From: nikki<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Dee-don't panic.  Megs is right, it's bad for you.  As my sister is also an artist, I've noticed that the lot of you can be overly critical.  However, as I think the only thing of yours I have seen is the waterfall (lovely, by the way) I think I am not the person to ask for inspirational work from.  Im under qualified, as I don't really know your style.<BR>
<BR>
Megs-I am sure the finals went well.  And I hope you have a great summer at home.  I look forward to some new works from you.<BR>
<BR>
Terry-I really liked the last two submissions of yours.  (I also hope you haven't submitted anything since the last two I read, or I might have to change that statement.  That's what I get for coming to the board before I read the new subs, I guess.)<BR>
<BR>
I only read part of the ramble, but what I've read so far I like.  <BR>
<BR>
an aside from romance....someone please tell me what to do about a headache that just won't stay gone???<BR>
<BR>
<BR>
distressed and doped out on motrin...
<HR>
From: Eric, [email-masked]<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

hey everyone, <BR>
<BR>
finally wrote again, please comment on it...i was kinda upset when i wrote it...but it's short...so it won't waste your time, thank you very much....the anger in it won't show through probably i don't know....nevermind
<HR>
From: The Delightful Guppy of Unabashed Swimminess<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

who do the fishes sleep with when they die???<BR>
<BR>
anyway, the most romantic place for a first kiss is on the lips...duh:)<BR>
<BR>
congrats to all the front pagers...it amazes me sometimes...just the amount of beautiful works that come from all of you...and not just the front page picks...i often wish i had more beauty to put into words...but, alas, small fishes such as i struggle with such things from time to time<BR>
<BR>
dee---you=need to have an alcoholic beverage of your choice and pretend for a second or two that you are not worried about the show...:)...things will be fine babe<BR>
<BR>
later all,<BR>
gup
<HR>
From: nikki<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

DGoUS- theysleep with other dead fishes- duh :)<BR>
<BR>
Gala-I think I missed Chaos the first time around.  I don't know how, though.  It was very realistic.  I like it.<BR>
<BR>
and I think I also forgot tosay congrats to the front pagers.  so---congrats<BR>
<BR>
g'night All
<HR>
From: Misti<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Dee,<BR>
 I'm pretty sure I can provide you with some passionate poetry! I'll write some real scorchers tonight and e-mail em to ya.<BR>
   **************************************<BR>
THIS is bLiSs: I'm passionately in love with a man who is passionately in love with me and we both made the front page of the May digest! YES!!! And if that's not enough, there is in fact a McDonald's at Fitzgerald's in Las Vegas! Looooove those Chicken McNuggets with barbecue sauce and hot caramel sundaes with peanuts! And McDonald's has the best Coca-Cola and French fries. God is in the details!
<HR>
From: Crystevin<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Congrats to the front page gang, great work from the heart.  <BR>
<BR>
Dee-You are a very talented artist, it's okay to be nervous but you will be loved as you are here. *smiles and hugs*  Good luck gorgeous.<BR>
<BR>
-Crystevin
<HR>
From: Misti<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Dee,<BR>
  Just sent you some poems! Hope one of em will work, or at least provide you with some inspiration! My recommendation for complete relaxation: hot bubblebath, chardonnay, a thunderstorm or crashing waves on CD, and candlelight! Works like a charm!<BR>
Terry,<BR>
   Thanks so much for signing my guestbook! I have another one at www.oe-pages.com/EDUCATION/Primary/purplechiclet. I have no idea who the people in that photograph are. After I created the page, that photo mysteriously appeared. Like a vision. I don't question the supernatural. Let's leave well enough alone!<BR>
<BR>
...okay, that's enough ebullience for one evening. Sweet dreams, all. <BR>
"Can You Feel the Love Tonight?"<BR>
~elton john
<HR>
From: Enigma<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Thank you Kirk for allowing me to ramble and for choosing me for your first guest rambler.  I hope the lessons I've learned can contribute to other's success.  Again, I thank you, I'm honored.
<HR>
From: Kirk, Blender-Keeper<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

