Royal Caribbean is sick and tired of "tiny" million-dollar cruise ships. It's time to take things up a notch.

"Project Genesis" also known as the 'Oasis Class' ship was ordered by Royal Caribbean in 2006, and upon it's completion in 2009, it will become the world's largest operating cruise ship. I really hope the whole thing is Phil Collins/Genesis-themed. Do you know how hard that thing would need to rock to deserve that name??

For the big-time price of $1.24 billion, the ship will be 43% larger than the current largest ship, the Queen Elizabeth II. Genesis will be 1,180 feet long, 220,000 tons and able to carry 6,400 passengers and 2,100 crew members. (More details and photos after the jump).

Many of those crew members will be entertainers located in the 'Central Park' area of the ship. This zone, larger than a football field, serves as a multi-purpose common area for passengers. It will be filled with live concerts and street performers. I'm sorry, but street performers? You're going to pay top-dollar for a cruise ticket and you want to be bothered by second class mimes and card game pushers all over the place? I suppose they're trying to replicate what it feels like to not be on a luxurious cruise, but rather an ordinary city street corner.

The 'Central Park' will also include fine dining in the form of fancy Italian restaurants and an elite steakhouse. For the realistic vacationer, there are also a few places to 'get your drunk on', including the extravagant 'Rising Tide bar'. This "bar area" has the ability to slowly ascend and descend through three decks of the ship, allowing passengers the ability to hammered as they move around the busiest commons areas. Sounds like almost every carnival ride I've been on while drunk: incredibly dangerous and nauseating. As if sea-sickness wasn't bad enough, right?-

The ship comes equipped with its very own giant amphitheater at its stern to accommodate large open-air concerts. There will also be rock-climbing walls on the outer edge of this 'AquaTheater' in case that's something you've always wanted to do at a Nickelback/Celine Dion concert.

Don't forget about the in-house psychic and tattoo parlor, so that you can singlehandedly make every most regrettable mistake of your life all on one vacation.

Despite all these luxurious accommodations, unfortunately they still haven't figured out the dilemma of wide-spread sickness easily spreading in these sardine-like conditions. Anyone still interested?

Royal Caribbean: Oasis of The Seas (video)

I think I might just stick with the world's largest swimming pool for my next vacation.

MSNBC: Royal Caribbean orders largest cruise ship, February 6, 2006

BoingBoing: Project Oasis Class Cruise Liner, June 20, 2008

Most Expensive: Cruise Ship, June 25, 2008

Client #9's most recent saga with Ashley Alexandra Dupre brought plenty of spotlight to the escort industry, and recently Portfolio mag has some numbers of the entire 'pricey hooker' industry.

Portfolio magazine's writers, Duff McDonald and Miriam Datskovsky, cite the National Health and Social Life Survey (which sounds totally legit, if you ask me) when revealing that over 700,000 American men frequent the services of a prostitute each year. That's a little more than the combined population of Alaska.

The vast majority of that number is perpetrated by 'johns' with dirty streetwalkers or brothel house workers. And as you may have guessed that's not where the real money is. The real big bucks come from the 5% of those 700k transactions which are perpetrated through the discreet venue of escort services.

These escort services can be broken down into three generalized groups:

Group 1 - 94% of All Escort Users
This is how the vast majority of escort service transactions play out. It's your run of the mill lonely businessman or corporate executive with some extra cash to blow. He'll search out the services of an escort company he finds on the internet, places a call, doles out $500 to the nice lady and also pays a $40 booking fee. Pretty simple but, not nearly as exciting as the following groups.
Total - $540

Group 2 - 5% of All Escort Users
Here's where Spitzer and other well-to-do politicians may fit in. Secrecy is key here. Most of the expense will be tied into keeping everything nice and low profile. The escort will cost around $3,200, which includes a $500 credit to 'reserve future bookings.' Two separate hotel rooms are also a must, and will run you around $938 for one night at the Mayflower in Washington. A train ticket for the lady to travel from NYC to DC will cost you around $138. And a couple of drinks from the hotel room minibar to loosen everyone up will amount to another $50.
Total - $4,326

Group 3 - 1% of All Escort Users
These guys are the cream of the crop. The kingpins of the escort industry, the 'money shot' if you will. These are your globe trotting billionaires with access to private jets. The escort herself will run a similar $4,500. Expect to pay $30,000 a night for a 4-star penthouse hotel room in a fun city like Miami. The private jet to get all interested parties together in one place will cost you another $15,400. Tack on an additional $1,000 for some top-notch wining and dining. Then don't forget about the "distracting spa weekend package" for your unsuspecting wife - $5,000. Throw in a diamond necklace for your new ladyfriend 'for all the trouble' - $3,000 and you're all set.
Total - $63,900

Based on these average numbers, Duff and Miriam did a little math and came up with the value of the total US escort economy as being worth around $109,668,808.

