f13.net

I know there was a thread last year for Christmas gift ideas, but figured a new year would bring in new ideas for great gifts!

A job!   :awesome_for_real:

I want all the shit in my house fixed that has simultaneously decided to go boom.

I always want (and get) video games for Christmas, but this year I am not sure I am going to ask for any.  What with Batman and Dark Souls currently on my plate, and the release of SWTOR in middle December....I just can't seeing myself having time or desire to play any of the other games coming out.  In theory, I want to play Uncharted 3, Skyrim, CoD 413 (or whatever number they are up to), and what the fuck?  The new Zelda game is coming out in two goddamn weeks?  Fuck me.  I wish these guys could spread some of this out a little more, though I understand why they don't.  I'm sure there are others I am forgetting.  Probably have to get that Zelda game, though.

Other than that, I dunno.  Kinda want and iPad, but not really at that price.  Kinda want a new stereo for my car, but I'm not all that enthused about it, because it will pale compared to the monster system I had in my Eclipse in the US.

Humbug.  Y'all can just get me underwear.

I want decent internet to be set up at my next house ASAP. Anything else will be gravy.

I want peace on earth and goodwill towards men.   :oh_i_see:

...and a job that's not a heroic fight against losing odds.

I want Mike Holmes from the TV show Holmes on Homes to come to my house, inspect it, and then fix all the 100+ year old shit that is wrong with it.
Between the rear deck needing replacement, renovating the upstairs bathroom, fixing the dining room ceiling, and tearing out the downstairs half bath, we easily have $50k plus in work needing doing.

I would like the War of the Ring Collector's Edition (http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/60153/war-of-the-ring-collectors-edition).  Sadly, it's not bloody likely. 

Other than that, I would just like some time off.

I want this:

(http://pinoytutorial.com/techtorial/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/diablo_3_collectors_edition.jpg)

Money, a job, and what Paelos posted.

That's pretty much exactly what I want, too.  I'd even be utterly overjoyed with the standard edition. 

A job.

Starting to feel glad I have a job and only want a game. This is taking a turn from happy Christmas time.

A year's supply of bar soap, toilet paper, toothpaste, mouthwash, deodorant, shampoo, laundry soap/softener, dish soap, counter top cleaner, and floor cleaner.  :awesome_for_real:

Gerber Parang (http://www.gerbergear.com/Apocalypse/Gear/Survival-Series-Parang_31-000698)

Holy shit.

The Gerber Apocalypse series is some shit. I might have to ask for the entire collection. I've always had this dream of saying "Why yes, sir/madam, I am in fact armed to the teeth."

I want responsible citizenship from my fellow americans.

They totally ripped off the axe design from Fiskars. Which is good, because the Fiskars axe is ridiculously good.

Video games, since I'm being good and not buying everything I want.  But no one in my family will get me any because they think I'm not being adult enough.  So, I'll probably get some jeans and a sweater.

I have the same problem with my fucking family. "When are you going to grow out of this hobby?"

Try never. I always hate that I can't ask for anything I want because they just buy me clothing if I do.

I don't care, as long as people don't go mental on toys for Elena again.  Every year, more shit than she can possibly ever handle and, I swear to God, I have 80% of my garage space titled over to her old and newish toys.

I think this year I'll bag the whole lot up and some charity is going to have a happier one.

We had a "rule" of three presents for the boys last year.   :oh_i_see:

We have more plastic shit laying around the house that they could care less about now.  We actually said no presents at our younger son's birthday because of all the useless shit they have.

I refuse to take any product endorsed by Bear Grylls seriously.  If you want something to swagger through Scotland's finer hotels with, by all means go with that.  Me, I'll stick with something more classic (http://www.amazon.com/Ontario-8420-SP16-Spec-Plus/dp/B00190XOW6/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_1).

--Dave
EDIT: Since I already have the axe, I'll take one of those jobs, kthanksbye.

I asked for a PS3 for my 30th birthday and instead got a framed photograph.  I could barely contain my abject disappointment. I wanted to heave the goddamn thing at all of them.  So, I went out and bought it myself the next week.  

