Nothing stays the same for very long in this world of ours, that’s for sure. I guess impermanence is just the natural state of this transitory universe. The shapes are always shifting. But it’s not always easy to take. When something was one way for many years. And then suddenly it’s no longer that way.
For many years the Cody’s block of Telegraph was always jammed full of street vendors. Lining both sides of the street. And they added a lot of color, excitement and life to that block. But they’re all gone now. Completely deserted. When I walk down that block now it’s like walking down a ghost town. But if I squint my eyes I can still see the ghosts of street vendors past.
Duncan and I set up different vending stands there for nearly 20 years. And for most of those years this guy, Ray Winters, was our neighbor, setting up his vending table right alongside ours. Ray started out selling hand-made Star Stix (these juggling sticks) and hackey-sacks. Then switched to brightly-colored computer-generated art. An interesting guy. Now long gone. One more person, place or thing gobbled up by the shifting shapes of impermanence.
Acid Heroes 
Good writing.
I remember when someone threw a pipebomb in that bookstore, Rushdie’s book that pissed off Khomenei. I read somewhere that people would leave packets of heroin in the books in the 60s. Chelsea and Cobra camped there until the owner got pissed off and tried to get rid of them then there was a big demonstration or something.