January 17, 2024

JAN 17, American satire: Hillary pilloried


a) reprise from January 2020


 American satire(1)



Author's Note  The results of the acrimonious U.S. presidential election in November 2016 caused despondency and resentment in some segments of the population. Donald J. Trump ran a successful campaign under the slogan "Make America Great Again", and won the electoral college majority. After the election, there was considerable distraction by unproductive disputes over the popular vote, possible voter fraud, and the size of crowds at inaugurations. 

We hope that you enjoyed this verse. You can find more than 30 similar verses on this topic in 5 collections on our full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'. Click HERE to start! 


b) recent birdie-pic



house finch (male)


January 16, 2024

JAN 16, visit to the National Gallery of Art


John Ward, "The Northern Whale Fishery", 1840 


Edouard Manet, "The Old Musician", 1862 
 

Pierre-Auguste Renoir, "Pont-neuf, Paris", 1872


Alfred Sisley, "The Meadow", 1875 


Gustave Caillebotte, "Skiffs", 1877


Pierre-Auguste Renoir, "Oarsmen at Chatou", 1879


Mary Cassatt, "The Loge", 1879


Georges Seurat, "The Lighthouse at Honfleur", 1886


Mary Cassatt, "The Boating Party", 1893


Camille Pissarro,
"The Louvre - afternoon, rainy weather", 1902 

Mary Cassatt, "Woman with a Sunflower", 1905


snowy Washington street
on the morning of departure


high tea at a DC hotel
 prior to the Gallery visit

 Editors' Note: You can view illustrated verses about some of the artists by clicking HERE.  
                                                           



January 15, 2024

JAN 15, wordplay maps: sister-cities anagrams (1-3)

 

a) reprise from January 2020

JAN 2 and 5, wordplay maps: sister-cities anagrams (1-3)










b) current birdie-pic

goldfinch

January 14, 2024

JAN 14, American satire: Vladimir's hope

 

a) reprise from January 2020

JAN 10, American satire(1): Vladimir's hope




Author's Note: 
IOC: International Olympic Committee          
  The fanciful concept of medals being awarded to a 'hacking team' grew out of the conjunction of developments in 2017 and 2018, notably (i) censure of Russian athletic organizations, including subsequent retraction of Olympic medals, and (ii) investigations into Russian efforts to sway the results of past and upcoming American presidential elections. 



NEWS UPDATE !!!:  In the Senate trials of impeached American President Donald Trump, constitutional issues have taken precedence. Senators from many locales across the United States bring their specific viewpoints on the interpretation of this document to the debate. Some of these locales are shown on the map below.


wordplay; anagram



We hope that you enjoyed this verse. You can find 30 more on this topic in 5 collections on our full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'. Click HERE to start!


b) recent birdie-pic

bluebird




January 13, 2024

JAN 13, poetic non-sequitur: bush plane




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.



b) incidental nostalgic photo, 2020

seafood; oyster clusters; Mt. Pleasant; South Carolina; Giorgio Coniglio

Elegant table service at an outdoor charity event:
 Steamed oyster clusters




January 12, 2024

JAN 12, birdlore: house finches

 



Authors' Note: The gregarious house finchHaemorhous mexicanus,  originally an inhabitant of the western US and Mexico, was introduced into Long Island, New York, in 1940. Although the female is not showy, the male is distinguished by the rosy red coloration of its face, neck and upper breast areas. The species quickly spread across the eastern US and southern parts of Canada. A strict vegetarian, this bird is now the most common visitor to feeders in many parts of its current range.

For more titillating pics of the house finch at our feeder, click HERE.



You can view an encyclopedic collection of illustrated poems on this topic by proceeding to the post "Poems about BIRDLORE" on our full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense". Click HERE

January 11, 2024

JAN 11, trees: Norway maples


a) reprise from January 2020

JAN 18, trees: Norway maples






Authors' Note: You might also enjoy a poem posted in April 2021 entitled "Leif the (viking) Norway Maple: a Bilingual Complaint". Click HERE.  

