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Posts by f stop  

Joined: 9 Dec 2009 / Female ♀ 		Last Post: 9 Oct 2015
Threads: Total: 24 / In This Archive: 21
Posts: Total: 2493 / In This Archive: 1879 		From: USA, dirty south
Speaks Polish?: tak
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Displayed posts: 1900 / page 63 of 64
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f stop   
3 Jan 2010
News / Czech drug legalisation threatens Poland [111]

Wooohooo Chechs! Good for you! About time some common sense prevailed!

It's time to separate the people with mental problems that abuse anything they can get their hands on, from criminal elements making money off them.

And it's time to admit that there are recreational drug users, same way there are occasional drinkers. Making drugs (or alcohol) illegal does not work.
f stop   
3 Jan 2010
Love / All Polish women can't be nutters can they? [257]

At the risk of sounding stupid: everyone wants to fall in love with someone that will love them back. For women, that sometimes involves figuring out if the guy wants anything more than a steady sex partner. Guys worry if she's just after the money. Language barrier makes that part more difficult and long lasting.

As for the original question? Yes, all polish women are nutters. They simply cannot have any respect for guys that put up with all their sh!t.
f stop   
2 Jan 2010
Life / WHY ARE POLISH CALENDARS SKEWED? [42]

the discrepancy is, again, which day is the seventh, day of prayer. Some religions believe it's saturday, some sunday.

Religion aside, in my opinion Monday should be the first day, since it's the first day of work-week, and saturday and sunday should be at the week-end.
f stop   
1 Jan 2010
Law / Irish welcome on Polish building sites ? [47]

Some Polish people didn't like the way they were treated in Ireland (if I heard it then everybody else must have known already) and they want others to know. That's all.
f stop   
1 Jan 2010
Life / WHY ARE POLISH CALENDARS SKEWED? [42]

I think only jewish people consider Saturday as the seventh day. For catholics, it's always been Sunday. The fact that american calendars start on Sunday, even tho everyone considers sunday the end of the week, is a little 'tell' of Jewish influence.
f stop   
31 Dec 2009
Work / Salary for Teaching EFL in Krakow [120]

ok, help me with the rest. So 3K/mo salary... what is the rent, from small apartment for one to renting just a room? What is an average electric, water, gas monthly bill? How much for internet access, cell phone, cable? How much can one person get away with for food - no thrills polish style? Is public transportation still dirt cheap?
f stop   
25 Dec 2009
Love / Polish boyfriend coming to visit [52]

I gather it's been an internet/phone relationship up to now.
Do what you are comfortable doing.
And remember, you might be convinced that you are in love, but the
final test is the physical attraction when you meet in person - it's important to be yourself.
f stop   
24 Dec 2009
Travel / Is it safe to travel to Poland? [194]

So, are there parts of Warsaw/Krakow you would not stroll around in the evening? If so, where and why?
f stop   
24 Dec 2009
Food / What's on YOUR Wigilia table? [20]

śledzie, sałatka, ryba w galarecie, ryba po grecku, barszcz z uszkami, pierogi.
No desert yet. Szarlotka, probably.
Oh, no carp though. Flounder and snook.
f stop   
23 Dec 2009
Travel / Is it safe to travel to Poland? [194]

In every country there are impoverished, 'unsafe' areas. For the tourist it's important that there are places he/she knows about that are safe to walk around, even in the evenings. I don't know where they are any more, but pointing them out would be much more useful HERE than arguing about statistics.
f stop   
23 Dec 2009
News / Freezing weather in Poland, 42 people dead in winter freeze... and no-one cares? [140]

oh, they're around. Each time I swear to myself I'll never do it again, somebody else comes around that I'm convinced I can help... Turns out that the great majority of my "social cases" do not know how to think beyond today.

As far as the business, that would be the worst run business in history!
f stop   
23 Dec 2009
News / Freezing weather in Poland, 42 people dead in winter freeze... and no-one cares? [140]

Yeah Ariel, now your talking! That's much better than making people think that the next homeless person they run into is going to be a famous writer down on her luck.

Just don't make it a competition about who's doing more for the 'downtrotten". No one can match my own gullibility, and I do put my money where my mouth is.

First law is good too, but it sort of implies that you can't change a person. Not a best argument for helping homeless.

here are couple of personal stories that may offer some useful hints for those that actually take homeless people into their homes. Easy to get them in, much harder to get them out. Four cases, all true:

(1) A woman that within weeks needed to share her good fortune with homeless animals. She started bringing stinky old dogs and cats. When given the ultimatum, she moved out with her animals rather then give them up. It was all very civilized, I gave glowing recomendation to her next temporary 'landloard'.

