Like Da Vinci's Flying Machine

I finished Naked Lunch- the afterword was pretty interesting. It mentioned the title came from Jack Kerouac, as a reference to a moment when everyone in the room realizes exactly what they’re eating. This may not be as negative or shocking as it sounds- seems to me, we may not really think of, say a burger as ground-up cow muscle, but I would warrant that the reality is always there. And not really that shocking after all. Another interesting note- Burroughs notes that he was mostly unaware of writing the book, notes being compiled when he was on what would usually be thought of as enough drugs to stone most of the continent for a month. Despite this, it has a good deal of the same kind of literary impressionism that you found in Kerouac and Ginsberg, as well as Ferlingheti. (Not sure on the spelling of that). Often imitated, never duplicated, as they say.

When will things be okay? I wonder that myself. I guess that depends on the definition of okay. Life in the day-to-day is rarely okay, and it seems like no matter what you do, there will always be some other problem cropping up. It reminds me a good deal of the fight against the Hydra in Greek mythology- when you cut off one head of the Hydra, (which was basically a big snake with a lot of heads) two more would grow in its place. The monster was finally defeated (was it Odysseus? I can't recall offhand) by burning the necks closed after the heads were removed. Which brings up the question, why didn't you just stab the thing in the heart or something? But at any rate, in some ways things are okay now- I can only hope that the world is evolving towards a better solution, and a better way of life. I used to try to change the world- at this point I'm lucky if I can remember to change the batteries.