The New Nation - Internet Edition

Whether it's for Eid, an anniversary, or "just because", there are some gifts a man or woman will love on any occasion. Here are some small, inexpensive gifts that will be a huge hit.

Tips for him

If your husband already has enough stuff lying around the house, consider a gift that won't take up much space. Surprise your significant other by washing his car and filling the gas tank. If he's always complaining about how fast the grass grows, take a turn mowing. If his CDs are in all the wrong cases, take the time to organize them. Have fun coming up with non-tangible gifts or services- he'll get a kick out of your creativity.

Perhaps your prefer giving a gift he can actually unwrap. In that case, consider novelty golf balls or a tackle box with a few good lures.

It may take a little creativity but nobody knows your husband better than you. Make a mental list of the things he loves most and you'll come up with something. He'll love his gift and will remember your thoughtfulness when your birthday roles around!

Here are some great tips:

Go with His Interests

When coming up with husband gift ideas, you definitely want to go with his interests. If he has a hobby, a passion, a favorite sport, or even a favorite food, you should take it into consideration when trying to come up with a birthday gifts for your husband. If he loves to play golf, then a great golf gift may be the perfect husband gift idea. If his hobby is fishing, then a great gift will probably be something that relates to fishing.

Pay Attention to His Hints

When you are trying to come up with husband gift ideas, you will probably want to pay attention to his hints. Listen closely to what he is hinting at and you'll probably be able to come with some great husband birthday gift ideas.

Check out His Wardrobe

Be sure to check out your husband's wardrobe when you are looking for husband gift ideas. He may just be in need of some new clothing, such as shirts, pants, or even some jeans. Clothing is a great husband gift idea that is easy to find. Also, some sports related clothing might be just the thing if he loves sports, so be sure to consider this as well.

Plan the Gift in Advance

It is important that you start planning your gift purchase in advance so you have plenty of time to come up with right gift for your husband. If you start planning a couple of months ahead of time, you'll be able to come up with a nice party for his 40th birthday and you'll also have time to come up with and compare various husband gift ideas for him as well. So, don't wait until the last minute.

Make Sure You Get Name and Brand of Any Gadgets

If he happens to want some type of gadget, you should probably be sure that you get the name and the brand of the gadget he wants. Gadgets are great husband birthday gift ideas. However, you want to be sure that you get the right one. So, check with him on what he wants, so you get the right birthday gift for your husband.

Make the Gift Personal

Since this is a gift from you to your husband, you should make sure that the gift is a personal one. Be sure to look for gift ideas that will be personal, and something he will enjoy and love. You want the husband gift ideas you come up with to be special. There are many great husband birthday gift ideas out there, so be sure that you come up with one that reflects his hobbies, his hints, and something that will make him smile. Yes, it wasn't your duty to shop for best man gifts, but here you are, nearing to your ends wit searching for the perfect gift for your groom's best buddy. Since your groom had requested that you do the shopping for him, and you had obligingly nod to his request because you know how bad he is in choosing gifts (him giving you a handkerchief on your birthday, come to think of it), stop complaining about it. Besides, it is not as hard as you think it is.

Remove pink in your mind and everything that is cuddly and soft. Men hate these. You may hear your bridesmaids sighing with delight for a silver plated Hello Kitty (if there's any), but you can never expect it from the best man and groomsmen. So, the first tip in best man gifts hunt challenge is to think like him. Think what makes a man tick. One of course is those that will strike his childhood fancies or those that will shoot up his hormones.

For men you can purchase liquor flasks, pocket watches or magic wallets. If the groomsman is a corporate person, he'll greatly appreciate it if you will give him a pair of cufflinks or business card holders. To make him feel totally manly and handsome, why not buy a personalized cigar humidor?

During their for boys only hang-out they can simulate casino poker playing inside one of a friend's home, while drinking beer and enjoying boxes of pizza.

As for colors, never buy bright and pastel colors. Always go black or silver. Although black would really look elegant in any types of best man gifts, a silver colored item will look much more elegant.

Cook your husband's favorite meal and lay it out with the appropriate settings. Add candles for effect or if you think a candlelight dinner is too clichéd, then make it different. Set up the meal on a blanket in your yard so you can eat under the stars, or a table for two in your balcony, where you can enjoy the fresh air and experience a different atmosphere, weather permitting of course.

Serve up his favorite dessert, the eternal romantic special - strawberries and cream - the latter whipped up and slathered liberally over both of you!

Leather wallet/office bag

What's romantic about that, you say? Add a romantic touch to it by hiding unexpected treats in the different compartments and pigeonholes: for instance, little love notes, coupons for kisses to be redeemed before a certain expiry date, souvenirs or tickets you've saved from days when you were courting, with a reminder of what it stands for, or even a mushy card telling him how special he is to you.

Something he needs

You could gift your husband something he has been intending to buy for himself but hasn't had the time - a pair of running shoes, a wristwatch, a fishing rod if he's in need of a new one, etc. But for it to be romantic, you need to spice it up and personalize it. For instance, with the shoes, you could attach a gift card saying, "Worship the ground you run on"; with the wristwatch you could say something mushy like, "Time for a little loving", or dangle a picture of you at the end of the fishing rod with the message, "You got me - hook, line and sinker!"

