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People may celebrate a 2-week improvement in survival without acknowledging costsTom Somerville's decision to stop medical treatment for his end-stage cancer was a personal one. Somerville, 62, was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2021 that later spread to his liver. He had six months of chemotherapy to slow down the cancer, which he said also left him exhausted with nausea. The Kingston, Ont., resident decided to take a break from treatment to enjoy a trip with his wife to Victoria. "Things that you cherish change, right?" Somerville said. "I used to love being out in the bush, but now it...

Recent IPSOS polling (www.euronews.com/business/2023/11/26/one-in-four-europeans-say-their-financial-condition-is-precarious) found several concerning trends among the populations of Europe 30% of Europeans can no longer afford a “surprise expense” 47% of Europeans have had to turn down the heat in their homes and go cold, due to energy prices 37% of Europeans have had problems affording health treatment (medicines etc etc)

Life and work in the 21st century is increasingly reliant on modern technology, with a country’s digital quality of life playing a massive role on people’s day-to-day.Some countries excel in internet access and affordability, while others have more modern digital systems and relevant laws. And, as Visual Capitalist's Omri Wallach details below, many regions of the world suffer with lacking digital infrastructure and access across the board.The 2022 Digital Quality of Life Index (DQL) from Surfshark analyzes countries on digital wellbeing, based on data from the UN, World Bank, Freedom House, and the International Communications Union.5 Metrics for Measuring Digital...

In the past few decades, there have been several undeniable trends. First, the power of government at all levels, from all three branches, has increased dramatically. Simultaneously, the quality of life for ordinary Americans, especially those living in cities, has decreased significantly. Thus, as ordinary citizens have ceded more power and control to government “experts” the living conditions in our country have deteriorated considerably. The American “dream” of upward mobility and a better standard of living than the previous generation is now impossible for many young couples. Our country’s working-class citizens are finding it more difficult to survive economically. These...

About Quality of Life Indices At This Website Quality of Life Index (higher is better) is an estimation of overall quality of life by using an empirical formula which takes into account purchasing power index (higher is better), pollution index (lower is better), house price to income ratio (lower is better), cost of living index (lower is better), safety index (higher is better), health care index (higher is better), traffic commute time index (lower is better) and climate index (higher is better). Cost Of LivingCost Of LivingCost of Living ComparisonCost of Living CalculatorCost Of Living Index (Current)Cost Of Living IndexCost...

SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) — As San Francisco tries to bounce back from the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, crime and homelessness now rank among the highest levels of concerns among local residents, many who are contemplating relocating, according to a new poll. The poll was released by the SF Chamber of Commerce and based on feedback from more than 500 San Francisco residents who are registered to vote. It found that more than 40 percent say they plan to move out of the city in the next few years. Lindsay Stevens just finished moving out over the weekend....

SAN FRANCISCO - The Bay Area struck a hard bargain with its tech workers. Rent was astronomical. Taxes were high. Your neighbors didn’t like you. If you lived in San Francisco, you might have commuted an hour south to your job at Apple or Google or Facebook. Or if your office was in the city, maybe it was in a neighborhood with too much street crime, open drug use and $5 coffees. But it was worth it. Living in the epicenter of a boom that was changing the world was what mattered. The city gave its workers a choice of...

CEOs from 160 top companies have demanded that New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio to address public safety and fix 'quality of life issues' that have deteriorated the city. Chief executives from companies Lyft, Macy's, Goldman Sachs and more signed the letter to de Blasio and asserted that they were sure that the city would 'remain a thriving global center of commerce, innovation and opportunity'. But despite New York having an infection rate below one per cent for more than 30 days, the CEOs said there was widespread anxiety over public safety, cleanliness and other quality of life issues...

The Gem State’s population is expected to continue to grow due to a multitude of reasons “Look outside your window today,” said Derrell Hartwick, president and CEO of the Coeur d’Alene Chamber of Commerce. “You can see what the great draws are.” And if you looked outside Friday, you saw beautiful blue skies, sunshine and plenty of green. You saw people biking, walking dogs and sitting down with coffee. And if you went one step further and stepped outside, you felt a warm 60 degrees — and it was still February. Hartwick, who recently moved to Coeur d’Alene, spoke of...

The 2019 Best Countries rankings, formed in partnership with BAV Group, a unit of global marketing communications company VMLY&R, and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, are based on a study that surveyed more than 20,000 global citizens from four regions to assess perceptions of 80 countries on 75 different metrics. The Quality of Life subranking is based on an equally weighted average of scores from nine country attributes that relate to quality of life in a country: affordable, a good job market, economically stable, family friendly, income equality, politically stable, safe, well-developed public education system and well-developed...

