Amid its pious devotion to the woebegone, there are scenes that manage to twitch into life and hit a nerve, perhaps because they also bump the funny bone.

NEWYORKER: Hot and Bothered

My previous article, The Seminary Bubble, certainly hit a nerve remarkably so, given that it appeared here at Forbes.com at the center of financial journalism and not one of the usual church discussion watering holes.

FORBES: Bursting The Seminary Bubble, Part II

It hit a nerve because unlike most video game ads that feature bland-faced soldiers blowing up zombies or army guys, this one told a really sad story about a little girl getting turned into a zombie while on vacation.

FORBES: 'Dead Island' to Become a Movie

If the new treatment centres hit a raw nerve for many Labour members, the charge that they represent poor value for money is just as painful for ministers.

ECONOMIST: The threat of competition is what matters