Unique Christmas Gift Ideas ... With A Twist!

Since I haven’t blogged in a while and Christmas is coming up, I thought I might recommend some last minute Christmas gift ideas.

1. Ad Nauseam: A Survivor’s Guide To American Consumer Culture
Edited by: Carrie McLaren and Jason Torchinsky

I am half-way through reading this book and I love it! Originally I almost decided not to purchase this book because I discovered that it was a compendium of material from Stay Free! magazine, which I had never read nor heard of for that matter. I assumed that this book would not be appropriate for me as I am unfamiliar with the magazine, but I am extremely glad that I took the chance and bought it. I especially enjoy reading it now in the month of December – somehow reading a book about the tactics advertisers use sell products and the negative affects the media can have on society feels a little bit like rebelling against the commercialization of Christmas!

Indigo.ca price: $15.16
Amazon.com price: $11.49

There are probably many other books that are enlightening about advertising and the media.  I would recommend buying such a book for someone, but as this is the only such book I have read, this is the only one I can recommend by name.  Maybe you can even find one that talks specifically about the commercialisation of Christmas!  Somehow, a book about the media and advertising seems like an appropriate, albeit a tongue-in-cheek, gift to give.

2.  Humanitarian Gifts

World Vision is a humanitarian organization that focuses on emergency relief, education, healthcare, economic development, and the promotion of justice.  It is one organization through which individuals can sponsor children, and during the holiday season, people can buy a gift for individuals and families in need.  Many of these gifts such as goats, pigs, and chickens, can allow families to become self-sufficient.  Other gifts besides animals and agriculture involve healthcare, education, shelter, water, and business.  The gifts vary in price range, and some will multiply, as businesses and organizations will match your donation.  You can give this gift yourself, or if a friend or loved one is willing, you can give the gift in their name.  You can even make a request on your Christmas wish list for a friend or family member to buy such a gift in your name.

For more information, and to browse the Gift Catalogue, visit the following website:

https://catalogue.worldvision.ca/Gifts/Forms/Home.aspx?mc=4267225&lang=en

World Vision is not the only humanitarian organization that is accepting gifts this holiday season.  If you would like to find another organization, you can try UNICEF, OXFAM, The Red Cross, and probably many others.

3.  The Lump of Coal and The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming

Author:  Lemony Snicket

Though I am an adult, part of the reason I love Lemony Snicket’s children’s books is because they are unlike ANY books I read as a child.  Not only are they hilarious, but he is the first writer I have ever read that really does the unexpected and challenges conventions – not just in terms of plot or characters, but in what the audience expects.  For example, I once read a book by him in which I discovered that there was something funny written in the small print of the copyright page.  I don’t know about you, but I certainly don’t think to read the copyright page of a book to see if there is something funny hidden in it, and that’s why I think it is such a brilliant idea!  It’s like a DVD Easter Egg, except in a book!  When it comes to subverting the reader’s expectations, these children’s books are no exception.

An Excerpt from The Lump of Coal:

“The holiday season is a time for storytelling, and whether you are hearing the story of a candelabra staying lit for more than a week, or a baby born in a barn without proper medical supervision, these stories often feature miracles.” 

Written by:  Lemony Snicket
Illustrated by:  Brett Helquist

Amazon.ca Price:   $10.82

Amazon.com Price:  $10.39

An Excerpt from The Latke Who Couldn’t Stop Screaming:

“It is very frustrating not to be understood in this world.  If you say one thing and keep being told that you mean something else, it can make you want to scream.  But somewhere in this world there is a place for all of us, whether you are an electric form of decoration, peppermint-scented sweet, a source of timber, or a potato pancake."

Written by:  Lemony Snicket
Illustrated by:  Lisa Brown
Amazon.ca Price:   $10.47

Amazon.com Price:   $6.11 and up

Both storybooks are humourous and appropriate for the holidays, the second even teaching about the history of Hanukah, despite its label as a Christmas story.

