"A restaurant at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art has added a 20-item selection of waters from around the world, priced from US$8 to US$16 ($10-$20) a bottle - as well as a US$12 "tasting menu". Martin Riese, general manager of Ray's & Stark Bar, will sell his California-made 9OH2O, which comes in "limited editions of 10,000 individually numbered glass bottles", at US$14 each. Said Riese: "Many people don't know that water is just as important to the entire dining experience as, say, a good wine." Riese has been certified as a water sommelier by the German Mineral Water Association.
St John puts faith in us to pay ...
"A death in the family is very sad and tragic, especially when it is sudden and St John is called," writes a reader. "But is this any reason to complain about receiving an invoice for a service called upon? When the 111 call was made did St John make you wait while they discussed payment options? They promptly answered the 111 call and sent a unit to the house to help a person who needed them. What small thing do they want for this fantastic service - a very small amount of money which doesn't nearly cover the cost of the callout, and how do they get this? - they rely on the good faith of people who use the service and their families."
... but sympathy card would hurt
A reader writes: "When my father passed away suddenly at home a few years ago, we received a bill from St John a week or two later and at the time, it stung a little. But in fairness to them, I don't think those sending out the invoices are aware of whether the person the ambulance was called for passed away or not. If it weren't for these people, there would be a hell of a lot more people not making it to hospital in time. I think it would be more of a stab in the thigh with a fork if they sent you a "with sympathy" card and attached an invoice - that would hurt.
Picture this #1: Spotted in Tokoroa on Friday, outside a guitar shop by Lynn Pacey...
Picture this #2: If graphs are your preferred means of communication Coolness Graphed will help you understand what is cool and what is not in various situations. Nerdy but nice.
