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The World's Oldest Person Dies At Age 116 — This Was Her Secret To A Long Life

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Besse Cooper

The world's oldest person has passed away at the age of 116, the AP reports. 

Besse Cooper, from Monroe in Georgia, died in her nursing home around 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 4. 

Cooper turned 116 on Aug. 26, 2012, and was identified as the oldest person on Earth by the Guinness Book Of World Records when Maria Gomes Valentin of Brazil died in June.   

The former school teacher revealed her secret to longevity on her 113th birthday: "I mind my own business and I don't eat junk food."

Cooper's son told the AP that his mother had trouble breathing earlier today and was put on oxygen before dieing peacefully this afternoon.  

SEE ALSO: IKARIA, GREECE: The Oldest People On Earth Reveal The Secrets To Living Past 100

SEE ALSO: JAMES CAMERON: I Did Yoga For 6 Months To Fit Into A 43-Inch Wide Sphere

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Gangnam Style Sensation PSY Will Rake In $7.9 Million This Year

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gangnam style psy

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — As "Gangnam Style" gallops toward 1 billion views on YouTube, the first Asian pop artist to capture a massive global audience has gotten richer click by click. So too has his agent and his grandmother. But the money from music sales isn't flowing in from the rapper's homeland South Korea or elsewhere in Asia.

With one song, 34-year-old Park Jae-sang — better known as PSY — is set to become a millionaire from YouTube ads and iTunes downloads, underlining a shift in how money is being made in the music business. An even bigger dollop of cash will come from TV commercials.

From just those sources, PSY and his camp will rake in at least $7.9 million this year, according to an analysis by The Associated Press of publicly available information and industry estimates. But for online music sales in South Korea, he'll earn less than $60,000.

Here's how it works.

YOUTUBE

"Gangnam Style" with its catchy tune and much imitated horse-riding dance is the most-watched video on YouTube ever.

The viral video has clocked more than 880 million YouTube views since its July release, beating Justin Bieber's "Baby," which racked up more than 808 million views since February 2010. PSY's official channel on YouTube, which curates his songs and videos of his concerts, has nearly 1.3 billion views.

TubeMogul, a video ad buying platform, estimates that PSY and his agent YG Entertainment have raked in about $870,000 as their share of the revenue from ads that appear with YouTube videos. The Google Inc.-owned video service keeps approximately half.

PSY and YG Entertainment also earn money from views of videos that parody his songs.

Google detects videos that use copyrighted content. Artists can have the video removed or allow it to stay online and share ad revenue with YouTube. In the last week of September when "Gangnam Style" had around 300 million views, more than 33,000 videos were identified by the content identification system as using "Gangnam Style."

But since YouTube can be accessed from all over the world, wouldn't Asia be responsible for a significant chunk of the $870,000? The countries with the second and third-highest views of the video are Thailand and South Korea.

"Ads rates vary depending on which country the video is played. Developed countries have higher ad rates and developing countries lower," said Brian Suh, head of YouTube Partnership in Seoul.

And the country with the most views of "Gangnam Style?" The United States.

LEGAL DOWNLOADS, CDs

"Gangnam Style" has been downloaded 2.7 million times in the U.S. and has been the No. 1 or No. 2 seller for most weeks since its debut, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The song sells for $1.29 on Apple's iTunes Store, the market leader in song downloads. Apple generally keeps about 30 percent of all sales, so the PSY camp could be due more than $2.4 million.

How much PSY keeps and how much goes to his managers, staff and record label is unclear. South Korean industry insiders said PSY likely gets 70 percent and YG Entertainment 30 percent for U.S. downloads.

But earnings from downloads in PSY's homeland are far from an embarrassment of riches.

South Koreans pay less than $10 a month for a subscription to a music service that allows them to download hundreds of songs or have unlimited access to a music streaming service. That makes the cost of a downloaded song about 10 cents on average. The average price for streaming a song is 0.2 cent.

PSY's cut for downloads is 14 percent. That falls to 7.5 percent for streamed songs. Yes, 7.5 percent of 0.2 cent. And that's before PSY's "Gangnam Style" co-composer take his share. The biggest cut goes to his agent and online retailers.

