Dreamways

"Antonia Shapovalova, ‘a commissar in the pro-Kremlin movement Nashi’, has designed lingerie with a view to persuading the young ladies of Russia to have more babies.” This sounds like quite the titillating daydream in post-Soviet Russia. What does the lingerie look like? How does it work? Of all things, the dainties address (hoping to undress?) and appeal of solidarity to Russia’s political Big Boss Man, Vladimir Putin (whose nickname is Vova.) "Vova, I'm with you," is printed (stitched? branded?) across the front of the tiny briefs. Imagine  read more »

The post-waking-nightmare dream was grandiose. "In March 2007, city officials finally unveiled their plan to redevelop New Orleans and begin the move out of the post-hurricane morass. It was billed as the plan to end all plans, with Paris-like streetscape renderings and promises of parks, playgrounds and 'cranes on the skyline' within months." However, more than a year later, it seems that the dream has not gained much waking-life traction, as reported by Adam Nossiter in  read more »

"You cannot hear the name Martin Luther King Jr. and not think of death. For as famous as he may have been in life, it is death that ultimately defined him.“ So begins an essay written by Michael Eric Dyson on the 40th anniversary of King’s death in April 4, 1968 ("The Burdens of Martyrdom: Death distorted the true legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. – Why the turbulence of his life is what matters today“, Time Magazine, 07 Apr 08). The author connects a figure who is famous for having a Dream is inextricably to Death.

 read more »

"Finding guilt-free food for our menus – food that’s clean, green and humane – is about as easy as securing a housing loan. And we’re suddenly paying more - 75 percent more in the last six years – to stock our pantries. Around the world, from Cairo to Port-au-Prince, increases in food prices have governments facing riots born of shortage and hunger.“ This is the waking nightmare recounted by Dan Barber in his article "Change We Can Stomach“ (The New York Times, 11 May 08).

 read more »

"Dissolving bodies gains interest in funeral industry“ reads the headline. "Since they first walked the planet, humans have either buried or burned their dead,“ the piece continues. "Now a new option is generating interest – dissolving bodies in lye and flushing the brownish, syrupy residue down the drain.“ Our lives literally gurgling pathetically down the drain?  read more »

"On a recent afternoon, 10 people reclined in deck chairs and on blankets under salty stalactites in Galos Caves in Chicago. The recorded sound of waves filled the dimly lit room. It smelled like a seaside town. The floor is made of loose rock salt from the Dead Sea and is warmed to enhance the scent and coziness. After 45 minutes, for which they had paid $15 each, Dan Zegar, 50, and Denyse Waters, 57, didn’t want to leave.“ While this sounds like it could be a sleep dream, this scenario is part of a waking-life fad. Fads often have a bizarre, dream-like quality to them.  read more »

"Swimmer hurt in face-off with pelican.“ This punny headline leads in a small article appearing in the The Denver Post on 11 May 08. This waking-life dream took place in Treasure Island, Florida. The story is told quickly. "A swimmer is recovering after a pelican apparently diving for fish slammed into her face off Florida. Debbie Shoemaker of Toledo, Ohio, was in the water Thursday near St. Petersburg when the bird’s beak opened a gash in her face. She needed 20 stitches.  read more »

Bats, those bizarre flying creatures associated with dark Transylvanian nights and vampires are under siege. "Al Hicks was standing outside an old mine in the Adirondacks, the largest bat hibernaculum, or winter resting place, in New York State. It was broad daylight in the middle of winter, and bats flew out of the mine about one a minute. Some had fallen to the ground where they flailed around on the snow like tiny wind-broken umbrellas, using the thumbs at the top joint of their wings to gain their balance.  read more »