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Financial firms and other companies receiving billions of dollars in federal bailout money spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for meetings and charitable gifts on behalf of lawmakers. In the last six months of 2008, as a financial crisis enveloped the country and lawmakers voted on a $700 billion financial rescue package, eight companies that would benefit from that package spent roughly $366,000 on events and charities connected to members of Congress, according to a review of congressional lobbying records. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored mortgage companies, spent more than $330,000 in the period, but since...

Unlike Bill and Hillary Clinton, George and Laura Bush will take few treasured mementos with them from their years at the White House. When the Clintons left the White House in January 2001, the former first couple took with them more than 50 gifts -- including a chandelier, flatware, and paintings -- valued at nearly $200,000. The Bushes, however, borrowed from furnishings that already existed within the White House collection, said Sally McDonough, press secretary to Laura Bush. "Mrs. Bush -- having the experience of being at the White House when her father-in-law was president -- knew how many beautiful...

US President George W. Bush's foreign policies may be unpopular in the Middle East, but Arab leaders showered his top diplomat with jewelry worth far more than a quarter of a million dollars last year. While Bush himself didn't fare nearly as well, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice raked in at least $316,000 in gem-encrusted baubles from the kings of Jordan and Saudi Arabia alone, making her one of top recipients among US officials of gifts from foreign heads of state and government and their aides in 2007. In January, Jordan's King Abdullah II gave Rice an emerald and...

Came across this while cruising AOL this a.m. They listed something like 50 examples but here's just s few (in no particular order). Enjoy! P.S. What was your worst? Worst Gift You Ever Got For the second time, we asked AOL users to share their stories of the worst gifts they ever got, and boy, some were doozies. "My husband and I... He set one of mine aside and told me it would be last, as it was really special....It was a very high-tech bathroom scale. ================================ "My grandmother purchased a container made from four emply coffee cans connected...and decorated...

<p>“Old-fashioned inexpensive retro toys, such as red rubber balls, simple building blocks, clay and crayons, that don’t cost so much and are usually hidden in the back shelves are generally healthier for children than the electronic educational toys that have fancier boxes and cost $89.99,” says Temple University developmental psychologist Kathy Hirsh-Pasek.</p>

In this most sacred of seasons, the spirit of giving is meant to be infallible, and a giver's generosity beyond reproach. I learned this the hard way right before Thanksgiving, when I shared the worst presents I'd ever received. This story caused many readers to call me ungrateful, materialistic, and things that are not appropriate to repeat in a family blog. But, you know what? I'm continuing the crusade. Because it's OK to say it: Some gifts are bad. They should not be given. Even if you hate the person, even if you picked them in the work Secret Santa...

A Muslim lawyer has launched an extraordinary rant against Christmas, branding the celebration 'evil'. Hate preacher Anjem Choudary claimed the festival was the 'pathway to hell' and urged his followers to boycott it. 'In the world today many Muslims, especially those residing in Western countries, are exposed to the evil celebration Christmas,' he raged in a sermon broadcast on the internet. 'Many take part in the festival celebrations by having Christmas turkey dinners. 'Decorating the house, purchasing Christmas trees or having Christmas turkey meals are completely prohibited by Allah. 'Many still practise this corrupt celebration as a remembrance of the...

Short of gift ideas for that person who really does have everything? Then how about an underwear repair kit or maybe a Barack Obama "Yes, We Can" can opener? Web site Stupid.com, which claims finding a truly stupid gift is an art form, on Tuesday unveiled its second annual list of the top 10 "stupidest" holiday gifts for 2008. "2008 might have been a bad year for the economy, but it was a great year for stupidity," said Stupid.com's founder Gary Apple. "Weird products seemed to come out of the woodwork this year. There was almost too much stupidity to...

10/7/2008 - DALLAS (AFNS) -- By simply logging on to a Web site or calling a toll-free number, any American can now give Army and Air Force Exchange Service gift cards to military families worldwide. "We're not even charging to ship these cards," said Chief Master Sgt. Jeffry Helm, AAFES' senior enlisted adviser. "Whether the AAFES gift card is sent down the street or overseas, shipping is free. AAFES gift cards can be redeemed at base and post exchanges worldwide by active-duty troops and their families, as well as military retirees. "With the economy the way it is, now is...

