Cf. Shaun of the Dead, in the scene where Nick Frost’s character is introduced in the pub.
This is what my cousin said:
Hope this helps. If she does come up with anything else, I’ll let you know.
I’m so relieved the berk thing has been cleared up. I thought it was his name.
“I wouldn’t rule the netbook out so quickly,” GiantRat typed on his netbook. 
In my case, I got my netbook as an alternative to lugging around the clunky work-issued laptop (and “may” have done some “unauthorized” things to gain access to the firm’s VPN resources…). It was great when I had a 1.5 hour train ride to cruise the web (tethering my BlackBerry to the netbook for Internet access). I’ve got an external DVD RW drive, so I can watch movies and burn to optical discs without a problem, if desired. If the TVs in the hotels he stays in have a VGA or other compatible port he could connect the netbook to it to use it as a second monitor (or for streaming movies).
Also, since he’s traveling a lot, the weight/space savings are considerable.
The major downside with netbooks is that they tend to have a bit less horsepower (slower CPUs/less RAM) than a traditional laptop.
On the upside, they’re cheap enough that it’s not the end of the world if they damaged. And I can generally get about 6 hours out of a charge (unless I’m doing something more resource-intensive, such as using the external DVD drive) or running AV-type of scans.
bucketybuck,
I did the traveling thing for a while. People always meant well but didn’t realize what good travel gifts are. Not only should they be small, they must be practical, durable, and not come with lots of fiddly pieces that are easy to lose. Someone gave me a portable satellite radio to listen in the rental cars. Great thought but it had an antenna with a long cable, a cigarette lighter plug, clips to mount it in the car and a few other bits. It was just too much of a pain to carry around. Another hint: Gadgets that charge from a USB port=yes. Gadgets that need their own power brick=no.
Below are some things I’d loved to have received as gifts. They’re not in the same league as a netbook but almost everyone would appreciate them.
A few of rolls of Andrex on the Go. Portable, small, and quite practical. When he’s in an airport loo with no paper in the cubicle, he’ll be thanking you. Maybe handy “backwoods in Eastern Europe,” yes?
Small zippered cloth pencil cases. They’re good to put cables that every modern traveler has. I hate trying to pull a USB cable out of the laptop bag and get a knot of wires instead. When I say “cloth” I mean those tubular ones made out of canvas for an euro or two. They crush nicely to fit into whatever space is available in the travel bag.
A box or two of quart-sized freezer bags from Tesco. They have to be “freezer” bags; they’re the sturdiest. Tesco is the only store in the UK I’ve found to have them at a reasonable price. If he travels a lot, he may run out at home and not be able to pick up more before his next flight.
An envelope or small zipper bag of emergency cash that he can slip into a pocket of his carry on bag. If it’s possible, put some cash in for the various countries he routinely travels to or through. I know you’re in Ireland, home of the euro, but if he often connects through London, toss some pounds in that bag, through Zurich some Swiss francs, and maybe some of that backwoods eastern European currency.
A DVD of his favorite movie, especially if he already has a copy. He’ll be able to bring one disk along and not have to worry about losing or breaking it.
A universal power supply for his laptop. I have a Kensington like this. It has 2 features that make it better than the one that came with his laptop. It’s slimmer so it’s easier to pack and the USB port is great to charge the GPS or iPod. One less power brick to carry. Do not discount the slimness. Sometimes that centimeter or two less in thickness is just enough to fit the bag in the overhead bin.
Happy shopping!
Thanks for that. The noise canceling headphones stand out here, might be good for those long journeys in the service van. Are these headphones any good without music playing? Or would a good pair of ear plugs be just as good do you think?
Thanks for the suggestions anyway.
No, berk is just a term of endearment. His real name is gobshite.
Caractacus Pott, Thanks for the ideas. I have done a lot of backpacking myself, so I have a good grasp on useful things for traveling light. Ideally I am trying to get him something that will actually be useful day to day, while still being flashy enough that I get to act all smug because I bought a great present and he doesnt deserve it but that doesnt matter because Im so great. Or something like that.
First off - that made me laugh so hard I snorted.
Second - a really good pair of noise canceling headphones are much better than ear plugs. I find ear plugs to be terribly painful to wear for more than a few minutes (and they itch).
I have a cheap Sony pair (under $50) which my boyfriend keeps trying to steal from me. When wearing them even with no music playing, the background noise reduction is amazing. I have tried my mom’s Bose noise canceling headphones and the difference is definitely worth the extra cost. I’ve heard of people wearing them on airplanes even with nothing playing, just to get rid of the drone of the plane (and the people next to them). A bunch of medical transcriptionists recommended Sennheiser noise canceling headphones. They say they’re great for drowning out kids and pets while trying to work.
I have worked in quite a few very loud factories so I can definitely say that ear plugs do work. But, they’re uncomfortable and if he wants to listen to music, ear plugs are out.
And a few rolls of travel toilet paper aren’t flashy and useful every day in Eastern Europe? Harrumph!
Its not that they arent flashy, its just that I have doubts about his ability to wipe his own arse without outside assistance.
I’m with Princhester on this. I have never heard the C word used in a jocular way about family.
Bose Noise cancelling headphones are amazing, but if you want something compact for him to be able to watch movies on while traveling an Ipad would make you the favorite sibling for life 
My mother would wholeheartedly agree with this. She doesn’t go anywhere without her iPad. The first thing she did with it when showing me how cool it is, was to make me watch a movie on it. I don’t even know how many apps she has on it but I know that she has a hell of a lot of games (which look way more awesome than they do on my iPod touch). She also has books and lots of organizational things to help make life simpler.
What sort of state is his luggage in from all this traveling? Maybe a set of soft bags made of the codura (sp?) with some kevlar mixed in for additional strength. Some heavy duty bags would be appreciated and the soft ones (fabric as opposed to rigid) are easier to stow and take up variable size if a full bag isn’t required for a trip.
An Ipad would be a nobrainer, I would love to get him one. Unfortunately, fiscal reality plays a part here. They cost €500 for a basic model in Ireland, which I cant really justify as things stand. Pity, it would be a good present.
Then again, you probably know the actual age of your sister without having to put a slash between two numbers.
I don’t know how good cell coverage is there, but perhaps a cool cell phone with satellite connection - for those out-of-the-way areas. They can be a bit pricey though.
Dunno if they ship to Oz, but go to thinkgeek.com and click best sellers. Done.
It’s an Australian/Irish difference. Having read Roddy Doyle’s books (which as I understand it depict particular demographics of Irish accurately) I have no doubt that some Irish would use cunt as a term of friendly abuse. Not so here.
Would a GPS be out of the question? As an engineer, he’d be amazed at the software, the circuitry and battery involved in contacting multiple satelites to triangulate that, within 3 meters, you actually Are here. 
One thing that I’ve found remarkably useful is a good keychain flashlight. there are various manufacturers, but I can vouch for the Arc AAA Premium and the Ra lights (I have the “Ra Twisty” versions, which seem to have been discontinued).
A roundabout insult is still an insult, and not allowed in this forum. You have been formally warned.
I ask you – once again – to desist from any and all personal attacks outside the Pit.