USA, Canada / How do I find my 2nd cousin in IL possibly Chicago? [15]


Most households in the States have no problem with someone knocking on the door and asking for a former tenant.

Work / South Americans living in Poland, what are my chances of teaching English and Spanish there? [23]


Uruguay and Chile look pretty good according to the corruption map.

Law / Poles think that Germans are the hardest working in Europe... [30]

If I had to live in Europe I'd have a tough time choosing between the Swiss or Greeks. No I wouldn't live in Germany.

Travel / Will I get instantly laid with my American accent when I speak Polish? [30]


Your always in a curmudgeonly mood...that's why you moved to Poland!

Life / A new Poland's war - the poor vs the rich [81]

I should have said knowledge is never wasted. When one goes to school people acquire knowledge which they carry with themselves the rest of their lives. They always use it. I majored in Speech as I was thinking of going on to law school and becoming a trial lawyer. But I ended up working in a math based science (land surveying). But in the Speech and English classes I learned how to write, read and interpreted all kinds of literature. I learned how to make a presentation in front of a group. So it isn't wasted. As for engineering, I have worked for plenty of engineers as they use my maps for their designs. Their education isn't any better than mine, just different. Actually I think an engineering education is a bit too narrow. Mine was much more broader.


I spent 12 years in Roman Catholic parochial schools. The RCC isn't Biblical based. They made it up as they went along. A good book to read is "how the irish saved civilization" he explains in there the difference between Christian traditions in ancient Ireland and what evolved out of Rome.

The problem with America these days is the old men in Washington have raised an outdated social philosophy from the late 1940's "Ann Rand's Objectivenism" (sp?). It basically is a "might makes right" philosophy and people are wealthy because they are morally superior. If you are poor it means that you are somehow lacking in something. It parallels pagan beliefs in pre Christian Europe where if you were poor or encountered misfortune god was punishing you. If you were wealthy god smiled on you and you were morally superior. Aristotle said it best in "Politics" When he said 2500 years ago, "Rich people are oftentimes religious because they credit to God what they got by luck". Sound familiar?

Communism would have succeeded if money was the root of all evil as you infer. It failed. You are a victim of the game that the Norman elite play in England. They brainwash the anglo saxon celtic underclass that money is evil as they don't want any competition from the likes of you lot.

Life / A new Poland's war - the poor vs the rich [81]


There is no such thing as a useless degree...education is never wasted


What they may need is moral/ethics classes based on scripture and not the teachings of the Roman Catholic Cult


Lighten up. Quit nitpicking, you're demeaning your authority.


Clueless. Home ownership is a necessity not a luxury. How can anyone justify (on economic grounds) long term renting? You don't understand the economics of owning land.

The deficit is due to two unfunded wars, outsourcing manufacturing jobs to China, and bringing in illegal immigration to lower salaries. What did anyone expect, they did their best to destroy the market.


Of course Democracies are not perfect but the difference between Democracy and a tyrant is that Democracies are self correcting, tyrants aren't.

News / Marion Barry insults Polish people calling them "Polacks" [33]


Oh no, another thread trying to determine if "polack" is an insult or not.

Life / Health system in Poland one of the worst in Europe: report [78]


The best in the World because they put the most resources into it (16% of GDP). You don't get something for nothing. Americans value healthcare, Poland and England do not. Their approach is more fatalistic. My sister-in-law went to Spain for cancer treatment because the Spanish doctors treat cancer more aggressively than the English. My father-in-law was dying of cancer and put in a ward (not a room) with peeling paint on the walls. My other sister-in-law had to wait two years for a hernia operation. The problem with American health care is the cost not the care.

History / Any basis in fact about Popiel, Piast, Lech, Czech and Rus? [4]

I don't know about those guys, but here's not a well known fact.

