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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
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PUBLISHER
Richard Tingen
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Alejandro Grattan-Domínguez Tel: (01376) 765 3676, 765 2877 Fax: (01376) 765 3528 Associate Publisher David Tingen Graphic Design Roberto C. Rojas Sandra Hernandez Special Events Editor Sandy Olson Associate Editor Jim Tipton Contributing Editor Mark Sconce Drama Critic Michael Warren Art Critic Rob Mohr Roving Correspondent Dr. Lorin Swinehart Sales Managers Omar Medina Bruce Fraser 2I¿FH 6HFUHWDU\ Rocio Madrigal ADVERTISING OFFICE Av. Hidalgo # 223, Chapala Mon. thru Fri. 9am - 5pm Sat. 9am - 1pm Tel. 01 (376) 765 2877, 765 3676 Fax 01 (376) 765 3528 Send all correspondence, subscriptions or advertising to: El Ojo del Lago http://www.chapala.com ojodellago@prodigy.net.mx Ave. Hidalgo 223 (or Apartado 279), 45900 Chapala, Jalisco Tels.: (376) 765 3676, Fax 765 3528 PRINTING: El Debate El Ojo del Lago aparece los primeros cinco días de cada mes. (Distributed over WKH ¿UVW ¿YH GD\V RI HDFK PRQWK) &HUWL¿FDGR GH /LFLWXG GH 7tWXOR &HUWL¿FDGR GH /LFLWXG GH &RQWHQLGR
Index...
FEATURE ARTICLES
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COVER STORY
Herbert Piekow writes about Hernan Cortes, surely one of the most fascinating men in all of history, and who lived in an equally compelling time.
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BOOK REVIEW
Jim Tuck takes a look at The Irish Soldiers of Mexico, and is blown away by the enormous research Prof. Michael Hogan did, as well as by his book’s riveting narrative about one of the saddest yet little-known moments in Mexican history.
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COMMENTARY
Dr. Lorin Swinehart thinks that the US is no longer a democracy, and blames corporations for turning the country into a plutocracy. A Republican president, Theodore Roosevelt, once felt exactly the same way.
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LITERARY NEWS
The 2015 Lake Chapala Writers Conference is coming up, and the array of wellknown guest lecturers is the best ever.
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FICTION
Peter Basson writes about an American sailor leaving the Philippines for the last time, and the fascinating native girl he has to leave behind.
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POETRY
John Thomas Dodds waxes poetic about a middle-aged Mexican whom many of us have seen for years walking around town, proudly sporting an attitude that belies his humble station in life.
Reserva al Título de Derechos de Autor 04-2011-103110024300-102 Control 14301. Permisos otorgados por la Secretaría de Gobernación (EXP. 1/432 “88”/5651 de 2 de junio de 1993) y SEP (Reserva 171.94 control 14301) del 15 de enero de 1994. Distribución: Hidalgo 223 Chapala, Jalisco, México. All contents are fully protected by copyright and may not be reproduced without the written consent of El Ojo del Lago. Opinions expressed E\ WKH DXWKRUV GR QRW QHFHVVDULO\ UHÀHFW WKH views of the Publisher or the Editor, nor are we responsible for the claims made by our advertisers. We welcome letters, which should include name, address and telephone number.
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COVER STORY
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Editor’s Page
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Anyone Train Dog
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Imprints
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Uncommon Sense
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Hearts at Work
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Front Row Center
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Lakeside Living
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Bridge by Lake
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Child of Month
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Profiling Tepehua
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Welcome to Mexico
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LCS Newsletter
LAKESIDE LIVING
VOLUME 31 NUMBER 5
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Editor’s Page %\ $OHMDQGUR *UDWWDQ 'RPLQJXH] For more editorials, visit: http://thedarksideofthedream.com
We’re Off to See the Wizard!
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his past year marked the 75th anniversary of The Wizard of Oz, which was recently named “the most watched movie ever” by the Library of Congress. Since the film’s debut in 1939, it is estimated that more than one billion people have seen the film—but the movie was not a hit when it was first released. Here are some other lesser-known facts about this classic which has been called (rightly) “the most beloved film of all time.” Judy Garland was only 16 when the film was made, and California law permitted MGM to work her only four hours per day, with the rest of her day spent in a studio classroom. The 1939 movie was a remake. Two silent films had preceded it, one with Oliver Hardy of Laurel and Hardy fame. The Winged Monkeys soared through the air with the aid of piano wire. This was long before the Digital Age, and such stunts were much more difficult back then. When the film first opened, it rarely played more than three nights in any one theater. (Little wonder then that it did not earn back its production cost until some ten years later.) The expensive paint used to paint the Yellow Brick Road did not photograph properly, and cheap ordinary house paint was finally used. Before scheduling the gala premiere in Hollywood, MGM screened the movie in four small towns back east—just to make sure they had a winner. The jacket the actor Frank Morgan wore as “Professor Marvel” came from a thrift shop, but that was too prosaic for the studio’s publicity department —so it sold the story that by sheer coincidence the jacket was later found to
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have once belonged to the tale’s originator, L. Frank Baum. The “Munchkins” were recruited from all over the United States, and even from Western Europe. When they arrived in Hollywood, they were all booked into a single hotel, and before the filming was over, the naughty little people had done everything but burn it down. In later years, Judy Garland would not-so-fondly remember that many of the male munchkins delighted in pinching her rear-end. Toward the end of filming, the picture’s legendary director, Victor Fleming, was pulled off the production to take over the reins of Gone with the Wind, whose production was in serious danger of foundering. The director, a charismatic mixture of Irish and Choctaw Indian, had been chosen because of his close friendship with Clark Gable, of whom it was said had modeled his screen persona after Fleming’s ultramacho personality. The year Wizard was released is considered the best in the entire history of Hollywood; no idle boast when one remembers that this same year would bring forth such classics as Stagecoach, Goodbye Mr. Chips, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Love Affair, Ninotchka, Wuthering Heights, and Of Mice and Men. That same year would also mark the first time that a person of color, Hattie McDaniel, would win an Oscar for her work in Gone with the Wind. 1939—truly a vintage year. Had it been a wine, it would have been too expensive to Alejandro Grattandrink. Dominguez
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HERNÁN CORTÉS—The Conqueror %\ +HUEHUW : 3LHNRZ
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ernándo Cortez Pizarro was born into a noble but poor Spanish family in 1485. Like the Aztec Emperor, Motcezuma II, there are several accepted spellings for his name. As a child Cortéz was often ill and at the age of 14 his parents sent him to the University of Salamanca, to study law. He was not a particularly good student and after a few years he returned home; one source says he failed at his studies, another says his studies helped him in later years. His biographer, chaplain and friend Franciso Lopéz de Gomara, says that Cortéz was a restless, haughty and mischievous youth. Like so many young men of the time Cortéz heard the stories of recently discovered countries of the New World and he fantasized about joining the ranks of those making names and fortunes in these new and fascinating places. These dreams were shared by his distant cousin Francisco Pizarro, who later conquered the Inca Empire. I believe that the Spanish King Charles V, later crowned Holy Roman Emperor, was anxious to relieve his Spanish kingdom of unemployed soldiers after the expulsion of the Moors. No country wants brigands of ex-soldiers roaming close to home and the recently discovered Americas provided the perfect outlet for Hernan Cortéz and the other adventurers and dreamers. When Cortéz was seventeen he was to sail to Hispaniola, now Haiti and The Dominican Republic, with a distant relative who was the newly appointed governor. However, Cortéz suffered a severe injury just before the ship was to sail. He sustained his nearly fatal injury while fleeing for his life from a jealous husband, whose wife Cortéz had just seduced in the man´s home. Actually Cortéz liked his women and at the time of his death he had thirteen children that were recognized by the church and entitled to a share of his vast estates as set out in his will. The funny thing is that he was
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only married twice and his first wife, who died under mysterious circumstances, did not have any “issue.” The man was busy with many conquests, not just those of vast territories; so even if he had not become a famous explorer and conqueror of empires he would have had an adventurous life. His first wife was Catalina Juárez, the sister-in-law of Cuba´s Governor Velázquez for whom Cortéz was now the secretary. I quote from Quo Historia, “Doña Catalina, quien murió misteriosamente después de un altercado con su esposo.” It was suspected that Cortéz poisoned his wife but despite an inquest, many years later, the results were never made public because both the Catholic Church and the Spanish monarchy realized if Cortéz were to be exonerated then his status would increase and if he were found guilty of murdering his wife, then the support of those in power would have been for a man of immoral character. Cortéz lived in Cuba for 15 years where he accumulated a sizeable estate of land, slaves, cattle and mines. He was twice appointed Mayor of Santiago, at the time Cuba´s Capitol. At the same time he was secretary to Governor Velázquez. At the age of 33 Cortéz was appointed CaptainGeneral to explore the mainland, where there was reported to be much wealth. Between October 1518 and February 1519 Cortéz had organized 11 ships, 700 men, 15 horsemen and 15 cannon, but Governor Velázquez had become jealous and fearful of Cortéz´s rising status and issued orders for the exploration party to disband. Cortéz defied the direct order and by March 1519 Cortéz had claimed parts of what is now lower Mexico, formerly Mayan country, for the King of Spain. By July his men took over Veracruz and Cortéz boldly dismissed the authority of his sponsor the Governor of Cuba and placed himself and his men directly under orders of Charles V, the King of Spain.
In August of 1519 Cortéz left Veracruz, but before he left for the Aztec capitol he ordered his ships burned and at that point he knew he must either succeed or perish. As he marched on Moctezuma´s capitol of Tenochititlan his own troops were accompanied by a small army of Tlaxclteca, who were mortal enemies of the ruling Aztecs. At the start there were 2,000 porters and 3,000 armed warriors; more would join the forces along the route. The Tlaxclteca had a blood score to settle with the Aztecs and they respected the armed men on horseback with their rolling cannon. On November 8, 1519 Cortéz and his followers were peacefully received by the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II. It is not clear why Cortéz had thousands of unarmed members of the nobility, who had gathered at the central plaza, massacred and then partially burned the city. Later under investigation Cortéz claimed he feared treachery and wished to make an example of the slaughtered men, women and children. Moctezuma was taken prisoner and held captive in his own palace. Meanwhile Governor Velázquez had sent an army of 1,100 men to bring Cortéz back to Cuba in chains. Somehow, even without modern communications, news like this travels fast and Cortéz reacted by leaving 200 men in the Aztec Capitol while he returned to Veracruz where he surprised and defeated the stronger force. Cortéz must have had a smooth tongue with the men as well as the women because he persuaded his would be captors to join him in conquering what he now called New Spain or Mexico. Cortéz returned to Moctezuma´s capitol to find the city in armed rebellion against the Spanish. On the night of June 30, 1520, known as Noche Triste, Cortéz barely escaped the Aztec retribution and massacre; in fact he lost 870 men, all his cannon and most of the Aztec treasures he had been given or looted. A little over a year later, August 13, 1521, at the age of 36 Cortéz reconquered the Aztec Capitol and brought an end to their once great empire. Actually the city´s more than 300,000 inhabitants had been reduced to approximately 40,000 through collapse of their food, water and sanitation system. The remaining citizens were suffering with smallpox and their respected Emperor Moctezuma had died the previous year; their infrastructure had disintegrated. From 1521 until 1524 Cortéz governed New Spain and set in place the encomienda land tenure system,
supported efforts to evangelize the indigenous people to Christianity and sponsored new explorations. He directly oversaw the destruction of Aztec temples and the construction of new Spanish buildings, churches and palaces. His expeditions north discovered the Sea of Cortéz, the Baja and California. He spent years trying to establish peace among the Indians of Mexico, developing farmlands and mines. He was one of the first Spaniards to grow sugar in Mexico and to import African slaves. In 1529 Cortéz was named “Marqués del Valle de Oaxaca,” a noble title with a vast estate which was passed down to his descendants until 1811. It is interesting that much of Hernán Cortéz´s life is documented but these same writings must be subjected to analysis. Cortéz himself wrote five letters directly to his king but these cartas de relacion are letters justifying his actions. Cortéz is quoted as saying it was “more difficult to contend against (his) own countrymen than against the Aztecs.” His first letter is lost but the remaining four give us his version of his adventures, conquests and administration in behalf of the Spanish crown. Scholars say, “It is generally accepted that Cortéz does not write a true “history,” but rather combines history with fiction to gain the favor of the king. “ Cortéz´s own biographer was both his chaplain and friend and so the accounts, as related by Francisco López de Gómara are biased accounts as related by Cortéz. The third biographer is Bernal Diaz del Castillo who was a part of the Cortéz army but he dictated his accounts as an old man many years after the fact and by the time the wealth of New Spain had distorted much of the reality. Herbert W. Piekow
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Anyone Can Train Their Dog %\ $UW +HVV artthedogguy@yahoo.com
Why Dog Classes Don’t Work
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hat’s right. For The most part Dog Classes don’t work very well. You see, the dog owners want the dog to stop doing things. You know, I want him to stop jumping up, to stop pulling on the leash, to stop barking, etc., etc. And the Dog Trainer/Teacher wants to teach the dog to do things. Come, Sit, Down, Stay, Heel. This is usually achieved with positive lure and reward based training methods. And herein lies a problem. If the student (the dog) does things the person doesn’t want him to do or in a way different than the person wants done, then the person says “do it my way or I’ll show you (that translates I’ll force you)
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how to do it my way”, which usually means “force round pegs into square holes.” People don’t plan to punish the dog but the basic mind set feels that the way to stop an action is to provide a negative consequence when the dog performs the unwanted action and the dog will stop doing the unwanted and automatically do the wanted. Does anybody see the problem here. The dog is not going to automatically do the wanted until he is taught what it is you want him to do. If he defecates in the house it was because he felt the need to go and hadn’t been taught when not to go and where to go. Along comes the genius
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who rubs his nose in the stool and he feels the dog knows he did wrong. Sorry If that really worked, Mothers would have quit changing diapers years ago and simply rubbed little noses into dirty diapers. And then there are those that pronounce that they came home and the dog chewed a shoe, stole food off the counter, etc., etc. and he knew he had done wrong. No, he hung his head and tried to sneak away because he knew you were angry and had seen you in action before. Dogs are immensely perceptive and can tell you are angry before you enter their environment. Think how often you have walked into a room and immediately knew you wife/husband was teed off and they never had to look at or speak to you. That’s how easy it was for your dog to judge your mood. The point is negative consequences don’t work unless they are administered properly and followed by a positive reward based alternative. Example: You say to the dog “let’s go for a walk.” You grab the leash and head for the door and the spinning, jumping, excited yelping process starts. You become more stressed, your voice raises, you become more frustrated as the dog also gets more stressed and even more difficult to deal with until
finally you smack the dog, give him a yank, snap on the leash and the two of you start off for a happy walk. Here’s where negative motivation is used to your advantage. When the dog starts the whirling dervish routine you ignore him. That’s right, you ignore him. Turn around walk away and hang up the leash and sit down until he cools it. Now start again with a little less vocal enthusiasm on your part. Simply say “go to the door”, walk to the door and tell the dog to sit. When he sits calmly you attach the leash and calmly go for the walk. If he chooses to act up and not sit calmly and let you attach the leash you repeat step one. You walk away and ignore him until he learns to sit and let you leash him without a struggle. The first few times will take quite a few tries because he has been trained by you that the struggling, wrestling way is acceptable and it’s going to take some effort to change his understanding. When he does it correctly he is rewarded and you have changed a negative consequence to a positive reward based consequence. There are lots more examples. The biggest challenge is to get people to change their thinking. Art Hess
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,035,176 % $ W L 5 EOp p %\ $QWRQLR 5DPEOpV DQWRQLR UDPEOHV#\DKRR FRP
Hacienda Style
Guanajuato is one of Mexico’s five colonial “silver cities.� Silver was discovered here in the 1600’s, and within a century Guanajuato had become the largest single source of silver in the world. Magnificent churches and mansions were built with the riches, and one of those mansions survives today as a museum. The former Hacienda San Gabriel Barrera, less than three miles from the city
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Main house entrances, Museo Ex-Hacienda 6DQ *DEULHO %DUUHUD *XDQDMXDWR 0H[LFR
Gardens and house, Museo Ex-Hacienda San *DEULHO %DUUHUD *XDQDMXDWR 0H[LFR
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ceilings and handrails are all original. The altarpiece in the private chapel, covered in gold leaf, once stood in the cathedral of Jaen, Spain. In Mexico, the word hacienda describes the largest of estates. These were profit-making enterprises that had their origins in land grants made by the Spanish crown to conquistadors and royal officials. The first was a grant made by
center and just off the highway from Irapuato, covers almost five acres. It was one of several estates owned by Captain Gabriel de la Barrera. The main house sits among themed, formal gardens, several of which evoke the feel of the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. The hacienda house was divided into living space, hacienda offices, a chapel, and a work yard where mined minerals were processed. The façade has a strong Baroque influence, and the beamed
the Spanish crown to HernĂĄn CortĂŠs. Some haciendas were plantations, some were ranches, and others were mines or factories.  Many engaged in more than one of these enterprises. While most hacienda owners – known as hacendados or patrĂłns – lived in or near their haciendas, many of the largest landholders were absentee owners. The Catholic Church acquired vast hacienda holdings or loaned money to hacendados. As mortgage holders, the Church’s interests lay with the landholding class, a relationship which eventually left it on the wrong side of Mexican Revolution. Private chapel altarpiece, Museo Ex-Hacienda Haciendas are sometimes 6DQ *DEULHO %DUUHUD *XDQDMXDWR 0H[LFR confused with encomiendas, another type of royal land grant which included the labor of its indigenous population. These grantholders were responsible for instructing the natives in the Spanish language and Christian faith, and protecting them from warring tribes, in return for which they were entitled to exact labor or other tribute.  While the encomienda technically honored Queen Isabella’s command that natives were “free vassals of the crownâ€? not to be enslaved or displaced, many were forced Main house, Museo Ex-Hacienda San Gainto hard labor and subjected EULHO %DUUHUD *XDQDMXDWR 0H[LFR to corporal punishment or death if they resisted. Many hacendados were also granted encomiendas, which gave all of their enterprises access to a pool of indigenous labor. The Hacienda San Gabriel Barrera affords a beautiful setting and unique insight into the lives of the Spanish overlords, but it’s also hard to forget that such prosperity came at a terrible price. An indigenous Mexican population estimated at
Gardens, Museo Ex-Hacienda San Gabriel Barrera
twenty-five million persons before the Spanish conquest had, within a century, been reduced by war, disease, and forced labor, and other abuse to a little over one million. There’s still more to see in Guanajuato, including the boyhood home of twentieth century Mexican muralist Diego Rivera, and the city’s historic center, one of the birthplaces of Mexican independence.
Antonio RamblĂŠs
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UUNCOMMON N C OM MM MON CCOMMON OM MM MON SSENSE ENSE %\ %LOO )UD\HU ELOOIUD\HU#JPDLO FRP Gut Check for Progressives
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he US midterm elections did not turn out well for progressive activists. I could make excuses for the Democratic Party’s poor showing. As the media has pointed out, the people who vote in the election are mostly older white people, unlike the coalitions of African-American, young, single women, Hispanic, and intellectual voters who elected Obama in 2008 and 2012. But I think something bigger is going on here. In my home state of Maine, voters reelected Governor Paul LePage. This man is inarticulate, crass-mouthed, and seems to have no coherent plan to move the state in a positive direction. I was stupefied that my fellow citizens would reelect a man who, quite frankly is an embarrassment. Why did he win? Honestly, I think it was because his Democratic opponent had no positive message. He basically ran on the idea that he wasn’t LePage. The governor had a message. Those of us on the left didn’t like it much, but his views were well known. Voters want to know what a candidate plans to do. When Democratic candidates don’t present a coherent message, people have no reason to support them. I think the Democrats’ problem started, ironically, with Bill Clinton. After he and Hillary lost the healthcare debate in 1993, he led the party to the middle. He cozied up to Wall Street and abandoned plans to promote a progressive agenda. He supported moderate-Republican ideas like welfare reform, banking deregulation, and NAFTA. He was influenced, if I remember correctly, by Dick
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%LOO )UD\HU Morris, the sleazy political operative who used his strategy of triangulation to help Clinton win. With the toxic stalemate which exists in Washington, Obama has given us more of the same. Still getting his money from Wall Street, he pushed through mediocre health care reform, rather weak banking reform, and bailed out private industry with tax dollars. These are not progressive actions. They are, to be frank, middle-of-the-road small ball. I wrote about FDR in November. He was elected on a bold platform and had revolutionary ideas that he was unafraid to push forward. People elected him because he was seen to promote a clear path to prosperity. Even Ronald Reagan, whose policies I abhor, spoke clearly and plainly about what he would do, and it appealed to the middle class. We will never emerge from this dreadful deadlock in the US, and I don’t think the Democrats will regain majority control, until they directly and honestly put forward progressive, bold ideas to address the major problems the US faces. The problem of income inequality is not a theoretical problem. It is systematically destroying the middle class. We need a fair tax system and a realistic minimum wage. Our infrastructure is crumbling and we need to be rebuilding it now. The banking sector is out of control and needs to return to servicing the working people who provide its income. The healthcare system is still broken. We need to eliminate the profit-hungry health insurance companies who are impeding progress. We’ve been fighting wars for 14 years which have done little except destroyed a generation of young poor people and impoverished the Treasury. In short, the Democratic Party needs to abandon the ideas of the milquetoast middle and move assertively into the future. The alternative is unacceptable. The Clinton-era strategy of winning elections by going after marginal change is not going to work. American voters are crying out for a political class who will actually accomplish positive change. I hope Hillary is paying attention
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GOD AND MR. GOMEZ %\ -DFN 6PLWK %RRN 5HYLHZ E\ -HDQLH 6ZHQWLN
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d. Note: This is a review that we run from time to time because in our view the disparity between the Latino and North American cultures has never been so humorously depicted.) There is much to recommend in God and Mr. Gomez. At 223 pages it is easy to get through in a sitting or two, and its deftly painted word pictures (“...the shells of abandoned cars scattered along the road like dead insects”) make it a delight to read. Further, its tight journalistic style speaks volumes in few words, e.g., “Then the war came, and marriage and children and prudence.” The book is based on a true story, and it is humorously and lovingly told. But perhaps the most fascinating thing for readers here in Mexico is the parallels the author draws between the Mexican and American temperaments. Jack Smith wrote this book many years ago, yet the important cultural differences have changed very little. A highly-respected columnist for the Los Angeles Times, Jack and his wife (both well-educated advocates of the Puritan work-ethic, practical and realistic) found themselves becoming bewitched in Mexico, as they agreed to lease a plot of land in Baja California, and entrust the building of their retirement home to a charming, albeit exasperating gent by the name of Gomez. Were the Smiths totally mad to try and build a house with their limited funds, on land that might not have actually belonged to Gomez, on property they could never own outright, in a country of many suspected hazards, all compounded by their extremely limited grasp of Spanish? Was this a classic case of, mid-life crisis gone crazy? Or was Smith correct in rationalizing his seemingly irrational decision when he wrote that “But that’s what we affluent Americans missed in our daily lives . . . a sense of personal adventure, of risk.” And an adventure it was. During the madcap construction process (which cost more than twice the original budget), the Smiths ran the gamut of emotions as they slowly came to either ignore, repress or forget much of what they had ever learned about
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the nature of logic—especially logic, American-style. But Mr. Gomez remained true to his Mexicanisn. It was the Smiths who changed, even to seeing God in a new light, as they came to appreciate, admire and even love the Mexican way of doing things. But in the beginning, Smith soon realized that “Our visions and those of Gomez seemed opposed beyond reconciliation. Then later, “... it was the first of many decisions that seemed to be our own, but really belonged to Gomez.” Yet it was a slow and at times agonizing process. After the Smiths had carefully chosen their lot, they discovered that Gomez had abruptly changed their location, and was now constructing their house in the middle of a road. Why? Because, as Gomez pointed out, it had the more beautiful view. Dumbfounded, Smith could only gasp to his wife that the arrogance of the man was astounding. Still, halfway through the construction process, Smith realized that he had never liked or trusted a man more than he did Gomez. Yet the Mexican would remain mysterious and elusive. God and Mr. Gomez can be found in the Mexican section of the LCS library in Ajijic. I heartily recommend that you read or reread it, drawing your own parallels with some of the local Gomez-types you might have encountered here at lakeside. (Ed. Note: Should any of our readers have had similar experiences, we would be delighted to hear about them.)
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UPCOMING CHANGES IN CONGRESS %\ 0DULWD 1RRQ Executive Director, Energy Makes America Great Inc. marita@responsiblenergy.org
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ix energy policy changes to watch for in a Republican-controlled Congress Energy is going to be front and center when the Republicans take control of both houses. The past six years have seen taxpayer dollars poured into green-energy projects that have raised electricity rates. Meanwhile, Republicans have touted the job creation and economic impact available through America’s abundant fossil-fuel resources. Big changes in energy policy are in the works because a wealthy country is better able to do things right. A growing economy needs energy that is efficient, effective and economical—which is why countries like China and India will not limit energy availability and why Republicans want to expand access in the U.S. What energy policies should we watch? • Keystone pipeline Post-election, the Keystone pipe line has suddenly leapt to the front of the lame-duck-legislation line. The question remains whether the White House will approve the bill, though spokesman Josh Earnest hinted at an Obama veto. A veto would further anger his union supporters. With many Democrats already on board and a push for more support from union leadership, the new Congress may be able to pass it again—this time with a veto-proof majority. • Federal lands A Congressional Research Service report makes it clear, while oil production has increased 61 percent on state and private lands, it has decreased 6 percent on federal land where the administration has authority. One prediction has drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge becoming a part of the Republican Party’s vision of energy independence— something Alaska’s senior Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) has argued for. • Oil exports Before the new Congress is sworn in, we already hear a lot of talk about lifting the ban on oil exports that was put into place in response to the
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1970s Arab oil embargo. With the Republicans now in charge come January, Murkowski will become the Chairman of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. She is expected to start by “holding hearings, pressuring Obama administration officials, and testing the level of support from party leadership” regarding lifting the export ban. • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) President Obama’s Clean Power Plan (CPP) has widespread opposition within the Republican Party. Even coal-state Democrats, such as Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV), have concerns with the CPP. The EPAs many new regulations have lawmakers concerned about the its impact on grid reliability and the economy. President Obama is not likely to sign any legislation designed to rein in his personal priorities, but Republicans can make changes in EPA appropriations. • The Endangered Species Act (ESA) The ESA direly needs revision, updating or outright repeal as it has more recently been used as a funding tool for environmental groups and a way for them to block economic activity, such as oil-and-gas extraction, and ranching, farming, and mining. This may be the time to introduce legislation that would reform the ESA to curtail litigation from wildlife advocates and give states more authority. • Climate Change The Environment and Public Works Committee Chairmanship will change from one of the biggest supporters of Obama’s climate change agenda (Senator Barbara Boxer [DCA] to the biggest opponent of his
policies (Senator Jim Inhofe [R-OK]). On election night, Inhofe stated: “I am looking forward to taking back the environment committee”—a role that, according to Environment & Energy Publishing: “Already has greens cringing.” Reports now declare: “Climate change compromises may be easier with China than Congress.” It’s going to be an interesting two years. If the Republican policies turn the economy around as predicted— offering a sharp contrast to the stagnation of the past six years, they will pave the way for victory in 2016.
