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Posts by Alligator  

Joined: 15 Dec 2010 / Male ♂
Last Post: 31 May 2012
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Posts: 259

Speaks Polish?: yes

Displayed posts: 259 / page 2 of 9
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Alligator   
10 May 2012
Language / Mam silnego kaca! Why is this genitive/dopełniacz? [34]

there's a declension with the singular form, pies becomes psa: "Mam jednego psa"

Because accusative of virile (męskożywotny) singular noun takes the form of genetive.

but "Mam dwa psy". no declension in the plural form

Accusative of virile plural noun takes form of nominative. It is declinated.
...just another example of how easy Polish language is...
Alligator   
10 May 2012
Law / Polish child maintenance-why do they need to know my sons earnings? [3]

Because they want to know what is the current financial situation of her and her family and based on that measure the amount of alimony. For example if she now have a good financial situation and her ex bad, the alimony would be lowered.

They take into account not only her earnings but also her partner's.
Alligator   
10 May 2012
Life / Polish patriotic music! [25]

Polish knights sang it as an anthem before the Battle of Grunwald

and the Teutonic Knights sang "Chrystus zmartwychwstał". Bizzare since the Teutonic Knights proper name was: The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem. They should have swap songs ;)

As for military/patriotic songs I propose pieśni legionowe:



"O mój rozmarynie"
"Bywaj dziewczę zdrowe"
"Przybyli ułani"
"Pierwsza kadrowa"
"Rozkwitały pąki białych róż"
Alligator   
10 May 2012
News / Presidential elections and debates 2015 Poland [472]

typical reaction of PO supporters

Sleepiness is a typical reaction of PO supporters?
So what about PIS, PSL, SLD and Ruch Palikota?
My guesses are:
PIS - lunatics
PSL - sleepovers
SLD - hipersomniacs
Ruch Palikota - insomniacs
Alligator   
10 May 2012
Language / Mam silnego kaca! Why is this genitive/dopełniacz? [34]

I'm not a native speaker, but my Polish Polish teacher in the States said that cars take genitive.

Ordering or eating, it doesn't matter, it's just that some foods take the genitive and some don't.

In this case, as in cases listed in previous posts we use partial genitive (dopełniacz cząstkowy).
Partial genitive is used when you talk about indefinite part of a whole or about something abstract.
When you talk about something definite and considered as a whole, you use accusative.
Alligator   
2 May 2012
News / Forbes: Boot Argentina from the G20 and include Poland [44]

True, but when talking about economic issues is the global standard to determine size and growth.

Global standard/lie and a very dangerous lie. I think that there is a place for unrealistic indicators (like GDP) in current crisis.
What is shown as economical and civilizational success is in fact a sign of social erosion. Everybody woould want to work near the place they live, walk home to eat lunch and after work have fun with family. But from the point of view of GDP it is better to live tens of kilometers away from home. Then loads of money and time are consumed by just getting to work. Lunch is of course eaten in city, probably some kind of fastfood. Nanny is taking care of children. Maybe some have to take overtime to pay for all that. Nominally such person is wealthier...

Governments like to boast a growth of GDP, but they don't say how GDP is increasing and/or decreasing the quality of life.
I'm not trying to pomote

hunter-gathering lifestyles

I hope you can see that ;)
I'm saying that GDP is a failure and we shouldn't stick to it as the only possible indicator. There are others more accurate.
Alligator   
2 May 2012
News / Forbes: Boot Argentina from the G20 and include Poland [44]

But it`s the quickest of all.

Quickest but still useless. Welfare of society is not just about economic prosperity.
In some countries (I'm not going to point finger) children are sent to work instead of school. Economy is growing thanks to that and GDP is also growing. In USA high level of incarceration is also contributing to USA GDP growth.

What I'm saying is GDP does not reflect all aspects and needs of modern societies. Worse - it may conceal serious defects in the well-being and quality of life.

What else do you propose instead?

