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Posts by Koala  

Joined: 4 May 2011 / Male ♂ 		Last Post: 12 Jan 2012
Threads: 1
Posts: 332

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Koala   
24 May 2011
Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]

You original wording:

To use the astronomical example above; good luck finding Venus on a clear night sky in Manhattan, NY. Too much light pollution (interference).

The way you put interference in brackets would suggest that interference causes Venus not to visible. People use brackets to give more specific explanations that aren't relevant to the main issue, not to throw even more general and incorrect statements, so instead of admitting that you had no idea what interference is, you start personal insults. How typical. Anyway, if you want a reliable source on the matter, I recommend Caltech's "The Feynman's lectures on physics" vol. 2

While your English is undoubtedly very good, you still lack the polish and and experience with some of more nuanced and off the beaten track expressions.

You surely do a lot of misspellings for an expert, I thought this was another one of them. I never saw "effect" used as a verb (or saw it only on message boards) and my American friend once told me how their teacher were bashing them for misspelling effect/affect back in middle school.

It seems that your ego interferes with the common sense and the topic of this thread.

The original wording clearly suggests the physical phenomenom.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

So you accept that the massacre of Poles was fine and just so that they could win back their city?? If it was Polish before then when did it legitimately become Lithuanian?

So you attacked an independent state in the form of Lithuania?

What massacre? It became legitimately Soviet after WW2, because Soviets won the damn war and they were dictating everything.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Should Lithuania presently have the right to govern Vilnius?

Yes, very much so.Lithuanians have been living there for almost 70 years, ancient history doesn't matter.

Germany, through the auspices of the EU, invests a huge amount in Polish cities. They also have historical claims to places like Gdańsk. Should it be restored to its former name of Danzig?

If you go by "who was there first should rule there forever" than Germany can have no claims over Gdańsk.

Listen, there was no Polish or Lithuanian state prior to 1918 and everything was reset at that time (otherwise you should argue that 1914 borders should remain unchanged). The dominating doctrine at the time was self-determination* and if the inhabitants of Vilnius wanted to be a part of Poland, then they should be and Lithuanian government was the occupant no matter how you slice it. Here's what happened in 1918-1920 period:

November 1918 - Belarus claims Vilnius and surroundings
December 1919 - Soviets conquer Vilnius
January 1919 - the local Poles try to fight Soviets back
April 1919 - Polish army's offensive is successful
June 1920 - Soviets launch an offensive, reconquer
15-20 August 1920 - Poland kicks Russians' butts
27th August 1920 - Soviets withdraw from Vilnius and hand it over to Lithuanians, effectively Lithuanians help Russians to shorten the front and give military support as Poland regains territories lost in June

September 1920 - Soviets lose yet another battle, Poland tries to negotiate with Lithuania to no success
October 1920 - in order to minimize to the bloodshed, Poland signs a treaty with Lithuania to keep their guard down, launches offensive the next day.

Really, Lithuania tried to f*ck Poland but lost at their own game. If Vilnius was Lithuanian, they shouldn't have entered the battlefield, simple as that. As they did enter the battlefield, they should have expected we would fight for it.

*didn't stop Britain from crushing Irish uprising in 1916.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Pointless question as we wouldn't allow that many Chinese into our territory in the first place. Poles had been tha majority in Wilno and surroundings since XVIIIth century, maybe even earlier.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Scots have lived in Poland for centuries but do we claim Poznań or Kraków as ours? You are basing your argument on the Commonwealth, yes? So what if Brits, through having the Queen as their own, decided to call Brisbane or Sydney British? Would that be ok?

So Poland was an occupier in your eyes, gumishu? You think Iraq should be American?

Are 60% of Poznań's population Scottish? Are 60% of Iraq's population American?

Other than the Polish-German Non-Aggression Pact and the Soviet–Polish Non-Aggression Pact, can you name a treaty which involved Poland and was broken by the other party?

Pretty much every invasion on Polish territory throughout centuries. And why do we have to list breaking of treaties against Poland only?
And your suggested alliance, while beautiful in principle, couldn't have worked. Germany would still overwhelm us.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Where should the Lithuanians have gone to? To Poland and ask Poland to give Lithuania back to Lithuanians?
It was Polish who became the occupants of part of Lithuania, not only Wilno. Perhaps a Free City of Wilno could be possible but we know the fates of the Freistadt Danzig, don't we.