"You're going to stop playing when you turn 30, right" "No. How about I ask you to give your favorite hobby when you hit a predetermined age?"  
"You're going to stop playing when we have kids, right?"  "Not a chance, I'll be able to play some co-op games in 5 years"

My parents want to get my son something to climb on in our smallish backyard.  I'm going to dread having to clean that thing and make sure there's no poisonous creatures living on/in it.

I want a room big enough to turn into a studio. Unfortunately we live in a terraced ex-council house in Leeds, UK, and thus such a room would require knocking down every wall on the ground floor, so that's just a pipe dream really.

More realistically... a couple of nice bottles of whiskey, a guitar book for retardsbeginners, a couple of good books to read and a couple of games - Saints Row 3 and SWTOR would be awesome.

Me too. Quite seriously.

Which means I wish for someone to buy my condo when I put it up for sale after the new year.

I want the re-release of Rock Band 3 with all the fancy peripherals. If only so my son can fulfill his dream of singing 'Crazy Train' (his favorite song on the planet. He will be 3 next week).

As far as I can see they ripped off a lot of the Fiskars stuff. So I#d suggest to simply buy the Fiskars stuff instead.

a. because it's great hardware
b. because it's cheaper than Gerber
c. I'd rather support a decent company that doesn't have to rip off the design of others
d. I wouldn't buy anything endorsed by bear grylls anyway

NCT Sales. A charity (of sorts) get some of the money, you get the rest. Profit!  :awesome_for_real:

This. Sound proofed, outfitted with a decent mixer and monitor setup and to top it off a Steinway or Böhsendörfer Grand Piano. A man can dream, can't he?

Fiskars don't do a Parang though sadly.

If I was going to get an axe I would be sorely tempted by a Gransfors Bruks (http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/index.html), probably the Scandinavian Forest Axe.

Oh, those are nice. They're using the new head technology with the traditional shaft.

http://www.gransfors.com/htm_eng/produkter/new_prod/p_storklyvyxa.html

As a fellow sufferer of this entertainment-themed blight, do this and consider it your gift to me.  Or those unfortunate fuckers without toys, either way.

I sent the Gerber link to the wife for forwarding to her mom, who has once again asked her what to get me.  As if she doesn't already know I want cash or time off.

It's fucking awesome though.  :drill:

Do you own it?

Yeah. That one took a little negotiating.

Very nice. 


Can I borrow it?   :grin:

I just checked the prices it is getting these days, maybe I should sell mine.  :ye_gods:

You could sell it for the $2500 or so that it will fetch and then purchase the new regular edition coming out in December (?) for about $50 bucks.  That sounds smart if you don't feel particularly nostalgic about stuff.

Edit:  Here's a mint one for $5,000 on Ebay (http://www.ebay.com/itm/War-Ring-Collectors-Edition-NEW-MINT-CONDITION-/230697253753?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item35b6a0bb79#ht_500wt_1413).  I doubt they'll get that much, but you never know.  A new one is $2400 or so on Amazon.

Really I'm not one to sell off my collectibles, plus it has actually been played anyway. The one kind of annoying thing is it didn't include the expansion, so I had to keep my regular edition to use with that. First world problems!

Yeah, I'm not either.  That is one to keep if you appreciate that sort of thing.  I would still pick up the regular new edition for playing.  That's one you break out once a year or every other year.

I don't see a $50 version coming out on Amazon. Just a $220 version.  The reviews are all raving good.

Yeah, you need to find a pre-order for the second edition.  Thoughthammer has one up for $68 (http://www.thoughthammer.com/war-of-the-ring-2nd-edition-p-32.html), and they have good deals.  So it's close to $50. 

That's where I pre-ordered mine.  I have a suspicion that this may be one you would want to pre-order if you wanted to pick it up.  They may go quick.

I found the perfect gift for Ironwood-

(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s320x320/381771_2382438033110_1015472367_32753427_1980200973_n.jpg)

I want my husband to still have his job come Christmas time.

I want to keep working down our debt.

I want to get hired on full time instead of being a contractor.

I want a nice, peaceful Christmas without an family drama.

Work and fulfillment.

