NationStates Jolt Archive

...after 19 years to find Communism gone. Completely gone. Wiped from existence. Only its shadow remains faintly. Wow. And see people can wake up from comae/comas.

Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070602/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_poland_awakening)

WARSAW (Reuters) - A 65-year-old railwayman who fell into a coma following an accident in communist Poland regained consciousness 19 years later to find democracy and a market economy, Polish media reported on Saturday.

Wheelchair-bound Jan Grzebski, whom doctors had given only two or three years to live following his 1988 accident, credited his caring wife Gertruda with his revival.

"It was Gertruda that saved me, and I'll never forget it," Grzebski told news channel TVN24.

"For 19 years Mrs Grzebska did the job of an experienced intensive care team, changing her comatose husband's position every hour to prevent bed-sore infections," Super Express reported Dr Boguslaw Poniatowski as saying.

"When I went into a coma there was only tea and vinegar in the shops, meat was rationed and huge petrol queues were everywhere," Grzebski told TVN24, describing his recollections of the communist system's economic collapse.

"Now I see people on the streets with cell phones and there are so many goods in the shops it makes my head spin."

Grzebski awoke to find his four children had all married and produced 11 grandchildren during his years in hospital.

He said he vaguely recalled the family gatherings he was taken to while in a coma and his wife and children trying to communicate with him.

Interesting, eh? On several levels.

I can imagine the culture shock for his man. Our progress (and lack thereof) must be mind boggling for him.

Why would there be a lot of vinegar in the shops? Is there something I a missing about central planning?

(Actually, no, scratch that, people are that stupid.)

Why would there be a lot of vinegar in the shops? Is there something I a missing about central planning?

(Actually, no, scratch that, people are that stupid.)
It's cheap and easy to produce and it adds flavour to food. :) Poor man's sauce.

Yeah, I saw that.

it's goodbye lenin for realsies

Heh. That's kinda cool, actually. I'd be interesting to see how he adapts. Yay for social experiments! :p

well, there's still north korea...

"And we STILL don't have jet packs?"

it's goodbye lenin for realsies

I like that film.

I like that film.
It was meh. It had a neat premise, but wasn't very entertaining.

It was meh. It had a neat premise, but wasn't very entertaining.

That's because it was a film. Your lot tends to like "movies".

In Soviet Poland, coma wakes up from you!

I like that film.

it is a quality film. i only saw it recently but i liked it a lot.

In Soviet Poland, coma wakes up from you!

It took all the way to post 13? Shame on all of you.

it is a quality film. i only saw it recently but i liked it a lot.

I doubt it could have been done in any other place than Germany. The language just propelled to a whole different level.

I doubt it could have been done in any other place than Germany. The language just propelled to a whole different level.

well certainly with the berlin wall being so famous in the west for any wider international market it was the bet place to set it. couldn't comment on the language myself seeing as i had to watch it with subtitles, but i watched with a german guy who corrected the subtitles when they left important bits out. more often than you'd think perhaps which was both enlightening and irritating. another reason to study languages.

That's because it was a film. Your lot tends to like "movies".

I'm not sure I see the difference, unless you take movie to mean a mindless action/romance/comedy/what-have-you rather than meaning the same thing as film as I take it.

That's because it was a film. Your lot tends to like "movies".
All I am saying is it could have benefited from a pair of jugs being exposed.

It must be horrifying to lose two decades of your life, but at least he woke up to a slightly better situation, with Communism gone. :)

I'm not sure I see the difference,

Not many people from the USA do...

It must be horrifying to lose two decades of your life, but at least he woke up to a slightly better situation, with Communism gone. :)

Yet Poland is still even more ass-backwards.

Yet Poland is still even more ass-backwards.

Catholicism tends to have that effect.

Not many people from the USA do...

Well, it would help if you explained the difference, Fass, as I would probably see it once it is explained.

That said, you will forgive me for mostly being experienced with American movies and films, and not having too much experience with such elsewhere. That tends to be true for Americans a lot more than most other countries because our country is so much larger. In Europe it's a lot easier for films from the various countries to circle around to the other countries, because you're all interconnected, whereas over here in America we've only got a few countries around us, at least one of which makes movies and television so similiar to us that I can almost never tell the difference, and the other which almost never exports its films to the U.S.