Wilno wasn't Lithuanian at the time, that the thing. It only became Lithuanian because Lithuania entered the battlefield between Poland and Russia. If you enter any battlefield (and aid one of the sides), you shouldn't expect to be immune to fire!

So they had their own state, Poles came in as guests and then what? They tried to take over the land? So, according to your logic, Koala, Kosovo should be Albanian, is that right?

Poles didn't come as guests, they had lived there for centuries. I don't know about Kosovo, is that what people over there want? They're not a part of Serbia or Albania in any case.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Lithuanians were a Baltic tribe/nation who had their own state and Vilnius was the capital of Lithuania in XIVth-XVIIIth century. At the beginning of the XXth century, Vilnius was inhabited mostly by Polish population.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Although the western borders were proposed by, er, the Polish prime minister in exile.

It was supposed to be a Polish occupation zone initially though. Everything was ultimately decided by Stalin, what we wanted didn't really matter.

You mean they should not have thought that Poles were honourable people who would not break their word after signing an international treaty? Pity the Poles proved the Lithuanians wrong in thinking that. Just as they proved the Czechs wrong and proved the Ukrainians wrong and proved the Slovaks wrong....

Pretty much all countries broke treaties at some point. If this is supposed Poland's biggest blunder, than we are indeed saints compared to our genocidal neighbours.

Where does the word Lithuania come from and when was it first a country known as such? Was Vilnius always Polish?

Vilnius was Lithuanian at some point, but became gradually polonized during Polish-Lithuanian union.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Koala, it does neither justify Gen. Zeligowski nor the Polish authorities who knew about that action, and the action was breaking international treaties. What had we got? Enmity of Lithuanians. Nowadays we have no Wilno, and do we suffer because of that?
Technically speaking, we should trade Wrocław for Lwów, too. Are you in? I'm not. Nowadays Wrocław is the purest Polish city.

What does this have to do with anything? Poland did note decide about post-WW2 borders, any trade was impossible. At the time there were very few Lithuanians in Wilno and surroundings. Lithuanians made alliance with a de facto criminal organization and aided them in war against Poland, they should have known it wouldn't go without consequences if Poland won the war.

Try to see it from the Lithuanian perspective. They are separate people who wanted their own land. The Russians helped them in that regard. Where else were they to go, the Soviet Union?

Koala, please don't insult my intelligence. I'm very aware of that fact but, with respect, you didn't answer my question. That's the second time you've sidestepped.

Intelligence is not the same as knowledge. You asked where else they should go to, but they went exactly to Soviet Union. The inhabitants of Wilno and the surroundings wanted to be a part of Poland, Lithuanians were the occupants after they entered the territory.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Lithuanians comprised 5-7% of the total population fo the area. Poles 58%. There were more Belarusians and Jews in the region than Lithuanians. Also, after Polish-Russian war Poland offered to make a plebiscite, which Lithuania refused for obvious reasons.

Try to see it from the Lithuanian perspective. They are separate people who wanted their own land. The Russians helped them in that regard. Where else were they to go, the Soviet Union?

I'm not sure if you're serious. If you're not familiar with the subject, read a bit about it on wikipedia or something. Soviet Union = Russians = Bolsheviks (at the time at least)
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Lithuania entered the battlefield during Polish-Russian war and effectively aided Russians. The area was Polish before the Soviet invasion, Lithuania should have waited with negotiating with Bolsheviks until after the war with Poland was over. They happily claimed that territory, they shouldn't be surprised that we wanted it back.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Big Polish historical blunders were: Invasion of Lithuania after WWI

I wouldn't call it a blunder, given the circumstances and ethnicity of the region itself.

(Harry, please don't even bother. I already know your stance on the matter)

Hmmm...that's why millions of Poles left for better shores?

Our energy is so explosive it can't be limited to our narrow borders LOL
Koala   
24 May 2011
Love / I need advice: divorce and my rights as a father in Poland [165]

It seems a bit weird to me that at first you're ready to go to Poland for sake of your family, then you're willing to file a divorce a couple of hours later. As others said, fight for her if you still love her, but do so by standing up to her.

