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I took a peek at the OUTDOOR FILM FESTIVAL lineup last night, hoping there would be something good playing during one of my Chicago trips this summer. I was amused to find this (and I quote directly) “What To Bring Checklist”. While most of the items seemed obvious to the point of stupidity, there were a few bafflers.

“What to Bring Checklist
A list of things to bring to the festival to make it a more enjoyable experience.

* Blankets
* Snacks
* Cellphone
* Sandwiches
* Napkins or Paper Towels
* Chairs
* Popcorn
* Drinks
* Plates and Utensils
* Hand Sanitizer
* Bug Spray (just in case!)
* Trash Bag
* Serving Utensils
* Jacket or Sweatshirt
* Camera
* Card Games
* Board Games
* Books, Magazines, or Crossword Puzzles for before the movie”

A cellphone will not make the movie-going experience more enjoyable for anyone. I was also puzzled by the “just in case!” after bug spray, unless they are suggesting it as an alternative to mace, should you have a cellphone-yakker on the blanket next to yours. In which case I suggest a can of oven cleaner as a more immediate and permanent deterrent.
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Last night we watched some old Bewitched episodes that, unfortunately, had been “colorized”. I noticed that the colorization doesn’t extend to the inside of the actor’s mouths – making everyone’s teeth look gray or yellow-green – the effect is one of rampant, poor dental hygiene. This in turn made me remember those creepy Clutch Cargo cartoons in which the entire show was barely animated, except the mouths, which were filmed. Here’s a representative clip: (What’s up with Spinner’s lipstick? God. No wonder this thing scared me.)

And finding that lead to this, which made me laugh. Because I am twelve.

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Today will be spent in trip preparation and massive beer consumption to allay the associated anxiety over house, pets, etc. We have a good house-sitter lined up (well, she won’t actually be staying here but will make several trips to tend to kitties and plants) and I really have no good reason to worry…except that it’s what I do. Still trying to decide if I want to haul the laptop along – if not, posts will be few and far between for the next week, which, based on this particular pointless exercise, would probably be a good thing for all of us.
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