AUSTRALIA is the second best country to live in, according to a measure of global living standards which says Norway - yes, Norway - is number one.
Norway retained its status as the world's most desirable country, according to the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) index released today, followed by Australia and then Iceland.
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Why is the writer of this article so surprised that Norway would be first?..It reminds me of some French journalists who were always shocked to learn that the best food in the world was not found in France but elsewhere! I always knew it was in Lebanon! Hehe.
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Ok, let's add a nuance here. That was BEFORE the global economic crisis.
ReplyDelete"The index was compiled prior to the global economic crisis and used 2007 data on GDP per capita, education, and life expectancy."
Why is the writer of this article so surprised that Norway would be first?
ReplyDeleteMaybe because it's so cold. You can have a great job, free health care, a great orchestra, but you would still be freezing your ass off every time you go outside.
Argentinean folk singer Mercedes Sosa, the “voice of Latin America” whose music inspired opponents of political dictators through South America, Central America, and the Caribbean, died today in Buenos Aires at the age of 74. ...Affectionately dubbed “La Negra” or “The Black One” by fans for her mixed Indian and distant French ancestry, Sosa was born July 9, 1935, to a poor, working-class family in the sugarcane country of northwest Tucuman province. Early on she felt the allure of popular traditions and became a teacher of folkloric dance. At the age of 15, friends impressed by her talent encouraged Sosa to enter a local radio contest under the pseudonym “Gladys Osorio.” She won a two-month contract with the broadcaster — the first of many accolades over a career that continued until her final days. “I didn’t choose to sing for people,” Sosa said in a recent interview on Argentine television. “Life chose me to sing.”
ReplyDeleteSo should I move to Australia or is it really racist against darker skinned people?
ReplyDeleteMolly
ReplyDeleteNo apparent Racism in Australia towards darker or lighter people , the exception of course are the Aborigines (Real Australians) and the Moslems Since 11/September that's all , but by in large Australians are very tolerant .Only problem of course we're not allowed to have guns ;)
Puerto Rico poised to give our northern neighbors a lesson in dignity on 15 October. Hopefully it will catch on.
ReplyDeleteJoe
ReplyDeleteDo you think cold can be a major issue?
Paris in winter can be very cold. Yet I never suffered from it. Indoors are centrally heated. Outdoors, when properly dressed, were never a significant issue. The only cold I suffered from is the cold of the hearts.
I rember last year Porto Rico was rated number one on some other index pof good living..Not sure which one.
ReplyDelete<span>I rember last year Puerto Rico was rated number one on some other index of good living..Not sure which one.</span>
ReplyDeletetgia:
ReplyDeleteI definitely think climate is a factor in what makes a city livable. My city is hot and humid all summer and cold and damp all winter. I deal with it, but I do not think it is charming.
I just have a problem with these rankings that are based on generic statistics. One city may be great for one person but lousy for another. For instance, if someone is a country music singer, Oslo may have nothing to offer him, but Nahville could be the perfect place for him, even if it has a low ranking on this list. Then there are other factors that can make a city more attractive to one person than another-for instance, Tel Aviv may be a great place to live for one person, and not so great for another.
One more thing about how the ranking was compiled. They just used bare statistics. And statistics out of context, without explaination, are often misleading or purposefully deceptive. Remember: using statistics, we learn that the average human being has one testicle and one ovary.
That was me.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.last.fm/music/Mercedes%2520Sosa?ac=Mercedes%20s
ReplyDeleteMolly, I have heard that Australia is much better than Britain for example. However, they had a bit of a mess up with some Indian immigrants a few months ago. Hope it will be tidied up soon. Australia is a land of immigrants. Immigrants make Australia great. {Ditto with many other countries for that matter. For example Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, America, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, India.}
ReplyDeleteMolly, Afghanistan has taken in 5 million immigrants since 2001. They are quite welcoming.
I say why not have the best of both worlds, live in Norway and vacation in Australia
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite writers does the best-of-both here in the U.S.; has a home in Montana and another near New Orleans.
ReplyDelete