Tuesday, September 29, 2009

10 Most Expensive Cities to Own a Home


Provided you have the spare cash-flow and fancy a spot of sea change, then you might like to invest into a second home somewhere more exciting and away from home. But with investment usually comes cost and lifestyle change and we wonder, if it is really worth it?


Only those who have taken the plunge know this with certainty, for all others you can dream on by looking at the world’s most expensive cities to own a home. Compiled by the guys from Global Property Guide.


1. Monte Carlo


Who would have guessed that Monte Carlo ranks as the most expensive city in the world for the second year running… yes, right we did. With average prices of $47,578 per sq.m. it is no wonder.




Long known as the playground for party-friendly billionaires, starlets and everything in between, Monte Carlo does offer something for everyone. Let’s see, there is the casino, the stunning scenery, the Formula 1 Grand Prix and plenty of sunshine all year round.



If that is not reason enough to buy a home there what else would be. And we did mention that just around the corner is Monaco with one of the best yacht harbours in the world.



2. Moscow



Seeing Moscow rank so high is actually a surprise for us. Especially since it outranked London, known to be expensive. Moscow clocked in with $20,853 per sq.m






3. London

As already mentioned, London is only a fraction behind Moscow with $20,756 per sq.m. But given the choice we would buy in London any day before going to Russia (no offense intended). It’s just that we love London’s vibrancy and what the city can offer residents. There is never a dull moment and besides the weather – here we go again – we really love London to bits. It’s the city that never sleeps for sure.




4. Tokyo     
 
 
Ranked as the 4th most expensive city in the world, Tokyo real estate costs $17,998 per sq.m. Now if you are the type who loves eternal supplies of sushi, sashimi and Kirin beer, then you should seriously consider moving to this city of glitz and neon advertisements.



Plus, you’ve got to love crowds too. And did we mentioned the Shinkansen?



5. Hong Kong
 
 
Victoria peak, harbour junks, quick access to mainland China and a sophisticated mix of ethnic races share Hong Kong, a former British colony as their home. We admit, this city kicks butt and offers a ton of exciting experiences to visitors from all around the world.




If you decide to fork out your hard earned money for your own home, then you can take advantage from hidden markets, nearby islands and lovely local beaches. If you are keen you can always visit Disney too. All of this would come at a price of $16,125 per sq.m.



6. New York
 
 
The Big Apple as New York is lovingly known is the only city in the US included in the list. Costs of $14,898 per sq.m. offer you a home in one of the most vibrant cities in the world. From Central Park to Manhattan’s skyscraper jungle you can find just about anything you want in this city.




Good food, great shopping outlets and not to forget plenty of water are all draw-cards for potential buyers.



7. Paris
 
 
The city of romance and love or so they say. Quite frankly we are not that keen about Paris. We think it is dirty and sometimes even rude. Whoever said it was a place to go for loving?



But jokes aside, it has its niceties. Take the Eiffel Tower for example, great views from the top. Or a boat trip on the river Seine should not be looked over for a weekend trip. Buying a home there though requires some decent funding with $12,122 per sq.m. not cheap but certainly more affordable than Monte Carlo.



8. Singapore
 
 
 
If you like clean and order, then Singapore is your city. With strict laws about littering and plenty of green in and around the city, this cosmopolite in Asia is a favourite for many. It will set you back some $9,701 per sq.m. but think how close you would be to the rest of Asia.




 
 
9. Rome
 
 
All roads lead to Rome, right? They certainly do. And if you find yourself lost on an European road trip in search of a new home, then Rome will set you back some $9,166 per sq.m.


But as a reward you might get to see the pope or visit the Spanish steps. One thing the Italians certainly know is how to live life and yes we forgot, how to cook. Living in a city like Rome will most certainly pile on the extra kilos.



10. Mumbai
 
 
India, or Mumbai clocks in in 10th position. Quite astounding when we think back how not to long ago we saw India as a 3rd world country.These guys have certainly busted their behinds in the race of world domination and consequently built and grown some impressive cities.


If you want to buy real estate in Mumbai, you are looking at around $9,163 per sq.m.


All of these data has been based on the average price of a 120 sq.m. apartment within the city centre and in good condition. In total, more than 110 cities around the world were surveyed for this purpose and data was collected during 2008.





Given the fact that it is in Russia, maybe all that new wealth Russian money did affect the market, skyrocketing property prices like crazy.

Most Expensive Colleges for 2008-2009


As expected, college tuition seems to go up just about every year now. Sure, part of the reason may be inflation, but still the increases in tuition seem to always outpace the rate of inflation.

You would think the weak economy would have an effect on tuition prices, and maybe it does. Perhaps alumni donors are unable to give as much as they have in the past. States are cutting their funding for higher education, which is huge considering most colleges get the majority of their funds from two sources: the State and tuition. One thing is for certain though, regardless of the state of our economy, the demand for higher education will always be there.

We are reaching a point where the cost of one year of college education at some colleges is surpassing $50,000. Unless your parents are loaded, you can expect to have a HUGE amount of college debt after graduation. Even those that graduated five years ago will not feel the pain that today’s students will feel after they graduate and have to start paying back on their student loans. It is almost as if the current state and price of today’s education is forcing many students to go to a local community college for two years and then move on to complete their degree at a 4-year in-state school. One would think that those that do choose to go on to a more expensive prestigious college and graduate should have no problem obtaining a decent paying job to pay the bills (and student loans). But, as a student with little money, it can be hard just knowing how much debt you are about to get yourself into. Even debts over $50,000 sound overwhelming. One thing is for sure: make sure you know how you are going to pay for college before you actually go.

