Nate Ritter » Syndications

20 Great Mothers Day Gift Ideas

nate — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 05:43:53 +0000

Mother’s Day is coming soon (May 9th in the US) and since at least 50% of us in the world have at least a couple moms. It could be time consuming having to come up with something unique for a gift for Mother’s Day. So, instead of it being a chore, I’m here to give you some unique gift ideas that I think your mom(s) will love.

So, I’m actually being a little proactive here and shelling out both traditional and unique gift ideas. Of course, every mother is different, and each relationship is different, so you can’t expect all of these gift ideas to be pertinent to your mom. This is just a beginners list, so please add your ideas in the comments if you have some good ideas too.

To mom.. Happy Mother's Day! (image credit: wadefromoklahoma on flickr)

The list of Gift Ideas for your Mother’s Day

Personally, I like quite a few of these on this list. I added some Mother’s day gifts that are pretty typical, but then there’s some really unique ones for your unique mothers on there too.

What other great Mother’s Day gifts can you think of? What are you going to do for your mom on Mother’s day?

Have a Very Happy New Year

Gear Factor — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 18:56:52 +0000

2005 is drawing to a close and, unless something truly exciting happens, this will probably be our last post of the year. When we return next week, we’ll kick off 2006 with coverage of all the new stuff coming out of the Consumer Electronics Show in Vegas. Until then, enjoy our review of the best (and worst) gadgets of 2005.

Hammacher Schlemmer Drops Tube-based iPod Speakers

Gear Factor — Fri, 30 Dec 2005 09:04:54 +0000

True audiophiles know that when it comes to serious fidelity, there’s no beating the triode tube. And now Hammacher Schlemmer is releasing its own triode-based speakers just for the iPod. Nevermind that anyone serious enough about music to need a set of these $4,000 speakers might do well to play their tunes from something better than an iPod. The pricey speakers will begin shipping on January 20.

[Via Gadget Review]

Find Your Way (Or Die Trying)

Gear Factor — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 23:12:56 +0000

We’ve got nothing against in-car GPS; it’s helped us out of many a confusing freeway interchange over the years. But there’s something seriously wrong with the idea of adding DMB video and movie playback to a navigation system. All the same, FineDrive has done just that with the M700D DMB GPS system. When you’re not busy trying to figure out how to get where you’re going, you can smash into roadside signs and other exciting objects as you watch your favorite shows from the driver’s seat. Presumably this device’s DMB feature is only intended for use by passengers, but mark our words: It’s only a matter of time before someone dies (or, more likely, kills someone else) while using one of these things.

[Via Akihabara]

Boy am I in trouble.

Seth Godin — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 18:49:00 +0000

(actually, this is the second time I’ve posted with that title… I guess I get in trouble a lot.)

Firemen have good reasons to keep their trucks clean.
Firemen don’t sit around all day doing nothing.

I know this.

I was trying to tell a story with a vivid picture. If my house burns down, yes, please, come put it out. And yes, I support the volunteers in all the towns near my house.

And yes, Crossfit may very well be an excellent way to work out.

Of course, your mileage may vary. I frequently contradict myself. As Zig Ziglar told me, "I’m like a cross-eyed discus thrower. I don’t set any records, but I keep the crowd alert."

Clean firetrucks

Seth Godin — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 14:13:00 +0000

We live in a neighborhood where all the firehouses are run by volunteers. I don’t know how we’d get by without them… they do brave work, with little credit.

One thing you’ll notice is how clean the trucks are. “Why are the trucks so clean,” a friend asked? After all, a clean firetruck isn’t a lot better at putting out fires than a smudged one.

The answer: Because when there isn’t a fire, the firemen wait for the siren to ring. And while they’re waiting, they clean the truck.

Sounds a lot like where you work. Most organizations are staffed with people waiting for the alarm to ring. Instead of going out to the community and working to prevent new fires, the mindset is that firemen are working to put out the fires that have started. Hotel desk clerks don’t write letters or make calls to generate new business—they stand at the desk waiting for business to arrive. Software engineers are often overwhelmed with an endless list of programming fires—and rarely get a chance to think about what they ought to build next.

The structure of most organizations (and every single school I’ve ever encountered!) supports this. It’s about cleaning your plate, finishing your assignments and following instructions. Initiative is hard to measure and direct and reward. Task completion, on the hand, is a factory orientation that is predictable and feels safe.

In fast-changing markets, clean firetrucks show attention to detail but rarely lead to growth and success.

What a great way to describe a stuck but busy organization. "They sure have clean firetrucks."

Missouri Woman Swallows Cell Phone, Foul Play Suspected

Gear Factor — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 10:16:55 +0000

Police in Blue Springs, Missouri, suspect that a 24-year-old woman who swallowed a cell phone during an argument with her boyfriend may not have done so intentionally. Initial reports of the incident said that she had swalled the phone on purpose to keep her boyfriend from using it, but police now believe her gentleman suiter may have forced the handset down her throat. Frankly, we’re strangely relieved by the thought that the injury may not have been self-inflicted. (Malice is somehow easier to accept than sheer stupidity.) But in either case, this is a good argument for the development of even smaller handsets.

[Via AP]

Vespa Returns To Its Roots

Gear Factor — Thu, 29 Dec 2005 09:57:42 +0000

As much as we love what Vespa has done with its newer scooter lines, they just don’t hold a candle to the feel of an old-school scoot. To recapture the spirit of its youth, Vespa is returning to its roots with the PX150 Serie America, available through select dealerships in the U.S. With the look and feel of the ’60s scooters that made the company an international icon, the PX150 looks to be a fitting ode to the classic scooters of yesteryear, right down to its manual four-speed transmission. We can only hope it runs better than its forebearers. Only 500 of these bikes have been produced, so act fast if you’re interested.

Judging a book by its cover

Seth Godin — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 13:41:00 +0000

Pity George Orwell. His classic never got a decent cover.

You can always tell the jacket designer is in trouble when the cover uses irrelevant type design to get the project over with.

But wait. Orwell sells at least a million copies a year.

It’s not the cover. It’s the book.

Sometimes a great cover can help a lousy book (for a little while).

And sometimes a lousy cover can kill a great book (like Turn of the Century by Kurt Andersen).

But for books, like most things, the stuff inside matters.

British Surveillance Monitors Everyone, Everything

Gear Factor — Wed, 28 Dec 2005 11:42:46 +0000

Amid growing concerns about the U.S. government spying on its citizens, it’s easy to lose sight of the fact that, when it comes to invading its people’s privacy, nobody beats Britain. In a move apparently designed to prove this point brilliantly, the U.K. has developed a plan to monitor every car trip taken in the country by way of camera surveillance. Since there are already about ten video cameras mounted on every intersection in the greater London area, all they’ve got to do is start tracking license plate numbers as they pass by each camera, letting Her Majesty’s Secret Service know exactly where each of her royal subjects is headed at any given time. The surveillance database is expected to maintain records of every citizen’s motoring habits over a five-year period.

[Via Gizmag]