Blogs

Najlepsze polskie skrzypaczki

At the height of his career, Paganini was asked who was the best violin player of them all. “I don’t know who’s the best,” he answered with his natural modesty, “but the second-best is Karol Lipiński. There were many superb Polish violinists. Many of them were born when Poland was

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KYIV, UA - SEPTEMBER 26, 2017: Memory, memories, past, yesterday - film.

Jesteśmy stworzeni ze wspomnień

I love memories. I love good memories. I also love the bad ones, although not as much. They are all parts of my life. I’ve lived in many towns and cities on both continents and cherish visiting all the old places. And I often surprise myself, knowing how many people

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Starzenie się

Recently I’ve attended our fiftieth anniversary of graduation from Warsaw Medical University. Fifty years! Fifty years? At that time I never thought I’ll live that long. Fifty years ago we all gathered in the same city, received navy-blue booklets with our pictures in them, and then dispersed all over the

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Jak Polacy walczyli o swój kraj

80 years ago, our neighbors decided to change the course of Polish history. The Nazis invaded us from the West and the Soviets from the East. Once again, as it did through the centuries, our country had to defend its identity, culture, heritage and its territory. The brutality of the

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Wielkie ogłoszenie. Obwieszczenie

Z niesłychaną dumą zawiadamiam moich przyjaciół i czytelników, że moja strona internetowa witoldniesluchowski.com jest teraz do czytania w języku polskim. Blogi będą przetłumaczone w następnej kolejności. Do moich przyjaciół i czytelników: Moja strona internetowa witoldniesluchowski.com jest teraz dostępna w polskiej wersji językowej. Blogi będą przetłumaczone w następnej kolejności.

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Powinniśmy wychwalać ludzi przed ich śmiercią

There was a time during my tenure as a Chief of Staff when quite a few of our doctors died. Attending the funerals wasn’t that uncommon, but that time seemed like more than usual. I attended most of them, not ex officio, but because they were my friends. The ceremonies

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Mroczne czasy, Powrót do domu

Those were the dreadful times. They were trying times. Polish people were put in the positions, where there were no viable solutions. Any bad choice, and you end up with a bullet in your head. Yet, people helped each other. Unspeakable danger quite often brings up the worst in people.

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Mroczne czasy, Wycieczka do Auschwitz

There were the worst of times for my family, my country and the world. Two terrible powers, on their insane way to dominate, crushed everything and everybody that was on the way to oppose their vision of the world. Poland, for millennia, was squeezed between bad and worse, between two

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Blog pisarza, odwieczny boogeyman

Now, in my retirement, I am a perpetual reader. Not only of fiction, but also non-fiction, mainly books about the craft of storytelling. And there is an abundant supply of advice on how to strengthen your writing. Besides books you can touch, there are e-books, blogs, YouTube snippets and formal

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Moja twórczość - opowiadania, część trzecia.

Wer reited so spat durch Nacht und Wind? … Who rides there so late through the night, dark and drear? … Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Goethe, Der Erlkoenig.  The Erlking.  I remember this poem from my high school class in romantic literature.  The story of a father riding horseback through

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Nadchodzi polska wersja mojej strony internetowej.

Seems so obvious now, but it took quite a few years to crystallize. With the advent of Google Analytics, I realized my website is missing Polish readers. The English readership in my native country is getting better, but my generation prefers to speak and read Polish. So, with the help

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Moje teksty - opowiadania, część pierwsza.

