Language / Zmarła czy zdechła? What is proper to say in Polish in a case of an animal death? [12]

Nothing wrong with a dog hotel. What else are you supposed to do when you go on holiday. Instead of the "a dog (or a badger) is also a human" I'd say no. They are better than that particularly destructive species. More "a human is also an animal".

By the way, colloquially people, use zdechnąć forum humans too sometimes when they breath their last.

edited..

History / The story about German- Polish reconciliation [194]

An awful bunch. That tendency in Polish politics has always looked East rather than towards Germany and the approach from that political tendency in general and the Kaczynskis in particular was always hostile and hysterical - basically out of their depth with Polish-German relations as with so much else.

Relations though are still good; the Germans do have a lot of patience and people like Tusk, the late Geremek etc have done a lot to build up bridges between the two countries.

I like President Reverend Gauck though. His powers are very limited and I certainly wouldn't call him a warmonger.

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]

It is already as far as certain other issues, particularly religion is concerned so this is just filling in the gaps. Perhaps we should remove all restrictions, U.S. style.

Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

Filmon is great, and having British TV would provide a bit of continuity for you. If you want to get rid of the ads a subscription is cheap (or watch it on a Mac where that doesn't seem to matter).

Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

No, it isn't super cheap. You have to go to the Czech Republic for that, and yes, Chrzanów must be fairly isolating. The way you feel about living in Poland can come and go in stages. One minute it's great, the next it's dreadful. Plus of course any big change in lifestyle comes a a shock in one way or another. I suggest a nice holiday somewhere or a trip home - always a good cure, and something to look forward to.

Do you have any hobbies? How did you spend your free time back in the UK?

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]

So what you're essentially saying is that you want hate crime to be legalised in Poland, a country you 'visit' sometimes, and consider any group who is covered by hate crime laws (including Poles) to be 'weak and pathetic'.

Interesting.

Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

I know Chrzanów. It isn't the most inspiring of places. Do you get back to the UK much?

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]


Bingo. The way some people clutch at straws because they can't face a certain aspect of themselves that leads to hate speech is so common and as old as time itself.


As if millions over the years haven't fallen into both categories. Many are even female.

Life / Life in Poland - feeling lonely and don't want to socialize much! (anyone feeling same?) [93]

Which city do you live in? Are there many interesting people where you work?

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]

That doesn't make sense. Given that hate speech laws also cover people who are victimised because of their Polish ethnicity, interesting that you think that Poles would "normally be culled by evolution".

And in fact are any groups "normally culled"?

In any case, if anyone is 'pathetic' it's those who are so insecure about the identity of others that they resort to hate speech.

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]

So when you hear the word heterosexual, you think of kids, but when you hear the word homosexual you think of sex.

Would you mind having a look at some ink blots? I think your case is very interesting.

Please get back to the topic of this thread. All this has been trashed out in another thread already.

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]

So when you hear the word heterosexual, do you think about the conjugal act? Maybe you do... What do you think about when you hear the word gay?

And how, in the name of Sandi Toksvig, does that relate to,your disapproval of a law protecting people against hate crimes?

By the way, doe watching The Only Way is Essex make your head spin? I'm not even going to ask what you think about people who work as chicken sexers.

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]


How would you know what two men (or two women) do?


A hate cime. No discussion there.


Describing any sexual; practice in lurid detail somewhere like this is a crime against taste. Since you're so keen to discuss bedroom stuff, why not tell us what you and your wifey get up to?


And the paradox is that probably more straights do it. But hey, some here have lurid imaginations and spend far too long thinking about things like that.

Not that what people actually do in bed has any relation whatsoever to hate speech - simply no connexion at all.

I suspect that those who commit hate crimes do spend rather a lot of time dwelling on other people's bedroom stuff. Wonder why?

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]


Do you think that a. that happens much or that b. it's relevant in any way to hate speech laws?

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]


So you'd prefer another kind? Not that any 'political correctness dictatorship' has ever existed.


More fantasy.

I bet you'd like it to be an offence for someone to shout 'dirty polak' at their neighbour. And yes, it is, in most developed countries. Is that the


??

Genealogy / How many Poles have Scottish ancestry? [8]


During the Potop Szwedzki there were a lot of mercenaries from the Scottish borders who settled around Bydgoszcz.