Well, it would help if you explained the difference, Fass, as I would probably see it once it is explained.

Well, "movies" are basically moving pictures. They can be pretty spectacular and often quite glossy, but in the end all they are, are moving pictures meant to entertain for a short while. For reference, see most of Kubrick's, Spielberg's and Tarantino's productions.

Films are more. They are stories, they are provocations, they are conveyors of something. They have a message. They are a vision. They impart. For reference, see most of Kurosawa's, Almodovar's, Bergman's and some of Miyazaki's productions.

Well, "movies" are basically moving pictures. They can be pretty spectacular and often quite glossy, but in the end all they are, are moving pictures meant to entertain for a short while. For reference, see most of Kubrick's, Spielberg's and Tarantino's productions.

Films are more. They are stories, they are provocations, they are conveyors of something. They have a message. They are a vision. They impart. For reference, see most of Kurosawa's, Almodovar's, Bergman's and some of Miyazaki's productions.

Ah. Yes, I see now. I suppose I just never bothered to use the two words to define this difference...I tend to use them interchangeably to mean both, depending on the circumstances.

Either way, I guess I agree with you in a way now...though I didn't really disagree with you, per se. We do have films--to use your definition--in the U.S...sadly not too many of them, and most of them quite old. It seems Americans enjoy movies far more than films.

"And we STILL don't have jet packs?"

What a dissapointment huh?

We do have films--to use your definition--in the U.S...sadly not too many of them, and most of them quite old.

Well, Scorsese used to be able to produce some, Taxi Driver coming to the top of my head. Some of Capra's and Coppola's (like Apocalypse Now) do, too... oh, and of course not to be forgotten, Woody Allen. Sure, he's been a bit hit and miss lately, but there is usually still something in his works that keeps at least me curious.

Well, Scorsese used to be able to produce some, Taxi Driver coming to the top of my head. Some of Capra's and Coppola's (like Apocalypse Now) do, too... oh, and of course not to be forgotten, Woody Allen. Sure, he's been a bit hit and miss lately, but there is usually still something in his works that keeps at least me curious.

Aye. Unfortunately most films are extremely difficult to find on internet file-sharing websites...most people seem more interested in movies...so it has been difficult for me to find any. I need to investigate more into this, though...

Back on topic, for the man who awoke from a nineteen-year coma...he couldn't have chosen a worse time to fall unconscious. Our world has changed more in the past twenty years technologically than it has changed in the past two hundred...while most of the change has been improvements in technology already around, such as telephones, television, and so on, there have been so many new additions, such as cheap yet powerful computers, or cheap cell phones, or what have you. The change would be especially confusing to one used to the typical way of life in a Soviet-style communist country.

And yet, it must be fascinating, even if somewhat frightening. In some ways I actually envy him, because it would be nice to take a step back and be able to truly gasp in awe at what humanity is capable of.

That's because it was a film. Your lot tends to like "movies".

In our generation america, we have short attention spans, and only really come for the previews.

Not many people from the USA do...

You bigoted Swede.

You bigoted Swede.

He's completely and totally correct.

He's completely and totally correct.

Hush, that's why he is frustrated.

Well, Scorsese used to be able to produce some, Taxi Driver coming to the top of my head. Some of Capra's and Coppola's (like Apocalypse Now) do, too... oh, and of course not to be forgotten, Woody Allen. Sure, he's been a bit hit and miss lately, but there is usually still something in his works that keeps at least me curious.

I would lump Ridley Scott in there, as well, but he's gone down hill, severely.

I would lump Ridley Scott in there, as well, but he's gone down hill, severely.

Kingdom of Heaven? Blackhawk Down? G.I.-fucking-Jane!? Ridley Scott can suck my frothy santorum. Gladiator sucked, and Bladerunner can never, ever make up for any of his other shit.

Kingdom of Heaven? Blackhawk Down? G.I.-fucking-Jane!? Ridley Scott can suck my santorum.

As I said, gone downhill severely.

