What is Gangnam Style ??

Topping the YouTube and the U.S. iTunes charts, Korean Pop King PSY’s number ‘Gangnam Style’ is the current rage.

I’m afraid you have no choice. Get off your high horse and onto that invisible one. Hands in front. Gallop. Shuffle. Imaginary lasso. All done Gangnam style.

Gangnam what? Well, you know… the latest viral video, by PSY.

PSY who? Come on, he’s the current king of K-Pop.

K-Pop what? Oh dear. Let’s start at the beginning. In fact, we’ll be really nice and hand you this cheat sheet. Now you can look cool when you hang with your better-informed ten-year-old nephews and nieces.

What is Gangnam Style anyway?

On July 15, Korean Pop (K-Pop) video ‘Gangnam Style’ by PSY was posted on YouTube. Just 51 days and it had 100 million views. It zoomed to the top of the YouTube chart beating Carly Rae Jepsen and Justin Bieber. A few days ago, the song made it to No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes Top Song chart, which it entered in late August at No. 58.

The singer, PSY, recently taught Britney Spears how to do his ‘galloping horse dance’, coining a new popular catch phrase “Dress classy and dance cheesy.” He also performed live at the Rockefeller Center in New York City for NBC’s Today show.

It’s an accomplishment, considering the song is in his native language, with no translations. PSY is the first Korean artist to go mainstream in the United States. This was largely possible because of the Internet, since the song went viral via mobile phones and computers, on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

So far the official video has 190,978,897 views. Numbers just keep going up.

What’s special about it?

Depends on who you ask.

The aggressively hypnotic techno trance beat that seems designed for hard-core clubbing. The eminently catchy tune, with its peppy chorus, which children love. The dancing with its repetitive steps.

Think ‘Macarena’, or the ‘Birdie Dance’. Only this is hipper, slicker and slightly more challenging. Designed for blasé audiences with short attention spans. High octane pop illustrated in a fresh, flashy video, bouncing with bubble gum bright colour.

Scene changes are as rapid as they are random, in PSY’s romp through conventional urban spaces. He’s snoozing in a deckchair under a bright pink umbrella. He’s in a horse stable in Seoul. He’s spoofing cult videos, walking through an abandoned parking lot in fake snow. It gets more bizarre. Here he’s dozing off in the sauna wrapped in a baby blue and pink towel. There he’s bouncing around a tour bus, jiggling with disco balls.

Next comes the march of Korean celebrities. A solemn dance off with comedian Yoo Jae Suk, dressed in Canary Yellow. The ‘elevator dance’ replete with pelvic thrusts, featuring comedian Noh Hong-cheol. Finally busting some moves with svelte redhead, Kim Hyun-a, the popular K-Pop girl group 4Minute.

Short, plump and bespectacled, PSY’s an unlikely star. Especially in K-Pop where the girls are pretty and the boys prettier. However, his ‘everyman’ persona seems to be his not-so-secret weapon. He’s willing to laugh at the world, and himself. And this sharp subversive humour is what elevates the song from catchy to memorable.

Is PSY his real name?

You wish! Born Park Jae-Song, he’s a 34-year-rapper from South Korea. His stage name comes from his first album Psy From The Psycho World released in 2001. He studied at the prestigious Berkeley College of Music in the United States.

You will probably see more of him now that he has signed a contract with American label Schoolboy Records after being spotted by music producer Scooter Braun. (Best known for discovering Justin Bieber.) Braun famously toasted PSY over glasses of Korean Soju saying, “To PSY, to Korea, to breaking down barriers, to the future.”

But we still don’t get ‘Gangnam’?

It’s a wealthy district in Seoul, South Korea, where people go clubbing, brunching and shopping for new noses. As famous for luxury boutiques as it is for cosmetic surgeons. The song can be interpreted as an attack on the world of the over privileged.

Ironically, the district is drawing tourists because of the song. Korea Tourism has responded to this interest with their ‘One day Gangnam tour’ that begins with some ‘gangnam styling’ at a beauty salon, shopping at the Apgujeong & Cheongdam boutiques, a quick luxury coffee and brunch, followed by the casino and clubbing.

