http://www.bluezones.com/programs/bl...of-california/

My sister-in-law runs this program, not sure what it has to do with other countries. People in that area tend to be very happy as long as they are wealthy.
The poor seem to be some of the worst I have seen outside of Baltimore.

No. That's not what I said at all, and you know it.

I was discussing overall quality of life and opportunity in various countries, and I provided two links for you to read regarding what I was discussing. And that certainly includes how economies approportion their income to their citizens.

You clearly didn't read the links, and do not understand what I am talking about.

YOU, instead, have changed the subject to current specific economic conditions in various countries, and are angry I'm not spoon-feeding you subject material on something I didn't bring up?

No. Get your head into the right conversation.

I'm talking about Blue Zones in all the countries of the world, not just Loma Linda. I am talking about overall quality of life in a country, of a people, including the World Happiness Quotient/Measure, not only focusing on one's income.

I am talking about what countries can use their income (taxes, money) to do for their citizens, and what we as the citizens should choose to spend our combined societal money upon, to gain a better country for everyone in it.

We, in America, have gone into massive debt to fight wars. Imagine if we, instead over those eight years, had used that money on us: our education, technology, alleviating poverty, making life in the US better for all of us, by measures that are proven to provide good quality of life and happiness in many other places in the world. Ensuring all Americans have health care, food, shelter, education, thus opportunity to live and work in a fulfilling, happy life with free time, relaxation, family.

That's pretty cool about your sister-in-law, she works at the hospital in Loma Linda? Or for Blue Zone Project? What "program" does she run?

10th in the avg. life satisfaction, that is pretty solid I'd say. Considering that Costa Rica and Ireland are ranked ahead of us.

Average happiness yesterday we are 6th!! Once again somehow below Ireland...
I am beginning to doubt the validity of this study, the Irish are a notoriously unhappy people.

She runs Beach Cities Health District as CMO. Video below.

http://sciencestage.com/v/61490/blue...blue-zone.html

The overall picture in America now has become one of an extremely stratified and class-oriented society, with only a few people owning most of the money, wages stagnant for decades, and half our country in fear and relative poverty. We have the highest rates of murder, no national health care, education has become unaffordable. We are angry, jealous, selfish, vindictive ....

This country deserves better. What makes citizens happy? We are one of the richest countries in the world - why don't we give ourselves the best lives possible?

Can you imagine what a great life it would be, to not have to worry that becoming ill or having an accident will take all your hard-earned savings, or your house, everything you've worked hard for, and put you into poverty, starvation, loss? Not to have to worry that if you develop a scary lump, you don't get medical care because you don't have enough money to see a doctor?

Freedom from worry about health is just one element that makes a countries citizens happy and productive, living good, long lives. There are other factors.

We, in America, can do far, far better along that front than we do now. We could have everyone covered for health care. We could have a easily livable minimum wage where your work supports eating and housing. We could have readily available education, tech school for anyone who wanted it, as far as they wanted to work and grow. We could have thriving, innovative, upwardly-mobile jobs. We could have families readily supported on 40-hour work weeks. Time for spending time with family, vacations, retirement. People could afford decent housing on one salary.

Life is for enjoyment. For living.

We have had that before in America, for brief periods of time. Now, AGAIN, we simply have to choose it. Other countries are doing it. We can, too.

Thanks! Love the TED talks, and her's was great. Plus, that's exactly what I am talking about - I agree with her entirely. She is talking primarily about the medical viewpoint, but it's all the same "environment"

Yes, we need to change our environment: and we, as the collective society known as America, who elects our government to do our wishes, can choose to do that. In America we control our own destiny. We can choose to make basic food and basic shelter a given: affordable via a minimum wage that is livable. We can choose that health care will never be a concern for any of us, it's a given.

If your food, shelter and healthcare are a given, that will never be unavailable to you, or out of financial reach - imagine the freedom from worry, the enabling that's available for you to soar - to study, learn, create, make a business, enjoy your family, etc. To enjoy living a life.

Why don't we, America, choose to make this our societal norm? It's crazy!

PS - getting back to the subject of the thread ... speculation that Harry Reid's source regarding Romney's tax returns will go public on his own 1 day before the GOP convention starts, taking all the media wind out of the GOP convention.

Should McCain release Romney's tax returns?

I like the third one the best..:D

You would have been great back in the Nazi Germany days. Hitler loved conveying a message via a child's cartoon. Find a way to show your thoughts through verbiage. Or may I suggest nickelodean.com.

BTW Political cartoons started because of a language barrior. I again apologize if ur IQ falls behind Chicago's high temp today which, I think was 84?

Appreciation of political cartoons takes a certain sophistication of knowledge of the subject, the broadness of mind to appreciate satire, combined with an ability to laugh at oneself and others.

U doan hav it.

http://www.slate.com/articles/news/p...gn_slurs_.html


That brings us to Harry Reid’s yarn about a “Bain investor” who told him that Romney “didn’t pay any taxes for 10 years.” The entire professional fact-check squad has called Reid a liar while admitting that he may not actually be a liar. “Without seeing Romney’s taxes, we cannot definitively prove Reid incorrect,” wrote the Washington Post’s Glenn Kessler. “But tax experts say his claim is highly improbable.”

and further down:

We have not evolved highly enough to gaze into Harry Reid’s mind, but we can make an assumption: He wanted the media to ask more questions about tax laws that favor the rich. That’s a policy dispute, folks. It’s at the center of Barack Obama’s campaign. It’s a major Republican critique of the first three years of the president’s term: Why didn’t he take tax reform seriously when Bowles-Simpson asked him to?

that's a valid question imo. all these things, tied to the economy that obama said was his 'first priority'...and yet, it wasn't.

Obama made these remarks today. Maybe I'm going senile but it is the same pablum that he spewed and suckered me in on 4 years ago.. He has done nothing of the sort.

http://www.politico.com/politico44/2...ng-131566.html

"He made the remarks while pushing for the renewal of a tax credit for wind energy manufacturing – something Romney opposes – and for the creation of credits for companies who bring jobs home from overseas, as well as the elimination of loopholes for offshoring.
“Gov. Romney brags about his private sector experience, but it was mostly invested in companies, some of which were called 'pioneers of outsourcing,'” Obama said. “I don’t want to be a pioneer of outsourcing. I want to insource.”

yeah, i read earlier where he said 'he has a plan' to grow jobs. well? we're waiting?! makes one wonder why he's holding us in suspense. hell, he shoulda trotted that thing out a while ago, maybe people wouldn't be bitching about unemployment figures now!

Guess you missed that trot out.

Really, some of you folks oughta watch TV or read a newspaper once in a while. Good grief.

Harry Reid's source may be revealed right before GOP convention, taking all the wind out of GOP sails and owning media with bad stories about Romney.

Journalists have ferreted out that Bain-Mormon source verifying Mitt has paid no taxes for 10 years could be Jon Huntsman's father.

And chooses Jeff Immelt to help him with the jobs scenario...

http://www.opencongress.org/bill/112-s1549/text

This? Please.

Yeah, we should all get our news from such fair and unbiased sources such as dailykos and Jon Stewart. :rolleyes:

What she said...think dell will like this one...:D....that corpse trying to vote looks like the pain remover..:)