TheCleaners.net

They're at it again!  Suddenly everything for sale is "A Great Gift for Dad!"  Like he doesn't already have a power drill, or like he even wants another tie painted like a fish.  Must be Father's Day!

This year, to help you get him something he'd really like, we've rounded up some... interesting... ideas.  There are gizmos and then there are gizmos.  Some of them are bound to interest Dad (and I'm sure you'll want one or two of them yourself!)

Along the way, we hope you will pass on our warmest wishes to Dad on his special day.  Like they say, any man can become a father -- but it takes a special guy to become a Dad.  Give him a hug and a slap on the back from us.

See you soon!
Jim Nixon,
The Cleaners

Who is Dad?

Someone who hopes his son
will turn out just like him...
and who is afraid his daughter
will meet someone who did!

Golf Shirt Special!

When you think of drycleaing, you think of suits and other work-day garments, don't you.  But lots of work gets done on the golf course (at least, that's what they tell the boss when they hand in the expense vouchers!)  We do a great job at getting out stains, refreshing those shirts and restoring that like-new body that makes them crisp and great looking.  This week, in honor of Dad, round up the golf shirts -- two for the price of one!  Now that's a great shot. (Include first page of this e-mail with your order.  Offer expires June 30, 2004.  Cannot be combined with other offers.)

You know he really NEEDS these!

It comes around every June -- the Father's Day dilemma.  You've gotten him every tool, every tie, and every tuxedo t-shirt you could find.  So now what?  How about a gizmo he will really get a kick out of?  Here are ten to get your imagination going -- and links to the land of gizmos on the web.  Believe me, if you can imagine it, it's out there.

1.  For every Star Ship captain!

Dad can feel like Captain Piccard or James T. Kirk with his own voice-controlled lights.  Plug the gizmo into the socket and the light into the gizmo.  Then (after some quick and easy programming) Dad can walk into his house and say, "Computer, lights on!"  In a flash they'll come on and he'll hear the Star Trek computer voice confirming his command.  It's more than a light dimmer... it's an ego booster.  More info here.

2.  Feed his mind.

Does Dad watch the History Channel or Discovery, or A&E?  There are undoubtedly programs he'd like to see again and own in his library.  If he's a WW II buff, get him "Band of Brothers" on VHS or DVD.  If he loves biographies or mysteries, American Justice or any of the other programs that offer episodes for sale, he'll appreciate a gift of learning.  More info here.

3.  Preserve and Protect.

You say he's already got all the DVDs and CDs he needs?  How about a gizmo that will repair scratches and keep them clean.  Skip Doctor is a motorized unit that takes off fingerprints, dust, abrasions and scratches so that CDs and DVDs play like new again even after heavy use.  "Scientifically proven to repair the primary disc-related causes of screen freezing, booting problems, skipping and distortion."  More info here.

4.  Look at that!

Even if he's up in the nose-bleed seats at the stadium, Dad can capture the action with Digital Picture-taking Binoculars.  There's a small LCD screen in addition to viewing through the lenses, and he can take a picture or record up to 90 seconds of video on them.  Oh, and he can use them like regular binoculars, too.  Great for sporting events, concerts, outdoor activities.  More info here.

5.  Mr. Cool on the Greens.

They look like neat wrap-around sunglasses, but actually these are Golf-ball Finding Glasses!  No more wandering around in the rough looking for that lost ball (not that Dad ever hits one into the rough... he'd just be helping someone else find a ball, right?)  The glasses block out 90% of long wavelength light, which includes dark colors like green and brown.  That leaves short wavelength light, like white or yellow for golf balls.  Developed in Canada by two nuclear engineers who got tired of losing golf balls -- hey, guys, it's not rocket science, you know.  He'll look great and everybody will think he's the eagle-eyed champ of the greens.  More info here.

6.  BBQ King forever!

Dad almost always gets tasked with watching the grill, which means he misses most of the party.  Now with the Dual Probe Wireless BBQ Thermometer, he can insert the probes into a steak and a piece of chicken (or whatever he's grilling) and then take the handy wireless monitor with him as he circulates among the guests.  The monitor will tell him when it's done -- and whether it's rare, medium or well done, to boot!  How cool is that?  More info here.

7.  Simple, but so appreciated!

Most gizmos need batteries to run them... but where are the replacement batteries?  Are these jumbled up in the junk drawer any good?  Problem solved with the Battery Rack 40 with Tester.  It can be slipped into a drawer or mounted on the wall, and holds up to 40 batteries of different sizes (AAA, AA, C, D, 9V).  The rack also has a battery tester built in so there's never any doubt about whether the batteries are ready to go.  You can even buy the rack for Dad already filled with batteries.  More info here.

8.  Hot dog!  It's so easy!

Is Dad all thumbs when it comes to the kitchen?  Here's an appliance just for him -- the Pop-up Hotdog Cooker.  It cooks two hotdogs, and toasts two buns at the same time.  All he has to do is get out the condiments and he's ready for a snack to fortify him for the last three innings of the game.  More info here.

9.  Who goes there?

Everybody's heard of security lights that come on when someone or something passes by.  They've gone and made them decorative as Glow Stones for your yard.  Use them for outdoor parties to keep the ground lit and prevent falls.  Use them to outline the drive or sidewalk to guide guests to your door.  Use as security devices in the yard to draw attention to movement outside.  They run on batteries and are light enough to move around any time you want light somewhere else.  They look like common granite rocks by day.  More info here.

10.  Oh, those endless calls.

Is Dad so polite that he just can't cut off a sales call or end a conversation gracefully?  Give him help with The Pretender (TM) Call Breaker.  It's a gizmo to keep by the phone.  At the press of a button, Call Breaker offers up four face-saving sound effects -- a doorbell, a crying baby, a barking dog or the "Call Waiting" click.  Any (or all) can be triggered to give him the chance to say, "Oops!  Gotta run, catch you later!"  (Just remember you gave it to him, and if you hear babies crying every time you call, take the hint.)  More info here.

This doesn't even scratch the surface of internet gizmo shopping -- some sites have thousands of items!  So, put "gizmos" and "Dad" in your favorite search window and be prepared to spend hours surfing and saying, "Can you believe they have a gizmo for THIS?"

Happy Father's Day!