Life / What is your experience about giving birth in Poland? [12]

My wife just did and it was very good. I am an American and I do not think they have such a goo focus on the individual like in Poland. In Poland she got, a room to herself, more by luck, a nurse came to visit us a couple of times at home after we brought the baby home. I would say all around very good.

News / Why the American economy is not going to fail - take a lesson from Poland [48]

Yes the us is down but will come back very strong. It may correct and income generation might slow, but actual wealth does not evaporate. I wrote more here. autoinsurance5.com/us-economy-poland/

It is about the deceleration of wealth creation and a redistribution of wealth on a massive scale - here is an article by MSN money articles.moneycentral.msn.com/Investing/Forbes/7BetterUsesfor70 0Billion.aspx which I agree with. that is the redistribution could have been wiser than helping greedy wall street banks etc. Maybe I am rambling but I think corruption, greed whatever, the US still has low taxes - clear laws - and a pro business environment. These things will bring it back to life and I wrote it will never go down to Poland's communist days, it will go down a little then bounce back fast.

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

at first when I heard this law I thought it was crazy, but you know what, we have to protect the kids not the people who do these crimes, so maybe its not a bad idea. Kids are innocent and should remain that way. I think people who do these crimes have little chance to reform. Maybe I am wrong...but chemical castrastion would work.

News / Why the American economy is not going to fail - take a lesson from Poland [48]

Why do you say Americans are greedy, they give per capital more than almost any other country. Just because they are wealthy does not mean they are bad. They lead the world for example in medical research, and do many things. They are spiritual and innovative people. --> You sound like the President of Iran. Man are you bitter. But you have a point. Investors took the risk and they should pay most of the price. Main street is helping our wall street, not the US government, because the money comes from main street inhabitants taxes.

Its not that the government should not help the US economy its how, give money to unproductive firms or give 1 trillion to innovators and successful firms via low interest loans. Reward the winners not the losers.

About the economy, growth might slow, say from 5% to .5% but wealth will not evaporate, the buildings and highways of America will not be sucked into the earth. Only growth will slow until until the next wave of innovation raises it higher.

Mark

News / POLAND'S CREDIT CRAZE [34]

In the US I saw these late night TV commercials with "Crazy Morty" willing to give anyone a loan, no job, no money, no problem. Poland is not like the US. I am an American living in Poland and Poles are much more conservative with their money. They are much more down to earth and practical, and even though many Poles are taking easy credit to buy not only home but consumer goods many are not.

News / Why the American economy is not going to fail - take a lesson from Poland [48]

z_darius You are wrong. I will tell you why. If you are looking at the government aid/per capita yes. Obviously high tax (70%) scandinavian countries will rank high as everything is done via the government. But I am talking about voluntary giving from the people, not forced giving by the government via the tax system. America believes individuals not the government should handle things like medical, schools, donations, business etc. If you talk about private donations make by americans to charity, I think you will find American are near the top.

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

I can only say what I saw in the USA. 1) it started as a Religious traditional country. 2) 1970s people turned from religion 3) 1980s people returned back to religion but many in different forms. Poland is not western europe. I think, or hope even if there is a turning away from traditional religion in Poland with the young people might come back. The issue with the church in Poland is many students complain about the conservative priests giving conservative sermons that do not appeal to them. But these are 20 year olds etc, I was like that at 20. So was the case in the US. The American Catholic church had to change a bit. I guess what I am saying is this. I hope Poland is different from Western Europe. Many Poles just want to be western. I am American. I am Western. There is nothing all that great about it, believe me. I hope the young Poles continue to see that Poland is a special place and should not try to imitate all things western.

