Where is it? The answer!
Where is it? The answer!
What, Where ...and when?
In the first VIDEO edition of our contest we asked you where in Warsaw was our movie made....aaAND we have a winner!
BeccaSteel had answered the question on our forum, giving the correct location.
!!!CONGRATULATIONS!!!
It's
Most Poniatowskiego:
The Prince Poniatowski bridge dates back to the very beginning of the XX c.
It was the third bridge to be build in Warsaw. The other two were "Most Kierbedzia" - today Most Sląsko-Dąbrowski, and a bridge at the Warsaw Citadel - in place of today's Most Gdański.
End of nineteen century Warsaw, under Tzars Russia's rule, was a fortified city - part of Vistula defense line against possible German invasion. City's government was ignoring the needs of a growing population in favor of maintaining the strategic barrier of the river. It took a bribe to finally get their acceptance for the projects - seems that, for over a 100 years, certain things didn't change.
Original neo - renaissance design of the bridge's entrance towers and pavilions was a work of Stefan Szyller, one of distinguished architects of the era, author of the Polytechnic building, and Warsaw's University's entrance gates. Technical design was done by Mieczysław Marszewski, who also supervised the building process (and was later arrested over too high costs of the project - again, it sounds familiar).
The works begun in 1904. It took almost ten years to complete. Across river communication was established in 1913 - the 100-year anniversary of the death of prince Józef Poniatowski. Hence Warsaw's citizens started referring to it as "The Poniatowski Bridge" (or simply - "the third bridge"). The crossing was officially opened in 1914, and given the name of Tzar Mikołaj II.
It's beginnings were - well... - unlucky. The very next year, over the course of the Great War, Russian army retreating from Warsaw blew up part of the bridge. Germans, who replaced them, set to rebuild it: temporary wooden "patch" allowed the crossing to be reopened in 1916 - only to be destroyed by fire the very next year...
In the II RP renovation started in 1921. It was partially completed in 1925, and finished in '27. Together with newly developed Saska Kępa district, the bridge formed a model of urban development for city officials who at some point aspired boldly - and in vain - to hold Word Exhibit. (Just as today Polish officials have a peculiar hobby of aspiring for organization of various sport events...)
During Warsaw Uprising, Poniatowski Bridge was destroyed again. Before blowing it up in the face of advancing Red Army, Germans used it to cover Old Town with fire of 88 mm cannons.
In 1946 the crossing was repaired, but the original design suffered a lot. During the fifties the towers on the right riverbank were torn down. In the sixties the bridge was broaden, with two new lanes added. Finally, during the five year renovation of 1985-90, it was partially restored to it's original shape, although not it's full glory.
~~oOo~~
In the end, another little contest.
On the second of May, 1926, around 5.00 p.m. our bridge was a meeting point for certain two gentlemen. Who can tell who they were?
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PolBlog - News Poland 24/7
Poland's first (almost) daily English-language news blog.
Read the news then share your views
FAIR USE NOTICE This article contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in the efforts to advance understanding of Poland's economic, environmental, human rights, political, scientific, and social justice issues, among others. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this article is distributed without profit for research and educational purposes.
Gdzie to jest? / Where is it?
Gdzie to jest? / Where is it?
Does it look familiar to you? Play our guessing game!The first VIDEO edition of our contest!!!
Guess where - in Warsaw - was this video taken, and what is the object/place in it?
Use the "COMMENT On BLOG FORUM" feature to publish your answer.
The first correct one will be displayed as a caption, together with author's e-name: glory to the winner! Please include the country/city/district you are writing from....
You have one week.
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PolBlog - News Poland 24/7
Poland's first (almost) daily English-language news blog.
Read the news then share your views
FAIR USE NOTICE This article contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in the efforts to advance understanding of Poland's economic, environmental, human rights, political, scientific, and social justice issues, among others. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this article is distributed without profit for research and educational purposes.
Only in Poland: Hard Time Doing Hard Time
Only in Poland: Hard Time Doing Hard Time
Another Only in Poland Blogbyte
Poland’s prison authorities are appealing to business leaders to employ their inmates. The country’s prison system has some 60,000 inmates who do not have regular work, and it can hire them out for half the standard minimum wage. “If [employers] are not happy with their work, there’s no problem with firing them,” prison service general Andrzej Popiolek told the daily Gazeta Wyborcza this week, adding that most prisoners are conscientious workers.
Most of the ones [prisoners] let out to private companies are serving time for petty crime, such as defaulting on alimony. Only 26 percent of Poland’s prisoners have any type of employment, the lowest such rate in the European Union.
