Sussex chickens are a dual-purpose breed. They’re useful for both their egg-laying capacity—up to 250 eggs per year—and their fat, meaty bodies. As the breed’s name suggests, the Sussex chicken comes from Sussex County in England and only four of the eight different varieties of Sussex chicken are widely available in the US.

Greenfire Farms offers two of the varieties less common in the US, the Silver Sussex and the Coronation Sussex, for a hefty price. The Silver is black with prevalent streaks of white and silver while the Coronation is an almost opalescent white. Greenfire offers both of these bloodlines at $750 for six day-old chicks.

Coronation and Silver Sussex chickens

When the Louisville Slugger used by legendary baller Babe Ruth to hit his first home run at Yankee Stadium in 1923 went up for auction, some feared that the winner might destroy it—either to end the dreaded “Curse of the Bambino” and allow the Red Sox victory in that year’s World Series or to sell pieces of it for profit. Instead, it became the most expensive baseball bat in the world as it sold for $1.3 million.

The bat, which left Ruth’s hands as a prize for a Los Angeles high school batting champion, features an autograph and dedication “To the Boy Home Run King of Los Angeles” and a brass plate that reads “Presented to Victor Orsatti at Manual Arts H.S. by the Los Angeles Evening Herald.” The 46-ounce bat’s model number, 148, is still visible amidst the lathe marks.

During his career, Ruth hit 714 home runs. His mythic batting prowess paid for the original Yankee Stadium—earning it the monicker “The House that Ruth Built”—and filled the 58,000-seat stadium with at least 60,000 fans in its first game, when the Yankees played against the Red Sox.

Speaking of the Red Sox, the Curse of the Bambino was lifted the year of the auction when they defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 4-0 in the 2004 World Series.

What can you carry in the most expensive backpack in the world? From the look of it, you could stuff just about anything you need for a good day’s hike in one of its many pockets.

Leather goods producer Mulholland has made this luxury backpack out of deerskin, a supple but strong leather. The buckles are made of refined nickel or brass findings and the zippers are of the highest quality. The backpack is trimmed with signature Latigo leather and lined with water-resistant Italian linen. Each backpack is handmade in San Francisco and, due to the quality deerskin used in its manufacture, features unique graining.

Mulholland’s Deerskin Rucksack Backpacks are priced at $1,324.95. I dare you to find a more expensive backpack.

In 2005, a couple named Mike and Liz started a blog about a special french fry they’d found at McDonald’s. The fry, which they had dubbed the Lincoln Fry, featured a near perfect profile of the sixteenth president as seen on the common penny. It was also seen in an “amateur” commercial during that year’s Super Bowl XXXIX.

Of course, the story was completely fabricated. It was concocted by McDonald’s as a viral marketing campaign and the Lincoln Fry itself was made from polyurethane plastic.

That didn’t stop GoldenPalace.com—an online casino that, for some reason, thinks I’m in Kentucky—from purchasing the 4-inch french fry for a nationwide tour alongside the “Virgin Mary grilled cheese sandwich.” The casino secured the world’s most expensive french fry at auction for $75,100.

Proceeds from the Yahoo! auction went to Ronald McDonald House charities.

It’s only available at Mélisse in Santa Monica, CA and even then only between October and December. It’s the most expensive macaroni and cheese in the world and it’s a far cry from Velveeta Shells and Cheese.

The decadent dish is just one example of Chef Josiah Citrin’s cuisine, blend of traditional French and modern American that has made Mélisse a Mobil Travel Guide 4-star recipient for 8 years. The macaroni and cheese is Chef Josiah’s fresh tagliatelle covered with a hefty portion of white truffle, brown butter truffle froth and grated parmesan cheese.

The white truffles are the reason it’s available for a mere three months of the year—during the truffle season—and the most likely culprit for the most expensive macaroni and cheese’s $95 price tag.

Sold in a coin-shaped, commemorative format, the eminently salable sod comes from the now defunct Yankee Stadium. Originally purchased from Beam Clay, provider of turf for “The House that Ruth Built” since 1952, the exceptional bit of New York Yankees memorabilia was used in the very last game played there on September 21st, 2008—when the Yankees beat the Baltimore Orioles 7-3.

The dirt was then pressed into coins under the watchful eyes of Steiner Sports Marketing authenticators and can be purchased in framed sets like the pictured “Yankee Stadium Final Season Game Used Photomint” sold by Highland Mint for $89.95.