Good writers borrow, great writers steal. Oscar Wilde It came to me that I can use my already published materials as a source for further writing. I chose one, probably the most interesting chapter in each book, and developed it into a short story. Yes, I did steal them, but

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O czym piszę i dlaczego

Writing a novel is a long game. Months, often years. Intense, lonely hours. But if you like it––it’s exhilarating. There is this liberating feeling of creation and accomplishment. And constant study. I had the stories to tell, but that was not enough. I had to learn the literary language. I

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Moja podróż jako pisarza

How did I become a writer? By the end of my hospital life, I’ve decided what I wanted in the retirement.  With a sudden ‘But of course!’ writing became a major interest of mine. In time, it gradually dominated most of my days’, and sometimes nights’, hours. The learning process

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Ogłoszenie mojej nowej strony internetowej

First, it was this lingering and then growing feeling that the old website just, well, got old. We lived together for five years, and it served me faithfully, just like my first car. But then I moved on with my writing and the time came for an upgrade. I decided

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Spektakl literackiej Nagrody Nobla

I shouldn’t complain about the Nobel Prize in literature. Polish writers received this prestigious award five times, and, by the numbers, we are in the top of so distinguished countries. Not bad. But when you think about the idea of rewarding a person for being the best writer in the world, and about

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Dorastanie w czasach komunizmu w Polsce

In 1953, March 6th happened on Friday. When I came to the class in the morning, I saw my third-grade teacher sitting at her desk, head buried in her hands, crying. We sensed a personal tragedy, and not knowing how to react, quietly took our seats. She then looked at

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Rozruszniki serca

My uncle died in Poland during the implant of his permanent pacemaker. At that time, I was a medical student, and I thought I should be able to understand why did it happen. I couldn’t, and I still don’t. A few years later, I came to this country and started

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Dlaczego?

Czesława Kwoka was 14 years old. On the arrival, they tattooed number 26947 on her left forearm. Then they took her picture. Not before the guard beat her up with a club. The Germans had sent the girl and her mother to Auschwitz to be exterminated. Both came from the

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Ile z ziemskich dóbr potrzebujemy?

While they were getting older, I realized my parents’ future looked grim in Poland. The communism maintained its tight grip on the economy and politics. The unrest past the brewing point and spilled on the streets. Everyday survival got to be a challenge. Moreover, their medical care was compromised. They

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Psy kundle mają to, co najlepsze w swoich przodkach

Mongrel. What’s an awful name for a dog. A dog not belonging to any recognizable tribe of dogs. A product of an accident. Incidental dog. Oops-dog. Dog-pariah. My dog-loving nature shakes with horror. I go to a local bakery often and frequently ask for a bagel. The one I like

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Życie z Bentleyem, moim pisarskim towarzyszem

For many people, and I certainly know for me, dogs are a big, irreplaceable part of their lives. I didn’t grow up with dogs, but now I can’t imagine my life without my furry friend. But with their short life-span, dogs rarely outlive their owners. So, more often than not, the

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Czterdzieści pięć lat kardiochirurgii

In my gym, I meet the best people, and have the most interesting conversations, in the jacuzzi. It’s located in a corner of the large pool area and surrounded by a huge bay window extension. The sun is abundant, the water seems tropical, and, if I would drink, I would

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Co piłka nożna i opera mają ze sobą wspólnego

The year was 1994 and America was getting ready to host the FIFA World Soccer Cup. The United States Soccer Federation tried hard to popularize the sport, which dominates the rest of the world. The professional broadcasters wanted to use complicated statistics to enhance the appeal to the fans. Percentages,

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Pisanie książek i embriologia powieści

Why do I write You are an aspiring writer. The idea for this book grew in your mind. You know what to write, but still, don’t know how to write. Yellow legal pad and pencil (which number?), pen? Word processor? Google? Word? Scrivener? You start typing and discover new problems:

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Dramat na parkiecie

The life story of Dr. Jack Murano goes on. Fathers and Sons After years of estrangement, his daughter asked Jack to walk her down the aisle during her wedding with Nick. He sees it as an honor and a great chance for reconciliation with Kate. She sees it as an opportunity

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Premiera książki; Zmartwychwstania, Człowiek i jego pies

Imagine; Image yourself starting a new career after the retirement. From scratch. Tabula rasa. In a different country. Using the language you were not born into. With the help of technology developed after you decided to end your lifelong calling. There are many components to becoming a writer. The first

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Dlaczego lekarze popełniają samobójstwa

