News / Freezing weather in Poland, 42 people dead in winter freeze... and no-one cares? [140]

sadieann
queen??? Was that "queenly"? I just don't believe it, that's all.

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.

News / Freezing weather in Poland, 42 people dead in winter freeze... and no-one cares? [140]

If I had to panhandle, I would write a sign: "WE NEED BLANKETS". I bet I'd get a lot of them! Not only I could supply the needy, I bet I'd have enough leftovers to start a little side business!

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.

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?

News / Freezing weather in Poland, 42 people dead in winter freeze... and no-one cares? [140]


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.

News / The "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign theft from Oswiecim, Poland [240]

Off with their heads!

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.

News / The "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign theft from Oswiecim, Poland [240]

I'd rather that was some kind of reference to the concentration camp, not an advice of frustrated parent.

News / Freezing weather in Poland, 42 people dead in winter freeze... and no-one cares? [140]

maybe what they were missing was an access to accurate weather forecast?

News / The "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign theft from Oswiecim, Poland [240]

I would like to post it above my son's bedroom, but I have to find a less recognizable variation of it.
For obvious reasons.

News / The "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign theft from Oswiecim, Poland [240]

hey, bzibzi - if I did, I would not be asking these 'pointed' questions.

News / The "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign theft from Oswiecim, Poland [240]

I'm too ADD to read through all this, but it looks to me like you are arguing what belonged to whom before the WWII. Are you serious?

And wait, the kicker is that the original topic was a work of art itself..., of sorts.. the SIGN.

News / The "Arbeit Macht Frei" sign theft from Oswiecim, Poland [240]

First time I read about it, I thought it was funny - like reading a story about idiot thieves. We made so much more out of this then it really deserved.

On the other hand, taking that sign took a lot of balls. And, I hope one day all those concentration camps can be dismantled, so we stop dragging our schoolchildren to them for field trips. Enough already.

USA, Canada / Renewal of Polish passport from the USA [44]

Few more things: the missing papers was Numer Ewidencyjny PESEL.
There is no fingerprint anywhere on my passport.
I applied within 2 weeks of my old passport expiring. I asked if I could keep the old one. They punched two holes in it but let me keep it.

I think it was about $144, and then there was a mad scramble for change. I said they could keep the $6 or whatever it was, but that was not acceptable. I proposed to donate it to a cause of their choice, then somebody found some change. Thank God! My next idea would have been to ask the council to lunch.

USA, Canada / Renewal of Polish passport from the USA [44]

I renewed my passport this year. I contacted them by e-mail. I was told I'll have to travel to Washington, but then I got lucky: Embassy scheduled couple of days for their consul to travel and set up meetings in a Polish Center around Tampa. I made an appointment, traveled couple of hours, no lines, no wait, met and chatted with a handsome young Polish council and voila! passport arrived in the mail 4 months later. "Unia Europejska" right on the cover! Totally worth it.

Oh, and there was some certificate I never heard about that was missing in my application. They called me about it, e-mailed me the papers, I filled it and I faxed it back to them. Also, they would not accept the pictures I brought with me but insisted on re-taking them on the spot.

Feedback / Editing time too short (5 minutes currently) [60]

I would really like an unlimited Delete for my own posts. Or at least long enough for a nap...

Language / IS "MURZYN" word RACIST? [686]

I thought czarny/a is least offensive, if somewhat grammatically incorrect.
Murzyn is negro - not so neutral, according to the exact translation.
Czarnuch is n!gger, the most offensive.
African, to me, is stupid. There are many white Africans as well.
Mulat is so similar to mulatto, which means half black half white.

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]

goscccc
LOL
Kurva also can be an exclamation of high praise, depending on circumstances.
Just as "suck my d!ck" can mean "wait a moment, please" if you ever worked in a New York kitchen.

Language / Polish Swear Words [1242]

Funny.. I can curse in English like a sailor, and it doesn't affect me at all, they are just words like any other. But I hear it in Polish, and there's still a bit of a physical reaction, a jolt.

When Americans ask me to teach them Polish curses, I tell them some unrelated, innocent phrases, like, for example, "spokojnie" for "go fvck yourself".

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

joepilsudski
Huh? Registration suspended?? Khazars???
Here are few simple definitions for you:
F-stop is the focal length divided by the "effective" aperture diameter. I'm a photographer.
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is prejudice against or hostility towards Jews, often rooted in hatred of their ethnic background, culture, or religion.

History / Polish hatred towards Jews... [1290]

I'm too lazy to read this entire thread, but I'll weigh in with my opinion anyway. I think Poles are anti-semitic. My family included. Unfortunately, it seems that so is the rest of the non-jewish world as well.

USA, Canada / Are there any Polish people in Florida? [306]

I live in Melbourne, FL. I run into Polish people all the time.
There is a Polish Deli in Orlando.
Best Polish restaurant, Salt & Sweet, in Melbourne.
Attended a Polish festival couple of years ago, somewhere around Titusville.

and I must add that today we're having perfect beach weather, 82 deg. F.
Viva Space Coast!