Just because these schools have high tuition, doesn’t mean you will actually be paying that amount. Many of these colleges provide excellent financial aid packages. A lot of these schools offer scholarships that often cover most of the financial burden of attending the college. For example, Princeton University has always been known to offer its students some of the best financial aid packages, keeping its graduates debts at a relatively low level. Schools like Cooper Union, with a tuition of $33,000 per year, give every student a full tuition scholarship ensuring no student is responsible for tuition-related costs.

Most of the colleges on this list of expensive colleges are private liberal arts schools located in the northeast that boast low student-to-teacher ratios.
Highest Tuition 2008-2009
College    Tuition
1. Bates College    $43,950
2. Middlebury College    $42,910
3. Colby College    $42,730
4. Union College (NY)    $40,953
5. Connecticut College    $40,900
6. George Washington University    $40,392
7. Vassar College    $39,635
8. Sarah Lawrence College    $39,450
9. Bucknell University    $39,434
10. Colgate University    $39,275
11. Carnegie Mellon    $39,150
12. Kenyon College    $39,080
13. Skidmore College    $38,888
14. St. Johns College    $38,854
15. University of Richmond    $38,850
16. Tulane University    $38,664
17. Wheaton College (MA)    $38,585
18. Franklin & Marshall College    $38,580
19. Wesleyan University    $38,364
20. Hamilton College    $38,220
21. Oberlin College    $38,012
22. Reed College    $37,960
23. Tufts University    $37,952
24. Dickinson College    $37,900
25. Bard College at Simon's Rock    $37,860
More: See the Top 100

Of course tuition is just one of the many costs associated with going to college. The other big expense is room and board. Some colleges also charge outrageous prices for student housing. The following list shows the most expensive colleges based on the total cost of tuition plus room and board.

Highest Total Cost 2008-2009
College    Total Cost
1. Sarah Lawrence College    $53,166
2. George Washington University    $50,312
3. New York University    $50,182
4. Georgetown University    $49,689
5. Connecticut College    $49,385
6. Bates College    $49,350
7. Johns Hopkins University    $49,278
8. Skidmore College    $49,266
9. Scripps College    $49,236
10. Middlebury College    $49,210
11. Carnegie Mellon University    $49,200
12. Boston College    $49,020
13. Wesleyan University    $49,000
14. Colgate University    $48,900
15. Claremont McKenna College    $48,755
16. Vassar College    $48,675
17. Haverford College    $48,625
18. University of Chicago    $48,588
19. Union College (NY)    $48,552
20. Colby College    $48,520
21. Mount Holyoke College    $48,500
22. Tufts University    $48,470
23. Bard College at Simon's Rock    $48,460
24. Franklin & Marshall College    $48,450
25. Bard College    $48,438

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Malaysian designer to debut $30 million diamond dress for Stylo

Several dresses have been considered to be the most expensive in the world. We are now going to take a quick look at some of these very expensive dresses.

We'll start with the Swarovski Dirndl Dress as those of us who are savvy of fashion will definitely appreciate this work of art. Made in Munich, this dress is studded with almost 150,000 gems. This expensive dress is definitely a collector's item.

Marilyn Monroe’s Happy Birthday Mr. President dress is one of the most expensive dresses in the world. Marylin donned the dress on May 19th 1962 at a birthday tribute to John F. Kennedy. The dress she put on that evening was up for auction and sold for $ 1,150,000.

In 2004, Scott Henshall created a dress for Samantha Mumba. She attended the premiere of Spider-Man II wearing this spider web shaped dress that contains roughly 3,000 diamonds. The price of this dress is somewhere around £5 million.

What we know today as the most expensive dress in the world was created by Malaysian designer Faisol Abdullah. Valued at no less than $ 30 million, this dress is obviously for the super rich among us. This masterpiece is adorned with 751 sparkling diamonds all crafted by famous jeweler Robert Mouawad.


Royalty knows no recession. Faisol Abdullah, a Malaysian designer, is up to designing the hottest couture ever with a $30 million diamond dress dubbed the “Nightingale of Kuala Lumpur,” in time for the Stylo Fashion festival early next month in the Malaysian capital. “Stocks drop, gold is even falling, but a diamond is forever. This is a dress with diamonds. Why do backwards, why can’t we go forwards?” the designer of the dress, Faisol Abdullah, told Reuters as he showed off his sketches. The silk and taffeta evening gown will be decked with 751 diamonds with a 70 carat pear-shaped diamond at the centre of the bodice (featured here is a $20 million diamond dress from Chris Aire with the 70 carat diamond), and topped off with a train sparkling with diamonds. Asked if the dress would attract buyers, Nancy Yeoh, chief executive of Stylo, which commissioned the dress, said: “Its art and there are still enough rich people who would want to buy.”Actually, we have a plan to present the dress to the royal courts around the world starting with the Middle East,” she said, adding that if the dress was sold, 5 percent would go to the Gaza Humanitarian Fund.

This $30 million dress leaves Victoria’s Secret far behind in the race for the most expensive couture, with the second runner-up being the $20 million diamond dress designed by jeweler Chris Aire, but just in tune with the $30 million diamond studded bikini created by Susan Rosen with Steinmetz Diamonds.

Saturday, September 19, 2009

The Most Of The Most Expensive Weddings!!

