SEP 15 (2026): Cardiologic Tracings, AT HEART, thump #2 [4]

Readers might like to start off by reading about a particular group of heart disorders known as the cardiac arrhythmias, dealing with abormalities in the frequency of heartbeats. You can review that collection (syncopated verses about cardiac arrhythmias) by clicking HERE.

The current blogpost represents continuation of an earlier post, dealing with wider cardiologic issues, entitled  'AT HEART: thump #1' displayed on September 5, 2025. 

prior posted poems

(thump #1): arteriopath, bypass grafts, dipyridamole stress, dobutamine stress.

CURRENT CONTENTS: (#2 -- September 15, 2026) 

Ejection fraction

Hyperlipidemia
Hypertension
Myocardial ischemia

Authors' Note:  In disease states, including those producing congestive heart failure, the ejection fraction of the left ventricle, a measure indicating the strength of contraction, provides important information concerning prognosis (potential outcome) and the need for treatment. 

   The ejection fraction can be measured by echocardiography, magnetic resonance imaging, or several different nuclear (radio-isotope) techniques. These techniques measure the volume of the ventricle at the end of diastolic (relaxation) and systolic (contraction) phases of the cardiac cycle. Despite the name, the change during systole is generally given in medical jargon as the percent relative change, rather than as a true fraction; e.g. 60% is good, 30% is bad.

Authors' Note: Jealousy at the flight of birds has apparently resulted in expressions suggesting that human social responsibility is analogous to having one's wings clipped, or flying straight, as here.

Hyperlipemia (also known in America as hyperlipidemia), is a medical condition in which high blood levels of fats (lipids), particularly cholesterol, portend cardiac disease, including deadly heart attacks. Hyperlipemia is one of a number of such asymptomatic risk factors including hypertension and diabetes. Fortunately, changes in lifestyle including diet and exercise, and judicious prescription of pharmaceutical drugs, such as statins, can reduce risk.

 Authors' Note: High blood pressure, or hypertension, a chronic condition generally of unknown cause, is one of the major cardiovascular risk factors playing a role in the development of adult heart disease. It is also of particular importance in the causation of stroke, accounting for up to 50% of the risk for that condition. 

Authors' Note: There is variability in patients' response to the development of blockages in the coronary arteries. Part of this is due to the gradual development of collateral arteries or side branches, which may mitigate the effect of the obstructions to produce chronic symptoms or acute severe damage to heart muscle. The net impact on flow can be assessed through imaging showing blood flow to heart muscle at rest and stress, with nuclear or other studies of myocardial perfusion (‘gated SPECT’).

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As of 2026, there are 2,000 unique entries available on the daily blog, displaying individual poems (often illustrated) and wordplay, but also with some photo-collages and parody song-lyrics. 

Most of these key elements of our work are assembled here on "Edifying Nonsense" in topic-based collections.

The "Daily" format, a formidable mix of genres has the advantage of including song-lyrics, videos and other material that are not shown here on this topic-based blog.

SEP 10 (2026): INSECTS, buzzwords #4 [5]

    This post is part of a continuing collection of poems about 'INSECTS', as previously as displayed on this blog on September 10, 2023 (buzzword #1), September 10, 2024 (buzzword #2), and September 10, 2025 (buzzword #3). and September 10, 2026 (buzzword #4).

previous poetic posts (Note that captions are available for poems displayed on "Daily Illustrated Nonsense" in slide format since January, 2024).

(first buzzwords) (#1): beerbugs, bumblebees, clothes moths, cold adaptation, computer bugs.

(second buzzwords) (#2): deer- and horse-flies, entomologists, fire ants, gnats, gnat repellents. 

(third buzzwords) (#3); insect repellents, ladybug diner, mosquitoes, Ricardo the dragonfly, roaches (etymological approach).

CURRENT CONTENTS: (#4 -- September 10, 2026)

Termites

Toothpick grasshoppers

Woollybear caterpillars

Yellow jackets

Clothes moths (3 stanzas, a 'brief saga')

 

Authors' Note: 

bello, bella: Italian (male, female forms) for fine, handsome or beautiful

  The best-known name for this common North American insect derives from the larval form, the banded woolly bear. The caterpillar, with reddish-brown midsection and vertically demarcated black front and rear ends, is often seen in the autumn, appears playful to children, and is non-toxic. There is no easily appreciated visual difference between the genders for either larval or adult stages. Several small locales in the United States celebrate these cute caterpillars with fall 'woollybear' festivals.

Authors' Note: A million Emergency Room (ER) visits per year in the United States are caused by concern over stings from insects of the order Hymenoptera; stings can result in significant local reactions and even anaphylaxis. Many people attribute these incidents, without differentiation, to 'bees'. In fact, the common honeybees and bumblebees are considerably less aggressive than yellow jackets, such as Vespula maculifrons; these pesty wasps make us miserable in the summer and early fall, particularly at fairs and other outdoor events, by their relentless search for sugar-containing foods. Vespine is the adjective relating to wasps.

