Bush Administration Disaster A-Z

Disaster List A - Z Abu Ghraib
Bin Laden
Chalabi
Deficit
Enron
Failure to Find WMDs
Halliburton
Iraq
John Bolton
Katrina
Still to come:

Locusts
Mars Attacks
North Korea
Osama & Jenna
Pregnancy: Osama & Jenna
Queer Revolt
Rodents of Unusual Size
Syrian War
Tigers
Unicyclists, Nuclear
Voldemort
WWIII
X-Rated Tape: Osama & Jenna
Yam Shortage
Zero People Left on Earth

“Hurricane Katrina is George Bush’s Monica Lewinsky.”

Jeweller tells of gunshot escape

The second bullet hit the handset in Mr Prior's jacket pocket BBC News

A jeweller who was shot at by a robber but saved by his mobile phone when the bullet hit the handset has spoken about his attempt to chase the thief.

Darren Prior, 23, said he was not trying to be a hero in the raid at his shop in Horsham, Sussex, on Thursday.

The first bullet missed Mr Prior by inches. The second hit his phone.

"I felt the impact and realised I had been shot. I opened up my jacket to check where, and I couldn't work out why there was no blood."

The jeweller said: "The man came into the shop holding a gun.

"He insisted on taking some jewellery items out of the shop, barged past me on his way out, and that's when I gave chase down the road."

I realised there was nowhere for me to go. I was trapped. The next thing I realised, I felt the impact.

Part of the chase was filmed on CCTV.

"As he was running, he turned the corner and fired the first shot," Mr Prior said.

"I was scared then. It was an instant reaction to try to move out of the way.

"But then I wanted to try to see where he went after that. That's when I chased him further."

He said he came face to face with the robber for the second time in a narrow alley.

"When he was facing me, I realised there was nowhere for me to go," he said.

"I was trapped. "The next thing I realised, I felt the impact on my side."

He said he only realised the bullet had hit his phone when he took it out to dial 999.

"Usually at work I take it out because I don't want it ringing while I'm serving customers," he said.

"I must have forgotten to take it out after lunch - it's lucky that I did."

He said: "Obviously it was quite a dangerous situation and quite scary.

"The main thing was that I was trying to get as much information as possible so that I can help the police."

The attack at the Amore shop in Piries Place is being treated as attempted murder.

Global Celebrity Poker

By Michael Hirsh and Melinda Liu, Newsweek

Oct. 3, 2005 issue - High-stakes diplomacy is not unlike "Celebrity Poker." In both there is a big stage, a rapt audience and swift reversals of fortune. And in diplomacy as in poker, the best players can sense when their opponents are bluffing, wavering—or holding a winning hand. That certainly seemed to be the game that Wu Dawei, China's chief negotiator, was playing last week during the six-party talks in Beijing over North Korea's nuclear-arms program.

For two years the Americans were thought to control most of the chips. The Chinese hosts often fretted about American intransigence—Washington's blunt willingness to walk away if it did not get what it wanted. But this time a subtle shift in psychology occurred at the table. When Wu presented a draft accord on Sept. 16—the fifth the Chinese team had painstakingly drawn up—the U.S. reaction was typical: we can't accept this. The draft alluded to the delivery of a civilian light-water nuclear reactor as one of the rewards Pyongyang would get if it dismantled its nuclear weapons. For the Americans, such a gift to a rogue tyrant like North Korean leader Kim Jong Il had always been a nonstarter (not least because Bill Clinton had once promised him the same thing). And for Washington, the "sequencing"—when the North might get a nuclear reactor—was far too vague.

But then the Chinese pushed back—and hard. "This is the final draft," Wu told the Americans, according to a senior U.S. official who briefed the media only on condition of anonymity. "Take it or leave it." When the chief U.S. negotiator, Christopher Hill, consulted his superiors back in Washington the next day, they again balked at the draft language. But the Chinese simply reiterated their firm stand, the official said. It was no bluff.

Faced with a Chinese wall, the Americans agonized over a threat that usually doesn't faze them: isolation. The U.S. team realized they no longer had South Korea, once a devoted ally, on their side. In a symbolic move, Seoul's delegates even stayed in a different Beijing hotel than the Americans and Japanese did, and Hill was stunned when South Korea took the Chinese line, officially raising the light-water-reactor issue. Nor could the Americans claim an ally in Russia, which was going its own way here and in nuclear talks with Iran. Only Japan remained loyal. "We said if we reject [the draft], we could find ourselves completely isolated or in a minority," said the U.S. official. "We could get blamed for the talks' breaking down."

After a frenzied weekend of consultations, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice found a way out. She agreed to accept the draft as long as each party could issue separate statements clearly laying out how they wanted to sequence steps. That way Hill could state unambiguously that the North would have to completely dismantle before the other parties would discuss the reactor "at an appropriate time." Although most details are to be negotiated in November—and North Korean or U.S. second thoughts could upset a deal—President George W. Bush signed off on the tentative pact.

Hailed as a "wonderful" breakthrough by Bush, the North Korean nuclear agreement was also evidence of a perceptible shift in power balances, both in Asia and around the world. For the first time, America hewed to the Chinese line, not the other way around. China, once a timid and indecisive giant—the Baby Huey of nations—was at last asserting itself like a great power. And the Bush administration, weakened by Iraq, hurricane damage (both real and political) and plummeting poll numbers, was more willing to compromise. "The Chinese understand they hold more cards here," says Jonathan Pollack of the U.S. Naval War College. "America is a little distracted these days and China knows that."

Beijing has been exploiting its power advantage in other ways. The People's Liberation Army is building up parts of its military capability faster than Washington expected—especially its rapidly expanding fleet of submarines and naval vessels. And it has pointedly kept Washington from participating in the inaugural East Asia Summit—where officials will discuss an Asian regional trading bloc—being held in Malaysia in December. "China made clear it didn't want the U.S. invited, and it discouraged Japan's efforts to let Washington in as an observer," said an Asian diplomat who would speak only if he were not further identified. In response, Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick last week warned Beijing not to seek "to maneuver toward a predominance of power" in the region.

China's growing sway at the bargaining table extends beyond Asia, and Washington finds itself in the uncomfortable position of having to work harder to influence nations than it once did. That was the case last week in Vienna, when the United States and its European partners had to lobby intensively for a resolution at the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency to refer Iran's nuclear program to the U.N. Security Council. China, a board member, decided to abstain along with Russia. But a whole new round of globo-poker will be played out at the Security Council, where Beijing bears a critical veto.

Beijing's new assertiveness is also a reflection of its own fears. America is still the lone superpower, while China remains a developing country. Washington, aware that some of its old allies aren't as chummy, is trolling for new partners on China's borders. When Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Washington in July, he was treated to a state dinner in celebration of his new strategic alliance with America. Chinese President Hu Jintao, meanwhile, was penciled in for lunch (it was postponed by Hurricane Katrina).

Of course, there's a big difference between poker and diplomacy. Among nations, everybody around the table can win. If North Korea does de-nuclearize, it will go down as a triumph of Chinese mediation. But America will come out ahead, too.

With Sarah Schafer in Beijing and B. J. Lee in Seoul

© 2005 Newsweek, Inc.

Runaway AirBUS

Disabled Airliner Creates a 3-Hour Drama in Skies
By Stuart Pfeifer, Megan Garvey and Monte Morin, Times Staff Writers

A landing gear malfunction on a packed JetBlue airliner turned a routine coast-to-coast flight into a three-hour ordeal for 145 passengers and crew members Wednesday as pilots repeatedly circled above Southern California before making an emergency landing at Los Angeles International Airport.

Hurricane Tracker

Hurricane Tracker...

Which U.S. airline owns the most planes?

None of them.

Minneapolis Star-Tribune 09/19/05
author: Mike Meyers

Who puts the most airliners into U.S. skies? It's not American Airlines, United or Northwest.

General Electric sends more planes criss-crossing the air each day than any other U.S. company. GE, through its financial arm, owned 1,342 commercial aircraft at the end of 2004, more than any of the four largest airlines -- American, United, Delta and Northwest.

The planes bear the insignia of those firms and other carriers, but they are operated under lease. And unlike the airlines, GE is making good money off those planes.

GE Aviation Services made $1.9 million a day in net profits in the first half of this year by providing leased aircraft -- and loans -- to commercial air carriers.

Northwest, for one, owes the GE arm $1.1 billion in leases and loans on nine Airbus A-320s, two Boeing 747s, one Boeing 757 and 85 regional aircraft.

At Delta Air Lines, the airline arranged $1.7 billion in financing to be available to it while it is in bankruptcy. The lenders are Morgan Stanley and GE's Commercial Finance unit.

In short, while many airline analysts believe that the industry won't ever be healthy until there are fewer planes, and fewer carriers, GE has good reason to keep as many aircraft flying as possible.

More planes mean GE's aircraft engines and components remain in demand. And the aircraft leasing and aviation loan profits have sparkled even as the airlines bleed billions.

Net profits for GE's Aviation Services unit in the first half of 2005 came to $348 million, up nearly 26 percent from the same period a year earlier. Put another way, for every dollar of revenue in aviation services, GE made a net profit of 21 cents.

"Obviously, there's a sense that suppliers generally are helping to keep airlines afloat when otherwise they might sink," said airline analyst Patrick Murphy, at Gerchick Murphy Associates in Washington, D.C.

Anthony Sabino, a New York lawyer who has represented creditors in every major U.S. airline bankruptcy in the past 20 years, said GE has a unique relationship as a lender.

"Symbiotic? Most definitely. Perverse? Yes, in many ways," he said.

GE rejects being cast as an "enabler" for a wayward airline industry, however.

"That's a little silly. We're not in the business of deciding how many planes an airline should fly," said GE spokesman Eric Jones. "The airlines should make those decisions."

That's a view shared by some outside GE.

"I don't know that it's GE's job to decide who lives and who dies," said Mary Anne Sudol, airline analyst at Caris & Co. in New York City. "GE probably would like to see market forces sort it out and let airline passengers make the decisions."

Acting as the financier of last resort to the airlines isn't a new business for GE. The company has been doing it for years, and market forces actually make the business more attractive now than ever.

New airlines sprang up after the end of regulation for the industry in the late '70s. That meant more competition and more carriers operating with little margin for error. After the first Persian Gulf War, rising oil prices led to a shakeup that sent Continental and TWA into bankruptcy court. Others, such as Pan Am and Eastern, eventually folded. TWA merged with American.

Many of those airlines got their chance at a new life, or at least lasted longer than they otherwise would have, thanks to ready cash from the likes of GE, attorney Sabino said.

GE is "committed to keeping these guys afloat by renegotiating terms," Sabino said.

In the early 1990s, GE ended up taking back planes from defunct airlines and parking them in the Mojave Desert.

In the latest round of airline financial woes, the scene looks far better for GE.

Demand for aircraft in China, India, Eastern Europe and even Russia mean that GE doesn't need to renegotiate plane leases, airline experts say.

A 50-seat regional jet, the Bombardier CRJ-200ER, leases for $80,000 to $90,000 a month in the United States but would fetch 20 to 30 percent more overseas, said Gueric Dechavanne, manager of valuation services at BACK Aviation Solutions in New Haven, Conn. A 189-seat Boeing 737-800 could lease for as little as $325,000 a month in this country but command as much as $365,000 a month abroad, he said.

Indeed, some analysts say, GE stands to make more money leasing -- at higher rates than in the United States -- to fast-growing foreign airlines than to financially strapped U.S. carriers. That's a force that might make leasing firms less open-handed with bankrupt airlines, even ones with the global reach of Northwest.

"GE often takes back some excess aircraft and is then able to re-lease these to other airlines, often at higher monthly leases, when markets are tight for aircraft leasing, as they are currently," wrote Nicholas Heymann, airline analyst at Prudential Equity Group in New York City.