King Canute was half polish:

"Cnut was of Danish and Slavic descent. His father was Sweyn Forkbeard, King of Denmark (which gave Cnut the patronym Sweynsson, Old Norse Sveinsson). Cnut's mother was the daughter of the first duke of the Polans, Mieszko I;"

Study / Is it really worth moving back to Poland to study in a pharmacy school? [44]


I posted this in another thread but these salaries are accurate:

bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm

Life / Why is cheating at schools in Poland accepted?! [155]


If you want to eliminate cheating get rid of education through testing. Tests are for the most part BS. They don't prove anything.

USA, Canada / Living in Poland - prospects for Alabama guy ... need some advice! [146]

Very true

Also, I might add, from the tone of his posts they should both get away from both sets of in-laws.

USA, Canada / Living in Poland - prospects for Alabama guy ... need some advice! [146]


The following quote is from the article:

"Following a talk recently I was asked that if America’s healthcare system isn’t all it’s cracked up to be then which country’s system is the best? I had to think about that for a while and in the end I came to the conclusion that we still have the best when compared to everyone else but it really isn’t what is should be or could be"

It's the best because we spend the most money on health care. We do the Research and Development for the rest of the World.


Free service? That's no incentive.

USA, Canada / Living in Poland - prospects for Alabama guy ... need some advice! [146]

What would it take to flair up again? Look at the financial crisis, Europe is at each others throats again.

USA, Canada / Cost of living: New York and St. Peters [10]


On a strictly money level probably 28% but on a lifestyle level probably 60%. For instance you're really comparing Montvale, NJ with St Peters, Mo. Montvale is outskirts of NY metro, St Peter's is outskirts of St. Louis metro. NY metro will dwarf Johannesburg, St Louis metro is approx 3 mil. In NY you'll be competing with all the other 20 mil. for housing, food (I don't know where they get their food as NY and NJ are not noted ag states while St. Louis is in the Bread basket). Housing Montvale will probably be mid range for NY while St Peters is probably high end for St Louis but they're still probably cheaper than Montvale. If you're married with kids I'd pick St Peters, if you're ambitious career wise I'd pick NY. Some more stuff:

borawski.net/polishstlouis
polonia.net/en

USA, Canada / Living in Poland - prospects for Alabama guy ... need some advice! [146]


Than you should stay the hell out of Europe. If she wants Colorado Springs, give her Colorado Springs. I used to live there, Grand Junction, Vail, Denver. If I had to (for some reason move back) I wouldn't hesitate. As I've previously posted Denver ain't bad as major metro's go, kinda like Minneapolis.


I have experience with both, America has the best health care in the World, bar none. Too often people confuse the cost of healthcare with the quality. The quality's not the problem it's the cost. Who was that guy who temporarily moved to Poland to help out his wife with her ailing father and ended up losing his hand? That was a pretty radical medical procedure especially in this day and age.

USA, Canada / Cost of living: New York and St. Peters [10]

If you're comparing living expenses between New York metro and St Peters, (is that Missouri?) your salary will go further in St Peters and you're only 12 miles outside St. Louis which is a major metro. I don't know what your hubby does but he should find something in and around St. Louis. In the States 12 miles is considered a short commute. Real Estate is cheaper in Missouri - Southwest Illinois. You can probably live close to were you work. New York is massive, very international city and if you are working in New York you may be faced with long commute to afford housing. Not the case in Missou. New York will eat your 85k salary in no time. As an aside Money Magazine called St. Peters the best place to live in Missouri.

money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2010/snapshots/PL2965126.html

USA, Canada / Living in Poland - prospects for Alabama guy ... need some advice! [146]


I'm of the same opinion. They should move to a neutral place away from both sets of in-laws and get on with their lives, either somewhere in Europe or the States.


I went to school outside Nashville, Tn. which isn't all that far from the Alabama line and if I had a choice between relocating to New York or Alabama, it would be Alabama hands down. Weather's nicer, lower real estate prices, more opportunity for small business. New York is too foreign. It's more like a large European metro and less like an American city. If it had to be New York, I'd prefer upstate New York.

