True, they rather order me about some, and make me jump from spar to spar, like a grasshopper in a May meadow.

Even so, Russian and Western officials continue to spar over American plans to deploy ballistic missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic.

They will spar with each other for another six weeks, then go to the brink of the purported cliff and see who blinks at the last moment.

There is a difference between the height of the mizzen fore and aft spar in the contemporary painting by Luny (below) and its position on the replica in the photographs, compared to the height of the lowest spars on the fore and mainmasts.

It is very unlikely that congressional Democrats and Republicans can reach an agreement on extending the Bush era tax cuts for the middle class, while allowing them to expire for the rich. They will spar with each other for another six weeks, then go to the brink of the purported cliff and see who blinks at the last moment.