The FBI wants to know what you're reading.

Of course, not you, personally. Probably.

But consider section 215 of the recently passed "Patriot Act." It authorizes the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation or his designee to seek an order from a specialized federal court "requiring the production of any tangible things (including books, records, papers, documents, and other items) for an investigation to protect against international terrorism or clandestine intelligence activities."

Some years ago a woman who read my columns every week told me, "You and I are the only people in Douglas County with an open mind."

I grinned. She said, "No really. I always agree with you."

That tickled me, too. Why? For one thing, just because you agree with someone doesn't mean that person has an open mind; it only means you share the same opinions.

For another, in the course of writing a column, it's not unusual for me to change my own mind three or four times.

Here are the facts.

The Thornton police department, as part of an ongoing criminal investigation, was watching a trailer home in Thornton. They suspected it was the site of a methamphetamine lab.

On March 13, 2000, the police went through some of the home's outside trash. The officer found not only evidence of drug operations, but also a mailing envelope from the Tattered Cover addressed to "Suspect A" -- one of the people living in the trailer home, and suspected to be involved in the drug operation.

Sometimes I joke about it. Now that King Soopers and Safeway have foisted their credit cards on me (in exchange for some terrific discounts), I know that they can also track my purchasing habits. Not that my habits are all that weird. I buy tortillas and beans. I buy pre-grated cheese. I buy pre-chopped salad. I buy lots of fruit, and have a fondness for squash, and more rarely, cauliflower.

I like wild rice. I buy more chicken than beef. I have a weakness for sausage (both chorizo and Italian). I LOVE organic apple juice.