USA, Canada / Cost of living: New York and St. Peters [10]

bls.gov

Here, these are more specific and from my experience accurate:

bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm#17-0000

USA, Canada / Living in Poland - prospects for Alabama guy ... need some advice! [146]


If she wants something different in the States, Chicago has a large expat Polish population and as big cities go it's about as good as it gets. But Huntsville sounds awfully nice when you throw in the weather. Colorado? I prefer the Western Slope (the best weather in Colorado) but you might find it a bit isolated (Grand Junction is halfway between Salt Lake and Denver). Though Denver aint bad as big cities go.

USA, Canada / Living in Poland - prospects for Alabama guy ... need some advice! [146]

Magdalena, she just has to find her niche. But she makes it harder by not letting go of the "peasant" "not-a-peasant" baggage and Huntsville is an educated community with the history of the Space program.

News / Poland's Economy Is Booming! The EU's Success Story? [711]

Laziness has nothing to do with it, not having control of one's own currency has everything to do with it. Poland still controls it's own currency.

USA, Canada / Living in Poland - prospects for Alabama guy ... need some advice! [146]

Open your own business in anything that you would enjoy doing. As for your wife's comments that she's not a peasant...ah the Poles, they're such an egocentric race.

Off-Topic / I am Polish and I am offended. [52]


To answer your question, this stems from the fact that Poland has been occupied by foreign powers for what...past 500 years? So Poles do not feel responsible for Poland's deficiencies. As an example in the States the Poles were one of the few ethnic groups that didn't blame the Polish upper classes for their condition as they felt that they weren't responsible because they weren't in power. Among other ethnic groups there was always friction between the lower and upper classes. This is why Poles do not feel responsible

News / Poles are able to forgive their enemies - how noble. [68]


No, it had to be publicized. These two are public figures, Walesa's gesture was to bury the hatchet not just between those two but the entire Polish Nation.


Nonsense, there was plenty of political support in Poland for Communism. In the 1940's Communism was considered a viable political philosophy. If Poland was as anti-communist as you suggest they would have accepted the Marshall Plan.


As long as they can make money off of 911 for Homeland security and wars it won't be forgotten.

Law / CAN I CHANGE MY SON NAME THAT WAS BORN POLAND? [15]

You can always change your name back to what it was in the United States if you're not happy with it.

News / Forbes: Boot Argentina from the G20 and include Poland [44]


The Elite are angry at Argentina because they want to nationalize the oil industry down there and why not? Every other country has done it. Poland is just another China, it depends on German largesse for its economy much like China depends on the US. That's why the Elite love'em.

UK, Ireland / My dream about UK. Please help. [86]

good advice

UK, Ireland / My dream about UK. Please help. [86]


As some others have mentioned you may be over qualified for a nanny or au pair. Poles have a problem of selling themselves short and taking any kind of job. It's tough job hunting a thousand miles (?) away. Been there done that. If you want to relocate to UK, relocate. Move and find an apartment. Job hunt from there. It's not as difficult as you imagine. Actually the Euro's in quite a funk right now and the best places for employment on the continent for emigre's are Switzerland and the Scandinavians. The other place to be would be Canada or the USofA (specifically for a Pole, Chicago or the oil patch states of Texas or North Dakota).

Genealogy / Being ashamed of Polish ancestry? [156]


Americans aren't aware of the ethnic tensions that exist in Europe. My European wife has commented to me on how well different ethnic groups in the US get along.


Totally untrue. Read Lou Gehrig's biography. He had a very difficult time in the States during that time because he was ethnically German.


Complete BS. After Pearl Harbor everybody volunteered


Because we were at war with Germany.


No comparison. I've seen Europeans (Swedes) drink a fifth of vodka like we drink a bottle of beer, and they got totally smashed. I've never seen someone so totally drunk. I've never seen that Stateside.


and there are Polish Nazi's, so?

Your theories of some kind of American conspiracy about Poles is a fairy tale. Americans just aren't that interested in the world and Poles/Polish Americans are as nondescript as you're going to get.