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182 Public Reviews Given
191 Total Reviews Given
Public Reviews
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Review of Query  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
         That's one disadvantage to learning by reading, which is the way I've learned most of the things I know --- one learns words and meanings without learning how the words sound.
         Of course, most English words are pronounced just the way they're spelled. Take the word foreknowledge for example. Forēk-noul-êd-gē. Correct?
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Rated: E | (5.0)
         This article doesn't deserve a five-star rating, but that's the highest rating available. It's exceptionally well written and I agree whole-heartedly with every point it makes.
         It raises a few questions, though. Some of these are thoughts I've had for some time now. For instance, if you buy an image from an online graphics site, how certain can you be that the site actually owns the rights? I've even seen sites offering to sell the rights to an image they claim is in the public domain. Doesn't "public domain" mean that no one may sell that image? How can those of us who intend to buy original artwork be certain that the site or individual offering an image really owns the copyrights to that image?
         In MHO, AI is a creation and copyright nightmare. I'm not very familiar with AI, but if one gives enough specific prompts to an AI program: "draw a cute, bipedal mouse with rounded ears, a bright smile,..." what are the odds that the program won't print out Walt's famous creation and a document with full copyrights to it?
         There are so many questions! Where do we begin to find answers? My suggestion is "with ourselves."

         This article has an unsurpassed level of truth.
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Rated: ASR | (5.0)
         How did I manage to overlook these brilliant stories?? I've read two of your stories, this one (obviously) and Whose Side Is Dad On? Both are gracefully sleek, yet full of emotions, basic values, and rational conclusions.
         Both are very well written, not only referring to the technical aspect, but also to the storycrafting aspect. From the point-of-view of a reader, both stories unfold at a good pace and tell of events to which most of us can relate.
         I enjoy stories with a happy ending or a pleasant resolution. This story has a happy ending as well as a positive outcome. It's a meaningful story with a lovely message.
         Excellent!!
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Review of My Hero  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
         My first and prevailing thought is, "This is a very good poem, certainly better than the vast majority of poetry I see."

         I'm a little puzzled about the structure of the first verse. Save for the word 'so' in Line 4, it's nearly perfect iambic meter, and I've always enjoyed the jaunty (and in this poem) happy pace of alternating lines of tetrameter and trimeter. You seem to have a great sense of meter and flow, and it's MHO that this is a strong point in your writing that you would do well to focus on and develop. You used excellent meter throughout this poem, but (again, just MHO) I think a more consistent use of it would enhance the poem.

         You handled the content extremely well. I can literally see and feel the joyous pride in your voice as you unfold the poem.
         The words are honest and straightforward. They share that quality with a favourite poet of mine, Edgar A. Guest, though he wrote in a heavily colloquial voice. Poems like yours and his are among my favourites.

         I think the thing I enjoy most about My Hero is the absence of angst. Angst has its place in poetry, but this poem is more than just upbeat and positive; it's happy and celebratory. I love that aspect of this poem.

         Please, forgive me if I sound overly critical. I'm just trying to be honestly helpful. I only review about one poem for every thirty I read and I only read about one poem for every fifty I see. The fact that you're reading this review says that I honestly consider this poem a very good one.
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Rated: E | (4.5)
A man in my hometown used to keep wolves. I only met him and saw his wolves on a very few occasions. He seemed to take excellent care of them, but it never seemed quite right to me. What better care could anyone take of a wild creature like a wolf than to let it be wild and free to fulfill its nature in its own way in its own world?

         It's a weird comparison, but I feel that a wolf is like a T. rex.
         DR. GRANT: "T. rex doesn't want to be fed.  T. rex wants to hunt."
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Rated: E | (5.0)
         *Ribbon* This is the best, most positive and reaffirming story I've read in some time. It is a brilliant, nearly flawless short story.
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Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
         Spot on, Jeffrey!!
         Great writing! Non-fiction, right? Seriously, we live the part about availability every time we set foot in our pharmacy --- which is a 50 mile round-trip for us --- and we are currently without a vehicle. So, we understand what you wrote about the wait. "We might have it after 10 a.m. tomorrow morning. You can just come back then." (I've actually asked a few times whether they have a travel reimbursement program.)

         The writing here is wonderfully creative and appears almost flawless from the technical aspect.

