Bob Cassilly, founder of the City Museum in St. Louis, died on Monday

I found out about this tragic loss yesterday. It was a piece of shocking news for a lot of people. I didn't know Bob Cassilly personally, but anybody that has put a foot in St.Louis has, or should have, heard of him or his work. Mr. Cassilly, who was 61 when he died, was a prodigy of nature as a social entrepreneur, scene creator, and artist. The City Museum may be his most internationally acclaimed work, but in St. Louis he was known by his constant ambition to built his vision of a greater St.Louis through his art. His latest project Cementland intended to be one-of-a-kind amusement park. The old cement factory along the Mississippi river was being transformed by Mr. Cassilly using tons of construction debris dumped in the premises by St.Louis companies. Here is an article from the New York Times where you can learn more about it.
Sadly enough, Mr. Cassilly died in this site in an accident while driving a bulldozer. The Mississippi will received his ashes. Hopefully, someday Cementland will open, and we will remember Mr. Cassilly looking at St.Louis downtown from where he said that "in the afternoon, when the sun shines on the city", you can get its best view.

Salsa, my lucky day!

It had to be my lucky day, even though I want to believe it was just karma for my volunteering for the sake of my department in something I don't really like. Whatever it was, it turn out that heavy rain was announced, and the event was cancelled. Dozens of activities with no real utility suspended until tomorrow.
I was talking today to two colleagues from different departments (History and Construction) who participate in this event. Neither of them were taking part on the event, or didn't seem to have a good idea of what was going on in their departments... I guess that explains the inutility of such an useless event.

Do you like salsa?

I'm sure some of you got here because you like salsa and a random Google search directed you here. If that's the case, I'm sorry to say that this post may not be what you were looking for. I don't like any other salsa that you cannot eat with tortilla chips, and I wonder why everybody assumes that I like salsa. I do know the answer, it is because I speak Spanish! It is as simple as that. I like other Caribean rhythms, and I wish I would like salsa, because when I see people dancing it seems as if they are really enjoying themselves, not to mention the sensuality attached to it.
Well, as I am a Spanish professor, I've been asked to collaborate into this hands-on event where the chair of my department is going to teach salsa to students. I told him that I have no clue of how to dance salsa, but he seemed so engaged and enthusiastic that I wasn't able to tell him no.
I am taking one for the cause, because after 3 hours of hearing salsa I don't even know what I'm able to transform into. Imagine to stand by a boom box for three hours with a music that you really cannot stand... anything, death metal, polka, eurotrash, that kind of lame soul-pop from the divas and their equal male counterparts that I'm ashamed to call soul. However, I will stand stoically with a smile and do my best!
Now, the question arises, am I perpetuating the stereotype and selling out? or, am I acting professionally?
The event is Thursday, I will tell you if it was worthwhile.

The habit of writing daily

I have not written in a while, not even for my research. I can give you the excuse that I have been sick as a dog, which is true, but that would only be nothing else than an excuse. Even if it is a good one. While I was sick, I have watched a few movies, and as many soccer games. I have read from two different and interesting books. I have skimmed over dozens of newspapers, and a few blogs... so why haven't I written about them? No excuses...but I was sick as dog!)

True Blood s04e12. "And When I Die". The finale definitely saved the season.

I complained throughout the season about the lack of consistency in the show in terms of characters acting and personalities in comparison to other seasons, and blamed the different directors most of the time.  Last night, for the first time in season four, I saw the kind of acting, directing, action, reaction, crescendo, and final cliffhanger(s)  that got me hook to True Blood years ago.Therefore, I must open with my most outstanding recognition to Scott Winant, the helmer that has shown why he is the second person that has directed more episodes (9) since the series began in 2008. Nevertheless, this has been so far the weakest and lamest season in my modest opinion, and it deserved, at least, a decent ending, as the one we had.
This season has left the door ajar for most of the fronts that were open. Only the case of Tommy, Sam's brother was completely closed with his lonely and minuscule funeral (check out Tommy's tombstone) topped with the presence of Hoyt's mom looking for a manly proximity to substitute his son and probably fulfill her imagination with something extra.

When I say the door was left ajar, I mean it in a positive sense,as the opposite to wide open, which sometimes annoys me, since it gets you lost instead of letting your imagination at work with only so much to speculate from.

