It doesn't surprise me. I guess I'm getting old because it seems it's expensive to do anything in this country outside of your home.

What's it cost a family to go to Disney world for a week now $10k?
- BetweenTheDots

Easily if not more. If you are paying that much, you might as well time it so you can head out to TB to see the Hawks play the Bolts (January 28).

We were down there for the 4th holiday and did notice though they had some type of 4 day pass for 400 for off-season times though.

Easily if not more. If you are paying that much, you might as well time it so you can head out to TB to see the Hawks play the Bolts (January 28).

We were down there for the 4th holiday and did notice though they had some type of 4 day pass for 400 for off-season times though.
- Popsghostly

One of my vices is concerts, i have to laugh on the apps they let you buy concert tickets on credit. Bless them for driving the economy but at the same time curse them for driving prices up.

We were in Paris last October and it was unseasonably hot, averaging 34C (about 94F).
- paulr

It was 40C yesterday

Do you live in europe right now?
- LFS

Yes.
Watched all 3 Cup runs with games starting at 2:00am/3:00am/4:00am etc..and finishing around 6:30am,then get ready for work.
People at my place of work thought I was a party animal,asking me where I go out on a Mon/Tue/Wed etc..I told them I barely party, their response was - why do you look like you didn't sleep last night? I said because the NHL playoffs started

Also watched about 25 regular season games last year,just to watch Bedard play.
I even promised myself to stay up/wake up to watch every game until he scores his first goal,luckily it didn't take him more than 2 games

Glad for you, hopefully the American dollar goes a long way in which ever country you reside in.

My wife laughs at me because i keep looking at property in Italy.
- BetweenTheDots

We cant spend me and my wife’s SS. Dollar is doing well right now. Italy can be expensive. I am living in the country I was born in so i know the language and customs even though its been over six decades since we left.

We’ve been looking at Italy but Portugal may be a good choice, cost of living is good, good health care, climate. It actually costs far less for me to go to Portugal for two weeks then to drive to Florida for two weeks.
- paulr

I pay $27/mo for FULL coverage. No deductibles, bills. It would be free had I worked in the country but i was six when we left so i pay that outrageous amount. Italy can be expensive. Dont know about Portugal but I do know its a lot different to actually live there than just to visit. Guess its true for most countries.

So, have we narrowed your new home to Seville, spain, Foggia,Italy or Sofia, Greece.

This new game is not as fun as the wordle, but it beats reading a Ben Pope piece.

Wait LFS, are you my Elementary school buddy, Bob, you introduded me to Surrealistic Pillow when we where in high school?


You never finished the stoty aboyt Ephesus.

How is Portugal?
- wiz1901

None of the countries you listed but close to one of them. Sorry, not bob

So, have we narrowed your new home to Seville, spain, Foggia,Italy or Sofia, Greece.

This new game is not as fun as the wordle, but it beats reading a Ben Pope piece.

Wait LFS, are you my Elementary school buddy, Bob, you introduded me to Surrealistic Pillow when we where in high school?


You never finished the stoty aboyt Ephesus.

How is Portugal?
- wiz1901

Yes.
Watched all 3 Cup runs with games starting at 2:00am/3:00am/4:00am etc..and finishing around 6:30am,then get ready for work.
People at my place of work thought I was a party animal,asking me where I go out on a Mon/Tue/Wed etc..I told them I barely party, their response was - why do you look like you didn't sleep last night? I said because the NHL playoffs started

Also watched about 25 regular season games last year,just to watch Bedard play.
I even promised myself to stay up/wake up to watch every game until he scores his first goal,luckily it didn't take him more than 2 games
- captainserious

Lol… my wife gets pissed when the game starts at 2-3-4 AM. I watched almost every game live but since i sm retired i can sleep late. Sometimes its 6:30AM when a game ends. I even watched the draft live. Cant wait for September.

