Nathan for You get any more bizarre? We hope so, because the more this under-the-radar reality-comedy pushes the oddball envelope, the better. Canadian comic Nathan Fielder is one-of-a-kind, and so are the publicity stunts he pulls to help small businesses gain attention. If you’re familiar with Fielder’s “Dumb Starbucks” event in L.A. earlier this year, you’re in the cool club.

Brooklyn Nine-Nine (Fox, September TBD)

Okay Nine-Nine is really a fall show, but season two kicks off—strong—when the calendar still says summer. Winner of the 2014 Golden Globe for Best TV Comedy Series, the on-set chemistry of this police action-comedy clicks and adds layers of wackiness. Andy Samberg is just this side of wiseguy charming and the comedy chops of precinct boss Andre Braugher continues to surprise all of us who had him typecast as a heavy from his Homicide days.

SEE ALSO: The Most Important TV Premiere Dates This Summer And Fall

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You may recognize money-making apps like Candy Crush, Clash of Clans, Words With Friends, and Despicable Me: Minion Rush, but what about the makers behind these blockbusters?

App Annie ranked the top 52 app publishers of 2013, and we decided to feature the top 15 to give you an idea for who is making it big in the app stores. The companies are ranked based on their combined global revenue from Apple's App Store and Google Play for the year of 2013.

App Annie did not disclose the exact dollar numbers, but we tried to search a bit to get you some data.

15. Caesars Entertainment

Mobile apps are only a small part of what this gaming giant does. Caesars Entertainment publishes apps that supplement the casino experience by offering tips on places and events to explore. It also creates mobile games like Bingo Blitz through its subsidiaries Buffalo Studios, Pacific Interactive, and Playtika.

Caesars Entertainment brought in more than $8.5 billion in revenue in 2013, but obviously a majority of that was probably from its physical casinos and not its apps.

14. Sega

Sega is a veteran when it comes to developing games, having been founded in 1960. Its mobile apps have followed in the success of Sega's earlier digital games with titles like Crazy Taxi and Golden Axe along with the classic Sonic games.

Sega Sammy Holdings, Sega's parent company, reported $3.7 billion in sales for the last financial year, but that's for all of its products.

13. Zynga

Zynga has come out with lots of big apps including Words With Friends, Scramble With Friends, and Draw Something, but it is struggling to maintain its status after a not-so-successful IPO. 

In 2013, Zynga brought in more than $870 million in revenue, which definitely is not too shabby, but when you compare it to 2012's $1.28 billion in revenue, it's not looking so great.

It is now possible to see the conquest of drug cartels over Mexico.

Viridiana Rios and Michele Coscia of Harvard University created a program called MOGO that searched specialized blogs, local newspapers and Google News for references to the different cartels, their locations and their influence between 1999 and 2011.

The results show how between 2006—when Mexican President Felipe Calderon declared an all-out war against drug traffickers in the country— and when he left office in 2012, the cartels only got stronger. Meanwhile, more than 100,000 Mexicans were killed.

Legalization of Marijuana in Colorado and Washington and the capture of Sinaloa kingpin "El Chapo Guzman" may alter the landscape, but cartels are still deeply embedded in Mexico after the 2000s.

1992: The Tijuana cartel began with a sole corridor into the U.S.

2000: Over the next decade several cartels fought for Tijuana

2006: The Tijuana cartel had established control of the corridor and began expanding

Warning: Spoilers about "Game of Thrones" season 4 are ahead.

With its many battles, trials by combat, and all out wars, season four of HBO's "Game of Thrones" was one of the most visually spectacular shows on television this past season — all thanks to the series' amazing visual and special effects.

Some of these effects especially stand out, like those featured in the attack on The Wall in the ninth episode "The Watchers on the Wall." However, a season 4 VFX reel by one of the series' visual effects artist Calvin Romeyn, which has since been made private, shows that some of these effects were a bit harder to see.

For example, those flaming arrows shot back and forth between the Night's Watch and The Wildlings during the attack were digitally added.

