Off-Topic / PF - The Omnibus Edition [1502]


I'm grand thank you for asking.
A bit late with a reply but our grandchildren's grandchildren will see our digital footprint and know a little more about us, not just my lobster bburnt skin on a Donegal beach:)


Transhumanism, evolution in front of our eyes.
I for one welcome our mechanised overlords !(Roko's basilisk).
The whole of human knowledge in our pocket and what we chose to do with it tells me we're not that different from the monkeys in the zoo throwing dung at each other. I wonder if our ape cousins look at us as we look at the biocybernetic evolution happening now?

Anyway I'm becoming more convinced that not only are the mountains, oceans and people conversing a simulation but that we have no real free will (I had no choice but to write that, apparently:)

And the purpose of this ruse, I hear you cry out?
"Our entire universe is probably in a tiny glass jar somewhere, placed on a shelf in an alien child's room as a science fair that got a D+".

I prefer to be happy than right anyhow, this forum taught me that.


The Olympian gods never looked so good.

And except for dodging the walking dead and having deep and meaningful exchanges with the automated self-checkout machine at biedronka, how are you?

• 
  This is it
  

Off-Topic / PF - The Omnibus Edition [1502]

I came here to check what I have missed, while I've been wasting my time in the so called "real world".

We (royal we) need an edition of this pillar of civilisation also known as the one, the only, The Omnibus Edition!

Law / I have recently been scammed in Poland. My company accounts frozen. [58]

Update,
I was summoned to court today for questioning for potential fraud!

The story so far:
Subcontractor issued a fictitious invoice demand to pay twice, I don't know how but he has proof he sent it but my company never received it, this meant that it automatically went to the bailiff i.e. the court NEVER looked at my side of the case.
The bailiff couldn't get anything, so the subcontractor has claimed I defrauded them.
Back story:
I broke the contract with the subcontractor, I had a court appointed engineer make an expertise (project) showing all the damages made by the subcontractor.

I hope this will go away now, as my side of the story will be heard by the fraud squad and should be dismissed, if the subcontractor wants to proceed with the case to claim their invoice money they will need to pay 5% of the claim and I don't really see that happening because their invoice is so fictitious and they were mainly relying on a loop hole in the Polish law.

Food / Mushroom picking (and eating:) in Poland [36]

Better late than never :)

Study / Archeology studies in Poland? [7]

I know a Polish Archaeologist
.
.
.
His career is in ruins

Law / Any good business ideas - what Poland needs? [114]


It went up after communism :)
"More than 50% of EU households owned their homes, with the highest rates of home ownership found in Romania (96%), Lithuania and Slovakia (both 89%) and Hungary (87%). The lowest percentages of home ownership were in Denmark, France and Poland (all 58%), the Netherlands (56%), Austria (52%), and Germany (46%)."


They rent accommodation.

Work / Thinking of working or investing in Poland (Think AGAIN!) Experience and attitude of British toward Poland. [80]

LodzLand, did you not try to get a job before you went to Poland?

Law / I have recently been scammed in Poland. My company accounts frozen. [58]

Quick update.

Ironically the Polish authorities have found there isn't enough money in the company to declare bankruptcy.

News / Poland free market ( EU ) [11]


You can do that in Poland.

You can even loan people money, the interest rates are not regulated like the banks and therefore they can charge much more because they are not called 'banks' from what I've read.




None at all needed?
I know that a certified estate agents has to sign off for the final contract and up until that you could be dealing with an uncertified estate agent but really, none at all?

Real Estate / Property Developer HORROR in Lodz [28]


It should be in the contract about 'habitable use', something is not right.


What were you told?


I think I know the answer.
In your profile you have written 'retard' for your occupation :)

Terrible story lostinlodz, if you give us more details about the contract and ownership we might be able to help you more.

One more thing, you are going to be very disappointed when you get a lawyer here, they do not work anything like they do in the U.K.

You must do 90% of the work and tell them what to do and they will do the 10% of the work and it takes a long time, not like the U.K. where you give it to a lawyer and they deal with it.

I have a lot of experience both with real estate here in Poland and with lawyers in various countries.

Understandably you are angry, it shows in your writing but you'll need a clear head to get out of the fix you find yourself in and there are people on here who can help.

News / Poland free market ( EU ) [11]


Banks are regulated in every country, I don't know about real estate agents in the U.K. but a qualification is required in Ireland.

I presume because they don't like competition :)

News / Krakow -- the third most polluted EU city, "equivalent to 2500 cigarettes a year" [9]

This is big news here and will effect the the people who can't afford it so the government will be helping people with their bills.

Fire places are supposed to be only occasionally used, like for Christmas, I don't know if that's another way of saying they don't know what to do?

Apparently it is a geographical problem, krakow is in a bowl so the pollution hangs around.

