Are there men on your Christmas shopping list? Buying gifts for men isn't nearly as complicated as it is for women. So don't worry. . .this timely list of rules will answer all your gift-giving questions for the men on your list:

Rule #1

When in doubt, buy him a cordless drill. It does not matter if he already has one. I have a friend who owns 17 and he has yet to complain. A man can never have too many cordless drills. No one knows why.

Rule #2

If you cannot afford a cordless drill, buy him anything with the word ratchet or socket in it. Men love saying those two words. "Hey, George, can I borrow your ratchet?" "Okay. By the way, are you through with my 3/8" socket yet?" Again, no one knows why.

Rule #3

If you are really, really broke, buy him anything for his car. A 99-cent ice scraper, a small bottle of de-icer or something to hang from his rear view mirror. Men love gifts for their cars. No one knows why.

Rule #4

Do not buy men socks. Do not buy men ties. And never buy men bathrobes. (I was told that if men were supposed to wear bathrobes, jockey shorts would not have been invented.)

Rule #5

You can buy men new remote controls to replace the ones they have worn out. If you have a lot of money, buy the man on your list a big screen TV with the little picture in the corner. Watch him go wild as he flips and flips and flips. Forget the program, your entertainment will be watching him have fun!

Rule #6

Do not buy any man industrial-sized canisters of aftershave or deodorant. I'm told men do not stink - they are earthy.

Rule #7

Buy men labelmakers. (Almost as good as a cordless drill.) Within a couple of weeks, there will be labels absolutely everywhere. "Socks. Shorts. Cups. Saucers. Door. Lock. Sink." You get the idea. No one knows why.

Rule #8

Never buy a man anything and then tell him he should read the instructions because the box says "some assembly required". It will ruin his special day. He will always have parts left over.

Rule #9

Good places to shop for men include: Home Depot, Black and Decker Outlet, Sears, Lowes, Menards, and NAPA. It doesn't matter if he doesn't know what it is. "From NAPA Auto, eh? Must be something I need. Hey! Isn't this a starter for a '68 Ford Fairlane? Wow! Thanks.

Rule #10

Men enjoy danger. That's why they never cook - but they will barbecue. Get him a monster barbecue with a 100 pound propane tank. Tell him the gas line leaks. "Oh the thrill! The challenge! Who wants a burger?"

Rule #11

Tickets to any NFL, NHL, NBA or major league baseball game are a smart gift. However, he will not appreciate tickets to "A Retrospective of 19th Century Quilts." Everyone knows why.

Rule #12

Men love chainsaws. Never, ever, buy a man you love a chainsaw. If you don't know why, refer to Rule #7. (Remember what happens when he gets a labelmaker?)

Rule #13

It's hard to beat a really good wheelbarrow or an aluminum extension ladder. Never buy a real man a stepladder. It must be an extension ladder. No one knows why.

Rule #14

Rope. Men love rope. It takes them back to their cowboy origins, or at least the Boy Scouts. Nothing says "I love you" like a hundred feet of 3/8" manila rope. No one knows why.