Re: a comment on From the Ashes of Descartes by Quarton	5-Jan-03/5:46 AM
Judging by the brilliance of your reply, I doubt you even know who he is or what is meant by Cartesian reality. Not my fault and perhaps you should go back to reading what you can understand, like nursery rhymes.
Re: untitled2 by ThreeFourSix	4-Jan-03/8:19 AM
Short and sweet. Kind of like something Ogden Nash would write. If you haven't read him, check it out.
Re: Missing You by psychedelic	4-Jan-03/8:07 AM
Nice. I like the simplicity and the metaphors.
Re: a comment on Instantly by Quarton	30-Dec-02/5:10 PM
Yes, we are too slow but that isn't always bad. And it's all relative anyway. The neat thing about Einstein's theory is it sees everything as being relative to something else. Except the speed of light which is a constant and relative to nothing. And how about string theory that postulates a 10 dimensional space/time. In such esoteric concepts, we are indeed too slow. Thanks for the big number:)
Re: a comment on Instantly by Quarton	30-Dec-02/5:02 PM
Baby cows??? Are you sure you don't mean calf. Hopefully, most of them are running free and just being what they are by their nature. As everything is. But I still will not eat a veal cutlet. And at what age is a baby cow no longer a baby?
Re: The spleenless poet by Bachus	30-Dec-02/4:52 PM
Well, you have certainly written an original poem though, after reading it twice, I am unsure as to your intent and meaning. It is an interesting poem and I will wait until I have time to read it again before giving it a rating.
Re: a comment on One Country by poetandknowit	30-Dec-02/7:03 AM
zzinnia66.... Not sure if your question was for me or not but I do have an opinion. Being a deist, I do not believe in a "personal God" and tend towards a humanistic view. Cloning humans is a controversial subject as we all know and the strongest objections come from the religious community--primarily those that are monotheistic such as Christianity, Judaism and Islamism. Their beliefs are pretty much entrenched and not likely to change for reasons involving their personal faith or blind beliefs. From their perspective, God is in control of everything. He/She is supposedly omnipotent and omnipresent, a concept that I find not only bogus but utterly ridiculous. The God they have created is a kind of spiritual elephantiasis, pervasive and always watching and knowing both our thoughts and deeds ad nauseum. Eastern religions have more credibility as they are free of the dogma and moral certitude that accompany most other religions and would probably leave issues such as cloning in the hands of the human creators. From a medical or scientific view, there would be proponents as well as opponents for there are logical, medical, scientific and moral considerations that must be addressed prior to a resolution. I won't go into detail regarding the above but one example from a medical position would be selective cloning in which genetic and/or hereditary factors would be considered, thus greatly improving quality of life and longevity. Everything considered, I believe the issue is inherently intractable. It is comparable to the abortion controversy with strong opinions from both sides that are not going to change. So....there will certainly be more human cloning and the arguments both pro and con will continue. Where it will all lead remains unanswerable considering specifics but highly predictable considering the opposing views that address moral and religious precepts.
Re: a comment on One Country by poetandknowit	29-Dec-02/9:24 PM
Regardless of our differences of opinions, neither of us have resorted to profanity or personal attacks on family members as did a previous post. I did not rate your poem so it was not I who gave it a three. I will have some comments soon and did read your piece but not in depth. My first impression was quite positive and it was obvious your poem rates much higher than a three. More later and I apologize for calling you a hypocrite though we all are to various degrees. Also, you seem to well versed and I was wondering if you have an interest in cosmology? The relatively new world of quantum mechanics is an area I have pursued for years and I am convinced it is not written about nearly as much as it should be. I have written several poems concerning the new physics and related subjects and my main problem is the abstract nature inherent to such matters. But, I keep trying to describe the abstract in a non-abstract way and believe I have made some progress though there remains much difficuly in doing so.
Re: a comment on One Country by poetandknowit	29-Dec-02/5:03 PM
Ooops, that was a three and not a zero that you were given. Hell, someone found at least some redeeming qualities in your poem while you found absolutely none in mine. Yes.... hypocricy fits quite nicely.
Re: a comment on One Country by poetandknowit	29-Dec-02/4:56 PM
Not me. I'm afraid I might be biased. Hmmm...and I believe it was you who wondered why I resented the zero you gave me. Of course, your poem was given a zero by an anonymous source but still, it is obvious that you took umbrage just as I did. Borderline hypocrisy in my opinion.
