2008 or Death and All of His Friends.

Dear 2008,


I wanted to be a fan, but not so much. You had so much promise: another country, a new president, the Olympics, a new Shyamalan film, a new Coldplay album. Yet, with all that good, you left me bitter, numb, angry, and a better person. You changed me 2008.

a new fear
a new president
a new hope
a new style
more coldplay
poor shyamalan films
the olympics
michael phelps
china
austrailia
Lost
Bus Stop
new phobias
a dissapointment
a reality
unchangeable present
the underground
bleak
cynicism
fatal
fantastic people
dear sweet tender precious chad
black mountain
angels in america
virgin atlantic
change, a year of change
doubt
isolation
islands ( i still hate them)
rain
perpetual rain
crushed innocence
overwhelming faith
strength from nowhere
lowest of lows
illness
death
change
poverty
hope
new hope
new mexico
sand
sand
sand
big sky
sing a new song

You lit fire of fear that had much to burn

I've never been more ready for a new year.

Stephen Sondheim says of America in Assassins
"I just heard
On the news
Where the mailman won the lottery.
Goes to show:
When you lose, what you do is try again.

You can be
What you choose,
From a mailman to a president.
There are prizes all around you,
If you're wise enough to see"


2008, you are either my biggest enemy or my greatest friend.

Sincerely,
Mitch

It's a Wonderful Life

I never knew how much I think like you.

Typical

Everyone seems to look cooler in the desert. The pictures from New Mexico make us look far more action heroic than we really are, or at least that is true of myself. I am the least exciting action hero ever. I look dumb and awkward most of the time and that's when I'm not tripping over my own feet. However, somewhere inside of me is an extremely dangerous stunt driver. I don't know how he exists, I just know he's there.

Though I may look out of place there, I absolutely love the desert. It could be due to my infatuation with sand and geography but really I think it has more do with opportunity. Out West, it feels like you can do anything. I joked often that in many ways the desert is the opposite of England, which is why it currently feels so good. It's sunny, it's dry, it's pleasant, it's usually warm, and it's full of hope.

Call Me Old Fashioned.

I dreamed about sewing machines last night.

Changeling

This movie reminded me of Hell.

The true meaning of Halloween.

In The Know: Has Halloween Become Overcommercialized?

Fight back you coward!

New international trailer for Half-Blood Prince. Still no sign of the bridge scene. Of course we won't really know anything until JULY!!!

Nashville

On a childhood highway through a night alone
I was barely breathing, I was crawling home
Well it's not quite London or the south of France
Or an Asian island or a second chance

Going back to Nashville, thinking about the whole thing
Guess you gotta run sometimes
Maybe I'm a fast train rolling down the mountain
Watching all my life go by

You're a distant memory, you're an exit sign
I was talking crazy on the driver's side
And I know I hurt you but I won't confess
Was that blood or a wine stain on your wedding dress

Going back to Nashville, thinking about the whole thing
Guess you gotta run sometimes
Maybe I'm a fast train rolling down the mountain
Watching all my life go by
Going back to Nashville, laughing at a bad break
What's the use in wondering why
Maybe I'm a storm front rolling through the valley
Tearing up a good July

And it's safe and warm where nothing ever happens
Would it be so hard to realign a star or two
Change a southern night for you

Well it's not quite evening, and it's not New York
There's a scar in the blue sky by the old airport
And I'm talking crazy on the driver's side
I will always love you like a long goodbye
-David Mead

Hott Mom

Fight it!!

England

Thank you FilpVideo.


England from blindmeloncroc on Vimeo.

H-ween 08.

Oh man, get ready.

I'm a college student.

The Olympics make me feel like I've accomplished nothing with my life.

Michael Phelps was 19 competing in Athens.

This week we had Friday night off. It was fantastic. After a quick nap to make up for five hours of sleep a small group of us went downtown to experience Asheville. The locals described the event that took place next as "The Drum Circle." We referred to it as "The Hippie Dance Party." In short it was a group of about 200 people in the middle of the city making some beats on their drums. There were so many unbathed humans and other recognizable smells in that circle. However, it was terrifically entertaining and I of course danced like an idiot. One of my favorite games was "Dance Like You Favorite Hippie." I used some of the African dance moves I learned at Thespian Conference a few years ago. Next time you see me ask and I'll demonstrate my new favorite dance move.

