Nobody shouted at us about landing in inboxes unannounced last Sunday, so we took that as a sign to continue the good work. Welcome to the second edition of Ghost Mail Weekender, a Sunday mailer designed to help you be more interesting.

After all, we are what we read! I mean eat. We are what we eat.

This week, aside from an excellent story about a dog and the danger of incentives, as well as excellent ways to spend your money on crazy things, human.writer founder Dominique Olivier takes you through the quartz crisis that changed the Swiss watchmaking industry forever. I still think there are some parallels here to lab-grown diamonds, but time will tell. Speaking of time, you can jump straight to her quartz crisis piece at this link>>>

Or, you can stick around a bit longer and learn that you aren't alone in this world, no matter how bad you feel.

You see, it doesn’t take more than a scroll through a news website or your daily Twitter feed to make you feel like humanity is more divided than ever. Yet despite the things that separate us, there will always be those unmissable parts of life that bring us together. 

Here’s one for you: according to a Cash App survey, 54% of Gen Z taxpayers said that filing their taxes has made them cry in the past, or that they expect it will this year. So the next time the reality of tax season brings tears to your eyes, just remember that approximately 1.38 billion people are crying with you.

Unity, brought to you by SARS (and other global tax collectors).

Have a terrific day!

The Finance Ghost (follow on X) | Dominique Olivier (connect on LinkedIn)

TL;DR: In 1908, a heroic French dog was rewarded with a beefsteak for saving a drowning child from the river Seine. The same dog would go on to save multiple other children from drowning in the days that followed. Coincidence? As it turns out, no.

In the early 1900s, a resident of France who lived near the Seine acquired a Newfoundland dog. This particular breed is renowned for its swimming prowess and is often lauded as a rescuer in water-related emergencies.

And yes, we know that the caped canine in the picture isn't a Newfoundland. Stay with us.

Sure enough, sometime in late 1907 or 1908, the dog lived up to its genetic potential and performed an extraordinary feat of heroism. As recounted by The New York Times, "a child playing on the riverbank fell into the water and was in immediate peril of drowning. Hearing the cries and splashes, the dog leaped over a hedge, dashed down the bank, and plunged into the stream just in time to rescue the little one." 

The dog was hailed as a true hero, but instead of a medal, his reward came in the form of a meal. As reported by The Inquirer, "naturally, the brave animal received much adoration, and in gratitude, the child's father presented him with a succulent beefsteak." 

This incident imparted a valuable lesson to the dog: save a child, earn a steak dinner. This was a lesson that would prove consequential within days. "Another child fell into the water and was rescued by the dog," reported The Inquirer, "and once again, the dog was rewarded, this time with some affection and yet another beefsteak." 

Strangely, incidents continued to occur. Almost daily, a child would mysteriously tumble into the river, and coincidentally, the same heroic dog would be there to pull them to safety. Each time, the dog was hailed as a hero and treated to a nice meal for his noble efforts.

Hmmm.

If this narrative strikes you as suspicious, you're not alone in thinking so. The community began to fear that a malevolent individual was attempting to drown their children, prompting them to establish a neighbourhood watch along the riverbank. Their suspicions were soon confirmed when someone witnessed a wrongdoer pushing a child into the water.

The culprit? None other than the dog, of course.

The dog had learned that rescuing a child from the river would result in a delectable steak, and being a dog, he rather enjoyed steak. However, to receive the reward, there needed to be a child in need of rescue, and such instances were rare. Hence, it became necessary to take matters into his own paws. Suffice to say, no further beefsteaks were forthcoming. 

To quote Charlie Munger: “Show me the incentive and I’ll show you the outcome.”

Markets. Dogs. Same same.

Full disclosure: The Finance Ghost is a cat person, although wagging tails aren't exactly a hardship either. Unless you're next to a river.

1. A meal in a space balloon

$495k. That's the price tag for the six-hour "Stratospheric Dining Experience" aboard Space Perspective's Spaceship Neptune, soaring 30 kilometres above sea level. The Michelin Star restaurant sits in a pressurised cabin that can accommodate six diners. What are they serving in there? Probably deconstructed lobster thermidor. 

2. A really expensive tipple

If you somehow have any money left for a worthwhile nightcap after that aforementioned dinner experience, then you’ll probably enjoy the special edition whiskey created by Woodford Reserve to celebrate the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby. The cost? 15 grand. That's dollars, by the way. $15k - or around R285k a bottle. You better hope that this is a sipping whiskey. 

3. The lure of your life

What do they say about easy come, easy go? Well, you can literally throw a million dollars (aka R19 million) when you throw a MacDaddy Million Dollar Fishing Lure, which is encrusted in diamonds and rubies. If I were a fish, I’d be offended at the thought of being caught by anything less.

4. An undrivable Lamborghini

Here’s a conundrum that someone, somewhere in the world (probably Dubai) is facing: do they drop somewhere around $500,000 on a full-sized Lamborghini Aventador, or spend $7.5 million on a 1:8 scale model? We really are reaching new levels of ridiculousness when a solid gold model costs as much as a garage full of supercars. Decisions, decisions.

5. A candle

In case you still haven't burnt all your money on this list, here's a more literal way to get it done. Best of all, it should smell nice while burning. Jo Malone’s luxury candles come in a range of scents like Peony & Blush Suede and Pomegranate Noir, and are priced over R10k - or roughly a one-month instalment on a snazzy BMW. That’s a whole new definition of getting lit.