Can we sing it?

Of course. Even if you can’t master the Korean verses, chant the chorus ‘Oppan Gangnam Style’ which roughly means something like ‘Your man has Gangnam Style.’

PS: Although ‘Oppa’ literally means ‘big brother,’ it is also a term girls use to address older boyfriends, or — gasp — sugar daddies. Don’t say we didn’t warn you!

Keywords: Gangnam Style, Korean pop king, PSY, latest viral video, YouTube chart


SOURCE : thehindu

Harsh realities for Democrats

Editor's note: David Gergen is a senior political analyst for CNN and has been an adviser to four presidents. A graduate of Harvard Law School, he is a professor of public service and director of the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Follow him on Twitter.

(CNN) -- As Democrats awoke in Charlotte on Thursday morning, there was a euphoric sense that they could be on the verge of breaking open the presidential race. But as they said goodbyes at the airport Friday morning, the mood had changed.

They were still -- and rightly -- congratulating themselves on running a first-rate convention. Every night brought rousing speeches -- from Michelle Obama and Deval Patrick on the first night to Jennifer Granholm, John Kerry and Joe Biden on the third. Of course, the most energizing of all was masterfully delivered by the best orator of his generation, Bill Clinton.

Opinion: We're in for a heck of a ride

In a mark of their professionalism, planners ensured a consistency of themes that would appeal to the Democratic base. And Charlotte was not only a fine host city; it also provided an arena that was much better configured to generate excitement than the GOP convention site in Tampa.

All of this perfectly teed up what was to be the high point of the convention: the acceptance address by Barack Obama. What delegates longed for was the soaring lyricism of candidate Obama in conventions past; what they got was Obama the President, seemingly weighed down by the burdens of office.

There were flashes of inspiration but overall, he was tempered and more cautious. Make no mistake: It was a strong, well-delivered speech --"presidential," as they say. It just didn't sweep people off their feet the way Obama once did. Indeed, he was probably lucky that the speech was moved indoors: it worked much better in a compact arena than it would have in a cavernous stadium. 

The president offered up a series of goals for his second term but even they seemed small and lacking ambition. His biggest jobs promise was to create 1 million manufacturing jobs over the next four years. Why is that impressive? The economy has already cranked out 500,000 new manufacturing jobs over the past 2½ years, so we wouldn't be picking up the pace much. And even with an extra million, the country will still be 500,000 short of the 2 million lost in the recession. That hardly makes the heart pound.

Republicans will surely pounce on how little he offered by way of plans for lifting the economy out of its mess, creating millions upon millions of jobs, and bringing trillion-dollar deficits under control. The Ryan budget is obviously controversial, they will argue, but at least it presents some concrete ideas for overhauling Medicare.

Moreover, Republicans believe they have a theory of economic growth -- lower taxes, spending cuts, fewer regulations -- that may not have worked so well under George W. Bush but unleashed the economy under Ronald Reagan, who inherited a recession and then saw the creation of some 20 million jobs over seven years.

By late Thursday night, over nightcaps, the realization was setting in among Democrats that their hopes for breaking open the election had probably fallen short. When they woke up Friday morning and heard the new jobs report, they knew for sure.

Not only were the numbers a sharp disappointment, but they also showed how tough life has become for so many Americans. In the past month, for every person who found a job, almost four people gave up hope and left the work force. The percentage of people in the work force today is the lowest in more than three decades -- and that is three years after the recovery supposedly began.

What all of this boils down to is this: The Democrats have just completed a very good convention. They may not have brought over many undecideds, but they probably raised the enthusiasm level among key constituencies, especially women. Moreover, Obama still remains a favorite in this election. The auto bailout, for example, could deliver Ohio to his column and no Republican has won without the Buckeye State.

Still, Thursday night and Friday morning brought some harsh realities to Charlotte. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have a serious chance to win this. Underlying economic conditions are working in their favor and with the new jobs report, it is easier to make the election a referendum on the past few years. And they have tons of cash to pour into the fall.