4.  Think Geek
 Stuff For Smart Masses    www.thinkgeek.com

I discovered products from Think Geek when I was doing an online search for products I’d seen on The Big Bang Theory.  I love the things Leonard and Sheldon have such as a shower-curtain with the periodic table of elements – very appropriate for two physicists!  I should note that I haven’t yet purchased anything from this website, so I am not recommending these products or the website from personal experience; I’m simply recommending them as products I find interesting and unique.  For example:

Gingerdead Men Cookie Cutter  $4.99 

5 inch gingerbread cookie cutter with skeleton impression!  This could be a fun gag gift for doctors, nurses, surgeons, chiropractors, physiotherapists, X-ray technicians, or maybe just someone you shop for who can appreciate something out of the ordinary.

Caffeine Mug  $6.99 

 8 oz coffee mug with a diagram of the caffeine molecule!  Obviously this would be appropriate for coffee connoisseurs (and by that I mean addicts).  This would be especially appropriate for those caffeine lovers who have some knowledge of chemistry.

Giant Plush Microbes  $8.99 each

Stuffed animals for people who like science!  When I saw these I fell in love.  I do not own any of these myself but I do hope one day to start collecting these adorable microbes such as E. Coli, Cough, Flesh Eating Disease, and Bad Breath!  There is also a Red Blood Cell, Brain Cell, Nerve Cell, Stem Cell, and – possibly my favourite of the cells – a Sperm Cell and Egg Cell!

I think these are so cute, funny, and creative that I not only want them, but I actually wish I was the one responsible for the creation of this product.  It isn’t often that I think something is that great.

Someone interested in science and biology might enjoy these lovable creatures, as well as people with a strange or morbid sense of humour!  For a list of the microbes available, click the following link:

http://www.thinkgeek.com/interests/giftsunder10/6708/?pfm=holiday2011_galacticgiftsunder10_1_6708

5.  The Unemployed Philosopher’s Guild   
The Unexamined Gift Is Not Worth Giving   www.philosophersguild.com

Products from this website have a similar quality to those from Think Geek, but they seem to differ in that Think Geek seems to cater to lovers of science and technology, The Unmployed Philosopher’s Guild seems to cater more to lovers of the humanities such as literature, history, philosophy, psychology, etc ...

I should note that I did purchase a product from this website in the past.  I purchased a pair of Freudian Slippers ($24.95) for my sister Claudia as a congratulatory gift for achieving her PhD in psychology.  For those who don’t know, Freudian Slippers are a pun on the term “Freudian Slip” which is an error in speech or action that unintentionally reveals unconscious thoughts.  As for my experience with the website, when the slippers arrived they were slightly defective in that only one slipper had spectacles.  When I telephoned the company and explained the issue the company sent me a free pair of the same product free of defects.  I did not have to pay for the delivery or return the defective pair.  It is for this reason that I give the company a very positive review.

Here are some examples of products from this site that could make great Christmas gifts:

Lab Cutters $15.99 

Each set of cookie cutters contains a beaker, a flask, a test tube, and an atom.  Like the cookie cutters from Think Geek, these would be appropriate for someone who likes to bake and decorate cookies during the Christmas season, especially someone with an interest in science and chemistry, or perhaps just someone with an unusual sense of humour and a taste for the unexpected!  Get it?  A taste for the unexpected ...?

Wonderland Passport Notebook  $3.95

This comes with travel tips and an official passport information page!  Other Passport Notebooks include Oz, Neverland, Camelot, The Garden of Eden, Paradise, Hell, Nirvana, Utopia, Pangaea, Plato’s Republic, and The Unconscious!  I love the diversity of this product.  I think it’s a creative and fun idea for fans of the appropriate works of literature and like the Giant Microbes from Think Geek, this is a product I wish I developed myself.  I love that this item seems to blur the boundaries between reality and fantasy/literature.

Now that I am noticing all the potential passport destinations, I am starting to wonder if I should have decided against the book I bought for my sister Claudia, and instead presented her with the passport to Hell.  Hmm ... that still might be suitable for another time.


6.  Philosophy and Pop Culture Series

When I enjoy a work of fiction, I usually think it’s so great that I have to spend time analyzing it and picking it apart to find out what important messages it has in it.  Ask my brother Geoffrey.  He knows I can’t watch a TV show or movie without over-thinking it.  But if you ask me, a work of fiction is truly great if it can be dissected and analysed.  For anyone who thinks likewise, I recommend the Philosophy and Popular Culture Series.

