Ferret 2,983 Posted July 31, 2019 Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 Especially in winter? 🤣 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pappysmarket 2,628 Posted July 31, 2019 Report Share Posted July 31, 2019 2 hours ago, Ferret said: Especially in winter? 🤣 Ferret, I can't pull your chain, now can I? Exactly my response had I been challenged. Like your style! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ferret 2,983 Posted August 1, 2019 Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 There are four seasons in Canada. Early winter, winter, late winter.... and road construction. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
El Menudo 465 Posted August 1, 2019 Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 5 hours ago, RVGRINGO said: Even though I use the VA Health System, and my wife has Medicare and Medicare Advantate, we still pay 1/3 of our income for our medical care, in the form of copays, and the deductions from our Social Security. Oh, yes, emergency rooms will take you, but you will have a bill for at least a couple of thousand dollars, and it will remain due and payable, with hounding and possible liens. Yet, in other counties there would be no bill, or an insignificant one. Once, abroad, I was treated in an emergency room and the bill was $2 for the x-ray film. Nothing more. I was a tourist. Later, I had the opportunity to get to know more about the systems in many other countries. The USA could do well to emulate many of them. Our 'for profit system' is out of control. What? We have Medicare and a supplemental, Humana, and an ER visit is $90. Never more and my spouse has been admitted (including the ICU) several times. We have never had to pay anything like thousands. But I agree the US medical system sucks. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mijo 26 Posted August 1, 2019 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 See what I mean. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AngusMactavish 3,277 Posted August 1, 2019 Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 8 minutes ago, Mijo said: See what I mean. Yes, the US system do sucketh. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kyle 487 Posted August 1, 2019 Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 El Munudo What do you and your wife together pay monthly for Medicare and Humana? I would bet most average Americsn couple could not afford those premiums. Luck you Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kyle 487 Posted August 1, 2019 Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 Mijo. I think you will find that most of us living here are pretty independent thinkers and the good part of that is we have some lively discussions and still "try" to respect opposite views. How lucky we are! 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
El Menudo 465 Posted August 1, 2019 Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 27 minutes ago, Kyle said: El Munudo What do you and your wife together pay monthly for Medicare and Humana? I would bet most average Americsn couple could not afford those premiums. Luck you I think adding the extra for Humana was $76 each per month. We picked a mid grade plan. There were some for less and others more. It includes drug coverage too. FYI you need a US address. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
luvsdawgs 396 Posted August 1, 2019 Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 13 hours ago, Kyle said: El Munudo What do you and your wife together pay monthly for Medicare and Humana? I would bet most average Americsn couple could not afford those premiums. Luck you In Finland they pay 80% of their income in taxes, the health care is good, but many get private health care as the wait is long. As it is in many other countries such as Germany and Canada for instance. However, the Socialist Government is failing. Soon there will be no health care or anything else. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RVGRINGO 2,099 Posted August 1, 2019 Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 El Menudo, I was referring to "you who may be uninsured, and not with the VA". My recent ER bills, and the 911 ambulance rides, were in the thousands. Fortunately, for me, the VA covered it. Someone without the VA and/or Medicare, or very expensive private insurance, would be facing a very large bill, plus the subsequent five days in the hospital, etc. Had I been uninsured, I would not have called 911, and would choose to expire, rather than possibly bankrupt my surviving spouse. However, since the indigent have nothing to lose, they use the ER for splinter removals. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanMexicali 1,056 Posted August 1, 2019 Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 47 minutes ago, luvsdawgs said: In Finland they pay 80% of their income in taxes, the health care is good, but many get private health care as the wait is long. As it is in many other countries such as Germany and Canada for instance. However, the Socialist Government is failing. Soon there will be no health care or anything else. https://www.nordisketax.net/main.asp?url=files/suo/eng/i07.asp Income taxes in Finland are about 50 percent maximum and 36 percent for $25,400 to $43,500 per year. Not bad. . Their VAT [IVA] tax is high at 20 percent. Finland: Income tax table, state income tax on earned income, for 2019 (In addition to the rates below, municipal and church taxes and the health insurance contribution will be collected at 18-26 %) Earned income, euro Tax at the lower limit, euro Tax rate for amounts exceeding the lower limit, % 17 600 - 26 400 8,00 6,00 25 400 - 43 500 536,00 17,25 43 500 - 76 100 3 485,75 21,25 76 100 - 10 413,25 31,25 Income tax table, state income tax on earned income only, for 2018 (In addition to the rates below, municipal and church taxes and the health insurance contribution will be collected at 18-26 %) Earned income, euro Tax at the lower limit, euro Tax rate for amounts exceeding the lower limit, % 17 200 to 25,700 8,00 6.00 25,700 to 42, 400 518.00 17.25 42,400 to 74,200 3,398.75 21.25 over 74,200 10,156.25 31.25 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jayc1ay 4 Posted August 1, 2019 Report Share Posted August 1, 2019 You will never succeed in changing the negative, ugly connotations in English and Spanish of the term "gringo." Why not just stop using it? 1 2 2 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