Both sides are thus settling in for a long, tough fight -- and waiting to see each other at the October debates.

Follow us on Twitter @CNNOpinion

Join us on Facebook/CNNOpinion 


SOURCE : CNN

Believe it or not, weak jobs report likely good for stocks

One of the oldest adages in the stock market is "Don't fight the Fed." Until the economy starts creating more jobs, the Fed is going to be fighting to keep interest rates low - and that's good for stocks.

Today's job reports showed only 96,000 new jobs created in August, vs. 125,000 estimated by economists. The unemployment rate fell to 8.1%, but that's not enough for the Fed to back off from its policy of ultra-low rates and easy money.

"I think the Fed will go ahead and do some kind of QE3 here - small steps, meeting by meeting," says John Silvia, chief economist for Wells Fargo. "The Fed has said they are disappointed in the pace of job growth, and this just solidifies that."

QE3 stands for a third round of quantitative easing, a Fed technique to keep interest rates low by buying bonds with newly created money.

The Fed's dual mandate is to keep the economy moving and to keep inflation in check. By keeping interest rates low, the Fed is allowing companies and consumers to refinance their debts, giving them extra money to spend. That's good for stocks.

But keeping rates low is good for stocks in another way: It makes stocks look more attractive in comparison with bonds. 

The 10-year Treasury note now yields just 1.67%. Money market funds yield a miserly 0.03% on average. Since Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke announced the second round of quantitative easing on Aug. 27, 2010, the broad Wilshire 5000 stock index has gained 36.5%, or $4.6 trillion.

Further quantitative easing will also likely propel gold higher, as investors fret about the Fed fueling inflation.

The Fed's job isn't to prop up the stock market. But the Fed wouldn't mind seeing a stock rally, either. Investors have seen their retirement accounts slashed by two massive bear markets in the past 12 years. If their balances rise, they'll feel more prosperous — and more inclined to spend. And that, too, is good for stocks

new 4K TVs may get to market faster than expected ( LG Electronics )

 
Those new 4K TVs may get to market faster than expected -- and at lower, but still-admittedly pricey costs.
LG Electronics has announced plans to be the first to bring a 4K TV to stores next month. Its 84-inch display is scheduled to hit stores in October; priced at $19,999. That means the LG model can be expected to be priced as low as $17,000 in some outlets.
4K TV sets promise four times the resolution of current HDTVs. While there's no current movies or TV content that takes advantage of the higher-res format, many films are being remastered for Blu-ray Disc in 4K. And some TV series are being shot in 4K.
New sets are, however, able to upscale incoming high-def video to improve picture quality. "Ultra-definition television will transform the giant-screen viewing experience in the years ahead, and LG is proud to bring this new technology to market so that discerning U.S. consumers can enjoy a fully immersive home theater experience," said LG's Jay Vandenbree in a statement accompanying the announcement.
The LG Ultra Definition display is a 3-D Smart TV that uses LG's magic remote, which supports gesture and voice commands, and connects to the LG Cloud for storing content online.
Sony's own $24,999 84-inch model is due in November with pre-orders being taken at Sony stores. Originally, 4K sets were expected by year's end.
Also apparently joining the 4K scene is JVC, which has -- as reported by Digital Trends -- a sub-$20,000 set in the works.
See photos of: Sony, LG Electronics

SOURCE : USATODAY

Apple has a music streaming service in the works

Apple has a music streaming service in the works.
A customizable Internet radio service, similar to that of Pandora, paired with its popular iTunes service would further cement the company's importance in music delivery.
Apple recently began talking with record labels about licensing for the service, according to The Wall Street Journal. Once deals are made, it would still take months for the service to launch, the Journal reports, citing sources familiar with the negotiations.
An advantage that Apple would have on other streaming music services – and in attracting label support -- is the ability to seamlessly wed iTunes song sales to its Net radio delivery, says Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter. "Due to the dominance of iTunes and the depth of integration with Apple devices, we envision that an Apple Internet radio offering would allow users to purchase and download songs during play on Internet radio virtually instantaneously," he said in report.
It is unlikely that the new streaming service will be unveiled at Apple's iPhone 5 event next week, he says.
Even though an Apple streaming service would only be available on iPhones, iPads and other iOS devices, it could have some features that outperform Pandora, which has 150 million registered users across computers, as well as Android-based and iOS devices.
Pandora does not play more than four songs from an individual artist in a three-hour period, for instance, Pachter said. "We believe Apple could try to take share from Pandora through greater flexibility around song selection or skips, among other items," he said, adding that "Apple service reports are likely to negatively impact Pandora shares for the foreseeable future."
He did not expect the Apple service to be unveiled at next Wednesday's planned iPhone 5 event.
See photos of: Apple


