One Night in a Benihana

At it again...all for you.

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman
and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  Publisher.

"Seated at our table was a man and woman with their three small out-of-control children — fruit of the couples' most-enlightened liberal loins — screaming, crying, throwing toys onto the grill, running around the table, and grabbing at the hot food. Undoubtedly it was the nanny’s night off." 

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A Spoonful of Sugar: Being the Adult in the Room

The Adult in the Room

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman
and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  Publisher.

You may enjoy reading this article I wrote entitled "How To Reason With A Liberal". Someone who took umbrage with my Hints & Tips and said I should be more like him, that is argue and debate by getting in their faces. This is my reply to him:

I don't argue or debate with Liberals. I attempt to reason. When they get all emotional and loud, I just sit quietly and listen, waiting until the splutter is out before I reply. If we're in-person I usually start with a question directly related to the relationship we have.

For instance, once I was having breakfast with a friend, a comedian. The owner of the popular Atlanta restaurant came over and the two of them began catching up. It had been awhile since they'd seen each other. I was introduced to the owner by my friend. 

I'd been in three of my friend's shows as the musical break in his comedy act. It was lots of fun. Anyway, out of the blue the owner of the restaurant started insulting Donald Trump. At the time Trump had not even been chosen to run.

My friend jumped right in and I just sat there, listening, never saying one word. It was fascinating to watch. After about fifteen minutes of spewing vitriol, the owner made some wild statement, then turned to me and said, "Don't you agree, Angela?" (I no longer remember his statement, darn it. I wish I did.) They both turned to me and waited.

I said, "No. I don't agree."

What happened next was hilarious if it wasn't so sad. My friend's face turned beet red in anger, as did the owner's. Then for the next fifteen minutes they piled on, getting louder and more extreme, peppering me with questions they would not allow me to answer, until finally the owner said, "I will never serve you again. Don't come back." And the comedian said, "I can't believe you love Trump."

Trump, by the way, was not even in nor associated with the statement the owner made that he wanted me to agree with which just goes to show you neither could string together a logical defense for anything they were thinking.

But their spewing finally ended and I opened my mouth to speak. Here's what I said —

"You guys do realize that I'm not mad at you for speaking about what you believe, right? And that I wasn't stopping you from having that conversation? Yes?"

The owner had some choice words to say and stalked off. But my friend got to thinking. Though it took a bit, he finally calmed down whereupon we had a good conversation about the nature of having differences in opinion but still valuing the other person.

To this day, my friend adores me. I never bring up anything political. He won't bring up anything political without prefacing it with "I know you don't agree, but..." at which point if I disagree I just hug him and say, "Bless your heart. I love you anyways."

Now, why do I do that instead of jumping in loud and angry and trotting out stock gotcha phrases? Because I am trying to change their minds, not make their minds more entrenched. My ego does not need to say "Hey, I won that argument. Aren't I just an awesome debater?"

It helps that I'm a mother and have watched and dealt with temper tantrums aplenty, and that is all Liberals are doing, pitching fits. So I try to remember that I don't need to pitch another fit right along with them. That I am the adult in the room. 

And that a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down.

- - - - - - - - - - 

Born and raised in Georgia, Angela K. Durden is an author, publisher, editor, songwriter, performer, and more, living in the Metro Atlanta, Georgia, area. Support your Citizen Journalist and visit her Consolidated Author Page and buy a book. See more about Angela here. Want to watch a fun video about why Dems and Libs are scared of the Deplorables? Click the button.

Rocker’s Wail

On the Nature of Discovery, Confirmation, and Conspiracy

At it again...all for you.

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman
and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  Publisher.

For all everybody is hating on YouTube and Google these days — and rightly so in the instances of their surpressing the reporting on and discussion of political shenanigans — I cannot and will not completely dismiss these content providers out of hand. And here's why.

Because of YouTube/Google and content creators, I (otherwise known as A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World) get to hang out with some very interesting people I would never have met or known about. 

The video below (embedded for your easy watching pleasure) is one. No, I shall not tell you what it is about because that would ruin the journey of discovery for you. 

But I will tell you that having discovered that video and having watched it over a period of three days, I've had yet another confirmation of my brilliance and got to hear two men discuss why conspiracy is so difficult for many people to grasp. 

