Great last minute Christmas gifts:

1. Rechargable Batteries (with charger)
2. Personal coupons for “slave labor” on-demand
3. Favorite “of the month” annual subscription
4. Full Set of Mannheim Steamroller Christmas CDs
5. Logitech Harmony Remote Control
6. Binoculars
7. CB Radios, or an emergency one for the car
8. Noise-canceling headphones
9. A desktop weather station
10. A high-capacity UPS

Poor last minute Christmas gifts:

1. McDonald's Gift Certificates
2. DVDs from the bargain bin
3. Air freshener
4. A plain ol' mouse, mousepad, or keyboard
5. Christmas tree ornaments
6. Anything edible
7. A magazine subscription
8. The Magic 8-Ball
9. Any “for Dummies” book
10. Blank VHS Tapes

Now, I'm not saying that the “poor” last-minute gifts are horrible – especially if someone's specifically requested them on their Christmas wish list. However, if you're running out the door and don't know what else to do – there's probably a nearby store that carries some of those “last-minute” items I listed as great (which, again, isn't to say that they're necessarily great for everybody on the planet, just a bit different than what you might find in the last-minute shopping aisle). Me? I'm done with this year's Christmas shopping. That's not going to stop me from going to the mall tomorrow for any last-minute sales, but… at least I know to watch out for last-minute auctions.