MAY 25, submitted palindromes: RANDOM PILES 5

MAY 24, life in Palindrome Valley: organizing the Palindrome Rally

                                            this verse has been approved at the online site OEDILF, #125910

Authors' Note: Most readers will be familiar with the lap-pool. The loop-pool, a luxury innovation found in Palindrome Valley, enhances swimming in either direction along a circuitous route.

Palindromes related to the material discussed in this poem include:

Harass selfless Sarah.

Ma is as selfless as I am. 

Harass Iris, Sarah.

and Ev, lovers revolve, as discussed in a recent post.

You can review other illustrated verses on this topic by proceeding to the collection 'Life in Palindrome Valley' on our full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'.

MAY 23, toxic vignette: 'mad as a hatter' (the Danbury shakes)

Authors' Note: Erethismus (irritation) mercurialis, synonym for mercurialism / erethism, was well-known by Lewis Carroll's time, as signs of chronic poisoning had become common among workers in the hatting industry in which salts of mercury were used in the felting of furs; his character, the 'Mad Hatter' reflects the prevalent stereotype.

  In the US, hat-making was centered in the Connecticut town of Danbury, where the majority of long-term workers were subject to the 'Danbury shakes' as well as other neuropsychiatric manifestations. The plant continued in operation, including the dumping of wastewater effluent, until the early 1940s. It closed at that time due to staffing shortages and the need for mercury in the armaments industry.

   In 2020, a study of fish populations in Danbury's Still River showed alarming levels of mercury; the persistence of this toxic residue reflects, in part, the concept of biomagnification. 

Review all our poems of toxicologic interest by clicking HERE. 

MAY 22, binomial phrases: "bump and grind"

Authors' Note: The above verse features a number of binomial expressions, most of which are in common use. In fact, the "classic" binomial hot to trot, and the authors' proposed "Tease and Please" have the additional appeal of internal rhyme. Generally, because of their catchy appeal and common use, binomial phrases are often chosen as the names of restaurants, bars and small businesses, but the name proposed here for a strip-club is presumably an original use.

To review the poetic effusion that we have accumulated about binomial phrases, proceed to our blog "Edifying Nonsense", and check out the post  'Grandpa Greg's Grammar: Binomial Expressions'. Click HERE!

There is also an entire collection of lyrics to patter songs, somewhat older material, dedicated to various kinds of binomials, that provides more didactic material and an extensive series of examples, and allows you to sing these expressions for your own enjoyment, or for that of others around you. Click HERE !

MAY 21, photo-collage (waterfowl): brown pelicans

  

pelicatessen patrons may be less than mannerly

statue on a pelican-pedestal

white pelicans, a related species,
a rare treat seen in the Florida Everglades

a goofy-looking brown pelican preens itself

heavy-duty takeoff

pelican pirouette

at the peoicatessen:jockeying for position 

To see even more of these birds (and to learn more about the 'pelicatessen' and about brown pelicans of the Caribbean), you might want to review our posts "illustrated verse: brown pelicans",  and "folio entry: a brown-pelican  couple". 

MAY 20, singable satire: John Denver sings "INDIANA SONG"

SATIRE COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, May 2018. Readers interested in this topic might also enjoy Giorgio's lyrics posted on these earlier blogposts...
Dark Schemes
Rosenstein
Brennan's Tweet 
"Get Me Roger Stone - the Song" 

ORIGINAL SONG:  "Annie's Song" by John Denver, 1974.

Enjoy Denver's recording HERE on Youtube. 

PARODY-SONGLINK: To find ukulele and guitar chord-charts to help you accompany "INDIANA SONG" on your favorite instrument, click HERE. 

BACKGROUND INFO: George Will's opinion-editorial  was published in the Washington Post under the rubric "Trump is no longer the worst person in government". It appeared in our local newspaper on May 10, 2018, under the heading "Mike Pence sets sad standard for governing by groveling."

Here is the link to the particular newspaper column which generated all the interest.

INDIANA SONG

to the tune of "Annie's Song"

  

George Will writes Mike Pence sets
A 'sad standard for ... groveling',
Like at cabinet meetings
Where he's 'humbled' by Trump.
Using barbs like 'oleaginous', 
Like 'repulsive' and 'toady',
George fills up his column -- 
His disdain doesn't slump.

Then George targets invective
At Mike's praise for Arpaio,
At a rally in Tempe
Near the home of McCain.
George invokes Mike's 'vocation'
(Servile ingratiation)
And asks voters repudiate
That mob's M.A.G.A.* again.

*  Make America Great Again, slogan of the 2016 Republican campaign.

CAST OF CHARACTERS

George Will  'conservative political commentator' and popular columnist with the Washington Post Writer's Group.
Mike Pence  Vice-President 2017-2020. Previous experience as Republican governor of his home-state of Indiana. Described as 'conspicuously devout' by Will, presumably picked for his current post due to his freedom from financial or lifestyle imbroglios. 

"Sheriff Joe" Arpaio  controversial local political figure in Arizona, self-styled as 'America's toughest sheriff', convicted of contempt of court in relation to repeated racially charged practices, 'pardoned' by Trump in 2017.

John McCain   high-profile long-serving senator from Arizona, Republican candidate for President in 2008, struggling with terminal brain cancer at the time of these events.

 

MAY 19, doctors and their practices: ex-hospital chief

You can view these informative verses in a wider context by proceeding to the collection 'DOCTORS and their PRACTICES' 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 year then month of interest, and then select (by clicking) the specific post of your choice. 

MAY 18, insects: gnats

Authors' Note:   The term 'gnat' can be used to described a variety of small, swarming flies. Owing to their small size, the sort that bite are often known as 'no see 'ums'. There is a companion piece to this verse 'gnat repellent' that extends the details of this topic.    

You can review Giorgio's other verses about pesty and occasionally beneficial insects, as  collected in 'Buzzwords: Verses about Insects' on

 the full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE.

MAY 17, palinku (poetic novelty): Dennis's ongoing sin

  In this post, we continue with a novel form of poetic wordplay. Inspired by Japanese haiku poetry, the new format 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). 

  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. 

The continually widening circle of Dennis's sins is indicated by the following recently discovered palindromes ...

Dennis and Ed, Nadine, Enid and Edna sinned. 

Dennis and Ed, Nadine, Eve, Enid and Edna sinned.

Dennis and Ed, Nadine, Eva, Dave, Enid and Edna sinned.

Dennis and Ed, Nadine, Eva, Dana, Ana, Dave, Enid and Edna sinned.

Also, you might want to check an earlier posting on this site for a somewhat different take on Dennis's entourage. And, if you are overwhelmed by an urge to sing about Dennis's sinful relationships, you can satisfy those urgings by clicking HERE. 

 (Ed. note): Verses of this type have continued to proliferate, and the total now is approaching 60. You can view them all at one swoop if you proceed to our more encyclopedic blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE. Or, if you want to stay on this daily blog, you can enter 'Palinku' on the search line in the browser and find individual verses of this type published here over the last year.

  

MAY 16, planet-saving verse: species loss

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.)

Authors' Note: Scientists have determined that of all the species that have been present on our planet, more than 99% are now extinct. Many of the extant (current) species are under increasing pressure due to global warming, loss of habitat, and in some cases, exploitation and pollution.

You can help save the planet by viewing all our verses in this series at "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE!

Incidental photo: 

a great egret in low flight over a saltwater creek