Figuring out how to do the laundry, cook a basic meal or even wait for a handyman "are not crippling responsibilities" but rather "minor life skills" that can prove useful if the housekeeper cancels.

WSJ: Forget the Old College Try, Ring the Concierge

She is supported by a charity called United Response which has installed video phone technology into a number of homes to assist people with daily living - helping to compile shopping lists or advice on how to cook a basic meal.

BBC: NEWS | Health | Is technology the answer to social care?

Preoccupied with the faux pas of serving a heavy French meal on a hot summer eve, I had failed to take into account the more basic problem of cooking in Manhattan this time of year.

NPR: Cool and Comforting Ceviche

But in his world, which is not the world occupied by most people, it is the trimmings around the basic pay - the bonus scheme and the long-term incentive plan - that are the real and substantial remuneration meal.

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