I watched the DVD "Spellbound" last weekend. It's about eight kids who are entered in the National Spelling Bee in Washington D.C. The contest has been held every year since 1925 with about 250 kids competing. It turned out to be a very entertaining film. It's amazing how hard these kids work to have a chance at being the national champion. Now that I think about it, that's a very exclusive club, because there is only one winner per year. It might be easier to win an Oscar than be spelling bee champion. The first part of the movie shows the eight kids and some of their family and friends. You see how they practice and study, sometimes covering over 4,000 words per day. It's a fairly daunting task because there are hundred of thousands of words in the English language. Some of the medical terms alone are extremely obscure. The second part of the film shows the spelling bee in Washington. There's a tremendous amount of pressure on the contestants. Imagine having your entire family watching and missing the very first word. There are no second chances; you're out. Even baseball players are allowed 3 strikes. I can remember being in only one spelling bee in my life which was in eighth grade. I came in second place to Doug Wagner. I want a rematch.