Sauce: The Paloma

Cocktail: The Paloma  

Ingredients: 2oz. Blanco Tequila, 0.5oz. Fresh Lime Juice, Grapefruit Soda, Lime Wedge for Garnish  

Directions: In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, add tequila and lime juice. Shake and strain into a rocks glass filled with ice. Top with grapefruit soda and garnish with lime.  

Bartender Reaction: I do not care for grapefruit. I do not care for grapefruit flavored drinks. But I do like Fresca, the grapefruit/citrus flavored soda. What can I say? I am a man defined by contradictions.  

Recently, we hosted a movie night/dinner party at our apartment. I love gatherings such as these, because they give me the opportunity to play bartender. I knew I did not want to spend all night making drinks. Before my love of cocktails, I am a cinephile who hates missing key plot points. With this in mind, I reached for something simple.  

Thumbing through my recipe books, I came across a cocktail classic, The Paloma. At first, I hesitated to make something where grapefruit was the star of the show. Then, I remembered my old friend, Fresca.  

In the kitchen, I whipped up a batch for my friends. Then I spread them around the room, offered a toast, and drank. For me, Fresca saves the day. Coupled with lime and tequila, this version of The Poloma is sweet, with just a subtle hint of bitterness. This is a perfect recipe for those of us who do not care for grapefruit.  

Be good to each other,  

Nathan  

Cinephile No. 1,110 “The Holdovers”

Recommendation: 4/5 Stars, SHOWTIME  

Plot: “A cranky history teacher at a remote prep school is forced to remain on campus over the holidays with a troubled student who has no place to go.” -IMDB 

Review: Every student I have ever known circled the holidays on their calendar. The welcome break, custom-built into the calendar, meant time with family, holiday traditions, presents, and a much-needed vacation from school. Then, during my freshman year of college, I had to return to the dorms early. I had a job at a retail bookstore. It being the holidays and the busiest time of the year, I could not convince my supervisor to give me the entire two weeks off.  

Walking around the dorm, much to my amazement, I came to discover I was not alone. The halls were still eerily empty except for the international students who couldn’t make the long flight home, and students, such as myself, forced back to the trenches of holiday retail. It should have seemed so obvious, but I never realized the potential stories that could be told about those left behind.  

The Holdovers focuses on a remote prep academy for boys and their professor who rules with an iron fist, Paul Hunham (Paul Giamatti). With the holidays lurking around the corner and final exams complete, the students dream of hitting the slopes, visiting family and friends, and escaping to exotic locations. For an unlucky group of four students, there will be no reprieve or escape from the hallowed halls of the prep school. No one is coming to rescue them. They are holdovers, and they are stuck spending the holidays with Professor Hunham.  

From this concept, one of the funniest, emotionally rich, and cutting comedies I have seen in years is born. The film explores every facet of the characters who anchor this story. From entitlement to loss and to a closed off life, nothing is safe or off the record. Things get even more interesting when four of the students leave campus with permission to join a fellow student at a mountain escape. This leaves one student standing, Angus Tully (Dominic Sessa), alongside the professor and Mary Lamb (Da’Vine Joy Randolph), the campus cook.  

Heartbroken and disappointed, we find Angus dismayed by his circumstances. Naturally, he tests the limits of his professor. This provides some of the funniest moments of the film, but it also provides moments of emotional breakthrough as each character explores their personal definitions of home.  

While the relationship between Angus and Professor Hunham is fascinating to watch unfurl, it is Mary Lamb, played masterfully by Randolf, that serves as the heart of this film. Angus and the professor are mirror images of each other, but meet Lamb as she works through the complexities of a child lost to war. By every measure, her story colors the background of the film and gives it a richness I did not expect.  

As this movie enters its third act, we escape the stuffiness of campus. Mary heads toward the comforting arms of family. Angus and Professor Hunham turn toward Boston. In these moments, we see the culmination of all we have built toward. It is these scenes where an unshakable truth reveals itself, and we witness a true evolution.  

