Posts Written by Vic Arkoff

Hello? Is it me you’re looking floor? Let your Lionel Richie doormat from HappyMatz welcome visitors and overworked delivery drivers with Richie’s face and the first word from his classic ballad. Give ‘em a smile and consider it a good deed. Comes in two sizes and in natural coir or all-weather dura coir.

Well before Power Rangers or TNMT, Ultraman was a live-action TV series, establishing a new type of sci-fi adventure, kitschy kaiju characters, salarymen superheroes, and sparkly special effects. Rarely broadcast in America, it’s now streaming on Pluto TV with select titles on-demand on Shout! Factory TV.

The 13” MacBook Air deserves an equally well-designed sleeve to keep it secure. Amsterdam’s Mujjo crafted just the thing, a sophisticated asymmetrical envelope-styled Macbook Air & Pro Sleeve carry case. Made with an upscale combo of heavy-duty felt and full-grain, vegetable-tanned leather flap with a one-snap closure.

Refreshingly light, the classic gin and tonic cocktail is popular worldwide. For an upgraded G&T with an exotic twist, Tanqueray Rangpur is a smooth distilled gin with a distinctive citrus taste. Named after a rare lime from India, aromatic Tanqueray Rangpur is also subtly enhanced with mandarin flavors from the Far East.

Tropicfeel’s Shell Backpack is an ultra-versatile, expandable travel pack with a unique wardrobe system to organize and compress a closet-worth of clothes for comfy, lightweight carry. Features clamshell access, detachable pouch plus options for tech, camera or toiletries. Estimated delivery starts in March 2021.

What’s going on? You, you sharp-dressed man, when you wear the Marvin Gaye Camp Shirt. The limited-edition viscose poplin button-up is a top-drawer collaboration between Motown Records, the Marvin Gaye Estate and Better Gift Shop. Features the iconic album art from Marvin Gaye Live!, shot in 1974 by photographer Jim Brit.

Raise a glass to the great women of whisky. Jane Walker is a limited-edition Scotch whisky from Master Blender Emma Walker in honor of Cardhu, a 200-year-old Speyside distillery that flourished under the leadership of whisky pioneer Elizabeth Cumming. The blended malt is aged ten years, featuring notes of white peaches.

Whether you’re baking it or binge-eating it, bread is 2020’s #1 comfort food. And carbs don’t get better than goodies from NoCal’s Manresa Bread led by James Beard “Outstanding Baker” finalist Avery Ruzicka. Triple Chocolate Orange Panettone, Babka, Sourdough and more ship nationwide, as does their BREAD sweatshirt.

A is for Awesome. B is for Bombas. C is for Colorful Comfy Cotton Calf socks. Bombas and Sesame Street teamed up for a limited-edition, 7-pair sock collection for adults to celebrate everyone’s fave PBS Muppets. With every pair sold, a pair is donated for homeless families. Here’s hoping that Oscar the Grouch gets some.

Infamous prank callers, The Jerky Boys are back with their first new album in 20 years. The Comedy Dynamics album stars co-founder Johnny Brennan phoning unsuspecting victims under the guise of new characters and fan faves like Frank Rizzo, Mike Deruki, Jack Tors and Sol Rosenberg. Drops 11.27.2020 (Black Friday).

Vermouth is an unsung hero, vital to the bartender arsenal when they need the good stuff like 1757 Vermouth di Torino Rosso for top-shelf Negronis and Americanos. Nearly 300 years of experience go into 1757, the plum-red aperitif that salutes Casa Cinzano’s founding year. Rated 94 by Wine Spectator for its mature aromatics.

Fine art with a Chicano heart. Roberto Munguia expresses his love for L.A. in “A Todo Corazon,” a vivid serigraph measuring 11″ x 10″. The limited edition of 150 is handmade, signed, and numbered. The modest price belies Munguia’s gallery credentials and studies with prominent artist Roberto Gil De Montes.

In case the COVID-19 nightmare isn’t scary enough, Songbird is a dystopian thriller that envisions the pandemic four years into quarantine when the virus has changed. So has humanity. The world is in lockdown with “sanitation” squads forcing infected people into camps, resulting in a terrifying end-times Romeo & Juliet story.

Motorola’s innovative Tech3 earbuds combine three styles in one headphone: true wireless, sport loop, and wired via a 3.5mm stereo plug. They offer easy operation with one-step pairing and tangle-free cord storage. Coupled with the Hubble Connect for VerveLife app, assistance features can even help find lost earbuds.

Pinhook is a new portfolio of American whiskeys, each as distinctive as the winning racehorse on the label. The Kentucky distillery’s 2020 Straight Rye – cheekily called Rye’d On – took Double-Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition. Available through BevMo, and online at Caskers, Drizly, and Seelbach’s.

This gothic serving set pours on the charm with tea for four. Portland’s Angioletti Designs kiln-fires porcelain fine china with Victorian, baroque, and rococo images, including this moody black-and-gold set that invites a bat, cat, eye, and crow to the tea party. Foodsafe, durable, and wear-resistant with hand-washing care.