"Very Special - Khristmas"

Meerkats... They're the new

and brightest stars during Christmas!!!

They almost seem to have been born

to celebrate this date, or remind us to do it.

First, they save their best songs for that day...

Then they wait for the Three Meerkat Kings...

And, of course, they're ready to say thanks,
like a very little prayer in their hearts!

Siniqwenelela Ikrisimesi Emnandi Nonyaka
Omtsha Ozele Iintsikelelo
(Merry Christmas among Meerkats)
-It's in the language of the Bushmen-

amazon, gardenfeatures and bestmediablog

"Widest Dreams"

Being also, of course, Youssarian's birthday,

I had to make this new entry

dedicated only for him.

In an endless quest,
Youssarian left his world behind.
Under sun or rain,
to find a place and be the King.
Youssarian, you must know
that some Kings can rule from afar.
And though you walk long miles
there's no place as big as your heart.

Your horizon grew,
before your eyes, beyond your steps.
But, still you went on
with restless soul and tired feet.
Youssarian, you must know
that miles are much smaller than life.
And though you were crowned by the Sun
you'd have wasted long years.

In your endless quest,
there should have been a resting place.
In dark nights or days,
there's just one place where you can live.


And again, as I like to do, I used the music of a song which would go very well with Youssarian and all what he was:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY5i4-rWh44

"Castle In The Desert"

For the King who reached his eleventh year

in the hard and so dangerous Kalahari.

Happy Birthday, Great King!!!

"Castle In The Desert"

Just another song I could write for the Meerkat King.


Have you seen there, the Knight of the Flower?
In the desert that he knows so well?
He still stands tall, as if facing the Sun
with his eyes that remind you the storm.

His hands may be strong as Oak-Trees
and with them he can build an empire...
And his heart is in fire
when he's ready for war,
but it's like spring in days of love.

If he raised his hand,
everyone was ready
to enjoy a rest, or fight for him...
So he gained his throne
through a thousand battles,
and his wisdom by reading the sand.

A great King of his land,
and Knight of the Flower,
the best diamond in his own big crown.
Have you seen that Lord
full of Meerkat wisdom?
Standing proud there, the Knight of his Rose?


As I use to do, the verses can go -in this case- with the music of this video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX07j9SDFcc

"Very Special"

Meerkats Coat Of Arms... 1st Quarter, with the Eagle (maybe their most lethal predator); 2nd quarter, with the Sun which they greet every morning as much as he greets them; third quarter, with the burrow they most love and need; and the 4th quarter, with one of their favorite snacks.

"Mozart Relief And Happiness"

Oh, I almost forget this day... That little Princess was born in the first week of November along with other three Meerkats. Now this little song is for her; the music should be one of another song whose bottom line says "A circle complete... The graves of love" (I don't know the name).


Mozart, if you could be born again, what you would do?
Will all that sorrows be left behind, like traveled roads?
And if you can find that Knight always dreamed,
will all your children grow up without hate?

You had lived to suffer...
Those days are forever gone.

A great and ill fate always waited for you,
while arrows of sadness would follow your steps.
But nothing of that ever will reach your heart...
You'll come with a shield made of silver hope stars.

And when you're there, looking all the world around,
your children will make a tale of joy.

Mozart, if someday you live again under that Sun,
I hope he'll watch over you this time, between the sands.
And if a danger that comes from the sky
is going to take all you've gained by own right,
may even the Sun light
protect all your most loved ones.

And when you're there, in the place of Queen at last
that crown will make all your dreams come true.

"Very Special"

22 July 2010 - Last updated at 17:48 GMT - BBC News

Unlocking Meerkats' alarm calls
A study has shed light on how certain alarm cries made by Meerkats are more effective than others at alerting the group to possible dangers.
Researchers from Switzerland and South Africa suggest "non-linearities" make the cries "unpredictable", distinguishing them from other calls.
However, it is uncertain how the Meerkats produce the "non-linear" vocal sounds, the team adds.
The findings appear in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.
"You have normal calls, which in the paper we refer to as 'linear' calls", explained co-author Simon Townsend from the University of Zurich.
"However, from time to time -about 20% of these types of calls- you get this intrusion of complexity, which we call 'non-linear'".
He added that the difference between the two types of calls was very hard for humans to hear, but the Meerkats were able to distinguish between the two.

Uncertain origins

The researchers used recordings of a series of nine "medium-urgency aerial alarm calls", the sort that would be produced by a meerkat when it spotted a potential predator in the sky above.
Four of the nine recorded calls possessed non-linear properties, Dr Townsend explained. "We focused on eight different dominant males from eight different groups", he told BBC News.
Once the researchers had ensured the animals were not stressed, they began measuring responses to the recorded calls.
"What we found was that they always responded more strongly to the non-linear alarm calls", Dr Townsend recalled.
"Five of the eight males ran to a bolt hole straight away- the strongest behavioural response. The remaining three males also responded more strongly to the non-linear calls".
In the minute after the researchers played the non-linear recording, the animals also showed a reluctance to start foraging again.
Dr Townsend said the study did not focus on what caused the animals to produce these non-linear calls.
"This is something that we are not sure about at this stage; why some of these calls have the non-linearities and others don't is something we want to probe a little bit further", he said.
Previous research has suggested that animals spotting predators make non-linear calls because the stress causes irregular vibrations of the vocal cords.
However, Dr Townsend would like to carry out more research before his team could support or rule out that hypothesis.
"You'd expect these non-linearities to be there if the call signalled urgency, but they are not- they are only there in about 20% of these types of calls", he said.