Law / Weapon Law in Poland: what kinds of knives are legal? [35]


Guns are illegal in NYC. So everybody has one, except for good, law abiding citizens.

Carrying a knife around, though I wouldn't do it myself, doesn't seem like such a crazy thing to do.

I've seen a few fights where knives were pulled out, and the effect is pretty much the same as with a gun - though obviously scaled down. A rowdy, aggressive person suddenly becomes docile and walks away.

Pepper spray, and other stuff like that probably has a bigger role to play though.

Law / Weapon Law in Poland: what kinds of knives are legal? [35]

I'll admit I like knives quite a bit. I don't really have any nice ones, but I like looking at them. Myself, I've got a Swiss Army knife in my glove compartment (which I use once a year), and another which I keep in my fishing tackle bag.

Whenever I'm at a sports equipment store, I like to look at the expensive knives. The Damascus steel patterns are beautiful, and oftentimes the handle is a work of art. I've seen handles made from dinosaur bones and from meteorites.

Where I live, they're all very small. Quote:

Possessing a knife with a blade length of four inches or more in public places, streets, or parks in New York is prohibited, regardless of any unlawful intent, and is punishable by a fine or up to 15 days in jail.

Four inches is about the width of an average person's palm. Supposedly, this isn't enough to reach any vital organ, though I don't know how it helps with bleeding out to death. Also, I don't know why having something in your pocket that is longer than 4 inches is illegal, while having a 15 inch dagger in your kitchen is totally kosher.

Life / Has feminism and lesbianism progressed in Poland? [645]


Sorry, Novi...

I like this Lenka person.

Life / Has feminism and lesbianism progressed in Poland? [645]


*gasp*

A woman on PF... a thing as rare as a Russophile Pole.

News / Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023 [933]


Can someone explain to me if there is any realistic scenario where PiS manage to hold on to power?

Understand, I hate PiS too, and am not asking because I am hopeful they can pull it off.

News / Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023 [933]


A place as cruel and barbaric as Russia, cannot survive unless ruled by an iron hand.

Is that right?

News / Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023 [933]


Yes, an abhorrent concept.

You must not have much experience of meeting these... "people" - as you describe them.

They are no more equipped to rule themselves, than a sheep is capable of building for itself a shelter from the elements.

News / Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023 [933]

I must admit, it would be enormously humorous to me, if PiS manages to cobble together a ruling coalition through bribing and threatening a couple MPs.

I would expect Poland to then shut up, about the state of democracy in Russia.

News / Poland says no to flood of Immigrants [670]

Sounds a bit like Switzerland - the petition part.

The money part - that's done in tons of places. I'm not sure how I feel about it... I mean, I understand if Monaco, Luxembourg, or even Switzerland would be in the business of collecting millions of dollars for permanent residency. However, when it's America doing it, or some other powerful and important country, it leaves a weird taste in the mouth. I'll try to explain...

On the one hand - it seemingly cheapens the idea of American citizenship. Second, it makes it seem like America only wants "a sure thing". Wanting a "sure thing", goes against the grain of what American history has been. The miracle of America, is how it can metaphorically make candy out of sh!t. Some illiterate and downtrodden Italian grandparents arrive, and two generations later their grandkid is Governor of New York State. That's America.

Letting in every Arab, Russian, Chinese, and Indian kleptocrat, because he can pay his way in - that's not America. America is where people run to, to escape those people dominating their lives. Imagine their surprise then, when after going through an immensely difficult immigration process, they discover all the rich guys from back home already lounging around in America with paid for Green Cards?

There's enough places for thieves to go and park their money. London is the #1 destination. Why lower a great country to the level of the UK?

News / Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023 [933]

Hello Poles!

How are we feeling today?

Anybody care to make a bet what the outcome will be tomorrow morning?

News / Future of Polish-Ukrainian relations [669]


I think something is wrong with Amiga... He's starting to make sense.

Love / Question about Polish dating/women [42]


Americans are children when it comes to relations between the sexes.