This had happened at the end of one of my surgical boards’ exams, quite a long time ago. The day was long and we were all exhausted. We were also anxious to know if we passed. Years of studies, sacrifices and high expectations finally came to the end. We were

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Ewolucja okładki książki

A few weeks ago, I was ready to push the button and publish “The Resurrections.”  My biggest work so far.  The front cover was done, and I’ve sent the text for final proofreading. Then I saw an iconic photo of Mugu Rock by Eric Zumstein. Breathtaking. After reading my novel, the

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Milenialsi i emerytura

“When I was a boy of 14, my father was so ignorant, I could hardly stand to have the old man around. But when I got to be 21, I was astonished at how much the old man had learned in seven years.”  Mark Twain I should know something about

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Bentley, mój oddany towarzysz pisania

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die, I want to go where they went. Will Rogers Bentley was our Christmas gift to Bonnie. The eight-weeks-old came with a red ribbon and a bow. Instead of a Jaguar.  The kids and I did many secret talks, and

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Przejście do trzeciego trymestru życia

Just imagine… Imagine yourself walking in an upscale suburban neighborhood. It’s late evening. Through the bay window, you can see a well lit but otherwise darkly furnished room. It looks like an old-fashioned library. There is a late middle age man sitting in a partially unfolded recliner with his elbows

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Lekarze o artystycznym umyśle

Recently, I came across of a unique book. This work is a tribute by Dr. Gosta Iwasiuk to his father Vladimir. It’s an anthology of the works of a person, who created a magnificent body of paintings and sculptures. In his spare time, he was also a physician. Born just

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Nadchodzący sequel "Ojców i synów"

To all my friends, Over the last year or so, I’ve been working on my new book. “The Resurrections, Man and His Dog” is a story about a cardiac surgeon who doesn’t know how and when to retire. If you read my first book “Fathers and Sons”, the present book

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Witolda Pileckiego opowieść o największej odwadze

The movie “The Enigma Secret”, which came out in 1979, presented the Polish version of the events, and never achieved the publicity, as its British counterpart “The Imitation Game”, which appeared in 2014. Not unlike the Polish soldiers’ contribution to the final results of WW2. Having sustained the most casualties

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Jak Polacy zostali ponownie wydymani przez naszych sojuszników

The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting. Sun Tzu Imagine the invisible war. The countries fight for their lives without weapons, soldiers, casualties, and without the property damage. At least not in the conventional meaning. The borders are imaginary.The fighters sit behind giant supercomputers and never

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Odnajdywanie korzeni rodzinnych w Polsce

“A tree without roots is just a piece of wood.”― Marco Pierre White Wouldn’t you love to meet your great-grandparents? Or at least, as an invisible man hover above their farm and watch them for a day or so? I would. Their farm in still there. But the only thing left

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Uczenie się z przeszłości i odkrywanie swoich korzeni

History gives us a sense of proportion: it’s an antidote to a lot of unfortunately human trends like self-importance and self-pity. David McCullough Historian and Pulitzer prize winner. But first, one has to know his history. Here is a typical story I hear so often. We meet and after the initial

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Co dzieje się na sali operacyjnej po zaśnięciu pacjenta?

The meetings with readers are a constant source of enlightenment and inspiration. Each book is a multilayered work. Besides the obvious narrative, there are many better and not-so-well hidden thoughts and ideas. Just like in real life. The most uplifting comment I’ve heard from my reader was that each time

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Roundup, Obraz; Polski serial wojenny część 1

In a deep corner of the old drawer, he found a browned shoebox with two rubber bands holding the top down. On its side, the box had a yellowed sticker with ‘BLACK AND WHITE’ written with a broad, dark pencil. The rubber bands seemed aged, partially cracked, but still holding

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Skrzypce i droga do doskonałości

If you’ve ever listened to the second part of Paganini’s violin concerto #4… you know that a violin can be an angelic instrument. But after listening to Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saëns… you also know it can sound like a Devils fiddle. And after listening to Charlie Daniels band… now