From the trailer alone, I expected this film to be funny. I did not expect it to be so emotionally gripping and heartfelt. Without a doubt, it is a movie I will return to again and again with the passing of each holiday season.   

Be good to each other,  

Nathan  

Musical Thesis: The Ten (August 2024)

The Ten is an ever-evolving list of music I am digging. Be sure to check back often, because the list is always changing. To listen to the playlist, please click below.  

2024 is turning into a strange year for music. In the last eight months, I’ve added nearly 3,000 songs to my library, but much of my year has been dominated by a live acoustic album and a movie soundtrack. As I continue to dig through these new additions, I am uncovering songs reaching across the spectrum of human emotion. In these ten songs, you will hear somber songs, pulsing songs, songs that are energetic, focused, heart breaking, and character focused.   

As you dig through the list, I am interested in hearing what emotions these songs evoke for you.  

Be good to each other,  

Nathan  

Musical Thesis: Drive-by Truckers “American Band”

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE MUSICAL THESIS PLAYLIST 

At the center of every album is a musical thesis. This thesis can be the driving force behind the album, a theme that interweaves songs together, or a feeling you are left with after the very last song plays. With some albums, the thesis is easy to find. On others, it is hidden and requires you to be more than a passive listener. These reviews are not about rating an album. Instead, it is about uncovering a musical thesis.  

I’m gonna love you ‘til the big one comes 
And shakes my bones and washes us out to sea 
Have a blast ‘til the markets crash 
And smoke and ash what’s left of these beautiful trees 

It was 2018 or 2019. My television overflowed with images from another senseless killing of an unarmed black man. Helpless and hopeless, I went searching for comfort in music. Driving around Los Angeles, I hoped and prayed my favorite streaming service would deliver exactly what I needed in my hour of desperation.  

Parked in an empty lot of a generic shopping center, What It Means filled the car. When the song was over, I hit repeat. After a second listen, I repeated the song one more time. After it ended and moved onto the next song in the playlist, I lowered the volume and sat in stunned silence. Someone put to music feelings I had not even named yet.  

This served as my introduction to the music of the Drive-by Truckers. I soon discovered I was a little late to the party. Better to arrive late than never arrive at all, right? As I spent time with their catalog, and the album, American Band, in particular, I find myself moved in the same way Rage Against the Machine used to move me. Their brand of protest music does something wildly different for me, though. See, I grew up in Oklahoma. At an early age, I felt the call of progressive politics. In Oklahoma, this always meant I was the odd man out. With friends or total strangers, I often found myself defending my beliefs. At some point, a compounding effect occurred. The weight became too much, and I headed for the west coast. I needed to know that I was not alone in what I hold dear.  

In this band’s music, I hear artists who have held onto their southern roots. They even find pride in them, but they have also carved out a space where protest can break through. As I think back on my upbringing and the myriad reasons I left Oklahoma, this gives me something new to consider. I no longer see my home state as a lost cause, and I should do my part to support those still fighting for it.  

Be good to each other,  

Nathan  

The Cinephile’s Journey: Spotlight

Recommendation: 5/5 Stars  

The Cinephile’s Journey is an attempt to watch and review every film that has won The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar for Best Picture.  

Plot: “The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.” -IMDB 

Review: Of the thousands of films I have watched in a theater and the thousands of films I have watched at home, I have only rated 63 films as perfect. Spotlight is one of those movies.  

In my estimation, it is evidence that it is adult, mid-budget films that possess the true power to change an audience member. It is further proof that this elusive change intensifies in a communal setting, such as a theater. Now, that is not a slight directed at superhero films, blockbusters, or low-budget horror films. Those movies can also be engines for empathy too. But movies like Spotlight do something special. They often transport you to a world where ordinary people meet the challenges of extraordinary circumstances. In their tribulations, we learn, we grow, and we see ourselves. When this happens, the cinematic experience becomes something magical.  

