History / Modern myths and legends about communist past in Poland [250]


communist economics were something like the cargo cults of the south pacific, the USSR simply thought that if they industrialized they would achieve western standards of prosperity... (that's a lot of Russian history right there - wanting the fruits of western civilization without doing the real work).

this is what was behind the stakhanovite movement (critically examined in Man of Marble) if quotas were exceeded then that meant things were going great... never mind if more was needed or not..

Life / Do you know these characters from Polish movies? [223]


that's what was tricky... she just.... recited the credits (also a small role in the film but her main contribution was the opening credits)


think of a recent anniversary....

Life / Do you know these characters from Polish movies? [223]

The actress here is easy,



but what film and how is it now relevant(ish)?

Life / Do you know these characters from Polish movies? [223]


but which one? (the actress is a favortie of mine though that's not much of a hint....)

Study / Various education and school issues in Poland. Opinions, stories, controversies. [1006]


You expected them to own up to their own mess?


But most PiS voters are only about 'show us the money' (pokażcie nam kasę!)

News / Scandals, conflicts, tensions, arguments - real life examples from Poland [543]


He's naked on the toilet screaming at her to get a job.... it's all I can see any time he's on tv now....

Life / Do you know these characters from Polish movies? [223]

What about her?



(this might be slightly tricky...)

Life / Do you know these characters from Polish movies? [223]


yeah, the end of series makes it cleat what will happen, who wants to see it?


I've read (don't ask when or where) that in person he's actually really hideous looking but he photographs well (especially by movie cameras) which is why got away with being a romantic lead for so long. He wouldn't be the first romantic lead to not look the part in real life...

Life / Do you know these characters from Polish movies? [223]

Was going to post another picture but mods don't seem to like the idea...

Life / Do you know these characters from Polish movies? [223]


Right!

Here's another easy one...

Life / Do you know these characters from Polish movies? [223]

This one is probably pretty easy...

News / PiS candidates are losing positions in EU Parliament. Will they keep power in Poland? [358]


The faith you show in commie prosesutor Piotrowicz is a model of reconciliation - if only more Polish people were able to put the past aside like you....

News / PiS candidates are losing positions in EU Parliament. Will they keep power in Poland? [358]


Those were exit polls IIRC weren't they shut out after all the real votes were counted?

PSL with Kukiz makes some kind of sense (which means.... not really)

Razem and Wiosna joining might make some sense but RB wants to be the Star(!) and not rank and file..

The question now is will PiS raid the treasury for more kiełbasa or more scare their voters that any other party will take away their 'free' goodies? Those are the only cards they really have....

News / PiS candidates are losing positions in EU Parliament. Will they keep power in Poland? [358]

'remains to be seen'

I think she'll be a general disappointment as her tenure in German politics was not exactly a roaring success (unlike Tusk who had a long and very solid record in Poland).

Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]


so now it's just a kid thing? I remember when adults used it too...

what about the 'fajny' gesture (thumb side of fist close to shoulder and elbow raised)? I haven't actually seen it in Poland in a looooong time but it used to be fairly common. IINM it's probably German (I've also seen it on German TV).

Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]


You never see that anymore... anyway the meaning (as described to me when it was used) was 'no (soup) for you!'

(soup) is a stand in and comes from an old TV show.

the gesture is apparently very obscene in some countries (I want to say Brazil but I'm not completely sure).

Language / Game - guess Polish idioms/sayings in direct English translation [1756]


is it farts?

News / PiS candidates are losing positions in EU Parliament. Will they keep power in Poland? [358]


more like millions....

bild.de/politik/international/politik-inland/sea-watch-in-italy-interview-with-sea-rescue-captain-rackete-63303634.bild.html

money quotes:

"Asylum knows no limits"....

leave the issue to right-wing populist parties."

Interviewer: What is the limit for the intake in Europe?

Rackete: I don't see a limit.


What is interesting in hindsight was just how quickly the "these are our future doctors and engineers" government line turned into de facto "If you don't take some of these losers off our hands we're going to punish you economically!"