Drippolator

So I sit in a trendy coffee shop in Black Mountain, North Carolina lulled by the sweet tones of old jazz and enjoying the free internet when I realize that I'm gonna make it through. It certainly won't be on my own accord. We have one full day off a week. It brings a new reality to the term "day of rest." There are so many things I cannot wait for that I forbid myself to enjoy the moment. Maybe there is more in store for me than I can see. Claro que sí.

This week has been extremely full of new people, new things, new places and not a lot of sleep. But that's pretty much been my whole year hasn't it? Except the sleep part of course, I slept a lot this year. It's been a year of change. I think that is what sophomore year is all about. Change. The word sophomore means intellectually pretentious, juvenile, and immature. I've had a lot of those moments this year. I continue to search myself, finding darker and more foul things all the time and I understand that this is a season, a puzzle piece in my sanctification.

Centrifuge

I leave for Centrifuge in two days. Raise your hand if your unprepared. (hand raised)

Today's new dis

"Get up out of my kool aid, when you don't know the flavor."

Someone sent me this text message yesterday.

"M. Night Shyamalan sucks!"


A plague on both your houses.

Have you ever been on nitrous? You should probably try it. I absolutely hate going to the dentist. I really do. It's nothing new. In fact I think the most fearful situation that could ever happen to me would probably be underwater dental work while having appendicitis. But as an adult I have grown fond of drugs. Yes, dental drugs. I try to get nitrous every time I go the dentist. Next time you should come over and we should do it together, and then talk about the universe.

Souled Out

I want to be like Malfoy. In The Half Blood Prince he is working for Voldermort the whole time, completely sold out to his cause. He believes it is the most important thing he could ever do and dedicated to it every day. Harry on the other hand should be focusing on what Dumbledore is teaching him but instead remains completely obsessed with what Malfoy's doing. In previous books Malfoy could not resist the chance to make fun of Harry but in this book it's like he dosen't see the point in it anymore. He has a larger more meaningful purpose to fulfill. The things he used to loose sleep over now just seem petty. So I want to be like Malfoy in this book. He dosen't second guess his destiny, no matter the cost.

I discovered this journal entry in Spain. I looked down at a place I had written, it said "With every fiber of my being." That was it. That was all I wrote. I knew that this is what I desired and there are only a few times that I actually understand it. I went to England with the intention of learning how to worship God with every part of me. I'm still learning.

"The trouble with school is they always try to teach the wrong lessons." -Wicked
Is that really applicable here? I'm not sure, it just came to mind.

Au revoir

Today was my last day in Canterbury. It fought me just like I thought it would. I had to run all over campus to get things done, but alas they are now done. Tomorrow I'm catching a bus up to London to spend the night. We are seeing Phantom of the Opera tomorrow night and then I'm waking up in the morning to catch my flight HOME! I am unbelievably excited to go home finally but at the same time am sad to say goodbye. I went next door to say goodbye to Martha's housemates and before I could leave Lena sat me down to tell me a story. It was about dwarfs and a big giant who was mean to them. However the point of the story was that these dwarfs survived by giving happy stones to one another and if you give a happy stone to another person you will most definitely recieve one back. So to say goodbye Lena gave me a Happy Stone, so that whenever I take it out of my pocket I can be happy. So to England, I say thank you and goodnight. I believe I did what I came here to do.

Speed-the-Plow

Martha and I went to London this week to see David Mamet's Speed-the-Plow. Kevin Spacey, Jeff Goldblum, and Laura Michelle Kelley (Mary Poppins London Cast) were in it. I liked it, but I still can't say I'm a huge Mamet fan. I have less than week until I am home! I cannot wait but at the same time I have so much to do before I leave, like passing my Shakespeare class which may now by an issue.

Hello, I'm Tim the Satanist

This is a clip from Pub Comedy, the play I have been working on for the past few weeks. It could be the most plagiarized work ever written. None the less the experience made this semester immensely more worth while and insanely fun. This is a clip of a character named Tim who happens to a Satanist, whose beliefs I do NOT in fact endorse . The character was based on an actual guy who was a Satanist and ironically was incredibly nice.

I will be posting again soon. I've actually been busy. Sorry about the delays.
In the meantime, enjoy this video of us playing spoons with Lena and Ana, our German friends. And Lucy Tyler who is Martha's mom.

