project 365: day 9

day 9, originally uploaded by shalimargonzales.

Glad my little sport gets great gas mileage. My apartment is fantastic and centrally located, last weekend, I rode my bike to the beach, the Culver-Palms YMCA, Whole Foods, and Downtown Culver City. I love it here!

Project 365: Day 8

day 8, originally uploaded by shalimargonzales.

Snagged this Banksy near 4th and La Brea. Perhaps,a nod to artist Jeff Koons and the Oscars?

Bear with me while I overwhelm you some lists. Here's the first: Tolstoy, Proust, Joyce, Fitzgerald, Borges. These are authors who never received the Nobel Prize for Literature, though the Swedish committee had numerous opportunities to recognize them. Here's another: the Beatles' "white" album, Jimi Hendrix's Electric Ladyland, Van Morrison's Astral Weeks, Aretha Franklin's Lady Soul, the Rolling Stones' Beggars Banquet. These are albums released the same year that the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences gave the Grammy Award to Glen Campbell's By the Time I Get to Phoenix. My point, the good shit doesn't always win.

With that, I'm going to save you three hours and give you my own rundown on who the real winner should be:

Picture: True Grit

Life becomes one long act of remembering in this instant classic. Resurrecting and updating cinema's most time-locked genre, it lingered in my mind weeks after it was seen.

Director: Joel and Ethan Coen

I love Darren Aronofsky but these smart-asses have bugged me since I saw their first feature more than 10 years ago. But only by one- Miller's Crossing, Barton Fink, Fargo, The Big Lebowski, No Country for Old Men, A Serious Man- their movies swallow up my computer's disk space, and True Grit may be as terrific as anything they've done. Honorable mention to David Fincher's dazzling The Social Network.

Actress: Natalie Portman

Portman remains the year's most intrepid and audacious performance physically, emotionally, and psychologically lifting Darren Aronofsky's certifiable phantasmagoria to another level.

Actor: Colin Firth

Ok, I didn't see this film. But everyone is saying Colin Firth, so I'll just jump on the bandwagon.

Supporting Actress: Melissa Leo

Anchoring a great movie that can be as good as she is, Leo commands every moment as fully as her character means to. But it could be a close call because Hailie Steinfeld (True Grit) and Amy Adams, whose bar girl in The Fighter, have grit of their own. Let's hope Leo didn't KO her chances with those ads.

Supporting Actor: Christian Bale

One one else else come close, expect perhaps the quietly powerful John Hawks in Winter's Bones.

Adapted Screenplay: Aaron Sorkin

Every good movie depends on a good script, but this movie in unimaginable without one. Sorkin is a rarity: a writer of ideas as well as a master of dialogue. Most impressive accomplishment is the creation of a central character, Zuckerberg, who sounds and thinks like no one else.

Cinematography: Black Swan

The delirious nature of Black Swan is a wonder to watch. Matthew Libatique and Aronofsky are pure magic together.

Oscars 2011: Live Blogging

Project 365: Day 7

day 7, originally uploaded by shalimargonzales.

Look at me, all grown up and buying a car. Today, I picked up my new Honda Fit Sport from Miller Honda Culver City. First off, great first time car buying experience, got a great price (thank you Costco Auto Buying Program) plus some add-ons thrown in for free.
My two favorite parts of the car: the magic seat, which can either fold down flat (perfect for my bike) or flip up for tall things like plants and the navigation system. The nav system is completely voice activated. I can see "find nearest Starbucks and it will pull up a list and map and read them out loud to me" or I can say "take me home" and bam- I'm headed home.

So yeah, "look ma, I finally got a car!"

Project 365:Day 6

day 6, originally uploaded by shalimargonzales.

For shame. Here is the deal: If you don't have talent, don't take your "talent" to a public setting. Not only did this dude disrespect my ears, but he also disrespected hip hop. Somebody call Dre.

Project 365: Day 5

First night out in the big city! Went to the Soul Caravan Tour featuring Jaguar Wright. She was joined by the equally impressive indie vocalists Lady Alma and Big Brooklyn Red for the intimate show at Little Temple.

Project 365: Day 5, originally uploaded by shalimargonzales.
Jaguar Wright can sing her ass off. I mean I knew that already, but she proved it 1000 times last night. Video after the jump.

Project 365: Day 4

Day 4, originally uploaded by shalimargonzales.

Taken from the Hollywood Hills, SE of Santa Monica. Note to self: great estate sales. I picked up a sweet West Elm credenza for $280. My place is starting to come together. I still looking for a vintage steel credenza for the living room. I'll post pictures soon or the new digs.

Project 365: Day 3

Day 3, originally uploaded by shalimargonzales.

I live in Palms, which is a neighborhood outside Culver City. Culver City is a becoming a new hot spot on the Westside with great restaurants and bars. It is also home to many studios, including Sony Pictures.
I need to buy stock in Target. In the past two days, I've been to 3 different targets. If not stock, then at least a coupon or something. Dang.

Project 365: Day 2

Day 2, originally uploaded by shalimargonzales.

Okay, everything is different but also the same. As they say in Thailand "same same but different". At least the target layout is the same. I was able to easily navigate target and bed bath and beyond without looking like a complete tourist. I did get lost today trying to go to the Macy's at Foxhills Mall. Note to self: Foxhills is in Culver City, not Los Angeles. When you type in the address in Los Angeles into the GPS, you end up in Long Beach, when you type the address in Culver City into the GPS, you end up 4 miles away.


Flea and I are getting settled into our new digs. The movers delivered all the furniture, which means I can prepare a meal at home. First meal, salad and veggie pesto pizza. Exciting.

Project 365: Day 1

Day 1, originally uploaded by shalimargonzales.

Okay, so I`m on a plane headed to Los Angeles listening to Esthero and trying to come to grips with what my efforts over the past months have created.  In the Fall of 2010, I decided I needed to get out of Seattle, you know experience another city and culture.  I knew I wanted to stay on the West Coast, which leaves me with three choices Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Sorry, Bellingham, Spokane, Sacramento, and Chico did not make the cut. So, after several resumes submissions, interviews, apartment hunting, and driving in LA without harming myself or others,  I am ready for the big City.  At least, I think so.


Goodbye Washington. See you around, my old friend.

Project 365: los angeles and beyond

People will often say that their whole lives flashed before their eyes after they experienced a traumatic event. Perhaps it’s a bit morbid, but I think that sounds pretty incredible. Moving to LA, starting a new job, making new friends and creating a new community is something that I want to remember. So starting with Day 1 of my move, I will be taking and posting a daily photo of my life in LA.

Black History Month 2011

We talked about this in 2010. So let me just pass along a friendly reminder:


I understand your excitement to "celebrate" and "experience" and "acknowledge" Black history month, but please...in the majority of most situations...please keep your food ideas to yourself. Don't wait for these 28 days (29 on a good year) to try and get all creative and "down" with the menu.

If you're not really adept at making fried chicken, black eyed peas, collard greens, and cornbread...don't do it. And if you do decide to do it...just know you're doing it for all the other white people who want to enjoy Black history....not us actual Black people.

so please....just stop.