Catoptrophobia (the fear of mirrors)

Eisoptrophobia (the fear of mirrors or of seeing oneself in the mirror)

After going to see MiRRors with a friend, I was curious to learn the term for the malady and was intrigued to learn that while there is one slight difference, it is enough to have two different phobias. The movie itself was a lot of fun and held your attention once it got going. The plot concerns a former NYPD detective (played by Kiefer Sutherland) working as a night watchman at an abandoned department store in which the mirrors seem to play horrible tricks on people. The most horrible trick involved the lead character’s sister (played by Amy Smart).

My complaints with the experience had nothing to do with the movie itself. It seemed that there was a group of about 10 young high school girls who insisted upon whispering throughout and giggling at the most inappropriate times. There was also a young boy across the aisle who seemed to be more interested in the game on his cell phone than the movie. Yet, these youngsters (who must not enjoy high school football) did not distract too much.

So, if you are in the mood for a decent horror flick that will not put you to sleep (unlike the last one I saw in the theatre that I have dubbed Asleep) look into Mirrors.  Although we were both interested in seeing the movie, taylhis did provide enough of a recommendation to make us want to see it even more.

Enter to win free movie tickets for an entire year on Fandango!

It seems that the county fair just to our south will be getting some national attention. Chris Cuomo, who is the news anchor for ABCs morning program “Good Morning America,” will be making an appearance at the Defiance County fair on Thursday August 21. While there, he will be taping a segment presumably on the Tractor Pulls or maybe it is to report on the sister cities Hicksville, OH and Hicksville, N. Y. But, here is the full article for your enjoyment.

A friend drew my attention to one of her summer traditions (Tradition, Tradition). It seems that the World’s Longest Garage Sale begins today (August 6) and runs through August 9th. I asked how long it is and discovered that it runs 654 miles from West Unity, Ohio all the way to Gadsden, Alabama (or vice versa). This event draws people from all over the world. I think it sounds rather fascinating just to see how many stops you can make in the four-day event. Apparently, vendors from all over participate and there are even sponsors for the event. It would be fun to go and watch expert hagglers attempt to find a treasure and get it for next to nothing. The website (YES… there is even a website) has interesting links that go into detail about how to plan your treasure hunt and other useful information. One question asks if there is an admission charge (honestly, has anyone ever been to a garage sale and been charged to enter?). Then, they offer a very helpful tidbit about watching for other cars. Driving along the route, looking for your next stop and suddenly WHAM! CRASH! POW! then, it is Holy Traffic Jam, Batman! So… if you are in the mood for a loooong road trip, you can travel along US127 all weekend long in search of buried treasure…. AAAARGH, Matey!

For a period of no less than four years, a production team has been attempting to create a musical version of one of the best-loved book and television series of all time: Little House on the Prairie . Before the series ran in the mid-1970s to ’80s, it was a collection of successful novels that dramatized the life and times of its author, Laura Ingalls Wilder, who grew up with her family in the wide plains of the South Dakotan frontier during the 1800s.

The musical, which opened at the Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, appears to have several differences from the tv show. Gone is the fictional town of Walnut Grove and replaced with the original Wilder setting of North Dakota. The role of Harriet Olsen seems to have been altered. She is not the typical, nosy busy body, who always seemed to have a knack for causing trouble (not unlike her daughter, Nellie) portrayed to hilarious delight on screen. However, the stage show does have at least one connection to its television predecessor that you can discover by reading the article here.

Personally, I’m not entirely sure that audiences will be as receptive to the stage show with such a drastic change to one of the television series’ supporting characters. Although the books were written in the 1930s-40s, I often found the role of Mrs. Olsen to be lacking when compared to her on-screen portrayal.

While reading headlines today, I came across the arrest of Christian Bale that happened on Sunday following the phenomenal opening of The Dark Knight. I have two different reactions to this. First, it seems quite interesting that mum and sis would report an assault by a 34 year-old man and then have their son/brother (a 34 year-old man) go in for questioning in conjunction with the crime. This happened the day before the London premiere of the biggest blockbuster of the summer. That sounded rather suspicious to me.  Were the two attempting to ride the coattails of the actor?

On the other hand, Mr. Bale may be feeling a bit upstaged by the performance of the late Heath Ledger in the role of the sadistic, immoral Clown Prince of Crime. The Joker seems to be getting all the attention this time around and leaving Batman in the shadows. But as I have always thought, the hero is only as good as the villain playing opposite him. Hopefully, Bruce Wayne did not crack and attack those he swore to protect after he witnessed the murder of his parents in the dark, back alleyways of Gotham City.

Read the full article by clicking

While attempting to come up with a brilliant post, I searched the “Latest Headlines” tab on my browser and came up with a link to a strange Guinness Record that a large group of people were trying to set (since it has never been done before). With the assistance of one good samaritan, the group was able to set the record. Also, check out the name of the hero who saved the day (Spelling may be off, but…). I have only one thing to say to this: Some people will do ANYTHING.

A hotel receptionist near Norwich, England recently received an unwelcome surprise while she was on the job:

Abbie Hawkins, a hotel receptionist, thought her mobile phone was ringing when she felt vibrations coming from her clothes.

