Happy November!

In an effort to get myself back into the habit of posting regularly, I have decided to participate in this year's MegaPoMo. Look for these special posts all through the month of November!

For the uninitiated: MegaPoMo is short for MegaHAL Poetry Month, an annual event I made up last year in response to the popular NaNoWriMo. So, what's MegaHAL? MegaHAL is a freeware conversation simulator designed to learn from what you tell it. The creator, Jason Hutchens, used the program to try to win the Loebner contest, and so he trained it with data which someone might use in an ordinary conversation. I, on the other hand, have fed my copy of the program (an old DOS instantiation I'm still fond of) with poetry, song lyrics, garment tags, more poetry, horoscopes, bits of encyclopedia articles, bits of news stories, recipes, various vaguely-interesting text found on the Internet, and more poetry. If the output makes any sense at all, it is through no fault of my own.

Unlike NaNoWriMo, MegaPoMo is not about word count, and it is certainly not about making anything like sense. So what is it about? Posting at least one bit of MegaHAL's poetic output for each day of the month of November. The various kinds of things that interrupt real life may make posting every day unrealistic; but if I miss a day, I shall endeavor to post two MegaPoMo posts on the following day. Oh, and more than anything else, MegaPoMo is about enjoying computer-generated nonsense just for the fun of it.

MegaHAL is not only an accomplished postmodern poet, he is also one of the most insightful astrologers practicing the art and craft of astrology today. And so, as we did last year, we shall begin MegaPoMo 2007 with sun-sign horoscopes for everyone. Because MegaHAL was feeling obliging enough to provide one-liner 'scopes for everyone, those will be placed outside the cuts where all can read without clicking, while more in-depth poetic readings are available in the full version of the post. Enjoy!



Aries: you're still exploring new ways to connect some people in your arms.
( More for Aries )

Taurus: speed is still blurry and she stood there hot as an appetizer.
( More for Taurus )

Gemini: you should be drumming here.
( More for Gemini )

Cancer: extravagance is good for present ill!
( More for Cancer )

Leo: your opinions rule--no one can escape the boogie.
( More for Leo )

Virgo: skip the typical dinner locales and try a new euclidean plane.
( More for Virgo )

Libra: you pick up the steps with my great work for others. [Why, yes I do, Hal. It's my pleasure!]
( More for Libra )

Scorpio: you will see the total pressure occur closer to heaven.
( More for Scorpio )

Sagittarius: many pieces are falling into place and creating a nice girl.
( More for Sagittarius )

Capricorn: today is an alien city.
( More for Capricorn )

Aquarius: experience things on its unleashing, so mirrors cause and denies effect.
( More for Aquarius )

Pisces: instead of waiting for recognition, today, there's more need for a moment on the roof.
( More for Pisces )