MAR 28, excursions: Berkeley, CA

 

Pictured at left, bottom row, is pride-of-Madeira, a beautiful, but invasive flowering shrub.

MAR 27, wordplay: Scramble-towns eastern Canada, 5

Who would ever have guessed? It turns out that an unparalleled word in generating anagrams (letter scrambles) is P-A-L-I-N-D-R-O-M-E-S. We have taken advantage of that property to create this unique series of wordplay maps of imaginary American (and Canadian) locales, each one completed by its official two-letter state (or provincial) abbreviation. 

 

LINKS to other nonsense in this series: 

Forward to the next Canadian map (6), eh?

Back up to the first Canadian map.

Back up to the first American map.

MAR 26, bar-fauna: at 'The Lizards' Lair'

BTW, should you ever need to log in directly to this blog, its simple address is...

daily.edifyingnonsense.com

(Just type that into your browser search-line.) But, here you are for today, so welcome aboard!

And, here's a photo of the barkeep; he's a fence-lizard, and a little vignette about this species can be found HERE.

                                                                   

photo info: Images of the anole, the skink and the fence lizard were recently captured by G.C. on his i-phone7 camera. 

You can find a lot more pictures about anoles, cute little tree-lizards by clicking to links to blogged photo-collages HERE (suburban neighbours), HERE (pole-dancer), and HERE (coloration), among others. There are also other illustrated poems HERE (dewlaps), HERE ("going green"), HERE ("skink-busting") and HERE ("patrolling").

Or, you could review photos and illustrated herpetologic verses in a wider context by proceeding to 'Verses about Reptiles' (ophidiophobics, don't worry!  no snake-photos)' on the full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'.

If you liked this submission, you might want to refer to our entire collection of verses about human and animal denizens of bars, pubs and other watering-holes. Click HERE.

MAR 25, submitted palindromes: RANDOM PILES 3

 

You have reached the "Submitted Palindromes" thread on the blog "Daily Edifying Nonsense", a light literary entity that emanates through the blogosphere daily (almost), i.e. 30 times per month.

  On the 25th of each month you will find a slide-filling group of palindromic phrases submitted to the editors by a panel of 7 palindromists. These folks have all been working on this project since January 2020. The personal profiles for each of these contributors are displayed in panels published here at the start of things, and then, we have asked them to provide (palindromically, of course) their views on one of the iconic items in the classic literature, starting with "A man, a plan, a canal -- Panama", continuing with other well-known phrases, such as "Dennis sinned". Otherwise, their contribution will be grouped in monthly random piles (a phrase that you might recognize as an anagram of the word p-a-l-i-n-d-r-o-m-e-s).

You can access this delightful entertainment right here by entering submitted palindromes in one of the two search bars at the top of this post and scrolling downwards through the wordplay posts that you will discover, OR, just follow the links indicated above. 

Devotees of palindromic wordplay can further explore limericks and other short verses about the classic palindromes (and quite a few recent concoctions) that are randomly scattered on this blog after September 2000, or collected into grouped postings on our more encyclopedic blog "Edifying Nonsense" -- start HERE.

MAR 24, excursions: Oakland, CA

plaque at Heinold's Saloon, founded 1883,
Jack London Square

The saloon had been patronized by iconic American writers such as  Oakland resident Jack London and visiting guru Robert Louis Stevenson. 

statue at Lake Merritt,
evoking the aboriginal myth (Ohlone/Castanoan)
of a sea monster

In a recent rehabilitative project, Lake Merritt, landlocked during the period of development, has had its connection to  San Francisco Bay restored.

drum circle near lake Merritt

Australian teatree, planted in the first decade of the last century,
part of an arboretum function

black-capped night heron

Lake Merritt is claimed to be the US's first wildlife refuge.

a greater scaup, more or less

a great number of scaups and other waterfowl congregate at the lake

trail-break at the nearby Reinhardt Redwoods Park

 

a resident socializes with visitors

MAR 23, poetry of healthcare: treatment compliance

You can view these informative verses in a wider context by proceeding to the collection 'Poetry of Healthcare' on our full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE!

MAR 22, organic brain poetry: non-organic versus organic (introduction)

Authors' Note:  A psychiatric workup for mental disorders starts with the separation of causality into two streams. In the first, brain function, thoughts and behavior may be altered by subtle or unusual manifestations of disease in body systems outside the brain — these are sometimes termed exogenous. In the second stream, manifestations are attributable to disorder of the brain itself (usually of unknown cause) in patterns reflective of neurosis, schizophrenia and depressive illness. In somewhat archaic, but still utilized descriptions, psychiatrists may refer to this distinction as indicating organic versus non-organic mental disorders. 

You can view and review all our verses on the topic of 'Organic Brain Poetry' by following this link to the encyclopedic collection on "Edifying Nonsense."

MAR 21, photo-collage, reptiles: anole pole-dancer

You can find a lot more pictures of these cute little tree-lizards by clicking to links to blogged photo-collages HERE (suburban neighbours), HERE (pole-dancer), and HERE (coloration), among others.

There are also other illustrated poems HERE (dewlaps), HERE ("going green"), HERE ("skink-busting") and HERE ("patrolling").

Or, you could review photos and illustrated herpetologic verses in a wider context by proceeding to 'Verses about Reptiles' (ophidiophobics, don't worry!  no snake-photos)' on the full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'.

