Animated history of Poland

This animated history of Poland created by a Polish master of animation, Tomasz Bagiński, remains one of the best testaments to a turbulent history of the Polish Nation.  The movie, sponsored by the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development, was a hit at the 2010 EXPO in Shanghai, China.  For someone unfamiliar with Poland's history, the highlights of the major events will spark a taste for more. 

In fact, to understand the current political and social trends in Poland, one must learn about the Polish past.  Kings and Queens, Teutonic Knights, union with Latvia, wars and uprisings, lost and won independence, famous leaders and scientists - all shaped the Polish culture and history.

Visiting Poland is a lot of fun and, for those who like the history, a great authentic adventure.  If you have a chance to visit, travel to Poland, you will be pleasantly surprised.

Tomasz Bagiński, "Tomek" Bagiński (born 10 January 1976, Białystok) is a BAFTA Award-winning Polish artist and animator, best known for his Oscar-nominated short movie, The Cathedral (2002). For his newest short, Fallen Art (2004), he received a BAFTA Award for Best Short Animation and Grand Prix for Digital Shorts at Golden Horse Film Festival 2005 (shared with: Jarek Sawko and Piotr Sikora). Bagiński also created cinematics for The Witcher computer game.

Source: Wiki

Working the Poles and the polls

Visiting Poland to get the Polish-American votes?  Nice touch Mitt Romney.  Last week, invited by world-famous Solidarity leader and former Polish President Lech Walesa, presidential candidate Mitt Romney, his wife Ann, and son Josh, traveled to Gdansk and Warsaw.  Romney met with Lech Walesa, Prime Minister Donald Tusk, President Bronislaw Komorowski, and Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski. 

By the way, most Poles don't realize that the last name of their president means an elephant's tooth.  That would explain his stabbing political agenda.

In general, the reception was very positive and warm.  Poles greeting Romney on the streets felt important and hopeful again after unfulfilled promises of President Obama.  Besides United Kingdom, Poland is the most loyal and steady ally of the United States in Europe.  

As for the political views, Poles still remember the influence and pressure on the Soviet Union from Ronald Reagan to end the communism in Eastern Europe.  Although the Polish transformation to a free market economy after 1989 was somehow rocky, overall, people are much better off then under the communist rule. 

We all know the visit was directed to Polish-American voters back at the States.  Large Polish diaspora cannot be ignored.  But it's a two way highway - Poles back at the States must mobilize and show up at the polls in great numbers, regardless of their political views.  Why bother to vote?  

Voter turnout is on the rise and out of about 60% voters, a slight majority of 31% or 1/3, will actually make a decision for the rest of the country.  Voter IDs laws and other ways to curb voter fraud will most likely have an impact on this election.

So how can you work the Poles at the polls?  What's important to an average Polish citizen?

1. Remove tourist visa requirements for Poland already - don't worry they won't flood US with mad carpentry skills and smuggle tons of vodka 

2. Polish forces are/were involved in Afghanistan and Iraq - promises of construction and supply contracts were never fulfilled - Poland needs some solid gestures

3. Install the missile defence system - Bush giveth, Obama taketh - well almost giveth, but Poles are convinced that EU/NATO alone won't be able to defend Poland from a sudden attack

What reception President Obama would receive?  I'm sure positive as well.  So all comes down to who can work the Poles at the polls the best.

Polish medals count at the 2012 Summer Olympics

The official website for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London provides great county profile for each of the participating counties.  You can learn about the athletes, competitions, and number won medals. 

Photos by Ambrozjo at SXC

During the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, Poland was able to win 10 medals, 3 gold, 6 silver, and 1 bronze.  

So far, London has been difficult for Poles.  Can the athletes squeeze out more medals this year?

One most positive accent of the Olympics is the mass turnout of Polish fans, both from Poland and living in the Great Britain.  Some estimate the number of recent Polish migrants at around 1 million.  No wonder London turns white and red around the Olympic venues when Poles compete. 

                              Total medals: 10

Athletics: Men's Shot Put - 1 Gold - Tomasz Majewski

Athletics: Women's Hammer Throw - Anita Wlodarczyk

Canoe Sprint: Women's Kayak Double (K2) 500m - 1 Bronze - Karolina Naja and Beata Mikolajczyk

Rowing: Women's Double Sculls - 1 Bronze - Julia Michalska and Magdalena Fularczyk  

Sailing: Men's RS-X - 1 Bronze - Zofia Noceti-Klepacka

Sailing: Women's RS-X - 1 Bronze - Przemyslaw Miarczynski

Shooting: Women's 10m Air Rifle - 1 Silver - Sylwia Bogacka
 
Weightlifting: Men's 85kg - 1 Gold - Adrian Edward Zielinski

Weightlifting: Men's 105kg - 1 Bronze - Bartlomiej Wojciech Bonk
 
Wrestling: Men's 84kg Greco-Roman - 1 Bronze - Damian Janikowski

Go Poland!  The whole country is watching and hoping for more medals!

I was always fascinated with shot put athletes.  Wikipedia defines shot put as "a track and field event involving "throwing"/"putting" (throwing in a pushing motion) a heavy metal ball - the shot - as far as possible".  For me, it's simply a poor man's cannon from the Medieval era.  Besides, Poles are great with their balls.

Polish volleyball team 1st in the World!

Courtesy of pzps.pl

The good times just keep rolling in!  Just today, another success of Polish athletes: 2012 Volleyball FIVB World League Finals championship title after beating United States during the tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria.  They are taking home a grand prize: $1,000,000.  That kind of money can buy a lot of volleyballs.

