I start getting popped with "do you have any cool gift ideas" type questions about September, and it accelerates by the time Halloween rolls around. So I thought we'd get this section posted to the site early, since some of the gift ideas can actually be applied to Thanksgiving gifts [c'mon...you don't really go somewhere for Thanksgiving dinner empty-handed do you???] but others will require a little thought and planning [new concept for many of you, I know] or because of their popularity this year, could be sold out by the time you finally wake up at the switch.

Gifts making the list are all good ones blessed by the extensive research team of our award-winning website; notations concerning price range, ordering lead time and geographic availability are explained below.

From the totally cool/unique:     Fattowels

I absolutely love this gift. In fact, I found out about this company when I received one of their Fattowels last Christmas [2001] from a dear friend of mine and started researching where she got it from, because I wanted to send some of my own Fattowels as gifts.

You will never, ever find a gift like this anywhere. If you're looking for unique and incredibly affordable, this is your one stop shop. Not only do they have an amazing product that'll last forever, but especially if you've got:
    - Hard-to-buy-for people on your gift list
    - No time to go shopping? Wanna let someone else handle your gift shopping, gift wrapping, shipping and overall total fulfillment needs? This is the place.

It's a wonderful no-brainer gift opportunity for business to business/business to client gift giving not only this holiday season, but all 52 weeks a year.

Price range: $49 - $70
Geographic availability: Worldwide
Wanna know more or to place an order? Here's their website: www.fattowels.com or call them toll-free: (888) 740-2963

I know this is gonna be a reach (especially after surviving another lonnnnnng holiday weekend with certain friends or family members), but if you want to make 'em smarter than they appear to be [sounds like the disclaimer on the passenger-side/side-view mirror, doesn't it?]:  Help them help themselves, and give 'em the link that keeps on giving: Click here to sign-up for Ben's free weekly Dose of Dover newsletter.  To quote the late great Sen. John Blutarsky: "Don't cost nuthin'....."

Flowers/living gifts:     Tropical Colors

This Thanksgiving Day, why not bring something that will make a real impression for a change, instead of crappy pumpkin pie or bottle of wine?  Here's a gift that'll not only be the talk of the day because of its sheer beauty, but a flower-type gift that'll last for at least 2-3 weeks after the big day. [Oops! Reading this after Thanksgiving Day? It's okay, you can still be a big shot the rest of the year.]

Tropical Colors ships [via FedEx] fresh flowers, straight from Hawaii, that really are breathtaking. They're gorgeous...and will beat anything else you'll ever bring for Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's and Mother's Day. [You'll look for excuses to send them...and they're incredibly affordable...price range? $29 - $51 [including shipping!] and they'll get them to where they need to go, usually within 48 hours. [Need to rush it? Add just $3!]

They've also got a great gift...fresh flowers shipped every month like clockwork for $275...so you could conceivably knock out Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day and Mother's Day for that price...and oh yeah: Here's some other Hawaii-origin gifts from the same folks: Hawaiian Kona coffee, Hawaiian Macadamia Nuts, Hawaiian Honey...a pair of old underwear from Steve McGarrett at Hawaii Five-0 [okay, maybe I made that one up). Bottom line? This is a wonderful no-brainer gift opportunity for business to business/business to client gift giving not only this holiday season, but all 52 weeks a year.

Price range: $29 - $275
Geographic availability: Worldwide
Wanna know more? Check out their website: www.tropicalcolors.com or call 'em toll-free: (800) 965-9732

Maximizing the bang for your TV buck:     DISH Network

What is it? One of my New Year's Resolutions is for everyone to get the maximum bang for the buck possible...that's why I love my Dish and most importantly, the dollar-for-dollar value of the programming and features.