"As one of the largest lenders to each carrier and [as it has] gone through more than 200 airline bankruptcy proceedings as a lender over the past three decades, we believe GE is very well-positioned to ensure its shareholders' interests are adequately protected," Heymann advised clients. "As such, we do not view the [bankruptcy filings] by Northwest or Delta as a negative for GE."

GE agrees.

"Everyone, in general, will tell you the demand for aircraft and the opportunity to redeploy aircraft in other parts of the world is excellent," said Jones at GE.

"We have 18 airplanes that are coming out of ATA [an airline in bankruptcy proceedings] and all of those airplanes are going to carriers outside the U.S.," Jones said. "Sixty-one are coming out of the new US Airways [the combined US Air and America West] and many of those already are on their way overseas."

Northwest and Delta also are likely to pare their fleets.

"Airlines that do go into bankruptcy do not come out the same size as they went in," said Murphy, the airline analyst. "The rule of thumb is a 15 percent reduction in size."

Last week Northwest asked a bankruptcy judge for permission to reject or abandon 13 older aircraft that the airline said no longer can be operated economically.

It's not clear who owns those planes. But if it's GE, Northwest's motion might not be a problem.

"GE has no worries whatsoever," Sabino said.

"They will not only survive but prosper," he said. "They're smarter business people than the people running the airlines."

Today's Top Search on Link...

@remo's

Truth, Beauty, Love, and Elisa.

Truth, Beauty, Love, and Elisa.

First DVD with DMB Broadcasting

Samsung Electronics, ground broadcasting DMB reception portable Dvd first come into the market



Middle Samsung Electronics where the broadcasting 3 company enters into a ground broadcasting DMB demonstration service the portable DVD player where the DMB reception is possible (model life `SV-L77DMB') 29th revealed put into the market at the world-wide beginning.
/ Industrial vice- article reference/economy/2005.8.29 (Seoul = union news)

Some of the most unusual excuses...

Some of the most unusual excuses workers gave for missing work.

• I was sprayed by a skunk.


• I tripped over my dog and was knocked unconscious.


• My bus broke down and was held up by robbers.


• I was arrested as a result of mistaken identity.


• I forgot to come back to work after lunch.


• I couldn't find my shoes.


• I hurt myself bowling.


• I was spit on by a venomous snake.


• I totaled my wife's jeep in a collision with a cow.


• A hitman was looking for me.


• My curlers burned my hair and I had to go to the hairdresser.


• I eloped.


• My brain went to sleep and I couldn't wake it up.


• My cat unplugged my alarm clock.


• I had to be there for my husband's grand jury trial.


• I had to ship my grandmother's bones to India.


• I forgot what day of the week it was.


• Someone slipped drugs in my drink last night.


• A tree fell on my car.


• My monkey died.

Wow! Your car can run on cane juice

NIDHI NATH SRINIVAS

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

NEW DELHI: A day will soon come when our cars will run on cane juice rather than crude oil. Brazil and the US already use over 14bn litres(3.7 Billion Gallons) of ethanol as motor fuel, that beats India’s current total petrol consumption of about 12bn litres(3.2 Billion Gallons).

Conceptually, the 19m tonnes of sugar that we consume each year can instead be converted into 12bn litres of ethanol, says JJ Bhagat, mission director of the Central government’s Sugar Technology Mission.

In a paper titled ‘Energy Security — Issues & Options’, he outlines two cases: one where 350 mt of cane (India’s peak production so far) can be processed entirely into 26bn litres(6.8 Billion Gallons) of ethanol; and the second where the same sugarcane is processed into 18 mt of sugar and 15bn litres(4 Billion Gallons) of ethanol.

“In the future, India may judge energy security to be more important and prefer the use of cane for ethanol over its use to make sugar. In such a case, we can even import the deficit in sugar from the world market, while producing fuel indigenously,” Mr Bhagat suggests.

Ethanol from cane yields eight times as much energy as is needed to produce ethanol, says the Earth Policy Institute, USA.

Driving the switch-over to ethanol is the ‘flex-fuel’ car. Flex-fuel cars can burn petrol or ethanol or any combination of the two. Technologically, a flex-fuel car is essentially a petrol engine car with slight modifications to the fuel pipe and a chip that tells the fuel-injection system what proportion of the fuel flowing into the engine is ethanol.

As this technology has become mainstream, the cost of modifying a petrol-only model to flex-fuel has dropped below $100. This is much less than adapting cars to burn CNG or LPG. Also, ethanol uses the same fuel tank as petrol and mixes easily with petrol.

Around 4m flex-fuel cars are already running in the US. Almost 60% of all new cars sold in Brazil last month came fitted with this capability — up from less than 10% in July ’03. All the leading global car manufacturers offer a range of flex-fuel models in Brazil and the US, and can easily adapt their popular models in other countries across the world.

However, despite these international experiences, Indian progress is pitiful. The petroleum ministry is currently working on just a 5% blend of ethanol and that too, only in nine states. Total consumption of fuel-ethanol will be less than 0.4bn litres this year.

Ethanol required for the first phase of the programme can come from molasses. “However, a really significant biofuel programme will involve diverting part of the cane juice from sugar production to ethanol. This means it should fetch the same economic value as sugar,” says Narendra Murkumbi, MD of Shree Renuka Sugars and a member of the Indian Sugar Mills Association’s task force on ethanol.

“As an industry, we are ready to produce even 3bn litres(800 Million Gallons) a year at short notice by making the necessary investments. Depending on relative demand for sugar and ethanol, we can make between 10(2.6 Gal) and 82 litres(21 Gallons) of ethanol per tonne of cane, with correspondingly reducing quantities of sugar,” says Mr Murkumbi.

“We simply ask the oil companies to blend the mandated percentage of ethanol into petrol without interruption,” he adds.

Ethanol could quickly take off in sugarcane-producing tropical countries, which have the advantage of year-round growing seasons, large labour supplies and low production costs.

As fuel demand rises in these developing nations, biofuel production could check oil imports while bolstering rural economies.

Who's really to blame for $3 on gas?

Who's really to blame for $3-a-gallon gas?


It's easy to get mad at the big oil companies, but the real story is far more complex. Here's the story behind the story, plus four energy sector picks.

By Jon D. Markman

Gasoline costs a lot in the U.S. today, so it just feels like a good idea to blame the big oil companies with accusations of “gouging” and “windfall profits.” But like most high-octane emotional reactions, this one is wrong, as you’d need to breach every tenet of capitalism to lay all the fault at the oil giants’ feet.

And even if you still think they deserve a touch of anger, as investors you’re better off joining them than fighting them.

The reason that gasoline costs $1 or more per gallon today than a year ago is simple: Hurricane Katrina kicked our supply lines down a crooked staircase, and a painful kink emerged in the commodity’s complex worldwide distribution system. Although it seems unfair at times, it’s a fundamental principle of our great economic system that the most efficient way to allocate a scarce resource is through price. When there isn’t enough of something valuable to go around -- whether it’s caviar, Manhattan property or reliable home-run hitters -- in a market society we let the item go to the highest bidder. This is eBay 101.

In the case of gasoline, many consumers do not seem to yet grasp the difference between crude oil, the price of which is declining of late, and the stuff that they pump into their car, which is getting more expensive. One is the raw material, while the other is a finished good. It’s the difference between the price of raw cotton and an Armani T-shirt. You wouldn’t expect a sharp cut in prices at Bloomingdale's just because cotton futures prices fell, and neither should you expect a 1:1 change in the relationship between oil prices and gas prices.

The Shell game
Moreover, many don’t seem to grasp the difference between the large, vertically integrated companies (such as Royal Dutch Petroleum (RD, news, msgs), which is the parent group of Shell) that are net buyers of oil in a hypercompetitive arena at prices that fluctuate on a world scale and the corner gasoline station that is a net seller of gasoline at prices set at whatever the market will bear on a local scale.

The confusion largely comes from the fact that neighborhood filling stations typically obtain marketing support from oil giants in exchange for a promise to buy a certain percentage of their products. The station owner then plasters the giant’s name all over his business as an advertising ploy. While it might look as if the corner station that’s boosted its unleaded price to $3.50 is owned by Royal Dutch because all the garish yellow signage says “Shell,” in fact the business is more likely owned by an independent entrepreneur who lives down the street.

The oil companies themselves control very few gas stations anymore. The “gougers,” if there are any, are thus not the oil companies but local guys who are exploiting a short-term supply disruption to make some extra profits in a generally low-margin business. Stations generally make more money on their convenience store beer and Twinkies than on unleaded.

Crude, crude everywhere, but…
Right now there is plenty of crude oil in the world’s pipeline, but a scarcity of gasoline. Katrina knocked a considerable amount of crude-oil production out of commission in the Gulf of Mexico, to be sure. But as a gesture of goodwill, and to make a buck, our allies in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, such as Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, agreed to produce more than their usual allotments to keep world reserves stable. At the same time, the U.S. government agreed to release tens of millions of barrels of crude oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, an energy piggy bank started 30 years ago after the Yom Kippur War between Israel and its Arab neighbors disrupted supply.

You can have all the oil in the world and still run short of gasoline, however, if major refineries are out of action. Refineries are large, smelly, unattractive plants that “crack” crude oil’s hydrocarbons into the stuff that makes modern life go, such as heating oil, kerosene, jet fuel, the feedstock for plastics, diesel and automotive gasoline. Few U.S. states have ever wanted these noxious beasts on their coastlines, so the ones built in loosely regulated Louisiana half a century ago make something like half of all the refined crude oil products in the country. When Katrina blasted through, her high winds and storm surge knocked these plants for a loop, and the partial shutdown caused 10% of the nation’s entire supply of gasoline to vanish in a weekend.

Many medium-sized refiners, such as Tesoro (TSO, news, msgs), do own a lot of their own gas stations. They make much of their profit on what the industry calls the “crack spread.” That’s the difference in the price between what the refiner pays for crude oil and the price it receives for the products it cracks those hydrocarbon molecules into. Because environmentalists have made it so difficult for refiners to grow, the industry consolidated mightily to gain economies of scale. In a tight supply environment, the nation’s few remaining refiners naturally hoard refined product for their own stations first -- and then wholesale the rest to the highest bidder both to distributors and individual station owners.

Because there are a lot of sophisticated buyers at wholesale, prices settle at an equilibrium that reflects the cost of production plus a small premium demanded by a dislocated supply. Once the winning bidder ships the gasoline home to his station in East Crawdad, Ala., however, he may have no competitors for his product and can charge a price that reflects local demand plus a premium that reflects area residents’ unwillingness to travel farther for a lower price. So even though the Alabama station might have received free signage from Shell, the oil giant has virtually no say, and gains nothing, from potentially outrageous local price hikes.

Rather than just getting mad at the local station owner, motorists can either blow his nefarious scheme by finding local gasoline in more competitive markets -- or join him, to some extent, by becoming an energy industry stakeholder.

Light, sweet revenge
Strangely enough, despite energy companies’ explosive move in the stock market over the past two years, many of the shares are still very cheap. This has happened because unlike, say, a retailer, a commodity-based business can decide to sell some or all of its product in the futures market at a set price for a certain length of time. A couple of years ago, many oil producers were delighted to be able to sell two full years of production at $30-$35. That looked like a good idea at the time, and allowed them to make a lot of money if their production costs were closer to $10. But those old hedges are expiring, and companies can now turn around and sell their current and future production for $60 to $70 even though their production costs are still a fraction of that.

Analyst earnings estimates for oil and gas exploration companies have not kept pace with the rising cost of the commodity, so a lot of premium companies are selling at forward-looking price-earnings multiples of 15 or less, despite earnings-growth rates that are likely to be north of 25% a year. A good example is Plains Exploration & Production (PXP, news, msgs). Analysts figure it will earn $4.06 in 2006, once its two-year-old hedges roll off, which amounts to annualized growth of 125%. Yet at today’s price, its P/E multiple on 2006 earnings is just 9.