In case you do file for a divorce, what are the chances of you getting primary parent rights (sorrym I don't know the proper English terminology - I mean that you live with your daughter, the mother meets with her occasionally)? Does the fact that you have reliable income helps with that in UK?
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Really! You were more "energetic"! In what way...car theft??? Some support for that statement, a statistic or something?

Simply the economic dynamics... You started off nicely in 1990, but quickly stagnated. Poland after dealing with the fact that Russian market collapsed picked up the steam and has been more dynamic ever since. That's as good measure of energy as any.

tradingeconomics.com/germany/percent-change-in-gdp-at-constant-prices-imf-data.html

tradingeconomics.com/poland/percent-change-in-gdp-at-constant-prices-imf-data.html

Well...PolsciDump and even Sokrates tell you otherwise...but you never pull anything off...from far above in lala-land! ;)

They're Germans in disguise.

...for that we have France! :(

The most cowardy nation in the world? Nice model to follow, LOL

I think this is a good place to insert some wisdom: "It is what it is."

The point of the discussion at hand is to stomp over each other, not to reach some universal wisdom! :P

OK, I'm heading off to work.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Poland looked worse than the GDR in 1989, and that means something....fact!

We looked worse in terms of infrastructure, but we were more energetic and crime was actually smaller. I wonder why your eastern German bros means the GDR days though. It seems you can't organise daily life by yourselves, you need some overlords or the country is overrun by crazy nazis (why are there still nazis in Germany?).

That's why your country today is as big as Germany with not even the half of it's people...

But who caused that? You German genocidal barbarians. Our superior culture would never spring a thought of exterminating other nations, much less actually turning it into reality. Germany needs Poland if only to have a moral model to follow.

Give back what is now west Poland and we can talk about reparations...

Pay back for what you stole and destroyed (not those peanuts) and we might start talking about giving back western Poland.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

1) that GrzegorzK's post iss a load of crap.
2) Poland wasn't saved or rescued, unlike in Germany there was active and ongoing underground resistance against Russian occupation - case in point we were the first who got rid of it

3) we were bigger losers in that war than Germany, in terms of demographics, culture and infrastructure

And with what reason actually? You are really a twofaced people, b*itching about your "enemies" when nobody looks but openly bowing to either russian occupation or taking unashamedly german money and support as much as you can.

You never paid back for all the things you destroyed and stole during WW2. Handing money now is the only right thing to do.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

ROFL
You would still look like Ukraine without Germany!

You keep saying that, but we never looked like Ukraine.
edit: and what would Germany be without the Marshall plan?

Well, we fighted them and their victory cost them dearly...what did the Poles do again? Licking boots and saying "thank you" for 40 years ?

LOL wut? Poland became independent from Russians before DDR. In fact, DDR would still be under actual Russian occupation if not for the fall of communism triggered by Poles. Meanwhile Germany was peacefully and happily enjoying being ruled by a foreign country.
Koala   
24 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Germany could have you left out to dry after the iron curtain fell but they lobbied for Poland to join the EU...did you ever wonder why?
Poland get's Billions of EU-funds...Germany invest heavily in Poland...1/3 of your whole trade is with Germany...did you ever wonder why?

Germany doesn't invest that heavily though. We're getting like €70B over a 7 year period, which is peanuts and a tiny percentage of our GDP. It's nice that we're getting those money, but it's not crucial. Meanwhile, western Germany pumped into eastern Germany hundreds of billion € after 1990 and look where it led to - to Ostalgia LOL. You Germans surely liked your Russian overlords.
Koala   
24 May 2011
Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]

An atom's characteristics will not be identical either, even if the temperature is constant and the electromagnetic spectrum is identical.

Nothing in nature remains the same and there are always ongoing processes (even in vacuum with no real, material particles), but the general characteristics of an atom never change. Discussing atoms internal characteristics makes sense only when they're experimentally distinguishable.

I used both terms in the post you try to prove wrong.
If it's good for astronomers from California Institute of Technology it should be good for you and me.

Who wrote and edited that text?

Anyway, it's incorrect. You have a picture right there explaining what happens. City light does not interfere with starlight. If you want to, I can explain both claim in greater detail. The use of interference in that sentence is unfortunate, the word noise (szum) would probably be better.