Wilamungenkus

This is the trailer for the Lifeway Fuge videos called "Adventure Now" that Seth Worley made. There is some strange kid in it with red hair. I put this up so his mom could see it.

Beware

So Shakespeare told us to beware the ides of March. And here it is, March 15th and I had really wierd dreams today and really strange confrontations, some of them being with people who literally have no names. I am learning a ton about Shakespeare while here in England and let me tell you he is right. Beware them Caesar and other people, beware the ides of March.

I'm trippin on tryptophan. I had a turkey burger for lunch and now I'm going to have nap with some messed up dreams.

ladies and gen'elmen

I spent the last two days in London. A heck of a lot happened in that time but most of it will be delayed in posting due to the enormity of one event. I will try to relay what happened sequentially, so that you might experience the same feelings that we did. Martha and I were walking along the river Thames towards The Globe when we saw a low flying helicopter. Normally, I would not have thought twice about a helicopter but all the people along the river had stopped to look at it. I thought, "Okay, British people its just a helicopter, we've had them for ages." Then I noticed that it was circling one area and it had a camera attached to the front. I then realized it was only a traffic helicopter and went to lunch. When we finished eating we headed back towards the chaos. There was a large portion of the side walk along the river blocked off from public access. I quickly noticed the many cameras that were on the other side of the barrier. Now we were interested in what exactly was going on here. The barriers were placed at the foot of the Millennium bridge, a rather odd looking steel configuration meant for pedestrian enjoyment. It was still open to the public. As we walked by we got a closer look at who was behind the police men. I continued to think this may be a news station set up until I saw a director's chair with the name David Yates. Excitement pierced my stomach. My dork levels began to rise when I realized that David Yates had in fact directed the last Harry Potter film and was currently on production for the next. Still, I thought he must be working on a side project.
Martha and I continued to walk up to the bridge when I caught a glimpse of the badge on a camera man. It clearly spelled, "HP6." Excitement suddenly left my stomach and swam through every vein in my body. Could they really be filming Harry Potter here in middle of such a public place? I turned to Martha, and told her what I saw. We followed the camera man and his boom mic operator so that we could have a chance of walking by on screen. We saw this sign and immediately knew that it meant business. There was a camera on a high crane that overlooked the bridge, one on a boat, one on a helicopter, and still another walking across the bridge. We crossed the bridge maybe six different times to ensure that and editor didn't ruin our life long dreams. As if we needed more proof that this was the best discovery ever we returned to where we could see David Yate's chair. On it laid a sheet that was most likely the shooting list for the day. It was titled, "Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince." Our hopes were affirmed and we screamed a little as we tried to share the information we had discovered. They obviously didn't want everyone to know what exactly they were filming. There were no actors or Warner Brother's logos. Being the devoted fans that we are, we figured out that this scene is most likely a quick glimpse of the bridge that collapses in the beginning of the book.

To everyone that I told, "Hey, I'm just gonna walk up to set and say here I am and they will put me in when I go to England" I wasn't joking.

To J.K. Rowling for demanded an entirely British cast, "What now?"

And I went to Platform 9 3/4 afterwards.

HP6

I'm going to explain this, soon. Very soon.

I'm gonna live forever

I bought the complete first season of Fame. Don't judge me too harshly, but I purchased it on Amazon.co.uk after seeing that one of our professors at UT was a regular on the show. And the song is really catchy. Without much research I bought it from the cheaper "other" retailers on Amazon which is normally okay. However I got my complete first season in the mail this week only to find out that all the packaging is in German and the DVD is in a different region code and in PAL. Why didn't I know? Beucase I was blinded by Fame. I managed to watch the first episode on Martha's computer next door and I am hooked. All these kids want is for someone "to remember my name." It's singing and dancing in an arts high school in NYC. What could be better? Don't answer that.

The Mayflower

I don't sleep. Not here, anyways. It's strange because the small amount of sunlight that we don't receive here that you do in the southern U.S. seems to make a big difference in my sleeping schedule. (pronounced shedule by the brits) Also, I have no reason to wake up at any decent hour tomorrow. That's right, i have no responsibilities! It sucks. I'm the type of person that needs something to do to keep from going insane. And that my friends is what islands do to people. They make people crazy. Oh, people will tell you its not true but it is. It is.

