Silk Pashminas - Apparently, women love these little shawl-thingies, which are available for $5 from shady street vendors on every busy sidewalk in New York City. They're pretty much a "can't miss," with the only drawback being that the cheap black plastic bags they sell them in mark you as a tourist, something no self-respecting New Yorker ever wants to be.
Starting Lineup Action Figures - These little figurines, made by Todd McFarlane, the former Spiderman comic book artist, are cooler than I'd probably like to admit. Every basketball fan over 25 is going to love this figuring, of "Big Game" James Worthy. For slightly older fans, check out this sweet figurine of Dr. J.
Susanna Clarke: Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - Basically a Harry Potter novel for adults, this story of English magic and the men who practice it is now on the clearance rack at most Barnes & Nobles for $5.98, in hardcover. Online, its $6.99.
Clearance books from Barnes & Noble.com - This is a pretty serious treasure trove. The list of authors whose books are available for $7 or less - Tom Perrotta, Jonathan Franzen, Edward P. Jones, Margaret Atwood, Susanna Clarke, Neil Gaiman, Elmore Leonard, Jonathan Lethem, Caroline Alexander, J.M. Coetzee, etc. - is extensive enough that just about everybody who reads books can find something they like.CDs and DVDs
The Wire, Season 4 - The best-reviewed season of the best-reviewed television show that's ever been made in this country.
Flight of the Conchords: Season 1 - This is one of the funniest new shows in years - part Curb Your Enthusiasm, part The Monkees, part Tenacious D, all of it hilarious.
Patton Oswalt: Werewolves and Lollipops - In our opinion, this is the funniest stand-up CD since David Cross' "Its Not Funny."Just Plain Cool
Magpie Rings - This cool-ass jewelry is made by Brooklyn artist Megan Greene, and old family friend of Jake's and mine.
Subscription to McSweeney's Quarterly - It seems as if every literary talent under age 40 has gotten his or her start in this book-sized periodical. Subscriptions aren't cheap, but you get a lot of mileage out of them.
Marv Levy Sweaters - From eBay. Just because.Things Not To Buy Under Any Circumstances
The Amazon Kindle - In the words of CSD favorite Jonathan Franzen: "In theory, words are words. But literature isn't data. The difference between Shakespeare on a BlackBerry and Shakespeare in the Arden Edition is like the difference between vows taken in a shoe store and vows taken in cathedral." Amen. I love Amazon as much as the next guy, but if you think that people are going to pay $400 for the ability to read a 400-page novel on a 3-inch screen, or people magazine in black-and-white with low-resolution photographs, is a fucking idiot. In two years, this technology will have gone the way of the laser-disc - trust me.
Mammoths - This one time, a Croc fucked an Ugg and nine months later the Ugg shat out a Mammoth. If you want your loved ones to look like a pack of assholes, buy them a pair of these pieces of yuppie consumerist shit.
