There's a cottage industry of black humor and killer irony at the Times thanks to Lee Abrams' smug memos, with their hefty helpings of hubris tinged with Tourettes. Here's one of the latest "Think Piece" take-offs, a goodbye email from Rick Schmitt, who departed the DC bureau:

To: yyeditall

Subject: THINK PIECE (w apologies to C.S. Lewis)

"That is the key to history. Terrific energy is expended -- civilisations are built up -- excellent institutions devised; but each time something goes wrong. Some fatal flaw always brings the selfish and cruel people to the top and it all slides back into misery and ruin. In fact, the machine conks. It seems to start up all right and runs a few yards, and then it breaks down. They are trying to run it on the wrong juice. That is what Satan has done to us humans."

Don't forget the infectious power of goodness!

Unlike Abrams' relentless output, this one really does makes you think.

--Veronique de Turenne