PAUL THE OCTOPUS AND MANI THE PARAKEET

Paul the Octopus or Paul Oktopus (hatched in 2008) is a common octopus living in a tank at a Sea Life Centre in Oberhausen, Germany. The octopus is used as an animal oracle in an attempt to predict the results of football matches, usually international matches in which Germany is playing.

During a prediction, Paul is presented with two boxes. Each contains food, and is marked with the flag of a national football team in an upcoming match, among which he is said to choose his predicted winner. Paul is reported to have chosen the box with the flag of the winning team in several of Germany's six Euro 2008 matches, and in each of their first six matches in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He has predicted a win for Spain against the Netherlands in the World Cup final on July 11 by eating the mussel in the box with the Spanish flag on it.

Subsequently, there has been many changes in the odds of bookmakers everywhere.

"You can't go against Paul", stated one bookie. "He's been right 100% so far and I'm not going against him. But some people like to throw their money away."

Always a bit of superstition goes with gambling, whether it's a certain charm, shirt or once white underwear.

I would not be surprised if police are also now involved in protecting Paul.

Interestingly, it was reported HERE that Mani, the parakeet, or as known in India as a parrot, predicts Netherlands as the World Cup 2010 Champion.

Mani is an astrologer’s assistant in Singapore’s Little India and it predicted correctly the quarterfinal ties and also the semifinals. It is 13-year-old and assists the owner M Muniyappan, a fortune-teller. Mani has become quite the local celebrity in Singapore.

Mani had predicted correctly the Netherlands and Brazil match by picking the Dutch card. The bird became celebrity after one of Singapore’s big dailies, The New Paper, asked for the semifinals predictions and it was proven right.

Mani is a Malaysian-born bird.

Isn't it strange that as our society progresses, man is now turning to animals or birds for predictions wrt football matches? Don't they consider the skills and strategies of the team players any more?

Hmmmm