There are many new ways to measure progress of societies (not only economical one). OECD have for example Better Lives Dashboards, European Union is going to make new indicator based on European Quality of Life Survey, and many, many others. Almost every new approach is better than GDP in portraing the real state of wealth and well-being of country and society. Thats why I'm asking why GDP is still used?
Alligator   
2 May 2012
News / Forbes: Boot Argentina from the G20 and include Poland [44]

Yeah, and the latest rift in Argentina-Great Britain relations have no influence on Forbes...
GDP is not a very accurate indicator, in fact it is useless. I'm wondering why it is still used? Why they are using GDP to justify the G20 "membership"?
Alligator   
2 May 2012
History / Origins of Polish Slavs [138]

There were Celts once at the area of today's Poland.

They were in the southern part of Poland. I saw in Kraków the exibition of Celts artefacts from the area of Małopolska few years ago. There is a theory that the name of Kielce city comes from Celts.
Alligator   
1 May 2012
News / Should Poles care who becomes French President or is it irrelevant? [45]

She is the dark side of French politics.
She won't back Sarcozy but she should thank him. Because of his shift to the right side and his antiimigration propaganda, Le Penn popularity is rising.

Another thing is that about 80% of French population takes part in elections. The result of elections is a true mirror of the society. It sad to see the popularity of far right there.
Alligator   
1 May 2012
USA, Canada / Polish or American Education? [180]

in Europecountry such as London

Are you sure you went to school?

Maybe you need to go back to school.

The pot calls the kettle black...

America school system/University is a much harder program to obtain a degree. One is required to complete much more classes/ courses to obtain a degree in whatever field they choose compared to Europe countries such as London

Thats why you ditched school...
Alligator   
1 May 2012
News / Polish politics: Lessons in etiquette [15]

Title of thread is somewhat misleading or I don't know what etiquette means...
;)
boletus give us something positive.
Alligator   
1 May 2012
History / Origins of Polish Slavs [138]

S£AWA!

Not "sława" but rather "słowa".
There are many theories explainig the origin of the word "słowianie", but the most probable (at least to me) is the theory that says that the word "słowianie" comes from "słowo" - "word". It was a way to describe people who knew words, who had the same language.

This theory explains also why we call Germans - Niemcy. Niemcy from "niemi" - "mute", people without words, people who don't use the same language and people with whom "słowianie" can't communicate.
Alligator   
17 Apr 2012
Life / Do Polish names generally have a meaning to them or a particular structure?. [88]

You and who exactly?
I agree with Ozi Dan and Des Essientes.

Status is a social descriptor, but szlachta were not defined by their social mobility, rather their legal one. If you can find me a piece of genuine, contemporary evidence proving your position then it is vindicated. If you cannot, then you have lost the debate.

Alligator   
16 Apr 2012
News / Polish Silesian Autonomy movement [38]

about Jarosław Kaczyński's comments on Silesian nationality.

Kaczyński is playing Silesian card only to give impression that he is a true patriot, that he only care about Poland, it's borders etc.

The problem is that only a small percent (about 6-7) of Silesians want an autoonomy. That is not a problem for him ;)
By his stupid commets he will only enlarge the autonomic sentiment, which in turn will be a good thing for him. Then he will say that he predicted that long time ago and will say: "I told you. You didn't listen then and now we have a problem." He will come of as true patriot and will stirr the emotions on both sides even more.

He is a far sighted politician (when it concern his party) and at the same time a very short sighted one (when it concern the country and national iterest).

Again I'd challenge you to find anyone who's writing anything "more insightful" about the region (Upper Silesia/Zagłębie) in English. Mafketis couldn't - I doubt you'll be able to.

You are writing an article and you want me and Mafketis to prepare for you material and essentialy write it for you. Furthemore you are trying to use a childish challenge. Give me a break...

I'm out of here.
Alligator   
16 Apr 2012
News / Polish Silesian Autonomy movement [38]

All I said in the article was that Dmowski held an anti-German position - I didn't say there was anything wrong with that.

That wasn't a problem.
The thing is you wrote that he held anti-German position because of his nationalistic ideas. I would rather write because of partitions, and subsequetly because of strugle for independence and finaly because of nationalism. Not because of just nationalistic position, which gives a sense that ND and Dmowski were a bunch of backward nationalists, stirring unnecessary problems. You also wrote "Roman Dmowski's National Democrats turned to Russia for support in creating a Polish nation state (unsuccessfully it should be added - the Russians were as hostile as anyone to the cause of Polish nationalism)", like it was a big news for Dmowski or any Polish politician that Russians were also enemies. But I'm not surprised now about your oversimplification and generalization since you read

A Concise History

. Don't give me excuses that you were

just trying to outline it very briefly

. Either don't try to give any historical brief outline (if it's going to be amatourish and uninformative) or give proper explanation and put some effort in your reading material (proper does not rule out brief).