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THE IR RISSH SOLDIERS OF MEXIC CO %\ 'U 0LFKDHO +RJDQ 5HYLHZHG E\ -LP 7XFN
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t long last—a book that treats the tragic story of Irish soldiers who deserted to the enemy during the MexicanAmerican War as neither hagiographic soap opera (brave Catholic soldiers aiding an embattled Catholic nation) nor a Manifest Destiny morality play (traitors getting their just desserts). Forming what they called the Battalon de San Patricio (St. Patrick’s Battalion), these 260 men became popularly known as San Patricios. What author Michael Hogan brings to this embarrassing episode in our history is scholarship. This is hardly surprising. Hogan is the author of eight books, one of them the, highly-regarded Making Your Own Rules. A member of the Organization of American Historians, he is also a consultant to the Advanced Placement Program of the College Board. Currently based in Mexico, he heads the Department of letters and Humanities at Guadalajara’s Ameri-
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can School. What initially impressed me was the depth of Hogan’s research. Though this is not an overly long work (less than 250 pages), the author has not only consulted every book written on the subject but also manuscripts, papers, documents, monographs, newspapers and both primary and secondary accounts by participants and contemporaries. Much of the research material is in Spanish, which constitutes no problem for the bilingual
El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
author. Hogan never permits his own IrishCatholic heritage to stand in the way of scrupulous objectivity. He understands how the Irish soldiers—so discriminated against in the Army that they were not even allowed to have Catholic chaplains—would go over to an “enemy” with whom they shared a common faith. At the same time, he also sees how a trend from regionalism to federalism would be the perfect tinder for a doctrine as arrogantly chauvinistic as Manifest Destiny, the belief in continuing territorial expansion, especially at the expense of people whose skins were darker and whose religious views differed from Anglo-Protestantism. As people stopped thinking of themselves as Virginians or New Yorkers and begin acquiring an identity as Americans, what better way to demonstrate their nascent Americanism than to extend it as far and as forcibly as they could. As for the anti-Catholicism, that was pretty much an accident of chronology. In colonial times, the Puritans persecuted Quakers like William Penn and Dissenters like Roger Williams. In the 1840s, when the Mexican War took place, there was a massive wave of Catholic immigration and Protestants banded together to persecute Catholics. Later, Catholics would unite with Protestants to bash Jews. In the future—who knows? JudeoChristians may well form a united front against Muslims or Buddhists. We hear much talk these days about what I would call the “Vichy Syndrome,” describing people who serve an oppressor as auxiliaries against their own kind. Edward Said refers to Arafat’s Palestinian Authority as the “Vichy Palestinians”; leaders of a Kanaka separatist movement call native Hawaiians who serve in the state legislature “Vichy Hawaiians.” One of Hogan’s most fascinating profiles of a “Vichyite” in the Mexican War has nothing to do with the Irish soldiers who went over to the Mexican side. Instead, it focuses on the repellent figure of Lt. Col. (later General) William S. Harney, an Irish-Catholic officer in the
U.S. Army who became notorious for his sadistic treatment of captured San Patricios. As a Catholic in an anti-Catholic army, Harney felt he had to be more royalist than the King and, so to speak, more Catholic than the Pope in demonstrating his loyalty. Brutal, incompetent and lustful, Harney had been frequently charged with disobeying orders and of sexually abusing Indian women during the Black Hawk War and then hanging them the next day. As a group of San Patricios was waiting to be executed, Harney knocked out the teeth of one man who had taunted him. Yet he was politically well-connected and ended his career a general. But those inclined toward condemning the San Patricios should bear in mind that the Mexican War was, with the possible exception of the Vietnam conflict, the most unpopular in U.S. history. Hogan’s list of prominent contemporary peaceniks reads like a gallery of distinguished Americans. Thoreau went to jail rather than pay taxes to support the war, Lincoln denounced it in Congress. John Greenleaf Whittier and James Russell Lowell wrote poems against it, and Ulysses S. Grant, who served in Mexico, describes the conflict as “the most unjust war ever waged by a stronger against a weaker nation.” Whether your inclination is historical or cultural, this is one book on Mexico you won’t want to miss. (Ed. Note: Because this exceptional book is now on Kindle, we decided to republish our review which originally came out some seventeen years ago. The Kindle and Createspace contain new information both on John Riley’s death and updates on research, related novels, films and commemorations. An audio book will be available in February, 2015.) http://www. amazon.com/IrishSoldiers-MexicoMichael-Hogan/ dp/1463502451/ ref=tmm_pap_title_0 ?ie=UTF8&qid=14188 41964&sr=1-1 Michael Hogan
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eing harassed by vampires, witches or evil spirits? Try chewing on a clove of garlic. Laid low with a bacterial infection? Garlic just might provide relief. Bothered by hypertension, high cholesterol, or coronary problems? Even modern scientists conclude that garlic can be beneficial. In Mexico, early spring heralds the harvesting of the year´s first crop of garlic. And although most of it will find its way into flavorful stews, soups and other culinary delights, a goodly amount will be channeled into other uses. While its popularity here as an aphrodisiac, a purifying agent and a talisman is widespread, the medicinal properties of garlic are gaining perhaps an even greater recognition, not only in Mexico, but throughout Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia, the prowess of garlic as a potent medicine is legendary. Ancient writings from Egypt contain anecdotes praising garlic’s role in fighting infections from battlefield wounds. (In fact, it has been utilized for this purpose as late as World War I). Pliney, the Roman scholar, listed 61 garlic remedies for maladies ranging from madness to coughs to impotence. And the Chinese use of garlic as preventive medicine dates back to before 2000 B.C. Since the 1960’s, over a thousand scientific research papers have been published on the curative aspects of the herb, focusing primarily on its effect on hypertension, coronary ailments and cancer. Indeed, a growing body of research suggests that it may help prevent a host of chronic diseases. Garlic compounds have been found to reduce blood clotting tendencies by reducing the stickiness of blood platelets. Scientists at the New York Medical College recently concluded that ingesting a clove of garlic a day could reduce blood cho-
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
lesterol levels by as much as nine percent. Doctors at Rutgers University in New Jersey have found that some of garlic´s components act on blood vessels to reduce blood pressure. Other studies have identified compounds in garlic that block the formation of several types of carcinogens. And French researchers reported in 1994 that in experiments with rats, a garlic extract was successful in slowing the development of an Alzheimerlike disease. So what is the magic ingredient that gives the “stinking bulb” such potency? Garlic is rich in sulphurcontaining compounds that have a variety of beneficial properties. It is generally agreed that a compound called allicin is the antibacterial component in garlic and it is suspected that it may contribute to the ability of the herb to help lower cholesterol and protect against cancer. But many other compounds are formed when garlic is cut, smashed or bruised. Scientists have had a difficult time trying to single out which of the over seventy constituents of garlic produce which beneficial effect. In spite of all the studies conducted, none have proved conclusively that garlic alone was the single factor producing the specific positive result. Yet, studies indicate that garlic may serve as an adjunct that helps enhance the immune system, curb coronary risk factors and block the action of carcinogens. Yet another favorable aspect is the lack of side effects-if one discounts breath and body odor and perhaps a bit of indigestion. The bottom line seems to be that while garlic is not the “cure-all” some might profess, it does have medically beneficial properties. And what modern miracle drug will ward off evil, fight disease and add flavor to your favorite recipes—all for a pittance?
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
he Lakeside Garden Guild presented its 2014 Floral Design Show, Songs in Flowers, at an invitation-only afternoon event. Held at a private Lakeside hacienda, the show again challenged Guild members to create exciting and memorable designs with flowers. Each fall the Guild members are given differ-
ent flowers or idea title to create their arrangement. Two-hundred and twenty-five delighted guests enjoyed the thirty-eight arrangements offered in this event. The proceeds of this event are reserved for the ongoing community projects that the Lakeside Garden Guild donates to the area each year.
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n Aldous Huxley’s final novel, Island, the protagonist Will Farnaby, after being shipwrecked onto the island of Pal, home to a Utopian community, falls into a sound sleep only to be awakened a few hours later by a Mynah bird calling out, in a voice that cannot be ignored, “Attention! Attention!” We are like Will Farnaby. We have all fallen into a sound sleep and we need our own Mynah birds to call out to us, to wake us up, to make us pay attention to the world around us, to make us pay attention to our own lives, to our souls during this sojourn in time and space. For many years I made a modest but delightful living as a beekeeper in western Colorado. Often, shortly after dawn, I was out working in my bee yards, alone, loving that holy time of day, watching the hives come alive as the sun began to cast its wake-up call upon the old but carefully maintained wooden boxes all carrying the brand High Desert Honey. One by one the bees would begin to exit, crawling out onto the bottom board, looking around, and then suddenly lifting themselves up and away to begin their day of gathering the golden nectar. One summer, for several weeks, at one particular bee yard, a rather isolated one in the high desert, a coyote would often appear just beyond the yard. He sat there, simply watching, simply paying attention to me, and undoubtedly enjoying that cool morning as much as I did. I would sit back on the tailgate of my old blue Chevrolet S-10 truck, sip coffee laced with cinnamon (and of course sweetened with honey), and pay attention to the coyote. We had a nice relationship. Based on paying attention to each other. That coyote had presence. People who have presence are people who pay attention to the world around them. When we feel presence in a person, we feel the attention that person casts over every situation, so that we, ourselves, want to pay more attention to the moment. Words are quite secondary
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
and sometimes not necessary at all. Genuine attention cannot be forced. It is, instead, something quiet, secure, and profound, something awake in the pure present. Rarely are we awake to our own journey, and therefore we rarely awake to the journey of another. When we turn our eyes away as we approach someone, we turn away what might have been our attention. But when we calmly and deliberately turn our eyes to their eyes, like the coyote did to me, we then have presence. The world responds to presence, and that person to whom we pay attention might very well pay attention to us. A person who pays attention can enter a room filled with people and those people will study him with curiosity because he has presence, something indefinable that attracts them to him. But it is not really indefinable. That presence that develops in a person who pays attention is calling to everyone in that room to wake up, to be in that moment, and for that moment be a little closer to who they really are. Mother Teresa of Calcutta often said, “I chose to work with Christ in his most distressed form.” She “paid attention” to every suffering person whom she met; and she changed their lives, gave them food and dignity, both required for the spiritual journey. The young Francis of Assisi loved to walk alone through a familiar forest. Given to earthly pleasures, Francis abhorred lepers, who themselves were forced to live outside of the blessings of community. One particular afternoon Francis felt a strange presence rising up in him as a leper drew closer. At that moment
he realized that the leper was Christ (and perhaps that all lepers were Christ). Francis kissed the leper and was himself transformed. Everyone we meet is God in disguise. We wake up God in ourselves (and others) by paying attention— not to our complicated and twisted and difficult pasts but by paying attention to the world immediately before us, by paying attention to those immediately before us, on our path. Even the old romantic idea that “souls meet when lips touch” has to do with paying attention. The kiss
that is not self-consciously attentive, that is not rushed, that is not timid…the kiss that is deliberate, awake, alive in that moment, is the kiss that we long for, a soul kiss, that lifts us to a sense of our own presence that for the moment is dancing with the presence of another. Kabir, the 15th century Indian poet, says, “You have been asleep for thousands of years! Why not wake up this very moment?” Jim Tipton
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lthough his more than fifty published books and thousands of lectures continue to influence new generations of readers interested in the worlds of metaphysics and science, his name remains obscure. Thousands of people know of the worldwide Waldorf School system, Biodynamic Farming, Camphill Communities and Anthroposophy medicinal homeopathic products, doctors, nurses and hospitals, but few know that all are based on the spiritual insights of Rudolf Steiner, Doctor of Philosophy and Science. Born in Austria in 1861, his multi-faceted genius led to radically new holistic approaches to medicine, science, education, the arts, conscious-
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ness, religion, social renewal, agriculture, architecture and many other fields. Around the age of seven he became aware that there was an invisible world existing alongside the visible. Experiencing that others were not aware of this, he remained silent on the subject until he was in his forties. The elder of three children born to a railroad stationmaster, his early education was directed into the field of the natural sciences by his father who wanted him to become a railway civil engineer. He graduated from the Vienna Technical College (the equivalent of M.I.T.) where he received advanced studies in mathematics, natural history and chemis-
El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
try. Although he was always more interested in philosophy, as evidenced by his tackling at age fourteen, Kant’s Philosophy of Pure Reason, following his grounding in the sciences, he went on to earn his PhD at the University of Rostock in 1891 based upon a comparison of the works of Kant, Hegel and Fichte. For ten years he was employed by the Goethean Society in Weimar, Germany, to edit Goethe’s unpublished scientific writings. During these years Steiner published many books, notably his Philosophy of Freedom (1893) at age 32, and Goethe’s World View (1897). Finally, as a respected lecturer and well-published scholar, he had reached a point where his reconciliation of the sensible and supersensible worlds could stand up to the tests of his peers. After moving to Berlin, he surprised his learned associates by going public with many lectures about the existence and working of the spiritual world, describing it in minute detail. He explained the evolution of our planetary system, focusing particularly on the earth and the reasons for the superior position of the human being. He carefully explained that everything visible is the
result of the working of the spiritual hierarchies. Anxious that no one accept his precepts through blind faith, he asked that they be objectively tested, thus stimulating many fields of research and the resulting books by geologists, botanists, biologists, psychologists, medical doctors, physicists, priests and others. Although one of the subjects that consumed much of his attention was the education of children (Waldorf school system), Steiner had no children. Following the death of his first wife, he married Marie Von Sivers with whom he had worked when for ten years he was head of the German section of the Theosophical Society. Perhaps it is the distaste among many for conversations about spiritual science rather than about materialistic science that has delayed the spread of knowledge of this man’s vision and accomplishments. Referring to him, Victor Navasky, publisher emeritus of Nation magazine, stated in recent years that this man was “Light years ahead of the curve,” and Oxford scholar Owen Barfield, argued that this man is “perhaps the key thinker of modern times… By comparison, his stature is almost too excessive to be borne.” According to Steiner, mankind’s mission at this point in evolution is to understand the incarnation of the Christ. To this end, his lectures on history take us through the breakup of Atlantis, the Seven Holy Rishis, the creation of the Vedas and Upanishads, the Greek oracles, the Buddha, Mohamed and Christ/Jesus. In 1924 Rudolf Steiner founded the Anthroposophical Society. The word “anthroposophy” can be translated as “wisdom about and concerning the human being.” It is a path of knowledge and self-development that encompasses the realms of religion, philosophy, art and science. lois.schroff@gmail.com or 766-5606 www.LakeChapalaPaintingGuild.org
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his was a fun Christmas entertainment, loosely based on the British pantomime tradition. From the outset, Paul Kloegman as “Buttons” involved the audience and told us what to do. Participate! Boo and hiss whenever the evil “Baroness Hard-Up” (sneeringly played by Patricia Guy) appears on stage! Forget the fourth wall, boys and girls, this is your time to join in and have fun. The dialogue is lewd and suggestive in Benny Hill style, and there are some terrible puns. You can groan if you feel like it, or laugh loudly, or just turn your hearing aid down. Anyway, everyone (including the cast) had a good time. The pianist (Rodrigo Leal) did a great job, and evidently joined the cast at the last minute. He’s a talented young man, originally a Viva Musica scholarship recipient and now studying music in Guadalajara. The chorus numbers were well performed – I particularly enjoyed the “Cinderella Rag” which opened and closed the show. Also the cabaret during the Prince Charming ball was very entertaining, with Amaranta Santos doing a steamy number “Hot Stuff” and Neil Diamond (aka Dana Douin) dropping by from Las Vegas. An energetic and sometimes wacky cast kept the show moving along. Amaranta Santos was a sad Mexican “Sinderella,” while Ann Loebach and Wendy Peterson were suitably nasty as the Ugly Sisters “Loosy” and “Goosy.” In a true British pantomime, these two would be played by men with hairy legs. Fred Koesling added another feather to his cap as “Baron Hard-Up,” and our regal hosts were Peter Luciano and Catherine Gonzales. Gabriel Casillas was charming as “Prince Charming” who is in want of a wife, and Greg Clarke was good with his clothes on as the prince’s sidekick “Dandini.” Then there was the Good Fairy “Gossamer” hilariously hammed up by Rob Stupple, who also sang “Nobody Loves a Fairy When She’s Old.” Sad, but true. Other Servants and chorus members included Connie Davis, Jutta McAdam, Margaret Presutti, Judy McKinnon, Graham Miller and Garry Peerless. Choreography was by Heather Hunter, who also danced along as a Goblin with Al-
ing. And a lot of credit for the evening’s entertainment goes to Dave McIntosh, who came up with the idea, created the show and wrote all the lyrics (including the ghastly puns). As a good friend said, “It’s a load of rubbish, and a lot of fun!” Next up is “Wrong Turn at Lungfish,” a dark comedy which opens on January 16. Directed by Peggy Lord Chilton, the cast includes Kenneth Bridges, Beryel Dorscht, Tina Leonard, and Ken Yakiwchuk. Michael Warren
lyson de Jong and Catherine Huff, while Abril Iniguez appeared at the ball as the magically transformed Sinderella. It’s refreshing to see new and young Mexican talent on the LLT stage. Stage Manager for this complex performance was Win McIntosh, and Sandy Jakubek was Assistant Stage Manager. Music direction was handled by Ann Swiston – as a song and dance show it was good entertainment, though for some reason it was sometimes hard to hear all the lines, particularly with the piano on stage. Paul Kloegman, who is a professional comedian, directed the whole thing and kept the laughs com-
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or most of my life I believed that “I�, the conscious part of my mind that I identify as me, was the only one in control of my actions and every part of my life. I discovered that not only- no, “I� wasn’t the only one in control, but heck no, “I� wasn’t the only one in control, much to my dismay. The research literature revealed that the energetic quality of humans that is the conscious mind is dwarfed by the 95% of the mind run by the subconscious mind’s autopilot. Our subconscious mind is at least partly involved in practically everything we do, and sometimes it’s the only one driving.  Do you remember each thing  you did the last time you drove from your home to the store? Probably not, yet you got there safely anyway. In fact you may have felt like you were teleported there because you couldn’t remember your experience of driving the car at all. Your conscious mind made the decision to drive to the store, then your subconscious mind took over so you could happily ponder your leisure time on the way.  You trained your body to do the movements required to drive the car, and your subconscious mind to supervise it, by imprinting your neural pathways through conscious repetition. This effectively frees up your valuable conscious mind time, you are asleep for a third of your life after all, to use as you
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
need to instead of it having to be involved in every one of your life’s details. Nevertheless, the subconscious mind’s primary function is to keep us alive, otherwise it loses its other job which is to keep our mind, emotions, and bodily functions operating. It’s machine like in its dedication to keeping us safe, using fear as its main motivator to get our cooperation. The fear it creates for its purposes can stifle our efforts to actualize the experience of life and destiny goals we long for. Most negative feelings are easily attributed to subconscious fear. Doubt, envy, anger, hatred, loss, and unquenchable want are all the offspring of fear. Want seems inoffensive until you understand that it’s the vehicle for the “not enoughs�.  “Not having enough� and it’s ugly sibling “not being enough� only serve to keep you from a satisfying experience of life. The point is, that focusing on what you want instead what your core self needs keeps you from this fulfillment. What you believe you want can be opposed to your core needs causing self conflict issues. The most insidious part of self conflict issues is the chronic stress that causes pain, decline, and premature death. Maybe you’ve experienced it as a feeling of deep distress that eats away at your insides, or an uneasy feeling that something’s not quite right, but you can’t put your finger on it.
Negative self stories compel stress. I used to tell myself I was old, ailing, and powerless to get the experience of life that best suited me. I accumulated things that I wanted, thinking they would fill the void these stories created and make me happy. When they did not, I dulled my unquenched longing and pain with all manner of things that numbed me. The misery causing subconscious stories we tell ourselves may as well be true for all of the power they have over the way we experience our lives. If you believe a victim story, it’s time to get better beliefs and rewrite the story of you. Understanding that you are not your past or the situation you are in is a good place to start. Through innate neuroplasticity you can retrain facets of your subconscious mind to make better use of its expansive energy, so you can make the most of your finite life. There are many books that focus on helping you to do just that. Changing your beliefs to better truths that support the way you need to experience your life is beyond beneficial. No other human quality is more potent in directing us, defining us, fulfilling us, or wrecking us than our beliefs. As misguided as the subconscious mind seems at times, I can’t help but wonder at it and be grateful for its effectiveness, since my daughter and I are the result of a continuous lineage that spans eons of time. The subconscious mind is the reason you and your loved ones are still breathing. You can learn skills to attend to your subconscious needs and pass down a worthy new legacy to your descendents. However, more than education or skills, what determines how much success you have in your life and how good those experiences are, is how worthy you believe you are of them. The power to improve your life is yours, believing it is the key. Anna Elena Berlin
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exico is a hell of a country for Type A Personalities. If you think you’re gonna be in the driver’s seat, you quickly learn to ride in the back seat of the car. And if that’s not far enough, you pack yourself up to take a nap in the trunk. Another day when the telephone service and the internet goes down. People say this happens a lot in Mexico, so they’ll tell you that you really can’t do business here. Not so. Since you can’t communicate with anyone, it just becomes a good day for a field trip. Today, I went to a Fonda to have a 5 year old Sprite. That wasn’t really my intention, since I asked for a Penafiel Aqua Mineral, but out came a bottled Sprite,
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and I know it was five years old because the copyright notice on the label with the trademark said C 2009. I’m absolutely sure that no one here has copied that Sprite, since it’s been copyrighted, and even if they tried, they couldn’t get anything out on a phone call or the internet to do anything with it. Taking a break from what you’re doing for Life’s greatest interruptions and interventions isn’t unique to Mexico. Cable systems go down in many parts of the States. All it has to do is rain or snow, and the whole system gets waterlogged. In Florida, they have Hurricane parties, where they know a hurricane is coming. So they shut down the hatches, close up the plantation storm win-
El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
dows, pile in a load of booze and party in the storm while blowing around saying “There goes the neighborhood.� In New York, they have blizzards, and everyone makes a run on every local store to buy batteries, milk and eggs. Batteries, milk and eggs? I always wonder what everyone is planning on making during a minus 17 degree tornado... electric french toast? Batter fried batteries? EverReady pancakes? In California, they have earthquakes, and then it’s said you just can’t know when it’s gonna hit. At least with a hurricane or blizzard, you get some days notice and you might opt to get the flock out of Dodge. Animals know when something disruptive is gonna hit. You see cows gathered together in a huddle, before a storm, talking about something we don’t know. The next morning, when it’s kowabunga, they look up at you as if to say, “Well, we tried to tell you last night!?� Friday afternoon and the phone and the web still aren’t back online. So of course, there’s no way to call Telmex to ask when the phone is gonna be working. I do know where the Telmex office is, so I hop in the car to go talk with the main office. When I get there, people are coming out, and they’re asking me “are you here to ask about your phone service being out?� I replied, “Yes. Then I gather it’s out? “Yes, it’s out everywhere.� “What about your internet? “I don’t know, haven’t used it today.�“Haven’t used it today? What are you? Retired?� I tell the folks in the office that I’m half way up the mountain and ask if the problem area is that big? Yes, it’s that big. Will this be fixed by this weekend? Sabado? Domingo? She replied, “No este problema, will be solved hoy.� Okay, she sounded confident, like she knew what she was talking about. But every Mexican sounds confident like they know what they’re talking about, even when you ask for directions and they have no clue, but they tell you distinct directions anyway. We wished each other a good weekend, and off
I drove to go find another 5 year old Sprite. Now it’s Friday at 5:00 PM. I have returned to mi casa, and the internet and the phone is still out. When this happened to me last year, I called to tell them my internet was out still at around 4:30 in the afternoon also on a Friday. They replied, “Well the guy was in the field, but you can’t expect him to do anything now, it’s going on 5:00 o’clock, and it’s the weekend.� That time, I knew the guy was at my place working on the wire, because he had shimmied up the phone pole in front of my condo, opened up the box enclosure on top, pulled out the braces and dingle bobs, and gave the wires a haircut. Leaving what appeared to be a bird’s nest of electrical mishmash wide open and dangling from the open box encasement above, dropping towards the street, the service guy was gone because... it’s the weekend. I thought it odd that he’d leave his electrical work open and exposed to the elements, you know in case a bird looks at that nest, flies in there, takes a large bird crap inside; maybe it starts to rain again while people say, that’s funny, this isn’t the rainy season, and why not have the entire grid explode when anything gets into that open box of dangling wires? Why not? Carlos Slim may be very smart while he’s planning on rewiring the lake with fiber optic. Let the insurance company pay for the blow up. And how would he know to get the idea? Ah, a little bird told him. It’s 8:13 in the evening and my internet came back up! Great. I don’t have to print this out and mail it to the magazine, hoping it gets there by Friday. Unless of course, I look out the window, and my neighbor’s cow or bull is standing on the Telmex line... in which case... the mail would probably be faster. info@chapala.TV Ron Knight 766 3006
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ntellects vast and cool and unsympathetic, regarded this earth with envious eyes, and slowly and surely drew their plans against us.” H.G. Wells Corporate behemoths have conquered the United States of America and much of the rest of the world. They possess no emotions, harbor no ethical considerations, suffer no pangs of conscience. The US Supreme Court ruled in the 1988 case of Pembina Consolidated Silver vs. Pennsylvania that a corporation is a legal “person” under the law, and yet such an entity exhibits no evidence of personhood. Like the Hydra of classical myth, corporate tentacles reach into every aspect
of our lives. While corporations possess no soul, a more recent court decision has decreed that they may have a religious preference. The corporation has grown into a structural box encasing our entire system of consumption, considered “too big to fail”, and immune to criticism. Yet another Supreme Court decision, in response to a suit by Citizens United, ruled that corporate contributions to political candidates constitute free speech. Corporate power has corrupted our democratic institutions almost beyond redemption. While Hollywood celebrities, labor unions and environmental groups are free to contribute as well, actors and actresses ask little in return for their generosity, orga-
nized labor passed its zenith years ago, and environmental groups lack huge funds with which to influence elections. The most recent election was the most expensive in history, with $306 million being spent, half by groups who are not required to identify themselves. The Koch brothers spent $150 million dollars on behalf of conservative candidates. Corporations are fascistic and totalitarian, in direct contradiction to the dynamics that fuel a democratic society. Corporate spokesmen, fearing to stray from the party line, exhibit the symptoms of Kadavergehorsem, the blind obedience of a corpse, instilled into the members of Hitler’s SS. The corporation determines what one can or cannot say, even what one can or cannot think. Fear of big government is justified, to which the horrors perpetrated by Hitler, Stalin, Pol Pot and so many others in recent history can attest, but the greatest threat to human freedom in the West today lies in the concentration of economic and political power in the clutches of the corporate world; not big government but big government controlled by big business. Our democracy has evaporated, replaced by a heavy-handed plutocracy, manipulated by obscure commissars in corporate boardrooms.