News / Why the American economy is not going to fail - take a lesson from Poland [48]

Redistribution of wealth ->
Government aid, no government aid, reforms, market crashes. It is all just a redistribution of wealth. Wealth does not get sucked into a black hole.This is why I think this 'crisis' is all not as important as CNN makes it out to be. The media will hype it and sure banks will fall. But basically America will still be rich and adjust and come back. I do agree with outintheyard that there has been a shrinking middle class, but maybe this redistribution of wealth called 'financial crisis 2008" will fix that. The super rich will go down and wealth will flow more back into the hands of people who create wealth rather than speculate on wealth. z-darius I still think privately Americans give a lot. Think of all the human suffering they helped in the Tsumanmi and with the red cross. Government sponsored giving crowds out private donations. So if stats show the government giving is low, most likely private is high.

Sorry for my rants and raves, maybe its too early in the morning to be writing - but in sum, I am a big believer in the free market, both for charity and for correcting the problems of economics, including the lack of a middle class. Adam Smith was a religious man/moral philosopher and wrote his book to help others.

The real tragedy of the poor is the poverty of their aspirations.-Adam Smith

Mark, learnrussianlearnrussian.com

News / Why the American economy is not going to fail - take a lesson from Poland [48]

Thank you herd -

ParisJazz you are preaching to the choir. No need to. Free markets free people to use their gifts to the best of their ability (not to make the whole world equal), governments puts bonds and shackles on entrepreneurs. However, your wrong, wealth does not get sucked into a black whole. France is one of the wealthiest countries in the world. You can point to extremes like the collapse of the Union, but that was not a free market ( and in the long run it the total collapse of the Union was a good thing)- I am talking about the USA. No socialism, no destruction of the middle class. There may be slow growth even a year of negative growth but no collapse. In fact I have been buying stock in the last week, I went from 10% invested to 90% invested. While the is calling for the end of the world and the destruction of capitalism, I am looking for value.

ha ha ha while I hear the sounds of a stampede going in one direction I am going in the other. :) Thank you herd :)

Michal2 are you saying that we will go back to the 1930s? great, I will buy stocks, you listen to CNN and panic.

News / Why the American economy is not going to fail - take a lesson from Poland [48]

dcchris why typical? Have you ever heard of Alfred Pareto?

The sky is not falling. We world is not running out of rice like, was hyped on the US media this spring, last year it was mad cow in the US, and no one was buying meat. It is all very amusing to me. Just watch CNN and gee wiz you will be a free thinker in no time.

About buying Russian Stocks. Many are undervalued. LUKOIL is trading well below where it should be, and it sits on huge reserves in Siberia, depending on Russian tax reform it could be a good play. But I am not a speculator of that sorts. I perfer PCZ a Candian Oil company that sits on huge sand oil and more politically stable.

But the bottom line is even with a recession or a downturn in the market capitalism, the US, etc is only going to get better in the long run for those who have courage to use their talents given to them.

Look I live in Poland. I am not some foofy American. I even heard in America when Oil was hitting 1 dollar a liter, the news was saying this was destroying the American family and way of life. In Poland petro is almost 5 pln and no one is saying that. I do not even have a car.

The sky is not falling. Take a perspective from the Polish people. The world will go on and south Park and the internet and blogs and Whole foods super markets will not be turned off and closed down.

ps just just to clarify, I said I am not a foofy american but I am american, I just have lived in Poland for many years. I do not want to give Poles a bad name by people reading my posts, thinking someone so brash as myself was born in Poland. :)

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

Lodz_The_Boat I think your are not tolerant at all. You just walk around saying you are, then out of the other side of your mouth bad mouth Catholics for intolerance. It makes you feel good. A real tolerant person would not make such a remark. Your true colors show through. Ha ha. I can not respect people like you. Would Ghandi or the Dali lama make a comment like "Catholics got a history of intolerance which might be difficult to beat my friend." Gee your a real tolerant peace loving guy. Ha ha ha.

News / Why the American economy is not going to fail - take a lesson from Poland [48]

In Poland I teach English, but really I am software geek. I have a family in Poland. My roots were from Poland (gradparents) and I wanted to learn Polish. As the years past, I really felt that it does not matter where you live as everything can not be measured in material wealth. Poland is an amazing place. In Boston I did not have a car either (even though I did quite well and live in Beacon Hill). Cars are just depreciating assets :) which need parking spaces.

