Jewmongous

I avoided Michael Chabon's latest, The Yiddish Policemen's Union, for a time out of allegiance to what might be my favorite book of all time, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay. How could it compare? An idle moment at the library near the new release stack led me to pick up TYPU and check it out before thinking, and now I find it's about two of my favorite things, Jews and alternate history. It's a modern day detective story, set in a remote section of Alaska where the Jews have been allowed to settle after the collapse of Israel in 1948. Temporarily allowed to settle, that is. There's lots of chess, and it is very good, though not in the sweeping, romantic way that Kavalier & Clay is. But I recommend.

Ever since throwing my hat into the webcomic ring (updating twice a week on Mondays and Fridays now, mind you), I've been checking out a lot of others. The best thing I've seen is, without a doubt, Vulcan & Vishnu. Check it out.
On a political note, I know Ron Paul might be bat-shit crazy and apparently has some support from hate groups, but I so hope for a Obama vs. Paul race as opposed to the Clinton vs. Giuliani contest that the press has all but ordained. Hearing Paul extoll the virtues of and rail against the transgressions upon our Constitution almost makes me willing to risk a Dept. of Education-hating Libertarian as president. In the venn diagram of priorities between he and a modern congress, you might be able to push through merely the benefits (a sane international policy, some reigning in of spending) with few of the detriments (i.e. abortion ban, dismantling of all social programs).