You see, I've always known conspiracy itself exists. I lived in a family rife with secret conspiratorial actions designed to either protect self and others or serve baser needs. As a child, I was torn because I felt that all who conspire are 100% evil, yet I could see these very people could do bad things and good and be kind and were talented all at the same time.

Lex Fridman, a Russian, interview Eric Weinstein, an American, in a long-form podcast. I am now a fan of long-form podcasts. I believe you will be, too. 

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Here is the link to the video to watch through the YouTube portal if you should so desire.

Lex Fridman's Podcast #134 with Eric Weinstein: On the Nature of Good and Evil, Genius and Madness

A Grubby Grab

At it again...all for you.

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman
and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  Publisher.

Communism (and its offspring Socialism, Fascism, and Pussy-Hat Wearing Politically Correct Liberal Democrat RINO Social Justice Warriors #CrunkNewsNetwork, et al) always has at its core a disdain for human rights, a hatred of God, and a grubby grab to satisfy selfish longing.

Interesting that they deny God's existence while fighting so hard against Him; which means, of course, that they acknowledge His existence because anybody who fights an enemy only they can see is usually called paranoid schizophrenic.

Communists are not paranoid schizophrenic, nor are they stupid. But they are selfish, greedy, venal, and worse, and that stops them from thinking clearly or well for the long-run. They have no conscience. They are not loyal and do not understand the concept of loyalty. Ethical behavior is a fast-moving target roaming in a misty forest, rarely seen and, when briefly glimpsed, has no hard edges.

Commies have nothing good to reach for. Nothing lofty to aspire to. Everything they want must be had by destroying what others have built. Even what they build is ugly. Their art is ugly. Their literature is boring. Their infrastructure, machinery, engineering, etc., doesn't work correctly most of the time.

Commies only know force. Their biggest enemies are themselves and their fellow "believers". They hate themselves and each other and everyone else. Once their objective is reached, and they are now faced with actually ruling, they are clueless. And like certain children will do when they don't like what is before them, they pitch tantrums...only Communists get everyone else in the sandbox to obey them at the point of a gun and the threats of missile, bomb, sanctions, imprisonment, torture, bribes...and promises they will never keep.

(Those threats and false promises often work...as we are seeing now, here, in the US Election process.)

To survive, their citizens become Underground Capitalists, which is just another title for Criminals under Communist rule. After producing distasteful and boring State-sponsored art, Artists and Musicians take their lives in their hand to let out that which lifts to a higher plain.

Communist thought and methodology do not support productive living conditions for anybody but the leaders who never suffer want, though they do have to worry about summary judgment in the form of a bullet through the brain when someone wants their job badly enough.

And just like the bully in the sandbox must be stopped, adults must intervene. Adults who understand the bigger picture, and who love freedom and seek justice. 

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How does one eat an elephant?

 by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman
and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  Publisher.

The old joke goes like this: How does one eat an elephant? One bite at a time.

But to do that, first one must kill the elephant because the elephant would have to be stupid to allow itself to be eaten bite by bite while it is still alive. Therefore, killing the elephant is where the challenge lies.

A lion is basically lazy. It will always go after the weakest of any herd. The young, the frail, the sick, slow, and aged.

But in this we are talking about animals and animals are very clear as to their roles. Hunter and hunted. Predator and prey.

Humans fit into the same two categories but the Good of them often ignore that knowledge. Next thing one knows comes the hard, fast rise of Evil because Good believes in the promising smile of the roaring lion that seeks to devour it.

However, one thing we know is this: Predators are always outnumbered by prey. While predators rip and tear, they always rip and tear at the weakest. The core of the herd may run for a bit, but it is never scattered. The strongest of them entrench, encircle the herd, and face outward toward the predators. Just their mere standing firm with horns out and feet firmly planted makes the predators slink away to wait for another opportunity to attack the weakest.

Predators always stand alone in the long run. Like the lion, they are lazy. Sure, they may work together for awhile, but they do not have the strong bonds of a herd. Never have. Never will. This is the weakness that keeps them in the minority.

Evil may roar, but has no long-term power. It cannot work together for long as its interests are always self-centered and selfish.

The battle is not over. It is never over.



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Decadent desserts: Just trying too hard.

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman
and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  Publisher.