I get a lot of enjoyment out of these because I feel like they really talk a lot about the major issues in the respective works.  For example, Mad Men and Philosophy discusses a lot of real issues in advertising that come up on the show and True Blood and Philosophy discusses prejudice. 

Similarly, I think there is also a Psychology and Pop Culture Series, of which the only book I currently have is The Psychology of Harry Potter.  I can definitely recommend this book, as well as A Taste of True Blood:  The Fangbanger’s Guide.  I think all of these works are available at Amazon.com and Amazon.ca, and I also purchased some from Chapters.

Even if the TV and book fans you know aren’t particularly analytical, I would still strongly recommend such analytical works to a casual reader who might be a big fan of a particular series or novel.  The chapters are essays written by individual authors about diverse topics, and reading each chapter in order is not necessary.  Not only do I get a lot of enjoyment out of these books, but I think they allow me to appreciate their respective works of fiction even more.  I also hope that they inspire people to think critically about the works of fiction they enjoy and to think deeply about what messages those works teach their fans.

7.  Homemade Mixed CDs

If you know how to make a mixed CD using your computer and have whatever programs are necessary to do so, one great personal gift you can give a loved one is a mixed CD with a particular theme.  For example, if know someone who truly appreciates laughter – or someone you think should lighten up a little – you could make them a comedy CD filled with funny songs.  For sources of funny songs you can look into Saturday Night Live, South Park, and comedians Adam Sandler, Sarah Silverman, and Mario Cantone.

NOTE:

Try to arrange the songs in a suitable order, and be sure to make a nice album cover for the CD case.  Don’t forget to write out the list of songs on the inside sleeve of the cover either, unless of course you would like them to be a surprise.

Other possible themes for mixed CDs include songs from the 50s, 60s, 70s, or 80s, songs to listen to while exercising, relaxing songs, and love songs.

If you would like to make a mixed Christmas CD for a friend or loved one, here are some of my suggestions for songs to include:

1.  Trim Up The Tree (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)

2.  Mr. Grinch (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)
3.   Whoville Theme (How The Grinch Stole Christmas)
4.  We Are Santa’s Elves (Burl Ives- from Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer)
5.  Jingle Jingle Jingle
6.  Christmas Time Is Here (Charlie Brown Christmas)
7.  12 Days of Christmas (The Muppets)
8.  Nuttin For Christmas (Shirley Temple)
9.  Marshmallow World (Darlene Love)
10.  Christmas (Darlene Love)
11.  What Christmas Means To Me (Stevie Wonder)
12.  Someday At Christmas (Stevie Wonder)
13.  Feed The World (Band Aid)

14.  The Chanukah Song (Adam Sandler)

15.  Snoopy vs The Red Baron (The Royal Guardsmen)

16.  Step Into Christmas (Elton John)

17.  Last Christmas (George Michael)
18.  O Holy Night (South Park)
19.  Christmas Time In Hell (South Park)
20.  Mr. Hanky The Christmas Pooh (South Park)
21.  Wonderful Christmas Time (Paul McCartney)
22.  Happy Christmas (John & Yoko)

Well, these are my only ideas for now.  I hope they were useful, though I think it may be a little late in the holiday season for them to be of much help for this year.  If anyone has any comments or criticisms I would be glad to read them, along with any other unique gift ideas.

In case I can’t write again until after the 25^th, Merry Christmas, and Happy Holidays!

Why I Love Wii Fit!

Greetings fellow bloggers! I have taken a sabbatical from writing about the fascinating world of socks to put most of my energy towards physiotherapy. To be specific, I have been told that the best treatment for my Fibromyalgia is daily aerobic exercise, and so for the last 3 months I have been exercising daily using my Nintendo Wii.

