Coming in the wake of last month’s looting and burning riots in British cities, a UN report pinpointing materialism as a particularly British blight was bound to make the country sit up and take notice. The youths who rampaged through the streets of London and Birmingham seemed to both covet material goods and despise them [...]

The Kingdom of Sweden has been revered by supporters of big government around the world for decades, cited by statist college professors and policy makers everywhere. It started with the myth that its "socialist" system could simultaneously provide freedom, prosperity, and generous welfare benefits to all. But now, the illusion is beginning to crumble. The [...]

Maybe I have a sick sense of humor, but I got a laugh out of this one: According to the UK's Telegraph, a desperate man in Sweden called a suicide crisis hotline to get some help. The Lutheran priest on the other end fell asleep and began snoring while the poor guy was talking. Happily, [...]

That bastion of conservatism, the New York Times, reports that "monogamy is not a central feature for many" gay and lesbian couples.  In fact, fully 50% of gay couples are involved in polyandry, according to the soon-to-be-released Gay Couples Study by San Francisco State University.  (In contrast, between 1.7 and 6% of heterosexual married couples are [...]

I am such a Neanderthal.    Case in point: One recent day, I was furiously scrubbing the bathtub when my husband Dan peeked into the bathroom doorway.   "Hey, as long as you're doing that," he said, "The toilet in there is looking . . . um . . . really, really gross."   Yes, [...]