Conservative politicians trumpet that business should be subject to less government interference. In truth, business needs far more government regulation. Not the haberdashers, barbershops, mom and pop stores and pool halls that populated the increasingly mythological “Main Street” of yesteryear, but the self serving entities that have replaced them. Big business, like the banking industry and the manipulators of Wall Street, behaves ethically and responsibly only when forced to do so by government. Strong unions once acted as a counterbalance to corporate power, maintaining a successful tension between labor and management. That began to change with the passage of the 1947 Taft-Hartley Act with its Section 14B, permitting states to enact so-called “right to work” laws. Industrial jobs hemorrhaged southward to states with weak unions and a large pool of impoverished, easily manipulated workers. Still dissatisfied, corporations outsourced thousands of US jobs to third world societies offering slave-like wages and nonexistent environmental or workplace safety protections, effectively destroying America’s middle class in the process. It is vital that the Constitution of the United States be amended to dispel the dual absurdities of corporate personhood and corporate contributions as a form of free speech. Meanwhile, we could all practice better self-discipline by, for instance, boycotting corporate leviathans that now force underpaid and undervalued employees to work on holidays. The American consumer must be willing to remove the corporate plank he is standing on, to take control of his democracy again, to stand up and demand more vigorous federal regulation of big business. Lorin Swinehart
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A Time for Writing and Inspiration %\ +HUEHUW : 3LHNRZ
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ome people think that writing is easy. The assumption is we can read, therefore we can write, besides we graduated from school. However, good writing is much more than putting your name at the top and filling the screen or paper with words. As for me, I do it the hard way by first writing everything out in long hand and correcting it before sitting in front of the computer screen, where I make more edits. When the muse is there to help, the right words seem to flow, but the muse is not always there and some muses know very little about punctuation and formatting for publication. Even self-published books need to look good. Come to the eleventh Lake Chapala Writers Conference, March 11, 12 and 13th, 2015 and look for your creative muse with other writers and with the assistance of very knowledgeable and award winning presenters. Learn about being inspired, learn about formatting, work with a Book Doctor, find out which press should publish your sacred words and find out what it is like to write a best seller and then sell your book to Hollywood. If these topics do not appeal to you then find out about writing poetry from Diane Hicks-Morrow, a Canadian Poet Laureate. This year the Lake Chapala Writers Conference will have something for every writer, aspiring or established. Dennis Stovall, winner of the prestigious 2015 Rittenhouse Lifetime Achievement Award will talk about and conduct a workshop explaining the complexities of getting a manuscript published in his presentation, Publishing Demystified. Stovall will clarify what type of publisher is right for you. Do you search for the traditional big press, a university press, small press or self-publish? Stovall, who has owned his own successful publishing company and now heads the Portland State University graduate program
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
centered on publishing, knows the answers to your publishing questions. ‘Today, the Rittenhouse Award is truly a lifetime achievement award for those who have made long-lasting contributions to how books are made and sold,’ quoting from the award announcement. Best-selling Canadian writer Roberta Rich has written a series of historical novels about a sixteenth century midwife. This might sound dull until you add the intrigue that in the Midwife of Venice, our heroine is Jewish and forced to flee Venice. Instead of the safety she and her husband seek, along with the royal baby whose life she saves, the family ends up in the sultan’s court. The Toronto Star says, “Rich describes the opulence of royal life in Constantinople set against conspiracy and betrayal . . .” Rich will share her secrets of writing captivating and accurate historical fiction. Rachel McMillen is another bestselling Canadian writer whose Dan Connor Mystery series has a faithful following. Find out from McMillen what keeps her loyal readers buying her books. She will share her knowledge of writing and her secrets of keeping readers eager to read her next release. Even the best writers need to work with an editor or book doctor. However, mainstream publishers no longer have in-house editors and the publishers expect your manuscript to be perfect before they will publish. The most frequent complaints about e-books and self-published works are that the pieces needed the help of a good editor. At the eleventh Lake Chapala Writers Conference we offer an opportunity to meet one on one with a respected New York editor. Sandi Gelles-Cole, a Book Doctor, will provide attendees who sign up in advance the occasion to have their manuscripts reviewed by this acclaimed editor. The Book Doctor’s prescriptions could help cure your
writing ills and prepare your manuscript for submission to a publisher. Who has not dreamed of writing a best seller and then having your written words turned into a movie? Whitney Otto realized her dream and her novel, How to Make an American Quilt, was made into a feature film with Winona Ryder, Ellen Burstyn and Anne Bancroft. Otto will share her experiences and writing secrets for memoir. Reserve your spot at the eleventh annual Lake Chapala Writers Conference. The dates are Wednesday, March 11, Thursday, March 12 and Friday, March 13, 2015. Registration forms are available at Diane Pearl Collectiones, Colon 1, Ajijic; or at Hacienda Property Management and Rentals, Hidalgo 27A, Ajijic. Register by February 28, 2015 and the fee is only $1,300 pesos; after March 1st the price is $1,500 pesos. The price includes Pre and Post conference cocktail reception botanas; beverages are not included. Two lunches and beverages during breaks are included. Location: Hotel Danza del Sol, Zaragoza 165 and Rio Zula, Ajijic, Jalisco, Mexico
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oday he would walk out the door and he wouldn’t come back. In two days he was shipping Stateside. For most sailors this meant a last Bacchanalian night out in the bars and clubs but for Jack it meant only a mouthful of bile and a grinding knot in his stomach. When he arrived home he was going to move back in with his mother, sleeping on a rented couch, surrounded by half a lifetime of her cheap forgotten things and the bad neighborhood in Modesto. He ran his fingers through the shoe-shine of her hair. It flowed through his fingers like silk, liquid soft, and he had his teeth pressed hard against his lips as he thought about walking out the door for the last time. “Mmm, I like it when you do that, Jack,” she said. She pronounced his name “Jark,” like his mother. “Yeah, I know you do. Gonna miss me, aren’t you, girl?” “I miss you already and you not even go yet.” “Yeah,” he added spitefully, “Never love another man. Gonna keep it on ice for me, aren’t you?” She stayed silent, knowing better than to incite his quick temper. But he wouldn’t let it go. “So tell me, how long till you’re back on top of the bar at the Cork Room? Soon as I’m behind the gate tonight?” “Stop it, Jark.” He breathed hard through his nose staring up at the ceiling where a wobbly fan batted damp air around the room. She was 21 years old, not quite young enough to be his daughter but she looked 16. She had a red rose tattooed above her heart, a thorny stem trailing across her tiny left breast. Orange, late afternoon light cut through the rattan blinds, streaking her body with tiger stripes of light and shadow. The tiny room smelled of sex and rotten humidity. Her street name was Little Pearl but he called her Joy.
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“I wish you take me back with you, Jark,” she said. “Goddamn it! How many times have I told you?” She lifted her head and faced him, her pupils massive in the gloom, as dark and shiny as olives. “So what I’m supposed to do when you go, huh? You don’t want me work.” He didn’t answer. Their conversations were spiraling towards an inevitable point neither wanted to acknowledge. Last night he’d missed curfew, spending the night with Joy and a bottle of Tandua rum instead. She’d tried hard to get him to laugh, forced him through a few weary reminiscences but instead of cheering him the memories acted as touchstones to the frustration and anger that bloomed inside him like the thunderheads over the mountains outside. He could hear them now, their heavy rumbling so perfectly dark and ominous. Jack knew how these things worked. Family history. His father had had his own Filipina bride. Together they’d knocked out four kids in six rage-filled years before he drove off one night and never came back. Jack wouldn’t make the same mistake. He was 34 years old and Joy was the only woman he’d ever loved. He’d paid her bar-fine for the last three years, $60 a week to the mama-san at the Cork Room to keep her away from the silver pole. But he knew what would happen once he shipped out. His Cherry girl, she wasn’t 17 anymore, and she’d have to find someone else to pay her way. One way or another. “Jark, I need it true, you think we see each other again?” “Yeah,” he lied. “Then you come for me?” Her voice was plaintive, filled with the melancholy of her dependency. He felt a tear in his eye but forced it down inside where it burned like acid.
“Look, I told you already. Soon as I get things straightened out I’ll be back. Just give me a break tonight, alright? I need time.” And this was true, he did need time. He needed it here in Subic but what little he had left was running out fast. He knew he’d never make it back. Once he was gone he was gone for good. He heard the distant liberty horn, sailors and marines lining up to get off base and onto Magsaysay Street, cruising up and down the strip breathing in Jeepney exhaust, salty air, barbecue, cheap perfume and sex. “Remember the time we go to Banawee?” she said. “Yeah, that was great,” he answered. As he pogoed up and down in the back seat he saw something ahead, a black band cutting clear across the road. As the car hurtled towards it he saw it was a python, its head into the parched undergrowth on one side of the road before its tail had left the other. “Stop,” he shouted, but the driver, worried about bandits, ran straight over it, as if he’d bumped the truck over yet another pothole. Jack wheeled around, saw the snake coil up in the pow-
dery white dirt, its body shaped like some great question mark that slowly faded into a cloud of dust. She hitched herself onto his gut, black hair falling over her breasts as she leaned forward, hands pressed to his shoulders. The bars of light played against her skin as she moved, a caged animal, wiry, taut and vaguely leonine. “You’re beautiful,” he said and she gave him a face-full of her perfect white teeth. “So beautiful,” he whispered beneath his breath, “I don’t know how I’m ever gonna let you go.”
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hy is it that I, indeed many others too, find comfort in a country older than mine, in an alien culture? What is there down Mexico way that beckons the heart and mind? (For me, one reason is that I do not need to continually spell, pronounce nor explain my first name.) It could also be the intoxicating food and music, or the old and fascinating architecture of the pre-Colombian peoples, merging with the Moorish influences from Spain. It could also be the musical rhythms of the Spanish language as spoken by the descendants of yesterday´s “conquered” Mexicas. Or the appealing weather and comforting sun, the hot mineral baths, the fragrant aroma of citrus and flowers, the bounty of bright flora that dazzle the eye, or the splendid vistas of the varied landscape. Every time I arrive in Mexico, I experience a slow release of the stress and tension that have built up north of the
border; ills and scars that envelop me like shrouds. Here, people are quicker to smile and offer their hand in friendship. The Land of Mañana flows at a slower pace, and I have long tired of the incessant hurry-hurry of my job with the U.S. Postal Service. After thirty years of this, my “springs” seem on the verge of snapping. How I yearn to back off, wind down, and pursue other interests. Mexico´s quaint rural life offers me that. The mix of burros, horses, roosters and church bells seem to bring with them the serenity from another time. Of course, Mexico is not Utopia. No place in the present world is. Perhaps we had one long ago in the Garden of Eden, but we didn´t do very well there, either. What Mexico does offer is the chance to go back in time, bow out of the hectic mainstream of humanity, kick back and enjoy life at a more comfortable pace. This helps to refresh, not dehydrate, the soul.
Dear Sir: The article by Kathy Koches in the November, 2014 issue of El Ojo del Lago, under the title of “Independence,” may be one of the most important El Ojo del Lago has ever published. Critical thinking skills almost don’t exist among the public today, and that is by design. The Texas State Republican Party is officially opposed to the teaching of critical thinking skills in Texas public schools. It’s in their party platform. Their expressed reason is that children may begin to challenge the authority of parents, teachers, and preachers. There is no greater danger to the human soul than attempts at thought control. George Orwell wrote about
the Thought Police in his 1984. A memorable line of conversation in the movie The Hinderburg was between a couple of intelligent Germans aboard the great airship. One said to the other, “What’s to become of Germans like us?” The context was that those two had remained independent from Hitler’s propaganda and could still think for themselves. Ms. Koches’s article should be required reading for educators. Much of the public needs to take stock of what she says. As a retired teacher, I thank you for making her article accessible to the public. Fred Mittag San Pablo
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Sandy Olson
Phone: 331-283-8529 Email: sandyzihua@hotmail.com
PAST EVENTS
,7 :$6 $ '$5. $1' 67250< 1,*+7ÂŤ â&#x20AC;Ś.Well, actually it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t stormy, but it was certainly dark. The -DOWHSHF &HQWUR (GXFDtivo big annual fundraising dinner last month had quite a time of it when the electrical power went off at 4 pm and the 96 attendees had an unexpected romantic candlelight dinner, not to Jaltepec Students Prepare Dinner by Candlelight mention there was a full moon that night too. The students and staff managed to pull off D JUHDW HYHQW DQG WKH SDUWLFLSDQWV²JRRG VSRUWV DOO²KDG D ÂżQH WLPH :HÂśUH WROG WKH EDU did a brisk business that night.
COMING EVENTS
PATSY CLINE ALERT! 0\ 0\ +RZ 1LFH 3URGXFWLRQV is reprising Always! Patsy Cline. This was the inaugural show of My, My, How Nice! four years ago and was a huge hit. The original cast will perform--3DWWH\H 6LPSVRQ as Patsy Cline, -D\PH /LWWOHMRKQ as Louise and 7LPRWK\ * 5XII :HOFK as Tim Bob (he is also the musical director). The dates are January 8-11. Shows are at 7:30 Thursday through Saturday and at 3 pm on Sunday. Performances are at the old Sol y Luna, Rio Bravo #10 in west Ajijic.Tickets are 250 pesos and can be purchased through Diane Pearl Colecciones, Miaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Boutique or by emailing mymytickets @gmail.com. NICE AND EASY Our Mac Morisonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s next show is scheduled to kick off the New Year on January 7 at 7 pm and January 8 at 3 pm at the Club Exotica on the Ajijic Plaza. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s an evening of music, romance, dance and laughter. Mac will be singing a new set of jazz standards and romantic songs. Featured is the fabulous vocalist -XG\ +HQGULFN and, new this year, the multi-talented 3DWULFN 'XPRXFKHO. Also, straight from Los Angeles, a favorite on cruise ships and USO tours, is special guest comedienne /DXUD +D\GHQ who will open for Mac. The â&#x20AC;&#x153;Makettesâ&#x20AC;? (Alexis Hoff, Heather Hunter, $OO\VRQ 'HMRQJ and 9DO -RQHV) will entertain with some engaging dance numbers. This will be a great show to start off the year. The event ZLOO EHQHÂżW WKH /DNHVLGH /LWWOH 7KHDWUH VIVA MUSICA SPRING SEASON 9LYD SODQV D IXOO OLQH XS RI HYHQWV Âą WKUHH FRQFHUWV ÂżYH EXVHV WR WKH 0HW /LYH and six buses to the symphony in the spring season. Viva Concerts in the Auditorio 7KXUVGD\ -DQXDU\ %DURTXH )OXWH 7ULR (GXDUGR $UDPEXOD Ă&#x20AC;XWH $UHOL 0HGHOHV FHOOR +DQV 3HWHU $XOO FODYLFKRUG SOD\LQJ PXVLF by Bach, Telemann, Fischer and Marcello. Auditorio, 7:00 p.m. 7KXUVGD\ )HEUXDU\ 3LDQR 7ULR Âł&DWDUVLV ´ Pianist Julieta Azalea Beltran, violinist Diego Rojas and cellist Yalissa Cruz playing Schubert Piano Trio No. 1, Rachmaninoff Piano Trio â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Elegaicâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and Ilan Rechtman jazz pieces. Auditorio, 7:00 p.m 7KXUVGD\ 0DUFK 7KUHH 6RSUDQRV Back by popular demand! The fabulous sopranos Berenice Barragan, Patricia Hernandez Left to right: Julieta Azalea Beland Viviana Baez will sing a selection of oper- tran, Diego Rojas and Yalissa Cruz
atic arias and classical Mexican songs. They are accompanied by pianist Gaby Zepeda. Performances at the Auditorio are at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are 200 pesos and are available from Diane Pearl Colecciones, at LCS on Thursdays and Fridays from 10.00 - 12.00 p.m. and at the Auditorio door. Bus trips to the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD 6DWXUGD\ -DQXDU\ 7KH 0HUU\ :LGRZ by Lehar, featuring the great soprano RenĂŠe Fleming as the femme fatale who captivates Paris. Bus departs at 10:30. 6DWXUGD\ )HEUXDU\ 7KH 7DOHV RI +RIIPDQQ by Offenbach, with the magnetic tenor Vittorio Grigolo as the tortured poet in the title role of Offenbachâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s operatic masterpiece. Bus Soprano Viviana Baez departs at 10:30. 6DWXUGD\ )HEUXDU\ 'RXEOH %LOO ,RODQWD by Tchaikovsky and Bluebeardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Castle by Bartok, featuring breathtaking soprano Anna NeWUHENR DV WKH EHDXWLIXO EOLQG JLUO ZKR H[SHULHQFHV ORYH IRU WKH ÂżUVW WLPH IROORZHG E\ 1DGMD Michael as the unwitting victim of the diabolical Duke Bluebeard. Bus departs at 10:00. MEET THE OUTDOOR PAINTERS 3OHLQ $LU 3DLQWHUV RI -DOLVFR ODXQFKHV LWV ÂżUVW H[KLELWLRQ DW $MLMLFÂśV Galeria Sol Mexicano on Friday, January 16, at Colon #13 in Ajijic. The reception begins at 3 pm with music, refreshments, and a showing of paintings done en plein air (thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s French for â&#x20AC;&#x153;in the open airâ&#x20AC;?). Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a newly formed diverse group of painters who meet at different locations several times a month to paint outdoors. They can be spotted along the lakeshore, in the plazas, or on a cobblestoned street in the village. The PAPJ organizer is 6XQQ\ 6RUHQVHQ. Other members include 6WHYH $FKV %HY .HSKDUW ,QDN *LH\V]WRU and 6KXQZDK. $ )2/. 086,& 75($7 Renowned Jalisco folk singer Paco Padilla delighted students, teachers and parents at the School for Special Children in Jocotopec recently. By Bev Kephart He promised to return to give a concert WR EHQHÂżW WKH 6FKRRO La Bodega KDV DJUHHG WR KRVW 3DFRÂśV EHQHÂżW FRQFHUW DW WKHLU restaurant on Calle 16 de Septiembre. The date is January 24. Tickets for the dinner show are 350 pesos. Concert goers have a choice of dinner either before (6:30) or after (9:30) the 8:00 concert. Reservations may be made at the restaurant at 766-1002. YES, THERE IS A FREE LUNCH And what a lunch it will beâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;prepared and served by the students of the -DOWHSHF Centro Educativo. Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s how it works: the morning starts off with a presentation of the history of Jaltepec and the academics and scholarship program, followed by a tour of the facilities. Folk Singer Paco Padilla The event is on Wednesday, January 28 at 11 am. Says /LQGD %XFNWKRUS, Community Facilitator, â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is a good way to truly understand the quality of education these girls get at Jaltepec Centro Educativo.â&#x20AC;? Reservations are a MUST as the students need to know how many to prepare lunch for. Email Linda Buckthorp at buckthorplm@gmail.com or call at 766-1631 for further information, or to make a reservation. 1,Ä&#x2022;26 ,1&$3$&,7$'26 $ *2 *2 Their annual Trivia Night was sold out before this issue of 2MR GHO /DJR. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s still time to get tickets for the -HIIHU\ 6WUDNHU concerts. Jeffery is a Canadian pop singer-songwriter. His piano-based pop musical style has drawn comparisons to Elton John, Neil Young, and Rufus Wainwright. The dates are Thursday and Friday, February 12 and 13, 7 pm at the Auditorio. Thursday will feature the launch of Jefferyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new CD )ULGD\ LV Âł1LÄ&#x2013;RV 3DUD 1LÄ&#x2013;RV ´ Jeffery will be accompanied by the CREM &KLOGUHQÂśV 2UFKHVWUD DQG &KRLU TO GO GO ON SOME MORE Save these dates: the annual Chili &RRN 2II is from Friday, February 27 to SunJeffery Straker day, March 1, at Tobolandia in Ajijic
continued on page 50
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And next but not least: 1LÄ&#x2013;RV SUHVHQWV Viva Las Vegas, their gala dinner dance. The event is on Thursday, March 12 at 5:30, at Hotel Real de Chapala. 9LVLW 1LÄ&#x2013;RV ,QFDSDFLWDGRVÂś ZHEVLWH IRU PRUH GHWDLOV RQ HDFK HYHQW SURJUDPDQLQRV com. :5,7(56²6$9( 7+(6( '$7(6 7KH th $QQXDO /DNH &KDSDOD :ULWHUVÂś &RQIHUHQFH is scheduled for March 11-13. The venue will be Danza del Sol in West Ajijic. Six speakers/workshop presenters have been invited. Topics range from â&#x20AC;&#x153;Writing Basicsâ&#x20AC;? WR Âł3XEOLVKLQJ 'HP\VWLÂżHG ´ Early registration, before February 28, is 1300 pesos. From March 1 on the cost is 1500 pesos. Two lunches and beverages during breaks are included. For further information, Committee members, left to right: Carol Bowcheck on Facebook: www. man, Harriet Hart, Victoria Schmidt, Herbert facebook.com/pages/LakePiekow, and Sandy Olson. Chapala-Writers-Conference/, or email Victoria Schmidt at victoriaAschmidt@gmail.com. :521* 78516 &$1 %( )81 The /DNHVLGH /LWWOH 7KHDWUHÂśV next production in its 50th Jubilee season is a dark comedy called Wrong Turn At /XQJÂżVK by Garry Marshall, of TV situation comedy fame, and Lowell Ganz. It features a dying, blind, well-educated elderly man, a nurse with an attitude, a dingbat volunteer reader, and her gangster boyfriend. The show is directed by 3HJJ\ /RUG &KLOWRQ, and the cast includes .HQQHWK %ULGJHV %HU\O 'RUVFKW 7LQD 'DZQ /HRQDUG DQG .HQ <DNLZFKXN :URQJ 7XUQ $W /XQJÂżVK opens on Friday, January 16 and runs through Sunday, January 25. Tickets are 225 pesos, and can be obtained by calling WKH %R[ 2IÂżFH DW RU E\ The Cast: Tina Leonard, Ken Yakiw- E-mailing tickets@lakesidelittletheatre. chuk, Kenneth Bridges, Beryel Dorscht com 7KH %R[ 2IÂżFH ZLOO EH RSHQ IURP 10am to noon on January 14 and 1, and at the same time each day during the run of the show except Sundays. PAELLA ON LA TERRAZA &UX] 5RMD sponsors 3DHOOD RQ WKH 7HUUD]D, January 17, from 6-9 pm. Dr. 7RQ\ Pinto, well known chef, will serve his classic paella in a multi-course dinner on the beautiful terraces of the Hotel Montecarlo. Tickets for an international, fabulous evening are 300 pesos, available from Charlie Klestadt or at the Cruz Roja Table at LCS. Keep on supporting our Cruz Roja, says President MarJLH .DVVLHU, â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s support from Lakesiders and our Cruz Roja Community Partners that keeps medical and ambulance services going 24/7, 365 days a year. We all thank you.â&#x20AC;? Visit the Cruz Roja table at LCS or their website: www. cruzrojalakeside.com. Interested in supporting Cruz Roja International Volunteers Chapala? Contact Margy Kassier at tmkassier@live. com or phone 766-4337. 0((7 7+( :5,7(5 2DVLV &ORXG &DIp hosts â&#x20AC;&#x153;Meet the Writers Luncheonsâ&#x20AC;? at their cafĂŠ in Riberas del Pilar at Calle San Luis #330. The social starts at 11:30, the readings at 12. Lunch follows. For reservations call 376-765-3516 or email info@oasiscloud. Chef Tony Pinto and mx. His Paella Pan On January 21 6KHU\O 0DOLQ will read from her book My Journey of Completion. She will discuss in part a new approach to treating cancer. Her book tells the story of how she beat cancer without surgery, chemotherapy or radiation. The book is available at the website http://outskirtspress.com/myjourneyofcompletion/ and also at Amazon.com, through Barnes & Noble, and by E-book or Kindle. 6(( 7+( +20(6 $1' 23(1 7+( '225² â&#x20AC;&#x201D;for a brighter future for kids at the School for Special Children in Jocotopec. The
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annual /DNHVLGH %HKLQG WKH :DOOV 7RXUV are scheduled for January 22, February 26 and March 26. Registered guests will meet at the Ajijic pier at 10:15 for transport. The tours leave at 10:30. Tickets are 200 pesos and are available at Diane Pearl Colecciones and at Charter Club Tours at Plaza MontaĂąa on the Carreterra. For more information, call Jessie Wynant at 766-1438 or Dale Wilson at 766-5283. HEREâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S YOUR CHANCE TO TRY SOME HAGGIS 1LÄ&#x2013;RV ,QFDSDFLWDGRV promises a delicious dinner at their annual and very popular Burns Supper at the Hotel Real de Chapala on January 25. Robert Burns, Scotlandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest poet, was born on January 25, and on that day, around the world, people celebrate with pipes, kilts, haggis and dancing. Ajijic is no exception. The festivities start with bagpipes and Scottish country dancing, which you can enjoy with our very own $MLMLF 6FRWWLVK &RXQWU\ 'DQFHUV. The delicious dinner includes haggis, among other things, and a wee dram to go with the toasts. Tickets are 375 pesos a person. To book tickets, reserve a table for 10, or seats at an open table, please Poet Robert Burns contact Linda Hendy at 106-1281 (answering machine available), or linda.ppni@gmail.com. You can also go to Ninosâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; website:www.programaninos.com and place an order online. 1$.(' 67$*( 7KH 1DNHG 6WDJH next production is The Amish Project. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s directed by /\QQ Phelan. Reading dates are January 30, 31 DQG )HEUXDU\ ,WÂśV D ÂżFWLRQDO H[SORUDWLRQ of the Nickel Mines schoolhouse shooting in an Amish community and the love and compassion shown by its people. Says DiDQD 5RZODQG, â&#x20AC;&#x153;All the reviews from all the productions of it have been ravesâ&#x20AC;Śand I am so happy to be in it!â&#x20AC;? Naked Stage is located at #10A Rio Bravo. Directions: west on the carretera from Ajijic, south on Rio Bravo, about two blocks down behind Danielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Restaurant on the east side. Danielâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s is open for lunch and dinner with a no host bar availDEOH DW S P 7KH ER[ RIÂżFH RSHQV at 3:15 and the show starts at 4:00 p.m. The email address for reservations: nakedstagereservations@gmail.com. ReserBack: Jayme Littlejohn, Liz White, vations guarantee a seat until 3:50, after Debra Bowers which seats will be sold to those waiting Front: Graham Miller, Allen McGill, without reservations.
