The USA dominates the world economy and Western culture. To me, Australia feels more and more like an outpost of the USA - we still have a very strong national identity, but American companies and culture seem to be taking over. So, is it even possible to live a normal life without it? How much research will it take just to do the grocery shopping, what will I do for entertainment and how on Earth will I buy new software? It's something I've been thinking about for a while, and current events have given me the final nudge. If the US decides it can do without the rest of the world, can the rest of the world also do without the US? I fully recognise the irony of hosting my blog on a US site but I'm sure it's a pattern I'll see often - sometimes, the only option is American.

I'm broke so instead of going out tonight (Saturday), I might watch some TV... but everything that's on is from the US. Maybe I'll read my book (by a US author). Maybe I'll just play with the cat.