By contrast, Beam Clay sells unused dirt by the ton for $75.

Note that these aren’t necessarily the top ten most expensive suburbs in the US; only one suburb is listed in any given state.

Wellesley, Massachusetts – $899,000

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Located about half an hour west of Boston, the old-money town of Wellesley is the home of Babson College and, of course, Wellesley College. Wellesley High School also claimed 70th best public high school in the US in 2007.

Highland Park, Texas – $937,500

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Five miles north of Texas, Highland Park is the home of the Dallas Country Club and is the 41st wealthiest city in the US—19th if you only count cities with populations of 1,000 or more.

Millburn, New Jersey – $960,000

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Despite the bad rap that Jersey usually gets, this opulent suburb of NYC is only considered the 53rd best place to live in the state by New Jersey Magazine. It’s known for The Mall at Short Hills, a high-end mall across from the town’s Hilton Hotel, and its proximity to the South Mountain Reservation.

Great Falls, Virginia – $1,028,000

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North of Washington, DC, Great Falls is the home of the 800-acre Great Falls Park which overlooks the Great Falls of the Potomac. I think I’m beginning to see a pattern here.

Winnetka, Illinois – $1,060,000

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This Chicago suburb is located on the shores of Lake Michigan. It’s notable as the home of both the Hadley School for the Blind, a long distance learning center for the vision impaired, and the family from those dreadful Home Alone movies.

Darien, Connecticut – $1,145,000

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Home of one of the top ten libraries in the US, Darien is just short of an hour away from New York City. CNN rated it one of the top ten best places to live in America in 2005.

Scarsdale, New York – $1,230,000

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Speaking of New York, this suburb has been home to Yoko Ono, wife of John Lennon, West Wing writer and creator Aaron Sorkin and gangster/Las Vegas resort developer Bugsy Siegal.

Paradise Valley, Arizona – $1,650,000

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Paradise Valley, a suburb of Phoenix, is famous for being the namesake, if not the home, of several organizations, including Paradise Valley Community College, Paradise Valley Mall and Paradise Valley Golf Course.

Travilah, Maryland – $1,295,000

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Travilah is an unincorporated area Northwest of Washington, DC. Surprisingly, its claim to fame is its really expensive mansions. Go figure.

Atherton, California – $3,800,000

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I’m sure you’re all shocked that the most expensive suburb is in California. This wealthy community’s notable residents include Google Chairman and CEO Eric Schmidt, former EBay CEO Meg Whitman and retired football player Jerry Rice.

The Most Expensive Bourbon Whiskey
$300

The most expensive Bourbon is the 16 Year Old A. H. Hirsch Reserve, one of the few remaining examples of the Kentucky pot-still tradition.

The Most Expensive Canadian Whisky
$10,000

The world’s most expensive Canadian rye whiskey was presented to Queen Elizabeth II at the Kentucky Derby in 2007. If it were sold, it would be expected to go for over $10,000

The Most Expensive Scotch Whisky
$58,000

The world’s most expensive Scotch whisky is a Dalmore 62 Highland Malt Scotch Whisky sold to an anonymous buyer and, reportedly, shared with five of his friends in 2005.

The Most Expensive Irish Whiskey
$143,020

One of the last remaining whiskeys from the Nun’s Island Distillery in Galway, Ireland, this particular elixir is still up for sale at £100,000. If purchased, it will be the most expensive whiskey ever sold.

Canadian rye whisky doesn’t quite have the prestige of its Scotch cousin, but it still has its moments. One such moment happened at the 2007 Kentucky Derby, when the attending Queen Elizabeth II was presented with the world’s most expensive Canadian whisky.

“Canadian whisky” refers to any whisky that is mashed, distilled and aged at least three years in a 700 L or smaller wooden barrel, all within Canadian borders. By Canadian law, any such whisky may also be labeled “rye whisky”—even if low rye content would prevent it from being labeled such elsewhere. Crown Royal Canadian Blended Whisky, one of the most popular Canadian whiskies, was originally brewed in 1939 to commemorate the first Royal Tour of Canada by King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (the late Queen Mother). The Crown Royal brand is now owned by Diageo, the world’s largest producer of spirits.

