Life / New born baby traditions in Poland [26]

Yes, I remember doing so some time back when visiting a young Polish couple having recently moved to New York upon the birth of their daughter:-)

"Z okazji Waszego imienia!", was how my salutation read at the top of the card I sent them.

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

A gun, firearm, pistol or assault rifle, belongs one place and one place only: Locked inside a gun rack, either in the den out of harms way, or perhaps in the shed! Dad or mom should be the only ones with a key.

This might be considered the "East Coast elitist" way of handling gun violence. Maybe then there'd be less of it:-)

Rich,
Why label thinking people as "weasels"? Are you perhaps not projecting your own masculinity issues?
Notice I, Tacitus, Miloslaw and others here aren't out to prove on a regular basis what "tough guys" they are.

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

It's worse:-)

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

You can't "legalize" crime, you can only punish it...swift and sure!

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

I am and yet try to connect with my neighbors in the Mid West.
Pity it doesn't cut both ways:-)

Life / New born baby traditions in Poland [26]

You mean there's a Saint Renata??
News to me:-)

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

If the tables were turned and it were the white, Christian, industrialized Europeans who were forced to migrate to foreign lands and face constant discrimination because of simply who they were, how do you think any normal, frustrated human being would react?

You're simply rationalizing your own incorrigible prejudices.

Concerning your last comment, there were as many instances of same as there were flagrant exceptions to the "rule".

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

Remembering the simple truth that if people didn't have the guns in their hands, guess what, they wouldn't go off!
"Guns don't kill people, PEOPLE....." If the people didn't reach for their semi-automatics, it's a lot easier to stop a knife or a club than it is a Saturday Night special:-)

Can't blame the rank-and-file American. Much of the middle of the country still needs to develop and finally see herself as connected to both coasts.

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

The broad swath of Middle America appears to me as an American to be mired in her Wild West past, often to the detriment of effecting positive change. The "What was good enough for Daniel Boone, what was good enough for the Duke's good enough for me"-mentality is merely sign of our thickheadedness and inflexibility.

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

I suppose no homegrown, ethnic Poles commit violent crimes, right?
:-)

Same fallacious reasonings as I can remember when I was a teen, back in the late '70's. "Let the blacks and the PRs in and crime will rise in the burbs!"

In fact, often just the opposite was the case. Need I remind you further that gang violence in the '50's was usually committed by local white Christian boys with too much dead time on their hands 'cuz mom and dad were sleepin' at the switch.

Life / New born baby traditions in Poland [26]

I think that Poland is one of the countries which has a "Naming Day" instead of the traditional "Birth Day", in the sense of counting the year of conception as the date of one's birth. Is that correct more or less?

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

Rich, 'fraid we gotcha this time!

How can you argue that Poles don't understand "American"-style freedom, when in fact our freedoms have been ever so slowly whittled away not much past 9/11?

cms neuf's on the money.

Law / The right to own guns: would you support such legislation in Poland? [2237]

Not sure I get the analogy, Rich. Perhaps I'm just slow.

Love / Polish girls and contraceptives [68]

Will wonders never cease.

Life / Tips / Help on moving to Poland from Australia [2]

First tip I would give would be to secure some sort of firm employment before undertaking any lengthy sojourn to Poland!

Although learning the local lingo's a no-brainer (furthermore, Polish gradually gets much easier the more you stick with it, the opposite of English:-)),

the country can seem a booby trap of hidden fees from shady business people, so I've read, fly-by-night language schools, often frighteningly low salaries for equivalent positions back home etc. Therefore, it's most important, certainly just as important, to have at least the promise of a job and a contractual offer of money, prior to heading off half-cocked.

Six-months may seem like a short period, but, as someone who spent his twenties in Europe for nearly the same amount of time, it really isn't and so try to get both work along with survival language skills together first.

Best of luck!

News / Poland's new golden age : shifting from Europe's periphery to its center [29]

ABBA was perhaps the first of the international European rock stars back in the '60's to perform in English.
Somehow, it was able to be pulled off convincingly and with no trace of a "foreign" accent.

When other continental bands have attempted same, it usually sounds odd, to say the least, particularly those from Russia, with that jarring combination of native language interference mixed with country-western aspirations:-)

Strangely though, there seems to be a double standard regarding opera performed in the original language by singers, many, perhaps most of whom, are not native to the language they are singing.

And speaking of Poles, before I found out his name, I thought Jan Beczala was Italian from the way he sang in "Masked Ball"!

News / Why is Poland so hostile against Germany? Do they realize how their reparations rubbish damages relations? [510]

Probably, Merkel acted her conscience when she, actually Schaeuble, enacted those austerity measures against Greece to prevent her going under from taking the EU with her.

