PolishForums LIVE  /  Archives [3]    
   
Posts by convex  

Joined: 25 Nov 2009 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 28 Nov 2011
Threads: Total: 20 / In This Archive: 13
Posts: Total: 3928 / In This Archive: 3150 		From: Wroclaw
Speaks Polish?: un poco...wait
Interests: aviation

Displayed posts: 3163 / page 20 of 106
sort: Latest first   Oldest first   |
convex   
9 Dec 2010
USA, Canada / Canada Increasingly a Gateway for Undocumented Polish Immigrants Entering the U.S. [150]

If they have fake documents, they pay social security and other taxes. Some do, some don't.

Indeed, that's definitely what was done in Texas. SS card so that they could be legally employed/get a license/open a bank account/pay SS and wage taxes/get insurance/purchase items which require registration. The drivers license also allows you to walk over the border.

...they don't get tax refunds or social security, which would mean that those immigrants that do work under a fake SS# are net contributors in the US fiscally.
convex   
9 Dec 2010
News / Krystian Legierski - First openly gay Polish elected official [20]

It was hardly news in Warsaw but I'm sure it's hugely important here on PF.

You don't think posting it helps to sway people's opinions on whether "Poles are racist homophobes"?

Anyway whats the big deal? I'm still a tad confused why a random nigga or a fag in the politics make the headlines, they're people too, as long as they're not some sort of political faction based on skin colour or brownie dipping preferations i'm not troubled at all.

Careful not to let too many of those warm and fuzzy equality comments come out.

Personally i view blacks as a race as inferiors who can't govern themselves or create a civilised society, outstanding individuals of their race do not redeem them as a whole in my eyes especially since they're so few so i definitely would prefer to be governed by white people.

There we go, finally back to normal.

Anyway, I think that it's an interesting topic that relates to quite a few threads here.
convex   
9 Dec 2010
News / Poles don't have a heart for math... says The New York Times [84]

I could do that...but I wonder if it would do any good. People have complained to the paper before. I wonder if they have made the suggestion about a bigger "your views" section? Then again, their journalists wouldn't be too happy with yielding some space so who knows if they would agree?

Newspapers have always been biased. The majority of news around the world is presented as "infotainment".

Regarding the talk back bit, in addition to letters to the editor, online newspapers have a huge community providing reader feedback for every story.
convex   
9 Dec 2010
USA, Canada / A stretch - Polish restaurants in Oklahoma? [5]

Does anyone know of any Polish restaurants in Oklahoma? Willing to head as far north as OKC. ..Not because I can't go for a month without Pierogi, but more of a compare and contrast type thing :)

Any suggestions would be much appreciated.
convex   
9 Dec 2010
News / Krystian Legierski - First openly gay Polish elected official [20]

Is he Polish? Tick, Competent? Tick.

Did his socialist Polish constituents elect him? Tick. I don't agree with his political platform, but the people he's representing do, that should be all that matters as far as democratically elected representatives go.
convex   
9 Dec 2010
Love / What are the most popular ethnicities for Polish women [90]

Take Germany for example. Plenty of Turkish women out and about, but only the men marry outside of their religion. Practicing Muslims that follow the Koran are, by definition, bigots.
convex   
9 Dec 2010
Love / What are the most popular ethnicities for Polish women [90]

Because a Muslim woman can only marry a Muslim man. Muslim men can marry non Muslims as long as the children are raised as Muslims. That and the whole social/family stigma that goes with marrying outside your religion.
convex   
9 Dec 2010
News / Krystian Legierski - First openly gay Polish elected official [20]

For all you John Godson fans out there, lets up the ante a bit. Here's the first openly gay Polish elected official, he's a Warsaw city councilman...and for bonus points, he's half black.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krystian_Legierski
convex   
8 Dec 2010
News / Poles don't have a heart for math... says The New York Times [84]

What utter garbage! Many Poles do have the heart for Maths and are pretty darned capable. Another goon just looking for a story to print. He is well wide of the mark with his allegations!

Speaking without reading makes you sound silly.

Poles don't like maths... because of their tragic history

It doesn't say that though.
convex   
8 Dec 2010
News / Poles don't have a heart for math... says The New York Times [84]

I don't think anyone actually read the original article. That socialist communist newspaper said that Poles have a rich history, with particular successes in the interwar period, and it's an overwhelmingly positive article about Poland.
convex   
8 Dec 2010
USA, Canada / Canada Increasingly a Gateway for Undocumented Polish Immigrants Entering the U.S. [150]

For the top executives the governments band over to make sure everything is running smooth, but that always been the case pulling strings no matter what the laws are or where they are. We are talking about an average Joe here though aren’t we?

