Stagflation. Coined in 1965 by the British Chancellor of the Exchequer, intended to describe an economic phenomenon whereby inflation rises while economic growth stagnates, or even recedes.

Those who read here even semi-regularly will know that I'm an inhabitant of the finance industry.

I come home in the evenings looking forward to a quiet sit, a beer and a browse through my favourite blog, ClubTroppo

I've just completed the Sunday morning ritual. Breakfast in front of 'Insiders'

Yet again, the Seven Network has badly let down motorsport enthusiasts with a pathetically short coverage of qualifying and race one of round five.

As a committed republican, I find the perpetuation of Queen's Birthday Honours to be anathema to the very idea of Australian's in a huge majority supporting a republic.

In true Melbourne fashion, weather today at Sandown International Raceway was the complete opposite of yesterday's for qualifying and race one.

My mornings are strictly regimented affairs. I must rise by 6:15am, shower, shave, shit (no shampoo 'cos there's not enough hair left to bother with) - not necessarily in that order - eat some toast, drink a cuppa, fleetingly peruse the e-mail then saddle up for another day in the fun factory by 7:15am. Time is clearly at a premium, so catching up on the news isn't possible.

Is this really the way Queenslanders want their state promoted?

This is one of those "I can't resist" moments. I was looking for another article on a completely different, and much more serious subject, when I stumbled across this:

Have a look at the 'by' line. Andrew Bolte. To my knowledge, and I'll stand to be corrected, there is no Andrew Bolte writing for the Herald Sun. There is, however, the much maligned and rightly so, Andrew Bolt.

Wikipedia says these two have no gene match, but we all know Wikipedia can be, and has been prone to selective editing by vested interests. The mind-sets, ideologies and general demeanour are remarkably similar.

The internet is a wonderful thing. Once something is submitted to it, that something can exist practically forever on some server, somewhere.

As is my wont, I was listening to PM last evening, on the way home, when this story was broadcast.

My favourite program on the box at the moment just has to be Top Gear.

Today, Honda Motor Company announced, what I believe, will be the next generation after fossil fuel powered road transport. The hydrogen fuel cell powered motor vehicle, which in it's current incarnation, Honda call FCX Clarity.

Apropos of yesterday's post on alternatively powered motor vehicles, I thought I'd make a point about something which rolled into my Inbox today, courtesy of one of my brokers.

"Fuelwatch is about empowering the consumer. If there's going to be a price hike tomorrow, you will know about it ... and you will know where to buy petrol and how to avoid the price hike" - Graeme Samuel from this article in today's Fin Review.

Reading through John Lyons' articles in today's Oz give's me a feeling that all is not quite right.

Nothing much in the news today, so it's back to banging on about the price of petrol

I watched the ABC's latest foray into public affairs last week, Q & A, or as it's portrayed in it's website link, QANDA.

I can't help but draw some parallels between the current QANTAS engineers payrise stoush, and the 1998 waterfront dispute.

Here's something which took my fancy. I get to hear PM most evenings and a half of Australia Talks on the commute home. This evening's AT dealt with the impending importation, legally, of this artificially created domestic pet.

I heard a fleeting mention of this story on this morning's Radio National early morning news. Initial reactions ranged from "Kaysar Trad? .... Islamic idiot!" to "Australian law doesn't permit polygamy, nor does our culture. You want legal polygamy, then fuck off to where it's legal". Sentiments echoed by a couple of workmates as we discussed various issues over lunch.

I googled for a news reference to include in this post. Second link from the top, after the Triple-J RSS link, was this one. I recognise the nom de plume from mentions on Troppo, and y'know what? I think I agree with him. I'm not sure what he's trying to say in his cut 'n' paste post, but I get the impression he'd like to have written the same.

Who said 'lefties' and 'righties' can't agree?

Readers will realise - and probably hoped I was over it - that I'm acutely aware and vehemently accusatory about the rising cost of petrol and associated fossil fuels.

ABC Radio National program, Australia Talks, addressed the euthanasia debate once again this evening.

