With Christmas coming up in a week and the last-minute shopping season kicking into high gear at grocery stores, drugs stores, and convenience stores across the country, it’s time to come up with some gift ideas. . . like air fresheners or those troll things. No huh? Step into a handful of SlimJims? No?! Are you sure? They're individually wrapped! Ok, fine, what would make a good gift for a loved one? A not-so-loved one? A quasi-enemy? A boss? Or a politician? Come on people we need ideas!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Question: Christmas Gift Ideas!
With Christmas coming up in a week and the last-minute shopping season kicking into high gear at grocery stores, drugs stores, and convenience stores across the country, it’s time to come up with some gift ideas. . . like air fresheners or those troll things. No huh? Step into a handful of SlimJims? No?! Are you sure? They're individually wrapped! Ok, fine, what would make a good gift for a loved one? A not-so-loved one? A quasi-enemy? A boss? Or a politician? Come on people we need ideas!
No way Bossman! You're not putting us on the hook for making presents for all the C-rama readers! Not without some serious overtime!
ReplyDeletei checked out shari's berries today (rush pegged them). they are having a special if you order by friday and i don't know who wouldn't want some of that deliciousness. couchcoughmecough.
ReplyDeleteFor a female loved one, a Pandora bracelet. For readers, the new Clancy, "Dead or Alive." For conservative friends, a subscription to National Review or Heritage. For those looking for a great sound system in a lifestyle format, the gemstone Bose speakers due a fantastic job where decor is paramount. Although, not a full 5.1 or 7.1 system, it does fill up a smaller room.
ReplyDelete. . . or, perhaps a partridge in a pear tree or world peace :)
as i reread my comment, i realized it could be confused with sexual innuendo. um, merry christmas to you!
ReplyDeleteBRE, You have suspicious minds... but now that you mention it! LOL!
ReplyDeletePatti, LOL! Yeah, I could see where that would be innuendo! But that's ok. Innuendo spices up all conversations! :-)
ReplyDeleteJed, Nice list! That kind of puts my plan to give air fresheners and SlimJims to shame! Perhaps I should reconsider? :-(
ReplyDeleteI'd like Santa to bring a HUGE new television, but I'm not sure I've been nice enough. Maybe I can do a little extra-credit work this week?
Ok, ok... Patti, just because we love you and we want to support Rush's "Obscene Profit Time Outs", we'll think about the berries...
ReplyDeleteBossman, we Elves get hit with this kind of duty every year. We need to rewrite our contract!
Nice list, Jed!
ReplyDeleteMe, I was kind of hoping for a heated car seat, but I went and bought one. Then I kind of wanted a new George Foreman grill with interchangeable waffle plates, but then I just went ahead and ordered that too.
I'd say good old love and peace on Earth, but I'm guessing you're looking for something more materialistic?
BRE, What part of "unionized slave labor" don't you understand! ;-)
ReplyDeleteSeriously, I'd love to let you have Christmas off, but we have contracts with Santa and you know how mean he can get!
Crispy, Yeah, we need materialistic. I'm trying to come up with a good list. The heated car seat would be nice, but my car has those installed.
ReplyDeleteAndrew, if those you are buying presents for are open to conservative ideas--that is, if they aren't my sister--I would suggest giving them some books that lay out our side of the argument. Hayek's "The Road to Serfdom" and Thomas Sowell's "Intellectuals and Society"--okay, let's face it, anything by Thomas Sowell--would be a good start. For those who are, like myself, of a more religious bent, G.K. Chesterton's "Orthodoxy" or, to dovetail with the recent movie, C.S. Lewis' "Narnia" volumes, might work better. Or, if they're into suspense novels, the national security books by Vince Flynn, especially the recent "Pursuit of Honor," would make a good gift.
ReplyDeleteIf they are too closed-minded to appreciate such gifts--I don't know, get them a keychain or something.
Crispy, you sound just like my mother-in-law: tells us what she would like or needs and then goes out and buys it herself. It makes gift giving VERY DIFFICULT - LOL!
ReplyDeleteBy the way, my husband would like an MP3 player or something along those lines. Does anyone have any suggestions that are reasonably priced? Thanks!