Go green

If your husband has a green thumb, gift him an unusual plant. And who said that receiving flowers was a woman's prerogative? If you're going in for the unusual, giving a man flowers definitely falls in that category. Enclose a meaningful message and tell him if the flower you have chosen has special significance - the ever-popular red rose signifying true and lasting love or a more unusual selection like a peony, which indicates happiness in life and marriage, or pay him the ultimate compliment by telling him what the tulips you have chosen indicate - that he's an amazing lover!

Shopping for her

You could buy her one of many things that any woman needs or surprise her with flowers, but the idea is to make her feel special. And you can only do that if you put some extra thought into it and make your gift unique.

It's a well-known fact that men hate to shop, especially when they're looking for a special gift for mom or a special gift for the women in his life. It's not that the men don't want to give these deserving women something special; it's just that they need shopping tips.

This time of year can be overwhelming for everyone. Many people feel a sense of obligation to start buying gifts for the people in their lives. A basic rule of thumb is to get personal-touch gifts for those people that you know personal things about (such as a spouse) and to get more general gifts for those people that you don't know intimately (such as a boss).

Here are some tips for men to consider when buying gifts for each of the women in his life:

Wife or long-term girlfriend: This is the one that you should spend the most time thinking about. Don't get something just because you think it's nice or your best friend said it's what all women want this year. Really think about what your wife enjoys in life and then get a unique gift that's related to that. Whether it's inexpensive or pricey, the fact that you demonstrate that you really know her will make the holidays special. For example, let's say that your wife absolutely loves coffee. She drinks it every single day, seeks it out when you're on vacation and has a dozen of her own mugs at the house. Gifts that you might consider getting for her include - a large selection of different kinds of coffee, a new coffee maker or a set of gift certificates to a coffee shop in every city in the surrounding area (and a plan to spend your weekends taking her to use them). If you can't think of anything that really stands out, a personalized gift like a photo scrapbook or a set of homemade CDs with songs that are special to both of you would be appropriate.

Short-term girlfriend: You've been dating for just a few months. You want to get her something but you know that nothing elaborate would be appropriate. You're not even sure if she's getting you a gift so you don't want to be too showy. Go with something simple that reflects something you two have enjoyed together such as ticket to see the band that you first saw live together. Alternatively, do something romantic but simple like an overnight hotel stay at a nearby bed-and-breakfast. Or get her something that shows you've been listening to what she says, such as shoes for the ballet class that she mentioned she might start taking.

Sisters: You should know your sisters well enough to pick out a good gift. But if you don't, there are some basic rules of thumb to follow. Don't buy anything you're not sure about. In other words, if you're thinking about buying her perfume but you can't remember whether or not she wears it, get something else. Get her something that spoils her a little bit. Sis doesn't expect you to get her something romantic or sweet; her boyfriend can do that. But get her something that makes her life a little easier. The laptop she's never been able to afford, the upgrade to first class for her trip home for the holidays, the espresso machine she always said she wanted. If you can think of something that's reminiscent of childhood (in a good way), make a gift around that.

Mom: The great thing about buying gifts for mom is that it really is the thought that counts. If you can think of something that your mom would really like that's unique to her, get it for her. If you and your siblings want to pitch in on a group gift, go with an indulgence that Mom might like such as a massage treatment or a trip somewhere. And if you can't think of anything that screams "Mom", get her flowers or chocolates and write her a letter about why she's the best mom in the world.

Daughters: Kids' tastes change so rapidly that it can be difficult to keep up with the latest cool gift that your daughters might like. If you aren't sure, ask their Mom, their best friend's Mom, their teachers and their babysitters for suggestions. Make sure you know before you go to the store what it is that you're looking to get. You don't want to turn up and find out that the funny-named thing you thought was a doll is really a cell phone that you don't want your six-year-old to have. A series of little gifts is better than one big gift when it comes to kids. If your daughters are older, you might consider planning a special outing with just you in which you take them to lunch, demonstrate your respect for them and actually let them pick out a few things that they might want for the holidays.

Female boss: This one is tricky. You never really know if it's appropriate to buy a gift for a boss or not. If everyone else in the office does it, then you probably should, too. But you don't want to be the only brown-noser who got a gift for her this year. The best bet here is to get everyone in the office to pitch in on one gift. If you decide that you're going to go ahead and get an individual gift for a boss that you're close with, keep it neutral. Flowers are acceptable, something simple for the office is better. Make it a professional gift and not one that indicates anything personal.

Female co-workers: If you're getting gifts for your co-workers, you should go with something that can be given to everyone. And you should give it to both male and female co-workers. Since you're probably not going to give flowers or chocolates to everyone in the office, you might want to think coupons. Get gift cards for everyone to the movies, an inexpensive restaurant or a coffee shop. Try a coffee shop gift card with a note like, "I'd love to catch up on a coffee break one of these days".

