Dreamways

Sarah Palin has suddenly, spectacularly and confrontationally leaped onto the stage of national American politics. Her name and image have quickly taken up an enormous space in the American psyche, much like a powerful and disturbing sleep-dream image. Like a dream image, Ms Palin’s appearance has disrupted the American status quo. Her selection as the Republican vice presidential candidate has stirred things up. She evokes extremely powerful reactions, both positive and negative.

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“Economics is the study of the allocation of scarce goods and services. What could be scarcer or more precious than love? It is rare, hard to come by and often fragile.” With these words economic writer Ben Stein introduces some guidelines for what he calls “the economics of love,” combining financial savviness with wisdom about love. ( “Lessons in Love, by Way of Economics,” The New York Times, 13 Jul 08)

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“A measure seeking to commemorate President Bush’s years in office by slapping his name on a San Francisco sewage plant has qualified for the November ballot. The measure certified … would rename the Oceanside Water Pollution Control Plant the George W. Bush Sewage Plant.” (“Bush Sewage Plant pushed,” The Denver Post, 18 Jul 08)

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EMPIRE OF DREAMS

On the first page of my dreambook
It’s always evening
In an occupied country.
Hour before the curfew.
A small provincial city.
The houses all dark.
The storefronts gutted.

I am on a street corner
Where I shouldn’t be.
Alone and coatless
I have gone out to look
For a black dog who answers to my whistle.
I have a kind of Halloween mask
Which I am afraid to put on.

- Charles Simic

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“In the Face of Royalty” reads the headline above the color photo showing a man and a woman. To the left of the picture, we see a middle-aged fellow wearing a suit, white shirt, and striped necktie. His hair is dark and short. He has a VanDyke beard. There is nothing unusual about his appearance. However, he has contorted his face, eyes crossed, nose flattened out and his mouth drawn up into a silly pucker of a grimace. With both hands he is holding onto a large, black leather horse collar that sits atop his head and around his shoulders.  read more »

“Vilnius is a city of dreams.” This compelling assertion appears in an article about the capital city of Lithuania (“Vilnius: Dreaming with Eyes Wide Open,” Baltic Outlook, October/November 2007). Indeed, both Lithuania and its capital have had a number of major dreams come true, with significant goals realized and long-held ideals made manifest.  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 »

"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).

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"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.“

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