TJ
Unionized slave labor?? Now you're talking life under Obama!
ReplyDeleteCrispy - you need to get together with Patti. Elves love berry-topped waffles. Just sayin'!
Nice bottles of wine, a gift card to their favorite store, or a donation to their favorite charity.
ReplyDeleteI tried the charity thing last couple of years to mild success. When someone would ask what I wanted for Christmas, I asked them to make a donation to their favorite charity in my name 'cause I have enough stuff. It serves a trio of purposes. A charity gets a much needed donation, the giver can take a tax deduction (more money the Gov't WON'T get to waste), and I don't have to dust/wash whatever it would have been.
Dont' get me wrong. I have treasured every gift I have been given. But I don't really need anything. And there are truly needy people in the world especially right now.
Anon, I know, it's terrible. I've often been told that I'm not allowed to buy anything for myself in December. But you're shopping online, you see a good sale and need to make a minimum for free shipping, and poof! Presents for yourself!
ReplyDeleteI've got a little Sony Walkman mp3 player that I really like. I just wanted something small and cheap to take the gym. Something I wouldn't mind maybe losing or getting stepped on. But I've been very happy with it.
T_Rav, Excellent suggestions! I love reading Sowell's stuff! And "Road to Serfdom" is something everyone should read!
ReplyDeleteI also like the key chain suggestion for our liberal friends. They can use the key chain to put their car keys on! Car keys to their polluting, gas guzzling, polar bear killing SUVs with the torn off Obama stickers! :-)
TJ, That does make it hard, that's for sure! I also run into the:
ReplyDelete"What do you want for Christmas?"
"Nothing."
"There must be something?"
"No."
Hmm.
BRE, Yep, welcome to Obama's World! LOL!
ReplyDeleteBerries on waffles? Outrageous! Actually, that sounds tasty.
Thanks Crispy, I appreciate the tip and I know what you mean about shopping online - I love Ebay and Amazon.
ReplyDeleteTJ
Bev, Great idea!
ReplyDeleteI'm actually in a similar boat in that I don't need anything, so it's better not to get "stuff" for Christmas because I wouldn't know what to do with it at the moment.
Question for our barristers: How can a spending bill originate in the senate. Wouldn't that be unconstituional?
ReplyDeletei also bow to bev. you can't go wrong with booze. and as an aside to that, if you have a special someone who imbibes the hard stuff, i have had the new maker's 46. so smooth i almost slipped...
ReplyDeleteboilerroomelf: elves get hit with duty...hehe...
ReplyDeleteJed, Jed, Jed, You silly Constitutionalist. Don't you know that the Constitution is more like guidelines that are meant to stop Republican bills, but not Democratic bills?
ReplyDeleteSeriously though, you are correct, although it's really, really rare that the Supreme Court strikes down laws for Congress failing to follow the proper process. Also, in this case, I think the Court would find that so long as the House approved the budget as well, they followed enough of the process to count.
And in truth, for as long as I can recall, budgets have been handled in both chambers simultaneously.
Patti, "you can't go wrong with booze" -- LOL! Probably true. :-)
ReplyDeleteBill Clinton Corkscrew:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.amazon.com/CSB-Commodities-BCC1-Clinton-Corkscrew/dp/B001D6L8TC/ref=pd_bxgy_k_img_b
Blue dress not included.
Hillary Clinton Nutcracker
http://www.amazon.com/CSB-Commodities-HCN1-Hillary-Nutcracker/dp/B000UB0004/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1292451363&sr=1-2
Give it to your favorite womyn this year.
Obama toilet paper
http://www.amazon.com/Barack-Toilet-Novelty-Presidential-Bathroom/dp/B003EN9S58/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1292451426&sr=1-3
Because that's where the hope and change is headed.
LL, I've seen some of those before. Isn't the human race great? There is nothing people can't come up with to express themselves! :-)
ReplyDeleteI wonder if anyone has ever bought Hillary the nutcracker?
Patti - There's a Makers Mark 46? Mmmmm, Kentucky bourbon. I'll have to try and find a bottle.
