No Free Lunch Christmas Tale of Toy Maker Turned Empire
A satirical history tracks a toy maker’s bankruptcy, hostile takeovers, and name changes from S. Claus Company to Esselaus then Clauxx. Merged into a weapons producer, it pivots to launch toylike militarized equipment, including a $35,000 VIP hobbyhorse, while warning that no free gift arrives without effort. Russell Baker report for The New York Times News Service.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Boozy Playthings of
North America
Boozu
S. Claus Company Inc
Tronpoxx
S. Claus Company
Essclaus
Nome
Taiwan
S. Claus
Esselaus
Harvard Business School
Essclauxx
Sclausesis
Gorge
Mammoth
Washington
Pentagon
Clauxx
West Virginia Capitol Dome gilding bids spark fiscal fury
Editorial urges halting gold leafing of the Capitol Dome as WV faces unemployment and a $37 million revenue shortfall. Criticizes bureaucratic extravagance amid budget crisis, noting a $469,347 low bid and a higher $2.79 million bid, with protests from the Jobs and Human Needs council.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
West Virginia
Arch Moore
Capitol Dome
Capitol
State Department of Finance and Administration
International Restoration Specialists
Worchester
Mass
Moore
Gov. Moore
Community Christmas Tree Fund Reaches $10,000 Goal
In Bluefield the annual fund, started by the Shott family, meets its $10,000 target, enabling about 1,000 underprivileged children to glimpse the meaning of Christmas. Residents give generously even amid economic trials, proving the area’s solidarity and care for others.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bluefield
Shott
Scott Shott
John Shott
Nasty Ned and His Nasty Nose Pickers
A shopper recounts a frustrating Christmas music hunt. In a store, a young clerk misidentifies Bing Crosby as Ben Crosby, then the supervisor struggles to understand the request for Crosby’s tapes. The exchange highlights miscommunication and lingering holiday nostalgia.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Ned
Bing Crosby
Crosby, Stills and Nash
Hope
St. Mary’s
Ben Crosby
Ben
Bing
Crosby
Perry Como
Nose Pickers
Christmas music catalog ends with chipmunks delight
A humorous exchange over holiday records shows a clerk offering various artists while the narrator seeks a Bing Crosby level classic. The shopper ultimately buys The Chipmunks Christmas, noting small singers can still entertain. Lewis Grizzard writes for Cowles Syndicate, Inc. and King Features Syndicate.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Lewis Grizzard
Cowles Syndicate, Inc
King Features Syndicate
Nutrition help appreciated in Bramwell letter
A Bramwell Nutrition cents note thanks volunteers and donors for the December 6 hot dog sale at the Bramwell nutrition site. The letter acknowledges generous contributions from Burger King Virginia Foods Deskins and Krogers and praises all who worked to ensure the event’s success.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Bramwell
Burger King
Virginia Foods
Deskins and
Krogers
Christmas Vacation and the Timeless Lesson of Rest
William Buckley ponders Christmas as a time to pause from daily pressures, recalling his father’s hard‑driven rule that “there is never a convenient time to take a vacation.” He notes presidents and world events under strain, yet highlights Christmas’ meaning and the holiday’s spiritual reminder amid politics and turmoil. Buckley writes from Universal Press Syndicate.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Pompeii
United States
Great Britain
Britain
Hitler
St. Lucia
Grenada
Ronald Reagan
Mikhail Gorbachev
Sierra Club
Democratic Caucus
Anthony Lewis
Turkey
Bethlehem
Also Mentioned on This Page
Russell Baker
The
N.Y
Times News Service
Suguts Sunse
Aime
Charleston
Andy Williams
Stark Nekkid
Johnny Mathis
Roger Whittaker
Robert Goulet
Steve Lawrence
Eydie Gorme
Fredia Shumate Bramwell Nutrition
Bramwell, W.va
Nero
Rome
Reagan
Christ
Martin Luther King
New York
Columbus
Washington’s
William Buckley
Universal Press Syndicate
William
Buckley
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