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Re: How about a change in topic?

Ah, The Hobbit.  Wonderful, Andy.  It's indeed a fun book - it can be read
either simply as a child's story or as a precursor to the much darker Lord
of the Rings; with or without any of the knowledge of what Tolkien created
'below' the story - his creation of a world, a language, cultures, and
history.  I highly recommend reading Lord of the Rings afterward - it's a
wonderful series of books.

My wife and I spent part of our honeymoon reading _Fast Food Nation_.  It
is an excellent, deep discussion of the effect that McDonald's and the
other major franchises have had on the US and the world at large.  What's
more, it covers not only the obvious questions of health concerns but
commercialization of children, changes in agribusiness, the neccessary
growth of the migrant labor workers, horrid meat processing practices, and
an entire host of ills.

The interesting part of the book is that it is alarming without being
alarmist - the writer was able to get past the usual knee-jerk approach
that many of the more liberal action groups have towards McD's and their
ilk.  It simply made my wife and I think about what it was that we were
buying into by getting that chunk of potato and meat.  We realized that if
we were to live deliberate lives, we could not in good conscience eat
almost any fast food any longer.

The cost of living deliberately is high sometimes.  But in this case, we
found that it was well worth it.  I can't recommend the book enough - it
really sheds the myth that experts are watching over our lives to make
sure that we are not living lives of unknown dangers.  Do you know what I
mean?  So much of our culture seems to be based on the the precept that we
can allow those at the top (whatever that top may be) to be watching over
us - and they will not let us down.  It just isn't true, and that's a
scary concept if you dwell on it long enough.

Regards,
-Drew J (who happens to go to Andy's church.)

O ^ ^     Drew Johnson - djohnson at snowplow_org - Ld Robert Bartholomew     )
O(_|_) Tengo gusto de comer creyones. -Elian Gonzales, 4/27/00, goats.com  X
O Check out splat.melm.org (monkey at melm_org) & goats.com (drew at goats_com)  |

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