Hehehe, Santorum. I wonder how many people are aware of that term, and its origin.

It's already been mentioned, but it's Good Bye, Lenin! for real. That must be one hell of a culture shock; about the only recognizably Communist things left in Poland are the blocks of prefabricated tower apartments and the Palace of Science and Culture. The government, social system, centrally planned economy..all gone, for better or for worse.

At the very least, though, by 1988 it was probably pretty clear that the Eastern Bloc was on its last legs. A person who had been in a coma since 1970, for example, would probably be a lot worse.

As I said, gone downhill severely.

Hehehe, Santorum. I wonder how many people are aware of that term, and its origin.

...isn't a Santorum a mental institution of some kind?

Vetalia: Indeed. It's going to be bad enough for him dealing with just tweny years.

What a dissapointment huh?

Yeah. If I went into a coma for nineteen years, and the social order had entirely changed, and we STILL didn't have jetpacks, I'd be pissed.

Just think, it's like the Flinstones meeting the Jetsons. Bet he's having fun!

Guess he has a lot to be thankful for....his children are married and have children....they could have become prostitutes or serial killers. Not sure which would be more fun....

;)

Kingdom of Heaven? Blackhawk Down? G.I.-fucking-Jane!? Ridley Scott can suck my frothy santorum. Gladiator sucked, and Bladerunner can never, ever make up for any of his other shit.

Dude, Gladiator rocked.

I mean Jesus, you talk about films conveying something, but what did Goodbye Lenin convey? Stuff changes over time? Ooh, couldn't come up with that on my own. Pointless Elitism.
It's cool if long even stories entertain you, but that's all they are. It's not part of some higher echelon of human understanding.

As for this coma guy, based on the old people I know, he'll die before he even notices that much has changed.

Dude, Gladiator rocked.

And Blade Runner is pretty much one of the main archetypical sci-fi movies of our time...

Dude, Gladiator rocked.

Dude, that so means you don't know what you're talking about. Gladiator sucked more than a fair-skinned slave boy at Caesar's house.

Dude, that so means you don't know what you're talking about. Gladiator sucked more than a fair-skinned slave boy at Caesar's house.

Oh that was cruel.

But yes, it wasn't a good film. A good movie, perhaps, but not a good film.

Not many people from the USA do...

*feels mildly superior*

*feels mildly superior*

You might want to remove "shire" from your location lest you be pestered by those who know beter.

Presuming you are trying, once again, to fool people into believing you live somewhere other than Pennsylvania.

Dude, that so means you don't know what you're talking about. Gladiator sucked more than a fair-skinned slave boy at Caesar's house.

I guess you'd see it that way. Your lot tends to enjoys "films" not movies.

You might want to remove "shire" from your location lest you be pestered by those who know beter.

Presuming you are trying, once again, to fool people into believing you live somewhere other than Pennsylvania.

*relied on wiki for location*

*moves to Colorado*

I guess you'd see it that way. Your lot tends to enjoys "films" not movies.
Yes, because setting one's standards high is a bad thing. :rolleyes:

*relied on wiki for location*

*moves to Colorado*

:D

I guess you'd see it that way. Your lot tends to enjoys "films" not movies.

Yes, my lot does indeed.

Yes, my lot does indeed.

Ah! I understand! You don't like watching the MOVIE, you enjoy pulling out the rolls of film and looking at them! I understand now.

Ah! I understand! You don't like watching the MOVIE, you enjoy pulling out the rolls of film and looking at them! I understand now.

It would seem Sveries are very observant.

Classy bastards.

Yes, because setting one's standards high is a bad thing. :rolleyes:

As I've said countless times before, there's nothing special about enjoying mostly even, well acted stories that convey ideas intelligent people are perfectly capable of happening upon on their own. There's nothing bad about it either. Just a difference in taste.
I mean, if other people's ideas routinely impress you, it's not a bad way to get entertainment.

Me, I want to be dazzled. I want my mind to be forced from its dull routine.
I watch films. Contemplate them, observe them. My mind stays with me.
I experience movies.

