Jasper. There seemed to be a greater proliferation of idiosyncratic characters scattered through the front bars of hotels back in my days as an aficionado of the amber fluid. I’m talking of the 70’s. They made their presence felt in benign ways and then faded away like Autumn sunsets. One such character I recall from those long, gone days was Jasper, that’s the only name we knew him by, and then for only one long, hot Summer. Jasper was a “Balt’, i.e.; he was of those states centred around the Baltic Sea, perhaps he could have been Estonian, he was a tall ponderous sort of chap, with a long serious gaze, with one of those what are called “lantern jawed” faces. He always spoke in a slow, carefully chosen word way. I don’t wonder many philosophers came from the Baltic States, Jasper appeared to put a lot of thought into what he said before he said it, but then he didn’t ever say much of great import. “You gotta watch those ‘Balts’ “ Jack Mitchell warned.”Ooo, they’re troubl