In the papers...

A Children's Christmas tale starring Pete (Doherty) and Kate (Moss), reveals Adam Sherwin in today's Times.

Pete plays guitar, eats special sweets and falls over a lot. Pete met a famous girl called Kate and the pair went ballistic on Class A drugs.
The cautionary tale of Pete Doherty has been turned into an
illustrated children’s book that is becoming a Christmas bestseller.
A Boy Called Pete details the rise to fame of the notorious rock singer who “sings
songs and wears hats”. But his predilection for “mind-bending drugs” means that
Pete and his friend Kate are “always getting into trouble”.
The book claims to be a moral story and warns children that “Class A drugs are not very good for you. They make you smelly and a bit untidy-looking.” Pete finds that he is no longer famous for singing songs and is made to stay in “a very big house
with high walls” because “London has lots of rules and lots of authority”

Is it just me or is there something really wrong in offering this adorable couple as role-models for children? If a society gets the role-models it deserves, it is even more worrying.

(from The Times)

Cartoon of the Year: The Independent's Dave Brown's Tale of Two Leaders

The Political Cartoon Society awarded him the honour for his
cartoon "Venus Substitute" at a ceremony hosted by The Economist in central London.
The Independent on Sunday's Peter Schrank was named runner-up in the same category at the awards.

(from The Independent)

Janet Street-Porter in The Independent: 'Ignore these killjoys - and happy Christmas '

Celebrating Christmas in a traditional manner seems increasingly unfashionable, as a wave of political correctness has resulted in an increasing number of offices all over the country banning decorations in case non-Christian staff members are offended.
I can cope with my festive feast of goose being under attack from turkey-lover Nigella Lawson, but it's time for ordinary citizens to demand the right to enjoy Christmas in the way we always have, with carols on the radio, paper chains in the living room, drunken office parties, twinkling fairy lights and a marathon of television watching. Gordon Brown is always banging on about "Britishness", whatever that might be, and there's no other time of year which so perfectly sums up what's unique about this country.

(from The Independent)

Readers from The Guardian's Art & Architecture blog have selected the 50 masterpieces they wouldn't miss for the world. It's here. What do you think of it?