Roseann Wilshere, Greg Clarke and Diana Rowland
ONGOING EVENTS
SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL BUTTERFLIES The 0RQDUFK 3URMHFW is a brainchild of 1DQF\ 6HJDOO, Secretary of the /DNHVLGH Garden Club. She says, â&#x20AC;&#x153;I started the Monarch Project about two years ago, by designLQJ DQG EXLOGLQJ P\ RZQ EXWWHUĂ&#x20AC;\ KRXVH VR , FRXOG ZDWFK WKH HQWLUH F\FOH RI WKH OLIH RI WKH PRQDUFK EXWWHUĂ&#x20AC;LHV ´ %XWWHUĂ&#x20AC;\ ZDWFKHUV NQRZ WKDW WKHUH DUH IHZHU PRQDUFKV HYHU\ \HDU This soon became a project for the Garden Club, as well as +DYH +DPPHU :LOO Travel, which took on the task of building the houses. 7KH EXWWHUĂ&#x20AC;\ KRXVHV DUH DYDLODEOH DW WKH RUJDQLF PDUNHW RQ 7XHVGD\ PRUQLQJV IRU 600 pesos. Milkweed starters can be found at EarthBOX, Hidalgo 212, Riberas del Pilar. Contact Nancy Segall at 766-3261, email her at miendo@yahoo.com, or check the website: http://lakechapalagardenclub.org/monarchs.html *52: <285 2:1ÂŤ â&#x20AC;Śvegetables, that is. 7KH $MLMLF 2UJDQLF 9HJHWDEOH *URZHUV has now grown to sixty members. The club meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 10 at the gazebo at Tabarka Restaurant, Rio Zula #7.The next meeting will be on January 14. New members are welcome. They can contact John at mcwilliamsmx@gmail.com or by phone at 376766-0620. 648($.< :+((/ 5($',1*6 La Rueda (The Wheel), a coffee gallery in San Juan Cosala, stages monthly readings LQ (QJOLVK 7KH\ DUH KHOG RQ WKH ÂżUVW :HGQHVGD\ RI HDFK PRQWK DW 7KHUH ZLOO EH QR UHDGLQJ LQ -DQXDU\ WKH\ ZLOO UHVXPH RQ :HGQHVGD\ )HEUXDU\ Readers in December were -HUHP\ 0RQURH %RE 'U\QDQ 0LFKDHO :DUUHQ %RQQLH 3KLOOLSV .HOO\ +D\HV 5DLWW *ORULD 3DOD]]R and -RDQ :DUUHQ Writers who want to read in February, or those needing further information, can contact Judy Dykstra-Brown. Email her at jubob2@hotmail.com.
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believe Ojo’s rreaders eaderss ea would like to to hear about my experience perience with near death. Also, my article will serve to keep bird lovers on the lookout for early warning signs of illness. I am a pneumonia survivor. Not many parrots can tell you this, as we drop dead rather quickly. I thank Francisco, who noticed I was breathing only through my mouth. He quickly noticed my greeting, “How Are You?” came out sounding more like, “Howa Tu?” Jani immediately contacted her Facebook friends. On their expert advice we were directed to Doctor Pepe Magana in San Antonio. After scratching his head, he pulls out this syringe, as long as the
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
tail on an elephant. I think perhaps it is a joke, but it i isn’t. pinned “Keep Max’s wings pi p behind him as you flip him upside down on your chest. Cover his face with your hand while keeping his beak clamped shut,” Dr. Pepe told Francisco. The needle must have been sharp. When it went into my breast, it felt like little more than a prick. “The syringe has measured amounts for three more daily injections of antibiotic… Do you have someone at home who can hold him down for the other shots?” My next shot came on the following day. Jani pinned my back flat against the bony area between her breasts, my wings folded under. (If I had not known better, I would have thought it erotic.) Tense, like sticks, my legs thrust outward. Like tiny antennas, my claws stretched for the heavens. But, Francisco forgot to tell Jani to hold my beak shut. That she got bit was just a reflex reaction as the needle went in. It was not a conscious act, I can assure you. And, the bite only hurt Jani until the swelling went down. I am better now, although in molt. And my impulses are in check. Come visit us, Ojo reader, and I will give you a kiss. Plumas, Max Bird, Public Relations Specialist
INTERNET QUIZZES %\ .DWK\ .RFKHV
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hose of us who play ay on tthe he Internet, especially Faceally l Fac ace eBook, have probably abl bly taken at least one of the quizzes that see seem eem m to pop up frequently. I just st recently took one that told me thatt tthe he ssong ong on g that described me was “Wild Wild Thing,” what region of the US my speech peech pattern was most like, and what “fairy” I would be. Really? Now I know that most of them are just for fun,, and there is no scientific basis whatsoever oever (well maybe some research was done for the speech pattern quiz.) They are for entertainment only, and not to be taken seriously. But I got to wondering why I like to take them. Sure, it’s flattering when you find out you were a famous movie star in a past life (yeah, right) or that you are charming, witty, or have a sparkling personality. And sometimes they even “calculate” your intelligence or knowledge of a particular era or event. I did pretty well identifying the rock stars of the ‘60’s! I think it is more than simply entertainment at work here. Everyone wants to feel that they are a part of something, or that they excel at something. These quizzes become a type of “validation” a “pat on the back” and make you feel good about yourself. I have yet to take one that told me I was an idiot or a terrible person!! The other day a friend told me that I should stop taking these little quizzes, as they are a marketing tool used to track people’s preferences in order to target them for advertising. Really? They can analyze my personality and send me advertising based on the color of my aura? I doubt that.
Another friend told me Anoth she take any intersh he won’t w net quizzes because “they” can track “t her. Is she overly h Perhaps. But in this paranoid? P modern day da world of technology, hacker hackers and “big brother,” ogy perhaps not. Today I found out what Tarot card I would be most like (The Magician), what magical creature I would be (a Unicorn) and that my aura is pink. So, I’m good for the rest of the week! Kathy Koches
Saw you in the Ojo 53
His long shadow has an attitude all its own, the audacity that comes from knowing the path, no tale to drag along, no cumbersome baggage, nothing but the sun on the Bag Man’s back. Idly mapping his morning destination, as if the day, After slipping out from beneath a blanket of stars, had nowhere to go in a hurry. In search of whatever the Universe sends his way, prepared for the hunt with an armful of plastic bags, he pauses momentarily, and poses for the camera, the cidevant mayor on a red carpet, standing a world away, across a mote of cobblestones. Serenely comfortable in his own skin, Maître de of this exquisite village, steadfast, commanding. It seems we were destined to end up mirroring the one thing we have in common; searching for whatever comes along. That preeminent smile, that spunky airborne chin, knowing what’s left on the ground, after I pass by, is his for the taking. I bet Bag Man you’d fare well in a throwaway society, a numero uno rag-and-bone man, wandering around the moment, listening to the rhythm of the bandos playing in your mind, while I, a magpie hording broken dreams, observe in silence. He doesn’t know what he’s missed: smog, asthma, black rain, the exhaust of society eating itself alive. I bet he doesn’t know or care that the epic battle between good and evil has been lost to the squabbling of have and have nots. Who’s the rabbit? Who’s the hare? You’ve no need to go there, do you Senor Bag Man? The sweet smell of fresh air combing your beard, living in a world where windows and doors are open portals to whatever the day brings. The silent observer, roguishly taunting life’s tourist; and I, the usurper, the cutter ant, seeking understanding from the rear end of a camera, while posing just for you. Where were you when I needed you? When I slugged along littered streets, aimlessly looking for something to pick up and hold onto? Had I known of this cobblestone environment where saying hello, pausing to be recognized, is a natural celebration of acceptance, it would not have taken me so long to learn that all I have ever really needed was to share a moment with the Bag Man, and all that I have ever searched for, consumed and discarded, was no more than scraps of life to fill an empty plastic bag. — john thomas dodds—
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
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t is a surprise surprise ur e to o at the t e shoulth sh houlmany that der is the most common human injury. The mechanisms of injury are a variety of accidents and activities such as a slip and fall, a car accident or simply carrying a heavy suitcase to the ticket counter. Whenever we exceed our conditioned maximum at the gym, gardening at home or something as simple as reaching for a tea cup on a high shelf, we may create a strain. If not attended soon, it may become a chronic issue that the body is unable to heal by its own magic. When a muscle is over-stretched or over-loaded with some activity or
cont ntin inu uous m ottion w a continuous motion without p oper pr er rest res estt for fo or recovery, reco re eccovvery ve ery ry, y, itt often proper reacts to protect itself by contraction. These contractions cause restricted blood flow with resultant build up of by-products of muscle work, such as lactic acid, creating sensitivity and pain. These symptoms result in stiffness, restricted motion and often will disturb the patient’s sleep. The extreme example of this is the frozen shoulder, termed such because of the patient’s inability to move the shoulder even slightly without crying out in pain. An unfortunate vineyard worker presented in my office a few years ago, holding his right arm close to his body, wincing in pain with even
the slightest movement. His history revealed that he and another worker had been stringing the heavy wire that supports the grape vines. They were using a come-along to stretch the wire, the wire had snapped, and the end had whipped around penetrating the worker’s shoulder muscle. As this occurred at a major winery, he was examined by the insurance doctor who made little of the injury, and prescribed pain killers with an order to return to work. The patient found he was unable to perform his work duties, and not knowing what to do, he went home to recover. His shoulder became progressively worse, and within a few days he was unable to move his arm. When he was finally referred to my office by a friend, he was depressed and fearful that he would never again be able to use his right arm. His situation was complicated by his anxiety that he would not be able to provide for his young wife and 12 children. Examination revealed that the wire penetration was not infected, but the underlying shoulder muscle was locked in a tight spasm which had led to an overload of other shoulder muscles, resulting in a frozen shoulder. After 3 1/2 weeks of treatment, during which he was able to qualify
for disability benefits, he was able to resume his work at the winery and his shoulder was pain free. Another patient recently presented in my office for low back and neck issues, and as he neared recovery, asked if I could treat his shoulder problem. He related that he had injured his shoulder about 50 years ago and could not even remember the cause of the injury. He stated that he found it difficult to sleep on the side of the injured shoulder, which awakened him repeatedly during the night. He had learned to live with the problem, and since there was little interference with activities of daily living, he had not sought therapy in the past. Examination of the shoulder revealed spasmed, dysfunctional rotator cuff muscles, sore and tender to the touch. After suffering fifty years of discomfort, the shoulder was returned to normal range of motion with pressure release therapy, and all nocturnal pain was relieved with the help of an electronic muscle stimulator. Fifty years must be a record for a muscle to remain in a dysfunctional contraction after an injury! When therapists say a muscle has memory, they are not kidding!
Saw you in the Ojo 55
BRIDGE BY THE LAKE %\ .HQ 0DVVRQ
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xperienced duplicate players can usually tell by late in the contest just how their game is going. If it’s going well, they will try to maintain their position by playing the balance of the hands conservatively; if it’s going poorly, they may throw caution to the wind and gamble somewhat to try and add some badly needed matchpoints to their tally. The latter was the case in a game Herself and I played recently at the Lake Chapala Duplicate Bridge Club in Riberas. For most of the afternoon our performance had been less than scintillating and we were headed for an average score when the illustrated hand was dealt with one round to go. Sitting North, I opened the bidding 1 club in second seat. Although my hand contained 19 high card points it was basically very flat and devoid of intermediate cards. Had I held a 5-card suit or some 10s and additional 9s I might have upgraded the hand and opened 2 no trump – more about that later. East passed and Herself responded 1 spade which made my next bid simple - 4 spades, which pretty well described my hand. Holding six good spades and honours in the other suits, and recognising the dire state of our game, Herself decided to investigate slam and bid 4 no trump, Roman Key card Blackwood. My response of 5 clubs was joy to her ears as it showed 1 or 4 key cards which she knew had to be 4 based on the bidding, so her next call was the auction-ending 6 spades. West chose to lead the diamond queen which might have given a trick away with other layouts but
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
caused no problems this time as declarer won in hand with the king. Herself counted her losers and saw that she had likely twice as many as she could afford – 1 diamond and 1 club. So something had to be done to reduce her losers to one. Before reading on, see if you can figure out how to take 12 tricks, even looking at all four hands. After a few moments of consideration, Herself saw if there was a certain holding of the opponents cards she could make her contract so she began by drawing the outstanding trumps in 2 rounds, followed by cashing the ace and king of hearts. Now the stage was set for her piece de resistance – she cashed her remaining high diamond and exited with the diamond 10 which West was forced to win but he was well and truly end-played. He could now choose his poison – lead away from his club king or give declarer a ruff sluff by playing another diamond or heart. You might say that declarer was lucky to find the same opponent holding the diamond honours and the club king but winning bridge is all about solving problems of this nature. We were fortunate in another sense, too. If I had chosen to open 2 no trump and Herself had transferred to spades and eventually put me in the small slam, East had a natural club lead which would have put paid to any chance I might have of making the contract! Questions or comments: email: masson.ken@gmail. com Ken Masson
more serious plays – as have been successfully produced in the past, for example The Heiress last year, or Proof and Doubt and An Inspector Calls from prior years. This year LLT has to their credit included several serious dramas in a more balanced program. Nameless letter-writer, your condescending contribution was not helpful. No doubt Betrayal was a risky choice, but please don’t ask LLT to stick all the time to lighter stuff! Your honest reviewer Michael Warren Dear Sir: As the long-time reviewer of LLT plays under the byline “Front Row Center” I must respond to the anonymous letter criticizing the recent production of Betrayal (December 2014, page 84). It is my practice to see every play twice – first I go to the preview on the Thursday before opening night, and then a week later on my season ticket. This helps me to form a fair opinion, and also to notice any changes or improvements over the run of the play. My initial impression of Betrayal was similar to your correspondent’s view. The play was slow and lacked tension. Possibly the director was
overly concerned with the “Englishness” of the play, and failed to pick up on the various discoveries made by the characters during important scenes. However, a week later both the pace and the tension were much improved, and I reflected that in my review. Although the standard of acting and directing is high, bear in mind that this is not Broadway or the West End. It’s a small town, and I try to make intelligent comments without being destructive. Sometimes I criticize the choice of play, usually for being too silly or trivial. Many people, including myself, have urged LLT to put on
Saw you in the Ojo 57
UP ON THE ROOFTOP %\ &DURO / %RZPDQ
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he chocolate boxer began barking as the thunder rumbled to a crescendo. A silent flash of light streaked through the sky and the barking increased. Then a deluge poured, without sympathy for the frantic pacer on our Mexican neighbor’s out-building rooftop. His barks turned garbled, mixed with squishes of water every time he opened those wide jaws to emit his incessant woof. For eight years, we had relished the tranquility of our terrace and pool, sipping wine or tequila, entertaining friends or playing a heated game of Scrabble. At sunset, we’d climb the wrought iron stairs to the roof above our casita, cocktail in hand, to view the sun slipping behind Mount Garcia. A
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pink glow rippled across Lake Chapala and mountains rose up sharply behind us, making this a Mexican sanctuary between the water and the trees. That all changed when idyllic dissolved into dreadful. Sounds of that strange Hispanic practice of perros del techo—roof dogs—assaulted the serenity. Until this invasion, whenever I walked through the village of Ajijic, I’d look up with curiosity and apprehension, as menacing dogs paced back and forth on rooftops, growling at any unfamiliar movement below. I wondered if these canine sentries ever pounced upon an innocent passer-by. Flat roofs make excellent vantage points for mongrel security systems. Our casita’s mirador lies less than six
El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
feet from the lipped-edge rooftop of a shed-like building at the rear of our neighbor’s property. A ladder rested against the wall of the bodega and a cage-like monstrosity of grated wire sat at the center of the small roof’s space. A frayed tablecloth thrown carelessly over the top offered its ‘occupants’, two boxer puppies, one white and one a deep fawn, flimsy protection from the sun. Little squeals and wagging tails greeted us whenever we went up on the mirador. As they grew, so did the problems. Their sweet yelps turned into brash barks and the taste of margaritas and mixed nuts soured against the distinctive odor of confined animals and plops of uncollected waste. We would need earplugs to catch a stunning sunset ever again from this spot. Whenever we dined on our terrace, the dogs howled continuously. As the pups developed into fully grown boxers, their space shrank and the barking became a discordant duet. The owners removed the white one, possibly because its skin couldn’t tolerate the sunlight, beating down on the roof. The lone brown beauty looked like that last piece of chocolate with the unwanted filling, left in the candy box. His cell mate gone, he sank into solitary duty as the 24/7 lookout. The guard dog, distracted by any
movement, sounded the alarm from his post day or night. How, I wondered, do his owners know the difference between an alert that a robber is approaching and one that responds to an opossums linking through the yard? What kind of security is that? With the dog being confined to an outer building rooftop, what good is it for him to bark, when he can’t intercede on the family’s behalf? Does he ever realize how useless his job is? Does he ever get hoarse from non-stop yelping? No and no. Then one night, the rain poured and the thunder rumbled, but the silence from the roof proved deafening. In the morning, in the dimness of dawn, I scaled the mirador stairs, expecting an abandoned outpost. There curled in a brown ball, the motionless sentinel lay on the flimsy coverlet topping the wired cage, the only warm spot on the cold, cement roof. His growl silent, he opened one eye, and ignored my intrusion. Had he realized the futility of his assigned task, was he ill or depressed? I didn’t know the reason for the temporary reprieve. As I watched this pile of lethargy, it seemed to me that, ‘It’s a dog’s life,’ aptly described the wretched state of misery for these perros del techo. The idea of such abandonment sickened me. He should be romping with the children, chasing after balls in the yard, resting at his owner’s feet after a day of play. I thought about dog owners who provide their pets with nourishment, grooming, exercise and a family’s devotion. This boxer knew nothing of that bond. His existence amounted to one duty, that of sentry. It’s 3 AM. In the blackness of the night, I hear him barking, frantic to alert his masters of some disturbance below, but they pay no attention. Is it a robber or a rat? Only he knows. Despite the neglect, he performs his thankless job up on the roofCarol L. Bowman top.
$%287 $ $33$5,7,216 5 5HYHUHG + +HUH DQG $ $URXQG W WKH : :RUOG %\ 1DQF\ *UHHQKHDUW Cultural Researcher
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n an article published in the October 2014 issue of El Ojo Del Lago, I mentioned that in many cultures people receive manifestations of beings imbued with core-reaching penetrating love. Here in Mexico and in many countries around the world, these apparitions are seen as a divine mother. The best known apparition of divine mother in Mexico is Our Lady of Guadalupe. In December 1531, a man from the local tribal group , who had recently been converted to Catholicism, had seen a vision of a beautiful lady on a mountain now called Tepeyac. It is the highest of three peaks, which had long been the worship site of the indigenous mother goddess Tonantzin. This name in the Nahuatl language of several indigenous groups means “Our Mother.” The beautiful lady spoke to Juan Diego, referring to herself several times as “your mother’. She clearly stated that she would always be available to anyone who called out to her in need. She aligned herself with Catholicism by asking Juan Diego to go to the bishop and ask that a temple or shrine be made on that mountain peak to her. Historically this is interesting because the Spanish had just torn down a temple there dedicated to Tonantzin. This does not make the mother presence any less real, but rather substantiates the thought that such beneficent helpers find the most suitable form to relieve suffering of those in need. If the cultural conditions shift, the transcendent nature of such high spiritual source can assume any form or identity that can be received in the new circumstances. Her often used title indicating purity is “Virgen” or virgin. Thus the Mother of Compassion is referred to in Mexico as La Virgen de Guadalupe. This ability to change specific characteristics to better serve the people of a given circumstance is seen in Asia in earlier centuries. By the 12th century, a pure soul who stays in our realm to help others, was clearly mentioned in the Sanscrit Sutras, sacred scriptures crossing over from older Hindu traditions to the more
recent Buddhist traditions. Buddhism was new to the region and the Lotus Sutra make clear a transition of this specific high spiritual helper of Mercy and Compassion. Earlier the Sanscrit scriptures referred to a being called Avalakitesvara. From the Lotus Sutra or Heart Sutra, this spiritual helper was received and revered anew by the Mahayana Buddhists. This pure spirit was said to take the form of any male or female (or appear genderless) in order to reach sentient beings; any form required to relieve suffering of people. In China by the 12th century, this ascended master of Compassion and Mercy was represented as a mother, a beautiful white robed woman Guan Shi Yin, she who watches over the world and hears the cries and lamentations of the people. Through the years since the 12th century , she has become revered as a significant Mother by people of many Asian cultures. The Taoists consider her an immortal. Her name varies according to the language of each locality. In Cantonese she is “Guan Yam”; in Japanese she is called “Kannon or Kanzeon”; in Indonesian she is called Mak (mother) Kwan Im; in Tibet she is called “Chenrezig.” Her robes change somewhat with each culture. Today she is popularly referred to in western countries as Kwan Yin, Goddess of Compassion. Though costumes and names change to suit each culture, I conclude the Mother of Compassion and Mercy is well received as a representative of the highest source, one God who loves all people.
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BACKWATER VAGABONDS %\ -DPHV 0DUWKDL
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T
he new road should be near completion by now,” read the Mexican travel brochure, describing the lovely little town of Barra de Esperanza, north of Manzanillo on the tropical Pacific coast. This is our return trip to Manzanillo on the “new road near completion.” Near completion of survey would be more like it. Three days before on the trip in, we complained of the over-optimism of quick-visit writers regarding progress in this part of the country. The “road” was a torn wound through choked forests, felled trees wilting alongside. Interrupted streams eroded many places across the narrow, winding trail. This was
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jungle few people traveled since well before the Spanish Conquest. Soon this pristine bay will become crowded with tourists when, and if, the road is completed. Locals began boarding the bus and we joined the gathering crowd funneling through the door. I quickly slipped into the front seats, numbers 3 and 4, as I like to watch the road ahead. Boxes, children and palm-fiber bags, in a shuffling mass fill the worn confines of the weary vehicle. People settled down and we waited. Children were repositioned and hand baggage moved about as we watched the brassy sun paint the horizon clouds. Silence settled. We waited. Twenty minutes behind schedule
El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
(forgive the up-tight word schedule) and not having the stoic patience of Mexicans, I stared about for some indication of action. “Night travel on this road leaves me cold, regardless of the temperature,” I smirked, wiping my wet neck with my wet handkerchief. Fragrances of fruit and flowers, bantams and babies melded in the rising temperature of the crowded bus. Laughing voices on the still air drew attention as two couples hurried from the beach. We noted a decided unsteadiness in the men as they pumped through the soft sand. The woman across the aisle whispered hoarsely, “Madre de Dios, our drivers!” Country travel uses a relief driver for emergencies but I couldn’t decide who would relieve whom of this pair. An old, expressionless man stepped forward to the steering wheel and pressed firmly on the horn, only to receive a gay wave and the little space between thumb and index finger meaning “momentito” as our crew changed from their trunks behind a palm rib fence. The low, red sun shone on their wet, bronzed skin as they squirmed into their clothes. With loud farewells to the two girls, our well-fueled crew pulled themselves aboard, smiling broadly at the sullen, sweating faces of the passengers. The folding door slammed shut and we ground out of town with unrestrained blasts of the horn, scattering dogs and a family of pigs blessing us with forced ventilation. Shadows deepened as we entered deep growth at the end of the village. The road became worse in proportion to the failing light. Miles inland, we surprised an “indio” couple bathing in the stream we forded, and they slipped behind dense brush as the bus splashed by. I envied them their stable environment as we clutched the hand rail in front of our seats. As twilight failed, the headlights bravely cast their amber glow on the road. The left light
swung back and forth, following the vehicle’s lurching like a ship’s lantern. Our relief driver told some joke to the “operador” and the resultant laughter brought a change in course and another bush joined its brothers along the road. After an hour of swaying in our seats, we nosed down the bank of a broad river a hundred meters across. The swinging headlight illuminated the current flowing over river rocks piled a foot below the surface. This was the “bridge” for wheeled traffic. Low gear was lustily engaged and we launched into the water. A splitting headache was exceeded only by my wife’s vice-like grip on my arm. The struggle over the slippery rocks as the current rushed around the wheels brought the motor to a full steaming whistle. After a quick discussion, the driver stopped while the relief man, with a bucket over his arm, waded up front and threw up the hood. Silhouetted against the lighted river, he dipped the pail, slopping water into the steam. The motor died. The stones shifted beneath the wheels in the silence. As the driver tried starting the wet motor, the relief man climbed back in, dropping the pail in the entry step. Slowly rumbling ahead, we sloshed through the water to the opposite shore where an adventurous truck was waiting to try the same thing the other way. From the rise of the bank, we saw the welcoming loom of Manzanillo. Wife Gloria said, “Well, the village was lovely but I’ll be happy to get back home at Lakeside to the stability of our walled garden.” “Yes, of course,” I said. “But you know, Gloria, we can go from Valladolid in east Yucatan to the ancient village, Holohty, on the Gulf of Mexico by bus. A little ferry from the mainland to a spit of palms where thousands of flamingos gather in March.” I could see by her look I’d better hold the subject for another time.
