Swag,

Swag, xxxxx Style

Swag: items given freely, such as to promote a band, event or company. "Stuff" obtained for free.

When you write for a major publication, you are often invited to black tie events and dine for free. Covering something like the Oscars, and you may go home with a coveted "goodie bag" worth a lot of money.

When you write for a community website and a paper in a small town and write about the lack of anything remotely resembling baby Jesus at Christmas time that was not a Christmas ornament, you may be lucky enough to get a "fan gift" like this one:

A real talking Jesus doll was dropped off at my office by a reader who wishes to remain anonymous, but would like to see their special gift on-line.

Here's a view of talking Jesus out of the box:

You can get your own locally at Bi Lo on Carolina Avenue, or read about them on their website: http://www.one2believe.com/

Thank you, my friend, for the most surprising gift of 2008!