Spending a while contemplating the nature of the universe, where would you rather be?

Having spent 2 visits to to Sweden at the peak of their summer, this is my choice. Consistently one of the highest living standards in the world, and yet one of the highest suicide rates - what's the catch? On holidays, in perfect weather, one is it is easy to get a false impression, but I would like to live there to see the real conditions

is there unemployment rate lower than 10%? if so, I'm in

on second thought, I'd like to go live with the vegans, like in the movie contact. they seem to have it good.

No idea, but here in sunny (drought riddled) Australia, it is under 6

No idea, but here in sunny (drought riddled) Australia, it is under 6australians have always been smart, while the US has always been epitamy of stupidity. believe it. ;)

And as a bye the bye, you Yanks caused this mess, don't whinge to us that you are paying the greatest penalty

And as a bye the bye, you Yanks caused this mess, don't whinge to us that you are paying the greatest penaltydavid, i just praised you and your kind, you can shut up now :D

Gladly (but the temptation was too great) Don't pass it on, but I had a really good time in New Orleans & Chicago

Whats wrong with NSW which does fairly well in the charts too doesn't it?

According the the most recent United Nations Human Development Index Sweden is in the top 10... but Australia was in second place so perhaps one of the criteria is having somewhere better to go for a two week visit...

Spending a while contemplating the nature of the universe, where would you rather be?

Having spent 2 visits to to Sweden at the peak of their summer, this is my choice. Consistently one of the highest living standards in the world, and yet one of the highest suicide rates - what's the catch? On holidays, in perfect weather, one is it is easy to get a false impression, but I would like to live there to see the real conditions

Hey, I'm not complaining, just I guess the human condition of wanting something you haven't got

David, I'm glad you enjoyed my home city of New Orleans. In winter, it can be quite pleasant. Maybe three or four times a year we get a real chill. Other times, we fluctuate from low 40s (F) to low or mid 60s. Light sweater weather.

Hope you had a chance to try some of our signature seafood.

mmmmmm Gumbo - Good! Really enjoyed the music

My grandmother is from Ville Platte and she makes the best chicken and sausage gumbo in the world! Man I love it.

Now there is aplace that people REALLY know how to be hospitable and throw an excellent party... GREAT music and I love Acadian and Cajun cooking.... mmmmmmmm
David, I'm glad you enjoyed my home city of New Orleans. In winter, it can be quite pleasant. Maybe three or four times a year we get a real chill. Other times, we fluctuate from low 40s (F) to low or mid 60s. Light sweater weather.

Hope you had a chance to try some of our signature seafood.

Spending a while contemplating the nature of the universe, where would you rather be?

Having spent 2 visits to to Sweden at the peak of their summer, this is my choice. Consistently one of the highest living standards in the world, and yet one of the highest suicide rates - what's the catch? On holidays, in perfect weather, one is it is easy to get a false impression, but I would like to live there to see the real conditions
It is a common myth that Sweden has a high suicide rate. It appears higher because many accidental deathsare included as self deaths in their stats. The swedish suicide rate is much lower than the the finnish one.

Spending a while contemplating the nature of the universe, where would you rather be?

Having spent 2 visits to to Sweden at the peak of their summer, this is my choice. Consistently one of the highest living standards in the world, and yet one of the highest suicide rates - what's the catch? On holidays, in perfect weather, one is it is easy to get a false impression, but I would like to live there to see the real conditions

I think you visited us at the best possible time then :)
The standards are good, but I'm sure that will degenerate with this government selling out everything to private interests.
Regarding the weather it is not that great during the winter and early spring... lots of rain, overcast days and a window of only a few hours of sunlight.

Personally I kind of like these late autum-/winter-/early spring-weather but I belong to a minority.

I KNOW I got very lucky with the weather, there for a total of 7 days and 7 days of perfect weather!!!

I'm sure that will degenerate with this government selling out everything to private interests. - Don't make our mistakes, years ago our government spent a huge amount of money, time & effort to sell off our nationalised phone network

Now, they are spending an exponentially larger amount to buy it back because they have realised if they want to improve broadband, the private company (note the singular) has them over a barrell

I think you visited us at the best possible time then :)
The standards are good, but I'm sure that will degenerate with this government selling out everything to private interests.
Regarding the weather it is not that great during the winter and early spring... lots of rain, overcast days and a window of only a few hours of sunlight.

