With Christmas shopping taking center stage, let's not forget that the Jewish Holiday of Hanukkah starts in a week. For those of you looking for a gift to get a loved one, give them the tip to buy these two stocks.

Washington Mutual (NYSE: WM), I had my first passbook account with the bank about 30 years ago. Back then it was known as "a friend of the family." Since then they have become one of the largest banks in all of the US, and are at the center of the whole subprime mess. That being said, the stock has gotten absolutely crushed and at about $17/share, and a dividend yield over 12% this looks intriguing. Yes, I know that Washington Mutual might cut the dividend, but even if the company slices it in half it's still more than 6%. I say go for it!

Celgene (NASDAQ: CELG) the biotech star has lost some luster falling over 20% in the last 5 weeks. Its cancer drug Revlimid is a true blockbuster and I expect continued strong earnings for the company. Historically, each time Celgene has dropped 20% it has become a really good entry point and this time should be no different.

Happy Hanukkah.

Aaron Katsman is the lead Portfolio Manager and Managing Director of America Israel Investment Associates, LLC. and Senior Editor of IsraelNewsletter.com. Disclosure: Writer holds a position in CELG. He has no position in any other stock mentioned as of 11/21707.

As the holiday season approaches, we thought you might appreciate some gift suggestions with a twist, appropriate for those on your list who aren't satisfied with the same old, same old.

Today's suggestion: The Flat-packed Hammer from Vert Design. The hammer comes in a flat sheet cut into pieces, resembling the snap-apart sections of an old-style model car or plane. The person you give this gift to snaps the component pieces apart and, by carefully assembling them, ends up with a handsome wooden mallet. The tool is perfect for bopping home a loose peg in a bookcase, a cat lunging for the cheese log, or a younger brother unaware of the power of armaments.

Vert Design is an Australian company. The hammer will set you back $45, Australian, or about US $40.

(thanks to Boing Boing)

It's super Thursday, when same-store sales from many of the nation's retailers hit the Street, and the outlook for the holiday-shopping season is looking less than cheerful.

Weakness in the housing sector, high prices at the pumps, and unseasonably warm weather kept consumers' wallets on a tight leash in October. Early estimates from the International Council of Shopping Centers/UBS indicate that overall U.S. same-store sales in October rose about 2%, missing analysts' previous growth target of 2.5%. Data from Thomson Financial indicates that 18 retailers have missed expectations, while 10 have exceeded.

Ken Perkins, president of research company RetailMetrics, told The New York Times that "Overall, the sales trend continues to slow . . . I think the consumer is certainly feeling the [economic] pressure heading into the holidays."