Family Guy
The man of the house... hammers his thumb, hangs out in boxers, has a highly-evolved ability to ignore an overgrown lawn while scenting brownies reserved for the bake sale at 20 paces—and through a cabinet door and Tupperware container. Odds are split on him spending Christmas Eve watching NFL re-runs or putting a bike together. No matter. Whether he’s more like Ward Cleaver or Homer Simpson, any dad (brother, uncle, grandpa) will appreciate getting something kind of cool this year. . . unless you already bought him another wrench and a new shirt to wear to church?
Audio Technica USB Turntable $159
DISC EXCHANGE 2615 Chapman Hwy., 573-5710, The Disc Exchange web site
Whether he’s feeling the urge to play Pink Floyd for the teen-kiddies or is looking for a low-cost way to stock up his MP3 player, this gizmo will appeal to Rock ’n’ Roll dad—or grandpa, you choose. It plays vinyl on the spot and is also able to preserve the music digitally for MP3s or transferring to CD via the computer. As we said in the ’70s (or was that the ’80s?), Awesome. But fair warning: It also authentically reproduces the tunes from Partridge Family and John Denver albums.
CAO Champions Cigar Collection $78
SMOKE PIT CIGARS 7316 Norris Fwy., 925-2337, smokepitcigars.com
CAO is the only premium cigar manufacturer to have produced no fewer than 10 brands rated 90 (outstanding) or above by Cigar Aficionado and Cigar Insider. And for the pampered dad, 10 of these universally praised smokes are together in one package, complete with CAO red leatherette travel humidor. Just a tantalizing sample of the Top 10: CAO Vision Prana (92), the Brazilia Samba (91), America Monument (90) and the Sopranos Associate (90), MX2 (rated Best of the Best by the Robb Report).
It’s a Wonderful Life at the Tennessee Theatre Dec. 19-21, $6-8
TENNESSEE THEATRE 604 South Gay Street, Box Office 684-1200 ext 2, tennesseetheatre.com
The simple sympathy of the Frank Capra classic is not to be missed, and what better place to take it all in than the grandeur of the Tennessee Theater—lavish lobby, Mighty Wurlitzer organ and all. This is not just a family film, but a family fellow film—there’s war, corporate battles, lots of 1940s glam-girl outfits, and plenty of offbeat humor. Go even if you could say lines like, “Here’s your hat, what’s your hurry?” and “We used to have such a nice family... what did we have these kids for?” in your sleep. And if you don’t recognize those Great Film quips, you and the man of the house are long overdue for this Jimmy Stewart masterpiece.
Nitro Team Snowboard $420
THE BOARD ROOM 6513 Kingston Pike, Suite G, 851-7982, E-mail The Boardroom
Bowling was amusing, but doesn’t dad need some cool adventure creds every now and then? This snowboard is a great value for the “advancing beginner” or even an expert who wants to pay a few hundred less than expert-board prices for a fantastic ride. Nitro Team involves lots of complicated-sounded technology that can be boiled down to three main ideas: easy to turn, effortless landings and takeoffs, easy to maintain. Oh, yeah, and one giant sweet spot.
Scar-H Sniper Custom Simulated Weapon
PARAFROG AIRSOFT KNOXVILLE 7129 Kingston Pike, 330-0226
If your big guy still wants to go out in the woods and “play Army,” try this “only looks real” weapon that fires plastic pellets. The military and law enforcement use them to train, but fun’s the aim for home use.
Gotta Guy That’s Hard to Buy For?
THE DISCTRICT IN BEARDEN thedistrictinbearden.com
Aren’t they all? But try the stores in The District in Bearden for size. Maybe a Persian rug, denim pants, or an antique will catch your eye. But if they won’t do for Mr. Hard to Please, you’ve got more than a dozen other district member options, including five exceptional eateries and a couple of wine and liquor stores, all within a few blocks of each other, all helpful and most importantly, all locally owned, independent businesses. A gallery item? La-Z-Boy snacks? Some updated glasses for dear old dad? Browse the stores and remember the joy of shopping in a small-town atmosphere.
Stuff Those Stockings
- The Peanut Shop of Williamsburg Peanuts, 12 oz. $7, Gift + Gourmet & Interiors (gg-interiors.com)
- Bendable, posable Gumby, Mast General Store (maststoreonline.com)
- Santa golfer boxers, Martha’s Vineyard, $24.50, M.S. McClellan (msmcclellan.com)
- Mantel-perching painted Gnomes of Toad Hollow, $12, Green Earth Emporium (588-9882)
