Life / Deadly Roads - "Are polish roads really THAT dangerous?" [139]


I've heard the same from people who've lived there. Scary enough here though.

Life / Deadly Roads - "Are polish roads really THAT dangerous?" [139]

I was waiting for someone by the side of a main road (ul Sobieskiego in Warsaw) this week. There are some lights there by a pedestrian crossing (not a junction) and due to being bored, I counted the number of drivers who went through a red light. In ten minutes, I counted 32. And this on a road with flowers and crosses every few yards.

It isn't the roads, it's the drivers. And even worse, the Polish drivers' licence is accepted internationally.

Life / Is Ritalin available in Poland? [22]


There should be a pharmacy at your embassy, and they may be able to help if the Polish system disappoints.

History / It's a shame that we poles arent making this kind of movies anymore. [8]

Over the years, a lot of historical movies have been made here. Some good, some not. It would be great to see more movies that look forward and not to the past. I've been to the cinema here a few times this tear but not seen anything I liked. It seems not much is happening here in the film industry.

News / British war memorial in/near Trojmiasto? [19]


The British Embassy sell them. If you're in Trojmiasto, try the consulate there.

News / British war memorial in/near Trojmiasto? [19]

Excellent information, Harry and Piorun!

I remember (earlier this year?) that a primary school (maybe somewhere near Lodz) had been renamed 'the British Airmen's School' in memory of a plane which had crashed in the village. Some of the airmen's remains were exhumed and returned to Britain and there was a ceremony attended by relatives.

I don't remember where it was, though it should be findeable on Google. I think the Air Cadets were involved.

Life / Poland peasant or noble tradition? [34]


Between 10 and 12% iat the end of the C18, when their status was abolished. Very difficult to call them nobility, since many were very poor and of basic habits. Gentlefolk is matbe a better translation but still not quite suitable.

News / British war memorial in/near Trojmiasto? [19]

I don't know about Trojmiasto, but there is a British War Cemetary in Poznan, just off the steps that lead to the Cytadela from Garbary Station, and there is a Memorial in Warsaw (Skaryszewski Park, near the lake) to some of the British airmen who died while dropping supplies during the 1944 uprising. There is usually a ceremony there on 11/11. There are a few similar Memorials round Poland.

History / Scotland and Poland. Mutual connections since 1576 [45]

No special attachment, but some interesting history. Polish mercenaries are known to have gone to the British isles with Canute's invasion, almost 1000 years ago, and the marriage between Bonnie Prince Charlie and Princess Clementina Sobieski is interesting enough.

History / Scotland and Poland. Mutual connections since 1576 [45]

Apparently I'm one too. My surname is in the lists of reivers, and my people came from the borders (and most still live there).

This online surname map could be useful - some interesting things in it. Occasionally the site gets busy and the surname search goes down for a few minutes.

History / Scotland and Poland. Mutual connections since 1576 [45]

What's that got to do with the price of fish? Where do Jewish people come into the equation?

I smell anti-semitism...

News / Should rape carry a life sentence in Poland? [146]


A lower crime rate or a lower reporting rate? There's so much paperwork here involved in reporting a petty crime and much less personal insurance that people often don't bother, and anyway, the Polish police are best avoided.

And in any case, the rapist Jakub Tomczak, who this thread is/was about brutally attacked the lady in question and left her for dead. She was in hospital for over a year, has permanent brain damage and now uses a wheelchair. But in 12 years (probably not 9 - under the treaty which allows prisoners to serve their sentence in their home country, the sentence must be served in full unless a court in the country which gave the sentence decides otherwise) he'll be out and free to do it again. No matter that a court system considered among the fairest and most reliable in the world gave him not one but two life sentences.

Let's hope he's permanently excluded from the UK.

"His victim has already spoken of her anger at discovering he will serve the remainder of his sentence in Poland.

The woman, who is confined to a wheelchair, said she was serving a “living prison sentence” from the injuries Tomczak inflicted on her, while he was able to move back home.

News / What is the future of Catholic church in Poland. [154]


I however do. And as for your 'left media' comment, don't the left have a right to their opinion too. So often people attribute an non-ontological viewpoint to people's political stance whereas in reality their world-view derives from a more sophisticated dialectic?

News / What is the future of Catholic church in Poland. [154]


I didn't say that, or mention my own beliefs. Not that one can reject something that has never been proven to exist...


I didn't say that either. There is however a core mythology of Christianity, including a creation story, a deluge, a pregnant virgin and a dead person coming back to life.


I made my own mind up.


.

I have a masters in Theology.


Prove to me that such an entity exists


What makes you think that history will judge religion well?


Given the horrors inflicted on the world in the name of religion, wouldn't that be such a bad thing. And how can one turn ones face from something if not even his/her believers can prove his/her existence.


Isn't it time more people started thinking for themselves. A transcendental entity would be a great thing to have, and very comforting, but so far unprovable.

News / What is the future of Catholic church in Poland. [154]


This is slowly happening already. At the moment people are healthily cynical about the moral teaching, next, the generation who lived so long with communism will die out, and slowly people will start to question and reject the core mythology of Christianity.

News / What is the future of Catholic church in Poland. [154]


Oh for Flip's sake, the EU, the Vatican and Freemasonry (an entirely non-political society) are not, not, not plotting anything. Nor are little bug-eyed green aliens.

