Second Snapshot of the Day: Honey Toast with Ice Cream from Ichiza

Snapshot of the Day: Beef Tongue Skewers with Sapporo from Ichiza

Snapshot of the Day: Grouchy John's At Grouchy John's

The Trailer at the Shop

Notice the nifty new t-shirts? We just got them in yesterday, and they're $17 each (and include a free drink, natch!). More colors & styles (hopefully) coming soon.

The shop itself (at 8520 S. Maryland Parkway, at the corner of Wigwam & Maryland Parkway) is still slated to open by the end of February, but we set the trailer up there on certain days just to introduce everyone to the location. We'll be there every Monday & Tuesday morning, as well as other times as our mobile schedule permits.

Follow Grouchy John's Coffee on Facebook and/or Twitter for more updates, or check the weekly schedule at the website.

Grouchy John's Coffee

8520 S. Maryland Parkway 

702.608.5195

jjwylie@gmail.com

www.jjwylie.com

Haywire - directed by Steven Soderbergh & starring Gina Carano

So, my wife took me to see Haywire a couple of days ago.

It was a matinee, and I wasn't expecting much, even though this movie is directed by Steven Soderbergh, whose stylish visuals can make even the most predictable storyline interesting (e.g., the Ocean's Eleven sequels).

Haywire wasn't bad, its plot reminiscent of Sam Peckinpah's The Killer Elite, with murderous operatives plying their tricks and double-crosses under the auspices of secret agencies in an underground market for illicit activities. Indeed, the most imaginatively sublime moment of Haywire comes as the character played by Michael Douglas negotiates with the character played by Ewan McGregor, referring to the movie's heroine as "value-added." It's the only moment where the movie opens up into a full-fledged universe rather than being just a sequence of set-pieces.

But, hey, we're talking about an action-movie here, not The Godfather. It's just that Haywire is one of those genre exercises that's so cool it's ice-cold. As I watched, I started looking forward one of those totally nihilistic endings from the 1970's, where the insignificance of everything is underscored. But don't worry. Soderbergh is commercially-sensitive enough to avoid that. Haywire is like a rollercoaster: it has some fun twists & turns, but its ends up in a place that's comforting and all-too-familiar.

Gina looks great and kicks a lot of butt.

One of Haywire's many bright spots: The movie's lead is played by Gina Carano, an MMA veteran who acquits herself nicely as an operative who finds herself betrayed and on the run. Soderbergh clearly loves her dark eyes and amazing jawline, composing shot-after-shot centered just on her face, perhaps to emphasize that Haywire is the story of a girl beating up a bunch of boys. I foresee more movies in Carano's future, especially ones that showcase her athleticism. (Need I dare speculate on a sequel?)

Another bright spot: the soundtrack by David Holmes. It was interesting without being intrusive, and it contributed greatly to the mood of the movie.

Something to quibble over: the fight scenes. Maybe I'm nitpicking, but I'm starting to hate fight sequences that are so obviously choreographed that they boil down to a kind of dance where one actor does something then the other actor does something and so on. Fights should be messy, brutal confrontations where both combatants are doing everything they can to survive and win. But that's just me, as they say.

In all, I give Haywire a B, maybe a B-minus. When Gina Carano's character puts her hair into cornrows and covers her face in war-paint, I just had to laugh.

Haywire

directed by Steven Soderbergh

written by Lem Dobbs
score by David Holmes

starring Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor & Michael Douglas

jjwylie@gmail.com

www.jjwylie.com

Snapshot of the Day: A Fiery Sunset

I was sitting in my living room about an hour ago when I noticed that my backyard seemed bathed in red light.

When I went outside to see what was going on, I was greeted by this incredible sunset.

Unfortunately, my camera is too feeble and my photographic skills are too weak to do this justice. BUT THE SKY WAS ON FIRE!

Trust me. It was...emotional.

jjwylie@gmail.com
www.jjwylie.com

Snapshot of the Day: New Belgium Cocoa Mole Ale at Khoury's Fine Wine & Spirits

Available at Khoury's Fine Wine & Spirits
(for a limited time)

This little glass of goodness is New Belgium's Cocoa Mole Ale, made with cocoa and spices, including ancho, guajillo, and chipotle peppers. It's a perfect combination of sweetness and bite, and it's utterly refreshing.

I downed 2 glasses of this deliciousness at tonight's weekly beer-tasting at Khoury's Fine Wine & Spirits, which is perhaps the best wine & beer shop in all of Las Vegas.

Located at 9915 S. Eastern Avenue, near Eastern & St. Rose Parkway, this shop boasts an impressive selection, an extremely knowledgeable staff, and super-friendly service. And, on Wednesdays & Thursdays, they host wonderful tastings that are often accompanied by a food truck or some sort of catering.

I try to make it to as many of these tastings as possible, and tonight's offerings were well worth the trip. Besides New Belgium's Cocoa Mole Ale, tonight's tasting also featured food from Charlie's Lunch, a relatively new truck on the Las Vegas scene that offers a nice selection of paninis, burgers, and salads.

I paired New Belgium's Cocoa Mole Ale with a tasty fried eggplant panini. Normally, I would never order something made with eggplant, but Brad from Charlie's Lunch talked me into being a little adventurous, and it really paid off.

Hopefully, I'll see you at Khoury's Fine Wine & Spirits one of these Wednesday or Thursday nights. If so, we'll raise a glass together and enjoy some great food. What could be better?

Khoury's Fine Wine & Spirits

9915 S. Eastern Ave #110

702.435.9463

jjwylie@gmail.com

www.jjwylie.com

Jonathan Coulton on Piracy & Art

Jonathan Coulton, from an interview in Joystiq

So if you know me, you should know that I'm a big fan of Jonathan Coulton. His catchy, irreverent songs have a permanent place on my personal playlist, and I've written about my fandom of him in the past.

(Currently, his song "Nemeses" is infecting my brain and I can't stop humming it to myself.)

Now, in the wake of the MegaUpload arrests, Coulton has written a well-reasoned and passionate blog post about online piracy, copyright infringement, and being an artist in the age of the internet.

I agree with every word of it.

The most salient quote:

Make good stuff, then make it easy for people to buy it. There’s your anti-piracy plan. The big content companies are TERRIBLE at doing both of these things, so it’s no wonder they’re not doing so well in the current environment. And right now everyone’s fighting to control distribution channels, which is why I can’t watch Star Wars on Netflix or iTunes. It’s fine if you want to have that fight, but don’t yell and scream about how you’re losing business to piracy when your stuff isn’t even available in the box I have on top of my TV.

If this is stuff you care about, you should read Coulton's blog post.

Now.

Then buy his music. It totally rocks (softly).

jjwylie@gmail.com
www.jjwylie.com