Saturday 15 February 2020

MAGICAL GEOGRAPHICAL PALINDROMES (BEYOND CANALS)

WORDPLAY POST #206


With all this mental energy focusing backwards and forwards on palindromes, it has been hard to avoid the subject of canals. A project close to our hearts was to take the standard palindromes about canals, (e.g. the well-known, A man a plan, a canal, Panama), and extend the adulation to a series of other canal sites. 
 - MAGICAL CANAL VERSES and PALINDROMES: the application of the magical palindrome construct to wordplay of geographic interest, specifically dealing with artificial waterways. Paris, Riga and Toronto (a surrogate for the Trent-Severn waterway) are honored here in both verse and wordplay.
 - UNPLANNED CANALS (More Magical Palindromes): This followup post expanded the involvement to 8 other world sites. For a few of these cities, e.g. Reno (Nevada), the existence of canals is apocryphal, but the relevant municipal administrations were co-opted as partners in the interest of wordplay. 
  The aim of the current blogpost is to extend these concepts beyond the constraint imposed by canal themes to more general world destinations; however the meticulous reader might notice the persistence of some elements of our canal hangup. And if you need help with the concept of magical palindromes, see the slide at the bottom of the post; it shows simple examples of magical palindromes which are unrelated to the geographical theme.





A man, a potato - Paris. Sir, a potato - Panama.


A cakery - Napa. A pan - Yreka CA.
18th century; garden folly; Eurocentric; Paris
A 'garden folly' at
Chateau de Bagatelle,
Paris, France


A man, a plan, if final - pagoda. A dog, a plan, if final - Panama.





Dr. of tarts - Oxford. Dr. of 'X' - O, Stratford!


A man, a plan, if final, Pat - Paros. So rapt a plan, if final - Panama.


No 'D'; no 'L' - Boston. Not (sob!) - London.


A man, a plan, if final, Pa - Lagos. So, gal! A plan, if final - Panama.


A rep. of Omaha. A ham of opera.


A man, a plan, if final, Pa - Niagara F. Far again, a plan, if final - Panama.


A girl, a panama. A man, a pal - Riga.


Wonders in Italy - Latin is asset. Tessa's in Italy - Latin is red now.


 A pan, a dog, a pal - LA. Pagoda - Napa.


A man, a pâté , feta, Parma ham. Rap! Ate feta - Panama.


 Zeus pees on a Toyota. A Toyota? No seep - Suez.


 A dog, a paw, a pan, a panama. A man, a pan, a paw, a pagoda.


A man, a plan, if final - Pristina. A nit, sir; plan if final - Panama.


 If I mouse - Canada CA. A cad, an ace - Suomi FI.


A girl, a Pa - Mar-a-lago. O gal, a ram, a pal - Riga. 


No 'D'; no 'L' - onion. No 'I'? - No London.




palindromes; novelty; canals; Paris; Panama



wordplay; palindrome; 'magical palindrome'; novelty




Check out the 'FIRST SET' of examples (#1-5) here
Check out the 'SECOND SET' of examples (#6-10) here.

If you still need a fix of more palindromic fun, go to "Gratingly American: THIRTY-ODD POLITICALLY-TAINTED PALINDROMES". 


-----------------------


SONGLINK: "A man, a plan, a canal - Panama"
Readers who are particularly interested in musical wordplay might also enjoy a fantastical discussion on the development of this famous palindrome by Leigh Mercer, in this blogpost of our lyrics blog (SILLY SONGS and SATIRE)  ...
"Leigh Mercer's Palindrome Workshop" .

Monday 10 February 2020

Nurse-Verse: PATIENTS and their MALADIES, part #1

 

Giorgio Coniglio (pseudonym); medicine
Coaster for a medical school reunion,
University of Toronto.

SATIRE COMPOSED: Dr.G.H. and Giorgio Coniglio, September 2018 (original posting February 2019). This group of terse verses has also been published at OEDILF.com.  








CURRENT CONTENTS
Amblyopia
Anosmia
BPH (benign prostatic hypertrophy)
Brain symptoms (post-concussion)
Common cold
Conn's syndrome (aldosterone excess) 
Claudication
Diabetes insipidus
(for continuation, see the link below)



Authors' Note: 
pas-de-deux: a term, originating in French, for a balletic performance with two dancers, often moving in unison

Amblyopia includes a number of conditions in which the single affected eye provides less useful information to the brain, resulting in suppression of that information in comparison to that from the more normal eye. Double vision or strabismus (crossed-eyes) from weakened eye muscles on the one side is a common cause. When strabismus is relatively minor, the persistence of two discordant images under certain conditions with resulting double vision, may be disconcerting to the adult patient. Reduced lighting, head position and fatigue may enhance the problem, but corrective prismatic lenses may help in reachieving integrated binocular vision.





