Conference quark::mennotes-v1

    My father, who is also a practical person who works with cars for a
    living, has always liked magazines about cars or about doing things --
    Road and Track, Old Cars, Popular Mechanics, the Woodworker's Journal,
    things like that.  There are dozens of them. 
    
    Go to a store with a large magazine rack and leaf through the magazines
    until you see one that looks like it matches his interest. (Don't be
    put off by the showy ones with voluptuous women on the cover, but don't
    buy one, either.  The magazines in this class aren't all like that.)

    At this late date, you won't have time to get a subscription gift card
    back from the company, but you can buy that issue and a nice card and
    write in the message yourself. 

    --bonnie

    Sounds like this person is into hand tools. Any item come to mind
    that he might have mentioned he could use or might have broken
    lately?
    
    Bob Mc
    'course where to get it is another matter 8-).
    

    Hand tools, yes. A set of *GOOD* screwdrivers from Sears
    or similar. Brookstone catalog is the source for hard-to-find
    items. Too late for this note.

        Re.   .3  -  Good  idea  Dana, but Sears and Brookstone don't
        exist in U.K.!!    :^)  Pity  though,  because  they would be
        perfect for what Joan wants..
        
        Sounds like the kind  of things I enjoy doing, and some ideas
        that come to mind (ie. that I would appreciate and use) are-
        
        a *good* set of jewellers screwdrivers ~#5.00
           ditto        miniature sockets and drives ~#15.00
        hand-held  motor  tool such as the excellent DREMEL, comes in
        various formats according  to  accessories supplied, but will
        range from ~#25.00 - ~#75.00
        a book on clock-making/repairing  ???
        
        and if money is no  object,  there's a place in London, about
        two minutes walk from Smithfield Market  in  EC1  that  sells
        precision  metal  clock  kits  which  require  finishing  and
        building - you can get my dream clock  there ( a rolling-ball
        Congreve  kit) for around #400.00, but there are smaller  and
        cheaper kits too, ranging from around #60.00 and up....
        
        Andy.

    	Try something unusual that would be fun.  If he enjoys working
    with his hands he might be a sensory person who likes manipulating
    objects.  So get him and inexpensive classical guitar.  It is possible
    to learn some simple chords that sound nice fairly quickly, and
    personally I find it a lot of fun.  Even if he has never shown an
    interest in music or thinks he doesn't have any musical talent,
    you would be surprised how much fun it is to just make some noise,
    and playing with the instrument can give a lot of personal pleasure.
    	It's just a suggestion, but I bet he would enjoy it, and a pretty
    good one can be had for less than a hundred dollars, with many even
    cheaper.  I suggest a classical guitar because they come with nylon
    strings and have a wide neck so they are particularily well suited
    for the beginner.
    
    	DRC
    

    Second the hand-tool catalogue, but add that you've ordered X item
    (we gave my dad one, and ordered him a set of Japanese saws.  You've
    never seen such dove-tailed joints as he makes now).
    
    Lee

    I think Brookstone would ship to you. Don't know if the
    equivalent exists where you are. I'm inclined to think that
    someone caters to the market for such items there. I'll look
    up the Brookstone address if you like.

	How about a Hot Air Balloon ride?  Different, but fun.

	My step-mom gave one to my father and he hasn't stopped
	talking about it yet.

	Kathy

    I would just like to thank everyone who has replied and mailed
    with suggestions.  Of the practical suggestions I liked, one
    was a previous years gift from a family member, and the other
    was "borrowed" by his big brother!!
    
    I love the idea of a trip in a hot air baloon, this appeals to 
    my wish that it would be remembered.  I am investigating this
    to see how feasible it would be (and that he doesn't have a 
    phobia which might somewhat detract from the gift).
    
    
    I'm glad the title has been changed, and the more I think about
    it the more I like the idea of having a pool of ideas in this
    file.  I find men rather difficult to choose gifts for as a general
    rule, and I do not think I am alone.
    
    Instead of buying just anything for his birthday, he was treated
    to a nice dinner and I explained that I was not prepared just to
    buy something for the sake of it, but that an appropriate gift
    would be forthcoming.
    
    I decided that that was the right thing to do...
    
    My thanks to all.
    
    
    Joan
    ====
    

    If its not too late:
    I echo the DREMEL MOTO Tool. I bought mine when I was 16 years old;
    and use it at least once a month. It comes (and more accesories can
    be purchased) with tips/cutters to cut, grind, polish,  sand, drill,
    sculpt, etch (glass). I've used it on brass, copper, mild steel,
    wood, balsa wood, glass, plastic, cardboard. It is relatively
    inexpensive, and parts can be gotten at most hobby shops.
    
    If he works in wood (small scale) a good set of "Hobby Knives" is
    very desirable. Even includes a  small saw.
    
    At "Harrads" (sp) in London, if he's into Large SCale woodworking
    you can purchase a "Universal Plane" (wood shaving kit) with additional
    bits and other parts ($500 USA). Pricey, but very usable.
    
    .bob.
    