         Excellent work!
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Review of Am I Trending?  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
         There is a great deal of truth in this story. There are more than one of us screaming acenter chaotic streets leading to destruction, but who ever stoos to ponder who's being destroyed?

         This story is well-written. I'm favourably impressed!
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Review of School lunch  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
         This cellphone is not the best device for viewing images, but I have a few thoughts about this photo.
         I love any glimpse I get into the daily lives of people whose lives are different than mine. This photo provides such a glimpse. So then, what do I see?

         I see permanence. The dishes appear reusable, more like those in "sit-down" restaurants in the U.S. than school cafeterias. I've not been in any school cafeteria in any country for many years, but I remember the huge bins of styrofoam trays, styrofoam cups, and disposable plastic utensils. Even when I was in early grades, it seemed incongruous with all the hoopla in America about preserving the environment and not wasting our resources.
         Reusable dishes in an Indian school, on the otherhand, seems perfectly in line with the little I know about India in general.
         I perceive India to be a place of things that last. Indians seem to me to be far more interested in preserving things than Americans are --- cultures, faith, monuments, buildings, and even dishes. Here, we focus on expedience and (frankly) laziness whereas in India the focus seems more on preservation, thrift, and utility. The Indian way is, in my opinion, the better of the two.
         The American way could be summed up as, "Why worry today about what we might need tomorrow? It's easier to throw everything into a dump and let future generations worry about the dumps."
         The Indian way might be summed up as, "We need dishes with which to serve lunches, and we'll need dishes again tomorrow. So it seems only reasonable to make dishes that last and can be used many times. Tomorrow, we'll have dishes and useable land instead of garbage dumps."

         Five foods are shown in this photo. I think the one is white rice. One looks to me like a mix of vegetables and/or fruits and another looks like a type of flatbread. I can only guess at the other two, but the red item seems to be maybe a soup and the green item seems to be perhaps a sauce for the veggies. Upon reflection, I think those are more likely veggies than fruits, based on my meagre knowledge of India. The meal looks tasty and nourishing. It also looks like it might be vegetarian or vegan. This would be in keeping with my knowledge of the respect Indians have for all living things. I wish I knew more about the foods shown here.

         This photo has given me an opportunity to see and learn more about the "us" in another part of our world. We eat differently; we live differently in different parts of our world, but we are all still "us." We are one race --- humanity --- and that's wonderful.
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Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
         This is a brilliantly written piece of historical fiction! The idea of a "letter to the editor" is a wonderfully original one, and very well suited to this story.
         The imagery is disturbingly vivid, as it was meant to be, and that imagery brings the ghost of Frank Collins and the other crewmen right up beside my chair. I've known most of the basic story of the Hunley for years, but now I've breathed the foetid air, and felt the fears and the resolve in the last hours of those heroes. I have heard the voice of a valiant ghost and followed it to its tomb.

         Amazing writing, Dave! Utterly amazing! Thank you.
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Rated: E | (4.5)
         I think the main thing I like about this story is its conversational style. The writer is speaking directly to the audience; to me. In keeping with the rules of dialogue, each paragraph begins with double quotes and the quotes close at the end of the final paragraph. I appreciate that because it's correct punctuation and makes the story easy to read.

         The story is a simple recounting of an event. Yet, it has an enigmatic quality, which is something I enjoy in a story. I'm also a fan of icons. The orange carpet and stuffed, yellow vinyl chairs are absolutely icon of the 1960s. I know because I was there, and I've always thought it a shame that the '60s only lasted for ten years. Icons abound here. Iconic artist Andy Warhol, the film Breakfast At Tiffany's (which I saw many years ago) and Audrey Hepburn's 'little, black dress' which set a trend that continues even today, make the setting feel real and almost tangible.

         This story was nicely crafted in the form of a memory. The first-person point of view works great here. The voice of it speaks to me. It's as though I've met the writer at a coffee shop during a break from a day of yard saling and she's telling me about her experiences. I love the informal, conversational style!

         The greatest enigma here is the final paragraph. The questions will echo in my thoughts for a long time to come. Who is/was Aunt Lucy? I can picture her walking up and touching her belly, but I keep wondering why. Aunt Lucy has been here throughout the story, but the act of touching her belly seems unconnected to the rest of the story. This is one time when I feel like the 'gun suddenly appearing in act three' some gives the plot an added dimension rather than derailing it.

