In theory, maturity means your musical tastes also get a tune-up. In reality, this may not apply if you possess an iPod.

Only now do I realise that while I have been downloading songs, I have been unloading my dignity, a song at a time. Years of buying music-snob CDs have given way to an unending string of boppy pop to accompany me around Safeway.

Maybe it's because iTunes makes it easy to binge-buy or download songs as singles. Or maybe it's simply that there's no incriminating CD jewel box to clutter my shelves.

In setting up my own Blockbusters, I was putting together a wish list of films I should watch and books I should read; a self-improving stack to stave off the faintest possibility of future boredom.