Hawksmoor At Home (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hawksmoor-Home-Breakfasts-Puddings-Cocktails/dp/1848093357/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1320880647&sr=8-1)

These guys run (arguably) the best Steak restaurant in London, they really known their meat. I had a flick through a copy in a bookstore last week and it's really everything a carnivore could want in a cook-book.

I've got both coming up as well.  I've asked for SWTOR. 

What I'd REALLY like is for everyone looking for work to get a job at least as good as what I'm blessed with (reasonably secure unless I try real hard to screw up, decent health insurance, crummy but livable pay, work that is useful to society rather than a parasitic blight on it, and tolerable if imperfect working conditions) and for every jackass in America with the "I got mine screw you/I made good all by myself I don't owe the society that made it possible anything" attitude a year or ten in the shoes of those who are now seeing their unemployment checks end just as their savings are completely depleted, their insurance cancelled, and their banks and creditors circling like vultures.  With an unexpected but not unreasonable medical emergency thrown in for good measure.

Yeah, I'm a vindictive bastard and I've had too much to drink tonight.

Pfft, what?

"Man I want that so bad.  :sad:"

"Alright, you can buy it, but it means I don't have to get you a birthday present this year."



Hoo, that was tough.  :awesome_for_real:

You don't want to know what the girl got me for Christmas. Early, no less.

(http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/85/Black_lotus.jpg)

Value, on Par. Actually this:

(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/39720/magic/imperial%20recruiter.jpg)(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/39720/magic/imperial%20recruiter.jpg)
(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/39720/magic/imperial%20recruiter.jpg)(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/39720/magic/imperial%20recruiter.jpg)

Ahh, Portal Three Kingdoms, very nice.

Yar, she actually got me 4 English ones, making it one of the very few things that could be considered a crown jewel that's legal in legacy.
/me spits on Vintage.

Are Black Lotus' worth some dough?  I have like 3 black border ones.  I just can't remember where I put all my old MtG cards.

What. $900-$3000 a piece. Are you kidding?

Edit: PM'd you.

Edit 2: Feel free to donate that to the Schild Needs Money fund if you ever find your cards btw. I'm working on a card game and it's going to need money. No, it's not a CCG, it's more like Ascension meets Dominion meets Diplomacy.

Nah I'm not kidding.  I was at GenCon the year they were giving out those decks.

The only thing is I'm not sure what I did with them, because I let some friends go through them, and I haven't even looked at them in probably 10-12 years.

I'll be pissed if I lost them, I could really use some cash lol.

I'd like (and I think I'll get) better times.

At the start of this year I was doing 100km bicycle rides and could comfortably run 15km. I was in a great relationship. I was her kid's father figure. I was getting my teeth fixed.

But I overdid it. In March, I got shingles. Took me out of action for three months. With my immune system low, I also got glandular fever (mono) in June. It was misdiagnosed at first. When I wasn't myself, I broke up with her and spent another three months very sick, alone.

It's like being a teenager again: heartbreak, mono and braces. The orthodontist says they'll be off before Christmas. My ex is talking to me. My health is coming back. I cycled 15km the other day (lol).

Appreciate what you've got while you've got it. Or you'll want it for Christmas :)

Edit: I'm lucky I live in a country where unemployment is only 5.2%. Good luck to those in need of jobs. I know what that's like - you'll find one when you least expect it. I know two people who were unemployed and found their new jobs when they thought everything was winding down for Christmas.

Dude, I had shingles earlier in the year. It fucking sucks. Had it on my left leg, top of thigh, all round from & back. I've been left with permanent scarring from it, was seriously fucking horrible. Mine started when I was trying to break a valium addiction. Happy days.

I'd like to add "nobody ever getting shingles again" to my Christmas list please.

:ye_gods:

I only really have two things I want for christmas.

1) http://www.rytterfalk.com/2011/04/30/exploring-the-new-sigma-120-300-2-8-os-lens/
2) Spending time with my parents.

Edit: And of these two, only really 2) actually matters, as I only really see them twice a year.

And this is why I never tell my wife about F13.  Such a burn!

I'm so glad that my wife has never tried ot make me "grow up" and instead spends (some) time with me doing shit.

I think my wife has just accepted that I will probably never stop playing video games nor completely grow up.  She calls me a geek/dork in jest, but she generally has no problem with it. 