This much is good and true and right: "It is better to give than to receive." But this axiom implies an interaction between two parties — a giver and a receiver. This is a really big lesson that I learned in a rather hard way. Like most of us, I feel — and I don't mean this in either a bragging or complaining kind of way — that I have been a giver for most of my life. It is kind of who I am. Then, several years ago, I underwent a couple of joint replacement surgeries. After each procedure...

BAYRK, Iraq, Feb. 4, 2008 – Making a positive impact, no matter how little, on the lives of Iraqis is a big part of current operations by coalition forces in the Fahama region. Army 1st Lt. Nick Piergallini, an Easton, Pa., native who serves as platoon leader for 1st Platoon, Company D, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multinational Division Baghdad, currently attached to Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1-68th AR, talks to a shop owner about his business needs in Bayrk, Iraq, Feb. 2, 2008. Piergallini was trying to find out...

The reflection of Army Staff Sgt. Carlos Escuza is shown in the mirror of a Humvee in the International Zone while he is packing school supplies for a Baghdad elementary school. The staff sergeant and others helped deliver supplies, toys and candy to children, Dec. 26. Photo by Air Force Staff Sgt. Christopher Frost. BAGHDAD — Making a visible, positive impact during a tour in Iraq is something that every deployed servicemember thinks of. For a U.S. Army staff sergeant deployed to the Multi-National Security Transition Command – Iraq, the quest to make his impact took him to Iraqi neighborhoods...

Have you ever received a Christmas gift you didn’t want? Idiot mittens from grandma. A subscription to the deodorant-of-the-month club. Membership to the “We Fix Fat People” gym and spa. Yes, we’ve all received bad gifts. But do you remember what it felt like? Burdened. Insulted. Irritated. Disturbed. All are candidates. Naturally, however, you smiled and said, “Thank You” while you secretly considered how to dispose of the new curse you’d acquired. And, of course, if someone gives you a bad gift once, next year’s gift is preambled with a nice holiday dose of anxiety to boot. So if that’s...

What I want for Christmas - Here link here

How prepared are you for Christmas? A lot of singles I know and who live on their own do not really do much for Christmas in the way of decorations or buying any special food etc for Christmas. A lot of them get an invite for the day to spend either with friends or family members and therefore their sole preparation is buying a few gifts for the people likely to be at this event and maybe contributing either monetarily to the host/hostess or taking a few food/drink items on the day. So as a single you think you are...

For those of you who have kids, grandkids, nieces, nephews or whatever and are stuck on what to get them for Christmas..... Here's a list of recommended books that can only be found in certain educational book stores.

12/10/2007 - DALLAS (AFPN) -- Military advocates across America are making their support work twice as hard with Army and Air Force Exchange Service "Gifts from the Homefront" gift certificates. While assistance sent through this troop-support initiative provides for the immediate needs of troops throughout operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, revenue generated from the redemption of the gift certificates also strengthens important quality of life efforts for military Families closer to home. "AAFES' dual mission to serve America's troops and generate funds to support military Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs means that resources dedicated to 'Gifts from the Homefront'...

WHEN Jena Slosberg of Bedford, N.H., gave birth in March, she endured a labor that lasted 17 hours. But her discomfort was ultimately worth it, quite apart from the arrival of her daughter, Marin. In the recovery room, her husband, Paul, presented her with a pair of diamond earrings. “I was on cloud nine,” Ms. Slosberg said. “It was the perfect present to make a frazzled, sleep-deprived, first-time mommy feel absolutely glamorous.” She added, “I wonder what 17 hours of labor will get me next time?” ...In a more innocent age, new mothers generally considered their babies to be the...

Holiday Shopping: Putting Our Money Where Our Mouth Is Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah FRiends! This is the time of year that is special because is engenders the spirit of giving and selflessness of its sacred origins. Each of us, in his or her own way, has a special place in our heart for this joyful time. As we put others' needs and desires first, as we look forward to the expression of surprise and delight on our loved ones' faces as they receive our gifts, as we peruse the ailes, let us consider the economic import of our duty. Some...

18 retailers are having their Online Black Friday Sales today! Walmart's sale starts at 5:00am EST, while Staples starts at 6:00am EST and Amazon's starts at 3:00am EST, all other sales are either going on right now or will start very shortly