Already, opposition leaders privately fear that they will not manage to beat him at the polls if things go on as badly as they are.

ECONOMIST: Zimbabwe

Another option not on the table is the status quo - everyone seems clear, when it comes to caring for the elderly and disabled, things cannot go on as they are.

BBC: Warning over social care funding

And just as things sometimes go wrong with even the highest rated appliances, there are, of course, going to be some people who have bad experiences while on Facebook.

FORBES: Consumer Reports Finds Very Small Percentage of Facebook Users 'Sharing Too Much'

These are some of the other things that go sailing through my head as I strain to keep the car between the lines: Leaving the desert on a clear day.

NEWYORKER: Indianapolis (Highway 74)

As things now stand, the Sunday shows are losing viewers because it almost makes a citizen want to go back to church again.

FORBES: If It's Sunday, It's Like Watching Paint Dry

Forty per cent of our exports and more go into the Eurozone, so if things are spluttering there - as they are very seriously - then of course that affects us massively, which is why you know it's hugely in our national interest to make sure that the Eurozone is strong.

BBC: Transcript of Nick Clegg interview

If Asia's central banks also remain willing swing purchasers of the dollar, that may seem cause for relief: it suggests that things will go on much as they are, avoiding a hard landing.

ECONOMIST: Forever free | The