The World's Oldest Person Died Again this Week

[jberryhill]

Next to the "Bus Plunge", my second favorite news story is "World's Oldest Person Dies". Also, like the "Bus Plunge", the story always follows the same formula, with certain required elements. Instead of the depth of the ravine, the number on the bus, and the death toll, "World's Oldest Person Dies" has to conclude with whatever the last answer to "How did you live so long?" was.

I live for the day that one of them says, "By not dying yet."

I started noticing this story a few years ago, and for a brief couple of days I started to think, "Hey, it's been a rough year for 'World's Oldest People', since the oldest one dies every couple of months. It's almost as if there is a roving hit squad that is doing them in.

Then it occurred to me that, yes of course the world's oldest person dies every couple of months. The real record isn't in becoming the world's oldest person, but in how long one can hold the title.

Today, the Atlanta Journal Constitution put a new face on this something of a "filler" story, by focusing on the new champ, who is often just a line in the typical version of this news item:

http://www.ajc.com/news/georgia-home-to-worlds-822817.html

"Georgia home to world's oldest person

At 114 years and 158 days old, Besse Cooper of Walton County quietly became the oldest person alive Monday."

...

"At the time of her birthday party, Cooper was the third-oldest person in the world. On Nov. 4, French nun Eugenie Blanchard died on the French Caribbean island of St. Barts. Sanborn died Monday at her home."

I like that... it lays out the title-winning strategy of "wait until the other ones die."

Just once, though, I'd like to see "World's Youngest Person Born At Area Hospital," or at least see some intrepid reporter sneak that one by the editor.

[tabatha]

1. LOL

[Swamp Rat]

2. LOL!

:D

[Mz Pip]

3. Dying on the

island of St. Barts sounds like a plan. Maybe not the French nun part, though.

[joshcryer]

4. I'm waiting for the headline "First person to not die."

[myrna minx]

5. LOL!

:rofl

[SheilaT]

6. I love the roving hit squad

image.

[Generic Other]

7. My dad's first wife died last week at 104

at least that was as old as she would admit to.

[anamandujano]

9. Oh god, she probably lied about being 15 years younger

about 40 or 50 years ago.

[Poll_Blind]

8. "...but in how long one can hold the title." (!)

:rofl:

PB

[gkhouston]

14. Is McCain opposed to re-instating the large magazine ban? If so, he may have

a previously unsuspected ulterior motive... :freak:

[gkhouston]

10. And speaking of bus plunges...

You made me think of this song, by The Bobs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26Pm4ricn9I

[hootinholler]

12. I want to die peacefully in my sleep like my grandfather

Not screaming like his passengers.

-Hoot

[hootinholler]

11. So how do you get the job of finding the worlds oldest person?

I mean someone must have it, and how do they know? There could be some bushman that's 120?

Is there some degree or program? I would love to be a Certified Oldest Human Finder. I think it would be a fun job.

-Hoot

[Kurovski]

13. Hmmmm...I'm getting an idea for a novel.

Some kind of...murder mystery...Hmmmm.

[gkhouston]

15. "The Oldest Living Confederate Widow Quells All"? n/t