May 2014

Editor’s Page By Alejandro Grattan-Dominguez For more editorials, visit:http://thedarksideofthedream.com OUR AMERICA—A Hispanic History of the United States   (With some quotes by Allen Barra, who reviewed the book for several outlets in the U.S.) A fascinating book has recently come our way that does much to dispel many of the beliefs that millions of citizens […]

MOCTEZUMA—The  Emperor By Herbert W. Piekow   The chronicles of Moctezuma´s life are full of contradictions, including the more than half dozen spellings of his name. Although there are several spellings of Moctezuma, including those of Cortéz and Bernal Diaz del Castillo, both of whom knew the Emperor; each of the accepted translations of the

The Jewish Baseball Catcher that Caught the Nazis by Surprise Courtesy of Robert Drynan(Author Unknown)   When baseball greats Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig went on tour in baseball-crazy Japan in 1934, some fans wondered why a third-string catcher named Moe Berg was included in the troupe. The answer was simple: Berg was an American

Are The Keys In The Freezer? An Advocate’s Guide for Alzheimer’s & Other Dementias By Patricia Woodell, et al.Reviewed by Patricia Hemingway   How do families sift through the overwhelming amount of evidence and advice on dementia to determine what is relevant to them and their loved ones? Pat Woodell and her sisters did just

Imprints By Antonio Ramblés AKA Tony Passarellowww.antoniorambles.comantonio.rambles@yahoo.com Italy’s Cinque Terre gateway   Call it luck, but in years of travel I’ve rarely experience an upended itinerary that didn’t have a silver lining, and my luck again held when heavy seas prevented our ship from docking at Portofino.  The alternate port was a placed called Porto

Front Row Center By Michael Warren Social SecurityBy Andrew BergmanDirected by Phil Shepherd   Social Security is a light comedy by Andrew Bergman, who is better known as a screenwriter. New York magazine in 1985 dubbed him “The Unknown King Of Comedy.” There’s not much meat to the story, however there are plenty of smart

UNCOMMON COMMON SENSE By Bill Frayer Fair Pay for Fair Work?   Now that baseball season is back, I am reminded of the fact that Alex Rodriguez’ suspension will save the Yankees lots of money this season. His salary for 2013 alone was $28 million. That’s almost $173,000 a game, approximately four hundred times the

The Patron Saint Of Safe Travel By Bill Deanwww.mexicojourney.info   There is a lot of talk these days about whether it is safe to travel in Mexico. That kind of talk is nothing new. Saint Christopher (the “Patron Saint of Safe Travel”) shrines used to be found at Mexican bus stations and Saint Christopher medals

Expecting The Worst By John Thomas Dodds   Here’s how you play the game of preparing for the worst of anything and everything. Number of Players:  There are no limits to the number of players. Group dynamics, however, will considerably extend the playing time with the introduction of blame, indecision and lack of introspection.  Rules

Welcome to Mexico! By Victoria Schmidt The Real World   As I sit at a stoplight, I am dreading my upcoming trip to the United States. I see a man cross the street carrying a block of ice on his shoulder. And I think, “Now there’s something you never see in the USA at an intersection.”