July 09, 2003

From: "Mitchell"
To: "Abbey"
Subject: ...and never raise a rebel cry.
Date: Wed, 09 Jul 2003 22:38:20 +0000

wow, that had to have been my worst email ever. i almost fell asleep typing
it. i'm pretty surprised you responded. it certainly did not merit a
response. gee, you're swell (though i prefer to blame your horrid tone on
the weather outside and not because you think me a fool).

"they would kiss in public places (but not too public - because the Abbey the
labrat is sure that the other labrats will get jealous, very jealous)."
yes, i'm sure that's why. i attract lab rats.

*mitchell inhales deeply*

the anarchists of spain... ... catalonia 1936-c.1938 is my number one choice
for "where and when in history would mitchell most like to live?" (a little
ahead of paris [1871], petrograd [february 1917-april 1918] and
nazareth/jerusalem [c. jesus' time... was that b.c. or a.d.? hmmmm.... i
wonder]). i long for those romantic days: the arrival of the international
brigades, the red and black flags, eric blair (soon to be george orwell),
ernest hemingway, the purging of the p.o.u.m. [actually not at all... i
probably would have wept (or been purged)]. it all makes me think of a poem
- "come let us lay a lance at rest and tilt at windmills beneath a wild sky"
- which incidently was the poem that inspired a a young man named fred
thomas to join the brigades in 1936 (have you read his memors?). i echo
your "sigh". spanish peasants in the napoleonic wars are credited with the
first modern use of guerrilla tactics (hence, the name). why, why, why
didn't the loyalists/republicans/marxists/trotskyists/anarchists use
guerrilla warfare against the fascists? it would have made perfect sense.
now i'm sad. ho hum.

i was going to go on another rant, but i haven't the energy. i am sloth.
i will talk to you soon.
mitch

~if you desire peace of soul and happiness, then believe; if you would be a
disciple of truth, then inquire.~