Yes we ALL know that you can smoke joints in the Netherlands. How could you miss it? With coffeeshops, headshops and smart shops on every corner, it's impossible to overlook. Ok so we have weed, and we have magic mushrooms, and we have herbal enhancers, many of which are also illegal in other countries.

What else is legal in the Netherlands? Lets see.. How about euthanasia? Yes. How about same-sex marriages? But of course. Polygamy? Even polygamy? Well, all but in name, yes (civil unions among 3 have occured). What about file-sharing programs like Kazaa? YES! Isn't it remarkable that a society with so many things deemed insiduous, portrayed as malicious, subversive and even dangerous, a nation with all these things openly accepted, that this country still manages to simply function on a daily basis?! And not only that, it excels!

The Netherlands was even ranked recently by the BBC as the #1 foreign aid provider (relative to the size of the economy) out of the worlds top 21 wealthiest countries. The BBC article says, "the Netherlands led the pack on generous investment and aid as well as measures to curb greenhouse gases".

Let us now sing the praise of a country so well adjusted. Despite the day to day annoyances, the institutionalized frustrations (ehum.. IND) and that pesky 'tourist' infestation, this is a pretty great place to live!