"With the hail coming down hard and the tornado so wide you could see it, you feel hopeless in its path and know there is nothing you can do, " said Ms. Jones, a 27-year-old employee of the Federal Aviation Administration.

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Lady Thatcher's performance at European summits could sometimes inspire the sort of awe you feel when an enraged terrier mounts a hopeless attack on a doberman.

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What is also true is that the plight of the Palestinians is something that we have to pay attention to, because it is not good for our security and it is not good for Israel's security if you've got millions of individuals who feel hopeless, who don't have an opportunity to get an education or get a job or what have you.

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