I am totally tickled by the global popularity achieved by Paul the Octopus and Mani the Parakeet. While the former is an international, death-threat-receiving celebrity, the latter is a relatively less famous Singaporean 'psychic bird'. Both of them hit the headlines because of their ability to "predict" the outcomes of the FIFA 2010 World Cup matches. But the grand final promises to reveal who the real king is - Paul has chosen Spain to win FIFA WC 2010, while Mani has picked Holland!

So, will it be Paul or Mani? (more interesting for me than the outcome of the match itself!)

While we wait to find out, check out this video of yet another animal prophet, this time an amateur cocker spaniel - Leone the Psychic Dog. (My favourite part is between 1:17 and 1:28 - when the owner spins Leone around, counting from one to ten - ha ha!)



I hear the KiLi Josiyars Association of Tamil Nadu is planning to send a contingent of parrots & their owners to the 2011 Cricket World Cup.