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December 17, 2023

Why the Worst Gift is the Best Gift for Yankee Swap

Don’t get angry the next time you’re stuck with a terrible Yankee Swap gift. Here’s how to even the odds for a happier outcome.

Many years ago, when I lived in Massachusetts, I learned about the fun but sometimes-unsettling holiday party game of Yankee Swap. Also known as Secret Santa, it’s essentially a group gifting game. But really, it’s a forced gift swap/stealing game. The item you choose is rarely the gift you end up with, because someone else can take it from you!

You can play it with family or work colleagues. I’ve done both, and I learned long ago that playing naughty makes the game much more fun. You just can’t allow yourself to get too attached to any of the gifts.

The Brutal Rules of Yankee Swap
Here are the basics: Everyone brings a wrapped gift, which then gets anonymously grouped with the other gifts. Often there’s a suggested gift cost, like $25-$30.

Participants pick numbers out of a hat and then each person gets their turn to choose a wrapped gift and unwrap it in front of the group. Then, they have the option to swap it with an already unwrapped gift that someone else has chosen.

Said another way, everyone gets their moment to steal away someone else’s gift. (Well, that’s not true for the first person to go.) And as you would expect, the last person can do the final swap. So that’s the best position to be in. (The number you choose matters in how well you can do in the game.)

The Ultimate Turkey
Obviously certain gifts appeal to different people. That said, there’s usually that one item that everyone wants and a couple that are stinkers.

Usually, a stinker is one that’s average and uninspired. Sometimes it’s a clear regifting moment. But one year from my Massachusetts days, I got inspired by a real stinker gift. It was hardly boring.

It was a 15lb frozen turkey! How absurdly wonderful was that? Everyone’s jaws dropped.

Sure… I suppose anyone could use a frozen turkey, unless you’re a vegetarian, but it’s a terrible gift… the ultimate turkey.

But it was still the star of the show. Everyone couldn’t stop talking about it for days.

You Can’t Stop Me
From that year on as I play the game, I’ve been drawn to the art of providing the perfect terrible gift. It wasn’t from a mean intent. Rather it was designed to maximize the fun.

But there were two problems with my strategy. First, my extended family eventually figured out my handiwork, and I got the reputation as a wacky gift giver. And then as a group response to repel my disruptive play, I would often end up with my own rotten gift. How ironic.

So, then I evolved my terrible gift choices to items that I actually liked, even if nobody else did.

I Like Terrible!
Here are a few examples of my past Yankee Swap gifts:

  • Star Wars Light Saber BBQ Grill Tongs
  • Red Lumberjack Winter Hat
  • Giant Angry Bird plush toy (This one was an unexpected hit.)
  • Huge diamond paperweight

Certainly, it’s an eclectic list. Not for everyone. That’s the point.

But I eliminated the downside, because I would still be okay being stuck with my own terrible gift.

Ho Ho Ho
So, the next time you go shopping for an upcoming Yankee Swap party, if you aren’t inspired to find a great gift, go in the opposite direction. Choose the absurd.

If it raises eyebrows, you’ve succeeded.

And if the swapping process brings it back to you, this worst gift will still bring you some holiday joy. I say that’s how to play Yankee Swap!

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December 10, 2023

This is my Father’s Final Gift to my Son

I brought home this locked briefcase I had received as a gift. When I opened it, I realized it was a conduit to one of my father’s greatest passions.

I recently received a portable record player as a gift. It’s an all-in-one device made by Victor that includes little stereo speakers and folds up like a briefcase. This updated nineteenth century music box has Bluetooth connectivity so you can pair it with a portable speaker of your choosing.

This Victor record player certainly seems like a cool gift, right? Plus, I know there are plenty of audiophiles out there who love listening to their record collections on their high-end audio systems. That said, I’m not one of them. I haven’t played a record in decades.

Partially Lost and Mostly Forgotten
I may have an old turntable collecting dust somewhere in our basement. But that’s only because I’ve not been able to part with my old record collection from my childhood. (I think that’s based more on a hoarding instinct I picked up as a kid from my Depression-era parents than on a well thought out collecting strategy.)

My old records have sat stacked in plastic milk crates in the corner of our basement without purpose.

Retrieving my Father’s Record Collection
A year ago, my father passed away. The anniversary is coming up this week. Of course, it’s bringing up a lot of feelings. When I needed to clear out his apartment in New York City last year, I had to go through his own record collection dating back to the 1940s and ‘50s. And do you know where many of them ended up?

That’s right… in my basement. They’ve joined my long-abandoned vinal disks.

I had no idea what I would do with my father’s records. But my father loved his music so much. I just couldn’t let it all disappear.

Introducing Analog Music
Fast forward back to my new Victor record player the day I brought it home. I had received it while I was in New York City. So, it was a bit of a schlep back on the Metro North train.

I was heading right to my basement with it, but then I had an idea. I reversed course and instead walked directly into our family room with the briefcase.

I found both my wife and son reading quietly.

I plopped the record player down with a loud thud on the wooden coffee table next to my son, and then I took a step back.

For a moment, nothing happened. (He was engrossed in his book.) Then, he looked up at me and smiled. Finally, he peered down at the strange object.

“What’s that?”

“Take a look,” I responded.

An Unexpected Turn
Yes, he knew what a record player was, but I don’t think he’s ever used one. My gift included a Crosby, Stills & Nash record. So, I suggested he pull it out of its sleeve. And then the lesson began.

My son is a quick study with his tech. (Yes, he’s faster at navigating our Apple TV than me.) So, we quickly got the record player up and running. It would have been faster if I didn’t take so much time explaining how to avoid scratching the record.
He sat back and listened to the record, taking in the whole analog experience.

