This sentence contains an apparent non sequitur phrased as if it follows logically from the reworded thesis of the blog post. This sentence is a wildly overgeneralized condemnation of one or more entire classes of people phrased in as incendiary a fashion as possible which claims to be an obvious corollary to the thesis and non sequitur. This sentence proposes that anyone who might disagree with the wildly overgeneralized condemnation is, by so disagreeing, actually proving the author’s point. This sentence explains that such people disagree primarily because of the author’s courageous, iconoclastic approach. This sentence mentions the additional possibilities that readers who express disagreement with the wildly overgeneralized condemnation are merely following political fashion or trying to ingratiate themselves with interest groups. —“How to write an incendiary blog post,” Chris Clarke, Boston Globe
The past will never let you go;
the future is, as always, bleak;
the present can be fairly nice, particularly if it comes with baby tiger videos (warning: disgusting cuteness)
The present hysteria about postal finances is due in large part to Congressional looting of the post office. In 2006 Congress passed a law mandating the post office to pre-fund its retiree health care benefits program. The politicians were just seeking a way to divert postal profits to the federal budget to finance continuing tax cuts for the rich. Now, however, revenues are down, and management is predicting a $7 billion deficit for the coming year. Without these extra payments, the deficits would be only $1.6-1.8 billion. As a matter of fact, PMG Potter recently told Congress that were it not for the pre-funded health care payments, the postal service would have turned a profit of $400 million in the first half of this year! The depression may deepen, and the postal deficits may grow. But why should workers be punished for this, and the public see reduced service, while the rich continue to live in style off the labor of the working class? —“Fight the Post Office Cutbacks!” Detroit Worker’s Office
Smart people go bat-shit crazy if you frustrate their careerist ambitions;
paying taxes does nothing good for your disposition either);
related: Elton John: “I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems.”
“The vast majority of bow ties droop and look horrible,” says Anit Patel, a pharmaceuticals salesman who started Cravate Royale with his artist/designer wife, Sonal. Together the pair spent years dissecting the linings of high-priced ties in hopes of finding the secret to building a better bow. “While in London I got my hands on a Turnbull & Asser woven bow and loved the way it felt. So I opened it up and brought the lining to my factory in England,” says Patel, who improved the Turnbull prototype by adding a bit of weight to the lining to prevent the tie from flopping at the neck. The couple made similar adjustments to their pocket squares, which have double hand-stitched edges, and ascots, which feature a double-stitched pleated back, for a more bespoke appearance. —“The Bow Tie Perfected,” William Kissel, The Robb Report