Note that the three stanzas of this "brief saga" can be found in a more readily legible format on the blog "Daily Illustrated Nonsense"; click HERE. 

And as a later development, we put words to music. You can now sing along with the song "CLOTHES MOTHS s by proceeding to our blog "Silly Songs and Satire". Click HERE.

Armchair entomologists with a sense of adventure might wish to continue their travels by proceeding to a subsequent blogpost dealing with "A Selection of PARASITES".    

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As of March, 2026, there are 2,000 unique entries available on the daily blog, displaying individual poems (often illustrated) and wordplay, but also with some photo-collages and parody song-lyrics. 

Most of these key elements of our work are assembled here on "Edifying Nonsense" in topic-based collections.

The "Daily" format, a formidable mix of genres has the advantage of including song-lyrics, videos and other material that are not shown here on this topic-based blog.

SEP 5 (2026): MAMMALIAN WILDLIFE, pack #5 [3]

 

    This post is part of a continuing collection of poems about 'MAMMALIAN WILDLIFE', as previously displayed on this blog on September 5, 2022 (pack #1), September 5, 2023 (pack #2), September 5, 2024 (pack #3), and September 5, 2025 (pack #4)

previous poetic posts (Note that captions are available for poems displayed on "Daily Illustrated Nonsense" in slide format since January, 2024).

(pack #1): angwantibos, bats, beaver, buffalo, California sea lions.

(pack #2): coyotes, cretan goats (kri-kri), gnus, gorillas, hippopotami.

(pack #3): hoary marmots, horses, marine mammals, mongolian gerbils, rabbits, raccoons in the city.

(pack #4): raccoons in the swamp, rat-trap, selfie with bison, skunks, star-nosed moles.

CURRENT CONTENTS: (#5 -- September 5, 2026)

Steller sea lions

Woodchucks
Aegean cats (3 stanzas, a 'brief saga')

Additional Note:  A falling birth rate due to 'nutritional stress' in females (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.

    Current ecological terminology denotes a species whose population is stable in the wild and not threatened as of 'lesser concern'. In 2013, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) took the Steller sea lion off its US Endangered Species List.

Authors' Note:  The woodchuck or groundhog is a large squirrel-like animal

best know for its extensive tunneling. Although herbivorous, it is not normally interested in eating or tossing wood, the latter being an activity for which 

it is poorly physically adapted. 

   Apparently, the name woodchuck is a corruption of the Algonquian word wejack; the name also is responsible for the American tongue-twister: 

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck, if a woodchuck could chuck wood?

Note that the three stanzas of this "brief saga" can be found in more readily legible format on the blog "Daily Illustrated Nonsense"; click HERE.

And as a later development, we put words to music. You can now sing along with the song "The AEGEAN CAT" by proceeding to our blog "Silly Songs and Satire". Click HERE.

GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR WEB-EXPLORERS: 

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As of March, 2026, there are 2,000 unique entries available on the daily blog, displaying individual poems (often illustrated) and wordplay, but also with some photo-collages and parody song-lyrics. 

Most of these key elements of our work are assembled here on "Edifying Nonsense" in topic-based collections.

The "Daily" format, a formidable mix of genres has the advantage of including song-lyrics, videos and other material that are not shown here on this topic-based blog.

AUG 15 (2026): PATIENTS and their MALADIES, illnesses #6 [5]

 

 This post is a continuation of 'PATIENTS and their MALADIES, as displayed on this blog August 15, 2021 (illnesses #1), August 15, 2022 (illnesses #2), August 15, 2023 (illnesses #3), August 15, 2024 (illnesses #4), and August 15, 2025 (illneses #5).

previous poetic posts (Note that captions are available for poems displayed on "Daily Illustrated Nonsense" in slide format since January, 2024).

(illnesses #1): amblyopia, bph (benign prostatic hypertrophy), brain symptoms post-concussion, common cold, Conn's syndrome (aldosterone excess). 

(illnesses #2): claudication. diabetes insipidus, dyspareunia, eye discharge. 

(illnesses #3): flu-like symptoms, ganglion cysts, gluten sensitivity, Graves disease. 

(illnesses #4): gynophobia, hemorrhoids, hemiplegia, hives.

(illnesses #5): hoarding disorder, knee effusion, lichen sclerosus, male infertility. 

CURRENT CONTENTS: (#6 -- August 15, 2026)

nervous bladder
-omas (non-malignant)
pica
polyps (colonic)
vitreous detachment

Authors' Note:   Well, yes.

  With advancing age, life becomes a minefield of unexpected diseases; for several of these, the suffix -oma, implying growth or swelling, is used although an underlying neoplastic process is not present.

  In the elderly, subdural hematomas or intracranial bleeds (within the envelope of membranes surrounding the brain) may occur with minimal trauma or even spontaneously, particularly if anticoagulants have been used. 

