It's not often I stumble across something on the internet that makes me laugh so hard I choke on my cuppa Dilmah, but that's exactly what happened last Sunday morning, whilst enjoying a lazy breakfast in bed.
I was searching for some information about Lachimman Gurung, venerated WW2 Gurkha rifleman and Victoria Cross recipient, to share with military-history nerd Muddy (don't all wives do that?), and came across the site www.badassoftheweek.com
Written by Seattle-based writer Ben Thompson, baddassoftheweek is devoted to the heroic (read:deadly) exploits of men, women, animals, mythical and fictional characters, deities, saints, countries (Australia) and military battalions that have embodied 'badassery' in its many forms - extreme violence in the pursuit of a greater good (or just plain old-fashioned revenge), sexual prowess, resilience, ruthless dedication, danger, courage, strength and insane fearlessness.
Written in a style that is part frat-boy, part star-struck adolescent, all erudite motherfucker, badassoftheweek is hysterically funny and extremely informative. There's a generous dose of Australian subjects in his big list, including Australia itself - "The most badass continent on earth, this place has fucking TREES that can kill you" - PLUS, Albert Jacka VC, Rupert Murdoch, Ned Kelly, Steve Irwin, Australian Light Horse, Cliff Young and Nancy Wake (yeah, yeah she was born a Kiwi, but still).
The best entry so far (I still have so many to read) is the one about the octogenarian shepherd and crazy-man Yusuf Alchagirov who, in late 2013, survived a Grizzly Bear attack near his home in some godforsaken Russian/Georgian craphole by engaging in a fistfight with the said bear. Yep. Fistfight. Including headbutting and ball-kicking:
"...his feet dangling like that dude being choked out by Darth Vader at the beginning of the first Star Wars movie, HEADBUTTED THE FUCKING BEAR IN THE FACE WITH HIS FOREHEAD......then he kicked it in the balls. A lot. I'm not joking."
Eventually growing tired and bored with all this scrapping, the bear promptly tosses the shepherd off a cliff. And yet the old man survives, making him, according to Thompson, "...the Jamaican bobsled team of kicking bears in the dick." Gold.
There are subjects you'd expect to see here (Chuck Yeager, Audie Murphy, Joan of Arc, Boudicca, Evil Knievel) and some you wouldn't (St. Nicholas, Stephen Colbert??? Read them and you'll see why). There are more than a few notable women ('ballsy chicks'), scientists, WW2 vets, philosophers, ancient Greeks and Medieval European nutters. He also harbours a curiously sweet fixation for Gurkha soldiers. Don't we all? Better die than be a coward.
Some additional contenders Thompson might want to add to his bureau of badasses: Thor Heyerdahl, Phoolan Devi and Yılmaz Güney. Just a thought.
Check out badassoftheweek. You'll learn something new and have a real good larf.
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