A MORE INNOCENT AGE.

The last time I crossed an ocean, you could still smoke in many public places and disport yourself with cigarettes, cocktails, and loose people of a suitable gender. Haven't been able to do that in years here. Loose people of several genders abound, but you wouldn't like them. Cocktails now contain curated ingredients and cost sheer buckets because they are carefully constructed using only the finest craft-made ingredients instead of five dollar Bourbon, and smoking in a business establishement will get you blamed for killing the whales, ruining the enviroment, what about my lungs you pig, discrimanation of all kinds, eating gluten, get out.

And let us not forget about kittens.

Smoking is horrifying to felines.

Gives 'em childhood trauma.


I don't miss the cocktails or the disportation. Bourbon, gin, or vodka, with a drop or two of of vermouth, stirred and never shaken, with an apropriate garnish next to a cafe ashtray, looks fine, goes well with Diamond brand Lotus Cigarettes (鑽石牌荷花香煙 'juen sek paai ho faa heung yin') made in Hebei (河北 'ho paak'), OR a Dunhill Shellbriar filled with a fine Virginia flake such as used to be put out by McClelland in Kansas City (which ceased operations in 2018). Or something from Samuel Gawith or Fribourg & Treyer. But a cup of tea is fine.
And civilized people do not imbibe before late afternoon at the earliest.

I've got the Lotus cigarettes, as well as a number of Dunhill Shellbriars, and several tins of Virginia. But an indoor public place of disportation which still has cafe ashtrays and doesn't throw kittens at one for smoking around other people is hard to find anywhere nowadays.

Let's not even think of karaoke joints in foreign locales. Smoke filled yes. Lousy cocktails, and singing whales. Plus patrons whose personal ethics and morals are more than a little dubious. I'd rather have the flung kittens.


Precisely the kind of place where one might find a sleazoid pretentious git with a poncy accent about to start a rumble.


Say, what brand of cigarette does James Bond smoke anyway? Seeing as the Brits have gone to the dogs there probably aren't any decent fags from England anymore.
The poor bastard is probably huffing cheap knock-offs.
Poor show, old chap.



I still have a few packs of Belomorkanal somewhere.
They would probably go well with a martini.
While listening to Hotel California.
Sung off-key by a yuppie.



For some reason, I keep thinking of parsnips. I blame karaoke for that.
And yuppies.




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