--- a/genshi/template/ast24.py
+++ b/genshi/template/ast24.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
     if ret._fields:
         for attr, value in zip(ret._fields, args):
             if attr in kwargs:
-                raise ValueError, 'Field set both in args and kwargs'
+                raise ValueError('Field set both in args and kwargs')
             setattr(ret, attr, value)
     for attr in kwargs:
         if (getattr(ret, '_fields', None) and attr in ret._fields) \
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@
                 return self._new(_ast.Tuple, elts, _ast.Store())
             else:
                 raise NotImplemented
-            
+
         args = []
         for arg in tab:
             if isinstance(arg, str):
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@
             else:
                 assert False, node.__class__
 
-        defaults = map(self.visit, node.defaults)
+        defaults = [self.visit(d) for d in node.defaults]
         return self._new(_ast.arguments, args, vararg, kwarg, defaults)
 
 
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@
     def visit_Const(self, node):
         if node.value is None: # appears in slices
             return None
-        elif isinstance(node.value, (str, unicode,)):
+        elif isinstance(node.value, basestring):
             return self._new(_ast.Str, node.value)
         else:
             return self._new(_ast.Num, node.value)
@@ -471,8 +471,7 @@
         return self._new(_ast.Subscript, self.visit(node.expr), slice, ctx)
 
     def visit_Sliceobj(self, node):
-        a = node.nodes + [None]*(3 - len(node.nodes))
-        a = map(self.visit, a)
+        a = [self.visit(n) for n in node.nodes + [None]*(3 - len(node.nodes))]
         return self._new(_ast.Slice, a[0], a[1], a[2])
 
     def visit_Ellipsis(self, node):
@@ -497,8 +496,8 @@
                 return False
             else:
                 return True
-        statements = [_check_del(self.visit(n)) for n in node.nodes]
-        return filter(_keep, statements)
+        return [s for s in [_check_del(self.visit(n)) for n in node.nodes]
+                if _keep(s)]
 
 
 def parse(source, mode):

--- a/genshi/template/astutil.py
+++ b/genshi/template/astutil.py
@@ -651,7 +651,7 @@
                     self._write(', ')
                     self.visit(dim)
             else:
-                raise NotImplemented, 'Slice type not implemented'
+                raise NotImplemented('Slice type not implemented')
         _process_slice(node.slice)
         self._write(']')
 

--- a/genshi/template/base.py
+++ b/genshi/template/base.py
@@ -544,7 +544,7 @@
                             ]
                             if not values:
                                 continue
-                            value = u''.join(values)
+                            value = ''.join(values)
                         new_attrs.append((name, value))
                     yield kind, (tag, Attrs(new_attrs)), pos
 
@@ -598,7 +598,7 @@
                                                                   **vars):
                         if subkind is TEXT:
                             parts.append(subdata)
-                    href = u''.join([x for x in parts if x is not None])
+                    href = ''.join([x for x in parts if x is not None])
                 try:
                     tmpl = self.loader.load(href, relative_to=event[2][0],
                                             cls=cls or self.__class__)