61 minutes

Now, just as a number of trips to and through the USA beckon, the bozos that run American airline security have come up with a series of "unpredictable" changes to prevailing regulations, most of which seem to assume that they have now admitted to an inability to spot Achmed al Jihad before he gets on your plane.

Only a terrorist with a problem prostate is going to be put off by the requirement to remain seated for the final hour of the flight; and of course we all know that wide-bodied jets only pass over built-up areas during this 60 minute period. (Is it really beyond your average Islamofascist to schedule his trip to paradise 61 minutes before the rest of us are due to get off?)

At least Obama has now fessed up to a "systemic failure" which might lead to an effort at improving existing screening methods, rather than introducing a whole load of vexing new restrictions that are unlikely to improve either passenger security or peace of mind — and may even result in the filing of lawsuits against airlines which callously torture passengers with weak bladders. (The astronomer Tycho reportedly died after denying himself a #1 for too long).

I'm sure that in the weeks ahead I will have plenty of opportunity to reflect on A.L. Kennedy's observation that the way governments treat us at the airport is the way they'd secretly like to treat us all the time.