David Anderson, portfolio manager at Palo Alto Investors in California, notes that Plains has told investors that it will produce about 65,000 barrels a day in 2006, and that because of hedging it’ll probably earn no less than $55 per barrel. Anderson figures that, netting out costs, Plains will actually earn $5 in 2006, so it is trading at a forward P/E of 7 today. If oil stays in the $65-to-$70 range, that P/E is actually more like 5. Yet even if oil falls all the way back to $40 per barrel, Anderson says, the P/E is still at 10, which is cheap.

Three other energy exploration companies with valuation and forward prospects profiles similar to Plains, according to Anderson, are ATP Oil & Gas (ATPG, news, msgs), Toreador Resources (TRGL, news, msgs) and Range Resources (RRC, news, msgs). All are based in Texas, but they have operations ranging from the Appalachians to France, the North Sea, Hungary and Turkey. If the next couple of years go as expected, you could get crude revenge on the suspected gougers by putting $100 into these stocks for every $10 you think you’re overpaying for at the pump.

Fine Print
Still confused about refiners and the crack spread? It’s not much different than the business of a savings and loan, which makes its profit on a “credit spread,” or the difference between the rate at which it borrows money from savers and the rate at which it lends to businesses and home buyers. To learn more about Louisiana’s energy infrastructure and history, read here, and here. To monitor Katrina's effects, visit the U.S. Interior Department’s Minerals Management Service Web site. To learn more about California’s refineries, read here. To learn more about the oil companies in this column, read about ATP, Toreador, Range Resources and Plains Exploration.

Jon D. Markman is publisher of StockTactics Advisor, an independent weekly investment newsletter, as well as senior strategist and portfolio manager at Pinnacle Investment Advisors. While he cannot provide personalized investment advice or recommendations, he welcomes column critiques and comments at jon.markman@gmail.com; put COMMENT in the subject line. At the time of publication, Markman did not own or control any securities mentioned in this column.

Gossip - Angelina Jollie

The gossip has been speaking about her the whole summer, if she was with Brad Pitt or if she was having a baby from him, than when she moved to his house in California close to Jennifer Aniston, ex of Mister Pitt.

Brad and Ang to tie the knot in Italy?

Brad Pitt could be planning to marry Angelina Jolie at George Clooney's Italian villa.

The Italian media reports that plans for a wedding are underway at George's £4m home on Lake Como.

Brad's divorce from Jennifer Aniston is finalised next month.

But the actor is currently filming in Canada, and it thought unlikely the pair will marry before next year.

Italian newspapers report that Clooney suggested his villa as a venue because of its "secluded and discreet position".

Clooney was the first of Brad's pals to speak out about his relationship with Angelina.

He told Italian Vogue: "I've met her a few times. She is a very beautiful woman and very clued-up. I'm happy if he is happy.

"I see them together and they look very content."

Real Time Episode 59

Premiering September 9, 2005 (HBO)
Guests: Walter Maestri, Joe Scarborough, George Carlin, Cynthia Tucker, Jim Glassman, and Kurt Vonnegut

On Michael Brown

"Michael Brown, the head of FEMA, has been relieved of his command. He has been asked to return to Washington immediately. He is expected to arrive in about a week." – Bill Maher


On Our Political System

"Elections and politicians are in place in order to give Americans the illusion that they have freedom of choice." – George Carlin


On Race

"There's a friend of mine who lives in New Orleans, is black, and I wrote down exactly, word for word, what she said, because I think it bears repeating. She said, 'After 9/11, I was American. Now I'm back to being black.' And I think among the feathers in George Bush's resume is that I think he has lost a whole generation of black people who might have felt that way after 9/11, and now are like, 'You know what? I can't believe I started to buy into that bullshit.'" – Bill Maher

"I think that class and race are inseparable in America." – Cynthia Tucker

"Black people in this country, are still disproportionately poor. It is also impossible to talk about what happened in New Orleans without some white conservatives focusing on the looting, the crime, instead of focusing on the vast majority of poor, black people who were law-abiding, who were frightened themselves." – Cynthia Tucker


On the Administration

"The administration does their old 9/11 trick 'It's too early to start apportioning blame. Let's get the bodies out of the water.' This is what they said after 9/11. 'Let's not politicize this.' Of course, it's the most political administration ever." – Bill Maher

"I am not only from the richest country in the world, but the dumbest country in the world." – Kurt Vonnegut

In Memory of Lew Platt

Vale, HP's Lew Platt
Self-effacing and a pillar of integrity, the former CEO exemplified much of what made the outfit great -- and what it now struggles to regain

Business Week Online 09/12/05

Just over a month ago, I sent former Hewlett-Packard (HPQ ) CEO Lew Platt an e-mail asking about a meeting he and fellow HP alumni had with the new HP boss, Mark Hurd. I had covered HP's ups and downs closely in recent years and Platt came to trust me enough to share his thoughts on most occasions.

"We were all impressed with Mark," he wrote back, in his characteristically gracious, straightforward way. "He's very down to earth, very hands-on and quite humble. I'm confident HP people (at least long-time HP people) will like him."

HONESTY AND INTEGRITY. Truer words couldn't have been spoken of Platt himself. When he died suddenly on Sept. 8 at 64 after suffering an aneurysm. For those that knew him, it was a heavy blow.

Platt was respected, admired, and just plain liked by HP employees, customers, even rivals. Platt was genuine, self-effacing, and honest. He was quick to deflect personal accolades to others, and to accept criticisms -- and there were many -- with grace.

Most of all, Platt was a principled leader. "He was the anti-flash CEO," says Good to Great author Jim Collins. "But he had deeply held values, and he never saw any contradiction between those values and having a ferocious will to win. He felt you should expect all of that of yourself, and more."

GRACEFUL EXIT. After Platt became HP's CEO in 1993, the company saw one of the most remarkable growth spurts in tech history, its sales almost doubling, to $38 billion in 1996 from $20 billion in his first year. As a result, Platt became one of tech's more unlikely -- and most reluctant -- media stars.

With his thick glasses and hulking frame, he seemed to understand that he didn't have a face for magazines. Yet he played ball when asked, even agreeing to sit atop of a bunch of crates on the roof of an HP building for a BusinessWeek cover story in 1995.

Unfortunately, Platt's pragmatic, nothing-fancy approach didn't fit with the go-go demands of the late 1990s. By early 1999, with HP having failed to capitalize on the Internet boom, Platt gallantly decided it was time to step aside. By that stage it had become clear that Wall Street, many employees, and key members of HP's board wanted higher-octane leadership.

SINGLE PARENT. So for many, the lasting image of Platt was that of a stodgy old-timer ousted to make room for the flashier Carly Fiorina. But that's the wrong impression, says Collins. Platt presided over an eightfold increase in HP's stock price during his time at the top from 1992 to 1999-putting him on par with IBM's (IBM ) Lou Gerstner and GE's (GE ) Jack Welch over the same timeframe, says Collins. "I'm not saying Platt stands toe-to-toe with those people, but he was a very underrated CEO," Collins says.

And many of Platt's accomplishments went beyond the financial reports. Born in Johnson City, N.Y., he quickly moved up the ranks after joining HP as an entry-level engineer in 1966 -- thanks in large part to the hard-working ways that earned him the nickname "class plugger" from high school classmates. Widowed early in his career and left with two young daughters to raise after his first wife died, he came to realize the difficulties faced by working women.

Platt built on the company's progressive heritage to make HP a place where female executives could thrive -- as Ann Livermore, one of HP's highest-ranking executives, former printer chief Carolyn Ticknor, and even Fiorina can attest. And Platt insisted that HP concern itself with such issues as community service, diversity in the workplace, and work-life balance, even when Wall Street wanted more focus on short-term results.

"DAMN GOOD BUSINESS SENSE." He was sometimes criticized for his focus on these issues by investors and some HP executives, who said the company needed a more cold-blooded competitiveness. But Platt took the long view, saying outfits that created environments where the best people wanted to work would prosper.

One of the few times I recall him getting angry was when I questioned him on his commitment to such "softer" management issues. "I think people who think that way are soft in the head!" he responded. "Almost every one of the practices that people look at as soft or nice come down to being damn good business sense."

Indeed, Platt was in many ways an embodiment of the so-called HP Way, a management philosophy built on respect for every individual and on the notion that people want to do their best -- and will, if given the right direction. Platt took to heart a desire to remain in sync with HP's rank-and-file.

NO GLOATING. He logged hundreds of thousands of miles a year on commercial airlines rather than the corporate jet, also making a point of eating in the cafeteria with the troops on a regular basis. It was "management by walking around," made famous by company founders Bill Hewlett and Dave Packard, and it earned him respect, even from outsiders who disagreed with some of this decisions.

Not that Platt was any shrinking violet. He made himself heard when necessary. That included his last board meeting at HP, in November, 1999. Although he had been instrumental in hiring Fiorina, she stopped seeking his guidance just weeks after arriving from Lucent Technologies (LU ). Platt suspected she was doing so with the board's blessing. And yet, when that meeting came around, he decided to share his growing concerns about the new CEO, knowing well that his fellow directors would consider it little more than the grousings of a has-been.

Turns out HP's board would have been well-served by heeding his advice. His concerns over Fiorina, including her propensity to over-promise and her difficulty in taking advice from others, ended up being critical factors in her ouster. Still, Platt refused to gloat. Contacted for comment about Fiorina's departure, he said: "Well, I suppose there's some vindication in it for me, but it's very hard to feel good about."

A BLESSING TO BOEING. There's been a great deal of vindication for Platt of late, as the business world has once again come to appreciate the brand of leadership he championed.

As chairman of the board at Boeing (BA), Platt earned accolades last year for his firm handling of a scandal involving then-CEO Harry Stonecipher. Although Platt had long been close with the top brass, he made the decision to fire his long-time colleague for breaking company rules relating to his relationship with a female executive. In the months that followed, Platt took a major role in restoring luster to Boeing's reputation, not to mention its stock price.

If there's an anecdote that sums Platt up for me, it's what happened at his HP farewell party in 1999. People who were there say that after all the tributes had been made and it was his turn to speak, Platt credited his predecessor, John Young, for making the tough decisions that led to HP's success during his tenure -- despite the fact that Young wasn't even present.

TOO FEW LIKE HIM. Then, Platt reflected on his legacy. "I'd like to be remembered as someone who related to people at all levels of the company, and related to them all equally well," he began. "I guess I've never been into the trappings of power. Maybe I should have."

No, Lew, it's better that you weren't. While big egos and business cycles come and go, the values Platt held dear are timeless, and should not be easily dismissed. Says Collins: "We need more, not fewer, Lew Platts in the world."

Samsung Develops 16 Gb Flash Memory

Samsung Electronics on Monday unveiled the world’s first 16 GB flash memory chip produced by 50 nanometer technology. CEO Hwang Chang-gyu called the release “revolutionary” for the global IT industry.

Flash memory is a semiconductor chip that retains stored information even if the power goes out. A stamp-sized memory card made by linking 16 Gb flash memory chips can save the newspapers of 200 years or 8,000 songs.

Hwang said the development signaled the opening of the “digital paper age.” “In the same way that civilization rapidly progressed after paper was invented 2,000 years ago, flash memory will serve as the ‘digital paper’ to store all kind of information from documents to photos and videos in the future. Mobile storage devices like CDs and hard disks will gradually disappear over the next two or three years, and flash memory will dominate the information age,” Hwang said.

Using nano technology, Samsung has doubled the density of memory chips for six years running, ever since developing a 256 Mb chip in 1999. Fifty nanometers is as small as one-two thousandth of a human hair. A 16 Gb flash memory chip made with the technology contains 16.4 billion transistors in a thumbnail-sized space.