It was 40C yesterday
- LFS

38C here today, that's about 100F
Still can't get on board with europeans and celsius,for whatever reason 38 doesn't sound hot,but 100 does

Lol… my wife gets pissed when the game starts at 2-3-4 AM. I watched almost every game live but since i sm retired i can sleep late. Sometimes its 6:30AM when a game ends. I even watched the draft live. Cant wait for September.
- LFS

I followed the draft on twitter, kept refreshing every 30secs,my wife wasn't too happy either,but was kind enough to go and sleep on the couch

38C here today, that's about 100F
Still can't get on board with europeans and celsius,for whatever reason 38 doesn't sound hot,but 100 does
- captainserious

I know!! The problem is that if someone says 18C i do not know what that FEELS like. Same with distance, i dont know what 60CM is. If someone says 20” i know what that measurement IS. Slowly learning. Miss Chicago and my US.

So, have we narrowed your new home to Seville, spain, Foggia,Italy or Sofia, Greece.

This new game is not as fun as the wordle, but it beats reading a Ben Pope piece.

Wait LFS, are you my Elementary school buddy, Bob, you introduded me to Surrealistic Pillow when we where in high school?


You never finished the stoty aboyt Ephesus.

How is Portugal?
- wiz1901

If youre from Chicago, I went to St. Ignatius and have a degree from Loyola.

It was 40C yesterday
- LFS

That's what? About 10 euros right?

I pay $27/mo for FULL coverage. No deductibles, bills. It would be free had I worked in the country but i was six when we left so i pay that outrageous amount. Italy can be expensive. Dont know about Portugal but I do know its a lot different to actually live there than just to visit. Guess its true for most countries.
- LFS

Amazing how much health care you can have when you don't spend $800B a year on defense. I'm not saying what's right or wrong, I'm just explaining the difference.

38C here today, that's about 100F
Still can't get on board with europeans and celsius,for whatever reason 38 doesn't sound hot,but 100 does
- captainserious

On the other hand you get to drive 100 while we are puttering along at 60.

Amazing how much health care you can have when you don't spend $800B a year on defense. I'm not saying what's right or wrong, I'm just explaining the difference.
- rpeters01

I just looked at the numbers and its amazing. China is the next highest at 290B or so.

Perhaps the numbers are so high due to the bases on almost every continent. We used to go down to Yokosuka as a cousin and a few friends were at the base and for all intents and purposes it is an American city in Japan with schools, a Walmart-type store and even a Chili's. There's even a military-only hotel in the heart of Tokyo called the New Sanno that we could get into with friends/family.

Like Italy, Japan has a national health care system. For something like 500 bucks a month for my family, we got deductible-less (all copay) insurance that was affordable. Visits to the pediatrician were like 3 bucks each and I remember getting a cavity fixed/filing for like 10 bucks. That was the hardest part of moving back, figuring out how insurance here worked.

I know!! The problem is that if someone says 18C i do not know what that FEELS like. Same with distance, i dont know what 60CM is. If someone says 20” i know what that measurement IS. Slowly learning. Miss Chicago and my US.
- LFS

Not a big fan of telling people I'm a meter and 90 something centimeters tall,sounds weird. Luckily people from the UK use the whole imperial system for height, or at least the few I worked with.

I remember a lot of Europeans being shocked that we have gallons of milk at super markets.

And right turn on red totally blew their minds

That's what? About 10 euros right?
- Rota's Rooter

I just looked at the numbers and its amazing. China is the next highest at 290B or so.

Perhaps the numbers are so high due to the bases on almost every continent. We used to go down to Yokosuka as a cousin and a few friends were at the base and for all intents and purposes it is an American city in Japan with schools, a Walmart-type store and even a Chili's. There's even a military-only hotel in the heart of Tokyo called the New Sanno that we could get into with friends/family.

Like Italy, Japan has a national health care system. For something like 500 bucks a month for my family, we got deductible-less (all copay) insurance that was affordable. Visits to the pediatrician were like 3 bucks each and I remember getting a cavity fixed/filing for like 10 bucks. That was the hardest part of moving back, figuring out how insurance here worked.
- Popsghostly

I went to school in Italy for a year in college. Two guys tore up their knees sking. $5 bucks each for non citizens.

