But whatever else has changed about the Broederbond, or Brotherhood, the rules of admission have remained rigid.

We adopted a series of positions that were very popular in the country - a balanced-budget amendment, a line-item veto, no tax increases - and the corrupt Democratic machine that should have responded remained rigid and stuck in place.

"No," was all Worf said, remaining rigid.

Perhaps the most remarkable aspect of China's recent history is how the nation's social and economic change have sped ahead while the political system has remained consistently rigid.

To a landman it would seem the ship was breaking up; to a seaman it meant the ship was showing its strength, bending like a flexing cane instead of remaining rigid and brittle.

The toys can be attached to one another to build three-dimensional creations, with the edges either remaining rigid or being allowed to swivel.

When its bottom had reached the level of the floor it stopped, and remained rigid.

Had the thing crawled upon the eyeball of the ape-man, it is believable that he could yet have remained wide-eyed and rigid; but it did not.

During it he had remained absolutely rigid, and although he was not aware of it his staring eyes gave the impression that he was in a fit.

French administrative divisions, however, have remained extremely rigid and unchanged.