Which country would you rather live in?

[Lorizael]

I don't know anyone who lives in San Francisco.

[loinburger]

yup, just saw a news blurb linking Vit D deficiency due to low sunlight with pancreatic cancer
living near the equator makes you ~1/6th less likely to get it

course if you got light skin your odds of skin cancer rise too

looks downright evolutionary

On the subject of evolution, I was reading a book called Survival of the Sickest about why certain genetic disorders are perpetuated, e.g. sickle-cell anemia is perpetuated because if you've got one gene for it then you're resistant to malaria. Anyway, the book mentioned that light skin is favored where there's less sunlight because that way you get more vitamin D out of the sun, whereas dark skin is favored where there's more sunlight because that way the vitamin B stored in your subcutaneous tissue is better protected. Light skin also makes you more prone to contracting skin cancer, but odds are that you've already reproduced by the time that you die of skin cancer and so Mother Nature doesn't give a ****. (Similarly, there's also a condition called hemochromatosis where your body retains too much iron - it tends to affect men more than women because women will expel the excess iron when they menstruate. Like sickle-cell anemia, the condition makes you resistant to malaria. It will eventually kill you, but odds are you'll have reproduced by then - Mother Nature wants you to live long enough to reproduce, and then doesn't really care when you drop dead.)

On the thread subject, definitely the USA. Rural life sucks everywhere if you're outside of the norm, but in the US you can live in most cities while being black and gay without running into too much trouble - anecdotal evidence suggests otherwise for Russia.

[Berzerker]

I didn't know about darker skin retaining vita B better, life is a bunch of trade-offs and then you die

[Bereta_Eder]

Mongolia and Equador

[Bereta_Eder]

Mongolia because you would ride the yetis and eat fermented cheese and equador because there are beaches all around. You get out of the sea take a couple of steps on dry land then jump back to the sea on the other side.
(winter mongolia, summer equador)

[giblets]

Technically there is no summer in Ecuador. You could be in Ecuador while it's summer in Mongolia, but I'm not sure why you'd want to be in Mongolia in the winter.

edit:

Generally speaking, Ecuador has two seasons, wet and dry, but local weather patterns vary greatly depending on geography.

In the highlands, the dry season is between June and September and around Christmas, but even the wet season isn't particularly rainy.

The central valley is spring-like all year, with temperatures no higher than 24°C.

The Oriente experiences rain year-round; July and August are the wettest months, September through December the driest. Canoe travel is best in the wet season, when streams are high, while trekking is best done in the dry.

On the coast, the wet season (roughly January to May) sees sunny days with daily afternoon downpours, but it's the best beach weather. June through August sees gringo vacationers descend. The mainland coastal areas and the Galápagos Islands are sweltering and wet between January and April. Despite the rain, this season has the most sun and is when Ecuadorians flock to the beach. In the Galápagos, the wildlife frolics year-round but you'll find January to April the best time for snorkeling.

If you're prone to seasickness, avoid the rough-sea months between July and October. The high seasons are mid-December to January and June to August - accommodation rates are highest during these months, and reservations are advised.

In the highlands beware of thick fog that settles on the mountain tops in the early afternoon pretty much everyday as the clouds build up. These mountain roads are quite treacherous in clear daylight with their rock falls and land slips, in the fog progress is much slower so give yourself plenty of time for a journey.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g294307-s208/Ecuador:Weather.And.When.To.Go.html

[N35t0r]

Mongolia because you would ride the yetis and eat fermented cheese and equador because there are beaches all around. You get out of the sea take a couple of steps on dry land then jump back to the sea on the other side.
(winter mongolia, summer equador)

I think you're thinking of the wrong Ecuador there.

[Sava]

Except exposure, particularly due to lack of basic services such as clean water, functioning police, hospitals, electricity....

A Russian hospital probably wouldn't throw him out on the street for not having insurance. But then again, is exposure better than being in a Russian hospital?

[regexcellent]

Actually a US hospital wouldn't throw him out for not having insurance, but any decent Russian hospital is very likely to make you pay up front in cash. From the State Department:

Medical care in most areas pf Russia is below Western standards due to shortages of medical supplies, differing practice standards and the lack of comprehensive primary care. Those facilities in Moscow and St. Petersburg with higher standards do not necessarily accept all cases. Access to these facilities usually requires cash or credit card payment at Western rates at the time of service. The U.S. Social Security Medicare Program does not provide coverage for hospital or medical costs in Russia. Elderly travelers and those with existing health problems may be at risk. The State Department does not recommend elective surgeries requiring blood transfusions and/or non-essential blood transfusions due to uncertainties surrounding the local blood supply. Most hospitals and clinics in major urban areas have adopted the use of disposable IV supplies, syringes, and needles as standard practice. However, travelers to remote areas might consider bringing a supply of sterile, disposable syringes and corresponding IV supplies. We recommend travelers do not visit tattoo parlors or piercing services due to the risk of infection.

http://travel.state.gov/content/passports/english/country/russia.html

[Sava]

Actually a US hospital wouldn't throw him out for not having insurance

Happens every day in this country.

You should go shoot some guns or something. Leave the whole "talking about reality" thing to people who are aware of it.

[N35t0r]

Actually a US hospital wouldn't throw him out for not having insurance, but any decent Russian hospital is very likely to make you pay up front in cash. From the State Department:



http://travel.state.gov/content/pass...ry/russia.html

From what I read, that phrase corresponds to the "facilities in Moscow and St. Petersburg with higher standards", which I would understand to be private clinics, not available elsewhere.

[Proteus_MST]

France or Canada

[Hauldren Collider]

From what I read, that phrase corresponds to the "facilities in Moscow and St. Petersburg with higher standards", which I would understand to be private clinics, not available elsewhere.

"Higher standards" meaning "what a US citizen would expect at any basic medical treatment facility"

[regexcellent]

Happens every day in this country.

You should go shoot some guns or something. Leave the whole "talking about reality" thing to people who are aware of it.

If you go to an emergency room you will get treatment with or without insurance, if you need it to save your life. That's what I'm talking about.

Any decent healthcare in Russia will come at a price.

[N35t0r]

"Higher standards" meaning "what a US citizen with adquate health insurance would expect at any basic medical treatment facility"

FTFY