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Posts by Polonius3  

Joined: 11 Apr 2008 / Male ♂
Warnings: 1 - Q		 Last Post: 9 Apr 2018
Threads: Total: 980 / In This Archive: 576
Posts: Total: 12275 / In This Archive: 6848 		From: US Sterling Heigths, MI
Speaks Polish?: yes
Interests: Polish history, genealogy

Displayed posts: 7424 / page 208 of 248
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Polonius3   
13 Apr 2011
News / Could Poland be self-sustainable in energy? [56]

There was talk about extracting gas from coal to create a less polluting fuel. Anyone heard of this? The coal lobby should go along with this, as mining jobs might not only not be lost, but new ones might be created.
Polonius3   
13 Apr 2011
News / Could Poland be self-sustainable in energy? [56]

Yes, I meant 'to what extent' could Poland lessen its dependence...by 10, 20, 50, 75% Also, what if the shale-gas thing pans out? Poland reportedly has Europe's biggest shale-gas dposits, even a bit more than France does.
Polonius3   
13 Apr 2011
News / Could Poland be self-sustainable in energy? [56]

Unless there are some top-niotch energy specialsits on PF, probably no-one will be able to answer this. My question is: could Poland lessen her dependence on energy raw materials (oil, coal. natural gas) by concentrating on sustainable soruces?

For instance,what if a three or four deep row of wind-powered energy rigs were to line the entire Baltic coast and also be emplaced in the windy mountainous south? What if the country's huge mounds of garbage were used to produce bio-energy, and the mega-efforts of state and business joined forces to slash red tape and make this a reality?
Polonius3   
13 Apr 2011
Language / It's just semantics! - in Polish or otherwise [15]

Several layers (of meaning, motive, purpose, whatever) seem to be dealt with in Polish at times by the expression 'drugie dno', sometimes also 'trzecie, czwarte etc. dno'.

Isn't bossy a good equivalent for apodykytczny (taki/taka, co nie znosi sprzeciwu i wszystko musi być po jego/jej myśli)?
Polonius3   
12 Apr 2011
Genealogy / Baran, Wygrzyn(Wengrzyn) [2]

BARAN: ram (male sheep), possibly topo nick from Baranów (Ramsville)

JAROŻ: misspelling of jarosz (vegetarian)

WENGRZYN: misspelling of Węgrzyn (a Hungarian or Tokay wine)

JAWORSKI: from topographic jawor (sycamore) or toponymic from places such as Jaworów (Sycamoreville).

For more imformation please contact me
Polonius3   
10 Apr 2011
Genealogy / Martin Kotwila [5]

KOTWILA: probably derived from the Old Polish word kotew (anchor).
Polonius3   
8 Apr 2011
Genealogy / DUTCHEVICI - HISTORY OF THE NAME [8]

DUTKIEWICZ/DUDKIEWICZ: My hunch is that oen of these was the original form of DUTCHEVICI. My Romanian isn't the best, but I beleive the Romanian spelling as provided would have been pronounced (usiung Polish spelling) like Dutkiewici.

The name's origin is patronymic and meant son of dudek (fool, nincompoop, simpleton).
Polonius3   
3 Apr 2011
Life / Polish patriotism, what does it mean to you? [46]

Perhaps only 10-12% of Poland's population at a given time were registered blue-bloods with a coat of arms and all, but in genetic terms... Well, suffice it to say that Pan Hrabia was occasionally known to sow some oats amongst the chambermaids and kitchen helpers of peasant stock...so many more may have noble genes than one might imagine.
Polonius3   
3 Apr 2011
Genealogy / "Mala," My great grandparents last name [4]

MA£Y: little, small. tiny (Mała would be the feminine form); Suwałki is a town in NE Poland's Podlasie region bordering Belarus and Lithuania. In Tsarist Russia it was one of the most ethnically diversified parts of the country combining Polish, Russian, Belorussian, Lithuanian, Jewish and Tatar cultures.

