The other night I had one of those dreams in which I was flying. Not in the old fashioned way, mind you. I wasn't drifting softly above the clouds looking down on all creation. In a typically modern, prosthetic fashion, I was on an airplane.
But not just any airplane, mind you. Mary and I were flying to Moscow. It seems I had some sort of entrepreneurial venture with which I was crazed and just knew that I could make a lot of money while there. On the plane, Mary informed me that she would be flying back to the states a few days early, much to my surprise and chagrin.
This was just a marvellous dream insofar as it combined elements of our current moment of Trump/Putin/Musk bromance (big profits!), season 2 of White Lotus (I will not drop a spoiler in there, if you get it, you get it), and a typical dissertation anxiety dream which takes me back to Moscow where I have a bad experience.
The dream was also informed by listening to the ex-of Princeton professor of Russian History Stephen Kotkin in conversation with Tyler Cowen on the latter's podcast. Kotkin was a little rude to me one time at the Exchange Pool in Princeton a couple of decades ago, but much of that was probably my acute desire for respect and acceptance from academics after quitting the field to support the family back then. On the podcast I was extremely impressed by Kotkin's prodigious work ethic and stamina across his academic career. I just added volume 1 of his Stalin bio to my book list. I also highly recommend Cowen's "Conversations with Tyler" podcast in general. The guy has really carved out a unique space for himself as a broad public intellectual. I think economists respect him too.
2 comments:
Cool to dream up a prosthetic airplane. I dream more prosaically.
No no, we were on a plane. I think commercial but could have been a PJ.
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