Nintendo Wii, PlayStation 3
-Justin Voss

The holiday season is the perfect time to shop for the wired electronic geek. You know, someone would rather wait in line overnight to spend weeks in a basement with Princess Zelda than actually socialize. What better gift this year than a new video game system, as Nintendo and Sony both have offerings for you to wrap up, and lay snugly under the tree … for a price.

Both the Wii and PS3 offer up the next generation of gaming with their own style. Go for the Wii if you're into party games, sexy sleek hardware and your wallet being filled with money instead of moths. The PS3 offers high-definition titles, and a shiny new Blu-Ray movie player, but will cost you either your first-born or a kidney — your choice. In any event, the only possible way to lay your hot little hands on one right now is by going the dreaded Ebay route. Here, shelling out two grand for a PS3 (hardware only!) is commonplace, and the Wii rolls in at around $500, usually with a game and extra controller. And don't forget the shipping.

PS3: $500 for 20-gigabyte hard drive model, $600 for 60 GB model
Nintendo Wii: $250, includes Wii Sports

‘Saturday Night Live’
-Ashley Voss

We all grew up watching Dana Carvey and Mike Myers "Schwiiiing-ing" as Wayne and Garth. We laughed when Chris Farley demolished coffee tables and split his blazer as the "fat guy in a little coat" motivational speaker Matt Foley. We cheered right along with that spirited Spartan Will Ferrell as he created human teepees as Craig the Cheerleader. But those days have come and gone.

Nowadays, it seems that any signs of life have nearly been sucked from "Saturday Night Live," but in the new DVD set "Saturday Night Live: The Complete First Season," this is hardly the case.

The 8-disc set takes the show back to its roots in the 1975-1976 season, featuring skits from the sketch comedy show's "founding fathers" Dan Akroyd, John Belushi and Chevy Chase, along with funnywomen Gilda Radner and Jane Curtin. The laughs start with the 24 original episodes, but the fun doesn't end there, with bonus features such as character screen tests and other footage.

This set would make a great gift for SNL fans young and old and would make for a great family bonding activity over the holidays, giving parents a chance to engage in 70's nostalgia, a simpler time when Candice Bergen and ABBA were hip hosts and performers.

Bring New York to the living room of a loved one for the retail price of $69.98, or $46.99 if you hurry and put in an order on Amazon.

‘LOVE’
-Ashley Voss

The Beatles sang it best when they crooned the words of advice, "All you need is love." Now, more than ever before, it's the truth. On the 26-song soundtrack for new Cirque de Soleil show LOVE, legendary producer Sir George Martin and his son Giles, used master tapes from Abbey Road Studios and crafted interesting mixes of classic Beatles hits like "Eleanor Rigby," "Hey Jude" and of course, "All You Need is Love." The musical score also features remixed transitions blending songs like "Come Together," "Dear Prudence" and "Cry Baby Cry" into one track.

Sure, nothing compares to the originals, but the experimental sounds on this disc are sure to please even the pickiest fans of the Fab Four. LOVE puts John, Paul, George and Ringo together as they've never been heard before, providing a fun game of "what song originally featured this backing?" with each passing listen. For those who can't quite make it to Vegas to catch the live stage show at The Mirage, this is the next best — and much cheaper — alternative.

Pick up this stocking stuffer for the cool price of $18.98 or $9.99 on Amazon.com. For those extra generous gift-givers, an enhanced DVD edition is also available for $24.98 ($17.99 on Amazon).