I'm sure you've great personal reasons for enjoying films such as Goodbye Lenin or Hotel Rwanda, but I've equally good reasons for enjoying movies such as Gladiator and Lord of the Rings.

Ah! I understand! You don't like watching the MOVIE, you enjoy pulling out the rolls of film and looking at them! I understand now.

It's well-known that people in the USA have a poor grasp of English, so you don't need to demonstrate it further.

...isn't a Santorum a mental institution of some kind?

Vetalia: Indeed. It's going to be bad enough for him dealing with just tweny years.

Santorum is, well I'm not sure I can really describe it on NSG, but it's named after Rick Santorum, the senator from somewhere in the US, by Dan Savage of Savage Love, the advice column accessible at A.V. Club among others, after a write-in contest to name something pretty, well let's say you wouldn't want it for breakfast, due to Rick Santorum's anti-gay opinions.

Look it up on google after you've had breakfast - like a cappuccino, it's frothy

It would seem Sveries are very observant.Svenskar. Kindly, do not do to my native language what you have done to yours.

Svenskar. Kindly, do not do to my native language what you have done to yours.

Sorry, I was very confused as to what I should call you, properly.

*writes "Svenskar" on hand with black marker*

As I've said countless times before, there's nothing special about enjoying mostly even, well acted stories that convey ideas intelligent people are perfectly capable of happening upon on their own. There's nothing bad about it either. Just a difference in taste.
I mean, if other people's ideas routinely impress you, it's not a bad way to get entertainment.

Me, I want to be dazzled. I want my mind to be forced from its dull routine.
I watch films. Contemplate them, observe them. My mind stays with me.
I experience movies.

I'm sure you've great personal reasons for enjoying films such as Goodbye Lenin or Hotel Rwanda, but I've equally good reasons for enjoying movies such as Gladiator and Lord of the Rings.
True. I suppose I misinterpreted your statement to mean you thought of films--again, using Fass' definition--weren't worth watching or what have you.

It's well-known that people in the USA have a poor grasp of English, so you don't need to demonstrate it further.
It was a joke, knowing him, and a funny one.
Santorum is, well I'm not sure I can really describe it on NSG, but it's named after Rick Santorum, the senator from somewhere in the US, by Dan Savage of Savage Love, the advice column accessible at A.V. Club among others, after a write-in contest to name something pretty, well let's say you wouldn't want it for breakfast, due to Rick Santorum's anti-gay opinions.

Look it up on google after you've had breakfast - like a cappuccino, it's frothy

Oh, yes, there's that as well. Maybe I was thinking of Sanitarium...is that even a word?

Sorry, I was very confused as to what I should call you, properly.
It's quite simple. The English noun is "Swede", with a plural of "Swedes". Since you don't speak Swedish, you should stick to the only language you know.

It was a joke, knowing him, and a funny one.
Ah, yes, "humor". It's no humour, that much is apparent.

Ah, yes, "humor". It's no humour, that much is apparent.

Well, I thought it was funny.

And I actually spell it humour, and have for some time. I still don't see the real point of the silent u, but I've gotten into the habit nonetheless. Same thing with honour and colour and other similiar words.

Well, I thought it was funny.

And I actually spell it humour, and have for some time. I still don't see the real point of the silent u, but I've gotten into the habit nonetheless. Same thing with honour and colour and other similiar words.
The point is that the British are elitist and think that they should over-complicate all of their systems so that they can claim intellectual superiority over foreigners.

*relied on wiki for location*

*moves to Colorado*

Yardley Gobion does not miss you, your front yard was a complete mess and brought down the standards of the neighbourhood.

The point is that the British are elitist and think that they should over-complicate all of their systems so that they can claim intellectual superiority over foreigners.

Oh? And here I was thinking Canadians spelled those words the same way...at least I know I've caught some Canadians doing so, though it could be they picked up the habit here like I did...

Well, I thought it was funny.Good for you.

And I actually spell it humour, and have for some time. I still don't see the real point of the silent u, but I've gotten into the habit nonetheless. Same thing with honour and colour and other similiar words.Now you have to learn to pronounce words like "herb", "leisure", "centrifugal", "aluminium" and "schedule" correctly.