JUST FOR TODAY… %\ .DWK\ .RFKHV
Just for today, I m going to put aside my fears, worries, cares and woes. Just for today, I am going to look at the beauty, joy and wonder that life has given me. Just for today I am going rejoice in a friend’s good news, celebrate a friend’s joy and be grateful that I am surrounded by such loving people. Just for today, I am going to be aware of the beauty of nature; the beautiful lake, the flowers, trees, birds and butterflies with whom I share this space I call my home. Just for today I am going to be grateful for good health, the abilities I still retain and the many things I can still do and enjoy. Just for today, I am going to tell those I love that I appreciate them and need them, and I am going to enjoy my loving little dog and the joy she brings to my life. I do not know what tomorrow may bring; joys, pain, happiness or sorrow. But just for today I will be still, drinking in life and living in the moment. And I will be grateful.
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HE IS WHO? %\ 3LD .UDXVH $LWNHQ
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frighteningly scruffy man emerged from a roaddirty but relatively new convertible and ambled into the front desk, way too confident, I thought, for someone who looked like that. At slightly more than 17, I had the pompous title of Assistant Manager at the new fancy motor hotel in the middle of town. I took my job seriously. An avid reader, I saw myself as the Nancy Drew interface between the terrors of the outside world and the safety of my little town of 5000 sliced in half by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Lincoln Highway – the nation’s original crosscountry highway. Because I had completed almost all the high school credits I needed by the end of my junior year and was second in my class, I had talked the business teacher into giving me credit for this daily job. All I had to do was take one other course early in the morning before going to work and not get fired. The manager who had hired me, a “foreigner” from the big city of Denver, often disappeared for hours or even days. What I didn’t get at the time was that he was a closet gay immersed in the very protestant, homophobic world of our small town, escaping at every opportunity. So when the unshaven, dirty Mr. Scruffy walked into the office, I was alone. The hair on the back of my neck stood up. “Whaddaya got for a room?” he asked, his eyes scanning the simple lobby decorated in muckledumbrown. Was he checking to see that I really was alone? “I have a single for $29, a double for $35 or a Suite for $51”, I announced in my most powerful teen voice. People always said I looked older. “Okay, lemme have the suite,” he said, pulling a mammoth pile of bills from his pocket and peeling off $51 after he signed the register in an unintelligible script. The only thing I could read was his California license number. “Yes, sir, thank you, but with tax that will be $51.10.” He threw down a dime. I handed him the key and directed him to the stairs that led to the suite in the corner opposite the beautifully decorated suite of our town’s most famous resident, Clayton Radcliffe, the
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blind former President of the Nebraska Bar Association. This probable crook on the lam in a suite next to the Radcliffe’s would never do. I plugged the old-fashioned switchboard behind me into the Sheriff’s office. Sheriff Schulz’s son was in my class. I was on close terms with the Sheriff, not just because of that, but I had been almost-arrested by him twice, once for filling the back of my pick-up truck with straw and spreading it onMain Street to celebrate Homecoming. Please don’t ask me what spreading straw on our main street had to do with celebrating Homecoming. I have no idea. It had just seemed like a good idea at the time and we had fun doing it right up until his car, lights flashing, pulled up behind us and ordered us to go back and pick up every stem of straw we had just deposited. Yes, we almost missed the Homecoming Dance, but he was nice enough to come back with four brooms. The second time I was almost arrested, I was “making out” with my boyfriend in the car at the Fairgrounds parked, we thought, completely out of sight. Nothing too major, in today’s sexual world, was going on. Just a few kisses. He said he wouldn’t “take us in and call our parents,” but we should never do this again. “Sheriff Schulz,” I said when I was connected by his deputy, “I think you’d better come over here. A very suspicious guy has checked in. He’s dirty, smelly and his car is a mess, but he had a pocket full of money. His California license is xxx123.” “Okay, I’ll check it out and be there shortly.” he said. A little later, in his tan cowboy hat, holster evident, the Sheriff ambled in. I breathed a sigh of relief. “I don’t think you need to worry,” he said. “That car is registered to a Broderick Crawford. Ever heard of him?”
“No,” I replied. “Does this look familiar, he asked, pulling out a newspaper article. “The Star of Highway Patrol, Broderick Crawford, Honored at Ak-Sar-Ben ,” the headline proclaimed above a picture of the same guy looking a lot less like a thug. “What’s Highway Patrol?” I asked. “A TV program. But you couldn’t know that since we don’t have TV here yet, could you?” “If he’s what they have on TV, I’m not too excited about getting it either,” I replied. I didn’t even ask for his autograph
when he came down for dinner. (Ed. Note: If the writer had known that Broderick Crawford was one of the best-known actors in Hollywood in the late 40’s and early 50’s, having starred in two of the best movies of that era, Born Yesterday (with the delightful Judy Holliday) and All The King’s Men, for which Crawford won the Best Actor Oscar, she might have have asked for that autograph!) Pia Kraus Aitken
HU %\ 6XQQ\ *OHVVQHU
S
ara flounced out o off tthe he he grocery store. Joe had oe ha h ad a ” and a, an a nd just said “Hi, Sara,” ow ha ad she’d been speechless. How had he even recognized her w without ith it hou ho ut her face or hair done? Of course she urse e sh he wanted him to recognize her. She er. Sh he was interested in him, but h he hadn’t e ha h ad dn’tt asked her out after their firstt date date at an and d was barely saying “Hi” when they n th hey saw w each other. Maybe he was so stunned ned ne d att how bad she looked that h he e wanted to make sure it was as her. Guys—who knew what haat they were thinking? She sure did didn’t; ’tt she could barely keep up with her own thoughts. Besides, he didn’t look as hot as he usually did, although there was no hiding his boyish good looks. She wanted a guy to love her, maybe one that was slightly on the naughty side. They seemed much more interesting than the boring ones she ate lunch with, and she thought Joe could be a little wild. Once home, Sara thought she’d fix her hair and face, then saunter past his house. Maybe he’d notice her, and they could talk. She could wear her cerise blouse that revealed her curves and cleavage. But then she’d have to change her nail polish color, and would he even be home yet? Sara impulsively dialed his number and then held her breath. What had she done? What would she say? Should she hang up? Too late as she heard him say “Hi”. “Hi, Joe, this is Sara. What were you doing in the store so early? I thought you were a late night, party guy.” “Getting some milk for breakfast. How about you?” “I’m making something for Tammy’s party this afternoon. I didn’t expect to
see sse ee anyone, an ny so I came right out of of the the he shower.” He snickered. “That’s what wh w hat it looked like—sorta like like ke a drowned… uh, cat.” Her He e feelings were hurt, but but bu ut she sh decided to ignore it rather rra ath her than invite other criticcism. ci ism sm. She Sh was having a hard enough e nou ugh h time dealing with her cchanging han ngi g n body and facial hair, without hearing someone with h else’s elsse’s judgment. “Are you e going go g oin i to the party?” “No, Tammy isn’t speak“ ing i to t me after ft the t last time I took her out.” “What happened?” “She said I tried to get her drunk and take advantage of her.” Joe laughed again. “As if I have to get a gal drunk. Hey, want to go out tomorrow?” Sara gasped softly. She knew he was popular but had no idea he was so crude. Was this the adventure she’d been waiting for? “No, I’ll see you some time at Senior Bingo,” and hung up
Saw you in the Ojo 63
“COMPASSIONATE CONSERVATISM” %\ )UHG 0LWWDJ
T
here is much about being an American of which I’m proud and there is much about which I’m ashamed. The country was founded on some theoretical concepts of democracy, coming from great minds, but it was always a work in progress, including the abolition of slavery, women’s suffrage, the right of labor to organize, etc. But now that work of progress has been reversed by the advent of plutocracy. This progress also was an unfolding consciousness of our human dignity, such as ending child labor – sometimes chained to their factory machines so they couldn’t run away. Granting women the right to vote was an unfolding awareness of their worth as human beings. But now wealth is moving to the very top tiny percent and wages are going down. Instead of expanding democracy, as was done with women’s suffrage and the end of the white primary, poll tax, and other such devices, voter suppression is in full advance in the red states. Our treatment of Mexicans has been about as shameful as anything I can think of. We recruited them by many thousands when we needed them to work in America to support WWI and WWII. We even set up centers in Mexico to interview them and put them on trains for work in the U.S. When the wars were won, we treated them about as badly as can be imagined. Over 750,000 Mexican-
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Americans served in WWII. Many of them had relatives in Mexico, and therefore, a natural interest in the welfare of Mexico. They won more Medals of Honor and other decorations, in proportion to their numbers, than any other ethnic group. During WWII, 60% of the railroad crews were from Mexico. The railroads were essential to the war effort. After the war was won, American soldiers returned home and needed jobs. It was time to send the Mexicans back home, to make more work available to the returning veterans. Children were kidnapped coming home from school and placed on the border bridge and ordered to walk back to Mexico. Their parents didn’t know where their children were. Their removal was carried out like a military operation rather than the working of civilian law. Presidents have the constitutional authority to issue executive orders. Of course, the next president may overturn previous orders. The Republican majority in the House does not gain the right to overturn executive orders issued by the president. Even if such a countermeasure were to pass both the Senate and the House, the president would almost certainly veto it in order to protect his executive order. Many dozens of legal scholars are on record as saying that President Obama has the authority to grant a reprieve from deportation to foreigners, mostly Mexicans, and he can determine the conditions. And, of course, the White House has its own lawyers who study such matters. Even in modern history, every president since Eisenhower has used executive authority to grant exemptions to foreigners. Eisenhower allowed a large number of Hungarian refugees into the country. Cuban refugees from Fidel Castro were allowed to populate Miami, Florida, and now a few of them serve in our Congress. President Ford allowed thousands of refugees from Vietnam to enter. And on it goes. Yet, Republicans are calling Obama a monarch, king, emperor, dictator, and you name it. They threaten to impeach him. They threaten to shut down the
government and to refuse to confirm any of his appointments for the rest of his term. Today, against the wishes of churches, agriculture, and business, Republicans voted to block Obama for doing something they should have done themselves. They passed the ‘‘Preventing Executive Overreach on Immigration Act of 2014” (H.R. 5759). For 570 days, Speaker Boehner has refused to let the Senate bill come to the floor for a vote, which everybody says would have passed. Today was pure symbolism, because the Senate will not pass this, and if they did, Obama would veto it. So what have they accomplished? They have fed the far right’s hatred of Mexicans, so that faction is happy. But they have gone yet another step further in alienating the Hispanic vote. George Bush reached out to them and won 43% of the Hispanic vote. And he, to his credit, tried to pass immigration reform. Romney, however, suffering from the Republican War on Mexicans, got only 27% against Obama’s 71%. And after Obama’s executive order, his popularity among Hispanics has shot up. One of the inevitable afflictions of conservatives is that they suffer contradictions that give them multiple personality disorder. In this case, they have been insufferable preachers of “family values.”
But what H.R. 5759 would do is break up families. It would separate mothers and fathers from their children. It would send children back to a country where they would be as foreigners. So, Republicans have the duel personality of finding a lot of family values in a Norman Rockwell family, but not in a Mexican family. As a backdrop to immigration reform is the entire American Southwest, once the property of Mexicans. Fred Mittag
Saw you in the Ojo 65
GOOD HOPE %\ +DUULHW +DUW
W
hat prompted me to choose South Africa as a destination? Perhaps it was those geography quizzes at Carlton School, a one room schoolhouse on the Canadian prairie. Every morning the teacher rolled down a map of the world provided by the Neilson Chocolate bar company, and some lucky student using the teacher’s pointer selected somewhere… anywhere in the world and asked: “What is this called?” The Cape of Good Hope near the southern tip of the African continent was one of my favorites. That’s where sailors stopped to rest and refurbish their supplies. It was a stormy coastline and many ships were lost. I asked
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my young self what makes hope good versus bad, and reckoned that good hope is hoping the ship sails safely past the rocks in stormy seas and bad hope is hoping it gets caught in a gale, smashed on the rocks, and sinks. Over fifty years later my husband and I booked a trip to Johannesburg with the help of a company called Southern Destinations. I took my usual approach to trip planning: I found a total stranger on line, told her roughly where we wanted to go and let her work out all the details. I provided minimal instructions. We wanted to take a train from Johannesburg to Cape town, spend time birding and go on safari. The rest was up to Liesl. We
El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
were practicing good hope. Prior to departure, I had some doubts and so did others. “Is Southern Destinations a legitimate travel agency?” asked a friend. “Don’t wander around Johannesburg alone,” cautioned a seasoned traveler. “They’ll kill you for your shoes.” Another friend counseled me not to wear necklaces or thieves would rip them right off my neck. A big black man holding up a sign with our surname printed on it met us in arrivals. Theo delivered us to The Residence, an unlikely name for the boutique hotel it turned out to be. We were greeted by the uniformed staff that grabbed our bags, offered us a free sherry and fussed over us. There were fresh flowers in our room and chocolates on our pillows. I suspect they want to impress us at the beginning but the standards will slide as the trip progresses, I said to myself. “What will dinner cost in a place like this?” I asked. “Who cares?” replied Paul, beaming as he downed a second sherry. And so they began, the most luxurious 21 days of my life. Every hotel room was well appointed and elegant, every meal a dining experience. A quick trip through my journal reveals phrases like: “the best chicken pie I’ve ever tasted,” and “beet, strawberry, mascarpone cheese salad – to die for” and “wild pig with pear chutney –wonderful.” Every morning someone wearing a uniform and driving a shiny white van picked us up and took us somewhere. There were the to-be-expected destinations like vineyards and botanical gardens, art museums and galleries and the unexpected ones, too. They’ve built an Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. The cover of its glossy brochure reads: “Apartheid is exactly where it belongs – in a museum.” Of course I knew about apartheid but not very much. That afternoon I saw gigantic black and white photographs by a photographer named Kole
of naked black men about to be body searched and imprisoned for traveling without an identity card, children in classrooms with no desks, chairs or books, fiery preachers and desperate mothers with starving children; the most telling of all was the image of an elderly man passed out on the street with an open bible covering his eyes. The caption read: “When the Europeans came, they had the Bible and we had the land. Now we have the Bible and they have the land.” I saw the yellow armored vehicles used to transport families from their homes to the townships, the ropes used to hang enemies of the state and the cells where men were placed for demanding the freedom to work where they chose and marry who they loved. We were taken to Constitution Hill where in Number Four prison thousands of black men were brutalized and Mahatma Gandhi was jailed four times for resisting the race laws. We took the ferry to Robben Island and saw the stone yard where Nelson Mandela ruined his eyes crushing rocks with a hammer for years and years in the blazing sun. It never touched his spirit nor did he give up good hope. We were driven to District Six in Capetown where prior to Apartheid Christians, Muslims, Jews and Hindus of all colors lived and worked until their homes were bulldozed down and they were forced to relocate to townships miles away, punished for living harmoniously. Our guide was a member of one of those families. Capetown Airport is surrounded by shanty towns where unemployed men sit hopelessly on the street corners. Directly across the highway white men play golf; after 18 holes, their black caddies cross the highway to their squatter city. On our final evening in Capetown before heading to Shamwari Game Park we dined in a chic Italian restaurant. Next to us was a noisy table filled with young women. “There must be a fashion show on in town or a convention of models… or something,” gushed my admiring husband. They were black, Caucasian and Asian. “Where are you ladies visiting from?” I asked. “We all live here in Cape town,” one replied. These rainbow women were models and actresses, friends out on the town, having fun. Is this the new face of South Africa? If it is, I have good hope that the ship of state will sail past whatever future storms lie in wait for her. Harriet Hart
CHILD
of the month
%\ 5LFK 3HWHUVHQ Juan De Dios – “Juanito” At Home….
Since starting with Niños Incapacitados we have spent 135,000 + for Juanito’s care. He is but one example of the children we help; some of whom require even more funds than he. So------ the purpose of all of this is to underscore the fact that all medical expenses are increasing, just as cost of living is increasing in this country….and to show that we need continuing and increased support for our effort We who are part of this organization believe it is money well spent.
N
ow 11 years old; has been with niños incapacitados since just after birth —diagnosed by inutero ultrasound with hydrocephalus—this used to be called “water on the brain,” but actually is not water but spinal fluid that is supposed to circulate through the brain and exit via small reservoirs at the base of the brain. Cerebral spinal fluid acts as a “cushion” for brain tissue, delivers nutrients to the brain and removes waste, and acts as a monitor for the amount of blood flowing in to the brain. Anything that impedes this function causes a bit of havoc. Juanito was delivered by cesarean section and one month later had a drainage shunt placed in his skull due to an infection plus as a conduit for removal of the excess spinal fluid. He began suffering convulsions almost right away and was placed on valproic acid and fenobarital. He continues to this day on the Valproic Acid medication. Convulsions at times fewer, at times more severe, but each time Juanito comes through. In 2011 his shunt became clogged (also too small with the child’s growth) and had to be replaced. There were some very “iffy” days thereafter as to if the new valve would “take.” ---various ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ over the years, but with his parents’ support, our support, the hospital’s support and care, Juanito is here today. We have seen such improvement in the last year or so. Juanito didn’t speak or pay attention to those around him; he wasn’t able to walk well on his own. One reason for this improvement was his being able to go to Equine Therapy (Pasos Milagrosos), where Juanito really thrived on horseback. “His” horse was named “Chocolate.” Wonderful! Parental support!!
Dad works at Wal-Mart (“we” got him the job with a good recommendation). Juanito may not ever be “normal” and able to live on his own, but the joy he has given his parents and family (and us), can’t be taken away.
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PROFILING TEPEHUA %\ 0RRQ\HHQ .LQJ President of the Board for Tepehua
PRRQLH #\DKRR FRP
P
owerful Information: a British Society specializing in grass roots International Development. info@powerfulinformation.org Much documented explains the marriage of poverty and illiteracy. Domestic violence and other ills of society that illiteracy breeds. “What is it like to be illiterate?” It is virtually impossible to visualize what it is like to be illiterate. How terrifying and incomprehensible the world must seem. Non-comprehension means not understanding the need for school. Nor the importance of hygiene or nutrition. The power of thinking is limited, not because of stupidity but because of lack of training to ‘think’. The knowledge of reasoning has to be taught. So Religion, myth and superstition will guide the thought process and will identify with that rather than logic. Dealing with personal trauma will also be affected by the lack of thought process, domestic and sexual abuse becomes the deciding factor. A woman, not knowing she has rights, opens her world to abuse and low self esteem, and will hold low status in her community. Lack of comprehension is happening in Tepehua. A classic example, a girl called Joanna. Joanna’s world is limited. Because of the illiteracy she was born into, she has never been to school. The whole family tree has apples with no seeds of knowledge to implant into their children, of which they have many because of natural conception. Everything in their world is a natural process. Hungry? Eat. Thirsty? Drink. Instant gratification because it is ‘now’ they want it. No thought of scheduling for tomorrows needs. It is placating the pleasure/need of ‘now.’ Poverty may not give them the chance tomorrow. Joanna, at 27, has four children and no husband. Eight-year-old girl from her first encounter, then three boys by another bad choice. She has been on the street basically since the writer met her four years ago. To watch her try to work her way to reasoning is an education in itself for the viewer, the humiliation of not having the ability to process thought. The Tepehua Community Center has been trying to help, first to dry her out from crack cocaine. The reader will say...
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Stop right there, she deserves this. No, she doesn’t. What Joanna deserves is her legal right to an education. The right to put her children into the school system, whether they have shoes or not. All any child should take to school is their brain. If you are illiterate, how can you understand you have to register your children at birth? How can you fill out the forms they need because you cannot read or write? Why are children turned away from school because they have no birth certificate? The proof of life is standing there, and why should the fact he/she has no shoes matter? These laws are creating a generation of illiteracy over and over. It is said that one of the deadly sins, is pride. This the writer does not believe, because pride is a virtue that keeps women going. Joanna has a fierce pride, she has courage to keep her little family together against all odds. Why does she have these babies? In these barrios of poverty and illiteracy, they are not taught family planning. They cannot go to the corner 7-11 for condoms, they cannot afford birth control pills...then there is the Church that tells them to virtually replenish the earth. Superstition controls thought. Tepehua Community Center put out a call for help. The need to build Joanna a brick house, one the wolf at the door could not break down. To do that, the tent was dismantled to put in a foundation of Hope...and as donations come in, brick by brick it is being built. DIF was called in by someone who claims to care, and Joanna’s children may be put into an institution, if we cannot finish this home in a very short time. Joanna is turning her life around. For help from the Center, it is mandatory for Joanna take her children to the Center’s bathing program. (She may be illiterate and not know how to care for her children, but in this little dirty group there is a lot of love, and institutions cannot replace that.) Joanna must then work as
volunteer to help clean up. This is a program that teaches those with no running water the need for hygiene which brings well-being. In doing so, in spite of ignorance, they will learn. Joanna will not leave this area of the barrio, all her family are there, they are their own support system, and worst enemy. They understand each other. Ignorance and dire poverty has a language of its own. Joanna’s four meter by four meter home will be finished before Christmas with a little luck and generosity of others. It is being built on her father’s little patch of ejido property. It does not belong to her, it belongs to her four children. If she ever makes another bad choice...they are safe. The eightyear-old girl is in school now. In time, so will the three younger boys, the youngest two years. Perhaps we can keep the wolf and DIF from her door until she makes it. Do not shun the illiterate, teach them. In turn they will teach you the power of pride. Walk a mile in their shoes one day...see what they cannot see. Names of streets, what’s in a package of food for sale...price of beans... what house is a doctor’s office, hotel, DIF office or even a police station. Where to call for help. How to write their name. It would not take a mile for you to understand what it means to be illiterate.
Saw you in the Ojo 69
Women And Mexico %\ %LOO 'HDQ
C
oatlicue — Let’s start at the beginning. There is a sculpture of Coatlicue, the “Mother of the Gods,” in Mexico City’s Museum of Anthropology. She wears a skirt covered with serpents and has claws for feet. According to ancient mythology, Coatlicue was sweeping the temple floor one windy day when a ball of feathers fell from her broom and impregnated her. This alibi did not sit well with a daughter who thought her mother may have left something out of the story. So to squelch a family scandal, the daughter persuaded her siblings (there were said to be 400) to kill their pregnant mother. There are several versions of what happened next. One is that the plot failed. The baby was born. It was a boy! Whoops - this was no baby he was a full grown warrior intent on killing his siblings. His name was Huitzilopochtli. After slaying many siblings, Huitzilopochtli went on to become the God of War and then he appeared in the sky as the Sun. Now you know why many folks in Mexico believe that men are more powerful than women. And you also know why nobody believes this story. But there stories of Mexican women that most people do believe. Here are some. Lady Sak K’uk’ — Most everyone has heard about the ancient civilizations of Mexico and their pyramids, but few people know about Lady Sak K’uk.’ She was the reigning queen of Palenque who in 615 CE turned the Crown over to her son, Pakal, when
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Pakal was only 12 years old. She is said to have run the empire behind the scene until Pakal became much older. She must have done a good job because Pakal went on to become “Pakal the Great.” What we learn from Lady Sak K’uk’ is that the “ancient civilizations” had strong and powerful women. Malinche — Fast forward to the early 1500’s and Cortés’s lady friend, the beautiful Malinche. She was one of 20 maidens a group of Mayan Indians gave to the Conquistadors, betting the Conquistadors would rather have maidens than other treasures. But there was a glitch - the Pope forbade Spaniards from getting too cozy with non-Christians. The Conquistadors were devastated. Certainly there must be a way around such a foolish decree. Of course there was - baptize the maidens first. Malinche was duly baptized. She was smart and could speak two native languages (Mayan and Nahuatl), and she was quick to learn Spanish. She acted as an interpreter to per-
suade the enemies of the Aztecs to fight on the side of the Conquistadors. History, of course, tells us that the Aztecs were no match for the Conquistadors. The Conquistadors vanquished the Aztecs, ransacked their magnificent city of Tenochtitlan, and turned it into the capital of New Spain. Some folks think that Malinche betrayed her own people. Maybe so. But she was one big reason Spain conquered the natives, ushering in Mexico’s colonial period (1521-1821). Women in the Colonial Years — These were not good years for women. Marriages were usually arranged by the girl’s father. Once married, the wife’s place was in the home -and that place was a distant second place. By law a wife had to obey her husband and had to give up most rights to property. A husband could beat his wife for minor indiscretions and could kill her for taking a lover (provided the husband meted out the same punishment to the lover, too). A rigid code of propriety applied to women - but not to men. Double standard? Not for the many who believed that indecency was less offensive in a man than in a woman. Queen Isabella did nothing to repress that notion when in 1538 she approved the construction of “a street of merry woman” - by any other name, a bordello. So what was an unhappy wife back then to do? Small wonder angry women turned to witchcraft to hex their husbands and their paramours. Witches concocted potions of bath water and ground hummingbird parts to lure the opposite sex. Who could blame a bored wife for not giving witchcraft a try? Answer: The Catholic Church—in the eyes of the Church there was plenty wrong about going into league with the Devil. Witchcraft put false gods before the real God. The First Commandment could not be clearer “… have no other gods before Me.” So, in 1571 the Holy Office of the Inquisition was established in Mexico and witches were put on trial and (most often) sentenced to long sessions in the confessional booth. Juana Inés de la Cruz — This was the world that Juana Ines was born into in the year 1651. Books were off limits to girls so she hid in her grandfather’s library to read and master Greek, Latin, and the Aztec language, Nahuatl. Juana then entered a convent to devote her life to studying and writing. She went on to become a prolific writer of poems, plays, books, and letters, leaving a treasure trove for future feminists. In her defining work, La Respuesta, she
argued that the Bible was authority for strong - educated women. She also had a folksy side; she wrote: “One can perfectly well philosophize while cooking supper.” The Church, however, determined that she was defying Saint Paul’s message to the Corinthians - “Let your women keep silence in the churches.” Never mind that in Timothy 2:11 the Bible says “Let a woman learn.” But Juana had gone over the brink - at least the Archbishop thought she had. The Church threatened censure and she was forced to put down her pen. The turn of the 20th Century — As Mexico turned from an agrarian to an industrialized economy the woman’s place shifted from the home to textile and tobacco factories, stores and offices. Trade schools for women emerged. Women argued for equal pay, the right to vote, the eighthour day and other “equality” issues. The movement was underway. Then came Mexico’s Revolution (19101920) in which fearless women (“Las Soldaderas”) smuggled guns and ammunition under their skirts and blew up bridges. Women made their point. According to one source* by 2008 women constituted 38% of the workforce; illiteracy among women dropped to under 4 %; 92% of girls between 6 and 14 attended school; 28% of the legislative deputies were women; 95% of women of reproductive age knew something of contraception; 78% could expect to give birth in a hospital. Of course, women’s causes have a long way to go. A few examples: In 2008 the Mexico Supreme Court let stand Mexico City’s law to allow abortions on request to any woman less than 12 weeks pregnant, but many of Mexico’s 31 states have constitutional “right to life” provisions and laws that can land a woman in jail. The “morning after pill” has been ruled constitutional but that has not deterred vigorous efforts to rein in its use. So the Mexican woman remains in a quandary — a particularly hard place to be in this very Catholic country. The movement is much the same the world over as women everywhere await edicts from law makers and signals from religious leaders. In the end, both will yield to public opinion. In the meantime, the cause goes on. *End Note/credit --Heather Dashner Monk, Mexican Women-Then and Now, Solidarity, http://www.solidarity-us.org/node/3035 (Ed. Note: Bill Dean is the author of the celebrated book Mexico: Journey of a Nation over a Rough and Rambling Road.)
