Re: a comment on Middle-Aged White Woman by Dovina	Dovina 204.250.12.246	22-Apr-05/9:45 AM
Seldom has a wagonload of giraff shit received so intricate decoration. You will doubtless conclude that I have a prejudice against giraffes relative to zebras, otherwise I would have said zebra shit. Of course the truth is that giraffes genuinely ARE slightly worse than zebras, so my slight preference is not so much a prejudice as an accurate one.
Re: a comment on Middle-Aged White Woman by Dovina	zodiac 81.10.126.152	22-Apr-05/9:44 AM
Don't be ashamed. I found three potential problems with the quiz: 1) I think I might have associated good with white more readily because it was the first option given (i.e., whatever the orientation - left or right - given to white/good, I trained myself in the first sections to hit, say, the white button for the response good, and so on.) I know the test worked to reduce that outcome by more-or-less systematically giving every permutation for white, black, good, bad, left, and right - but I don't know how effective it was. (I also wondered if I'd answered something different on the survey bit it might have started me with black/good and white/bad.) In any case, the test is probably only really effective for comparison; i.e., I got moderate preference for white, but Dovina got extreme preference, or something such, so she's more racially biased. 2) I couldn't convince myself that a face I thought was white was really black, and so got an X of shame for the entire test on that particular face. Also, testing only for black/white bias is extremely bunk. Where, then, do you fit a Japanese in the racial scheme of things? 3) I think you're going to disagree, but I think one's (automatic) racial bias rating has very little to do with one's engaging in overt racism - or what I'd simply call racism. For example, you're aware that you're automatically biased toward whites, so you make a conscious (and educated) effort to not say or do racist things, while Dovina, who maybe scores milder on the racial bias test, writes poems such as this one. (The part where I think you'll disagree is defining racism as 'racist actions' rather than 'racial bias'; you've said something to that effect before.) In any event, the test has little bearing on the conversation above. By the way, I've become extremely (and fully self-awarely) prejudiced against Arabs recently. They are, as far as my experience goes, the most predictably and consistently stupid, unimaginative, and unentrepeneurial class of people I've ever met. Now I can't tell if George Bush & Co. really new that or were just racist when they started this whole recent Middle East annihilation business.
Re: Country Song by Caducus	Caducus 172.203.166.88	22-Apr-05/7:40 AM
if you play this backward sit has a happy ending.
Re: a comment on Bad grammar and spelling mistakes by Damien	Damien 212.248.252.234	22-Apr-05/7:19 AM
Huh, i'm to stupid to understand this context.
Re: a comment on Middle-Aged White Woman by Dovina	wFraser Allonby Q.C.w 195.157.153.249	22-Apr-05/6:41 AM
Here's a more accurate quiz: http://tinyurl.com/9gxrc
Re: a comment on Baggage (3rd ending) by INTRANSIT	INTRANSIT 204.110.228.254	22-Apr-05/6:31 AM
Thanks Christof. Poetry is hard. I like it when I get a little closer to the "target". No problems with Edwards crits? I always consider all comments. Sometimes to my own detriment. lol. Got a villanelle coming later today. Glad to see you again!
Re: a comment on Baggage (3rd ending) by INTRANSIT	INTRANSIT 204.110.228.254	22-Apr-05/6:28 AM
Did you see the old ending? It was 5.5 lines long. I've always had an apostophe problem. lol. But misspellings? Thanks for your time E.P. 'Preciate ya driver!
Re: a comment on Middle-Aged White Woman by Dovina	-=Dark_Angel=-, P.I. 81.153.196.50	22-Apr-05/5:40 AM
Do you think that's a fair result? I'm grotesquely ashamed to admit it, but I definitely found it easier to associate Good with White. One may not be racist on an intellectual level, but when such associations are operating subconsciously, they're bound to pollute our objectivity glands :( Of course the truth is that Blacks genuinely ARE slightly worse than Whites, so my slight preference is not so much a racist preference as an accurate one.
Re: a comment on Trying to get signed? by Damien	Damien 212.248.252.234	22-Apr-05/5:33 AM
NEWSFLAH: you reply to every comment that I have replied to, are you so shallow you have to say something back. NEWSEXPLOSION: I am not here to offend anybody,when people offend me I am replying once but they are not giving up, who is holding this persistent negative attitude? err, you.