Sign up for a year of service and you'll get the best bang for your TV buck...especially since many of the cable TV providers will undoubtedly raise your subscription rates appreciably after their trial period [I call them hook periods...think of credit card teaser interest rates jumping from 2.9% to 21.9%] they'll jack your monthly fee up. (Have you heard those AT&T cable commercials promising $5 for 5 months...and then what's the price gonna be?)

I got so fed up with my cable company in mid-2001 that I finally jumped on to the Dish bandwagon over a year ago...and regret waiting as long as I did, because I love it. Here's the value waiting for smart consumers:
    - Up to four free receivers, free professional installation, plus your first month of subscription programming for free! Get crystal-clear, satellite TV in every room of the house.
    - If you purchased all of this equipment and had it installed yourself you would pay close to $700 -with no PVR [PVR...as in Personal Video Recorder: 60 hours of recording time on a built in PVR-think a VCR with no tape and helluva lot cleaner/clearer picture]. Add a PVR system and you'd easily spend over a thousand bucks, plus $10-$12 a month just to use the PVR! DishDirect gives you all of this for next to nothing!
    - Be sure to ask about DISH PVR, only from DishDirect, so you can pause live TV and record up to 70 hours of your favorite shows. It's life changing! Cable just can't offer you this!!
- Plus DishDirect will provide hassle-free, in-home service for the life of your account. If you have trouble with the system they'll send their guys to your house to fix it-and it won't cost you a thing. It's a no risk, satisfaction-guaranteed deal: DishDirect guarantees that if you don't like satellite TV, they'll take it out for free and hook you back up like you were before! [Of course they can make an offer like this because they know they'll never have anyone take them up on it.]

Availability: Anywhere you can see the sky.
Price range: $28/mo up...gotta commit for a year, and for someone that's commitment-phobic, this [in retrospect] was a no-brainer.
Wanna know more? Here's their website: www.dishdirect.com or call them: (888) 834-1999

Edu-Toys...Ben's #1 pick this year?     Kasey the Kinderbot

An easy choice if you're buying for kids 2-6 and it's from Fisher Price. Kasey the Kinderbot is an interactive "friend" for the kids and is the best way to get 'em a jump start on kindergarten or 1st or 2nd grade...it helps them develop skills in three areas: Academic, Social & Physical.  It's truly an amazing "toy" that has a wide-assortment of software cartridges that cover all sorts of topics. If you're gonna buy the kid a toy, at least make 'em smarter while they "play" with it.

Age range: 3+
Price range: $65...additional software cartridges go for about $15 a pop
Availability: Toys 'R Us and just about any major toy outlet, but these are gonna be hot this year, so shop early!!!
Wanna know more? Make sure your speakers are turned up and check out their on-line demo.

Offbeat gifts for the naturally neurotic:     The InSecurity Blanket

What is it? It's the ultimate gift for anyone in television, radio, the movies, telecommunications, airline industry...you get the picture. Okay: It's a great gift for anyone that's insecure. [That would cover about 97% of the population, wouldn't it?]

The Insecurity Blanket is safe, approved for all ages and it's a lot cheaper than therapy. It's the perfect solution for milestone birthdays, for starting college or new jobs, for new parents, for getting over a recent break-up...you get the picture. They've got Insecurity Pet Blankets, Insecurity Chocolates, you name it.

Price range: $15.95 - $24.95
Wanna order? On-line: www.insecurityblanket.com or call 'em toll free: (866) NO DOUBT  [cute, huh?]

Hey guys...make her happy and she'll [hopefully] return the favor:     Borghese

What are they? Higher-end pampering products that'll increase your chances of scoring points...and maybe scoring, period.

Why are you talking about this product? Because everybody deserves to be exposed to something decadent at least once in their lives; chicks love this stuff and considering the price range, you'd better see a payoff on your investment quick. If not, you've got plenty of time to pull the ripcord before Valentine's Day.

