Short reviews!

Book 24 of the year was Summer Lightning, by P.G. Wodehouse (1929). SL precedes Summer Moonshine, book 19 on the list, and is also set in Blandings Castle. I found I enjoyed these two Blandings Castle tales a bit more than the Jeeves and Wooster stories. I suspect, however, that this may simply be due to long familiarity with the Jeeves and Wooster setting and style. Those stories tread well-worn grooves in my mind, whereas the Blandings Castle novels are new to me.

The plot is the usual mesh of young love amongst privileged Upper Class Twits, with the usual Wodehousian play of words and patter. Wodehouse is sort of the literary equivalent of Gilbert and Sullivan. It’s all good, but it’s all more or less the same.

velvetpage and I saw the new Indiana Jones film last week while in L.A. I quite enjoyed it, though it did have several silly bits. The only part that really bothered me was the business with the amphibious car.

Also, P.S., Marion is still the bee’s knees.

ID assistance!

While waiting for the connecting flight in Cleveland, we shared a waiting area with a very fat, squat man with long blond hair, garish glasses, and a geeky t-shirt with the caption “This is the part where I nod and pretend I’m listening.”

We all recognized him from “somewhere.” I’m thinking he’s some kind of fashion or pop culture pundit. Any ideas, Internet?

EDIT: It was Bruce Vilanch!

The man in the airport.

It was Bruce Vilanch!

I can't believe I shared a room with one of the writers of the Star Wars Holiday Special and didn't get an autograph!