July 2014

Editor’s Page By Alejandro Grattan-Dominguez For more editorials, visit:http://thedarksideofthedream.com OSCAR  LEVANT—The Irreverent Genius   Someone once said of him, “Had Oscar never existed, some screenwriter would have had to make him up.” Luckily, he did exist—and what a life he lived! Before it was over, he was known around the globe as a world-class pianist […]

This House Is A “Home!” By Herbert W. Piekow   Recently some friends and I went to visit La Ola in Jocotepec, where I learned how a simple house is home for previously unwanted, unloved and abused girls. For the first time in their young lives these girls are learning about family structure and receiving

Anyone Can Train Their Dog By Art Hessartthedogguy@yahoo.com A Chat with Irvin   A while back I was sitting in the park enjoying the day and contemplating all the good stuff about my life with dogs when my old buddy Irvin came and sat beside my foot. During our chat I observed that actually dogs

Jack London’s People Of The Abyss By Dr. Lorin Swinehart   The aged carpenter, well beyond his working years, foraged among the festering garbage in the urban gutter for a bit of orange peel, a few grape stems, a bit of moldering bread, bits and pieces to sustain life for yet one more day. Jack

IMPRINTS By Antonio Ramblés antonio.rambles@yahoo.com Barbados’ Liquid Gold   Perhaps nowhere else on the planet has sugar so dominated a culture and economy as in Barbados, and the islanders learned more than 300 years ago that cane syrup distilled into rum was worth far more per pound than the raw product.  The syrup was at

The Mystery Of The Lip-Lock By Katina Pontikes   My first date was to attend a homecoming dance, which would be held at my Catholic girls’ school in Louisiana.  Getting a date had not been easy, as the school system was structured to protect our virginity, and we had very little contact with the guys

UNCOMMON COMMON SENSE By Bill Frayer Ignorance Is Not Bliss   We are all very familiar with Gorge Santayana’s famous quote about those who forget history are doomed to repeat it. This quote may no longer be relevant, not because it is not true, but because we are so ignorant about history that we have

Looking Older With Attitude By Sunny Glessner   It’s almost a shock each morning to see that older woman’s face peering back from my bathroom mirror.  Not that she’s that old, or looks as old as she is, mind you. The reason for the shock is that I feel younger inside than the reflection I

Welcome to Mexico!By Victoria Schmidt Low Season   Here at Lakeside, we divide the year into two seasons:  high season and low season. High season reflects that time when many of the “snow birds” return up north to the milder temperatures, and to qualify for their insurance. Low season is that time when the year-round

“English As It Is Spoke” By Peter E . Gibbons   Sometimes I wonder if there’s a similarity between an American immigrant learning to speak ‘’English” and ex-pats like ourselves learning to speak Mexican Spanish! Having bought an American company in 1980, I was required to employ Americans to qualify for my Green Card and