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yep, see my reply that followed KS On 02/04/07, Mark Weiss <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Everyone is aware that this is an April Fools joke, right? > > At 04:56 PM 4/1/2007, you wrote: > >holy shit. only in amerika. > > > >KS > > > >On 01/04/07, Jon Corelis <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >>I thought people in this group might be interested in this: > >> > >> > >>---------------------- > >> > >> > >>FEDERAL POETRY SUBSIDIES PROPOSED > >> > >>Washington, D. C. (CNS) - > >> > >>In a surprise move, the Bush Administration has announced that it will > >>propose legislation in Congress to subsidize the production of verse by > >>American poets. > >> > >>The program, which will be modeled on the longstanding federal agricultural > >>price support program, will be designed to ensure a market at a basic price > >>support level for the nation's poetry output. > >> > >>According to administration spokeswoman April Narr, a goal of the subsidies > >>will be to ensure the continuing production of particular types of verse for > >>which the market is currently weak. "For instance," she said at a news > >>conference this morning, "not too many people write sonnets or heroic > >>couplets any more, so those types of verse would be eligible for special > >>price supports." > >> > >>Narr also said in response to questions that although the details have yet > >>to be worked out, subject matter may also be taken into account to determine > >>the price support levels of different types of poems. "There are plenty > >>poems being written about having an affair or traveling in Europe or > >>watching your child grow up," she said, "so that sort of poetry probably > >>needs less subsidy. But poems about junk yards or shaving cream or peeling > >>an orange are more rare and may be deserving of more price support." > >> > >>When questioned as to whether the public will accept a government program > >>which channels taxpayers' dollars to poets, Narr replied, "It's really not > >>such an unusual idea when you think of it. After all, if the federal > >>government can pay farmers to produce soybeans, why can't it pay poets to > >>produce sonnets?" > >> > >>-- > >>=================================== > >> > >> Jon Corelis www.geocities.com/jgcorelis/ > >> > >>=================================== >