Here's my gift to you: I'm buying the new Mac mini as soon as it's available if it's still a Core 2 Duo or better, with a SuperDrive on the low-end model, still has FireWire (400 or 800), can take up to 4GB DDR3 RAM and has that nVidia 9400M GPU and the price is still around the same.
my bday present to you will be approx $700 whenever you come out with the new mini. please include blue-ray (even as just a build to order option). adding apple TV capabilities would be fantastic as well. basically, for your bday, please create an apple TV/mac mini hybrid, the likes of which the world has never known. you'll guarantee yourself at least $700. not a bad present.