My wife hated my gaming.

I am now divorced, been living with someone more accepting and am about one million times happier.  :awesome_for_real:

I'm generally very difficult to buy things for because if I see something I really want I usually just buy it.  Thankfully my wife is almost as much of a dork as I am.  She's not into video games, but partakes in almost every other dorky activity I do.  

Here's a question for the ladies.  Get my wife a moderate piece of antique jewelry or a pretty 3 to 4 carat manufactured sapphire pendant and something else nice to go along with it?

Are manufactured gemstones a travesty?  Or, is it 'I can have this 4 carat flawless honker?  Hell, yeah!"

This is a personal question.

If you follow advice given here and it's wrong, you're going to get 'Don't You Know Me ?'

Don't fall into this trap.

Find out direct from the horses mouth, so to speak.


My wife would LOVE the former and HATE the latter, for what it's worth.

Antique jewelry and a sapphire pendant could not be further from each other. Why are your two options both extreme? Just ask her what she wants. Or look through her jewelry and find what she's missing.

No one ever made sapphire pendants before today?  How odd.

Based on what you said, not the type you're looking to get. I'd explain further, but I'm fairly certain you're just being a wiseass.

A new phone (still running original Droid, so will either go Galaxy Nexus or another Android 4.0 phone) and a maybe a tablet.

Also, since it's way too early for a Black Friday thread (if there will be one this year even) figured I'd post here for people planning buying games from their wish list. BF3 and Arkham City for $28 at Wal Mart Black Friday, $200 ps3 bundles, and some other shit. This may be a good Black Friday for gamers with all the games that have come out if Wal Mart is already putting BF3 and Ark City for that cheap to lead the way (which is now starting at 10pm on Thursday apparently instead of the early morning on, you know, Friday).

I also want a 5 1/4 La Creuset Enameled Cast Iron Roaster.

I never know what to tell people to get me for Christmas and you guys aren't helping me yet!

Been thinking about a phonograph; it's one of those things that'd be cool to have but would rarely use. So, that doesn't seem like the best option.

Yessss.   :heart:

That is a great idea. 

Crap, those aren't cheap are they?

Anyone have any more moderately priced kitchen ideas worth asking for? My sister is bugging me to tell her what I want, and I know she's on a budget this year.

Speaking of kitchen ideas, any rice cooker recommendations? Looking for something capable of making rice (and steaming veggies as I'm hearing the rice cookers can be used for that also) for 2-4 people at times

I've been using http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000I5UEQM/ref=oh_o00_s00_i00_details   for about 18 months now, love it.  The main reason it is awesome is that it has a stainless steel bowl, so that and the lid can go in the dishwasher.  Finding a rice cooker with a stainless steel bowl was sort of a pain in the ass, everyone wants their fancy non-stick blah blah blah.  The slightly-yellowed-crisped rice on the bottom is the best part!

Downsides: it splatters all over the place, so I just leave a dishtowel draped over the top.  Because it's nonstick there tends to be a few petrified rice bits perennially stuck on the bottom, but I am not a sparkling-pan fanatic, so I don't give a crap - if it made it through the dishwasher, it won't kill me, is my thinking.  If I remember to soak it for a bit first, that usually doesn't happen, either.

Anyway, the fact that it can be dishwashered means we actually use it.  Used it for white rice, brown rice (6 little rice cups to 8 cups water works out best), and basmati (which did not work well at all, it tasted all 'grassy' - I think I need to soak it first for the next experiment).  I haven't used it for steaming - though it came with a rack, I have another steamer I like fine and haven't tried it.  It probably works, though.

http://www.amazon.com/Zojirushi-NS-LAC05XA-Cooker-Warmer-Stainless/dp/B000G30ESY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1320947860&sr=8-4

Japanese rice cookers are the bomb. Get a Zojirushi like Schild linked. It has a cute elephant on it and it'll play you a song when it's done! (Plus the rice is always awesome and super easy to clean up).

My Samsung HE washer plays a song when it's done too, those silly Japanese Asians ..