What else is worth around $110 Million? Sub-prime mortgage slinger, Angelo Mozilo's severance package. Britney Spears' annual economy. And Heather Mills' divorce settlement. Wow, among that list I can't decide which is more horrible. Maybe I'll just stick to the hookers.

Portfolio: The Escort Economy, May, 2008

The town of White's City, New Mexico is going up for public auction on July 14th. If you buy it, you can be the king of your own quiet ghost town.

Don't you want a place where you can walk around naked and break all the windows? Someone should definitely make this happen.
Every real estate mogul has to start somewhere, right?

According to the local news station, the sale is not due to a massive foreclosure, but just general lack of interest by the owners. Sounds like a real hot property:

The incorporated town was founded in 1927 by Charlie White and has been managed by the family since then. Family member Charles Dugger said the family's children have interests outside the area and it's time to move on.

White's City seems like just a nice quaint little tourist trap right near the Carlsbad Caverns National Park, but check out what's hidden and now for sale in this sleepy little town. The town consists of 366.25 acres and will be auctioned in 11 parcels. The first parcel for sale will include the majority of the town's property and buildings. Your purchase will make you the proud owner of all this (more details, pictures, and a map after the jump):

• White's City Resort Hotel
• Water Park with 150 ft. water slides, splash pool, squirting cannons, soft slides
• The Million Dollar Museum - the contents (which includes 30,000 items ranging from antique guns, wagons, 'mummified bodies', dolls and cars) will be sold at a separate auction
• Arcade - with skee ball, basketball, racing, and shooting gallery
• Gift Shop
• Gas Station
• Post Office
• White's City Saloon and Restaurant
• RV Park
• Granny's Opera House
• acres of rocks and cacti

The water park alone should make this thing a 'must buy'. I'm not sure how much the whole city will sell for at auction, how can you really estimate the property value of something like this? From researching this town all morning, I have yet to see one picture containing a person in the town. Which leads me to conclude it's probably haunted.

My mind is a buzz with ideas for marketing a haunted water park and opera house. It could become the 'Disney World' of Southeastern New Mexico! Maybe I should go on a 'fact-finding' mission out there?

View Larger Map

KOAT Albuquerque Channel 7 News: White's City Near Carlsbad For Sale, June 17, 2008

WhiteCity.com: White's City Resort and Water Park at Carlsbad Caverns

Higgenbotham Auctioneers: White City Offered in 11 Parcels

Father's Day is coming up this Sunday and you definitely don't have a gift yet. Admit it. I bet you didn't even know it was Flag day on Saturday too. Plus, you most definitely didn't buy a new flag yet (American ones are very popular this year).

But CNN Money won't leave you high and dry on Dad's Day, they just made a list of 5 'last-minute' Father's Day 'deals'. When I first saw it, I thought 'Oh sweet!', but apparently 'last minute deals' over at CNN also means spending well over $100 for each gift. Are they serious? What the hell happened to cheap ties and Chia Pets?

1.) Zachary Prell shirt: $165

Custom tailoring may be the ultimate clothing luxury, but all that pinning can cost a pretty penny. This year opt for the next best thing: an expertly tailored shirt by former i-banker Zachary Prell.
Prell spun his experience on Wall Street into the smart fitting business of shirts. And what he came up with looks as good under a three-piece suit as it does with a pair of slacks - thanks to a slim fit, contrasting stripe down the side, and spread collar that works opened or closed.
Order now and get a leather carrying case ($30 value) for free, while supplies last. (zacharyprell.com)

WSF: A leather carrying case for a Wall Street i-banker-inspired shirt? Do they know who our Dads are? If this is a shirt your Dad would wear, he probably already owns it. Have they invented shirts that make it physically impossible to spill a whole plate of spaghetti on them yet? Now that's a gift.

2.) The Art of Shaving kit: $100

Rather than splurge on an old-fashioned hot-towel shave at a pricey men's spa, give the do-it-yourselfer the tools he needs for a perfect shave from home.
The Art of Shaving's full size kit with pre-shave oil, shaving cream, badger hair brush and after-shave balm promises optimal results (read: no ingrown hairs or razor burn).
Add a Power Shaving Set to your order by June 11th and receive a complementary upgrade to overnight delivery. Now that's smooth. (theartofshaving.com)

I think a lot more Dad's would be interested in The Art Of Cutting Yourself While Shaving And Putting Bits Of Toilet Paper On Your Face. Wait, it comes with a "badger hair brush"? - is that made out of badger hair or is it designed to brush your badger hair?

3.) Krups BeerTender: $299

A trip to Amsterdam to attend the grand reopening of the Heineken brewery on the Stadhouderskade may be a bit beyond the budget. But you don't even have to leave the house to get the freshest brew this side of the Atlantic thanks to the new BeerTender, from Krups.
The sleek countertop machine fits Heineken's compact 5-liter draught kegs and is engineered to ensure that each serving pours a perfect pub-style draft. Beer is kept fresh for up to 30 days while a volume indicator shows how much is left in the keg so you never have to worry about tapping out.
And with free shipping, your wallet won't get tapped out either. (williams-sonoma.com)

Now this is friggin awesome. I will agree this is something almost every Dad would want, but that cutesy pun about free shipping won't dissuade me from thinking this is well out of the Father's Day price range. Maybe I can just get one for my place and invite Dad over to watch the game?

4.) Tivoli Model One radio: $119

Give the gift of state-of-the-art sound without the cost of a high-end stereo. The Tivoli Model One delivers superb sound quality and better FM reception than traditional radios and unlike like Dad's record collection, this oldie-but-goodie will never go out of style.
Even though it looks retro, the technologically advanced Tivoli is compatible with iPods and other MP3 players.
Sound too good to be true? Enter the code DAD20 at checkout and take 20% off. (conranusa.com)

Although I'm sure there are plenty of Dads in love with the local 'Classic Rock' station this is not the most appropriate way they should be tuning in. I'm thinking more along the lines of a 1980s-style JVC boombox with a coat-hanger antenna and 2 gallons of paint accidentally splattered on it.

5.) A day of driving: $1,495

You could go from zero to happy Father's Day in under 4 seconds by putting dad on the list for a brand new 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, which starts at $203,000.
But for a fraction of the price, he could get the thrill of driving a Lambo for one unforgettable day. Spots are still available to join World Class Driving this weekend to sample some time behind the wheel of a Lamborghini Superleggera, Ferrari F430 and Corvette Callaway.
For about $1,500, drivers can drive five such supercars along the wide open country roads of French Lick, Indiana. As an extra gift, dads get crystal car keepsakes and a picture with their favorite car, which might just replace the family portrait he got last year. (worldclassdriving.com)

I love how these CNN Money writers think that the gift is a lot more affordable and plausible after they make some ridiculous assertion that 'it's the next best thing to do after buying a Lambo for your Dad'. But a $1,500 day of driving in French Lick? First off, my Dad isn't Larry Bird. Secondly, what the hell am I supposed to follow this gift up with next year?

Am I just a cheap bastard or do you agree with me? Are these ridiculously super fancy presents or do I just assume every Dad shares a lot of similar traits with Homer Simpson and 'According to Jim'? - the comments section beckons.

CNN Money: Last Minute Father's Day Deals, June 11, 2008

Google founders and jet setting playboys, Larry Page and Sergey Brin are in the driver's seat with their sweet private jet aka The Google Party Plane. The pair are tied for 5th place on Forbes' list of the Richest Americans with each being worth $18.6 billion.

Some tech-enthusiasts are hot on the trail of the Google guys, literally. They have been tracking the locations of the plane, and with its tell-tale description and unique registration number, would-be trackers can now tell where Google's next big deal is going down. Or where they will be honeymooning next.

Silicon Valley Insider uses Google's own software to track them with this map of all their gallivanting:

View Larger Map

But what's on the inside of the Google Party Plane and how hard do they party?

• The plane is a renovated Boeing 767-200 formerly used by Qantas Airways, an Australian airline.
• Includes two staterooms with with extra long California king-sized beds.
• During the renovation they also asked for swinging hammocks and a cocktail lounge.
• 1 full shower.
• Large sitting-and-dining area.
• In-flight internet access.
• Enough seats for 50 guests.
• The Google Party Plane is 70% longer and 3x heavier than a conventional executive jet.
• As a commercial airliner it could accommodate 180 passengers.
• Now usually just carries the crew and the two dudes.
• Estimates have the renovated plane worth $25 million.

And how hard do they party? Real hard. Or as hard as two wealthy tech nerds in their mid-30s can, I guess. Two chilled Zimas and season two of MythBusters, maybe? Party on, Larry. Party on, Sergey.

