Vocabulary: Abstract Nouns

cacophony

There is also a cacophony of views on currency policy, which, despite some changes, Washington insists is still unfairly skewed to boost Chinese exports and which will likely be a major issue during Hu's visit. The People's Bank of China, the country's central bank, favors a stronger yuan, something the U.S. has long demanded. This would, among other things, help calm inflation, now a major concern for leaders, by reducing the price of foreign foods and other imports. But the central bank has little of the independence enjoyed by the U.S. Federal Reserve to fix policy.
Hu's visit spotlights China's two faces Source www.washingtonpost.com

pestilence

If anyone have shit to say, say it with splendor. It is better to have ingenious pests in this forum than inflamed superheroes babbling about pestilence.
Xah Lee, 2000-03, chiding unconscious hypocritical netiquette moralists of news groups in comp.lang.lisp

auteur

Microsoft Co-founder Paul Allen said: “We've lost a unique tech pioneer and auteur who knew how to make amazingly great products. Steve fought a long battle against tough odds in a very brave way. He kept doing amazing things in the face of all that adversity. As someone who has had his own medical challenges, I couldn't help but be encouraged by how he persevered.”
Steve Jobs,

oligarchy

“China is no longer ruled by a strong man a la Mao [Zedong] or Deng Xiaoping, but by a collective oligarchy,” said Susan Shirk, a deputy assistant secretary of state in the Clinton administration.
Hu's visit spotlights China's two faces Source www.washingtonpost.com
oligarchy = a political system governed by a few people.

aegis

By the mid 1980s, Leary had begun to incorporate computers, the Internet, and virtual reality into his aegis of thought. Leary established one of the earliest sites on the World Wide Web, and was often quoted describing the Internet as “the LSD of the 1990s.” He became a promoter of virtual reality systems, and sometimes demonstrated a prototype of the Mattel Power Glove as part of his lectures (as in From Psychedelics to Cybernetics). Around this time he cultivated friendships with a number of notable people in the field, including Brenda Laurel, a pioneering researcher in virtual environments and human-computer interaction.
aegis = endorsement and guidance. Originally, a shield or protective armor, bearing Medusa's head. (See: Aegis).