Yardley Gobion does not miss you, your front yard was a complete mess and brought down the standards of the neighbourhood.

Pfft. That car tire was decorative.

Oh? And here I was thinking Canadians spelled those words the same way...at least I know I've caught some Canadians doing so, though it could be they picked up the habit here like I did...
Yeah, we do. Canadian schools use the silent 'u' in the spelling tests, and should be marked as an error in essays/reports. Although, we do avoid some of the more major abominations, such as tyre.

Pfft. That car tire was decorative.

Except it was my tire, attached to my car, which you burnt out and filled with santorum - it's not 'art', it's common theft and desecration of property.

Except it was my tire, attached to my car, which you burnt out and filled with santorum - it's not 'art', it's common theft and desecration of property.

Oh get over yourself. :rolleyes:

It was obviously artistic expression, and you just don't see the significance of it's meaning.

Good for you.
Yes, good for me.

Now you have to learn to pronounce words like "herb", "leisure", "centrifugal", "aluminium" and "schedule" correctly.
Erb, leeszure, centrihfuhj, ahloomeanuhm, and skedyool, right? :D

Yeah, we do. Canadian schools use the silent 'u' in the spelling tests, and should be marked as an error in essays/reports. Although, we do avoid some of the more major abominations, such as tyre.

Ah. Good to know I'm not completely ignorant.

In Soviet Poland, coma wakes up from you!

You win this thread.

Good for you.

Now you have to learn to pronounce words like "herb", "leisure", "centrifugal", "aluminium" and "schedule" correctly.

You missed basil and caterpillar.

Oh get over yourself. :rolleyes:

It was obviously artistic expression, and you just don't see the significance of it's meaning.

Indeed - Mona Lisa Revisited - that was your sign, was it a nod to the enigma of life or was it a nod to the fact that in 500 years, people will still be scratching their heads trying to work out what it meant. I can tell them now, it meant I have to walk to work now, that's what it meant.

What is this thread about by the way? *heads off to look at the title* - oh, given he was in Poland he should have stayed in a coma.

Well, "movies" are basically moving pictures. They can be pretty spectacular and often quite glossy, but in the end all they are, are moving pictures meant to entertain for a short while. For reference, see most of Kubrick's, Spielberg's and Tarantino's productions.

Films are more. They are stories, they are provocations, they are conveyors of something. They have a message. They are a vision. They impart. For reference, see most of Kurosawa's, Almodovar's, Bergman's and some of Miyazaki's productions.

As much as I usually like your posts... That is so pretentious I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

As much as I usually like your posts... That is so pretentious I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

See, the thing about Fass is that he just doesn't care what you think. It's certainly a refreshing attitude compared to those I know who are ridiculously sensitive...like I used to be.

As much as I usually like your posts... That is so pretentious I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

You do know that it is a quite correct description ?
I personally happen to like both ;)

Now you have to learn to pronounce words like "herb", "leisure", "centrifugal", "aluminium" and "schedule" correctly.

Actually the original pronunciation and spelling of "aluminum" was the one just written. Some British scientists decided they didn't like that for some reason and changed it. Evidently, the US isn't the only country in which language evolves.

Indeed - Mona Lisa Revisited - that was your sign, was it a nod to the enigma of life or was it a nod to the fact that in 500 years, people will still be scratching their heads trying to work out what it meant. I can tell them now, it meant I have to walk to work now, that's what it meant.

It was about the policies in which one currently runs their own life.

Put a shirt on, your ignorance is showing.

It was about the policies in which one currently runs their own life.

Put a shirt on, your ignorance is showing.

I would but you took all my shirts as well, a menace, that's what you were, Pine Springs deserves you.

EDIT: Pine Junctions, whatever...

As much as I usually like your posts... That is so pretentious I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

So begins...

FILM/MOVIE WARS!

A story of hatred, mistrust, joy, and Ruffy. All will kneel before the might of Spielbergs computer graphics effects and cry themselves to sleep because of Bergman's emotional rollercoasters. The war will last a century and only one shall stand and it shall be the one which has the fastest typing skills and knows more about pointless diffrences betweens "movies" and "films". Some will fall to the uneatable forces of the game Mods and others shall wimper in fear of the mighty ripple effect that shall tear this thread to pieces!