SOURCE : USATODAY

The Google homepage is paying homage to iconic sci-fi series Star Trek

The Google homepage is paying homage to iconic sci-fi series Star Trek today with an interactive doodle in honor of the 46th anniversary of the first episode of the show.
You'll find the letters in the ordinarily spare Google logo all tricked out as Trekkie characters. With just a pair of ears, Google's "G" becomes Spock. And oh, is that Kirk's distinctive haircut on that "o"?
You can head over to Google now to check it out. It's an interactive story with a few different scenes. You can click around for little facets of the show that are fan favorites.
The doodle is actually live a little early — the 46th anniversary is on Saturday. Since the doodle starts appearing in other parts of the world before it does in the U.S. (as the calendar turns) Google decided to give folks in the U.S. the chance to play with it on Friday.
Star Trek seemed like a perfect fit for a doodle, says Ryan Germick, Google's chief doodler. "It has something iconic culturally, it's smart, it's fun and it had a progressive message with all of its diversity. And it is a wonderland for nerder-y and geekdom, which is something we revel in at Google."
The doodle team worked with CBS in order to incorporate some of the original sound effects from the show. The storyline is meant to evoke a specific episode, though Google engineer Doug Simpkinson is quick to note that "of course, we are not 100% faithful to the plot."
Readers, beam yourselves up and check it out.
See photos of: Google doodle 


SOURCE : USATODAY

GOP: U.S. is not better off under Obama

Now that the political conventions are over, the Republicans argued Saturday that the United States has suffered under President Obama's leadership.
"It's time for rhetoric to meet reality," said Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., in the weekly Republican radio address. "The reality is that America is not better off than it was four years ago."
Barrasso criticized Obama over high unemployment and federal debt, a drop in household income and a spike in gas prices. The Wyoming senator, a doctor, also attacked Obama's health care law.
"The president's policies have failed to produce the results, accountability, and solutions the American people deserve," Barrasso said. "The Obama Administration is simply not moving our country forward."
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney is using the "are you better off" argument -- first used Ronald Reagan against Jimmy Carter in 1980 -- in his current race against Obama. Romney was nominated at last month's Republican Convention.
At this week's Democratic Convention, Obama and aides said the country is indeed better off since he took office during a near-depression begun under predecessor George W. Bush.
Obama said Romney's economic policies -- tax cuts for the wealthy, fewer regulations on businesses -- are the ones that led to the financial meltdown in the first place.