Frankly, I no longer want to eat a dessert whose very description means "characterized by or reflecting a state of moral or cultural decline", that is to say, decadent.

But they are decadent in a real sense because they are big fat liars and cheaters and con artists. How? Well, have you ever noticed that most desserts claiming said decadence are simply trying too hard? It's true. They always promise more than they can deliver. 

After some eager little waiter or waitress* lifts an eyebrow and says with what they always think is a sexy ooze in their voice, "You should try our new Sextuplet Chocolaté Quadruple Brownie Cake with spa-a-a-a-rinkles of t-a-a-a-a-riple East European imported roasted coffee toffees, will you be needing two spoons?", well, who wouldn't order it?

Decadent desserts remind me of the guy on the dance floor that has the moves but whose timing is off, he's flat-footed, but he is trying so hard you almost feel sorry for him and you dance with him anyway, smiling through the pain. [See picture above illustrating that painful smile.] 

To that guy and the dessert, I say, "No more. Spare me the pain...and the disappointment."

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* Pussy-Hat Wearing Politically Correct Democrat Liberal RINO Socialist Fascist Commies will probably cancel me for implying two genders here. I'm certain the FLOTSAM (For Liberal Opinion That is Serious and Actually Matters), also known as the #CrunkNewsNetwork and Cousins, will spread the story and help the Cancel Culture hunt me down.

A Credit Score Conundrum, or The New Slavery

Financially sliced 'n diced.

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman
and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  Publisher.

I once met a man from Texas 

Buys everything with his cashes.

He has no debts.

Bills ne'er forgets.

Still his credit score was a-messes.

It's true. I know this man. He wanted to get married but the woman said she had to know his credit score. It was almost non-existent. He had always lived within his means. If he didn't have the money, he didn't buy. He'd save and scrimp until he could pay cash. 

Sounded like a good plan. He was stress-free. Could pay attention to his woman. But she was freaking out. He had to have a credit score that registered, see. 

So he went out and got an auto loan. But he paid it off too fast. Change in credit score? Nil.

By this time the woman was gone and then the loan company came after him saying that he wasn't allowed to pay it off ahead of time and instituted a bunch of early payment fees that equaled the interest he would've had to pay them. That fight lasted three years.

In any case, his credit score never got higher than about 350. He decided to live even further off the grid. Built him an underground house in the desert and that's the last I heard of him. I bet he's happy. 

Why am I telling you this? Because my bank, Wells Fargo, is like a lot of banks these days. Trying to be helpful, they are now offering my credit score through my online banking; free of charge. Here is my FICO [Fair Isaac Corporation] score. Now, you're probably noticing the big eight-two-zero in the middle and you're thinking, "Hey, Angela. That ain't bad at all." 

Now, see the little black dot in the green area? It does not go all the way to the peak of the green. Why not? 

Because of this language below:  

Right about now I feel like the man from Texas. I've always paid off my credit card balances every month. I do not have a mortgage and I own my condo outright. I do not have a car loan as Baby Doll has been paid off since she was five years old and she turned five in 2007. 

So, here I am with one of the almost highest credit scores in the world and I am still being dinged because I do not have any loan history and I don't have any aging balances. 

If I were a cussing woman I'd be saying "Jesus H. Christ!" But I'm not a cussing woman. Okay, I'm lying. I cuss, but I never say Jesus H. Christ. 

All this to say that in the credit reporting world, it doesn't matter what you do because you're damned if you do and you're damned if you don't. The financial system is designed to keep you enslaved. 

If I lived near a desert, I'd be hunkered down living off the grid, too. 

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Flawed and Good. Perfect and Evil.

This is a visual example of
Flawed but Good.
I know. I do my best.

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman
and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  Publisher.

Flawed is not the same as Evil. 

Perfect is not the same as Good. 

For instance, Pussy-Hat Wearing Politically Correct Liberal Democrat RINO Socialist Fascist Commie Do-Gooder Environmentalist Social Engineering-types believe they are Perfect — all FLOTSAM from #CrunkNewsNetworks push that narrative — but they are Evil. 

While their number-one and other nemesis, Donald "The Hammer" Trump and normal regular folk, are Flawed but they are Good — and all FLOTSAM does not push that narrative. 

