Everyone likes to gossip and most people like to gossip about celebrities. Whenever a celebrity
behaves odd, most of us think that they are under influence of alcohol of drugs. People start
posting, tweeting, hunting for possible movies where the embarrassing behavior is exposed.
Most of us now of stories like that from celebrity news.
Polish actor, Bartłomiej Topa, that played for example in movie "Three colors: White", has been caught
on camera when he did not behave quite like himself. First, while interviewed on TV, he has been distracted,
did not answer any questions and seemed to be hyperactive. After that he has been filmed twice, on the
train and in the shop. Both films show him quite distracted and having problems with adapting to the
surrounding him place.
Rather drunk than insidious
All of the Polish celebrity pages and newspapers noticed the anonymously posted amateur videos
and published articles and pictures commenting behavior of Bartłomiej Topa. Many different theories followed the published movies. Everyone thought that the actor is either drunk, took some drugs or is going through some mental problems. However, few days after the movies and articles were published, the actor and Synapsis Foundation explained what has happened.
Autism misleads senses
Behavior of Bartłomiej Topa was part of a social campaign aiming to increase the awareness of autism.
The unconventional behavior of Bartłomiej Topa was for him "an acting exercise, for many people it is their whole
life" (from the Synapsis campaign movie). The campaign was carried in media only and was keept in secret
even from the involved media themselves. Movies were done by Tomek Wlaziński and Bartłomiej Topa and
published between 11-14 of January 2012.
Big discoveries do not happen very often and in modern world are very rarely
a work of a single person. However, EPAR (abbreviation from Polish name) or
Energy Accumulating and Dissipating Converter is a work of a self-taught Polish
inventor Lucjan Łągiewka. EPAR is a device that absorbs kinetic energy, quickly converts it and slowly
scatters. The potential of the device is clearly shown of the movie from the EPAR presentation.
Lucjan Łagiewka
Lucjan Łągiewka. Picture taken from the EPAR project website
Lucjan Łągiewka, the inventor and constructor of the EPAR device, was born in 1949 and for more than 40 years is an active inventor and experimentalist.
The idea for the device came from dynamics of fluids. The first presentations of the device, then in a form of a specially constructed bumper installed on a small FIAT car, were done in the late 90s. At that time Łągiewka filed also a patent application, which was unfortunately rejected because of the formal issues. Over the last decade Łągiewka was awarded with many international prizes for his inventions and he reached a wide recognition for his invention in a inventors communities. Today he leads together with his son the EPAR project development company. A large focus of the company is to implement EPAR idea into a safety elements of the infrastructure e.g. road barriers. Łągiewka did not get the attention of academic communities with the exception of his long-term collaborator Prof. Stanisław Gumuła from AGH University of Science and Technology in Kraków, Poland. Łągiewka together with Gumuła claim that the EPAR device works against Newton laws.
Łągiewka vs. Newton and Smith
Lucjan Łągiewka did not earn any patents that he applied for in the late 90s. However, he noticed that Oxford University professor Malcolm Smith later constructed a device that works based on the same principles. Prof. Smith successfully patented in the US a device that has been later used in Formula 1 races as a J-Damper. J-Damper was suppose to extinguish the suspension vibrations and effectively gave the Formula 1 bollid better traction which resulted in approximately 0.5 s advantage per lap. J-Damper was used first by Kimi Räikkönen and gave him almost 30 seconds advantage in the whole race.
General idea behind the EPAR project. Energy is absorbed, converted and slowly scattered.
Picture taken from the presentation of the EPAR on www.epar.pl
As unfortunate as it sounds, self-taught Łągiewka is in a constant battle with scientists. First with Newton, claiming that his device works agains Newtons laws. Now in a battle agains Prof. Malcolm Smith from Oxford for recognition of Łągiewkas contribution into the invention of the idea/device. These complains are now investigated by the European Patent Office. Battle with Newton and the recognition in academia may be more difficult that the one in EPO.
Car test done with and without the EPAR device. Left picture shows a small car FIAT 126p
after it hit a wall at the speed 50 km/h with the EPAR device installed on the bumper.
Right picture shows the same model after the impact at the speed 40 km/h without the EPAR device.
Picture taken from the official presentation of the EPAR project.
Anna Grodzka became a member of the Polish parliament in the recent election on October 9th, 2011.
Anna Grodzka is a member of a Palikot Movement party which collected enough votes to become a third major
force in the current parliament. Grodzka is currently the only transgender member of parliament worldwide. She is a long-term activist for the LGBT rights. Grodzka is a founder and activist of the Trans-Fuzja foundation which is devoted to help transgender community in Poland. Her transformation to be a woman has been presented in HBO movie Trans-Akcja and presented in 2010. Among Grodzkas goals for the parliament are to help LGBT community, equalization of opportunities for woman and raise of the minimum wages.
