Water More Expensive Than Oil

I always thought it no coincidence that Evian spelled backwards was naïve. I cannot justify paying for water when if flows freely from the taps, and in some cases (Coca Cola’s Deep River Rock) the bottled stuff has been proven to come from the very same. When bottled water was first marketed in Ireland sometime in the 1980’s, people thought it was some sort of joke, an early April Fool perhaps? Whoever was selling it must be a fool, and anyone buying it a greater one. A wise man would have put his faith and money in people’s tendency to fall in line and cough up for it because it has since snowballed into a multi-million Euro industry growing steadily every year.
Everything changes with time and sure enough we now have a range of still, sparkling, mineral, spring, flavoured and distilled waters designed to suit all tastes (?) and pockets. Now perhaps I am getting old or perhaps I always have been the very doubting Thomas who said there was no room in the marketplace for bottled water, but a line has to be drawn somewhere.
Fillico Beverly Hills, bottle water from a spring in Kobe Japan and sell it in fancy bottles at a staggering $100/bottle! Before you go running out the door to hydrate yourself with this super luxurious H20 that I can only assume holds the secret to eternal youth, keep in mind that they only fill 5000 bottles per month (that and the fact you can fill a glass in your kitchen for free). I’ve heard of people selling sand to the Arabs and Ice to the Eskimos, but besides detoxifying rap stars, Michael Flatley and Britney Spears I cannot think of a single person who might be prepared to buy this stuff. A man wiser than myself once warned me never to underestimate people’s stupidity, I guess Fillico are heeding this warning!

Buffet Lunch for $2.1 million? Hope its all you can eat!

We’ve heard it all before, though after reading this there’s surely no question. There is no such thing as a free lunch. Zhao Danyang, a Chinese businessman is forking out $2.11 million after placing the winning bid for lunch with the iconic business man, and now richest man in the world Warren Buffet. At such prices you would expect a never forget meal with top quality service and charming conversation all of which you are likely to receive while dining with Warren at the Smith & Wollensky steakhouse (click here for the recipe for the perfect steak that wont break the bank!) in New York.
I have had the wonderful fortune to cook for Mr. Buffet in the past, and he certainly is an interesting and insightful man, not to mention a pleasure to cook for. However, if its financial advice Zhao is chasing, I have some for him right here. Anyone who pays 2.11 million for lunch for two, regardless of who it’s with needs to cut up their atm and credit cards! Let’s hope he keeps space for dessert!
As much as I joke, this is really for a great cause. Annually foor the last 9 years, Buffet has been auctioning his presence at a power lunch to the highest bidder all for the benefit of Glide, a San Francisco based charity project to help the poor and homeless get back on their feet. Buffet has also pledged to leave the majority of his fortune to the charitable foundation set up by his good friends Bill and Melinda Gates.