There was a time when I faked it until I made it – a tired old saying of both the business and theatrical communities. Basically, I signed up each year for the Nieman-Marcus holiday catalog. Each issue always had some outlandish gift for the well-healed person had literally had it all. These gifs, recommended by the Dallas-based retailer, were often hundreds of thousands of dollars, such as a personal submarine.
Back to reality, I want to dial down those “one percent” elite expectations and recommend a few items I think would make great gifts. More importantly, I engaged in CROWD SOURCING this list on the popular Facebook group “You know you grew up with SBS if…” where old SBSers still have fun. Here are my findings:
- Power Bars. No – not the athletic protein munchies, but small batteries that quickly recharge your mobile devices during inconvenient moments. Put this in your bag of tricks, excuse yourself to the washroom when on a dinner date, and charge up!
- USB Charger. “Closely related is the Anker 40W 5-port High Speed Desktop USB Charger.” (Submitted by Michael Campbell)
- Gift Card. “I would love to get a $20 gift card from dx.com. Lots of stuff there to fiddle with. I got a bunch of small led flashlights for $6 apiece and then had people's name engraved. Everybody loved it. Perfect to have in the backpack, in the toolbox, in the car, etc. I have mine in the pc backpack that goes with me to work.” (Submitted by Miyamoto Musashi)
- Munchkin. “The award-winning Munchkin is a stand-alone card game designed by Steve Jackson that "simulates" (well, sorta) a fantasy-themed RPG (oh, ok, DnD) in a simple, card-based game that's chock full o' silliness.” (Submitted by Mark Lynch)
- Tyler Pelletier. I want Tyler for my holiday gift. He is always discovering technical finds across the industry all year long. Here is his gift giving guide based on the ThinkGeek site (very good):And finally….drum roll please…don’t forget the Chia Uncle Si Duck Dynasty Planter! Have a great HOLIDAY SEASON!
- Large TARDIS Fridge. This TARDIS will keep your food cold or hot. Extra large capacity holds up to 18 cans of soda. Perfect for tailgating through time and space
- Doctor Who TARDIS Flash Drive. Choose 4 or 8GB of data in a timey wimey package. Lights up when you plug it in. Comes with a keychain attached.
- Wire Glue Conductive Glue. This glue conducts electricity. No more solder or lead! For both AC and DC low voltage circuits
- Micro-Max 19-in-1 Multi-tool. Every tool you could ever need on your keyring. (Pictured)
- HD Video Camera Spy Pen. You have this nagging feeling that someone has been using your office while you're at lunch. There's no solid evidence, but your chair seems warm and there are some new crumbs on your keyboard. Hmmm, who is this cookie-eating chair warmer? To solve this mystery, we suggest you employ one of our new mini Spycams to get the video footage. Then you can close the case and maybe put the evidence up on Youtube for "educational" purposes. This Spycam is the classic pen camera, just like the ones used in secret agent movies, except it's been updated for the modern age with full video capabilities.
- Petomato Tomato Plant. Grow your own from a water bottle. You don't need a lot of space. Easy to grow. Kit includes everything but the water bottle!
