endemic - en-DEM-ik - the innate tendency to behave in a particular way

Example: "All China's barriers to higher consumption are endemic - their focus on one thing: making stuff."

dystopia - dis-TOW-pyah - an imaginary place where everything is as bad as could be - opposite of "utopia," where everything is as good as could be

Example: "Whether true or not, we tend automatically to consider any Muslim-dominated country, like Iran or Afghanistan, to be a dystopia of dictatorial horrors."

irascible - ee-RASS-sible - "hot-tempered, easily angered

"A New York Times article reported that the president's speech (indicating his troops for Afghanistan decision) was responded to negatively & immediately in typical knee-jerk reaction from the irascible Fox news outlets."

insouciance - in-SOO-see-AHNS - casual lack of concern, indifference

Example: "A federal district court ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain a navigational channel to the devastated flood during Hurricane Katrina - leading to billions of dollars in litigation against the federal government - as myopia, insouciance & shortsightedness."

rife - bursting, overflowing, teeming, rampant

Example: "The town of Ontonagon came first in its race for money to build a children's playground; the people there are rife with excitement over it. Note the following comment: "I am so glad something good is happening for Ontonagen. I voted faithfully! Hooray for all the yoopers who helped make this happen. It shows what wonderful people they are - whether they live in the U.P. still, or not."

preemptive - pree-EMP-tive - done before somebody else can act, seizing the initiative

Example: "In his most recent speech, President Obama declared that he would take preemptive action in Afghanistan."

moratorium - MORE-uh-TOR-yum - suspension of activity, temporary prohibition of activity

Example: "Tiger Woods is attempting to place a moratorium on police activity regarding his well publicized car accident, which, he claims, took place on his own property and thus is of family, not police, issue."