Authors' Note:  Patients who have suffered a loss of sense of smell (anosmia) are known as anosmics. Rarely, this sensory disorder along with manifestations in other body functions can be attributed to a marked deficiency of dietary zinc. Whether zinc supplements can help with recovery in well-fed anosmics remains unresolved. The metallic element osmium, which has no known biologic role, is named for the stench emitted by its poisonous tetroxide derivative.




Authors' Notes: 
-trophy: a Greek suffix, as in hypertrophy, atrophy or dystrophy, derived from trophe (nourishment)
trophy: a decorated cup or other prize, from the Greek root tropaion, a rout or victory.
  The author has had first-hand experience of these unpleasant symptoms. In fact, despite the comment in the verse, having BPH does not eliminate the chance of also having cancer. Consult your physician; they will likely do tests to ensure that cancer is not also present.



Authors' Note:  In American football, 'rushing' means running the ball after starting behind the line of scrimmage, not including forward passes. The play continues until the player carrying the ball, usually a backfielder, is tackled.



Authors' NoteStatins are drugs in frequent use for patients with arterial disease that reduce the body's manufacture of cholesterol. A small proportion of patients are intolerant of this class of oral medication, most commonly due to muscle cramps.

The most common site of symptomatic arterial blockage is the coronary arteries, which provide nutrient blood flow to the heart muscle. Surgical bypass grafting of multiple sites of obstruction is a common treatment for this disease. Following such surgery, patients such as Jack need to remain attentive to risk factors including dietary fats.



Authors' Note: Reducing interpersonal contact still provides the best defence against the common cold (coryza). 



Authors' Note:  High blood pressure (hypertension), most commonly has no definable cause. Rarely, there is a relatively fixed and excessive production of aldosterone, a hormone produced by the cortex of the adrenal glands to regulate the exchange of sodium and potassium in the kidney. The medical entity was known historically as Conn's syndrome. The abnormal hormone levels are due to an overgrowth of well-differentiated adrenal cells, resulting in either a small localized benign tumor, or to diffuse overgrowth of both glands.

The levels of blood pressure attained are relatively mild, and the local disorder of growth in the adrenal glands does not develop malignant transformation. Nonetheless, the disorder is best treated specifically, sometimes requiring adrenal surgery.



Authors' Note:

claudicant: limping, lame

 Pain occurring in one or both legs with exercise in patients with blockages in their leg arteries is termed 'intermittent claudication', a condition particularly prevalent in longterm smokers. 

 Discarded cigarette butts, which may release toxins injurious to wildlife, have been identified by environmentalists as an ecological hazard. 



Authors' Note:  A deficiency of the pituitary hormone ADH (anti-diuretic hormone, also known as vasopressin), is the most common cause of a spontaneous development of polyuria due to diabetes insipidus. This disorder, characterized by passing of large volumes of urine, is partly compensated by increased thirst. A lack of sugar in the urine despite its large volume would exclude glycosuria due to diabetes mellitus. Radiographic tests done in this situation would definitely include evaluation of the skull base, as a tumour involving the posterior portion of the pituitary gland is a common cause.



Requests from many health professionals and layfolks as well have come to fruition; there are now two followup posts continuing this theme that you can easily access. Click HERE for part #2. 


Here's a LIST OF LINKS to collections of intriguing poems (over 160 of these!) on medical/dental topics that can now be found on various posts. 


A NOTE FOR WEB-TRAVELLERS:
If you want to resume daily titillations on our blog 'Daily Illustrated Nonsense', click HERE. Once you arrive, you can select your time frame of interest from the calendar-based listings in the righthand margin, and check the daily offerings for any month in the years 2020 through 2022. (There are now over 900 daily entries on the Daily blog, and most of these are also presented here on 'Edifying Nonsense' in topic-based collections.)


GIORGIO'S SONGS ABOUT DOCTORS and PATIENTS (on our sister blog "SILLY SONGS and SATIRE")


HOTLINKS TO MEDICAL-THEMED SONG-POSTS




Wednesday 5 February 2020

A VERY STABLE GENIUS: Theme and Variations (97 anagrams)


SATIRE COMPOSED: Giorgio Coniglio, January, 2020. 


BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Last week, an important book describing the administration of the White House under President Donald J. Trump was released for publication. The book, entitled "A Very Stable Genius", is the result of extensive reporting by two Pulitzer-prize winning journalists. The phrase used for the title derives from a description by the President himself of his own mental abilities.

ANAGRAMS:   Phrases composed by rearrangement of the 17 letters of the original.
In this case, the 17 letters of each new phrase must include:


     E E E
     A A 
     S S
     V R Y T B L G N I U. 
  