Hwang said 40 researchers who worked nonstop forgoing their holidays were the heroes of the tale. Samsung’s 32 Gb flash development team will surprise the world next year, he prophesied.

(englishnews@chosun.com )

Dreams... Interpretation A-H

A



Abandoned
1. A sense of emptiness, of having no one around whom you can depend on. Bewilderment.
2. Betrayal by someone who loves you, like that suffered by the children in the story of Hansel and Gretel.
3. The need for self-sufficiency.
Astrological/Tarot parallel: The Moon.

Accident
A warning, the details of which depend on other symbols in the dream. If you dream of an accident while traveling by car, this could be a hint that you should either avoid travel at this time, or, if you can't avoid it, make sure that your car is in the best possible condition before you leave. Stay away from planes, trains, buses, boats, or dangerous walking, such as hiking in the mountains, for at least a day after you have the dream, and preferably for a week. If you must go, take a cell phone with you (in case you must call for help), as well as first aid supplies.


Actor, Actress
1. If the actor or actress is a particular favorite of yours, ask yourself what you admire about this person. This could be an attempt by your Higher Self to point out a specific admirable quality in you that would prove of great use to you.
2. If the actor or actress isn't a particular favorite, but reminds you of someone you know, this is a wake-up call: That person is "acting," not showing his or her true colors, probably to suit his or her own ends.
3. Depending on the other symbols in the dream, this could mean that YOU need to do a little "acting." A situation may arise where showing your true feelings will NOT be in your best interests.


Air
1. If the air is clear and sunny, success lies ahead.
2. If the air is cloudy, foggy, misty, or stormy, then you're not in a clear frame of mind. Perhaps you should postpone making important decisions for a few days.
3. Pumping air into a tire or air mattress implies that your support system (family, friends, colleagues) is weak and needs to be strengthened.


Airplane
1. Escape from the mundane exigencies of the lower world.
2. Freedom.
3. The search for higher consciousness. Travel into the higher realms.
Astrological parallels: Sagittarius or Aquarius.
Tarot parallel: The World.

Alcohol (Beer, Wine, Liquor)
1. Dreaming of drinking beer, wine, etc., in moderation, under happy circumstances—with friends, at a party, etc.—indicates that success lies ahead. However, in any dream of alcohol, there is always the underlying warning that excesses can lead to trouble.
2. If you dream of being drunk, then in some way you are at a disadvantage. Look to other symbols in the dream to judge where this disadvantage lies.
3. If in the dream, you are sober but someone else is drunk, that person, or someone like him or her, could cause trouble for you.


Alligator
Someone around you does not have your best interests at heart—and it might be someone whom you feel you can trust. Consider other symbols in the dream to discern how or who. Be very cautious in business ventures of any sort. Consult an attorney before signing any contract or agreement.


Altar
A symbol of spiritual strength and help from the higher planes. Also, relief from pressing worries and good news from a surprising source.


Angel:
1. Pay attention to the other symbols in the dream. A dream of an angel almost always implies that the dream contains an important message that could have a major impact on your life.
2. There are many different kinds of angels. Dreaming of a strong, commanding, six-winged seraph is a powerful sign that any difficulties occurring in your life will be overcome by your own strength and determination. A smaller, gentler cherub is a bringer of God's knowledge and wisdom, so dreaming of a cherub (not to be confused with a putto) hints at insights and revelations that are basically spiritual in nature but can be used to enrich your earthly life as well. Putti, which are the winged babies commonly and incorrectly referred to as cherubs, imply happy times ahead. Dreaming of one of the archangels - Gabriel, Michael, Raphael, and Uriel - means that you are or soon will be doing God's work, and the usual type of angel pictured on Christmas cards implies divine protection.
3. A very positive symbol implying success, happiness, and rewarding friendships ahead.

Animal
1. DOMESTIC ANIMALS: Comfort, familiarity, security, gentleness.
Astrological parallel: Virgo.
2. WILD ANIMALS: The lower nature, the unknown, fear, danger.
Astrological parallel: Aries.

Apartment:
1. Dreaming of a small and cramped apartment implies times ahead where you will have to work hard and persevere in order to have the lifestyle you want.
2. A large apartment, on the other hand, indicates prosperity and luxury ahead.

Artist
A symbol of creativity, of the ability to create your own world the way you want it.
1. If you dream of a famous artist, you need to ask yourself what this particular artist means to you, and how you feel about his or her work. If you're a fan, then you're on the right track, either with regard to a specific matter you're concerned about or your life in general.
2. If the artist is an unknown male figure, then your intellect is trying to convey a message about something you're working on. Consider the picture: Is it just begun, half finished, nearly complete? Is it a good painting, or is it a mess?
3. If the artist is an unknown female figure, then the picture concerns matters of the emotions. Again, look at the picture itself, as well as the other symbols in the dream, to judge what the picture is trying to tell you. The same goes if YOU are the artist.


Autumn
If you have the dream in autumn, then the season has no significance and serves only as background.
1. But if you dream of autumn at another time of year, and other symbols in the dream are hurried, this is a signal that time is passing and something in your life needs immediate attention.
2. All other dreams of autumn are positive, signifying friendly forces supporting and protecting you.


B


Baby
1. A new world, a new life, promising new enterprises.
2. Youth, innocence.
3. An upcoming birth in the dreamer's immediate circle.
Astrological parallel: Leo.
Tarot parallel: The Sun.

Bag
This symbol's significance depends greatly on the other symbols in the dream. If the bag is empty, it could signify financial trouble ahead, but this can be averted with a little caution. A full or heavy bag indicates financial success, and a large full bag implies the attainment of some of your more cherished dreams. A suitcase indicates travel ahead.


Balcony
1. Standing on a balcony looking out at lovely surroundings implies happiness, particularly in love. Looking out at storms or other ominous symbols indicates obstacles ahead.
2. Standing on the ground looking up at a balcony indicates aspirations. How they turn out depends on other symbols in the dream.
3. If the balcony is unstable or collapses, something you're depending on will not manifest.


Bald
1. Loss of strength and power. (e.g., Samson after Delilah cut off all his hair.)
2. Nakedness; revealing that which you don't want to reveal; baring it all.
Astrological parallel: Aries.
Tarot parallel: Strength reversed.

Ballerina:
If you were the dancer in the dream, happy times lie ahead and all of your present enterprises will succeed. If you were watching one or more people dancing the ballet, an increased social life and lots of new friends are just around the corner. All in all, a very positive symbol.

Bath
Water being a universal symbol for life, to immerse yourself in a warm, pleasant bath can mean that your life is about to take a turn for the better. If the water is too hot or too cold, however, your plans for the immediate future need some revision.


Bathrooms
1. Secret places, where the company of others is usually not desired.
2. Cleanliness, (next to godliness); ritual cleansing.
Astrological parallel: Scorpio.

Barefoot
1. As feet are a symbol for the "under-standing" and also for the feelings, dreaming of being barefoot indicates that you are viewing something in your life in the simplest way. It could also mean that your deepest feelings are apparent to just about everyone around you and perhaps you need to hide them a little better.
2. Bare, unprotected feet imply difficulties to be overcome.


Beach:
1. A beach is where the earth meets the water; hence, dreaming of standing on a beach looking out at the water implies intense spiritual experiences ahead.
2. Swimming in the surf implies becoming involved in deep emotions; hence this could imply a new love, the birth of a baby, or the appearance of a long-term friend.
3. Working on a beach warns that difficult times lie ahead financially, and that you may need to either seek help or work that much harder to make ends meet.
4. Lying on a beach is a dream of contrary, hinting that you better enjoy yourself now, because you will soon be too busy to do much relaxing.

Beard
Dreaming of a full, luxuriant beard on the face of a friendly man can indicate luck ahead. A beard on a woman, however, is an attention-getter, indicating that this dream is an important one and close attention should be paid to the other symbols in the dream. If a man wearing a beard seems unfriendly and ominous, or if the man is also wearing glasses, then someone important to you is hiding something.


Beauty
Beauty of any kind—scenery, art works, gardens, women and young men—is always a positive omen of happy times ahead.


Beer (see Alcohol)
1. Drinking good beer from a can or small bottle indicates something wonderful coming—in a humble package.
2. Drinking beer drawn from a keg or fountain is an omen of happiness and prosperity, especially if there was foam on it.
3. Flat, stale, or poor quality beer indicates disappointment in something for which you have high expectations.


Bicycle
Dreaming of a bicycle indicates assistance along the road of life. If you were trying to ride uphill, progress will be slow; riding downhill means that your plans will manifest quickly. Pushing the bicycle means that the help you receive will be more trouble than it's worth. Good weather means steady progress; bad weather means a need for a respite, and for reevaluation.


Bird
1. Songbirds are a universal symbol for happy news, especially if they are brightly colored and/or singing. If they are flying, then your life is going to definitely take a turn for the better. Dead or injured birds, however, indicate either a halt to or a need to revise some of your plans for the future.
2. Birds of prey represent a warning: Someone is trying to take unfair advantage of you. See Eagle, Falcon, Hawk.
3. Birds' eggs in a nest indicate a new life full of hope—or this could possibly be a pun meaning money coming. In other words, you'll soon acquire a "nest egg." An empty nest hints at a change of residence.


Birth
The birth of a human child is a universal symbol for good news, happiness, and/or a whole new life. The birth of twins or triplets indicates wealth. If the birth involved friendly animals such as dogs, cats, horses or dolphins, then allies who will be of great assistance to you soon surround you. The birth of scary animals, however, such as predators of all kinds, indicates the opposite: Your adversaries are gaining ground and you need to strengthen your resources.


Biting/bitten:
1. Dreaming of biting into a piece of fruit or other food indicates that you will soon take hold of a long-term problem and bring it to a resolution.
2. Dreaming of biting someone you know is usually a wish-fulfillment dream, expressing anger, either overt or repressed, toward that person and a desire to punish him or her. Dreaming of biting a stranger, or an animal, indicates a psychological conundrum that needs to be brought to the surface and resolved.
3. Dreaming of being bitten by a person is a harbinger of treachery and betrayal - and if you know the person, be careful what you say to him or her.
4. Dreaming of being bitten by an animal implies the revelation of someone else's secrets - that you'd really rather not know. This also could be interpreted to mean that you should avoid becoming involved in the affairs of others.

Black
Unhappiness. A rough road ahead. Something that the dreamer needs to know. In extreme cases, a death—BUT THE DREAMER'S DEATH IS NEVER SHOWN.
Astrological parallel: Scorpio.

Blood
1. Life.
2. Conflict; war.
Astrological parallel: Aries.
Tarot parallel: The Moon.

Blue
Enlightenment. Insight. Relief from worry. Assistance from outside sources.
Astrological parallel: Libra.

Boxer, Boxing
1. Do you feel as if you're in a "sparring match" with someone around you? If so, dreaming of a boxing match could indicate that it's not going to get any better and you need to take steps to end it.
2. A boxer with a lot of injuries foreshadows a lot of ideas that are going to need further research and revisions. If the boxer is a woman, you're nursing a lot of emotional scars that need more care than you're giving them.


Boy Scout/Girl Scout:
1. If you were the Boy or Girl Scout, you will soon be called upon to provide assistance for a friend or relative.
2. If a Boy Scout guides you somewhere, your intellect is leading you toward new experiences. If a Girl Scout guides you, then your supportive mind (emotions and intuition) will lead you to the new experiences. For what those experiences might be, look to other symbols in the dream.

Breathing
1. Life.
2. Absorbing information; learning. The need or desire to learn about something.
Astrological parallel: Gemini.

Bridge
1. Transition; crossing from one way of life to another.
2. A rise in the level of consciousness on the part of the dreamer; heightened awareness.
Astrological parallel: Scorpio.