CAPTION

By J. Scott Applewhite, AP

The Republican radio address:"Hi. I'm Dr. John Barrasso, United States Senator for Wyoming.
At the Democratic convention this week, President Obama tried to make the case for why he needs more time to do the job he was elected to do four years ago.
As usual, the President gave a lofty speech. But his vision for America's future comes down to bigger government, higher taxes, and more spending.
The conventions are over now. The soaring speeches have ended.
It's time for rhetoric to meet reality.
The reality is that America is not better off than it was four years ago.
Today, 23 million Americans are unemployed or underemployed. Many are our friends, neighbors, and family members.
The undeniable truth is, President Obama is on track to have the worst jobs record of any President since World War II.
When the President was hyping his so-called stimulus program, his economic team claimed unemployment would not go above 8 percent, and that it would be below 6 percent by now. Instead, it's been higher than 8 percent for 43 straight months.
It's bad enough the stimulus money was wasted. Even worse, he borrowed the money, much of it from China.
Household incomes have dropped by more than $4,000, while the cost of everyday living has gone up.
Gasoline prices have gone up another 30 cents a gallon in just over a month. Americans recently paid the highest prices ever on a Labor Day weekend.
One out of every seven people in America is now on food stamps.
In terms of global competitiveness, the United States has dropped for four straight years. When President Obama took office, we were number one in the world. Now we're number seven.
American businesses are at a competitive disadvantage because our tax rates are the highest in the developed world.
Americans know what works: low taxes, reasonable regulations, and living within our means.
President Kennedy understood that. He said: 'Persistently large deficits would endanger our economic growth and our military and defense commitments abroad.'
He said that 50 years ago, in 1962. Washington's budget deficit that year was $7 billion.
From $7 billion then, to a $1.2 trillion deficit this year.
For every year since he took office, President Obama has spent at least a trillion dollars more than Washington took in, all of it borrowed.
Under his watch, government spends too much, borrows too much, and grows bigger every day.
President Obama's record of failure has come at a great cost to our country and our future.
The President's policies have failed to produce the results, accountability, and solutions the American people deserve. The Obama Administration is simply not moving our country forward.
It's been said that, faced with his record, the President has changed his hope and change message of four years ago to one of divide and conquer today.
More presidential rhetoric, and a plea for more time, won't heal our economy.
A healthy economy comes from a growing private sector.
Yet the President does not seem to appreciate or value the private sector. Remember, he said if you have a business, you didn't build it, someone else did.
In Wyoming, and in communities all across the country, there are bakers and florists, and dry cleaners and farmers who did build their businesses, and whose families have been working in them for generations.
Those business owners know what President Obama does not.
They understand, as Ronald Reagan put it, that you can't be for big government, big taxes, and big bureaucracy, and still be for the little guy.
As a nation, we are being bled by overspending, choked by overregulation, and paralyzed by a lack of affordable energy.
Just look at the President's health care law.
The American people knew what they wanted from health care reform. They wanted the care they need, from the doctor they choose, at a lower cost.
Instead, they got a $700 billion cut to Medicare; a government mandate that everyone must buy insurance; funding for IRS agents to investigate you; but too little money for doctors to treat you.
The American people want energy security. Yet the President continues to block the Keystone pipeline and the oil and jobs that come with it.
The American people want financial security for their children. But Washington has piled a mountain of debt on the backs of future generations, and the President just keeps adding more. On his watch, the national debt just passed $16 trillion.
President Obama says he deserves a grade of 'incomplete' on his handling of the economy.
But people only ask for an incomplete when they know they're failing.
He's now asking you to give him more time.
The question is -- can we afford to give him that time?
Republicans have the solutions to help create jobs and get our economy going in the right direction again.
Instead of giving President Obama four more years to continue the policies that are not working, it's time for a change.

source : USATODAY

How a supervolcano can threaten Earth

Watch the full "World's Untold Story" documentary on Friday August 31 at 1530 GMT, on Saturday at 1300 and 2030 GMT and Sunday at 0930 and Monday 0330 GMT.

Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming (CNN) -- It's hard not to stand in complete awe of everything the Earth has to offer when you're in the middle of Yellowstone National Park.

Its most famous geyser, Old Faithful, shoots up into the sky as crowds tilt their heads just to see how high it really can go. The saturated blues and greens of geothermal pools appear to be otherworldly.

Towering mountains wrap themselves around the park, providing shelter for wild animals to roam. But below the beauty of Yellowstone, is a volcano powerful enough devastate most of the United States and change the entire world.

"Yellowstone and other volcanoes around the world are called supervolcanoes and the reason is they're like a super sized drink. It means it's just big," says Hank Hessler, a geologist at Yellowstone in the U.S. state of Wyoming.

Supervolcano describes a geological phenomenon never witnessed by man. Supervolcanoes are off the charts big when comparing them to a normal volcanic eruption.

On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens in the northwest corner of the United States erupted. It killed 57 people and expelled one cubic kilometer of ash.