ReplyDeleteBTW, Never order Jack Daniels in Kentucky. I learned the hard way what a faux pas that is...
Bev, Ok, I'll ask. . . what's the problem with Jack Daniels in Kentucky???
ReplyDeletehow much does it cost if one was interested in contractng labor from the BRE's this weekend, say? I have done NOTHING for Christmas yet. I usually make Christmas ornaments, but my last paper in my class kicked my tailfeathers. And somehow it is December 15TH!!!!! already... I think baking on Christmas Eve is going to have to cover it this year.
ReplyDeleteBTW I have missed y'all!!! Christmas at a church when the other office elf is out sick is NOT fun! (ooooh, more contracting opportunities!) I am so far behind I just started at the top!
Jack is Tennessee. There is a bit of an issue between us and our good neighbors to the North about who makes the better . . . well you get the idea.
ReplyDeletep.s. thanks for clarification on omnibus
ReplyDeleteBy the way, as far as the Boiler Room Elves go, isn't unionized slave labor what you get with Communism? Since they're on the side of the workers, once they take over all the workers' problems are magically solved because their interests are represented by the Communists, so if there are any more strikes, clearly it's the work of capitalist pawns and not true workers, and so they get crushed and...
ReplyDeleterlaWTX, Welcome back to the land of the living! I hope your paper went well?!
ReplyDeleteBaking is good, everybody loves cookies! :-)
You don't want to hire the BR Elves, they are constantly taking vacations, plus I think they run other businesses down in the boiler room without telling us!
Jed, Of course! Kentucky bourbon! I forgot (I'm not much or a drinker). Thanks!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome on the clarification.
T_Rav, Very true, that is exactly communism! But the BR Elves aren't communists, far from it. I think the union contract is a ruse to give them a base of operations from which to operate their entrepreneurial ventures. In fact, they seem to be huge capitalists in all other matters. . . or maybe they're just schemers? Hmmm.
ReplyDeleteI’m driving down Friday too pick up my mother for Christmas, and bring her up until the New Year. She had a hip replacement about two months ago, and I spoke with her yesterday, she seemed hesitant about coming up. So I called my uncle to see if something was wrong with mom, her concern is the she hadn’t been able to shop for gifts. However as a consolation, she’s baking cookies, making candies (divivinity…whoa!!!!) this thing called gooey-cake…dude!!! brownies, various pies, etc. A virtual dessert counter at your favorite deli, and it will be riding north with me. Think about that for a minute!…she was concerned that she wasn’t able to by me a gift. A quick message from an older buffalo, to moms, wives, daughters. “Keep the gift, bake cookies! Yum!!!" I may leave a day earlier.
ReplyDeleteThere is one problem, I have two brothers living in the Atlanta area, and though it’s Christmas, they can find their own gooey-cake!
Stan, I've honestly always felt that personal gifts are much better than anything you could ever buy. I have the same issue with greeting cards. I hate them. They're pre-manufactured thoughts designed so people don't need to actually think. Some computer prints the thing up, it's shipped to a million grocery stores, you toss it into the card, add a "happy holidays" and suddenly that's supposed to have meaning? Give me a break. Talk about impersonal. Why not just hire a service to fill out all the cards for you each year?
ReplyDeletebev: it's relatively new. they make one product great and have now added their second product: 46.
ReplyDeletea bit pricey, but worth it. had one on the rocks and one with coke (the liquid kind, not the snorting variety). both were fantastic.
OK I'm getting carbon credits for all!
ReplyDelete"And the three wise men followed the Star of Wonder to the place where Our Lord was resting. There they presented him with gifts of carbon credits, whole foods and a hybrid."
Okay Stan, you've got my curiosity up. What is gooey-cake and can I get the recipe?
ReplyDeleteTJ
ACG, Carbon credits, LOL! Truly an excellent Christmas gift idea!
ReplyDeleteTJ: It’s kind of like an incredibly rich Cheese Danish. She bakes it in a sheet cake pan. She will be up here in two or three days and I will get the recipe and post it. It’s wonderful.
ReplyDelete