News / Should Poland send volunteers to Georgia ? [100]

There can be no argument about the fact that Georgia has been a loyal ally of the USA. They sent soldiers to Iraq, applied for membership in NATO and cooperated in oil projects independent of Russia. They did all this because they wanted to safeguard the newly-won independence of their country from Russian military and economic blackmail. Russia sees Georgia as nothing but a satellite that should be totally subordinated to Russian economic and strategic interests. That's why they fomented ethnic conflicts in Georgia and did everything possible to support the separatists in the regions of Abhazia and Osetia. For instance they granted Russian citizenships to the inhabitants, provided them with arms and created their military bases there. When Georgians responded to provocations and attemped to take control of their own land, Russian launched a full-fledged attack on Georgia and are already in control of over half the territory. They are bombing civilian targets and infractructure, apparently trying to destroy as much as they can before withdrawing. But I don't think they're going to withdraw before installing a puppet government that will do their bidding ever after. One more Russian objective is to frighten Ukrainians who have also applied for memberhip in NATO and cooperate with the USA. I still remember Russian threats when Poland applied. Generally, there are many analogies with Poland. It's worth remembering Germans started WW2 claiming they had to defend German inhabitants of Poland from our persecution. The French who were theoretically obliged by a military treaty to support us in fighting off foreign aggression said they "were not going to die for Gdansk/Danzig". After the war we were sold again by our western "allies" - to the Russians this time. I think the same will happen to Georgia.

I understand all Americans who don't want to get involved in another war, and all those who point out how costly it would be to stand up to Russia. But don't tell me leaving Georgians to be crushed into obedience by a barefaced agressor 100 times their strenght is fair play. And don't tell me you believe Russian propaganda about Georgian crimes against population (its own) - if you do, I know what your opinion about Hitler's attack on Poland in 1939 would have been: we had ourselves to blame, right?

News / Should Poland send volunteers to Georgia ? [100]

I don't think we could make any independent decisions about military support for Georgia as a NATO member, even if we thought it wise, which it isn't. However, international community and especially the USA should do everything possible to prevent the Russians from taking control of Georgia and installing their puppets there. Ukraine could be next, to name but one. Besides they want to cut off gas and oil pipes running through Georgia. There is only one argument Russians understand and that is power. Poland doesn't have this argument, NATO does. One important thing: the sooner we reduce our dependence on Russian oil and gas the safer we will be.

UK, Ireland / Sad or stupid - a Polish teacher killed whilst urinating on live rail [88]


I think he did and chose not to - probably wanted to avoid the charge (he didn't consider the electric one:-)


Actually, the standard lavatory system in Polish trains operates by releasing the feaces on the tracks. That's why it's forbidden to use the loo when the train stands at the station. So well, yes, it is normal for Polish and any other people to urinate on railway tracks while on a train. While not on a train, most Polish people would probably choose a clean, cheap and pervert-free toilet if it were close enough and they knew where it was. In the case under discussion one or more of these conditions may not have been fulfilled or/and the man was an excentric or/and drunk.

UK, Ireland / Sad or stupid - a Polish teacher killed whilst urinating on live rail [88]

I bet 90% of people who call the unfortunate deceased an idiot, do a lot of silly things out of absentmindedness. I doubt even a humanities teacher would cosciously urinate on a live rail. In Poland most trains run on Diesel fuel, so it's a kind of a default setting in our brain. He didn't reflect on how the engine was powered and paid the consequences. Looks ridiculous now but it's certainly not enough to call him an idiot.

Language / Use of ze and z [25]

From the examples provided above, I suggest the following rule:

Use "ze" before heavy consonant clusters (two or three consonants) where the first consonant sounds similar to s or z, i.e. s, ś, sz, z, ź, ż

That will take care of most cases. As to the exceptions, not covered by this rule, such as "ze mną" (with me) you have a choice: learn them by heart or use "z". Above all, don't get discouraged! (there are much worse things in the lingo than the z/ze dilema :P)