Also, I do realize my extreme lack of transition words. I am now considered a regular at Chamber's Café just off of high street, near the Cathedral. I first went there because someone told me they had free wifi and it was a pretty orange color. However much to my surprise, I came to understand that the very building I was enjoying mochas and 50's duwop was the same building that the Mayflower was hired. That means they signed the papers and made it an official trip to the new world in Chamber's Café. Realistically, it was probably called something else like "We don't have the plague Café". None-the-less I was uknowingly drawn to a specific point in Canterbury that is incredibly important to American history. Pretty cool huh? Eh, just another day in a freakishly old place.

La red

The internet came back on two days earlier than expected. I have had these pictures for a while now and haven't put them up. These are from the big Camden market place fire that happened several weeks ago in London. I was actually there the night it happened. Oddly enough, I was in Spamalot and heard quite a lot of firetrucks go by. I didn't really think anything of it. The next day I woke up and my mother had sent me an email making sure I wasn't anywhere near the fire. Additionally, last week there was a decent sized earthquake in England and I totally missed it. They have earthquakes like once every 25 years here and I missed it and the fire.

My internet is down in my flat and probably won't be fixed until Monday. Therefore I cannot blog with pictures like I was planning to. Do not be sad just look forward to that day.

Boy Story

"You've got a friend in me.
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles
From your nice warm bed
Just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you've got a friend in me"

Thanks to everyone who has contributed to my wall. It grows bigger every week. You don't know how much you need people you love until you don't have them. So if you are my friend. Thank you. I pray that I can be as good a friend as you have been to me.

Misfortunes masked in hope

How do I begin this post? That's a great question. Yesterday was a roller coaster of everything human. I feel like I just got off the high school maturity wagon as if I had gone through every learning experience induced by four year periods. I left for London in the morning to meet Meg Kimsey and her boyfriend Andy. It was good to finally see her. We walked around tourist London, which is honestly getting more boring every time I do it. Big Ben and I are growing kind of tired of each others faces. ....punny. We did go to the Tower of London and to Tower Bridge which is not London Bridge because it is still standing. Later that day this dialogue would happen.

Steff: Why didn't you go into the Tower of London.
Mitch: Because it was ugly and depressing.
Steff: Yeah,? because it was a prison and a torture chamber.
Mitch: Oh....
England: What, like you didn't torture people for hundreds of years?

Our plane to Doublin was leaving at 8:45 so we got on the Gatwick Express. *Note to future London travelers. Gatwick is way better than both Stansted and Heathrow as it has a Krispy Cream. We got up to our check in line when this dialogue happened.

Steff: Oh hold on, I gotta get my passport out.
Mitch's guts: whooosh. *hit floor
Steff's passport: I'm present.
Mitch's passport: The heck I am.

That's right, I totally forgot my passport for my trip to Ireland. I hadn't thought about my passport in over a week. Honestly, Ireland has been its own republic since I've been born so why I never thought to bring my passport is a complete wonder. So long story long I took the train back to London and the bus pack to Canterbury and my feet back to my flat.


As I wrote this I was listening to a CD that Lauren Sampsell gave maybe four years ago. It had a hidden song on it. You know the ones that are like six minutes into the track after four minutes of silence and no joke the lyrics were as follows, "You and I don't have long, so make the most before its gone." I think I will. Thank you sad southern songwriter.

Today I was walking through town and I noticed the usual triplet of pigeons in my way. A pigeon's merit in Canterbury is probably based on how well it can dodge the people around it. Well, this pigeon was obviously not the brightest of it kind. It flew into my face. Yep. First it hovered in the air, looked at me then looked away, then flew over my head and then fell on my face. I'm not positive about the physics of the event I just know it happened..... and it was awkward and no one was there with me to laugh or cry or feel awkward. It was just a bunch of strangers who looked at me like I was annoyingly new at walking through medieval cities.
Another note. About a month ago Victor brought home a large map of the United States with details of the 2008 election printed on it. We loved it so much that it now hangs in our kitchen just to the left of the frig and to the right of a cabinet. The best parts are the daily additions to the map. Everyone who comes into our house seems to have something to say about something on the map. So I bought a big Sharpie to write things on it. I didn't write the obscene things. Those were written by my house mates.

