Language / I need a good dictionary! (book) [21]

We work hard at doing that. You'll notice we don't win too many Olympic medals...so we have to be good at something.

(My personal trainer insists I start with two Powers, followed by two Jamesons and finish with three Old Bushmills. Then it's on to the pints!)

News / Rothschilds Open Banking Network in Poland: Allianz Polska [19]

Joe, mate, you gotta cool down about all this stuff.

Like, none of us like banks. Or have you just got an anti-Jew thing going?

If so, out with it man. C'mon, spill yer guts.

Go on, puke it all up. You'll feel better. Hurry up, Joe*, there's the taxi... That's it, two fingers... yeah, it's nearly all there... a wee bit more...

Good, you alright now Joe... (Aw, feck, taximan, can you open that window... Feck, too late; Joe you're costing us big time...what's this problem of your's: everytime you go past a Zionist hole-in-the-wall machine you puke your ring up?)

* Is Joe for real?

Lots of love,

Bubbles Ben-Gurion Golda Cherzog Meier

Language / What is the most annoying thing about non-native Polish speakers? [90]

I'd agree that Polish is difficult, but it's not unlearnable.

Before even thinking about cases, it's probably best to forget all about the "a" and "the" in English to give yourself a chance. (A background in Latin would be quite helpful.)

I've just returned from the most wonderful time in Kraków and my limited Polish took me a long way. I didn't have to use English at all in the hotel.

Outside, I used Polish about 80 per cent of the time...most difficulties came when I was speaking to older people who tried to engage me in a fuller conversation after I'd asked them for directions.

Younger people were as keen to use their English as I was to use my Polish, so a lot of conversations were conducted in my often-rubbish Polish and their sometimes-questionable English.

It doesn't matter. We communicated perfectly, and I never got lost.

I do so much wish that I'd been able to give the older folk, who'd no English, a better conversation, but I hope to improve on that next time around.

As an example, a waiter in a bar used the word "podać several times. I didn't realise, at first, that it was a "dać" with extra meaning...

And that's the beauty of Polish. Just when you think you can say "barszcz" correctly, you find that a simple verb like "jehać" can take on many different meanings when you put "po" or "do" or "wy" in front of it.

I look forward to going back to Poland.

Your language is beautiful and your people are a pleasure.

However:


Not quite so sure I'd agree with the concept of a general Celtic "r". Welsh does have a trilled "r" and Scots Gaidhlig does too, but in Irish (my native language) you'll only find it among old people with no teeth. I'm not denying that it was there (it was until about two generations ago), but it's very hard to find nowadays. Sadly, in my opinion.

An excellent point though, because the Welsh sound answers "r" in "herbata" quite closely.

Ian


Their teeth?

Life / Polish Shelf Toilets [32]

Softsong, notice how your last post has kinda brought this thread to a very abrupt end!

That's, like, really, really way too much information.

BTW, the Russian sign says (mainly in Moscow and surrounding areas):

If you want to do a poo,
Please be sure to flush our loo.

In the more remote areas it means:

When you've done it, please be cool.
Take your time and flush your stool.

News / Rothschilds Open Banking Network in Poland: Allianz Polska [19]

Have to say, Joe, that after all that's happened lately I'm beginning to share your distrust of the whole banking system.

Looks like we're all gonna bankroll the big-bucks investors and speculators.

Now that's making ME angry as well.

I'm in Ireland and our govt has just decided to guarantee all accounts. That's good, but now all the scumbags from overseas are putting their money here because they know it's safe.

Now, why could the govt not have said that everything already invested is guaranteed up until the announcement date and anything deposited later is not guaranteed.

News / What is the future of Catholic church in Poland. [154]


I guess the Rangers/Celtic thing is in a world of its own.

Look at how the Celtic fans responded when Paul Gascgoine did the pretend flute-playing thing years ago.

News / Rothschilds Open Banking Network in Poland: Allianz Polska [19]

Joe, I'm thinking we've found some common ground.

Property prices here were driven through the roof by the "buy to let" scum who saw the chance of a quick buck by buying houses and renting them out, the rent covering their mortgages.

(There was even a story in the UK of a greedy scumbag couple who bought a house on credit cards so that they could rent it for a while and then sell it when the market went up.)

They pushed prices up so high that ordinary people couldn't afford housing at all. They wiped out social housing.

Now, they're in diffs. I'm delighted about that. Except that my government (US and UK too) has taken the heat off most of them with their rescue deals.

And how? By making us ordinary taxpayers pick up the tab.

Better stop now...I'm getting really angry

Actually, I'm even angrier now.

In the UK, for example, the scumbag bankers have even come back to ask for the right to pay dividends to shareholders - after the biggest government rescue plan in history.

These bags of cr*p even expect to make money when mugs like us are paying the tab?

And did you see the Irish budget? Not just income tax, but a tax levy on all earnings.

F**k, I really am angry now.

Life / Polish Shelf Toilets [32]


ebay

Or should I say wee-bay?

Keep squattin' dude.

Genealogy / Do I Look Polish? (my grandfather was Polish) [60]



Just wondering, after all this, do I look Polish?

Actually, I've just found a better picture.

My brother, below, is much older than me and tells me that our parents used to speak fondly of a distant land in a foreign language they never taught us.

He reckons it might have been Poland, but isn't sure. (I think he looks a little bit Romanian or Transylvanian (like he used to sink his fangs into me when I got the better of an argument with him over the Fisher Price kitchen), which leads me to believe we might only be half-brothers.)



So, do we look Polish?

Genealogy / Do I Look Polish? (my grandfather was Polish) [60]


I hope not.