Mr. Cartoon X G-Shock Watch
Available At: East West, 463 Old Country Rd., Westbury. 516-279-4881;
2 Warren Ave, Ronkonkoma. 631-451-0034
East West is a mash-up of all things counter culture, providing Long Islander’s with the best in footwear, streetwear and lifestyle brands since 1997. From Penfield jackets to vintage Air Jordan’s (yes, re-issues too if you don’t want to break the bank) East West has the perfect gifts for hip folks on your holiday list this year. If you are looking to dress up someone’s wrist this year, why not pick up a limited edition Mr. Cartoon X G-Shock watch. Mr. Cartoon is one of the world’s premier tattoo artists and has inked the likes of Dr. Dre, 50 Cent, Eminem, Method Man, Xzibit, Prodigy, Travis Barker, Scott Raynor, Justin Timberlake, and Beyoncé.
Mario & Luigi: Bowser’s Inside Story
Available At: Sixth Avenue Electronics
Every year or so, a new Mario title comes out, and every year it fails to disappoint. Somehow, Nintendo manages to create totally unique game play ideas and implement them almost flawlessly. Their newest idea puts Mario and Luigi inside Bowser. In Bowser’s Inside Story, Bowser eats a mushroom that causes him to inhale everything around him, including Mario, Luigi and Princess Peach. The game goes on following two story lines: In one, the trio tries to escape from inside Bowser. In the other, Bowser tries to stop another villain from taking over his castle. That alone will keep players interested, but if not, the mash up of puzzles and timed-button presses draws plenty of attention to the game. Clever, often hilarious dialogue rounds out one of the best Mario games in recent memory, and given its company, that’s saying something.
Picture Frames
Available At: Quality Picture Framing Co., Inc., 29 Werman Ct., Plainview. 516-501-0104.
The holidays are in full swing, and with that comes an endless amount of pictures. Whether it’s an, “OK, everyone get together!” or surprise, “Say cheese!” Whether your mug appears in the shot accidentally or on purpose. Whether the photos are a lucid memory or hazy blur, cameras will shutter and flashes will go off. And at the end of it all, you’re going to need a place to put them. Quality Picture Framing Co., Inc. offers a range of elegant frames to accentuate that picture where everyone is wearing the sweaters grandma bought.
NatureMill Plus Edition Kitchen Waste Composter
Available At: Greener Country, 457 N. Broadway, Jericho. 516-470-1881.
Where does trash go? In a landfill? Out to sea on a barge? Shot into outer space? Help continue the circle of life and lend Mother Nature a hand with a composter. It takes organic materials and decomposes them into soil. That soil, in turn, can be used to help plants and trees grow, which could sprout food you can eat and turn the waste into more soil, and so on and so forth. Composting doesn’t just do Miss Nature a favor though—you’ll save money on topsoil when garden season comes.
1>0 Holiday Bracelet
Available At: Cactus Salon locations (Merrick, Syosset, Plainview). 516-455-3179.
Two-and-a-half years ago, the Long Island teenagers of One Is Greater Than None started their organization with the goal of saving children in Ghana from brutal and inhumane conditions. Since then, their work has paid major dividends abroad. But for this holiday season, proceeds from their hand-made bracelet will go to a domestic cause that funds medical expeditions in the country for those who need treatments and services.
Bamboo Bath Towel Set
Available At: Greener Country, 457 N. Broadway, Jericho. 516-470-1881.
There’s only one real requirement for a towel, and that’s that it be super soft. Nothing is worse than stepping out of a shower and scratching your skin with an old rag when drying off. Greener Country in Jericho sells towels made from 100 percent bamboo yarn. They are also hypo-allergenic, odor resistant and made from nature. The towels are available in 14 different colors and wash, hand and bath sizes.
Five Discs A’ Spinning: CDs and DVDs To Stuff Stockings
Neil Young – Neil Young Archives, Vol. 1: 1963-1972 [8-CD set]
Available At: Looney Tunes, 31 Brookvale Ave, West Babylon. 631-587-7722.
It’s an ongoing joke that every year Neil Young is going to release the sequel to the 1977 compilation Decade. Given the enormous amount of material Shakey has in the vault, it’s no wonder that it’s taken this long to start pulling it all together. But with this initial 8-CD salvo, the creaky wheels are finally in motion. Material Young cut as part of The Mynah Birds, a group he was briefly in with Rick James before the former headed out to California, may still remain under Motown’s lock and key, but out of the 138 tracks here, 47 are previously unreleased.
Nirvana – Live at Reading [CD/DVD]
Available At: Looney Tunes, 31 Brookvale Ave, West Babylon. 631-587-7722.
As part of what’s become an inadvertent year of Nirvana between the 20th Anniversary reissue of Bleach plus the release of the Foo Fighters’ Greatest Hits set comes this live documentary taken from Nirvana’s headlining appearance at the 1992 Reading Festival. A vital and breathing representation of the Seattle trio in its full glory on stage, this is Nirvana before self-destruction set in, tearing through torrid versions of staples like “Territorial Pissings,” “Lithium,” “Aneurysm” and “Smells Like Teen Spirit.” Any further proof can be witnessed on the accompanying DVD of the same performance.
Star Trek
Available At: Best Buy
This venerable sci-fi franchis
e was at a crossroads regarding film given how long in the tooth the original cast was and the perceived irrelevancy of The Next Generation. So along comes Lost creator J.J. Abrams who instead goes the prequel route of the original Star Trek. But rather than latch on to the early millennial TV series Enterprise that worked on the same premise, Abrams instead rebooted with a cast whose credits include major roles in Heroes, Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle and Shaun of the Dead. The result is a film equally appealing to hard-core Trekkers and the uninitiated and a stellar cinematic prequel debut that already has two future sequels lined up.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Available At: Best Buy
Released several years after Walt Disney’s death, Bedknobs and Broomsticks has much in common with Mary Poppins. It not only combines live action and animation—It’s set in England and shares some of the cast from that film (including star David Tomlinson) as well as the director, songwriters, art and music director. Starring Angela Lansbury as erstwhile witch Eglantine Price, B&B is set in wartime England where Lansbury becomes a guardian for a trio of cranky kids getting evacuated from London one step ahead of the Nazis. As a bonus, Jennifer Stone (Wizards of Waverly Place) is included in extras that include behind-the-scenes looks at the film’s special effects and music.
Eastbound & Down: The Complete First Season
Available At: Best Buy
Picture Michael Scott of The Office as a ballplayer and you’ll have washed-up pitcher Kenny Powers. The centerpiece of what was originally a six-episode series for HBO, (that’s been subsequently renewed for a second season), Powers is played by creator Danny McBride (Tropic Thunder, Pineapple Express) and while he’s far more boorish than Scott, McBride’s Powers shares that same lack of self-awareness and humility that’s a front for massive insecurity. This laugh-out loud fall-from-grace benefits from an equally hilarious ensemble cast that includes Executive Producer Will Ferrell playing luxury car dealer Ashley Schaeffer, who comes off as a blatant homage to pro wrestler Rick Flair.