According to South Korea's national Gaon Chart, "Gangnam Style" was downloaded more than 3.6 million times and streamed around 40 million times as of November. That adds up to a little more than $61,000.

It's likely the fast fading music CD industry generated even smaller revenue. PSY's 9 percent cut from sales of 102,000 CDs in South Korea would earn him $50,000 or more, according to an estimate by Kim Dong-hyun, a senior manager at Korea Music Copyright Association.

As for many other parts of Asia, illegal downloads and pirated CDS are so pervasive that only a small minority are willing to pay up for the legal versions.

TV COMMERCIALS

PSY has been jetting around the world, performing on shows such as "The X-Factor Australia" and NBC's "Today Show," but such programs usually cover travel costs and not much else, said Gary Bongiovanni, editor-in-chief of concert trade magazine Pollstar.

It is television commercials that are the big money spinner for the most successful of South Korea's K-pop stars. PSY has been popping up in TV commercials in South Korea for top brands such as Samsung Electronics and mobile carrier LG Uplus.

Chung Yu-seok, an analyst at Kyobo Securities, estimates PSY's commercial deals would amount to 5 billion won ($4.6 million) this year.

The money is cool. The products not so much. PSY is now the face of a new Samsung refrigerator and a major noodle company.

THE FAMILY

A fact little known outside South Korea is that PSY's father, uncle and grandmother own a combined 30 percent of DI Corp., a company which makes equipment that semiconductor companies use to make computer chips.

It's a stretch to plausibly explain how the success of "Gangnam Style" will boost DI's profits but that doesn't matter to the South Korean stock market. Perhaps inspired by the pure power of pop, DI shares surged eightfold from July after PSY's hit reached No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart.

It was time to cash in for PSY's grandmother, who sold 5,378 shares for about $65,000.

The share price has fallen since then but is still about double what it was before the release of "Gangnam Style."

PSY's agent YG Entertainment has also done well. Its share price is up about 30 percent since mid-July. The value of CEO Yang Hyun-suk's stake has swelled to about $200 million, making him among the richest in South Korea's entertainment industry.

THE FUTURE

The question now hanging over PSY is whether he will replicate the blockbuster success of "Gangnam Style" or end up remembered as a one-hit wonder.

"When this slows down, what comes next for PSY?" said Nielsen analytics vice president David Bakula. "Is it the evolution of a new musical style, something audiences are going to be craving en masse, or is it something that's just a passing fancy?"

Analysts say "Gangnam Style" alone will not be enough to propel PSY into the ranks of musicians such as Adele and may not even be enough to make him the top-grossing K-pop star. That will depend largely on his upcoming album, which PSY said will be released in March.

___

Ryan Nakashima contributed to this report from Los Angeles.

Youkyung Lee can be reached via Twitter: www.twitter.com/YKLeeAP

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North Korea Has Blown $100 Million On Kim Jong-Il Memorials In The Past Year

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Kim Jong-Il Funeral

North Korea faces serious financial difficulties after reportedly spending $100 million (£62m) in the past year building a personality cult around late leader Kim Jong-il.

North Korean authorities spent $10 million (£6.2m) on a 23-metre statue of Kim in the capital Pyongyang in April, the South Korean Chosun-Ilbo newspaper wrote on its website. Seven similar statues costing a total of $50 million (£31m) have been built around the country since Kim died in December 2011.

North Korea also spent $25 million (£15m) inscribing his name on 3,200 'Towers of Eternal Life', at crossroads around the country.

The country's military leadership has been trying to put Kim Jong Il's popularity on a par with his father Kim Il-Sung who led the Democratic People's Republic of Korea from its foundation in 1948 until his death in 1994. It spent $20 million (£12.4) on 20 million portraits and $1 million on badges of the two Kims.

North Koreans working overseas are being asked to donate $150 (£93) each to pay for the memorials. The country is also borrowing money at rates as high as 40% from Russian and Asian banks and European loan sharks, the Chosun Ilbo says.

