Auspundits

Been Busy

Will be back in about a weeks time. In the meantime, check the Linkroll to the right.

Times - Part 2

Well, Daylight Saving Time has ended in NSW. As noted in a previous post, this is causing some problems. Namely, I have no idea what time it is:

1. News.com.au says it is 3:44AM AEST.
2. SMH.com.au says it is 7:39AM AEST.
3. My Macbook says it is 6:40AM AEST.
4. My Nokia mobile says it is 7:40 AEST.

Go figure. For what it's worth, I think it is 6:40AM AEST. I wouldn't want to be a Cityrail staff member this morning.

Update 6/4/08 12:35PM AEST: The SMH website indicates it is 12:34PM AEST. The News website indicates it is 11:48AM AEST. Time and Date has it listed as 12:34PM AEST, along with the correct DST parameters. As much as it pains me to say it, oops for News. I guess it is better than being 3 hours wrong (as above earlier this morning).

Meanwhile The Australian reporting the end of DST.

Times

I have just noticed that the time stamp of my blog posts are off by an hour (one hour too early). I think this is due to the ineptitude of the New South Wales government.

Things should be back to normal Sunday.

Taking A Break

Been rather hectic around here lately. Will get back to blogging when I've had a chance to recover. In the meantime, two articles on two dimensions of Britain's demographic crisis:

1. Thousands of missing teenagers: Britain Getting Concerned About Forced Marriages
2. Marriage hits lowest rate since records began almost 150 years ago

Manny Takes Break

I'm still alive! Just taking some time off blogging. Need to get my head screwed back on. In the meantime, go buy Mark Schultz's brilliant album Broken and Beautiful. The cover song is moving both in terms of its lyrics and Schultz's vocals. One of its verses

Well he'd never been to church before
But he came today as a last resort
His world was crashing in
And he was suffocating in his sin

But tears rolled down as hope rushed in
He closed his eyes, raised his hands
Worshipping the God who can
Bring him back to life again

Status Update

Auspundits is undergoing some restructuring. Have a Merry Christmas and see you all in the New Year.

Idea Exhaustion?

Well, a couple of days has well and truly gone, and I have produced no new post. I am refreshed and rejuvenated after my trip. But interestingly enough, I have had few ideas for a post. Well, not anything that I would consider worthy of drawing in readers. Question is: Idea Exhaustion or Information Overload?

Manny is Back

I am back from my well-deserved holiday. I'll be back into the swing of things over the next couple of days, as the jet-lag wears off.

Manny is on Holidays

To all Auspundits regular readers: I will be taking a well-earned break for five weeks. Whilst I am gone, my co-contributors will continue to fill this site with thought-provoking analysis and commentary.

See you late August.

Auspundits meet Wretchard

[From the Ed]

This afternoon, most of the Auspundits crew met with Sydney-based Pajamas Media blogger extraordinare Richard Fernandez a.k.a. Wretchard the Cat of The Belmont Club over a very long lunch. We were hosted at Lounge Lizard's prestigous Club in Sydney. We had an excellent time chatting about blogs, how blogs could most effectively be used to impact Australian politics and culture and beginning some strategic discussions on how to effect this. Richard's contributions to this end indicates why he is one of the most highly regarded thinkers on many an issue in the Blogosphere.

We also discussed many an issue: the U.S. political system (and comparing it to Australia's political system), the War on Islamism, the Battle for Iraq, the Australian Culture Wars and books (most notably, The Shield of Achilles by Phillip Bobbit).

After our wonderful meals and desserts (courtesy of the patronage of Lounge Lizard - many thanks from us all!) we heard of some of Richard's early life and how he has become who he is. I was very moved by the eloquance with which Richard shared some of his more emotional experiences. A thoroughly decent, thoughtful, honest and down-to-earth guy who has experienced what it has been like to have little and what is has been to have much.

May this will be the first of many productive meetings. Hopefully Auspundits will, over the next couple of months, begin the process of developing a strategy for effectively entering the political and cultural dialogue that is occuring in Australia which may in turn draw in some new and well-qualified contributors.

And last but by no means least
Hat tip: Lounge Lizard.