This film highlights the courage of those who fought against the Catholic Church's inaction. Pursuing the truth, we finally hear from the victims. Thanks to the work of journalists, justice reclaims space. This film also avoids the pitfalls of becoming another procedural story about the world of journalism. It does this by ensuring we feel the full weight of discovery. To maintain power, the church covered up decades of abuse and an entire city helped them do it. That sin, ignorance, and complicity carry a damning weight, leaving very few unscared.  

This film also throws into question our institutions. What happens when a religion becomes so powerful it answers to no one? What would happen if we allowed journalism to die? Who speaks for those without a voice? These questions feel profound as a victim recounts his abuse to a journalist, Mike Rezendes (Mark Ruffalo). After his father dies by suicide, he describes a priest paying attention to him as, “it was like God showing up.” Shortly after, the abuse began. Without some advocacy on behalf of the truth, how does that victim ever find justice?

Another thing I love about this film is the pacing. Investigative journalism is slow and agonizing work filled with dead ends. It is a slog with roadblocks around every corner. This film understands that reality. The journalists get more right than wrong, but very little comes easily. They must fight and scratch for every inch of truth.  

Finally, I love almost any film that displays a romance for the written word. Every member of the Spotlight team believes in this power. This is a film that exemplifies the power of the pen over the sword. A well-crafted story can move mountains and it can bring down corrupt institutions.  

I have lost track of how many times I have watched this film. It rocked me to my core when I originally saw it in theaters. It still leaves me in awe. That awe still springs from a belief that thoughtful storytelling can change the world.  

Be good to each other,

Nathan 

Cinephile No. 1,082 “Blue Beetle”

Recommendation: 3/5 Stars, STREAM  

Plot: “An alien scarab chooses Jaime Reyes to be its symbiotic host, bestowing the recent college graduate with a suit of armor that’s capable of extraordinary powers, forever changing his destiny as he becomes the superhero known as Blue Beetle.” -Blue Beetle  

Review: After three phases of the Marvel Cinematic Universe and a stumbling DC Extended Universe, audiences are sending a simple message to Disney and Warner Bros. They are voting with their feet and box office returns are painting a vivid picture of a cinematic landscape that feels formulaic and void of new ideas. Audiences have grown fatigued. Anything that fails to break new ground or doesn’t wow in a way that demands a trip to the cinema is best skipped and saved for a night at home.  

Blue Beetle is evidence of this truth. This is yet another film from the team at DC that collapses under the weight of its own mediocrity. So much so that even centering its story on a Hispanic family, something rare in this space, cannot save it. On the surface, this is a decent film that feels completely average in every regard. It could use 50% George Lopez, but its story is acceptable. But we’ve seen all this before. We’ve seen heroes and villains reckoning with the power that comes with a new suit. We’ve seen a villain lured to the dark side by pursuing power and money. We’ve seen heroes wrestle with purpose and blindly answer the call of vigilantism. We’ve seen this all before and the formula is boring audiences (this critic included).  

The one saving grace for this film is the family surrounding Blue Beetle/Jamie Reves (Xolo Mariduena). In their wishes and hopes for Jaime, we see an immigrant story defined by gentrification, and the power of education to break generational poverty. Their love and support of him gives the film an emotional arc that rivals almost any other story in the DECU, nevertheless, this is not enough. This cinematic event is not a must-see. It is just another superhero film.  

I am fearful of what the future holds for DC and Warner Bros. James Gunn and Peter Safran have an impossible task before them. They must break new ground and they must give people solid reasons to fall in love with these characters and stories. Anything short of that will mean dwindling box office returns continues to be the story.  

Be good to each other,

Nathan  

The Cinephile’s Journey: Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance)

Recommendation: 4/5 Stars  

The Cinephile’s Journey is an attempt to watch and review every film that has won The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Oscar for Best Picture.  

Plot: “A washed-up superhero actor attempts to revive his fading career by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production.” 

Review: The first movie I can remember watching in a cinema was Tim Burton’s 1989 film, Batman. That film would forever change me. The spectacle of it all mesmerized me. On that day, I fell deeply in love with the cinematic experience, the art form of movies, and the work of Michael Keaton.  