pappysmarket 2,628 Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 On 8/1/2019 at 11:21 AM, jayc1ay said: You will never succeed in changing the negative, ugly connotations in English and Spanish of the term "gringo." Why not just stop using it? Some of us Gringos don't mind being called it in the least. PC has not overtaken everyone...thank God. We even used to tell jokes until everyone was offended by everything. Some of us do still tell jokes...believe it or not. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gringal 3,103 Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 30 minutes ago, pappysmarket said: Some of us Gringos don't mind being called it in the least. PC has not overtaken everyone...thank God. We even used to tell jokes until everyone was offended by everything. Some of us do still tell jokes...believe it or not. IMHO, as Bette Midler put it. "F....'em if they can't take a joke". When a person takes themselves too seriously, it's going to get in the way of enjoying expat life. I know good and well how some of my Mexican friends and neighbors probably refer to a light skinned, blue eyed person who moved into their midst. ...and then, there's my "handle". In other words, lighten up and you'll have a better time living here among a people with a highly developed sense of humor.🙃 You get respect for your accomplishments and deeds. Any other "respect" is an illusion. 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rony 410 Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 24 minutes ago, gringal said: IMHO, as Bette Midler put it. "F....'em if they can't take a joke". When a person takes themselves too seriously, it's going to get in the way of enjoying expat life. I know good and well how some of my Mexican friends and neighbors probably refer to a light skinned, blue eyed person who moved into their midst. ...and then, there's my "handle". In other words, lighten up and you'll have a better time living here among a people with a highly developed sense of humor.🙃 You get respect for your accomplishments and deeds. Any other "respect" is an illusion. When somebody shouts gringo at me, I reply: "oh NO, que horrible, dónde está ?" (while looking around me). It usually makes them smile, and I dont care what they call me. I have actually been called a lot worse. ... a different subject, inappropriate for this webboard 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bmh 2,396 Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 I never had anyone call me gringa in my face. The only time I hear gringo or gringa is from foreigners so maybe they should stop using the word.. I think the use of the word is way more spread out in the north than in the south as well. Yesterday I heard the word "ladino" used by an indigenous for the first time, when talking about non indigenous..she just used it to describe a group and did not mean t in a pejorative way but I was told down here to never use the word.. so I thought it was interesting.. People refer to each other sometimes by the color of their skin or nationality or whatever for expediency and do not mean anything by it...but you never know how whatever word will be received.. I think Rony has the right attitude about it. just laugh with the people rather than at people.. 4 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lakeside7 981 Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 I have to chuckle at the "chatting " that goes for expert opinion mostly from people who NOB would be a non entity..Lakeside a Payton Place in spades 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanMexicali 1,056 Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 "Ladino" means English speaking Indigenous person. Does being a "Gringo" automaticaly put you in the "Fifi" category? If so then we are in trouble as of lately. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Xena 3,768 Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 8 minutes ago, lakeside7 said: I have to chuckle at the "chatting " that goes for expert opinion mostly from people who NOB would be a non entity..Lakeside a Payton Place in spades Peyton Place was a book, movie, and then a tv series about an outwardly prim and proper New England town that seethed below the surface with sex and violence. Nothing about “chatting” or expert opinions from former non-entities. 1 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
AlanMexicali 1,056 Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 38 minutes ago, lakeside7 said: I have to chuckle at the "chatting " that goes for expert opinion mostly from people who NOB would be a non entity..Lakeside a Payton Place in spades You are the pot calling the kettle black. You should be chuckling at yourself obviously. IMO 1 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Taaffe 334 Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 40 minutes ago, AlanMexicali said: "Ladino" means English speaking Indigenous person. Does being a "Gringo" automaticaly put you in the "Fifi" category? If so then we are in trouble as of lately. Sorry, Ladino is many things but not an English speaking indigenous person. As an adjective it means "astute, tricky, underhanded"; as a language it is the language spoken by Sephardic Jews; it is also a group of people who live in the northern part of Italy (near Bolzano); and in Mexico (but more Central America) it is used to describe a group of people who speak the indigenous language as well as Spanish, but who are not yet assimilated into the main mestizo culture. https://definicion.de/ladino/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
RVGRINGO 2,099 Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 Hmmmm.......... 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gringal 3,103 Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 2 hours ago, RVGRINGO said: Hmmmm.......... Hi...you and me, huh? 😄 3 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
happyjillin 2,042 Posted August 4, 2019 Report Share Posted August 4, 2019 4 hours ago, lakeside7 said: I have to chuckle at the "chatting " that goes for expert opinion mostly from people who NOB would be a non entity..Lakeside a Payton Place in spades Are you the poster boy? NOB and here perhaps,double whammy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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