• Home
  • Latest
  • Coins2Day 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

All I want for Christmas

By
Stanley Bing
Stanley Bing
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Stanley Bing
Stanley Bing
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 28, 2011, 1:36 PM ET

I don’t ask for much. A stable euro. An economic recovery. A new Congress. And a Vitamix.

FORTUNE — Dear Santa

Hi again. It’s me, Stan. How is Mrs. Claus? And the elves? Still on leave from Wharton? How about the North Pole? I hear it’s melting. That can’t be good. Anyhow, enough about you. This is about me, and all the good things I want to find under my tree this year. I know you’ve been following me on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and even Google+, so you know when I was sleeping, you know when I was awake, you know when I’ve been bad and good and that for the most part I’ve been better than a lot of guys in the business space. So here goes.

First, Santa, I’d like the euro to remain the safe and secure currency of Europe. True, it’s tempting to stand back and let them all fester in the swamp they’ve created, but a hedge fund guy explained to me what the euro’s collapse would mean to the world economy. Something about debt instruments being called in and total hysteria that would last for a decade. We don’t need that. We need stability, Santa. So please. Save the euro.

I would also like an iPhone 4S. I didn’t think I would, because the upgrade seemed like more of the same, but then a friend got one and I saw how that artificial intelligence entity worked. They call her Siri, Santa, and it’s pretty amazing what she can do. You say hi. She says hi. You ask her for the weather. She gives you the weather. Flight schedules? She’s got ’em. I asked her if she knew any jokes. “Two iPhones walk into a bar,” she replied in a cool robo-voice that gave my hardware a thrill. Then after a thoughtful pause she added, “I don’t remember the rest.” That really gave me a laugh.

Oh, and please bring me higher taxes. I’m not rich, Santa, and I spend mostly all I make, and every April I give back about half, but really, this is ridiculous. If a little bigger slice of my income can help close this gap between what we earn and what we owe? It’s a no-brainer.

I’d also like a Vitamix. It cooks soup, blends healthful drinks, and mixes ice cream — without attachments. I would use it primarily as a juicer, though. It could be a big part of my plan to get more antioxidants in 2012.

I’d like you to bring me new infrastructure, Santa. I can’t understand why those squabbling weenies in Washington can’t get their heads out of their Foggy Bottoms and create a bunch of jobs here. Come to think of it, Santa, seriously, I know it’s a big request, and it might take all year to deliver it, but could you bring me an entirely new Congress? I don’t like the one you brought me in 2010, and I’d like to return it. Can that be arranged? I’d forgo my other requests if you could grant that one. Except for the Vitamix.

And come to think of it, as you’re loading up your bag, could you possibly bring a sense of security in my investments, such as they are? I’m not asking for great returns. I know we’re living in an era of reduced expectations. But could we please not have any dramatic meltdowns next year? Just a nice, slow-moving, limp, and tepid recovery would be fine. You don’t even have to gift-wrap it.

I’d also like you to bring me a nice bundle of traditional media. I’m enjoying the digital revolution, but please make sure I can continue to read news of more than 140 characters in my newspapers and magazines, curl up with an actual book now and then, and watch movies on a screen that’s bigger than my pinkie.

And oh, yeah, don’t forget to bring me some damn privacy for yet another year. I know you have less and less to give as time goes by, and eventually all the privacy will belong only to the very rich and the very poor, but see if you can save a little bit for me, at least for a little while.

And world peace. Yeah. World peace would be nice. And an electric toothbrush. Thanks, Santa. Your cookies will be on the mantel, just like always.

This article is from the December 26, 2011 issue of  Coins2Day .

About the Author
By Stanley Bing
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in blogging

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Coins2Day Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Coins2Day Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Coins2Day Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Coins2Day Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Coins2Day Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Coins2Day Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Coins2Day Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Coins2Day Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Coins2Day Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Coins2Day Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Coins2Day Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Coins2Day Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Coins2Day 500
  • Global 500
  • Coins2Day 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Coins2Day Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Coins2Day Brand Studio
  • Coins2Day Analytics
  • Coins2Day Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Coins2Day
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

© 2026 Coins2Day Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Coins2Day Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.


Most Popular

placeholder alt text
North America
Gates Foundation plans to give away $9 billion in 2026 to prepare for the 2045 closure while slashing hundreds of jobs
By Sydney LakeJanuary 23, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Europe
Denmark offered to trade Greenland to the U.S. in 1910—and America thought it was crazy
By Steven Lamy and The ConversationJanuary 22, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Personal Finance
Sweden abolished its wealth tax 20 years ago. Then it became a 'paradise for the super-rich'
By Miranda Sheild Johansson and The ConversationJanuary 22, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
C-Suite
Jamie Dimon’s reality check for ambitious workers: ‘There’s going to be a grunt part to every part of a job. Get over it’
By Jake AngeloJanuary 23, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Politics
Latest deadly shooting by federal agents pushes government closer to shutdown as Trump claims Minnesota officials are 'inciting insurrection'
By Jason MaJanuary 24, 2026
13 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Apple cofounder Ronald Wayne sold his 10% stake for $800 in 1976—today it’d be worth up to $400 billion
By Preston ForeJanuary 23, 2026
2 days ago
0