Pigeon-holed

I visited amazon.com yesterday for the first time in quite a while (to check a spelling, oddly enough) and was startled to see just how attractive I found the range of books and music it was recommending for me. Of course, I'm too much of a cheapskate and hero of the War on Capitalism to have actually bought anything - I think it's more than a year since a parcel from this source found its way to me - but it was somewhat disturbing to realise how accurately these chaps with their clever software track your purchasing patterns and link these to what you are highly likely to really, really want. They seem to know more about me than I do.

So should we regard this as an example of the Machiavellian manipulativeness of The System, or as a kind of friendly service to the consumer? I'm inclined to go for the latter - at least, as long as I am able to resist the temptation on offer.

I don't suppose it's all that difficult to know what's likely to appeal to me. Yesterday I found myself buying the following CDs: All That You Can't Leave Behind - U2; Love and Theft - Bob Dylan; The Delivery Man - Elvis Costello & The Imposters; Blood & Chocolate (the reissue with the extra CD of outtakes) - Elvis Costello & The Attractions. I think any budding Sherlock Holmes would be able to make a pretty good stab at my age, race, gender, educational background, political affiliations and shoe size based on that information. There are those who might claim that it's a tired sort of selection with absolutely nothing cutting edge about it, but I must say I'm rather proud of that. And I rather like being late to the party, buying stuff that's pretty old now - especially Blood & Chocolate, from the eighties. I have a healthy desire to be linked with all that is deeply unfashionable.

The only CD I've had a chance to play, by the way, has been Love and Theft which is so sensationally good I'm still smiling over it. Charm is not a word one might normally associate with Dylan, but this album has got it in barrow-loads. And just for any reader who has noticed the irony of an entry celebrating my success in the on-going War on Capitalism which admits to my buying no fewer than 4 albums at a shot (something which the ever-observant Noi found time to comment on when she found me in Parkway) I'd just like to point out that Love and Theft cost less than thirteen bucks. Now who could reasonably resist that?