Of which there is only a handful, so it wouldn't really matter anyway. If you're discounting engineers, managers, and execs, I don't personally know any Americans here.
convex   
8 Dec 2010
USA, Canada / Canada Increasingly a Gateway for Undocumented Polish Immigrants Entering the U.S. [150]

Profit is the king in that game.

Indeed, and if your specialists and execs are caught up in bureaucratic visa hangups which affect their productivity, and obviously profits, you can bet they won't dump money here. ROI ends up being lower because of the higher overhead. Simple really...but back to Polish immigrants. I don't know of anyone here that has dreams of going to the US. I'm guessing the number of long term applicants has dropped significantly.
convex   
8 Dec 2010
USA, Canada / Canada Increasingly a Gateway for Undocumented Polish Immigrants Entering the U.S. [150]

Like the corporations really care, they settle down where the environment is suitable for their business, if they decide to move on it’s based on profitability not individual countries visa policy.

Most of the FDI from the US is coming from SMEs that send quite a bit of staff over. The big corps do as well. The more difficult that is, the less investment there is. Why go to hostile Poland when you could go to a welcoming neighbor state with similar labor costs?
convex   
8 Dec 2010
USA, Canada / Canada Increasingly a Gateway for Undocumented Polish Immigrants Entering the U.S. [150]

As tourists but those wishing to stay in Poland, set up business etc. a whole new ball game

Right, and they have to get visas, just like Poles going to the US. American money flowing into Poland is a bit greater than the other way around. Make it more difficult to stay, miss out on the FDI that is driving the economy. It would be one of those pride things that hurts the average Pole much more than the handful of Americans residing in Poland. From what I understand, it's not all that easy for an American to just decide to stay in Poland. Don't know, don't care really. It's up to Poland to decide what's best.

Not at all, it has no bearing on me as an individual. Just having a bit of fun with a pathetic arguments presented here

What pathetic arguments? That they're breaking the law? It's true.

Well, your "personal experience" won't convince me much.

Read the comment again. I was talking about the Czech Republic. There aren't very many Americans here. There are (and were) tons in the Czech Republic. You can ask google if you want, I even gave a handy little link.

Czech Rep. is not an issue here, sorry.

Talking about the Schengen zone and the single visa law, and Americans get deported for breaking the law here in the Schengen zone, just like Poles get deported for breaking the law in the US.
convex   
8 Dec 2010
USA, Canada / Canada Increasingly a Gateway for Undocumented Polish Immigrants Entering the U.S. [150]

can you provide a link, please?

Personal experience. Once the law came into effect, Americans could no longer just cross the border to Germany, get stamped, and get another 90 days. Two of my favorite bartenders were deported in one fell swoop. For a while, it became pretty common for ex-employees with bad blood to tip off the police on violators. I don't know what it was like in Poland, as there aren't near as many Americans here as in the Czech Republic.

Just search on google and read the posts on prague.tv and expats.cz, those are the two biggest expat forums.
google.com/search?sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&q=americans+deported+schengen
convex   
8 Dec 2010
USA, Canada / Canada Increasingly a Gateway for Undocumented Polish Immigrants Entering the U.S. [150]

not only that Poland has the right to do the same but it should .

You can make the argument all you want, but individual Schengen members cannot make their own tourist visa policies. That has nothing to do with the US. If Poland wants to make its own tourist visa policies, it would need to get out of the Schengen agreement.

Like I've said, let the hunt began, throw them in jail, retaliation guaranteed.

Who cares, it's the law. Either you change it, or you're subject to it. Go out and campaign for amnesty for illegal aliens if it's a big deal for you.

OK, deport him. How many more cases do you know?

Absolutely. Once Schengen visa rules came into effect, quite a few Americans were deported because they could no longer do visa runs at the border.
convex   
8 Dec 2010
USA, Canada / Canada Increasingly a Gateway for Undocumented Polish Immigrants Entering the U.S. [150]

I disagree, When it comes to visa US is dealing on individual basis, Schengen has nothing to do with that.

You can disagree, but Schengen members have a common tourist visa policy. Poland can't set it's own visa policy without leaving Schengen.

Criminals? Well perhaps from your perspective, many left at the time of transition when the future of Poland was not so clear, settled down, started a family basically started a new life, but if it's criminal throw them in jail, American democracy and freedom at work.

