[MRM]

This version is no less bizarre, but is less hard on the eyes.

I told Mother today I need to take myself more seriousily, and so I am thinking of changing my name to: "The Artist Formerly Known As Tabs."

To which Mother replied: "You, Tabs, are truly one delusional twit."

To which I laughed and replied: "Delusional, my dear Mother? I create delusion! I make it up with my own two hands. I can argue a point from any vantage point. I can tailor it to your own specific locus of bias."

Ohhhh . . . that did not go down well with Mother at all. Then I said, "What? You do not believe me? All I have to say, for example, is something like...like...do you want to learn something today? That is a hook; one of presumptive superiority that draws you into wanting to open the box to see what is in it. It's simple, Mother, really simple."

Mother said she needed a drink. Which I thought was a bit early in the day for her.

That was what editing Edgar Allan Poe must have been like after Mr. Poe had been on a serious laudium binge.