         A good read! Thank you.
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Review of The Jewel Thief  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
         Other than a very slight deviation or two from the general flow, most noticeable in the last verse, this poem reads nearly flawlessly. The meter isn't a concrete wall, forcing us along. Instead, it's more like a series of little marker flags guiding us along the most advantageous path. That's excellent!! The poem's the thing and IMHO the meter's main purpose is to set the tone and guide the reader's gait. This poem does that and does it wonderfully.

         I've rarely, if ever, seen "strange interludes" used in poetry, but they are very creatively woven into the plot of this poem.

         Anyone who has peeked into my port has probably noticed my love of non-sensical stories and poems. The Jewel Thief is a poem after my own heart and exceeds most of my expectations.

         The plot here is deep enough to be meaningful, but simple enough to remain light and frivolous.

         Overall, this is a splendid poem telling a splendid tale with cartoon-like imagery!
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Rated: E | (5.0)
         You've planted a grand stick here. I can hardly wait to see the wonderful flowers which bloom from it! And breathe their sweet fragrance!
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Rated: 18+ | (5.0)
         Like many worthwhile endeavours, it needs a "leap of of faith." Sometimes, you can't learn to fly on the trapeze without falling to the net once or twice!

         This seems to be a worthwhile endeavour. When you climb to the perch and fly for the first time, please write again and tell us of your success!
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Rated: E | N/A (Review only item.)
         I've always loved this kind of writing that's a bit like a story and the shadow of a story. The moment when the author pulls away the shadow to reveal the full story is a rewarding moment of enlightenment!

         Nicely conceived and well-written, this tale gave me only one brief second of puzzlement in the sentence, "The night had won nothing..." in the final paragraph. It seemed ambiguous at first, but a quick re-read of that sentence was all it took to clarify it for me.

         Overall, a very good read!
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Review of Hanging Bed  Open in new Window.
Rated: ASR | (5.0)
This is sooo cool!!!
If we had a roof, I'd hang our bed!
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Review of Trick or Treat?  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
         Very interesting little dragon tale. *Wink* The verb tense in the second paragraph threw me a little, but I confess to having read this story a little fast with some things pressing me for time. I intend to reread it later and maybe write another review.

         Overall, it's a nice read! I like the originality of the plot.
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Rated: 13+ | (5.0)
         My one tiny 'criticism' of this clever and meaningful tale is that the black-winged Ronk is not specifically identified. Is Ronk, perhaps, a black pelican?

         This story is well-written and insightful. I love stories that give humankind a conscience! It tells of a common problem birds and other animals have with people who feed them, even if unintentionally, and suddenly stop.

         Excellent story!
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Review of Basic Decencies  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
         These are basic courtesies that were not only common in years bygone, they were expected. In my youth, failing them would earn looks of shame and a reputation as a thoughtless, rude, uncaring person. Of course, in my youth such a person was shunned. The 21st century seems to be mainly the century of I, Me, Mine.

         I hold the door for strangers when someone is a few steps behind me. I open doors for Bren most of the time, even if it means going out of my way to do so. She's perfectly capable, but each person takes care of what's important to them. Bren's important to me.

         We return things to the place we got them. Why? Because that's the way we were raised. Why doesn't everyone? Self-centered laziness.

         This is a great bit of writing, dealing with increasing self-centeredness in this country, if not the world.
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Review of Liar  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
         I love the direct-forward honesty I hear in this poem titled Liar! I'm hearing, hopefully correctly, an introspection here. The poem seems to transpose the internal and the external, as though bringing the depths of the poem and its writer out into the open and shining the light of truth into the depths.

         The structure of this poem is great. It isn't rythmic except insofar as the human mind is rhythmic, but there is a definite flow which carries the reader through the poem.

         Written language is largely an assemblage of words, and the words in these lines are obviously very well chosen.

         The phrase "...your heart pumps ink and jerks tears..." made me think of the 'soda jerks' of early 20th century America. The soda jerk was usually a well-known, liked, and respected individual who 'jerked' the sodas from the fountain. In my mind, the metaphor compares the writer and the soda jerk. The one "pumps ink" and "jerks tears, while the other pumps flavours and jerks sodas. Both draw a special and unique experience from a set of ingredients and serve it to a discerning customer.

