To say that France’s social model is far from perfect is an understatement: in spite of the state absorbing more than 50% of GDP, France has suffered, since the 1980s, from rising child poverty rates, persistently high unemployment, a chronic sense of economic malaise, and the continual enrichment of the system’s “insiders” at the expense of the system’s “outsiders.” More importantly, France’s social model fails to deliver precisely what it

London’s Telegraph reports that America’s professional Santas have been plunged into civil war amid accusations of profiteering, unethical behavior and even Claus-on-Claus violence. It turns out that the Telegraph got wind of this via the Wall Street Journal: The Amalgamated Santas, one of the nation’s largest Santa groups, are dealing with a schism in their ranks. The rift has left burly bearded men accusing one another of bylaw violations, profiteering and

C’mon, you Rockies.  You can do it, you can do it, you can.  You can do it, you can do it, you can.  Rah rah ree, kick ’em in the knee.  Rah rah rass, kick ’em in the other knee.  Dammit, where are my pom-poms? Update:  Never mind.

Margaret Thatcher is to be given the ultimate accolade of a State funeral when she reaches the end of her days – the first British Prime Minister since Winston Churchill to be afforded such an honour.

Masculinist pigs. Brangelina officially Catholic.

From Lonewacko via Hot Air Headlines: Back on July 2, Barack Obama read his “public service” address, and it contained this line that hasn’t received much notice: “We cannot continue to rely only on our military in order to achieve the national security objectives we’ve set… We’ve got to have a civilian national security force that’s just as powerful, just as strong, just as well funded.” What the Sam Hill?

An insightful article about homosexuality in animal ‘societies’, via Hot Air Headlines: What is more, homosexuality among some species, including penguins, appears to be far more common in captivity than in the wild. Captivity, scientists say, may bring out gay behaviors in part because of a scarcity of opposite-sex mates. In addition, an enclosed environment boosts an animal’s stress levels, leading to a greater urge to relieve the stress. Some

The Times of London reported yesterday on “an historic defeat for the West in the UN Security Council ” as Russia and China vetoed a resolution that would have imposed UN sanctions on Zimbabwe’s President Mugabe and his inner circle.  US UN Ambassador Zalmay Khalilzad more correctly characterized it as a defeat for the people of Zimbabwe, who have suffered everything from violent political repression to starvation at the hands of

As reported in this morning’s New York Times: Asked to name a conservative model, [John McCain] skipped over the suggestions of three names typically associated with the conservative movement — Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush and Barry Goldwater, the founder of the modern-day conservative movement who occupied the Senate seat Mr. McCain holds today — to settle on Theodore Roosevelt. Mr. McCain has long admired Roosevelt, and in the interview he identified