Here's a quote from their website: "As the Essential Italian Beauty Company, Borghese is more attuned than ever to the runways of Milan, with colors, textures and beauty moods influenced by the top designers. We see makeup and polished skin as the most modern fashion accessory a woman can have, and we're communicating that message through shade promotions and products designed to add must-have pizzazz." The company's President/CEO is Georgette Mosbacher former Houston socialite and ex-wife of Commerce Secretary Rob Mosbacher. I met Georgette a few years ago on Debra Duncan's talk show in Houston...and she's pretty hot and does a pretty good job selling her marketplace positioning.

Availability: Anywhere you can get UPS delivery, thanks to their website. If you wanna go touch-feel-play close-up before you buy, stores like Nordstrom's and Dillards carry Borghese. They've gotta zip code-driven on-line locator available on their website.
Price range: Skincare products start at $57.50, spa products start at $42, make-up at $17.50, perfumes at $38 and their anti-aging stuff starts aging your budget in the $38 upwards.
Wanna know more? Check out their website: or call 'em toll-free at: (866) BORGHESE 

 Home security:    X10 Cameras

What is it? Worried about your homeland security? How secure is your workplace? Since I already know the answer, then why not invest in some affordable extra eyes. Thanks to today's technology, the amazing X10 Cameras are simple to install, and cheap! Color cameras for as low as $79 each...and since they're wireless, they're easy to install.

They have all types and models of cameras for indoor or out...some even utilize motion detector technology, moving "to the motion" and turn on flood lights at the same time. Hook 'em up through your home computer and actually monitor your home or office via the Internet, using their password protected access gateway. Verrrry cool technology: I've heard of people using them for newer traditional uses, such as monitoring the baby's room or play area, or keeping an eye on an elderly parent or relative living in a nursing home or assisted living facility.

What else? They break Dover's Rule: I hate pop-up ads on the Internet, and X10 is one of the heaviest users of this cheesy type of on-line advertising. But their product's so good, I'm willing to look past this indiscretion...for now, anyway.

Availability: Anywhere in the world, thank to your ability to buy direct from their factory.
Price range: Amazingly affordable...one of the best deals I found on their website was a $115 value going for $79.99, and it included free shipping and a bunch of stuff: A VCR Motion2 Pack, a VCR Commander, an EagleEye Motion Sensor, a HawkEye Motion Sensor and a DaVinci Tripod.

Wanna know more? Order direct from the manufacturer and save: www.x10.com or call 'em toll-free: (800) 675-3044

 Collectible but still spendable cool gifts:     Uncut Currency

Question: Would you pay $1.56 for a $1 bill?
Answer: You would if you wanted to give the ultimate unique collectible gift of uncut U.S. Currency.

What's the scoop? I get asked about this gift every year since I first showed this unique gift six years ago on the old ABC-TV morning program The Mike & Maty Show. It's actually uncut currency: Real and very negotiable currency, in sheets of $1, $5, $10, $20...the sheet of un-cut $1 bills that I use on my TV segments ($32 of real currency) in its uncut form, sells for $50. Prices go up to the $20 sheets for $409.

Availability: Everywhere, except for Kabul, Baghdad and Tehran.
Price range: $50 - $409 plus s&h.
Wanna order? On-line at: or call 'em toll-free: (800) 456-3408

Cyber-smart gifts:     Computers [from someone you can trust!]

What do you mean, "some you can trust"? Look, they already canned the "Dell Dude" and Gateway computers has lost their cows and their down-home hook [after losing their marketshare while the guy that founded them was off spending his windfall after leaving the company.

The morons that sell computers and other peripherals for the big computer or electronic chain stores are another example of "getting what you pay for." Most of them don't know their butts from holes in the ground, so when it comes to computers, you've gotta find someone that's knowledgeable, someone you can trust, and someone that will take care of you if your computer crashes-and-burns. It's like finding a good doctor, a good mechanic, a good hair stylist...you get the picture. You need to establish a rapport with someone that puts your best computer interests, first and always. That's why-no matter where you live in the U.S.-it's worth buying from Take It Home Computers in Arlington, TX.

