AWESOME FACTS ABOUT EVERYTHING LXXVII

1. Wall Street was named for an actual wall that was built on the street in the 17th century by the Dutch to protect them against attacks.

2. East Indian brides don't wear white, which is the symbolic color of mourning. They wear colorful saris that reflect their region of origin. Shades of red represent happiness and good luck.

3. A single bat can eat up to 3,000 insects in a single night. Though often feared and loathed as sinister creatures of the night, bats are vital to our environment and economy. They are essential for insect pest control, pollinating plants, and dispersing seeds.

4. A furlong is 1/8 of a mile. It is used to describe the distances of horse races.

5. A giant anteater's tongue can be one and a half to two feet long, and can flick in and out of its mouth 150 times per minute.

6. Giraffes can stand a half hour after birth. 

7. Zebra foals can stand six minutes after birth. 

8. Zebra stripes are like human fingerprints - no two alike.

9. The world's most expensive airline "seats":

    3: NY - Dubai: $15,000 - Emirates Airlines

    2: NY - Singapore: $20,000 - Singapore Airlines

    1: NY - Abu Dhabi: $31,000 - Etihad Airways

10. The National Grocers' Association (NGA) hosts an annual national bagging championship.

11. For four days every year in Las Vegas, the International Pizza Expo features competition for best-tasting pie, longest dough stretch, and quickest box folding. But by far the star attraction is the acrobatic dough-tossing contest.