Piłsudski didn't worry to much about Polish law and constitution, which led him to coup d'etat in 1926. Kaczyński also didn't like Polish constitution... Dmowski on the other hand operated only in the boundaries that constitution gave him. One don't need to support his views to admire his political sense. Sory, but I'm not going to give you much credit on your statements about Dmowski, Piłsudki and Kaczyński, because you clearly lack in knowledge about either of them.

Thats all great but neither Dmowski nor Piłsudski asked Lithuanians, Belarussians or Ucrainians if they wanted to create such a state. It was impossible then, because of young and violent (it's related) nationalism in those countries.

What are your views on Silesian Autonomy?

The idea of autonomy is not a very popular idea in Silesia and I don't know what is the sense in doing that. Why I don't know - because I have read the RAŚ declarations on their site and they don't give any explanation to a question: what is the sense of autonomy since most of the people who live in Silesia feel Polish? They wrote:

"Of course, autonomy does not lead to ethnic cleansing. The autonomy will benefit everyone - except the control panel - regardless of nationality or political convictions. Self-governance is not about the exclusion of any group, the benefits are for all residents. Nobody intends to introduce a national or racial segregation, in fact, after all, by definition, autonomous Silesia to remain within the Polish Republic.The fight for autonomy may be a common objective for all citizens of our region."

Since they didn't give an actual explanation, how should I know, why Silesia should be an autonomy...
RAŚ activists and politicians aren't clearly the brightest bunch in Silesia. I think that nothing will come out of it.
Alligator   
16 Apr 2012
News / Polish girls won mathematical olympiad in Cambridge [3]

02 Romania 4 121

Only 1 point more for Romanian girls and it will be a tie. two and they would win.They must feel uncomfortable right now.
I have read an article about people who get the second place in a competiotion. Sort of a psychological article ;)
They are not really happy about their score. More happy are those who got first place (obviously;) and third place.
End of lecture;)...
Congrats to girls!!! :)
Alligator   
16 Apr 2012
News / Polish Silesian Autonomy movement [38]

Tommo
about your article:
"This anti-German strain of Polish nationalism dates back to the days of partition, when Roman Dmowski's National Democrats turned to Russia for support in creating a Polish nation state (unsuccessfully it should be added - the Russians were as hostile as anyone to the cause of Polish nationalism)."

I recommend you to read something before you write an article. What you wrote about the political history of Poland is a heresy...
Roman Dmowski in his book "Germany, Russia and the case of Poland" clearly explained why he thought it would be better to support Russia in IWW and not Germany and Austria. He wrote that if G. and A. will win the war, Poland would gain nothing. If Russia will win, the Polish lands that G. and A. took, will be united with those that were taken by Russia. Victorious Russia would be forced to give more political rights to then bigger Polish minority. Mind that, when Dmowski created this strategy, Russian regime had a hard time after 1905 revolution. Dmowski thought, and rightly so, that Russia is politicaly weeker than Germany and Austria.

However Dmowski didn't limit his conception to political matters. He looked also at the potential of those nations and their civilization position. According to Dmowski, Germany was to strong culturally and civilizationaly. Because of that politic of germanization of Poles would be more successful than russification. Russia was civilizationaly and culturaly-wise less threatening.

I assure you that after more than 100 years of partitions he had a pretty good idea about Germany, Austria and Russia and about their attitude to Poles and their independence...

"(based, like Dmowski's on ethnicity, language and religion) is much narrower than that of Poland's two great nationalist heroes. The Romantic poet Adam Mickiewicz (1798-1855) and the war general Józef Piłsudski (1867-1935) both saw Poland as a commonwealth of different national groups (Poles, Lithuanians, Belorussians, Ukrainians, etc.) in what would essentially have been an anti-Russian alliance (possibly as part of a German-controlled Mitteleuropa)."

Roman Dmowski in march 1917 wrote a note to Artur Balfour, secretary in British Foreign Office. In that note he wrote that Poland can not have historical borders (it was at that time unrealistic) nor ethnical borders. He demanded inclusion of Gdańsk, Eastern Prussia, Upper Silesia, Vilnus, and Lvov.

