ODDLY ENOUGH

ODDLY ENOUGH

Escape antics of ‘Houdini Horse’ caught on video

MIDLAND, Mich.

With her escape-artist antics caught on video, a horse in Michigan is being dubbed the “Houdini Horse” thanks to her knack for opening stall doors.

The 9-year-old horse named Mariska learned to open latches at Misty Meadow Farms near Midland in central Michigan.

The farm’s co-owner, Sandy Bonem, posted a video online of the horse opening numerous locks. It catches how Mariska lets herself out, then unlocking stalls for other horses — just not her mother’s.

As of Monday, the YouTube video had more than 760,000 views.

Bonem tells the Saginaw News that Mariska “doesn’t like to be locked in.”

Bonem says Mariska played with things in her mouth when she was young, and “she just kind of progressed.”

Oregon lawmakers make Dull and Boring tourism move

SALEM, Ore.

Legislative sessions can be dull and boring, but Oregon lawmakers have moved to commemorate the humdrum — even if no one is quite sure how.

Based on their mundane names, the communities of Dull, Scotland, and Boring, Ore., formed an international partnership last year to build cultural and commercial connections.

Oregon House lawmakers took that a step further Wednesday, voting to make Aug. 9 Boring and Dull Day, putting the name of the U.S. town first despite mild objections from their European counterparts. The plan, which heads to the state Senate, is intended to boost tourism.

Republican Rep. Bill Kennener, the sponsor, announced the bill with a 10-minute speech, but never got around to saying what one might do in observance.

A fellow Republican, Rep. Kevin Cameron, later joked that he spotted an intern falling asleep during the address.

Woman, 104, is forced to lie about her age on Facebook

GROSSE POINTE SHORES, Mich.

Marguerite Joseph can be forgiven for lying about her age on Facebook. The 104-year-old Michigan woman’s granddaughter says Joseph is unable to list her real age on the social-media site.

Gail Marlow says when she tries inputting her grandmother’s birth year as 1908, Facebook changes it to 1928. So for the past two years, the Grosse Pointe Shores centenarian has remained 99 — online, anyway.

Joseph is legally blind and can’t hear well, but Marlow reads and responds to all of her Facebook messages. Marlow tells WDIV-TV she “would love to see” Joseph’s real age displayed on Facebook and chalks up her inability to do so to “a glitch in the system.”

A Facebook official did not immediately respond to a message Wednesday.

Associated Press