I remember that when I first visited Europe (in 1976 as a 14-year-old), the custom I found strangest was that people paid to have bottles of water brought to their dinner tables!

I haven't changed my mind. I drink bottled water only when I'm in a country where the tap water is dangerous. And I think the practice of building manufacturing plants to put plain water in disposable bottles and then ship it all over the world is environmentally insane.

Still, I must admit it's good for the world economy. Some say it's growing because of productivity gains; I'm convinced it's because marketing geniuses have persuaded people to spend billions for something that is free.