Silicon Alley Insider: Where in the World Are You Larry, Sergey, and The Google Party Jet?, June 6, 2008

Airline Pilot Forums: Google Mogul's Buy 767, 2005

Steve Jobs and Apple announced the much-anticipated updated 3G version of the iPhone today. Reviewers and bloggers are impressed with the new features, clearer connections, slimmer model and new updates— but most of the world will be talking about the new price. Previously $399, now only $199.

That's a 50% price slash for a new product in a world where newer usually means more expensive. Most Apple fans and Mac-aholics were shocked when Steve Jobs announced a reduction in price during the roll out of the first version of the iPhone. But this is a whole new ball game.

When the iPhone was first unveiled over a year ago, a major sticking point for potential buyers was the price. $599 was too steep for the average cell phone user to make the switch. A few months later with some needed updates, the price dropped down to $399. Early adopters were fuming and Steve Jobs tried to console his lovelies by offering a nice little $100 Apple gift certificate.

Now with a $199 price tag, the real question is how can Apple afford to do this? The first part of that answer has to do with the exclusive carrier of the phone's service - AT&T. According to a NYTimes article about this:

The carrier will no longer give a portion of monthly usage fees to Apple. Instead carriers will pay Apple a subsidy for each phone sold, in order to bring the price from $399 down to $199 for the 8 Gigabyte model. The company did not specify the amount of the subsidy.

In addition to the new upfront revenue for Apple, AT&T is banking some extra coin by bumping its monthly data service charge up to $30. It was previously only $20. However, some might argue this isn't a big gouge, because after all the new 3G service and network is heralded as being faster and clearer than the previous one.

Many Apple investors are creaming their pants over these new pricing models for Apple. For one thing, with a more standard up-front purchasing model with AT&T, Apple can standardize how it sells the iPhone internationally. Asian and European markets will be more likely to get on board. This is bad news for AT&T, because Apple doesn't need to care about young punks 'unlocking' the iPhone for different wireless services anymore. That'll hurt AT&T's exclusivity leverage.

But what if you stupidly bought the old iPhone just a few weeks ago? According to Apple, if you bought an old-iPhone after May 27th, you'll get the new 3G one for free. Hooray! Sucks for everyone who went on that big May 26th shopping spree.

I think the new updates, better reception and more marketable price tag will give the iPhone the edge going forward. I can't really see how similarly priced phones can compete with all that innovation and demand.

Actually when they start kicking this new version out on July 11, I may even get one. Let us know what you think in the comments section.

NYTimes: The Cost of the $199 iPhone, June 9, 2008

Gizmodo: iPhone 3G First Hands On, June 9, 2008

The Japanese are fortunate enough to have superior space-age technology, Godzilla, awesome game shows, and enough free range monkeys to take over the world. However, in their country watermelons are considered a luxury item due to their scarcity and a lack of storage space for large fruits.

One large black colored watermelon sold at auction this past Friday and it may be the world's most expensive watermelon.

The expensive melon was flown over 500 miles from a northern Japanese island for the auction in Tokyo. And after a heated sale, the eventual auction winner forked over 650,000 yen (~$6,100) for the ownership of this prized melon. Does anyone in Japan pay for things with singles? That must get annoying.

According to an Associated Press report about this purchase:

The 17-pound, black-skinned "Densuke" watermelon, a variety grown only on the northern island of Hokkaido, was purchased Friday by a marine products dealer who said he wanted to support local agriculture, according to Kyodo News agency.

Something doesn't sound right about this whole story...

The famed black watermelon is claimed to taste much better than ordinary watermelons for some unknown reason. But is it true what they say about black Densuke watermelons - 'once you go black, you never go back?

I also don't buy the fact that some no-name 'marine products dealer' is getting this thing. I bet Gallagher will get his hands on it soon enough. That evil bastard.

UPDATE: Thanks to a reader who pointed out that these strange black watermelons are also available in the US. They've been spotted in Hermiston, Oregon. Gallagher still isn't off the hook though. I won't cave on this one.

AP: Black Japanese Watermelon Sold At Record Price, June 7, 2008 via HuffingtonPost

Similar to the waning hours of a college frat party, the Earth's 'keg' is almost kicked and we're starting a collection to keep this party alive!

The news today centers around a study just released saying we will need to spend almost $45 trillion in the coming decades to successfully cut greenhouse gases in half.

The raised funds will go to building 1,400 new nuclear power plants (stop thinking of the Simpsons and Chernobyl, they're safe and necessary) and a vast expansion of wind power (about 17,000 new turbines annually).