Georgina Beyer, New Zealand
Georgina Beyer
Georgina Beyer is the worldwide first transgender member of parliament. She has served in the parliament of New Zealand between 1999 and 2007 on behalf of the labour party. Beyer underwent the sex reassessment surgery in 1984. Her public career has started from election to school board and consequent election as a city mayor. Beyer had tried to include "gender identity" term in the list of Human Rights Act. Georgina Beyer has been elected three times, in 1999, 2002 and 2005. In 2007 she has resigned from the seat.
Other members
Vladimir Luxuria
The first member of parliament in Europe that has openly admitted transsexuality was Vladimir Luxuria. Vladimir was a member of parliament in Italy during Romano Prodi's government. Vladimir functions in public life entirely as a woman. However, Vladimir has never undergone the medical or the legal procedure of the sex change. Luxuria has been involved in organizing Italy's first pride parade in early 90's and has continued LGBT rights activism during her appointment in Italy's parliament.
A graduation tower is a wooden construction traditionally in a shape of long tower. Tower is filled with blackthorn branches.
The purpose of the graduation towers in the past was to increase the concentration of salt in saline solution and to obtain salt.
Nowadays graduation towers are used in spa towns for artificially creating salt concentration in air similar to sea shore area. Mineral rich water obtained from a local spring is run slowly from the top of the tower. Droplets of saline evaporating and breaking on the branches create a mineral rich aerosol in the vicinity of the tower. The condition of the air around towers highly depends on the weather and is the richest in minerals when evaporation is high, that is sunny and warm days.
Graduation towers in the world
Graduation towers can be found only in Poland, Germany and Austria. In all of those counties towers have been build in towns with mineral rich natural springs. Previously used for salt production, nowadays are a tourist attraction and turned towns into health resorts. Large complex of graduation towers is located in Poland in town Ciechocinek. Ciechocinek became a health resort mainly used by people with respiratory tract problems.
Order of Teutonic Knights has been created after the crusades in Jerusalem.
Together with Knights Templar and Knights Hospitaller was one of the largest
three orders created on the legacy of crusades. Teutonic Knights Order was based
on participants of the crusaders of German origin. Initially order was to act as
guards of injured and sick knights of German origin. Pope Clement III officially
founded the order when the knights moved from Jerusalem to Akka. After the conquest
of Akka the Pope gave the city and its neighbourhood into the power of the order. Over many years of diplomatic efforts of the Grand Master Hermann von Salza, Teutonic Knight become a powerful and respected force in Europe. Vatican and the Holy Roman Empire awarded the Teutonic Order with land and many privileges in Palestine and in Europe. The ambitions of the Grand Master were to create an independent Teutonic Country. Teutonic Order obtained great land donations in Transylvania in Hungary in 1211. However, the donations have been withdrawn after the Teutonic Knights broke the agreement of the donation in 1225. In 1226 the Order has received a lese of land in Poland from Konrad I of Masovia.
Teutonic Knights in Poland
Duke of Masovia, Konrad I of Masovia invited the military religious Teutonic Knights Order to Poland having problems with Prussian rides over his land. Main role of Teutonic Knights was suppose to be christianisation of pagan Prussia and keeping peace on the border with Masovia. Teutonic Knights conquered Prussian land and created their own country. Ambitions of the Order become even larger and in the next century great Polish - Teutonic war has started. The war has definitely ended in 1525 when Teutonic Knights lost their land in Poland and keept only their possessions in the Holy Roman Empire.
On the map above we marked all Teutonic castles in Poland. Well preserved castles have been marked in red and ruins in blue. The largest Teutonic castle has been build in Malbork that became a capital of the Teutonic Country. The castle in Malbork is until today the world largest castle.
Present Teutonic Knights
The Teutonic Order functions until today. Its headquarter is located in Viena and the Order possesses many locations in Austria, Germany, Slovenia, Belgium, Italy, Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Order is nowadays focusing on running hospitals, helping older people and running nursing homes. Bruno Platter is the Great Master of the Teutonic Order since 2000. At the 600th anniversary of the the great Polish-Teutonic battle in Grunwald, Bruno Platter visited Poland and was a guest of Polish president.
The legacy of Teutonic Knights in Poland is a great tourist attraction. Many of the castles have been destroyed during wars, but large fraction of them with the castle in Malbork for example have been very well preserved and turned into museums.
If you are planing to travel to central or eastern Europe you should definitely visit Poland. If you are looking for destination and have not decided yet, look at the things that are waiting for you in Poland and reconsider your next years holidays.
The oldest settlements
The archaeological site in Biskupin contains reconstructed fortified settlement and village from approximately 750 year b.c. The museus is open all year long and reenactments of peoples life and culture are organized every summer. The village is situated by the scenic lake and is close to Bydgoszcz which is one the main metropolis of Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship. The settlement has been accidentally discovered in 1933 when local drainage works have lowered the level of the lake. Since 1934 Biskupin is an active archeological site .