He was a pragmatic and his political ideas were realistic.
It's a funny thing that you putted forward Mickiewicz and Piłsudski as an opposition to Dmowski. First was a romantic in literature field, the second, a romantic in a political field.

I wouldn't also say, that Kaczyński's idol is Dmowski. Rather Piłsudski and his big romantic and unrealistic ideas.
Because of what you wrote in the first article I have a bad feeling about your next article...
Since you are a teacher and probably don't have anything against reading, I recommend you to do that...
There is a ton of books on Dmowski and Piłsudski and their stances, and still you wrote such silly things. There is almost nothing about RAŚ and authonomy and this time you will write something

more insightful in English about the region

. I highly doubt...
Alligator   
15 Apr 2012
Off-Topic / I am Polish and I am offended. [52]

do you have to add anything on topic?

anything on topic to off topic thread? For now naaah... ;)
Alligator   
15 Apr 2012
Off-Topic / I am Polish and I am offended. [52]

but you would not know since you live abroad.

yeah, the all kill argument...
Everybody here should know better that you know better ;)

The number of offended people in Poland is large enough to be a problem, so I don't see a reason why it should be in OFF topic.

Mods , you just offended another one.
Maybe change the thread's title:
I'm a Canadian (I suppose) and I am offended. ;)
Alligator   
15 Apr 2012
Genealogy / Sierzputowski, finding villages in Poland, Lomza region. [12]

Does anyone know what kind of records Churches in the area's keep

acts of the church's announcements, records of birth, marriage, death, lists of parishioners, loose attachments (extracts, certificates), correspondence...

how far back they can go

The oldest parish church's acts date back to XVI c. You will find them in Archiwum Główne Akt Dawnych in Warsaw.
In some parishes you will find acts dating back to XIX c., in others to the beginning of XXc. Earlier books were probably taken to Warsaw, because of consolidation of archives in the beginning of XXc. Unfortunately during WWII Germans intentionaly destroied big part of Polish archives and libraries (including National Library in Warsaw in 1944).

If you have some spare money I recommend you to hire professional genealogist in Poland.
Alligator   
15 Apr 2012
Off-Topic / I am Polish and I am offended. [52]

The problem with your big discovery is that non of them lives in Poland. Because of that, what you wrote here is simply not true:

in Poland there is a small, but fairly laud group of people who get offended at any mention of Poland

However more interesting thing is why you even bother to start such thread. I guess, since some members were suspended, you missed the hatefull and distasteful comments on PF. Shortly they will appear. Happy weekend for you, and let the show begin...
Alligator   
14 Apr 2012
Genealogy / Sierzputowski, finding villages in Poland, Lomza region. [12]

The names are butchered

Baczach

I found some villages which might be what you are looking for, but I can't be sure
1. Barszcze, gmina Zbójna, powiat łomżyński
2.Bacze - Suche, gmina £omża, powiat łomżyński
3.Bacze - Lipnik, gmina £omża, p. ł.
Here is link to site where you can search villages in Poland:
wsiepolskie.pl/powiat/131/lomzynski
Alligator   
13 Apr 2012
Life / Do Polish names generally have a meaning to them or a particular structure?. [88]

the 1st Republic is a prima facie example of this.

By saying that IRP was an example of that, you can't possibly mean three centuries of IRP?
I'm not saying that Noble Democracy didn't deteriorate in the last years before it was attacked by Russia, Prussia and Austria, but saying that the system of a country for three hundred years was an Anarchy is a bit too much...
Alligator   
13 Apr 2012
Life / Do Polish names generally have a meaning to them or a particular structure?. [88]

Polish Count called Maximilian

The Polish idea of nobility was that every noble is equal and he can't use titles other than titles of their state or military office/function. Those wo are using such titles bought them from other monarchies in XVIII c. or obtained them in XIX c. when the Prussian, Russian and Austrian idea of nobility was imposed.

There were some instances of buying titles befor XVIII but they were limited to the richest nobles and their titles had no meaning in IRP anyway.

Chleb
If you want a noble in your book, go for -ska/ski ending of surname. However you must remember that not every noble had a ski/ska ended surname, and not everybody who had ski/ska were noble.