You can review these illustrated verses in a wider context by proceeding to 'Uprooted Verse: "Poems about Trees" on the full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense". 


b) current birdie-pic

tufted titmouse




January 10, 2024

JAN 10 (2024), singable satire: New Years' song, updated by R. Burns, "AULD LANG's SINE"

 PARODY-LYRICS    

Robert Burns 
Repercussions of what we sang on New Years Eve (Hogmanay to the Scots)
ORIGINAL SONG: "Auld Lang Syne", by Robert Burns, 1788.
PARODY COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, January, 2015.

EXPLANATORY NOTESRobert Burns, born 1759, became Scotland’s ‘national poet’, and a cultural icon at home and among Scottish diaspora around the world. In his short life - he died at age 37 -  he wrote hundreds of well-loved poems and songs; the most famous is Auld Lang Syne, traditionally sung on Hogmanay (New Year's Eve). Robbie Burns Day is celebrated on his birthday, January 25, often with a Burns Night supper
Burns' best-loved poems include "To a Mouse", "To a Louse", "Tam o' Shanter", "Parcel o' Rogues", and "Address to a Haggis".

WORDPLAY LINK: A somewhat different version on the Simon Lang story, with a more modern take, has been twisted into limerick verse, and can be seen HERE.
PARODY-SONGLINK: To find ukulele and guitar chord-charts to help you accompany "Auld Lang's Sine", a song about the origins of trigonometry, on your favorite instrument, click HERE.


AULD LANG’S SINE

(to the tune of "Auld Lang Syne")


A clever Scot, Auld Simon Lang
Rests in a box o’ pine;
His contributions near-forgot -
‘E invented Auld Lang’s Sine.

Dreamed up the trig’s sine function, 
And its coz’n bright an’ fine;
[One minus (Lang’s-Sine)squared], my dear,
Its square-root – Auld Lang’s Cosine.

And though his mind did grow less clear,   
His concept’s been refined –
One o’er t’other – Tangent, dear
All derived frae Auld Lang’s Sine.

And at the end, his sight grown dim
Ideas still implant –
Turned on its head, Auld Lang’s Cosine,
We know as Auld Lang’s Secant.

His final word, “Cotangent”,
Then his soul was carried up;
So kindly pass the pi', my dear,
And to Lang we’ll drink a cup.

For Simon's radiant angles,
Bright his ratios still shine!
O' Trig we'd all be mindless were
It nae for Auld Lang's Sine. 



Related Palindromes

T. set stats test.


Crazy Z-arc.

I-pen is rotator: sine pi.




January 9, 2024

JAN 9, Charleston garden: Loutrel Briggs

a) reprise from January 2020

JAN 9, the Charleston garden: Loutrel Briggs, garden designer

 




gardens; docent; Giorgio Coniglio



You can review these illustrated verses in a wider context by proceeding to 'Poetry Praising the Charleston Garden' on the full-service blog 'Edifying Nonsense'. Click HERE!

b) current birdie-pic


goldfinch







January 8, 2024

JAN 8, birdfeeders: more photo attempts


For comparison, you might like to review our first attempts at photographing the birdfeeding clients, not to mention enjoying a poem to mark the launch of this activity on December 26. Click HERE.

Now, proceed to today's fare!


Eastern bluebirds






House finches




 male (above right), female (below, left)

 



Authors' Note: The house finch is the principal actor in an illustrated verse on "birdlore" published on January 12. Click HERE


American goldfinches




  



Woodpeckers

downy woodpecker








red-bellied woodpecker




Chickadees     


Titmice     
                                    

(the head crest may be less prominent
 when the bird has recently moulted)




Mockingbirds        


January 7, 2024

JAN 7, wordplay maps: new world palindromes (#1,#2)

 

a) reprise from January 2020


JAN 7, wordplay maps: new world palindromes(#1,#2)







  You can view the entire collection of "New World Palindromes" on our full-service blog "Edifying Nonsense";  start by clicking HERE.


b) current birdie-pic

a flap at the Ibis Hotel