I guess I should mention that I'm accepting submissions for future Rambles and Reviews.  <BR>
<BR>
Misti, BK fries are much better than McD's... in fact they are the second or third best fries in the world, almost as good as the ones I wrote about it in http://www.loveblender.com/1997october/frenchfries.html .<BR>
(Well, really it's the crispy coating that you love or hate, informally it seems to be a 50/50 split.) Personally I find McDondald's fries to be pathetically limp and excessively salty.<BR>
<BR>
Eric- I have to say I strongly disagree with the last stanza  and a half of Scientists, Cease & Desist <BR>
( http://www.loveblender.com/2000may/heart/science.html ).  I just imagine this scientist saying "whoops- you got is!  Guess we never thought of that, ah well, back to the drawing board." I'm a little biased right now because I just finished Daniel Dennett's Conciousness Explained, which I think pretty much manages to live up to its title.  Anyway, he's a diehard materialist, and as unromantic as it sounds, I'm a bit of a rationalist myself- I think that there is an underlying explanation for most things lovish that has its roots in basic human psychology and beneath that evolutionary selection and neurochemistry.  <BR>
<BR>
Your poem reminded me of a great line from Woody Allen's Manhattan, kind of the reverse of what you're saying:<BR>
<BR>
You--you--you're...look, you're God's answer to Job, you know? You would've ended it all--all argument between them. I mean, He would've pointed to you and said, "I do a lot of terrible things, but I can also make one of these." And then--then Job would've said, "Eh,okay--well, you win."
<HR>
From: Tara [email-masked]<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Heart Song....<BR>
<BR>
Thank you, I am glad that you liked "A Wish for an Irish Stonemason"....I appreciate your feedback... I have been a long time reader of The Blender, and have often enjoyed and been moved by your work.<BR>
<BR>

<HR>
From: Galadrial60<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Hey Kev---think Garages is a classic...nice lines!<BR>
<BR>
Dee Girl---have you calmed down yet?<BR>
<BR>
Caly---Toklas---you are the usual awesome...congrats on front page pics...and Madison---this mornings post---didn't think I was wearing green today---but you made jealous!<BR>
<BR>
And everybody--check out Terry's lastest---I am IMPRESSED!!!!<BR>
<BR>
With all this new blood about, I might as well hang up my spurs....(sigh)<BR>
<BR>
                                         Gala
<HR>
From: Misti<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Kirk,<BR>
  I love limpness and excessive saltiness in a French fry! And I ABHOR crispy coatings! Blech! And let me add that Wendy's makes the BEST bacon cheeseburgers in the world!!!<BR>
Candyman,<BR>
  Just read *i love you vivid*- very impressive!<BR>
<BR>
...I have never seen a Woody Allen movie. I think I should start out with "Annie Hall," but I've been told I need to check out "Manhattan" first.<BR>
   For anyone who is curious about Texas and its people and culture, I highly recommend "Urban Cowboy."<BR>
bye, ya'll!!!
<HR>
From: The Delightful Guppy of Unabashed Swimminess<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

kirk---i agree with your thoughts on the basis of lovish things...i myself have done a fair amount of study on evolutionary theory...my beliefs are that we, as humans, seem to add mysticism to things we do not fully understand...and we often add mysticism to those things to maintain a vision of separation from the rest of the animal kingdom...i've also done a fair amount of study in philosophy, and along with that comes the fundamental question of free will, and tied into that comes the discussion of cause and effect relationships...both external and internal...i believe everything has a cause...<BR>
<BR>
the complexity of love is beautiful to me, as are the complexity of many relationships in the natural world...the symbiotic relationships that people often try to separate themselves from are perhaps some of the most intricately balanced and beautiful things in this world...in my opinion...<BR>
<BR>
everyone sees the world through different colored sunglasses...we fit filters to what makes sense in our minds...and i, like most people, tend to wear the rosy colored shades when it comes to looking at love...it just wouldn't be all that much fun to boil it down to chemical reactions...ha...even though that is probably entirely the case<BR>
<BR>
forgive the length of this...'tis the nature of the rambler to ramble...ha<BR>
<BR>
gup
<HR>
From: Tara - [email-masked]<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

