PolishForums LIVE  /  Archives [3]    
   
Posts by mafketis  

Joined: 31 Mar 2008 / Male ♂
Warnings: 1 - O
Last Post: 17 Jul 2025
Threads: Total: 42 / In This Archive: 19
Posts: Total: 11601 / In This Archive: 4201
From: tez nie
Speaks Polish?: tak
Interests: tez nie

Displayed posts: 4220 / page 103 of 141
sort: Latest first   Oldest first   |
mafketis   
25 Dec 2015
News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

The average Pole is little interested.

What a low opinion you have of Polish citizens.... How on earth did such an apathetic bunch of cattle ever stare down (and win against) the CCCP?

Oh, wait, it was all the communists' doing and Poles were simply filling their assigned victim roles that you want them to play...
mafketis   
25 Dec 2015
News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

If you are deny that major media in Poland are and were siding with PO

I was agreeing with you, but ideologues require 100% I guess....

Simple why would u take standing against pis if not for personal reasons?

I wasn't crazy about PO (for some of the same reasons you hate them) but compared to what happened to most neighboring former communist countries over the last ten years I don't think Poland's done that badly (I often go to Hungary for example and Orbanism isn't helping though he's better overall than his predecessors).

And... I don't think PiS has any better alternatives (as long as JK is pulling all the strings), and if they have to dismantle the law, then they're kind of admitting that right up front.
mafketis   
25 Dec 2015
News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

For the last eight years PO PLUS PSL yes party had majority in both hauses had their president for most of that time, all major media were and supporting them,

Yeah, the media were kind of in POs pocket.

Tribunal has majority of thier people and somehow you werent drumming in alarm that democracy is in danger

They were following the rule of law, not trying to dismantle one of the very few checks and balances in the Polish system.

I checked, your credibility is low .

Yes, big brother! The surveillance state lives in your heart!

You are one of these parasites depending on a previous system for living

How so? Are PiS going to be moving from capitalism? to what? Economically they're big spending socialists but that doesn't have much of a good track record in actually improving economies.

find yourself a honest job or go somewhere else to leach.

Oh, not that! anything but that!!!!
mafketis   
25 Dec 2015
News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

Now everything is clear, straightforward and above board.
PiS = P(oland i(s) S(upreme)!

Who needs laws when you have a supreme party!

Long live the glorious people's party!!!!

Wait.... where have I heard that before?

Your translation:
In ....society.
Do you see the difference?

You translated a different portion than I did....
mafketis   
25 Dec 2015
News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

you should know when and where JK has spoken against the civil society.

Here's one example,

wiadomosci.ngo.pl/wiadomosc/194234.html

quick and dirty translation of a portion:

"In the III RP a strong state and strong politics were not wanted by those dissident enviornments who feared the activization of citizens, were afraid of an awakening of - as it was called toward the end of the 80s - broadly understood national democracy. To oppose such a political awakening was supposed to be the task of, above all, the idea of civil society."
mafketis   
25 Dec 2015
News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

At least that's what you imply; and that's your concept of democracy.

I'm not a fan of good intentions.

I'm a fan of civil society, a concept JK has spoken against in favor of a "strong state" (ie. strong government), and rule of law.

I'm not a fan of ends justifying means or the para-legal shenanigans that PiS is trying to pull which will harm the country I've chosen to live in.
mafketis   
25 Dec 2015
News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

Zyklon B was the product of rational calculation

Isn't that the gas that was used in Polish concentration camps?

Yeah, you walked into that one. Stop distracting and answer the question: Without the TK what legal constraints on action will PiS face? Do you really trust a bunch of politicians enough to give them that much power?
mafketis   
25 Dec 2015
News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

Why create another expensive bureaucratic body when Poland's aready got a Supreme Court.

The Polish Supreme court is not remotely like the US institution. The US Supreme Court is much closer to the TK than the Polish Supreme Court.
mafketis   
25 Dec 2015
News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

Do you believe the post-commie era Kwaśniewski constitution is like the Bible and therefore immutable?

Do you believe it's a good idea for a political party (ie a group made up of politicians) to have power with no legal constraints? To repeat a question: If PiS has its way with the TK then what legal checks will there be on its exercise of power?
mafketis   
23 Dec 2015
Real Estate / Need some information about Katowice (starting to look for accommodation) [6]

me and my wife, recommend me should I go for 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom apartment?

Apartments in Poland don't count bedrooms, they count rooms. A two room apartment is the equivalent of a one-bedroom apartment. They usually have a kitchen and bath (maybe separate WC and bath room) and usually have a entranceway (the door to the apartment usually goes into a little room with closets and not into the living room).

