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CIO Gift Guide: Obligatory giving

CIO's week of giving continues.

Giving: Sometimes we do it because we want to. Sometimes we do it because we have to, because it's expected. For those instances of grudging giving, we offer these thoughts.

Clocky, $49.95. Hmm. Seems like a lot of pretty pennies for someone we don't want to buy for in the first place. Reserve judgment until you hear what Clocky does: "This wacky waker-upper leaps off the bedside table and scoots around, looking for somewhere to hide when its alarm sounds." Yup, it's no longer a matter of flailing a hand over the bedside table and whapping the snooze button. This alarm clock on wheels leaps off the bedside table and skitters herky jerky around the room while the hapless soul hoping for an extra five minutes of shut-eye scrambles after it. Still think it's overpriced?

Periodic Table Shower Curtain, $29.95. What was sophomore chemistry all about? Futilely attempting to memorize the Periodic Table. Your begrudged will be unable to avoid the mental trap of reverting to 10th-grade form and attempting to memorize the chart while in the shower. Better, though, is when he's out and trying to recall whether K stands for potassium or kryptonite, Ta for tantalum or taffy. His failure yet again to memorize the table coupled with his media-fueled fear of dementia will have him bathing at the Y in no time.

Dave's Burning Nuts, $6.95. (Hey, we don't name the products, we just tell you about them.) They may look like innocent nuts, but Dave coats his boys with habanero chile, garlic, onion and paprika. Spike the office snack dish with these hummers and let the eye-watering fun begin.

The Ex Voodoo Knife Block, $69.95. You have to see this one to fully appreciate it. It's a standing figure "holding" a knife through this forehead, through his chest, his tummy, his -- Ewwwwwe! Great for the ex-boyfriend who charged you a quarter an hour to watch his plasma screen TV.

Details? www.firebox.com