Hollywood celebs aren’t the only ones who have extravagant weddings. Professional altheletes, musicians, business men and women and Crown Princes also like to show off their dough with lavish nuptials. Here are 27 of some of the world’s most expensive weddings in history. Check out the price tags and you’re guaranteed to feel better about your own wedding expenses!

1.

Seemanto & Chandni AND Sushanto & Richa
(Father of the Grooms is Industrialist Subrata Roy of Sahara.)

Cost: $128 Million, for both weddings.
Wedding Date: February 14, 2004
Location: Lucknow, Sahara India
Number of Guests: 10,000
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum & Sheikha Hind Bint Maktoum
(Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum is the Ruler of Dubai.)

2.
Cost: $44.5 Million, today this wedding would cost $100 Million.

Wedding Date: 1981
Location: Dubai, UAE
Number of Guests: 20,000
Amit Bhatia & Vanisha Mittal
(Bhatia is the grandson of London socialites, Pasha and Kamal Saigal. Mittal is the daughter of London steel tycoon Lakshmi Mittal, the fourth wealthiest man in the world.)

3

Cost: $60 Million
Wedding Date: November 18, 2006
Location: Vaux le Vicomte, a 17th-century French chateau
Number of Guests: 1,000
Andrei Melnichenko & Aleksandra Kokotovic
(Melnichenko is best-known for his energy and banking businesses. He is the 17th wealthiest person in the world. Kokotovic is former Miss Yugoslavia.)

4.

Cost: Undisclosed, over $7 Million
Wedding Date: September 3, 2005
Location: Cote d’Azur, France




The most expensive meteor on ebay.com has a buy it now price of $3,500,000

There is a lot of confusion about how much meteorites cost or are worth. This article from astronomy.com gives a pretty good explaination of the costs. Like most things the cost is based on supply and demand.

The most common meteorites generally cost between $3-$6 per gram while exotic meteorites filled filled with space gems or carbon based diamonds that contain life’s building blocks may cost $30,000 per gram (these are super rare.) Meteorites that originated from Mars or the Moon are also very expensive. The most expensive meteor on ebay.com has a buy it now price of $3,500,000. Its over 2000 grams and comes in at $1500 per gram. It is billed as the ‘rarest’ meteor in the world. More than half of the 1900 metorites for sale on ebay right now are selling for less than $20. Most of them are under $5 and the more expensive ones are ones that have been made into jewlrey already. I found this pretty comprehensive chart of prices for meteorites that details prices for the different types of metiors.


Friday, September 18, 2009

The most expensive robbery ( Graff Diamonds US$65 million )


The Graff Diamonds robbery took place on 6 August, 2009 when two men posing as customers entered the premises of Graff Diamonds in New Bond Street, London and stole jewellery worth nearly £40 million (US$65 million).
It was believed to be the largest ever gems heist in Britain at the time, and the second largest British robbery after the £53 million raid on a Securitas depot in Kent in 2006. The thieves' haul totalled 43 items of jewellery, consisting of rings, bracelets, necklaces and wristwatches. Britain’s previous largest jewellery robbery also took place at Graff's, in 2003.




The men arrived at the store by taxi and once inside produced two handguns which they used to threaten staff. They made no attempt to conceal their faces from the premises' CCTV cameras, and police later discovered that they had used a professional make-up artist to alter their hair by using wigs, their skin tones and their features using latex prosthetics. The artist took four hours to apply the disguises, having been told that it was for a music video. Viewing the results in a mirror, one of the men commented: "My own mother wouldn't recognise me now," to which his accomplice is reported to have laughed and replied: "That's got to be a good thing, hasn't it?" The same make-up studio had unwittingly helped disguise members of the gang that robbed the Securitas depot in 2006.

A female member of staff was briefly held hostage as they exited the premises, at which point they fired a shot, although nobody was injured. Having released her they then escaped the scene in a blue BMW vehicle. This vehicle was abandoned in nearby Dover Street, where a second gunshot was fired into the ground while the robbers switched to a second vehicle, a silver Mercedes. They again switched vehicles in Farm Street, after which there was no further information regarding their whereabouts.

All of the diamonds had been laser-inscribed with the Graff logo and a Gemological Institute of America identification number.

Detectives investigating the robbery stated: "They knew exactly what they were looking for and we suspect they already had a market for the jewels." The suspects' details were circulated to all ports and airports but police believed they would have an elaborately prepared escape route and had already left the country.

The robbery was being investigated by Barnes Flying Squad, headed by Detective Chief Inspector Pam Mace.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

The apparent contract killing of American journalist Paul Klebnikov shattered the illusions of many who shared his belief that Russia had moved beyond the days when scores were settled with a spray of bullets.

Yet police estimates indicate that in some ways, little has changed since the Wild West years of Russian capitalism in the early and mid-1990s.

Contrary to popular perceptions, even more contract killings are committed in Russia today than were committed 10 years ago, said Leonid Kondratyuk, a top crime expert at the Interior Ministry's Scientific Research Institute.

"We're seeing somewhere between 500 and 700 such killings annually," Kondratyuk said. "But those are just the murders we know for sure were contract killings. In reality, it's probably two to three times higher."

Kondratyuk's estimate is conservative compared to that of Valentin Stepankov, who until June was deputy secretary of the Security Council.

At a January conference in Moscow held by the World Community Against the Globalization of Crime and Terrorism, Stepankov said organized criminal groups were responsible for 26,000 crimes in 2003, up from 3,300 in 1999. He said around 5,000 of those crimes were contract killings.