Maddies
-Talia Pines

Something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue? I don't think so! This holiday season calls for something comfy, something just right, something practical, and something red and white. And I have the perfect item in mind — Maddies boxer shorts! Created by a University of Wisconsin student, Maddies are the newest and hottest school-spirited apparel on campus. Nothing less than the best, your rear is guaranteed satisfaction in these fashionable and super comfy 100 percent cotton boxer shorts. Maddies are not only a great way to rep UW, but they also have a cleverly placed pocket on the right leg. This handy-dandy pocket can store anything and everything from a cell phone to your pet hamster to a condom to romance Mrs. Claus. Guys and girls alike can wear these spirited and very versatile boxer shorts as underwear and casual loungewear. Maddies also make great pajamas, as their exceptional coziness is bound to make even sleeping more enjoyable. At just ten dollars apiece, Maddies make great gifts and fabulous stocking stuffers! Available in Badger colors, these boxers are especially hot for the holiday season and will never go out of style for the UW student.

For more information and to order Maddies boxer shorts, visit www.MADDIESGEAR.com.

‘The Pop-Up Book of Celebrity Meltdowns’
-Ashley Voss

The holidays: either you love them or you hate them. They can be a time of joyous family reunion or just as easily a time of feeling guilty for overindulging on the gingerbread cookies and candies. If you're a member of the latter school of thought, fear not, a solution is out there. What a better way to feel better about yourself than to have a chuckle at the expense of ridiculous celebrities — pop-up style! Through the pages of "The Pop-Up Book of Celebrity Meltdowns" by Melcher Media, readers can enjoy wacko celebrities showing their true colors. Author Heather Havrilesky and illustrator Terry Colon will surely help fill your soul with Christmas glee as you witness 10 outrageous acts of celebrity drama, including the paper caricature of the King of Crazy, Michael Jackson, dangling his young "Blanket" over a balcony, relive his sister Janet's infamous wardrobe malfunction or even pull a tab to make Tom Cruise bounce on Oprah's couch like child throwing a tantrum. Folks, this is paper-in-motion at its finest. Start feeling better about yourself, witness these public humiliations over and over again and get the book.

This hardcover piece of pop culture goodness retails for $29.95.

Michael Mann
-Ray Gustini

I've probably written more about director and UW-alum Michael Mann ("Heat," "The Last of the Mohicans," "The Insider") than any other modern moviemaker. His movies have a kind of soulful, stripped-down aesthetic that always manages to leave me in a state of awe. I was the only person who actually liked "Miami Vice," and by my own calculations, I have written over 2500 words trying to articulate why I think a cop movie with Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx is one of the four or five most interesting films of the past decade. I'll spare you another one of my rambling, increasingly shrill defenses of the movie and instead advise you to check out "Michael Mann," the new book by F.X. Feeney and Paul Duncan, wherein all of Mann's movies are deconstructed. Even if you're not a big fan of the shot-by-shot analysis and thematic deconstruction favored by Duncan and Feeney, the book is worth buying simply for the glorious still photographs culled from Mann's own personal archives. Much like Mann's movies, the book is beautiful, lean, and impeccably researched.

Read about the Mann, the myth, the legend for the retail price of $24.99.

SwiMP3
-Alec Luhn

It used to be that mp3's were relegated to your computer. Then mp3 CD players made them portable. Eventually, practical mp3 players made them easy to take along almost everywhere.

Now mp3's have crossed into the next frontier — water. The SwiMP3 underwater MP3 Player is a fully waterproof device attached to a pair of swim goggles, allowing you to enjoy your favorite playlist as you swim laps, practice your synchronized swimming routine or just frolic beneath the waves. The strains of the Little Mermaid's "Under the Sea" can now pleasure your ears while you are, in fact, under the sea.

The SwiMP3's unique headphones don't function like your average pair of ear buds, instead transferring sound vibrations directly to your inner ear through your cheek bones. The result is pure tones unlike anything you've been able to hear underwater before.

The player's memory is its main limitation, with the original version providing 128 MB of space, which would allow for approximately 35-40 songs. The newest version, however, has 256 MB, giving you enough song space for a nice long swim.

The SwiMP3 simply connects to your computer's USB port and is compatible with both Windows and Mac. From there, it's easy to put together a lap-swim playlist by dragging and dropping your songs onto the device.

The SwiMP3 goes for $150-200 online.