My favorite movies in 2011

Melancholia (Lars von Trier, 2011)

The Clock (Christian Marclay, 2011)

Attack the Block (Joe Cornish, 2011)

Le Quattro Volte (Michelangelo Frammartino, 2011)

Nostalgia for the Light (Patricio Guzman, 2011)

50/50 (Jonathan Levine, 2011)

Tree of Life (Terrence Malick, 2011)

The…

1) Wayne White's show at Western Project in May

Wayne White -- who won three Emmys for his set and puppet design on Pee Wee's Playhouse and served as Art Director on Peter Gabriel's memorable video for "Big Time" -- brought his detailed and…

There's plenty to look forward to in Culver City in 2012. Here are three things I'm particularly excited to see.

1) Tony Tasset's 9-Story-Tall Rainbow

Tony Tasset's massive Rainbow  -- nine stories tall and spanning 188 feet -- is currently being fabricated off-site, and will be installed in early- to mid-2012 in…

1) Parcel B as an Empty Lot

Now that Combined Properties has been selected as the developer to create downtown Culver City's newest building, they'll likely be breaking ground some time in 2012. I'm hopeful that Culver City will be getting a great new building. But I must admit that I will be sorry to lose the big, open…

Last week, Glee stars Dot Marie Jones and Jayma Mays -- that's Coach Beiste and Emma to you and me -- were in Culver City to present Culver City Middle School a check for $10,000 as part of the “GLEE Give A Note” competition. Culver CIty Middle School was one of 60 second-place winners of a contest that challenged schools to submit videos  arguing for why they…

It's Christmas in Culver City, and the decorations are out. I can't decide whether I prefer the houses that are completely decked out or the ones with one sagging string. I took all of these pictures on the morning, afternoon, evening, and night of December 22, 2011.

Do you have a favorite, or is there one on your block that you love? Post a…

While the cities of Orange and Brea host a fine establishment of gourmet waffle sandwiches called Bruxie, you don't have to make that commute for this handheld, scrumptious treat! Find out how you can sink your teeth into this lunch-style compilation of breakfast favorites, that I personally enjoyed at dinner! Green Eggs & Ham Waffle-wich…

The Corsair, the newspaper of Santa Monica College, profiled alumnus Carlos Valverde, who teaches an inspirational class on "social justice and the idea of inequality" at Culver City High School.

In the article, SMC…

Eater is reporting that Culver City's own Ford's Filling Station will soon open another restaurant location -- within Terminal 5 at LAX. (Good news for those who like to fly Delta Airlines.)

The airport has announced plans to renovate concession space and to invite higher-end, Los Angeles-based…

I have no confirmation about the fate of the building in Culver City at the Northwest corner of Hughes and Washington Blvd. -- home of the Culver 7 Theater -- but there's a chain link fence around the whole thing. Pics:

Find more photos like this on Culver City…

Every other friday, I'll post a picture of something in Culver City that is 'hiding in plain sight.'

This time, the question is: Do you know where in Culver CIty this charming hand-painted sign is? If you know, enter your response in the comments! I'll reveal the answer in two Fridays, when I post a new game.

Last time, I posted this funky…

Last Saturday, the Veteran's Memorial Building was named Culver City's 13th Historial Site. You can see the building's tower from all over the city. Here are some pictures I've taken this year of the building from various vantage points.…

Vice Mayor Scott Malsin made the following statement at the end of December 12, 2011 City Council meeting:

During the last meeting of each year Councilmembers traditionally take the opportunity to offer their thanks to the City family for all their energy and dedication over the preceding year. This has been a challenging and a rewarding year, and we…

So now that Combined Properties has been selected as the developer for Parcel B, Council member Scott…

Yesterday, Culver CIty Councilman Jeff Cooper wrote me to explain his own motivations for selecting Combined Properties to develop downtown's Parcel B:

"I chose Combined Properties for several reasons, including the design of the project by renowned architect Steven Ehrlich, the seasoned team of Combined Properties and Hudson Pacific, the economics of their proposal,…

J.R.’s Barbeque was not started by a television chef. The restaurant has no corporate backing, celebrity owners, or designer pedigree. They don’t serve food made into foam or frozen in liquid nitrogen. The décor isn’t toney, the location isn’t trendy, and the clientele isn't hip.

None of which matters, of course, because their barbecue is so good.

If…

Now that we know that Combined Properties will be the developer of Parcel B in downtown Culver City, let's take a closer look at their proposal. Here's how they describe what they plan to do on the site. All the words are Combined Properties'.

"When one thinks of Culver City, these things come to mind: historic studio lots, a vibrant restaurant scene and…

This afternoon, Councilman Andrew Weissman shared with me his comments from last night about his selection of Combined Properties as developer for Parcel B in downtown Culver City:

"Thank you to the four developers for participating in this exciting process. 

"Thank you to those in the community who took the time to participate in the…

This morning, Culver City Councilman Scott Malsin sent me an email giving insight into the council's (and his own) decision-making process for the selection of Combined Properties to develop Parcel B in downtown Culver City. 

     "While each of the four submissions was strong, the Council unanimously chose the Combined…

Tonight, the Culver City City Council announced the selection of Combined Properties to oversee the design and aesthetic of the 1-acre plot in the heart of downtown Culver City known as Parcel B. Ehrlich Architects of Culver City will be engaged as the architectural firm responsible for the design and aesthetic of the project.

This was my favorite…