Personally I kind of like these late autum-/winter-/early spring-weather but I belong to a minority.

I've always been lucky when I visited Sweden, but have always been in the south. Each time in the winter and each time only sunshine, chilly but sunny. It reminded me of Scotland ;)

The people too are so very friendly in Sweden! I loved working there. Great place.

I think you visited us at the best possible time then :)
The standards are good, but I'm sure that will degenerate with this government selling out everything to private interests.
Regarding the weather it is not that great during the winter and early spring... lots of rain, overcast days and a window of only a few hours of sunlight.

Personally I kind of like these late autum-/winter-/early spring-weather but I belong to a minority.

I owe my life to Swedish engineers.
I'm on my third Volvo, and had a Saab.

I've always been lucky when I visited Sweden, but have always been in the south. Each time in the winter and each time only sunshine, chilly but sunny. It reminded me of Scotland ;)

The people too are so very friendly in Sweden! I loved working there. Great place.

Oh, you shot try the north... it's beautiful in the winter! :)

I owe my life to Swedish engineers.
I'm on my third Volvo, and had a Saab.

Please do buy more of them :) The future look grim for either company, they may have kept their face above the water for the moment, but in the long run I'm not sure any of them will survive. :confused:

Please do buy more of them :) The future look grim for either company, they may have kept their face above the water for the moment, but in the long run I'm not sure any of them will survive. :confused:

Ditto for most of the worlds auto makers - Gee, what would happen if they all went bust?

Gee, what would happen if they all went bust?

No demand for oil - maybe the middle east would get on with settling their religious differences while the rest of the world got on with developing alternative energy - Maybe not a bad thing

I owe my life to Swedish engineers.
I'm on my third Volvo, and had a Saab.

Ehhh ?
Volvo is owned by Ford, Saab is owned by GM. Swedish engineering, maybe the typical bolts that hold the generator set :eek:

Ditto for most of the worlds auto makers - Gee, what would happen if they all went bust?

Guess we would all be driving that second hand Trabant bought from the former DDR :confused:

Guess we would all be driving that second hand Trabant bought from the former DDR :confused:
Wouldn't it be a little crowded if we were all in the same car??:D

Wouldn't it be a little crowded if we were all in the same car??:D

Depends on where you are : ;)

http://chromespot.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/trabant10-full1.jpg

Ehhh ?
Volvo is owned by Ford, Saab is owned by GM. Swedish engineering, maybe the typical bolts that hold the generator set :eek:

You have to go back decades to see the beginning, nearly all cars (not SUVs or truck) are descendent from the technology pioneered by Volvo.

Ford's ownership of Volvo contractually kept them from changing the Volvo business model.

There was a 2 way transfer in technology resulting in both car maker producing better vehicles.

I’ve owned many cars and rented hundreds of others.

Volvo consistently produces the most value in the luxury car market. Also they make cars with the best combination of handling and comfort. Not to mention the one I drive was the highest rated car in the world, for safety.


I have an S80; drive one, you’ll like it

I had a Volvo once, it drank petrol faster than I could put it in, still compared to American gas guzzlers:rolleyes:

I had a Volvo once, it drank petrol faster than I could put it in, still compared to American gas guzzlers:rolleyes:

I can vouch for that though it felt like you could take on the Desert Fox himself when you drove one. :D

Lol, I've noticed someone that I work with has purchased a second hand Volvo recently. How do I know it's second hand? It's a Hearse, and, apart from the fact that we do not cater funerals, there is a childs pushchair in the back of it :D How cool is that? Wish I had seen it for sale!!

I had a Volvo once, it drank petrol faster than I could put it in, still compared to American gas guzzlers:rolleyes:

Your knowledge of American cars is obviously outdated.

Your knowledge of American cars is obviously outdated.
I do know that Americans now prefer to buy Japanese cars:rolleyes:

I know I have always prefered Japanese cars. I had a Toyota Tacoma truck that, not only got excellent gas mileage for a truck (and many cars), last a very long time. It would have lasted longer had my ex's new boyfriend not wrecked it.

As for American cars being gas guzzlers. I've owned three different Saturns and they've all been excellent on gas. I've also owned a Sunfire which, while not as good as the Saturns, still had better than average gas mileage.

I do know that Americans now prefer to buy Japanese cars:rolleyes:

That suggests somebody doesn't, who the hell can that be.

Brian