http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/qualityoflife/ en-us Sat, 14 Jun 2008 21:22:06 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2031169/posts - In Sweden that is. All the same, if various experts are right, the Nordic countries are not only the richest part of the world, but also global leaders in the domain of QUALITY of life. Therefore, living in this part of Stockholm is probably as good as life gets, or? The article: "The Stockholm suburb of Danderyd is the best municipality in which to live, according to a new ranking by the magazine Fokus. Lund and nearby Lomma in southern Sweden follow closely behind. Ljusnarsberg municipality in the Bergslagen region of central Sweden ended up in last place. The... www.thelocal.se http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2031169/posts#comment Sat, 14 Jun 2008 21:22:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993402/posts Teenagers should be given the right to medically assisted suicide and the parents of terminally ill younger children should be able to choose euthanasia under proposals from members of Belgium's coalition government. The plans to extend rules allowing doctors to perform euthanasia on terminally ill people suffering "constant and unbearable physical or psychological pain" comes amid heated Belgian debate on the issue. Under existing Belgian laws, in place since 2002, patients, other than newborn babies, must be over 18 to qualify for assisted suicide, a situation that Bart Tommelein, leader of Belgium Liberals, wants changed. Mr Tommelein, whose party is... telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1993402/posts#comment Sat, 29 Mar 2008 00:25:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1990997/posts The United Kingdom has been ranked as one of the most stable and prosperous countries in the world, beating the United States, France and even Switzerland in a global assessment of every nation’s achievements and standards. A one-year investigation and analysis of 235 countries and dependent territories has put the UK joint seventh in the premier league of nations. The top ten comprise also the Vatican, Sweden, Luxembourg, Monaco, Gibraltar, San Marino, Liechtenstein, the Netherlands and the Irish Republic. The US lies 22nd and Switzerland, normally associated with wealth and untouchable stability, is rated 17th, losing points in the assessment... The Times Online http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1990997/posts#comment Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:27:26 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1968592/posts Initiatives to encourage people to live healthier, longer lives are just creating a different set of problems. A medical friend once told me that if everybody in the UK were to stop smoking, the NHS would collapse. I thought she was offering that old chestnut about smokers and drinkers handing over billions to the state in tax, but it was more subtle argument than that. Her point was that it's much cheaper to treat a 50-year-old who's taking 18 months to die of lung cancer than it is to treat a 90-year-old who's spent the last 20 years slowly fading... Guardian http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1968592/posts#comment Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:00:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1963355/posts BORREGO SPRINGS ---- Aiming to place a so-called quality-of-life sales tax on the county ballot in 2010, regional politicians gathered Thursday to discuss whether the measure should target ocean pollution, beach sand replenishment, open space or public transit ---- or all of the above. After a full day of airing ideas on the topic at the San Diego Association of Governments' annual retreat in the eastern San Diego County desert town of Borrego Springs, no clear consensus emerged. Many elected officials attending the three-day workshop, which concludes today, agreed that a new sales tax ranging from a quarter cent to... North County Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1963355/posts#comment Fri, 1 Feb 2008 19:02:30 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1944330/posts For some people, ending a pregnancy is the only way to keep on living Yael Mishali Published: 12.26.07, 00:39 / Israel Opinion Abortion is a type of murder; I have no doubt about that. In this context we can debate over questions such as the duration of a pregnancy and when exactly do several cells turn into a person with a soul, but I have no interest in doing that. I accept the universal assumption that as of a certain moment, we are talking about a real person, and “aborting it” is a type of murder. And still, as a... YNet http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1944330/posts#comment Wed, 26 Dec 2007 14:28:25 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1939830/posts Being broke need not mean social death in Sweden - as long as you are well-educated. But for Americans and Russians having a good all-round education is no substitute for having cash, according to a new survey on status symbols in the three countries. The international survey by analysts United Minds asked 1,000 people in each country what values confer status. 'Bling' items such as expensive jewellery and designer clothes come well down the list for Swedes, while featuring more highly for Americans and, particularly, Russians. "Sweden is the only country where you can be penniless but well-read and still... www.thelocal.se http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1939830/posts#comment Sat, 15 Dec 2007 10:19:15 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1933619/posts In bars, restaurants and homes across Sweden champagne is flowing in abundance as Swedes enjoy a seemingly endless thirst for the bubbly beverage, spurred by a gastronomic "revolution" and a rosy economy. Champagne sales at stores run by the alcohol distribution monopoly Systembolaget are expected to hit an all-time high of one million bottles this year, excluding sales in bars and restaurants. That figure can be compared to 738,000 bottles sold last year and 287,000 a decade ago. "Drinking champagne is usual now and it's common not only at the weekend or to celebrate a special event, it's an everyday... www.thelocal.se http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1933619/posts#comment Sun, 2 Dec 2007 18:05:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1909743/posts Homeless advocates and the city's leaders need to stop yelling at each other and work toward a solution -- One suggestion to address