How is the Zojirushi for clean up? I like what proudft was saying with the stainless steel being good in the dishwasher. Besides that, it looks like the Zojirushi is just a much better option


 :awesome_for_real:

Edit: wtf Amazon charging $18 more for the black/steel color vs the regular color on the Zojirushi

Samsung is Korean!

http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Stoneware-8-Ounce-Round-Cocotte/dp/B0017GXJM2/ref=sr_1_78?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1320949246&sr=1-78 (http://www.amazon.com/Creuset-Stoneware-8-Ounce-Round-Cocotte/dp/B0017GXJM2/ref=sr_1_78?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1320949246&sr=1-78)

Mini stoneware cocotte, which many people use for either doing warm dips or as a decorative holder for kosher salt.

*points at sig link #2*

Fixed!

The one thing on my Christmas list that I'm not likely to just buy for myself is a Benchmade 51.  I don't think anyone's any more likely to buy that for me, though.   :why_so_serious:

(http://www.yourmother.com/antarctica/images/19/vato.jpg)

I would say "I will cut you," but it would obviously be a hollow threat at this point in time.

Wait, weren't you the one who dragged us into We Be Knives when you were out here?

It's not complicated.  I'm looking to spend a similar amount of money. My wife loves antique jewelry and she really loves sapphires.  I can get her a nice antique vermeir pendant with an amethyst in it that I think she would like or I can get her a ~4 carat flawless sapphire pendant but it 'lab grown' because I ain't got that kind of money.

You were the one who, for no reason I can determine, stated that I was being 'extreme'.

What I am trying to figure out is what the general consensus is on lab grown gemstones, which is why I asked on a public website.  Because I want opinions other than my own.  Specifically I want women to tell me if when they get in their little cliques it's , "Oh my god did you see that fake thing she's wearing!!!!" or "Oh, that's sooo pretty, I want one."

We have the vitaclay cooker (http://www.amazon.com/VitaClay-VF7900-4-Gourmet-Brushed-Stainless/dp/B000JUXD9Q/ref=sr_1_1?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1320955415&sr=1-1) and it is damned awesome. 

I'm pretty sure most of the women I know would prefer the antique, independently of the lab-grown question.  They also don't tend to go in for giant ostentatious rocks, so the larger size of the lab-grown sapphire wouldn't be a selling point for them anyway.  But remember, I know a lot of geeks, hippies, and ren faire types, so YMMV.  I have no idea what "normal" women like.

Agreed. Try this site:

http://www.etsy.com/search/vintage/jewelry/pendant?search_submit=&q=sapphire&view_type=gallery&ship_to=US

If artfully done the lab grown sapphires would be fine.  It really just depends upon the piece you're looking at. 

Etsy is a good site for looking for women's gifts.  My wife has bought more shit off of that site. 

I would recommend looking at Regretsy.com (http://www.regretsy.com/) to see what not to buy.

I called the two options extremes. Not you. Anyway, get her the antique one.

I bought the GF some sapphire jewelry for our anniversary, and I skipped the lab grown and got real sapphires.  That meant that they were much smaller than a lab-grown gem would be at that price, but she's big on stuff that could be passed down and I felt the 'real' stones made a better gift than lab ones.  Whether the stones were real or not was also pretty much the first question she got when the family saw them. 

So, I would go with the antique choice of the two presented. 

Here, let's keep it simple, crowdsource the gift to this thread. How much are you looking to spend on said Jewelry?

Does she wear gold or silver? Just pendants or bracelets and earrings too? Does she like long walks through the park?

Kickstarter that shit man.  We can big it up on f13 so you get splash page exposure.  
Heh, the sad reality is KS (or such crowd-sourcer) is pretty much the best way to get any kind of funding/loan for anything cool these days.  Especially game design, whether it be pnp or digital.

edit:  that being said I want a stainless workbench for xmas

It starts early this year with the gifts. 

I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes about 18 months ago.  I was put on meds, diet and exercise lifestyle changes.  I got my labs back from earlier this week and the doc is taking me off medication because I've been low for a while now.  Totally awesome 'gift', and honestly I don't need much more now for real Christmas.  I can't express how good it feels to be off those meds. 

Oh congratulatiions! Did you lose a lot of weight?