Saw you in the Ojo 71
The Gryphon Trio and Attacca Quartet at this February’s Scotiabank Northern Lights Music Festival %\ -LP &RRSHU
T
he last two weeks of February in Ajijic are a cultural oasis because of the Scotiabank Northern Lights Music Festival which returns every year to thrill us with outstanding world class musicians. This year they have managed to bring a plethora of great artists such as virtuoso violinist Benjamin Bowman, the brilliantly talented pianist Angela Park, and two of the best chamber ensembles that have ever graced the world’s concert halls, the Gryphon Trio and the Attacca Quartet. The Gryphon Trio has impressed international audiences and the press with its highly refined, dynamic performances and has firmly established itself as one of the world’s preeminent piano trios for the last twenty years. With a repertoire that ranges from the traditional to the contemporary and from European classicism to modern-day multimedia, the Gryphons are committed to redefining chamber music for the 21st century. The Trio’s celebrated
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recordings on the Analekta label are an encyclopedia of works by Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Dvorak, Lalo, Shostakovich, and Piazzolla. Their groundbreaking 2004 release, Canadian Premieres, featured new works by leading Canadian composers and was acknowledged with a coveted Juno Award from the Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Their 2011 Beethoven recording also received a Juno Award. One of the pieces they’ll be performing on the opening night of the Festival, February 16th, is Schubert’s masterpiece, B flat major piano trio. Schubert, more than any other composer, had a penchant for writing charming pretty music, and lots of it. His gift for melody is well known and it usually only takes a bar or two to identify a piece of his. Schubert’s B flat major piano trio is no exception. Written in the last year of his short thirty-one year life, there is no hint of melancholy or self-pity. Filled with joy and beautiful melody, Schubert’s everlasting
optimism even in the face of sickness and death, shines through. The Attacca quartet is one of Lakeside’s favourites. Their concerts are often the first to sell out. First Prize winners of the 7th Osaka International Chamber Music Competition in 2011, top prizewinners and Listeners’ Choice Award recipients in the 2011 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, and winners of the Alice Coleman Grand Prize at the 60th annual Coleman Chamber Ensemble Competition in 2006, the internationally acclaimed Attacca Quartet has become one of America’s premier young performing ensembles. Praised by Strad for possessing “maturity beyond its members’ years,” they were formed at the Juilliard School in 2003, and made their professional debut in 2007 as part of the Artists International Winners Series in Carnegie Hall’s Weill Recital Hall. From 2011-2013 they served as the Juilliard Graduate Resident String Quartet, and for the 2014 – 2015 season the Attacca Quartet was named the Quartet in Residence for the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. At their Salon Series concert on February 22nd they will perform works by both Janacek and Grieg. Filled with psychological drama, conflict and passionate emotional outbursts, Janacek’s famous “Kreutzer Sonata” for string quar-
tet, based off of Tolstoy’s novella of the same name, depicts the jealous rage of the human condition. In his own words Grieg comments “It strives towards breadth, soaring flight and above all, resonance for the instruments for which it is written.” Lakeside wouldn’t be fun without these fabulous events. The Festival runs Feb. 16 to Mar. 1 in locations all around Lakeside but the main concerts are held at the Auditorio in La Floresta on the carretera. Tickets are very reasonably priced at $300 pesos. For more information check www.scotiabanknorthernlightsmusicfestival.com
Saw you in the Ojo 73
Alone In Her Room %\ *ORULD 3DOD]]R
All these people at the convalescent home, probably 15 at any given time, living in a state that in no way resembles the life I had been living, and yet they need us who are not them, who are socked away, where for the most part they are not seen or heard, and yet they eat and drink, even speak in ways that no one understands, although alone in my room, I hear some of their cries and can feel the waste of all their efforts to stay alive, in spite of the futility that age and illness has set in, and still they survive to face the new day, even though most of them will not see the light of day, and while a few have visitors, sometimes whole families come from far away, like Nevada and Australia, and I know and feel the love they bring with them, along with the boxes of chocolates for the nurses, is so real that I have a difficult time swallowing the hard lump of emotion stuck in my throat, like it’s just too much for me to swallow, and I tear up and I cry a few tears, not of sadness, but of love, and feel as though seeing this so unfamiliar ending to these lives, and more than anything, what I want to know is if these old and mostly ill people have a clue about where they are, and how well cared for they are, by the aids and nurses who treat them, even though this job, and it is a job, gives them no real material gain, and still I see joy and dedication and love on their faces, in their postures, and the unending changing of diapers, cleansing of feeding tubes and the handling of turning those who cannot turn themselves, as I hear them speak with love to every one, including me, as I remain alone in my room, where I too am feeling cared for and about, and I just know that soon a dear friend will come by with a cinnamon biscuit and a cup of coffee, and we will talk and they will tell me all that they have been up to, even though tomorrow I will not remember anything we talked about, only the cinnamon cake, and sometimes there are two in the package, which means I have some to share with the sweet person who will be here soon to take my temperature and test my blood pressure and wish me a good night’s sleep.
READER ADVISORY! At a time when many are trying to demonize the entire Muslim world, this highly dramatic yet heart-rendering story by Tom Eck deserves to be read--and then read again. It is an excerpt from his novel Defiance: A Chronicle of Courage, published on Kindle under Tom’s nom de plume of Chance DeWitt and can be found at http://chapala.com/elojo/index.php/mid-month-articles Each mid-month, we will be offering superb articles that while a bit too long for our print version are perfect for our new format. Check it out!
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
MUSINGS FROM THE QUEBEC WILDERNESS %\ *DEULHOOH %ODLU
A
bout fifty kilometers due south as the crow flies, of the mining town, Val D’Or in Quebec, is a beautiful lake with the sing-song name of Lac Otanibi. Here, a far cry from the bustle of Ajijic, is where my husband and I have our wilderness cabin which is our refuge for three or four months over the Summer. There are no roads and no access other than by boat or float plane, or, in the case of our nearest neighbor, three kilometers from us on the south shore, by helicopter. Going to Val D’Or for supplies is a whole day event, negotiating a difficult route across lakes, through a rapid and the winding Ottawa River, in all, twenty-six kilometers, to a marina where our car is parked, then a thirty-eight kilometer drive to town. There we treat ourselves to the best Montreal smoked meat sandwiches with fries and pickles from Valentines, an unpretentious eating house frequented by the locals with worn faces and pleasant smiles. Coming home, if the ever-changing weather is ominous, we travel at full throttle, arriving just before the storm breaks, with its great show of lightning and thunder. Our cabin is perched on a rock on a peninsula, surrounded by forest and water. Almost no one comes here, other than fishermen who are not afraid of crossing the rapid, but once here, they are rewarded with their full quota of pike, pickerel and occasionally sturgeon. We have cleared a flat patch of brush as an emergency helicopter landing pad. Deep-blue swamp irises and purple gentians have sprung up amongst the emerald grass in the clearing that we ritually cut back every year and hope we’ll never have call to use. Not seeing people from one day to the next, we have become very attuned to the animals. Most times we live in peace with the forest creatures. The hares, however, living under the cabin, delightful as it is to watch them grazing at twilight, are becoming a bit of a nuisance. Having chopped off the tops of my newly planted flowers, I’ve now surrounded the perennials with cedar twigs as a deterrent and their salad supply has
been cut off. Snatch, the crow, pops by daily to scavenge from the compost pit or collect the scraps we’ve left for him, including two mice, trapped overnight, that were left out ready to bury. He is the wilderness garbage pick-up service! One night, Smudge, our cat, his hair on end, alerted us to a bear, feet away from the bedroom window. After making its rounds of the cabin and compost pit, it finally left and we crept to the shed to switch off the generator. Back in the cabin, I was so shaky, that I accidentally set off the pepper spray, filling the place with burning fumes, and sending the terrified Smudge to spend the night cowering under our bed. Next morning, I awoke after an awful night, and the bear was back! Blowing my whistle only sent it a few feet up the path into the forest. It took firing a gun for it finally get the message that it wasn’t welcome. The next day, our neighbor arrived to ask if we’d been bothered by a bear. This wandering loner had made its way to his camp, where again, only gunshot had made it move on. My inukshuk that stands on guard on the rocks and that was washed down by the high Spring water, needs to be re-built to keep the bad spirits away and its time to refill the bird-feeder for the nightly visit of the Northern Flying Squirrel. Life is busy and entertaining in the wilderness!
Saw you in the Ojo 75
W %\ 9LFWRULD 6FKPLGW
Reverse Culture S Shock ho hock hoc
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am here again--in the he Un he United niitted have e reStates. Each time I ha ered d culcul turned I have suffered ture shock in reverse. Nothing about the United States feels real to me anymore. This trip, I stay with friends while I have medical check ups. First we must take me shopping for appropriate food for my crazy diet. Knowing me, they take me to the Mexican store, where I quickly find the food that I need. As I pass by the shoppers, I greet them as if I were still in Mexico. I’m surrounded by Mexican food, Mexican staff, even Mexican music. But soon, I realize that the shoppers are responding to me as if I am some alien from outer space. I purchase mostly fresh fruit and vegetables, and nearly drop to the floor from sticker shock. My hostess tells me I’m lucky I’m not at the “American” market where the prices are much higher! Ouch!! But as we drive through this endless urban sprawl, I think back to Lakeside, and already I ache for my return. It’s less than 24 hours into my trip. We drive by a gas station, and I have another shock. Gas at $2/gallon! OK, there I’m envious. At the restaurants, again I’m floored by the prices. Ah, Lakeside, we have it so good! The food, the restaurants, the prices, the service are all
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
p eferab pr preferable t the the h ha to half h ur wait ho wait fo ffor hour abl ble th bl thi his is mor ning ni i for for or an expensive expensiv a ttable this morning breakfast with less food than I get at my favorite breakfast spot. Same breakfast, but I just have never had to pay $10 for a breakfast of eggs, bacon, tea and hash browns before! My friend is looking for an apartment, so we drive from complex to complex and see what is available. I again am surprised at how little the dollar will rent. Did I say little? Tiny! During our time on the road, the inevitable happens, and we both need a bathroom break. We pull into McDonald’s. We walk through to the bathroom first, and are stopped by a code lock on the door. Apparently, to keep out the homeless, they have locked the door, and when a purchase is made at the cash register, you receive the code. Believe me, $2 pesos for toilet paper in Mexico is much cheaper than this. And I wonder. So, they’d rather the homeless just use the street instead of a public rest room? This isn’t the America I knew. OK, and speaking of rest rooms, I approach the unmentionable culture shock. I have lived in Mexico for so long, that I look for the wastebasket next to the toilet! To flush or not to flush, that is the question… I really had a shock when in one bathroom, I stood up and the toilet flushed by itself. OK I’ve known about these and seen them in airports, but this one really scared me as if I didn’t leap away from it, it would have taken me down the pipes with everything else. I walked to the sink to wash my hands and the water poured before I even reached for it. Then I approached the paper towels, which suddenly spit forth a scrap of paper towel. I actually was frightened that the trash can could have hands appear to snatch the paper towel! Alas, apparently that hasn’t been invented yet! As we drive the streets, I watch the interaction of the people as I think of
my precious Mexico. I remember the smiles, nods, and greetings. Suddenly I see a young man reach out and punch the woman with him right in the face! I’d been in the USA less than 24 hours. I haven’t seen that in nearly eight years in Mexico! I’m mortified! I was too tired to do the next round of shopping. I’ve often told people I was born without the shopping gene. I really hate to wander around stores and look at merchandise I cannot afford, or just don’t need. I’ve also never understood the shoe thing. I own two pairs of shoes. That is it. Don’t even take me near a shoe store! But here I sit in the car and watch. My heart is in Mexico and I envision my neighbors with their morning tienda purchases, carrying their one or two bolsas. But here, I watch people push heavy carts filled with bags and cases as they unload the cart into their trunk, and their back seats. Simplicity and proportion fight in my mind. Can I go home now, please?? People say that Mexico is not quiet. With the bands, music, fireworks, and fiestas. The USA is noisy! The airport with announcements blaring in two languages. There was a television set in the cab! Why would people need a television in a cab; the airport;
in stores? On this, I prefer Mexico. After living in Mexico full-time for many years, I now find that the United States is lost to me. Nothing here makes sense to me any longer. I am a citizen, but the USA is lost. And it is not just that I left, but I feel as though it has left me. As I look around, as I listen to the news as I read papers I keep asking the same question over and over again. What has happened to this country? The people, our citizens are basically good people. But to see, experience, and watch, I wonder where the humanity has gone? I wonder where the spirit of welcoming has gone? The inscription on the Statue of Liberty which once defined us as a country --written by Emma Lazarus: ‘Give me your tired, your poor, Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free, The wretched refuse of your teeming shore, Send these, the homeless, tempest tost to me, I lift my lamp beside the golden door.’ I visualize the Statue of Liberty hanging her head as I do mine. This is the ultimate culture shock. Victoria Schmidt
Saw you in the Ojo 77
The Ojo Crossword
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
70 Act in opposition to 71 Formal â&#x20AC;&#x153;yourâ&#x20AC;? 72 Eye infection 73 Advises 74 Cache '2:1 1 Miles per hour 2 Bard´s before 3 Oolong 4 Painter Richard 5 Former 6 Charged particle 7 Boxer Muhammad 8 Dislike 9 Envy 0LOLWDU\ RIÂżFHU 11 Grinned 12 Environmental protection agency (abbr.) 13 Sign language 18 Bunny movement 22 Spot 23 Greenwich Time 24 Rio de Janeiro 25 Both 26 Fence opening 27 Vane direction 29 Anger 30 Make lace 32 Beige 35 Poached food 36 Give a new title 38 Spots 40 Before ten 41 Extension (abbr.) 42 Representative 43 Goof 44 Unskillfully 45 Saloon 46 Teaspoon (abbr.) 47 Tax agency 48 Twelve 51 National capital 52 Pearl maker 56 Spiritedness 57 Gives off 59 Ritual 60 Decays 61 Abdominal muscles (abbr.) 62 Negative 64 Old, ugly woman 65 Sorbet 66 Expression of surprise 67 Second to last mo. 68 Take to court
THE OJO INTERNET MAILBOX me ent nts ts (Wherein we publish some comments about our previous issues.)
CONSTITUTIONAL CONSERVATIVES —Who Are We? Jeff Cesar’s comments are an excellent example of the hatred that fills the hearts of the left. While conservatives are often portrayed by the liberal media as “racists” it becomes quite clear when you read the words of Cesar, the utter contempt and hatred they carry for anyone that dares to disagree with them. Where is the tolerance and equality that they espouse? Such hypocrisy! The Gift Of Giving Linda Steele I enjoyed the letter to your children very much. These are the same people who have come to the US for a better life and found their way to the low income clinics where I worked for 29 years, until this past August. They were always the patients who were most grateful and easiest to care for. They are a gentle people. It was a gift to me to reminisce as I read your article! Thank
you so much! THE CONSERVATIVE CORNER - December 2014 Sydney Sullins Really? An entire page in the Ojo wasted on Mr. Nipper defending himself? I’m sure he’ll write me off as not being as educated or versed in world affairs as he, but I recognize when I read something offensive. Do his writings really express the viewpoints of Lakeside Conservatives? God, I hope not. But then, according to Mr. Nipper, I’m suffering from a mental disorder....and delusional? That’s his definition of cogent repartee?
the writer couldn’t sign his/her name because it is guaranteed to set off angry people raging about how we are only doing community theatre and everyone’s a volunteer, etc. etc. One is not permitted to voice a true opinion or give an accurate review because it might hurt someone’s feelings, consequently the quality of the productions suffers because they are not being held to any standard other than a high school production where all the kids are trying their best. It is so refreshing to read an accurate (in my opinion, of the Pinter play) description of what I saw.
Letters to the Editor Shelley Thank goodness you had the courage to print this. I understand why
Saw you in the Ojo 79
â&#x20AC;&#x153;People Helping Peopleâ&#x20AC;?
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News
www.lakechapalasociety.com
Path to Charitable Tax Status for LCS
At the last Annual General Meeting it was announced that the LCS Board would pursue charitable tax status in Mexico. The reasoning for seeking this status is that changing tax laws in Mexico may make our membership dues and donations we receive taxable. In addition, our current status does not allow us to issue tax deductible receipts for donations received. 7KH QRQ SURÂżW ZRUOGÂśV WHUPLQRORJ\ LQ WKH 8 6 DQG &DQDGD doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t translate directly to that of our Mexican counterpart, so the task of understanding how to qualify for charitable status has been daunting. Here is what we have learned: ,Q 0H[LFR DOO QRQ SURÂżW RUJDQL]DWLRQV DUH IRUPDOO\ designated as an â&#x20AC;&#x153;Asociacion Civil, or Civil Association. NonSURÂżW RUJDQL]DWLRQV HQG WKHLU QDPHV ZLWK WKH GHVLJQDWLRQ $ & as does the Lake Chapala Society. However, not all A.C.s are charitable. The designation may be used for any communal DFWLYLWLHV ZKLFK GR QRW KDYH SURÂżW DV D SULPDU\ DLP 0DQ\ condominiums and trade associations are formally organized as A.C.s. Charitable organizations, such as those whose aim is cultural, ecological, or social assistance can achieve an additional status which differentiates them from noncharitable A.Câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s. This status is called â&#x20AC;&#x153;donataria autorizadaâ&#x20AC;? which translates to authorized donee. Not easy to achieve, but if the LCS can obtain this status it will allow us to seek donations from individuals and charitable foundations and in return, issue them tax deductible receipts. The LCS Board believes we can qualify as a donataria autorizada based on our current constitutional mandates and by-laws. However, our mission statement would need to be H[SUHVVHG LQ 6SDQLVK DQG PRGLÂżHG XVLQJ WKH WHUPV XVHG by the Mexican tax collecting authority to express our social outreach to the community. The mission statement would be PRGLÂżHG WR Objectivo: La promociĂłn de la participaciĂłn organizada de la poblaciĂłn en las acciones que mejoren sus propias condiciones de subsistencia. Translated into English: Mission: The promotion and organized participation of the population to improve their own living conditions. Our constitution states that our mission serves the entire lakeside community and that our activities promote the â&#x20AC;&#x153;communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quality of life, vitality and prosperityâ&#x20AC;Śâ&#x20AC;? The SURSRVHG PLVVLRQ VWDWHPHQW FKDQJH LV WKH RQO\ PRGLÂżFDWLRQ to the constitution required to gain charitable status. It would not change who we are or what we do. It would assist us to qualify for a favorable tax status that would fully express our philanthropic and charitable activities and allow for more RSSRUWXQLWLHV WR FUHDWH D VXVWDLQDEOH ÂżQDQFLDO IXWXUH IRU /&6 In the February column I will discuss the process that LCS needs to undertake to modify our mission and qualify for this important tax status. In the meantime you can email me your thoughts at president@lakechapalasociety.com. LCS is Closed January 1 +DSS\ +ROLGD\V (YHU\RQH
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
January 2015
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Neill James Patio 10-12 p.m. Shots (pay the day administered): Zostavax (shingles vaccine) 2,300 pesos *Sign-up required 10-11:00. Zostavax shingles vaccine became available in Mexico in December. CDC information available in LCS RIÂżFH ZLWK VLJQXS VKHHW 3UHIHUHQFH ZLOO EH JLYHQ WR WKRVH ZKR KDYH VLJQHG XS LQ RIÂżFH :DON LQV DFFHSWHG VXEMHFW WR DYDLODELOLW\ p. m. Flu 300 pesos Pneumonia for Life 1,500 pesos 3QHXPRQLD \HDU 350 pesos 1RWH Ă&#x20AC;X DQG SQHXPRQLD PD\ EH WDNHQ WRJHWKHU Diabetes Screening Free *Note: Eat a normal breakfast two hours before test or fast Medication / Supplement Consultation Free *Note: Bring list of medications and supplements. Blood Pressure Screening 10-12 p.m.
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Casi Nuevo (Almost New), Consignment and Thrift Shop wishes all our readers, customers, volunteers and contributors a very happy and healthy new year. It has been our pleasure to serve the three charities we support: the LCS Community Education Program, School for Children with Special Needs and Have Hammerâ&#x20AC;Ś Will Travel. The contributions we have made give us a great feeling of good will, and we anticipate that the contributions we make to them will continue to increase in 2015. We have three things on our list for 2015, our â&#x20AC;&#x153;resolutionsâ&#x20AC;? IRU VXFFHVV 7KH ÂżUVW UHVROXWLRQ LV WR LQFUHDVH WKH FRQWULEXtions of merchandise to sell. We take all sorts of stuff into our shop so that we can sell it. We take furniture, rugs, working appliances, home, patio and kitchen furnishings, womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s clothing, shoes, bric-a-brac, artwork and books. Items over $150 pesos (except all clothing) may be put on consignment, which will net our charities 30% of the sale price. Contributions increase that to 100% RI WKH VDOH SULFH 6R ÂżUVW RQ RXU OLVW IRU WKH 1HZ <HDU LV WR turn your unwanted good stuff into contributions, and we count on you to help us do this. Second on our list, is to increase the volunteers to help run the shop. We have been fortunate to have a good core of volunteers in the past year, but we need more people to come in. The shop is open from Monday thru Saturday from 10 am to 3 pm. You can help us with this resolution by volunteering some of your time to help us out. You can work a whole day, or a half a day, one day or two days, ZKDW HYHU ÂżWV LQWR \RXU OLIH <RX ZLOO EH GRLQJ JRRG ZRUN for a good cause. Please contact our manager, Shirley at 106-2121 or by email at CasiNuevoAjijic@gmail.com and say youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll help out. It is a fun place to be, to meet our community and do good at the same time. We count on volunteersâ&#x20AC;Ś will you become one this New Year? /DVW ZH UHVROYH WR ÂżQG QHZ FXVWRPHUV IRU WKH PHUFKDQdise we sell. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve not visited the shop, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to welcome you and say hello. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve not been here in a while, then câ&#x20AC;&#x2122;mon back, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be surprised at what we do and what we are selling! When you do come to buy, bring a friend, heck bring two friendsâ&#x20AC;Śyouâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll have a great time and may get a bargain or two. So, we thank all of you for your support in 2014. If you help us to keep our resolutions, 2015 will be even better. Come, volunteer and support Casi Nuevo.
Introduction to Spanish
This is a casual class offered for the beginner that covers the Spanish alphabet, simple vocabulary, phrases to use about town, and other useful information about Lakeside and Mexican culture. Classes are held the second Tuesday of the month and run for three weeks at the LCS campus from noon until 1:30 p.m. Materials are provided and tuition is $175 pesos. 6LJQ XS DW WKH /&6 RIÂżFH IURP D P WR S P 0RQGD\ through Saturday. For information, see lakechapalasociety.com., call us at 766-1140, or email coordinator Peter Donaldson spanishprogram@lakechapalasociety.com.
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-DQXDU\ , Phil Rylettâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s presentation, "How to Communicate with a Spanish Speaker" will investigate how language works, how it is learned and how it is used in communication. Some myths about learning and communicating in a second language will be explored. -DQXDU\ Richard Rhoda presents â&#x20AC;&#x153;Evolution: 150,000 years ago, so we have been here for only the last 0.05% of the time. How did this happen and what other hominid species were around when the ÂżUVW KXPDQV DUULYHG" -DQXDU\ , Bob Miller presents, â&#x20AC;&#x153;When Civilizations Collapsed Due to Climate Change: Can History Repeat?â&#x20AC;? "Most of the political entities of Western civilization collapsed in a wave of destruction over a generation, followed by a cultural and social Dark Age. Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always had a record of who was responsible for the "great catastrophe" but we never knew the cause. Recent research indicates that the major cause was climate change... could it happen again?"
