Dreamways

"The War Endures, But Where’s the Media?“ asks the headline atop Richard Perez-Pena’s The New York Times article (24 Mar 08). His question initiates an exploration of a disturbing waking nightmare connected to the ongoing nightmare that is the war in Iraq. Five years after the invasion, "the United States remains at war in Iraq, but there are days when it would be hard to tell from a quick look at television news, newspapers and the Internet.“

"Results of a grand jury investigation released Monday show that an Orange County [CA] sheriff’s deputy watched the TV show 'Cops' and sent 22 personal text messages while jail inmates beat a fellow prisoner to death.“ This darkly humorous waking dream was reported in The Denver Post ("Probe finds staff laziness, but no misconduct, in jail death,“ 08 Apr 08).

"I can’t stop daydreaming. I’m dreaming of other men falling in love with me in various ways and in various circumstances, and all of them leading to that first passion-inflamed kiss that sends sparkles across my skin and yearning blasting around inside. These daydreams are not the normal nocturnal sweet fantasies I’ve had for years – no, these daydreams have taken over my life. I can’t stop them; I am a pawn of their power.“

"The cornerstone of a middle-class life in America (and that means the cornerstone of the American dream) is a good job. The American dream is on life support because men and women by the millions who want very much to work - who still have in their heads the ideal of a thriving family in a nice home with maybe a picket fence – are unable to find a decent job.“ So writes Bob Herbert in looking at the waves of economic distress washing over the U.S. of late ("Sharing the Pain,“ The New York Times, 11 Mar 08).

"When babies sleep less, they may gain too much weight. A new Harvard study finds that babies and toddlers who sleep less than 12 hours daily are at greater risk for being overweight in preschool, startling evidence that the link between sleep and obesity may affect even very young children.“ This interesting finding is reported in a new article by Carla K. Johnson ("Less sleep raises tots‘ obesity risk, study says,“ The Denver Post, 08 Apr 08).

"Moundville, Ala. After residents of the Riverbend Farms subdivision noticed that an oily, fetid substance had begun fouling the Black Warrior River, which runs through their backyards, Mark Storey, a retired petroleum plant workers, hopped into his boat to follow the plume upstream to its source. It turned out to be an old chemical factory that had been converted into Alabama’s first bio-diesel plant, a refinery that intended to turn soybean oil into earth-friendly fuel.“ Earth-friendly fuel polluting waterways? Is this science fiction?  read more »

"Self-discipline is a form of freedom. Freedom from laziness and lethargy, freedom from expectations and demands of others, freedom from weakness and fear – and doubts.“ These rousing words by sports psychologist H.A. Dorfman are quoted by David Brooks in his essay about Dorman’s book, The Mental ABC’s of Pitching ("Pitching with Purpose,“ The New York Times, 01 Apr 08). This is apparently no run-of-the-mill how-to book, according to Brooks: "Dorfman offers to liberate people from what you might call the tyranny of the scattered mind.  read more »