The apparent increase in our standard of living stands in direct proportion to the absurd things which are there to make us pay for being better off. Like the manufacturers of motor vehicles that make cars capable of eye-watering speed, while the government imposes 'safety cameras' to stop them going fast. Or teachers who are absolutely not allowed to punish children by hitting them, on pain of prosecution, while children are allowed to kick, spit and hit teachers half to death, with impunity. Then there's the government pouring billions into education-education-education while the standard of literacy and numeracy drops steadily and growing numbers of first-year university students are found to be functionally illiterate.

What truly gets my piddle in a froth is the train system: more and more people use more and more trains, while the trains service steadily becomes less and less reliable, less and less comfortable, less and less pleasant as an experience. These are just a few of the things which come to mind in the early morning hours.

In the 21st century, where everyone is busting a gut to be more structured, more rational, more organised, more scientific and more logical, we seem to be descending into disarray, chaos, irrationality, disorganisation, religio-superstition and illogicality. What clever homines sapientes we are.