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"Tristan i Izolda", pięciogodzinna próba ognia

Tristan and Isolde. “I know of some, and have heard of many, who could not sleep after it, but cried the night away.” Mark Twain, after watching the performance.  He couldn’t be accused of being an overly sentimental person. French composer Emmanuel Chabrier heard it in Munich in 1880 and broke

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Nasza Droga do Sukcesu albo Siatkówka w Akademii Medycznej w Warszawie

W roku 1961 zacząłem studia medyczne w Warszawie. Siatkówką zainteresowałem się jeszcze w szkole średniej i dla zachowania równowagi psychofizycznej chciałem również grać na mojej uczelni. Szczęśliwie znalazłem tam zespół podobnych zapaleńców. Skromne początki   Treningi odbywały się na odległym stadionie i w dodatku późnym wieczorem. Ponieważ zajęcia na uczelni

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Siatkówka w Warszawskiej Szkole Medycznej w latach 60.

It was 1961, and I’ve just started my medical school in Warsaw. Volleyball interested me since high school and since I wanted to have a physical balance to my book education, I’ve found a volleyball team at my university. Modest beginnings We had practices in a far away arena late

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Jak radzić sobie z gniewem jak Budda

One day, the Buddha and a large following of monks and nuns were passing through a village. The Buddha chose a large shade tree to sit beneath, so the group could rest for a while out of the heat. He often chose times like these to teach, and so he

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Moje pierwsze wydarzenie klubu książki w Briar Chapel

After writing more or less seriously for several years, I am fascinated by a question: ‘why people write?’ I know why I started. My father already died, and my mother was getting older. They both went through hell in their lives together. Father didn’t talk much, but mother was a

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Złość na sali operacyjnej

This scene looks familiar to most people who ever worked in the operating room. A high-power doctor, say a cardiac surgeon, is doing a long and complicated case. The stakes are high, the chances for complications significant, and he dreads any mistakes. Everybody in the room senses a tense situation,

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Historia kryjąca się za obrazem

There are no colleges in Poland. In our last year of high school, we had to decide where to continue our education. To help us make a conscious choice, our beloved Latin, French and an ancient history teacher, Mrs. Libera invited several of her graduated students to talk to us

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Najlepszy prezent na Dzień Ojca w historii.

During my years in California, while in a private practice of cardiovascular surgery, I was elected the president of the local chapter of the American Heart Association.  During one of the meetings, a late middle-aged woman came to me and said, “I know you!”  I said, “You do!” thinking of

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Rok 21-letniego bramkarza

It’s not enough to say they are a different breed. They must be crazy to stay in the way of a piece of rubber traveling in your direction at the speed of light. They can hardly walk on a rubber mat leading to the rink, while they have to maneuver

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Wzloty i upadki wykonawcy

Just imagine…. Imagine yourself in front of 18,000 people in a tightly packed arena. You have been waiting for this opportunity throughout your entire life. The moment you get in, crowds start screaming and rarely get quiet during your three-hours performance. Most of these people are friendly, but some are

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Czytanie poezji czyni cię lepszym człowiekiem

We were sitting waiting in the conference room for our course to start. It was a marketing seminar for writers. Sue sat next to me, and somehow we started a conversation about the language. She writes poetry and obviously the language is her tool and mastery of it is her

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Czy skrzypce to diabelski instrument?

On that night, in the year 1713, I dreamed I had made a pact with the devil for my soul. Everything went as I wished: my new servant anticipated my every desire. Among other things, I gave him my violin to see if he could play. How great was my

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Jak radzić sobie ze stresem podczas operacji?

By the end of my medical school, I was set to become a cardiologist. At that time, a prominent cardiology department in Warsaw Medical School even offered me a position. Then I had a conversation about my future with a professor who was the head of general surgery powerhouse, well

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Wolisz, aby Twój chirurg był szybki czy skrupulatny?

