caveat: zap-o-matic number 23

sometimes i regret having stumbled upon the heading "zap-o-matic" for my radiotherapy session postings. it implies a certain joking trivialization of the process that lacks gravity. on the other hand, the whole situation sometimes strikes me as so absurdly flash gordoneaque that i wanted to capture that, and the moniker seems apt.

i thought of this, this morning, awaking from a dream in which i had been abducted by aliens, who had decided they could "help" me by rearranging my body into a more "optimal" configuration. transparently symbolic, eh?

the thing was, it wasnt at all nightmarish. my dream-self was remarkably blase about the prospect. "have at it," i seemed to be saying. "good luck with that. ive been trying for years. . ." which makes me think of an old talking heads song, "seen and not seen." maybe i will add the link to that when i get home.

[update]

What I'm listening to right now.

Talking Heads, "Seen Or Not Seen."

Lyrics:

He would see faces in movies, on T.V., in magazines, and in books….
He thought that some of these faces might be right for him….
And through the years, by keeping an ideal facial structure fixed in his mind….
Or somewhere in the back of his mind….
That he might, by force of will,
cause his face to approach those of his ideal….
The change would be very subtle….It might take ten years or so….
Gradually his face would change its shape….A more hooked nose…
Wider, thinner lips….Beady eyes….A larger forehead.

He imagined that this was an ability he shared with most other people….
They had also molded their faces according to some ideal….
Maybe they imagined that their new face would better suit their personality….
Or maybe they imagined that their
personality would be forced to change to fit the new appearance….
This is why first impressions are often correct…
Although some people might have made mistakes….
They may have arrived at an appearance that bears no relationship to them….
They may have picked an ideal appearance based on some childish whim,
or momentary impulse….
Some may have gotten halfway there, and then changed their minds.
He wonders if he too might have made a similar mistake