I know exactly which mirrors in my house are soothingly cast in silvery shadow, and which cause me to bolt past, eyes averted from the blast of capillary-exposing reality.
Since it is self-evident that the Taiwan of 1999 is not part of China, this seems uncontentious no more, as Taiwan's officials soothingly point out, than a "clarification" of the status quo.
America's objective, it says soothingly, is not an "anti-China coalition".In part, this is a recognition of global power shifts, for all that Mr Romney talks of making this a second American century.
Give your theory a sexy spin one that combines ethnic stereotypes, engaging anecdotes and just enough conventional wisdom to seem both spicy and soothingly familiar.
Unlike George Bush, he soothingly espouses international co-operation.
A punchy, witty and soothingly moderate-sounding former member of the Socialist Unity Party, he has an appeal well beyond his party's normal supporters.
That the Cubans should have welcomed the possession of nuclear deterrents (even if they were not, as Mr Khrushchev soothingly said, allowed to handle them) is, perhaps, as understandable as it is intolerable.
In return, the unpaid interest is added to the original loan, a process soothingly called "negative amortisation".
It is a breathtakingly broad list, including "economic and social cohesion", security and justice, social policy, transport and public health: in other words, most of the basic stuff of national politics.Those who like the draft say soothingly that its sweep should not be exaggerated.
In the end a healthy balance sheet and steady profits were what matter, he said soothingly.
The Mexican consul in charge hurries to intercept him, saying soothingly that the site is providing a "community service".