One of the chief fascinations of surgery is the management of wounded vessels and avoidance of hemorrhage. The only weapon with which the unconscious patient can immediately retaliate upon the incompetent surgeon is hemorrhage. If he bleeds to death, it may be presumed that the surgeon is to blame. Whereas

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surgeon in operating room at hospital

Gniew na sali operacyjnej

Anyone can become angry – that is easy, but to be angry with the right person at the right time, and for the right purpose and in the right way – that is not in everybody’s power and that is not easy. Aristotle We have four children. I’ve spanked my

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Najlepsze danie w polskiej kuchni

After WWII, countries in Europe were deluged with art inspired by the monstrosities of the conflict. Despite a relatively small population, Poland was presented with one of the highest casualty lists, the highest as a percentage of the total population of the nations. No wonder that the resulting impression on

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Jak zmierzyć sukces w życiu chirurga?

Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful. Albert Schweitzer But how to get there? It was the second half of the 19th century. In Albany, New York, a middle age woman developed sharp,

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Historia krzyża w kościele mojego ojca

Christianity has a long history in Poland. In the 900s, we had no country – just a bunch of Slavic tribes. The ruler of one of them, Mieszko, had big ambitions, which fortunately were backed by the political and military skills. Having unification on his mind, Mieszko I, with substantial

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Podróż do Europy i jak sfinansować swoją edukację

Kilka miesięcy temu Bonnie i ja wróciliśmy z wyczerpującej podróży na kontynent, na którym spędziłem pierwsze trzydzieści lat mojego życia. Cztery kraje, niezliczone miasta i wiele nieprzespanych nocy. Ale nie wycenilibyśmy wszystkich wspomnień, które mamy, ani pieniężnie, ani w żaden inny sposób.

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Ekscytujące czasy dla ojców i synów.

The book is written and printed. Not available yet but for a few highly selected friends. The reviews are nice so far, but again, these are friends and the family. A big marketing campaign is coming. The next few months will be interesting. How did it come to that? When I

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Jak leczyć rany drzew

Our lot in Briar Chapel was covered with trees. The battle with builders was tough, but we were able to spare ten decent, tall trees. I had to almost throw myself in the path of their bulldozer… (just kidding, we could negotiate and put ribbons on a few trees). But

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Sceny seksu w powieści

Before publication I asked a few friends to read my medical mystery novel Fathers and Sons. One of them had an interesting question: why are there no sex scenes in your novel? Well, I didn’t have a good answer. But John Grisham did. During one of the conferences, he was

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Robaczek pomidorowy i jak zostać ogrodnikiem

A visit to the local independent bookstore, McIntyre’s Books is always a treat. Books there are invariably abundant, and the atmosphere is inviting for a quiet reading. During winter fireplace regularly provides the welcomed shelter and summery hot days can be tolerated better inside. Weekly readings by local and not-so-local

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Joseph Conrad i bycie pisarzem dwujęzycznym

The life and writings of Joseph Conrad fascinate me. He was born Józef Teodor Konrad Korzeniowski in the area of Poland annexed by Russia after the partitioning of my country at the end of the 18th century. His father was a highly educated person. Writer, translator and would-be-revolutionary member of

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Odwaga i cena uczciwości

It was 1942, three years after the German invasion of Poland. In the village of Rekowka, 90 miles south of Warsaw, German troops appeared in a house occupied by two families, Skoczylas and Kosiorow. Apparently acting on a tip, they were looking for Jews. Indeed, there were six Jewish people

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Czy możemy zostać pozwani za prawdziwe historie?