I write my own software. I am a techy geek. I can write my software in Boston or in Krakow. It does not matter. See I think my thinking is this. Money is great and all, but you really do not need that much and it does not buy you a spot heaven, only humility and love do.

Remember - The greatest thing in the world is the world itself.

Sorry to post a long quote: But here is fable by Aesop.

A miser sold all that he had and bought a lump of gold, which he buried in a hole in the ground by the side of an old wall and went to look at daily. One of his workmen observed his frequent visits to the spot and decided to watch his movements. He soon discovered the secret of the hidden treasure, and digging down, came to the lump of gold, and stole it. The Miser, on his next visit, found the hole empty and began to tear his hair and to make loud lamentations. A neighbor, seeing him overcome with grief and learning the cause, said, "Pray do not grieve so; but go and take a stone, and place it in the hole, and fancy that the gold is still lying there. It will do you quite the same service; for when the gold was there, you had it not, as you did not make the slightest use of it."

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

Lodz_The_Boat - Aristotle said 'man is a political animal.' any thing man touches he messes up. But are you not going to watch football because football fans are the worst or TV because the media is full of distortions. I think you lack the humility to see the world objectively. Are you going to condem the Polish nation for its imperial past? You get your juice from negative thinking if you see it or not. Its ok, it makes you feel good about yourself and then you say "I am tolerant." Ha ha ha

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

Because you wrote this:

"I practice tolerance.

Catholics got a history of intolerance which might be difficult to beat my friend"

Did you not write that 2 sided statement.

But peace and love you are right I stated to get sucked into a forum discussion that usually ends in battle. Maybe I am over tired, I have been working too much. Sorry.

News / Why the American economy is not going to fail - take a lesson from Poland [48]

DC Chris I do not have the answer to that one. I think they will pass something. Pun not intended. Me being more free market I would rather see the money going into rewarding the profitable and innovative or reinvested in tech or infustructure rather than patching up business that fail and do not know how to run themselves. Give me a piece of that money, and I know for a fact I would create more jobs than any of those big fat companies will. I would employ programmer's and do all kinds of creative things with it that would be involved in wealth creation. Those fat companies will not create anything innovative to bring america to the next level

Good news is money or not money intellectual capital IMO is more important than strickly Financial capital, look at sergy from google.

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

z_darius what do you believe in? And to speak so strongly against another person's belief if not a sign of tolerance. But what do you believe in?

z_darius "All Christian faiths build up on delusions" would you say that about the Jewish faith also? or about Mohamand?

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

Lodz_The_Boat - I do not think the message was lost. I think I know many good giving Christians today. I know scores of honest, humble charitable kind Christians. For every bad one, I know many good ones. A cynic will just see the negative and bad and highlight it and say 'see' look at this. I think the good ones are quietly doing the work of God by serving humanity. They do not toot their horns loud and therefore people like you do not notice them. In fact, I think this is the majority of the people I know. I do not know what kind of people you hang out with.

But I also know many self rightous people who are anti religion and attack religion and do little in terms of charity themselves. Hmmm.

News / Why the American economy is not going to fail - take a lesson from Poland [48]

That is a good point about war not helping people's economy. See a lot of people simply say, "yes, lets just a war and this will stimulate the economy". Besides the most important thing, loss of life.

War does not stimulate the economy in any meaningful way, it hurts the economy.

Let me explain. War is a huge fiscal stimulation. The tax payers buy bombs and bullets (instead of investing in the US). The arms dealers and makers, make money. The weapons are shipped somewhere and used. To me that is money going out of the economy. It is better we take it from people and burn the money. That same taxpayer money could have been spent on something meaningful and long term, in the US, if you believe in fiscal stimulus. Or incentives for innovation. Its called the crowding out effect. Government spending of taxpayer dollars (that go out of the US) crowds out private investment and leadership.

You know the US did not even have taxes until after WWI, No income tax that is, and really fought no major foreign wars until WWI. And we got rich. You do not need war to create wealth. Its a stupid idea.