Source: News Warsaw Express
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PolBlog - News Poland 24/7
Poland's first (almost) daily English-language news blog.
Read the news then share your views on our new Blog Forums
FAIR USE NOTICE This article contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in the efforts to advance understanding of Poland's economic, environmental, human rights, political, scientific, and social justice issues, among others. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this article is distributed without profit for research and educational purposes.
Friday Night Bloxing!
Friday Night Bloxing!
Ladies and Gentleman! Tonight's bout features three unknowns, thus far, in our midst. We welcome your participation on the
forum, after the initial blows are exchanged by our participants. The only rules: Keep it clean, and no below the belts.
The issue: The alleged secret prisons in Poland.
The contenders:
1) In the light blue trunks, hailing from Toledo, Ohio - "Two Crackas in My Soup..."
2) In the navy blue and tan trunks, from Portland Oregon - "Secular Front"
3) And finally, in the angelic white robe from the eastern United States, give it up for "A Conservative Blog for Peace"
Let's get it on!
Round One: Ding...
First jab,
Two Crackas in My Soup... First, if the HRW can be trusted (and that has yet to be established), so what if the CIA has terrorists holed up in Poland and Romania? These people are not just enemies of the U.S. They are enemies of all Western culture. If you think they don't like us, wait till we are out of the way and they have a free hand to go at the super-secularist governments in Western Europe. Personally, I feel BETTER now that I know that al Qaida thugs are being stuck in small, dank, filthy cubicles in Poland, rather than trying to infiltrate the U.S. to kill our citizens or Iraq, to fight our troops.
Contender #1Secular Front responds with an uppercut:
Turns out Europe is not so sanguine about having secret detention camps on its soil. Rumors that CIA gulags have been established in Poland and Romania have endangered those countries' status in Europe. Although proudly touted as the stalwart new Europe by Rumsfeld, Poland and Romania are now scrambling to deny any connection with the secret detention program.
Contender #2Out of nowhere comes a third unknown,
A Conservative Blog for Peace, wait a minute, an unorthodox move in Bloxing, but it might just work:
CIA prisons in Poland, Romania
Lord, in thy mercy: hear our prayer
Contender #3Ding!...Round One ends, the opponents seem evenly matched, but time will tell...let's go
ringside now...
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PolBlog - News Poland 24/7
Poland's first (almost) daily English-language news blog.
Read the news then share your views on our new Blog Forums
FAIR USE NOTICE This article contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in the efforts to advance understanding of Poland's economic, environmental, human rights, political, scientific, and social justice issues, among others. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this article is distributed without profit for research and educational purposes.
PolBlog's Daily Dilbert
PolBlog's Daily Dilbert
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PolBlog - News Poland 24/7
Poland's first (almost) daily English-language news blog.
Read the news then share your views on our new Blog Forums
FAIR USE NOTICE This article contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in the efforts to advance understanding of Poland's economic, environmental, human rights, political, scientific, and social justice issues, among others. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this article is distributed without profit for research and educational purposes.
News PolandIn from
Wikipedia:
The 2005 Global Intellectuals Poll
The 2005 Global Intellectuals Poll is a list of the 100 most important living public intellectuals in the world which has been compiled in November 2005 by Prospect Magazine (UK)
The Top 20Noam Chomsky
Umberto Eco
Richard Dawkins
Václav Havel
Christopher Hitchens
Paul Krugman
Jürgen Habermas
Amartya Sen
Jared Diamond
Salman Rushdie
Naomi Klein
Shirin Ebadi
Hernando De Soto
Bjørn Lomborg
Abdolkarim Soroush
Thomas Friedman
Pope Benedict XVI
Eric Hobsbawm
Paul Wolfowitz
Camille Paglia
According to continent of birth, roughly 40% came from USA and Canada, 25% from Europe and Russia, 22% from Middle and Far East. The other continents received less than 5% (Latin America with 4), Africa with 3 and Australia with two.
View: Well, it's re-assuring to see a Pope of the Catholic Church in the top 20. Perhaps it will bring some 'on the fence' Catholics back in the flock. Although the late Pope JPII wasn't an intellectual lightweight. But I scanned the list of 100 and nary a Polish intellectual to be found. As a grad student here in Poland, I have come across some heavyweights, at least in Philosophy. How seriously should one take this kind of poll? Perhaps language was a factor? And some of the people on the list promoted themselves shamelessly. Does Poland have a dearth of public intellectuals? Now seems like the right time for a few to step forward. Is there a culture of
anti-intellectualism in Polish society? It seems to be present in a common opinion I hear from Poles that they value practical knowledge, and that in Poland they get too much theory at school -- this could tie into the generally perceived stereotype of the aloof, 'egghead' intellectual and that this kind of thinking is useless in a society where most people are involved in manual labor, or simply need jobs. And the Church here in Poland, I am not so sure it's a citadel of critical thinking.