For more information please contact me
Polonius3   
3 Apr 2011
History / 6th annviersary of JPII's death [6]

By focusing on the extraneous and peripheral, most of the Poles on PF seem to be out of step with their own nation. Today across the country JPII is being honoured -- crowds have gathered under the Kraków window at Franciszkańska 3. In Warsaw's Piłsudski Square a prayer vigil was held together with big-screen telecasts of JPII's sermons; clusters of votive lamps flicker at every corner the length of Aleja Jana Pawła II, Also in Wadowice and at the Vatican Poels are gatehring to honour their nation's greetest son and commemorative masses have been cleberated at churches across Poland. The anniversary is also among the top news items in Poland's TV news bulletins.
Polonius3   
2 Apr 2011
News / Poland liberalizes drug laws in effort to focus on treatment [35]

The only effective way to curb the drug plague is to focus on the demand end. But that is impossible since the drug empire successfully exploits celebrity slime who brainwash people into thinking that drugs are somehow cool, trendy, cutting edge, bla-bla-bla... Most politicians only pay lip-service to combating drugs, because they are either on the take themselves or feel that people on drugs are easier to control. Stalin correctly believed that about alcoholic inebriation...bread may have been scarce but the vodka flowed freely.
Polonius3   
2 Apr 2011
History / 6th annviersary of JPII's death [6]

A homo Homini poll showed that 82% of Poles felt JPII's teaching had impacted their personal lives, 16% did not and the rest had no opinion. A vast majority have proclaimed JPII the gretaest Pole that ever lived. What is your personal view on this and of JPII in general?

Will Poland follow the road of Ireland and Spain where only the elderly remain faithful whilst the younger generation uncritically espouse 'anything goes' anarcho-libertinism?
Polonius3   
1 Apr 2011
Life / "Whiskification" of Poland? [32]

Indeed, ethnically Anglo-saxon in referencet o whisky was imrpecise to say the least. I should have referred to Celtic or British Isles culture. But the point which no-one has addressed is why cognac has been eclipsed or sidetracked. I find it a far more 'szlachetny' tipple than any scotch which has that unpleasant 'krople żołądkowe' after-taste.
Polonius3   
1 Apr 2011
Life / Is there something like a "Polish culture" or Polish national identity? [49]

Back in the 19th century, Juliusz Słowacki, one of Poland's three great romantic bards (or four if Norwid is included), called Poland 'a peacock and parrot amongst nations'. He seems to have hit the nail on the head. To this day nothing has changed although the proportions fluctate from time to time and from communtiy to community. By peacock he meant a people proud of their unique heritage, whilst the parrto was ingtended to signify a tendency to turn one's back on one's birthright and ape foreign ways. All of you can answer for yourselves whether and in what area of scrutiny there is a 50-50 balance between the two, or some other proportion -- 60-40, 80-20, 90-10.....
Polonius3   
1 Apr 2011
Genealogy / Kanarski and Schladinsky [3]

ŚLADZIŃSKI may have been the original source for the Germanized spelling Schladinsky; probable root-word ślad (trace, clue, sign).

KANARSKI: from kanar/kanarek (canary, singing cage-bird); possibly nick for a cheery, mellifluous singer.
Polonius3   
1 Apr 2011
Life / "Whiskification" of Poland? [32]

One gets the impression that something which might be called the ‘whiskification of Poland’ (sorry for the neologism!) has been taking place since the iron curtain fell. The top shelf of the average Polish off-licence, bar, pub or café not so long ago was dominated by Hennessy, Courvoisier, Rémy Martin, Martell, etc. Now it is largely Johnny Walker, White Horse, Haig, Black & White, Jack Daniels, etc. Are whiskeys indeed edging out cognacs ad brandies as the Polish connoisseur’s choice? Does this reflect the expansionism of Anglo-Saxon as opposed to Gallic culture? Are there economic reasons for this?
Polonius3   
31 Mar 2011
Genealogy / ANSZPERGIER, Michał. Born between 1900 and 1910 possibly around Lodz area. [4]

ANSZPERGIER and ANSZPERGER are Polonised spellings of the German toponymic surname Ansperger denoting an inhabitant of the locality of Ansberg, Austria. In that regional dialect the 'b' in Ansberg has evolved into a 'p'.