The presentation of Crown Royal’s Extra Rare Heritage Blend to Her Royal Majesty hearkens back to that inaugural event. The expensive whisky’s high rye content can be attributed to the rare barrels selected by Crown Royal’s master blender, Andrew MacKay, who supervised its production. In deference to the venue chosen for the presentation of the exclusive blend, Diageo commissioned Casey Hyland of Glassworks in Louisville to create the bottle, which is etched with 24-karat gold leaf for lettering.

While the most expensive Canadian whisky in the world is obviously not for sale, it has an estimated value of over $10,000.

Bourbon whiskey, like Champagne, is named after the region from which it comes—Bourbon, Kentucky. Unlike Champagne, however, Bourbon’s production isn’t limited to its home region. While it is still made primarily in Kentucky, Bourbon can be distilled anywhere in the US.

Currently, the most expensive Bourbon is the 16 year old A. H. Hirsch Reserve. This smooth whiskey was distilled at Michter’s Distillery in Schaefferstown, Pennsylvania in 1974 and left to mature until it was bottled in 1990. In fact, this particular whiskey is one of the few remaining examples of whiskeys distilled in the Kentucky pot-still tradition. A 750ML bottle of the 16 year old Reserve may cost up to $300.

Another expensive Bourbon, Evan Williams’ 23 year old, was reported by Forbes to be the most expensive in 2006 at $350. It has since gone down in price, however, and may be had for less than $200.

You’ve probably heard of Proposition 8, the Californian ballot measure that denied gays the right to marry as of November 2008. What you might not know is that the battle over Prop. 8 was the most expensive social issue campaign in US history.

The effect of Proposition 8 was simple—it added a line to the Constitution of California that stated that only marriage between a man and a woman is recognized in the state. This addition had the outcome of overturning a recent Supreme Court decision that allowed same-sex marriages on the basis that denying anyone the right to marry—when marriage was not explicitly defined in the state’s Constitution as being between a man and woman—was discrimination.

Supporters of the bill included the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, who pledged $200,000 to the cause, Mormons, evangelical Protestants and the Knights of Columbus, who made the largest single contribution at $1.4 million.

On the other side of the fence was the Screen Actors Guild, who voted to officially oppose the measure. Director Stephen Spielberg and actor Brad Pitt also made sizeable contributions to Proposition 8’s opposition.

All told, $82 million were raised in support or opposition of the measure and Proposition 8 passed 52-to-48. The 18,000 same-sex marriages that took place during the short time when it was legal, including that of George Takei (of Star Trek and Heroes fame) to Brad Altman, are still legally recognized.

November 2008 marked the end of what was the most expensive election in US history, which culminated in the election of Democratic nominee Barack Obama. Now, it’s likely true that every presidential election could claim that title until the next one came around—and that will probably continue to be true in 2012—but this last one really set the bar with over $2.5 billion spent by the twenty candidates that entered the race over the past two years.

Previous elections have cost significantly less—candidates in 2004 raised only half as much money while 2000’s candidates collected merely a third. Twenty years ago, George Bush Sr. and his opponents spent only 59 million, a mere 25th of this election cycle’s totals.

According to the Federal Election Committee, Republican nominee John McCain raised over $368 million while President Obama raised over $521 million. Other big money campaigns included Republican candidate Ron Paul’s, which raised more money in a single day than any Republican campaign in history when it raised $6 million on December 16th 2007, and Hillary Clinton’s, which was similarly successful on the blue side of the fence on June 30th 2007 and raised over $242 million in total.

How much does public transit in your town cost? According to a recent survey by Citizens Taking Action, a transit watchdog group, most Americans pay a basic fare around $1.53. According to the group, Chicago’s public transportation system is the most expensive in the US at $1.50 for bus fare and $2 to ride the El.

That may not sound like much, but the difference shows when you consider weekly and monthly passes–$17.80 and $58.43 nationally, $24 and $75 in Chicago. The watchdog group’s concern is that fare hikes proposed for 2009 will further widen the gap between the national average and Chicago fares.

Of course, it’s no coincidence that Chicago Transit Authority and Citizens Taking Action share initials and the study to find the national average and America’s most expensive public transit was conducted informally.

Do you know of any public transit prices more expensive than Chicago’s?

The long anticipated Corvette ZR1 may finally see the light of day in 2009. First unveiled at the 12 Hours of Sebring race in 2005, the car was supposedly the result of GM CEO Rick Wagoner wondering what his Chevrolet designers could do for $100,000. The answer, of course, is the most powerful and most expensive Corvette in the world.

