Topic: Trinkets

President Obama launched the "We Can't Wait" campaign, using executive orders to bypass Congress to cut government waste. During a teleconference, Obama mentioned saving money on "travel, technology, and trinkets." He also made a confusing reference to a "Super Duper Space Wrench" used to track government spending, which the hosts mock as a sign of incompetence.

Dvorak details the "prison-like" service on Aeroflot flights just before the fall of communism, including reused plastic cups and meals served on aluminum platters. He notes that Russian flight crews would stock up on makeup in London because it was unavailable in the USSR. Curry adds that in 1988, travelers were advised to bring lipsticks, chocolate, and Matchbox cars as trinkets to bribe hotel floor attendants for basic services like phone calls.