the chronic inappropriate street behavior in downtown San Francisco is a "sit-lie" law. Versions of such an ordinance are in effect in places like Philadelphia and Portland, Ore. They make it illegal for loiterers to stake out a spot on the sidewalk in front of a business and camp out there for the day.But mention it, and the reaction is immediate and polarizing. Homeless advocates insist that such laws criminalize the homeless. Angry, fed-up residents counter that... San Francisco Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1909743/posts#comment Thu, 11 Oct 2007 14:59:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1906430/posts Legalizing doctor-assisted suicide does not lead to a "slippery slope" of excess deaths among the vulnerable poor, uninsured, elderly or other patients, according to a U.S. study in the October issue of the Journal of Medical Ethics. "Fears about the impact on vulnerable people have dominated debate about physician-assisted suicide. We find no evidence to support those fears where this practice already is legal," study lead author and bioethicist Margaret Battin, a distinguished professor of philosophy and adjunct professor of internal medicine at the University of Utah, said in a prepared statement. She and her colleagues analyzed data from The... Health Day http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1906430/posts#comment Thu, 4 Oct 2007 13:41:54 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1900947/posts Stockholm is the world's greenest, most livable city, according to a survey carried out by the Reader's Digest magazine. Using a range of sources, environmental economist Matthew Kahn, from UCLA's Institute of the Environment, ranked 72 major international in terms of how 'green and livable' they are. Environmental legislation, energy prices, waste production and disposal and available parkland were among the factors considered. Stockholm was ranked number one, followed by Oslo in second place. "You shouldn't boast, but Stockholm is the world's most beautiful city," said mayor Kristina Axén Olin . "I get happy every time I come back to... www.thelocal.se http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1900947/posts#comment Sun, 23 Sep 2007 12:58:50 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1900195/posts Scandinavia has been rated as the best place to live, that’s according to a ranking by Reader’s Digest. Using a range of environmental and social indicators based in part on the UN’s Human Development Index, the survey rates countries on care of the environment and quality of life for their citizens. Finland tops the 141-nation list, followed by Nordic neighbours Iceland and Norway, with Sweden coming in at fourth place. And the Swedish capital comes top of the Reader’s Digest ranking of 72 world cities when it comes to quality of life. Cities were rated according to quality of public... www.sr.se http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1900195/posts#comment Fri, 21 Sep 2007 16:57:37 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1874739/posts New research shows us that people around the world, including in the West, are satisfied with their lives and are enjoying a rising quality of life. So why are westerners so pessimistic, asks Nima Sanandaji, of think-tank Captus. Our planet is a happier place these days. That, at least, is what the Pew Research Center is telling us. Their latest survey of global attitudes in 47 nations has found a number of trends that are worth analyzing. According to Pew, people in the developing world are growing ever more satisfied with their personal and financial situations. In Latin America, 59... www.thelocal.se http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1874739/posts#comment Wed, 1 Aug 2007 14:59:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1854964/posts Ready to read about an example of the American dream, and the American reality? Look no further than the June 17 front page of The Washington Post. “Mia Hall just moved into her dream house, a five-bedroom Colonial in Southern Maryland featuring a gourmet kitchen with a center island and a double oven, twin fireplaces and a finished basement, as well as a whirlpool tub and dual shower heads in the master bathroom.” Sounds perfect. Townhall.com http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1854964/posts#comment Sat, 23 Jun 2007 04:30:18 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1842546/posts The Intelligence Unit of the Economist magazine has named Norway the most peaceful country in the world. The survey of 121 nations is backed by high profile names such as the Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu, and Jimmy Carter. New Zealand, Denmark, Ireland and Japan occupy the spots just back Norway. Lowest in the survey are Nigeria, Russia, Israel, Sudan and Iraq. The USA is remarkably low on the Global Peace Index, at 96th. www.aftenposten.no http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1842546/posts#comment Thu, 31 May 2007 16:11:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1833411/posts Harry Gault doesn't think of the small ranch home next door as a hot-button political issue in this year's Fairfax County election or realize how frequently his complaint is heard throughout the region. "I don't mind an Hispanic neighborhood," said Gault, 73. "But they've turned a three-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home into a nine-room boarding house..." With the entire Fairfax Board of Supervisors up for reelection this year, this issue, which has raised ire in communities across the Washington area, has taken on a hard edge among voters riled by single homes that have been converted to house eight or 10 adults.... Wash Post http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1833411/posts#comment Mon, 14 May 2007 18:42:12 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1832036/posts Stroke patients at mercy of postcode lotteryCervical cancer vaccine is '98pc effective' One in six hospitals treat in mixed wardsTelegraph hospital guideBritish cancer patients are substantially more likely to die of the disease than those in other western European countries because of poor access to the latest drugs, according to an authoritative report to be published today.While more than half of patients in France, Spain, Germany and Italy have access to new treatments provided since 1985, the proportion in the UK is four out of 10.French women with cancer are 34 per cent more likely than those in the... Telegraph http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1832036/posts#comment