Equipped with a new LS9 engine,a supercharged 6.2 liter V8 that produces 620 horsepower (100 hp per liter) and 6500 RPMs, this costly Corvette is reportedly capable of top speeds over 200 mph and experts guess it will be able to do 0-60 in around 3.0 seconds. That’s .6 seconds faster than the Z06. It also features a number of carbon-fiber body parts and adjustable suspension.

The Chevrolet Corvette C6 Z1 was formally announced in December 2007. The world’s most expensive Corvette still has a sticker price of $100,000 and, for anyone who wants to pimp out this luxury sports car, chrome wheels and premium interior options are available.

Noxzema – 1973

The first Super Bowl commercial to garner any fame was a 1973 Noxzema ad featuring quarterback Joe Namath shaving while actress Farrah Fawcett belted out “Let Noxzema cream your face, so the razor don’t.” The most renowned ad, though, was probably Apple’s Orwellian Macintosh ad which aired, most appropriately, during Super Bowl XVIII in 1984. Then, of course, there are the “I’m Going to Disney World!” and “I’m Going to Disney Land!” campaigns which have been featured in every Super Bowl since 1987, with the notable exception of Super Bowl XXXIX in 2005.

Apple – 1984

Last year, the Nielsen Company revealed that the Victoria’s Secret spot, watched by 103.7 million people, was the highest-rated commercial minute. The most popular ad, though, was the Budweiser Horse/Dalmatian ad. Pepsi’s Justin Timberlake ad generated the most on-line buzz and the ad for The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian received the biggest boost from DVR playback.

Victoria’s Secret – 2008

With the steady increase of Super Bowl advertising prices, which only decreased in 2002 due to 9/11, one can say with certainty that placement during Super Bowl XLIII on February 1st will surpass last year’s Super Bowl as the most expensive TV spot in the world.

You might have heard that the 2008 presidential election was the most expensive election season in the history of the United States. Surprise, surprise—it’s being followed up with the most expensive inauguration.

The ceremony, which President-elect Barack Obama has attempted to make as accessible as possible, is expected to attract 1.5 to 2 million attendees—around three to four times the normal population of Washington, DC. In response, the outgoing Bush administration has declared a state of emergency in the District of Columbia. That decision allowed the allocation of emergency funds to cover the costs of the influx of people flooding the capital.

The inauguration will be preceded on the 18th by a free concert featuring Bruce Springsteen, U2 and Beyoncé. On the 19th, Obama and Biden will celebrate Martin Luther King Day at various events around Washington. The ceremony proper will begin at 10:00 AM (EST) on the steps of the Capitol building and the first African-American President of the United States of America will be sworn in by noon.

All told, the event is expected to cost over $150 million—more than three times the cost of President Bush’s inauguration in 2005. Forty-nine million of that has been budgeted by the federal government. The rest will be paid for by donations, including $43 million raised by Obama for the ceremony.

The world’s most expensive cake may look tasty, but was it? If this glitzy wedding cake’s creators are to be believed, no one ever knew.

Unveiled in 2006 at the Luxury Bridal Show on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills, the expensive cake was created by cake designers Nahid La Patisserie Artistique along with jewelers Mimi So. That’s right—it’s decked with jewels both exclusive and priceless.

The cake wasn’t meant to be eaten—or even touched. During the show, it was surrounded by a team of uniformed guards. I’d really like to know what they did with it when the show was over, though.

So how much was the most expensive wedding cake in the world? The diamond-studded masterpiece was said to be worth $20 million at the time.

Broadway theatre has its roots in the very end of the 18th century, when New York’s first theatre companies were formed. Nowadays, Broadway audiences can expect to see a mixture of well known television and movie stars and stage actors who only play bit parts outside of theatre. Considering the salaries commanded by film actors, let alone costumes and sets, it’s little wonder that Broadway productions can become quite expensive.

The most expensive Broadway production in history will be “Spider-Man: The Musical,” directed by Julie Taymor. Taymor is no stranger to Broadway, having directed “The Lion King,” based on the Disney film of the same name, in 1997. Feature films under her belt include Shakespearian gore fest Titus (1999) and, most recently, Across the Universe (2007).

Taymor isn’t the only big name attached to this production, though. Scoring the musical will be U2’s Bono and The Edge.

The most expensive Broadway musical in history is expected to cost around $40 million to produce. It’s expected to open next year and, according to the New York Post, will have to run “about 8,000 years” in order to break even.

