Great last minute Christmas gifts:
- Rechargable Batteries (with charger)
- Personal coupons for “slave labor” on-demand
- Favorite “of the month” annual subscription
- Full Set of Mannheim Steamroller Christmas CDs
- Logitech Harmony Remote Control
- Binoculars
- CB Radios, or an emergency one for the car
- Noise-canceling headphones
- A desktop weather station
- A high-capacity UPS
Poor last minute Christmas gifts:
- McDonald's Gift Certificates
- DVDs from the bargain bin
- Air freshener
- A plain ol' mouse, mousepad, or keyboard
- Christmas tree ornaments
- Anything edible
- A magazine subscription
- The Magic 8-Ball
- Any “for Dummies” book
- 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.