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Posts by Barney  

Joined: 26 May 2008 / Male ♂
Warnings: 1 - O		 Last Post: 26 Apr 2024
Threads: Total: 15 / In This Archive: 5
Posts: Total: 1,595 / In This Archive: 145

Displayed posts: 150 / page 1 of 5
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Barney   
29 Dec 2009
Life / Order of the Mass practiced in Poland? [3]

The Mass is the same all over the world on any particular day here is a link where you can adjust the date and find the readings etc for that day .
Barney   
17 Dec 2009
Life / Can someone explain the military service laws? [7]

I am a 50 year old male

I have never actually been to Poland

This is strange, if you left to avoid conscription you could possibly face upto 3 years in jail and stripped of your rights of citizenship, but at 50!

When did you get citizenship after your 30th birthday? So nothing to worry about.
Gaining citizenship while abroad and ignoring your call up is a different matter but you are 50.
Barney   
8 Dec 2009
Genealogy / Looking for information on Polish women soldiers in Stalag V1C, Oberlangen [5]

Polish Order of the Virtuti Militari Recipients

I had a search for Marina Woroniecka (also Woroniecki just in case) but couldnt find her, I also searched for Grabowska and nothing, some Grabowski though and finally I searched for Viets, again nothing.

All I could find was This Obituary.

You can do a search Here but it costs 5 dollars
Barney   
27 Nov 2009
History / Lifestyles of the communist elite [17]

Convex
Yes, it would be interesting to hear about not just the elites but aome aparachiks lower in the food chain.
From what I have heard a lot of local party officials ended up doing rather well out of the change.
Barney   
25 Nov 2009
Life / Military service in Poland [17]

Is there any actual evidence of the 'west' being the enemy of Poland in communist times?

As Poland was a member of the Warsaw pact which was considered the prime risk by Nato at the time, one could say yes.

What percentage of the communist Polish armed forces were conscripts rather than proffesional sodiers

70% conscripts
Cant find link at the moment.
Barney   
25 Nov 2009
Life / Military service in Poland [17]

What do you mean by that

I dont think Poland will need a mass army anytime soon.

it just made them dead...

Not good.

hazing rituals

Are for fools and organised by cowards and bullies.
Barney   
25 Nov 2009
Life / Military service in Poland [17]

They just drank a lot

I may change my opinion of Military Service.

Conscription is not a good idea, you don't want people who are forced on the battlefield.

I agree, until you need a trained population, highly unlikely in Poland’s case.

In general do you think that military service builds character or can be used as a substitute for providing employment?
Barney   
25 Nov 2009
Life / Military service in Poland [17]

Poland suspended compulsory military service on December 5, 2008 by the order of the Minister of Defence. Compulsory military service was formally abolished when the Polish parliament amended conscription law on January 9, 2009, the law came into effect on February 11.

Lifted from wiki

Personally I would hate to do military service

One of my friends was telling me about his service, he would be a naval officer in times of war. He studied in Szczecin (I think) as a merchant marine (Engineer) Part of his training was for the Military Navy and he is still subject to call up.

Does anybody have stories about their service or opinions about this?
Barney   
25 Nov 2009
Travel / How often do you visit Poland? [32]

I always find that going to another country is not about the big things but the small ones.

Yes, it’s the small things that are important. In every country I have been to what surprised me (I dont know why) was the similarities between people if you are observant you see these differences.

The salt and bread thing
I have read about that here. The first time I heard of this tradition was watching The World at War narrated by Laurence Olivier on TV as a teenager. He mentions that traditional gift of welcome in Eastern Europe, it always stayed with me.

I spoke to one of my Polish friends about this and she produced a small piece of wafer from her purse.

Working hard and saving for your goal is important these people save every penny they have. Its quite a shock and humbling to hear a big man tell you that he never expected to own a motorbike, he was smiling like a dog with two *****.

What I like is that these people had the guts to up sticks and make the most of what was offered.
Barney   
23 Nov 2009
Travel / How often do you visit Poland? [32]

So do you expect Poland to be anything like it is depicted on PF?

I expect it to be exactly the same except fewer Jews:)

My friends are at the point where they can buy a flat for cash. They have done the maths and need to stay another 18 months to save enough to refurbish the large but old flat they are in the process of buying.

Of course I have mentioned PF to them and they think I am mad.

Of course I am joking

I know
Barney   
23 Nov 2009
Travel / How often do you visit Poland? [32]

Bzibzioh
That Song heavily reminds me of the Christy Moore Song that Sean posted "Missing You".
Its the first Polish song that I have heard about emigration.
We have a saying in Ireland when you have a bit of good luck, we say its like "money from America" ie money sent home.

Any sayings like that in Poland?

derek trotter
Thanks, that is very informative there are so many questions I could ask but I think you could start a separate thread about Polish migration. I think that would be a dinger*.

*Dinger..........Means Very Good
Barney   
23 Nov 2009
Travel / How often do you visit Poland? [32]

Good idea I will try to have a go

That would be great. Do you know of any Polish songs about migration?
Barney   
23 Nov 2009
Travel / How often do you visit Poland? [32]

Missing you

Splendid and very sad.
I had to go to Spain to find work in the 80s I didnt want to leave the country but had to.
This lost generation as you know is a large part of Irish folklore and sorrow.

I tried once to talk about this Here. Songs of Polish migration must play a large part in collective memory?

Its been going on for a long time
Barney   
23 Nov 2009
Travel / How often do you visit Poland? [32]

The same fate or even worse than of these Irish from 50s 60s I predict.

