Yes, this is a list of products that I hope you’ll buy from Amazon, where I will get a cut. But to keep it interesting, it’s also a list of things you can’t buy (unless you are part of the 1% and can control elections) and, of course, if you really want to make a difference- you’ll do all your shopping locally with independent retailers.

And- I’m going to start out with the most outrageous gift that will change your life: The Squatty Potty. Watch the video- and buy from this link- read the reviews- seriously: http://amzn.to/1HpUmAg

A gift you can’t buy- a real website for the Montgomery County Board of Elections- that has a complete list of every office you can run for, who is in it, when the term expires, and the requirements to run. That would help clear the poop from the system locally.

Tired of selfie stills? Want to make action movies like a pro? From the folks that make the DJI “Drones”- comes the Osmo a stedi-cam like no other. Buy here- http://amzn.to/1ljQyGy

A gift you can’t buy- real news from the local media. No, it’s not news when there is a traffic accident, or a shooting, or another drug bust. That’s only relevant is you were in the accident or the resulting traffic jam, knew someone in the shooting or it happened on your street. Real news is why our Dayton Public Schools suck, why Sinclair is failing to meet real needs for truck drivers, welders and the medical programs. All have a waiting list, despite claiming they’re on it. Real news is why our local politicians keep buying buildings for which there is no public use, giving away tax revenue to companies that move inside downtown, or about businesses that are successful in our community.

Turning on the lights, automatically. I’ve had a timer on my porch light for years- it sucked to program, it sucked to change the time for Daylight Savings Time- then, this happened: http://amzn.to/1HpWrMM it even works on motors- and most importantly- doesn’t burn out CFL bulbs. Me likey.

What you can’t buy- true transparency and sunlight on the meetings of the Dayton City Commission- no more illegal work sessions where the commission meets to do all the actual discussion of the issues before they come and rubber stamp them in public. Follow the damned charter and the state sunshine laws already.

Keep the heat on while being super cool- get a Nest Learning Thermostat. Seriously. This one will save you money and make you really happy and comfy in your own home or office. Installation is a breeze- and I can now control the temps in both my home and office from my phone. This product keeps getting better with software updates- and my utility bills keep coming down. I have the first generation, they are now on the third. http://amzn.to/1HpXfB5

Best thing I’ve ever bought to save money, and they let you know how you do compared to people in your area as well.

What you can’t buy? Take a look at a heat map of economic activity for Dayton. See the cold spots on the West Side- while Miller Lane and Austin Landing are hot. It’s time to look at comprehensive regional investment and stop tilting the playing field. First step- Countywide income tax- flat rate at 1.5% divvied up based on a formula based on square miles, population, political overhead and need. Same thing for school taxes. Reward lean organizations with low overhead- that utilize regional assets like the regional dispatch center, or pay their politicians reasonably, or have the lowest ratio of administrators to workers, with MORE money- and penalize the high overhead ones. Make it easy for small businesses to calculate tax rates by not having to worry about every single jurisdiction. Make it about the region- not filling the pockets of the Gunlocks, Singers, Mills of the region.

If you are paying out the nose for cable- my suggestion is to invest in a HD antenna, and a TiVo. Seriously. I’ve had a TiVo for a long time- and there is so much good TV on broadcast, and services available via online- that you just need a box to coordinate it all. I’ve got a series II HD and a Romio – make sure you buy the lifetime service contract instead of annually- they last forever. Here are your choices- http://amzn.to/1Hq0gBo The new Bolt looks amazing- but, I got a rocking deal on the Romio. So much better than any cable company DVR- I’m amazed that Apple or Amazon hasn’t bought TiVo yet. Great recommendation engine- like Netflix- with search functions built in- find everything coming up with Allison Janney in it- and it records everything- from West Wing to interviews.

While we’re on the subject of unified entertainment- it’s time we move to unified government. Really. We can’t afford to keep paying for 1,000 or more elected offices (I’m guessing – since there is no unified list- I’m thinking of adding it to this website) and finding 1,000 people qualified to do this political horseshit.

Need proof that the local Dems are incompetent? Mike Turner has run for Congress virtually unopposed for 15 years. Need proof that the local Republicans are incompetent- look at the County Commission. One real countywide system. Ditch the local school systems too. Distribute the poor kids equally throughout – since there is no greater indicator of poor test performance than poverty. This shouldn’t be that hard- should be easy- just like TiVo.

I bought a carpet cleaner on one of the Amazon deals of the day. Used it yesterday. While it cleaned the carpets great, it kept reminding me of how much I actually love my Dyson vacuums. It’s about industrial design- the cleaner has the cord coming out of the base- and I was running over it constantly- my Dyson has the cord coming out up top- near where I’m maneuvering it from. Yes, they are expensive, but the “Amimal” I’ve got at the office is still humming almost 20 years later- and I’ve been able to fix it myself with parts bought online and video from YouTube. http://amzn.to/1IcZ6cI Design is everything- and on the new one I bought for the house it is even easier to use the attachments. Do yourself a favor- upgrade.

For a local change of pace- how about having elections that don’t suck. This means a well informed electorate- that actually comes out and votes- knowing more than what is in the pathetic League of Women’s Voter guide. Cutting down the number of offices would go a long way toward this- as would having a real BOE website- but, most importantly- let’s have real debates. Not these moderated forums where the moderator has control. There is no moderator once elected- we actually need to see candidates questioning the people they are elected to serve with. It’s about finding out who really knows what the issues are.

And, that’s it for my Holiday gift guide. Do you have any other things that you can’t live without that I should add to my list? Just remember- Esrati.com is free- and pretty much uncensored- so if you like what I’m doing here- help me out and start your Amazon buys from one of these links- and a tiny percentage of every purchase comes back to me- to help pay for hosting, domain name registration and rewards me just a little bit for taking time to dig deeper into what happens in Dayton.