"If it doesn't have the money, the regime should stop building statues," a North Korean defector told the paper "Instead it's resorting to extortion."

Kim Jong-Un became Supreme Leader following his father's death. Analysts say attempts to build a personality cult around the family are intended to shore-up public support for him.

"Kim Il-sung is the brand," said Bradley K Martin, author of Under the Loving Care of the Fatherly Leader: North Korea and the Kim Dynasty. "Life in North Korea improved while he was running the country and got worse under his son Kim Jong-il. People remember that, so the boy leader is being cast as the spitting image of his grandfather."

Kim Jong-Un is the youngest of three brothers and, at 29, the world`s youngest statesman.

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Check Out The Luxurious Guatemala Hotel Where John McAfee Is Taking Refuge

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Software developer John McAfee has been on the run from Belizean police who want to investigate him for the murder of his neighbor, Gizmodo first reported.

Most recently, McAfee fled to Guatemala for refuge and was most recently staying in the five-star luxury resort Vista Real in Guatemala City, according to the AFP.

McAfee made his money creating antivirus software and then selling the company to Intel for $7 billion. The entire tale of his flight has been bizarre. McAfee faked his own capture, has been tweeting his adventures, and has been letting a journalist tag along with him and his girlfriend.

Anyway his latest stop looks pretty nice.

Vista Real has a beautiful pool and spa area, electric shoe-shiners in the rooms, Wi-Fi, safe deposit boxes, mini bars in the room, "air-tight sound proof" windows, a gym, and 24-hour suite service.

Check out pictures:

vista real guatemala john mcafee

 

vista real guatemala john mcafee

 

vista real guatemala john mcafee

 

vista real guatemala john mcafee

 

vista real guatemala john mcafee

 

vista real guatemala john mcafee

 

vista real guatemala john mcafee

 

vista real guatemala john mcafee

DON'T MISS: The 10 Best All-Inclusive Hotels On The Planet

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Amy Winehouse's Former London Home Sells For $3.2 Million At Auction

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The London home in which singer Amy Winehouse died sold for $3.2 million at auction this week, according to NBCNEWS.com.

Winehouse died last year, at the age of 27. Her fans flocked to the Camden Square home to pay homage to the raspy-voiced singer. 

The house spans 2,500 square feet, has three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a sound-proof music room, and a gym.

The home was put on the auction block after failing to attract any serious bidders while on the market, according to NBCNEWS.com.

amy winehouse's house

 

amy winehouse's house

 

amy winehouse's house

SEE ALSO: Johnny Depp Supposedly Bought This Ostentatious Nashville Manor For $17.5 Million

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Hong Kong Heiress Convinces Government To Let Her Demolish A Historic Mansion

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hong kong mansion

Hong Kong has reversed a decision to declare one of the city's last colonial-era mansions a heritage site after objections from the owner who plans to demolish the property, officials said Tuesday.

Built by and named after Sir Robert Ho Tung in 1927, the Ho Tung Gardens sits on a site of just over a hectare (two and a half acres) in a high-end residential neighborhood on The Peak.

The city announced plans in October last year to preserve the site, but the bid faced fierce opposition from the owner -- Ho's granddaughter -- who reportedly wanted to demolish the mansion and replace it with 10 cottages.

"The owner has objected and appealed to the chief executive," development minister Paul Chan told reporters, saying that the government could have faced legal action if it was to continue with the plan without the owner's consent.

"The owner can now go ahead...with the redevelopment plan," Chan said.

Government officials said they had met with the owner, Ho Min-kwan, and representatives to discuss options for preservation despite their differences. She reportedly rejected a government offer for a land swap.

Ho Tung Gardens is the only remaining residence directly related to Ho, who was a prominent community leader and the first non-European to receive permission from the then British colonial administration to reside on The Peak.

Authorities have called the house a "rare history building" and "probably the earliest surviving example, of Chinese renaissance architecture in Hong Kong".

Hong Kong, a former British colony, was returned to China in 1997 and remains a semi-autonomous city with its own legal and administrative system.