But she later discovered the tiny creature tucked away in the padded pocket of her underwear.

As staff and colleagues crowded around, Miss Hawkins, 19, produced the frightened bat, which was the size of her hand.

She said: “Once I realised it was a bat I was shocked, but then I felt quite sorry for it really.

“It looked very snug in there and I thought how mean I was for disturbing it.”

Miss Hawkins said she got dressed at 7.30am and arrived for work at the Holiday Inn Norwich North, near Norwich International Airport without noticing anything unusual.

“When I was driving to work I felt a slight vibration but I thought it was just my mobile phone in my jacket pocket,” she said.

It was not until her lunch break, at midday when she felt a strange movement inside her bra, which had been hanging on her washing line the previous night.

“I plucked up the courage to investigate and I pulled out a little baby bat. I just lost my breath when I saw it and I did not know what it was at first,” she said.

The teenager’s general manager freed the bat in the hotel garden.

“I keep thinking how could I have not known it was there?” Miss Hawkins said. “I will certainly be checking my bras every morning from now on.”

Jaime Eastham, of the Bat Conservation Trust, said they had never heard of a bat being found in a bra before.

But she said the animals roost anywhere that appears dark and safe.

The only thing I can say is that I am happy for her that it did not decide to have a nibble (sorry). And why would she have thought that the vibration from her cell phone would cause her to think that it would cause her to adjust herself.

While reading the newspaper the other day, I read on the front page in the little box beside the banner about an airline that charges passengers by the pound in order to fly. Not the weight of your baggage, but by the passengers body mass as well. The masterminds behind the rather humorously named Derri-Air (a play on the French term derriere or bottom, bumb, rump, behind, I think you get the point). Apparently the owners are environmentally-conscious fellows who want to find a way to offset the amount of carbon emissions released by airplanes. For every pound of emissions released by Derri-Air aircraft, they will plant plant trees.

However, the geniuses also want passengers to do their part. Because it takes more fuel and energy to transport a corpulent passenger from point A to point B, the airline charges less for customers who weigh less. For instance, a flight from from Philadelphia to Los Angeles will cost a traveler $2.25/lb.  You will be treated like royalty as their are no class divisions only the best service and amenities are provided by the finest attendants one could wish.

You can read more about Dick Derrie and his mission “to offer passengers the finest luxury experience in all the world’s skies and the freedom to enjoy it with a clear conscience” by clicking here

Ok… so the name was not intended as a play on words, but was named for the creator. I just found the name catchy. Dick Derrie must be proud and the “butt” of many jokes….. sorry, I had to.

Today while preparing to watch the latest in what seems like daily thunderstorms, I was watching a taped broadcast of the National Spelling Bee. One of the funniest moments of any bee I have ever seen was in the 9th round. Sameer Mishra from West Lafayette, Indiana was given the word numnah. The 13 year-old eight grader mispronounced the word and said “numnut.” Not only did I start to laugh, the entire television audience cracked up and stopped the whole thing for 30 seconds. Upon reflection, the young man quickly recovered and a light bulb seemed to come on. OH…. Numnah!!! And he proceeded to correctly spell the word and eventually become crowned National Spelling Bee Champion with the word guerdon. (and if you would like the definition, language of origin, etc. I am not giving them to you> I would hate to spoil a good game of Balderdash).

My own association with the Bee began in the 5th grade. I was runner-up to a 6th grade girl. We battled each other through (I believe 8 rounds) before I unfortunately misspelled illegible. I do remember my class giving me a surprise party a few days after the bee.

My six grade year, I did not fare as well. I incorrectly spelled pajamas. I knew as soon as I said “g” and not “j.” In hindsight, if I had just slid that last sound to an “a” instead of “e”.

I do not remember my seventh grade experience. However, I was finally victorious my 8th grade year and progressed to our county bee. I do not remember where I finished there, either.

In last year’s competition, an eighth grader from my local junior high school made it to the National Bee where he made it just beyond the first written round. Pretty impressive considering our small community had previously never sent a speller to Washington, DC to compete.

watch?v=VjzrNWPul9E

As a youngster, I always loved watching a good ol’ fashioned thunderboomer. Lightning flashes, rolls of thunder, wind, pounding rain, power going out, nature in all her fury, a symphony for the senses. I still do enjoy watching them as long as I am not driving in them. The conditions all day seemed to forecast such a storm sometime. Temps in the 90s, warm wind, just the right conditions. At work, the Krispy Kreme deliveryman informed me that there were tornado watches out and calling for up to quarter inch hail. Shortly after, the sky began to darken. When I got off my shift, I walked home changed clothes into something a lot cooler than jeans and a polo shirt and went uptown for dinner. While eating, the tornado siren sounded announcing the spotting of a funnel cloud. We got up and went home; but almost as quickly the storm had passed. A larger town to the south of us was not so fortunate as they had downed power lines and power outages all over. We had extended family members come “just in case” with kids from 2-13 (I think the 13 year old was more scared than any of them). If I had been their age, I probably would have made noises to instill further fear into them but I guess I am beyond that (but thinking about it entered my mind briefly). Sad to say that the storm here was not much to write home about, but fun to imagine… no need to head to the basement and break out the flashlights for some fun in the dark. DRAT!!!