MAR 20, singable satire: Lewis Carroll's "JABBERWOCKY", as sung by 'The Animals'

  

 "Dr. JJ" enjoyed playing the electric guitar among other instruments. He frequently enlivened major family events by performing parody songs written for the occasion, using base songs from the golden oldies period. His favorite song vehicle was undoubtedly the folk-rock classic "The House of the Rising Sun" (1964) as recorded by the British band The Animals. (A YouTube version is found HERE.)  

"Jabberwock", Giorgio's copy,
 drawing by John Tenniel,
illustrator of Carroll's books

  The authors of this daily blog, Dr. G.H. and his registered pseudonym Giorgio, have been fans for a long time of "Jabberwocky", the iconic nonsense-poem revealed and discussed in Lewis Carroll's "Through the Looking Glass" (1871). A sneak preview; later this month, you will be able to find the poem "MERGERWOCKY", a parody on Jabberwocky that we later realized could similarly be sung to the tune of "The House of the Rising Sun". Your current authors do acknowledge that singing a version of "Jabberwocky" itself had been otherwise achieved by the British folk-rock singer-composer Donovan, a pastiche that is recorded in his 1971 album of childrens' songs "HMS Donovan". (Click HERE for the YouTube version). 

PARODY-SONGLINK: To find ukulele and guitar chord-charts to help you accompany "Jabberwocky (the Animals' version)", on your favorite instrument, click HERE.

To review the rest of the lyrics and chord-charts, follow this link to our song-blog "Silly Songs and Satire" by clicking HERE.

For historic interest, here is a slide used as part of an open-mike at a ukulele club when the concept of this pastiche was first entertained.  

Incidental Photo:

Dr. JJ, Bermuda, 1965

MAR 19, funny bones: foot-floggers' (metatarsal) fracture

Authors' Note:  Stress fractures are injuries caused by repeated undue physical stress applied to normal bone. These injuries, sometimes called march fractures, are common in the midshafts of the bones of the forefoot, particularly metatarsals #2 through #4. They characteristically occur in military recruits and in athletic individuals with heavy training schedules, but also may show up in otherwise unremarkable individuals who have recently increased their level of physical activity. Fortunately, healing is usual in those prepared to reduce activities for a number of weeks.

    To read more about this important topic, check the online medical periodical Bone Bloggers: Opinion by Orthopedic Surgeons.

 You can view verses on this topic in a wider context by proceeding to the post 'Breaking News: FUNNY BONES' on our full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE!

links for any date: scroll over to the calendar-based listings of 'Past Posts' in the righthand column on this page, choose your month of interest, and then select (by clicking) the post of your choice.

MAR 18, culinary verse: barbecue (BBQ, southern)

 

Authors' Note: Here is another verse dealing with eating (or avoiding) meat. 

Find the collection of illustrated poems dealing with culinary issues on the post 'Culinary Verse' on our full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'. Click HERE!

MAR 17, palinku (poetic novelty): lust indulged

verse in honour of Dr. JJ, whose love of life included comedy and the music of poetry ...

  In this post, we continue with a novel form of poetic wordplay. Inspired by Japanese haiku poetry, this new form is used for a terse verse with a total of 17 syllables displayed on three lines. This concoction, however, does not mandate the precise distribution of the syllables among the three lines, but does stipulate that each word in the poem be included in a palindromic phrase or sentence in English (i.e. one that can be read either forwards or backwards). Some of the  palindromes exploited here are found in the classic repertoire of such wordplay, part are variants on these classics, and a part derive entirely from the distorted mental processes of the authors. 

  To help the reader discern the origin of the lyrics, each palindrome (generally occupying one of the three lines of the poem) has been color-coded. 

Further poetic discussion of Dennis's sins can be found HERE. 

 You can view all our verses of this type if you  proceed with a single click to our more encyclopedic blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE. (Or if you prefer, you can stay on this particular blogsite and look for the offerings for the 17th day of each month -- there are now more than 60 of these.)

Incidental Photo:

Dr. JJ starting out as a lecturer, 1948

MAR 16, hellenophilia: tipping on Santorini

 

 Other verses discussing our appreciation of Greece and things Greek can be found on our blog 'Edifying Nonsense'. Click HERE.

MAR 15, photo-collage, Carolina lowcountry: the 'pelicatessen' revisited

The development of the term pelicatessen, and an insider view (photos and a poem) of a South Carolina venue providing this service were displayed on a previous post HERE. 

Yesterday, we were fortunate to perform a follow-up visit.  

customers waiting patiently for service

well, perhaps not that patiently ... 

 working methodically to provide prompt service

customers do not always display their most polite behavior

a dispute between patrons

the ultimate 'pelicatessen'

pizza delivery boxes in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina,

touting service to 'the Lowcountry'

"Y'all come back again soon, now, y'heah?"

MAR 14, reprehensible modern history: Democracy (18th century take)

(submitted version November '23:

The wannabe autocrat cheerless, / Mourned imperial days. "Kings were peerless: / No women, I'm noting, / Slaves or natives tried voting. / Closets hid all the gays -- none were fearless.")  

View the entire collection of poetic assertions on this topic  at our more encyclopedic blog 'Edifying Nonsense', by clicking HERE.

MAR 13, limericks about waterfowl (lunacy)

Authors' Note:  Birdlife is an occasionally used term, analogous to "wildlife", denoting aerial creatures that otherwise would have to be described by the term avifauna. Needless to say, all birdlife currently known is located on the planet Earth.

Our blogpost "Defining Opinion" on the topic-based blog "Edifying Nonsense" shows a selection of similar verses submitted to OEDILF (the online Omnificent English Dictionary in Limerick Form). You can see all of these on one visit by clicking HERE.