living conditions news stories on Newser

Melbourne Ousts Vancouver as Top Place to Live

Kevin Spak — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:21:44 CDT

Dear readers, we have a question for you: Why don’t you live in Canada or Australia? Because apparently those are the world’s bestest places to live, according to an annual study from the Economist Intelligence Unit , which rates cities from around the world based on factors like political stability, health...

What Life Is Like for China's 20K Lepers

Nick McMaster — Sun, 02 Jan 2011 18:15:05 CST

It may seem unbelievable, but 20,000 Chinese citizens live in isolated colonies for people who suffer an ancient, debilitating disease: leprosy. More than 600 state-run colonies exist throughout China, usually separated from society by nature—the government took care to build them on islands, mountaintops, or generally inaccessible locations....

Cluttered? '100 Thing Challenge' Awaits

Harry Kimball — Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:20:03 CDT

A crusading blogger is inspiring citizens to take on a predicament of modern life: clutter. Dave Bruno launched the 100 Thing Challenge in an effort to free himself from his stuff, and he's down to just 97 belongings, Time reports. And while Bruno is a strict constructionist, some of his...

Filthy Barracks Video Sparks Clean Up

Peter Fearon — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:25:46 CDT

The Pentagon ordered filthy barracks at Fort Bragg in North Carolina and garrisons throughout the US Army cleaned up after a soldier's father posted embarrassing images of foul living conditions on YouTube. The dad welcomed his 22-year-old son home safe from Afghanistan, but was horrified by the living conditions at...