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I'm a huge fan of Seth Godin.  I think his "Permissions Marketing" is one of the core texts of the marketing revolution talking place on the internet, in front of our eyes.

In "the dip", Seth provides his own take on failure.  He addresses an important question - how to distinguish a temporary dip from the slide procceding going over a cliff.

"Winners quit fast, quit often, and quit without guilt—until they commit to beating the right Dip for the right reasons. In fact, winners seek out the Dip. They realize that the bigger the barrier, the bigger the reward for getting past it. If you can become number one in your niche, you’ll get more than your fair share of profits, glory, and long-term security. "

The best traveler's meal bar - inexpensive, balanced nutrition, not overly glycemic for longer energy staying power, widely available, and the best tasting (in my humble opinion).  I can eat these twice a day for a week.

A great travel accessory.  I brew coffee and fill a thermos like this, and drink it on the train and at my desk.  It is rugged, leakproof, and secure, and keeps the coffee hot.  (train coffee is terrible, and I don't like to walk around with a cup in my hand, even with a lid.  I have dumped a sixteen ouncer on the MARC to Washington DC, and watched horrified as it ran across the isle and under my fellow rider's feet)

Kiltartan Road Christmas: My vote for the single best Christmas CD, full of fresh new music that you haven’t heard 500 times, with great music and voices. Killtartan Road is an Irish group with a traditional sound. They take poems and set them to music, and the lead female vocalist has a clear sweet voice that beautifies everything she sings. The lead cut, “Carol of the Fieldmice”, from “Wind in the Willows”, is the song that you want playing when your holiday guests walk in the door. Plus some powerful Theology in “Cry of a Tiny Babe”, and humor in “Miss Fogerty’s Christmas Cake”. Sublime.

Lego Star Wars II: This may sound like a sleeper, but it is the most fun two person game imaginable. The play, the pacing, the challenge are all nearly perfect. And the plots are the familiar old plots of the original star wars trilogy, with plenty of humor added. What fun to reenact the attack on the rebel base at Hoth, or the assault on Jabba’s stronghold, complete with Bantha scene. And all in legos. The Lego based animation paradoxically allows a much richer environment to interact with, possibly because the developers could build everything from Legos. Plenty of extras, and free play opportunities. For all ages, on the Xbox or PC.

LUSH soaps and toiletries. Started in London, this boutique maker of soaps, shampoos and bath products combines great scents and colors with imaginative packaging.