The first Yellowstone supervolcanic eruption 2.1 million years ago was at least 25,000 times larger than the Mount St. Helens eruption. Two other Yellowstone super eruptions 1.3 million and 640,000 years ago, though smaller than the first one, would still dwarf any normal volcanic eruption.

You can monitor Yellowstone activity

Few would expect the tranquil national park would actually be sitting on the mouth of a sleeping giant.

The physical characteristic of a supervolcano isn't a typical cone-shaped mountainous peak.

Instead, supervolcanoes have what are called calderas. These are vast sunken areas that are formed after previous super eruptions as the ground was blown out and fell back to rest.

Geophysicist Bob Smith first called Yellowstone a "living breathing caldera" in 1979. He now heads the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory at the University of Utah.

"Yellowstone has been very important. It's my laboratory," says Smith.

He sees Yellowstone as more than a supervolcano, in fact he doesn't even like that term. "I prefer to use the term hotspot because it reflects a zone of concentrated and active volcanism."

Hawaii and Iceland are other examples of hot spots, but Yellowstone is the only hot spot located underneath land rather than sea which has made it easier for Smith to study.

His team has setup a series of different sensors around the park so that they can keep a close eye on its vital signs. They measure ground movement and record the frequent earthquakes that occur in the area.

The sensors have also helped Smith's team figure out what they were dealing with. As little as eight kilometers below the surface is a shallow reservoir of solid rock and magma. And below the reservoir is an enormous 57,000-cubic-kilometer plume of very hot rock, the fuel behind every bubbling pool and geyser in Yellowstone.

With all of this heat just sitting, waiting beneath Yellowstone, what exactly would it look like if it were all to blow? Smith and other scientists all have scenarios and every one is bleak.

In Smith's book, "Windows into the Earth," he says, "Devastation would be complete and incomprehensible." Before the super eruption, large earthquakes would likely swarm the surrounding areas until the huge blast that would erase Yellowstone completely off the map.

After the initial eruption, clouds of gas and rock would burn everything in its path with temperatures reaching to hundreds of degrees Celsius. Ashfall would cover the western United States and also enter the jet stream with the potential to cripple air transportation and threaten the world's food supply.

There are some estimates that 87,000 people would die immediately.

You can imagine that with this kind of catastrophe on the line, the question Smith gets asked the most is, "When is going to blow next?"

The three Yellowstone super eruptions have occurred about 800,000 years apart, so people have started to speculate that another one is due.

Also, in 2004 Smith noticed that the ground had started to rise then lowered again in 2010. It was like the supervolcano was breathing.

However, Smith says there is absolutely no need to panic. "We create scenarios. We know roughly what to expect of the patterns of time and space of the earthquakes ground information. Again, acquired from other experiences around the world. We use that to interpret our own data in terms of what the potential threat or risk might be," says Smith.

For him, the more immediate threat is earthquakes and smaller eruptions since the probability of one of those instances occurring is much higher.

Whether that may be comforting or not, millions of visitors will still make their way each year to the geological wonderland that is Yellowstone National Park.

source : CNN

Rahasia Panjang Umur Wanita Berusia 116 Tahun

VIVAnews -- Minggu 26 Agustus 2012 adalah hari bahagia bagi Besse Cooper. Ia merayakan ulang tahunnya ke-116, usia yang belum tentu bisa dilalui semua orang.

Peta ultah perempuan yang ditasbihkan sebagai yang tertua di dunia itu berlangsung meriah, dikelilingi keluarga besar dan teman di panti jompo yang jadi tempat tinggalnya saat ini.

Putranya, Sidney Cooper mengaku, meski didatangi banyak orang, ibunya tak mau ulang tahunnya dirayakan secara besar-besaran hingga menghabiskan banyak dana.

Suatu hari, Besse Cooper diminta mengungkapkan rahasia umur panjangnya. Dengan suara pelan ia menyebut, "aku hanya memikirkan urusanku sendiri dan menjauhi makanan tak sehat, junk food," kata dia, berkomentar untuk Guinness World Records.