See how that works?

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** FLOTSAM: For Liberal Opinion That is Serious and Actually Matters

The Faces of the Crunk News Network During this Pandemic

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman

and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  Publisher.

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Princess Angela.

Angela now feels like a princess. Her bed is a little jewel box.

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical
Southern Woman
and The Most Brilliant Woman
in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  Publisher.

One-and-done is how I think about painting my walls. So it takes me a long time to figure out what colors to put on them.

Also, I am highly reactive to vibrational patterns. If the color is wrong for me, the vibrational patterns will totally make me crazy. And so yet another reason to take my time.

I have four colors on my walls. Kitchen and livingroom/bedroom: Gray with a dark blue base, as you can see in the picture. In my office is a dark metallic blue with silver undertones. A small hall is black and the bathroom is white.

Each color fits the space and supports my mental acuity. But today...oh, today was added the pièce de résistance.

You see, I sleep in my living room on a wall bed. [My condo is less than 600 sq.ft. The bedroom is my office. I work from home, so work/life must be split well.] That is, it folds down out of the wall and, boom, there is my bed. The heavy case it sits in is solid black. Black is great. I love black. It is my fave color. Except that after almost nine years, the solid black behind the bed was getting to me, bad.

What could I do?

Yesterday I had an epiphany. I took a set of long red drapes and hung them in. You can see the picture. Tied them back with some sparkly red ribbon. Put a crystal vase with a beautiful bouquet of silk flowers (I'm allergic to real flowers) right in the middle so that it is framed.

Wow. I immediately felt like a princess.

Which is only fitting as I can feel a pea under a stack of twenty mattress and we all know it is only real, true, bona fide princesses who can do that.

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Over-response or calculated manuever?

Resting Coronavirus Response Face

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  Publisher.

"Hunker down" is used even by Gen[Whatevahs] and P-HWPCLDRSFCs* — and is no longer only a Georgia Dawgs rallying game cry.

"Shelter in place" and "novel coronavirus" are now in our lexicon — and a punchline to those who work from home and will be featured in future stand-up comedy shows and movie/TV scripts.

And "herd immunity" happens when nobody does "social distancing" but claims that when they finally did do it that is what saved lives.

But I, your Citizen Journalist, have more serious thoughts. Was the the response to the novel coronavirus —

• over the top? [Yes.]
• just right? [No.]
• a political opportunity? [Yes.]
• a logical medical step? [No.]
• an opportunity for graft? [Yes.]
• a way for the Deep State to grab power? [Yes.]
• a reset of sensibilities? [Yes.]

Did the response to it point a spotlight on:

• the fragility of political correctness? [Yes.]
• experts who are the "little man behind the curtain"? [Yes.]
• the utter moral bankruptcy of the Deep State, Democrats, and RINOs? [Yes.]
• the grit and determination of the vast majority of US citizens? [Yes.]

Has the mainstream legacy media —

• lied to the public? [Yes.]
• played false with the public? [Yes.]
• lost their ever-loving minds? [Yes.]
• shown they are totally against freedom? [Yes.]
• can't wait to receive their Commie medals? [Yes.]
• proven they are #CrunkNewsNetwork? [Yes.]

More importantly, will this response destroy the freedoms guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights? [Quite possibly, if we allow this lockdown to keep on going because Chicken Little experts are manipulative and being manipulated.

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Hunkering down.

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman 

and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  Publisher.

"Hunker down" is used even by Gen[Whatevahs] and P-HWPCLDRSFCs* — and is no longer only a Georgia Dawgs rallying game cry.

"Shelter in place" and "novel coronavirus" are now in our lexicon — and a punchline to those who work from home and will be featured in future stand-up comedy shows and movie/TV scripts. 

But what do people really think about this current state of affairs, how is it affecting them, and how are they handling it? Your Citizen Journalist has come to your rescue.

That's right, she sent out a survey to over 500 LinkedIn contacts. Five responded, that is, one percent of those invited to respond. You may be thinking "Wow! That's not a lot." Normally I would agree with you but, according to many pollsters out there, it does not matter how many responded. The only thing that truly matters are the percentiles of those that did respond.