The role of the
public intellectual is very important as a critical voice. Partly because there is also a virulent strain of anti-intellectualism -- We have a long history of it in North America ("The more learned and witty you bee, the more fit to act for Satan will you bee." circa 1642). One of my heroes is Jurgen Habermas (in top 10 this year), and of course one of the greatest, Socrates, and the endearing Diogenes can't be forgotten. And what happened to France this year? From the recent news in France it looks like 1968 all over again, but what really are the young people today fighting about?
Anti-intellectual contrastPoland could use a public intellectual, especially in a society so homogenous -- because there is plenty of inertia to keep people from thinking against the grain (or upstream), afterall, why rock the boat if most people agree on fundamental values? Although the latest Presidential election revealed some social cleavages. Then again, as a society becomes more diverse it will need to address the question of plurality along a number of important issues connected with values, and public intellectuals can put into words and engage the public in ways that most of us cannot.
Links:
1) Wikipedia
Article2) Prospect Magazine -
Results Summary3) Much better lists of intellectuals are based on objective criteria, such as that compiled by Richard Posner at the University of Chicago. See his table in a large
pdf file (32 pages)
FAIR USE NOTICE This article contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in the efforts to advance understanding of Poland's economic, environmental, human rights, political, scientific, and social justice issues, among others. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this article is distributed without profit for research and educational purposes.
Poland by Bloggers: A Round up
Poland by Bloggers: A Round up
Poland by Bloggers Roundup Blogging isn't just about 'me, me, me!' - no longer just a prosthetic ego, or somewhere to throw a cybertantrum about one's life -- the territory has expanded to include people looking outward, wanting to discover something in common and make connections along shared concerns -- what we call affinity networking. At PolBlog we intend to present news reports, analysis, and stories from blogs that we judge to be in the latter category. And so we are launching this new "Round up" feature in order to highlight the good (bad, and the ugly, AND voluntary!) work being done by fellow citizen journalists. The only criterion we will keep is that the information is connected to Poland.
We know many bloggers who are putting long hours into their blogs and doing quality work. It's time to 'represent' -- this medium merits recognition as a legitimate source of reliable information and analysis. At PolBlog we believe that you can find trustworthy information in the blogosphere without relying on any other media for news. This is a bold thesis, but from our experience so far, it's not an exaggeration.
We don't necessarily share the particular view of every blog we mention, we simply suggest to you that they are worth reading at a given point in time.
So, without further ado...
We found this story about the recent Polish Presidential election in a rather unobvious place - a blogger in Egypt! The blog
Scottymac.blogspot.com published a story today that we found interesting. In part because in included a wonderful, and telling
electorate map of the vote in Poland . Wow! Take a look at what happens to voting as you go either further east or west from the center of Poland.
The website of Polish daily Rzeczpospolita has an illuminating map of district-by-district results in Poland's recent presidential election, which pitted an economic liberal (in the European sense; that is, a free-marketeer)against an anti-gay, staunchly Catholic social conservative who believes strongly in the welfare state.
The east-west divide on the map looks positively Ukrainian to me. Marek Kohn, a writer and journalist, notes how Tusk, the neo-lib, did well in "formerly German territories of the west, where the communists rebuilt a society on razed ground after the war."
Russia is clearly still exerting an influence, pulling Poland apart?
Link to full article
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PolBlog - News Poland 24/7
Poland's first (almost) daily English-language news blog.
Read the news then share your views on our new Blog Forums
FAIR USE NOTICE This article contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in the efforts to advance understanding of Poland's economic, environmental, human rights, political, scientific, and social justice issues, among others. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this article is distributed without profit for research and educational purposes.
PolBloglet: Poland Ranks
PolBloglet: Poland Ranks
News Poland
Another PolBloglet Poland's International rankingsHuman Development Index 2005: Rank 36th out of 177 countries.
Reporters Without Borders world-wide press freedom index 2004: Rank 32nd out of 167 countries.
Index of Economic Freedom 2005: Rank 41st out of 155 countries.
Source: Wikipedia's Entry on
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PolBlog - News Poland 24/7
Poland's first (almost) daily English-language news blog.
Read the news then share your views on our new Blog Forums
FAIR USE NOTICE This article contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in the efforts to advance understanding of Poland's economic, environmental, human rights, political, scientific, and social justice issues, among others. We believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material in this article is distributed without profit for research and educational purposes.