QANDA ...... I mentioned this program earlier in the week, principally to alert fellow bloggers to the fact that Tim Blair would be out in the light, and on national television. Well, I have to say, he certainly didn't disappoint. The quips, snide asides and oblique references like the  differences between science and scientists as an explanation for climate change, in general, I think sailed entirely over the heads of the studio audience, and most probably the viewing audience as well. I noticed several vacant spaces after tongue-in-cheek remarks and somehow I don't think Bill Shorten has much regard for him. It's pretty clear that Tim's sense of humour is something uniquely 'Tim'.

I have to say I was mildly impressed by Bill Shorten. Only mildly though. His political opposite, Greg Hunt, I found to be the evening's boofhead without any doubt. The man has no presence, no charisma and doesn't portray well on television. Every time he opened his gob, there was a foot hovering so very close. Angela Conway? Quite frankly I fail to understand why the ABC invited her onto the program. She was like vanilla icecream. Cold, soft, no flavour to speak of and easily finished with.

The standout for me was the person I thought would be a real goose. How wrong could I have been. She didn't have a lot to say, but every single time she opened her mouth, pearls dropped out. Well done, Elizabeth Ann Macgregor! You actually made a mediocre showing worth the time. Just goes to prove how wrong one can be in judging people by their professions. Although in Blairs case, I still regard such judgement as entirely accurate.

I suspect they are by now. This is just plain bizarre, but not at all unusual in my view. Not unusual for a religion which relies upon symbolism, icons, ritual and pretence to capture its audience. And their money. You can bet your last holey dollar that a great many transient dollars will be separated from their temporary owners during the Catholic church's big drive to retain the interest of young people in its convocation of pomp and ceremony later this year, in Sydney. It's bizarre, to me, because idols and such are supposedly anathema to monotheism, especially the christian religion.

I'm driven to wonder how many young catholic acolytes will be caught up in some kind of emotive religious fervour, and want to, or even attempt to touch the casket of this long dead Italian rich man's son? Will the dry and dusty remains be on show, or will the faithful be required to exercise that faith by simply accepting that inside whatever container the Vatican decided to send out to Australia, lies the mortal remains of an unfortunate who died of poliomyolitis 83 years ago?

Yes, I'm an aethist. I have never understood this thing called religion, the need for it to be so rigidly structured and demand so much of it's followers. I've also wondered often at the idolatry which christianity practices in holding up it's chosen as being larger in death, than they ever were in life. Apparently they were almost always no-bodies in life. Aren't we all no-bodies in life? Why should some become somebodies because organised religion says so?

Crutch of the weak-minded? Cruel, but I believe so. If you think a box of bones - if there are any bones in the box - holds something special for you, then I'm afraid you're in need of a little more than a trip to Roman Catholicism's version of the Big Day Out.

This is rather amusing, and yet another attempt at distraction by the opposition spokesman for the environment, Greg Hunt, from the opposition's inadequacies on the environment, carbon trading, solar energy, etcetera. I don't have much regard for him. Just a petty,ineffectual representative, more interested in raising his own profile by leaping out of a plane, rather than delivering a proper policy statement from the coalition parties on alternative energies. A show pony.

Attacking Peter Garrett long distance, despite the media reporting favourably on Garrett's performance in Santiago, despite former Australian Environment and Heritage Minister, Ian Campbell, handing Garrett a laurel for his efforts when interviewed on Radio National Breakfast, Friday simply highlights that Hunt is out of touch.

According to Annabelle Crabbe, when speaking on Australia Talks, Wednesday, Greg Hunt has more positions than the Kama Sutra. Pity he's no-where near as artistic, interesting or useful.

Ever wondered just what does happen up the pointy end during those long international flights? I'd say Air India needs to make certain of the autopilot technology aboard its aircraft, and perhaps place a few appropriately loud speakers into cockpits. Clearly, making sure pilots are well rested and capable is also a major concern.

I get bugger all time to browse the 'newspapers' these days, so when I spotted this brief article, I was determined to find out more.