Re: a comment on Middle-Aged White Woman by Dovina	-=Dark_Angel=-, P.I. 81.153.196.50	22-Apr-05/5:32 AM
It will save you time in the long run. If you don't take this opportunity to have an independent, objective assessment of your Racism Quotient, the speculations will continue. Here's one for starters: I think you DID take the test, but your data suggested a strong preference for Whites relative to Blacks. Not wanting to share this white-hooded dumpling with the rest of the group, but still too spineless to tell an outright lie, you opted for the flaccid "it didn't work" compromise. Which is still an outright lie, by the way, but one that is subtle enough to wriggle through your unbelievably porous integrity membrane. Quite frankly I'm appalled.
Re: a comment on Trying to get signed? by Damien	zodiac 212.118.19.178	22-Apr-05/5:21 AM
Of course it is. No one's arguing that. Except you. You're the one who went to the trouble of posting my recent comments, and trying to dis. You're also the one who spends all your time here whining about other people's comments. NEWSFLASH: It's entirely up to EVERYBODY ON POEMRANKER how they express themselves. ANOTHER NEWSFLASH: That doesn't mean no one can call anyone else here 'a hapless fuck.'
Re: a comment on Middle-Aged White Woman by Dovina	zodiac 212.118.19.178	22-Apr-05/5:15 AM
Your data suggest a moderate automatic preference for White People relative to Black People
Re: Stop by [mojo]	zodiac 212.118.19.178	22-Apr-05/5:14 AM
Maybe you should post it on your own personal website closed off to other people instead of posting it on a public poetry-reading website, huh?
Re: a comment on Reincarnation by Dovina	zodiac 212.118.19.178	22-Apr-05/5:01 AM
I'm extremely disappointed about the whole thing. I'd already told all the Arabs they were going to elect the African guy. If I were Catholic, I'd find it difficult to support the new Pope, especially given that everything he proclaims is bound to be a lot of wash. At least, it's pretty easy to imagine me being skeptical about it considering I'm no longer Catholic. As a Catholic, how do you feel about pooh-poohing Ratzinger?
Re: a comment on Trying to get signed? by Damien	Damien 212.248.252.234	22-Apr-05/4:59 AM
I use this Ethusiastic language to motivate people at what they choose to do, its entirely up to me how I express myself (thank fuck).
Re: a comment on Sudden Change by Dovina	zodiac 212.118.19.178	22-Apr-05/4:57 AM
Yes there is. For instance (and this is not my, zodiac's, interpretation): This is a story about Paul Reiser being blown by Helen Hunt during an especially drunken 'Mad About You' filming and going blind.
Re: a comment on Trying to get signed? by Damien	zodiac 212.118.19.178	22-Apr-05/4:52 AM
Don't assume. All those comments except the first have at least something to do with the poem, and most of them are helpful suggestions (i.e., the comment on Psydeways Tears's poems). By contrast, the comments you've posted on OTHER PEOPLE'S POEMS BESIDES YOUR OWN are: "Sorry I have never rated any of your poems I am just at work when I am on the net. Nice feel although not a dastic subject, plus how can I say anything bad to someone who has offered nothing but support. Keep up the good work and get in contact with me about publishing books as this is a dream of mine. Love the style" "Very nice mouthfull, love the style, great talent and wonderfullllll subject. " "No real movement for me but it does represent what you can do with words." And "Feels like something I would of wrote. I trulty feel the meaning, if only these other "critiques" could see that." Can you honestly say that any of these poems gives a useful suggestion or does anything else except a) give vague fluffy praise, b) trash the poem in a vague, rather fluffy way, or c) trash "critiques"?
Re: a comment on Middle-Aged White Woman by Dovina	zodiac 212.118.19.178	22-Apr-05/4:45 AM
I don't believe you. Sorry, I'm well-aware this is the comment-equivalent of a spaz.
Re: a comment on Gaping Hole by sonawrote	Goad 213.61.217.3	22-Apr-05/4:35 AM
heh
Re: a comment on Gaping Hole by sonawrote	Goad 213.61.217.3	22-Apr-05/4:31 AM
Since my comment is a double entendre, and stays, on the surface, entirely within your own metaphor, in order to parse it as a double entendre you had to first recognize that your own words were a (apparently unintentional but obvious enough that everyone I've shown this "pome" to has immediately snickered) double entendre. That was the point of my comment. In other words, it WAS constructive criticism and your not recognizing it as such is your own failing. It was pointing out that your poem immediately fails as a whole because of a glaringly obvious double entendre. A common pitfall, actually. If you ever managed to get your writing to a level where real writers would consider letting you be part of a real writing workshop, you would very quickly find out that "constructive criticism" has nothing at all to do with the little wet dream you have of a group of people patting you on your back for your cleverness and stroking your metaphorical genitals in loving adoration of your brilliance.