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An 18th Century French Chateau Was Tragically Bulldozed 'By Mistake'

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Chateau Bellefont Belcier, france bulldozed manor

A beloved French chateau in the village of Yvrac in Bordeaux was mistakenly bulldozed, according to the Associated Press.

Construction workers apparently "misunderstood" renovation plans for the 18th century chateau and destroyed the entire manor.

The current owner, Russian businessman Dmitry Stroskin, had wanted to clean up the manor and "restore it to its former baroque glory," according to the AP.

He was out of town when the construction began and returned home to find nothing but rubble.

Stroskin reportedly told the local media, "I'm in shock ...I understand the turmoil of the community."

The home was a "local treasure," according to the AP. It spanned 140,000 square feet and had a grand hall that could fit 200 people.

Now, it's just dust and rocks.

SEE ALSO: Buy Your Own Castle In South West France For Less Than $1 Million

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Starbucks Has Invented A Super Luxe $450 Gift Card Made Of Steel

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starbucks-metal-card

We've heard of high-end credit cards that are made of everything from diamonds to pearls, but leave it to Starbucks to usher in the era of the luxury gift card.

The coffee giant will roll out a $450 premium gift card this week. The Starbucks Metal Card is made of steel, costs $50 to make, and will only be sold on luxury goods website Gilt.com. 

It will also be one of the most exclusive gift cards on the market, with just 5,000 up for grabs. 

"Some stores will never even see this card," Starbucks Vice President Ryan Records told USA Today. "Five thousand is a pretty small number."

To sweeten the deal, the card comes with all the perks of gold-level Starbucks card memberships, which includes bonus gifts and free refills.

The total card balance is only $400, which means people are shelling out an extra $50 just for the pleasure of holding a metallic gift card in their hand.

At about $1.75 for a tall coffee, you'd need to cash in about 29 free refills to make up the extra cost. 

The card goes live online Thursday.

See Also: 50 must-have holiday gifts under $50 > 

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Here Comes The McDonald's McRib...

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mcrib

McDonald's legendary McRib sandwich is about to make its annual appearance.

It's hitting McDonald's locations nationwide on December 17th.

The pork sandwich has a powerful cult following rivaled by few other fast food items.

Originally slated for its usual October return, the Arches decided to delay the promo until the second half of December.

So get ready, non-anatomically-correct-rib-shaped-sandwich lovers. It's almost time.

Want to learn more about the McRib? Here are 11 facts about the sandwich >

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People Are Turning Their Dead Pets Into Jewelry In Creepiest Trend Ever

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Cat

If you thought gem-studded collars were excessive, you won't believe what some other people are doing with their pets when they pass away.

Illinois-based company LifeGem is one of several companies that has found a niche making gems out of recently deceased, cremated pet, The Wall Street Journal's Geoffrey A. Fowler reports.

On a scientific level, the concept makes sense. The carbon found in the ashes of cremated remains is that same carbon found in diamonds and other precious stones, and laboratories have been making synthetic gems for decades.

Pet owners can make gems out of living pets too, by using strands of their hair or fur.

Here's how it works, according to the WSJ:

Fabricating a diamond speeds up what happens deep inside the earth naturally. After separating the carbon from other compounds in the remains to produce graphite, the companies put the carbon and a diamond seed crystal into a chamber with thick metal walls that heats it to more than 2,000 degrees Fahrenheit under about 800,000 pounds per square inch of pressure. 

Turning a pet into a gem can cost anywhere from $250 to over $1,400; diamonds are one of the pricier options. 

Pet jewelry seem bizarre to most, but some see it as a wearable memorial. "It's a little eccentric—not something everyone would do," Natalie Pilon, who wears a diamond ring made out of her deceased cat, told the WSJ. "It's a way for me to remember my cat, and have her with me all the time."

SEE ALSO: Meet Some Of The Most Pampered Pets In History

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First-Ever Footage Of Lobsters Eating Other Lobsters

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Lobster

Even lobsters know just how good lobsters taste.  

The twisted — but true — discovery is based on the first-ever published video of lobsters feasting on another lobster in the Gulf of Maine.  

