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Posts by Bobko  

Joined: 13 Mar 2017 / Male ♂
Warnings: 1 - O
Last Post: 10 Jan 2025
Threads: Total: 27 / Live: 23 / Archived: 4
Posts: Total: 2063 / Live: 1987 / Archived: 76
From: New York
Speaks Polish?: Y
Interests: reading, camping

Displayed posts: 2010 / page 33 of 67
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Bobko   
31 Oct 2023
History / Chances of Moscow becoming part of Poland again? [102]

Piłsudski or Wałęsa.

Ask any military historian, Rokossovky is the more important Pole out of those three.

Before you attack me - I said "military historian".
Bobko   
31 Oct 2023
News / Polish "Rambo" in the forest [42]

Rambo did not serve in the Polish armed forces.

Rambo is also, not real. It is actually an actor named Sylvester Stallone portraying a disenchanted veteran named John Rambo.

Source: Grew up in the 80s-90s.
Bobko   
22 Oct 2023
News / Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023 [933]

The situation in general is very unpredictable, despite known election results.

Thanks for this write up - quite helpful!

those procedures take time in which the new coalition might start fighting each other before they vote on their own PM cabinet happens

This has happened countless times, in elections all across the world. Would be disappointing, if it happens here as well.

a longer hospitalization could be enough to trigger a free for all within PiS, since he simply is getting too old to keep discipline

This is the problem, as I see it, with these mixed political systems which are prevalent throughout Eurasia. You get a million different parties, with rather marginal policy differences amongst them, but instead mainly defined by the personas at the top.

United Russia will probably not survive Putin and Medvedev, in the same way PiS might not survive Kaczynski.

It speaks to the political immaturity and primitivism of places like Poland and Russia, when your political loyalties are dictated primarily by your sympathies towards a particular guy rather than a dry calculation of where our interests as voters lie.

By the way, America is actually arriving at this point as well - after a good 200 years of acting as example to others of the advantages of a two party system.
Bobko   
20 Oct 2023
Law / Weapon Law in Poland: what kinds of knives are legal? [35]

So, if someone is going out to a public place with a knife in their pocket one may assume that there's something wrong with that person

Guns are illegal in NYC. So everybody has one, except for good, law abiding citizens.

Carrying a knife around, though I wouldn't do it myself, doesn't seem like such a crazy thing to do.

I've seen a few fights where knives were pulled out, and the effect is pretty much the same as with a gun - though obviously scaled down. A rowdy, aggressive person suddenly becomes docile and walks away.

Pepper spray, and other stuff like that probably has a bigger role to play though.
Bobko   
20 Oct 2023
Law / Weapon Law in Poland: what kinds of knives are legal? [35]

I'll admit I like knives quite a bit. I don't really have any nice ones, but I like looking at them. Myself, I've got a Swiss Army knife in my glove compartment (which I use once a year), and another which I keep in my fishing tackle bag.

Whenever I'm at a sports equipment store, I like to look at the expensive knives. The Damascus steel patterns are beautiful, and oftentimes the handle is a work of art. I've seen handles made from dinosaur bones and from meteorites.

Where I live, they're all very small. Quote:

Possessing a knife with a blade length of four inches or more in public places, streets, or parks in New York is prohibited, regardless of any unlawful intent, and is punishable by a fine or up to 15 days in jail.

Four inches is about the width of an average person's palm. Supposedly, this isn't enough to reach any vital organ, though I don't know how it helps with bleeding out to death. Also, I don't know why having something in your pocket that is longer than 4 inches is illegal, while having a 15 inch dagger in your kitchen is totally kosher.
Bobko   
18 Oct 2023
News / Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023 [933]

it's obvious to me that he will

Can someone explain to me if there is any realistic scenario where PiS manage to hold on to power?

Understand, I hate PiS too, and am not asking because I am hopeful they can pull it off.
Bobko   
16 Oct 2023
News / Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023 [933]

I can believe that of russians...

A place as cruel and barbaric as Russia, cannot survive unless ruled by an iron hand.

Is that right?
Bobko   
16 Oct 2023
News / Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023 [933]

he hates the idea of people having any control over their lives and government

Yes, an abhorrent concept.

You must not have much experience of meeting these... "people" - as you describe them.

They are no more equipped to rule themselves, than a sheep is capable of building for itself a shelter from the elements.
Bobko   
16 Oct 2023
News / Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023 [933]

I must admit, it would be enormously humorous to me, if PiS manages to cobble together a ruling coalition through bribing and threatening a couple MPs.