News / The Political Circus of Poland [309]


Zelensky?

Love / Question about Polish dating/women [42]


Huh? Next you'll tell me I shouldn't dip my biscuits into tea.

News / Future of Polish-Ukrainian relations [669]


Czechs seem to be well liked by everyone.

In general, Slavs suffer from a big chip on the shoulder.

Life / Will the price of petrol/diesel reach 7 Zlotys in 2011 [58]

The story with diesel is all Russia-related. Europe is still, enormously dependent on Russia for diesel.

This story really irritates me.

A few weeks ago, I read some happy NATO cheerleader write something along the lines of: "there is a shortage of diesel in Russia, hahaha!".

Then I saw Putin put in place export controls on diesel. Immediately, I saw dozens of articles with headlines like, "Putin Raises the Ante with Ban on Diesel", "Diesel - the new weapon in the Kremlin's arsenal", etc.

Western clowns...

Diesel is cheap in Russia, so many unscrupulous people were making ludicrous amounts of money selling it abroad. The government banned this, so that there could be enough diesel for Russians. Now, the clowns went from laughing at Russians for diesel problems, to accusing us of using it as a weapon.

Build your own refineries. Buy our crude from India at a premium, and make your own diesel. Stop making everything the fault of Russians.

Can you imagine the allies complaining that Hitler won't sell them oil, gas, or grain? Well that's you now. And yes, in my example we are Hitler.

Life / Question about Polish medical treatments [4]


This is sort of random, but I know a guy that has this condition, and he literally washes his face with Head & Shoulders.

I'm a little skeptical myself, but curious if this is something you've heard about?

History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]


See... this is what I need!

Lots of husbands and boyfriends keeping the good 30+ people occupied. I tell myself - a husband is not a concrete wall....

I don't want to be a home wrecker, but what can you do if you see that two people match? My only rule is no wives of friends or business partners. At that point, it's not behavior of someone you want next to you.

History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]


Fair enough. Rare as it is, this does happen.


This grotesque point of view is the only I have, while I cannot find someone I love.

History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]


You don't know me, and I don't know you... believe then when I say it's not difficult for me to find women interested in me.


This is true. I feel this lacking in my life, in a bigger and bigger way. I see that people do not take me as seriously, as they appraise some other people from our social circle, merely because I wasn't as successful at creating a family for myself.

This is why I am laser focused on kids. I want my own soldiers, my own persons which I molded after my own image, like some toy soldiers out of clay or pewter.

I love kids. I feel a big gaping hole in my life through their absence. I feel I am something less than my peers, because I don't have kids.

History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]


Now I'm sorry - I clearly phrased that in the wrong way.


Reading your description, I see how it is difficult. The time to grab these girls is before 23-24. My problem is, they are not interesting to me at that age. Maybe I should talk to Strelets35, lol.

Why they are not interesting, is because at that age they act essentially as toy dogs at my side. I feel embarrassed before my adult friends and their wives, if I bring someone like that with me.

Here is another part of being single at 35 which is not great - less and less of your friends want to spend time with you.

History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]


No, no... I meant her parents being divorced.

If she is divorced, and has no kids - that's fine in my book.

I have two major relationships in my life, and both happened to last seven years. The girls I've met, have explained to me that's basically equivalent to having been married twice. While I disagree, I see where they are coming from.

Divorced is not a criteria. I just don't think that a girl that grew up without a dad would be good fit for me. Not sure if that is a fair criteria...

History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]


I recently had a couple of dates with a 34 year old (yes, the Ukrainian girl is out of the picture after 7 years together). Before that, I had several dates with a 27 year old. I caught myself doing a lot of simple math in my head. The first girl would be 40 in 6 years, and the other in 13 years. That seemed a big difference.

Virtually all the women worth being around, after 30, have been married and have at least one kid. I don't want to sound like a terrible person, but I realized I don't want to raise someone else's kid. I even told myself - "if you really like her, what does it matter?". Problem is - I didn't "really like her", as I can't "really like" anyone at the moment. I also like the idea of having my own chance at making a family, rather than inheriting someone else's.