The next evening, he asked if we could play the record again. I was a bit surprised that he was still interested. (He had full access to virtually all music ever created through our Apple Music subscription.) But I imagined it must have been more about engaging with this this new “old tech.” So, we got the record player going again.

The third day offered an even bigger moment. He asked if I had any other records he could listen to.

Whoa. Time slowed down for me. I hadn’t expected this.

The Gift of my Father’s Music
So, I asked him to wait for a minute while I walked down to the basement. I came back with Frank Sinatra, Harry Belafonte, Engelbert Humperdinck, “Oklahoma,” “West Side Story” and “The Music Man.”

I handed the LPs over.

“These were Grandpa’s records.”

He stared at them. I sure he was working through some feelings too.

And then one by one… he began to listen to them.

This continued over the next few days. I also started to bring up some of my own records…
Elvis Costello, Jethro Tull, “Yellow Submarine” and “Hotel California.”

But it’s my father’s collection that’s the foundation of what our boy has been consuming.

The record player isn’t going anywhere.

Bashert
My father has been gone for a year already, but his music is suddenly filling our house over this holiday season.

This random gift of ancient tech has served as an unexpected key to unlock so much joy from my dad’s silenced melodies.

I’m not sure I truly understand any of this, but somehow, it was all meant to be.

My father’s music is his final gift to our son.

And to me as well.

Thank you, Dad. I miss you.

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December 3, 2023

Is There a Wireless Charging Stand for iPhone SE?

Even though iPhone SE isn’t built with MagSafe magnets, you can still charge it wirelessly. But it won’t stick to a charging pad. Thus begins my journey for a workable solution.

By now, it shouldn’t be this hard to figure out how to charge up all your gear. But if you’re like my family, you’ve got different versions of the same device (like iPhones) running simultaneously. So, over the years, I’ve collected various chargers that could keep powering newer tech. That’s good, right?

But the charging equation is complicated now that the tech industry sells much of its gear with the ‘bring your own charger’ sales strategy. Then, you’re forced to figure out how to power your new device. You need to immediately run through the compatibility equation with your existing power blocks.

Yesterday’s chargers may not be strong enough to handle today’s power-thirsty tech. And in a family where the kids are likely using older gear than the adults, every charger won’t work across the board.

And the complexity doesn’t stop there. There’s fast-charging technology and wireless-charging to also consider.

Wow. Do you also feel it’s hard keeping up?

Barrett’s Recent iPhone Purchases
Some months back, I had a little kayaking mishap, and my old iPhone XS Max drowned only weeks before iPhone 15s came out.

So, I decided to buy myself a new iPhone SE to hold me over with the plan to later gift it to our 13-year-old son.

For that period, I stuck with the standard Apple 20W USB-C Power Adapter and lightning cable. But when I ordered my new iPhone 15 Pro Max, of course I quickly upgraded to Apple’s MagSafe wireless circular charging pad.

No Click-and-Stick for the SE
When I had a moment to stop fixating on my new flagship iPhone, I turned my attention back to the scrappy but still totally capable new SE. I wondered whether it couldn’t also charge wirelessly. (Yes, I was totally enamored with the belated joy of wireless charging.)

Unfortunately, the basic iPhone SE doesn’t contain the magnets for MagSafe functionality. But yes, it actually can wirelessly charge if placed properly on top of a Qi charger.

That last detail didn’t thrill me. Without that magnetic ‘click-and-stick,’ you can easily miss the charging connection lock by a few millimeters and end up in the morning with a smartphone that’s not ready for the day.

Stand vs. Pad
But I figured if I could find a solution where the iPhone SE fit more snugly into place, like on a stand vs a pad, that could be a better system for charging success.

Unfortunately, Apple does not sell a wireless charging stand without a MagSafe connection requiring iPhone levitation. So, I had to turn to other manufacturers…

Fortunately, I found two brands I trust that offered what I needed.

Anker 313 PowerWave Wireless Charger Stand
Anker makes a Qi-certified, tilted stand that an iPhone SE can safely lean on without relying on MagSafe.

The stand is boxed with a Micro USB to USB-A cable that connects to a USB-A wall charger. But it doesn’t come with the charger. You’ve got to provide that separately.
Anker states that you can’t use one of your old Apple 5V/1A stock chargers (the original tiny white block). Not powerful enough. You need a minimum of 5V/2A output. An iPad charger will work if you believe in sharing one charger for different devices. (What could go wrong with that plan?)

So, I knew I also needed a new power block.

Anker PowerPort+ 1 with Quick Charge 3.0
I read the fine print on the Anker stand’s power requirements to maximize its capabilities. My mind started to melt.

I immediately searched for a shortcut and landed on Anker’s only small USB-A charger. (All of their other models are USB-C.)

With both stand and charger, the Anker price is $30.38.

Belkin Boost Charge Wireless Charging Stand
Belkin offers an all-in-one solution, which you may feel is more elegant that my MacGyvered Frankenstein Anker plan.

You don’t have to figure out which charger block to buy. A Belkin charger comes packaged with the stand (which is similar to the Anker model, though more rounded).

I Bought the Anker Wireless Charging Package
I think both the Anker and Belkin options are solid choices. That said, the Anker stand and charger is only 30 bucks vs $45 for the Belkin option.

Based on this pricing differential, I went with Anker.
Click.

Fast-Charging is Always Helpful
All I really wanted was an overnight wireless charging solution for our iPhone SE. And now we’ve got that.

But as it turned out, I’ve also put in place a fast-charging solution with the Anker 313 Stand and PowerPort Quick Charger for any number of our current and future devices.

As much as I prefer the overnight charging rule for our son, what could possibly go wrong with that rigid strategy combined with the complexities of busy family life?

We all sometimes need a little quick boost of power in the morning.

And so do our devices.

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