Kraków old Polish Capital
Kraków is the main metropolis in the southern Poland. Before the capital has been moved to Warsaw, Kraków was home of the royal castle. Kraków is one of the oldest Polish cities and is the location of the oldest Polish University. Jagiellonian University has been established in 1364 and is one of the world oldest universities. Kraków is well preserved and suffered very little damage over the wars. Many of monuments in Kraków have been put on UNESCO Worlds Heritage Sites.
Gothic Castles
Teutonic Castle in Malbork
Almost every city and town in Poland has a well preserved caste or its ruins. Town Malbork at the north of Poland is home for the world largest castle that more than 500 years ago was a capital of Teutonic Knights country. Ruins and castles are open for tourists and wait with a museum and a guide.
Many of the Polish towns are located in regions rich in natural resources with salty spring waters or hot springs. Around those towns people have build spas and unique health resorts. Graduation towers are one of the most unique constructions. One the pictures below from the left are graduation towers in Ciechocinek and Inowrocław in Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship and Spa in Ląndek Zdrój at the south of Poland.
See the bisons
Białowieża Forest is one of the last places in Europe to see wild bisons. Białowieża Forest is one of the largest forest in Poland and lies on a border of Poland and Belarus. The forest contain ancient oaks and the National Park organizes bird and bisons watching tours. Białowieża Forest was partially protected even in XV century when habitation and goods harvesting from this forest was forbidden.
Toruń, Copernicus hometown
Toruń is a gothic town in the middle of northern Poland. Its unique and well preserved gothic architecture make its old town one of the most beautiful in Poland. Nicolaus Copernicus was born in Toruń and his family house is a museum of his life and work. University in Toruń is named after Copernicus. For long time Toruń was a border city with the river dividing Poland and Teutonic Country. Modern Toruń has ruins of castles on both sides of the river.
Fallen and rebuild Warsaw
Although Warsaw is very old city, it had a very turbulent history and has been destroyed during the II World War. Warsaw is a capital of Poland since the XVI century and nowadays is home for all main government institutions. Warsaw's Old Town is location of a Royal Castle with a column of Polish king Sigismund III Vasa. Modern Warsaw has in its borders many royal palaces that are open for tourist. Warsaw has two major universities. A Palace of Culture and Science in the center of Warsas is one of the more recognizable buildings common for Eastern European capitals.
Gdańsk and Baltic Sea shore
The north of Poland has a major metropolis consistent of three major cities Gdańsk, Sopot and Gdynia. Gdańsk is the oldest and most scenic of the three cities. Part of Gdańsk called Westerplatte is a site where II World Was has started in Poland. In 2012 Gdańsk in one of the four Polish cities hosting EURO 2012 games. Old Town in Gdańsk very scenic and is home of Polish most fameus Neptun sculpture that has become a symbol of Gdańsk.
European Union changes a president country every 6 months and between July and December 2011 Poland takes this function. Poland at that time will be leading the EU Council, setting its agenda, negotiating with new members, managing and administrating the EU Council, host and organize the Council meetings. Poland takes the presidency for the first time and together with the administrative part it also promotes Polish culture in the EU and outside intensifying the number or Poland related cultural events in Poland and abroad. More informations about the cultural program of Polish presidency may be found on www.culture.pl.
EURO 2012
EURO 2012 logo
EURO 2012 will be organized by Poland and Ukraine. Poland will host football games in four very scenic cities : Gdańsk, Warsaw, Poznań and Wrocław. All of those cities are worth visiting regardless of the EURO. However, EURO 2012 may be a perfect opportunity to see the games and cities as well. All cities have airports and are easily reachable from any major European airport. Maskots of the EURO 2012 are two football players with traditional sounding names Slavek and Slavko. The first match of the EURO 2012 will be in Warsaw on 8 June and final will be played on 1 July in Kiev.
European Football Championship (EURO) in 2012 will be hosted by Poland and Ukraine together. Shared organisation of such event was done before in 2000 by Belgium and Netherlands and in 2008 when Austria and Switzerland hosted EURO 2008 together.
Poland and Ukraine are preparing for this event since few years. New stadiums had to be build and infrastructure around them prepared for all the football fans that will come to see this unique event. Hopefully Maya people were wrong and world will not end before EURO giving Spain a chance to defend their championship from 2008.
For those who are not familiar with EURO, it is an equivalence of World Cup but only for teams from Europe. Some countries like UK have more teams that enter EURO and represent for example England or Scotland separately. However, most of countries are represented by their national teams. Games that are played during EURO are the finals and eliminations are happening long line before the actual event. However, EURO is divided into group part, where all teams play agains all from the same group and play-off part. The champion holds the title for four years until the next EURO.
Games will be played in four cities in Poland and Ukraine. Map below shows all cities that will host games during EURO 2012 in Poland (marked in red) and Ukraine (marked in blue).
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