Stepankov was Russia's first prosecutor general, serving until he was fired by former President Boris Yeltsin after parliament's revolt in October 1993. He is now a deputy natural resources minister.

The Interior Ministry's main criminal investigations department said fewer than 100 contract killings were registered in Russia last year. "But those are cases where we can say for sure it was a contract murder and where a criminal case has been initiated against a known suspect," spokesman Denis Strukov said. "Those are the only objective numbers we have."

The discrepancy in the figures reflects a lack of police data and the difficulty of classifying some murders.

"Who's to say that someone who gets knocked over the head and his briefcase stolen wasn't the target of a contract murder?" Strukov said.

Contract killings continue to swell because of a weak judicial system and a low probability that those ordering the hits will ever be punished. There also appears to be no shortage of those willing to kill for money, from drug addicts to former military men profiting from their professional training.

The price of a hit varies from a couple hundred dollars to a couple hundred thousand dollars, the experts say, with one singling out the 1998 killing of State Duma Deputy Galina Starovoitova as the most expensive he had come across.

Kondratyuk said the weak judicial system often makes it easier to order a hit than to settle a dispute in court.

"Often a court case will be more expensive than just killing someone," Kondratyuk said. "Especially since rampant corruption in the justice system means no one can be sure they would win in court."

"Usually there's nothing personal about it," Yakov Kostyukovsky, an organized crime expert from the Russian Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg, said about contract killings in the business world. "Unfortunately it's still a typical instrument in dealing with the competition. Al Capone-style."

Hits Solved 'Unofficially'

Like Chicago police before Capone went down, Russian police have gained a reputation of being chronically ineffective in tackling organized crime and solving contract killings.

But Andrei Konstantinov, who heads the Agency of Journalistic Investigations in St. Petersburg and has a reputation as the most knowledgeable chronicler of Russia's criminal underworld, said police are not as hapless as they are often portrayed.

"In many cases police investigators find out, or already know, who organized the hit," Konstantinov said. "But they can't gather quite enough information for a conviction."

Kostyukovsky put a different twist on what he called a "misconception," delineating between contract murders that are solved on "official" and "unofficial" levels.

The number of contract killings "officially" solved, that is, when enough evidence is passed on to prosecutors to try a suspect, may be low. Far more are solved unofficially, he said.

"If one group of criminals orders a hit on a member of another criminal group, the police might pass on information to the victim's cohorts about who was behind the killing," Kostyukovsky said. "If rival bandits are killing each other off, it might be advantageous for the police."

It might not raise the number of officially solved contract killings, he said, but it is less work for the police.

A retired chief detective, who worked in the St. Petersburg police force for most of the 1990s, said such police tactics are common.

"It happens very often," said the former detective, who asked to remain anonymous. "It's called 'realization of operational information.'

"In most cases everyone understands that if the case is turned over to the courts, it will take them three years to get to it, and in the end decide no one is guilty of anything. But if you give the information to a rival group, the issue will be solved very quickly and radically. It's rarely done out of 'noble intentions.' Almost always it's out of hatred."

The former detective added that the main reason police have a reputation for being unable to solve contract killings is that small-time hits, which are more likely to be solved, get little media attention.

"If an owner of a small store has another owner of a small store knocked off, no journalists are going to write about it," he said. "But if someone like Starovoitova is murdered, the media coverage is enormous, and if the killers aren't found, the impression is that no contract killings are ever solved.

"It's definitely harder to solve a contract killing than a drunken domestic killing, but things aren't as bad as the press makes it out to be."

Most high-profile contract killings in Russia, however, are never solved.

Klebnikov, the editor of Forbes Russia, was shot several times from a passing car after leaving work the night of July 9. Prosecutors have said only that an investigation is underway; there has been no information about possible suspects or any other progress in solving the case.

The Price of a Hit

Contract killings can run anywhere from a couple hundred to a couple hundred thousand dollars, said Konstantinov, bestselling author of the seminal Russian gangster book "Banditsky Peterburg."

"Take, for example, someone living in a communal apartment with an old lady who just won't seem to die," he said. "So he goes and finds a drug addict and pays him $300 to kill her."

In one low-budget incident in October, police in the Moscow region town of Zhukovsky arrested two Ukrainian nationals on suspicion of knifing to death a 23-year-old Zhukovsky man a month earlier. The two men claimed the victim's mother had paid them $300 for the job.

Lieutenant Mikhail Voronin of the Interior Ministry's Scientific Research Institute was even more blunt in describing some killers' bottom dollar.

"For a bottle of vodka, some homeless guys find they can get the job done with a kitchen knife," Voronin said.

Having a high-profile businessman or politician killed, however, is a much pricier affair.

Konstantinov said the 1998 hit on Starovoitova is most expensive contract killing he has come across, likely costing around $150,000 because of the number of organizers involved. She was shot in the stairwell of her St. Petersburg apartment building.

It is often difficult to gauge how much was paid for a contract killing, Konstantinov said, due to a long chain of middlemen between the hit man and the person who ordered the hit. The two rarely, if ever, know each other.

"It's the hit man who usually ends up getting caught, and only he knows how much money he got," Konstantinov said. "A killing might have been ordered for $20,000, and the hit man only got $5,000. All of the middlemen in between took their cut."

The alleged chain in the Starovoitova murder involves 11 people, most of whom come from the Bryansk region. Seven are currently on trial in St. Petersburg, and one has testified that the murder was ordered by former Duma Deputy Mikhail Glushchenko.