CIMONG TO THEATERS JUNE 3rd 2007!

A NS General Production

Pine Springs

Heh. That's funny for reasons you'll never find out about.

And as far as I know, we have an almot nil crime rate. The most that happens here are idiot teenagers cutting the receivers off the two pay phones at the country store you can see a picture of on Wikipedia's article about this place.

But that's why I like it...it's quiet and no one ever bothers me.
So begins...

FILM/MOVIE WARS!

A story of hatred, mistrust, joy, and Ruffy. All will kneel before the might of Spielbergs computer graphics effects and cry themselves to sleep because of Bergman's emotional rollercoasters. The war will last a century and only one shall stand and it shall be the one which has the fastest typing skills and knows more about pointless diffrences betweens "movies" and "films". Some will fall to the uneatable forces of the game Mods and others shall wimper in fear of the mighty ripple effect that shall tear this thread to pieces!

CIMONG TO THEATERS JUNE 3rd 2007!

A NS General Production
That was great right up till you abysmally misspelled coming. What the hell, man?

So begins...

FILM/MOVIE WARS!

A story of hatred, mistrust, joy, and Ruffy. All will kneel before the might of Spielbergs computer graphics effects and cry themselves to sleep because of Bergman's emotional rollercoasters. The war will last a century and only one shall stand and it shall be the one which has the fastest typing skills and knows more about pointless diffrences betweens "movies" and "films". Some will fall to the uneatable forces of the game Mods and others shall wimper in fear of the mighty ripple effect that shall tear this thread to pieces!

CIMONG TO THEATERS JUNE 3rd 2007!
A NS General Production

Your bad "please accept me joke" is about two pages too late.

I would but you took all my shirts as well, a menace, that's what you were, Pine Springs deserves you.
Oh Flanders.. When will you ever learn?
EDIT: Pine Junctions, whatever...

How dare you confuse the two?

Your bad "please accept me joke" is about two pages too late.

I enjoyed it.

I enjoyed it.

I'm glad.
But honestly some of the things you people think are funny...

Actually the original pronunciation and spelling of "aluminum" was the one just written. Some British scientists decided they didn't like that for some reason and changed it. Evidently, the US isn't the only country in which language evolves.

Quel shite as the French would not say

The American Chemical Society changed it in 1925.

Sir Humphrey Davy did originally call it Aluminum but it was shortly changed to Aluminium to confirm with most endings of this type, refractory oxides.

The ACE changed it because most Americans cannot say more than 4 syllables per word.

I googled that - as if I were so intelligent

I'm glad.
But honestly some of the things you people think are funny...

At least I don't like Napoleon Dynamite.

I'm glad.
But honestly some of the things you people think are funny...

I don't laugh as much as you might think I do. I actually just find things mildly amusing at most.

But I do laugh quite a bit at juxopositional humour, hence the quotes in my signature.

I hate crude humour though. Damned rednecks...

Heh. That's funny for reasons you'll never find out about.

And as far as I know, we have an almot nil crime rate. The most that happens here are idiot teenagers cutting the receivers off the two pay phones at the country store

Ah Ruff's new 'work of art' - Communication Breakdown - that's what he's calling it, vandalism, that's what the police are calling it.

Quel shite as the French would not say

The American Chemical Society changed it in 1925.

Sir Humphrey Davy did originally call it Aluminum but it was shortly changed to Aluminium to confirm with most endings of this type, refractory oxides.

The ACE changed it because most Americans cannot say more than 3 syllables per word.

I googled that - as if I were so intelligent
Doesn't change the fact that it was originally "aluminum."
Also you're wrong about why the word changed again in the US. It was mostly due to a typo on an advertisement of some fairly popular product. The ACE changed it because the new spelling had become more prominent than the old.

But really now, I'm not trying to win an argument. As long as you're understandable I don't care how you pronounce something.
I just mentioned that tidbit because I find the evolution of language fascinating. Honestly, I'm consistently baffled by the notion that it's irritating on some level or the idea that it really matters if "color" is spelled with a "u".