Every year, computers are always at the top of everyone's list. Bigger, faster, newer is always the buzz word, and if you're on a cable or DSL connection and haven't upgraded your hardware in the last 12 months, you're hosing yourself. Forget going to the big computer or electronic gear chain stores, because the salespeople rarely know what the hell they're talking about and will usually sell you something that you'll outgrow in months with no upside/expansion capabilities. Computers are personal electronics and you need to treat them that way, with a personal touch. It doesn't matter where you live, if you've got a telephone and a dial-up, you'll be taken care of by Take It Home Computers. These folks won't sell you the cheapest computer, but they'll put you into a system that you'll be able to expand and upgrade in the future. (And if you're outside of Texas, you get to save the sales tax since they ship everywhere!)

Availability: If you're reading this now, you're able to do business with these guys!

Price Range: Depends what you're looking for; they've always got amazing deals on monitors, re-furbished laptops, custom-built desktops, software...you name it.

Wanna know more, or to place an order? Check out their website at: www.takeithomecomputers.com or call 'em at (817) 275-4425 or (817) 226-4446. (And if you want to start the cyber-ball rolling via e-mail, then here's your link.)

Ready for a vacation?     Affordable Travel & Hotels is a no-brainer!

The late, great humorist/columnist Erma Bombeck came up with some great book titles; one of my favorite? "If You Look Like Your Passport Photo, You Really Do Need A Vacation." I know that when ever I'm trying to book a trip and save a buck [okay, every time I book a trip], I go two places, first:

For Hotels and Rental Cars: is the best in my book. There's no such thing as a sold-out city if you know the tricks of the trade. My sole trick is using Hotels.com; their website is simple to navigate and they've got hotels, cruise ships, condos, rental cars-you name it-all over the nation and around the world.

Availability...Hotels: Depends on whether you've gotta current passport; they've got rooms everywhere!

Price range: Depends on your budget, Rockefeller. Let's just say they routinely deliver rooms at prices at deep discounts...some as low as 85% off! (Meaning great rooms starting at $29 a night!)

Wanna know more? Cruise their website: or call 'em toll-free: (800) 2-HOTELS

For Airfares and assorted travel-related deals: My favorite travel savant Tom Parsons started this company 20 years ago and the world has never been the same:

He's all over the place and has a deal-a-minute. You've gotta see it to believe it...spend some time on his website and learn more.
Availability...Travel: Everywhere.
Price range: You know better than to ask questions like this...it changes by the second!
Wanna know more? Check 'em out on-line: or call them toll-free: (800) 880-1234

Wanna impress someone really old?     A Personalized Letter From The President of the United States

Or how about someone that's survived many long years of marriage? Then you need to pull some strings and get a "congrats" letter from "W"!  [As in President George W. Bush]

How? It takes some planning, and you've gotta jump through some hoops, but The White House is very responsive, and it's a pretty cool gift. The best part? It's free.

Availability: Only U.S. citizens are eligible; sorry, no requests from Kabul or Baghdad will be considered.

Price range: I already said it was free...(even if you are a Democrat).
Wanna know more?  Read all about it right here on your favorite, award-winning website.

Lost your mind?     Your Personal Organization Guru Is Here

Maybe it's because you've lost your paperwork! How disorganized is your world? I don't care if it's a home office, the desk area where you pay your bills, or even your kitchen, bathrooms, garage, closets...you know where those black holes in your life are. Or maybe you're perfect and your world is neat-and-tidy and organized...that would put you in the minority, but gives you a chance to gift your sense of organization to someone this holiday season.

Ben's choice for organizing his life? Call the expert home and office organizers at InOrder and let them clean up your act...or give a gift certificate from InOrder to someone that's needing their assistance. Ask for Tiffany Pine: (214) 904-9034 or e-mail her directly.

Price range: $40 an hour [last time I checked]