Let's start with the witches since it has been the central focus of this season. Jesus lets go his evil spirit to save Lafayette, but I guess there is no good without evil, so poor Jesus had to die and become a mean dead man. Did you notice that the kindness of dead people in this episode was inversely proportional to theirs in life? Sooki's grandma is a cold old lady that barely pays attention to her granddaughter, and just-diseased Jesus doesn't give a damn about desperate guilty Lafayette. He only tells him cold and dry that they are going to be together since he is a medium. It sounded to me as if that's all Jesus wanted from Lafayette. Antonia Gavilan de Logroño is the nicest one, since she was kind of mean during the season. In any case, Marnie is gone to a better place(?), although I thought that if you were a spirit or ghost, you weren't really in any better place but lost in limbo, but I'm not going to be that picky. So, Eric and Bill are free of their biggest menace so far for Sooki to enjoy... oh, sorry, I was too fast in my logic. She dumps them both after giving them some of her precious blood. Now, they are not going to be just dumped miserable vampires, but horny-dumped miserable vampires. I bet these two are going to end up together by lack of anything better. Really, that blood must be something very special, because they don't even pay attention to Pam or Jessica, who are way more interesting characters in my opinion. Ok, in the case of Jessica it may be just the looks, I admit it, but I'm just giving my honest opinion.

In another front, Terry's veteran friend is the most disquieting new thread that the show is presenting for the new season. Russell Edgington's escape was just a matter of time, as well as Alcide's infatuation with Sooki entering the reign of stupidity. However, bringing back Rene to warn Arlene against a new Terry is a promise of good stuff coming up.
It seems obvious that the creators have realized that this season has not worked. The proof is that they are recurring to characters from more successful seasons to keep us all on tenterhooks until next season: Rene, Russell, and reverend Steve Newlin (as a vampire??). By the way, who dug up Russell? Was it rev. Newlin? Was it Nan before she encountered true death by the hands of king Bill together with his gay stormtroopers (as Eric called them)? We will find out soon next season I'm sure.

I have delayed too much this review, so I'm not going to make it any longer by touching every single part of the episode as much as I would like it. In order to put an end to the True Blood season in What? I thought that I should highlight the three best lines of the episode.
In third place I have selected one that it may not deserve the podium, but it caps off the scene where Nan and her "stormtroopers" die in a bath of blood provoked by the decapitation of the latter, and the heart stabbing of the former, which I thought it was a pretty good anticipation to Debbie's head blowing off as the end of it all for the season. Therefore, the bronze medal goes to... What a bitch! by Eric.

In second place, Jason's answer to Hoyt after telling that he had sex with Jessica. Hoyt asked him how? That's a weird question to ask man replies Jason but if you really wanna know...missionary, and then doggy, and her on top, I mean it's nothing too kinky!

I cannot skip a picture from the obvious consequence:

And the winner is... Pam's allusion to Sooki. Pam is too good of a character to be under Eric's command. I hope she gets back to him for how he treated her. In any case, the gold medal goes to... I'm so over Sooki and her precious fairy vagina, and her unbelievable stupid name... fuck Sooki!  (fuck Eric could have been as good or better, but Sooki is pretty good there too!)

Well, that's all for the fourth season. Have a good winter fang bang...lovers!

What a season finale!

I'm too tired to write my review now, but it will come very soon!

True Blood s04e11. "Soul of Fire". Heart smoothy, an old Viking recipe.

No doubt in my mind, the highlight of the episode is Eric drinking out of Roy's still-throbbing heart (a few more dollars in special effects would have make it like that) as Marnie looks half in shock, half jealous how her once enslaved Eric shows the whole of his vampire's coolness by sucking the poor sucker's heart. I call Roy a sucker because I want to believe that all of us wanted him to die anyways. I have to admit that the sight was really disgusting too, which impeded such an  scene to become one of the all-time best of the series.

If this was the highlight of the show, I have to continue with the funniest parts, which have to be a hard competition among the ridiculous poses of the vampires trying to avoid get zapped in Marnie's protection spell, Andy and the fairy E.T.-like finger protection contract, or the potential outcomes of Sam after Marcus' death. I warn you, this last one may be fun just for me and my particular sense of humor. Also, you have to put words on Sam's mouth, otherwise it won't make any sense!
Ok, first one! Sam and Alcide have caught Debbie in her panties with Marcus, in Alcide's bedroom. Rarely enough, nothing has happened between the two of them despite the sexual tension. Sam avenges his brother beating the crap out of Marcus while Debbie tries to explain the situation and stop the fight. Not only she does not stop the fight, but Alcide kills Marcus avoiding that the latter shoot Sam. Then, Alcide, in werewolf terms (no more hunting together, no more sharing flesh, blah, blah...), breaks up with her. Definitely, it was not poor Debbie's night! Alcide leaves the house while Debbie cries in disbelieve. Sam slowly pick up the gun he brought from the floor, and gives this look to Debbie before leaving trying to say, "Well it's your fault! Now clean the mess!". When the show comes back to the werewolf's story, Luna's daughter asks Sam where is her father. Sam remains silent, but I imagine him thinking, should I become a bunny rabbit again!
The second one is Andy's lucky day (obviously it is only for the day, because who knows what is waiting for Andy after this). After the fastest detox program ever seen, Andy is left stranded in the middle of the woods by his cousin. On his way back a fairy (oh God, how do I hate fairy staff in this show!) appears, knocks Andy down, and then schtump him!  Good for Andy, but fairies must prove me right about the absurdity of their existence in the show, and before boinging him, she makes him promise her to protect her by joining light bulb-like fingers. What is this a tribute to E.T.?