By candyman ([email-masked])<BR>
<BR>
I Love You Vivid is amazing
<HR>
From: Kirk, Blender-Keeper<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Oh yeah, potential rambles should be e-mailed to me.
<HR>
From: Jenna Holland ([email-masked]<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Inspiration... where is it when you need it most...<BR>
<BR>
-Jenna-
<HR>
From: kevin urenda<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Gala-<BR>
thanks for noticing...  &lt;wink...WINK&gt;<BR>
but thanks more for sharing your laugh with me...<BR>
<BR>
Kirk, Gup-<BR>
There are certain phenomena and other *small* details (like HOW was the universe created???) that science simply cannot explain.  It is, after all, an artifice invented by man (as is religion by the way) to make something resembling sense out of the chaos that is life.<BR>
We all, I THINK, want some amount of order in our existence, and yet love - hormones, pheromones, electrochemical responses and all - seems to upset that sense of order.  Love is kind of funny that way (which does make humor important to love).  To me, sometimes  dissecting love in an analytical way is to strip it of all its beauty.  I say, I may not know exactly what it is, but I know it when I am in it!<BR>
<BR>
k
<HR>
From: Paul<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

I found a place call Burger Box that specializes in 50's and 60's burgers and the french fries are the old fashioned thick crinkle cut!  They beat all the fast food joints hands down!!!  (my opinion)
<HR>
From: Kirk, Blender-Keeper<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

kevin-<BR>
The funny thing is, that when it comes to these 'big picture' issues, opposite viewpoints are true, depending on what level you decide to look at. You wrote:<BR>
<BR>
We all, I THINK, want some amount of order in our existence, and yet love - hormones, pheromones, electrochemical<BR>
responses and all - seems to upset that sense of order<BR>
<BR>
Actually, I see it as the opposite- we are only able to make sense of a jumble of hormones, pheromones, and electrochemical responses by looking for a larger pattern of "love"- it's what gives a sense of order to otherwise very odd behavior.  <BR>
<BR>
What people who believe in "Science" hold to be true (actually, most of the time good scientists just hold things to be "most likely given our past observations") might be just that, another belief- one more confirmed by empirical evidence and peer-reviewed, repeatable results, than the typical belief system, but just another belief.  But what I do hold to be unique is the *method* science uses; setting up testable hypotheses, making predictions, challenging your assumptions, holding your beliefs and theories up for your peers to try to bring down.... *that* is unique, and in many ways beautiful.  <BR>
<BR>
Many people are content at leaving things like "love" and "god" "conciousness" inside an inscrutable "black box".  Others, a certain type of scientist, choose to ignore the forest and just study the trees.  It takes a special type of thinker to both *really* appreciate the trees and not have that knowledge spoil the wonder of the forest.
<HR>
From: deevaa<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Gala, Kev, Misti, Andy (of ying-yang fame), Crys and Andy (of the guppydom) thankyou all for the support, and yes I'm still freaking, I was very close to pulling out this morning, but faceing Gala with the news that I've called the show off is nearly as scary as my fear of failure.<BR>
<BR>
Misti -- did you get that photo of the blue painting I'd done over the weekend? I know in your poem the rose petals where under your pillow (roses under the pillow of a single girl is meant to make her dream of her beloved -- is that right?) ... but the blue light and the roses, and the dreamy face just made think of them together.<BR>
<BR>
Enigma -- (((hugs))) I'm sure your words will help others.<BR>
<BR>
I best go and do some serious work... I've got a date tomorrow night, and I want to leave work early to spend extra time with TK... ok, that was a lie... I want to leave work early to paint... although TK paints with me... so it was only half a lie.<BR>
<BR>
dee the stressed out bunny.<BR>
<BR>

<HR>
From: deevaa <BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Megs and Nikki -- I left you off my thankyou list, I'm sorry!!! its [email-masked] for the hate mail.<BR>
<BR>
dee
<HR>
From: deevaa (can we make it 3 in a row?)<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Been reading new subs (yes yes, I know I was MEANT to be working....) had to comment on two works -- and I HAVE too, I've had my socks knocked off...<BR>
<BR>
CandyMan -- oh *^$%@#$ I don't recall the title... but damn, the lines <BR>
"so let's be ravenous<BR>
let's devour<BR>
every second minute hour<BR>
every delicious<BR>
contradiction...."<BR>
<BR>
WOW wow.... wow! YUM.<BR>
<BR>
and Sarah (cool email address, btw) 'Velvet Night' also yummy.... very sensual.<BR>
<BR>
Now I'll go and do some work.... or I could check my email.... hmmm... choices....<BR>
<BR>
dee<BR>
<BR>