The whereabouts of Glushchenko, who served in parliament as a member of the ultranationalist Liberal Democratic Party and was reputedly a leader of the Tambov group, the most notorious St. Petersburg crime syndicate, are unknown. He is thought to be living abroad.

According to Konstantinov, it is common for killers to be hired from poorer regions -- like Bryansk -- and brought in to do a job in Moscow and St. Petersburg.

"You can hire someone from Kazan to come in, kill someone and leave quickly, and you're paying them based on Kazan prices," he said.

Prosecutors have identified Vitaly Akishin and Oleg Fedosov as Starovoitova's killers. Akishin is one of the defendants currently on trial. The other six are alleged to have carried out various tasks, including taping Starovoitova's phone calls, dumping the killers' clothing in a river and driving the hit men from the crime scene.

Fedosov and three other suspects are still at large. Prosecutors are seeking the extradition of two of the suspects from Europe.

"There may have been more expensive hits [than the one on Starovoitova], but I haven't heard of any," Konstantinov said.

Sasha Makedonsky

A majority of Russia's professional hit men are former secret service officers, military veterans and ex-convicts, according to Kondratyuk. "Of course people who know how to handle a gun are in demand," he said.

One of the most notorious -- and notoriously expensive -- hired killers of the 1990s was Alexander Solonik, a former soldier and policeman nicknamed Sasha Makedonsky for his deftness at simultaneously firing pistols in both hands, or "Macedonian-style." Solonik was said to have demanded tens of thousands of dollars for his services, Konstantinov said.

"I don't really believe it, though," he said. "It's more likely just part of the mythology of the criminal world."

Solonik, the only man ever to escape from Moscow's Matrosskaya Tishina prison and remain at large, managed to flee to Greece after the jailbreak in 1995. But his body was found on Feb. 2, 1997, about 20 kilometers north of Athens. He had been strangled and wrapped in plastic bags.

Three months later, a suitcase, bag and towel containing the dismembered body of Russian model Svetlana Kotova were found near Solonik's villa in Athens. Kotova and Solonik were romantically linked, according to Russian media reports.

In 2003, five suspected members of the infamous Orekhovskaya crime group were charged with the two slayings. One of them, Alexander Pustovalov, another notorious hit man, was accused of strangling Solonik. Pustovalov was known as Sasha Soldat because of his military background.

Hiring a Hit Man

But how are killers hired?

"That was a big problem for some businessmen in the 1990s," Kondratyuk said. "They wanted to have someone killed but couldn't find a killer. It's not like you can go ask someone, 'How much will it cost to have you kill someone?' and then, after they answer, tell them, 'Sorry, that's too expensive. I think I'll take my business elsewhere.'"

Kostyukovsky concurred that hiring a professional hit man requires some extra considerations. "Business in Moscow and St. Petersburg is a small world," he said. "Everybody knows everybody else."

But he said almost every successful businessman knows someone in the security services that can find someone to do the job.

Several factors other than the credentials of the hit man can determine the price of a contract murder, he said. These are the number of bodyguards a target has, the financial windfall from the death of a competitor and the style of the killing, to name a few.

"A contract murder arranged to look like an accident or a coincidence is going to be a lot more expensive than a standard shooting," Kostyukovsky said.

Kostyukovsky said he believes the mysterious death of anti-corruption journalist and Yabloko Duma Deputy Yury Shchekochikhin to be a contract killing that could only have been arranged by a very expensive "high-class specialist."

Shchekochikhin died in a Moscow hospital at the age of 52 in July 2003 after suffering a severe allergic reaction. People who saw his body said that his hair had fallen out, a symptom consistent with thallium poisoning.

"He was obviously a very dangerous journalist for someone," Kostyukovsky said.

Above all, someone ordering a hit has to be able to trust the people he hires to organize and carry out the killing, Kostyukovsky said. "Either that or you have to pay enough money to where you're sure the job will get done right," he said.

The case of Moscow resident Milovan Ristic is a prime example of a hit man turning against his employer.

In March, police arrested Ristic in a sting operation and charged him with offering an acquaintance $50,000 in exchange for a photograph of the severed heads of his wife and mother-in-law in an alleged scheme to obtain ownership of his wife's pharmacy and the apartment where the couple lived. The hired killer backed out of the deal and notified police.

After Ristic's arrest, police said another man came to them saying Ristic had offered him $25,000 to kill the original hit man, but since the two hired killers turned out to be friends, the man decided to go to the police.

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

WORLD'S MOST EXPENSIVE DOG COLLAR


The world’s most expensive dog collar was designed by Bark Avenue Jewelers and was on display recently at a tradeshow to launch Randolph Duke’s pet line a partnership between the designer and Bonesoir Couture.

If you really love your dog and have an extra $1,000,000 or $2,000,000 lying around you may wish to lay it on the line for this $1,800,000.00 diamond dog collar.

Seems a $250,000.00 dog collar is not good enough for fido nowadays. In 2007 the people at I Love Dogs Diamonds have surpassed the mark with their Amour Amour dog collar which boasts a doggone hundred carats+ of sparkling diamonds and exquisite jewels, including a seven carat brilliant cut center diamond.

Price tag to give your pooch the world's most expensive dog collar: $1,800,000.00 USD.

The Top 10 Most Expensive Domain Names!

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The world’s most expensive diamond bikini



This is the most expensive bikini in the world. It is consists of 150 carats of D-Flawless diamonds and worth about 30 million U.S. dollars.