ZARĘBA: root-word zarąbać (to hack to pieces) - possibly a nick for a warrior handy with his trusty battle-axe; more likely a topo nick from Zaręby, Zaręba, Zarębów and similar.
Polonius3   
31 Mar 2011
News / Poles -- Europe's very best? [21]

Poles apparently regard themselves as Europe's most attractive people who have the best food and can hold their booze better than others. Do you agree?
Polonius3   
30 Mar 2011
Genealogy / Herszlewicz and Gdalywicz [8]

HERSZELEWICZ: partonymic from Herszel, a popular Jewish name, whose variant forms include Herszko, Herts (from Middle High German hirz for stag -- later Hirsch) as well as Giersz, Girsz and Gersz (as in Gershwin!); it was used because the stag was the symbol of the tribe of Napthali.*

GDALEWICZ: from gdakać (the clucking sound made by hens); gdak or gdal would be a nickname for a clucker (most likely a chicken rearer), and Gdalewicz would be his son.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tribe_of_Naphtali
Polonius3   
28 Mar 2011
Life / Where's the Polish clipart? [8]

Admittedly clipart is yet another example cheap and tacky popcultrue (or poopculture). But sometimes such low-brow decorations are needed as when a Polonian organisation is holding a Polish Easter pageant or banquet and would like to embellish its printed invitations, posters and information leaflets with something seasonally and ethnically appropriate. It's one way to promote Polishness. Shamrocks, harps, clay pipes, leprechauns and assorted St Paddy's day rigamarole are hardly high culture, but they're there for those who want them.
Polonius3   
28 Mar 2011
Life / Where's the Polish clipart? [8]

I asked this question here two years ago and struck out. I reckoned by now the void would have been filled, but NO...
Looking for Polish Easter clipart, all I could find were some very un-Polish bunnies and un-Polish colourerd eggs...
Why were there no pisanki from different regions of Poland, no baranek wielknocny in various styles, no palmy wileńskie, no śmigus-dyngus, no blessing of Easter baskets, no święconka Easter table, no plate of blessed egg wedges, no nothing?

same with Christmas -- no opłatek, no pasterka, no kolędnicy, no św. Mikołaj (only Santa Creep)...
And it's not just holidays... Try to find a silhouette of Warsaw's King Zygmunt Monument or Wawel Castle, a góral or lajkonik, a Tatra style chalwt, a Duchy of Warsaw candelabra chalet....

Now type Irish, Jewish or Swedish clipart in google (I purposely omitted France, Germany and Italy and stuck to the postage-stamp-sized mini-countries)....??!!
Polonius3   
27 Mar 2011
History / Poland paid off American Jewry in 1960 [162]

Only that already ahead of the Obama trip the US authorities, pressured by influential Jewish-American circles, have been after Poland to return former Jewish property in Poland confiscated or destroyed by the Nazis or nationalized by the communist regime. Sikorski was replying to a TVP INFO interviewer who asked what he would tell Obama when asked about Jewish property claims.
Polonius3   
27 Mar 2011
History / Poland paid off American Jewry in 1960 [162]

According to Polish Foreign Secretary Radosław Sikorski, in 1960 Poland paid the US $40 million as compensation for confsicated American property in Poland. He added that the US agreed to distribute it amongst claimants and that any further claims should be directed to the American, not Polish government. Asked about the Jewish property claims Obama is expected to raise when he visits, Sikorski said: 'We do not distinguish between Jewish and non-Jewish property. Our courts do not rule on the basis of someone's nationality or religion.' Any comments?

tvp.info/informacje/swiat/relacje-z-usa-to-nie-katastrofa/4209396
Polonius3   
26 Mar 2011
Genealogy / Stupak family [4]

STUPAK: from stupać - eastern variant of stąpać (to step, walk)

SOROKA: eastern (Russian/Ruthenian) for magpie (bird); Polish - sroka.
Polonius3   
25 Mar 2011
Genealogy / Looking for family! Nieslawski [4]

NIES£AWSKI: root-word niesława (infamy); in old noble Poland the sentence of infamy was almost worse than a death sentence, as it deprived a person of honour and made him a pariah shunned by others. Very few people in Poland today sign themselves Niesławski.