LETTER TO THE EDITOR   Dear Sir: I have spent years reading Paul Jackson’s column (“Thunder on the Right”) and there have been times I’ve agreed with him, and times I think he’s missed the mark, but after his column in the August Ojo del Lago, I’m beginning to think he’s just lost his marbles.

Joyful Musings By Joy Birnbach DunstanA Book Review by Victoria Schmidt   Joyful Musings is a collection of vignettes from the life of Lakeside author Joy Birnbach Dunstan, whose column of the same name appears each month in the Ojo del Lago. Subtitled “Growing up, self-discovery and reflections on life north & south of the

ULYSSES S. GRANT—An Under-Appreciated Hero By David A. Harper   Alejandro Grattan’s editorial (Ojo-August issue) on Mark Twain reminded me it was Twain who personally arranged for the publishing of Grant’s memoirs on terms so favorable to Grant and his family as to allow them to live well long after his death. Ulysses S. Grant

PILGRIMS, PATHS AND PROGRESS—Toward a Comprehensive Psychotherapy By Theodore Reid, MDReviewed by David Bryen(For sale at various spots around the Lakeside area)   E. Theodore Reid, MD, has taken on the ambitious task of presenting a comprehensive psychotherapy in 208 pages. The book begins with his perspective as a medical doctor that traditional Western medicine

A MONTH IN PERU—Part II By Mel Goldberg   We left Colca Canyon and started the long and bumpy five hour ride to the town of Chivay (pronounced chee-vái), high in the Andes mountains. We seemed to be traveling back in time as our bus rattled over unpaved dirt and rocky mountain roads. I do

Following The Bluebirds By Bob Tennison   By the time Anna had reached the seventh grade, she was so “star struck” that most of her classmates avoided her. She could be found at the local cinema every Saturday afternoon where she would stay until time to go home for dinner. She spent all of her

The Afghanistan Solution By Don Edwards   The other night, I was reading about the Maccabees. It turns out that Alexander the Great’s conquests included both Judea, today’s Israel, and what is now called Afghanistan. The Maccabees were a family that led a successful rebellion against the remnants of Alexander’s empire. Eventually, of course, the

Mango By Bill Frayer   Peeling a mango is simple. Doing that one thing, now Is simple, and it is good.   So as I peel a mango I anticipate Its sweet tartness And feel my saliva Prepare itself For the first bite. And I am fully With this mango In this moment.   I

MAX BIRD—My Life Translated by Janice Kimball   Today, I am the public relations director of Aztec Art Studios in Ajijic Mexico. I strive to be a good bird as my position makes that imperative, and have only bitten a few people. I originally came from an area in Mexico where wildlife is protected, I