Word: stiffens
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...solution to the budget crisis. It is conceivable that they will concoct a much better remedy. But even if a five-year, $500 billion deficit reduction is finally put into place, the cumulative debt will still grow by roughly $500 billion over those five years. That danger alone should stiffen the spine of even the mostly cowardly politician in Washington...
...traditional Muslim call to prayer in Arabic. "Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar! Allahu akbar!" the call begins. Mesmerized, the Tadzhiks as one man -- there is not a woman in sight among the 10,000 except Alexandra -- raise their hands in the traditional Muslim posture of worship. The Soviets stiffen. The officers disappear from the windows. Except for the wail of the mullah, a total hush has descended upon the gathering. After the prayer call, the mullah reads a sura from the Koran honoring the dead. Three minutes later, the prayer and reading are over, but there is an unmistakable new militancy...
...make good food and water supplies even better, the Government needs to tighten its regulatory standards, stiffen its inspection program and strengthen its enforcement policies. The food industry should modify some long-accepted practices or turn to less hazardous alternatives. Perhaps most important, consumers will have to do a better job of learning how to handle and cook food properly. The problems that need to be addressed exist all along the food-supply chain, from fields to processing plants to kitchens...
Attempts to stiffen requirements for older drivers can collide with other concerns. Many auto-insurance companies offer discount rates to drivers over 65 because they tend to drive less frequently and to avoid hazardous situations like rush-hour traffic and bad weather. Another issue is compassion: depriving many senior citizens of their licenses would amount to robbing them of their independence. "The use of a car is particularly important to older citizens," says Florida Congressman Claude Pepper, 88. "It's a vital link to the outside world...
...middle-aged man and woman were blown up by an I.R.A. booby-trap bomb intended for a British army patrol. The accident prompted yet another embarrassed apology by the terrorists. They realize such mistakes cost them support, even among sympathizers in Ulster's 500,000-member Catholic community, and stiffen the determination of the Protestant majority, 1 million strong, to continue keeping a lid on the minority...