Gunners & Ali - Ali's Random Facts

Today is Remembrance Day as we pause to remember all of those who have served and sacrificed in wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations around the globe. 

At 11am, we observe a minute's silence, marking the moment the guns fell silent on the Western Front on November 11, 1918.

Each year, we observe a minute's silence at 11am to honour those who lost their lives, those who served, and the families whose lives were forever changed by conflict, all around the world. 

Here in Mandurah, the City of Mandurah RSL will hold a Remembrance Day service at the War Memorial in Halls Head.

Proceedings begin at 10am, ahead of the formal service commencing at 10.30.

There are also services being held at RSL’s in Dawesville, Port Kennedy, Pinjarra, Waroona, Rockingham and more...

Today marks the anniversary of one of television's most famous neighbourhoods… Sesame Street!

It first aired on November 10, 1969, after its creators came up with a clever idea: what if television could help children learn, particularly those from disadvantaged areas who might not have access to the same early education?

Producer Joan Ganz Cooney teamed up with puppeteer Jim Henson to create a show that mixed learning with comedy, music, animation and colourful characters.

And who were the original residents? Big Bird, Oscar the Grouch, Bert and Ernie, Grover and Cookie Monster were all there from the early days.

But here's a fun fact… Oscar wasn't always green! He was originally designed as a magenta monster, but early colour television cameras struggled to show that colour clearly. So he became orange for the first season, before turning green in 1970.

The show's explanation? Oscar went on holiday to a swamp called Swamp Mushy Muddy, got covered in slime and mould… and never washed it off!

The first episode also featured human characters including Gordon, Susan, Bob and Mr Hooper.

Can you tell me how to get... how to get to Sesame Street?!

Source :YouTube: Sesame Street Classics

Deep Sea Brine Pools appear to be biological dead-zones in the ocean, and yet an astounding abundance of ocean life can be found lining the shores of these toxic lakes. Mussels, hagfish, crabs and even sharks frequent these isolated hotspots to hunt.

Source: YouTube: Natural World Facts

The blue-ringed octopus is one of the most fascinating and dangerous marine creatures found in Australian waters.

It's tiny, incredibly beautiful, and carries venom powerful enough to kill a human.

Source: Nat Geo

Remember, Remember... the Fifth of November.

If you've ever spotted a blue-tongue lizard in your garden, here's a fun fact… that bright blue tongue is actually a clever defence mechanism!

When threatened, these little guys open their mouths, stick out their vivid blue tongues and hiss to make themselves look much scarier to predators.

And despite that fearsome display, they're completely harmless to humans.

They're also fantastic little garden helpers, munching on snails, slugs, beetles and other insects. So, they're basically nature's pest-control service!

Here's another interesting one… blue-tongues don't lay eggs. They actually give birth to live young!

And they can live for around 20 years, sometimes even longer.

They also use their tongues to collect scent particles, helping them work out what's happening in their surroundings.

So, if you spot one sunning itself in the backyard, leave it alone. It's not looking for trouble… it's just doing a little garden maintenance!

Have you ever seen an animal with a tongue almost half as long as its body? Well, meet the numbat!

This little WA native is a termite-eating machine. It can flick its long, sticky tongue in and out of tiny holes and cracks to collect termites.

A numbat can eat up to 20,000 termites in a single day! That's a lot of snacks.

And here's something interesting: unlike most Australian marsupials, numbats are active during the day, rather than at night.

They're also one of Western Australia's most endangered mammals, with wild populations found in just a few areas.

So if you're lucky enough to spot one, you're seeing a very special little Aussie.

Source: YouTube: Global Zoo

You probably know quokkas as the smiling little animals on Rottnest Island, but did you know they can climb trees?

That's right!

These little marsupials are mostly ground-dwellers, but they can scramble up shrubs and small trees to find leaves and other tasty treats.

They're also able to survive for quite a while without drinking water, getting much of the moisture they need from the plants they eat.

And here's another interesting fact: quokkas are nocturnal, which means they're most active at night but can definitely be found during the day for quokka selfies on Rottnest Island. 

Happy iPod Day! And today’s a big one, because it’s 25 years since Apple unveiled the original iPod!

Back in 2001, Steve Jobs introduced a little music player that promised to put 1,000 songs in your pocket. And remember, this was back when we were lugging around CD wallets and hoping our Discman didn’t skip every time we took a step!

The original iPod had a five-gigabyte hard drive, a ten-hour battery life and cost 399 US dollars.

So, the next time you use your phone to stream music, take a photo, check the weather and order dinner… spare a thought for that little white music player that helped start it all!

It’s International Wombat Day, so let’s show some love for one of Australia’s most underrated little legends!

Wombats might look like furry potatoes, but they’re actually incredible underground engineers. Their burrows can stretch up to 30 metres long, providing shelter not just for themselves, but for other native animals too.

And here’s a fact that never gets old… wombats do cube-shaped poo! Scientists believe the unusual shape helps stop it rolling away when they’re marking their territory.

They’ve also got a tough cartilage shield on their backsides, which helps protect them from predators trying to get into their burrows. And their pouches face backwards, so mum doesn’t fill them with dirt while digging.

But it’s not all fun facts. Wombats face serious threats from habitat loss, cars on country roads and sarcoptic mange, a disease that can be devastating to wild populations.

So today is a great reminder to appreciate these Aussie icons and help protect the places they call home. Because honestly, how many animals can claim to be brilliant builders… and produce perfect little cubes?