Free Republic

Say what you want about North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il, the man liked his Hennessy. For two years in the mid-1990s, he was the world's largest buyer of Hennessy Paradis cognac, importing up to $800,000 of the stuff a year, both to quaff himself and to give as gifts, and his death has caused a resurgence in discussion and commentary on his expensive cognac habits. So does Hennessy appreciate all of the free advertising provided by the coveted Dear Leader seal of approval? "There's been no negative feedback, but it hasn't affected sales either," Jennifer Yu, Director of Communications...

The White House has released the list of tech leaders meeting with President Obama this evening in San Francisco: • John Doerr, Partner, Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers • Carol Bartz, President and CEO, Yahoo! • John Chambers, CEO and Chairman, Cisco Systems • Dick Costolo, CEO, Twitter • Larry Ellison, Co-Founder and CEO, Oracle • Reed Hastings, CEO, NetFlix • John Hennessy, President, Stanford University • Steve Jobs, Chairman and CEO, Apple • Art Levinson, Chairman and former CEO, Genentech • Eric Schmidt, Chairman and CEO, Google • Steve Westly, Managing Partner and Founder, The Westly Group • Mark...

Heard a lot of stuff come out of the mouths of preachers this year. Encouraging criminal behavior from the pulpit is a new one.

In bars, restaurants and homes across Sweden champagne is flowing in abundance as Swedes enjoy a seemingly endless thirst for the bubbly beverage, spurred by a gastronomic "revolution" and a rosy economy. Champagne sales at stores run by the alcohol distribution monopoly Systembolaget are expected to hit an all-time high of one million bottles this year, excluding sales in bars and restaurants. That figure can be compared to 738,000 bottles sold last year and 287,000 a decade ago. "Drinking champagne is usual now and it's common not only at the weekend or to celebrate a special event, it's an everyday...

Cognac to blow your head, and wallet, away Thu Jun 14, 2007 1:47AM EDT     By Pauline AskinSYDNEY (Reuters Life!) - It could well end up being the most expensive hangover of your life.A Sydney hotel is offering patrons a rare cognac for A$480 a glass ($403) -- the cost of one-week's rent for a two-bedroom flat in the city -- to cash in on what it believes is the growing desire for a "Ferrari lifestyle" among Sydneysiders."It's a taste that promises to seduce not only your nose and tongue but your entire body," said Laurent Branover, the...