The news of this International Energy Agency study comes from today's Associated Press article. According to that article, we need to start making some big plans:

A U.N.-network of scientists concluded last year that emissions have to be cut by at least half by 2050 to avoid an increase in world temperatures of between 3.6 and 4.2 degrees above pre-18th century levels.

According to those same scientists, if world temperatures increased beyond those levels the earth would experience devastating effects, such as widespread loss of species, famines, droughts, and swamping of heavily populated coastal areas by rising oceans, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Those 18th century pricks (George Washington, the Bastille Day guys, Frederick the Great, Bach, and whatever dynasty the Chinese were chillin' in) never knew how good they had it.

That $45 trillion figure is assuming the world continues a 3.3% global economic growth, so let's just hope that keeps up in spite of any huge future recessions, etc. Even still, $45 trillion will be equal to roughly 1.1% of the world's gross domestic product. What's a measly 1.1% anyway?

Apparently that 1.1% is 3 times the size of the current U.S. economy. So even if we wanted to foot the bill for the whole thing, we'd come up short. However, the plan calls for $27 trill. of the $45 trillion to be paid by developing countries, who will be responsible for 2/3 of all the world's greenhouse gases in 2050. We're looking at you, Brazil and India. Time to step...it...up.

This is another reason why increased investment in emerging markets will be necessary in the 'green movement'.

So $45 trillion is a lot. I don't think many of the world leaders thought setting the agenda for saving the planet from ourselves would come at such a huge financial burden. So is it worth it?

Give us a shout with your best Al Gore impersonation in the comments section.

AP: $45 Trillion Needed To Combat Global Warming, June 6, 2008

Or so that's what Carmen Wong Ulrich (pictured), CNBC's newest personal finance blogger, would have us all believe.

She quotes a survey that says 41% of young adults (18-29) do not pay their bills on time. That number is a little hard to believe, but if it's true it's really worrisome.

To prove her point, and start out the blog with a nice hostile tone, she even posted a comment from a reader who sounds like a lot of fun to party with, but not someone I would lend money to:

"I have no problem not paying all my credit card bill at the end of the month. This country was built on credit and if I had to pay up my credit card bill every month, I could never have the things that I want. If I wanted a flat screen TV and it cost $2,000 and I don't have it, I would get it on "credit". The bottom line: "You Can't Take It With Ya." --Sly, MI

I suppose, yes, this country was built on credit, but have you taken a look at that constantly ticking national debt sign? Wong Ulrich doesn't take no crap from anyone and posted her response:

Enjoy the flatscreen (I enjoy mine even more because I saved up for it and own it) but know that consuming on credit for 'I gotta have's' puts you in financial risk with money that doesn't belong to you in the first place. 'You can't take it with you' refers to money that's actually yours. --Carmen

Ouch! Burn, son! This lady has got some sass on her. Better not tell her that you think consumer bank savings accounts are 'more convenient' than opening up a high-interest money market savings account, she will roast you!

See how she also threw in there that she had a sweet flatscreen too. It would have been great if she mentioned how many channels she gets and what type of luxury toilet paper she uses. That really would have put the nail in that guy's coffin.

As overly sassy as Wong Ulrich is, I still might check her out every once and while. She has been recommending bankrate.com and interest.com, two good resources for finding low-interest checking accounts.

CNBC On The Money Blog: The Young and The Tardy, June 2, 2008

This is one little piece of plastic that has a massive price tag.

Those seemingly worthless pieces of plastic that your guitar heroes throw at the crowd might not ordinarily be worth anything, but Starpics, an Australian company, puts those other crappy chips to shame.

Starpics is a top shelf brand known for fashioning guitar picks out of precious metals. This particular pair of picks is valued so high because they're made out of friggin' meteors!

That's right, those rocks from space that crashed on earth. These two picks were whittled down from chunks of Gibeon meteorites. These meteorites were discovered in 1836 in Namibia. For a long stretch of time they were locked in the country due to a ban on their sale and export.

Somehow they were smuggled out and now seem to be popping up in all sorts of places. According to MostExpensive:

One of the most interesting things about the meteorites is the pattern of Widmanstatten lines created by their frigid passage through space. These patterns are preserved in the picks and can be seen in the picture above.

Sweet. Yeah, if you're going to buy $4,674 guitar picks made out of genuine meteors you've gotta have a few choice Widmanstatten lines on there. This is totally something I could see that tool Bon Jovi using on stage.

If I owned these meteor picks, I would probably just use them as fancy lock picking devices.

MostExpensive: Guitar Pick, May 20, 2008