You can read more on the Fédération Internationale de Volleyball website:

“I am very happy, it is a historical moment for all of us,” Poland captain Marcin Mozdzonek said. “We won against one of the best team in the world, USA. I hope we will continue playing this way.”
The 2012 World League is Poland’s first international title since the 1976 Olympics, which adds to their 1974 World Championship crown. Since coach Andrea Anastasi came on board after a 13th place finish at the 2010 World Championships, Poland recorded their previous best ever World League result at last year’s edition finishing third, before claiming bronze at the European Championships and silver at the 2011 World Cup. Anastasi has now won five World League titles – two as a player for Italy (1990, 1991), two as a coach of Italy (1999, 2000) and now one with Poland.  

Some remarks from Polish team captain, Marcin Możdżonek, after the Semifinals win with Bulgaria.

It seems that the Polish Volleyball Federation or Polski Związek Piłki Siatkowej (PZPS) is doing much better job with the Polish team than the Polish Football Union (PZPN) during EURO 2012.

The one drawback about this tournament is the inability to watch the games on TV in the US.  One would think that ESPN or one of the major TV networks would have a live coverage of the Volleyball World League.  Especially, when the US team is playing.  We all know that beach volleyball rules but please, some compassion.  Well, once again, thank you Internet, thank you Al Gore!

Could anyone watch that tournament on TV in US?  
As for the Polish team: keep slamming that ball!

Wimbledon 2012 - Agnieszka Radwańska second

It's decided.  Today, at the Wimbledon Final, Serena Williams defeated Agnieszka Radwańska 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.  It wasn't easy for Williams to win her 5th Wimbledon Singles Title, especially after a surprising 2nd set won by Radwańska.  Luckly for Williams, her serves were just too much for the Polish player.  At the end, Williams was just her usual powerhouse of tennis.   

It was a great match and it paved the path for Agnieszka to reach for more.  She has shown a great deal of determination and mental power.  I wonder how being a second at Wimbledon will affect her rankings?  Thank you for all you hard work!

In the words of the Terminator: She'll be back! 

Agnieszka Radwańska in Wimbledon Finals!

Polish athlete is on the move at Wimbledon!  After beating Angelique Kerber in Semifinals today, Agnieszka  Radwańska will faceSerena Williams, who defeated Victoria Azarenka, at Finals on Saturday, July 7th, at 8:00 AM Central. 

The New York Times summarizes her success and advancement in today's article by Ben Shpigel:

The reaction offered by Radwanska after her tidy 70-minute, 6-3, 6-4, dismissal of Angelique Kerber — a few hops, none high enough to slide a legal pad underfoot — smacked of subtlety, much like her game, and belied the magnitude of her achievement: she is the first Polish woman to reach a Grand Slam final in 73 years, since Jadwiga Jedrzejowska at the 1939 French Championships.

Photo by jaz1111 on SXC

For Poland, any successful sporting event is a proud moment, but repeating success from before II World War has a special flavor.  Being ruled by an iron fist of the Soviet Union after the war, Radwańska's achievement is a proof that Poland is finally getting off its knees brushing off years of post-Communist baggage and neglect to at last show off talented athletes.  

Agnieszka, known as Isia, and and her year younger sister, Urszula Radwańska, together make the most famous Polish tennis team - Radwanska Team.  In Poland, they are also known as Polish Williams sisters.  Thanks to their father, Robert Radwański, both sisters were given a chance to excel in tennis since the early age:

Although the Krakow sisters haven’t achieved a tenth of what the California sisters have, there are similarities in their backgrounds. The most important perhaps is that their coach is also their father. Robert Radwanski has developed his daughters’ talent the way that Richard Williams did for Venus and Serena. He earned his living for several years as a tennis coach in Germany, where the 2007 junior Wimbledon winner was born. The sisters don’t complain about their training being too hard but their father admits that on the court there’s little room for negotiation. They do what he says, the same way the Williams sisters do with their father.

You can follow Agnieszka on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/#!/radwanskatennis/isia

Hopefully, Polish sporting officials finally woke up to the fact that local talent, if recognized early, can turn into a worldwide gold medalists.  Some of the known names in sport today, are Polish or of Polish-decent, playing for other countries.  Some examples: 

Miroslav Klose - born in Poland, Polish wife, plays for German football team

Lukas Podolski - born in Poland, plays for German football team

Angelique Kerber -  born in Germany, Polish parents, eligible for Polish citizenship, tennis player, trains in Poland

Caroline Wozniacki - born in Denmark, Polish parents, can receive Polish citizenship, plays tennis for Denmark

There are plenty of talented young people in Poland.  Shape up Poland!  Better recognize!

Thank you Poland! Thank you Ukraine!

After more than three weeks of excitement, the EURO 2012 is over.  Poland and Ukraine stepped up their "game" and delivered awesome stadiums, fan zones, infrastructure, and welcoming people.  In your face BBC, Sol Campbell should publicly apologize for his nasty remarks.  Thank you Poland!  Thank you Ukraine!

The Spaniards are champions again, second time in a row, after completely destroying Italians 4-0 in Kiev during the final today.  

The Barcelona school of football paid off again.  Italy had some moments during the game but for the most part Spain ruled the pitch.  First half ended with 2-0 score with goals by David Silva - 14" and Jordi Alba - 41".  To add to the drama, in 62 minute, after loosing Thiago Motta due to a hamstring injury, Italy had to play with only 10 players having no more substitutions left.  In 84 minute Fernando Torres scored again for Spain only to assist Juan Mata in 88 minute with another goal.  

If Europe was looking for a grand finale, this game fit the bill.  Congrats Spain!