Rise in road traffic due to on-line trading rather than High Street Retail

Road traffic is up due to multi-drop van use

The way we shop is changing.

E-Commerce is big business these days because it is taking over from High Street retail shopping.

Who needs the faff of battling to get into a town and park and get out again when you can just order on-line? Why risk a parking ticket or the hassle? Indeed.

That's the reality today and why 15 retail shops on the High Streets of Britain close every day.

More goods are going on more vans as we change the way we buy

This change is bad news in a number of ways, firstly the traffic increase, emissions increase, it is also putting a big strain on delivery drivers often having to do more than 120 drops a day.

The Meridian driverless van for automated deliveries

Further bad news could be for the drivers of the vans. Our old friend robotics and automation is starting to make in-roads into their trade, firstly with the Amazon drone and now with driverless vans.

Is there an answer? Partly.

What we need is to move away from the instant gratification situation and move to area deliveries where packages can be sorted by area regardless of carrier and parcels allotted by area not carrier.

This will mean that we offset six vans going down one street and just have the one. Less traffic, is good.

The bad news is that the High Street is in a death by inches situation. Retail outlets are either going on-line or they are going onto business parks. Those that don't go bust or hang on until grim death in dwindling towns full of charity and coffee shops.

This is the future unless we cut our consumer cravings.

Fake news? People journalism is rewriting the rules of media and is often the 'real deal.'

Standing Rock North Dakota -

a situation that was noticeably under reported by the big 6 USA media outlets?

The recent US elections encountered a new dynamic, that of 'People journalism.' Its been rumbling away quietly  in the background for decades.

People journalism is often written off by the mainstream media and governments as 'conspiracy theory,' a term I dislike. I prefer to call it 'reality' because it often is. If we take for instance the UFO subject, it has been variously talked down, ridiculed and laughed at in a concerted effort to rubbish the subject and anyone who dares utter or publish a word on it.

In my book, that's suppression and those that indulge in that get it coming back to bit them.

In late 2016, there was a situation in North Dakota, USA, where a company wanted to take an oil pipeline over American Indian territory lands of the Lakota, part of the Sioux nation. As a result, many from other tribes assembled to show their disapproval to support the Lakota people.

These were unarmed men, women and children who also attracted support from non-Indian peoples. They were faced and in some cases attacked by militarised Police staff. Yet, this did not make the national media for some time. Why were the big 6 media companies in America rather 'slow' to report this story?

Yet when this reached the greater audience of the world via the Internet, it was the sort of story to which the term 'fake news' may have been applied.

In the run up to the US election around the last quarter of 2016, a number of 'stories' came out through the alternative news network, from outlets such as Next News Network, Infowars and other independents, along with ordinary people's journalistic output.

With stories on the alleged goings on of individuals in government being very hot news, these stories which had some origins in WikiLeaks disclosures, in my view helped some people decide on hope they would vote.

Some of these news stories were on subjects of a very serious nature, you only have to look at the internet to see what these were, to realise that it was the forcing of stories to the surface by this underground journalism, that prompted the mainstream to eventually issue these as news items, but by this time they were often 'olds' by then.

However, the fact that these stories were often ran with in mainstream media outlets outside of the US, meant that the US had to eventually issue something on the subjects, rather than look foolish when they did go big and people wonder why no one had reported them?

Of course I am against false information being reported as fact and stories being warped away from the truth, as we should all be. People journalism is now bigger than the big media companies and they can no longer really control it.

Brexit should mean cheaper USA guitars, if so why not?

Can we look forward to cheaper guitars from US companies soon?

Nice Gretsch 6120AM Amber Maple - brand new

We in the UK are getting out of Europe and the EU project at last. One thing that has been a contentious issue for many of us has been the price of guitars from America, outside the EU. Perhaps now that the EU is going to be history, we will then get Dollar for Pound parity.

Guitars as one commodity coming into the UK or Europe zone, have long been subject to high import duty and costs. In the UK, when the exchange rate was 1.5 or better, we would be paying the equivalent Dollar price tag, but in Sterling, so we were losing out big time, because we in the UK, weren't in the North American trading agreement. 

Before Brexit, new USA or Japan made for the USA market guitars were on the market at something more than the previous models were. With Brexit and the fall in Sterling, the guitars are about half as expensive in real terms again, before adding the price increase for the new models.

This has been a problem for many years in things we buy from the US market, the good news is that this may change in a short while. It is also likely that the EU will cease to exist if the elections of major players such as France and Holland vote to reject the EU and go out on their own like the UK. Even if they don't I do not forsee the EU surviving for much longer after that.

Work a six hour day - perhaps, partly an interim solution to automation taking our jobs?

The world of work is changing -

many High Street shops are now going on-line instead

Would working a six hour day make you more productive and give you a better wellbeing?

Surprisingly the trials say yes.

