Alaska

· The first use for the umbrella, in ancient Egypt, was to protect from the sun, not the rain. Perhaps this explains the choice of the word "umbrella", which is Italian for "little shadow".

· Plato's Academy operated from 387 B.C. to 529 A.D.: 916 years.

· When male tarantulas are between the ages of 5 to 7 years, they leave the burrow in search of a female, usually in the early fall. This migration signals the beginning of the end of their life cycle. They mate with as many females as they can and then they die around mid-November.

· The Montana Yogo Sapphire is the only North American gem to be included in the Crown Jewels of England.

· Most of America's salmon, crab, halibut, and herring come from Alaska.

Alaska

More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska .

Amazon

The Amazon rainforest produces more than 20% the world's oxygen supply.

The captivating and at times vaudevillian career of Sarah Palin entered an unpredictable phase yesterday when she stepped down as the Governor of Alaska to try to forge a role as the voice of the Republican Party.

Mrs Palin, who announced her shock resignation on July 3 with 18 months of her term left to run, has remained coy about her ambitions but the move has increased speculation that she wants to make a bid for the White House in 2012.

Such a scenario delights many Democrats, who believe that because Mrs Palin is a controversial figure whose performance as John McCain’s running-mate damaged the Republican ticket, a presidential campaign would probably end in disaster.

Frank was excited about his new rifle and decided to try bear hunting. He travelled up to Alaska, spotted a small brown bear and shot it.

Soon after there was a tap on his shoulder, and he turned around to see a big black bear. The black bear said, "That was a very bad mistake. That was my cousin. I'm going to give you two choices. Either I maul you to death or we have sex."

After considering briefly, Frank decided to accept the latter alternative. So the black bear had his way with Frank. Even though he felt sore for two weeks, Frank soon recovered and vowed revenge.

Idaho town prays for return of captured US soldier

HAILEY, Idaho – Friends and family of an Idaho soldier who was captured in Afghanistan prayed for his safe return Sunday, shaken by the image of the frightened young private in a Taliban video posted online.

Pfc. Bowe R. Bergdahl, 23, was serving with an Alaska-based infantry regiment earlier this month when he vanished, just five months after arriving in Afghanistan. He was serving at a base near the border with Pakistan in an area known to be a Taliban stronghold.

Turkey Twizzlers are GOOD for you and polar bears AREN'T dying out!

By Stanley Feldman and Vincent Marks

Melting ice caps,global warming,our favourite foods giving us cancer. The doom-mongers love to tell uswe're all going to hell in a handcart. But don't panic! A new book uncovers some inconvenient truths that give the pessimists pause for thought ...

The overwhelming scientific consensus is that we are all going to hell in a handcart.

Everyone saw Aaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!

Bristol Palin, the 18-year-old daughter of Alaska's governor and last year's Republican vice presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, has split from her fiance Levi Johnston, celebrity magazine People has reported.

Palin said in a statement to that she was "devastated" by the break-up. Johnston confirmed the split, saying it was mutual.

Miss Palin, whose pregnancy briefly occupied the headlines during her mother's vice presidential campaign last year, gave birth to their son Tripp in late December.

Recently, Miss Palin told FOX News that the pair intended to get married after they both finished high school.