Source: Życie Warszawy

We haven’t written anything about Radio Maryja for quite a while. It’s been sitting quietly under a rock for so long, ever since being told off by the Episcopacy, that even we were surprised. However, as everyone knows, an election is looming, so it’s time to get to work. As befits an institution that received clear instructions from its controlling body the church to not solely back the one party, Radio Maryja has stood up to the task and on Thursday presented three candidates for the Presidencies of Poznań, Olsztyn and Białystok. It’s only by chance that all three candidates were nominated by the Law and Justice party. By another miraculous coincidence, they were joined in the studio by Joachim Brudziński, Law and Justice’s secretary general. Surely this was not a program concerning the election, and only a subjective summary of the achievements to date of decent politicians. Amen!

Source: WP

We already have a “government of experts”, now it’s time for a standard in public television. Father Rydzyk’s guard is to join the all star team lead by Bronisław Wildstein. Speaking on Radio Maryja, His Holyness informed listeners that the best objective journalists, who are currently with his station, are to move to TVP in the near future. The chairman of the “Rydzyk Media Holdings” board of directors did not want to point out specific names, but did speak of “the best professionals”. TVP has also declined to comment, but we can be sure that the new starts will be presented to the happy audience during the multimedia show. We’re waiting for MP Sobecka’s morning show with baited breath.

Source: Onet

Russian President, Wladimir Putin, would surely send his warm regards to MP Jan Bestry. MP Bestry, leader of hte Catholic National-People’s Movement, was recently accused of regular harassment of underage female students while he was a math teacheri. Now it turns out, that he is likely to have more on his conscience - TVN’s Mason “Fakty” have found court documentation showing that Bestry was charged with a 6 month sentance suspended for three years for forced penetration. Rape, which he supposedly commited in the sleeping car of a long distance train in which he was a conductor. We would like to join President Putin by sending our regards and at the same time deny that MP Bestry was to represent Poland at during the Eroticon trade show in 2007. His poor health will not allow him to.

Source: Forum Staszow.com (thx zenobia)

The Staszów forum admin recieved an “interesting” letter recently.

“(…) We, the undersigned representatives of Ballot Commitees are motioning to suspend activity on the website “discussion forum” until the end of the election campaign, i.e. untill 26.11.2006.
Basis: for some time the “Forum” has been used to run a “dirty election campaign” based on slander, libel and unsubstantiated gossip aimed at Mayoral and council candidates /as well as their families/ representing election election commitees other than RFS and PiS. We are disgusted by the lack of respect for the name of people who represent different opinions and other political “fractions”. (…) Concurrently we declare, that in the absence of a response to our motion from your side, we are determined to undertake appropriate legal action.”

Signatures from the Civic Platform, Samoobrona, SLD/SDPL/PD/UP/Democrats and PSL campaign commitees amongst others have signed the letter. These so called defenders of freedom of speach want to close down a forum, which in their minds prefers Law and Justice’s candidates. I’ll be curt - a disgrace. There are courts and early elections, should forum members be lying and slandering. Close down the forum for the time of the campaign? Perhaps we should also turn off the TV and take down advertisements? Perhaps ban talking on the street?

The complete letter and follow on discussion can be found here.

Reporters Without Borders has just released another ranking of 168 countries that looks at freedom of the press. Poland places 58th. In comparison to the previous ranking we’ve slipped 5 places. Not only is every EU nation ahead of us, but also such bastions of democracy such as Trinidad and Tobago (19th), Jamaica (23rd), Costa Rica (29th) or Mozambique (45th). We scored 14 points (higher score results in a worse placing), 1.5 points down on last year. We are further away from 1st placed Finland (0.5 points) than to Turkey (25 points), where you can land in jail for writtin about the Ormanian massacre, or to oases of stability and freedom such as Niger (24.5 points), Ivory Coast (25 points) or Haiti (19.5 points).

In this article on the ranking, French paper Le Monde writes, that we can thank the “relative return of censorship” for our placing. Reporters Without Borders summary statement on several of last years incidents is even more merciless: “Jail sentances or fines for offending others dignity or religious beliefs are common. The attempt to punish Tagaszeitung for the public offending of a public office is a typical example of the Conservative-Catholic coalition’s attempts to control the media.”

Obviously, Reporters Without Borders make up part of the “80% percent of the media representing one point of view”….