Finally, and likely to be the winner, the most pathetic piece of acting I have seen in a long time (even though, I attribute it again to what I want to believe is producer's stinginess, and not bad artistic direction). Marnie's spell makes Jessica, Pam, Eric, and Bill rush towards the vampire racquet zapper that surrounds the building where Sooki and the others are trapped. The contortions, scowls, grins that these actors have to put up with and perform to convey such a pathetic result makes the whole thing as laughable as sad.

Now it is up to you to decide which one is the funniest/sad moment of the episode.
In a more objective view, the funniest lines of the episode are Lafayette's "Marnie just puked the bitch out" and Pam's "I'll take good care of this" referring to the piece of jewelery that she takes from the vampire who minutes later will explode in Marnie's vampire zapper.


The episode has prepared us for the grand finale! Bill killed Marnie, just for her to return and possess Lafayette. What kind of Brujo shit is Jesus going to be able to put this time? What do the fantastic four Vampires have in their sleeves? Are Jessica and Jason going to continue their torrid romance, and is Hoyt going to accept it? What is Sooki doing in this season? Next Sunday, all these questions and more will have an answer! Or... so we hope!

True Blood s04e10. "Burning Down the House". Fighting fire with fire.

Did you know that every episode of True Blood is entitled after a song? I do remember the closing tune for being a good version of a song that being a classic, never said too much to me. The Used's version of Talking Heads' Burning Down the House was, I have to admit, interesting. The Used gave the song that intensity that the original lacks in my opinion. On the other hand, The Used are not Talking Heads, not even close, but enough with the music. The episode opens with the Tolerance Fair's battle whose only remarkable outcome is Eric's coming back to normalcy thanks to Sooki's display of fairy powers (I insist, once again, in boycotting this part of the story, anything to do with fairies makes me return to reality and think about the absurdity of willingly letting yourself get upset by this kind of stuff, which is nonetheless the point of any fiction).
Soon enough, we face what's for me the highlight of this episode. Jessica and Jason's after-humping conversation. Jason feels extremely guilty for going to bed (meaning the back of his pick up truck) with his best friend's ex, so he "innocently" asks her to glamour him so he will be able to face Hoyt in a normal way. Jessica rants and raves! Her feelings are hurt! Poor baby... but, wait a second, didn't she glamour her boyfriend after cheating on him only a few days ago? Interesting... I forgive her, though, she is too hot to blame, don't you think?
In the meanwhile, Hoyt is living the hell of breaking up with his sweet heart, and he has become an over-flatulent drunk according to Jason, who obviously is being corroded by guilt.
We can say that everything worth mentioning is above this line, now I have to complete the review with a few other things that fall below this category.

Tommy, Sam's brother, dies because Alcide decides that neither Sam nor he have the right to save Tommy's life giving him V, go figure! On top of that, they keep articulating ridiculous statements trying to console Tommy. Oh, well, au revoir to the last of Sam's relatives!
Terry and Andy made, out of a shooting competition, a therapy session to get Andy off his V addiction. I guess Bon Temps does not have an equivalent to AA for V addicts yet.
Antonia Gavilan de Logroño is not the witch, pun intended, that we thought. Marnie is an even bigger witch, pun intended again, but at the end of the scene both become equal witches.
Obviously, the cliffhanger is the disappearance of Sooki, Lafayette, Tara, and Holly under Marnie's spell, but who was expecting the Matrix-leather vampire showdown at the end? I don't want to believe my own eyes when I see the shiny quartet armed to the teeth ready to go war!

In any case, we had to know that an episode like this was coming. I hate when it is the one before the last, so I hope I don't have to complain about the next one, and everything until the end is a roller coaster of excitement.

More posts are coming today!

I have not written a post in the last four days, and I feel like I owe the blog a few. I'm writting this as a reminder to myself that one new post, at least, must appear today. Promised!