Word: blusterous
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...wasn't Dan Rather or George Will. It was the pictures -- the nuns, and the crowds wearing a touch of yellow, blocking the path of the armored cars. It was the sight of ballot boxes being dumped. Read in a newspaper, Marcos' bluster might have been convincing, but seen on that palatial King and I set, with the ruler feebly speaking those strong words, it was not. In a precarious few days, it was the total collapse of Marcos' American support that sped the end. TV proved its awesome power...
Gorbachev's overall performance was a Jekyll-and-Hyde melange of personal charisma and calibrated bluster. He used stock phrases and body language to cajole applause from the 5,000 delegates, who first greeted his criticism of Soviet poor production practices with timid silence. The Pavlovian technique paid off. The second time he complained about slipshod work habits, he received an instant ovation. Jested Gorbachev: "Now I see I have twice won your applause by reminding you of the need for change." At the end of his speech, he glanced at his watch after a minute of applause. The cheers...
...these features hide the equally Texan and equally historically important characteristics which lie below the bluster and Hollywood romance that make this novel entertaining. Texans were the violent Comanche and Mexican killers that Michener made his out to be. But most of the time (in between the occassional Indian raids, Mexican Wars, American Wars, and lynchings) Texans were tackling the element that formed them--the vast, wealthy space called Texas. The land theme, however, lacks entertainment value--aneedotes about rugged Texans replacing fence posts does not make good novel material. So Michener sacrifices real education on his subject for stereotyped...
Sochi has 200 sanatoriums and dozens of hotels. As in other resort cities, the demand for rooms far outstrips the supply. Those unable to bribe or bluster their way to a place in the sun are forced to find their own lodgings. The Soviets refer to these masses of unfortunates as dikari, literally "savages," but in this sense meaning unofficial holidaymakers. They arrive with nowhere to stay and must try to strike a bargain with locals who have a room to rent. Such private deals are strictly illegal, but they are widely tolerated. Some seaside landladies offer a fair deal...
...victory was perhaps the sweetest in his 22-year political career and a vindication of sorts for his populist brand of socialism. In the final stages of the campaign, the Prime Minister pragmatically stressed his party's social welfare achievements. He rarely fell back on the bluff and bluster that after his first election four years ago he frequently employed against the U.S., NATO and the ten-nation European Community, which Greece joined...