# February 2012 SDMB Poetry Sweatshop - Logistics Thread. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 28, 2012, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222 "2012-02-28T04:09:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 4:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/1 "2012-02-28T04:09:16Z")
Hello, everyone, and welcome to the logistics thread for the February 2012 SDMB Poetry Sweatshop. These have been tremendous fun in the past, and have produced some top notch work from the participants. I would like to begin this month’s Poetry Sweatshop on Wednesday, February 29th at 9:00 AM EST, and close it on Monday, March 12th at 10:00 PM EST. This is an extra long period of time in which, I hope, many Doper poets can find a one hour window in which to write. It has, through one thing and another in my in-tray, been far too long since we’ve had a Poetry Sweatshop. As with the past Sweatshops, any interested poets will have one hour to write a poem - any style, form, length, rhyme scheme (or no rhyme.) - but the poem must incorporate three words chosen at random. The words will be found in an auto-reply message that can be received by writing to sdmbpoetrysweatshop at gmail dot com after 9 AM EST on Wednesday, March 29th. (Please remember to mention your SDMB username…) Send the poem in a reply to the auto-reply, and the time stamps will show whether the poem was completed within the hour or not. Sorry, lurkers - entry is restricted to those who are permitted to post on the SDMB, be they Guests, Members, Charter Members, Mods, Admins or other interesting titles. (Though if you have been reading here for a while and have always wanted to join, this would be an ideal opportunity.) In the last hour of the Sweatshop, an Anthology Thread is started and the words are announced in its Original Post; at the end of the Sweatshop (i.e. at 10 PM EST on Monday, March 12th) a poll is established, in which readers are encouraged to vote for their favourite poem. At the close of the poll, the poet with the most votes is acclaimed Poet Laureate of the SDMB. The Roll of Honour of Past Poets Laureate reads - **tracy jo** - [October, 2009](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=536393) **Maserschmidt** - [December, 2009](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=542674) **The Hamster King** - [January, 2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=548249) **Pandoranoid** - [February, 2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=554076) **Maserschmidt** - [March, 2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=557617) **Elendil’s Heir** - [April, 2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=561112) **mauxlicious** - [May, 2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=565285) **Elendil’s Heir** - [June 2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=568755) **Serenata67** - [July 2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=573211) **Le Ministre de l’au-delà** - [August, 2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=576336) **Le Ministre de l’au-delà** - [September, 2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=580625) **Maserschmidt** and **Elendil’s Heir** - Joint winners, [November 2010](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=587765). **Woeg** - [January, 2011](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=595295) **Angel of the Lord** - [March, 2011](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=602865) **vdgg81** - [August, 2011](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=14222589#post14222589) Since the April 2010 Sweatshop, we have used a multiple choice poll, and I’ve been very pleased with the results. Unless there are any strenuous objections, I’d like to keep the poll multiple choice. And, of course, if there are any logistical considerations, this is the place to bring them up. I’m hoping lots of you can find a spare hour sometime in the next 15 days. Best wishes, Le Ministre de l’au-delà ---
**Author:** ![Woeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Woeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Woeg)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/2 "2012-02-28T14:12:20Z")
I’m in! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 2:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/3 "2012-02-28T14:29:27Z")
Likewise. Same format as before is fine with me. Thanks, **Ministre**. ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/4 "2012-02-28T14:40:12Z")
Fun! ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/5 "2012-02-28T22:30:09Z")
I’d like to propose a slight change in schedule - I will be at the doctor’s office with my son at 9AM tomorrow (nothing serious, but the only time he could squeeze us in.) and I’m not certain when, exactly, I’ll be back. May I please change the start time to 12 Noon EST, Wednesday, February 29th? That way, I can still write my poem in the one hour time allotment… ---
**Author:** ![xenophon41](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xenophon41/32/253_2.png) [@xenophon41](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xenophon41)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2012, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/6 "2012-02-28T23:12:59Z")
Dude, who d’you think you are to ask for a change like that? Fine with the rest of us I guess, but you’d better get approval from the guy who organizes and runs these contests. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/7 "2012-02-29T04:06:55Z")
Oh, no way - I can’t stand to talk to that guy. ---
**Author:** ![Woeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Woeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Woeg)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/8 "2012-02-29T13:28:38Z")
S’cool with me! ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/9 "2012-02-29T14:56:38Z")
Please excuse my n00bishness, but a couple things are unclear to me. > [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > … by writing to sdmbpoetrysweatshop at gmail dot com What exactly do I write? Should I have a specific title? > [@](#): > > …an Anthology Thread is started… readers are encouraged to vote for their favourite poem. So all the poems will be posted en masse, in this Anthology Thread? I’ve never done anything quite like this before, so, again, my apologies. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/10 "2012-02-29T15:10:38Z")
> [@Dr\_Doom](#): > > …So all the poems will be posted en masse, in this Anthology Thread? > > I’ve never done anything quite like this before, so, again, my apologies. Links to all previous such threads are in the OP. Check 'em out. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [February 29, 2012, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/11 "2012-02-29T17:04:53Z")
The auto-reply is set, and we are off! ---
**Author:** ![Woeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/df705f/32.png) [@Woeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Woeg)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/12 "2012-03-01T02:47:36Z")
Made it, just barely! Three false starts, then a theme that stuck. Great words this time! ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2012, 9:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/13 "2012-03-01T09:48:47Z")
> [@Dr\_Doom](#): > > What exactly do I write? Should I have a specific title? Just put your sdmb username somewhere in the email. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [March 2, 2012, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/14 "2012-03-02T15:44:44Z")
Not sure what to think about this, but I tried it. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2012, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/15 "2012-03-03T16:50:37Z")
Just catching up. I have indeed received the poems from Woeg and from Dr\_Doom; very impressive work. I feel certain that there are other poets out there who are just getting ready to send an e-mail to get the words. The words, for those curious about these things, were derived by getting three random numbers between 1 and 733, using those numbers as page numbers and taking the first noun, verb and modifier from the pages of my copy of the complete works of John Milton. Still plenty of time for more poets, everyone! ---
**Author:** ![melodyharmonius](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/melodyharmonius/32/21310_2.png) [@melodyharmonius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/melodyharmonius)\ **Post date:** [March 4, 2012, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/16 "2012-03-04T23:53:42Z")
i’ve entered. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/17 "2012-03-05T00:07:36Z")
You certainly have - 21 minutes?!? Well done! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/18 "2012-03-05T21:15:55Z")
> [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](#): > > …The words, for those curious about these things, were derived by getting three random numbers between 1 and 733, using those numbers as page numbers and taking the first noun, verb and modifier from the pages of my copy of the complete works of John Milton… I like your system! Very clever, and it gave us three especially useful words this time 'round. Just sent you my poem. ---
**Author:** ![Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/le_ministre_de_l_au-dela/32/12181_2.png) [@Le\_Ministre\_de\_l\_au-dela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Le_Ministre_de_l_au-dela)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/19 "2012-03-05T21:52:30Z")
**Elendil’s Heir** - got that. Fantastic; written and sent with three minutes to spare. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2012, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222/20 "2012-03-05T23:10:56Z")
=Whew= It said two minutes on my computer’s clock! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/february-2012-sdmb-poetry-sweatshop-logistics-thread/614222.md?page=2)