         The words "plot holes" made me smile because of the phonetic similarity with "pot holes." A "belly full of plot holes" would make the writing road difficult, just as a 'stretch of pot holes' makes the physical road difficult. Often, a difficult road takes us to a remarkable destination.

         If I were to share all my positive thoughts about this poem, I'd be writing until tomorrow night! Very good writing!
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Review of LADA  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (5.0)
         This is excellent writing. It is clear, concise, and flows logically from point to point. Each of those points is clear and well-developed. Each is supported by background and facts used in such a way as to prove it logically against other reasonable assumptions.

         I find the content to be fascinating. I too, have had a couple of favourite vehicles. Having read this article, I now want a Lada. I've long heard that many sturdy and stylish vehicles are produced in Poland, but I'd never heard about any specific models. The Lada sounds great, but unfortunately, it's highly unlikely that any exist in this country.
         In my humble opinion, the fault of the rear-end accident lies mostly with the driver who struck the author's car. Part of driving is to watch other drivers and their vehicles for signals including directional signals, brake lights, speed changes, and even the position of the other driver's head. That makes it incumbent upon each driver to position themself and their vehicle in such a way as to be able to see the necessary signals. The Lada doesn't seem to be a particularly low-set vehicle, and in any case, the driver who was following was doing so too closely if she could not see the signals of the author's car. In this country, "Following too closely" is a ticketable offense and is often used to determine responsibility for the accident. Well, that's my two cents worth about the rear-end incident.
         This reviewer concurs with the author's assessment of modern cars as being "...computers on wheels..." The designs are intended solely to prevent vehicle owners from self-servicing their vehicles by making repairs as difficult as possible for non-professional mechanics. Vehicle computers frequently require servicing only at the manufacturer's designated service centers. So, this reviewer perfectly understands the author's beliefs and is sympathetic with same.
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Review of 'heart's home'  Open in new Window.
Rated: ASR | (4.5)
         Truly, this is not a short story. Neither is it metric poetry. The rhythmic devices move in flows like ocean tides rather than waves on which rhymes float and bob.
         It is driven by a passionate current of language which is the principle characteristic of poetry. Neither prose nor poetry nor even a blend of the two, it is wonderfully and uniquely beautiful. As is the tale it relates. Still, it is not a ballad. It is a tale of existence and of life.
         Were I to receive such an epistle as this, I would sit and weep quietly at its emotional beauty. Thereafter, I would repeatedly peer into its depths.
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Review of LOVE IS...  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.5)
         In all honesty, going by the title alone I expected this item to be similar to the cutesy, cartoon couple which was popular during my earlier years. I still enjoy seeing those "Love is..." cartoons, which I consider forerunners of 'memes'.
         I was pleasantly surprised to find here something refreshingly different.
         This writer has given a concise but creatively worded statement of her view of love in many of its manifestations. This is a beautiful and personal view of love.
         The first verse is my favourite. Love, especially new love is usually ardent and "rushing." As it rushes, it does indeed smooth the edges of jagged rocks into polished stones. Love can smooth addiction into cure, indifference into devotion, divisiveness into unity, and effect many other positive changes in circumstances and in people.
         This writer seems to feel, as I do, that acts of creation are acts of love.
         I consider this an excellent work, poetic though it lacks meter, lovingly worded, and beautifully painted. The elegant simplicity here is in the expression, not in the thoughts and emotions.
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Review of Fruit to Bread  Open in new Window.
Rated: E | (4.0)
This is one I'll be coming back to. This is a promising writer with creative vision! Aaannd...
bananas are my favourite fruit by far!
This poem has a couple of rough edges, but most jewels do. With a little polishing, it will shine!
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Review of To My Joseph  Open in new Window.
Rated: 13+ | (4.5)
         This is very powerful writing, and I feel the emotional depths whence it comes. Some folk might say it's 'too florid', but I love it. The poet's mastery of the language is certainly impressive, but there's something in this poem and in this poet which impresses me even more.
         There are obviously strong emotions driving this poem, but I sense a strong reserve as well. My impression is that this writer used great personal strength to create this ode through great personal tragedy, forcing order and reason on irrational events. This is a strong individual.

         I've written a few odes myself. They are as difficult to write as loss is to bear. That says a lot about this poet and about the person within this poet.
         I shall never be the subject of an ode, nor will any place I stand nor anything I touch.
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