January 2nd

Good morning. How things change. New to my life last year is a tablet which, along with the wi-fi, means that on a slow day, or a day off or holiday, I can sit in bed with a cup of coffee and:

• Listen to BBC Radio Bristol and get involved via Twitter or Facebook.
• Wish friends a happy birthday.
• Check the news headlines online.
• Check my things-to-do list and diary.
• Compose a blog post.

There are certainly ways in which life is getting worse for some people but progress in technology is time-saving, relaxing and brilliant. Thanks to the people who work in that industry.

One of the things about labour-saving devices is the temptation to use them to over-commit our labour. When we first got a dish-washer we made a decision to spend a few minutes continuing to sit after every meal, using the time we now saved to relax with a coffee. The trouble with stretching your labour when you have a labour-saving device is that the stress and tension caused when the device breaks down is greater than the stress and tension you used to experience doing without it. Things have changed and dish-washers are pretty normal and reliable now. The psychology of their ownership is that you live your life expecting it to be there. The post-prandial chin-wag stopped.

But it is important to remember that if you fill all time saved with extra labour you will be unable to deliver if your time-saving equipment malfunctions. Embrace it gently.

I'd better get up. Not because I need to but because I am hungry and you can't, yet, heat a croissant in an iPad.