  The meaning of the resultant new phrases are, not surprisingly, sometimes in keeping with the tone suggested by the original title, but are often directly in opposition, and may even fly off and explore new tangents. They are best imagined, in this case, as further utterances by the book’s protagonist, as asides by the authors, or as comments by startled readers. 
 The editors have concocted innumerable possibilities, and selected almost 100 of the most intriguing anagrams for your enjoyment. Our experience suggests that the phrase “A VERY STABLE GENIUS” is a unique mother-lode for such wordplay; there are thousands of results, but most defy logical interpretation. If you discover additional examples that appeal to you, please indicate them in the ‘COMMENTS’ section.

"A VERY STABLE GENIUS" - theme and variations (anagrams)

1. Every suitable snag.
2. "E.g., saintly US beaver."
3. Basal reinvest. YUGE!
4. Believe, as gutsy NRA.
5. Average bluesy snit.
6. Gave tribunal 'YES'es.
7. Ugly stains bereave.
8. Leverage: sub-sanity.
9. Salvages by retinue.
10. Best value? A syringe.
11. I've lusty Arab genes.
12. Uneasy? Give re-blast.
13. Sanitary bug-sleeve.
14. Age unveils, betrays.
15. Lease averts buying.
16. Basely negate virus. 
17. Beget silvery sauna.
18. Senegal: sub-variety.
19. Slavery’s bet? Guinea.
20. Ably stage universe.
21. U.S.A. never gets Libya.
22. Geese variably stun.
23. Venerable gay suits.
24. Avenge lusty Serbia.
25. Vintage ruble essay.
26. Rites began suavely.
27. UN is salty beverage.
28. Elevate Syrian bugs.
29. Naively urge basest.
30. Rage sent, abusively.
31. Generals' vitae - busy!
32. Revise, snugly abate.
33. Elegy -- bet USA vs Iran.
34. Reveal beauty signs.
35. Anger abuses levity.
36. Veritable easy guns.
37. Barely vegan suites.
38. Blurt, "Envisage Ayes."
39. A 'believery' stang us.
40. Sublet gayer navies.
41. Bras? Negatively sue.
42. A buyer ingests veal.
43. Save by agile unrest.
44. Release a vying bust.
45. Ably energise USA-TV.
46. "Reality," a Venus begs.
47. Bi-nasal every guest!
48. Liberty? A vagueness.
49. Resign, beauty slave!
50. Abrasively use gent.
51. Albeit gravy ensues.
52. Sunlit savagery-bee. 
53. Televise sugary ban.
54. Evaluate by Signers!
55. Leaves tangy bruise.
56. "Re 'By genitals': suave!"
57. Glassy bait? Revenue.
58. Vile un-greasy beast.
59. Virtue: beg analyses.
60. A bevy salutes reign.
61. Viral absentee guys.
62. Survey elegant bias.
63. Base given US realty. 
64. Serve lye, as anti-bug.
65. By a versatile genus.
66. "Guilty" never abases.
67. Eagerly bus natives.
68. Lesbian/gay vet ruse.
69. I gave tuneless bray.
70. Sustain every bagel.
71. I vaunt largesse. "'Bye!"
72. Salute any big verse.
73. Eye subtler vaginas.
74. Bring ye asset value.
75. Svelte binary usage. 
76. Severity as a bungle.
77. Virus beats an elegy.
78. Bite easy lung-saver.
79. Gala; i.e. seventy rubs.
80. I evenly teargas bus.
81. “Senile gab”: Suave try.
82. A VA bulges serenity.
83. Buy entire Las Vegas.
84. Evil be gusty arenas.
85. I say, “Veterans, bugle.”
86. I.e., seat guns bravely.
87. Taser even a Lib, guys.
88. Suitably, as revenge.
89. See Tulsa: Angry vibe.
90. Airbag-style venues.
91. Viably sane gesture.
92. Russian bag tee levy.
93. Nasty elusive bra, e.g.
94. Eleven Arab guys sit.
95. Easy bungle. Vast ire.
96. I bulge a nervy asset.
97. Lying: A beaut serves.

Update: G.C., self-isolating
  on his return to Canada, June 2020



 







FOLLOW-UP: Subsequent to this material being published here, more anagrams were generated by various mysterious processes, possibly involving aliens. You might want to review those anagrams for further enlightenment.  


WORDPLAY LINK: If you enjoyed this post, you might also want to take another look at a prior nidus of nonsense entitled, "Thirty-odd Politically Tainted Palindromes". 



A CONTEST FOR READERS...
Please pick the numbers of the phrases you like the most; leave a message of 20 words or less justifying your favorite(s) in the Comments Section (you can choose to do this anonymously if you so desire). The top-rated choices will appear on our blog "DAILY ILLUSTRATED NONSENSE".   

If you want to resume daily titillations on our blog 'Daily Illustrated Nonsense', click HERE. Once you arrive, you can select your time frame of interest from the calendar-based listings in the righthand margin, and check the daily offerings for any week in the years 2020 and 2021. (There are now over 600 daily entries on the Daily blog, and most of these are also presented here on 'Edifying Nonsense' in topic-based collections.)