Language / Is it possible to master the Polish language fluently for a non-Polish speaker? [120]

Amen, Rich! At least as far as your first sentence goes, you and I are in
absolute agreement. That's scary:-)

Off-Topic / USA News and Poland - part 8 [1463]

The question though is what does Trump bring to the ticket beside
his foul mouth, bigotted mean spiritedness, unbridled greed, and his
anti-democratic posturing, not to mention his insulting the Constitution?

The answer is, he brings nothing of lasting value whatsoever. He's been
a loser practically from the get go. Where would he have been without his
old man's billions??

He's an aberration, a threat to both democracy as well as humanity, a deep-seated
cynic and hater of people who either haven't been born with a silver spoon in their mouths
or managed to do well for themselves.

Well, if you look deeply behind the Horatio Alger "rags to riches" tales, you'll find that as
far as those who supposedly brought themselves up by their own bootstraps, that in
many instances, somebody gave 'em the boots and helped 'em tie the straps.

Even self starters have to start with at least somebody's help:-)

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

@jon, name for me a single famous Russian who wasn't mixed with
something else!

Pushkin for instance was half black, Lobachevsky might have been part Jewish, Shostakovich
was half-Polish, the list goes on....

Off-Topic / USA News and Poland - part 8 [1463]

I'd be most interested in seeing the exit polls in Iowa.
If Biden does in fact have even a slim lead, he's going to
fall on his keester come next Nov, 5, if he and his staff
don't wake up and start smellin' the coffee!!

He and the Dumb Dems have been losing their constituents for
more years than most of our posters have been alive.

When I came into this world during the height of Sputnik, the US
DID indeed lead the world in both technology and education.

Ever since the wonder world of open admissions, untrammeled
immigration from Latin America, beginning actually with LBJ
way back in '64, long after the Cuban Missile Crisis, and of course
the Woodstock Counter Culture, America has been on a nose dive,
a collision course with mediocrity and come a second Trump admin., we'll have crash
landed but a third time. The first time was in 1980 when Reagan
got into the White House.

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

There I couldn't agree more, Maf!

Life / Poles speaking English - examples [244]

You know very well what I mean. Furthermore, eighty is not old. It's the new sixty. LOL
Thanks for the compliment. Trolling's your department too.

Life / Poles speaking English - examples [244]

?? Another Polish joke which got lost in the translation from stupid into English, I see.

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

Mendelejeff simply codified them, you mean, Yes, jon. That's correct.
However, his singular attempts did catapult them to importance in the
world of chemistry.

Oh, yes and how could I have forgotten to mention Dr. Pavlov in my
list of crucial Russian contributions. Or even the first Putin before the
current Czar Vladimir[The Last], RASputin, the "Mad Monk". Mme. Blavatsky etc.....

Conversation overheard at a party:

Random guest: Anybody here know what Pavlov fed his dog?
Pilot: I don't know. Was the dog flying tourist or first class?

Life / Poles speaking English - examples [244]

@Ironside, you realize you haven't one scintilla of evidence to support your specious claims.
@Alien, I certainly do believe in angels.

Life / Poles speaking English - examples [244]

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 [244]

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 [244]

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? [1462]

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? [68]

@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? [62]

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 [358]

Yeah, what about that.

Off-Topic / Has Palestine ever existed? [68]

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 [250]

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

News / Grzegorz Braun extinguishes Hanukkah candles in Polish Parliament [358]

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 [250]

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

News / Poland - A True Bastion and Defender of Free Speech [250]

Intelligent questions I'll gladly answer.

History / Can a nation totally change its characteristics and national character throughout history? [62]

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 [358]

I try in my small way!

History / Can a nation totally change its characteristics and national character throughout history? [62]

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.