Peter Kobs's definitions
1. A major news event that reveals someone's true values and personality.
2. How people react to a massive disaster, such as the Haiti earthquake of January 2010 -- with compassion and care, or sarcasm and selfishness.
Following the Jan. 12 earthquake, most people expressed sorrow and an urge to help those in distress. However, some people resorted to "blaming the victim" or condemning "taxpayer-funded" relief efforts. Hidden hatred of minorities, poor people and "foreigners" is often at the root of such heartless statements following a major catastrophe.
2. How people react to a massive disaster, such as the Haiti earthquake of January 2010 -- with compassion and care, or sarcasm and selfishness.
Following the Jan. 12 earthquake, most people expressed sorrow and an urge to help those in distress. However, some people resorted to "blaming the victim" or condemning "taxpayer-funded" relief efforts. Hidden hatred of minorities, poor people and "foreigners" is often at the root of such heartless statements following a major catastrophe.
Two famous men failed the Haiti Test this month: Pat Robertson said Haiti was being punished by God for "making a pact with the devil" in the late 1700s. Rush Limbaugh called Haiti relief efforts a political ploy by the Obama administration to "burnish his reputation" with the light-skinned and dark-skinned black community" in the U.S.
by Peter Kobs January 18, 2010
Get the Haiti Testmug. This acronym stands for "Great Depression #2." It's shorthand for the seemingly imminent collapse of the global economic system starting in late 2008 and continuing into 2009. Some professional economists, as well as ordinary working people, are fearful that the spiralling financial meltdown will lead to a decade-long repeat of the 1930s, complete with bread lines, soup kitchens, radical uprisings and the possibility of global violence. "Happy times are here again!"
by Peter Kobs December 22, 2008
Get the GD2mug. 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.
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
Get the Health Care Riotmug. 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.
by Peter Kobs February 17, 2009
Get the Hollow Marketmug. 1. An act of extreme stupidity by the U.S. Supreme Court.
2. An attempt to undermine democracy or destroy human rights through judicial fiat.
3. What happens when a bunch of clueless lawyers pretend to be God.
Notable examples include:
-- The recent (2010) decision to allow unlimited corporate and interest group contributions to U.S. political campaigns.
-- The Buck vs. Bell ruling that permitted forced sterilization of the mentall ill. Justice Holmes said at the time: “Three generations of imbeciles are enough.”
-- The Dred Scott case that invalidated restrictions on slavery, while mandating that all African-Americans be treated as "property" in the eyes of the law.
-- Plessy v. Ferguson, which formally legalized segregation, Jim Crow laws and minority disenfranchisement throughout the nation.
2. An attempt to undermine democracy or destroy human rights through judicial fiat.
3. What happens when a bunch of clueless lawyers pretend to be God.
Notable examples include:
-- The recent (2010) decision to allow unlimited corporate and interest group contributions to U.S. political campaigns.
-- The Buck vs. Bell ruling that permitted forced sterilization of the mentall ill. Justice Holmes said at the time: “Three generations of imbeciles are enough.”
-- The Dred Scott case that invalidated restrictions on slavery, while mandating that all African-Americans be treated as "property" in the eyes of the law.
-- Plessy v. Ferguson, which formally legalized segregation, Jim Crow laws and minority disenfranchisement throughout the nation.
The highest court in the land committed another act of Supreme Stupidity in January 2010 when it opened the floodgates to unlimited corporate cash in the election process. Can you say "plutocracy?" Sure you can!
by Peter Kobs February 18, 2010
Get the Supreme Stupiditymug. 1. Envy of another person's higher-resolution camera or flat-panel display screen.
2. The sudden realization that 8 Megapixels no longer cuts it in the digital photography world.
2. The sudden realization that 8 Megapixels no longer cuts it in the digital photography world.
"Daryl has a bad case of Pixel Envy ever since his girlfriend got that new 10 MP Nikon SLR. He may never recover."
by Peter Kobs September 4, 2009
Get the Pixel Envymug. 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.
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.
by Peter Kobs June 1, 2010
Get the Spillonomicsmug.