Designed by Susan Rosen, the bikini can best be worn only at beaches. True confession, its fall into the lingerie category is not justifiable as the fabric used for this bikini is a layer of pure diamonds and not a bit of clothe.







Model Molly Sims flaunted this designer bikini and is residing at the centerfold of the 2006 Illustrated Sports Swimsuit issue. The bikini is packed with over 150 carats of D Flawless diamonds. Other ornamental diamonds include:

1) 51 carat D Flawless Pear Shape
2) 30 carat D Flawless Emerald Cut
3) 15 carat D Flawless Rounds (pair)
4) Platinum-set 8 carat D Flawless Pear Shape (pair)







Tuesday, September 15, 2009

The Most expensive zip code in America

For those in the back screaming 90210 please put your hands down, you're not even close. Beverly Hills 90210 comes in at 15th place according to Forbes for 2005.

The Most expensive zip code in America is 94027 which is Atherton, CA with a median house cost of $2,496,553.00 USD.

California actually takes the top four spots, so if you want to move there you'd better get your personal finances in order.

Here are the 25 most expensive zip codes for 2005:

1 94027 ATHERTON, CA $2,496,553

2 93108 SANTA BARBARA, CA $2,176,251

3 92067 RANCHO SANTA FE, CA $2,144,254

4 92662 NEWPORT BEACH, CA $2,046,577

5 11765 MILL NECK, NY $1,948,636

6 94957 ROSS, CA $1,910,263

7 89402 CRYSTAL BAY, NV $1,806,962

8 07620 ALPINE, NJ $1,773,880

9 89413 GLENBROOK, NV $1,765,000

10 07976 NEW VERNON, NJ $1,760,000

11 11568 OLD WESTBURY, NY $1,759,206

12 90402 SANTA MONICA, CA $1,749,834

13 10013 NEW YORK, NY $1,635,000

14 21056 GIBSON ISLAND, MD $1,626,000

15 90210 BEVERLY HILLS, CA $1,582,886

16 06831 GREENWICH, CT $1,573,755

17 33109 MIAMI BEACH, FL $1,505,655

18 94528 DIABLO, CA $1,452,500

19 94920 BELVEDERE TIBURON, CA $1,421,336

20 94022 LOS ALTOS, CA $1,392,522

21 92657 NEWPORT COAST, CA $1,391,710

22 92625 CORONA DEL MAR, CA $1,388,873

23 94946 NICASIO, CA $1,370,000

24 06878 RIVERSIDE, CT $1,348,653

25 90272 PACIFIC PALISADES, CA $1,329,856

The most expensive fish in the world.


Think that having fish as pets is cheap? Well it is if you’re buying goldfish or feeder fish that cost little to replace but there’s one aquarium fish that is not only very costly to replace, it’s also a very rare breed and has a very rare condition, all of which make it the most expensive aquarium fish in the world.

The fish is a platinum arowana and it is 15 inches long. It lives in Singapore, where it is owned by Aro Dynasty, a dragon fish breeder. Its right eye pulls downward and although this is a rare condition, it is not rare for the arowana breed.
However, the pure white color of this particular fish is rare, even amongst its own kind, and is considered a mutation. The fish was displayed at the show Aquarama 2007 where it gained international attention. Shortly after the show, Aro Dynasty received an offer of $80,000 for the fish and after declining, they received another offer of 200 pounds, about $400,000 USD for the fish. Turning that offer down as well, Aro Dynasty still maintains that the fish is not for sale. However, this rare fish is still considered to be the most expensive fish in the world.

Hour Glass


If you're tired of dropping your hourglass and spilling all the sand inside, a little shop in Thailand has a solution for you.
They replaced the sand with diamonds, 10,000 carats of them so if you drop this hourglass, you'll at least be motivated to clean up.

Before you go booking you ticket to Thailand, we should mention that the price tag on the world's most expensive hourglass is a messy $6,400,000.00 USD.

DogHouse!It sold for $31,660, which is mere pennies when you consider how invaluable the love of a dog is!

If dog is man’s best friend, then it only seems right that man buy dog the most luxurious doghouse there is on the market. This doghouse, which appears almost chandelier-like in structure, as it appears to be able to hang down from a ceiling, is one of a kind and was made by the Japanese company Sanrio. The doghouse features the face of Hello Kitty, a famous Japanese cartoon cat, on it and is made of 7,600 Swarovski crystal beads draped from the very top of the elegant doghouse to the very bottom.

The large red cushion that sits just within the many crystal beads is large and plush enough for a small dog such as a Chihuahua or a terrier to get comfy on. The doghouse was originally created by Sanrio for a toy department store in Tokyo that wanted something unique for a sales event. It sold for $31,660, which is mere pennies when you consider how invaluable the love of a dog is!

Monday, September 14, 2009

World Most Expensive blog ($15M)!!!

Bankaholic.com

by Patrick Gavin on October 1, 2008

Site: www.Bankaholic.com

Deal: Bankaholic.com sold to BankRate.com

Size of Deal: $15M

Staff: 1

Sources of Revenue: Adsense, BankRate Partner Program

Sources of Traffic: Organic search.

Source: PaidContent

My Commentary: I was looking at this deal and was thinking if this isn’t the highest price tag paid for a single WordPress blog than it must be the most profitable WP blog ever sold! A deal estimated at $15M, seemingly all organic search traffic (so no cost for the traffic, the site is highly ranked for many top banking terms, ie “CD Rates“), and one employee! Well done John Wu.



