… Finally Friday … January 26 th 2007

The distribution of world income One of the most profound questions in economics is why are some countries rich and others poor? A paper by John Gallup, Jeffrey Sachs and Andrew Mellinger in the International Regional Science Review in 1999 introduced the concept of "GDP density", calculated by multiplying GDP per capita by the number of people per square kilometer. Basically GDP density is a measure of the total amount of economic activity that takes place at different spots on our globe. I found the map they produced quite fascinating: Kinda looks like another map…………

''What have Americans to be thankful for? More than any other people on the earth, we enjoy complete religious freedom, political freedom, social freedom. Our liberties are sacredly safeguarded by the Constitution of the United States , 'the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.' Yes, we Americans of today have been bequeathed a noble heritage. Let us pray that we may hand it down unsullied to our children and theirs.'‘ B.C. Forbes, 1953

Unique Cobra brings $5.5M at car auction An 800-horsepower Shelby Cobra, once the personal car of the racing veteran who developed the iconic sports car, has sold for $5.5 million at auction, a record for an American car. The sale of the 1966 Shelby Cobra "Super Snake" brought a packed house to its feet Saturday at the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Auction after a pair of bidders drove the price up. Carroll Shelby, 84, who created the Cobra in the '60s using Ford engines and a British sport car chassis, said he built the Super Snake — with twin superchargers on a 427 cubic inch V-8 — and drove it for years. "It's a special car. It would do just over three seconds to 60 (mph), 40 years ago," Shelby told the crowd before the sale. The car had a twin, built for comedian Bill Cosby, but that car was destroyed in an accident while being driven by another owner, according to the Barrett-Jackson Web site. Barrett-Jackson said the $5.5 million price tag for the Cobra was not an overall world record car price, since others have sold at auction for more than $11 million. However, it is a world record for American cars, said Steve Davis, Barrett-Jackson president. The winning bidder was car collector Ron Pratt of suburban Chandler. Last year, he paid $4.32 million for the Futureliner, one of 12 futuristic buses used for shows in the 1940s and '50s by General Motors.

Small-arms fire: A police officer lights a bonfire of confiscated rifles at the Lake Tanganyika stadium in Kigoma, Tanzania. Some 2,000 guns were surrendered last year under a program to rid the country of illegal weapons.

HITLER'S $15M RACE CAR ONE-OF-A-KIND SURVIVOR GOING ON AUCTION BLOCK HISTORY FOR SALE: The restored racing car (above), ordered built by Adolf Hitler to glorify Nazi Germany, is expected to sell next month for $15 million. January 23, 2007 -- The race car Adolf Hitler had built to prove the superiority of the Third Reich is expected to sell for an incredible $15 million at an auction next month. Bids for the 1939 car - which narrowly escaped being pounded into scrap metal by the Russians after World War II - will open at $13 million at Christie's in Paris on Feb. 17. The current record for a car sold at auction is $11 million, for a 1931 Bugatti Royale in 1987.

Never give an iguana Viagra Mozart, an iguana with an erection that has lasted for over a week, will have his penis amputated in the next couple of days. Veterinarians at Antwerp's Aquatopia had sought to treat the animal's problem, but decided removal was the only solution because of the risk of infection. The good news for Mozart and his mates is that male iguanas have two penises. Mozart, sitting on the shoulders of his keeper as camera crews focused on his red, swollen erection, seemed unperturbed by the news. "It doesn't bother him. He doesn't know what amputation means," said vet Luc Lambrecht, adding that Mozart's sexual activity should be undimmed by the operation. "I don't think so. That's all in his head."

Quiet Neighborhood The World is an archipelago of artificial islands, shaped like the continents of the Earth, being constructed off the coast of Dubai. The project is inspired by the artificial Palm Islands also being built in Dubai. The World will consist of 250 to 300 smaller private artificial islands divided into four categories — private homes, estate homes, dream resorts, and community islands. The entire project is slated for completion in 2008. Each island will range from 23,226 m² to 83,613 m² (250,000–900,000 square feet or 5.74–20.66 acres) in size, with 50–100 m of water between each island. The development will cover an area of 9 km in length and 6 km in width, surrounded by an oval breakwater. The only means of transportation between the islands will be by boat and helicopter. Prices for the islands will start at about $6.85 million (USD). The average price for an island will be about $25 million (USD). The World islands project will cost $1.8 billion (USD). Development has already started on The World, the northern-most breakwater and several unland scaped islands visible on Google Earth. There will be numerous marinas scattered around the area to shelter and service boats. It is owned and is being constructed by Nakheel Properties (Nakheel Corp.) It will be located 4.1 km off the shore of Jumeirah, close to Palm Jumeirah , between Burj Al Arab and Port Rashid of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The World is sometimes mistakenly referred to as The Palm World. It is also known as the Globe Island. Check out the following photos……………………….

Ah yes….it’s time to evict the dead beat that has been renting your investment property. You the apartment and this is what you see…………

Lions, tigers, panthers, and wolves. …..oh my.