I don't notice anything but the science is sound.

Law / Landlord in Poland entitled to break in, change locks after non payment of final month's rent? [19]

You are breaking the contract InWroc, to date your LL has only threatened to do something about it.

Trust is the underlying idea of any contract.
You don't trust your LL because you think he won't return the deposit(I hope your source for this information is good).
And I suspect he does not trust you as you are not fulfilling the agreement, the idea of a deposit is to cover any cost of damages you may have done, not for the last month's rent unless you talk to him.

I strongly recommend meeting, discussing and coming to an amicable agreement as this air of suspicion and stress is not good for either of you.

Law / Landlord in Poland entitled to break in, change locks after non payment of final month's rent? [19]


Is the LL insisting you pay the last month's rent or insisting your deposit be used?

Why don't you pay?

Real Estate / How the Poland property market became a HUGE bubble [35]


Like where, Ukraine is now?

I don't think it would have worked out.

Real Estate / How the Poland property market became a HUGE bubble [35]


So what? Should we drop the whole E.U. idea because someone else is doing well?


That is not what messed up those countries economically, the idea of the Euro zone is different, to create a single stable currency.


You have not read what I said and your argument is wrong.

Here is what I am saying:

1. E.U. is at peace with itself and deserves the Nobel prize for that (see above).

2. Do you remember what it was like before the E.U.? The unemployment rate and most importantly for me, there was no real freedom of movement.

The next generation are going to grow up and take the Schengen area for granted, as if it has always been there and personally I think that is brilliant.

You're in the U.S. imagine you had to get a visa to travel from state to state, imagine how stifling that would be for the people and for business.

3. Europe are a group of tiny countries, it's only a matter of time before we have to unite our economies so we can play with the big boys or be dependent on other larger economies and we'd have no real clout, no real bargaining power.


I think think this was worse before 2004.


I don't get your math, so if Poland is growing more than France it doesn't really mean anything as they did not start off on the same level, Communism held Poland back.


I think this is what the E.U. as a whole must do, research and development all the way!


Wasn't it the same all over? I mean the one good thing about the economic crises in Ireland is that I don't have to listen to idiots telling me how much they thought their property increased in value this week....

Real Estate / How the Poland property market became a HUGE bubble [35]


I believe this will eventually benefit all E.U. countries for that exact reason just because it was beneficial for the original six does not necessarily mean it is not a symbiotic relationship and driven by everybody's self interest (which I think is a better reason than any pretense of altruism).


I'm not exactly sure what you mean could you elaborate?
Comparatively very few foreigners live here so speculators are not the real issue now and most first time buyers in any country can't buy in the major cities for supply and demand reasons.


I am not going to argue the elusiveness of happiness but first time average Polish people can afford to get on the property ladder in the urban areas but I hate (and I do not use that word lightly) that both parents must work (I feel like I am getting off topic here but it needed a mention).

Polish people have, for their recent history, not trusted the system (and banks) because of their history and it was totally impossible before the E.U. for the average Pole to buy anything with such high unemployment (45% in some urban areas).


The first casualty of War is Truth.

The average anywho was never given a second thought. it's a business.
Armani, Christian Dior, Gucci, Versace don't think about the possible "positive effect" their business has on the manufacturers and distributors, it's all about the consumer. (I recommend No Logo en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Logo)

So far I believe it is better for us E.U. members to be together than not to be.

I was shocked and indignant at the Nobel Peace Prize Awarded To The European Union for 2012 (listen to the sighs of objection the second it is announced and how he explains it).

I believe that mutually beneficial business is the way forward for peace.

youtube.com/watch?v=pOQqBZul1J4



I don't know what time it is where you are in the U.S.A but it's a Saturday night there too and I am not looking for a fight as I find this particular topic interesting.

But calling it a colonisation is wrong on practically every level and really does not help me understand the situation but your input is good because I see the E.U. in some ways very much like the U.S.

Hopefully we too will have federal law and state law, so that our people can better express their democratic opinions (state law) while combating organised crime (federal law or a better INTERPOL?).

Real Estate / How the Poland property market became a HUGE bubble [35]


It was



Just to clarify, I am very much for the E.U.....so far.


As I said, it was not altruism, so you are definitely arguing with the wrong person.


He was a writter, perhaps you can remember which book you listened to and what valid points it made on the topic?

Real Estate / How the Poland property market became a HUGE bubble [35]


Poland was economically held back because of communism, the point of the E.U. was to make all the countries economically similar so that the Inner Six could expand their economic territory as a long term strategy and have more consumers to sell their products to.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inner_Six

People often talk about the benefit to the accession countries but we must remember that it was them who needed us to join.

If you look at it as a business strategy (which everyone should), you can only sell to people who have money, it was not altruistism which people seem to be lead to believe.

