July 6, 2022

JUL 6, binomial phrases: "down and out"




To review our poetic effusion about binomial phrases proceed to our blog 'Edifying Nonsense', 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 !

July 5, 2022

JUL 5, insects: cryoprotection


Authors' Note: The isabella tiger moth, Pyrrharctia isabella enters the cold season in wintry parts of North America in the form of a banded woolly bear caterpillar. Traditionally, her peer-group would attempt to get through the winter by altering their metabolism to manufacture compounds known as cryoprotectives, allowing them to recover from freezing. Our protagonist seems to have discovered another way around this challenge.

 

July 4, 2022

JUL 4, American anagram swarms: election fraud

reprise from July 4, 2021


JUL 4, anagram swarm: 'ELECTION FRAUD' #4

 Continuing from the posts of January 16January 18January 20January 22January 24, and January 27. You might note that there are now more than 200 anagrams in this collection. Who would have guessed?




If you have enjoyed this post, you can find a series of other 'American anagram swarms' gathered in two posts on our 'parent' blog "Edifying Nonsense".  To get started, click HERE


July 3, 2022

JUL 3, English literature survey course: "La Belle Dame sans Merci" (Keats' poem)



Authors' Note: 

rĂªverie (rehv-uh-REE): French for ‘dream, daydream’

grotesque: term adopted from French for an ancient Roman decorative artform rediscovered in Rome in the 15th century. Grotesques depict fantastical scenes and figures; the related adjective highlights the bizarre and even frightening nature of the images

grot: poetic variant of ‘grotto’ 

merci (mehr-SEE): French for mercy, forgiveness

   The usual critical view is that the protagonist of the poem, transfixed by the 'faery's child', has been trapped and victimized. However, Keats' description in his poem written in 1819 (but taking place in a mythical medieval past), leaves little doubt that the 'Belle Dame' is underage. The societal view of what constitutes child molestation / statutory rape seems to have changed over time.

You can review the entire curriculum for our 'English Classics Survey Course' at "Edifying Nonsense" by clicking HERE.

 

July 2, 2022

JUL 2, death and the afterlife: homes in heaven



Authors' Note: 

chutzpah (Yiddish): shameless audacity
Shemayim (Hebrew): heaven

You can review more poems about 'Death and the Afterlife' in context on our full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'. Click HERE!


July 1, 2022

* JUL 1, reprise: -- a Canadian defined

reprise from July 1, 2020

In honour of Canada Day (July 1), 











You can review these illustrated verses in a wider context by proceeding to 'Reverse Strokes: Limericks About Canoeing' on the full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'. 




June 30, 2022

JUN 30, American satire (prolongation): 'coups' in the news




We hope that you enjoyed this verse. You can find 40 more on this topic in 6 collections on our full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'. Click HERE to start! 



June 28, 2022
Mark Meadows' aide testifies at the Jan 6 committee hearings


June 29, 2022

JUN 29, palinku (poetic novelty): Canadiana

Get ready! CANADA DAY is coming up in just two days.



 

 (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.



'He won snow, eh?'





A snowy Christmas Day, Toronto, 2020



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.

to continue daily titillationsBE SURE TO BOOKMARK THIS SITE!




June 27, 2022

JUN 27, pluralia tantum: 'eruptions' -- medical nomenclature




Authors' Note: Eruption is a venerable medical term for a skin rash, in use since an earlier era when practitioners paid careful attention to characteristic skin lesions and various symptoms, but knew little of disease causality such as viral infection and allergy. Traditional names for medical symptoms and diseases in general are often based on lay vernacular terms dating from a much earlier time. Shingles is also known as herpes zoster, the second term referring to the belt-like distribution of lesions.

Grandpa Greg asked us to pass on this message: "You can view the entire collection of verses about 'pluralia tantum' by clicking HERE."



June 26, 2022

Jun 26, (re)duplication: hanky-panky




 Authors' Note:  Reduplications as they are best known, sometimes also called duplications, are language forms (morphs), usually for nouns, in which an element of the word is repeated with little or no change; they figure prominently among the most musical elements in English and in other languages. To this author, the more commonly used term seems redundant. Many other examples begin with the letter 'h', e.g. harum-scarum, helter-skelter, higgledy-piggledyhillbilly, and hubba-hubba.

Readers willing to go down an internet rabbit-hole HERE can easily get to a collection of more than a dozen other short verses in which we have dealt with specific reduplications, as well as three fairly lengthy patter-songs about this fascinating linguistic phenomenon. 

June 25, 2022

JUN 25, patients and their maladies: vitreous detachment










 You can view these verses in a wider context by proceeding to 'Nurse-Verse: Patients and their Maladies' on our full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE!

