I am by nature dogged and tend to refuse to be beaten by things that more pragmatic people would decline to waste their valuable time upon.

I am aware that this is not necessarily either a good or advisable course of action. But, in the words of the popular song I am what I am.

There are many things in modern life that provoke a range of emotions from irritation to rage and about which one can individually do little; from on the one hand the manufacturers of shower gel, shampoo and conditioner whose containers identify the contents in writing so small that those of us who have to wear glasses cannot read them when we are in the shower.

As a result we have to get out again, dripping water everywhere in order to find our glasses so as to avoid washing our hair with "Extra nutrient endowing super factor J replenishing skin serum."

Then at the other extreme there are the morons who daub profanities or incomprehensible scribbles everywhere, like so many incontinent dogs marking their territories; or those who openly and insolently discard their fast food containers in the street.

More recently there are those overindulged pop-singers who take the opportunity of a free concert broadcast before the watershed to emulate the previously mentioned incontinent mutts by shoehorning swear words into their lyrics and greetings, thereby guaranteeing that I turn the television off until the well-behaved old rockers come on late at night.

The Who, Pink Floyd and Paul McCartney are not only better musicians but, despite their reputations, they know when it's OK to loosen their stays in public.

Their less talented successors Mad Donna, Snoopy the Dog and Obscene Day clearly don't.

We can complain and fume, and indeed should do so, but any change will only be achieved when enough people say "No!" and convince the vested interests to listen or go out of business.

But the apparent hopelessness of the task should not deter each and every one of us from standing up to be counted. That in part was the message of Live8 which, despite still finding Bob Geldof strangely difficult to warm to, I thought was a remarkable and powerful undertaking.

That so many performers could be galvanised to encourage millions of us espouse the cause of the deprived populations of Africa is enough to convince even the most hardened cynic that the human race is not irredeemable.

Let's hope they listen.