I am not lying. Haven't you ever heard a reporter say, "Of those that responded, __% agreed with...", to be followed by a sweeping conclusion that therefore __% of everyone that lives in the US agrees with a Commie-inspired permutation of the survey question and then ends with "should be made into law"?

Think about it.
I'll give you a minute. 

Ding-ding-ding! 

Exactly, you have heard that; you just didn't understand what it meant, did you? So, using that methodology, I too will opine using responses by three males (I happen to know them, and one is my cousin therefore I am positive they are males even if I haven't laid eyes on their junk) and two unknown genders (they did not list a name, so I couldn't even take a guess, but you can assign any gender that pleases you). Here are the breakdowns to questions I asked:

Employment status:

• Small business owner: 0%
• Self-employed: 20%
• Employee: 40%
• Retired: 20%
• Employed as musician for gig work: 20%

How your job has been affected: 

• No change: 40%
• Laid off: 20%
• Business is better: 0%
• Pay reductions: 20%
• Working from home: 20%
• Blank response: 20%

(Yes, this adds up to 120%, but we are in the "gig economy", sooo...)

Types of business you are in:

• Manufacturing: 0%
• Service business: 20%
• Restaurant: 0%
• Writer/writing: 40%
• Performance/Consulting/Retail: 20%
• Blank response: 20%

What can we deduce from all of this if we were P-HWPCLDRSFCs* or worked for any #CrunkNewsNetwork that spews FLOTSAM**? Let's write some headlines in their style, shall we?

Small business destroyed by economic slowdown from novel coronavirus response. 

Manufacturing destroyed by pandemic response.

Novel coronavirus response lays off 100% of all American workers, but that's okay because they are happy with leadership of Nancy Pelosi and also wish AOC was president so she could save the world.

You know what? That isn't fun. So, I went to this site here where one can see, by month and year, historical employment rates.

Now, according to this, there are 22,000 fewer people employed in March 2020 than were employed in March 2019 when things were starting to blow and go.

However, there were 1,229,000 more employed in March 2020 than employed in March 2018. So, we are still better off than we were in 2018, just two short years ago. 

But let's get back to my thoroughly sweeping and comprehensively scientific survey.

Take a look at what was said here in free-form response, that is, no leading questions:

Couple of things I learned from this response? I did not know financial institutions ordered hardware. I always assumed they had a vendor who did that sort of thing. However, one respondent had been too busy and is now benefiting from the downtime.

Upside: Eating together and cooking at home. Grocery stores should be seeing uptick in sales. Downside: Restaurant owners/managers could name a few.

I like this last quote. The respondent said "...I for one REFUSE to live in fear." In fact, I liked the whole quote. But who said that? Well, surprise, surprise. It was my cousin Wayne Kell. If we weren't hunkering down, why I'd go over and elbow-bump him. 

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* P-HWPCDLRSFC: Pussy-Hat Wearing Politically Correct Democrat Liberal RINO Socialist Fascist Commies

** FLOTSAM: For Liberal Opinion That is Serious and Actually Matters

Gravel Maker or Sculptor?

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman 

and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  Publisher.

I had opportunity to have a conversation with the daughter back in February wherein I said to her, "I know you will not believe your mother is saying this but: I believe that all people are born with all knowledge of all things in their brain but not all the connections work the same for various reasons."

She simply stared at me and said, "Hmmmm...well...."

In other words, she did not know what to say. I've always confused both my mother and my daughter. However, my theory explains, say, idiot savants or, as they are now more accurately called, autistic savants. It also explains random flashes of brilliance in a person otherwise middle of the road or in one who is just plain stupid to the bone. 

Now before you get your panties all in a twist and prove that you are a P-HWPCDLRSFC* and/or work for a member of the #CrunkNewsNetwork that spews FLOTSAM**, please rest assured that I can say all this because I am talking about myself.

I can say I am The Most Brilliant Woman In The World about absolutely everything. But never have you ever heard me say I am The Most Brilliant Woman In The World 24/7. See? Connections do not fire all the time, but when they do everybody, including me, are always amazed. 

But one brilliance connection that has fired in me consistently is words. 

From my earliest memories to today as you read this, words I understand. Let me explain.

When I look at a boulder, all I see is a lot of future gravel I can make by knocking it apart and I can make a nice cover for a muddy, rut-filled, dirt driveway. 