Life / Why Polish singers are not popular abroad? [101]


My question is why isn't Bulgarian music better? It has one of the great folk music traditions in Europe (great vocalism and melodies and extremely complex rhythms) but hasn't ever been able to translate that into memorable pop performers (If I'm wrong please let me know)

Most of the Bulgarian songs I like are more like joke songs (trima v kombina, A4) or covers of Greek/Turkish songs - the best chalga was a lot worse than the best manele and in terms of more mainstream stuff.... forget it

What's up with Bulgrian music? I want to like it but.... meh

News / PiS candidates are losing positions in EU Parliament. Will they keep power in Poland? [358]


things rarely work out exactly the way they're planned, nothing unusual about that, the problem with the EU is that it can't ever deal with reality being different from its very idealistic plans... if it doesn't change that could be its downfall, which would be a terrible shame.

News / PiS candidates are losing positions in EU Parliament. Will they keep power in Poland? [358]


No, the current Euro is a renamed deutsche Mark, I don't think there's any need for a common currency as sometimes countries need to have control of their currency and under the current regime only Germany has any real control.... I'm a Europe of nations kind of guy rather than a federal superstate kind of guy...

News / PiS candidates are losing positions in EU Parliament. Will they keep power in Poland? [358]

No... when Poles start talking about strategic alternatives to the EU they mean either becoming a full time American stalking horse in Europe or becoming a Russian satellite again, there are no other realistic options.

I'm not happy about a lot of aspects of the EU (again I fail to see any real constructive function that the EU parliament performs) but for the time being Poland is better in it than outside it (as long as it can stave off the horrid economy wrecking Euro... the sooner that dreadful dysfunctional pseudo currency bites the dust the better)

News / PiS candidates are losing positions in EU Parliament. Will they keep power in Poland? [358]


Szydło removing the EU flag?

The whole Tusk re-election fiasco?

They're just nasty venal people, bullies who can dish it out but can't take it.

Travel / What is the weather like in Poland where you are now? [211]


Some decent rain in Wielkopolska after a very long dry spell...

IME if it gets really hot in June then July (and sometimes August aren't so hot) that's the case so far this summer

News / PiS candidates are losing positions in EU Parliament. Will they keep power in Poland? [358]


If she does everything for the EU that she did for the German military.... the EU is doooooooooomed.

News / PiS candidates are losing positions in EU Parliament. Will they keep power in Poland? [358]


they won because of their 'kasa za głosy" election platform, the name recognition candidates were mostly not very good or just plain awful (Zaleska).

But also notice the German lady who used her status as second least popular politician in Germany to vault int Tusk's job or the failed Belgian prime minister or Lagarde convicted for negligence?

The great Danish political series Borgen had an episode about Brussels as a political graveyard (In Brussels no one can hear you scream)

News / PiS candidates are losing positions in EU Parliament. Will they keep power in Poland? [358]


Ingrate hypocrites! I think the EU parliament is a stupid idea and have yet to hear of anything important that they've accomplished*, but the PiS attitude is beyond the pale, they spit in the EU's face for years and now they're surprised they're not popular?

Boo effin' hoo!

*and seems largely to be a graveyard for crooks and politicians who've failed in their own countries

Food / What Polish foods and brands do you miss when you go to other countries? [216]


If you want fresh vegetables in Poland in winter... you either import or... do without. Once those importation chains are set up they're not just gonna be limited to the winter months... I think the massive greenhouse complexes in Spain (like the one near Almeria) keep working year round and (as in the US) they have to choose for durability over taste (two qualities in produce that almost never go together).

It's possible to buy nicer quality fruits and vegetables for part of the year but having the same foods available year round... is going to affect the overall quality.

Food / What Polish foods and brands do you miss when you go to other countries? [216]


A bit less now, Europe has largely adopted the US model and produce from the south is shipped across the continent so that in the winter tomatoes and cucumbers (and other stuff) is available but shipped in from Spain and Italy and Greece....

At least some stores list the country of origin so that more local products can be chosen when they're in season (though Biedronka has no idea how to store broadbeans (bób) and it turns brown and unappealing too soon...

Food / What Polish foods and brands do you miss when you go to other countries? [216]


Maybe he's confusing it with regular sauerkraut or sauerkraut with bits of pork or something?

IME bigos is something people only have a couple times of year now, usually for holidays and it's a whole meal served with bread (maybe potatoes).