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Sunday, September 13, 2009

Oldest and most expensiv Bible (Codex Sinaiticus)

Although in physical form it is in 4 separate locations around the world, the oldest known copy of the Bible is now completely online. The document dates back to Constantine I and is considered one of the world’s greatest written treasures. Now, thanks to the internet, everyone has equal access to this historical heritage.

To find out more about why this document is so important, you can read more about it here. Interestingly enough, there are many discrepancies between the contents of the Codex and what we consider as the Bible today. For example, it has no mention of a resurrected Jesus – a pivotal component of modern Christian doctrine.



I took the image you see above while playing around with the controls at the Even you are not a librarian or a photographer or an archivist, it isn’t difficult to imagine the daunting task of digitizing a 1,600-year old manuscript that is literally falling apart.This monumental achievement reminded me of the massive volumes of Baha’i texts which are hidden away in vaults and not accessible by scholars (or anyone else). To give you an idea of what a similar project for Baha’i texts would look like, here is a low resolution image of an excerpt from the Epistle to the Son of the Wolf by Baha’u'llah (written in the handwriting of Mirza Aqa Jan, Baha’u'llah’s amanuensis):


It is difficult to estimate the sheer magnitude of material that is locked away right now. But I would estimate that less than one percent of the total is currently published. Most are kept in special archival vaults under Mount Carmel but there is also an impressive collection in theAfnan Library in England.

Sadly, the website of the Afnan Library is merely a bookmark on the internet rather than the storehouse of information it could be if it were used as a portal to the contents of the documents held there.

The Baha’i Faith is the only world religion which has verified and authentic religious texts. As well we have an untold wealth of secondary documents. So it is frustrating that they are not shared freely with the world. After all, the documents are intended for all of humanity. So it would follow that they should be made available as widely as possible. Before, this meant either publishing the content as books in their original language – which had limited market and was an expensive undertaking – or translating them to English or other languages to open up a larger market – but this meant expensive and protracted translation projects.

With the advent of the internet, we have the solution. When texts are published online in digital format, as with the Codex Sinaiticus, they are available to as many people as possible for the least per unit cost. This opens up an incredible panorama of possibilities and advantages. Not only for scholars and others who are interested in the text but also for the dissemination and scholarly advancement of the content itself.

The Baha’i Reference Library is a good step towards this end but it is infinitesimally small compared to what could be done. For the price of one translation project, all Baha’i texts could be digitized and made available online in their original format.

Because the Baha’i texts are so young, they are in very good condition and could be digitized much easier than the Codex. As it stands now, a person would have to request permission (something that is not always given – especially if the person’s views vary at all with that of the UHJ/ITC) and then physically go to Haifa and London. This cumbersome and anachronistic process need not continue.

The Baha’i Faith is the youngest of the world religions and as such it is only natural that we should be at the vanguard of realizing the full potential of the internet. I hope to see this fulfilled in my lifetime.



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Thursday, September 10, 2009

Stuart Weitzman and the $2 million dollar shoes


Le Vian is an internationally recognized jewelry brand with a name and tradition that spans 500 years. Its jewelry applies the ancient arts of hand carving, beading and goldsmithing to designs at the cutting edge of modern style.

Le Vian is a house that specializes in the intricacies of gemstones, be it meticulously matching tanzanites that showcase the gem’s unique ability to reflect different hues in the spectrum of blue, or giving the traditional an unexpected twist as in its chocolate diamond collections, or cutting stones into impossible shapes if an exceptional design demands it. Whisper the name “Stuart Weitzman” to any discerning shoe-lover and you’ll inspire a reverie. Stuart Weitzman’s sumptuous pumps, glittering mules and studded stilettos are beloved by women all over the world, who embrace creations that combine impeccable style with a legendary attention to detail. Stuart Weitzman is also known for his trademark use of unique materials, from cork and vinyl to Lucite, wallpaper and 24 karat gold. Le Vian’s designer and CEO Eddie LeVian and Stuart Weitzman each brought their eye for beauty, great technical skill and a desire to create something spectacular to this extraordinary collaboration.

The Stuart Weitzman and Le Vian pair of evening shoes are true show-stoppers: a $2 million dollar creation in glistening silver leather embellished with over 185 carats of tanzanite and 28 carats of diamonds. Stunning ankle bracelets are set with museum quality tanzanite gemstones, painstakingly matched and cut by Le Vian’s master craftsmen, each crowned with a spectacular 16 carat, sparkling tanzanite drop which adorns the front of the foot. The shoes are balanced with a delicate diamond front strap that perfectly complements Stuart Weitzman’s timeless, elegant shoe design.

$112,000 Carbon Fiber iPhone Case – The Most Expensive In The World

While sell carbon fiber iPhone cases, they are nowhere near as expensive as the GnG Designs iPhone 3G / 3GS case. In fact, the GnG Designs case is the most expensive one in the world, costing 77,777 euros, which is about $112,000 at the time of this writing.

Most expensive iPhone case

The shell of the case consists of 140 grams of 18-carat gold filled with about 200 diamonds. On top of that, the logo has another 400 diamonds. The inside features a twill carbon fiber inlay. The entire shell is just 1mm thick.

Most expensive iPhone case

If you prefer to spend under $100, check out our carbon fiber iPhone cases

$1.65mn Diamond-fruit cake: The most expensive piece of Food Art


The most gorgeous and the most expensive cake that I have ever seen in my life is the Diamond fruit Cake, costing $1.65 million. Yes, I am excited enough to write about this...you could have guessed it from my tone.