Created as part of a secret project in the 1980s, the expensive plane is a design executed with the Soviet Union in mind. The Northrop Grumman ATB (Advanced Technology Bomber) was designated the B-2 Spirit after it was chosen over a Lockheed/Rockwell design in 1981. The stealthy bomber was meant to be able to penetrate even the most impregnable anti-aircraft defenses.

The project didn’t turn out quite as expected, though. A redesign from high-altitude to low-altitude mission profile added two years and $1 billion to the project’s cost, bringing the total expenditure up to a reported $23 billion. Furthermore, the dissolution of the Soviet Union resulted in the production being limited to 20 planes—21 if you count an upgraded test bomber.

Reports on the cost of a single B-2 bomber vary from $737 million to $2.2 billion, but the most often cited figure for the most expensive aircraft in the world is $1.3 billion.

One of the world’s most prestigious car auctions has produced some very impressive figures this year. Part of the famed Pebble Beach Concourse d’Elegance, Gooding & Company’s auction has set several world records since its inception in 1990. Now it has hosted the auction of the most expensive car ever sold in the US.

The Concourse d’Elegance was started in 1950 and has since become the world’s premier auto show. Other events include the Tour d’Elegance—a “driving event,” not a race—and an exhibition by the Automotive Fine Arts Society. Of course, the main event is the Concourse d’Elegance itself, in which the best cars in the world are judged for historical accuracy, technical merit and style.

The auction, which follows the main event, was expanded this year to two days. The final tally added up to $64.2 million–$4.2 million more than last year’s auction. Among the expensive autos sold at this exclusive auction were a collection of twelve Bugatti cars sold for $15 million, a 1959 Ferrari 250 GT LWB “California” Spider for $3.63 million and three cars from Oprah Winfrey’s personal collection for $716,000.

Then, of course, there’s the most expensive car in the world. A 1937 Bugatti Type 37SC Atalante Coupe, the production year marks it as one of the original cars produced under the Bugatti name. The original company was founded in 1909 and closed its doors in 1963, sold for its production of airplane parts rather than automobiles. The Bugatti name was eventually reunited with the automobile industry, however, and now graces a limited line of luxury autos from Volkswagen AG.

The most expensive car ever sold in the US was auctioned for $7.92 million. It wasn’t the most expensive car in the world, however. That honor belongs to a 1961 Ferrari 250 GT SWB California Spyder sold for $10.9 million.

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The Paradise Cove mobile home park started as an RV camp, but was expanded to the current 271-unit park in the early 70s. The park includes a guard house, a small clubhouse, an RV storage area, a playground for children and, of course, both tennis and basketball courts. Paradise Cove is also home of the Paradise Cove Beach Café, a restaurant that boasts its own beach and cove.

Paradise Cove pier

The Point Dume Club, named for the bluff on which it resides, is a guarded and gated community with 297 units, a pool and both tennis and basketball courts. It was built in 1970, with streets carefully laid out to give residents some of the best views in California.

A mobile home in Paradise Cove can be purchased for up to almost $1.4 million while one in Point Dume was reportedly sold for $2.2 million. Luckily for the buyers, owners of mobile homes in the world’s most expensive trailer parks don’t pay property taxes.

WDP Angel G7 – $1,500

Last year, WDP wowed paintball enthusiasts with the Angel G7. Billed as the fastest paintball gun in the world, it was capable of firing thirty-one pellets per second at a muzzle velocity of 300 feet per second. It was also the most expensive paintball gun at the time, priced at just under $1,500. That didn’t keep it from selling, though; WDP sold a thousand of these expensive guns in just one week.

Planet Exclipse SL74 – $1,995

More recently, however, Planet Eclipse unveiled their SL74. Weighing less than two pounds, it may just be the lightest paintball gun in the world. The gun also offers less kick than previous models in the series and even features a mechanism to allow its user to choose between lower pressure and a higher shot count. Of course, it’s the most expensive paintball gun in the world; it’s priced at $1,995.

Breda M37 8mm Machine Gun replica by Real Action Paintball – $4,999

Blowing WDP and Planet Eclipse out of the water in terms of price, this custom made replica by Real Action Paintball weighs 30 lbs and can fire in semi-automatic, short burst and full auto modes. The gun features at least one major point of departure from the weapon on which it’s based—the Q-Loader automatic paintball feed system. The gun is custom built from an Airgun Designs Automag RT Pro paintgun, which features x-valve, a level 10 anti-chop bolt and an ultra-light trigger pull kit. Of course, being a custom, it takes four weeks for the thing to be built and delivered.