Real Estate / How the Poland property market became a HUGE bubble [35]

The main Factor is the 2004 enlargement of the European Union to include Poland, it pretty much changed everything.

Confidence in the country skyrocketed, I came over a few years before 2004, I just came from Ireland and it was obvious to me that Poland was going to go through the same metamorphosis.

Two million Polish people emigrated and were sending billions back with the idea to buy property because they had the romantic idea of returning some day (I say romantic because most didn't).

Here is a great website showing the motorways and the year in which they were built.
stadiony.klszarak.org/scc_a_s.swf

In 2004, Poland received €435 million1 from the EU in structural funding, while in 2007 the figure was more than €3.1 billion and a further budget of €347 billion for 2007-13.

It became a fantastic place to invest, labour was comparatively cheap highly educated, willing and able, it's a superb geographic location (in times of peace), with emigration the unemployment rate went down and wages went up and with the E.U 'safety net' it was booming.

Also speculators were licking their lips.

In my opinion the economic crises happened at a good time for Poland, if it didn't happen when it did, it would have went down the same road as Ireland (remember Tusk's words "we are the new Ireland" unsurprisingly he doesn't say that anymore.

There is no doubt in my mind that Poland would have eventually made all these advancements by herself but the E.U. was the catalyst and with that momentum catapulted Poland forward with the knock on effect of the huge price increases we all saw.

Travel / How much money should I convert for my visit Krakow? (long weekend) [11]

Hello Chris, Don't panic ;-) How much money you bring and how much fun you have totally depend on what you like doing.

Travel / Vegetarian places to eat in Krakow [30]

There are a few places in Krakow.

This may be of interest to you: Vegetarian places to eat in Krakow.

I don't know Lublin so well but a quick google search and google.pl/search?q=lublin+Vegetarian+Restaurants

Travel / Recommendations for Krakow and Myślenice [80]

If you like dinosaurs and a day out with the kids, I recommend Dinozator
dinozatorland.pl

In expensive and great fun 52 kilometers West of Krakow.

DinoZatorland
ul. Parkowa 7
32 - 640 Zator, woj. małopolskie

There is also a Greek mythological lake and a huge insect park (the insects are huge, not the park;) but I did not go to either of them although I heard good things.

Real Estate / Renovating a house in janikowo.... [30]


You want other

You may think people are being negative but if you think about it logically it doesn't make much sense.

You think people in another country spending your money renovating a chicken coop and then you have to wait until a lady is dead before it is yours is really a good investment?

How much money are you going to spend on making this chicken coop habitable? do you even have a quote?

Let's say you do it, you work in Scotland and have a house in Poland so you will have to let it out especially during the winter or you would have to pay bills and maintenance for a house that you do not live in (winters are much

colder here) so you let her family stay there, are you going to throw them out when you come over, do you think that will go down well?

I wish you all the best but you could just accept the gift and do nothing.

Life / Lifestyle in Poland - what should we prepare for? [10]


If your husband is Vietnamese, he should have a visa to legally work here.
Perhaps his employer could help him, if he does not already have one.

Then he will need to get a P.E.S.E.L number.


I recommend Skype, it's free to download onto your computer or smart phone and calls are free between two computers or smart phones with the downloaded software.

There are other cheap ways of contacting each other too.


Just to clarify, Poland has the Polish Zloty.

Life / Does teetotalism even exist in Poland? [10]

Of the 5 replies to your post you choose to focus on 1.

Life / Lifestyle in Poland - what should we prepare for? [10]

I second smurf's advise, prepare for winter clothes, winter tires on the car, good insulation and heating at home.

Life / Does teetotalism even exist in Poland? [10]


I know people a bit older who became teetotalers as a passive way of defying communism.

During communist times the idea was promoted by the church that if you wanted change you had to be sober.

I think there might have been a notion that the communist system wanted to keep people drunk and therefore easy to control.

There were rumors of a plan for a vodka pipeline from Russia.

A quick google search and I came across this:

Law / Poland Internet & TV cable firm call to say they have put TV price up from 1zl to 11zl [10]


:)

Yeah, I know but but but I hate deceit, a deal's a deal.

News / Quality of Life Index Poland 4th on a list of 10 European nations [18]


Which other countries were in the index? Edit* I got the countries.

Just seems a bit random and they don't state which countries.

The same index says the UK is the worst place to live in.

Switch Gas & Electricity News: Quality of life index

I agree that Poland is a great place to live but I disagree as to the reasons they list.

The retirement age in Poland is male 65 female 60 2013.

They state it is cheaper but don't take average wages into consideration, which is very misleading at best.

Anyway, Poland is a great place to live but this index is just random stuff that should not lead anyone to any real conclusions.