The act of lobster cannibalism was captured by Noah Oppenheim, a graduate student at the University of Maine, who tied a small, juvenile lobster to the ocean floor and set up cameras to see what happened. 

Once the sun went down, the young lobster was preyed on by several larger lobsters.  

Lobsters might attack and eat each other if they are trapped in the same small tank (which is why their claws are banded together in the supermarket), but this behavior has never been witnessed in the wild before. 

Researchers think lobsters are starting to eat each other because there are suddenly a lot more lobsters in the water, possibly as a result of climate change. 

Over the summer, the surge in Maine's lobster population drove wholesale lobster prices in New England to a 40-year-low. In some places, the tasty crustacean was fetching under $2 per pound, when it normally sells for more than twice that.  

Watch the video below: 

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10 Expensive Gifts You Shouldn't Buy This Year

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iphone 5 google maps

This post originally appeared on Dealnews.

Sometimes, your family and friends put gifts on their wish list that, as a savvy shopper, you know won't offer them the best value possible.

For example, while many people will request an iTunes gift card during the holidays, you'll learn that an Amazon card could actually provide the recipient with far more music in the long run.

So instead of springing for, say, the new iPad mini, what should you buy in its place?

Below are our top 10 items you shouldn't buy this holiday season, and 10 alternatives to consider instead.

They want an iPad mini? Give them an iPad 2 instead.

Despite being a more recent release, the new iPad mini packs the same 1024x768 display that's found in the iPad 2.

In fact, everything about the iPad mini, from its screen resolution to its performance, is comparable to the iPad 2; the only difference is that it's smaller.

And yet, at $329 for the 16GB model, the iPad mini costs $10 more than a refurbished iPad 2 16GB WiFi Tablet.

We thus recommend opting for the latter, which comes in immaculate condition from Apple with the same 1-year warranty, as well as more screen real estate for media streaming, all for $10 less than the mini.



They want a NOOK HD? Give them a Kindle Fire HD instead.

Make no mistake, the NOOK HD is a perfectly capable tablet with very similar performance and features to its rival, the Kindle Fire HD.

However, when it comes to the ecosystem of each, Amazon has the upper hand.

The store has more consistently offered aggressive pricing on media like eBooks and MP3s, it has a more robust app marketplace, and Fire owners can stream Prime-related film and TV whenever they want.

Moreover, Barnes & Noble is experiencing a slowdown in its core business of book-selling, which financially affects the NOOK and its supporting services; meanwhile, Amazon is enjoying record-breaking sales of its Kindle devices.

As a result, Amazon's Kindle Fire environment will continue to flourish and will likely remain stronger than that of the Barnes & Noble NOOK.



They want an iPhone 5? Give them an iPhone 4 or 4S instead.

While it's now possible to find deals on a refurb iPhone 5, when it comes to saving money, the iPhone 4 and 4S are still your best options.

Like the iPhone 5, both models can run iOS 6, however, the 4S now retails for $100 less.

We've even seen deals that drop to as low as $1 (with a 2-year contract).

Meanwhile, the iPhone 4 is always available for free with a contract, and both previous generations see more deals than the iPhone 5 does.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

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Handpresso Outdoor On-The-Go Espresso Set

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This is the Handpresso Outdoor Espresso Set.

Why We Love It: Just because you've gone camping doesn't mean you need to deprive yourself. The Handpresso Outdoor Espresso Set can make a cup of coffee anywhere — whether you're in the woods or on the road. It's made to use only air pressure to force hot water through the espresso pod and into your cup, so simply pump the machine until it reaches an appropriate level of pressure (roughly 10-20 pumps) and you're ready to go.

The set comes with a lightweight carrying case, easy-serve espresso pods, four unbreakable polycarbonate cups, the thermo-insulated stainless steel flask, and the Handpresso Wild Espresso Maker.

Handpresso Outdoor Set

Where To Buy: Available through Amazon.

Cost: $189.99.

Want to nominate a cool product for Stuff We Love? Send an email to Megan Willett at mwillett@businessinsider.com with "Stuff We Love" in the subject line.