Love / I'm a turkish guy who thinks that polish girls are slutty [113]

Wlan. I do not believe you. You are talking nonsense, and maybe this is your fantasy. All the Polish girls are very loyal and marry Polish guys because Polish guys respect them. But I do know every Turkish girl I ever met wants nothing to do with Turkish men. I do not know if this is true or not, just what Turkish women tell me. They told me Turkish men are not honest and tell stories. But I am not saying this, I am repeating what Turkish women tell me. Most Polish girls I know do complain about agressive Turkish men grabbing them.

Language / Any sweet Polish phrases [255]

On this page you can find love phrases in Polish and other languages, claritaslux/love-phrases-in-polish.html I hope this helps.

Language / Learning Polish online help [21]

polish grammar is the best because it is drills not tables. I never learned anything from a table. But you go through this and you will see common ending patterns

Real Estate / Current state of the property market in Krakow [135]

I was about to post to this as its close to me as I live in Krakow but my blog tells it better. claritaslux/blog/polish-real-estate-market/

I think the market will go down over 50%.

Real Estate / Current state of the property market in Krakow [135]

It will fall. I have seen it in the USA and Polish people and agents say 10% but that is not true. It will fall 50% based on supply and demand and a credit freezes.

People told me last year that the Polish stock market is immune or might fall 10% - it has fallen 50%. Do not believe 10%. I have seen this happen in the state many time.

I would buy a flat in Krakow for 1800 pln a meter. If not I would buy a house in Florida on the beach. I know I am from Boston and my folks live in Florida and you can buy very cheap houses with land for the price of a 50 meter flat in Krakow. In Maine you can buy a castle for the price of a 45 meter block in Krakow. Polish prices will fall at least 50% and agents are upset at this fact but it is true.

History / Where did the stereotype of Polish people being stupid come from? [131]

Germans were jealous of the Poles. Polish culture evolved faster, with democracy and Spiritual focus.

Look I am an American born and raised. Every race I have ever heard of was called dumb by the next wave. I have heard it about the Irish, Spanish, Italian, Mexicans, Canadians, Quebecqois, Southerners from the USA, people from Texas etc.

Poles are some of the brightest people I know. I would forget the sterotype and if someone ever says it in public I would ask them if they are a facist.

Real Estate / Current state of the property market in Krakow [135]

Ok lets compare it to Philadelphia. In Philadelphia you can buy a house in a reasonable location in the city, with land in the back and front not far from the city center for 70,000 dollars or about 200,000 pln. The size of the house is almost 200 meters. I can send links. Poland is not Philadelphia, Florida, Boston yet. Its very nice but no way would I pay my life savings for some blocky 50 meter flat in Krakow when I could get beach front in Florida or Maine. Or Downtown USA.

Real Estate / Current state of the property market in Krakow [135]

I am not debating that Poland will continue to grow and be stronger than ever, its the value of Real Estate will come down 50%. Just compare prices in the USA and Poland. Or even Poland in the city to the countryside. Only time will tell but I do not have 200000pln to drop for a down payment for a blocky flat.

Real Estate / Current state of the property market in Krakow [135]

Ok Even without comparisions to other countires- I still think the fall will be driven by 1800 pln average in netto income in Poland -yet- very high per square meter price - 4000 to 10000 per square meter. That alone will bring a small decline. Credit freeze will bring a fall back to a level of affordability.

Love / Tips for organizing Polish-English wedding in Poland with US guests. [17]

My advice is this: Do not worry about language. I am American and had a wedding in Poland, the country I live and even though it was American and Polish language was not problem at all. Do not worry. Further, vodka is not required at weddings in my opinion if it is not your style. What town are you having it in? somewhere like Krakow or a small town? Either way I would not worry it only adds to wedding when it is international.

Life / COMAPRING POLAND PRICES WITH PRICES OF OTHER COUNTRIES [10]

Food housing and clothes are cheaper in Poland if you know how to shop - cars computers and petro are more expensive.