Smorgasbord #23

Oppenheimer, Flavour Trip, Sazerac

Hello friends! This is Smorgasbord, a self-service buffet of ideas. The amuse-bouche to kick off your weekend. A little housekeeping announcement: Next Friday is Good Friday, so Smorgasbord #24 will come out on Monday, March 25th, a.k.a. Easter Monday. I’m sure you’ll understand.

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Oppenheimer

I’m fascinated by WWII stories. My favorites include A Hidden Life, Band of Brothers, The Monuments Men, Life is Beautiful, The Imitation Game, Saving Private Ryan, Schindler’s List, Inglorious Basterds, The Pacific, and The Pianist. Diana doesn’t like this subject matter, so I knew this would be one I’d have to watch by myself once she went to sleep.

I would say spoilers ahead, but this is a movie based on world history, so is it really a spoiler? Anyway, the movie has been out for a while now, but if you don’t want to read spoilers, skip to the next section. Thank you.

I like Christopher Nolan’s movies. He’s a master of storytelling. The first time I watched Memento, I was amazed movies like that existed. Oppenheimer follows a similar formula in that we get two stories told in a different order, only to converge at the end of the movie.

Kitty Oppenheimer’s line: “You don't get to commit sin and then ask all of us to feel sorry for you when there are consequences,” sums up, for me, what’s going on inside Oppenheimer’s mind. The regret about building the atomic bomb leaves him feeling he has blood on his hands. His involvement in politics, especially going against a very petty and vindictive man, Strauss, makes Oppenheimer’s life more complicated than it has to be. But at the same time, by going after Oppenheimer, Strauss tightens the rope around his own neck and doesn’t get what he wants either—a true drama.

The movie got me thinking about the consequences of our actions and the chilling reminder that we can potentially end life on earth by the use of weapons of mass destruction. This is a sobering thought. Memento Mori.

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Flavour Trip

I’m tired of listening to LoFi while working, so I decided to look for alternatives. I thought of going back to EDM since the repetitive percussion of this genre helps my brain be busy interpreting it while I concentrate on something else.

I was glad to stumble upon the DJ set genre on YouTube. Through my suggested videos, I found Flavour Trip, the House duo formed by Amii Watson and Jimmi Harvey. Their thing is to mix music while cooking something: pancakes (which really are crepes), an omelet, raclette, or, like in this video, they have a barbecue with their friends at the golden hour somewhere in Luxemburg.

Ah, yes, I forgot to mention they are nomad DJs living out of a van. They travel around Europe and film in some gorgeous locations. Their manifesto, if you will, is good music, good food, good company, and sometimes that’s just exactly what we need.

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Read/Write

• I listened to the audiobook version of “Chronicle of a Death Foretold” by Gabriel García Marquez because I’ve been thinking a lot about Magical Realism, a style of literary fiction and art that combines a realistic view of the world with magical or supernatural elements.

• In case you missed it, I published “Together” and “MEN-F-P,” essays 37 and 38 of 40, of my serialized memoir “40 Before 40.” There are only two more to go, plus a debrief post right after that. Writing has been fun, but I’m ready to wrap it up. Pray that I may go the distance and tie a nice bow on this project.

• I also wrote “The Wayfarer,” a short story about walking in the woods.

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Sazerac

On Tuesday, we Catholics celebrated the Solemnity of St. Joseph, spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary, so of course, I had to raise a glass in honor of my patriarch. The cocktail of choice to celebrate this solemnity is the Sazerac, which has Absinthe in its ingredients and is made with wormwood. St. Joseph was a woodworker, so the Sazerac. It is also the official cocktail of New Orleans and a cousin to the Old Fashioned. To make a Sazerac, you’ll need.

• Absinthe to rinse

• One (1) sugar cube

• 1/2 tsp cold water

• Four (4) dashes of Peychaud’s bitters

• 2 1/2 ounces of Rye Whiskey

• Lemon twist for garnish

Rinse a chilled rocks glass with Absinthe, toss the excess, and set aside. Muddle the sugar cube, water, and bitters in a mixing glass. Add ice (optional) and the rye whiskey, and stir for about 30 seconds—strain into the rocks glass. Express lemon oils on the glass, and drop the lemon twist in. Cheers.

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Sobremesa

1. Do you like WWII movies/shows? If so, what’s your favorite?

2. What kind of music do you have on when you need to focus?

3. Have you had a Sazerac? If you haven’t, you should.