About 12% total body mass loss, most of it came from diet changes.  I only drink black coffee, unsweet tea, water and the occasional diet soda now.  I still don't really 'exercise', but the move to Seattle has helped.  I have to walk virtually everywhere, whereas before in the suburbs I had to drive to get anywhere.  

EDIT:  I forgot about beer, which technically has sugars, lots of them.  But it's only a few a week, and only if I can get good craft beers.  During the fresh hops runs a few weeks ago I went a little nutty.  :)

Not to derail to far off the tracks, though.  I bought my kid and myself the collector's Zelda with the cool Wiimote, I think she's going to dig it a lot.  Not sure what I want, though.  Maybe SWTOR?  I'll probably just get an Amazon card, which is 100% okay with me.

I have to update my Amazon wishlist so my family can get me presents.  I have nothing I want bad enough to update that fucking list.  I'm too apathetic to get free shit.  This is sad.

I can give you stuff to list you can send me. Like new pillows and a comforter and such.

And a fucking job.

A little down the line, some acceptance packets would be nice.

And who am I kidding with important crap?  I'm in the market for a new graphics card too.

A new TV. And a stand (which seems to be the bigger sticking point, not pleased at all the stands or any other furniture that would serve this purpose) as the current TV is now a vintage 1998 style 56" old-school projection (yes, it is HD 1080) that mostly works if it warms up for a while. Before it warms up and sporadically, the colors "rainbow", though a fist applied to the top of the mammoth set quickly remedies this condition. Color is still good on it, but it hard to hook things into it as there is no HDMi connectors (think there might be one that my satellite hooks into, but all other connections are via component cables).

What is is you actually do? Are you averse to Atlanta? I mean I deal with clients in tons of industries, but it's mostly small businesses.

I'd prefer to stay in Austin and not downgrade myself.

Real Housewives of Atlanta commercials have made me damn sure I'd rather nuke Atlanta than ever visit again, let alone live there.

Find someone on craigslist to build one?  My dad and I put this together a week or so ago, cost us ~$75-100, and it's real wood, not that particle board+laminate veneer bullshit that will fall apart if you sneeze on it.
(http://dl.dropbox.com/u/86041/Condo%20%26%20Ideas/IMAG0608.jpg)

73" Mitsubishi DLP on top of it, and now it has an Onkyo ht-rc 360 sitting under it along with some shitty $40 KLH speakers I got off craigslist until I setup the in-wall 7.2 system this winter.

I'm pretty sure I'm getting a Kuerig coffee machine for christmas from the folks, probably a game from my brother.  The insurance company of the gal who hit me just gave me a nice christmas present though - $8,500 after the salvage retention fee for my car.  Driving it til the wheels fall off may happen a lot sooner now, but they paid me 94% of what I paid for the car 6 years ago, so I can't complain.

I would go for the antique pendant with amethyst, but I'm horribly biased in that I like both quite a lot.

I also detest gaudy jewelry, and any stone of that size I would consider such.

For Xmas I'd like for all of my stuff that was packed up yesterday to make it to my new posting intact. :oh_i_see:

Man that TV is going to fall over even in a little earthquake.

Not necessarily.  Those fuckers are pretty damn hard to move even when you want em to.  My father has a huge ass toshiiba and it's center of gravity is about 3 floors down or some shit.

It only weighs about 90lbs, and earthquakes?  I live in Texas, what the fuck is an earthquake?

Yes.  You need to mount that fucker on the wall.

It's Texas. The weather will actively try to kill you, but they don't get earthquakes. I only lived there for 15 years, and it's more likely to get taken out by a tornado.

Then again, if a tornado hits, mounting it on the wall won't make any difference.

The wall will be 2km away from where it was supposed to be, but the TV'll still be on that wall!

Dear Santa,


I would like a full-time, permanent day job (aka with benefits).


Thanks.

I do this as well for most things. I've got my eye on an Ultrasonic Cleaner, and have been wanting an Airbrush & Compressor for some time. So maybe I'll end up with one of those.

http://www.amazon.com/Lodge-Color-6-Quart-Dutch-Island/dp/B000N501BK

VDL will bitch that the coating won't last, if she hadn't spawned :) But I've had one nigh on seven years now that's still banging away without a spot of rust on it, coating is still intact.http://www.target.com/p/Camden-TV-Stand/-/A-13148468 We've got something similar to that.

