My son went out looking at new cars this past week.  So he got to see some of the latest technology that these new cars are equipped with... like the parallel parking assistant, not sure what it's called but, if I understand right the car computer guides you into a parking spot.

If you have a hard time parallel parking no need worry now, the car will guide you.  I remember parallel parking being included in the practical driving test when I got my license. Don't know if that's still in the test, if it is everyone should pass that part with computer help.

I think the car tells you when you're too close to the vehicle in front of you and various other stuff as well.  Me question is what happens when the computer fails?  If you're dependent on the computer will anybody be able to drive on their own.  Or maybe when the computer fails the car won't run. And I guess with technology we won't know how to drive a car because we'll be dependent on computers to do it for us.

That's what happens when the shaping machine fails you know?  When the computer fails or a part goes bad then the machine doesn't shape.  Then what?  Of course if you aren't dependent on a machine to shape your boards then no worries. 

One day last year when I was driving out of the parking lot at Fiberglass Hawaii, after picking up some supplies, one of the local shapers was driving in and we both stopped to say hello. He told me that the local machine had broke down. He get his boards machined, and for good reason, he makes a lot of boards.  So he was stuck. I said "time to dig out the planer!" He looked at me like I was crazy.

When the machine stops shaping then production stops.  Heck, go surfing! I think the technology is here already for surfboards, use a computer or don't shape.  I'd guess that some shaping bays don't even have a planer in them, just sand paper and finger planes.

D.R.