<HR>
From: the guppy<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

kev...i know what you are saying...to me, analyzing things, even love, usually exposes more wondrous things...raises more questions...heightens appreciation...just keeps my brain working...ha...<BR>
<BR>
one thing we touched on in my math class this semester had to do with the fibonacci sequence of numbers...which is basically what a middle ages mathematician (fibonacci) came up with to answer a hypothetical question at a math competition about rabbit population growth...anyway, since the sequence was discovered, it has been recognized in all sorts of strange places in the natural world...like the number of spirals in the head of a sunflower...or a pinecone...that stuff, to me, is fascinating...and i'm not a mathematician by any means...i'm just not that smart<BR>
<BR>
i can't explain how the universe came to be...i'm not even sure there is only one...could be that we are part of a multiverse...and i also can't explain how the hell people are trying to incorporate dna strands into computers<BR>
<BR>
and i can't explain why i keep going to taco bell despite the countless times they have screwed up my order...which is my current dilema...eating a mexican pizza without sour cream is sacreligious...i'm probably going to hell now because some dumbass decided not to give me that which i paid for...ha<BR>
<BR>
blah blah,<BR>
gup<BR>
p.s.---no offense meant to any taco bell employees besides the dumbass in question...and if you are reading this, dumbass, your days are numbered...grrrrrrrrrrr<BR>
<BR>

<HR>
From: nikki<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

Dee-seeing as how you are stressed out right now, I will withhold the hate mail, but just this once!  :)<BR>
<BR>
have to catch up on the new subs, and then you will all hear more from me.<BR>
<BR>
bu-bye for now<BR>
<BR>
n
<HR>
From: Megs<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

WOW I can not just leave this thing for a whole day...<BR>
A&gt; My vote is for BK french fries and yes Taco Bell employees in general are incompetent at completing orders (no offense meant but really- they NEVER get it right!!!)<BR>
<BR>
B&gt; Gup- I am with you on the Fibonacci numbers thing (did I spell that right?) I remember thinking WAY too hard about that when we did it in math...how 'bout an email some day...?<BR>
<BR>
C&gt; Dee-  Yeah Yeah Yeah...forget me :P<BR>
But I love ya anyways.<BR>
<BR>
D&gt; Everyone say an extra prayer tonight cause my Daddy is running for county office and voting is TOMORROW...so we have an equal amount of stress here...Mazzei for Prosecuting Attorney HARDCORE here in lil ole Harrison Co. WV  *grins*  Not that anyone here can vote (well Eric YOU can) but prayers help too...<BR>
<BR>
Now I am off to read new subs and relax LOTS!!!<BR>
<BR>
*Collapses with relief*
<HR>
From: Galadrial<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

<BR>
<BR>
Dee?<BR>
<BR>
I love you.<BR>
I believe in your art.<BR>
But you should know that I have a clean credit card with which to purchase a ticket to Wellington and personally kick your tush to TASMANIA is you even think of canceling said show.<BR>
<BR>
Hugs.<BR>
<BR>
                             Gala
<HR>
From: sarah [email-masked]<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

dee: thank you so much for your comments....<BR>
<BR>
its nice to hear feedback, and yours, reading your stuff and having seen a few paintings when you post them......mean alot to me you talented woman you!!!!<BR>
<BR>
danke babe<BR>
<BR>
sarah
<HR>
From: Terry Wayne [email-masked]<BR>
Date: 8 May 2000<P>

I just had a chance to look at the May front page selections, and they are all manners of good. Congrats to all you poets chosen.<BR>
<BR>
Mojave, Your lady must melt when she reads 'I Love a Woman'. A work filled with beauty and rythmn.<BR>
<BR>
Gala, Chaos captures both the real chaos and the longing beneath that makes it all worthwhile. Excellent layering IMHO.<BR>
<BR>
And Kirk...your 'Hi' touched a nerve with me. I have an ex who can drag me across a crowded room today with just that whispered 'hello', Hell, beat the devil and tell the truth, with just that certain smile, and leave me wondering all over if I am reading too much into things.  Good Work!
<HR>