I have had Wii Fit for a long time now, but have only been able to use it regularly since the start of the new year. For the last two years the game was sitting in our living room closet barely used, and I felt wasteful and guilty for having asked my parents for it in the first place. But now that I have started a new medication, my energy and motivation is greatly improved, so I am now able to be more proactive about my condition. Now that I am actually physically capable of exercising regularly, I am so thankful that I had the Wii Fit waiting for me. For the last 3 months I have been completing my aerobic activity using Basic Step and Advanced Step. Originally I was only able to complete 15 minutes of aerobics per day, repeating the 3 minute Basic Step workout 5 times. Now I am able to complete 35 minutes of aerobics per day, repeating the 3 minute Basic Step 5 times and the 5 minute Advanced Step 4 times.

I should note that I have never been much of a “gamer,” the only video game I had any real experience with was Super Mario Bros. 1 released in 1985.

And when I asked my parents for a Nintendo console for my birthday, I only wanted one that I could use to play the old Super Mario games from my childhood. So basically, when I ripped off the wrapping paper and found the strange, unfamiliar Nintendo “Wii”, I was actually quite disappointed. I also felt pretty stupid that the included game disc included what I thought to be childish games. Tennis? Golf? Bowling? Who wants to sit in their living room hitting

balls back and forth by pressing buttons with their game contro

ls!? I might as well play the old Pong game from 1975!

Not being very tech-savvy, I had no idea at first that this console came with a motion-sensor, and thus game play involved actually exercising with the Nintendo. I felt rather stupid upon discovering this, as I had actually shouted at my parents for buying me such a boring, childish game. I decided to try to find out more about the games that were available for this console, and came across Wii Fit and its accompanying balance board. I immediately recognised that this could be useful in my rehabilitation from Fibromyalgia and discussed this with my parents. After many wild-goose chases for the recently released product, my father finally came home with one and my mother and I were overjoyed. When I registered my information on the game while awkwardly learning how to use this new-fangled technology, I became very quickly discouraged. My Wii Fit age wasn’t too bad, but I was informed of my weight in such a way that you would think I was as obese as it was possible to be! Furthermore, when I actually attempted the 3-minute Basic Step, I felt stupid for even thinking I was capable of using this device to exercise in the first place! Clearly this was designed for complete jocks who had no physical health problems and who probably coasted by at university on football scholarships. After such discouragement, I didn’t touch the gadget for months. I did get it out occasionally, however, to try to complete the aerobic exercise necessary for my eventual independence, and each time it was with the intention of using the device regularly at 3 times per week at the very least. Despite my good intentions, I had only used my Wii Fit, on average, once a month for the last 2 years! Now, that’s all changed. This year I have used my Wii Fit almost every day for the last 3 months – almost 90 days in a row. I have used it more in the last 3 months than I have in the last 2 years. This really reaffirms for me that my lack of physical activity has not been due to laziness – despite what the average ignorant asshole destined for Hell seems to think – but that it was simply a matter of being on the wrong medication. Now I know that no matter what insecure girls with body image issues try to convince me of, I am truly hard working when it comes to my health and fitness, and any lack of work on my part is due to legitimate problems that caused legitimate obstacles. In other words, the insecure girls who hate their bodies who have actually pressured me to exercises might as well have pressured a quadriplegic to stop being lazy and taking the elevator, and to take the stairs in order to heal their paralyzed limbs.

Though I am not yet completely able-bodied, I feel that Wii Fit has helped me a lot with my Fibromyalgia in the short time that I have been using it. I love this game for the following reasons: 1. Users can easily see their improvement over time, which is extremely encouraging as it shows evidence that practice has been effective.

