Straight Vodka, No Chaser
No wonder Russians prefer to drink their vodka straight: the water in Moscow adds too much color. Yep, the LA Times reports that the water there ranges from "cloudy gray to milk chocolate" spawning a new industry of bottled water. The city itself is in the business of selling its own brand, as is the number one company ClearWater, but so are some unscrupulous types taking advantage of this unregulated industry by filling containers with tap water (on a good day). Due to cuts in funding for clean water programs, more than half of the public drinks water below acceptable hygiene standards and no remedies are seen in the near future. As a result, bottled water sales are expected to climb while consumers struggle to find ways to pay for this most vital commodity. A government effort to surcharge citizens for cleaner tap water never got off the ground, due to expectations that the officials would merely siphon off the proceeds to their own pockets, just as they do with taxes and other utilities.
Tips On Tips
Is there a psychology to tipping? Can waiters control their patrons tips? Apparently so, according to a study reported by The Waiters Association as reported in Travel Holiday. Tips were raised when waiters did certain things: