Life / Poles speaking English - examples [263]

For someone whom I've never met, I don't understand you, really I don't!
At least get to know the person on a friendship level before deciding you
don't like them.

Besides, who ever said you have to like that person in order to engage
in conversation??

I stay in touch with many people I personally can't stand, yet I put personal
feelings aside for the sake of social peace.

'See you haven't quite gotten to that level LOL

Life / Poles speaking English - examples [263]

Re-read the post, if you can, and then I'm certain you'll at least partially agree.
Your written English has so much native language interference, as with certain
other posters here, even after reading it several times, I'm still not sure I completely
get the point.

Crudeness and nastiness should never serve as a crutch for plain ignorance!!!

Life / Poles speaking English - examples [263]

Unless a non-native bilingual learns their second language BEFORE roughly
the age of nine, they will always experience a degree of first language interference,
bar none!

A language consists of far more than merely its words, pronunciation/accent, intonation, or its structure. It includes
gesture, length of or the presence alone of facial gazing, humor, transitions and the like aka the intangible stuff of cultural, hidden cues.

For example, renowned Hollywood actors Paul Muni, Edward G. Robinson, and Jose Ferrer
(Only the latter a true native-born bilingual) not only spoke, but thought in the English language
despite their being born resp. in Eastern Europe, Romania, and Puerto Rico. The reason? They
all learned English well before the advent of their teen years.

Off-Topic / Personal Pan-Slavic Manifesto [37]

@Torq, have you read Roman Dmowski? Curious
as to your reaction to his pan-patriotic writings, e.g. "Kwestia Zydowska".

Genealogy / Polish looks? [1410]

Polish looks? As far as Polish male looks, I tend to think of Zygmunt Malanowicz from "Knife in the Water".

History / Why Poland achieved nothing at all? [69]

Don't be so sure! The first human, as well as animal, in space was/were
from the former Soviet Union. In addition, without Mendelejeff's Period Table,
chemistry as we know it might still be in the Stone Age. Furthermore, before
either Hermann Oberth or Robert Goddard, a Russian first envisioned space travel.
Lobatschevsky pioneered higher functions in mathematics, Pushkin, Dostoyevsky, Chekov, and
Tolstoy made sizable contributions to literature, not to mention Ilya Repin, Malevitch in visual
art, Tschaikovsky, Scriabin etc. in music, Fokine, Diaghelev in ballet, along with Eisenstein, Pudovkin
Dovzhenko, and Vertov in cinema...

Come on, Alien. You can do better than that.

Work / Favourite English textbook (to learn/teach from)? [13]

For such a long gestation (Funkstille) period I cannot assume responsibilty, Alien.

Off-Topic / Has Palestine ever existed? [70]

@Milo, since when did I ever mention the word "sovereign" in my prior post?
I merely stated that Palestine as a concept has been around for several millenia,
although never as an independent nation or nation state!

In this way, Palestinians are different from Kurds, as Kurdistan is in fact
an established political entity, whereas Palestine remains a vague designation,
populated by a people who call themselves Palestinians, but whose country
is anybody's guess. Does it belong to Israel or not?

In the case of the Kurds, they claim they are their own tribe, while residing
in Turkey and at odds with the Turkish government.

History / Can a nation totally change its characteristics and national character throughout history? [79]

Think we've gotten way, way off the discussion thread!

Work / Work in krakow [8]

He-he!

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [459]

Yeah, what about that.

Off-Topic / Has Palestine ever existed? [70]

Palestine has existed for several thousand years!
The ancient Kingdom of Judaea on the other hand
is what the fighting is all about.

Work / Work in krakow [8]

I'd make it a point to learn Polish, guys!
Imagine my going to Greece, even Athens, with zero knowledge of Greek?? Rely on local English??!
I'd be a disaster.

Greek: How your food, mister?
Foreign tourist: Excellent!
Greek: Egg salad?? I take to you right now!

lol

News / Poland - A True Bastion and Defender of Free Speech [257]

Forget it, Alien. He doesn't get you, he never will.

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [459]

Still on that one, are we.

Law / Not having a car insurance for a little while in Poland [13]

Always exceptionally dangerous to drive ANYWHERE without
at least minimal automobile insurance, especially as a foreigner
abroad. Bad idea.

News / Poland - A True Bastion and Defender of Free Speech [257]

Are we back to "What is a fetus?", Rich?
lol

News / Poland - A True Bastion and Defender of Free Speech [257]

Intelligent questions I'll gladly answer.

History / Can a nation totally change its characteristics and national character throughout history? [79]

Once again, people, history determines collectively observed national characteristics.
One size definitely doesn't fit all.
For instance, had the Poles not suffered the ignominy of being
surrounded on all sides by bullying elitist industrialist neighbors,
they scarcely would have developed the noticeable inferiority complex
of being forever labeled as "stupid", "slow-witted", and "backward".
For instance, the Irish were able to laugh it all off and became known
for their resiliant, often truculent, sense of humor. Once more, their
history determined certain national characteristics.

Germans, Russians as well, were usually the ones doing the bullying and
this too left a mark on their national character, the Germans in particular.

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [459]

I try in my small way!

History / Can a nation totally change its characteristics and national character throughout history? [79]

Not sure of your question, B.B.
To my mind, Poles of German heritage who were born in Poland and speak exclusively
Polish as their sole mother tongue (including even those raised in a bilingual home)
are Poles, and not Germans!

Germans born in Germany, Austrians born in Austria, for example, but of foreign parentage
are Germans and Austrians, even if their forebearers were Czechs, Poles or what have you.

I know of English people, born in the heart of England, some in London, some elsewhere in the country, but who are completely
English or British in language, spirit, and identity.

History / Can a nation totally change its characteristics and national character throughout history? [79]

Then you're doubtless acquainted with that infamous quip
that the Austrians wanted to convince the world that Hitler was a
German and Beethoven was an Austrian! :-)

The Anschluss or Annexation of Austria into the German Reich was
merely Hitler's desperate attempt to incorporate the so-called "Ostmark"
into the singular generic "Volksgemeinschaft" or "German National [read Racially pure..] Community".

News / Poland - A True Bastion and Defender of Free Speech [257]

I fail to grasp the meaning of your idiotic remarks.

History / Can a nation totally change its characteristics and national character throughout history? [79]

In my opinion, a nation's national characteristics have been shaped by their history. A seemingly obvious
statement, yet one which bears truth if we examine the background of supposed "national character".

Take the much written about German national character. If there is likewise an American, French or Italian
character, to what extent have these characteristics been formed by historical circumstances.

What is today a united, in fact re-united, Germany, was of course long a mere amalgam of nearly independent
dukedoms, dutchies, and heaven knows what else, each subsumed by a local reigning authority. Although
called after Charlemagne aka "Karl der Grosse", The Holy Roman Empire (minus Jacob Burkhardt's famous quip),
it soon fell victim to centuries of plague, warfare along with devastating famine, turning the German people
into a nation stamped by deep cynicism and of course both a fear simultaneously an inbred obedience to authority!

Such is not in fact a facile stereotype, but a reality which fueled and sustained Hitler's stranglehold grip on the Germans
for twelve years.

Indeed, I can easily confirm that certain characteristics associated with the Germans remain very much alive, e.g. a tendency
towards punctuality and a cultivated degree of organization, ensuring that general daily routines run smoothly.

Any characteristic may be deemed overwhelmingly positive or negative as anything in extremis is questionable.

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [459]

As the absolute last resort if they won't respond to reason.
The only reason one can justify, for example, the firebombing of
Dresden, is because the Nazis refused to listen to reason and therefore
had to be dealt with more harshly.

Certainly not something I'd be proud of.

News / Poland - A True Bastion and Defender of Free Speech [257]

Apparently, you folks rationalize something "working" by
how few complaints there were about it.

Ever occur to you brain trusts out there that maybe, just maybe,
people were deeply affected psychologically through generations
of systematic, systemic abuse, but the average person was merely
too lame brained to notice anything?

A father typically slaps his son around on a fairly regular basis and
calls the kid names. A caring neighbor who's known the guy gently
suggests that possible he's being too hard on his boy. "Ahh, whatdyya
talkin', the kid's a fighter, he can take it, yer crazy!"

Well, guess what, gang. That kid will doubtless grow up into a verbally
as well as physically abusive adult, potentially a dangerous criminal.

But noooooooby took the time to look...or care.

News / Poland - A True Bastion and Defender of Free Speech [257]

You're rationalizing again.

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [459]

Naturally, Hamas must be put down.
The difficulty remains that not ALL Palestinians are necessarily
Hamas supporters!!

Just as in WWII. Not ALL Germans were Nazis or even Nazi sympathizers.
It was the Nazis and Hitler who had to be eliminated, not the entire country.

For this reason, the truism still holds:In war, you lose even if you win. Ask
Mother Sullivan who lost all here sons on that sub in pursuit of the enemy.
And there were uncounted others.

You lose idealism, might as well just go rent a cage at the local zoo by
walking on all fours, because you've forfeited your precious humanity.

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [459]

Neither Israel nor Israelis are perfect, my friend. Netanyahu's finding this out,
much to his chagrin.

News / Poland - A True Bastion and Defender of Free Speech [257]

Guess what, Rich. I'm not a fan of PC either! As I've said though on many occasions,
political correctness was a much needed reaction against the generational cruel labeling
of others whom those in authority felt were unworthy of dignity or respect, from school
to Church to the work world.

In the "old days", grade school teachers could smack and repeatedly abuse children
verbally. This is but one example. Surely, nobody wants to return to such times and this
I say as a parent.