I would expect Poland to then shut up, about the state of democracy in Russia.
Bobko   
16 Oct 2023
News / Poland says no to flood of Immigrants [670]

Sounds a bit like Switzerland - the petition part.

The money part - that's done in tons of places. I'm not sure how I feel about it... I mean, I understand if Monaco, Luxembourg, or even Switzerland would be in the business of collecting millions of dollars for permanent residency. However, when it's America doing it, or some other powerful and important country, it leaves a weird taste in the mouth. I'll try to explain...

On the one hand - it seemingly cheapens the idea of American citizenship. Second, it makes it seem like America only wants "a sure thing". Wanting a "sure thing", goes against the grain of what American history has been. The miracle of America, is how it can metaphorically make candy out of sh!t. Some illiterate and downtrodden Italian grandparents arrive, and two generations later their grandkid is Governor of New York State. That's America.

Letting in every Arab, Russian, Chinese, and Indian kleptocrat, because he can pay his way in - that's not America. America is where people run to, to escape those people dominating their lives. Imagine their surprise then, when after going through an immensely difficult immigration process, they discover all the rich guys from back home already lounging around in America with paid for Green Cards?

There's enough places for thieves to go and park their money. London is the #1 destination. Why lower a great country to the level of the UK?
Bobko   
15 Oct 2023
News / Polish Parliamentary Elections 2023 [933]

Hello Poles!

How are we feeling today?

Anybody care to make a bet what the outcome will be tomorrow morning?
Bobko   
5 Oct 2023
News / Future of Polish-Ukrainian relations [638]

orcs, muscovy, russians are not humans, ban russian music, ban russians from sport, not European but asiatic mongols

I think something is wrong with Amiga... He's starting to make sense.
Bobko   
4 Oct 2023
Love / Question about Polish dating/women [42]

had to explain to Americans over a century ago and they still don't get it.

Americans are children when it comes to relations between the sexes.
Bobko   
4 Oct 2023
Love / Question about Polish dating/women [42]

Also you shouldn't tear bits of your bread and throw them into your soup!

Huh? Next you'll tell me I shouldn't dip my biscuits into tea.
Bobko   
2 Oct 2023
News / Future of Polish-Ukrainian relations [638]

Unfortunately this is a bit of a Slavic trait - not very good at diplomacy.

Czechs seem to be well liked by everyone.

In general, Slavs suffer from a big chip on the shoulder.
Bobko   
29 Sep 2023
Life / Will the price of petrol/diesel reach 7 Zlotys in 2011 [58]

The story with diesel is all Russia-related. Europe is still, enormously dependent on Russia for diesel.

This story really irritates me.

A few weeks ago, I read some happy NATO cheerleader write something along the lines of: "there is a shortage of diesel in Russia, hahaha!".

Then I saw Putin put in place export controls on diesel. Immediately, I saw dozens of articles with headlines like, "Putin Raises the Ante with Ban on Diesel", "Diesel - the new weapon in the Kremlin's arsenal", etc.

Western clowns...

Diesel is cheap in Russia, so many unscrupulous people were making ludicrous amounts of money selling it abroad. The government banned this, so that there could be enough diesel for Russians. Now, the clowns went from laughing at Russians for diesel problems, to accusing us of using it as a weapon.

Build your own refineries. Buy our crude from India at a premium, and make your own diesel. Stop making everything the fault of Russians.

Can you imagine the allies complaining that Hitler won't sell them oil, gas, or grain? Well that's you now. And yes, in my example we are Hitler.
Bobko   
29 Sep 2023
Life / Question about Polish medical treatments [4]

have the skin condition seborrheic dermatitis

This is sort of random, but I know a guy that has this condition, and he literally washes his face with Head & Shoulders.

I'm a little skeptical myself, but curious if this is something you've heard about?
Bobko   
19 Sep 2023
History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]

in the first 10 seconds when I met my wife at a party in 1969 she went to with her husband.

See... this is what I need!

Lots of husbands and boyfriends keeping the good 30+ people occupied. I tell myself - a husband is not a concrete wall....

I don't want to be a home wrecker, but what can you do if you see that two people match? My only rule is no wives of friends or business partners. At that point, it's not behavior of someone you want next to you.
Bobko   
19 Sep 2023
History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]

the last, most difficult part- she must find you interesting/attractive too

You don't know me, and I don't know you... believe then when I say it's not difficult for me to find women interested in me.

Part of it - they have less and less in common with you.

