DECK THE HOLIDAY'S

   Castles have been a part of horror since for centuries. As a writer who specializes on horror history and symbolism, I often notice that people automatically have a tingle go up their spine when they see a castle in a horror movie, or read about one in a horror literature. Take a moment with me to explore the symbolism behind castles in horror movies and horror literature. Forgotten Knowledge    If we were to take a page out of the book that rattled around in the mind of H.P. Lovecraft we would find that castles in horror movies and horror literature symbolize forgotten knowledge that humanity was either never meant to know, or meant to forget.    Notice that almost every Gothic castle has a library of dusty old books. In many cases, cursed works such as the, "Necronomicon," "The Book of Eibon," or "Cultes des Goules," might be hidden inside. The castle is there to separate us from what we really do not want to learn. Forgotten E...

   Common Riding is an annual event celebrated in Scottish Border towns and in some other places, to commemorate the times of the past when local men risked their lives in order to protect their town and people. Hawick    The Hawick Common-Riding is the first of the Border festivals and celebrates the ancient custom of riding the boundaries of the parish/marches and the capture of an English Flag in 1514. The Common-Riding proper takes place in June on a Friday and Saturday.    TheCornet for the year is elected by the Provost's Council in May. From then until the festival is over the Cornet is an honoured figure in Hawick. The first recorded Cornet was in 1703 and other than the World Wars there has been an unbroken line to the present day.    In the weeks preceding the actual Common-Riding, on each Saturday and Tuesday, the Cornet and his supporters are out on their ride-outs in the course of which they visit surrounding...

   The understanding and excitement of Juneteenth is growing at a phenomenal rate. Cities and States all across the U.S. and beyond are realizing the wonderful opportunity we have to come together in appreciation, reconciliation and commemoration. During Juneteenth we acknowledge the African American spirit and pay tribute to the roles and contributions which have enriched our society. The JUNETEENTH.com website provides a channel in which to connect and unite all whom share the vision of this celebration.   Through the efforts of those at the grassroots level, to those on the state and national levels, Juneteenth celebrations are now held in most, if not all, 50 states. Over half have passed some form of legislation establishing Juneteenth as a Special Day of Recognition. Several other states have similar legislation pending. The recognition and honor of Juneteenth extends even beyond our borders. Expatriates, teachers, servicemen and others have continued their cel...

   Everyone has a fear of some sort, but not all of us suffer from the type of pathological fear called a “phobia.” Some phobias are well known, such as agoraphobia, which is the fear of being in an open area or in a large crowd, and Thanatophobia, which is the fear of death. (I think we can all relate to the latter.) There are other phobias that are just plain bizarre; for instance, arachibutyrophobia, which is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of one’s mouth. This list, however, is devoted to those phobias that seem inherently unbearable. In other words, fears that fundamentally affect a sufferer’s quality of life to an extreme extent. While perusing the list, let’s keep in mind that there are real people suffering from these phobias; understanding the phobias themselves will allow us to understand (and sympathize with) the tribulations of the sufferers. 10. Ambulophobia “The fear of walking or standing.”    Imagine the implications of s...

      We all love a good ghost story, right? What could be better than sitting around a fire, flashlight aimed upward, casting creepy shadows across your face and illuminating all those boogers that nobody has the heart to tell you about? What is more exhilarating than piling into a much-too-small car with a few larger-than-desirable friends and driving to that bridge that your parents told you about? You know, the one where your usually uptight dad spent many an uncharacteristically-adventurous night. What is better than constantly ragging on the little wuss in the back seat who is channeling the “guys-turn-around-we’re-gonna-arrested” spirit, even though he is clearly afraid of what everybody else is desperately hoping will happen? What is better than getting pulled over by the cop whose night was just a little too long, who is currently writing you a ticket for having too many people in the car, half of whom didn’t buckle their seat belts? Inhale deeply and s...