Dream

I seldom remember my dreams. This morning, I had one late in the morning, and I woke up slowly enough to remember it.

I was going someplace. I was either trying to find something or I was on the run from someone. I can’t remember the early parts of the dream, except that I stopped at a little mom & pop diner. Later, I was out in the country. I left the roads and was walking cross country. I walking along a barbed wire fence in a field, in the dirt. I got near a farm (it was dark then, near dawn) and when I crossed the fence, I found a bright orange sign posted, saying "Danger: No Trespassing: MINEFIELD." I was really angry that someone would do this and not post it better. I went over to the farm. I was trying to be careful about being seen properly, because they were obviously worried about trespassers, so I stayed in the open. Nobody came around for a while. Then I saw the farmer walking in the distance. He seemed to be walking along the perimeter of his farm. Probably checking for trespassers. I stood around for quite a while. Then I saw him on the other side of the farm, walking the other way. Since he still wouldn’t be back for a while, I decided to leave. I had to leave in a hurry, though, before he got back, so I took off running down the road.

I soon realized I was lost, since I didn’t come that way, on the way out. Some cars were driving down the country road. A school bus came my way. I was a little worried he wouldn’t see me in the narrow part (there was a tree down) of the country road. Just when he got to where I was, he slammed on the brakes and made a quick U-turn in the road. But he was too close. The back end swung way around and was going to slam into me, but it turned out I was right at the pivot point (where the wheels are) so it just touched me. This, of course was in opposition to any known physics). I came up a hill toward a water tower. At the control station (I don’t know how I got there). There were some TV monitors. The tower was on the shore overlooking a beautiful blue-green lagoon. I saw what looked like a shark in the water, on one of the monitors. I was going to ignore it, but I went back and looked. It was not a shark, but a six or seven foot long silver fish. I decided to go down to the water to have a look. When I got there, it was a small pool full of small fish, not a large lagoon full of large fish. I found the foot-long silver fish.

I went back in the building. It was an old building, with many passageways and doors. I went through it looking for... where I was going?...the way out. I got into one part where people seemed to know me. There were people sitting around, and others who were staff. At this point, I (the observer in the dream) knew this was a mental institution and I was a patient, but I (the participant) didn’t. I never had the feeling of watching myself. It was always watching from my own body. I had a couple of interactions with staff members, who were always friendly, if patronizing. I think at one point I had a conversation about who I was and why I was there. I didn’t remember anything before I woke up there. I guess I lifted that one from "Unbreakable." I was trying to get out and find my destination, and they were like, "sure."

After a while, I found the exit. As I was going out, one of the staff members came out with me. She was going home for the day. I was talking with her, trying to figure out who I was and how to get where I was going. We were standing outside. It was an od abandoned factory complex. The sky was bright but overcast. She was getting into her car, but suggested I take this other car. We went over to it. It was a bright yellow pacer, and it was in very poor shape. We couldn’t get in on the drivers side, and the other side turned out to be gone. I asked where I should go, and she said that I usually go that way when I escaped - she gestured toward the back of the complex, through a lot of junk and pipes. At his point, she was a woman who I’ve been attracted to. She got in her car and I left. I climbed over the pipes and some buildings. I came to a place where I was unsure how to continue. I was on the edge of a tall building. The institution was behind me, and I think the water tower was behind that. Then my friend joined me. She had come after me. There were happy emotions for both of us.

(no subject)

:-|

The Rolling Stones

There was always a debate about the World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band. Which is it? The Beatles or The Stones? Well, I think it is the Who, but that’s beside the point here.

Why does it come down to those two bands? Why are the Stones so great? Are the Rolling Stones great?

Back in the early days, they were a run of the mill British blues rock band. This was while the Beatles were recording original material - well, it wasn’t very original, but at least they wrote songs for themselves (while the Kinks were writing MOST of their own material). The Stones were always trying to catch up, in popularity, to the Beatles. Unfortunately, for this pursuit, the stones were not in the same league. They were a rock band with attitude, while the fab four was a cute pop band. The catch-up game continued after the release of Sgt. Pepper. Once the Beatles had created an instant rock classic, they were now in the same arena, competing for fans. They never quite succeeded, although by that time they were writing most of their own songs. It wasn’t until the end of the sixties that the Rolling Stones began to create a solid body of work that has stood the test of time. They had gone from a singles band with a fair number of hits, to an album rock band with consistently good records.

But why are they still in competition with the Beatles for World’s Greatest Rock and Roll Band status? Is it a debate about musical preferences, rather than about bands? Is it a leftover argument about who likes the better music? "Oh, you like THAT band!" or, "Paul may be cute, but Keith is a true musician!" Or was it about lifestyle? "Oh, you like THEM so you’re like THAT!" Maybe it just comes down to leather jacket vs. mop-top.

ARE The Rolling Stones one of the world’s greatest?

I’ll give them longevity. No question there. They are still making valid music (or were, for their last release).

Musicianship? They’re okay. World class, but no virtuosity.

Charisma? Mick? Yeugh. He was always energetic, but in the last decade or so, he has become mechanical. He’s just going through the motions. Keith, on the other hand, comes alive onstage.

Songwriting ability? Very good. Music wise, they are excellent. Their songs are always well crafted, and they’ve always been able to come up with the hooks. Lyric wise, I’d prefer a little more depth, but I won’t hold that against them.

Trendsetters? I wouldn’t put them ahead of the curve, but definitely on the leading edge. Whenever I try to guess when a particular song was released, I guess two years too late.

What do you think? What have I missed (or got wrong)?