DON'T MISS: The Grill Alert Talking Remote Meat Thermometer

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I Saw Wildebeests Escape A Lion, But The Zebra Wasn't So Lucky

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lion walking

At 21,000 square miles, the Selous Game Reserve in southern Tanzania is the second largest game reserve in Africa and nearly twice the size of Denmark.

But unlike Tanzanian tourist hotspots like Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, it's relatively unknown to American travelers and largely unexplored. Tourist safaris are confined to just 20 percent of the park.

I had the chance to visit the Selous on a recent press trip to Tanzania, where I stayed at a charming British inn called Beho Beho.

One morning we awoke at 6 a.m. for an early morning game drive to nearby Lake Manze to see the local game fill up on water.

Click here to see pictures >

Disclosure: Our trip to Tanzania, including travel and lodging expenses, was sponsored by the Tanzania Tourist Board, Africa Adventure Company, Singita Grumeti Group, Coastal Aviation, Qatar Airways, Tanzania National Parks, Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority and Wildlife Division.

My wake-up call came at 6 a.m., and after a quick cup of coffee we headed off on our drive.



Early mornings are considered the best times to see big game on safari, since the animals tend to look for food and water in the cooler temperatures.



A hyena wandered across our path as we started our ride.



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The 10 Global Cities With The Best Infrastructure

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sydney, australia

Some cities world's densest cities run like clockwork, while others are plagued by traffic, flight delays, and utility outages.

Human resources consulting firm Mercerjust released a ranking of the global cities with the best infrastructures, based on electricity supply, water availability, telephone and mail services, public transportation, traffic congestion, and the range of international flights from local airports.

European cities dominated the rankings, with four of the top five spots.

Germany did well in particular, with four cities in the top ten, including the second and third ranked cities.

9. Vancouver, Canada (tie)

The University of British Columbia's (UBC) Bioenergy Research and Demonstration Facility was named one of the world's 100 most innovative and inspiring projects urban infrastructure projects by KPMG.

UBC's clean energy project will be the world's first biomass-fueled heat-and-power generation system operating on a community-sized scale, the university said in July.



9. Hamburg, Germany (tie)

Hamburg is home to a modern airport and Europe’s second largest container port.



8. Sydney, Australia

Sydney's placement on the list is not without controversy.

PricewaterhouseCoopers called it the fourth-worst major city in the world for transport and infrastructure.



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Bride Successfully Sues Dressmaker For Ruining Her Wedding Dress And Her 'Special Day'

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most expensive wedding dress

A New York bride spent more money on alterations than her actual dress, but that didn't stop the gown from falling apart on her special day.

In a recently resolved lawsuit, Samantha Shea claimed she paid seamstress Dalia Cohen $600 to alter her $599 wedding dress, but the zipper broke an hour before her pre-ceremony cocktails.

The mishap forced Shea to pay Gansevoort Hotel employees $200 to sew her into the dress, Reuters reported Monday.

Shea filed a $1,000-lawsuit against Cohen, claiming the seamstress ruined her dress by installing a faulty zipper.

And the judge agreed.

District Judge Gary Knobel acknowledged Cohen "robbed [Shea] of experiencing the joy of her very special day."

The judge ordered the seamstress to pay Shea $1,000 and compensate her for the money she paid hotel staff to sew her into her dress and the $100 she paid the minister for delays caused by the fashion mishap, according to Reuters.

DON'T MISS: Fashion's Biggest Lawsuit Finally Ended In A Secret Settlement >

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The Man Who Invented The Frappuccino Has Total Disdain For What American Coffee Culture Has Become

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starbucks frappuccinoGeorge Howell is the mind behind the beverage that helped Starbucks rise into the stratosphere — the Frappuccino.

And he hates what American coffee culture has become.

Janelle Nanos has written a big profile of Coffee Connection founder George Howell at Boston Magazine, and it reveals some interesting things about the legendary coffee genius.

Howell, a world-renowned coffee expert, thinks that coffee has been hijacked by "latte elitists" who don't appreciate the value of a pure, simple coffee.