(2) Recovering addict, clean for 2 1/2 years, hard worker. Fell off the wagon couple of months into his stay with me because some girl he met was getting high. Getting him out was a stroke of genius: I offered him a $100 and a ride anywhere within reason (I think he chose his dealer's house) as long as he took all his stuff with him and did not came back.

(3) Puerto Rican girl, with two kids I mentioned earlier. She always paid her bills on time, but looking at her budget, it was clear she'll never going to be able to save enough to get on her own two feet. So I gave her back all the money she paid me. A success story. I still help her once in a while, when her cable TV gets turned off and such, but that's still a great success.

(4) latest - a neighbor that lost his job, house, kids turned bad. Little did I know that his plan was to commit suicide via alcohol. I got him out a month ago, moved him out with his sons on Sunday afternoon. He was too drunk to realize what was going on. He's in jail now, after almost killing somebody while driving drunk. I'm looking around for homeless shelter for when they let him out. I can see that it would be much easier to do that if he accepted Jesus as his personal saviour.
f stop   
23 Dec 2009
News / The "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign theft from Oswiecim, Poland [240]

Call me a cynic, but with the amount of attention this generated, maybe they didn't mind so much getting caught? If I were them, I'd be looking for worthy platform right now - against traumatizing children by taking them to concentration camps school trips? high heating prices? immigration reform?
f stop   
22 Dec 2009
News / Freezing weather in Poland, 42 people dead in winter freeze... and no-one cares? [140]

Arien, you have a very unrealistic view of the homeless. That and Christmas movies will make you forget you wearing a rose colored glasses. Go find some homeless people and meet them. Not for a minute do I believe your story about running across a sober, sane, homeless man that "did not smell" and bought coldcuts with your money while you walked away smiling and his life was changed forever... not for a minute.
f stop   
22 Dec 2009
News / Freezing weather in Poland, 42 people dead in winter freeze... and no-one cares? [140]

That was my point: if you would not let them into your house, then you're admitting that they might be other issues. I'm the fool that constantly opens her house to people, and I found out that if someone is homeless, there is usually a reason for it, underneath the obvious one. Find what it is before you put yourself out there. Or you might be handing a crackhead $20, or giving a guy a ride to the neighborhood with better loot.
f stop   
22 Dec 2009
News / Freezing weather in Poland, 42 people dead in winter freeze... and no-one cares? [140]

Last month I had to evict a tenant who stopped paying his rent.
He lost his job, but got just enough to live on from unemployment, and simply could not live within his means, or adjust to his new financial reality. Now he's still going through friends and aquaintances, but once he outlasts his welcome, he will be homeless. Great many people are unable to manage their money, still going out to eat, buying junk for Christmas, thinking something will come their way (Lottery? Obama?) and rescue them.

If I could find a person, or a family that is truly down on their luck and just need a little help, I would gladly help them out. Last year I took a girl in with two kids and at the end of six months I gave her back all the money she paid me so she can get her own place and car. She's had some setbacks since, but mostly she is managing. Those are very rare and if you find them, by all means, help them. The litmus test is - would you let them move into your home?
f stop   
22 Dec 2009
News / Freezing weather in Poland, 42 people dead in winter freeze... and no-one cares? [140]

Wrong G, nobody choses to sleep on the streets or to become an alcoholic."

That is not true. I don't know where do you meet your homeless (Christmas stories?), but most the ones I meet have such a disdain for us poor fools going to work every morning and doing somebody else's bidding, they are simply not willing to conform and pay the price.

There might be some that may find themselves homeless through no fault of their own, but those are only temporary. And those can usually find some friendly couches until they can get one of their own. Plus they usually have families that have not given up on them.

So, again, speaking from my own experience, homeless are usually those who are unwilling or unable to play by the rules and expect the rules to change for them. Or, they are waiting for that big win in lottery.
f stop   
22 Dec 2009
News / Freezing weather in Poland, 42 people dead in winter freeze... and no-one cares? [140]

Those are wonderful stories, but a bit unrealistic in my neck of the woods. In my experience, the homeless have much bigger problems then a lack of roof over their heads. Vast majority of them are addicted to drugs or alcohol and have "unresolved" issues that need way more help then good-hearted laymen can provide with an occasional donation.

Now, with todays economy I do believe that some normal, hardworking people will find themselves homeless, I'm just saying that I have not met any. Also, I know about 10 homeless people, so my sample pool is pretty small.