Can't say as I blame her, but of course, Tsipras and the naysayers love to brand the "mean, harsh Germans" and the big bad boys from Bruxelles, even though the government of Greece freely admitted they were in desperate financial straights!

History / BARBAROUS / BARBARIC / BARBARIAN tribes in Poland [62]

Exactly. The term "barbarian" became used to denote ANY non-civilized nation or group, for instance the Northmen aka "Vikings", "Goths", and "Vandals"!

News / Why is Poland so hostile against Germany? Do they realize how their reparations rubbish damages relations? [510]

I agree with Tacitus on that score.

News / Why is Poland so hostile against Germany? Do they realize how their reparations rubbish damages relations? [510]

Germany per se didn't "cause" the crisis! Assad murdered probably more of his fellow citizens than either Arafat or Achmadshinishad and so Merkel decided to try to help. She's a typical product of her generation, as is President Steinmeier, what more can I say:-)

She never weighed in the mood of the German electorate, her constituents, and so failed to deliver on her campaign promises of serving the German nation/state.

News / Why is Poland so hostile against Germany? Do they realize how their reparations rubbish damages relations? [510]

@Maf, I have the same right as you...and I live some five-THOUSAND miles away! Distance never stopped anybody from expressing themselves in both a sensible, cogent fashion.

:-)

Life / Best Polish actor/actress ever? [35]

I didn't realize that, Pawian.

News / Why is Poland so hostile against Germany? Do they realize how their reparations rubbish damages relations? [510]

@Maf,
I'm a born US-citizen, you're not a German citizen. If anyone, only B.B. or Tacitus here on this forum are fit to judge whether or not Ms. Merkel is.

@Weimarer,
You are exceedingly unenlightened and represent, hopefully, only a small, disaffected fringe of German society which wants to thrust Germany, and in so doing, the rest of Europe, back into the Dark Ages, where bigots burned a man for daring to think differently!

You people are on the wrong track (Ihr seid da auf dem Holzweg) and by the time you realize it, your country will have long since become de-railed.

Life / Best Polish actor/actress ever? [35]

Who then played the hitchhiker?

WHOOPSIDAISY, confused Niemczyk (Andrzej) with Zygmunt Malanowicz LOL
Thanks!

News / Poland's new golden age : shifting from Europe's periphery to its center [29]

Back to the thread, Poland's long since been the "Slavic Tiger" with comeback city Cracow as the "Miracle on the Vistula" (Cud nad Wisla) and well deserved, I feel!

Always felt the Poles have been shortchanged throughout much of their history, both recent and distant. Therefore, nice to see things going right for them for a change.

Life / Best Polish actor/actress ever? [35]

I simply thought his performance as the stray hitchhiker in "Noz w wodzie" was superb, so plain and unaffected!

News / Why is Poland so hostile against Germany? Do they realize how their reparations rubbish damages relations? [510]

Think you just answered you own question, pal:-)

@Maf,
How are you fit to judge whether or not she's "fit" to govern or not?

News / Why is Poland so hostile against Germany? Do they realize how their reparations rubbish damages relations? [510]

However a leader, like a spouse, best friend or trusted ally, unless intentionally set out to betray or ruin, is NOT like a commodity which can be exchanged, disposed of at will and "traded in", heaven forbid, for the latest model! We're talking about a human being here, who's busted a gut trying to do what she thinks is right.

Merkel has become the most trusted politician/statesman in Europe among thinking people who value democratic values. Why pander, as does our US-president to the cacklings, hoots, or idiotic rhetoric of a frustrated, if unenlightened, minority?

If change in policy is what is required as is the case with Merkel's immigration policies, then let it be effected DEMOCRATICALLY, in open forum, and, as in the UK, through an honest, well-thought out vote of no-confidence.

Folks sure were slow to want to impeach Trump, why then so quick to condemn Merkel and boot her out of office early? She's about ten years younger than Trump anyway:-)

News / Why is Poland so hostile against Germany? Do they realize how their reparations rubbish damages relations? [510]

But destroying Merkel is, once again, throwing out the proverbial baby with the proverbial bathwater. The only logical future for Germany or any country
must be democracy, using debate and discussion, not strong-arm tactics a la Donald Trump!

News / Poland's new golden age : shifting from Europe's periphery to its center [29]

While it is sadly the case, that not only well-intended funds have frequently been diverted, as you say, and that furthermore, there have been even more disgusting examples of those seeking to profit from said funds by either embellishing or outright lying about being survivors (much less being Jewish), the idea of justified compensation is obviously the only right, just action which could be taken!

As in any human situation, plenty of rotten apples spoil the whole batch.