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5HJLVWHU LQ WKH /&6 6HUYLFH RIÂżFH GXULQJ UHJXODU KRXUV 6SHFLDOW\ Dia de Los Reyes Magos â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Arrival of the Magi Rosca de Reyes and Tamales 6 January, Tuesday: 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 p.m. Deadline to register: January 3, Saturday Tianguis to Table 7 January, Wednesday, 10 a.m â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12:30 p.m. Meet at Salvadorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (Carretera and Revolucion) Deadline to register: January 5, Monday Cantina Food â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Botanas, Tapas, Bocadillos 8 January, Thursday, 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6:15 p.m. Deadline to register: January 6, Tuesday 6SHFLDOW\ Frijoles: A Most Important Ingredient and Frijol con Puerco 13 January, Tuesday, 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 p.m. Deadline to register: January 9, Friday Tianguis to Table: Puerco en Pipian con Calabacitas y Arroz a la Mexicana 14 January, Wednesday, 10 a.m â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12:30 p.m. Meet at Salvadorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (Carretera and Revolucion) Deadline to register: January 1 2, Monday Cantina Food â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Botanas, Tapas, Bocadillos 15 January, Thursday, 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6:15 p.m. Deadline to register: January 12, Monday 6SHFLDOW\ Pescado a la Veracruzana 20 January 2015, Tuesday: 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 p.m. Deadline: January 16 Friday Tianguis to Table: Pollo Encacahuatado 21 January, Wednesday, 10 a.m â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12:30 p.m. Deadline to register: January 19, Monday Meet at Salvadorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (Carretera and RevoluciĂłn) Cantina Food â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Botanas, Antojititos, Tapas and Caldo de Res 22 January, Thursday, 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6:15 p.m. Deadline to register: January 20, Tuesday 6SHFLDOW\ Pollo MotuleĂąo (from Yucatan) 27 January 2015, Tuesday: 4 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6 p.m. Deadline: January 23, Friday Tianguis to Table: Romeritos (Suaeda Torreyana) 28 January, Wednesday, 10 AM â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 12:30 p.m. Meet at Salvadorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s (Carretera and Revolucion) Deadline to register: January 26, Monday
Saw you in the Ojo 81
DECEMBER ACTIVITIES
*Open to the Public ** US Citizens (S) Sign in required (C) Membership card required &58= 52-$ Cruz Roja Sales Table Mon-Fri 10-1 CRIV Monthly Meeting 2nd Wed 2-5 +($/7+ ,1685$1&( IMSS & Immigration Services Mon+Tues 10-1 Lakeside Insurance Broker Tues+Thur 11-2 San Javier Last Thur 10-12 +($/7+ /(*$/ 6(59,&(6 Becerra Immigration Fri 10:30-12:30 Blood Pressure Mon+Fri 10-12 Hearing Aid Services (S) Mon+2nd+4th, Sat 11-4 Ministerio Publico Wed Jan 7 +21 10-2 Claravision Optometrist (S) Thur 9-4 Pharmaceutical Consultations 2nd+4th Tue 10-12 Skin Cancer Screening (S) 2nd + 4th Wed 10-12 :30 US Consulate** Wed Jan 14 10-12 Sign up 10-11:30 /(66216 &
Balance and Core Exercise Tues-Thur 9-9:50 Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Art Sat 10-12* Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Reading Program Sat 9-10* Exercise Mon+Wed+Fri 9-10 Intermediate Hatha Yoga Tue+ Thur 2-3:30, Sat 1-2:30 Line Dancing Tues+Thur 10-11:15 Scottish Country Dancing Thur 11:30-1:30 LIBRARIES Audio Thur 10-12 Book & Video Mon-Sat 10-2 Library of Congress Books**/ Talking Books Thur 10-12 Wilkes Mon-Fri 9:30-7, Sat 9:30-1 62&,$/ $&7,9,7,(6 & All Things Tech Fri 9:30-11:30 Beginnerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Android Classes (S) Tue 9:30-11:30 Beginners iPad Classes (S) Thur 10-11:45 Bridge 4 Fun Tue + Thur 1-5 Conversaciones en EspaĂąol Mon 10-12 Discussion Group Wed 12-1:30 English/Spanish Conversation Sat 11-12 Everyday Mindfulness Mon10:15-11:45 )LOP $ÂżFLRQDGRV 7KXU Genealogy Forum Last Mon 2-4 History Club 3rd Tue 1:30-4 Mac OS 1st Mon 12-1 Mac User Group 3rd Wed 1-2 Needle Pushers Tues 10-12 Neill James Lectures 1st, 2nd, 4th, last Tue 2-4 Open Gaming (open to the public from 2) Mon 1-4* Philosophy Group Wed 10:30-11:45 Scrabble Mon+Fri 12-1:50 TED Learning Seminars Tues 12-1:20 Tournament Scrabble Tues 12-1:50 6(59,&( 6833257 *52836 Have Hammer Workshop Demo Mon 10-12* Information Desk Mon-Sat 10-2 Lakeside AA Mon +Thur 4:30-5:30 Mindful Recovery Tue 3-5 Open Circle Sun 10-12:30 SMART Recovery Wed 2:30-4 Toastmasters Mon 7-8:30pm 7,&.(7 6$/(6 0RQGD\ )ULGD\
)ROORZ 8V RQ )DFHERRN Now you can follow us on Facebook. You can keep up on all things LCS - programs, activities, upcoming special events, updates and news. Like us at www.facebook.com/lakechapalasociety.
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
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1HZ IRU -DQXDU\ See the Video Library bulletin board and the binders on the counter to find films of interest. This is a partial list of the new additions. Space considerations limit us to this abbreviated format. Please see the LCS web page or the green catalogs outside the Video Library to get full review of 20+ new additions. New Additions for January 2015 Special for the New Year: new additions (episodes) to our most popular series. %RDUGZDON (PSLUH Year 4 #6789 - 6792 Twelve new episodes )R\OHÂśV :DU <HDU 7 #6786 - 6788 Three new full length movies 7KH *RRG :LIH Year 5 #6776 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6781 Twenty two new episodes Homeland Year 3 #6772 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6775 Twelve new episodes 0U 6HOIULGJH Year 2 #6796 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 8798 Ten new episodes 1HZ 7ULFNV Year 2 #6793 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6795 Eight new episodes 1HZVURRP Year 2 #6799 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 6801 Nine new episodes There are also twenty all different kinds of new additions to Video Library inventory: foreign, biography, action, drama, comedy, and crime. Please VHH WKH IXOO UHYLHZ RI WKHVH ÂżOPV RQ WKH /&6 ZHE SDJH DQG LQ WKH JUHHQ catalogs at the LCS Video Library. We have many VHS tapes available for sale at the ridiculously low price of 5 pesos each. Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a VHS tape player? We can take care of that, too. Home movies on VHS tapes? For 50 pesos per tape we will be happy to transfer them to long lasting DVDs. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cheap. +DSS\ 1HZ <HDU from the remarkable volunteers at the LCS Video Library.
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You may have noticed that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re going merrily along steadily improving our garden according to plan. During this time of year, some plants are SDVW WKHLU Ă&#x20AC;RZHULQJ VHDVRQ 6RPH SODQWV DUH GRUPDQW QRW GHDG EXW PD\ look like it). Some plants have components that may cause an allergic reaction and need to be handled with protection and care because the saps and or essence may cause the throat to swell if breathed in while pruning it. Then there are some plants that are challenging just to get to. Sometimes it rains enough and other times it does not. We could XVH VRPH PRUH YROXQWHHU JDUGHQHUV WR IXOÂżOO WKH KRXUV QHHGHG FDUH DQG maintain our beautiful garden. A wonderful New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gift would be for our members â&#x20AC;&#x153;to encourage othersâ&#x20AC;? to come help out even if they are not able to. (Hint, hint: thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a direct request to all peace-loving plant peeps!) Overall, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had wonderful volunteer help in the garden this past year. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve put a lot of heart into what we are trying to accomplish here. Kudos to them and the wonderful camaraderie theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve developed with our able leader Mauricio, who guides our efforts. Happy, Happy New Year! Come join us in the garden this year!
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All three computer discussion groups (Windows, iPad, iPod, iPhone, and Android) have merged into All Things Tech and will meet in the Sala Fridays from 9:30 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 11:30 AM. Sign up for the Beginners iPad classes at lcsipadclasses@gmail. com. Classes will be held Thursdays, January 8, 15, 22, and 29 from 10 -11:45 AMMember number is required. The continuing education Neill James Lecture Series returns on the 6th. See the article on page 2 for details. The History Club meets Tuesdays, at 1:30 PM in the Sala. Important note: Information and arrangements for bus trips, sales of books, and donations to the kitty fund can now be made in the service RIÂżFH <RX FDQ SXUFKDVH RXU ZRQGHUIXO FKLOGUHQÂśV DUW FDUGV DW WKH /&6 Patio Cafe.
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TED internet podcast seminars, available to LCS members only, take place weekly in the Sala from noon to 1:15 p.m. -DQXDU\ 12 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; 1:15 p.m. will be chaired by Bill Frayer. James Flynn will speaking on "Why Our IQ Levels Are Higher Than our Grandparentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s'." Flynn, a New Zealand-based moral philosopher, has coined the "Flynn effect" where each generation scores higher on an IQ test than the generation before it. Are we actually getting smarter, or just thinking differently? In this fast-paced spin through the cognitive history of the 20th century, Flynn suggests that changes in the way we think have had surprising (and not always positive) consequences. -DQXDU\ Chaired by Ron Mullenaux features wildlife activist Boyd Varty: â&#x20AC;&#x153;What I Learned From Nelson Mandelaâ&#x20AC;?. "In the cathedral of the ZLOG ZH JHW WR VHH WKH EHVW SDUWV RI RXUVHOYHV UHĂ&#x20AC;HFWHG EDFN WR XV Varty shares stories of animals, humans and their interrelatedness, RU XEXQWX GHÂżQHG DV , DP EHFDXVH RI \RX +H GHGLFDWHV WKH WDON to South African leader Nelson Mandela, the human embodiment of that same great-hearted, generous spirit. -DQXDU\ Chaired by Fred Harland, features Ziauddin Yousafzai: â&#x20AC;&#x153;My daughter, Malalaâ&#x20AC;?. Pakistani educator Ziauddin Yousafzai reminds the world of a simple truth that many donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t want to hear: women and men deserve equal opportunities for education, autonomy, an independent identity. He tells stories from his own life and the life of his daughter, Malala, who was shot by the Taliban in 2012 simply for daring to go to school. "Why is my daughter so strong?â&#x20AC;? Yousafzai asks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Because I didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t clip her wings." -DQXDU\ Moderator Gary Thompson features a video replay of a TED lecture â&#x20AC;&#x153;Which Country Does the Most Goodâ&#x20AC;?, by Simon Anholt, a policy advisor to governments at all levels, who came up with the Good Country Index (goodcountry.org) to help us consider which of a countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities and policies are â&#x20AC;&#x153;goodâ&#x20AC;? for the world.
LCS Spanish Classes
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7KH ÂżUVW WHUP RI WKH :DUUHQ +DUG\ 6SDQLVK /DQJXDJH &ODVVHV will run from Monday, January 5 through February 21. The LCS Spanish program uses the Warren Hardy four-level language course designed for adult students. You may sign-up the week of December 29 (except New Yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Day) from 11a.m. to 1p.m. at LCS at the Blue Umbrella Patio. The instructor will be available to evaluate the level of instruction appropriate for you. Classes are $750 pesos. The required text and additional support PDWHULDOV DUH DOVR DYDLODEOH &KHFN LQ WKH 6HUYLFH 2IÂżFH IRU VDOHV and more information.
THURSDAY FILM AFICIONADOS /&6 0HPEHUV 2QO\ %ULQJ <RXU &DUG $OO ÂżOPV VKRZQ LQ WKH 6DOD IURP S P No food No pets
-DQXDU\ 'DQJHURXV $FWV 6 WDUULQJ 7KH 8QVWDEOH (OHPHQWV RI %HODUXV US 2014 Smuggled footage and uncensored interviews give us a front row seat to a resistance movement as it unfolds both on the stage and in the streets. Members of the Free Theater must confront the choice of either repression at home or H[LOH 7KLV ÂżOP UHFRQÂżUPV RXU EHOLHI WKDW WKH SRZHU RI DUW DQG hope can indeed change the world. -DQXDU\ Human Capital Italy 2014 The destinies of two families are irrevocably entwined after a car accident. This is the Italian submission for the Academy Award. -DQXDU\ 7ZR 'D\V 2QH 1LJKW Belgium 2014 Another gem from the Dardenne brothers. A young mother has just the weekend to convince her colleagues to give up their bonuses so she can keep her job. Marion Cotillard gives a stunning performance in the lead role. -DQXDU\ &KHI US 2014 A chef who loses his restaurant job opens a food truck to reclaim his creative promise. Have lunch before you come.
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Assist coordinator Karla Boentgen with decorations for our VSHFLDO HYHQWV ,I \RX KDYH D ELW RI FUHDWLYH Ă&#x20AC;DLU DQG OLNH WR work with your hands, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d love to have you work with us. For more information, call Karla at 766-0461 or 331-264-048
IT Position Open`
If you have experience building computers, installing software, and working with networks, including overall troubleshooting, contact IT manager at lcsitmgr@gmail.com. Position requires climbing stairs several times a day.
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THE LAKE CHAPALA SOCIETY, A.C. 16 de Septiembre #16-A, Ajijic, Jalisco LCS Main Office: (376) 766-1140 Office, information and other services - Monday-Saturday, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Grounds open until 5:00 pm LCS BOARD OF DIRECTORS President - Ben White (2016); Vice-President - Cate Howell (2015); Treasurer - Michael Searles (2015); Secretary - Carole Wolff (2016); Directors: Lois Cugini (2015); Ernest Gabbard (2016); Aurora Michel Galindo (2015); Fred Harland (2015); Keith Martin (2016); Pete Soderman (2016); Executive Director - Terry Vidal
The LCS Newsletter is published monthly. Deadline for submissions is the 17th of the month preceding publication. News items may be e-mailed to Reba Mayo rebaelizabethhill@yahoo.com; cc to Terry Vidal tqv56431@yahoo.com Note: The editorial staff reserves the right to edit all submissions according to time, space availability and editorial decision.
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
Saw you in the Ojo 85
Service
EMERGENCY NUMBERS
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$1,0$/ &/,1,&6 3(7 6+23 - CLINICA VETERINARIA SAN ANTONIO Tel: 766-0808 3DJ - DEE’S PET HOTEL Tel: 762-1646 3DJ /$.(6,'( )5,(1'6 2) 7+( $1,0$/6 $& Tel: 765-5544 3DJ 0$6.27$¶6 /$.( Tel: 766-0287 3DJ - PET PLACE Cell: 333-1964-150 3DJ - PET FOOD AND GROOMING Tel: 766-3062 3DJ
$57 *$//(5,(6 +$1'&5$)76 $-,-,& 62&,(7< 2) $576 3DJ - ART HOUSE Tel: 765-5097 3DJ - ALFREDO’S GALERIA Tel: 766-2980 3DJ $=7(& 678',26 3DJ - DIANE PEARL COLECCIONES Tel: 766-5683 3DJ - EL PALOMAR Tel: 01 (33) 3635-8089 3DJ - LA BELLA VIDA Tel: 766-5131 3DJ - SOL MEXICANO Tel: 766-0734 3DJ - THE CREATIVE HEART Tel: 766-0496 3DJ - ZARAGOZA Tel: 766-7049, 766-0573 3DJ
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%($87< - CRISCO SALON Tel: 766-4073 - FRESH BEAUTY Cell: 33-3141-5626, 33-3185-1353 - GLORIOSA Tel: 766-3372 - GLOSS - Nail Salon Tel: 108-0848 - MARIALE Tel: 766-4229 1(: /22. 678',2 Tel: 766-6000 - SARA’S UNISEX SALON
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- CHAPALA DENTAL CARE Tel. 765-5584, 766-3847 3DJ - DENTAL EXPRESS Tel: 106-2080 3DJ - DENTAL HEALTH ONE Tel: 1060-826 3DJ '(17$/ 2)),&( 'U )UDQFLVFR &RQWUHUDV Tel: 765-5757 3DJ - DENTAL PLASTICA LIFT Tel: 108-0595 3DJ '5 $/%(572 '21 2/,9(5$ Tels: 765-4838, 765-4805 3DJ '5 $1*(/ 0('(/(6 Tel: 766-5050 3DJ '5$ $1*(/,&$ $/'$1$ /(0$ ''6 Tel: 765-5364 3DJ '5$ 5(%(&$ 6$1'29$/ Tel: 106 0839 3DJ - HÉCTOR HARO DDS Tel: 765-3193 3DJ
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%287,48( &86720 6(:,1* - CUGINIS OPUS BOUTIQUE Tel/Fax: 766-1790 - MI MEXICO Tel: 766-0133 2/*$¶6 &XVWRP 6HZLQJ Tel: 766-1699
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&216758&7,21 $54 3('52 $5(//$12 $552<2 3DJ - EME ARQUITECTOS Tel: 765-4324 3DJ - GENERAL HOME SERVICES - $PDQFLR 5DPRV -U Cell: (045) 331-520-3054 3DJ - MARBLE & GRANITE Tel: 766-1306 3DJ - ROBERTO MILLÁN ARCHITECT Tel: 766-3771 3DJ :$5:,&. &216758&7,21 Tel: 765-2224 3DJ
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
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$'2%( :$//6 ,11 Tel: 766-1296 - LA NUEVA POSADA Tel: 766-1444, Fax: 766-2049 48,17$ '21 -26( Tel: 01-800-700-2223 - VILLAS DEL SOL Tel: 766-1152
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,1685$1&( - BLUE ANGEL Tel: 766-0547 3DJ - EDGAR CEDEÑO - MEXICO PROTECT Cell: (045) 33-3106-6982 3DJ 3$5.(5 ,1685$1&( 6(59,&(6 Tel: 765-4666, 765-4070 3DJ - PROTEXPLAN U.S. Toll Free 1-800-608-5743 Mexico Toll Free 01-800-681-6730 3DJ - RACHEL’S INSURANCE Tel/Fax: 765-4316 3DJ - TIOCORP Tel: 766-3978 3DJ :(67 &2$67 0(;,&2 ,1685$1&( Tel: (818) 788-5353 3DJ
/,*+7,1* - ILUMINA Y DECORA Tel: 765-5067
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+($/7+ /$.( &+$3$/$ &(17(5 )25 63,5,78$/ LIVING Tel: 766-0920 3DJ - YOGA GARDEN Tel: 333-190-0010 3DJ
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- MARBLE & GRANITE Tel: 766-1306
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- AD HOC DESIGN Tel: 766-2877 3DJ - 7(0385 0$775(66 $1' 3,//2:6 Tel: (52) 333-629-5919, (52) 33 3611-3049 3DJ
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- TEPEHUA TREASURES Tel: 763-5126, 763-5147 3DJ
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- SPRING CLEAN Tel: 765-2953
- LINEA PROFESIONAL Tel. 766-2555, Fax. 766-0066 3DJ - VEHICLE IMPORTARTION SERVICES Tel: 331-539-3519 3DJ
- COLIBRI GARDEN Tel: 765-4412, Cell. (045) 33-3156-9382 '8/&( $/)$-25 Tel: 766-3251 - ROCHATAS Tel: 765-3150
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$/7$ 5(7,1$ 'U 5LJREHUWR 5LRV /HyQ Ophthalmic Surgeon Tel: 766-1521 3DJ - CASITA MONTAÑA MEDICAL CENTER Tel: -766-5513 3DJ - CHAPALA MED Tel: 765-7777, Cell: 33-3950-9414 3DJ &/,1,&$ < )$50$&,$ 0$6.$5$6 Tel: 765-4805 3DJ - DERMATOLOGIST Tel: 765-2400, Cell. 333-170-6570 3DJ '(50,.$ 'HUPDWRORJLF &HQWHU Tel: 766-2500 3DJ - DILABIM - Laboratiorios Clinicos Tel: (33) 3615-1790 3DJ - DOCTOR PINTO OPTICAS Tel: 765-7793 3DJ '5 -26( +$52 )(51$1'(= Tel. 766-5154 Cell. 044-33-111-57-174 3DJ '5 *$%5,(/ '( - 9$5(/$ 5,=2 1HXURORJ\ DQG 1HXURVXUJHU\ Tel: 765-6666 3DJ '5 -8$1 $&(9(6 1RQ 6XUJLFDO /RVV Programs Tel: -766-5513 3DJ '5 /8&$6 &255$/ Tel: 3641-1958, 3641-1960 3DJ
'5 0$18(/ $&(9(6 6XUJLFDO /RVV 3URJUDPV Tel: -766-5513 3DJ '5 0$5< /28 9,//$5$1 &OLQLFDO 3V\FKLDWULVW Tel: -766-5513 3DJ '5$ 0$57+$ 5 %$//(67(526 )5$1&2 Cell: (045) 333-408-0951 3DJ - HOSPITAL ANGELES DEL CARMEN Tel: (01) 3813-0042 3DJ - ISILAB Tel: 766-1164 3DJ /$.(6,'( &$5',2/2*< &/,1,& Tel: (387) 763-0665 3DJ /$.(6,'( 0(',&$/ *5283 Tel: 766-0395 3DJ - PLASTIC SURGEON-6HUJLR $JXLOD %LPEHOD 0 ' Tel: 108-0595 3DJ 3/$67,& 685*(5< 'U %HQMDPLQ 9LOODUDQ Tel: 766-5513, Cell 044-333-105-0402 3DJ - QUALITY CARE Tel: 766-1870 3DJ 5,&$5'2 +(5(',$ 0 ' Tel: 765-2233 3DJ - VARICOSE VEINS TREATMENT Tel: 765-4805 3DJ
029(56 /$.( &+$3$/$ 029,1* Tel: 766-5008 67520 :+,7( 029(56 Tel: 766-4049
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086,& 7+($75( ' - +2:$5' Tel: 766-3044 3DJ - NIÑOS INCAPACITADOS PRESENTS: -())(5< 675$.(5 3DJ 6&27,$%$1. 1257+(51 /,*+76 086,& FESTIVAL Tel: 766-6087, Cell: 33-1626-0717 3DJ 7+( 1$.(' 67$*( 5($'(5¶6 7+($75( Tel: 765-3262 3DJ
1856(5< - LAS PALMAS Cell: 33-3170-1776/33-1195-7112 3DJ - VIVERO AZUCENA Tel. 766-4289 3DJ
3$,17 48,52= ,PSHUPHDELOL]DQWHV Tel: 766-2311 - QUIROZ-Pinturas Tel: 766-5959
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3(5621$/ $66,67$1&( 1(:&20(56 ,/6( +2))0$11 ilsecarlota40@gmail.com, www.guadalajarachapalatravelguide.com Tel 01(33)3647-3912 Cell 33-3157-2541
3+$50$&,(6 - FARMACIA CRISTINA Tel: 766-1501 - FARMACIA EXPRESS II Tel: 766-0656 )$50$&,$ 0$6.$5$6 Tel/Fax: 765-5827 - FARMACIA ÚNICA Tel: 766-0523, Cell. (33) 3190-0010
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322/ 0$,17(1$1&( - EQUIPMENT AND POOL MAINTENANCE Tel: 766-1617 3DJ
5($/ (67$7( $-,-,& +20( ,163(&7,216 Tel: 766-2836 3DJ - ALL IN ONE REAL ESTATE SERVICE Tel: 766-1161 3DJ %(9 -($1 &2)(// +RPH 2I¿FH 3DJ - CHULA VISTA NORTE Tel: 766-2177 Cell: (045) 33-3841-8867 3DJ - CIELOVISTA Tel: 766-4867 3DJ &2/':(// %$1.(5 &+$3$/$ 5($/7< Tel: 766-1152, 766-3369 Fax: 766-2124, Tels: 765-2877 Fax: 765-3528 3DJ - COLLINS REAL ESTATE Tel: 766-4197 3DJ - CONTINENTAL REALTY Tel: 766-1994, Cell: (33) 1366-2256 3DJ - CUMBRES Tel: 766-4867 3DJ - DON SNELL Cell 33-1005-9129 3DJ - EAGER & ASOCIADOS Tel: (376) 766 1917, 1918 3DJ )25 6$/( %< 2:1(5 Cell: (045) 33-3149-9415 3DJ
)25 6$/( %< 2:1(5 Tel: 106-0862 3DJ )25 6$/( %< 2:1(5 Tel: 315-351-7458 3DJ )25 6$/( %< 2:1(5 Tel: 765-7749 3DJ )25 6$/( %< 2:1(5 Tel: 36-100-416, 36 101 264 3DJ )25 6$/( %< 2:1(5 Tel: 766-2466 3DJ )25 6$/( %< 2:1(5 3DJ - GERARDO MEDINA Cell. 331-121-7034 3DJ - GEORGETTE RICHMOND Tel: 766-2077 3DJ - LUCI MERRITT Cell (045) 331-545-6589 3DJ - MPR REAL ESTATE Tel: (315) 351-5167 3DJ - NOÉ LOPEZ Cell: 331-047-9607 3DJ - PATRICIA BECERRA &HOO 2I¿FH 3DJ 3(7(5 67 -2+1 Tel: 765-3676 3DJ - RAUL GONZALEZ Cell: 33-1437-0925 3DJ - SANDI ALLIN BRISCOE Tel: 765-2484 3DJ - VISTA ALEGRE Tel: 766-4867 3DJ - VISTA LAGO Tel. (33) 3616 4536, 3125 6363 3DJ
5(17$/6 3523(57< 0$1$*(0(17 &2/':(//%$1.(5 &+$3$/$ 5($/7< Tel: 766-1152, movile: (045) 33-1175-9632 3DJ - FOR RENT Tel: 765-2671 3DJ - HACIENDA PMR 3DJ Tel: 766-3320 -25*( 7255(6 Tel: 766-3737 3DJ - MANZANILLO VACATION RENTALS Tel: (314) 100-6773 or (314) 109-0657 3DJ - RENTAL LOCATERS Tel: 766-5202 3DJ - ROMA Tel: 766-3163 3DJ - SANTANA RENTALS Cell: 315-104-3283, 3DJ - VILLAS DEL SOL Tel: 766-1152 3DJ
5(67$85$176 &$)(6 5(67$85$17( Tel: 766-1360 3DJ $-,-,& 7$1*2 Tel: 766-2458 3DJ - ARILEO Tel: 106-1627 3DJ &$)( 3$5,6 3DJ - CASA FUERTE Tels: 3639-6474 / 81 3DJ - GO LE CLUB Cell: (045) 33-3502-6555 3DJ -$60,1(¶6 &ODVVLF ,QGLD Tel: 766-2636 3DJ -$5',1 '( 1,1(77( Tel: 766-4905 3DJ -2+$1$6 Tel: 766-0437 3DJ -867 &+,//,1 Tel: 766-3437 3DJ - HUERTO CAFÉ Tel: 108-0843 3DJ /$ &$6$ '(/ :$))/( Tel: 766-1946 3DJ /$ %2'(*$ '( $-,-,& Tel: 766-1002 3DJ - LA HACIENDA DE DON PEDRO Tel: 766-4906 3DJ - LA MISION Tel: 108-0887 3DJ - LA PAELLA DE MARIA Cell. 33-1438-9706 3DJ - LA NUEVA POSADA Tel: 766-1444, 766-2049 3DJ - “ LA TAVERNA”DEI QUATTRO MORI Tel: 766-2848 3DJ - LA UNA Tel: 766-2072 3DJ - LOS MOLLETES Tel: 766-4296 3DJ - MOM’S DELI & RESTAURANT Tel: 765-5719 3DJ - PANINO Tel: 766 3822 3DJ - PIZZERIA TOSCANA Tel: 765-6996 3DJ 67 5(0< Tel: 766-0607 3DJ 7$%$5.$ Tel: 766-1588 3DJ 7+( 3($&2&. *$5'(1 Tel: 766-1381 3DJ - TRATTORIA DI AXIXIC
Tel: 766-3796, Cell. 33-1795-5253 - TONY’S Tel: 766-1614, 766-4069 - YVES Tel: 766-3565
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5(7,5(0(17 5(67 1856,1* +20(6 - ALICE NURSING HOME Tel: 766 1194, 766 2999 - EL PARAISO Tel: 766-2365 - LA CASA NOSTRA Tel: 765-3824 - LA VALENTINA Tel: 766-5179 /$.( &+$3$/$ 1856,1* +20( Tel: 766-0404 - THE BLUE HOUSE Tel: 766-1695, 766-3558
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- LA BELLA VIDA Tel: 766-5131 - MARIALE Tel: 766-4229 - RESPIRO SPA Tel. 108 0879, Cell 33-3157-7790 - SPA TERMAL COSALA Tel: (387) 761-0494 - TOTAL BODY CARE Tel: 766-3379
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STAINED GLASS - AIMAR Cell: 33-1741-3515
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The Ojo Crossword
Saw you in the Ojo 87
CARS
FOR SALE: 2000 Honda Odyssey. Had it Mexican platted The paint and interior are in good condition. Tires and brakes are about six months old. Asking $75,000 pesos. Make an offer. Call: 376-106-2146. Contact johnh4071@gmail.com. FOR SALE: This is a 24 foot class C in excellent condition. Ready to travel anywhere, recently arrived from Quebec. See to believe! Large, private lot available with purchase of RV, near Joco. Price: $4.500 u.s. FOR SALE: Cargo area cover (way-back area) for Honda CRV (2007 - 2011). RetractDEOH FRYHU GDUN JUH\ 3ULFH FOR SALE: Great Lincoln Aviator 2003. Price: $97,500. :$17(' 2007- 2013. To legalize in Mexico, I need a used 4-door hatchback made by Honda(Fit), Nissan(March) or comparable with Automatic transmission. Call: 766-5606. FOR SALE: Jalisco Plated Car. Excellent condition, very clean, off-road special shocks, almost new Bridgestone Tires, Price: $140,000.00 Pesos. :$17(' Need a US plated SUV or Car with enough room to carry a large dog and personal belongings back to US. Vehicle must be in good condition, well maintained and clean with no major mechanical problems. I am going to register it in Texas. If you have a non-NAFTA car or are going to have to get Mexican plates, this could save you a substantial amount of money by not having to go to US to sell it or pay to get Mex. Price: $4,000 - $5,000. Call: 331-792-1184. FOR SALE: Malibu LTC 4 cylinders. Good on gas, full loaded, two set of keys, original title, new michellin tires. Price: $159,000. Call: 331-269-2696. FOR SALE: Super clean Chevy. Low millage, new tune-up, new air, new plugs and all Ă&#x20AC;XLGV FKDQJHG LQ ODVW GD\V , DP QG *ULQgo owner and. The car has been very well maintained since its original purchase. Great on gas - Perfect for getting around Lakeside. Price: $5,200 USD. Email me at sns227@ gmail.com for info/photos or call 331-3866731 (cell) FOR SALE: +RQGD &59 ÂľZD\ EDFNÂś Ă&#x20AC;RRU mat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;New conditionâ&#x20AC;?. Dark Grey. Fits years 2012 though 2015. $650mx. For questions, Google Honda CRV accessories. $110US new. Price: $650mx. FOR SALE: 2014 Camry XLE White. Mx Registered Bluetooth Rear Camera Navigation System Security Windows all around Never in accident. Non smoker Moving to USA. Price: $21,000 or $283,000 Pesos. Call: 333-507-4153. FOR SALE: White Mercedes ML350 6 cylinders 3.500 CC Sunroof 5 places very economic gas consumption great car for a very low price $125,000 pesos. Call me: 376-7662430 or cell 331-283-3206 Rainer. FOR SALE: Motorhome. 56000 original miles, Air conditioner, Generator, Sink, Shower, Bed, Toilet, Stove, Microwave and Kitchenette. Price: $4,000 USD
COMPUTERS
FOR SALE: HP Deskjet 1512 All-In-One Printer. Offers easy printing, scanning and copying. Prints up to 7 pages per minute. Cartridges included. Comes in its original box. Price: $750 pesos. Call me: 766-3210 or write to me at ernst_graf@yahoo.com. FOR SALE: Keyboard case for IPad Mini protects both top and bottom. Mini can be
88
viewed at any angle including putting the keyboard completely under the unit to use as a WDEOHW 3ULFH UHĂ&#x20AC;HFWV %ODFN )ULGD\ VDOH SULFH on website and saves you the shipping cost. Price: $1400 pesos. :$17(' VCR VHS so we can view our VHS tapes. FOR SALE: Dell Inspiron Laptop. Screen Size: 15.6 Hard Drive 500 GB Number of USB Ports 2 Average Battery Life (in hours) 6.5 hours Warranty details for your Inspiron 15 May 06, 2016. Price: $4000 pesos. Call: 331-330-1050. FOR SALE: Hardly used, purchased in August 2014, manufactured late 2013. Imac Desktop Computer. Extremely thin monitor. Comes with DVD/CD Rom drive. Have original purchase invoice. Price: $26,000 pesos. Call: 045-331-382-4771. FOR SALE: Ink Cartridges for Canon. 2 PK PG-240XL CL-241XL Ink Cartridges for Canon PIXMA, MG3520, MX532, MX479 Printer. Price: $200 pesos. Call: 376-766-4260. FOR SALE: New English keyboards, they come with larger than normal letter size and high contrast colors for ease of use. Price: $350 pesos. Call or email me. If you call, leave a message. 765-2538 or etccomputers@gmail.com.