I didnt expect a competition.

What I meant was that often the first migrants have a S*it time, their children have less baggage and so on. With the Irish in England, a lot had happy lives but some were lost, belonging to neither land, and its for those people that I feel empathy, Just Ordinary Men who grew old in a foreign land.

youtube.com/watch?v=dsmAMKUIXbE
Barney   
23 Nov 2009
Travel / How often do you visit Poland? [32]

Today my wife and kids don't even speak Polish, so I think a trip to Poland is going to be unlikely... Maybe some day?

That reminds me of the many Irish men who left here to go to England in the 50s and 60s. They left as young men and grew old in England, left without belonging to anywhere.

You got a wife and kids and from your Brew Day video a good life.

To be blunt, when you emigrate you're playing your last card and it looks like you won:)

Edit: Haven't been to Poland yet but Soon.
Barney   
9 Nov 2009
Love / Do not marry Polish woman [212]

I haven't got a daughter;)

Barney (That’s what you get for being a smartarse)
Barney   
9 Nov 2009
Love / Do not marry Polish woman [212]

In my advancing years I am getting hacked off with all new acquaintances saying how pretty my daughter is! Guys, steer clear of them – they age too well.

Looks of the father and luck of the mother?
Barney   
6 Nov 2009
News / 14 year old rape victim from Warsaw denied abortion! [348]

I don't mean in any way, shape, or form to offend anybody here

Dont worry.

Its a big area and all I will say is that I would rather live in a country that allows abortion than one that doesn't.
Barney   
6 Nov 2009
News / 14 year old rape victim from Warsaw denied abortion! [348]

Give me proof beyond any, and I mean ANY doubt that there is a god and prove this by concrete facts, and I will believe there is a god. But I'm afraid no-one can give me this proof.

That is how I tend to think at the moment.

I read this article a few days ago and it gave me cause to pause.
guardian.co.uk/theguardian/2009/oct/24/michael-green-new-lucasian-professor

Michael Green (an Atheist)

"I get angry with people who are wildly atheist, because they sort of deny any humanity whatsoever. They deny the poetry - and they talk as if we understand everything, including love, and actually there are beautiful things which can move you in ways that presumably can be understood entirely in terms of complex pathways in the brain, but that's still not a useful way of thinking of them. So I get annoyed by ultra-atheists who aren't willing to tolerate anything - I suppose I'm less atheist than that."

Barney   
27 Oct 2009
News / JEW YOUTH SHOULD CLEAN UP THEIR ACT IN POLAND [420]

This isnt about freedom of speech it's about human rights.

I have very recently (within the past few days) changed my opinion about this, I used to believe that any opinion may be published. The reason I changed my mind was that I realised that the people who espouse illiberal views use the very freedom that liberals have struggled to provide to get into a position where they can then close down the freedoms that put them into that position of power.

Of course the big problem is that who decides what an untouchable dogma is.

I still haven’t worked it out but it is too easy to just give people cart blanche to promote what they want.
Barney   
21 Oct 2009
UK, Ireland / Who can keep right to speak its own language in UK [22]

The language was proscribed in state schools within a decade of partition, and public signs in Irish were effectively banned under laws by the Parliament of Northern Ireland, which stated that only English could be used, although many teachers in Catholic schools ignored this and hid it from administrators. These were not formally lifted by the British government until the early 1990s

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_language_in_Northern_Ireland

First BBC broadcast in Irish 1990's
Irish names were not heard, in fact anything Irish was banned from the airways.

This is ignoring all political aspects but that is for another forum.
Barney   
21 Oct 2009
UK, Ireland / Who can keep right to speak its own language in UK [22]

Derek
You forgot this bit

I dont believe any of that

Its a very touchy subject considering the history.
The language was lost to ensure the survival of the people

Something similar happened in Scotland Google the highland clearances
Barney   
21 Oct 2009
UK, Ireland / Who can keep right to speak its own language in UK [22]

wonder if you can access information in Great Britain in Ulster-Scots?)

Yes

The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure (DCAL) jointly sponsors the North/South Language Body along with the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs (DCRGA). The North/South Language Body was established on 2 December 1999 following the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. It comprises Foras na Gaeilge, (Irish Language Agency) and Ulster-Scots Agency (Tha Boord o Ulstèr-Scotch). DCRGA funds 75% of the budget of Foras na Gaeilge and DCAL the remaining 25%. DCAL funds 75% of the budget of the Ulster-Scots Agency and DCRGA the remaining 25%.

From here dcalni.gov.uk/index/language-cultural-diversity-r08.htm
Barney   
21 Oct 2009
UK, Ireland / Who can keep right to speak its own language in UK [22]

its fault of celtic people not to keep language running

not mine who can keep right...

That is a rash statement.
How about this for a stupid statement
Its polish peoples fault they lost Lwow and the east or allowed the Germans to occupy their country or the fascist 2nd Republic deserved to get its ass kicked.

I dont believe any of that
Barney   
15 Oct 2009
Life / Can we christen our child even though I am still married? [7]

It all depends upon the priest. My sister's first child was baptised in a catholic church while she wasnt married. After she got married and moved up country, her second child was refused baptism in a catholic church (so she was baptised in the Church of Ireland).

Try to find a proper priest.
Barney   
1 Oct 2009
Food / AMERICANO COFFEE IN POLAND? [14]

I drink americano it is a weak expresso. In many parts of Spain you get an expresso in a tall glass and hot water on the side to dilute to your taste. I have always assumed the name was related to America simply to differentiate it from Turkish coffee.