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I HAVE SAID THIS REPEATEDLY AT
CES GOVERNMENT, TECHNOLOGY
IS A DOUBLE-EDGED SWORD. IT IS
NOT THE TECHNOLOGY ITSELF THAT
IS INHERENTLY PROBLEMATIC; IT IS
HOW HUMAN BEINGS APPLY IT.
privacy, and certain ethical boundaries that we take for
granted. The line being drawn by the Trump administration
is long overdue. That said, we need to work with China
but hold a critical eye, appreciating that our policies and
world view are not aligned on some very pressing matters
as they relate to the global economy and global affairs.
TURNING TO THE HAT YOU WEAR
THAT EVERYONE KNOWS, CAN YOU
SHARE WITH THE READERS SOME
BACKGROUND ON AMERICAN VINYL?
The American Vinyl Band was created by musicians who
know each other and have been friends for a long time. The
original purpose was to do charity work to raise money
for different charities: books for schools, law enforcement,
military organizations—especially Veterans—and various
support networks. We have a core group of musicians and
since most musicians—especially of this caliber—have
current relationships with other musical artists, our door
is always open to include other players and singers as well.
Everyone is busy, but we come together when it fits and makes
sense. Our model is to give musicians and performers who
want to contribute and do charity work the opportunity to
have a vehicle to do so. The band has evolved to include doing
shows for major corporations and organizations as well.
CAN YOU SHARE WITH US A FEW
OF YOUR FAVORITES—DOOBIE
BROTHERS AND STEELY DAN?
Man, that’s a hard one. There are so many. “China Grove”—
that’s one. It’s just a great rockin’ song, and it can be done
in many different styles. I performed a bluegrass version
on acoustic guitar once with Danny Beissel [lead singer for
Fosterchild] during a radio interview. It worked—a great
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song is a great song, no matter the stylistic interpretation.
Another one I really like is probably less well known: “How
Do the Fools Survive?” It has one of my favorite guitar
solos. Wasn’t a single, but a great song, nonetheless.
As for Steely Dan: “Ricky Don’t Lose That Number.”
I’ve always loved that song. Subtle and deep, with
beautiful chord changes and a joy to perform.
FINALLY, SKUNK, THIS IS CES GOVERNMENT
2020 AND THIS CONFERENCE AGENDA
ALWAYS LOOKS AT WHAT’S AHEAD IN
TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY AND MISSION.
WHAT ISSUES ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT
AS WE MOVE INTO THIS NEW DECADE?
Number one, I am very concerned about cybersecurity
because, without a deep understanding of what it is, cyber
capabilities have the potential to be leveraged by just about
anyone in a very malicious way. It is not a superpower
capability alone. Small groups, organizations, or countries
can inflict substantial harm on a superpower, a nation of any
size, even an individual. Kind of the “bad boy’s equalizer,”
you might say. We teach our children to wash their hands, not
talk to strangers, and look both ways when crossing the street.
Why we give them access to computers, cell phones, and the
internet without teaching them “cyber hygiene” is beyond me.
I am looking forward to the combination of man and machine.
It is more than just robotics. Throughout history, mankind’s
history is one of extending capabilities: telescopes and
microscopes to extend vision, microphones and speakers to
augment hearing, space probes to extend man’s reach. That
is what robotics, “technobiology,” virtual and augmented
reality—all infused with AI—are really about. I believe the
human brain is truly the final frontier. But remember, and