Doesn't change the fact that it was originally "aluminum."
Also you're wrong about why the word changed again in the US. It was mostly due to a typo on an advertisement of some fairly popular product. The ACE changed it because the new spelling had become more prominent than the old.

But really now, I'm not trying to win an argument. As long as you're understandable I don't care how you pronounce something.
I just mentioned that tidbit because I find the evolution of language fascinating. Honestly, I'm consistently baffled by the notion that it's irritating on some level or the idea that it really matters if "color" is spelled with a "u".

I wasn't getting into a debate, not on a Sunday at least, was just curious.

It's irritating when Word keeps highlighting words as spelling mistakes since you have to set to one language or the other.

Ah Ruff's new 'work of art' - Communication Breakdown - that's what he's calling it, vandalism, that's what the police are calling it.

Not unless he moved here sixth months ago and has a time machine.

...

Good Lord--for lack of a better cultural phrase--...can you imagine what would happen if Ruffy had a time machine? The consequences to our reality would be disasterous!

Not unless he moved here sixth months ago and has a time machine.

...

Good Lord--for lack of a better cultural phrase--...can you imagine what would happen if Ruffy had a time machine? The consequences to our reality would be disasterous!

The Ruffinator - slogan: I'll be slack

It's a nice day outside, I'm off for a drink.

I doubt it could have been done in any other place than Germany. The language just propelled to a whole different level.

Das Boot!

Actually the original pronunciation and spelling of "aluminum" was the one just written.

And it was soon seen as the incorrect construction that it was and changed to conform to a pre-existent nomenclature. Original or not has no bearing on incorrectness, especially seeing as the closest form to correct one can come is actual English, and not some sort of colonial pidgin.

And it was soon seen as the incorrect construction that it was and changed to conform to a pre-existent nomenclature. Original or not has no bearing on incorrectness, especially seeing as the closest form to correct one can come is actual English, and not some sort of colonial pidgin.
:) As I said, I find the evolution of language fascinating. I'm at a loss as to why it irritates some. I mean, we're talking about English here. Not exactly the most consistent language in the first place, eh?

And it was soon seen as the incorrect construction that it was and changed to conform to a pre-existent nomenclature. Original or not has no bearing on incorrectness, especially seeing as the closest form to correct one can come is actual English, and not some sort of colonial pidgin.
And what exactly is "actual English"?
What the Poms speak?
If you've actually been there (or spoken to a few inhabitants of the soggy isle), you'd soon notice that the language they speak can alter drastically within a few miles. Is Cockney "actual English"? What about Scouse, or Geordie, or Yorkshire?
Or will you use the Oxford English Dictionary as your base for what is "actual English". Except their revised version still isn't out - when it eventually is it's expected to have close on 1 million words. Which implies that pretty much anything can be considered "actual English". The OED, incidently, prefers '-ize' to '-ise' ending for most words as that particular suffix is from the Greek '-izo', with the pronunciation being a 'z'.

Considering how malleable and quickly changing this language is, no-one bar some snooty, priggish popinjay could possibly make comments like what is "correct" and what is "actual English.
Thank goodness there's nobody here on this forum like that.

How is aluminium supposed to be pronounced?

How is aluminium supposed to be pronounced?

How do you think?

And here I read all the posts hoping to make some witty insight into the culture shock of having all communism suddenly removed from one's life. Well screw this, I'm going to sleep.

How do you think?
Aluminum but didn't someone say a few pages back that it should be pronounced differently? *is confused*

Aluminum but didn't someone say a few pages back that it should be pronounced differently? *is confused*

Is the second "i" silent?

If not then, yes, it should be pronounced differently; ah-lew-min-ee-um.

Is the second "i" silent?


Sure is! :)

Is the second "i" silent?

If not then, yes, it should be pronounced differently; ah-lew-min-ee-um.

You pronounce it ah-lew-min-ee-um? I usually pronounced nium as nyum.

He probably would have been better off dying in the coma, considering the crap hole Poland has fallen into, poverty is certainly worst.