The motion sensor, Balance Board, Wii Remote, and Nunchucks can register your movements, and thus determine your accuracy in each activity. Your accuracy is then used to determine your score, which is then shown to you on a top 10 list of your best scores. So each time you attempt a specific activity, you can see how your accuracy compares to your previous attempts. Seeing your score improve is evidence that your accuracy has improved and thus users can feel that they have achieved results. Even an improvement by 3 or 4 points from one day to the next is evidence of improvement. This is extremely important to me because I have never felt that practicing a sport or physical activity has led to improvement of my skill or fitness. Perhaps this is because I have always had physical problems, but I always felt to some extent that exercise was futile. With Wii Fit, I always see even the most minor improvements. 2. Wii Fit rewards users for their accomplishments and completion of various activities by making available new activities or harder versions of the exercises. This allows users to feel a sense of accomplishment and reward, while allowing for some variety and novelty in the activities. 3. Several Wii Fit activities are creative, fun, and humourous, which allows users to have fun while exercising. Fun and humour should never be under-estimated! One of my favourites is a game called Penguine Slide, in which the user’s avatar is dressed in a penguin costume and has an audience of cheering penguins who are all very supportive and encouraging! The game takes place aboard a floating, wobbly ice berg, on which the user must shift their weight from the right foot to left and so on in order to catch as many fish as possible. The music alone makes this game worthwhile, but the fact that I am surrounded by penguins who seem to be big fans makes me smile every time I play this game! Watch a demo of Penguine Slide by clicking on the screen below. 4. Wii Fit games can allow users to participate in existing sports which the user may never have played, and may never get the opportunity to try. One aerobics activity I often played is called Rhythm Boxing. I enjoyed this because I have never before taken boxing lessons or even an aerobics class that involves the use of a punching bag! For people like me who have health problems, this is a wonderful feature, as some of us cannot often leave the house any time we wish!

I would also like to note that a famous character with a famous health problem has been known to use a Nintendo Wii for just this reason. Fans of HBO’s True Blood may recall the scene in which Vampire Bill Compton is seen on a bright sunny day on what appears to be a golf course. At first this is quite confusing, as the vampires of True Blood cannot go outside during the day as the sun burns their skin. As the camera slowly zooms out, viewers see that Vampire Bill is not playing with a real golf club, but is holding a Wii Remote, and that he is actually in his living room playing Wii Golf, and it is in fact night time. Even True Blood vampires use the Nintendo Wii to exercise and participate in activities that their condition would otherwise render impossible! You can see Vampire Bill Compton playing with his Nintendo Wii in the True Blood clip below:

5. My favourite thing about Wii Fit has to be that it gives me something to look forward to each day.

This might seem a little bit silly to some people, but the combination of the above 4 qualities make Wii Fit the highlight of my day. It makes me feel good to see that I improve in each activity, and it makes me feel good to think of how much more aerobics I can do each day compared to when I first started. I love the novelty of the activities, and this is why I eventually purchased Wii Fit Plus. This has 15 additional activities, and I am trying not to try all of them right away so that I'll have something new to master. The fun and humourousness of the activities is also important to me because I do not often get to go out and have fun in the same ways that other young people my age do. Often, just discovering a new activity or option about the game can be entertaining, though other young people who are more used to video games may not find these new discoveries as amusing as I do. And of course, I get to feel good about knowing that everyday I am doing something to improve my health and ultimately lead me to be more able-bodied and independent. But in the meantime, Wii Fit is allowing me to make up for experiences I wouldn't otherwise be able to have right now, such as Boxing, Kung Fu, and Skiing.

In conclusion, I would just like to say that people often comment on our use of technology, expressing a fear that we are in fact becoming to dependent on technology. I don't deny this. But if the wheel is an early development of technology, then this means that the wheel chair is in fact a product of technology. Wheelchairs are a product of technology that make it possible for people with disabilities to be mobile and allows for a degree of independence. For people with certain disabilities, the wheelchair is an extremely important piece of technology. So while I agree that our increasing dependence on technology is disturbing and often unnecessary, I will also be the first to say that, for those who are not perfectly able-bodied, technology makes it possible to experience life and remain independent - whether it is the wheelchair aiding in mobility, or a video-game that simulates sports to aid in physiotherapy and rehabilitation from a health problem.

Maybe reliance on technology is only disturbing when we are able to live comfortably without it and its use ultimately causes us not to use our own abilities and thus to eventually lose them altogether. But maybe technology should be praised when it makes it possible for us to do what we otherwise could not and aids in our health and independence. Maybe the key to judging whether a piece of technology is beneficial or harmful is to determine whether it leads to dependence or INdependence.