    My wife and I are looking for an unusual gift idea for her brother's 
    fiftieth birthday.  We were thinking about giving him a hot air balloon
    ride, if we can locate one in Ohio.  
     
    Does anyone have any interesting ideas?  What would you enjoy receiving
    on such an occasion?
    
                    Thanks for your help.
    
    Terry
    
    

    RE: .11  How much $$$ are you looking to spend (ballpark) ???
    
    Paul C.

    A S&W Model 29 would make a great 50th birthday gift.   We got my
    father one for his 50th.   He loves it.
    
    - M

    RE: .14 Now why didn't I think of that? We wound up getting my
    Dad a fish tank for his 65th. Very nice and he did like it but I'll bet 
    he'd have liked the gun just as much or more. Especially as I "conned" 
    him out of one of his best guns a couple of years ago.
    
    		Alfred
    

    re: .15
    
    > ... Especially as I "conned"  him out of one of his best guns a
    > couple of years ago.
    
    That's pretty rude.  :-)
    
    - M

    re: .13
    
    We would be willing to spend up to $200 for the right gift.  We really
    want it to be something that will be remembered.  This person likes
    antiques a lot, so we might get some ideas by searching some local
    shops.  His party is this saturday, so we have to make a decision soon.
    
    Thanks for your ideas.
    
    Terry

    
    
    Try MOMAX1::ANTIQUE_COLLECTIBLE, they have some nice things for sale
    in that file.
    
    Bonnie

This note is being entered for a MENNOTES noter who wishes to remain 
anonymous.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

On the subject of birthday gifts for men.  No lectures on right or wrong 
please, but I'm having problems trying to decide what to get for the man, 
I'm seeing.  See, the major complication is that he is VERY married. I WAS 
going to arrange a hot air balloon ride for us, but I found out yesterday 
he had been on several of them, so that "specialness" of it would not be 
there. Getting a gold chain, or a watch, or even a sweater for the winter
would be too hard for him to explain to his wife.

Anyone got any other ideas?

Thanks.

    Get him a mistress.  Ok, so he might already have a couple (some people
    are so hard to shop for), but how many men have 3 or more?   
    
    - M

Re: .19

Um, a gift certificate for a divorce?

You may well have to forgo a material gift, if you don't want to raise
suspicions.


			Steve

    I agree with Steve.  Perhaps you and a girlfriend could...
    
    - M

Could the anonymous noter of .19 please contact me.  I have some VAX
Mail for you, but I deleted your original mail message to me. 

Thanks.


							--Ger

    RE: 19
    
    Call his wife, explain the situation, and see if she has any
    suggestions.  I bet she could think of an idea or two.
    
    

    No lectures, huh?
    
    Well, I've enjoyed expensive dinners and expensive wines / armagnacs /
    champagnes as presents - he could say it was a business meeting. 
    Theater tickets - Karen Finley is in town for 2 weeks if you're in the
    Boston area.  (: >,) - just make sure he throws away the stubs.  A
    really luxurious hotel room.  A spending spree at Hubba Hubba (or your
    local sex shoppe) with you taking custody of the goods. 
    
    Ray

    I retract .22.  It's a bad idea.  He will have a grin on his face for
    several weeks (your milage may vary).  It will be difficult to hide and
    even more difficult to explain.   But definitely memorable.

    - M

    Say, maybe this is another case where a S&W Model 29 would be your best
    bet.  He could tell his wife that he bought it for himself!   I
    seriously doubt she would suspect otherwide.  I hope it is not too late
    for you to use this suggestion.
    
    - M

    Yeah, it's hard to see how you can go wrong with S&W. He could also
    tell the wife he won it in a raffle. Or buy him an AR-15. He can
    say he got it as an investment in case Congress succeeds in banning
    new production of such target rifles.
    
    			Alfred

    There's one in every crowd.
    
    - M

    re .29 Offense taken. 

	If the man is a hunter, or target shoots a lot and the
	cost of a new firearms is too high, you can always buy
	him lots of ammunition.

	Actually that is a great gift for a lady too.  :-)



	kits

    .29 Offense taken indeed!!

    regarding all the offense taken....
    
    maybe this conference needs a splash topic, so that whenever
    people get splashed by a misdirected shot, they can let the
    author know without disrupting the original topic too much?
    
    

    Hmmmm.                                           
    
    When I started the "Why are MEN always the combatants?" note, I entered
    combatant mode, I'm afraid. I *love* this conference, am delighted that
    it exists, and really am not interested in alienating *anyone*. In the
    COMBAT note I was continually (would-be) provocative, and I carried that
    attitude to this topic when I entered the (offensive) reply .29. It has
    been exorcised, and I hereby
    
         SET/PROVOKE=OFF
    
    I appreciate your patience. - Hoyt

    
    Sometimes I'm a little thick, but I can't see any reason to be 
    offended about reply .29.  Would somebody please explane.
    
    Joe
    

Re:-1 Some peoples minds work by conjuring up mental pictures of possible 
outcomes. #29 presented a really horrible picture to those of us whose minds do,
and I had even had a dangling pointer, not actually being married or anything!