There is quite a typical disclaimer printed in most of the novels. One can find it as close to the front page as possible. This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, descriptions, dialogue, plot, assessment concepts, test questions and charts, settings and incidents are products of the author’s

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Historia jako moje bio na stronie internetowej

The book is close to being published. The front cover is ready, just waiting for a final sign-off. The website is under construction. I am getting acutely aware that writing is only half of the work. The other half is marketing. Unless you have a well-known name. The first thing

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Loving Senior Father Hugging Adult Son Indoors At Home

Pożegnanie z ojcem

The surgery was long and complicated. Then Dr. Murano had to take the patient back to the OR for bleeding. It was well after midnight when he got home. The ICU nurse kept calling him with the updates, and it didn’t sound like his patient was stable. Blood pressure was

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Początek, środek i koniec

Writing novels is not unlike writing music. I am talking about bigger compositions – symphonies and instrumental concertos. But we can also include some better pop pieces. If an author (or composer) wants to describe the mood and feelings, he or she can come up with the own form which

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Największa masakra w historii Europy

During the process of learning how to write a novel, one is urged to study how to begin the story. The opening of the novel is said to have the ability not so much to break it, as is seen as a chance to raise it to the memorable level.

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Odwieczne pytanie dla ludzi, którzy emigrują

A few weeks ago, I traveled to Chicago to meet my friends from Poland. We are all physicians, all surgeons. We were trained by one of the most prominent Polish professors of surgery, a very well-educated, renaissance man, speaking five or six languages. Prof. Nielubowicz was in turn trained in

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Polska migracja i jak zrekompensować nasze braki

The history of Poland is known for massive waves of migration of her citizens. The phenomenon is easily attributed to our geographical location on the East-West political and trading routes and us being squeezed between the two, and sometimes three, four and even five, big and megalomaniac powers. During the

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Jak spojrzeć na geniusza z wadami?

The year was 1881 and a young woman was dying from the postpartum hemorrhage. The young, 29 years old surgeon was contacted and after deliberations he drew blood from his own vein and transfused it to the patient. The patient recovered. German scientist Landsteiner discovered and described ABO blood group

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Sposób na zdobycie przyjaciół

A year or so before planning retirement and not being completely sure to stay in California or to go to North Carolina, I attended a vascular conference in New York. There I approached the chief of the vascular department in the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. I told

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Wróciłem!

Od mojego ostatniego wpisu minęło prawie pół roku. Nie był to czas bezczynności, wręcz przeciwnie. Pracowałem nad swoją pierwszą powieścią. Jest już prawie skończona, zostały tylko ostatnie poprawki i szlify. A potem wysłać ją w świat. Bardzo ekscytujące i zabawne.

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Closeup of weight scales overweight and obesity concept

Najlepszy sposób na utratę wagi

I was coming down in the elevator after the Duke vascular conference had finished.  Halfway down, the car stopped and two men in blue scrubs entered.  One, quite large, said : “Man, I just weighed myself.  260 pounds is too much.” There was a look of concern in the other

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Concept of pension or retirement plan on yellow background

Emerytura to idealny czas na dalszą edukację

Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication Leonardo da Vinci Friday morning vascular department conferences are special for me.  For several reasons. Firstly, it’s the time.  The conference starts at 7am.  I usually get up at 5am, get ready, read emails and news.  Car drive is lonely and quiet. No comparison to

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Co poezja może zrobić z tobą

I am not confused, I am just well mixed Robert Frost I was waiting in front of the elevator after Duke’s vascular conference has ended. I pushed the desired floor button, waiting for a car to come.  Then I noticed a poem displayed on the wall between the doors and

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Nauka, jak polubić operę, wymaga czasu

An opera begins long before the curtain goes up and ends long after it has come down. Maria Callas The human voice is the most beautiful instrument of all, but also the most difficult to play. Richard Strauss While in my music school in Poland, our teachers provided us with

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Aby być wolnym, trzeba umieć się bronić.

In two weeks it will be 70 years.  Two, may be three generations ago.  How many people still remember it?  How many of them, who saw it with their own eyes, are still alive?   And there were only a few not afflicted by these events. The Biblical scene of

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Co nowego w Polsce

Sovereignty is not given, it is taken. Kamal Ataturk Once again, Poland was stood up by her allies. Before WWll we had military agreements with the governments of Great Britain and France regarding common defense in case of military aggression on either country.  We also had a nonaggression agreement with Russia.

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