It'll be a clash of pop cultures next week, as indie movie cult figures Jay and Silent Bob enrol at Degrassi High.
"It's like When Worlds Collide, y'know? I'm a big fan of things like when Spider-Man and Daredevil meet. I go ape-(bleep) and bust a nut," said director Kevin Smith (Clerks, Chasing Amy), who is finally getting his chance to take part in the cult series he idolizes by starring in a three-episode arc on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

This is so cool! I've gone all fan-girly. I think Degrassi is the only show that I'll ignore people through (mostly they know now not to even bother asking what I want for dinner in while it's on). And I was definitely the only person in the cinema cracking up over Doherty's Degrassi jacket in Mallrats. (via Boing Boing)

So there's talk already of mass exoduses (exodi? Can you have more than one mass exit anyway?) to Iceland or New Zealand which is tempting, especially when I realised this morning just what this is going to look like internationally. Bush is grinning right now. He'll see it as a mini rehearsal for his own bout come Nov. 2nd (Please, America, say it won't be so!) But it would put us a little too far away from our Liberal voting relatives. And you know now that we must all have them. Besides I don't like running away and dammit this is My Country too.

So I started thinking about all the stuff that I like about Australia and remarkably little of it has to do with politics. (Note this will be quite Melbourne-centric because that's where I live. You can make your own list. In fact, do. It will be a good soul-cleansing exercise.)
Mountains
Forests
Coastlines
Marsupials
Victoria Market
Triple R radio
The Melbourne and Healesville Zoos
Changeable weather
Lygon St
Good coffee
Monotremes
Access to good literature and the Internet
The ability to turn the bad media off
The Melbourne Fringe/Fashion/Film/Comedy Festivals
Katherine Gorge
Vegemite
The Age newspaper
ABC and SBS television
The St Andrews Market
Driving distance to beaches and snowfields (season permitting)
Brunswick Road
St Kilda
Nova Cinemas

You get the idea. I'll stop now because I'm quite cheered up. Time for some Vegemite on toast and Einstein-a-go-go will be on soon...

My Country

Was it just a dream, were you so confused
Was it just a giant leap of logic
Was it the time of year, that makes a state of fear
Methods were the motives for the action

And did I hear you say
My country right or wrong

Did you save your face
Did you breach your faith
Women, there were children at the shelter
Now who can stop the hail
When human senses fail
There was never any warning, no escape

Did I hear you say
My country right or wrong
My country oh so strong
My country going wrong
My country right or wrong

I hear you say the truth must take a beating
The flag a camouflage for your deceiving
I know, yes I know
It's written on your soul
I know, we all make mistakes

This is not a case of blurred vision
It's a case of black holes, pocket holes, soul holes

And did I hear you say...

Hirst - 1993

Fantastic (in both senses) zoomable painting. (via Boing Boing)