No Need for a Shiny, New Australia

The semester is off to a spectacular explosion of educational awesome-ness. Over the summer I was involved in an institute for problem-based learning (you're jealous, I understand) where I've changed my curriculum (fancy word for: "stuff students won't get") for the 3rd straight semester...yay! The result is that I'm running a study tracking student learning, blah, blah, blah, no one cares. On to things that rock about Australia.

Over the last few weeks I've become increasingly enchanted by Australia. It is no secret that the Uber Geek has visions of going to (and possibly never returning from) the land of kangaroos, sunshine and surly drunkards. In fact, I once petitioned the NSF for funding to work there for a summer. They denied it saying something about not accepting proposals written in crayon on whiskey soaked napkins...psssh, unprofessional my ass. Lately, however, it's dawned on me that Australia is the reason for more things than I thought. In no particular order (that I'll reveal) the awesome-ness is below:

• The best line in a Dr. Horrible's Sing-A-Long Blog song: "And she may cry but her tears will dry/When I hand her the keys to a shiny new Australia"
• JET...how I forget this all the time I do not know
• Today I have had an unhealthy obsession with Silverchair
• Missy Higgins is my new favorite female vocalists (fact: she's 1/8th kangaroo)
• The movie Eastern Promises stars Naomi Watts...it counts!
• Wolfmother is the best new badass band since Velvet Revolver
• Wolfmother broke up, split into two bands...now they are both the best new badass bands since Wolfmother
• Champions in men's wheelchair basketball
• Distribute only mysterious, caffeine-free Mountain Dew (fact: Mountain Dew without caffeine is the fountain of youth)

There's a lot to digest there so I'm heading to PVD and I'll meet you in Sydney by the end of the week. Me and my new kangaroo buddy Pongo will be stumbling around taunting killer sharks for not having legs.

Stupid fish.