In a trial in Sweden, Nurses worked a six hour day and they found that the results they achieved were better and also for their stress levels which were greatly reduced. On the flipside was the fact that more staff had to be employed to fill the gaps.

Thanks to the rise of the Robots, jobs are fast vanishing

However, we humans face the problem that with automation taking many jobs permanently without any replacements coming, we need situations to help defray this situation where possible, but the inevitability of the rise of the robots, means it is a short stop gap.

Basic Income payments are inevitable

The six hour day would take up some of the slack from the shrinking jobs market, Basic Income Guarantee (BIG) would take up the rest, giving a financial safety net to those without work to help them and perhaps finance their own business start ups.

Humans have a fortunate situation for the present in that they can do things that Robots currently cannot. To survive in this machine age, humans need to have transferable skills that they can take to jobs from other situations and stay ahead.

However, as our life changes and our requirements, what may be relevant today may not be tomorrow, so the game changes as time progresses.

Is anyone really planning for this outcome? They should be. It isn't going away.

Hank Marvin's solo career beyond the Shadows

Hank Marvin with the Shadows in the late 1960's

In the late 1960's after the Shadows split, guitarist Hank Marvin embarked on a solo album project.

The Solo album from 1969

Hank Marvin had been perhaps Britain's first guitar hero. Whereas guitarist Bert Weedon had issued chart releases, he never enjoyed the success of either Hank Marvin or the Shadows.  Hank's style and sound influenced countless guitarists to follow, from Eric Clapton to Brian May and many others.

Artwork by the legendary Cream studio adorned many of the Shadows 'reformed' albums

With the demise of the Shadows in 1968, Hank Marvin was then able to take on his solo album project and to explore guitar sounds using the then limited array (by today's standards) available, beyond what was perhaps expected by the fans of that band.

String of hits was the Shadows really back in the groove album 

The solo album spawned some great tracks, Aquarius, Windmills of your mind, Goodnight Dick  were just some of the tracks that stand out on this album.

Music had changed in the 60's beyond measure and by 1969 it was a completely different world from 1960 when the Shadows hit the big time with Apache.

Change of address included new material rather than rehashing old material

By 1973, Hank Marvin and Bruce Welch of the Shadows, formed a group with John Farrar called Marvin, Welch and Farrar and performed mainly vocal harmony numbers, taking this out onto the road, they inevitably got 'Play Apache, Hank!' from the audience. Clearly, the people wanted the old Shadows material over the vocal offerings.

Hits right up your street proved that the Shadows were still relevant in the 1980s -

they were much in demand for concerts, touring and television appearances

With renewed interest in the Shadows following their 1975 Eurovision appearance, they issued their 20 golden greats album which surprisingly sold well, to the degree that demand for them to tour again became realised. This tour produced the single 'Don't cry for me Argentina' from the musical 'Evita' which was on stage in 1978. From that, the String of Hits album was brought about.

Guardian Angel was perhaps their best album of the 1980's

This album started a second wind of the Shadows, which lasted until 1990, when Hank went off to do three solo albums at the end of the then current Shadows contracts.

It was some time before these were completed and there was still demand for the Shadows, but Hank Marvin had moved to Australia with his family and the distance from the UK did mean that getting together as a band was more difficult.

Hank's post Shadows solo albums spawned tours throughout the 1990s

The solo albums did give Hank Marvin a blank piece of paper to create new music, often working with people like Warren Bennett, son of Shadows drummer Brian Bennett did give Hank a new musical direction.

Hank Marvin playing a Fender signature model Electric acoustic guitar

Hank's son Ben Marvin joined Hank on stage in the late 1990's as part of the live line up. With a modern approach and input, this helped to shape the music towards a different viewpoint. Hank's playing has grown over the years and the inventiveness he had from the 1960's is still there, evident in the arrangements of his solo work.

Hank Marvin with one of his mid 1990's custom shop Fender Stratocasters

The 1990's albums Hank played on were really good from the point of view of players and listeners, the music was instrumental but the guitar work was interesting to hear and the arrangements excellent.

In the 60's the Shadows tended to produce shortish instrumental pieces, often they could have done with more middle 8's to take them over the 3.30 length, by the 80's they had gone the other way and the pieces tended to top the 4 minutes length on some of the more sedate numbers.

Hank Marvin with his first Fender Stratocaster in 1959

However from this mk2 era, a number of exciting pieces such as 'Hammerhead' were the direction that the Shadows should have been going. These outstanding numbers were high quality, with catchy composition and were certainly professionally performed. 

The fanbase was and still is big, considering how many other bands over the years have come and gone, the Shadows have retained a loyal following from people, even those born well after their original hits.

Hank Marvin came back to the Shadows for their 2004 and 2005 tours

The 2000's saw the unthinkable happen, a 2004 'farewell tour' by the Shadows and this was so popular that a 2005 tour was staged, followed by a tour with Cliff Richard.

