a
come all ye procrastinators, the Internet
shall be your salvation!
Send your mouse shopping
O
At this late date, an assault on a mall
may require more stamina than you pos
sess. If you have online access and a credit or
debit card, you can point and click your way to
just about anything you or the people on your
gift list desire. Many site operators will wrap
your gift, sign a card and ship it directly to your
intended. Of course, you may be needing
express delivery, but the surcharge pays for
itself in reduced hassle factor. By all means read
the fine print regarding shipping guarantees.
Or, hey, send millennium gifts instead!
The Internet has largely proven to be a
safe place to shop, with a few caveats.
Only buy from a company with a secure,
encrypted payment area. Most sites will
trumpet the fact in large type; you can
also watch for other signs on newer
browsers, such as an unbroken key or closed
lock that might appear in the lower left comer
of your screen. The security system will scram
ble your personal data so that your information
is not likely to be intercepted.
Many of these recommended sites also have
toll-free phone numbers, so you can place your
order by phone if you prefer. Also, it’s a good
idea to notice if the company has a physical
address and phone number if you are unfamiliar
with them. Don’t hesitate to verify basic infor
mation before you type in your credit card
number.
That said, here are some fun Internet sites
we’ve checked out that offer queer-flavored gift
ideas.
If you’re still nervous, stick with the brand
name sites for the first few times you shop
online.
A painless cure for last-minute shopping panics
by
O riana G reen
Another tip is to shop with a site that has
an actual counterpart in the real world, such as
A Different Light Bookstore in San Francisco,
one of the world’s largest gay and lesbian book
sellers. The store’s URL is www.adlbooks.com,
where you’ll find all kinds of temptations for
readers on your list. One useful feature is the
list of all the recent Lambda Literary Award
winners with direct links to in-depth informa
tion on each book.
A large site brimming with pride merchan
dise can be found at www.allpride.com. There
you can ferret out rainbow collars and leashes
for cats and dogs—and probably ferrets—
attractive rainbow party decor and even queer-
themed license plate holders, including one for
Love Makes a Family and one with rainbow
paw prints for bears. During December and
January this retailer is offering free shipping on
orders over $20.
Looking for some funny T-shirts? Try
www.clothes-encounters.com, where you’ll
find gems like “I fantasize about the UPS
man,” as well as other queer-themed sayings.
For the jocks on your list check out
www.lavenderink.com, which offers this shirt:
“Women with attitude PLAY BALL,” plus
many variations for both men and women.
For those with decidedly kinkier tastes, you
can visit www.leathermasters.com for all your
dominant desires.
For some unique greeting cards, go to
www.touigroup.com and check out Chocolate
- Kitchen open past midnight.
BREAKFAST Saturday & Sunday
I HOULI MAKAHlfcl HoU
A C offee H ouse
P roudly serving
GALEE D’ARTE COPELE &
ESPRESSO
Reservations Recommended
The new hot spot for
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288-3960
1214 NW 21M
BETAVEEX XORTHRUP
AX’D OVERTOX
274 2559
Lunch M-F
Dinner every night
We Cater All Occasions
WE DELIVER
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BREAKFAST & LUNCH:
Saturday & Sunday 10AM - 2PM
LUNCH:
Monday - Friday 11AM - 2PM
Upstairs Dining Room for DINNER:
Tuesday - Saturday 4:30PM - 10PM
LOUNGE:
Tuesday - Thursday 4:30PM - 1AM
Friday & Saturday 4:30PM -1:30AM
FREE LIVE MUSIC
Tues, thru Sat.
in our underground
Mad Hatter Lounge
■ ORIANA GREEN is the Entertainment Editor of
Just Out and occasionally indulges in retail thera
py. Send your fave queer URLs for future columns
to onana@justout.com.
MON-THURS 7;30 am -11:00 pm
The Rabbit Hole Re/touront & Riad Hotter lounge
203 SE Grand Ave. • 231-2925
berries & Cream, a new company offering a
box of tasteful blank cards with photos of
women of color loving women.
The site at www.gaywired.com is good for
one-stop shopping for many things queer. It
features Project Angel Food tree ornaments,
which generate donations to help feed people
living with AIDS. It also offers several styles of
pride ornaments to spruce up your pine. For
the hutches on your list, look at the colorful
silk ties designed by gay artist Keith Haring.
And for fans of boxer shorts, don’t miss the
Don’t Panic collection, which sports a variety
of fun sayings, such as “Wish you were here”
and some X-rated suggestions.
Another all-purpose site, www.bproud.com
offers a wide array of queer goodies, including
jewelry for bisexuals—featuring mixed rainbow
gender symbols—and even some androgynous
people pins for those mystery friends. This
retailer also carries
some attractive
rainbow pet iden
tification tags that
can be engraved.
And the best all
purpose gift we’ve found this season is from this
site—the next stage of evolution in automobile
trunk emblems: the homo fish.
So, all you last-minute-Martys, there’s no
need to get out of your PJs, just cuddle up to
your monitor and shop till your mouse drops.
Best of all, you won’t have to go anywhere near
a post office or a Mailboxes R Us.
díOOOllf
1411 NE Broadway
MdôOm-wvOO:» MHS
—
y
includes:
v
*5 course dinner
New Years Celebration
Rest Your Spirit
Wild Abandon
töueh^tone«
1 se belmont
starts at I I pm
Dancing and Caberet
Live T.V. coverage too
• Champagne Toast &
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hompagt e01*
Featuring ALL ORGANIC COFFEE,
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Fresh Pastries, Soup and Sundries
C ommunity
LIVE MUSIC
F
Ì
R esource R oom
OK
RESTAURANT
&
BAR
2000 NE 40th • 460-2682
Seating starts
at 7:30pm
$75 per person
Reservations
Required
reservations
(not required)
503.232.4458
w w w.c il \ search.coin/pdx/wikl
Charming
Garden
C5O3)
262-
Fri & Sat 7-9pm
M-Th
7am-7pm
J ft, -9pm
Sat
8am-9pm
Sun
8pm-2pm
7613
631NE Glisan * Portland, OR 97213