And it was soon seen as the incorrect construction that it was and changed to conform to a pre-existent nomenclature. Original or not has no bearing on incorrectness, especially seeing as the closest form to correct one can come is actual English, and not some sort of colonial pidgin.
Oh, Fass, and to think you were so close, yet so far away.

There is no such thing as "actual" English. There are only different dialects, just as with every other language in the world.

The colonies that would become the United States, and the Empire that would be known today only as Great Britain did share the same language at the time, but over the 300+ years since the original English settlers, the language in both areas of the world has significantly deviated.

For example, in the United States it is common to pronounce z as zee, not zed, due to a simple mistake involving making the children's song about the alphabet rhyme more that somehow caught on and spiriled out of control. This, however, is the only area where I will agree with everyone else that the United States should pronounce it as zed, as that is more accurate to the original Greek letter from whence it came, and pronouncing it as zee due to a nursery rhyme is foolish.

Another example: The U.S. uses the word diaper to mean the same thing the British would use the word nappy for. Or cookie vs biscuit. Truck vs lorry. And so on and so forth.

Neither area has the same language that existed back in the 17th century. Nor does India, or Australia, or New Zealand, or any other place where English has been spoken for centuries. Languages change and mutate as society continues.

So there really is no such thing as actual English, only dialects. You might perceive the dialect you were taught as actual English, but that perception is mistaken, and an odd one considering you. I would have thought you would understand this.

In Capitalist America, word pronounces you!

Oh, and to the guy who woke up from the coma,
good luck finding a job and earning a decent living in the
cold harsh free-market reality of post-socialist Poland.

Well there are always potential book sales, but he probably can‘t write very well
after that coma, oh well.... that's life for you.

The guy probably won't work anymore and become a pensioner. He's not that young (already a grandpa BTW).

He probably would have been better off dying in the coma, considering the crap hole Poland has fallen into, poverty is certainly worst.

http://ebergen.net/images/lolcopter.gif


I love You! :fluffle::fluffle::fluffle:

You pronounce it ah-lew-min-ee-um? I usually pronounced nium as nyum.

Yeah, there's a pronounced "ee" sound when I say it.

Gladiator sucked

Didn't that win the best film in europe movie awards or something! I know it won best ever film in something to do with europe. Oh and it won greatest film of all time in the UK. Well, as voted for by the channel 4 viewers.

Didn't that win the best film in europe movie awards or something! I know it won best ever film in something to do with europe. Oh and it won greatest film of all time in the UK. Well, as voted for by the channel 4 viewers.

Instantly irrelevant.

Instantly irrelevant.

I'm not so sure. The only kind of people who vote on these things are people who actually have an interest in this sort of thing, and they tend to know a thing or two more then the average viewer. In any case, I still think that gladiator was pretty sound.

Good for you.

Now you have to learn to pronounce words like "herb", "leisure", "centrifugal", "aluminium" and "schedule" correctly.

let them learn to pronounce tomato first.

...after 19 years to find Communism gone. Completely gone. Wiped from existence. Only its shadow remains faintly. Wow. And see people can wake up from comae/comas.

Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070602/od_uk_nm/oukoe_uk_poland_awakening)

Interesting, eh? On several levels.
Welcome back, Mr. Grzebski - and thank you, Mrs Grzebski!!!

I can imagine the culture shock for his man. Our progress (and lack thereof) must be mind boggling for him.

And then the recently recovered man saw this:

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b283/jtkwon/KhalidSheikMohammadssister.jpg

and promptly lapsed back into a coma...

And back to the original topic:

Doctors are now assuming the man was NOT in a coma for all those years. They believe he was in a coma for about 4 years, and completely paralysed until now.

And back to the original topic:

Doctors are now assuming the man was NOT in a coma for all those years. They believe he was in a coma for about 4 years, and completely paralysed until now.

Now that is horrible. If that is true then I am surprised that he hasn't gone insane

And back to the original topic:

Doctors are now assuming the man was NOT in a coma for all those years. They believe he was in a coma for about 4 years, and completely paralysed until now.

Ugh. That's doubly terrible. Hopefully the guy will recover psychologically if that's true.