Going back to the 1980's albums the Shadows made, they produced some very inventive music and it is a shame that they have not convened to produce more under the Shadows banner.

Hank's solo work is still interesting, because Hank is still interested in the music. We look forward to what he produces in the future.

The Bionic plague

The use of Nano technology inside our bodies is big science -

and it could be a big growth industry

Back in the 1970's there was the television series 'The Six million dollar man.' The premise of which, alleged to be based on a true story, was that a character was 'rebuilt' with enhanced artificial body parts after a flight accident. 

Actor Lee Majors was the star of the series

In those days of yore, prosthetic limbs or body parts were not smart like today, they were basically like something from the Doll hospital, usually coloured in a lovely Beige colour and had limited functionality.

Casualties of war or accidents can be re-equipped -

technology has moved onto space age levels in this field

Thanks to the rise in technology and the involvement in some ill-conceived military actions in the Middle East, prosthetic technology and high tech body parts has become a cutting edge science, aided by the integration of computer technology.

This artificial eye could also be used as a camera too

Once life changing occurrences such as blindness, deafness, limb deficiency and loss can be turned around and people are becoming enabled. The science is coming where these artificial 'parts' are potentially able to be better than the human one they replaced.

Super connectivity and integration will be a key driver in medical advancement

The heart pacemaker was perhaps one of the first modern electrical body enhancement devices to be used by humans.

Nanotechnology could be useful in medical repairs

Since that time, we have created very complex artificial body parts and we now move to the next level, which is Nano technology robots in our own bodies. These microscopic beads will be able to repair us inside, they may also be able to upgrade us and fix problems like dementia, heart problems etc without the need for surgery.

Microscopic machines will repair us from within

We must however guard against the micro machines becoming compromised and going 'bad.'

The Rise of the Robots - Time for a Robot manifesto is overdue.

Developments in technology could lead to a blurring of the lines -

Transhumanism is already happening

You may have heard of the rise of the robots, its the name of a book as well as a narrative that suggests that robots may in time usurp us. 

Human genetic manipulation is a potential new boom industry

The reality is that we are being usurped, bit by bit or should that be bit by byte, humans are losing out to robotics and automation in the jobs market as an example.

Humanoid robots from the Swedish TV series 'Real Humans'

The quest for humans to create an artificial version in their own image has been the goal of many since the dawn of human existence. Whilst this situation of 'singularity' where a robot reaches parity with a human may seem to be many years off, the reality is it could be close than we think perhaps in the next 50 years.

A sort of 'Darwinist' progression - but...

Humans are an intervention species

This raises the question of what parameters we apply to what we create? What behaviours and clearly how will we ascribe functions that could allow the robot to think for itself and ultimately to seek self preservation - over humans?

'New humans' could well be able to have Ethernet connectivity built in

For those reasons, particularly the last, we need a 'Robot Manifesto.' The time is coming when we do something no other creature on this planet has and that is to spawn a new species without any previous genetic connection.

In 'I robot,' the condition that a robot could not harm or kill a human were a given state, but what if that condition was usurped and changed so that the robot could kill a human? Or worse.

Robotic appearance has moved on sine the 1950's -

and this tinplate robot is suitably 'kitsch' in appearance

The real clincher is if we create humanoid robots with an Ethernet ability to communicate seamlessly between themselves and we create an Artificial Intelligence (AI) computer that connects to the Internet and to the humanoid robots.

When AI connects to an army of humanoid robots, humanity is likely finished

The result would be that humans would be seen to be a threat, because humans could switch off the AI computer.

The AI computer would want to safeguard its power source too, again humans would be a threat and also the AI machine would realise that it has to get the humanoid robots to self replicate and self repair so that they could serve the AI machine in a mutually beneficial arrangement. In fact the AI computer and the humanoid robots need each other.

The romantic vision of robots that will be harmless is fantasy -

Robots that machine learn will make us obsolete

The writing is on the wall and writ large, we need to work out where we are going before we start the journey. However, we have already ventured out of the drive and are on the backroads. We need to stop at the Diner and plan because is we don't, we may not be around anymore. Its that simple.

Buddy Holly remembered - not fading away

The late great Buddy Holly

Every February 3rd, I take a Sunburst Stratocaster from the guitar rack and play along to some Buddy Holly songs.

The music is great and something strange happens, I often find that some really magical playing comes out of this.

Feb 3rd 1959

Sadly, one of Buddy Holly's players in his last line up Tommy Allsup died recently, his playing on 'Its so easy' is one of my favourite guitar solos from the Buddy Holly musical legacy.

Elvis rocks - on a piece of rock on the road to Aberystwyth, Wales

Although I like Elvis, Buddy Holly was a songwriter and performer which I think gave Buddy the edge, what would have been the situation if Buddy had lived on? Regardless of this, we still have a great musical legacy from both of these artists.

I really like to play along to their music and we are fortunate to have so many of their performances on film to watch.