Eldest Daughter is in France for the school year, and she doesn’t appreciate jokes and such about the French. But I ask you, who can resist? It’s like telling Aggie jokes in Texas–or Norwegian/Olaf jokes in the Upper Midwest.

Richard John Neuhaus has a collection of observations on the French here (scroll down). If you’ve given up French-bashing for Advent, don’t go there, but for a cheap laugh . . .

And in further news from France, Sesame Street Goes to France.

“We had the feeling that it was a little bit too sweet, too nice,” said Michelin, the France 5 programming director. “We need some irony. It’s very difficult to evaluate, but we have the feeling that in France we can be a little edgier.”

O.K. One more outrageous story from France: Man’s “blind date” turns out to be his own mother! I find this hard to believe.