sweden

Weather today in Sweden was pretty bad, so we spent the afternoon driving around the coast, looking at all the pretty houses. Last night, we had a lovely meal, followed by fireworks at the New Year. They take New Year fireworks pretty seriously here, including some of professional quality being shot from backyards.

Last night we also had an extensive discussion of the welfare state in Sweden. Parents are provided with approximately $150 per month for each child in the house. Until the child turns 18. That's $32,400 per child. From the government. On top of that, the mother gets 18 months of paid maternity leave, which she can spread out over a longer period of time by working part time.

Plus they all have health insurance. Sure, their taxes are high, but it's still a really sweet deal. Nice country, overall.