[TheDude]

Robert Baer, in his book Sleeping With the Devil, had an interesting story: supposedly a representative of Ibn Saud approached the French government, asking them to move one of the French railway lines. That's right, move. Something like 20 kilometers, perhaps. Ibn would pick up the tab. That's right, pay for it.
Why, you ask? Well, when Ibn was strolling through his gardens at night he would be pestered by these infernal train horns...actually as it happens Ibn hadn't been there for a few years, too...
Any truth to that one? Certainly it's up there in the annals of history for decadent wastefulness. I'm going to go on relating it to people, too - that and the one about Adnan Khashoggi "forgetting" a briefcase with something like $1,000,000 in cash at the Nixon White House!

[0mar]

shit, if you have the money, why not.