- As an Indian, I would like to stay at a place where most of the Indians are living.

Polish infrastructure (and a decades long housing shortage after WWII) means that ethnic ghettos don't really happen.

possible close to park, restaurants, pubs, tram/bus station.

public transport should not be a problem, it's pretty efficient and widespread (local people complain about it but they're wrong) Pubs aren't really traditionally a Polish thing so you'll only find that kind of thing in the center of the city.

reason I was looking at a place where Indians stay is because I cannot speak polish, so socializing with poles would be a bit difficult

Then learn Polish, most Polish people are not anxious to socialize in English (esp Indian English which is perceived as essentially incomprehensible). Polish is the language of basically everything and the more you know the better.
mafketis   
22 Dec 2015
News / Polish government to allow kosher and halal methods of animal slaughter [29]

Halal way of slaughtering animals is way better than electrocuting them.

Check out Temple Grandin's protocals for the treatment and slaughter of food animals, cows slaughtered in this way undergo no stress before simply losing consciousness.

We, as human beings, have a lot more access to how animals feel and respons than did the people that wrote middle eastern holy books hundreds or thousands of years ago.
mafketis   
22 Dec 2015
Law / Poland's form of Government - 'the winner takes all' [23]

There is no check on the majority party

It's clear that you have no idea how Parliamentary systems work. It's extremely rare for a party to get an absolute majority. Parliamentary systems are built on compromise (since governments almost always have to be built on the basis of coalitions.

Hitler did the same in Germany 80 years ago

You might mean well, but here's a hint: Busting out the H-bomb means that no one is going to take you seriously.

Some of these European countries would be better suited with an American Republic where there are checks and balances and minority rights

Parliamentary systems have many checks and balances though they work in different ways than what you might be familiar with from Social Studies.

The current problem stems from one political leader's massive misjudgement and can only end with a) his backing down b) the fall of the government and snap elections c) further alienation of the Polish public from the political process with unpleasant consequences down the road (I'm betting on C, the politician in question has no reverse gear).
mafketis   
20 Dec 2015
News / Polish government to allow kosher and halal methods of animal slaughter [29]

halal and kosher slaughter probably at one time represented improvements in humane treatment and hygene, but.... we have science now. Just as we can now use cars, trains and airplanes rather than horses and camels, we can use technology to improve the treatment of animals raised for food.

By far the most humane techniques for the treatment of animals before and during slaughter are those worked out by Temple Grandin. The arguments for humane treatment and improved hygene for ritual slaughter just do not pass muster next to hers.

Give up the superstition and embrace science! Temple Grandin for the win!
mafketis   
19 Dec 2015
News / Demonstrations in Poland in defence of democracy. [2554]

PiS are not threatening democracy but working to ensure that the benefits of economic progress are shared more evenly.

That's odd since most of their stated policies are proven failures elsewhere and/or non-existent. Are they going to go the PRL route?

How are they going to create jobs (number one issue outside of your head and inside the country known as Poland) when their proposed policies hamper or punish those that actually employ people?
mafketis   
19 Dec 2015
Life / Snow in Poland, where is it? [22]

IINM we're in the middle of an el nino event (which can go on for years and reverse many local weather patterns around the world, not always the same ones).
mafketis   
16 Dec 2015
Work / Information about jobs for Indian students in Poland [286]

Welcome to post-colonialism. In former British colonies knowledge of English is _the_ indispensible qualification (knowledge of local languages is mostly unimportant). This is one reason why so many former colonies lag in so many social indicators (and why their education systems are so bad they're entirely built around teaching English at the expense of most other things).

They tend to assume that it's that way everywhere and won't be dissuaded until they encounter it person.
mafketis   
16 Dec 2015
Work / Information about jobs for Indian students in Poland [286]

Pl give me proper advice.

Don't do it unless you're very fluent in Polish or will be learning the language before starting any other studies. University education in Poland in Polish is pretty good but it's pretty bad in English.

There are no part time jobs for students (who dont' speak Polish) and being a student in Poland will not let you enter the United Kingdom.

Any questions?
mafketis   
15 Dec 2015
Language / Polish Accusative Pronouns - Plural [30]

As long as i live here i have never heard any Brit saying it that way. Maybe it's some sort of local slang.

I've heard it on British TV like Sky News, usually prouncouned "at the weekEND" (sounds like 'weak end')

Also "it were" instead of "it was" (not on broadcast but from a lot of different Brits, including educated ones "It were cold today"

The weirdest for me are forms like "give me it" (or maybe "give it me") which seem to be more regional (and not found in the US at all as far as I know).
mafketis   
15 Dec 2015
Language / Polish Accusative Pronouns - Plural [30]

I cannot entirely concur that "I see the people WHO my parents know." is "odd" at all, quite the contrary!

