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Peter Kobs's definitions

Doom Plume

1. A massive undersea oil plume that threatens to destroy marine life for thousands of square miles, even though it's not visible from the surface.

2. The biggest environmental threat from the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

3. Out of sight, out of mind? Not so much.
The Doom Plume from BP's Deepwater Horizon pipe is spreading fast. It could reach as far as the Atlantic Coast of Florida and Mexico's Riviera Maya.
by Peter Kobs May 16, 2010
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Bag a boo

Someone who brags excessively; an ostentatious self-promoter.
"Don't you brag, and don't you boast
Grief comes to those who brag the most
Why are you crummy, you're crummy fe true?
Why are you acting like a bag a boo?"

Blues lyrics by Clancy Ecles, Jamaican ska and reggae singer, circa 1962
by Peter Kobs June 17, 2008
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Podnesia

1. A form of amnesia common among iPod and mp3 users. "Podnesiacs" have downloaded so many songs that they can't remember what's already on their device.

2. The mental condition that propels people to purchase (download) the same song more than once.
I think Tracy has Podnesia. She just downloaded "Last Train to Clarksville" for the third time in six months.
by Peter Kobs August 19, 2009
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Hate TV

1. Television that encourages viewers to hate, despise and fear "the enemy." George Orwell predicted the rise of Hate TV in his novel "1984." Usually found on the cable channels, Hate TV is the fastest-growing type of pseudo-news. Key characteristics include:

- Scapegoating (blaming a small group for the problems of all)
- Fear-mongering (raising the specter of impending tyranny)
- Simplistic thinking (condensing complex issues into a few hate-filled slogans)
- Truthiness (presenting rumors as established fact)
- Repetition (to give lies the ring of truth)
- Stereotyping (along racial, ethnic or religious lines)
- Assault Interviewing (attacking guests who disagree with the party line)
- Pandering (filling a studio with partisan crowds who will cheer or boo on cue)
- Thematic Aggregation ("packaging" a variety of fears, prejudices and hot-button issues under a common theme)
- Code Words (using substitutes for common racial slurs, insults, etc.)
- Multi-Media Marketing (combining TV with publishing, radio, websites, etc. to reinforce the core message)
- Narrowing (redefining the boundaries of "acceptable belief" to ostracize moderates)
- Movement Hype (promoting a specific group of people as the only "true" Americans)
- Event Manipulation (exaggerating the size, impact or diversity of a protest or political rally)

Hate TV inevitably leads to greater political polarization, up to and including acts of violence against the perceived "enemy."
"Did you hear about that guy who crashed is plane into the IRS building in Austin, Texas?"

"Yeah, he killed two people, including a father who served in Vietnam."

"Well, Hate TV is saying he was a patriot and should be congratulated for standing up to the government."

"Scary stuff...What's next -- public lynchings in prime time?"
by Peter Kobs April 9, 2010
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Nuke Crib

1. A secret storage place for illegal nuclear weapons or nuke technology.

2. A nuclear weapons development facility that is purposely kept hidden from IAEA inspectors.

2. Iran's secret nuke plant beneath the "holy" city of Qum, which was disclosed by U.S. President Obama at the United Nations in September 2009.
Using satellite imagery and espionage, we located Iran's secret Nuke Crib in a set of tunnels near Qum. They put the facility there to make it harder to bomb because of possible collateral damage to the ancient Qum mosques.
by Peter Kobs September 28, 2009
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Health Care Riot

1. An angry, sometimes violent, demonstration against health care reform at the local level.

2. A mob that turns out at a Congressional "Town Hall" meeting to oppose the President Obama's health care reform initiative. Many such mobs are organized in advance by conservative lobbying groups supported by the pharmaceutical and insurance industries.

3. A loud, boisterous act of political opposition designed to overwhelm the conversation about health care reform by using shouting and physical intimidation.
John actually supports health care reform, but he wasn't able to speak because the Town Hall Meeting turned into a Health Care Riot.
by Peter Kobs August 7, 2009
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Hollow Market

1. A financial market so fragile that even strong companies are decimated by panic selling on Wall Street. 2. A market with almost no real buyers, only frantic sellers.
In this hollow market, even a safe company like Kraft Foods is tanking.
by Peter Kobs February 17, 2009
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