You OTOH put the word interference in brackets as if the physical phenomenom would explain why you see fewer or no stars in urban environments, which is flat out wrong.

. This dialog started with a person with very limited experience, Lyzko, who pronounced a Polish word perfectly well (in regards to /g/), and as predicted by the rules of Polish phonology.

Which is fine and I already conceded that the sound in także might as well be /g/. You were wrong on the particular matter of comparing speech sounds recognition with the way our senses work.

But I guess they might ask you why.

I believe efficient work with various databases would be useful pretty much anywhere. I'm sure if I knew specifics of one's I could point out how it'd be useful.

And for the sake of God, affect.
Koala   
23 May 2011
Language / Polish Conditional - if you would.. [24]

I have a question regarding polish conditional. How do I say: "If you would come (to some place), we would..."

Isn't the correct English sentence "if you came, we would..."?

Anyway, there are a couple of ways to say that sentence:
"Gdybyś przyszedł, (po)opalalibyśmy się."
"Gdybyś przyszedł, byśmy się (po)opalali."
"Jeśli byś przyszedł, (po)opalalibyśmy się."
"Jeśli byś przyszedł, byśmy się (po)opalali."

I hope you know Polish good enough to analyza the sentences' structure and figure out a more general rule of creating such conditionals.
Koala   
23 May 2011
Language / The usage and future of the special Polish letters: ą, ć, ę, ł, ń, ó, ś, ż, ź (Polish language) [203]

If there is anything arbitrary here this is your statements about linguistics.

I'm not sure you understand what "arbitrary" means. Even if you have numerical data, in order to classify it you still need some arbitrary criteria. Electromagnetic spectrum of a particular atom is always the same (in the same temperature), the /g/ sound is never the same, even if pronounced by the same person. Stating that Venus is Venus is not arbitrary though, as it's one unique object that remains fairly unchanged.

And yes, computer software has to make such arbitrary decisions, how much the registered sound differs from the database ideal sample and choose the closest one, then group them into words and so on. Is there even 100% (or 99%) reliable voice recognition software?

True, it was Anetk. You only chose not to comment on his obvious mistake.

You had already done so.

You never claimed to /g/ either so either way, for all practical purposes you were ejecting the log establish facts that have been researched by linguists for centuries and confirmed by the more modern tools of the trade.

I'm not rejecting "long established facts", I'm questioning one statement for which I haven't seen empirical proof.

It'd be nice if you first read my post more carefully before making this comment.

Yes, I did. You said that you can't see Venus because of interference which is an incorrect statement.

Since you still insist on the use of "arbitrary" when it comes to linguistics, and since yours are clearly statements stemming from your (also self admitted) ignorance in this area of study, the above doesn't need addressing anymore.

You know that I was right and you don't want to admit it. Recognizing/discerning individual sounds in a language is a matter of experience, hearing them is not. Seeing stars is not a matter of experience (knowledge), knowing what they are is. The fact that inhabitants of big cities do not see stars is not a matter of experience!

First, I made no statements about our sister's curriculum.

So you're my long lost brother! :D

Etnolinguistics is just a field of linguistics the fact that someone who studied it had to take few to no math courses proves nothing.

It proves that math courses aren't standard in linguistics.
Koala   
23 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

Rampant speculation is rampant. Six CIA flights passed through Szymany, the rest about is pure speculation, nothing is documented or was ever even reported by the local people about suspicious places that could serve as a detention center. And believe me, people in small towns know everything about everything.
Koala   
23 May 2011
Love / I need advice: divorce and my rights as a father in Poland [165]

Firstly I am not having a go at Polish woman or labelling them in any way, the reality is that I do have a Polish with :-) that appears to have become a bit dodgy.

It sound like a classic case of Madame Bovary. You have to do something about your situation, but I'm not sure bending to her will will improve things for your family. Maybe you should force her to get a job?
Koala   
23 May 2011
History / Poland's biggest historical blunder? [341]

the operation of an illegal detention centre

What????

that Poland has never run concentration camps

Poland ran a concentration camp... for Polish nationalists mostly. It's still sad and a clear case of breaking human rights, but it's not comparable to the camps organized by our direct (Germany, Russia, Ukraine) or less direct (Balkans) neighbours.