Reviewed today:

Little reviews today — only one kid is home, the girl is at Grandma’s. The boy wants to blow up my computer. Must post, post-haste…

The Lennon movie is amazing. “The U.S. Vs. John Lennon,” a new documentary directed by David Leaf (it was released in 2006), is about the U.S. government’s attempts to deport John and Yoko in the early seventies. Was our country worse-off then? Is it worse-off now? (My answer: Both.) I loved the film. I especially appreciated how they tied in politics then with politics now. Scary shit. Of course it took us three nights to watch it, with the extras. Not that it’s a super-long film, mind you. We just can never settle in to watch a movie until 11 at night. And we’ve been watching some great stuff lately, so I don’t want to go to sleep, once we start watching a film. Angela Davis is interviewed, Bobby Seale, Walter Cronkite… and Yoko. It brought me to tears several times.

I’m having a hard time tearing myself away from “Halfway House” (by Katharine Noel, Atlantic Monthly Press, 365 pages). I found it through the Lovely Suzanne at DearReader. It’s the story of a teenage girl, who’s exuberant, smart, a talented competitive swimmer, who is something else… until she’s not herself. It’s a terrifying book.

Confidentially, she said, “I’ll tell you my secret.” She leaned her forehead against his. “I don’t have to breathe.”

And… for something which should be light, but isn’t. “Pet Food Nation” (by Joan Weiskopf, Collins Books, 162 pages) might have been just another doggy/kitty cookbook, had the pet food recall not come along when it did. It’s an insightful, but fast, read, and does include recipes:

Dog’s Every Night Dinner
1/2 cup boiled chicken, which can include the chicken fat (feel free to substitute cooked ostrich, buffalo, or lamb)
1 cup lightly steamed vegetables: cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage, bok choy. You can add tomatoes or pumpkin as well.

Cat’s Hardy Meal
4 oz. canned tuna fish, salmon, (or) mackerel
1 hard-boiled egg (chopped)
1 fish oil capsule
1/8 cup pureed vegetables
multi-vitamin/mineral supplement

Makes 2 servings (10-pound cat)

I highly recommend purchasing this book — lots of ideas and suggestions for older animals and animals with special dietary needs, as well.

My Wacky Sister says: “The whole idea of cooking pet food always seemed intimidating to me. I didn’t really have an idea of which ingredients to start with, let alone what would work for my 17-pound terrier with frequent belly issues. Joan Weiskopf does a good job of presenting a realistic plan to switching over by starting with a few days a week of mixing the cooked meals with the pet’s current commercial food the rest of the time. My 7-year-old Boston terrier/Chihuahua mix is prone to stomach issues and a few times a month decides to not eat her dry food.

Reading “Pet Food Nation” made me realize the other options for what I can feed her.

The recipes are presented in a basic step format, with an average of around five ingredients. Weiskopf lists many helpful ideas, such as which oils are healthiest to cook with and how to make eggshell powder (I started to save my egg shells this week). The section on the background history of pet food in America was informative. The information on reading labels was helpful during a time when most animal lovers are not trusting the pet food on the shelves.”