I just read a BBC article about the European Union’s competition commissioner saying the vacation-heavy lifestyles of Europeans hurt the economy. The story reported that members of the British House of Commons took no less than 80 vacation days this summer. EIGHTY DAYS! In the summer alone! This doesn’t even count days taken for Christmas and other important holidays like the 4th of July.

In fairness to Neelie Kroes, the sourpuss EU competition commissioner, she’s not necessarily calling for a rollback in vacation days - she’d just like to see holiday time spread out more throughout the calendar year, not all bunched up in the summer months. Hey, anything to keep pasty-skinned British guys in tiny swim trunks off the beaches is ok by me.

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