June 24, 2022

JUN 24, a brief saga: anagram swarms













 For the purpose of this blog, a 'brief saga' is defined as a poem, usually narrative, but occasionally expository, that tell its story in at least 15 lines. Most commonly, the format involves three stanzas in limerick form, constituting a single submission to the online humor site 'Omnificent English Dictionary iLimerick Form'. On the OEDILF site, rigorous standards for content and format are involved in a collaborative editing process that may take several weeks to over a year. 

 Generally, OEDILF has not been enormously welcoming of multi-verse submissions, but Giorgio Coniglio has persisted, and there are now over 90 of these multi-verse poems feature in his "Author's Showcase". The  OEDILF number for each accepted multiverse poem is shown here on the slide with its first verse. We have been blog-publishing these poetic adventures here monthly.


To access the next 'brief saga', advance to 'careers (pluralia tantum)'

To access the most recent previous 'brief saga', back up to 'echoic binomials (Eco-pairs)'




US Congressman Jamie Raskin


June 23, 2022

JUN 23, non-sequitur: judge's gavel, plus yesterday's temperature perversion







 


Our collection of 'Non-Sequiturs' on our parent blog "Edifying Nonsense", contains an admittedly bizarre assortment of nonsensical odds-and-ends, that don't quite fit into other topic-based offerings. But should you want to review the entire collection, click HERE.


June 22, 2022

JUN 22, diagnostic imaging: AC (attenuation correction) for PET scanning







Authors' Note:   Absorption of rays by body tissues complicates the interpretation of medical imaging with Positron Emission Tomography (PET). In equipment development since the year 2000, 'hybrid' scanners combine the nuclear camera with a CT x-ray unit that provides maps of attenuation; this technique for correction of attenuation (known to workers in the field as A.C.), makes PET more accurate in the detection of cancer. A potential limitation, the much lower energy of the photons used for x-ray CT, turns out to have little degrading effect in practical usage.

   Moreover, anatomic localization of the lesion can be obtained at the same session, enabling techniques such as superposition of the ‘hot’ focus on a 3D anatomic body-map. This technique has been given  the difficult and somewhat redundant term ‘PET-CT’.


 You can review all our verses on this intriguing topic by proceeding to a post on 'Edifying Nonsense' entitled 'Selected Topics in Diagnostic Imaging'. Click HERE!

June 21, 2022

JUN 21, planet-saving verse: invasive species



 


                                                                                                    

June 20, 2022

JUN 20 (2022), singable satire: Neil Young sings "GET ME ROGER STONE"

SATIRE COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, February 2019 (the brief sequel was added 2 month later). Readers interested in this topic might also enjoy Giorgio's lyrics posted on these earlier blogposts...
Dark Schemes
Rosenstein
Brennan's Tweet

ORIGINAL SONG: "Heart of Gold" 1971, written and recorded by legendary Canadian songwriter-performer Neil Young.


SONGLINK: See the version designed for ukulele and guitar players on "SILLY SONGS and SATIRE" HERE.


GET ME ROGER STONE - the song

(to the tune of "Heart of Gold"  by Neil Young) 


A foppish slickster,  a dirty trickster,
He’s worked with Manafort and ‘Tricky Dick’,
Deceptive tactics he knows to pick, sir
That keeps me seekin’ help from Roger Stone --
Get him on the phone.

That keeps me seekin’ help from Roger Stone,
Get him on the phone!

He is a slick son-xxx, let’s get him quick son,
He’s out-maneuvered jerks at Wiki Leaks.      
A touch of Lucifer, he speaks with Guccifer*.
We’ll trash the Clintons using Roger Stone --
Get him on the phone.

I like to seek advice from Roger Stone,
Get him on the phone!

I need to seek advice from Roger Stone.
A dirty trickster with a heart of stone.
Keep Special Counsel far from Roger Stone.
I’m in deep doodoo, get me Roger Stone.

*  Guccifer 2.0 is an online persona, that, according to U.S. documents of indictment, is operated by Russian millitary intelligence. In July 2016, 'Guccifer' claimed responsibility for hacking into emails of the U.S. Democratic National Committee, and releasing them to the media and to the website 'WikiLeaks'. 
Lucifer, Latin name for the morning star Venus, is treated in early Christian terminology as a synonym for Satan.  

SEQUEL:

His prospects sagged, judge has him gagged,
That gassy windbag, now he's on his own.
I barely knew him, best to eschew him.
Perhaps I'll later pardon Roger Stone--
Now, he's on his own.

|The Mueller Probe indicted Roger Stone.

I'll pardon later, but for now, disown.|   repeat and fade.