Source: Rzeczpospolita

The Cabinet Council was introudced by the 1997 constitution. The president heads sessions, and the ministerial cabinet takes part in them. To date, the convention has been for the first sitting to be called within the first 100 days of a government being formed, subsequent sittings would take place every few months. President Kaczyński met with Prime Minister Marcinkiewicz and his cabinet twice. But hasn’t met with his brothers cabinet at all. Journalists are pondering whether this is because they are not willing to be seen together, which could stupify the less enlightened portion of the voting public. We have our own theory. Cabinet council is now likely to take place in reduced company - every Sunday during dinner at mom’s house.

Source: Gazeta

We’ve already written about the pantheon of stars that make up Law and Justice’s arm in the Pomorski region. This time we’d like to introduce you to their coalition partners from Samoobrona (they have already decided to combine ballots in Pomorze). Aside from close and distant relatives of Danuta Hojarska, doctor Mahmed Totongi is also running for local council. The good doctor Totongi has worked hard to deserves his place on the ballot, by relaxing Danuta’s shoulders for years. He also has a colorful CV, which will fit perfectly with those of other candidates on the combined ballot - see, several years ago he was convicted of pillaging from the deceased. A court ruled, that while on call in an ambulance, doctor Totongi removed 750PLN from the pockets of a “still warm” patient, after which he gave the nurse and orderly 100PLN each, keeping the remainder for himself. Earning himself a 2 year suspended prison sentance and a 5000PLN fine. Doctor Totongi has no comment, MP Hojarska is threatening Gazeta Wyborcza with legal action. What does Jacek Kurski, who is the combined ballot representative in Pomorze, have to say about all of this? “Not my pond and not my fish”. For the interested, we’d like to remind you that the PiS+LPR+PSL+Samoobrona ballot is called “Solidary Pomorze”.

Source: Gazeta Wyborcza

As could easily be predicted, deputy minister Mirosław Orzeczhowski’s comments on evolution did not go unnoticed. Academics from the Polish Academy of Sciences and other universities have criticised them on the pages of “Gazeta Wyborcza”. Sympathisers are however, digging in to the trenches. The one who spoke first, has served us up another bunch of “gems” (fortunately aimed primarily at is supporters, hence there was no renewed embarassment infront of Europe) - here are the words of supposed-Botanist Maciej Giertych. Read them and weep:

“What happened with the mouse’s little paw, before it became a bat’s wing? What possible interim step could there be? The mouse waved its paw until finally it flew away?.” [it is at this point we learn where Batman comes from.]

“Russian studies have shown that all mammoths died suffocated. And quickly - an undigested cowslip was found in the stomach of one, and - this is somewhat embarassing - males had stiff members.” [To think complete happiness was only a cold one away.]

“Because people ate mammoth steak in the times of the Alaskan Gold Rush. And meat does not keep that long.” [This one is too stupid to comment.]

“Studies show that dinosaurs coexisted with humans. There are signs in every culture that we remember them. Scots - the Loch Ness Monster, us - the Wawel Dragon, and Marco Polo wrote of a dragon hitched to the emperors coach in China.” [I have a better example. The world has the Giertychs.]

One year ago, on the 23rd of September 2005, at 8:10pm a friend called asking whether we were meeting at Okęcie airport at 8 or 9 o’clock in the morning. After deliberating about it for a while we decided to stay instead and do everything to not have to see the election result repeated. We bought a domain, cranked up the page and a whole year has idly drifted by since we started serving up news. Some numbers from the past 365 days - 544 entries, 7,274 comments and 874,956 visitors. Thanks to everyone who has added to that result - everything we do, we do for you!

Wondering what we have in store for you on our birthday?
- all prices in our shop have been lowered by 10% (offer valid on this Sunday and Monday)
- win one of 3 email accounts on the spieprzajdziadu.com domain, winners will be drawn from shoppers on Sunday and Monday (your choice of login, access via pop3/smtp/www, winners will receive their accounts on the condition that they close out payment on their orders)
- and of course we promise everyone many, many more interesting articles…

Jarosław Kaczyński, 19th October 2006:
“No, sir, this wasn’t particularily about Andrzej Lepper. When I was talking about troublemaking, I sustain it, I won’t tolerate this now as well. But that I called Mr. Lepper a troublemaker, it was the creativity of the press which I’m not responsible for.

Jarosław Kaczyński, 21st September 2006:
“Mr. Andrzej Lepper didn’t make use of this opportunity. After a short time he came back to his regular actions, he came back to something that should be named straight: troublemaking!”

Jarosław Kaczyński, 20th July 2006:
“They won’t convince us that white is white and black is black”.