Pernyataannya itu sesuai dengan cara hidupnya yang menjadi obyek pengamatan putranya. Bahwa, "makin tua usia Besse Cooper, makin jenaka sang ibu".

Sydney Cooper juga menyebut, usia panjang Sang Ibu disebabkan gaya hidupnya yang aktif, hidup sehat, dan pribadinya yang tegar.

"Selama hidupnya ia belum pernah dioperasi," kata Sydney Cooper kepada Georgia Health News, tentang ibunya yang luar biasa. Dia menambahkan, ibunya menghindari makanan berlemak dan banyak makan sayuran.

"Ia tak pernah makan junk food," kata dia, meski mengakui kadang Besse menikmati keripik kentang, bacon, telur, dan ayam goreng. Tapi tak ada yang berlebihan. Besse lebih banyak makan sayur dan melakukan kegiatan di luar rumah, seperti menyapu dan memelihara rerumputan. "Tak ada masalah serius pada kesehatannya." Hanya faktor usia yang melemahkan fisiknya.

Besse lahir pada 26 Agustus 1896 di Sullivan, Tennessee dan akhirnya pindah ke Georgia pada 1917.  Ia menikahi suaminya, Luther Cooper pada 1924 dan menghasilkan empat buah hati. Sejak ditinggal wafat suaminya pada 1963, Besse tak pernah menikah lagi.

Saat ini Besse punya 12 cucu, sejumlah cicit, dan bahkan buyut. Untuk memperingati momentum ulang tahunnya, namanya diabadikan dalam sebuah jembatan.

Jembatan yang melintang di Sungai Alcovy, di New Hope Road, terletak di Between, Georgia, di mana ia mengabdi sebagai guru di usia 19 tahun.

"Jembatan itu sebelumnya tanpa nama, kebetulan letaknya dekat dengan rumah yang dulu ia tinggali," kata Sydney. Sayangnya Besse tak bisa hadir ke jembatan itu. Namun ia mengaku sangat senang.

Besse dinobatkan jadi perempuan hidup tertua di dunia versi Guinness Book of World Records, Januari 2011 lalu. Namun, perempuan kelahiran Brasil, Maria Gomes Valentin ternyata diketahui 48 hari lebih tua.

Meninggalnya Valentin pada 21 Juni 2011 kembali menjadikan Besse sebagai yang tertua di dunia. Selama hidupnya itu, ia telah menyaksikan banyak hal, perang, perubahan zaman, pergantian abad, milenium, dan perjalanan nasib banyak orang.

Sumber: Daily Mail dan vivanews

Hurricane Isaac: New Orleans takes a beating - but it's not Katrina

The category one hurricane moved into Louisiana late on Tuesday and by Wednesday morning was sitting southwest of the city of New Orleans.

The city has been hit with winds of up to 85mph and more than nine inches of rain, with the storm due to continue for another day.

But apart from some buildings in the city suffering from minor storm damage and trees being uprooted, New Orleans appears to have avoided the worst of the storm and a repeat of the devastation caused by Katrina. Multi-billion dollar flood defences built after Katrina largely held up, according to the Army Corp of Engineers.

The eye of the storm will not move over New Orleans, and the storm was downgraded late on Wednesday to a tropical stoM although the Mayor of the city Mitch Landrieu announced a dusk to dawn curfew - to keep people safe and discourage looting. 

Areas of the city near Lake Pontchartrain were hit by flooding, which closed roads, but did not appear to threaten homes.

In the city’s French Quarter, resident Jimmy Maiuri said he had no regrets at staying put, though he was amazed at the storm’s timing.

“It’s definitely not one to take lightly, but it’s not Katrina,” he said. “No one is going to forget Aug. 29 forever, not here at least.”

Low lying areas near to the Gulf Coast have however been hit by severe flooding, forcing people from their homes. 

Across the state, more than 500,000 homes and business were left without power.

And forecasters have warned that the storm is unlikely to pass until Thursday at the earliest, meaning Louisiana is likely to be hit with heavy wind and rain for the next day, with some forecasters warning worse weather is yet to come.