Female employees: Again, if you're buying gifts for the employees, you should just get the same thing for everyone, male or female. If you're in a position to offer a Christmas bonus, this is what's going to be most preferred by everyone.

Remember your clients: Male and female alike, you should make sure that you send something to your clients this holiday season. Candies that are packaged with the company logo are a great way to remind clients about your business while expressing holiday wishes.

The key to shopping for the ladies in your life is to personalize what you can and don't overstep boundaries of intimacy when you can't. If you're buying a gift for someone you love, focus on what you love about them and make the gift count. If you're buying gifts for people that are acquaintances, keep that casual component in the purchase.

The important things he and she should keep in mind is:

What Not to Do:

-Forgot to sign the birthday card.

-Do not give her something that you want (tool sets, car accessories, sports packages are all out unless that's her bag).

-Giving an unneeded appliance, like a vacuum cleaner or a blender, is a bad idea unless you want to be hit over the head with it.

-Try to stay away from clothing unless s/he tells you what to buy. Clothing that it is too small infers that she needs to diet, as does clothing that is way too big.

What to Do:

-When in doubt or pressed for time, stick with the classics. Jewelry is always touching and we like just about any kind.

-Take hints. Do you notice your spouse talking about a subject a lot, such as hiking or horses?

-Purchase tickets to a show or event (theater or museum, and yes, you do have to go with him/her). Even if the event is not on her birthday, it will be fun to look forward to and plan.

-Become involved in activities that you both can participate in, which will make shopping for related accessories a breeze. For example, if you both start playing tennis together, you can purchase him a nice racket or take him to an upscale tennis out-of-town for the day.

-Add to her/him collection. A book by him/ her favorite author, the latest DVD collection of her favorite TV series, a movie with a favorite actor or actress: all good ideas.

-Brainstorm about the things she loves and write a list. Take an item and buy her/him an expensive version of it or buy a lot of it.

'Stolen forest threatened heritage’ : Photography exhibition on Modhupur & Lawachhara forests

Sheikh Arif Bulbon

When the visitors reached the entrance of the exhibition venue, some photographs attracted them. They were lost to see those photographs. Those photographs touched their hearts. They became excited and felt thrilling about those, which represented the aesthetics beauty of the forests of our country. In one hand they felt proud of the rich heritage of the resources of our forests, on the other hand they felt sorry for the present devastating condition of the forests. They also felt repentant not to care of those forest areas. They realised that still the country has some valuable resources and rare species, which could easily attract anybody of the world. The photographs not only hold the beautiful inhabitants of our natural forests but also inspired the viewers to come forward and raise hands for conservation of the wild life.

These were talking about a group photography exhibition by Ronald Halder, Philip Gain and Sirajul Hossain titled 'Stolen Forest Threatened Heritage' organised by Society for Environment and Human Development (SHED) at Drik Gallery in the city.

The exhibition was inaugurated on June 21 and concluded on June 27.

The exhibition was based on the photographs of the Modhupur and Lawachhara forests. Some 54 photographs of these three photographers took place in the show.

Most of Sirajul's photographs were expositions of the endangered and threatened creatures of the Lawachhara National Park, an 1,250 hectares land patch, situated in the Sylhet region of the country. This place is best known as one of the last habitats of the endangered primate called 'Hoolock gibbon.'

Besides the rare images of 'Hoolock gibbons,' he also took the images of 'Phaype's langurs,' barking deer, 'rhesus macaques,' orange-bellied Himalayan squirrels and the other inhabitants of the forest.

Sirajul Hossain, the photographer, who has been working for a long time on the forest, observed that the number of birds, animals, reptiles and the other flora and fauna of this forest patch is alarmingly decreasing day by day.

Amid this situation, the US company Chevron has jeopardised the forest further by holding seismic surveys in the National Park.

Philip Gain had taken the photographs on the team of Chevron working in the conservation area of the forest.

The photographer took photographs on the destruction of Modhupur forest, situated in the greater Mymensingh region.

Philip showed how the natural forest of Madhupur was being turned into a farm of bananas, pineapples and other crops.

His photographs showed the vast areas of forestland bared by the people illegally.

The natural forest was also being replaced by the cultivation of enveloping species of trees, he showed in his photographs.

Besides, Ronal Halder worked mostly on birds. In his photographs, he explained how they were becoming vulnerable and threatened gradually.

His photographs of beautiful birds, like 'Blue-naped pitta,' 'Blue-throated barbet' and other species, showed the rare denizens of the forests as well as our rich natural heritage.

Basically main aim of all the photographs of the exhibition was to create awareness among the visitors about preservation and conservation the last scraps of our natural forests.

Forests and rare species are our valuable assets. But unfortunately, these are now endangered. Therefore, number of rare species is reducing everyday. As a result, we are losing many things. In fact, we could not realise by this time. But within short time we have to pay for this. So we should come forward to save our natural resources and animals for our next generation.

It is mentioned that this type of exhibition should continue in the long run. This should have been organised regularly not only in the capital but also in other places of the country especially in the adjacent areas of the forests of the country so that local residents would become aware and come forward to raise their hands to save the natural resources.