-
-
UK newspaper unearths guide for Poles on how to cheat UK government
Polish magazine Przeglad reportedly published a dossier explaining how Polish people can cheat their way through Britain's rules and regulations.
The Sun calls it the 'spongers’ guide' and claim it 'shows how to dodge electricity bills, rent flats for free, pay no tax and swindle insurance companies because British laws are “too soft”.'
Criminal experts from Poland have said cheating the system is a way of life for some Poles after living under Communist rule for decades.
“Once you’ve cheated the Communist government and the Iron Curtain and the Soviet states, running rings around British Gas is child’s play,” they explained.
And here's a few of the handy hints they provided:
- Not paying rent once they move in as tenancy laws mean it will be months before they’re evicted. In the meantime the property is sublet to more Poles.
- Opening electricity and gas accounts with bogus personal details.
- Claiming your mobile phone has been stolen. Once the insurers pay out, the cheats pocket the cash and sell the phone back home in Poland for a £100 profit. Polish magazine Przeglad reportedly published a dossier explaining how Polish people can cheat their way through Britain's rules ... more -
Could your Nail Polish be poisoning you?
Attractive and desirable though they are, no nail products are 100 percent safe and nontoxic. You can find products with fewer hazardous chemicals than their conventional counterparts, but try to use these sparingly or save them for special occasions.
If you've ever been in the same room as someone applying nail polish, you're well aware of the noxious odors emanating from those tiny bottles. Nail polishes have come under fire lately for containing three chemicals dubbed the "toxic trio": toluene, a solvent linked to low birth weight and development problems in children; formaldehyde, a known carcinogen emitted as certain preservatives break down; and dibutyl phthalate, a hormone disrupting chemical used to keep polishes flexible. All three appear on California's Proposition 65 list of chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or reproductive harm.
Concern over the health effects that the toxic trio pose to both nail salon workers and to average women led the European Union to ban them from use in cosmetics in 2004. The U.S. has no such legislation, but individual states have started instituting similar laws. California's Safe Cosmetic Act of 2005, which went into effect January 1, 2007, requires companies that sell products in California to report the use of compounds that appear in the Proposition 65 list.
In the absence of federal guidelines, some manufacturers have begun eliminating them on their own. Nail giant OPI has removed both DBP and toluene from all products, although they still use formaldehyde in nail hardeners. Sally Hansen has also removed toluene and DBP and does not add formaldehyde, but the latter may still be present as a byproduct of urea-based preservatives. According to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics, Orly International has stopped using DBP as well.
These rules and voluntary changes, however, don't address the other unhealthy ingredients in tiny nail polish bottles. Solvents such as acetone and ethyl, butyl and amyl acetate can trigger headaches, dizziness, and eye, nose and throat irritation. Methacrylate resins, used to make acrylic nails, can irritate skin and cause redness, allergic reactions, pain and swelling in the nail bed. Ethyl and methyl methacrylate are the two adhesives used in applying acrylic nails, and they too are extremely irritating to skin, eyes and respiratory tracts. Methyl methacrylate has generated so many worker complaints of allergic reactions that it has been banned in 30 states. Attractive and desirable though they are, no nail products are 100 percent safe and nontoxic. You can find products with fewer hazardo... more -
Cops get stunned for their taser use.
Since a Polish immigrant was Tasered and died at Vancouver airport last year, the RCMP and a number of Lower Mainland police departments have rewritten their policies for use of the weapon. Since a Polish immigrant was Tasered and died at Vancouver airport last year, the RCMP and a number of Lower Mainland police departmen... more
-
Baby born hella drunk
A Polish newborn entered the world with a blood-alcohol level of 0.29, according to news reports.
TVN24 reports on its website that the baby's 38-year-old mother had a BAC of .12 when she went into labor yesterday in Otwock.
"The baby's life is not in immediate danger, but doctors fear the impact on her development," police spokeswoman Dorota Tietz tells AFP.
The mother is facing some legal troubles, the wire service says.
"Wow...." A Polish newborn entered the world with a blood-alcohol level of 0.29, according to news reports. ... more -
Men, In Uniform
Men, In Uniform is the portrait of a volunteer fire brigade in a small Polish village. Unemployed men and curious, young boys change into uniform and allow the uniform to change them. Men, In Uniform is the portrait of a volunteer fire brigade in a small Polish village. Unemployed men and curious, young boys change i... more
-
Pocahontas Falling Down
This town was Virginia's first coal boom town. There are very few Americans who have not been touched by the far reaching influence of the Pocahontas Fuel Company. The coal extracted by Pocahontas Fuel served nearly 1/2 of the country. The numerous mines once employed nearly 100,000 people and it was all headquartered here in this small town in the mountains. Many awesome historic buildings and sites in this town face demolition by neglect unless something changes. This town was Virginia's first coal boom town. There are very few Americans who have not been touched by the far reaching influen... more
-
Polish journey home
For the first time in four years, more UK-based Poles are returning to their homeland than are arriving in Britain. Chris Zietkowski, 34, a Polish painter and decorator, has told The Times, 'Two years ago I could make five times the amount of money here than I could in Poland. Now the wages are about the same and the living costs in the UK are much higher. There is a lot of work in Poland, probably more than in the UK. It’s a good time to go back'. The arrival of many young Poles seeking a working break in the UK prompted shops to stock ranges of Polish food, drink, and newspapers, and libraries started stocking Polish books. For the first time in four years, more UK-based Poles are returning to their homeland than are arriving in Britain. Chris Zietkowski,... more
-
The Witcher
The Witcher is like Knights of the Old Republic, only with a story that demands the player make truly ambiguous moral decisions and live with the ramifications hours later. Its like Neverwinter Nights except the combat is fast, streamlined and not weighed down by a ponderous lists of spells. Its the Gothic series without all the bugs or awkward translations. The Witcher brings a lot to the table that we've seen before, but the end result is something unique. It's good, real good.
Based on a series of popular Polish fantasy novels, The Witcher follows Geralt, a sardonic wanderer whose past is long and bloody. You dont customize anything about him before you start the game, the scars on his face and his penchant for swords and magic are all set in stone. The man has walked many paths, but conveniently for those of us who havent kept up with popular Polish literature, he cant remember any of it. Rescued at the brink of death by his fellow Witchers, Geralt remembers the basics of sword fighting and sarcasm but little else.
http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/node/35552 The Witcher is like Knights of the Old Republic, only with a story that demands the player make truly ambiguous moral decisions and li... more
-
related topics
Polish
Contributors (24)
Polish
