I would much rather get a gift card than any of the other things? This is a large step up from a glass bowl (which looks to be worth about $15 so it doesn't seem like they've stepped down in terms of pricing here).
@allyzay: Lambertson Truex is a crazy-expensive leather goods and accessories brand. Unless the aforesaid bag was made out of cardboard/cloth, I think Conde Nast's Xmas party favors definitely peaked in 2006.
@raincoaster: I can pretty well track the health of the economy via my holiday gifts from work.
2005: North Face jacket
2006: Nano
2007: Fila hoodie
2008: Nothing
2009: Company raffle for 75 gift cards, including 3 lucky souls who received $50 cards to The Olive Garden. I got nada.
My boss cut everyone's pay by 4% last month and Christmas presents just arrived this morning: a Starbucks card for $5 and a note saying "Thanks a latte!" I'm giving mine to the first homeless person I see on the street.
In 1990, Prudential Securities got rid of the dental plan, then gave us sugary toffee brittle as a Christmas gift. More than one wag in the law department stuffed the "candy" in an interoffice envelope, smashed it up with their shoe, and sent it anonymously to the CEO. His assistant went wild after opening up about 20 of these and circulated a curt memo. This produced more toffee in the mail basket. Good times!
@bytememehard: The non-sarcastic answer is 2 days of lunch (possibly three, depending on how much you eat), which is not a bad gift. There are days, hungover days, where I'd kill a man for 2 free lunches. Their cafeteria is nice! Not, like, Google nice, but nice!
oh come on Gawker at least they're not tossing around money frivolously in light of cutbacks, firings, and getting rid of magazines. yeah, its a shitty gift, but at least its appropriate. you would have skewered them too if the staffers actually received something nice.
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I'm in the minority on the Orrefors for Conde 2005 bowl, but I like it.
[www.orrefors.us]
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Although yeah, it DOES remind me of the year every one of my friends got an iPod from their boss and I got slipper socks from mine.
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2005: North Face jacket
2006: Nano
2007: Fila hoodie
2008: Nothing
2009: Company raffle for 75 gift cards, including 3 lucky souls who received $50 cards to The Olive Garden. I got nada.
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And yes, I did it too.
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94: overnight bag
95: bike messenger bag
96: remaindered Harper Collins vegetarian cookbook
97: VHS of Independence Day.
No one can lower the bar better than Uncle Rupert.
09:46 AM
12/15/09
12/15/09
12/15/09
Anyway, I hope they don't fulfill the rest of my subscription with How.