Broom
1. Using a broom to sweep indicates a strong desire to clean all non-essentials out of your life. If the broom is new, it implies good news and/or success. If the broom is old and dirty, however, making the necessary changes in your life is going to be more difficult and take longer than you think.
2. Dreaming of the plant broom indicates that you are feeling bitter about something in your life, or that you feel that your life is barren and joyless. If the plant is flowering, however, there is a chance for a new start.


Brown
Illness. Materialism.

Buddha:
1. If you were the Buddha, this is a dream of contrary. You may feel in possession of knowledge and wisdom that you don't currently have, but that you can obtain through study and meditation.
2. Dreaming of being in the presence of the Buddha is a very powerful dream, possibly an actual experience of the Buddha or the wisdom he embodied, or a harbinger of such an experience.

Bug
1. Something is bothering you—that is, \'bugging\' you. This may be on an unconscious level, so watch for other signals in the dream.
2. An illness that might not be readily apparent—in short, a "bug."
3. A minuscule or unseen enemy.

Bull
An astrological symbol. In ancient times, the bull was a symbol of fertility, and so if you want a baby, dreaming of a bull is a surefire sign that this is the right time to try. The bull also symbolizes wisdom and security, so a strong and calm bull indicates financial growth through one's own efforts. A mad, raging bull, however, hints at financial reverses due to rash and impulsive spending or investing. See Calf, Cow.

Butterfly
Because of its mysterious transmogrification from a caterpillar, the butterfly is a universal symbol for intense transformation, usually for the better. If the butterfly is in the egg stage, the coming change is still but an idea. In the larva stage, a decision needs to be made. In the cocoon stage, you are working to make your dreams a reality. An adult butterfly flying in the air indicates sharing, or the need to share, your ideas with the world.


Button
Buttons refer to the need to find ways to keep certain things together. If you lose a button, or if a button is broken, it means that alternate ways need to be found. If you're sewing a button back onto a garment, then you have the ingenuity to do whatever needs to be done.


Bus:
1. Traveling by bus indicates that you are on the road to attaining your heart's desire.
2. Waiting for a bus indicates frustrations ahead - obstacles on your path to success, love, fame, enlightenment, or whatever it is that you want the most. It can also be reassuring, however, in that it means that the frustrations will be temporary.
3. Being in an accident while riding on a bus indicates financial troubles ahead. Look to other symbols in the dream to discern how to avoid those troubles.

C


Car
1. Motion, movement away from one thing and towards another.
2. Speed, acceleration.
3. Freedom.
Astrological parallel: Sagittarius.
Tarot parallel: The Chariot.

Cat
1. Love, loyalty, beauty.
2. Fierce defense of loved ones or pursuit of something desperately desired.
3. Royalty; godliness; a keeper of hidden knowledge.
Astrological parallels: Venus, Taurus.

Chase/being chased
1. Being at a disadvantage in a given situation.
2. Actually being pursued, probably in the sense of being "chased" by a potential lover, employer, or customer.
Astrological parallels: Aries, Gemini, Mercury.

Chasing
Pursuit of a dream or something else that's just out of reach. Astrological parallel: Gemini, Sagittarius.

Café (Cafe, Restaurant)
If you dream of a busy café when you sit alone at a table, this indicates a feeling of "being lonely in a crowd," of alienation from the world around you. If you're with a group of friends, however, support of all kinds is available from people who care for you. If the café is chic and nicely decorated, your world is pretty much in order, but if it's a shabby place, both your spirits and your life circumstances could use a lift, and you may need to seek it outside your usual domain.


Calendar
1. Dreaming of a wall calendar listing the months and days calls your attention to the month. If the month involved is within six months ahead of the current month, something important will happen then—and if there is a day circled, watch that day.
2. If your dream is of an appointment calendar, and it is full, you're trying to do too much and need to slow down. If the appointment calendar is empty, however, you should consider taking steps to revitalize your social life. See Clock.


Calf
In Celtic society, wealth was measured by the number of cattle a person owned—and so dreaming of a calf shows promise of the acquisition of wealth. As calves were often included as part of a bride's dowry, dreaming of a healthy, frisky young calf is a harbinger of marital happiness.


Canal
A canal is a channel through difficult territory, so dreaming of a full and thriving canal brings promise of future prosperity. An empty canal, however, warns of financial troubles—which can, however, be prevented. Look to other symbols in the dream to judge how such problems could be prevented.


Candle
Dreaming of a burning candle at night holds promise of a beacon in the darkness. If you're feeling a little down when you dream this, it's a sign that there is hope, and things will soon get better. A new, unlit candle indicates untapped potential, while a candle on the verge of guttering out heralds the end of a project, usually intellectual in nature. Candlesticks carried by individuals imply an increase in your social life.


Cards
1. Playing card games with someone you recognize implies that this person, or perhaps someone of whom he or she reminds you, is "playing games" with you and is not to be trusted. Gambling with cards is a warning to avoid financial risk of any kind.
2. Each playing card has a distinct divinatory meaning of its own, usually based on numerology. Spades rule conflict, hearts pertain to matters of the heart, diamonds refer to money, and clubs rule difficulties—and the numerological meaning of each number combined with the nature of the suit gives a rough meaning of the card's divinatory nature. The face cards rule people whose personalities are based on the nature of the suit they represent.
3. If the dream is of a Tarot card, or a group of them, the meaning of the card has a strong bearing on the meaning of the dream. Consult our Tarot experts for details.


Cartoon Character:
1. If the cartoon character was one that you know well, such as Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, or Bugs Bunny, then you need to ask yourself what that particular character suggests to you, and how that applies to your present circumstances.
2. If the cartoon character was just a simple, unknown figure that entertained you, this suggests romantic troubles ahead. The antics of the character can give hints as to how to avoid these troubles.
3. Success in business.

Cemetery
1. A dream of contrary. Usually, this is NOT a negative symbol. If the cemetery was dark and gloomy, and/or overgrown, there is much in the dreamer's life that needs to be cleaned up before he or she can move ahead. But if it was a clear day, and the cemetery was neat and well kept, the dreamer is free to move ahead with whatever plans he or she has made.
2. If there is someone with a serious illness in the dreamer's immediate circle, a dark and gloomy cemetery probably reflects the dreamer's fear rather than what is actually coming. A bright cemetery is reassuring; there will be no burials just yet.


Champagne
A universal symbol for celebration. If you are drinking champagne, clinking glasses and laughing and talking with other people, great good fortune lies ahead. If a champagne glass is spilled, however, or a bottle broken, the celebration is premature and there is still much to be done before you can consider a project completed.


Cheating
A warning to play it straight. If, in the dream, the dreamer is cheating, he should watch out for someone trying to cheat him. If the dreamer is being cheated, he can expect a stroke of luck.
Astrological parallel: Pluto.
Tarot parallel: The Wheel of Fortune.

Cherry, Cherries
Ripe cherries from off the tree symbolize success and happiness in love, while green or spoiled cherries indicate romantic disappointments. A cherry tree is an omen of good fortune of all kinds.


Child:
A symbol of innocence. 1. If you were the child, you need to get in touch with your own innocence. If you, as the child, were in trouble, you need to go beyond your innocence and acknowledge the ways of the world. Everything is NOT all sweetness and light!
2. If you were watching children playing, this is a sign of success and happiness, both in your personal and professional life.

Chocolate
If the dream is positive—such as enjoying some chocolates with a friend or lover—then this is a symbol for happiness and contentment. If, however, you dream of a stomachache or toothache resulting from eating chocolate, you need to curb overindulgence in foods of any kind.


Church
If you are standing in the churchyard, looking at the church, this is a symbol of great times to come. Dreaming of being alone in an empty church, however, indicates rough times ahead that will nonetheless be resolved. A church full of people singing or praying, or observing a wedding or christening, is an omen of happiness and spiritual progress. Dreaming of a funeral, however, means the death of a longtime dream. See Altar.


Circus
1. Standing outside a circus tent waiting to get in indicates strange but exciting events ahead. If the weather is good, this indicates positive developments, but if the weather is stormy, you may be on the verge of moving from one difficult situation to one that's even more confusing.
2. If you are inside the circus tent, watching the show or actually participating in it, then you may have too many things going on in your life at once—as in the simile, "like a three-ring circus."
3. Dreaming of a freak show hints that bizarre events and weird people will complicate your life if you don't take steps to prevent or resolve them.


Climbing
1. A challenge in the dreamer's life, or one coming up.
2. Climbing the ladder of success; attempting to reach the top.
3. Ascent towards higher consciousness, aiming for a higher purpose in life.
Astrological parallels: Saturn, Capricorn.
Tarot parallel: The Fool.

Cliff
1. If you are scaling the cliff, this augurs a difficult climb either socially or careerwise. If you reach the top, you'll succeed.
2. Standing on the edge of a cliff indicates obstacles ahead that can only be averted by taking risks. If you jump off the cliff, you'll choose to take those risks—and if you land safely, all will be will. But if you fall off, you'll feel you have no choice.
3. Diving off a cliff, or seeing someone else dive off a cliff, indicates welcoming a challenge.


Clock
A symbol for time passing. If you dream of watching a clock ticking, with the hands moving steadily, this is a warning that you need to stop wasting time. Winding a clock or watch indicates that you are taking control of the situation. Hearing a clock strike indicates that the time has come for some positive action. See Calendar.


Clown:
1. A dream of contrary. Dreaming of the antics of a funny clown implies the way that some of your companions see you. Look to other symbols in the dream to discern if this is due to affection or disdain. If the latter, the dream may be telling you that you need to find another circle of friends.
2. Dreaming of specific clowns such as Charlie Chaplin, the Marx Brothers, Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello, and so on implies that you should look at those people and analyze what they suggest to you, and how that can be applied to your present circumstances.

Clothing
1. Dreaming of wearing clothes that are totally inappropriate—such as wearing a bathing suit on the ski slopes—indicates circumstances in your life that require a reality check before you can move ahead. If in the dream you change your clothes, you'll be successful.
2. A dream of being naked in public is a very common type of dream, and usually means that the dreamer feels exposed, vulnerable and at the mercy of others.
3. Dressing yourself, especially if in fashionable clothes, indicates advancement socially and professionally. Undressing, however, indicates temporary setbacks.
4. Dirty, soiled, or worn clothing is a warning not to take anyone's word for anything. Get the facts yourself.
5. Tight or otherwise uncomfortable clothing hints at being involved in a prickly situation or that some situation in your life is making you uncomfortable, and you need to make some adjustments.


Clouds
1. Bright, fluffy clouds in a clear sky indicate aspirations that you can attain if you work at them. A lot of such clouds imply success and happiness in romance.
2. Dark, stormy clouds indicate trouble ahead. If the storm ends and you're still safe, then you'll get past the trouble with few if any complications. But if the storm gets out of control, action must be taken immediately in order to prevent misfortune.
3. Clouds obscuring the sun indicate circumstances in your life that you either don't know how to deal with or that seem worse than they are. Either way, this symbol is an augur of everything coming out right in the end.


Coffee:
1. "Wake up and smell the coffee!" A relationship or some other sort of situation is not what it seems. Try to see it as it really is. Other symbols in the dream may reveal the truth and/or shed light on what you should do.
2. Hot, delicious coffee implies surprising good news on the way, but if the coffee was bitter, it symbolizes disappointment in a friendship.
3. If you were grinding the coffee, success in love and domestic happiness are on the way. Spilt coffee implies setbacks.