Another minor effect you may have not noticed was how the missing fingers of Davos Seaworth (Liam Cunningham) weren't missing at all.

Using green covers on each finger and standing in front of a blue screen allowed Cunningham to be in the Iron Bank of Braavos with four less digits.

Visual effects also played a big part in many major moments of the season.

Effects helped render the dying, poisoned face of King Joffery in episode two, "The Lion and the Rose."

Digital rendering also helped to make Prince Oberyn's head smash look even more gruesome in the trial by combat from episode eight ("The Mountain and the Viper").

Finally, one of the most shocking moments from the season — when Petyr "Littlefinger" Baelish pushes his new bride Lysa Arryn to her death in episode seven ("Mockingbird") —was done thanks in part to special effects and a green screen positioned within the set.

To check out more from visual effects artist Calvin Romeyn, click here.

SEE ALSO: 8 Archery Mistakes In 'Game Of Thrones' Season 4

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Lots of countries have fossil fuels, but few have done as well as Qatar to take advantage of them.

While Venezuela, Iraq, Libya, Nigeria, and others have fallen victim to the resource curse, when an abundance of resources leads to economic distortions and limited growth, Qatar has done much to reinvest energy money and diversify its economy. Support from the U.S. as well as decades of proven reserves have also fostered stability.

The tiny peninsula has  the highest per-capita GDP in the world at $98,800 — and even that number may vastly understate the actual wealth of Qatar's 280,000 citizens. Qatar has enough money to build a huge metropolis in the desert and to win the right to host the 2022 World Cup, allegedly through millions of dollars in bribes.

We've gathered photos to tell the incredible story of Qatar.

Qatar has been ruled by the Al-Thani family since the early 1900s when it became a British protectorate. On July 17, 1913, Shaikh Abdullah Bin Qassim Al-Thani (center-left) became the ruler of Qatar.

At the time, Qatar’s primary industry was pearling and fishing. The country was marked by widespread poverty, malnutrition, and disease from the collapse of the pearl trade in the 1920s.

In 1939, oil was discovered at Dukhan. Development on the field was slow until 1949, because of World War II. While the oil discovery was significant, it was nothing compared to the natural gas reserves found 30 years later.

Korean food is famous for its hearty spicy stews, bright pickled vegetables, and addictive barbecue.

But for novices, a Korean restaurant and its menu can be intimidating. Most dishes don't have names that translate into English. If you're not familiar with the names, you might make your order based on your analysis of the English ingredients and hope for the best.

The goal of this feature is to introduce you to a few popular and savory dishes so that you don't have to go into your next Korean restaurant unprepared.

Yukgaejang

Spicy shredded beef stew with scallions, onions and Korean radish.

Like most Korean stews, yukgaejang is simmered for hours, which leaves the vegetables soft and the beef fall-apart like a brisket. It's typically served with a bowl of rice that can be mixed into the soup.

Its hearty, hot, and spicy making it the quintessential Korean food. You can get it at every korean restaurant. Believe it or not, this picture was taken at a highway rest area halfway between Seoul and Busan.

Bibim Naengmyeon

Cold buckwheat noodles mixed with sliced beef, pickled radish or Asian pear, pickled cucumber and spicy chili sauce.

"Bibim" is Korean for "mixed." This popular North Korean dish can also be served with in a chilled beef consommé instead of the spicy sauce; just ask for mul naengmyun.

It's an extremely popular hot weather dish, and it'll sometimes even be served with ice cubes. Your waittress or waiter will offer to cut your noodles with her or his kitchen sheers.

Galbi

Short ribs marinated in soy sauce.

No one ever forgets about the time they got Korean barbecue and had galbi. The earthy marinade of soy sauce and garlic is balanced by the sweetness of sugar or honey. On a hot enough grill, the sear will turn into a light char that's basically candy.

Most Korean restaurants offering barbecue will have grills built into the table. However, grilling at the table is usually reserved for larger groups.