This is true. I feel this lacking in my life, in a bigger and bigger way. I see that people do not take me as seriously, as they appraise some other people from our social circle, merely because I wasn't as successful at creating a family for myself.

This is why I am laser focused on kids. I want my own soldiers, my own persons which I molded after my own image, like some toy soldiers out of clay or pewter.

I love kids. I feel a big gaping hole in my life through their absence. I feel I am something less than my peers, because I don't have kids.
Bobko   
19 Sep 2023
History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]

Sorry, thought that is an issue.

Now I'm sorry - I clearly phrased that in the wrong way.

Young, pretty, intelligent and educated, multilingual from good family and good financial standing...

Reading your description, I see how it is difficult. The time to grab these girls is before 23-24. My problem is, they are not interesting to me at that age. Maybe I should talk to Strelets35, lol.

Why they are not interesting, is because at that age they act essentially as toy dogs at my side. I feel embarrassed before my adult friends and their wives, if I bring someone like that with me.

Here is another part of being single at 35 which is not great - less and less of your friends want to spend time with you.
Bobko   
19 Sep 2023
History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]

why would her being divorced matter?

No, no... I meant her parents being divorced.

If she is divorced, and has no kids - that's fine in my book.

I have two major relationships in my life, and both happened to last seven years. The girls I've met, have explained to me that's basically equivalent to having been married twice. While I disagree, I see where they are coming from.

Divorced is not a criteria. I just don't think that a girl that grew up without a dad would be good fit for me. Not sure if that is a fair criteria...
Bobko   
19 Sep 2023
History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]

32-34 is still not too bad; In mid-30s she is bound to have been married before

I recently had a couple of dates with a 34 year old (yes, the Ukrainian girl is out of the picture after 7 years together). Before that, I had several dates with a 27 year old. I caught myself doing a lot of simple math in my head. The first girl would be 40 in 6 years, and the other in 13 years. That seemed a big difference.

Virtually all the women worth being around, after 30, have been married and have at least one kid. I don't want to sound like a terrible person, but I realized I don't want to raise someone else's kid. I even told myself - "if you really like her, what does it matter?". Problem is - I didn't "really like her", as I can't "really like" anyone at the moment. I also like the idea of having my own chance at making a family, rather than inheriting someone else's.

I have a friend who married a girl from an orphanage

I can see the attraction of this option. However, personally, I am a big family person. I don't want some fortress-type mentality in my family of, "it's us against the world". Marriage is a marriage of two families, in my understanding.

Irrelevant. Even better if she's not spoilt too much by luxury in childhood/adolescence

I thought this way for a long time. However, there's problems girls from poor families have, that rich girls don't. If I am really trying to create a life with a minimum of friction, a girl from modest means would not qualify. Again, I am a terrible person.

Agree with points on intelligence/education, and others.
Bobko   
19 Sep 2023
History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]

the later you enter into a relationship with a woman, the more difficult it is

This is true, very true. I'm not sure I could ever love someone, like I loved the person I loved in my early twenties. I think this muscle, atrophies afterwards.

Now I have to measure any potential mate against the following criteria:

1) Is she younger than 30?
2) Was she married previously, does she have kids?
3) Does she speak Russian well? Does she speak English well?
4) Is she intelligent? Well educated?
5) Does she come from an "intact" family, or a divorced one?
6) Does she come from a "good" family?
7) Is she physically attractive to me?

After you sort through these criteria, almost no one passes the test.

Forget about love... All I feel these days is some kind of passing excitement (infatuation) over some colorful person I run into, which inevitably turns into disappointment once the novelty wears off.

The time to do a quick deal was late teens and twenties. Now I've been spoiled by life.
Bobko   
19 Sep 2023
History / What should Russia and Poland do to become if not friends, then at least not enemies? [945]

the whole generation is brainwashed into thinking that having children is an obstacle on their way to "self-realisation", "fulfillment" or "career".

As a man, I think I have somewhat of a different problem... but maybe it's the same for women. I can't say.

I spent about 15 years after college focusing on my work. Now, when I feel I'm standing firmly on my two feet, and finally want to have children - there is no one I want to have them with.

Do not misunderstand me - I really want children. I think I would be a good father. However, it seems the correct way to have children is to have them with someone you love. Last few years, I have come to understand that I'm becoming pretty set in my habits, and more stringent in filtering potential relationship candidates by a complex matrix of criteria. I find it hard these days to "like" anyone, let alone "love" them.

Starting to think, I should marry someone for a few years, get some kids, then go back to living life as I've become used to it.