Christmas Presents

[Dick Smith]

Christmas draws near, and thoughts turn to festive acquisitions. I have indeed received a wish list already...

The silliest idea so far seems to be the iDuck - you can see one at

http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/shopping/product/detailmain.jsp?itemID=5906&itemType=PRODUCT&iMainCat=1094&iSubCat=1097&iProductID=5906

A much better idea is to give a gift not to your friend or family member, but instead a gift in their name to a person less fortunate. This could be a fishing net for £6, a goat for a Bangladeshi farmer for £13, or planting a forest for £4000. There are hundreds of projects you can sponsor to suit all price ranges. The person in whose name you give the gift gets a card telling them what you have bought and you have the knowledge that your money will do something more useful than buy boot-sale fodder. The organisation, World Vision, is Christian (and I am not) but they spend 85% of what they raise on aid projects, only 2% going to admin costs. The do have a missionary activity, but it seems pretty civilised. Have a look at

http://www.greatgifts.org/(m42f3k55qljrsy22111wd2y4)/giftselection/products.aspx?all=1

(sorry, you'll have to cut and paste as the software doesn't like Macs)

to see what you can do.

Thanks for reading this, no replies needed, just get your credit cards warm.

[Dog]

I shall be supporting my usual charities, yet will still find a dictionary for Dicksmith this yuletide.

[Russethouse]

Notice Oxfam are offering 'vouchers'

http://www.oxfamunwrapped.com/

Examples - Brood of chickens - £10

Train a mobile teacher - £29

Starter pack of seeds and tools £24

Excellent !!

[Piprob]

Herself and me agree this is a good idea. We'll be going for World Vision.

And what would Dick do with a Dictionary except use it as a door-stop? His vocab is wide enough!

[Iceni]

As someone who is 'Bah  Humbug' all the way through and does not do presents but gives money to those that need (my disabled daughter has a cheque towards her huge travel costs) and have given to various charities over the years I do find that there is always someone who will not play the game.

We stated last year that we 'do not do' presents for friends and would you believe it, someone said that they did not believe us and gave us something totally useless and fairly expensive to boot. This scenario was then repeated on my birthday in January - WHY won't they listen. We give bottles of wine when we go out to dinner and try to give help and support throughout the year to anyone who needs it as it is given to us - this is the real proof of friendship.

I am breaking my rule of spending money for one or two people. My two business partners, one of whom I have never met and we have been working together for 4+ years. I may well buy something out of one of the charity catalogues as I know I have a similar type of present from one of them. My 85 year old aunt who at her age deserves as much happiness as possible, so a very French material bread basket will be posted over. My two grandchildren will get a little something (slippers or hats and scarves) and that is that, Oh John has been offered a good bottle of single malt by me as a present (the last bottle of 18 year old liquid gold lasted 2 years so he is fairly frugal with it).

Now, who can I send the chickens to??????? Perhaps my business partners, they would really appreciate something like that - thanks for the wonderful idea.

Oh, I forgot, we have grown loads of blackcurrent bushes from good stock and those have been promised to friends with gardens - presents that took time and effort on our part.

Christmas has always baffled me, it is not my birthday so why should I get presents.

[Dog]

[quote]Herself and me agree this is a good idea. We'll be going for World Vision. And what would Dick do with a Dictionary except use it as a door-stop? His vocab is wide enough![/quote]

I'd check out the proportion of cash that reaches the unfortunate from World Vision some time ago it was found over 90% was spent on administration.

I don't disagree that Dick has width in his vocabulary I just question if he knows what these words mean.

[Russethouse]

Oxfam give 'vouchers' for your purchase, I thought it might be fun to put one in a 'fill it yourself' cracker ! (or is that defeating the object ?)

[SaligoBay]

Well, I have complete faith in Dick's width. 

Thank you for posting this, DickSmith, it's reminded me how out-of-touch I am here in France!   I used to like all the charity mags that came in in the UK, here it's only the usual LeClerc and SuperU and Intermarché selling Christmas tat.

You have inspired me to get off my fat Ar senal and do something about it. 

[Dick Smith]

[quote]I'd check out the proportion of cash that reaches the unfortunate from World Vision some time ago it was found over 90% was spent on administration. I don't disagree that Dick has width in his vocabul...[/quote]

Doggy - if you could read you would note that I gave that information - 85% goes to recipients (source: their audited website). And if you don't want to give to World Vision then give to Oxfam, or Sightsavers or the others that have been mentioned in this thread. But of course, as I posted this thread you just want to rubbish it. You use the idea of charity donations to make your snidey little points.

You are a sad and bitter person. Get a life. I will not respond any further to your pathetic sniping.

[Dog]

[quote]Doggy - if you could read you would note that I gave that information - 85% goes to recipients (source: their audited website). And if you don't want to give to World Vision then give to Oxfam, or Sig...[/quote]

You really are ungentlemanly and I hereby rename you Mr Malaprop as you don't seem to use English in the same way as others. I will ignore you in future as it will save me time trying to educate you. You truly think you are always correct - I am dumbfounded. Sorry you won't understand that word.