Sure, they broke the law. Whether you agree with the law or not, they still broke it, ergo, criminals.
convex   
8 Dec 2010
USA, Canada / Canada Increasingly a Gateway for Undocumented Polish Immigrants Entering the U.S. [150]

Why not? What's stopping us besides brown nose attitude of our politicians.

I guess Poland could, it would have to leave Schengen, but it theoretically could.

Same since the system keeps them in limbo; many of them have no way to legalize their stay.

Just like the Mexicans, why reward criminals? Let them go back to Poland and apply just like everyone else.

I heard just the opposite. The refusal rate was drastically lowered to 3% recently in order to qualify.

My mistake, you're right.
convex   
8 Dec 2010
USA, Canada / Canada Increasingly a Gateway for Undocumented Polish Immigrants Entering the U.S. [150]

What is more I think we should finally introduce visas for americans as an retaliation.

Poland can't do that.

FUZZYWICKETS run to defend your country from the Polish flood!!

Wonder what the overstay rate is now. 10 years ago it was pretty high, but I'm guessing now there is no more financial motivation to work illegally in the US. Apparently Poland is on the list for the next round of VWP (they loosened up the criteria).
convex   
7 Dec 2010
News / Polish Foreign Ministry 'prepared' for new Wikileaks material [100]

How having a contingency plan in case of unthinkable is provoking? We are paying hard earned money to be part of that NATO aliance. If they are not up to their job WHICH IS among other things making military plans in case of even unthinkable crisis then what is the point to be in such an aliance?

Because there was already a plan to defend Poland. This is stepping it up. Regarding NATO membership, there is no requirement for one nation to commit combat troops before an incident occurs. Poland is paying all that hard earned money for allies who are bound to the charter, not an augmented military.

And lets be honest, what would happen in the case of an attack? The only thing that this would achieve would be to cause the Russians to come back with something after finding out how much attention is being focused on the Baltics...like maybe staging a training exercise simulating an invasion...

After all there are countries, which confronted with overhelming nuclear force are just building their own nuclear bomb, ie. Iran. Compared to that Polish reaction seems to be very mild...

It's a tradeoff, I think that the bomb would be a much better and cheaper deterrent than NATO membership.
convex   
7 Dec 2010
News / Polish Foreign Ministry 'prepared' for new Wikileaks material [100]

You didn't get the point, I'm saying that the people that spend that money should be held accountable and should openly explain to us, the taxpayers, what the threat is that they are spending so much money on. It should be much more transparent so that we can decide if we want to vote people into power based on how they spend our money.
convex   
7 Dec 2010
News / Polish Foreign Ministry 'prepared' for new Wikileaks material [100]

The eastern European calls for hard security guarantees, however, were stymied by western Europe, led by Germany, which did not want to antagonise Russia.

Wait, so Germany didn't want to ratchet up tensions, which makes them pansies? Is there any reason to poke Russia with a stick? What exactly are you trying to achieve with Russia? To provoke it, or to work closely together as normal people do? How does provoking a country which Poland is building tighter and tighter personal, cultural, and business relationships with every year help the security situation here?

For what? agreeing to defend the Baltics with their citizens lives?

Absolutely. Seems a ridiculous thing to be ashamed of, defending your allies.

WikiLeaks was a fraud from the outset designed by a bored prick to stir up unnecessary conflict. What, Poland has to fear Kalingrad? They'd be creamed were they to attack Poland.

Because that's what our tax money is spent on. Preventing said attack. I think it's good to explain to us why we need to sacrifice roads, health care, schools, and pensions to support a large military.
convex   
7 Dec 2010
Genealogy / Ochmann: Curious about my Family History.... [29]

Oh And My Dad's name is Marek is this Mark in Polish?

Yes indeed. Now, not to rain on our resident Silesians party, remember that it takes two to tango. So there could have been a Silesian Ochmann a long time ago, and the name might have just stayed alive. There was a lot of intermarrying going on through the ages, especially in that area. Crazy history down that way. Do you know what language he spoke at home? BB or someone a bit more competent in all things Silesian can probably tell you if a Silesian family would name a son Marek or Markus...
convex   
7 Dec 2010
Genealogy / Ochmann: Curious about my Family History.... [29]

Hi Katie,

Looking at the distribution of names, looks like Ochmanns are concentrated around Opole and Silesia. Sounds like you're Silesian :)

There are also quite a few Ochmanns in the Ruhr area of Germany. Maybe settled after the war, or during the earlier waves of immigration from the East.

Last one before bed, it's apparently came from "Achmann".