Re: a comment on Things by Quarton	28-Dec-02/9:42 PM
Geezz,it seems like only yesterday. You are right, of course, in pointing out the insignificance of the zero you gave my poem. "Different strokes" surely applies though I have had some very favorable comments so no big deal. If you decide to read a couple of my poems, I would suggest "Of curves and Straight Lines and "No One Cares." And let me know the titles of 2 or 3 you have written and I will check them out and give you an honest opinion. If you do not care to, well....it sure has been fun having you for a pen pal:) David
Re: a comment on Things by Quarton	28-Dec-02/5:06 PM
Let's see now. Am I that shallow?....mooing like a trapped baby cow (for your info, it is called a calf)....generic thinking rather than well rounded thinking (of course, you mean thinking as you do)....more insight and making me less shallow (again, you mean as you think and interpret the world, it being obvious that you consider yourself a deep thinker)....and to all of the above, you have no clue as to how I think beyond one poem that I purposely wrote to appeal to the average reader and not to one as brilliant as yourself. Why not read a few of my other poems before passing judgment on myself personally. That would give your opinions some much needed credibility.
Re: a comment on Things by Quarton	28-Dec-02/6:22 AM
Well, I'm not sure either but I know they are assembled and by more than one person so call it whatever you choose. Since you deem my poem to be without any merit or worth, I am sure there are other nit-picks you might enlighten me on. I actually enjoy comments on my poetry, good or bad. However, to give it a zero is absurd IMO. Does the book you suggest touch on the animals intrinsic rights that go beyond human assignment? Does it speak to the cruelty of raising calves in tiny pens, never able to run and play as most young animals do. Does it address the system's view where all life is related and connected? Does it speak to growth hormones and the comparative worth of a veal dinner and the inhumanity involved in its "production?" You may say my poem is worthless by giving it a zero and that is certainly your right to do so. But, anyone who has read some of the poetry posted throughout the internet, would quickly realize there is little or no credibility in assigning mine a zero. In fact, the real zero lies in your your comments, not mine. Understand it is not your dislike of my poem that bothers me, it is once again, the absurdity of your rating which lessens the credibility of everything that follows. Have a good day.
Re: a comment on Things by Quarton	27-Dec-02/11:00 PM
How thoughtful of you to read and comment on my poem. The fact that you gave it a zero clearly demonstrates the extent of your biased bullshit. Critique my poems as often as you wish and make comments, good or bad. But save the zero for yourself. I must admit to a chuckle when I read about TN and the "United Sportsmen of America." Regarding the generic mantra, it goes both ways...."I feel like"..."originality", "sap", "tackles the subject", the infamous "step away" etc...ad nauseum
Re: a comment on Things by Quarton	27-Dec-02/7:54 AM
Yes, but, does a computer know the differece between a banana split and chopped liver? I think not but Alex does. He also generalizes concepts and, unlike a computer, he is affectionate tho at times he gets cranky, usually when he orders his steak rare and it comes back medium. Regarding those nudists, the sentient/nakedness theory is exposed as quackery every time one of the males has a hard on. I'd say that would prove they are sentient though the viagra factor cannot be ignored in the equation. The bottom line is we must wait for the unification of the strong and weak nuclear force, electromagnetism and gravity before we know if Alex is sentient. He recently wrote a paper on this which Hawkings described as very un-parrot like though he made several mathematical errors. Alex is presently hard at work correcting his mistakes and the sentient/nakedness conundrum may be resolved in the near future. Just in case, he has ordered several outfits from Lands' End. He also tod me you are ruffling his feathers as he is still waiting for the sunflower seeds.
Re: a comment on Things by Quarton	27-Dec-02/7:12 AM
Nope, I am no big fan of PETA. They are a bit too extreme and in a sense, hurt rather than help their cause. My feelings on animal cruelty are pretty much mainstream and obvious to many who also view PETA as being too radical. Thanks for the visit.
Re: a comment on Things by Quarton	26-Dec-02/7:16 PM
You are probably correct however, how about Alex, a gray parrot who is able to perceive quantities and identify various shapes and colors? Also, he orders his own food and uses words in syntax....By the way, he said to say hello and asked if you could send him some sunflower seeds.
Re: a comment on Things by Quarton	26-Dec-02/4:21 PM
Wow, your kind words are appreciated and I hereby deem myself to be a poet of great merit and excellence. But sadly, I am not though I am very pleased that you enjoyed my poem. And thank you for the ten.
Re: a comment on Things by Quarton	26-Dec-02/4:15 PM
If you are the Pope, it is indeed naughty. And I was speaking about animals. Most humans, if they were shown what they were getting into, would probably say no fucking way and return to their former state of oblivion.
Re: a comment on Things by Quarton	26-Dec-02/4:11 PM
Well....good question and perhaps they have no choice. What would a quarter million pound blue whale wear? Anything it wanted to!...and my neighbor has two toy poodles that have little doggie sweaters. But I'll bet they have a problem putting them on and taking them off.