Law / Poland economy is slowing down - how does it affect you? [117]

The US rate is higher than that: it doesn't take into account those who fell out of official stats - say, they can't collect unemployment any logner - those who are working pt but are will to work more hrs, that is , ft (full time). So when you added up is much higher than that! But it looks for those are in office now - it's all politics. Keep in mind that if you're unemployed in Poland, you still have your medical, right? Sh..t I'd better be unemployed in Poland than in the "land of the free."

News / The quality of Polish media coverage [54]


hey Val,

I dont think that's the case in the US (I'm neither Demo nor Rep) that the Demo party controls mass media. In the US it's all about the "hype" who killed whom, police brutality, etc. In other words, it hasta sell! If it doesn't, you're out! Look what happened to Newsweek...LA Times might be next. The US press ain't as in Europe, expecially in the UK, where you have a lot of junk, but also some legit papers (FT, The London Times, The Economist) and TV/radio (BBC) and the readership is pretty decent. The only good US paper to read has been The Int'l Herald Tribune though printed outside the US. It's all show biz now, bro!

Travel / Why does everyone seem to hate LOT Polish Airlines? [382]

Dunno but LOt can't be worse than the US carriers - btw, none of them made the 10 best carriers list. Never flew w/ LOT but flew a lot w/ United and always kept worrying, "are they gonna lose my luggage this time or not; am I gonna make that connection or not?" (United has been my company's prefered carrirer.) Obviously lotta quesitons about LOT's top management style, that is, are they really competent in what they're doing? Why they sunk so much money in Dreamliners, which are grounded. You gotta keep those planes flying to make money! The company's beenlosing money but the top brass has been getting annual salary increases n bonuses...etc. Hm?

News / The quality of Polish media coverage [54]


You hit the nail on its head: they do! It has to be short, fast n to the point, otherwise, the viewers will flip thru it n move on to other channels. Look at BBC n Fox TV, the diff in colors n personality is huge: a serious, reserved look of BBC vs a Colgate smile of a Fox News presenter. Dunno perhaps teh US stations have a better dental plan, hair dressers :)

Law / Poland economy is slowing down - how does it affect you? [117]

I think both sides of the political spectrum in Poland MUST recognize that Poland has made a HUGE leap forward in 20 yrs since the commies had relinquished their power! I looked at some pics of Warsaw (that's where my folks came from) n gotta tellya what was like then, say, in the 70s and now, it's a nite n day! It's hard to believe that Warsaw was sooooo gray n grim, I mean, you gotta get yourself on prozak or other anti-depressent sh..t if you wanna live like that! Most Poles are expecting to catch up to Hanz n Franz in a few years?! Sadly, that wont happen even in 15-20 yrs unless something big happens west of the border n Poland capitalizes on it. After WWII Germany kept developing n developing thanks to US money(loans), on the other hand, Poland was building the Palce of Culture n other useless (five-plan) nonsenses, which had to be abolished when it embraced free market. It's a zaro-sum outcome (game), i.e., some gained (Germans) and some lost (Polish) after WWII. Anyway, happy n prosperous 2013 to all Poles!

Law / Poland economy is slowing down - how does it affect you? [117]


You’re right, but the true rate of inflation excludes food, gas, et cetera, items that are considered volatile. For example, a couple mths ago in Cali a gal of gas was running over five bucks! Now it dropped down to $3.5. That one buck and a half price swing wont be counted into the rate due to the commodity’s volatility.

Law / Poland economy is slowing down - how does it affect you? [117]

hey ironside,

Am afraid pawian is right. Poland's plants I mean pretty much all mfg was not up to the world's standards. There was a piece in The Economist was back saying it would make more sense to get rid of those smoke stacks cuz 1) they were very ineffective and 2) pollutants (the Southern Poland, e.g., Katowice has had one of the highest lung cancer cases and TB was rampant). There was very little industrial export, except agricultural goods, cuz of the quality of products made in those plants. Fiats (Fix it again Tony, as we call here) were exported only to Libya. Even the shipyards were not that efficient to compete w/ the Koreans, the Brazilians or even the Japanese (who were bumped off by the Koreans later, who now are screaming about the Chinese). To be honest, not putting Poland down, but she couldn't under the commies make any decent products to compete against the West. Thats why lotta factories havbeen sitting as no one wants to buy them, again, cuz it would be more cost efficient to just demolish them and then build something else. You gotta understand that the market forces are very brutal, just look at Yorkshire, which used to be a mighty mfg place, but now it's a pretty much rundown city.

Law / Poland economy is slowing down - how does it affect you? [117]


Here's a link countrystudies.us/poland/ and the common theme about the Polish industry under the Communist Party is... "encouraged inefficient and low-quality production that discouraged trade with the rest of the world..." or "the continued existence of inefficient state enterprises lowered productivity significantly." On top of that, I mentioned The Economist, but you need to google to find the piece...

Btw, I was not aware that Poland had a "hi-tech" industry w/ fiber optics (I guess in its infancy). But btwn me n you if you mentioned that here, most people will giggle...It's like saying Poland had tanks to face the Germans in 1939. The overwhelming majority in the West, including the US, wouldn't believe you as their perception of the Poles is based on documentaries showing the Polish Army on horses charging the Germans tanks. Sadly, these are the facts n perception n you have to shrugem off n move forward! Like I said the current gov't MUST clean up corruption and nepotism. Dunno maybe look at the S'pore blueprint when they cleaned up their corruption back in the 60s...Well, gotta go now...

History / Life in communist Poland - personal relations [484]

we gotta use quantum physics (theory of diff universes) and send gum back to the past where he again might re-enjoy the old good days under Gierek n other comrades.


hey sean,

That's a funny ad! it shows what comrade Lenin couldn't accomplish in his workers' paradise. But filthy capitalists let you call for one zloty everywhere! That's what I call a cell paradise. Outta curiosity: who is the promoter?

History / Life in communist Poland - personal relations [484]


Amen! Good post!

History / Life in communist Poland - personal relations [484]


hey Gum,

That'ts off the topic but, it's possible (in theory though, nonetheless still) to travel to diff, or say, as they call them, parallel universes; google in...

News / Predictions about Poland for 2013 [85]


According to Manpower, Poland has a shortage of qualified labor. If properly re-trained, close to 600k jobs could be created. This might hold the flood to the UK, but, again, tha's a lot of people to retrain...plus the cost that could go along w/ that.

News / Achievements of the Tusk's Polish government [538]


yeah, that's a legit question: why? You hear so much anti-tusky stuff on this forum that you wonder why this guy is in office? That's like Obama, when you read the papers and talked to people, this guy had no chance to win. Guess what? he smoked his Rep rival...

News / Achievements of the Tusk's Polish government [538]


so the Polish people cant make the "right choice." I mean if Im unemplyed, living in poverty n there are tons of people like me then, sorry, I don't get it, why would i wanna vote for this guy?