P. T. BARNUM AND THE WORLD'S TALLEST BUILDING

In 1881 P.T. Barnum, co-founder of the Barnum and Bailey Circus, coined the phrase, "There's a sucker born every minute."

On January 4, 2010, the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa, 160 floors high in Dubai, Arab Emirates opened to much hoopla. It has all the amenities one could imagine for luxurious living. Fifty-four elevators, reaching speeds of 40 miles per hour take visitors up to the observation deck for views that reach 60 miles. Since its opening, more than 10,000 people have come to see it and take the ride to the observation deck for which there is a hefty charge.

Ten days later, after its glitzy opening, another report was much grimmer. Occupancy in other buildings in the area is down, planned construction site machinery are still, and much of the landscaped areas are overgrown. One visitor, unfazed by the telltale signs of down turn explained that Dubai's success comes from risk taking and that won't change.

That's when I remembered Barnum's famous quote: "There's a sucker born every minute."