Supposing you, the prime minister of – oh, say, a central European country of around – for argument’s sake – 35 million people, wanted to smear someone – a former political ally, for example, who has started blabbing. And suppose this country is by now jaded with political scandals, what might you do? Also, you’ve […]
If there are more than the usual typos in today’s entry it’s because I am looking over my shoulder more than usual. Here’s waht I read in last week’s admirably well-informed Polityka (they correctly predicted that businessman Ryszard Krauze was in the sights of the authorities): In fact, a (probably) legal tap was put on […]
In an obscure, out of the way cinema, in an obscure, out of the way town, I stumbled across a comic gem the other day: a part-Polish production of a parody of David Lynch, complete with people dressed as animals moving slowly, people passing through borders into — into what? other worlds? the past? fiction? […]
Yesterday I had a perfectly average day — the details of which I will not bother you with — nicely rounded off with a refreshing ten hours kip. Is this “dignity under pressure”? Am I keeping my head while others all around are losing theirs? I ask because the signs in Polish are particularly — […]
Tuesday’s Gazeta Wyborcza has a review of two books. The subhead reads: “These two books are crying out to be read in tandem — both were written by Englishmen fascinated by the history of Russia. Can a resident of the British Isles penetrate the darkness of the Russian soul?” Funny how no one ever asks […]
PiS is showing party political broadcasts which boast about, among other things, “improved” security – at this point the TV screen shows some jet fighters, possibly the F16s PiS bought the other year. I’m sure it is entirely coincidental that Lockheed Martin has an advertisement in today’s Gazeta Wyborcza for the F16 Fighting Falcon. It’s […]
With a nod to Dean Baker, here’s a go at today’s Gazeta Wyborcza whose front page sub-head tells us that the cost to the taxpayer of ruling party PiS’s pre-election giveaway is 18 billion zloties. In paragraph three, the insignificant detail that this is over 25 years is given. Not quite so terrifyingly expensive after […]
“Zakłócenia w ruchu powodują zmiany w czasów odjazdu” reads the sign pinned immediately below the summer bus timetables in the Polish town where I have been spending the holidays. Now some old sticks in the mud may tell you this means “Traffic disruption will cause changes in departure times” but there are more efficient, informative […]
“I like it when they beat up students,” he confessed with a smile. I didn’t go so far but I agreed that in America, France and West Germany they had it too good and it wouldn’t do them any harm to get a bit of a kick up the hole. Who could this charming humanitarian […]
Monica Leech, a PR consultant to a government minister, has unexpectedly lost her libel case against the Irish Independent. The Indo had published a story about what had happened the previous day on RTE radio: a caller introducing himself as “Norman” had stated that Leech was winning public contracts in exchange for performing sexual favours […]
