Thank you SO much for reading and appreciating my words.

I was born on Loisaida but was gone from early 70’s [underground draft refusal] and came back by the mid 70’s to pogo dance in my hometown.

I lived in Manhattan and Brooklyn and spent my evenings catching Patti Smith and the Ramones etc etc wherever I could. Perhaps we crossed paths at CBGBs.

I too had every pet the shops could sell as a kid. No cats because my parents wouldn’t have it (it's the only one I'd even consider now.)

And the puppy lasted a couple weeks as I figured out I’d have to go and walk it every day before and after school. No way. My playtime was way too valuable.

Over the years I have come to feel much like you do about pets. Birds in cages, really? Last time I went to a zoo may well be my last ever.

I cringe at the horse carriages by Central Park — obnoxious sentimental bougie tourist behavior.

Mr. Ed would speak disapprovingly.

Yes yes — it would be wonderful to sit over a beverage of whatever fluid with you.

[My partner of 14 years has been sober for 23, but she’s aok with my indulgence which is really very mild. (My drug of choice throughout this journey on planet earth have been psychedelics.)]

You are quite lucky to have escaped this Babylon — where in UK do you live? — I feel that way especially now.

This place is rotten at the core and metastasizing.

I’m glad that at least I’m in NYC. As Spaulding Grey said: “I knew I couldn't live in America and I wasn't ready to move to Europe so I moved to an island off the coast of America - New York City ."

I am ready to move to Europe — I wanna be in the center when WWWIII gets going, I’d hate to survive it here — but alas $ says I can’t even visit.

The politics have shifted so far to the right that most of my friends and acquaintances have fallen under the neo-con-liberal’s spell and seem excited by Obamala Harris. This kid who blossomed in the 1960s is so disappointed, frustrated, angry!

With them I cannot share beverages unless politics are completely avoided — and damn I’m bad at that.

😊

Cheers.

And thanks again for the words.