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| C. Denson Hill |
When I first started this class blog, I had no idea who would not only read it, but also feed me information and news of their life. Those of you who respond are always so welcome. The one I probably least expected to write was DENNY HILL. To my delight, he has been one of my most prolific contributors. Not always things I post on the blog, but I can count on interesting emails from him on a regular basis.
I've had a few bumps in the road (to borrow a phrase from PAUL MOTA) healthwise this summer that have kept me indoors more than usual. DENNY managed to keep me from feeling sorry for myself, but also kept me more involved with the happenings of the world. Particularly what has been going on in Greece. As you remember, DENNY has purchased a flat in Warsaw, Poland, where he goes every summer. Part of his summer he spends in Berlin. As he was in Berlin the past few weeks, he was inundated with the news of Greece and their possible exit from the EU. He said that that was nearly all they talked about on German TV.. His circle of friends include some influential folks, who's analyses and views on the situation in Europe are very astute, and they kept him up-to-date on what was happening, and how it was being reported in the U.S.. As he received information, he forwarded it to me. I commented on the disparity of some reports, and newspapers I wasn't always keen on. I get aggravated with the NY Times in particular, as they try to force you into subscribing before reading one of their articles online. I feel that many of us are manipulated by the media. We are often fed (or denied) news slanted to a particular opinion. I often got vastly different versions as I read my online news sources.
As I complained, DENNY sent me the following. The story about his time in Caracas rang a bell, and I finally remembered he related that same one in the information he sent for our BHS handbook.
“On those very rare occasions where I have had some firsthand experience with something, the NY Times has gotten it terribly wrong.
Example 1: Around 1988 I was in Caracas for 2 weeks. On the second day a mini civil war broke out, with an attempted coup to overthrow their president, Carlos Andreas Perez. I was trapped for a week in my hotel, under a strict curfew, keeping the lights off and the windows shut, as they were shooting at lighted windows. The machine gun fire started around each midnight and lasted until 4 am. In the morning there were bodies on the street. The morgues were overflowing; 3,000-4,000 people were killed in the capital alone, as the fighting spread to other parts of Venezuela, and some thousands more were wounded. Finally it stopped, as the rebellion was put down. When I got back to New York, and looked at the old copies of my NY Times, which had piled up in my absence, they reported that there had been 'some rioting' in Caracas. (This was the pre-event which later led to a bigger one, bringing in Chavez.)
Example 2: NY Times reporting about the possible causes and circumstances around the plane crash in Smolensk in 2010, which killed the Polish President, the President of the Parliament, the Chief of the Air Force, the Chief of the Navy, the Chief of the Central Bank, the head of State Security, Secret Service, high representatives from the church and NATO. In all, around 99 of the elite of the country was simply COPIED into English, without any critical thinking or investigation, from the (propagandized) media reports supported by the opposition party to the one of the above-mentioned president."
In the past I posted photos of DENNY's flat that he owns in Warsaw. He has now decided to purchase the second one on the same floor. In the above photo, you can see the open windows of this second flat. Also, from those windows you get a fantastic view of the New Town Market Square. His current flat is at the back of the building and overlooks a lovely courtyard. Here's what he said about the new one.
"The front of my building is one of very few which survived World War II, so it is original! (The back of the building burned during the war, but the front wall somehow survived). So it is sort of a historical building in Warsaw. It was built in 1778, and is still firmly standing, with cellars below. Being on the UNESCO list of protected world sites, I can expect that the city of Warsaw will keep it up, so I do not have to worry about it becoming run down. Also, because the building is 'protected' by Polish law, my property tax on both apartments is zero."
I looked for a photo of "New" Town Market Square, but could only find ones for "Old" Town Market Square. Maybe they have changed the name?
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| Old Town Market Square |
DENNY is always quick to respond when I throw a fit about our Texas politics, or events happening in the States, i.e., the Confederate flag brouhaha. I, too, had ancestors who fought in the Civil War.. I even had some who owned slaves. However, I have always been a supporter of civil rights, and bemoaned the treatment of blacks in our country. (The flag of the Confederacy I have always equated with the Ku Klux Klan.) No doubt the young (and some old) soldiers who fought and lost their lives and/or limbs in the Civil War were brave and devoted to their individual states. I remember hearing how it was the poorer ones for the most part who served for the Confederacy. The wealthy ones paid men to go in their stead. And it was the wealthy who owned the most slaves. I do not believe it is a denial of our Southern pride to put these flags in museums, and not glorify them. As for the one in S.C., they did not start putting it at the State Capitol until the Civil Rights Movement.
From DENNY:
"Life, and history, are very complicated. So among the many axes one might grind, I would grind very few.
I am a UR (original) Americaner; most of my ancestors came 8 to 10 generations ago...back in colonial times, long before the USA existed...earliest in 1608, and most all before 1700.
Hence I feel it is my right to say whatever I want to those newcomers who came only a few generations ago, e.g., my ancestors all fought in the war for independence against the British, and then later half of them were on the north side, and half of them were on the south side during our Civil War. And I am 1/16 Choctaw; not much, but I am aware of their death march from Mississippi to Oklahoma.
Of course, everyone involved fought a noble and honest fight, given the times, and their particular situation."
He will be back in Port Jefferson August 15th, in time to take up his position as professor of mathematics at Stony Brook University in New York. I will miss getting all of the fascinating stories from him (he has tales of meeting such interesting people, such as movie producers, actresses, etc.), as I know he will not have the time on his hands that being in Europe affords him.
Am I the only one who enjoys hearing about and living vicariously in someone else's escapades? My life is pretty tame and probably boring to some in comparison! I know some of you must have had fun and interesting vacations this summer. JIMMY COWLISHAW wrote me earlier that he and his wife were going to Florida to visit their daughter. I'm still waiting on some photos, and maybe a story or two about your trip, JIM.
I know we have had too many losses of our classmates in recent years, however, I also believe we have more "good stuff" happening. Why not share yours with us?
I have a few photos from DOTTIE BISHOP ROGERS, and an update on her life I will post soon.
Peace and love to you all,
Marilyn
