For some reason I forgot it was Memorial Day weekend. I am not one for idolizing those who have or are serving their country. However, I do respect them and whenever I meet one, I make sure and tell them how much I appreciate their sacrifice. It is a thankless job and I never forget it. May this stupid war in Afghanistan end soon and "may they all be home for Christmas." That was a quote I took from an episode of M.A.S.H. I think that show did a lot to keep us out of these bloody messes by showing us what a bloody mess it really was.
I salute all the soldiers past and present on this Memorial Day.
I think I will take the rest of the weekend off or maybe not.
Makes you wish you lived in Australia. Follow the link to a slide show and thanks to Shaza for sending this along. You might be surprised how high the US is ranked. #3
QB
Australia Tops OECD Better Life Index
People all over the world are fascinated by happiness rankings and how their own countries fare in global league tables. In some places, such as Britain, ratings of national well-being aren't just a matter for policy wonks but a subject of widespread popular interest.
The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) is the latest institution to jump into the happiness-rating business with its new Better Life Initiative, a detailed survey of 24 indicators in 11 categories--ranging from civic engagement to environmental quality--across its 34 member states plus Brazil and Russia.
When all of the categories are weighted equally, the top-performing country in the world is Australia, cited for its strong community spirit and high level of life satisfaction. The lowest-ranked country among those studied was Turkey, whose weak scores on the same two criteria dragged it below Mexico, Chile, and Brazil.
The OECD emphasizes on its Better Life Initiative web site that the rankings aren't absolute: By changing weightings on the criteria--say, to emphasize education or housing--users can alter the overall country scores according to their areas of interest.
Read on for an introduction to the world's happiest countries.