This cake, which is scheduled to be displayed on Friday, is created by a Tokyo pastry chef. Six months of incredible thinking for that incredible design and one month to materialise it, this cake is studded with 223 small diamonds and the rest of the cake is edible. This cake is up for sale on Christmas.



It is not only the most expensive cake in the world, I bet it is also the most expensive food in the world. Apart from the 223 diamonds, I guess what the ingredients might be, whatever it is it must be as rich and luscious as the diamonds.



This is a masterpiece in Food Art and it will be exhibited in the seventeen diamond-related designs in an exhibit called “Diamonds: Nature’s Miracle.” The chef is wise enough, not to disclose the ingredients, but I am still wondering about a lot many things. A couple of them are, the implementation of the design, the procurement of diamonds and the ingredients of the cake. The biggest question mark is over the Mr.or Miss so and so, whose single Christmas purchase, cannot match the expenses of a one month lavish Christmas Shopping.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Million Dollar Tire Rims Are Most Expensive



Asanti’s diamond-encrusted 22 inch Jewel Wheels are the world’s most expensive tire rims. If you think diamonds are gauche, Asanti will set you up with rubies, sapphires or any other jem your little heart desires.

Oh yeah, buy a set of 4 and they’ll throw in a Bentley. AsantiWheels website:

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Most Expensive Book Ever Sold


Shakespeare’s “First Folio,” a first edition collection of the Bard’s plays was the most expensive book sold at auction in 2006, bringing $5.1 million USD. The book was published in 1623, seven years after Shakespeare’s death and contains a dozen plays that have never been reprinted as well as many that are considered classics today. The original printing issued 750 copies of the book and perhaps a third of these still exist today, albeit generally incomplete copies. With its original price of twenty shillings per copy, the book has needless to say undergone a remarkable price increase. It was a literary custom and common practice for readers to make revisions, additions and annotations to original books and manuscripts and this piece is no exception, with many notes giving insight into the book’s storied readership (perhaps a literary precursor to open-source software). The book was auctioned by Dr. Williams’ Library, a London library that contains a remarkable collection of first editions and manuscripts. It is said that the auction, carried out by Sotheby’s Auction House, will secure the finances and aging collection of the library for the near future.

Following up the most expensive book of 2006 was the first printed atlas, “Cosmography,” based on the work of second century Greek mathematician, geographer and astronemer Ptolemy. Printed in 1477, only two copies are held by private collectors today. The book fetched an impressive $4 million. It is worthy of note that five of the top ten most expensive books of 2006 were atlases, three of which were based on Ptolemy’s works. Atlases presented a unique challenge for early printers, as each map had to be etched into a printing plate by hand, precisely copying the original sources which were often over a thousand years old.

a page from the most expensive book
a page from Codex Leicester

As impressive as the value of those books may be, they pale in comparison to the record for the world’s most expensive book ever sold. Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Codex Leicester,” a notebook filled with original drawings, notes and sketches was sold to Microsoft founder Bill Gates for an incredible $30.8 million dollars in 1994. The most expensive printed book on record is James Audobon’s “Birds of America,” which sold in 2000 for $8.8 million. Audobon is a noted illustrator who pioneered much of early wildlife research. His work vastly increased popular awareness of the breadth of species in our world, and is still very highly regarded today for its accuracy and poignant detail.

Da Vinci’s “Codex” and Audobon’s “Birds” may, however, have a contender in 2008. Tomas Hartmann, the self-proclaimed “greatest philosopher of all time,” plans to sell a single copy of his book, “The Task,” for €153 million ($223 million USD). He only plans to sell a single copy of the thirteen-page book which is the culmination of thirty years of work. Despite his status as an international unknown, Hartmann’s book will be displayed at the Book Expo America 2008 Fair in Los Angeles and the Buch Wien Fair.

Hartmann also plans to sell an edition of 5,000 copies of a book of his philosophical poems, which he will introduce at the Linz international book fair, for €1530 per book ($2,234 in USD). However, if Hartmann wins a literary award, he plans to increase the price to €1.53 million per book.

While any reader, scholarly or not would be proud to own an original edition of Shakespeare’s work, perhaps we will see an even more outlandishly expensive price tag for a historic literary work in the near future. Rare original manuscripts that contain the artists’ and writers’ hand workings often sell for vast sums, and are put to auction fairly regularly. The rare book market is doing quite well and the prices are still going up, so even relative newcomers like Hartmann may author the world’s most expensive book.


In a unique TV event, Christie’s did a live broadcast of the fifty-five lots from The Personal Property of Marilyn Monroe auction on October 27, 1999. Up for auction was the Eternity Band given to Monroe by her third husband Joe DiMaggio which went for $700,000; her Happy Birthday Mr. President Invitation which ended up going for $115,000 and the most exciting auction of the evening was Marilyn’s Happy Birthday Mr. President dress which she wore at the infamous birthday tribute to President John F. Kennedy at the Madison Square Gardens on May 19th, 1962.

The dress Marilyn Monroe donned that birthday evening was a full length evening sheath dress of flesh colored gauze encrusted with rhinestones embroidered in a rosette motif. The dress that Monroe sang the sweet “Happy Birthday Mr. President” song which now lives in infamy, was sold at Christie’s that October evening for $1,150,000. The dress was originally made for Monroe for approximately $2,500. Now, I call that a good investment.