Procrastinet

Introducing: Procrastinet Despatches!

filed under: Despatches , Procrastinet Guests

It has long been my goal to have actual Procrastinet correspondents, to supplement the "roving reporters" (basically friends who send me links) and my own sometimes meager output.

When I heard that Nicholas Seeley, my dramaturg on 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, was heading off to work with NGO's in Amman, Jordan, I knew I'd found my guy.

In honor of what will surely be a sporadic correspondence with Nick in Jordan, I've established a new P'net category: Despatches.

Here's what The American Heritage Dictionary has to say about "dispatch":

dis-patch tr v. -patched, -patching, -patches. Also despatch. 1. To send off to a specific destination or on specific business. 2. To complete or dispose promptly of. 3. To put to death summarily. -n 1. The act of dispatching or sending off. 2. A putting to death. 3. Efficient speed or promptness; expeditious performance. 4. A written message, particularly an official communication, sent with speed. 5. A news item sent to a newspaper, as by a correspondent. [Spanish despachar or Italian dispacciare, from Old French despeechier, to set free, unshackle : des-, from Latin dis- (reversal) + (em)peechier, to hinder, from Late Latin impedicare, to entangle : Latin in- + pedica, shackle.

I'm using "Despatches" instead of "Dispatches" because it's snootier and more British Colonial sounding.

I have already requested that Nick avoid all the sub-meanings above which deal with sudden death, and informed him that his #1 assignment during his time in the mideast is to avoid being beheaded. Whatever else he wants to do, and in turn write about, is fine.

Posted by rjt at October 5, 2004 11:19 AM