  The patchy process of atherosclerosis may involves the left main coronary artery or its major division, the left anterior descending artery. In such cases, sudden clotting with blockage of the artery may occur at the site of atheroma, and cause a severe heart attack with cardiac arrest, a major cause of sudden death in the middle-aged and elderly population.

  This verse is a companion piece to others by the author dealing with malignant tumors and benign tumors; these are found in the collection of 'Oncologic Verses'.

poetry lyrics:/ Prudence, pregnant got into the mood/ Where she craved

 some bizarre forms of food./ Crudely nibbling on plywood/ She proclaimed,

"this is dry wood;/ It's much better (so good!) when unglued." 

GENERAL DIRECTIONS FOR WEB-EXPLORERS: 

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As of March, 2026, there are 2,000 unique entries available on the daily blog, displaying individual poems (often illustrated) and wordplay, but also with some photo-collages and parody song-lyrics. 

Most of these key elements of our work are assembled here on "Edifying Nonsense" in topic-based collections.

The "Daily" format, a formidable mix of genres has the advantage of including song-lyrics, videos and other material that are not shown here on this topic-based blog.

AUG 10 (2026): CANADIANA, native land poems #7, (O Canada! STAND on GUARD) [5]

Following on with our penchant for all things Canadian, this post is a continuation of a collection of verses displayed here on August 10, 2020 (national anthems #1), August 10, 2021 (national anthems #2), August 10, 2022 (national anthems #3), August 10, 2023 (national anthems #4), August 10, 2024 (national anthems #5), and August 10, 2025 (national anthems #6).

previous poetic posts (Note that captions are available for poems displayed on "Daily Illustrated Nonsense" as of 2024).

(national anthems #1): Canadian spellings, speech borrowings, Canadian weather, Toronto/Buffalonian.

(national anthems #2): compassionate use, overwintering waterfowl, seniors hockey, joual, Canadian moose.

(national anthems #3): Kim Jong Un's visit, snow-biota, Canadian Thanksgiving, Haida Gwaii, prairie home.

(national anthems #4): Mounties, Nanaimo bars, founding cultures, crept and leapt, Newfoundland potato famine a 'brief saga').

(national anthems #5): z,z,z,z,z.

(national anthems #6): z,z,z,z,('Don'tinental unification).

CURRENT CONTENTS (#6)
Inadmissible
Dual citizenship
Honoured
Canadian bacon
Tariff terror

Authors' Note:  In Canada, a longstanding rule decrees a candidate for entry (visitor or immigrant) "inadmissible" if they have a criminal record elsewhere.  Over 30 other countries have such rules, although generally less harsh and better specified, dependent on length of incarceration, etc. The European Union ('Schengen-countries') will activate new regulations in mid-2025, likely more severe than previous versions. The government of Italy undertakes policing functions for the small, enclosed, but otherwise independent Vatican City.

Incidentally,  the current US President, Joe Biden, had been scheduled to visit Pope Francis in Rome on January 11th to present him with the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The visit was postponed due to the California wildfires. 

  

Authors' Note: In the US recently, there has been a concerted effort to pin many of society's putative ills on immigrants. In Canada, on the other hand, the significant portion of citizens who hold two passports is honoured. Commonly, through training programs and other personal initiatives (e.g., marriage), the US is the second country involved.

As a feature left over from earlier times, when there were fewer global immigrants, the expression dual citizen, or even more curtly dual, is assumed by Canadians to imply, failing further specification, a person who holds citizenship in both the US and Canada.

The verb subdue, and its derivatives seem to derive from a different linguistic root.

Authors' Note: 

The above verse gives an apocryphal Canadian response to tongue-in-cheek proposals made in January 2025 for the liberal-leaning New England states to secede from the US.

Authors' Note: The sentiment expressed in the above verse is likely totally bogus. It is doubtful that a single Canadian, even if terrified by looming tariffs,  would approve the changes of name from "Lake Ontario" and "Niagara Falls". In fact, the possibility of such name changes is apocryphal, although "Mt. McKinley" and the "Gulf of America" seem to have entered a state of geographic quasi-reality (please refer to our posted poem "National Pique"). 

In fact, US prez DJT signed an executive order changing the name of the lake to "Lake of America", but this change ws ignored by MapQuest.

In traditional American procedure, any proposed name-change would have to be reviewed by protocols of the Board of Geographic Names.

Readers might also enjoy the previous sets of verses collected under the rubric "Canadiana". Start by clicking HERE. 

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As of March, 2026, there are 2,000 unique entries available on the daily blog, displaying individual poems (often illustrated) and wordplay, but also with some photo-collages and parody song-lyrics. 

Most of these key elements of our work are assembled here on "Edifying Nonsense" in topic-based collections.

The "Daily" format, a formidable mix of genres has the advantage of including song-lyrics, videos and other material that are not shown here on this topic-based blog.