I don't own an Ipod, and I don't ever plan on getting one either. I enjoy holding an artist’s CD in my hand and flipping through the artwork inside the case. The new explosion of downloading songs scares the hell out of me. Why? Because I'm afraid local record stores won't be able to compete and eventually have to close down, removing a part of society that music lovers thrive on. This went through my mind as my wife and I walked through a record store in The Village a few weeks ago. I thought how nostalgic it is to be in a record store and go through racks of CD's ranging from Duke Ellington to Nine Inch Nails. And if you ever have a question about a particular album, you have a live person to chat with. Besides, some of the best conversations happen in a record shop, along with coffee shops, bars, etc. That's an experience that downloading music can't compete with.