Color
1. Red: Good news. Passion. Anger. A warning to control your temper.
Astrological parallel: Aries.
2. Blue: Enlightenment. Insight. Relief from worry. Assistance from outside sources.
Astrological parallel: Libra.
3. Green: Peace. Tranquillity. The Earth. Money. A journey. Good news.
Astrological parallel: Taurus.
4. Yellow: Intellect. A problem or puzzle to be solved. Possible setbacks. Gemini. Also: Gold: Leo.
5. Pink: Love. Compassion. The attainment of a dream.
6. Purple: Spirituality; status in one's own circle. Increased social life, or the desire for same.
7. Orange: Message from a great Master. Metaphysical or spiritual knowledge.
8. Brown: Illness. Materialism.
9. Black: Unhappiness. A rough road ahead. Something that the dreamer needs to know. In extreme cases, a death—BUT THE DREAMER'S DEATH IS NEVER SHOWN.
Astrological parallel: Scorpio.
10. White: Purity. Success well earned.
11. Gray: Gray is a rather depressing color; some mystics believe it to be the color of the aura of a prison. Some sources believe it to indicate a slow period in the dreamer's life, when he or she is merely "marking time."
12. A swirl of color: Great joy, happiness, success. Dreams attained. Luck in love.
Astrological parallel: The Sun.

Couch
This symbol is a warning that you are taking too much for granted, and that you could be experiencing a false sense of security. Lying on a couch implies the need to take action to move your life ahead along the path you want.


Costume:
1. If you were wearing the costume, you're hiding your true self from someone - or perhaps from everyone in your circle. If you take it off, something will cause you to drop the façade very soon.
2. If you are only one amongst many wearing a costume, especially if some of the others were children, this portends an amazing and totally unexpected - but nonetheless favorable - turn of events.

Cow
In ancient societies, a person's wealth was defined by the number of cattle he or she owned. Cows have also long been a symbol for love, nurturing, kindness, and generosity. Dreaming of a live, happy cow, especially one with a calf, is almost always a positive symbol, and other symbols in the dream will shed more light on exactly what's going on. A dead, sick, or ailing cow, however, indicates that future plans may be in jeopardy, and action needs to be taken. See Bull, Calf.


Cowboy:
Whether the dreamer is a cowboy or simply sees one in his dream, he feels lost and alone, seeking wealth but never finding it. If the cowboy is in the company of others, the dreamer is not as alone as he thinks. If the cowboy is driving cattle, the dreamer shouldn't despair, as better financial conditions are on the way.

Coworker/Colleague:
Oddly enough, dreaming of a colleague rarely involves issues at work. The focus is more likely to be on traits this person possesses that mean something to you. For example, if this person's voice is especially loud, whatever he or she is saying to you in the dream is especially significant, and you should pay attention. If this person is someone you feel you can trust, there is some issue in your life involving trust that needs to be resolved. If you dream that a coworker whom you don't particularly like suddenly acts like your best friend, or a colleague whom you like and respect turns hostile, be prepared for a reversal of some kind - for better or worse.

Cross, Crucifix
1. Dreaming of any sort of cross—the Christian cross, the Maltese cross, the ancient cross of the Goddess—indicates joy, happiness and fulfillment after a long and difficult struggle.
2. A crossroads implies the obvious: two possible paths lying ahead, and a choice to be made. Other symbols in the dream could hint as to the best possible path.


Crowds
Dreaming of actually being part of an orderly and purposeful crowd implies aspirations in tune with those around you and support and assistance in making all your dreams a reality. If you're not actually involved with the crowd, however, you may feel as if you're "on the outside looking in" with regard to what's going on in your immediate circle. An angry, out-of-control mob implies turbulent emotions. You need to slow down, take a look at your feelings, and do what you can to make sense of them.


Crown
A gold crown indicates public honors and/or acknowledgement for work well done. A wreath of flowers worn around the head implies happiness and success in romance. A laurel wreath indicates victory over problems in your life. A paper or plastic crown, however, indicates insincere compliments from people with agendas of their own.


Cushion
A large number of cushions indicates that the dreamer is "cushioned" too much from reality, and needs to wake up and view the situation as it really is. One comfortable cushion, however, is a sign of prosperity to come. Shabby cushions indicate good fortune ahead IF the dreamer cleans up his act.

D


Dark, Darkness
1. The ancients found the darkness a source of great fear, and so dreaming of darkness could be calling your attention to a fear you have that needs to be dealt with.
2. Darkness also hides one's surroundings, and so darkness in a dream could indicate that you are "in the dark" about something, and need to find the truth. If you walk through the darkness into the light, this is showing you that you will indeed find the truth, and success will come your way.
3. If a storm causes a bright day to suddenly turn into darkness, this is a warning not to get too complacent with your present circumstances, and to save for "a rainy day."


Daughter
1. If the dreamer is pregnant, and the daughter an as-yet unknown, this could be a sign that she is going to have a girl.
2. If you have a daughter, she is trying to communicate something to you but may be afraid to. Other symbols in the dream could shed light on what it is.
3. If the dreamer is neither pregnant nor the parent of a daughter, yet in the dream she has a daughter, this could indicate that the dreamer will start a new creative project soon. If the daughter is pretty and happy, the project will be a success. But if the child is crying, the project will hit a lot of snags.
4. If the girl in question is the daughter of a celebrity, ask yourself what both the daughter and the celebrity mean to you. Look to other symbols in the dream to add further insight.


Dead-end
A project, a dream, or plans for the future will come to a dead stop. Other symbols in the dream should reveal whether you need to scrap these plans entirely or go back to the beginning and start over.


Death
1. An imminent transition, perhaps a move, or change of job or lover.
2. An impending death in the world of the dreamer—usually a relative, friend, or admired public figure. The dreamer's death, however, is never shown.
3. The need for change in some department of the dreamer's life. As to what: Watch for other symbols in the dream.
Astrological parallel: Scorpio.
Tarot parallel: Death.

Devil
The circumstances in the dream are very important. If you see the Devil in his usual context—in a pit full of fire, surrounded by demons—then you'd better ask yourself what guilty secret you're hiding and how it applies to your present circumstances. If the Devil speaks to you and seems friendly, then you're going to be faced with a temptation that will prove difficult to resist. If you fight him, you'll resist that temptation. If you see the Devil with someone you know, that person may be trying to manipulate you to serve his own ends.

Diamonds
Not always a positive symbol.
1. If you are alone holding diamonds in your hand, someone you care for very deeply could be turning cold towards you.
2. If someone gives you diamonds, however, a project that means a lot to you could bring money your way.
3. If other symbols in the dream imply happiness and contentment, the appearance of diamonds could add wealth to the equation. But if the rest of the dream is dark and ominous, diamonds could signify loss. When interpreting a dream containing diamonds, it's important to remember that diamonds, however prized and beautiful, really are nothing more than cold, hard rocks.


Dirt
1. Dirt in a garden is a symbol for growth, abundance, and beauty. If you dream of planting a garden, something you're working on now could blossom into something more successful than you're even thinking of now.
2. Dirty clothes hint that your body isn't quite what it should be, and a medical checkup is advised.
3. If someone you know is throwing dirt at you, this person is not to be trusted. Do NOT confide in him or her!


Dog
1. Love, loyalty, devotion, obedience.
2. Strength; a challenge coming up and the ability to meet it.
3. Something in the dreamer's life is proving to be a "dog"—meaning, less than desirable.
Astrological parallels: Mercury, Virgo.

Dolphin
Dolphins are intelligent and friendly animals, and have often been known to rescue drowning people at sea. Therefore, they have long been symbols of compassion, helpfulness, empathy, and caring.
1. If you're beset with troubles, dreaming of a dolphin could mean that help from someone who cares is on the way.
2. Playing with a dolphin implies that happier, more carefree times are on the way.
3. Encountering several dolphins hints that you are, or soon will be, surrounded by a circle of friends who will provide you with a valuable support system.


Door
1. A passage to a new phase in life, such as childhood to adolescence, or single to married.
2. A new opportunity on the way.
3. Revelation, either personal, spiritual, or universal.
Astrological parallels: Scorpio, Capricorn, Aries.

Dragon
Dreaming of a dragon depends greatly on the individual's attitude towards such creatures. In British mythology, dragons were viewed as fearsome and dangerous beasts, while in Chinese tradition dragons were considered harbingers of good luck. Therefore, it is important that the dreamer recall the circumstances of the dream. If the dream was dark and ominous, the dragon probably symbolizes the "beast in you," which could mean that your own weaknesses could well get the best of you. But if the dream was happy and optimistic, something wonderful is going to happen.


Driving
1. The need or desire to throw all the dreamer's energy into a particular goal.
2. The feeling of having no choice as to how to proceed in a given situation—in short, of being "driven." If the dreamer is not the drive, he should consider who is doing it.
Astrological parallels: Aries, Capricorn.
Tarot parallel: The Chariot.

Drowning
1. Feeling overwhelmed, perhaps by work, obligations, or life itself.
2. Inundation; too many people making too many demands on the dreamer.
Astrological/Tarot parallels: Cancer, The Moon.


Duel
1. Friends or relatives could be trying to talk you into something you don't want to do. Nip it in the bud before things get ugly.
2. You are torn in two different directions, and having a hard time deciding which is the right choice.


Dwarf
Dreaming of seeing (or being) a happy and contented dwarf strongly indicates that all your troubles will soon disappear as if by magic. If the dwarf was mean or unhappy, however, beware of false friends. Be very careful of who you confide in.


Dying
Not a portent of death per se.
1. If you dream of dying yourself, then all your troubles will soon be over and you can start anew. However, it could also mean that a part of you is dying and, if the other symbols in the dream tell you that it's a part of you that you like, you'd better find a way to resurrect it, and fast.
2. Sometimes this can be a wish-fulfillment dream, if you dream that someone who is causing trouble for you is dying. Don't feel guilty; this is a better way to manifest that wish than other ways!
3. Dreams in which the dreamer talks with dead people imply that very welcome news is on its way.

E

Eagle
1. If the eagle is flying free, the dreamer needs to be prepared for an opportunity to soar above the mundane, either professionally or spiritually, or both.
2. If the eagle is perched on a tree or in a nest, someone close to the dreamer is looking out for her.
3. If the eagle is caged, the dreamer feels that her spirit, her true self, is trapped in some way.
Astrological parallel: Scorpio.
Tarot parallel: The Hanged Man.


Earth
1. If you are looking down upon the Earth from space, this is a sign of expansion, success, and great happiness.
2. A dream of lying on the earth depends on other symbols in the dream, particularly the weather. If it is a lovely day, a much-needed period of rest and relaxation lies ahead. If the weather is bad, an important matter needs immediate attention and you need to get on it.
3. Tilling the earth, or watching someone till the earth, indicates sensible and profitable use of your resources. See Dirt.


Earthquakes
If you live in an area prone to earthquakes and are used to them, this dream indicates minor difficulties that need to be resolved. But if you live in a place where earthquakes are rare, this dream implies a sudden and totally unexpected change in your circumstances—which could require some difficult adjustments at first, but will, in the long run, end in success and good fortune.


Egyptian:
1. Dreaming of living in ancient Egypt might actually be a past-life memory. Be sure to write the dream down immediately upon awakening, as an issue from that past life could be coming to the surface of your unconscious mind. Something in the dream probably relates to a concern in the present, and the dream may be giving you important insights.
2. Egypt is a land of mystery, and therefore if you dream of Egypt or things Egyptian there is probably some mystery in your life that you'd like to have resolved. Look to other symbols in the dream to discern what it is and what you should do about it.
3. Egypt is a land where a lot of secrets are being dug out of the ground. What secrets are you hiding? Or are others around you keeping things from you that you really need to know? If the other symbols in the dream support this idea, honest communication with those involved is definitely called for.

