For the Birds receives a varied and interesting audience–and I love it. I know this because most of the comments I receive – through the blog commenting tool or more often via direct email, are gracious and well thought out. I also receive hate mail, which I have mentioned before and is a part of the whole mail phobia…. But even the time that the hater took to write makes me feel… I don’t know…. “Processed”. And who am I kidding – almost failing Philosophy 101 in college… there just has to be something to this love, hate, love relationship…

A few of my favorite non-hater comments from recent months:

Consider this Evaluation of Evidence via email:

“First, I liked the title.  It has a little of a nineteenth century sound to it.  And the sound reminded me of the title of a book I read a long time ago:  “Within the Context of No Context.”  Obviously, this connection cannot be explained.  One of the themes of the book was about making judgements, and how we move from childish judgements to adult judgements.

Coincidentally, I have been thinking a lot about my own habit of judging everything, almost always negatively.  I would have had your reaction exactly to the sign about fuel efficient cars.  I am aware that there are alternative judgements in the face of such evidence.  Maybe:  “I am so glad someone had the idea to recognize people who are sensitive to the fate of the world.  This sign is such a good idea.”  I don’t know that person, and probably wouldn’t want to either.  But why is my judgement so immediately scornful? Childish or adult?  I will continue to ponder this, for a while anyway.
 
Please continue to write these wonderful posts.  Someone out there appreciates them.” –Dave S

Where am I? via comments:

I’m going to guess Colonel Mustard in the library with the candlestick,
but then I decided to go with:
The girl in the black coat in the bottom right of the picture (because
if it isn’t you, why would a complete stranger smile for the camera?),
in Dubai, in 2003.–Robin

This Email Smells Like a Peach via comments:

You get hate mail? I’m jealous. You know you’ve made it when you get hate mail.

I’ve been waiting, and waiting. When I get one I’m SO going to publish it. My mom will be so proud…–Amanda

Somewhere between Pollock & Kandinsky via comments & email:

Hi Ryan,
I like it when I come across what I once described to a friend on the
internet as a ‘welcome new source of meaning’.
I’ve had an interest in Pollock for some time and through a friend have
come to appreciate Kandinsky. In watching the Ed Harris movie on
Pollock, my ears pricked up when he was depicted as including Kandinsky
as a key influence. Well, this morning the thought just occurred to me
and I searched on ‘From Pollock to Kandinsky’, and found your piece on
your son Will’s first watercolour. Nice serendipidity. Now reading a
site where Pollock was said to be interested in Jung’s ideas…more
serendipidity!
See http://www.thehindu.com/fline/fl1614/16140700.htm
What I wanted to share with you was a site that, as far as I recall,
hails from Canada, called Ode magazine – about art and artists. A while
back I found a page in French, comparing Kandinsky and Borduas. It was
in French, but I took the trouble to get it translated (just rough
internet option).
One of the phrases, in French, from Kandinsky was this: “Les enfants
sont les plus grands imaginatifs de tous les temps.” My rough internet
translation read: “The children are largest imaginative of all times. ”
Here’s that site:http://zodode.5.50megs.com/OetC/pensee_k_b.htm
Now I look at Will’s watercolour, and see a nice completion of that
little journey.
Regards,
Dave in Australia

Brave New World via comments:

I think that the balance lies somewhere in the middle– I think it’s
ludicrous that fruit loops are a “Smart” choice, but I also think that
the food companies need to preach moderation vs. making people think
that because it’s “better” for them, they can eat a whole box. But then
how can they make a bunch of money?
If the cookie monster says cookies are a “once in a while food,” why
can’t there be levels for the check-marks?
I think that we are at the beginning of “the great reckoning” in food
marketing (and I work in it). Companies are going to need to develop
some sort of social conscience. Putting a check-mark on a box isn’t
going to be enough. But skippy pb is pretty tasty.–burgerblogger