Where we once used the same baubles and tree lights year in and year out which inevitably stopped working as soon as they were taken out of storage we now theme trees to suit our moods or to follow fashions, taking a page from store window displays like Ms. McCartney's and decked-out hotel foyers.

WSJ: How to Deck Your Halls

We thought it was a frozen pipe at first, but then the taps downstairs stopped working too.

BBC: Water chaos affects thousands in Northern Ireland

Laws and policies that have stopped working are phased out more quickly than they are in the U.S., where we still pay the 1898 Spanish American War tax in our phone bills.

FORBES: Two Roads to National Success: Steve Forbes vs. Mads Ovlisen

Laws and policies that have stopped working are phased out more quickly than they are in the U.S. For example, we retained the 1898 Spanish-American War tax as part of our phone bills until earlier this year.

FORBES: The Scandinavian Model