To learn more about Wii Fit visit http://wiifit.com/

Okay, I have a few minor things to report about this last week, the first item being somewhat negative:

1. I was very disappointed to miss Art In The Park last weekend. Even though it was the storm which flooded the park that caused the event to be cancelled a day early, I cried like a grieving child when our van pulled up to the park entrance revealing empty tents, bare tables, and turned over display devices littered throughout the soulless, puddle-park. Apparently artists were knee-deep in water, but nevertheless, my eyes flooded like the park because I blamed myself and my uncooperative body for having missed this once-a-year, two-day event. I was achy and exhausted the day before and incapable of attending, but on the last day I fought with my body and my urges to sleep to attend, and as we drove past the park I cried like a three-year-old feeling like it was my own fault for missing the event and not the storm, but also feeling like a immature baby for crying over it. Mom ending up taking me to the mall instead, where I succumbed to fast food and haunted the aisles of Chapters – my usual temple of rejuvenation – but my heart wasn’t longing for books that day. On a positive note, I decided to buy a book that I have considered buying frequently but always passed over – Women Who Run With The Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. Now that I have started reading the book, I know that it is right up my alley, and the perfect book to comfort, encourage, and inspire me at a time when I was feeling weak and powerless. I am looking forward to reading more of it.


2. I had a very good day Friday pain-wise! I still had pain, but it was sooooo much better than the pain I have had this last couple of weeks. I wish everyday could be like Friday! On a coincidental note, I am in front of the TV which is playing the 2009 Robert Rodriguez film Shorts, which has to do with a rainbow coloured rock that grants wishes to whoever holds it ... if only it did the same for whoever liked the movie it was in I could have only tolerable pain everyday!
3. One of my goals was to exercise at least 3-4 times per week, and this week I achieved that. I walked at the mall on Sunday and at the craft store Michaels yesterday, and on Friday and Saturday I did my physiotherapy exercises. It would be nice if I could get both the aerobic exercise and the physiotherapy exercise up to 4 times per week, perhaps being able to do both types of exercise in one day. But what I have accomplished this week is a start.
4. One project I have been working on is some scrapbooks – not the family/photograph kind. I buy a lot of scrapbooking stickers, letters, and embellishments from Dollarama and Michaels to use in these scrapbooks, but I use normal binders a student would use for school, and different kinds of stationary, cardstock, and scrapbooking paper. These scrapbooks are really personal handbooks on various topics. Lately I have been working on one entitled “Health and Well-Being” which I will be using to keep any health information I have collected over time, including nutritional information, physiotherapy exercises, articles in magazines and newspapers, and so on. The other is entitled “Crafty Ideas” and is going to store actual ideas for new craft projects I plan to do, instructions on how to achieve certain techniques such as a crackle finish, samples of unique fonts, and so on. COMING SOON are photograph or of the title pages I have created and further discussion about these handbooks for any readers who would like to create something similar.
5. When I went to Michaels yesterday I purchased about $100 worth of craft supplies. The last couple of times this happened I cried in the car on the way home hating myself, wondering why I need these craft supplies to make me happier, especially considering that I have not completed a notable craft project in a long time, save my scrapbooks discussed above. Though I probably should have hated myself today, I actually didn’t; I left the store feeling relieved that I purchased what I did. Maybe it is because there were many items I came very close to buying that I ultimately put back on shelves, or perhaps because many items I did purchase were on sale, but the more likely reason is that I had such a depressed and lethargic day on Thursday that I needed these supplies to cheer me up.
I should firmly note that I am not proud of this, and that I would very strongly like to end my craft-supply-shopping until I have accomplished a significant amount with what I already have. I should also note that I am experimenting with re-used or recycled items to be used for crafts, which will be featured on this blog COMING SOON with instructions and a list of supplies needed to create similar items.
6. Lastly, I spent last night trying to make some more progress on one of my Alice In Wonderland themed crafts. It was very frustrating and tedious, but I think that I made some good discoveries through trial and error that I will have to follow through with at another time. The night involved deciding on a colour to write in on a red background, realizing after writing in gold that it was unattractive and painting over it, making a stencil, using it, using gold paint over the stencil, repainting red over the gold paint to undo all the errors, and creating (what I hope is) a better stencil. I will soon attempt to paint over the stencil in gold paint once again, and will hopefully be more successful.

Well, that’s all for now. I am off to bed ... at seven o’clock a.m. It’s awful being nocturnal. That reminds me : I can’t wait for True Blood tonight! It’s the 3rd season premier and my mom and I have been waiting for so long!