The worst hit areas included Braithwaite and Plaquemines Parish, both low-lying areas south of New Orleans on the Gulf Coast. 

The storm caused flood waters to breach flood defences, trapping residents in the attics and the roofs of their homes. Local television stations carried reports of residents being rescued by boats after the floodwater engulfed their homes.

One woman told local television that her home along with those of her neighbours has been destroyed

Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser said about 2,000 residents of the area had been ordered to evacuate but only about half were known to have escaped before Isaac arrived.

“On the east bank right now, we have reports of people on their roofs and attics and 12 to 14 foot of water (in their homes),” Mr Nungesser told CNN. 

“This storm has delivered more of a punch than people thought.”

Mr Nungesser told the Times-Picayune newspaper: “The devastation of my house is worse than Katrina and the flooding in Woodlawn is worse than Katrina, so those things tell me that the damage on the east bank is worse than Katrina.”

In Jefferson County, another low-lying region south of New Orleans, a curfew was put in place from dusk on Wednesday until dawn on Thursday morning in an attempt to keep people off the streets and away from the howling winds and floodwaters. 

Overall, the damage caused by Isaac is unlikely to match the devastation wrought by Katrina in 2005, when 1,800 were killed by a category five storm and tens of thousands were left homeless.

Early estimates suggested Isaac could cause as much as $2.5 billion (£1.6 billion) in economic losses. The figure however pales in comparison to the $125 billion caused by Katrina.

However the full picture of damage is unlikely to be known until Thursday at the earliest. A response effort cannot begin until the winds drop to about 30mph.

“It’s going to be frustrating,” Craig Fugate, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said. “The response will start when conditions allow, not when the sun shines.” 

SOURCE

Shopping All Variant Shoes

In the month of Ramadan, people are usually busy shopping for Lebaran (Idul Fitri) preparation. Well, as we know that not only our hearts are prepared in this month, but also the physical form such new clothes are prepared in this month. He-he.

Well, for those of you who love shopping for shoes, Bandung Review has a good suggestion for you. Just come directly to Quina shoes in Dago Plaza which is located in Ir. H Djuanda (Dago) street no.61-63 Bandung.

Probably for you who like hang out in Dago Plaza, you will be familiar with Quina shoes store because it is already known for its uniqueness and its affordable prices.

This shoe store is one of shoe stores of my friend’s favorite. When I saw the shoe store at first, the shoe store looks normal, nothing special, just like the other shoe stores, even from the outside it looks not highly formalized and a lot of shoe boxes are piling up.



Besides that, there’s something that makes me confused, “what’s make this store sold?” after I got in, I was quite surprised because it served with the shoes that although the drafting is not too neat, but the shoes are lined up on shelves is really interesting and unique.

Several of interesting shoes, such as, oxford shoes, flat shoes, wedges, sport and boots are available in this store. You could just buy shoes that are available here, with prices ranging from 95.000 IDR.

You can also order shoes with your own design. You just have to give its design and pay a half price in advance and paid off when the shoe is finished. The prices of order shoes with your own design can be said is affordable, with prices ranging from 130.000 IDR guys, is it cheap right? The time of making shoe is about 1-3 weeks. It also depends on the level of difficulty of shoes that you order.

The material of the shoes is varied, such as, genuine leather and synthetic leather, it’s depending on request. Design of the shoes is unique; the quality of the shoes is assured and the price is very friendly for your wallet. He-he

Finally I understand why so many boxes of shoes that piled up in Quina shoes. Actually it is the shoes that have been ordered by many customers so that they piled up the boxes of shoes. Consequently, it is reducing the aesthetic value of shoe store. I immediately reminded about the quote that appropriate with the situation of this shoe store, that is “don’t look the books from the cover”.

At that time I immediately bought oxford shoes in Quina shoes. I am satisfied with my purchase; the shoe is good quality with affordable prices.

For you who do not know about this shoe store, this could be an appropriate reference for you especially in preparation for Lebaran. You can get shoes with a good quality and the price is very comfortable for your wallet. So, what are you waiting for? Happy shopping guys! (FCU)


source : bandung review