"These coffee snobs instead push fussy coffee-based beverages with complicated combinations of milk, sugar, and foam, Italian-sounding names, and high profit margins," explained Nanos.

"With the Frappuccino, Howell may have set off the nation’s addiction to what are essentially coffee milkshakes, but he’s every bit the purist, disdainful of the espresso and 'latte art' crazes."

Howell, who sold his Coffee Connection chain (and the rights to the Frappuccino name) to Starbucks in 1994 doesn't go so far as to explicitly say that he regrets ever creating the drink, but he does admit that the Frap wasn't his "life goal."

Read Nanos' full story at Boston Magazine >

SEE ALSO: 15 Crazy Starbucks Customers Who Will Make You Never Want To Be A Barista >

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Check Out Some Awesome Art From The Woman Who Met Jay-Z On The Train

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Ellen Grossman Art

Everyone wants to know more about Ellen Grossman, the woman Jay-Z spoke with during his subway adventure in October.

In the video that's going viral, Grossman asked Jay-Z what he did for a living, but never asked her occupation in return.

Well, it turns out Grossman's an artist and sculptor. 

We tracked down her art portfolio online and found Grossman discussing her work in depth on YouTube. She works primarily with aluminum screening and metallic gel on paper to create her drawings and sculptures. 

We're in awe by the complexity of her work.

Grossman's drawings and sculptures are based on topography. This piece called "Subsequent Hills" is based on the geological formations of the Rocky Mountains.



It's made with metallic gel on blue paper. Grossman notated the dates on each end of this piece to show when she started and ended a line.



Here's another drawing in the same style called "Whatever Can Go Wrong" that took Grossman more than a year to complete.



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The 10 Cities That Offer The Best Quality Of Life

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Lake geneva

If you want to have a great quality of life, move to Europe.

The continent is home to 15 of the 25 cities with the best quality of life on consulting company Mercer's annual ranking. Vienna took the top spot, followed by Zurich.

Mercer's survey is intended to help multinational companies determine expatriate compensation packages.

But the data, which assesses local living conditions based on factors such as political and social environment, housing, and education, provides a fascinating insight into what life is like in cities around the globe.

10. Sydney, Australia (tie)

Sydney boasts beautiful parks and beaches, great weather, and one of the world's most famous and exquisite opera houses.



10. Bern, Switzerland (tie)

Scenic Bern is consistently ranked as a city with a high quality of life.

The city's lovely historic old town is a UNESCO world heritage site, and it has a wide range of sport and culture for a city of just 125,000 people.



9. Copenhagen, Denmark

The Danish capital offers great quality of life, and it's residents are the happiest in the world according to a UN survey.

Perhaps that's partly because of the beloved amusement park located at the city's center.



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Here's What The Women Of Business Insider Really Want For The Holidays

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opening christmas gift present

It's not easy to pick out the perfect gift for a girlfriend or wife, and some presents can seriously bomb.

We asked the ladies of Business Insider what their ideal present from a significant other would be this holiday season, and we came up with some great places to buy those gifts.

Guys, we hope you'll take inspiration from this list.

"We could go out to eat at a nice restaurant — the memory matters more than something material"

A nice dinner is a sweet thought, but you can amp up that evening out by signing up for a cooking lesson or wine tasting class.

Sur La Table offers cooking classes at dozens of locations around the U.S., ranging from $59 to $85 per person.

Take a lesson and prepare a romantic meal together — the kitchen retailer's holiday class offerings include holiday cookies, "perfect" prime rib, and "date night" surf and turf.



"A Nespresso machine"

This is an easy wish to satisfy.

Nespresso released its one-touch single cup "U" espresso machine this fall, and the device is cool looking and compact enough for tiny kitchens. Pick one up at Williams-Sonoma for $199.95.



"Cute shoes"

One of our editors would flip for these leather booties from DV by Dolce Vita.

They're great for day or night, and look adorable with a dress or pants. Pick them up for $129 at Bloomingdale's; if you order them in the wrong size, the company will ship an exchanged pair for free.

 



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