By Debbie Schlussel
10% of Americans wait until today to start shopping for Christmas gifts (5% wait until AFTER the holiday). And statistics show–and anti-male news reports beat you over the head with it–that many men are only buying their Christmas gifts today, Christmas Eve. But that’s not a bad thing. It tells us that men are too busy worrying about more important priorities, like work and providing for their families. Women shop. Men buy gifts. There’s a big difference in the time commitments for the two distinctly different activities.
But, for those of you who haven’t yet bought your gifts, many stores and malls are open, even until 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. And I’ve put together a list of a few things I like. For those that can only be ordered online, you can give a card with a notice that you ordered this and it will arrive in a few days. That’s what many Wii-givers are doing, with the shortage of units instantly available at stores. Here are my recommendations:
Miscellaneous/Universal Gift

* HoMedics Massagers, especially the Shiatsu Massage: Why spend upwards of $100 for a one-time appointment for your spouse/friend with a real masseur/masseusse, when you can buy years of instant massages in the comfort of the recipient’s home? That’s what the HoMedics massagers do. Whether or not you have a sore or bad back, you will love this and can work it while you watch TV or a DVD or while you’re at your computer. The massage pad seat is portable and can fit on any chair or couch. They’re equipped with a remote control, in which you can choose the intensity and area of massage, and works very well. I own this product, and I love it. Plus, I’ve tried all of the various models. I recommend forgoing the more pricey models that have heat and going for the ones that have both Shiatsu and Rolling massage in one.
They range in price from $40 to $150, with heat, rolling massages, and Shiatsu-style massage. At Bed, Bath, and Beyond and Linens ‘N’ Things, you can use a 20% off coupon and get them even more cheaply. These are also available at CVS, Walgreen’s, Wal-Mart, Kmart, Target, Meijer, Macy’s, Kohl’s, and pretty much every major retailer, so you can find them at the last minute.
Added bonus: The owners of the privately-held HoMedics, a Detroit area company, are pro-Israel are former Israelis and kids of Holocaust survivors. I know them personally. CEO Alon Kaufman, a former Israeli, is a big donor to the Friends of the Israeli Defense Forces, other pro-Israel endeavors, and many conservative Republican candidates. Yes, Muslims, another set of great products by THE JOOOOS that you must add to your boycott list and cannot enjoy with the rest of us. I went to school with his Alon’s wife, Shari Ferber Kaufman, whose father and my late grandfather, Isaac, were good friends, as they were both Holocaust survivors from the same area of Poland and fellow members of the Radomer Society (for Holocaust survivors), a landsmanschaft (an immigrant benevolent organization formed by ex-residents of the same locality, town, or district).
Movie Lovers (Although I’ve listed Amazon prices, you can probably find these at Best Buy, Wal-Mart, major bookstores like Barnes and Noble, etc.):

* The “Blade Runner” 5 DVD Box Set: This is something I’d love to receive. If your gift recipient likes this great, timeless 1982 Harrison Ford/Rutger Hauer/Sean Young movie about androids in the future, this is a great gift. It comes in several versions, all in a cool-looking silver briefcase–Blade Runner (Five-Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition), $54.99 at Amazon.com; Blade Runner (Five-Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition) [Blu-ray], $66.95 at Amazon.com; Blade Runner (Five-Disc Ultimate Collector’s Edition) [HD DVD], $69.95 at Amazon.com. Or you can get the one that doesn’t come in a briefcase and doesn’t have all the extras, Blade Runner (Five-Disc Complete Collector’s Edition) [HD DVD], for $27.94 at Amazon.com.

* James Bond Ultimate Collector’s Set: This is pricey, $224.99 at Amazon.com, but for the James Bond fan, it’s all-inclusive. Consisting of 42 discs, this one includes every single James Bond movie ever made–all 21 of them to date. George Lazenby, Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig. This one has them all, from “Dr. No” to “Casino Royale.” 21 discs of movies, and another 21 discs of special features.
* Rocky: The Complete Saga: Every Rocky movie ever made, from “Rocky” to the recent “Rocky Balboa,” this is a great gift. Sylvester Stallone may support illegal aliens, but Rocky Balboa is a great example of the American dream, of beating the odds, and fighting until there’s no fight left. He’s the epitome of what’s great about America’s working class. Six discs for $40.99 at Amazon.com.
Book Lovers (Although I’ve posted the links to Amazon, you can go to a bookstore and find these):

* “Lincoln: The Presidential Archives” by Chuck Wills: For the patriot and history-lover on your list, this is the perfect gift, especially if the recipient loves learning about President Lincoln, as I do. Also a great learning tool for kids. The cool thing about this book, which r looks like a coffee table book but isn’t, is that it features full-size pull-out replicas of Lincoln’s various documents, speeches, and letters, including Lincoln’s letter to Shields outlining the terms of their forthcoming duel (he ordered “cavalry broadswords of the largest size” for the 1842 duel; the duel was later canceled) and Lincoln’s patent application. Here’s a brief review from the February 2008 issue of “Midwest Living” Magazine:

Chuck Wills’ “Lincoln: The Presidential Archives” (DK Publishing) summarizes the Illinois lawyer’s life in lively text, but the hook is a photo-filled “museum in a book” format. It includes pull-out copies of documents such as letters, the Emancipation Proclamation and a Pony Express note announcing Lincoln’s election.

It has a list price of $40.00, but is only $26.40 at Amazon.com.
* “America’s Survival Guide: How To Stop America’s Impending Suicide By Reclaiming Our First Principles and History” By Michael Warren: This excellent book is the product of over a decade of research by prescient Detroit area Judge Michael Warren. He, alone, is responsible for stopping the State of Michigan from enacting a PC curriculum in which America is not a country to be respected and we are all citizens of North America. “America” was about to be erased, and only he noticed.
I’ve noted Judge Warren’s great op-ed pieces in the Detroit Newsistan sounding the alarm bells. But this book isn’t about Michigan, it’s about America and how the Constitution and the principles of our Founding Fathers have become lost to their proper place in Society. Judge Warren documents how ignorance and the disdain of the PC forces have eroded it in education, in the courts and legal practice, the media, etc., and how “the light of liberty is slowly being extinguished.” And he provides ideas for reform. I will be posting a more extensive review of this book in the near future. But, no need to wait on that. Highly recommended. Visit his website, America’s Survival Guide, for a sampling of what’s in this excellent book. List price of $15.99, but available for less on Amazon.com.