Short and Sweet

I'm in West Virginia on really slow wireless, so I'ma keep this brief, but I wanted to update the cultureblog slightly. Mostly, I saw Bourne Ultimatum (and I have an essay on that coming soon) and finished reading The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon. The book was really good. In typical Chabon fashion it is both an easy engaging read and a deep, complicated book. The actual writing is a pleasure to read in a way that most books are not. Usually I find long metaphors and complicated sentences distracting and contrived, but Chabon has a way with words that allows him to pull it off. About the actual story, it's a clever twist on 1940s-style detective stories. The catch is that it takes place in an alternate Alaska which is a temporary Jewish homeland. The characters all speak Yiddish and observe the Sabbath and such. Meyer Landsman, Chabon's Jewish Sam Spade character, is engaging enough on his own to justify reading the book, but every character is fascinating and the plot twists and turns like a good whodunit should. I'm a fan.

A few days ago I also went and saw a Daft Punk concert that was one of the best concerts I've ever been to. I'll post more details and some pictures soon, though all the pictures will probably be on facebook well in advance of the post.

Okay, no more for now.