Have a lunch meeting with a client or colleague where you’d rather choke on the breadbasket than sit there? Perhaps suggest that you NOT do lunch. You’ll get out of a painful get-together, yet come out smelling like roses for your charitable heart.

Jon Bon Jovi also seems to have a unique way of giving back, but he’d rather you eat. His New Jersey restaurant, The Soul Kitchen, opened its doors, but there’s a charitable catch. There are no prices on the menu, and not because the food costs that much. Instead, diners “pay-what-they-can.” However, it’s no soup kitchen.

Also helping raise awareness for a good cause—and gaining some brand awareness while at it—Crystal Light and its PR team at Ketchum. They’re working with The National Conservancy to put a focus on the sustainability of our U.S. freshwater supply.

Meanwhile, were you aware it’s the 40th anniversary of 1971’s “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” this year? It warms the heart to hear our beloved Oompa-Loompas still have a song to sing. (via The Daily Beast)



You might also not have realized that up until recently, there was more than one Zuckerberg working at the office. Mark’s older sister Randi, 29, is ready to no longer be referred to simply as, well, Mark’s older sister.

Speaking of Mark Zuckerberg, the Facebook CEO has gone all Whitney Houston and hired a permanent bodyguard. No word yet on whether Kevin Costner’s services were requested.

While Marky-Z is busy spending his billionaires on his personal safety, “Back to the Future” fans will most likely be saving their money to spend on a new DeLorean coming in 2013. Unfortunately, you’ll still need roads to get where you’re going. It’s all-electric, but doesn’t quite fly. Flux capacitor not included.

It’s no secret what Victoria’s Secret hopes Middle Easterners will spend their money on. The question is whether its lingerie boutiques should have fitting rooms or not overseas.

Perhaps Reed Hastings might want to take the Zuckerberg approach and spend his dollars on some security. Seems Skype co-founder Janus Friis is gunning for Netflix with a yet-to-launch video Vdio. You can visit its initial splash page here.

Not everyone will be spending their money on new ventures or a beefy bodyguard. Despite third quarter organic sales growth of 6.4 percent, Publicis anticipates a slower Q4. However, the company’s chief executive Maurice Levy doesn’t “see any signs that we’re entering into a recessionary cycle.” Between the Olympics and it being a presidential election year, Levy says major clients aren’t slashing their budgets for 2012.

If things do get bad, it might be harder for McDonald’s to hire back the likes of Megan Mullally or John Goodman to hawk its food. See which other celebs used to flip burgers in commercials for the Golden Arches before making it big.