We priced a new wood stove today, hoping santa might smile on us. $3300 installed says santa is not smiling on us. We've zeroed in on what we want, and it will be awesome when we can swing it, should pay itself off in 3 years, because I can basically heat the house 24/7 from Dec through Apr with it. Instead, I'll put pennies in the jar and send along my prayers to those looking for work.

Actually, I'm thinking I would either like a banjo or a reasonably valued acoustic guitar for Christmas.  Any suggestions from the crowd?

Seagull S6.

Have a look at Deering Goodtime Banjos (http://www.deeringbanjos.com/banjos-1/goodtime). Great first banjo that will last you until you decide you need to spend thousands on something better.
Got mine off Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/Deering-GOODTIME-BANJO-GT-Goodtime/dp/B001Q9F34W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321154370&sr=8-1) for well under 400 bucks, and I love it.

Anybody got an opinion ( :grin:) on the banjo versus guitar debate? 

Two different animals. Choose the one you are more interested in and therefore more likely to stick with.

Or get both :awesome_for_real:

"Everyone" can play a guitar.  How many can play a banjo?

This was my thought.  I have also considered a mandolin, but I think they are fairly pricey.  Is one of them easier to learn/maintain? 

I'd totally go Ukelele.

That may be a joke, but Ukelele might be pretty fun to play.

I have a friend, and a cousin who both play Ukuleles and provided you don't buy them and own them solely out of a sense of 'irony' then I think they can indeed be great fun.

What kind of music do you like/want to play?  The main factor in me picking up the guitar (god, that was half a lifetime ago now and I still mostly suck) was that I wanted to be able to play Beatles songs.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=puSkP3uym5k

I added a corsair a70 heatsink for a cheap easy gift.

I would probably play more folky stuff.  I'm not ever going to be a guy that is trying to play Metallica or what have you. 

If you mainly like American folk music, then I'd say go for the banjo.  It's one of the more challenging stringed instruments IMO (that damn weird fifth string), but that'll make you all the more popular in folky circles if you can master it.  I even know an excellent banjo teacher but he's in SF so that probably doesn't help you much.   :awesome_for_real:

The jam sessions I attended used to have several ukuleles in the group and combined with 3-4 other guitars and a gut bass can make for a pretty rich sound.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4W0B-1iF6S4

I bought a $70 classical guitar from the local shop that gets the job done (https://dl-web.dropbox.com/get/Public/Music/etude7opus60.mp3?w=a9b16c87) adequately. Not a nice guitar at all, but good for learning proper hand positions until I dig up $2500 for a real guitar.

My in-laws bought that Eddie Vedder album thinking it was going to be actual Hawaiian style ukulele music.  They hated it and gave it to me.  I think it's pretty decent.

Now I want my friend to get a job in addition to the other people needing jobs.

Yup, he's amazing.

I've been informed that I'm getting some jeans.  Great.

Maybe you are getting some genes? Or cloned. I'd kinda like a clone. Then I could harvest all their organs.

... or a baby.  That would be a full set of genes. 

And then you harvest its organs?

Are they going to be skinny jeans?

(http://loveradar.files.wordpress.com/2011/02/conan-jeggings.jpg?w=200&h=300)

(http://www.yournextjeans.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Conan-O-Brien-in-jeggings-1.jpg?cda6c1)

Are you sure you're not in my family? Because they pull that same bullshit yearly.

Serious suggestion (despite what the name sounds like): Cardboard Dulcimer. It's basically a Mountain Dulcimer with a hardwood fretboard and a (painted) corrugated cardboard body. You can buy them built for ~$60+ and kits from $40 and up. Here, first googled link - http://www.backyardmusic.com
(Mountain Dulcimer http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ2B0PCdKo )

Slightly less serious suggestion: Ask for the parts to make yourself a diddley bow - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ye7HUtmxrJk

Maybe I should just opt for a musical saw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_DT267eAndA).

A recorder is a cheap way to get into folk/traditional music and learn to read music.

A beard is an even cheaper way to get into folk music!

(http://www.whethermen.com/wp-content/uploads/NECKBEARD1.gif)

? :grin: