Continuing our theme of image-conscious entities with image problems we treat now with Carnival Cruise Lines. This week the bird hit the air pump on the Carnival ship called "Dream." The "Dream" got stranded on the island of St. Maarten, from which 4,000 dreamers were ferried home by other more reliable transportation means. Yesterday, I think it was, the Carnival "Legend" crawled into port in Tampa with a problem with its propulsion system. One suggestion, cosmetic it might be called, for these public relations disasters is that Carnival stop taking names for its ships from the perfume aisle of department stores. More substantively, the United States government should ground the entire Carnival fleet, as it does with airlines, until every last boat has been inspected and deemed dream-worthy and sea-worthy.

Image: The misnamed "Dream" in St. Maarten.