Elephant:
Of all the domestic animals, the elephant is certainly one of the oldest known, if not the oldest. In Hindu mythology, Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, is one of the deities associated with wealth. Therefore, unless the dreamer himself has a personal anathema towards elephants, dreaming of an elephant is always a harbinger of great good fortune. 1. If the elephant is friendly and happy, expect a change in your luck for the better.
2. If the dreamer was riding an elephant, this indicates a rise in social status.
3. A performing elephant augurs new friends, while a working elephant hints at success through your own efforts.
4. Even an angry or frightened elephant, or even if they attack you, is not all that bad an omen. It only implies delays in the attainment of your goals.

Emigration
A need for change, and also for economy. Circumstances may require cutting back on expenses in order to do something you really want to do.


Enemy
1. If you dream of a living person whom you consider to be an adversary, you need to pay attention to the other symbols in the dream. If they are warning symbols, this person may be actively working against you. If they are positive, he or she may want a truce with you.
2. Dreaming of a shadowy, ominous, perhaps unseen enemy is calling your attention to your own shadow side. A part of you is keeping you from attaining certain goals. To deduce what part it is, look to other symbols in the dream.
3. Dreaming of several enemies is a dream of contrary. It actually implies that you are surrounded by loving and loyal friends.


Escape
The need or desire to break away from unpleasant people or circumstances in the dreamer's life. If, in the dream, the dreamer cannot escape, she might have to fight her way through difficulties. If an attempt is made but the dreamer is caught, then the dreamer should watch for a tendency to be her own worst enemy.
Astrological parallel: Mars-Uranus combinations.
Tarot parallel: The Wheel of Fortune.

Exam
An upcoming crisis in the attainment of a cherished goal. If the dreamer fails the exam, or if he awakens before knowing whether he passed or failed, the goal may be unfeasible at this time and should be re-examined. If the dreamer passes the exam, then, in spite of obstacles, he has it in him to get what he wants.
Astrological parallel: Saturn or Uranus.
Tarot parallel: The Tower.

Ex-lover
1. The ex-lover is thinking about the dreamer intensely, and projecting telepathic messages towards her which she receives in her dreams.
2. Incompletions with this person that need to be resolved within the dreamer before he is truly free to move on to a new relationship.
3. Similarities between this past relationship and situations now in the dreamer's life. Solutions to current difficulties may be resolved by the dreamer's remembering how he dealt with the ex-lover.
Astrological parallel: Venus-Saturn combinations.
Tarot parallel: The Lovers.

Explosion
A dream of contrary. To dream of witnessing a massive explosion indicates that your own life is going to "explode." Great changes for the better are on the way.


Eyes
1. Being watched by strange, disembodied eyes indicates unexpected good fortune to come. If the eyes are particularly beautiful, this is a sign of success in romance and/or reassurance that you are surrounded by people who care for you. If there is only one eye watching you, this is the all-seeing Eye of God, and hints at success beyond your wildest dreams.
2. To go blind, to injure your eyes, or to get something in them is calling your attention to the fact that there is something or someone in your life that you're not really seeing as they really are.
3. Light-colored eyes indicate a new friendship, while dark eyes hint that someone is sexually attracted to you.


F


Face
A symbol dependent on the circumstances of the dream. If you see a happy, smiling face, then pleasures and good times lie ahead. If you see a sad or frowning face, then troubles and worries may be plaguing you, and you have to "face" them. Dreaming of washing your face indicates the need to "clean up" your act, while dreaming of a face with a major blemish indicates the need to work on changing a bad habit.


Fairy:
Reassurance that your dearest dreams will come true. It doesn't matter if the fairy appeared in the form of an elf, a pixie, a leprechaun, a garden-variety fairy, or a specific fairy like Ozma of Oz, this is a very positive dream and portends great happiness.

Falcon
Dreaming of hunting with a falcon implies the need to seek help in searching for something you desire. A hooded falcon indicates that someone around you is keeping things from you. A falcon making a kill is actually a positive omen, indicating that a long-time goal of yours will finally be reached. See Eagle, Hawk.


Falling
1. Human beings have two ancient primal fears: fear of falling, and fear of loud noises. Dreaming of falling often implies the fear of losing control and resulting disaster. If the dreamer falls a great distance, then he should start finding solutions right away, for there is danger of severe complications. If the dreamer falls a short distance and is unhurt, the damage will be minimal and can easily be set right.
2. A pun: Something important will happen, or difficulties will be resolved, by the "fall" (autumn).
Astrological parallel: Scorpio.
Tarot parallel: The Tower.

Farm
A busy, fruitful, and prosperous farm is a sign of abundance ahead, while a derelict, barren, and decrepit farm implies the need to work hard to avoid a rocky financial road ahead. Seeing lots of farm animals enjoying life reflects a coming period where you'll be meeting a lot of new people who'll be of great assistance to you.


Father (see Mother)
This symbol is highly personalized, and should be considered in light of your relationship with your father. Generally, dreaming of a father (yours or anyone else's) represents authority, while mothers represent love and protection. If your relationship with your father was good, dreaming of him implies advancement and/or assistance from authority figures in your life. If your relationship with him was strained, however, dreaming of him indicates trouble coming from authority figures, such as your boss. If you're dreaming of a dead parent, especially if he or she is speaking to you, important news is coming your way. Whether the news is good or bad depends on other dynamics in the dream.
Astrological parallels: Saturn (father)
Tarot parallels: The Emperor

Fear
This symbol needs to be considered in view of the dreamer's situation at the time. If your life circumstances are calm and pleasant at the moment, dreaming that you are afraid of something is a warning of trouble ahead. Other symbols in the dream, and circumstances in your life, can explain to you exactly what the trouble will be and how to resolve it. If you're presently involved in some tense situations and you dream of being afraid, people whom you consider to be friends may turn out to be less than that. To dream of calming someone else's fears implies the resolving of misunderstandings.


Feet:
1. A pun, implying issues of "under-standing." Aching, painful, or injured feet imply a misunderstanding between you and a loved one. Bathing the feet, however, hints at a resolution of any disagreements.
2. Viewing many feet walking on the street indicates financial reverses.
2. Cold feet symbolize fears and worries about a particular course of action which the dreamer may have been planning to take - as in the metaphor "getting cold feet." Other symbols in the dream should reveal whether the dreamer's fears are warranted or not.

Fence
An obstacle dream. The nature of the obstacle depends on the dreamer's circumstances, as well as on other symbols in the dream. If the scene on the other side of the fence is beautiful and peaceful, hope lies ahead, and if the dreamer gets over the fence, what he wants will indeed manifest in spite of obstacles. If the land on the other side of the fence is barren and rocky, and/or the dreamer is having trouble climbing the fence, what you're seeking may not be what it seems and it might be best to turn back. Sitting on a fence indicates a major decision to be made.


Fight
1. If you are fighting with an unknown figure, whether it's an argument or an out-and-out fistfight, or if you're participating in a free-for-all, this is a loud and clear message that major changes are on the way. Considering the dreamer's circumstances as well as other symbols in the dream will reveal the nature of the change, and/or what the dreamer needs to do in order to face it.
2. Standing on the sidelines and watching other people fight indicates that the troubles of others may spill over into your life.
3. A dream of war indicates an inner battle. The dreamer needs to look within and see what it is that's keeping them from getting anywhere. Other symbols in the dream might help.


Finger:
1. To point a finger or see someone else pointing is calling your attention to whatever other symbol in the dream the finger is indicating. If you view the symbol in question as a positive one, then good fortune lies ahead - soon. If you view the symbol as a negative image, then caution is called for in any business, financial or romantic matters. If the finger points at a specific person whom you know, that person - or someone who reminds you of that person - is not to be trusted, and any dealings with him or her call for a great deal of caution.
2. A cut, broken, or bandaged finger is a dream of contrary, indicating significant successes after a great deal of effort.
3. If you are aware that the finger is of a left hand, you are being warned that any shady sort of dealings, whether business, financial or romantic, will not go the way you hope, and could have upsetting consequences.

Fish
The fish is a very powerful and positive image in many world traditions.
1. To the Babylonians, Phoenicians, and Assyrians, it was honored as a symbol of fertility.
2. In Native American tradition, the fish is a symbol for mystical secrets, for it can swim to the deepest regions of the ocean and explore its hidden knowledge.
3. In British lore, it was believed that eating fish before lovemaking could enable a couple to conceive a child.
4. The early Christians used the fish as the symbol for the Christ Consciousness. It was widely believed that this symbol resulted from the Greek acronym for \"Jesus Christ, Son of God.\" But there is also the fact that the coming of Jesus ushered in the Age of Pisces the Fish, which encapsulates the mysticism, love, and happiness to which all world traditions ascribe to the fish.
5. In Scandinavia, fish was considered an aphrodisiac, and was popularly consumed on Friday, the feast day of Freya, Goddess of Love - and in her honor Friday was a day dedicated to lovemaking.
There are, therefore, many possibilities if you dream of a fish - all good, even if the fish was a greatly feared one like the shark. If there is a possibility of a pregnancy, dreaming of a fish could mean that a child is on the way, and the pregnancy and birth will be uneventful and result in a healthy baby. If the dreamer is in love but is not yet sure about the beloved's feelings, dreaming of a fish strongly indicates that the feelings are indeed reciprocated. Dreaming of catching fish, either with a pole or with a net, indicates success and prosperity ahead. Seeing fish swimming in a clear pool indicates that a number of secrets about yourself and the world around you are going to suddenly become clearer.


Fire
1. Energy; drive. The dreamer needs to prepare herself for an increased level of stress and activity.
2. If the dreamer is burned, trouble lies ahead. Look to other symbols in the dream as to how to prepare for it and resolve it.
3. If the dreamer avoids being burned, a sticky situation will be quickly resolved.
4. A roaring bonfire or a welcome blaze in a fireplace signifies good news, security, a period of hope after a stint of difficulties.
Astrological parallel: Aries, Mars.

Fireworks
1. Watching fireworks burst into a rain of light in the sky is an omen of great good fortune ahead, particularly in romance.
2. If someone throws a firecracker at you, this is a sign of trouble, probably because of someone else. But if the firecracker turns out to be a dud, that person will not succeed.
3. Sparklers and Roman candles are portents of an increased social life and good times ahead.


Flood
1. Water is a universal symbol for emotion, and thus a dream of a flood indicates that a plethora of deep feelings is coming the dreamer's way. If the flood is warm, gentle and comforting, the feelings will be positive, and possibly could involve romance. But if the flood is dark, cold, and overwhelming, be prepared for emotional turmoil.
2. Being swept away by a flood warns that someone of the opposite sex whom you trust may be trying to use you.
3. Escaping from the flood, especially if you continue to reach high ground, indicates overcoming a great difficulty.


Fly
1. Dreaming of flying high in the air and looking down on your usual surroundings is a very common dream, and most often implies a widening and broadening of your vision. It is also an omen of happiness, exhilaration, and good fortune. Whether these benefits will come easily or with great effort depends on the circumstances of the dream, particularly the weather. (see Flying)
2. Dreaming of a fly, that is, the insect, represents a minor obstacle that must be overcome—in short, the proverbial "fly in the ointment." An annoying fly that keeps buzzing around your head is a signal that the obstacle, however miniscule it might be, will not go away on its own and requires immediate attention.


Flying
1. The dreamer's basic ambition, drive, goals, and dreams. If the dreamer is flying like a bird, then he can accomplish his goals almost on his own. If the dreamer is flying in an airplane, or other sort of airship, he will need assistance. If the weather around him is turbulent, the path to success will be rocky and strewn with obstacles. If it is clear, the path ahead should be straightforward and easily traveled. If others are flying with him, he needs to gather the support of others in order to attain his goal.
Astrological parallel: Uranus.
Tarot parallel: The World.
2. A harbinger of a happy time in the dreamer's life—as if she is "flying high."
Astrological/Tarot parallel: The Sun.

Fruit
1. Dreaming of ripe, appealing fruit in your dream is a very positive omen, and can symbolize several things: success and prosperity (the fruits of your labor); a pregnancy (fruit of the womb) or a heightened period of creativity (the fruits of your imagination.)
2. If the fruit is sour, rotten, or spoiled, however, it is a sign that something you're striving for is going to turn bad - and it's best if you stop work on it right now, figure out what's wrong with it, and move on only once the problem is resolved.


Fog
An obstacle dream, dependent on other circumstances in the dream for exact interpretation. A fog at sea indicates blockages in emotional situations, such as romance. A fog on land indicates setbacks with regard to business or financial progress. If the fog clears away during the dream, then the blockages will let up and therefore there's no need to lose heart. If it thickens, however, perhaps you'd better rethink the situation.


Foreign country:
1. If the foreign country was one that you have either been to and loved, or always wanted to visit, this is a sign that the attainment of your heart's desire is closer than you think. It also means that you should keep working on it and not be discouraged in spite of any setbacks.
2. If the foreign country is strange, or the people unfriendly, or if it's a country where violence, war, and other unfavorable situations are occurring, then something or someone in your life is leading you into strange and unfamiliar territory which could at the very least make you uncomfortable. Think twice before allowing yourself to be tempted into circumstances that you know nothing about.

Foreigner:
If the foreigner was friendly and jovial, and if you liked him or her, this is an omen of good times ahead no matter what the foreigner's nationality was. If he was unfriendly and hostile, however, it is still an omen of good times ahead, but of hitting a number of dead ends before you reach your goals.

Food
Food is a universal symbol for prosperity and for plenty, even in rough times. If the food was fresh and crisp, then good things will be coming in profusion, but if some or all of it was spoiled, there will be setbacks, although in the end all will be well. Buying food represents domestic happiness; selling food indicates business advancement. Tasting food, however, while it's still a positive omen, represents minor steps towards prosperity.


Forest
As with all dreams of Earth's bounty, a forest basically is a happy omen if the dream shows the sun shining through the trees and a clear path ahead. Even a forest fire indicates positive progress. But if the dreamer felt alone and frightened, this means that his or her own feelings could get in the way of prosperity and success. If he or she felt lost, this implies a need to get a better grasp on one's own financial circumstances in order to better them. Other symbols in the dream can yield more information.


Fountain
An omen of a happy and fulfilled life. If the fountain is flowing freely, things should go comparatively easily from here on out; however, if the fountain is malfunctioning, there are still a few obstacles that need to be overcome first.


Frog
A positive omen in all ways. Whether you saw them, held them, heard them, or ate them, they signify happiness, success in your profession, and true friends.


Fuel/Gasoline:
A dream of buying or selling gasoline is a sign of prosperity ahead, but there may be a few bumps in the road before you get what you want. Running out of gasoline is a dream of contrary, implying a rush of energy and inspiration in whatever activity means the most to you. If you're not sure what that is, look to other symbols in the dream.

Fur
A dream of fur on a live animal signifies love, warmth, and happiness. See the entries relating to each individual animal for more details. Wearing a new, well-tailored fur coat indicates financial success, while a shabby, worn-out fur coat indicates financial reversals.


G


Gate:
1. An open gate is a harbinger of promising opportunities in the near future.
2. Dreaming of a closed gate is an obstacle dream. However, the obstacles can be overcome if you work hard at it. To judge exactly what obstacles you face, look to other symbols in the dream.
3. A locked gate implies obstacles that are practically impassible, unless in the dream you also find ways to go over it, under it, or around it. In the latter case, success is practically guaranteed.

Game
Dreaming of playing games traditionally means a time of relaxation and ease, wherein one can regather his or her resources. But in this day and age, it could be a pun, indicating that someone is "playing games" with you. Watching a game hints at feelings of being on the outside looking in—or possibly feelings that you're sitting on the sidelines while life passes you by. If you're playing and enjoying a game, then life will be good to you. But if you're frustrated by it, expect a few setbacks.


Garbage
A dream of contrary, usually a positive omen. Taking out the garbage symbolizes jettisoning all the "garbage" in your life that is holding you back from success. Walking through or past garbage indicates passing by or over negative influences and thus heading for happiness and good fortune.


Ghost
1. Dreaming of a haunted house indicates that guilt from the past is holding you back from accomplishing something you really want. Actually seeing a ghost, however, is an omen of good luck.
2. If you are frightened by a ghost, this could mean that mistakes in your past have "come back to haunt you." It could also mean that intense pressure to do something against your principles could be put upon you by someone in a position of authority.
3. If the ghost is someone known to you who has passed on and who speaks to you, listen. The message is important. See Dying.


Giant
1. A reflection of the "David and Goliath" archetype. Dreaming of meeting a giant implies meeting challenges boldly and with confidence. Killing a giant is an omen of success beyond your wildest dreams.
2. Dreaming of being a giant sometimes indicates overconfidence. Be cautious of any new enterprises at this time.


Gift
1. Receiving a gift can mean either a lucky break or a betrayal—a warning of "Greeks bearing gifts"—depending on the circumstances and/or other symbols in the dream.
2. Giving a gift, however, is always a symbol of happy times ahead.


Girl
Depending on the circumstances and other symbols, dreaming of a young girl is generally a positive omen. If you know her, and the other dream symbols support it, this is a portent of new opportunities; if she is a stranger, expect some surprising news. For a woman, a strange girl can represent her youthful side; for a man, she could represent his ideal lover.


Glasses/Spectacles:
The significance of this dream depends on whether or not the dreamer normally wears glasses. If he or she does normally wear glasses, this aspect of the dream has little significance. But for someone who does not wear glasses, dreaming of wearing glasses is a sign that things that are confusing now will become clearer very soon - unless it's sunglasses, in which case things may become more obscure. Again, if you're not certain what it is that will become either clearer or more obscure, look to the other symbols in the dream.

Glove
A symbol of security. If the gloves are brand-new, this symbolizes financial security; if the gloves are long evening-type gloves, or gauntlets, this means security in love matters. Losing gloves indicates temporary setbacks, and dirty or worn-out gloves imply difficulties, but all still imply security in the long run.


God, Goddess
A sense of the presence of God or Goddess in a dream is an augur of spiritual revelation and advancement, esoteric insights, and peace of mind. The meaning of dreams of pagan gods depends on the association with that god.


Gorilla:
Dreaming of this gentle, kindhearted animal almost always signifies a new friendship, or the reaffirming of an old friendship. Even if the gorilla appears to be on the rampage, this is still a positive symbol. A gorilla that is angry or upset merely indicates minor misunderstandings with a friend.

Grain
Another symbol of Earth's bounty. Dreams of grain are almost always harbingers of prosperity and happiness, unless the grain is burning or spoiled. In that case, a setback could be in the works, but still, grain is such a positive symbol that the setback in question should be easily resolved.


Grass (Lawn)
A healthy, well-kept lawn or other stretch of grass augurs success and prosperity, while sunburnt, blackened, or dead grass indicates financial setbacks. To dream of planting, sowing or sodding grass indicates that you'll have to work very hard to attain your goals, while cutting or mowing grass implies attaining security but nothing much beyond that.


Grandchild:
A symbol of hope for the future. If the dreamer actually has grandchildren, this is a very personal symbol, implying that the future of the family is pretty much secure. If the dreamer does not have grandchildren, it indicates that the dreamer's own future is bright and promising. If the dream is of someone else's grandchildren, then the dream is more cosmic in its scope: the world is NOT going to go totally down the tubes.

Grandmother
A symbol of knowledge and wisdom, as well as security and protection.


Grandfather
A grandfather also represents knowledge and wisdom, but with a touch of authority and tradition thrown in.


Gray
Gray is a rather depressing color; some mystics believe it to be the color of the aura of a prison. Some sources believe it to indicate a slow period in the dreamer's life, when he or she is merely "marking time."


Green
Peace. Tranquillity. The Earth. Money. A journey. Good news.
Astrological parallel: Taurus.

Gun
1. In Freudian dream analysis, a symbol for physical passion. If the dreamer is the one doing the shooting, then he is consciously or unconsciously searching for a partner. If the dreamer is the one being shot, someone out there feels desire for him.
2. The release, or need for release, of pent-up anger. Again, if the dreamer is doing the shooting, she needs to control her temper and find a positive way to release her anger. If she is the victim, then someone is angry with her.
3. Something important coming up, implying a need to "get out the big guns."
Astrological parallel: Mars/Uranus combinations.
Tarot parallel: The Tower.

Gypsy
1. Dreaming of a female gypsy fortuneteller indicates unexpected good news, while dreaming of a male gypsy, usually a musician, foreshadows romance.
2. If the dreamer saw a band of gypsies, particularly if they were traveling in caravans, a move may be in store, or perhaps a period of uncertainty and insecurity.
3. Buying something from a gypsy indicates good luck after a period of uncertainty.

H


Hail:
A series of misfortunes lie ahead that could place your present goals in jeopardy. Look to the other symbols in the dream to judge which goals they are, or how to avert the misfortunes and save your projects.

Hair
1. An ancient symbol for strength and power. See BALD. Thick, luxuriant hair is a symbol for good health, and thin, wispy hair a sign of oncoming illness.
2. Brushing or combing the hair indicates finding the solution to a problem. Dreaming of someone pulling your hair implies betrayal.
Astrological parallel: Leo.
Tarot parallel: Strength.

Hand:
1. A hand that is open and pointing towards the sky is giving the "Fear not!" gesture of ancient times. Therefore, if you see this symbol, whether the hand is of a person or is totally disembodied, something that you're afraid of is actually nothing to fear.
2. Beautiful, well-kept hands indicate satisfaction in life, while dirty hands indicate some kind of "mess" in your life that needs to be "cleaned up."
3. Hands that are working diligently indicate success and good fortune through the dreamer's own efforts.
4. Hands that caress the dreamer or someone else in the dream, including a pet, imply happiness in love, while hands that are waving in farewell indicate temporary separations.
5. Tied hands imply obstacles in attaining one's goals, while shaking hands imply either a new friend or a reunion with an old one.
6. Injured or bandaged hands indicates delays in attaining one's goals; look to other symbols in the dream to discern how these delays can be subverted, or, if they're inevitable, how best the time during the delays can be spent.

Hat
1. If the hat is new, the dreamer may be considering a new job—and should go for it. If the hat is old and shabby, the dreamer's current job will eventually "get old."
2. If the hat is too small for the dreamer, something in his life for which he had high hopes could turn out to be a disappointment. But if the hat is too large, he has bitten off more than he could chew.
3. A top hat or fashionable ladies' hat indicates a rise in social status.


Hawk
In Native American mythology, the hawk is the messenger. Therefore, if the hawk seems to be friendly, an important and probably positive message will come your way. Other symbols in the dream can reveal what that message concerns. Hawk can also indicate an important opportunity coming your way. If the hawk seems forbidding, however, this is a warning to take care of your emotional baggage before seizing whatever new opportunity comes your way.


Hiding
1. If the dreamer is doing the hiding, there is a part of him that is "hidden," even from him, that perhaps needs to come to the surface and be looked at.
2. If the dreamer hides an object from someone else, then he is concealing something that perhaps needs to be revealed.
3. If the dreamer is searching for someone or something, there is something missing, either an idea or an actual object, that she needs to find and make use of. Other symbols in the dream could reveal exactly what that is.
Astrological parallels: Pluto, Scorpio.
Tarot parallel: The Moon.

Homeless:
A symbol of total powerlessness. 1. If the dreamer is the homeless one, then he or she is facing an unpleasant situation, which seems to have no solution. But if, in the dream, the weather is good, the dreamer has more strength than he or she thinks. If the weather is bad, however, there is little or no hope, and it might be best if the dreamer just cuts the losses and moves on.
2. If the dreamer sees a band of homeless people, then this is a dream of contrary. The dreamer may not be aware of it, but there are people around who care for him and are willing to help him out of his
difficulties.