3 Facts, 3 Numbers, 3 Thoughts 

THE FACTS 

* Built for Donald Trump in 2018, Cadillac One is known as “The World’s Safest Car” or “The Beast” – and deservedly so. The limo-shaped tank has bulletproof windows and a reinforced chassis capable of withstanding a direct bomb attack. The Beast’s fangs include pump-action shotguns, tear gas cannons, and (rumored) grenade launchers. But even with its $1.5 million price tag, it isn’t the most expensive presidential car ever. That honor goes to JFK’s Lincoln Continental SS-100-X. It cost $200,000 in 1961, which is $1,741,000 today when adjusted for inflation.

* In La Gomera, one of Spain’s Canary Islands, people “speak” the only whistled language in the world. Called Silbo Gomera (“silbo” is “whistle” in Castilian Spanish), it is thousands of years old, but it’s estimated that only about 22,000 people currently speak it correctly.

* Customers of HSBC bank in the UK that refuse to wear a mask have more to worry about than COVID-19. According to a statement by the bank released last week, “if individuals put themselves or our colleagues at risk [by not wearing a mask], without a medical exemption, we reserve the right to withdraw their account.”

 THE NUMBERS 

* 884,000 ounces ‒ the total amount of gold in American Gold Eagle coins sold last year, according to the US Mint. This was a 455% increase over the 152,000 ounces sold in 2019, which was a four-year high.

* 94% ‒ the percentage of employers surveyed by the Mercer consulting firm that said company productivity remained the same (67%) or higher (27%) after many of their employees switched to working remotely. In 2021, more and more companies are expected to have remote work arrangements in place. And according to FlexJobs, working from home is also expected to become an increasingly popular alternative to retirement.

* $30 million ‒ the amount paid for the highest-selling domain name of all time (“voice.com”). The highest-selling “publicly reported” domain name, that is. It’s believed that more than 75% of domain name sales are unreported – and since most high-end sales are private (and confidential), there’s no telling what any of them have sold for.

 THE  THOUGHTS

* “There is no pain on this earth like seeing the same woman look at another man the way she once looked at you.” ‒ Walker Percy

* “Two possibilities exist: Either we are alone in the universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying.” ‒ Arthur C. Clarke

* “Capitalists value freedom because they need freedom to thrive. Socialists value power because without it they cannot survive.” ‒  Michael Masterson