Dickens taught me a new word today

[alexiscartwheel]

It was "amanuensis". From my dictionary:

amanuensis |əˌmanyoōˈensis|
noun ( pl. -ses |-ˌsēz|)
a literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts.

Unfortunately, I don't think that's one I'll be able to insert into conversation that easily. When I was listening to the radio this morning I also learned a new meaning for the word "pants". Apparently "pants" can also be used as an adjective conveying that something is bad. (I was pretty confused the first time that DJ said a particular song was pants, since in the US pants are just trousers.)

Earlier this week, I watched Destiny of the Daleks with the Four and Romana II. I've yet to see an Romana I serials, but I really like Romana II. She's very smart and has a good sense of humour. She challenges the Doctor. And she has some great clothes. Expect a Classic Who picspam to be forthcoming!

Elizabeth Edwards, wife of former Senator and presidential candidate John Edwards, has an Op-Ed piece in today's Times arguing that the press is failing the American public. She writes:

[News] is essential to an informed electorate. And an informed electorate is essential to freedom itself. But as long as corporations to which news gathering is not the primary source of income or expertise get to decide what information about the candidates “sells,” we are not functioning as well as we could if we had the engaged, skeptical press we deserve.

It's a shame that candidates with good ideas--like Biden, Kucinich, or Dodd--get pushed out of the way because they don't have an exciting campaign narrative to excite the media.

Gail Collins, my favorite opinion columnist, also has a good piece from yesterday's paper about John McCain and pay equity. (It is, in fact, about an issue!) Reading something like this is pretty discouraging to me. Although McCain has worked very hard for this country, there are many, many issues that I disagree with him on... yet another reason I wish we could reach a conclusion to the Democratic primary. Let's see how the Democrats differ from McCain on the issues already!

Comments

[yo-ssarian.livejournal.com]

I definitely agree with Elizabeth Edwards. The press is ruled by corporate power and really isn't much of the "watchdog" press that people seem to think we have in America.
And as far as the democratic nomination fight is concerned, I wish it would just freaking end already. They are both good candidates, we just need one of them, lol.