But when a sculptor looks at a boulder, he sees the parts that simply need knocking off to reveal the figure within and he makes art.

Same boulder. Two viewers. But one whose connections are firing all the time about shape and form and seeing art. Thus it is that not all editors accomplish the same thing with a manuscript.

A boulder never complains about how it is used. Gravel or art, it doesn't care. Neither does a manuscript. But some, nay: many, editors take a boulder of a manuscript and make the gravel equivalent of a book useful only as a doorstop.

Another editor, though, can see that same manuscript and see what is hidden in it, then knock off the parts that are hiding the loveliness of the words and make something readers will enjoy and keep on their shelves. 

I am the latter. This is not me bragging. This is me telling you a fact...and we all know if it's fact it ain't bragging. So, this is me telling you what I do for other writers all the time. This is me telling you that, in my service to words, I will always serve the words first because by doing so the reader is served well always. 

But to do that means I must hurt writers' feelings. There are quite a few who will tell you I've done that to them. Sure, they all pitch fits and get their egos out of joint, but the ones who care about readers — and thus their own reputations — always come back for more. And why?

Because, as one of my clients said, "Angela, you always make me look good."

But truthfully, I don't care about whether the writer looks good or not. Looking good can be accomplished all sorts of ways. That's called marketing. Though some consider it to be the show, marketing is merely the advance man.

What I care about is: Does the writer deliver the goods or will the reader be crying "Where's the beef?"

I bet that's why I've always been mistaken for either a school teacher or a dominatrix because, honestly, aren't they just about the same? Oh, sure, yeah. Both hurt you and you whine, but in the end, you know you like it like that, right?

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Get in touch if you need a sculptor for your words: angeladurden@msn.com. Otherwise, buy one of my books and see some of my flashes of brilliance. You will not be sorry. 

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* P-HWPCDLRSFC: Pussy-Hat Wearing Politically Correct Democrat Liberal RINO Socialist Fascist Commies

** FLOTSAM: For Liberal Opinion That is Serious and Actually Matters

When I look at a boulder, all I see is a lot of future gravel I can make by knocking it apart and making a nice cover for a driveway. But when a sculptor looks at a boulder, he sees the parts that simply need knocking off to reveal the figure within and he makes art.

Thus it not all editors accomplish the same thing. Some editors make gravel. Others make art. I am the latter.

A Morning for Angela Anagrams

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman 

and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  

During this "Beer" virus downtime I have done lots of those little things that need doing. I've organized all my spaces. I've had my son help me build shelves. I've worked on sewing projects. And, with the 10-human crowd-size limit, I've done streaming house concerts with Misha Stefanuk and Joel Edwards since we cannot perform in public. I'm reading a manuscript by a '60's pop icon for a book he submitted to my publishing company.

But this morning I reached a new low of looking for something to do. I went to an anagram generating site on the Internet and put in my name: Angela Durden. After copying and pasting the list into a Word document, I went through and got rid of 463 that were either meaningless or nasty. The remaining 37 are below; you can read the entire list for yourself.

However, I have chosen my faves out of these and have added punctuation to make it even more meaningful where that works. What makes an anagram my fave, you ask? If it is something others have called me. If it is something my ex would've called me. They are:

Things my ex might've called me:

Adrenal Nudge

Annual Dredge

Laundered Nag

Things others have called me:

Danged Unreal

Danged Neural

However, the best fun of all was the book titles I came up with. Something that would make a title for a book that John D. MacDonald* would've written. They are:

Book titles: 

A Dangled Rune

A Gnarled Nude

A Dunned Lager

[The] Unread Dangle

A Gerund, Laden

A Regal, Dunned

[The] Nude Nerd Gala

Run, Dead Angel, [Run!]

[The] Dead Regal Nun

Was that fun or what? It was fun. Spurred me to greater heights of creativity. Not that I need much spurring which you would know if you have purchased any of my books. What? You haven't bought any of my books? Well, why not? Click the link below or go to Amazon.com and type in Angela K. Durden in the search bar. 

