Columnist Muriel Stevens: Pop for a great gift on Father’s Day

Wednesday, June 16, 2004 | 8:17 a.m.

"One Father is worth more than a hundred schoolmasters."

-- George Herbert

Dad deserves more than kind thoughts on his special day, so here are some suggestions.

Cargo magazine -- "The new buyers guide for men" -- continues to intrigue me with the amount of sizzling information they can include in each issue. The July/August edition has a laptop test drive -- Cargo explains the pros and cons of the six it considers standouts in its ultimate guide to portable PCs, a terrific article about digital cameras and a strategy for jet-setters -- how to save on airfare, stave off in-flight boredom and much more.

Rarely has a male-oriented magazine captured my interest as much as Cargo has. For subscription info, visit www.cargomag.com.

The games fathers play: It's not quite as easy to find a good selection of games that children and adults can play since the Gamekeeper stores closed, yet it's worth looking for Balderdash and Beyond Balderdash if Dad enjoys games. What could be more fun than a game where you can fake the answers -- a kind of Trivial Pursuit with an out.

Balderdash is good for laughs for everyone, especially dads who are good at bluffing. If all else fails, settle for the latest Trivial Pursuit and let Dad win a game or two. Balderdash can be found at Toys R Us at the Meadows mall and Henderson stores and at Kay-Bee stores at the Boulevard and Meadows. Regular Balderdash is $19.99; Beyond Balderdash, an updated version, is $24.95.

Late mail orders: Order from Red Envelope as late as 11 p.m. Thursday for delivery on Friday. Red Envelope is a dependable mail-order source. Their catalogs are always filled with exclusive items.

A men's accessory box, $110 -- with monogram $115 -- holds five watches, sunglasses and pens, and has a hidden compartment for items Dad might want to keep out of sight. A Windsor walking stick with two different interchangeable handles is crafted in two pieces that screw together. One handle is a beautiful glass watch face; the other is plain and can be engraved ($60).

If Dad's a golfer, it's a cinch to shop for him. So why shop online? It's that exclusive bit. The gifts I'm suggesting are only offered by Red Envelope, such as the golfer's cooler bag ($50), designed to hook on to his golf bag or cart. This bag can hold up to 12 cans, golf balls, cell phone and tees.

Buy Dad a boxed set of forged-steel horseshoes ($69), and he'll begin to throw like the pros. Included are two 24-inch chrome-plated stakes and instructions.

Visit www.redenvelope.com to see the entire collection and to use the gift services. Remember, it takes an additional 10 days for monogrammed gifts, and they cannot be returned.

It's the little things that count: It doesn't take much to please most dads: A home-cooked meal with everyone around the table to share it; a wildly patterned tie (yes, those still make good gifts); tickets to a sporting event he enjoys.

It's the little things that count, but who's counting? Not most dads. So whether it's Balderdash or an exclusive gift, it's a good bet that whatever you decide upon, he'll love it.