Since that fateful day, I have seen over a thousand movies in a theater and thousands more at home. I have also closely followed the career of Michael Keaton. Over the last 30+ years, his career has seen triumphant highs and spellbinding lows. Just when it seemed as if Hollywood had forgotten him and moved on, he launched into a decade defined by some of his best work. That work includes the Best Picture winner, Birdman, a film for which he received a Best Actor nomination.  

This film goes beyond just using tracking shots to tell a story - it also has a lot to say about art, consumption, and what makes something relevant. Although any actor could have played the lead role in this story, Keaton's casting added a unique layer of nuance to the film. As an actor who got his big break playing a comic book hero, it feels special and, perhaps, voyeuristic to watch Keaton play an actor who also got the same sort of break. As Keaton’s Riggan turns to the Broadway stage in search of truth and the promise of authenticity, he does so balancing his own truth and fiction masterfully.  

On this journey, Riggan battles ego and relevancy as he works to establish a new artistic voice for himself. Cost overruns, self-righteous actors, and his failures as a father and a husband are ever-present challenges. A haunting, jazz-infused soundtrack that makes the confined spaces of the theater feel claustrophobic underscores these roadblocks and, as if there is no place one can be alone with their thoughts.  

In the end, Riggan needs one brave performance to rise above the criticism, gatekeeping, and doubt. With his back against the wall, Riggan does exactly that, but never in a way you would expect. As he bares his soul on the stage, sure of himself and the heartache he cannot shake, it is Keaton who soars to new heights. Above it all, he shows us he is so much more than an actor in a leather suit.  

Be good to each other,  

Nathan  

Cinephile: The Ten (April 2024)

The Ten is a ranking of the ten best films watched in a calendar year... so far. New films, old films, theatrical releases, and streaming adventures, all movies are considered. Many films will enter, but only the ten best will make the list. Every movie watched in 2023 has the potential to shake up the list. Be sure to check back often and let me know what you think. 

Goodfellas  

Occasionally, I need a friendly reminder of the power of cinema. When I do, I often reach for Goodfellas. This movie, directed by Martin Scorsese and starring Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, and Joe Pesci, continues to fascinate me. If you forced me to do so, it is one of those films that would rank high on a list of my favorite films of all time. I wholeheartedly believe the story it tells to be that good.  

12 Years a Slave  

12 Years a Slave possesses the power to change you in ways few films can. I have revisited this film a few times now and every single time I find something new to appreciate about it. The first time I watched it, it confronted my own white privilege. The second time, I watched the film with my mother. She allowed me to ask questions about her experiences and what it meant to live through the Civil Rights Movement. This last time, I watched with the understanding there is a political movement afoot in our country focused on revising history. None of these journeys have been easy, but each one has been deeply necessary.  

The Whale  

The Whale is an empathy-inducing-machine. It is a world with a mission. Placing us firmly in the shoes of someone standing on the outside of society, we feel pain and a sense of longing that might otherwise be foreign to us. From my perspective, I found the entire experience to be deeply moving. For now, I do not know if it is an experience I am hungry to revisit soon. That should not deter you. I strongly recommend this film. Afterward, I also recommend you spend some time with how it made you feel.  

Close  

Awkwardness defines your teenage years. As you grow into yourself, you discover your identity, your likes, dislikes, and the things that bring you joy and pain. It is an age defined by transition. Close spends its time examining the lives of two young friends. We analyze their relationship, as well as their explorations of who they are and who they want to be. The story is hard to watch and challenging. I would encourage you to stay the course. I am confident there is a better version of yourself on the other side of this film.  

The Dark Knight  

The Dark Knight remains the comic book movie by which I judge all others. No longer relegated to the cartoonish corners of the cinema landscape, this film offers a serious take on the genre. By focusing on character development, presenting a nuanced villain hellbent on anarchy, and a hero tested by his limits, this is a film I still hold in high regard. After more than a decade of the Marvel and DC cinematic universe, very little compares to it.  