As for the Church in Poland, it still remains a strong force, especially in rural areas, though urban mass attendance has fell, especially among city dwellers and the better educated. Most people here are happy to send their kids to Church schools if they can afford it.

History / Scotland and Poland. Mutual connections since 1576 [45]

According to friends, Machulski and Machalski are indeed from Scottish roots.

Have a look on Wikipedia about 'Wymysorys' = Wymysorys

Sadly, almost nobody in Poland seems interested in preserving it.

Life / Katowice: what do you think? [42]

For the past 9 years I've been visiting every few weeks for business. Sure it isn't Venice, but the people are friendly, the shops and bars are cheap, and as the centre of a conurbation, there's a really bustling feel with everything one could need. And the people there (and service in shops, hotels etc) are somehow pleasanter and nicer than in most of Poland. The analogy that someone made to Leeds has some truth. Similar ambience, though Katowice has a much bigger centre and fewer sprawling suburbs.

Worth trying some of the other cities in the Upper-Silesia Metropolitan Area. Each has its own distinct character.

Life / Internet cowboys in Poland - Internet Providers [15]

I had blue connect and it wasn't so great - they use the same bases stations as the Era phone network which takes priority - not so great if you live next to Lazienki Park, as I do. Netia might be a good idea, though there are some problems in this building. It might be worth waiting until TPSA recable the block.

Orange has a mobile service which sounds interesting though.

News / "EU Politicians Angered By Polish Chemical Castration Plan" [45]


The Krollop case is so well known that it became publicised. Who is Dariusz P, convicted in a shocking case in my city this year. Try and get his surname. And the Krollop and Samson cases had all but finished before their full names got to the internet!

History / Polish - Soviet Brotherhood in Arms. [35]

Rightly or wrongly, there were Poles and Russians who fought together, and still people alive whose loved ones are commemorated by the memorial. It should stay, even though it looks Soviet and tasteless.

News / "EU Politicians Angered By Polish Chemical Castration Plan" [45]


Interesting! Rather than a one word gainsaying, perhaps you can show a link about this. Other than the infamous Tomczak and Rywin of course. All I ever see is Marek W or Slawomir Z. Even the notorious cases about the paedophile choirmaster in Poznan, the 'renowned' child psychologist in Warsaw and the predatory priest in Dworzec Centralny only seemed to publicise their initials.

Life / Euro Lotto £100,000,000 - Can you play in poland? [7]

If you win the £100,000,000, whatever you do, don't let the Polish authorities find out. Gambling winnings aren't always tax free here.

My fee for this advice is 1%.

Life / Internet cowboys in Poland - Internet Providers [15]

Avoid Sferia's wireless service. It is dire. I'm looking for a new provider, don't want a TPSA landline, and can't do it via the cable. There must be something available.

News / "EU Politicians Angered By Polish Chemical Castration Plan" [45]

I think you're largely right. But there has to be some kind of system. There was that awful story (findable on the internet I suppose) about the guy from Poland who came to work in the UK. For his job he needed a police check and they accepted a Certyfikat Niekaralnoscią from his local police station in Poland. He raped 2 (or maybe 3 - I forget) women. It turned out he'd been in prison in Poland for rape, and got the Certyfikat by bribing somebody here.

There must be a way to stop this. Reminds me of that paedophile from Canada who was arrested in Thailand working as a teacher.

No method can ever be foolproof, but with computerised records we have a chance to make a good one.

News / "EU Politicians Angered By Polish Chemical Castration Plan" [45]


Unfortunately the tracking idea would need a big change of law in Poland, due to very strong privacy laws. Newspapers can't even print the surnames of people convicted - they can only say, for example Jan K, or ks Piotr Z.

Also the rules about who can work with children are extremely primitive. In UK when the system of checks was introduced there were massive delays and a few sad mistakes. In Poland all that is needed is a Certyficat Niekaralnosci (and not always that!!), which can unfortunately be obtained in small towns by bribery.

It would be a good idea to have a Europe-wide (if not worldwide) system though, due to increased mobility of workers, perhaps based on the American system, perhaps a combination of that and the UK system. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. In the UK, they can say that a paedophile lives in your area, but they very rarely name them. This has led to people being attacked by lowlife, just for being a bit weird, while the real paedophile goes unnoticed. Some say the US system forces them to go underground. There must be a system that's foolproof.

News / "EU Politicians Angered By Polish Chemical Castration Plan" [45]


usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnists/wickham/2001-09-04-wickham.htm
springerlink.com/content/1k2075t17003v275/

Life / Nasty polish guys in Bialystok [36]

I found Białystock a bit menacing too. Lots of young men with no money and nothing to do. Warsaw seems to be better in that respect.

Life / AMERICAN-STYLE SLOB CHIC IN POLAND? [24]

Poland is the land of baseball caps and beer from the can. Nothing new, and I'm not sure how American that is - seems to be standard attire in east/central Eurtope. Also popular here now are rather garish tracksuits and sneakers. It's a shame because they don't suit 90% of the people who wear them.

One good thing in PL is that older people still dress very well.

News / Adult movie producers looking for 'actresses' in Poland or just a weirdo? [120]

People who make porno films don't usually have any problems getting 'actresses'. That guy just sounds like a creep.