Our pick this week comes from relatively unknown director Chris Bell.  Unknown, perhaps, but still exceptionally talented at putting together a thorough, interesting, funny, touching documentary about the ups and downs of steroid abuse in the United States. 

Bell turns the spotlight on his family, particularly his brothers and himself, to give us a rare human insight into what the youth (mainly young men) of the United States are subjected to, simply by being members of this society.  It follows the choices he and his brothers make regarding the illegal drug, and the effects those choices have on their lives and the lives of their families. 

Much as Super Size Me pointed the finger at big corporations yet also at consumers, Bigger, Stronger, Faster approaches the issue from both sides of the fence, and Bell does an admirable job of trying to make his documentary as unbiased as possible.  Many of the most serious and morally interesting points are made simply by his examination of the facts regarding steroids, which for some may be eye-opening, to say the least.  His indictment of the United States (steroids are a by-product of our ideology) is timely and acute, and speaks to a host of issues, far beyond steroids, that are affected by our imperialistic American perception of the world. 

Bell's style is sharp and sparse, and while he doesn't provide all the answers, he certainly asks many of the right questions, not the least of which is: why are steroids illegal?  If you think that's an easy one to answer, give Chris Bell an hour and forty minutes of your time... he just might change your mind.

[If you haven't tried Netflix, find out what you're missing after the jump] 

Fertilization is an essential step in the cultivation of outstanding flora. Finding the right balance of nutrients to supplement each of the plants in your office/home/or garden can be a tricky affair. It's best to do the research and choose an appropriate fertilizer and schedule for each individual plant. But, if you aren't growing exotics, Garden Club Select Slow Release Organic Plant Food may prove to be your end all solution.

This All-Purpose fertilizer provides a mix of organic nutrients derived from feather meal, bone and meat meal, blood meal, and potash. It comes in a convenient shake on pellet form (approx the size of a rice granule) and releases nutrients every time you water for approx. 3 months.  We've been using it, with great result, on many of the plants in our home and garden for the past 6 months. With OMRI certification, organic ingredients, a recyclable container, and a  100% satisfaction guarantee, you can feel good using it too.

One caveat for dog owners: this stuff can be a messy temptation for your best friend. Our pup has taken to digging in the garden where we've fertilized. Apparently, bone meal and blood meal smell like fresh baked apple pie to a German shepherd.

Garden Club Select Slow Release Plant Food is available from Lowe's for ~$8

It's Sunday again and I love Sundays.  Each week, I save Sunday as a day for cooking and meal planning.  I look over the coming week's schedule and pull out recipes from a myriad of cookbooks.  I enjoy reading each ingredient, deciding whether it's a good seasonal fit and whether or not I will find fresh meat and vegetables suitable to the meal.  Some people read the Sunday paper cover to cover. Instead, I hover over ingredients and instructions.  Something about paprika, broth, saute or mince that lets me relax on a Sunday morning.

This is all a preamble to what will become a very busy week.   And between the projects and meetings, and quick visits to the gym or trail, it's so important to eat a decent meal. I used to stress each day about what we would eat, but already out of time, I had to just hope for the best.  At night I would get home, throw a bunch of things into a stir fry and, once again, hope for the best.  I like stir fry, but it can be stifling to my creativity! 

Now, I use an extremely simple (so simple, why didn't I think of it?!) planner put together by momAgenda.com.  I get the simplest of simple items: a single-page weekly meal planner,  and it saves me a lot of stress...   

[More about my momAgenda after the jump]

What's a Super Bowl without chips and salsa?  Not much.  It's a generally accepted fact that eating whatever you want, and as much of it as you want, is the best part of watching the big game.  It's also generally accepted that in addition to wings, pizza, whatever you choose to barbecue, and beer, chips and salsa are a necessity. 

I've lived in New Mexico (in the 505 area code) most of my life, and I've tasted a LOT of different salsas in said life.  505 Organic Salsa is right up there with the best of the best.  Coupled with the 505 Organic Green Chile Sauce, you've encountered a staple of my diet that might make any lesser human cringe.  I put this stuff on and in almost everything, from eggs to tuna casserole (and if you're thinking yuck, try throwing some 505 Green Chile Sauce into the next one you make...). 

For good old fashioned chips and salsa, there's nothing better than 505 Organic Salsa.  Its signature green chile flavor keeps every bite scrumptious and saliva-inducing.  There are multiple levels of spiciness, if you can't handle the heat (medium is pretty rowdy and hot is scorching).  

The best part of all?  You can enjoy the game knowing that you're benefiting not just yourself, but mother earth as well, as all 505 products are organic.  505 has a flavor for everyone, from their Green Chile Sauce to their Chipotle Honey Roasted Green Chile.  The even make handy packets of their Roasted Green Chile (perfect for camping).  Their salsas come in the regular and chunky variety.  So feel good about yourself AND give your mouth something to rejoice about with 505 Organic Salsa.

Find 505 Salsas at a store near you, or order online.

 

Our Netflix pick this week is a documentary that almost silently made the rounds at independent theaters, called Man on Wire.  It's the story of Philippe Petit, a French wire walker who managed, almost through sheer force of will alone, to tie a rope between the twin towers (then still standing in 1974) and walk across it.  It's not the newest of releases, but it's one that many of you may not have seen.

I had never heard of this (quite historical) moment before glancing in my local rag (The Alibi) and seeing it playing at my local independent theater.  It actually ended up being a first date of sorts, which was made all the better by the fabulousness of this film, which follows Petite and his friends (cohorts) as he follows his dream. 

What makes the film truly shine are the people whose lives we are entreated to enjoy for an hour and a half.  Petit's friends (and the people he meets along the way), and especially Petit himself (his manic, eccentric delivery is a highlight), are beautiful in their simplistic humanity.  Petit's obsession with the feat that in the end he accomplishes tests the limits of his relationships, friendly and romantic, yet Petit will not be moved from his task.  His singular vision and almost claustrophobic telegraphing toward his one goal is at once amazing and humbling.  Would that I had even a tenth of the drive, even to finish one class, much less test the limits of my own humanity and ability in such a profound yet simple way.  Man on Wire is insightful in its capacity for expressing the simplistic nature of human thinking and how it can force us into ever-deepening corners of complexity from which often we do not escape.  But Petit does, and gloriously, beautifully, powerfully.

Man on Wire will run you through the gamut of emotions, and will inevitably overcome you with its singular, shining vision of hope.  In a time where we are all being tested in our own personal ways, Man on Wire reminds us that we are still human, and that in itself is amazing.  Our Netflix pick.

[ Try Netflix Free for 2 weeks, more info after the jump... ]