Spotlight  

I admit it. I have a natural bias when it comes to films centered on journalism. My education and early career aspirations make it nearly impossible for me to judge these movies fairly. Luckily for me, Spotlight is one of the best crafted films ever made focused on investigative journalism. From pitch to publication, it wonderfully builds a world where the stakes seem high, and the dead ends seem real. Sure, it can over-romanticize the profession. Still, it remains a film by which I judge all others in the space.  

La La Land  

When I review a film, the first question I ask myself is simple. How did that experience make me feel? Based on a film’s ability to elicit emotion, I begin a deeper process of trying to understand its underlying message. La La Land makes me feel happy and nostalgic for my time spent in Los Angeles. It perfectly captures the energy and creativity that defines LA. It asks the audience to dream boldly. It makes me smile from ear to ear. At times, that is all I need.  

Lincoln  

I am a sucker for a well-made biopic. Lincoln places us firmly in the center of the Civil War and in the shoes of men and a society wrestling with the abolishment of slavery. Around meeting tables, in the halls of power, and deep in debate, we see power wielded, flexed, and shaped by men who helped turn the tides of our history.  

Free Solo 

The first time I watched Free Solo was at the cinema. On a large silver screen, I watched in astonishment as Alex Honnold became the first person to free solo El Capitan inside of Yosemite National Park. My second experience with this film was from the relative safety of my home. Naturally, I was worried the film might lose some of its impact. This time around, I found myself less focused on the vistas and towering heights. Instead, I soaked up the people surrounding Alex and their challenges. It provided another layer I felt during my first viewing. This time around, I appreciated it so much more.  

Field of Dreams  

Field of Dreams reminds me of time spent with my dad. In the front yard, we would practice fielding and batting. On the baseball diamond, he would coach my little league team. You really get to know your father when you see him through the eyes of other children. This film made me miss him deeply, and those summers spent together playing a sport we deeply loved.  

Be good to each other,  

Nathan

Musical Thesis: Fleet Foxes "Sun Giant"

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO THE MUSICAL THESIS PLAYLIST 

At the center of every album is a musical thesis. This thesis can be the driving force behind the album, a theme that interweaves songs together, or a feeling you are left with after the very last song plays. With some albums, the thesis is easy to find. On others, it is hidden and requires you to be more than a passive listener. These reviews are not about rating an album. Instead, it is about uncovering a musical thesis.  

And you will go to Mykonos 
With a vision of a gentle coast 
And a sun to maybe dissipate 
Shadows of the mess you made 

The year is 2020 (everyone’s least favorite year). I am driving across the country from Oklahoma to Washington. The country is reeling from a misguided approach to the pandemic. Fresh off a failed attempt at a thru-hike of the Colorado trail and a few weeks at my mom’s home, I decide it is finally time to return to Seattle. Waiting for me is the prospect of a terrible job market and an extended stay with my future in-laws.  

Hoping to find some inspiration in the mire of ceaseless bad news, I drive toward the Devil’s Tower National Monument. From there, I will continue onto the Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, and Glacier National Park.

I spend hours alone in the car. There is nothing but an endless playlist to keep me company. When I must stop, I keep my distance and eat alone in my room. This much solitude is a blessing. I need time and space to think. I need to process. I have turned my life upside down. I am only beginning to understand what the last three months have done to me.  

As expected, each stop is more breathtaking than the last. It has been said many times, but the national parks system is America’s best idea. When I arrive at Glacier National Park, it is nearly empty. I know this is normally not the case at the height of summer. I decide to take advantage of the situation and slowly drive up “Going-to-the-Sun” road. For the next few hours, I stop as many times as I want and snap photos with a sense of awe. Gladly, the vistas and music steal my attention. The album I chose to guide me through the park is Sun Giant by Fleet Foxes.  