The Napa Valley Register published the results of a poll which found a shockingly high percentage of people living in the Bay Area feel it is on the decline. That was especially true in San Francisco where 72% felt the city was on the decline because of the high cost of living, traffic, and homelessness: The dissatisfaction spreads across political parties and county lines, according to the poll of 1,568 registered voters in five counties. Just 7 percent of respondents said life has gotten better here in the past five years, and 23 percent said it’s stayed about the...

A proposal to build a Cross Downtown Brooklyn Tunnel, an idea studied by the state in 2010, is sparking new interest. As the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway from Atlantic Avenue to Sands Street faces a massive, $3.4 billion reconstruction, a once-in-a-lifetime window of opportunity has opened, says longtime Cobble Hill community leader and graphic designer Roy Sloane. Sloane came up with the tunnel concept at a planning session in June 2010. Sloane, former president of the Cobble Hill Association, is the first to admit he is not an engineer. He was, however, a member of the original Brooklyn-Queens Expressway Advisory Committee and...

In my last article about how life was so much better 40 years ago, I promised I would even things out and talk about how things have actually improved in the past few decades since I was a kid. (I don't want anyone thinking I'm a crotchety old guy.) So here goes — seven things that make life better now than "back in the good old days": 1. Healthier choices in food. Health food has become mainstream. You don't have to go to some out of the way "health food shop" run by "hippies" to get what you need. All...

Last month in Philadelphia, a white Starbucks manager summoned police officers to confront a pair of African-American men after one asked to use the restroom before he had purchased a drink. About two weeks later, at Lake Merritt Park in Oakland, Calif., a white woman called police to report a black family that was grilling food for a picnic. In both instances, the victims were accused of violating laws or rules governing conduct in commercial establishments and public spaces. In the first case, it was for trespassing or loitering. In the second, it was for using a charcoal grill outside...

Awards season is in full swing in California, and the Golden State just took home a booby prize of its own. California ranks dead last among U.S. states in quality of life, according to a study by U.S. News, ranking behind New Jersey (49th) and Indiana (48th). The ignominious honor reflects California's low marks in the sub-categories of environmental quality and social engagement. The latter category measures voting participation and community bonds. Californians scored poorly in part because they're simply insufferable, U.S. News suggested. "In addition to a healthy environment, a person's quality of life is largely a result of...

San Francisco’s chief judge says he and his colleagues discarded 66,000 arrest warrants issued over five years for quality-of-life crimes, like sleeping on the sidewalk, because it made no sense to lock people up for fines they couldn’t afford.

For a good chance at a happy life, head to Australia, which one again topped the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's Better Life Index, which looks at the quality of life in member countries. The (OECD) — an international economic organization — analyzed 34 countries in 11 categories, including income, housing, jobs, community, education, environment, civic engagement, health, life satisfaction, safety, and work-life balance. (You can read the full methodology here.) We looked at the countries with the highest overall scores, and highlighted a few of the criteria on the following slides. Researchers compared data from 34 countries that...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- "Oil boom" is probably the first phrase that comes to mind when one thinks about North Dakota. Yet North Dakotans see their state as much more than oil. They are highly satisfied with their schools, their air quality, their ability to find a quality job, and their overall standard of living. In Gallup's comprehensive survey of all 50 states, North Dakota ranks No. 1 on a variety of indicators spanning economics, public affairs, education, the environment, and well-being. In 2014, North Dakota is a complex, thriving state that is adapting rapidly to the economic and social factors...

Do you like convenience, service, simplicity, competition, more jobs and all the other features of a free market that stays free and ever productive? Then you'll love a service like Uber or Lyft, which use private drivers to give customers a, yes, lyft. No waiting forever, just door-to-door or even corner-to-corner service. Provided by friendly folks who use their own cars and stand to collect the lion's share of the fares, the worker being worthy of his hire. Who wouldn't like it? It's good for the customer, good for the driver, and good for the local economy. Here's who...

In a recent Politico Magazine article titled, “Let’s Talk About Death Panels,” Harold Pollack urges reviving one of the most notorious proposals that did not make it into the Obama Health Car Law – “advance planning consultations.”During the debate over Obamacare’s enactment, there was considerable controversy over a provision in an early version under which health care providers would have been paid by Medicare to discuss with their patients whether they would want life-saving medical treatment.After former Alaska governor and vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin dubbed the planning sessions “death panels,” the provision was dropped from the law ultimately enacted.As Pollack...