Word: softener
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There is little hope that either country will settle its political differences soon enough to allow a swift rescue of the people in peril. Ethiopia has recently claimed victories against the Tigre rebels, which may soften Mengistu just enough to permit some relief operations, at least for a time. But in Sudan, stiff rebel resistance threatens only to convince Bashir that his best course is to continue to block the already difficult lines of transport into the south -- and let starvation and disease do the rest...
Other medications being used for psychiatric or neurological conditions are also showing some promise. Flupenthixol, currently prescribed overseas for schizophrenia, seems to soften the "crash," a unique combination of depression and craving that follows one cocaine binge and typically leads to another round. In preliminary trials on a group of ten Bahamian crack addicts seeking treatment, researchers from Yale found that even low doses kept users off cocaine for the two-month duration of the trial. Another drug, carbamazepine, long taken to prevent seizures, has proved to be moderately effective against cocaine craving. In tests this year...
...oversize, matte-black headsets look like the kind of industrial-strength ear protection worn by airport baggage handlers. But these are no ordinary earmuffs. They are high-tech earphones designed for pilots of small jets and other light (and noisy) aircraft. Rather than soften the drumming engine noise with thick layers of plastic foam, the earphones eliminate it electronically. A tiny microphone samples sound waves at the wearer's ear, processes them through special circuitry and broadcasts countertones that cancel the offending sounds in midair. Result: silence, or something close...
What is relevant is that Israeli policy makers are often faced with a choice between evils. They have felt that the evils of a military occupation (and it is necessarily evil, despite everything Israel has done to soften it) are preferable to the evils of what a high-ranking member of the PLO introduced within tht past decade as a "policy of stages" toward the destruction of Israel...
...fraternities do not have the financial or moral support of the powerful alumni network of the final clubs to soften the administration's position on nationally affiliated organizations. In the face of their scarce resources, it is fair to assume they will have a tough time securing themselves a safe position in the social life of the University...