Archive for November, 2009|Monthly archive page
Dear iTunes: Please Add Album Gift Cards
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Dear iTunes: Please let me mail cards like these as presents.
Last week, I bought a physical CD for the first time since high school. Now, high school wasn’t as long ago for me as it is for others, but it’s still been a long time.
I was an early convert to iTunes, ripping all my CDs and selling them at a garage sale when Hansen was still on the radio. I was ecstatic when the iTunes Music Store made it easier to buy music and amazed when the iTunes Store on iPhone debuted.
But last week, I wanted to buy the new Jack Johnson En Concert album for my step-mom’s birthday, and I’ve always had a problem with iTunes when it came to gift-giving.
Some of the best presents I ever received were a Winton Marsalis, Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Connick Jr., and Benny Goodman CDs from my parents, aunts, and uncles when I started listening to Jazz or the mix CD my sister made specifically for me. Though not that expensive, those presents had a lot of thought put into them and were very personal.
iTunes offers the convenience of emailing gift certificates, but I’ve never been a big fan for holidays. I e-mailed my cousins iTunes cards for Christmas, but the fun of opening presents disappears when there’s no box or envelope to open. So, I buy physical iTunes cards at the grocery store or Target instead, but they are very impersonal, only a step away from cash. Sometimes I’ve included a note to say the card is for a specific album, but that’s awkward.
Last year, iTunes added a Gift This feature to send specific albums, videos, or audiobooks, but you have to e-mail them or print them out. I want iTunes to mail them in a nice envelope for me like they do with gift cards.
What I’d like to see is something like the iTunes Album cards that Starbucks sells. I use Gift This to select an album. iTunes sends a nice envelope for me as a gift and inside is a heavy stock or plastic card with the album’s cover art and the code to redeem the gift. Even better would be if I could create a custom mix with cover art of my choosing.
The Five Best Things to Do in Summerlin
I’ve met a lot of people lately who are new to the Summerlin area in Las Vegas. Since I grew up here, I thought I’d share my favorite things to do. If you’re new to town, here’s a map and to-do list:
- Get a Capastrami from Capriotti’s. The Bobbie may look better, but even my step-dad from Brooklyn said the Capastrami is the best sandwich he’s ever had.
- Take the dog for a walk at Spring Mountain Ranch. It used to be Howard Hughes’ ranch and is one of the prettiest parts of Red Rock. There is outdoor theater here during Las Vegas’ warm summer nights.
- Lunch outside at Rachel’s Kitchen. Why aren’t there more places to eat with outdoor seating like this? My favorites: chinese chicken salad, burger, tuna sandwich, chicken salad sandwich, arugula salad with chicken…just go and get something.
- Late night drinks and appetizers by the fire at Agave. Normally overpriced, their happy hour and late night (after 10 p.m.) are awesome. Sit outside by one of the fireplaces with friends. Get some 25¢ tacos or an appetizer (fresh guacamole!). They have a ton of tequilas, thirteen specialty margaritas, and $1 coronitas.
- Brunch at Marché Bacchus. Just outside the borders of Summerlin, this little-known French bistro and wine shop overlooks the artificial lake in Desert Shores. They have misters and heaters, so you can enjoy sitting outside any time of year.
[Bonus for East Coast transplants: IN-N-OUT. If you have never been to In-n-Out Burger, go right now. This west-coast-only legend is a favorite of Bob Hope, Thomas Keller, and Phil Mickelson to name a few. Order a #1 animal-style with a vanilla shake.]