Unfortunately, electronic guns like these may not perform so well in woodsball—paintball played in a wooded area rather than an indoor location—as the firing mechanisms may freeze up if you get them dirty. In these cases, it may be best to go with a less expensive, mechanical gun.

While there are numerous ways to prepare coffee, the different sorts of devices used to prepare the coffee are far more innumerable. What follows are some of the most expensive coffeemakers in the world.

The Prima Donna

The Prima Donna ESAM 6600 from De’Longhi may be the most feature rich coffeemaker money can buy. Not only can it memorize your favorite cappuccino, cafe latte or latte macchiato, it also cleans itself at the push of a button. The auto-cleaning milk carafe can even be stored in your refrigerator, ensuring that the milk in your coffee is as fresh as possible. This pricey coffeemaker retails for around $2,000, but the buzz says it’s worth every penny.

If you value form over functionality—and your preferred form is anything covered in Swarovski crystals—then look no further than Nespresso’s Crystal coffee machine. Based on Le Cube model, it’s adorned with 3,100 of the blingsome crystals. That’s not to say the Crystal coffee machine doesn’t have a few tricks up its sparkling sleeve; the machine has a built-in cup warmer, back-lit control buttons and a removable grate for latte macchiato. This isn’t the first Nespresso machine to be so decked, either. Their Essenza models were recently made into limited edition Brilliant Black and Sparkle Pink machines. These two models went for $1,000 each while the Crystal Coffee Machine is the most expensive coffeemaker in the world at £1,995 (nearly $4,000 USD).

Nespresso Essenza models and the Crystal coffee machine

Sally Hershberger

Sally Hershberger, known for her signature shaggy look, has salons in both downtown and uptown New York and a recently opened salon in Los Angeles. In the years she’s been styling, Hershberger has developed quite a list of celebrity clientele, including Sandra Bullock, Michelle Pfeiffer, Tom Cruise and even Hillary Clinton. She currently charges $600 for a haircut, but be sure to book your haircut well in advance. The waiting list is long and regulars get preference.

Frédéric Fekkai

Frédéric Fekkai, born in Southern France, has been cutting hair professionally for over twenty years. He now has eight salons, including locations in Soho, Greenwich and even Dallas. He’s been featured in a variety of magazines, from Menswear to Vogue, and his staff tests his line of hair care products in the same salons frequented by A-list celebrities like Live Tyler and Kim Basinger. A haircut at a Frédéric Fekkai Salon also costs $600.

Orlando Pita
(via bcause.org)

The priciest salon, though, is a private salon run by Orlando Pita. Unlike some other salons, Orlo Salon in New York City focuses solely on the haircut. Orlando has spent 25 years in the business and has styled for the likes of Madonna, Jennifer Connelly and Kirsten Dunst. Those who can manage to get an appointment at Orlo must be prepared to dish out $800 at the most expensive salon in the world.

Johnny Utah’s, a Western-style restaurant located in New York’s Rockefeller Center, features both a mechanical bull capable of rendering you permanently paralyzed and a mixed drink, The Vault, that can do the same to your wallet. Johnny Utah’s uses a $300 bottle of Herradura Suprema tequila to mix The Vault, along with grilled-lime juice and agave syrup. Notably missing from the mix is any sort of orange liqueur, though the syrup may make up for that. The drink costs $51 and was touted as the most expensive margarita in 2007.

Regardless of whether or not you consider The Vault to be a true margarita, the Riverside Hotel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, has flattened that record with the Riverside Grand Margarita. This exclusive drink uses freshly squeezed lime juice; Cuvée Speciale Cent Cinquantenaire, a special triple sec made to commemorate the Grand Marnier company’s 150th anniversary, and Patron Tequila Gran Platinum. Both the tequila and liqueur cost about $200 a bottle. The finished product costs $65, making it the most expensive margarita in the world.

The I-93 tunnel. (Photo by Rene Schwietzke. Distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 license.)

Originally conceived in the 1970s by the Boston Transportation Planning Review, official planning for the project didn’t begin until the early 80s. In 1987, US Congress passed a bill, later overriding a veto by President Reagan, appropriating funds for the Big Dig.

