Review Day

There are no major spoilers in these reviews.

This Is The End (R):
This is a throwaway comedy of the "Apatow actors" (playing themselves), who are partying at James Franco's house when the apocalypse occurs. It's full of crude humor, fun cameos, and a few great laughs, and doesn't outstay its welcome. Much of the comedy hinges on how the personalities of the actors greatly differs from their normal screen characters, so some familiarity with their movies (like Pineapple Express) will increase your enjoyment.

Final Grade: B

Say That to Say This by Trombone Shorty:
I loved Backatown, and loved the non-vocal parts of For True. However, this new album is pretty forgettable. All of the rough, fun edges are polished down for commercial appeal, and there aren't really any memorable hooks throughout. He seems to have fallen off the funk wagon and onto the adult contemporary wagon.

Final Grade: C-

Naked Statistics: Stripping the Dread from Data by Charles Wheelan:
This introductory statistics book purports to put a different spin on the subject: rather than teach the concepts through math, it chooses instead to put the concepts into context of why they're important in the real world. This is keeps the book interesting for the first 2/3rds. After that point, the book is held back by the fact that there's too much math to easily conceal behind light-hearted examples and simple hand waves. I still enjoyed reading it as a refresher, 14 years after my A- in Probability and Statistics for Electrical Engineers.

Final Grade: B-

The Guild, Season Six:
Season Five of The Guild kind of lost its way, distracted by too many convention cameos and the lure of having a real budget. However, Season Six returns to the core of the gaming group and provides a nice finale for all of the characters.

Final Grade: B+