June 19, 2022

JUN 19, binomial phrases: "flotsam and jetsam"

 



Authors' Note:  'Floaters', in the eye, a common symptom may require expert medical attention when they first appear or become more numerous. Most often, they are insignificant and chronic. Jill might be surprised to learn that they are not caused by accumulation of discrete floating particles, e.g. jetsam, but are rather an effect attributed to fibrous strands traversing the vitreous (posterior) chamber of the eye.

Flotsam and jetsam is an intriguing binomial phrase. The original meaning of its two components is explained in a verse by OEDILFian contributor Kevin Lucas.  

To review our poetic effusion about binomial phrases proceed to our blog 'Edifying Nonsense', 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 !

June 18, 2022

JUN 18, organic brain poetry: hypothyroid depression




Authors' Note: 
rarefactive: (a non-standard use) — the condition of becoming less frequent; under-functioning
By far the most common cause of thyroid hormone deficiency or hypothyroidism (historically known as myxedema for a type of puffy swelling and rash in the legs) is progressive destruction of normal hormone-producing tissue by the process of colloid degeneration. Owing to the metabolic role of thyroid hormone, most body functions then slow, resulting, for example, in reduced heart rate and weight gain. For the brain, somnolence and depression may be accompanied in extreme cases by disordered mentation known as 'myxedema madness'.
Under normal circumstances, the anterior pituitary gland, stimulated by the brain's hypophysis, plays a key role as the 'master gland' in regulating hormone production. When the thyroid gland is flagging, the master gland increases its production of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone), a messenger that is excreted into the bloodstream, targeted to normalize the peripheral gland's production. Fortunately, the robust sensing mechanism in the hypophysis and pituitary, not impaired by the metabolic slowdown elsewhere, produces high levels of blood TSH so reliably that a simple test can be used as the best test for detection of the hypothyroid state.

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."


June 17, 2022

JUN 17, defining opinion: birdlife (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 iLimerick Form). You can see all of these on one visit by clicking HERE.

June 16, 2022

JUN 16, toxic vignette: anthracycline cardiotoxicity (monitoring left ventricular function)





Author's Note  Anthracycline antibiotics, e.g. doxorubicin (adriamycin) are among the most effective chemotherapy agents; they have been profitably incorporated in multidrug chemotherapy treatment routines for many types of cancer. These advantages are partially offset by a relatively unique adverse effect — the possibility of cardiotoxicity, permanent impairment of the systolic (contracting) function of ventricular heart muscle. 
   Development of this side effect can be minimized by pharmacological manipulations and by monitoring cardiac function periodically during longterm treatment.
   Nuclear medicine techniques have classically been used, but echocardiography may also be of value (see the verse ‘Ejection Fraction’).
    

Review all our poems of toxicologic interest by clicking HERE 


June 15, 2022

JUN 15, doctors and their practices: ophthalmologist sibling xxxxxxxxxxxx Dr. JJ

 A nostalgic recollection inspired by a birthday. Dr. JJ would be enjoying his 79th today.






at his younger bro's Bar Mitzvah



 





surprise party (40th anniversary) for his folks






an iconic 50th anniversary celebration




 

  



June 14, 2022

JUN 14, mammalian wildlife: Steller sea lions




Authors' Note:  A falling birth rate  (along with ongoing hunting) has been proposed as a principal factor in the decline in the last century of Pacific Ocean populations of the Steller sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus. Although wanton polygamy has, to be honest, always been an option for females of this species of magnificent marine mammals, the particular efforts of concerned individuals like our heroine Bella may have contributed to a recent recovery.




You can review the whole collection of illustrated verses about mammals (both domestic and exotic) by checking out the more extensive post on our full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE !

Last OEDILF revision
Inside-Passager: otarines telling
Tales from rocks where sea lions were dwelling:
Seems polygamous fellers
Bumped up stocks of the Stellers.
At your bookstore, this novel's bestselling.
It's historical fiction, compelling!

otarine: member of the family of eared seals, primarily including sea lions

A falling birth-rate (along with ongoing hunting) has been proposed as a major factor in the worrisome decline in the last century of populations of Steller sea lions. Wanton polygamy has always been the modus for this species of magnificent marine mammals, including the novel's author who has written her account under the pseudonym Stella. More recently, with bans on hunting, and ongoing efforts by leaders of the eastern population (that inhabits rocky outcroppings around the Inside Passage), there has been some recovery. The western population (ranging from the Gulf of Alaska, the Aleutian Islands, and across the Pacific to Japan) remains significantly endangered.

Temp AN:
https://racerocks.ca/marine-mammals-in-british-columbia/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_fiction