The project suffered from numerous setbacks. The tunnel itself was dug in an area of pipes, utility lines, subway lines and landfills. Additionally, leaks, findings of substandard materials followed by criminal arrests and even a fatal accident have all shut down parts of the project at various points in time.

The most expensive public works project in the US was supposedly finished at the end of 2007. However, as of January 2008, 237 serious leaks are being reported as going unchecked.

Surprisingly, the three most expensive spas in the world are all located in the US. Of course, it’s no surprise that one of them is in California’s Bay Area. The Grand Luxe Facial, offered by Spa Radiance in San Francisco, includes Diamond Peel Microdermabrasian, which seems to involve sanding—er, exfoliating your face with tiny diamonds, Microcurrent Disencrustation to remove blackheads and sebum deposits, treating your eyes with caviar and LED light therapy to counteract sun damage. The process entire process takes three hours to complete and costs $750.

New York’s Mandarin Oriental offers an even longer treatment. Their Art of Indulgence mostly involves massages but also includes exfoliation and both a manicure and pedicure. At $1,034, this five-hour session makes Mandarin Oriental the second most expensive spa.

The most expensive spa in the world, however, is located in Florida. Available only to guests of the Hotel Victor in South Beach, Spa V offers a bath filled with nearly 350 gallons of Evian mineral water then showered with rose petals. The bath is creatively referred to as the Evian Bath and costs a phenomenal $5,000.

Despite the continuation of the line, the most expensive Beanie Babies are the same ones that were rare and valuable during the original Beanie Baby craze. For instance, fewer than 2,000 wingless Quackers the duck dolls were produced and the rare Beanie Baby may now be valued in excess of $1,300. An only slightly lower value may be attached to Spot, a dog with no spots at all.

The most expensive Beanie Baby ever, though, is the royal blue Peanut. This elephant was originally intended to be a light blue, but a production error rendering the doll in a much darker shade made a very small number of Peanut dolls very valuable indeed. Since the incorrectly colored dolls were created in 1995, two more runs of royal blue Peanuts have been produced—one in 1998 and one in 2000 as part of McDonald’s Teenie Beanies “Legends” collection. That didn’t keep an original from being sold at auction for $3,005 in 2000, though. This may have been quite a bargain, as the most expensive beanie baby has been valued at a possible $5,000.

Most recently, Ty Inc. announced Beanie Babies 2.0, combining successful elements of the original Beanie Babies and the more recent Ty Girlz dolls. Like Ty Girlz, Beanie Babies 2.0 will be tied to an interactive website in order to appeal to today’s computer savvy youth.

The Rawlings Primo is made of two layers of Italian leather with strategically placed break points to maximize movement capabilities. The glove is designed to absorb ball impact and allow you to close your hand naturally at the moment of impact. The full-grain leather and calf lining allow for a smooth look and comfortable feel while the treatment the leather and lacing undergo ensures durability.

The glove retails for around $450. Unfortunately, the glove has become most popular with pitchers, who are generally the players least attached to their gloves. Other players may cite superstition or simple familiarity with their current glove as reasons not to switch to the most expensive baseball glove.

A replica of Lou Gehrig’s glove (by Akadema).

The Primo is a far cry from the most expensive baseball glove ever sold, however, which was purchased several years ago at a Sotheby’s auction. That glove, the last one worn by the legendary “Iron Horse” Lou Gehrig, was sold to Penny Marshall for over $387,000. Several other gloves have been purchased by collectors for hundreds of thousands of dollars, including several worn by Mickey Mantle. In fact, Billy Crystal purchased a Mickey Mantle glove for $239,000 at the same auction from which the Lou Gehrig glove was purchased.

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The Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, a 15 second quake that measured 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale and, coincidentally, the most expensive natural disaster in the US at the time, collapsed a section of the Bay Bridge and caused serious concerns over the bridge’s safety in the event of another major quake.

A series of controversies, ranging from whether to retrofit or entirely replace the offending section of the bridge to whether funding for the project should come from the Bay Area or the entire State of California, delayed construction on the bridge. Finally, it was decided that the Eastern span of the bridge would be replaced and the project would be funded in part by a toll increase from $3.00 to $4.00. As approximately 280,000 cars cross the bridge per day, this is a rather significant source of funding for the project.

Construction of the replacement span began in January of 2002. The project will cost an estimated 6.3 billion dollars, making it second only to Boston’s Big Dig as the most expensive public works project in the US, and is scheduled to be completed in 2012.