If this ain't the difference between America and Australia, I don't know what is!
In America, mainstream society bothers itself mainly with football, beer, and reality TV. In Australia, it’s footy, beer, and… surfing! What a people, those British-rejects!
And the Aussie devotion to surf often leads to unimaginable outcomes. Most recently, in fact just yesterday, Mick Fanning was honored with the namesake of a newly discovered species of arachnid. I kid you not.
Let’s read from ABC:
A competition was held to name the new species of water spider at the recent World Science Festival in Brisbane.
Entrants were asked to pick a name that not only captured the essence of the spider but drew inspiration from World Science Festival Brisbane, World Water Day or a Queensland connection.
Brazil’s Hector Manuel Osório Gonzalez Filho submitted the winning name, mickfanningi, in honour of the Gold Coast surfer.
And how do you think Mick Fanning feels about this Brazilian-born expansion of his legacy? Is he ecstatic or slightly disturbed? Let’s see!
And this acknowledgement, something I’ll label as gracious indifference, is the only professional response to the fact that a hairy, eight-legged menace was named after you. He continued:
“It’s pretty awesome to know that the spider is quite local to the Gold Coast and only a short drive from Snapper,” Fanning said.
You hear that? An almost-Snapper-local! Which makes me think the mickfanningi would have been better suited as a snake… or maybe a shark?
Better luck next time, science.
That spider looks pretty bad assed, I guess I would be honored if it were named for me.
What’s next for Mick after this accomplishment?
Rename: The Great White Mickfanningi
Eugene Fanning must be feeling a little left out in all of this. Hope he doesn’t find out where that Brazilian lives and give him a Coolangatta Cuddle…
Michel Foucault said in his oeuvre majeure ” la histoire de la folie à la classique” that we define ourselves by what we are not e.g. I am not bipolar therefore I am normal ! So I am definitely not a surfer from California therefore I am an Australian surfer / British reject et mes couilles fier d’être
Problem with Michelle’s logic here, is that because you specifically didn’t say that you weren’t a Brazilian surfer, you could be one, or better, Richie Porta’s Filipino pool boy, who happens to have a command of French as well as a smartphone and a wifi connection.
Mikey wog name better to be a British reject than a non wasp American ?
Oh no! Did I strike a nerve with that seething historical analysis?
Anything is better than being a WASP American.
As a proud to be British reject, I chuckled at the term MC. And boy did they show them convicts how wrong it was to be bad. What with sending them to a mostly mild wintered, wave strewn continent.
In your faces English gentry.
Remember in the 80’s occy called you seppo wankers . You still are .
nothin like a good tug…but i do it behind the septic tank, not inside
Just moving this down a bit.
I bet y’all a dollar Kelly’s pissed he got snubbed on this one.