versatile
Unless we begin to put really smart,
versatile, knowledgeable people in positions of power in Washington,
we have no business remaining a superpower.
vertical
During the most severe thunderstorms, however,
both the vertical thickness and horizontal extent of clouds
can combine to effectively block out most, if not all, sunlight.
distinct
Defenders of the Corporation - of whom there are many -
are fond of quoting the American slogan
"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
The BBC "ain't broke," they say, by which they mean
it is not broken (as distinct from the word "broke",
meaning having no money), so why bother to change it?
instinct
When that happens, it is not a mistake:
it is mankind's instinct for moral reasoning in action,
an instinct that should be encouraged rather than laughed at.
punctual
Dwight Eisenhower, usually punctual
and usually smiling on such occasions, was late
and crisply serious when he walked into the Indian Treaty Room
of the old State Department Building
for his press conference last week.
spine
A common mistake when trying to achieve this
is to extensively tense the stomach muscles,
but this creates compression in the lower back
and reduces mobility in the spine.
stimulus
A study by the Centre for the Study of Education Policy
at Illinois State University, published on January 18th,
found that half of American states
will have spent all of their stimulus money
for education by the end of July.
outlook
What about going to Tibet this summer vacation?
Agreed! I long for the outlook there.