I watched the Terry Pratchett inspired movie "The Hogfather" over the weekend, which I found both disturbing and amusing. Pratchett always had that ability in his writing, to come up with utterly ridiculous premises for the story, in an utterly ridiculous setting and then write the entire book in a satirical and sardonic wit that makes one wonder if any of the commentary actually relates to the story or if the entire thing is a premise to attack and question our thoughts and beliefs. Of course, that more or less sums up the definition of satire, doesn't it?

I only watched the movie because I had read "The Colour of Magic" earlier and enjoyed his style of writing. That was his first book and it was originally published in England in 1983, only to mysteriously find its way to an area yard sale and then, eventually, to my own book collection. It's odd, but I've found that there are some writers who can write about almost anything and I could still enjoy reading it.

I think that book was made into a series on British television, but I've not been able to find a copy of it anywhere.

In the movie, "Death," or the Grim Reaper, decides to fill in for the Hogfather, a character very similar to our Santa Claus. Meanwhile, an assassin has invaded the tooth fairy's castle and is attempting to control the beliefs of all children by hiring a mage to cast a spell on their discarded teeth. I told you it was ridiculous.

Some of the lines are not, though. Including one scene in which Death tells his granddaughter that it is hard for him to imagine coming up with boredom in a universe filled with such wonders.

While I don't agree with everything Pratchett seems to think, his writing does promote brain function. Oddly enough, Pratchett himself is still alive, or was the last time I read about him, but suffers from Alzheimer's disease. One would have to find it ironic that someone who spent his entire life thinking up such things as the "Discworld" for a living would end up with a disease that debilitates the mind.

In the end, I can't say I really loved the film, but I can't say I hated it either. It did remind me of how much I like Pratchett's work and that I would like to find some more of his stuff to read in the future. As I understand it, his output was no less than prolific, but the one movie was all that I've ever found.

Sadly, I didn't get the opportunity to read that book first, either. In watching the movie, I was reminded that I've not been reading quite as much as I once did. What does that mean, really? Well, I'm not entirely sure.

I don't have any new fictional novels to work on and the only other book I have to read I just picked up on Friday. It's called " Spark" and it relates the benefits of exercise on brain health. I'm a bit loathe to read it, since it usually condemns my self-proclaimed poor health regimen when I read such books.

The last one I read on diet made me so concerned about high fructose corn syrup that I find it hard to eat or drink anything that contains it. Since that includes most sweetened beverages, cookies, cakes, cake icing, fruit drinks and lots of other things, that can be a real problem at the grocery store. No one wants to go shopping with the guy who has to read the label of every product until he decides whether or not it's safe to eat.

Monosodium glutamate is another one that I avoid. Basically, when I look at the label, I usually either find one with the shortest possible list of chemicals or I just give up and make it at home.

Cream cheese icing is a prime example. The store-bought kind did not contain cream cheese at all. The kind I ended up making had cream cheese, butter and confectioner's sugar, flavored with natural vanilla. I didn't say it was healthy, but it didn't have a list of ingredients that would make most chemists scratch their heads in disbelief. Does it really take 15 advanced compounds to make a tub of cake icing? Someone somewhere seems to think so.

I also try to buy the most natural foods possible, from the meat section to the ice cream section. Some folks might say that ice cream is something best avoided anyway, but I tend to believe that I can justify eating milk, cream, fruit and sugar better than the aforementioned scientific cocktail.

The FDA, which stands for Food and Drug Administration, is supposed to oversee this stuff. However, I put very little faith in an organization that advertises food and drugs in its name. I'd prefer to have just the food and leave the drugs to those who are still stuck in the 60s. Luckily, there are still sources for a number of foods right here in our county. We can get locally raised meats, vegetables and fruits in season. I think that as people grow more aware of what's being put in the food, they will grow more inclined to ask for better choices.

Just look at the number of 'organic' products now found in stores that wouldn't have been there just 10 years or so ago. Some foods raised naturally without dangerous pesticides are definitely worth paying extra for, if only for the peace of mind they can provide.

After all, where do all those chemicals eventually end up? Most likely the answer is in us or the Gulf of Mexico.
 

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