I dreamed of Meerkats.

---> Meerkat

The dream was a bit vague really. I think there were Meerkats on my dining table of all the places. Before I entered the kitchen, I thought I heard a different sound. Was it the barking sound of a Meerkat? Did I watch an episode in "The Animal Planet" recently?

Then why the Meerkat of all the animals?

Hey, do you know why the Meerkats stand on two legs most of the time? To threaten the predators they stretch their legs, arching their bodies, and holding their tails stiffly erect. Once this is done, the entire group continually leaps into the air and growls aggressively.

Do you know that Meerkats prey on snakes too as they are immune to the poison from a snake or a scorpion?

Thank you Reader's Digest!

Bertrand Russell died twice?

Bertrand Russell is my favorite author for his new insights on education. I had actually collected several of his books but read only one book fully. The remaining books have been donated to my college library.

I remember many paragraphs still from his book "Human Knowledge: Its Scope and Limits". Though I am a mathematician by profession, I never read his wonderful books on mathematics.

Here is an interesting fun fact about him.

"Bertrand Russell (British mathematician) - reported in print as having died in 1937, had to have his obituary reprinted when he actually died in 1970."

Do you know the largest single-span arch bridge ?

The largest single-span arch bridge in the world is called Stari Most. Its actual meaning is "Old Bridge". How appropriate!

It is located in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

It is built across the river Neretva in Mostar town.

Stari Most

When it was built in the 16th century, it was hump-backed (still hump-backed of course), 4 meters wide and 30 meters long. You can look down at the river from the height of 24 meters. That will be quite a frightening sight.

I read that people are still wary of visiting Sarajevo, the national capital in spite of being rated as the 43rd best city in the world by the 'Lonely Planet', the leading travel portal in the web.

Source: The Free Dictionary

Do you know Marie-Therese Walter?

It is hard to guess mate, so give up. Marie-Therese Walter was Pablo Picasso’s mistress. Of course none of us, who are not contemporaries of Picasso, could have seen her. But I wonder what the artist has seen in her!

One of the most talked about Las Vegas Shows in recent times offers an opportunity for all of us to see her in a painting. This master piece art work depicts her sleeping in a chair. I hope I have kindled your curiosity.

The show is named “Le Reve” and getting tickets for this show is a Herculean task. But you are in luck. If you visit showslasvgas.com, you can buy your ticket well in advance.

The entire 70 minute show is said to be sensual under dream settings. The tickets are offered at great competitive prices as showslasvegas.com have negotiated exclusive rates directly with the individual shows.

There are more chickens in the world than people.

Could you believe it-there are more chickens in the world than people.? Meat eaters-have you ever afraid the chicken will soon vanish and deprive you of a good meal?

If so, no sweat. There are more chickens in the world than people. Is it true? Should be, as how else you continue to get the chicken you order either from the restaurant or from shopping mall?

There are most such interesting facts we probably don't know.

For example, do you know that people whose mouth has a narrow roof are more likely to snore because they have less oxygen going through their nose?

More facts about finger nails, Pinocchio in Daves Daily, a web site I visit often to relax.

Do you know Bugun Liocichla,?

Hi hi, tough pronouncing the name-eh? I wonder how the bird calls?

This beautifully colored bird named 'Bugun Liocichla", is said to a rare species found in India. A rare discovery of a new species of bird in 50 years.

Who discovered and where?
It was spotted in May in the remote Eaglenest Wildlife Sanctuary in India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh near the border with China. Ramana Athreya who discovered the bird named it after the Bugun tribe, which lives in the area.

My husband, a bird watcher used to tell me about North Eastern India is abundant with beautiful birds. Has this bird species discover been recognized and recoded? I know such are usually ignored by an amateur bird watcher.

"Birdlife International, a global alliance of conservation organizations, described it on its Web site as the most sensational ornithological discovery in India for more than half a century."

More...

Image courtesy: Wikipedia

Do you know the Dog Bark Park?

It is actually Dog Bark Park Inn. It is located in Cottonwood, ID, U.S.A.

So what's special about this unusual hotel? Look at the picture and you will understand. The accommodation is given inside the body of a dog like structure. Hmm.. isn't it unusual?

Other features of this hotel:
* Continental breakfast that included a variety of teas, coffees, juices, fresh fruits, boxed cereals, milk, yogurts, cheeses, hard-boiled eggs, bagels, locally made pastries & breads.
* A queen bed that can take in 4 persons
* Bathroom attached
* Coffee maker

The owners of this unusual hotel are of course dog lovers.

Interesting facts about Clint Eastwood.

Are you a fan of Clint Eastwood? I am not. But my husband is still crazy about Clint, his laconic style, his slender stature et al.

Now, I am going to stun my husband with a few interesting facts about Clint Eastwood.
* He was born in San Francisco
* He is the father of seven children
* He acted with an Orangutan in a film called "Every Which way But Loose" that is supposed to have made him a big profit
* He can sing
* He hates violence. (wow!)
* He is a vegetarian

Enough?

Want more? Visit this site then.

Inspiring podcast from Capella university

I am glad that a small act of mine inspired someone in my area to apply for a bachelor’s degree in a university online. The university she applied for is none other than the high profile Capella University, a fully accredited online university that is currently serving nearly 25,000 students from as many as 45 countries.

All I did was to make her subscribe to the Capella’s ‘Inside Online Education’, a 15 minute podcast that has interviews with Capella students, faculty and staff who share the experience of online education from a first-person point of view.

My friend sought my guidance about which subject is the best for her as I knew her capacity. I suggested she choose IT knowing that she has displayed glimpses of aptitude for that.

The latest podcast features a discussion of state-approved reading and literacy program.

This blog post was based on information provided by Blogitive. For more information, please visit Blogitive.com.

Has the world forgot the Angel Falls.

Breath taking-literally is the sight of Angel Falls which a web pages say that it is a forgotten wonder of the world.

It is said to fall from 1000 meters above the ground level and because of that, the water is vaporized by the strong winds and turned into mist.

Where is it located?
It is in Venezuela but quite hidden in a wilderness region, called the Gran Sabana.

The Angel Falls were discovered by accident in 1935 by Jimmy Angel (1899-1956), an American adventurer and bush pilot who operated in Central and South America.

Thank you Wikipedia!

Sleep with open eyes.

I know my uncle sleeps standing but of course his eyes were closed when he slept. But people sleeping with their eyes wide open?-then how can you call it sleep?

Sleep-one of the mysteries for us has in fact several mysterious and amazing facts. Do you my husbands sleeps only three hours daily and still remain active throughout the day?

Do you know that people can take cat naps with their eyes open without even being aware of it?
Here is another amazing fact:
Some scientists believe we dream to fix experiences in long-term memory, that is, we dream about things worth remembering. Others reckon we dream about things worth forgetting - to eliminate overlapping memories that would otherwise clog up our brains.

dRead more marvelous facts about sleep in the National Sleep Research Project.