Also, I saw this on the way home. I guess they used to hang people here. Creepy.

And, I am going to Doublin tomorrow.

So some friends decided to make me a farewell video before I left for England.
Thanks guys.........................I think.

Someone is playing Lonestar next door. It followed me all the way over here.


It's what hurts the most, ya know?

Today I sat in my new favorite cafe called Chambers. It is awesome 1 because it has free wifi and 2 because the girl who worked there remembered me from the last time I was there and 3 they serve me coffee with my initials written in chocolate. I gave Mr. Jeff Venable a tour via skype. He said I looked homeless. I looked at my picture on the screen and realized, he was right. This beard is lowering my economic status daily. Also, it's Valentine's day. More importantly this is the painting I bought in Spain. I just flattened it out enough to hang it on my wall.

I marked this section of Blue Like Jazz.

"The thing I have to work on in myself is this issue of belief. Gandhi believed Jesus when He said to turn the other check. Gandhi brought down the British Empire, deeply injured the caste system, and changed the world, Mother Teresa believed Jesus when He said everybody was priceless, even the ugly ones, the smelly ones, and Mother Teresa changed the world by showing them that a human being can be selfless. Peter finally believed the gospel after he got yelled at by Paul. Peter and Paul changed the world by starting small churches in godless towns.
Eminem believes he is a better rapper than other rappers. Profound. Let's all follow Eminem. .......... But the trouble with deep belief is that it costs something. And there is something inside me, some selfish beast of a subtle thing that doesn't like the truth at all because it carries responsibility, and if I actually believe these things I have to do something about them."

I'm not sure why I choose this selection of all the passages in the book. It surely isn't the funniest or the most thought provoking or even the most theologically questionable but it just seemed very..... very human. Something I am learning quite a lot about. I liked this book a lot more than I thought I would. Read it, and let's have coffee.

A few things

My dad totally had one of these when he was young and hip. Totally cool. MG Midget. I thought of him.
I came across this story when searching my mind today. This dialogue took place while I was washing my hands in the British Museum.

Little Kid opens bathroom door.
LITTLE KID: Daddy, there's a line outside the girls bathroom.
DAD: There usually is.
LITTLE KID: Why?
DAD: That's one of the great mysteries of life..... now wash your hands.

I enjoyed this conversation very much but not quite as much as this video of the Blair Witch Bee.


Honestly, why was there a Bee in my room... in February.

"I tell thee what, prince: a college of wit-crackers cannot flout me out of my humour."

Yesterday I went back to London. We went to Buckingham Palace. I hope I am not the first to say that Buckingham Palace was a complete buzz kill. It is like a really boring version of Congress. I ended up taking lots of pictures of the gate because it was prettier than the actual palace. However, the grounds around it are nice and are apparently the unnatural habitat of gigantic wild birds. No joke, I saw more than one pelican in a pond that was maybe 11 inches deep.
I also rode the tube around the city for the first time and I really enjoyed it. There is something about the subway that I have always associated with personal independence and sustainability. We went to the British Museum to see the Egyptian stuff and ultimately The Rosetta Stone. The Chinese New Year is today so there were huge celebrations going on in London. At the British Museum we saw a paper puppet show and a few other things. That night we went through China Town to get to our theatre and it was bumpin like it was 1999. It was really fun to me amidst the masses. We saw Spamalot from an amazingly high angle. I'm glad I got to see none the less. And I'm almost finished with Blue Like Jazz. More on that later.

"No, the world must be peopled"

Last night at Ichthus we made pancakes. English pancakes are somewhat different than American pancakes. Here, they are very flat and big and after you cook them you roll them up like a burrito. It actually makes the pancake eating process much easier. However last night I was responsible for cooking my own pancake. I put too much oil into the pan so I think I kind of fried it. When confronted about my mistake the dialogue was as follows


MITCH: It's okay it'll just turn out like funnel cake.
THE BRITS: ......................
MITCH: Okay, I guess that one didn't translate.
THE BRITS: .....................
MITCH: It's like a big donut.
THE BRITS: Oh yeah, right! That makes since.

Since I purchased my RSC: The Complete Works of William Shakespeare I have decided to title my posts with some of his more excellent quotes. Today's quote is from Much Ado About Nothing when Benedict gives a monologue on why it is reasonable to fall in love.