There have been murmurings and rumbling noises for a while now, and we've been busy behind the scenes, but at long last we can finally announce what you've been eagerly anticipating:

SMASH! will be back on August 8 & 9, 2009!

Check out the shiny new SMASH! website and sign up to the newsletter, as we'll be putting up exciting new information over the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, artists interested in obtaining stalls at SMASH! 2009 can contact us via the addresses listed here.

We're also getting into this social networking business - stop by and say hi to us on Twitter and Facebook.

We look forward to seeing you this year as SMASH! continues to grow bigger and better!

Repo! The Genetic Opera is getting a theatrical release on the 5th of Feb in selected Hoyts theatres. No idea which yet, but I plan to see it either the release date or that weekend (or both) if interested please let me know. All details here:

http://forum.animania.net.au/index.php/topic,6029.0.html

Hello all,

So we landed in Thailand two nights ago, with little delay in flights or travel. Thai Air was pretty good with monitors on each seat and movies and tv on demand. I watched some of Juno again, as well as Mulan and er, other stuff I've forgotten. The flight to Bangkok was about 9 hours, with an hour layover there and an hour and a half flight to Phuket. Our minibus was ready at the airport so we got straight on that and an hour later we were at the Le Meridien Phuket. We'd been here before ten years ago in '98 and my parents ten years before that in '88. It hasn't changed much, even since the tsunami, it really is one of the most beautiful places and I'm glad I can fully appreciate that now.

Our rooms got upgraded to ones facing the beach since we'd been before multiple times. The hotel has a few different interconnecting massive pools and a private beach. The beach is just perfect, the water is actually warm and the waves aren't strong but they're just enough to be enjoyable. The last two mornings we've gotten up at around 9 gone out for the buffet breakfast, gorged then gone down to the beach. We swim, lay out on the beach chairs, rest and nap for an hour or two, then move into the pool to do similarly and order food and drinks by the pool. Last time we came the hotel had a baby elephant they brought by every day. I'm told they still have that service but I haven't seen it yet, we did see them as we drove in outside though.

Yesterday we went into Patong the central tourist beach town for dinner and picked a random Thai restaurant and ate, then wandered around the markets a bit and picked up some supplies at the supermarket. The sellers are funny and try anything to get your attention and sell to you including adopting our accents and saying mate a hell of a lot and trying to pick we're you're from.

Anyway, its costing me to use the net and I don't have long left, probably will have very sporadic access until I return. I dont think I'll be able to upload any pictures unfortunately since I didn't bring the cables.

Missing you all,

Tom

KYYYAAAAAAAAA!

MY FRIENDS BOUGHT ME A PUPPY. HIS NAME IS YANDA. MORE TO COME.

CAPS.

OMG I didnt sleep last night

And I'm so glad I didnt though because at 5.30 this morning one of those USA morning news broadcasts came on and it was Stephen Colbert on Meet the Press, being grilled by Tim Russert, who seemsed to act as if he didnt realise he was in character. He mst have known later because he referred to another interview on their website where Stephen was out of character, though. In anycase hopefully Youtube or similar will provide clips from this interview but it was hilarious, especially because they referred to a lot of references from Stephens book that just came out (I WANT AND I WANT IT NOOOOOWWWWW) The best freaking bit was this: Russert asked Stephen about why he pronounces his name the way he does and then he brought out a doll of Bert (Of Sesame Streets Bert and Ernie) and asked what he would call Bert XD And Stephen said Ber/t/. Why? Because thats his choice. Youll have to ask him why he chose that. Then he dared Russert to ask Bert the doll why he pronounces his name that way XD

Heres the transcript of the interview theres some great moments under the cut. _leareth  youll love this I imagine