PETS & SUPPLIES
FOR SALE: Deluxe rolling dog crate with 2 compartments on top for leashes, meds., etc. Measures 32â&#x20AC;?L x 22â&#x20AC;?W x 22â&#x20AC;?H. $750p. Email me gary031@yahoo.com and I will send a picture if interested. FOR SALE: Beautiful healthy young parrot. Very talkative with a large vocabulary. Loves people. Likes both men and women. Hand tame and plays with my dog. Clean cage, large tree gym and Tstand included with toys. Price: $6000 pesos. Call: 331-3191012. FOR SALE: Lg. 5 level cage with many doors. L30xW18xH52. Wire platforms and ladders to each level. Removable heavy rubber tray and on castors. $1400 pesos. Clean. Three med. bird cages. L17xW17xH25. Food Cups and perches included. $300 pesos each. Call: 331-319-1012. FOR SALE: Australian Saddle Used - Excellent Condition All leather, very comfortable Price: $2,500 p Make an offer! Karen 7660237.
GENERAL MERCHANDISE
FOR SALE: 4XHHQ 0LFURÂżEHU VKHHW VHW The set is wrinkle resistant, ultra smooth EUXVKHG PLFURÂżEHU DQG ÂżWV PDWWUHVVHV XS WR ´ ,QFOXGHV Ă&#x20AC;DW VKHHW ÂżWWHG VKHHW Queen Pillowcases. Call me at 766-3210 or write to me at ernst_graf@yahoo.com. Price: $400 pesos. FOR SALE: King Duvet Set (No blanket). Regal Collection 300 thread count zebra print King Duvet set (blanket not included), 100% cotton. Includes duvet cover and matching shams. $550 pesos. Call me at 766-3210 or write to me at ernst_graf@yahoo.com. FOR SALE: INTEX SEAHAWK II 3-PERSON BOAT/RAFT Excellent Condition Fits 3 Cozy - 2 Comfortable Includes Oars, Rapid ,QĂ&#x20AC;DWH 3XPS &XVKLRQV DQG &DUU\ %DJ 0RWRU Mount is Available. This model discontinued in 2013. New models are much thinner material. Price: $275 US or equivalent pesos. BoatRaft@gmail.com FOR SALE: Dining set made bu Luis Lbarro of Mexico Rustico. Pictures say it all. The
El Ojo del Lago / January 2015
small table is 36â&#x20AC;? X 44â&#x20AC;? great for daily use and has 2 - 24â&#x20AC;? X 36â&#x20AC;? extensions making it 36â&#x20AC;? X 92â&#x20AC;? Included 6 upholstered chairs, but will easily will sit eight. Table and extensions only $4000 peso. Price: $8400 peso FOR SALE: I have 5 wooden bar stools the seats are a dark blue. Price: $400 pesos each. FOR SALE: Shaw Direct satellite large dish, complete with all hardware including LNB. :$17(' 'HKXPLGLÂżHU IRU D GDPS FORVHW FOR SALE: Callaway Golf Set Like New 13 piece Ladies Callaway Golf set. right hand. In perfect condition. Price: $490.00 US dollars. FOR SALE: 9-dvd set of the best performances of your favorite rock n soul stars of the 70s. hours of great fun! new, cost $140usd. now only $1000 pesos, still factory wrapped. FOR SALE: DVDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s of award winning TV series, Homeland. Season 1. Price: $110. Pesos. FOR SALE: Satellite TV Equipment. 52 inch Parabolic Dish w/dual LNB Model DSR401MN Shaw Receiver w/remote 10 mts co-ax cable. Price: U$D120. Home Tel: 376766+0214. Cell: 331-427-0554. FOR SALE: GPX Micro Stereo System. Place it on a shelf or hung from a wall. Plays CDs and MP3s. Features a motorized door for easy access, a backlit LCD panel with digital clock, 4 equalization presets, input for MP3 players and a remote control. Comes in its original unopened box. Price: $750 pesos. Call me at 766-3210 or write to me at ernst_ graf@yahoo.com. :$17(' We need an elliptical dish for the roof. Shaw. We have the box. Call: 1080911. FOR SALE: YORK Home gym. Over 30 exercises No cable changing 12 level resistance (up to 180lb/82kg) Durable coated steel frame Vinyl upholstery cable tension adjuster - linked chain Features: Vertical press - three hand position Pec Dec - with foam rollers Lat pull down with storage clip. Leg extension - with foam rollers. Low Pulley row/arm curl. Price: $6000 mx pesos or BO. FOR SALE: Artist polyester portfolio case. Harper Classic black portfolio carry case with short and long handle. 2 zippered compartments 21 inches by 26 inches. A third zippered compartment 14 inches by 14 inches. Made in Canada. $500 pesos. Call: 7660657. FOR SALE: Cane-back rocking chair, medium sized. Wood frame and cane back of chair are in excellent condition. Seat needs repair. Price: $850 pesos. Call: 766-1301. FOR SALE: Egg-crate mattress topper with protective cover from Costco for single bed. Price: $300 pesos. Call: 766-1301. FOR SALE: BioCryo sequential circulation pump Complete system with the boots and everything needed. Price: $11,000p. Call: 766-3874. FOR SALE: 18 inches thermostatically controlled. Decorative logs Royal English Oak style Flame proof embers Made by DESA heating products, model CLD3018PTA Operations manual in English and Spanish. Price: $350 dollars OBO. Call: 333-966-5657 or 7653061. FOR SALE: We have redecorated our 5th wheel RV and selling our day/night VKDGHV $ VHW RI ´[ ´ ´[ ´
and 2- 20â&#x20AC;?x54â&#x20AC;?. Color Shell and white, fair to good condition. Need to be cleaned and one may need restringing. String & parts included. Day & Night shades are two shades in one. Night fabric for privacy, or, full length day shade. Can be set in any position or opened completely for no shade at all. Residential, recreational, commercial and marine. These shades came from a nonsmoking 5th wheel RV. Price: $1000 pesos for set of 8. :$17(' Looking to purchase good quality recumbent bike. Call Wally at 333-4447868. FOR SALE: Portable Oxygen Concentrator 2 Lithium Batteries Car Adaptor Carrying Case. Price: $250.00. Call: 376-765-7373. FOR SALE: Nebby Nebulizer. Price: $50.00. Call: 376-765-7373. FOR SALE: Tracer 1000 Wheel Chair. Price: $175.00. Call: 376-765-7373. FOR SALE: Perfecto2 Home oxygen concentrator. Price: $700.00. Call: 376-7657373. FOR SALE: Bed mattress headboard will sell separately or all inclusive call 765-7144 to see. FOR SALE: Jazz-tap shoes, unisex oxford style with dance rubber and taps, soft leather, padded soles, very comfortable, womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s size 10. like new. Price: $400 pesos. Call: 766-4106. FOR SALE: Chromecast. Complete in box with cables and power supply. Price: $550 Pesos. Call: 766-2275 FOR SALE: Geophysical prospecting equipment one Scintrex MFD-4 Magnetometer and one Geonics EM-16 VLF survey tool with manual. If you want to prospect for minerals and fault zones, these are your tools. FOR SALE: 6FRUSLRQ 89 Ă&#x20AC;DVKOLJKW 3ULFH $185 pesos. FOR SALE: Balance disc. Exercise device with DVD. Price: $100 pesos. Call: 766-0657 FOR SALE: Bed with orthopedic mattress and bookcase head board with light and mirrors. Price: $500.00USD OR EQ. Call 7657144. FOR SALE: Fender F-310 12-string acoustic. A few small scratches. Features include: Manufactured between 1985 & 1988. Spruce top. The back and sides are made RI 0DKRJDQ\ IUHW URVHZRRG ÂżQJHUERDUG under-saddle transducer invisible, electric pickup. Serial # A-5223460 I am including FREE soft sided case. 6KRXOGHU VWUDS Ă&#x20AC;RRU VWDQG DQG H[WUD VWULQJV Since we are in Mexico, price is $4,500 pesos. No U.S. dollars. Jocotepec. :$17(' Flat Screen TV - 40 inch or thereabouts. Thanx for any leads. FOR SALE: Car top carrier, Thule Cascade XT, used once to drive to Mexico. Length: 85in/225cm and width 16in/40cm. Price: 2000 pesos. Call: 376-766-5870. FOR SALE: Black fabric, hardly used, adMXVWDEOH RIÂżFH FKDLU 3ULFH SHVRV &DOO 376-766-5870. :$17(' Cast iron cookware such as frying pans of different sizes, pots, dutch oven, PXIÂżQ SDQV EUHDG SDQV HWF :LOO FRQVLGHU anything cast iron. We are new to the area and need to re-equip our kitchen. FOR SALE: Metzeler Motorcycle Tire. 110/80-19 Front Tire Metzeler Tourance with about 1000 miles on it. Price: $1500 MXN. FOR SALE: Life Gearâ&#x20AC;? precision Inversion Table. Price: $1250 pesos. FOR SALE: Used, stacked washer/dryer
XQLW :KLWH :HVWLQJKRXVH :RUNV *UHDW Price: $6,600 OBO. FOR SALE: king size bed complete with beautiful bookcase headboard bedding and 2 night stands. Price: $500.00USD /Peso eq. FOR SALE: Have blue recliner chair. Price: 50.00USD or Pesos. FOR SALE: Dish Network 322 Satellite Sta. Two tuners for independent viewing of satellite TV programming in two rooms with a single receiver. 2 tuners. Agile modulated mono output can send the second tuner signal to multiple televisions via home distributions remotes 1 uhf. dish pro plus tuners. Price: $500 pesos. Call: 376766-4260. FOR SALE: 1â&#x20AC;?glazed Italian marble, cream color, orig used for end & coffee table bases. Shapes are 2 square boxes & 1 rectangle box. Can be separated for various purposes. Packaging crates included. Price: $2000-$4500pesos. Call for details. (376) 106-0903 Cell: 045-331-792-9723. FOR SALE: 1 Koken antique barber chair $6,000 pesos. 1 Puebla barber chair $4,000 pesos. FOR SALE: 4 bar stool equipales at $400 pesos each. FOR SALE: Recliner 3 position Leather. Sold its mate last year for $5500 pesos. Price: $4500.00 pesos. FOR SALE: Bicycle carrier for 1 or 2 bikes. Mounts on rear mounted spare tire eg Honda CRV. Price: $400 pesos. Call: 766-2484. :$17(' Does anybody have one of those video cassette Recorders I want to buy one. I still want to tape my program and needs VCR for that. Call J. Guerin 766 2811 or email thanks. FOR SALE: 16 foot Alumacraft Bass Boat 48 horse Even rude motor. Trailer with new tires and a spare. Seats 4 people Semi New Decking and Carpet(Blue). Price:$1299.00 U.S Dollars. :$17(' If you are remodeling and have a vented skylight you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need would you please contact me. I would like to buy it. FOR SALE: LQĂ&#x20AC;DWDEOH JUH\ WZR SHUVRQ Sevylor Kayak, with 2 two hour lessons, used 15 times, folds up to 30x20x12. Price: $6,000 Lamont owner 376-766-5128 Lake Chapala or Wayne :$17(' Cast Iron Cookware. I need several pieces such as frying pans of various sizes, pots, perhaps a dutch oven. Will even FRQVLGHU PXIÂżQ SDQV LQ FDVW LURQ FOR SALE: Nice wood side table. Price: $800 pesos. FOR SALE: Jacuzzi 2.40m x 2.40m very OLWWOH XVHG 6DQG ÂżOWHU ÂżOWHU SXPS \HW VWUHDP pump, airstream pump. Diverse plumbing material etc. Price: $2,000 USD. FOR SALE: Kill A Watt. Had a friend buy PH RQH RI WKHVH LQ 86$ IRU KDYH KDUGO\ ever used it. Comes with Operational Manual. Good for measuring appliance usage of CFE. Price: $200 pesos OBO. Call: 045-331382-4771. FOR SALE: FIRE ENGINE RED. Golden Technology 3 wheeler scooter comes complete with Hydraulic lift and 2 sets of ramps, sadly its owner never got to have the pleasure of riding upon it. Price: $2000usd obo. Make an offer. Call: 766-4456, 331-138-3193. FOR SALE: Technics Turntable, belt drive, DC servo, dust cover, Model SL-BD20D, 2 speeds (45 and 33 rpm), includes cartridge, operation manual, original box, excellent condition. Price: $80 US or equivalent. FOR SALE: Sherwood Surround Sound System, Model SP-155-S, very good condition. Five (5) speakers, one powered subwoofer, brackets, all black. Price: $75 US or equivalent. FOR SALE: Shaw HD DSR630 PVR with remote. HDMI and power cord. Receiver is free and clear and ready to set up on your account. Price: $3,300 pesos. Call: 766-5947. FOR SALE: Shaw HD 600 receiver with remote, HDMI and power cord. Receiver is free and clear and ready to set up on your account. Price: $2,300 pesos. Call: 766-5947.
FOR SALE: Wine Refrigerator Haier brand Used for the 1st year we were here, bought 2008 height 41â&#x20AC;? width 12â&#x20AC;? holds 18 BOTTLES like new condition. $2500p price lowered to $1800p. Call Fran at 766-0112. :$17(' Wanting a set of free weights and bench in good shape. Would prefer metal weights but will also consider the plastic covered type. FOR SALE: Hydropool - SPA / Hot Tub. Bought in 2009 and not used in the last 3 years. Original price $5,995. US. will sell for $2,700. Maintained and supported by an AjiMLF ÂżUP ,I LQWHUHVWHG FDOO 3OV OHDYH message). FOR SALE: large glass dining table with beveled edge wrought iron base. Price: $6000. FOR SALE: Three pair Ecco lace-up shoes size 37, excellent condition. Black leather. Tan Nubuck and Light Tan leather. Make offer. Afternoons 765-7629. FOR SALE: 7KHVH DUH WKH ÂłJRRG´ VXQĂ&#x20AC;RZer planters that you can buy in Tonola for 4x the price. All used. Price: $10 - $20 US or Peso Equiv. Call. 376-766-3120. FOR SALE: Solid woodTV/entertainment unit. Pocket door on top and bottom of main unit. Bottom of main unit has installed electrical and cable outlets in an unobtrusive area. Top and bottom of main unit can be separated. 2 side units have glass shelves and are lit from the top. Side units can be standalone - each unit has the top crown molding piece included. Pics available -could not load to website. Price: Reduced $4,000 pesos OBO. Call: 331-805-4654. :$17(' Am looking for a good carpet cleaner and shampooer for large area rugs. FOR SALE: Beautiful Zebra pattern, black and creme, area rug. 9 Ft. x 12 ft. Excellent condition. Photoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s available. Price: $1,200 pesos. FOR SALE: Glass top desk $75/$1,000 pesos, Brother printer $40/$550 pesos, File Drawer on wheels $25/$350pesos, Two Glass top coffee tables $250/$260 pesos, Bowes Sound System with DVD $150/2,025, Garage sale items various prices Menâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jeans size 38 $8/$100 pesos. Call: 333-507-4153. FOR SALE: Lovely glass punch bowl with 18 cups. Wonderful for large gatherings, hospitality rooms, parties, schools and churches. Includes ladle and base to elevate bowl. Price: $480 MXN. Call: 376-766-1213. FOR SALE: Bowling. Almost new Columbia 300 series White Dot deep amber/gold tones marbleized ball. Very nice-looking and weighs approximately 14 pounds (or a little less). Of course, the holes can be re-drilled. Price: $250 MXN. Call: 376-766-1213. FOR SALE: Swivel bar stools - 49â&#x20AC;?H to top of chair back, 34â&#x20AC;?H to seat, for the 2 is $1,500p. Call: 331-762-7717. FOR SALE: Super practical pocket high impact aluminum Lantern with 9 leds ultraviolet light.10 cms large, 3 cms diameter. Detect IDOVH PRQH\ ELOOV VFRUSLRQV Ă&#x20AC;XLGV RQ FORWKHV PRXVH RULQD EORRG UHVWV WLFNHWV SDVVSRUWV DQG LWV DXWKHQWLFLW\ DQG PRUH 1HHGV $$$ batteries included. Also includes security strap. 30 days warranty on manufacturing defects. Shipments out of Guadalajara to be negotiated. Price: $150. FOR SALE: Two Wilson Tennis Racquets. Hammer system 5.8 and 7.4. In very good condition. Price: $500 pesos each. Cal: 045331-382-4771. FOR SALE: Yukon Advanced Optics TeleVFRSH [ ÂżHOG GHJUHHV IW DW 1000 yards. Four years old. Comes with original instructions, carry case, neck/body holder and adjustable stand. Like new - only 4 yrs. old. Pictures on request. Price: $2,000 pesos OBO. Call: 045-331-382-4771. FOR SALE: Hand held luggage scale. Price $91 pesos. Call: 765-7629 afternoons. FOR SALE: Slightly used free weights. 2-5lb weights $190 pesos pair. 2-3lb weights $95 pesos pair. All 4 weights $285 pesos. Call: 765-7629 afternoons. FOR SALE: WAHL Dog/Cat Grooming
Kit. Includes self-sharpening blade, combs, charger, mirror, blade oil, carrying case, and instructional DVD. Price: $400.00 Pesos. FOR SALE: Roof Tiles. 480 Very Good Quality â&#x20AC;&#x153;walk-on strengthâ&#x20AC;? red clay roof tiles (9â&#x20AC;? x 16â&#x20AC;?). Will cover about 500 square feet of roof. Market price for new is $17 pesos/tile. Selling at $8.00 pesos/tile or OBO. :$17(' Does anybody have one of those Sony Beta Videocassette Recorders that were popular in the 80´s in good, fair or working condition that you are not using and want to sell or give away? I still want to see my old videocassettes and need this appliance for that. Call Rick: 766-4804 or email me. FOR SALE: Semi-Professional Canon Camera SX510HS rarely used almost new condition. Have complete with manual case and all. I am open to offers. Price: $3,000 pesos. Call: 3824-8958.
FOR SALE: Bedding & Blow up Mattress. Queen size comforter set in chocolate brown, NOT from Wal-Mart. Includes: comforter, dust UXIĂ&#x20AC;H (XUR SLOORZV VKDPV VPDOO SLOlow shams. Price: $3,300 pesos & $1,000 pesos. FOR SALE: This is Ironstone (Pottery) service for 12 in burnt orange with beaded black octagon shaped rims from NOB. Includes serving pieces. Each place setting has dinner plate, luncheon (or dessert or salad) plate, soup or cereal or ice cream bowl, cup and saucer. All pieces are still available when needed. This service is dishwasher and microwave proof. Price: $2,750 MXN. Call: 376766-1213. FOR SALE: Water Heater. Cinsa de Paso OLWHUV SXUFKDVHG -XQH :RUNV ÂżQH but too small and too far from my gas tank to work correctly. Price: $1,900 pesos. Call: 376-766-0944.
Saw you in the Ojo 89
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El Ojo del Lago / January 2015