I can see the attraction of this option. However, personally, I am a big family person. I don't want some fortress-type mentality in my family of, "it's us against the world". Marriage is a marriage of two families, in my understanding.


I thought this way for a long time. However, there's problems girls from poor families have, that rich girls don't. If I am really trying to create a life with a minimum of friction, a girl from modest means would not qualify. Again, I am a terrible person.

Agree with points on intelligence/education, and others.

History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]


This is true, very true. I'm not sure I could ever love someone, like I loved the person I loved in my early twenties. I think this muscle, atrophies afterwards.

Now I have to measure any potential mate against the following criteria:

1) Is she younger than 30?
2) Was she married previously, does she have kids?
3) Does she speak Russian well? Does she speak English well?
4) Is she intelligent? Well educated?
5) Does she come from an "intact" family, or a divorced one?
6) Does she come from a "good" family?
7) Is she physically attractive to me?

After you sort through these criteria, almost no one passes the test.

Forget about love... All I feel these days is some kind of passing excitement (infatuation) over some colorful person I run into, which inevitably turns into disappointment once the novelty wears off.

The time to do a quick deal was late teens and twenties. Now I've been spoiled by life.

History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]


As a man, I think I have somewhat of a different problem... but maybe it's the same for women. I can't say.

I spent about 15 years after college focusing on my work. Now, when I feel I'm standing firmly on my two feet, and finally want to have children - there is no one I want to have them with.

Do not misunderstand me - I really want children. I think I would be a good father. However, it seems the correct way to have children is to have them with someone you love. Last few years, I have come to understand that I'm becoming pretty set in my habits, and more stringent in filtering potential relationship candidates by a complex matrix of criteria. I find it hard these days to "like" anyone, let alone "love" them.

Starting to think, I should marry someone for a few years, get some kids, then go back to living life as I've become used to it.

History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]


Whoa! I shudder to think how you treat people that you do not respect. Could you give an example of such a person?

UK, Ireland / London is Poland's 24th largest city [85]


I mean... it's still America's financial, cultural, and innovative capital. It has the best restaurants, the best museums, the best theatres. If Chicago is the capital of the Midwest, then in NYC it really feels like a global capital. No annoying guys from Indianapolis or Milwaukee, that earn $200K a year, and behave as if they own the world. In NYC you can meet anybody, and at the same it's remarkably classless. You could be sitting with a billionaire and never know it.

As a businessman, within walking distance of my office, I can find the best best lawyer and best accountant. I can go to a cafe downstairs and have a beer with my investor. Manhattan is built on convenience... This density of professionals and deal makers is probably only rivaled by London, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Paris, Tokyo, Berlin are national ghettos.

UK, Ireland / London is Poland's 24th largest city [85]


Of course you forget Moscow. According to other calculations, it's Moscow that's Europe's biggest city at roughly 20M (metro area). Before this FT article you shared, I had never seen 25M being quoted as London's size.

People often joke re: Russia's distorted economy - due to the insane centralization of wealth in Moscow. These people must not have heard of London. The 25M figure above is staggering, meaning almost every second person in the UK lives in London. How is the "levelling up" of Yorkshire, the Midlands, Wales, and other places going to happen if London continues to hoover up all the cream from the rest of the country?


You should come to NYC. London will feel like Singapore to you then.

Life / Poles are not racist [873]


Have you ever been to Africa?

I say this because I've already heard it quite a few times where an argument is made along the lines of, "It's African-Americans that tie themselves up in knots over racial transgressions, while actual Africans don't mind it one bit."

Newsflash - they do. Africans are surprisingly proud people, who would've thought. On the one hand, they do seem to think that their American cousins are a little bit crazy, but on the other - and I assure you - they still think blackface is in bad taste.

News / Poland highest inflation in 20 years [319]

@amiga500

I think I will stop responding to you, like with that other person, until you can learn to communicate like a human being.