Plenty in Warsaw, plus English too back in the day. 1800 Anglican families tehre until 1939. Most didn't survive the war,

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]


Sad that happened. Where was it?


But would you?

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]

Nope. That's just a misguided opinion. Hate speech is precisely what it suggests.

Language / The lost literary languages of Poland [54]

Worth mentioning Janusz Korczak who was a great writer among other things. He chose to write above all in Polish, and although he was fluent in several languages (and I think had written in French) and certainly would have heard and used Yiddish as a doctor working some of the time among the Jewish community did not write or broadcast in that language.

His style of Polish, especially on the radio, was noted for its simplicity. A contrast to the verbosity of so many writers and broadcasters. In fact, his simple and reassuring language won the Stary Doktor many admirers.

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]

Those are covered by existing legislation, however neither are hate speech under any known legal definition. A 'blasphemous remark' is pretty vague too. A something that's a deeply held tenet of one religion is blasphemous to another.

In danger of going off topic though. This thread isn't about religion at all.

Excellent legislation though, and another nail in the coffin of Ciemnogrod.

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]

Again, no. Unless you think the majority are suddenly an oppressed group or can think of examples of hate speech against heterosexuals by others on the grounds of their sexuality - which you can't.

As I say, foolish, and argumentative too.

An excellent piece of legislation and long overdue. Clever and well-timed as well.

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]


No, in a word.

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]

Except nobody is ever forced to attend a 'pervert parade' whatever that is or have anything 'forced on' their kids. Except perhaps on your fevered imagination...

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]

Why would I need to think of something? Either quickly or slowly. The ruling party have thought of it already. And if the PiS flappers try to veto it, it will make them look even more foolish than they (and you) already do.

And of course if/when it goes through, at least they'll have done the right thing.

News / LGBT hate speech to be banned in Poland [208]

Protection from what?

Language / The lost literary languages of Poland [54]

Remember that before WWI they weren't in Poland, they were in one of three empires and Polis was not the official language. Poland has a rich literary tradition among most of its various communities and Yiddish is a particularly rich literary language - there is Yiddish theatre in Warsaw even now, and hopefully this will increase rather than decrease.

Language / Polish word 'musisz' = need in English? What about 'potrzebujesz'? [11]

Musisz means you have to or you must.

UK, Ireland / Polish candidate for London mayor to represent 2nd-class citzens [26]

Perhaps because their eccentricity is more noticeable, more newsworthy (how many people build a fantasy palace in the suburbs and then issue press releases challenging politicians to a duel) and they are less likely to be stuck in the isolation that poverty drags the odd and unfortunate to.

This man Zylinski is a prime example - he has the funds to promote himself. A person with such weird ideas and tastes living in a council flat or bedsit is less interesting to the media and is more likely to be quietly pitied rather than discussed.

UK, Ireland / Polish candidate for London mayor to represent 2nd-class citzens [26]

Spot on. He's extremely rich, extremely eccentric (one definition of that is that people who are genuine eccentrics don't realise how strange their behaviour is) and he's deluded if he thinks Poles are treated as second-class citizens in the UK.

He's also an Ealing person - someone who has always lived in the most Polish district in London. If he's ever been treated as a second-class citizen it is more likely to have been by some of the more respectable and less flamboyant British Poles in the neighbourhood.

UK, Ireland / Polish candidate for London mayor to represent 2nd-class citzens [26]

I think he is or was a lawyer. That house (actually a rebuilding of an architecturally significant twentieth century house that just escaped being listed) should be a warning sign. I'm all for people making amazing buildings however that is kitsch. It's the equivalent of you or I building a pastiche of a nouveau-riche English house in the Warsaw suburbs, and not even something tasteful like Lutyens. More Voysey-esqe mock-Tudor roadside restaurant style. And he lets it out for parties too.

Good that flamboyant people exist, but why the Polish thing? Saying he feels like a 'second-class citizen' He's born and bred in Britain, in London, the most multicultural city in Europe, but is making an exhibition of himself over the ethnicity of his forbears. This together with the building suggests self-esteem issues. That or a huge lack of self-awareness.

On the other hand, he does seem like a genuine British eccentric and they are to be encouraged.