Email to America - December 3rd

 It’s so cold! We’ve had our first snow of the year in England, and guess what, it was in the south east, including London. And there was snow on my roof when I left this morning. I don’t remember ever having snow this early. It’s all melted now though, and it’s raining too.

I’ve just finished off your Bowie tape. I did one side of mainly 60s stuff, and the other side divided between 70s and 80s. So I’ve been listening to some of the 80s stuff a bit lately, working out what I should put on your tape. I’ve reassessed a lot of it. I used to think it was pretty bad. Now I think its even worse, its terrible. I’ve put some of the least bad 80s things on your tape, but I figure that as a Bowie fan you should steer well clear of most of it.

I gave your tape a listen last night - good sound quality, but I fell asleep before the end. It sounds good though.

I’ve got loads more obscure Bowie stuff lying around on odd tapes, which I’m gonna try to get together. I’ll see if any of it is good enough to tape for you. I’ve got a recent session - which was excellent, and some live stuff from 96. I’ve also got this radio programme about Bowie’s sessions with the BBC from about 67 to 71. I put some of it on your tape - there’s a really good version of Bombers, but you’re gonna have to wait for the second tape for that.

I had a friend who cycled into someone’s car door just this year. She went flying over the door and was quite badly hurt. She recovered quickly though, but that sort of thing can mess you up mentally, and put you off cycling. She’s alright though, and she’s just had a healthy bouncing baby too. And, again, last summer a cycle courier went into a car door, very near where I live. He had an artery severed, and by the time the ambulance arrived he’d bled to death. I’ve been lucky so far, but have come close many times.

I was in LA for two?/three? days, can’t quite remember. We stayed in Anaheim, next to the bus station, and got an early bus into LA each day. We visited Beverly Hills, Universal (boring, worse than Disney), Sunset Boulevard, went to the coast, looked round the centre etc. All the usual tourist stuff I’m sure. I’d like to go back without my friend, and see some of the real LA, and not theme parks and tourist shit.

I don’t think I could deal with the roller coasters at Magic Mountain. I’ve got a very delicate constitution. I’d have to take a change of underwear. One for every ride. But I dream about flying - I used to dream about it lots - not so much now. I can flap may arms and take off, after that its like swimming. Fantastic.

I’ve got about 300 vinyl lps mostly early 80s stuff, but with a good portion of 70s and 60s thrown in too. I’ve got an uncountable number of tapes, mostly late 80s and 90s stuff, and about 25 cds. There isn’t really one type of music that I can say I prefer, but I’ve avoided heavy metal. I think I’ve got one Iron Maiden tape and a couple Motorhead tapes. I’ve also pretty much managed to avoid popular mainstream chart topping stuff, except for the early 80s  - when the British charts were full of great tunes. I’d hate to know how much money I’ve wasted on tapes/records that I never ever get to play.

I don’t have anything by Chic, only the albums they produced for Debbie Harry and DB.

When I asked if you literally believed in demons, I didn’t mean the little horned ones, I know that they are just a human invention. But do you believe in demons as a supernatural entity, like a very evil spirit? When Clinton dies, will he become a demon? Or is he one already?

“They Live” is about 10 years old. On the face of it a “B” Movie, but if you can see through that to the subversive message underneath, well worth seeing.

I get this magazine about UFOs, so I kind of know most of the theories about aliens. Most of them are pretty way out. I guess I’m reasonably sceptical about it, but I definitly believe that UFOs are real, whatever they are.

Drugs don’t need to be tested on anyone. There are techniques for analysing the effects of drugs without the need for animal or human tests, based on science and not on greed for profit. Also, before drugs are released they undergo field trials. Which means they are tested on sick people. So even after being tested on animals, they are still tested on peole. That’s because the animal tests don’t work. The best way to test an anti cancer drug is to try it on someone who is going to die of cancer. Do you know that scientists induce cancers in lab animals in order to do cancer research? There are independent scientists willing to attest that this kind of induced cancer bears no resemblance to a human cancer, so all the research results are completely irellevent at best, misleading at worst. Personally, I think the only way humans are ever going to erradicate diseases like cancer, heart disease etc, is by changing our diet and our lifestyles. Stop eating meat, stop eating so much cooked and processed foods, stop using pesticides/herbicides, reduce traffic (be heathier by walking or cycling instead) and other pollution causing modern evils. But then, I’m an extremist.

And something else that confirms how evil this industry is. In Scandanavia they abort babies as late as 6 or 7 months. These foetuses are fully formed, if small, babies. And some live. The living ones aren’t classified as human by law, so can be sold to drugs testers. And they are. Many of them are exported to the US where they are injected with all sorts of toxic evil concoctions. They usually wind up dying in agony as no anaesthetic is administered. I read this in a book called “Naked Empress” which is an exposé of the drugs industry and animal testing.

I’m against doctors, they only serve as a sales person for the big drugs companies. My doctor doesn’t suggest that I might be able to solve my problems by adjusting my diet. She doesn’t even ask me about my diet, or exercise. When I had an infected right shoulder ( it hurt on and off for six months, and kept leading to chest infections), after being knocked down by that car last year, she tried to get me to take antibiotics and painkillers. I refused. Instead I read a book on nutrition and adjusted my diet. For around 6 months since going on the raw food diet I’ve had no trouble from my shoulder at all.

I’ve been taking spiruleina. A friend recommended it. It’s expensive isn’t it?

The sticky red stuff is on the back of the John/Joan article. I can’t think what else it could be other than jam. And it wasn’t me - I never eat jam.

You say that the black queen in the drag club has implants. But it’s possible for men to grow breasts by taking the right hormones. Plenty of men have done it. Apparently all the “equipment” is there for breast growing, but we lack the right proteins.

If you want to meet on a chat thingy then I get home about 6 pm, which is 1 pm your time. If I went on at midnight, then it would be 7 pm for you. Tell me when’s good for you. Sunday’s going to be the best day for me. Any time.

The building work’s finished in my flat. I’ve got two more radiators than I used to have, and the bathroom looks pretty cool now. Sheer luxury. I’ve got the heating working flat out right now.

Been putting together the newsletter for the local Greenpeace people. I get most of it from the internet, saves all the typing.

With superhuman effort I’ll be putting your tapes in the post by the weekend at the latest. I’ve got a photo sorted out to put in with it. Don’t blame me if you don’t like it. There’s still time to stop me. Oh, and thanks for yours, its good to know what you look like you cartoon character you *laughing*.

I’ll try not to get houmous on it before I post it.