Fri, 11 May 2007 17:11:36 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1831538/posts Texas law may change to grant families some of doctors' authority On June 10, 2006, aging and ailing, Edith Pereira was taken by ambulance from St. Dominic nursing home to Memorial Hermann Hospital. It might have been nothing that serious. Urinary-tract infections had sent the 91-year-old with Alzheimer's and diabetes to the hospital often in the previous year, and the St. Dominic's nursing staff thought that likely was the problem this time. But Memorial Hermann doctors found no infection. Instead, they said, her altered state — high blood sugar that made her too drowsy and combative to be fed —... Houston Chronicle http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1831538/posts#comment Thu, 10 May 2007 21:22:07 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1797694/posts GLENVIEW, Illinois, March 8, 2007 (LifeSiteNews.com) – The leading US authority on palliative care has adopted a position of “studied neutrality” on the issue of physician-assisted suicide, following on the heels of a similar statement released by the Canadian Hospice Palliative Care Association in November. The American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine released a policy statement following approval by the AAHPM board of directors on Feb.14, 2007. “The AAHPM recognizes that deep disagreement persists regarding the morality of PAD,” the document states. “Sincere, compassionate, morally conscientious individuals stand on either side of this debate. AAHPM takes a position... LifeSiteNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1797694/posts#comment Fri, 9 Mar 2007 00:17:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1784549/posts The UK has been accused of failing its children, as it comes bottom of a league table for child well-being across 21 industrialised countries. Unicef looked at 40 indicators from the years 2000-2003 including poverty, peer and family relationships, and health. One of the report's authors told the BBC that under-investment and a "dog eat dog" attitude in society were to blame for Britain's poor performance. The government says its policies have helped to improve child welfare. Unicef - the United Nations children's organisation - says the report, titled Child Poverty in Perspective: An Overview of Child Well-being in Rich... BBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1784549/posts#comment Wed, 14 Feb 2007 11:58:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1779710/posts WASHINGTON, Feb. 5, 2007 – President Bush’s defense budget request for fiscal 2008 includes a 3 percent military pay raise as well as increases for housing, health care and other quality-of-life benefits and programs. Bush’s proposed budget, submitted to Congress this morning, includes $137 billion in pay, benefits and health care for 2.1 million active- and reserve-component troops and their families. That includes $2.1 billion more than this year for military pay, continuing a trend that has boosted military pay an average of 32 percent since 2001. If Congress approves the request, the typical E-6 sergeant or petty officer... American Forces Press Service http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1779710/posts#comment Mon, 5 Feb 2007 23:53:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1769875/posts On december 27,2006, kusheland miaskowski' introduced Mr K, a 66-year-old African Ameri­can man who has lived on the streets for nearly 50 years and for most of those years has used heroin and other illicit drugs daily. Mr K was diagnosed with advanced renal adenocarcinoma in February 2002 at a large urban hospital. For unclear reasons, resection was made con­tingent upon cessation of drug use and was not done. There­after, Mr K was lost to follow up for almost a year, until he presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and heroin withdrawal. He was then referred for palliative... The Journal of the American Medical Association http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1769875/posts#comment Fri, 19 Jan 2007 01:45:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1750831/posts SAN DIEGO ---- Regional planners are polling San Diego County residents to see if they would support a special "quality of life" tax to fund beach-sand replenishment, open-space purchases, habitat restoration and water-quality programs, an agency official said Thursday. The funding source could come in the form of a sales, property, hotel or rental-car tax, and could appear on the county ballot in 2008, said Rob Rundle, principal planner for the San Diego Association of Governments, the county's regional planning agency. Rundle said results of the telephone poll of 2,000 county registered voters will be reported to the association board... North County Times http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1750831/posts#comment Sat, 9 Dec 2006 06:36:04 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1744582/posts All those baby boomers with aging parents should pay close attention to a recent court decision in California. An appeals court ruling in a nasty divorce in Placer County highlights the little known but significant legal obligation of adult children who, to the extent they are able, should support their indigent parents. In the case before the appeals court, a divorcing wife disputed her husband's right to deduct from the proceeds of her share of community property the $12,000 he had spent to support his elderly, infirm mother. The wife called the support payments "an unauthorized gift of community funds."... Sacramento Bee http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1744582/posts#comment Mon, 27 Nov 2006 15:58:14 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1686130/posts LONDON, August 15, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – This week, a popular BBC radio announcer told the public that she had entered into a “suicide pact” with friends should she be incapacitated by illness. Jenni Murray, the presenter of BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, a feminist and euthanasia advocate, said that she does not want to be “trapped” into caring for her mother who is ill with Parkinson’s disease. Murray, a member of the Order of the British Empire and a patron of the Family Planning Association, is airing her views tonight on a BBC television program called “Don’t Get Me Started.”... LifeSite http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1686130/posts#comment Fri, 18 Aug 2006 21:44:39 GMT