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Peter Kobs's definitions

Rand Paul

1. A conservative Republican with libertarian views, Rand Paul is running for the U.S. Senate in 2010 to replace outgoing KY Senator Jim Bunning. Rand is the son of Texas Congressman Ron Paul. According to Rand himself, he was NOT named after author Ayn Rand.

Paul helped found the Kentucky Taxpayers United, an anti-tax group, in 1994. He favors eliminating the Federal Reserve system, the U.S. Dept. of Education, the IRS, the federal income tax, the Fair Housing Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act and other government programs. Paul also opposes abortion under any circumstances, even in cases of rape and incest. He has publicly criticized the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Born in Pennsylvania, Rand Paul attended Baylor University in Waco, TX, and Duke University in NC. He works as an ophthalmologist in Bowling Green, KY.

2. A favorite candidate of the U.S. Tea Party movement, Paul won the Republican Senate nomination in May 2010, defeating KY Sec. of State Trey Grayson. He has been endorsed by Gun Owners of America, Steve Forbes, FreedomWorks and Sarah Palin, among others.

3. Rand Paul has made several explosive remarks on the campaign trail and in his writings. In late May 2010, he called President Obama "un-American" for criticizing BP regarding the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. He has also explicitly criticized government laws banning discrimination, reversing himself partially when his spoken and written statements were broadcast nationally.
Rand Paul is the darling of the Tea Party movement and the bane of moderate Republicans.
by Peter Kobs May 21, 2010
mugGet the Rand Paulmug.

Neocapitalism

1. A new form of capitalism that emphasizes government intervention in the economy to rescue and restructure large companies that are deemed "too big to fail" because of the systemic risk they pose to the nation.

2. The opposite of Marxism, which anticipates the collapse of the entire capitalist system and the seizure of all "means of production" -- healthy companies included.

3. An economic system that prevents large, poorly managed companies from destroying the entire country.
Obama has been called a "socialist," but history will show he's really a clever student of "Neocapitalism."
by Peter Kobs May 25, 2009
mugGet the Neocapitalismmug.

Overton Window

1. A political theory invented by arch-conservative Joseph Overton, VP of the anti-tax Mackinac Center for Public Policy in Midland, Michigan. (Overton died in 2003 when his ultra-light airplane crashed.)

2. The name of a poorly-written novel by right-wing talk show host Glen Beck. Published in early 2010, the book is a cautionary tale about leftist radicals taking over the government through incremental change.

In theory, the Overton Window represents the boundaries of "acceptable" public policy and discourse -- what a politician can support without seeming too "extreme." Opposing forces try to broaden this window (or shift it to one side) to make formerly "radical" ideas seem more "mainstream."

Overton's theory has a decidedly pro-business, anti-regulation slant. Something is either "more free" or "less free" in his view. He never mentions "more just" or "more fair" or "more practical." In fact, the entire theory tailor made for paranoid people and right-wing lunatics who think Obama is a totalitarian Marxist dictator bent on world domination.
The Overton Window is yet another idiotic theory masquerading as a "breakthrough" in political understanding. Its leading proponent is Glen Beck of Fox News...'nuf said.
by Peter Kobs July 20, 2010
mugGet the Overton Windowmug.

Underlord

1. A low-level official who wields great power in a bureaucratic system -- the opposite of an "overloard."

2. Someone who can make your life miserable by enforcing obscure rules and regulations in a sadistic manner.

3. The true power brokers of bureaucracy.
Don't upset Marvin! He's the Underlord of the insurance claims division. With one click of a button, he can double your premiums or deny you coverage.
by Peter Kobs December 11, 2009
mugGet the Underlordmug.

Yoop Loop

1. A scenic route around Michigan's Upper Peninsula, which is also known as the "U.P." or "Yoop." Motorcyclists are especially fond of this semi-wilderness experience.

2. An alternative route from Wisconsin to lower Michigan. Instead of slogging through the heavy traffic of metro Chicago, adventurous drivers can take the "Yoop Loop" over the top of Lake Michigan and then across the Mackinac Bridge to lower Michigan. Longer, yes, but way more beautiful.

3. A generic term for any trip that takes the traveler through Michigan's Upper Peninsula en route to somewhere else -- one of the great undiscovered pleasures of the North Country.
"Don't drive through that traffic mess in Chicago. Let's take the Yoop Loop instead."

"What if our car breaks down and we're attacked by bears?"

"It's better than being attacked by gang bangers on the Dan Ryan Expressway!"
by Peter Kobs September 9, 2009
mugGet the Yoop Loopmug.

Spillonomics

1. A scientific way to calculate the true costs of massive oil spills, such as the BP Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico.

Spillonomics was conceived shortly after the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Sadly, it has become a major growth industry in the last 21 years.

Unlike other methods favored by the petroleum industry, Spillonomics takes into account both short-term clean-up costs AND long-term costs related to marine ecosystems, tourism, fishing, coastal employment, real estate values and water quality.

2. Dick Cheney's latest nightmare.
I'm majoring in Spillonomics. My uncle at Halliburton is livid. Serves him right!
by Peter Kobs June 1, 2010
mugGet the Spillonomicsmug.

Reployment

1. The act of re-employing someone (who was previously laid off) as a temp worker, usually at a lower wage scale.

2. What happens to many people who have lost their permanent jobs following the crash of 2008.

3. Another sign of the harsh economic times in which we live.
Acme Industries is having a Reployment Fair at the hotel downtown. They'll re-hire you as a temp at about half of what you were earning last year.
by Peter Kobs December 7, 2009
mugGet the Reploymentmug.

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