As I absorb the music, stare longingly, and search for undiscovered angles, I hear folk music in a new way. I also proclaim this is a road trip album destined for the perfect national park. With Mykonos on repeat, I feel free. I feel released from the claws of the pandemic and see a world where everything is new. Pain is on the way out. I think surely this cannot be the thesis of this album. On this day, for me, it holds true. It continues to hold true.  

Be good to each other,  

Nathan  

"We All Need a Second Brain" A Book Review by L. B. Freeland

As summer closes at the end of July, I find myself preparing for school. I,a public school teacher in Kansas, am always at work even when I am “off”. In order to provide my students with the education they need, I go beyond the school approved curriculum, though staying within the subject matter designated appropriate for their grade level, I read a variety of topics. I teach ancient history and am particularly fond of it. Learning about Alexander the Great, the Emperors of Rome, the ancient pharaohs of Egypt are all endlessly fascinating to me. I read Barry Strauss, Adrian Goldsworthy, Edith Hamilton, Philip Freeman and many other fantastic historians and authors. I prepare for my students, profiles on famous figures of antiquity. Using my resources, I throw together a slideshow featuring renaissance artwork and tell the story of Hannibal or Alexander or Spartacus. 

Used to, students would claim P.E. or lunch or recess as their favorite school subject but I had heard from a few students that my ancient history class had become their favorite. This should bring me great joy and it does but I feel that I could do even better. How could I possibly do better? By preparing better. How can I prepare better? By taking better “notes”. 

With the research that I put into my profiles, I listen to hours upon hours of audiobooks, Great Courses Lectures, and reading on my Kindle or paperbacks. Though I feel like I have a good memory and I try to stay sharp, I am getting older and with that my memory won’t be as good as it was. It is why I found the book Build a Second Brain by Tiago Forte such an interesting book. I have read a few productivity books to assist me in my chosen career but this one provides guided instruction on how to set up your “second brain”.

Tiago Forte is the founder of Forte Labs and really wants to push humans to their creative heights and his solution is to create a “second brain”. Essentially, the method uses technology to capture all the thoughts and ideas that you have and organize them in such a way that they are easily accessed, while freeing up your brain from that information that could be forgotten, misremembered, or misinterpreted. In this day and age of misinformation, this is a viable solution for those who are concerned with presenting information correctly whether in personal or professional settings. 

I found the audiobook to be very well narrated by narrator André Santana. His clear, crisp voice really helped me visualize what Forte was presenting. I will say, an audiobook is a fine option for most media, but those of you reading might want to pick up a paperback or even digital copy of the book for better understanding and annotation. I’m sure the author would recommend a digital copy and employ other apps to sync your notes and highlights with your chosen “second brain” app. 

The book presents a very modern take on note taking which I can use for myself and can employ in my classroom to a small degree. Though my students are still young, they are in a transition period in their life in which some of the tools presented in the book, especially syncing common ideas and thoughts across multiple platforms to complete a project, will serve them well for the remainder of their academic career, if not for life. 

The author is very thorough with his explanation of his process, explaining each step with minor anecdotes to drive home that point. Forte’s books reads/listens easily and you will find yourself nodding along with him. Perhaps some of what he presents in this book you do already. Maybe you carry a notebook, or jot down endless notes on post-its and group them together for later review. Whatever method you use, you can still continue to do so but the end result will be adapted so that you can have a clean desk, a clean mind, and a database of your own creation to improve your productivity and lower your stress. Wildly bold claims I know but I am excited about what his method can do for me during this school year. 

In closing I can recommend two more things for you to check out to explore more of what the author is talking about after reading his book. First his Resource Guide provides you with app recommendations and even suggests pairing of apps for specific careers. Though these are just suggestions, there are a variety of options to choose from. Second, YouTuber Red Gregory is a wonderful creator who uses the Notion app to create a variety of databases and even has a video specific to setting up Notion like a second brain according to what Tiago Forte presented in his book. A follow up to this publication is called The PARA Method will be out on August 15th.

Tiago Forte is really onto something and especially in my career, I can see using his methods for better information management. I know using it with fidelity will allow me to free my mind so that I can focus on other things when the time calls for it.