According to the official website, Food, Inc is coming to Pittsburgh’s Manor Theater this Friday. If there is one movie you see this summer, make it Food, Inc and Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

Okay, you’ve got me. That’s two movies. See Harry Potter for the entertainment value and see Food Inc, for the educational experience.

Seriously, anyone who eats should see this film. I did just that a couple of weeks ago. That is, I ate AND I saw the film.

Still not convinced? Bring your Food, Inc ticket stub to Franktuary and receive a special lunch offer to be announced later this week!

Not in Pittsburgh? It just so happens Chipotle is offering a free showing of Food, Inc in several cities across the nation. Check out Chipotle’s website for details.

Franktuary does not know why Chipotle has passed on a free showing in Pittsburgh. If Franktuary is ever the size of Chipotle, rest assured the Steel City will NOT be overlooked. Nonetheless, kudos to Chipotle as it is one of very few large food operations to be a friend of this film!

Tomorrow, that is.

If you don’t like Harry Potter, here are some other ways to spend your time in Pittsburgh this weekend…

1) Attend the hot dog eating competition at the Station Street Hot Dog and Sandwich Shop in East Liberty. Consumption begins at 1 pm.
2) Fill your colonoscopy preparation prescription, if you have one.
3) Buy some cheese at the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company.

If one must have a certain medical procedure that forces one to remain seated in a very special place for most of 24 hours it is a good idea to have said procedure performed in the immediate wake of the release of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows.

I just ate some gummy bears, and let me tell you, they were separatist gummy bears. I took them out of the package and immediately they formed individual piles or red, yellow, orange, green and white. Except five gummies, one of each color, bravely stood next to one another refusing to allow the separatist gummies to spoil their dream of interracial harmony.

Alright, you got me. The truth is that I separated the gummies into those piles. Then I ate most of them and now my stomach hurts.

But, before you declare me crazy, let me explain what prompted this story. Last night I saw the movie “Amazing Grace.” It’s about William Wilberforce and his effort to abolish slavery in 18th century Great Britain. It’s an excellent film, especially if you’re a fan of Albus Dumbledore. Seriously, I had never heard of the movie, but everyone in my immediate family recommended it to me and in hindsight I understand their enthusiasm.

Okay, now you can declare me crazy. That’s because if you squish a Haribo gummy bear the long way he appears first as a totem pole, then as a mere cat, and finally as Lord Voldemort. If you squish him the short way he morphs from Yoda, to E.T., to Pooh Bear. No joke.

Lately, there’s been a lot of talk about the final Harry Potter book, which will probably be released this summer. “Who is it that dies?” That’s the question posted on fan blogs the world over. Apparently, J.K. Rowling has divulged that at least one central character suffers an unfortunate ending at some point in the course of the seventh volume’s presumed multitude of pages.

Is it Hermione? Is it Ron?? Is it Harry??? Well, consider this… what if it’s you!

Rumors have long since circulated that Ms. Rowling traded her soul for the ability to write such compelling books. Some folks go as far as to claim, with absolute assuredness, that the Harry Potter series comes straight from the pit of hell itself. I happen to disagree, but what if these people are right. Who’s to say that J.K. Rowling herself isn’t a witch gone bad. Perhaps she’s an alumnus of Hogwarts’ who now works for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Perhaps she’s bent on destroying innocent muggles the world over. Perhaps Ms. Rowling’s not-so-little “fictional” children’s series is, in truth, the perfect trap.

Perhaps anyone who finishes the entire Harry Potter series dies just as soon as they read the final page of book seven. Given this alarming proposition, one might want to wait a week before picking up the latest book once it does come out. There could be side effects.

Yesterday I had a revelation about the word “amen.” It’s always sounded a little funny to me. I realized that’s because it would make more sense as “themen” or “aman.”

Anyway, it’s been a while since I’ve posted an entry here. Over that time I’ve been reading a lot of Harry Potter. I’ve been sucked in. Those books are good. In fact, I’m not sure whether I’ve read more chapters of Harry Potter or consumed more hot dogs since I last made a posting. That’s saying something!

I’m pretty excited that the National Hockey League has decided that playing hockey should once again be at the core of what they do. I’m also pumped that a certain Mr. Sidney Crosby will be calling Pittsburgh home, although admittedly I would have preferred to see him end up in a New York Rangers sweater. Anyone know what Nova Scotians like on a hot dog??