It seems a bit more like a non-restrictive relative clause with 'who' (for me, ymmv) and it seems like an odd thing to add to the sentence, that is more restrictive (and implies the people have been referred to previously).

Then again, British vs. US usage can cause even some of us seasoned observers of language to raise their eyebrows:-)

As can US vs US....
mafketis   
15 Dec 2015
Language / Polish Accusative Pronouns - Plural [30]

Do you mean something which is called in Polish "wędzenie" (the process), "wędzony" (a product, like e.g. a ham)?

No, wędzenie is a way of preserving meat more than cooking it. (or it's smoked and then cooked in separate processes).

A barbecuer has a compartment for burning wood and funnels the hot smoke to the meat to cook it (either dry or basted in barbecue sauce).

If you do a google image search for "barbecue smoker" you'll see what the modern devices look like.

Another search for "open pit barbecue" will show more what the original process (originally created by American Indians) was like.

properly in English, using a complex sentence and not a participle?

In (American) educated (at least high school) usage the most natural is probably

I see the people my parents know.

I see the people that my parents know. (also fine, but maybe a little ood)

I see the people who my parents know. (just a tiny bit odder for no reason I can name)

I see the people whom my parents know. (much too 'ę ą' unless you're speaking in a very formal setting as in delivering a eulogy).

The _only_ time i'd use whom is when it's a relative pronoun preceded by a preposition in more formal usage and probably written.

The dean, to whom I addressed my appeal never answered.

in speech

The dean I appealed to never answered.
mafketis   
14 Dec 2015
Language / Polish Accusative Pronouns - Plural [30]

What's the difference? Do I think well that barbecue = party, grill = device?

In traditional American usage (now much corrupted) barbecue means cooked in the smoke of a wood fire (and special devices were used for that). The meat was served "dry" with barbecue sauce (with ketchup honey and balsamic vinegar and other ingredients) on the side or basted in the sauce before cooking. Where I'm from in restaurants white people made the dry type while black people made the basted variety (everybody ate both).

Grill is .... grill.
mafketis   
14 Dec 2015
Language / Polish Accusative Pronouns - Plural [30]

What's important is that it has to be a man.

I've heard different opinions on whether a woman and boys together are oni or one.... One grammar suggests that the features male, human and adult all have to be there but not necessarily in the same individual. But this is nitpicking against the general principle.

You will probably find people claiming that szarlotka and jabłecznik are two different things, but basically both of them are types of an apple pie

No and a thousand times no. Neither szarlotka nor jabłecznik (while both nice) are applie pie which has to have a crust on the bottom and top (it can be a lattice top but it needs to be there). It may be topped with either ice cream or a slice of cheese (and neither szarlotka nor jabłecznik can).

I've never had what I would call real apple pie in Poland, I'm not even that crazy about apple pie but the people that say it's szarlotka or jabłecznik drive me crazy (like people who confuse barbecue and grill, very different things in the US).
mafketis   
14 Dec 2015
News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

The task now is to reduce the appeal of the fascists

This would mean addressing the concerns of a sizeable portion of the French electorate that no other French politiicans are addressing.
mafketis   
14 Dec 2015
News / Don't let Poland become like my country, France. [630]

They didn't win even one single region

Their electorate has tripled.

People turned out to vote in order to ensure that the fascists didn't get in - and it worked.

For now. the problem is that the FN friendly electorate is growing because no other parties are addressing the issues that bother many French voters. At some point the party will have to be declared illegal (and the illusion democracy will die) or they'll win elections. It would be better if they learned how to run things before then (the quickest way to tone down most "extreme" parties is for them to run things at the local level.

Common sense restored and good to see people working together.

Just like the novel Submission by Houellebecq.

No one likes the French (for good reason!). But I find it odd that people are so determined to point out that they're not that bad at predicting the future. First there was the Camp of the Saints and now Submission outline the major problems of Europe and so few people are paying attention.
mafketis   
14 Dec 2015
Language / Polish Accusative Pronouns - Plural [30]

A very simple rule.

Oni - includes at least one man (a tiny, tiny bit more complicated but that will do)
One - doesn't

The grammatical gender of nouns in the singular does not apply in a straightforward manner to the plural. All feminine and neuter and inanimate masculine nouns are one in the plural while for oni the semantic conditions (+male, +adult, +human) have to apply.