I just looked at the numbers and its amazing. China is the next highest at 290B or so.

Perhaps the numbers are so high due to the bases on almost every continent. We used to go down to Yokosuka as a cousin and a few friends were at the base and for all intents and purposes it is an American city in Japan with schools, a Walmart-type store and even a Chili's. There's even a military-only hotel in the heart of Tokyo called the New Sanno that we could get into with friends/family.

Like Italy, Japan has a national health care system. For something like 500 bucks a month for my family, we got deductible-less (all copay) insurance that was affordable. Visits to the pediatrician were like 3 bucks each and I remember getting a cavity fixed/filing for like 10 bucks. That was the hardest part of moving back, figuring out how insurance here worked.
- Popsghostly

I think the bajillion dollar weapon systems have more to do with it. Gazillion dollar airplanes and star wars systems. The grunts are always the last to get a raise. I tell my Progressive friends it's not a zero sum gain; the defense industry has the highest paying jobs in the country.

Amazing how much health care you can have when you don't spend $800B a year on defense. I'm not saying what's right or wrong, I'm just explaining the difference.
- rpeters01

I have national health care, they deduct a % from my salary whether I want them to or not.
I'm still relatively young and don't need to see doctors (thank the good Lord) but some friends of mine have been on 2-3month waiting lists for MRIs etc...
Dentist? I can squeeze you in about 2 weeks from today is what you'll hear. Then you go to a private practice and end up paying out of pocket.
Not sure how good or bad the US system is,but the whole national health care thing isn't great everywhere.

I just looked at the numbers and its amazing. China is the next highest at 290B or so.

Perhaps the numbers are so high due to the bases on almost every continent. We used to go down to Yokosuka as a cousin and a few friends were at the base and for all intents and purposes it is an American city in Japan with schools, a Walmart-type store and even a Chili's. There's even a military-only hotel in the heart of Tokyo called the New Sanno that we could get into with friends/family.

Like Italy, Japan has a national health care system. For something like 500 bucks a month for my family, we got deductible-less (all copay) insurance that was affordable. Visits to the pediatrician were like 3 bucks each and I remember getting a cavity fixed/filing for like 10 bucks. That was the hardest part of moving back, figuring out how insurance here worked.
- Popsghostly

Its not what a country spends on healthcare. Per capita, the US spends by far the most. The problem is the costs allowed to sky rocket. Weve all read about the $30 tylenal Etc. where i live, if you have a full hip replacement outside of insurance it cost you about $9,000 with excellent surgeons and care. What woukd that cost in the US?!!!

I have national health care, they deduct a % from my salary whether I want them to or not.
I'm still relatively young and don't need to see doctors (thank the good Lord) but some friends of mine have been on 2-3month waiting lists for MRIs etc...
Dentist? I can squeeze you in about 2 weeks from today is what you'll hear. Then you go to a private practice and end up paying out of pocket.
Not sure how good or bad the US system is,but the whole national health care thing isn't great everywhere.
- captainserious

National or universal health care (UHC) is great if you can’t afford insurance, don’t have a job or have a recurring illness. But there are definitely drawbacks. Part of some Universal health care systems is the requirement to cap the salaries of doctors. That can lead to doctors going to other countries where they can make more money or capping the number of patients they see. All UHC systems seem to have longer wait times for non emergency illnesses or injuries. For example I had to wait 3 weeks for an MRI or get it at 2am because my injury, while uncomfortable, didn’t prevent me from walking. My Dad had cancer and had an MRI immediately. The biggest advantage to UHC is the cost of running it are actually less expensive than for profit health care systems. The average annual cost of health care per person for a Canadian in 2022 was $6,300 vs $12,500 in the U.S. Another advantage is the cost of medicine is far less expensive in a UHC system. The biggest advantage of for profit medicine is availability regardless of the problem or severity of the problem.

Certainly, Bedard will be very happy with the upgrades on the offense side of the Blackhawks' roster.