Jo wrote:
People need human interaction

The thing that concerns me most about closures is the closure of banks

And shopping - being served by strangers - should provide it?

Not chatting with your mates, family and work colleagues - socialising, attending sports/entertainment events, travelling - and interacting with your chosen favourites.


Regarding banks - who, on earth, wants to talk to a suit?

When you can interact with a more efficient and knowledgeable cyber suit, at home.

Even get a mortgage and order your holiday currency...

Jo wrote:
Barney wrote:
The chore of shopping - the hobby and delight (often daily) of so many - is being replaced by tapping into devices.

My pocket fob paid for my fuel today, although I had to utilise the pump.

Electric cars now even eliminate that...



Depressing. People need human interaction. Hopefully humans will learn that not everything should be replaced with technology but that it should be used wisely and a healthy balance struck between it and human interaction and services. People should be controlling technology, not the other way round.

The thing that concerns me most about closures is the closure of banks. Not everyone wants to do online banking, me included.

The human interaction aspect is interesting because it seems contradictory.
On one hand we are shunning shops for online interactions with no contact, yet we appear to be making more use of restaurants because presumably we like the attention, and most of them serve ready made food that we could just order in.

Beauty treatments, nails, spas, massages and barbershops all seem to be booming, and I think the attraction might be the human contact and touch, and being made to feel "special"?

(Not for me. I cant stand being mauled)

Oh I love being mauled; my bill for massages when abroad is enormous! It does wonders for my joints.

JK2006 wrote:
Oh I love being mauled; my bill for massages when abroad is enormous! It does wonders for my joints.

I would sooner limp! But I suppose the hydrotherapy and Jacuzzi things I use do the same thing?

Ah no Honey; example; I've been getting pain in my right arm which I suspected was Repetitive Strain - laptop and keyboard use. My Marrakech masseur found exactly the right point on my shoulder (OUCH!) and pushed it and pulled it and tugged and pummelled and sure enough, after about 15 minutes, it felt better; then fine and it's been WAY better for about a month now.

JK2006 wrote:
Ah no Honey; example; I've been getting pain in my right arm which I suspected was Repetitive Strain - laptop and keyboard use. My Marrakech masseur found exactly the right point on my shoulder (OUCH!) and pushed it and pulled it and tugged and pummelled and sure enough, after about 15 minutes, it felt better; then fine and it's been WAY better for about a month now.

Maybe I should grit my teeth and give it a go? I have got an unprovoked clicky and sore neck which is probably just wear and tear.
My gym does Swedish massage.

I thoroughly recommend massage but make sure it's a good and experienced therapist.

hedda wrote:
wyot wrote:
Ah yes but if people wanted to bank in store they would. People drive the changes through choice...We are in control.

What we should do is embrace the new economy and changes and think creatively about what the centre of towns can be used for in the future...

We should think about what Amazon and others can do for artists now that the monolithic giants, Waterstones, HMV..are on the way out.

People have more control and potential not less.

the first things politicians in all countries must tackle are the artificial taxation structures that allow these gigantic corporations to base themselves in tax havens (usually an office with a PC & fax machine) and avoid paying their fare share.

People claim buying off the net does not use infrastructure...it bloody well does.

Every single Brit (yes you Amazon Lover JK do too..but I love buying books on the net as you find titles you have looked for years)..they scrounge off our infrastructure because the customer does in the manner he earns his/her living.

The customer generally pays full tax on every aspect of UK life be it going on the bus to work etc etc and then when spend that money at Amazon who offer lower prices because Amazon don't pay their fair share.

THIS IS UNSUSTAINABLE. it cannot continue. It will implode at some stage.

One example: Rupert Murdoch's giant News Corp in Australia where he (and his Saudi partners) basically monoplise the media with newspapers and cable TV pay no tax on $SIX BILLION turnover.
(yes yes I know that's not profit but it does make $100Ms in profit)

Read Michael West .. a brilliant financial journalist..Top 40 Tax Avoiders in Australia alone..from VIRGIN to the FORD MOTOR company...paying no tax.

In the UK probably TOP 400..in the USA TOP 4000.

I can live nicely under Capitalism but it's a system that mist be strictly controlled or it spins out of control.

www.michaelwest.com.au/tax-dodgers/

Yes but taxation parity is a different question Hedda. Agree they should pay fair share of tax but point about choice and creativity pertains regardless of concerns over "fairness" (when or where has that ever existed?)