Review Day

There are no spoilers in these reviews.

Mr. Universe, Jim Gaffigan:
This is the newest stand-up routine from Jim Gaffigan. I enjoyed it and laughed throughout, but didn't enjoy it as much as the original "Beyond the Pale" routine featuring hot pockets. I felt like the topics he chose for this one just weren't quite as interesting.

Final Grade: B-

The Robert F. Kennedy Assassination by Philip H. Melanson, Ph.D:
One of my favorite coffee table books is It's a Conspiracy!, which contains Bathroom-Reader-styled summaries of major conspiracy theories in US history. This RFK book was referenced, and I chose to read it since I wasn't very familiar with RFK. The book is engaging and obviously well-researched, but it really uses the RFK assassination as a backdrop for showing how the LAPD majorly screwed up throughout the investigation -- there's a plethora of evidence to show how the official cover story is impossible, but nearly zero space devoted to suggesting what the real story might be. For the type of book that this is, it's a good writing choice, but it won't be as interesting if you care more about what really happened. Occasionally, the weight of evidence gets pedantic.

Final Grade: B-

Wallis Bird by Wallis Bird:
Self-titled albums bug me slightly more than albums and artists with names taken from common nouns. Apparently, most musicians need a course in SEO. This third album from Wallis Bird is not quite as good as the previous ones. There are a couple upbeat, catchy songs like Heartbeating City, but the rest of the CD is filled with sleepy songs from the permanent fermata department -- not bad in the least bit, but not good for car listening.

Final Grade: B-