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THE ENTIRE LIST:

Annealed Drug [to heat and then cool]

Adrenal Nudge

Uganda Lender

Annual Dredge

Laundered Nag

Danged Unreal

Danged Neural

Ungraded Elan [vigor, spirit]

Dungaree Land

Dangle Unread

A Dangled Rune [mystery, secret, character of the runic alphabet]

A Gnarled Nude

A Laden Gerund [word ending in -ing]

A Lager Dunned

A Regal Dunned

Agenda Led Run

Gala Ended Run

Gala Nerd Nude

Add Leaner Gun

Dead Angel Run

Dead Angel Urn

Dead Angle Run

Dead Lager Nun

Dead Regal Nun

Leaded Nag Run

Graded Ale Nun

Landed Age Run

Landed Age Urn

Darned Ale Gun

Adder Gale Nun [Snake Storm Nun]

Adder Lane Gun

Adder Elan Gun

Dread Gale Nun

Dread Lean Gun

Dread Lane Gun

Leader And Gun

*I had opportunity to meet his grandson at Bouchercon 2018 in St. Petersburg, Florida.

How to keep kids busy during this mini-apocalypse.

TMBWITW*** and MMSW****.

by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Citizen Journalist.  Novelist. Author of other stuff. 

Business writer.  Songwriter.  

Are your kids home for several weeks while Coronavirus runs amuck? Don't know what to do? Let The Most Brilliant Woman In The World and a Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman help you out.

I recognize that P-HWPCDLRSFCs* and purveyors of FLOTSAM** could very well have some issues with this list and maybe will accuse me of "not caring" and "child labor laws breaking". I can assure you that I, TMBWITW*** and a MMSW****, ain't skeert of those opinions and thazzafact! [See Footnote]

So, let's get to it.

First thing one must do is not to feel out of control. I recognize that this is probably the first time in many years that you will have your child home for any length of time without having planned activities to send them to where others will teach, entertain, and inspire your little rug rat, or lil' squirt if you prefer, and you only must remind to brush teeth and go to bed.

Buck up! You will get through this with the handy-dandy tips from TMBWITW and MMSW.  

1. Make a Domestic Engineering List to include:
• Sweeping
• Vacuuming
• Toilet scrubbing
• Tub scrubbing
• Dusting
• Bed making
• Laundry folding
• Pet exercising
• Pet feeding
2. Disconnect the Internet. [Trust me on this.]
3. Disconnect the cable. [Trust me on this one, too.]
4. Unplug microwave. Better yet, put it in your trunk. [You'll thank me later.]
5. Stack books around.
• Encourage the making of their own play based on scenes from the books.
6. Provide simple foodstuffs that do not need heat to prepare.
• Let them peel boiled eggs and add mayo and salt and pepper and mash them all together and spread on bread
7. Schoolwork must be done, of course. 
8. Cook a meal together.
9. Teach them how to prepare a grocery shopping list.
10. Shop for groceries together.
11. Break the grocery shopping list up into segments to equal how many children you have who could possibly navigate grocery store aisles and read a list.
• Assign to those children. Sit on a bench at the front of the store with a book and be there to answer any questions they may have.
12. Let them put up the groceries. 
13. Be sure to explain the entire scientific methodology of and reasoning behind storage of shelf-stable foodstuffs versus that which needs refrigeration.
14. Be sure to explain all of that in great detail.
15. Share stories with the next generation about how tough your childhood was. Don't forget the snow drifts, tiny coat, and hills that went up way far both to and from school.

Well, I have more, but I realize that this list will probably be a strain on you. Once mastered, please feel free to ask for more apocalyptic hints and tips. 

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* P-HWPCDLRSFC: Pussy-Hat Wearing Politically Correct Democrat Liberal RINO Socialist Fascist Commies

** FLOTSAM: For Liberal Opinion That is Serious and Actually Matters
*** TMBWITW The Most Brilliant Woman In The World
**** MMSW Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman

FOOTNOTE: "Ain't skeert and thazzafact!" is the Southern way of saying "Truly and really, your P. C. outbursts do not scare me in the least and you can take that to the bank and deposit it."

"It's a Jungle Out There" Monk theme by Randy Newman.

shared by Angela K. Durden

A Magnificently Methodical Southern Woman and The Most Brilliant Woman in the World 

Apropos for today with all the event cancellations. Adrian Monk would feel right at home.

SUPPORT YOUR CITIZEN JOURNALIST.

VISIT Consolidated Author Page

AND BUY A BOOK!