Definitions by abu yahya
junk bond
(FINANCE) originally, a bond rated as not investment grade by a credit rating agency (e.g., Standard & Poor, Ernst & Young, or Moody's).
Later, a bond was a financial instrument deliberately created to have absurdly high levels of risk (of default), which was then priced in and "hedged" by a fund manager. Junk bonds are routinely used to finance leveraged buyouts.
Later, a bond was a financial instrument deliberately created to have absurdly high levels of risk (of default), which was then priced in and "hedged" by a fund manager. Junk bonds are routinely used to finance leveraged buyouts.
Michael Milken was the junk bond innovator who figured out how to make them an effective investment vehicle. Yes, he later went to jail for securities law violations.
headline unemployment
(ECONOMICS) Total unemployed, as a percent of the civilian labor force (official unemployment rate). Does not include discouraged workers. Also referred to as "U-3" by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
The BLS regularly publishes six estimates of unemployment. The others are U-1, U-3, U-4, U-5, and U-6. Eurostat publishes one monthly estimate of unemployment for the European Union, which is approximately midway between U-3 and U-4.
The unemployment statistics for the USA are collected through a monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) (also known as the household survey) and an establishment survey.
The BLS regularly publishes six estimates of unemployment. The others are U-1, U-3, U-4, U-5, and U-6. Eurostat publishes one monthly estimate of unemployment for the European Union, which is approximately midway between U-3 and U-4.
The unemployment statistics for the USA are collected through a monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) (also known as the household survey) and an establishment survey.
Given the way the government's headline unemployment rate is calculated, it can never reach 14%. This is because the civilian labor force includes only people who are working or have looked for a job in the previous four weeks. When the economy gets really bad (like now), unemployed workers get discouraged and give up looking for jobs. This causes the civilian labor force to decline as fast or faster than total employment.
{Louis Woodhill, "On Track for 14% Unemployment," RealClearMarkets (12 Jan 2010)}
{Louis Woodhill, "On Track for 14% Unemployment," RealClearMarkets (12 Jan 2010)}
headline unemployment by Abu Yahya July 19, 2010
Muhammad Mossadegh
(IRANIAN HISTORY) (1882-1967) Democratically elected Prime Minister of Iran from 1951 to 1953. Ousted by coup d'etat organized by MI-6 and the CIA after he nationalized the assets of the Anglo Iranian Oil Company (BP, p.l.c.).
Mossadegh was involved in the 1924 Constitutional Revolution that was supposed to have ended autocracy in Iran and replaced it with a democratic republic. Instead, Reza Khan (Shah Reza) replaced the Qejars as as monarch. Later, Mossadegh rose to power because of rising anger at colonial deal between AOIC and Iran. His nationalization of AOIC triggered a balance of payments crisis for the UK, and two years later he was ousted by Operation Ajax. After he was overthrown, Shah Muhammad Reza was a dictator, and dependent on the USA to remain in power.
Mossadegh was involved in the 1924 Constitutional Revolution that was supposed to have ended autocracy in Iran and replaced it with a democratic republic. Instead, Reza Khan (Shah Reza) replaced the Qejars as as monarch. Later, Mossadegh rose to power because of rising anger at colonial deal between AOIC and Iran. His nationalization of AOIC triggered a balance of payments crisis for the UK, and two years later he was ousted by Operation Ajax. After he was overthrown, Shah Muhammad Reza was a dictator, and dependent on the USA to remain in power.
Muhammad Mossadegh was a true Iranian patriot whose overthrow in a British Petroleum-instigated coup poisoned relations between the USA and the Islamic world.
Muhammad Mossadegh by Abu Yahya July 19, 2010
SAVAK
(IRANIAN HISTORY) Secret police of Iran during the reign of Shah Muhammad Reza (r.1941-1979); began operations in 1957, four years after Operation Ajax. Gen. Herbert Norman Schwarzkopf (father of Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf was a US Army liaison who trained SAVAK in intelligence tactics; additional training was provided by the Israeli military.
General Teymur Bakhtia, the main Iranian military officer involved in Operation Ajax, was rewarded with command of SAVAK; he was dismissed in 1961 because he was believed to be organizing a coup. Subsequently, the Shah had his own secret service to spy on the secret service.
SAVAK's activities to include gathering intelligence and neutralizing the regime's opponents. An elaborate system was created to monitor all facets of political life. For example, a censorship office was established to monitor journalists, literary figures, and academics throughout the country; it took appropriate measures against those who fell out of line. Universities, labor unions, and peasant organizations, among others, were all subjected to intense surveillance by SAVAK agents and paid informants. The agency was also active abroad, especially in monitoring Iranian students who publicly opposed Pahlavi rule.
General Teymur Bakhtia, the main Iranian military officer involved in Operation Ajax, was rewarded with command of SAVAK; he was dismissed in 1961 because he was believed to be organizing a coup. Subsequently, the Shah had his own secret service to spy on the secret service.
SAVAK's activities to include gathering intelligence and neutralizing the regime's opponents. An elaborate system was created to monitor all facets of political life. For example, a censorship office was established to monitor journalists, literary figures, and academics throughout the country; it took appropriate measures against those who fell out of line. Universities, labor unions, and peasant organizations, among others, were all subjected to intense surveillance by SAVAK agents and paid informants. The agency was also active abroad, especially in monitoring Iranian students who publicly opposed Pahlavi rule.
SAVAK mostly concentrated on Tudeh and populist organizations until the late 1960's, since the clergy was mostly aligned with the monarchy until 1964, when the regime started to redistribute endowments of land held by the religious orders.
Exxon Mobil
World's 3rd largest company (2009 sales: $310 billion); 2nd largest oil company (after Royal Dutch Shell).
Founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1862 in Titusville, PA as Rockefeller & Andrews Oil. Using combination of trust agreement and a holding company based in NJ, grew to totally dominate oil production, transport, and retailing. Standard Oil incorporated 1870.
Trust agreements revoked (court order) 1892; SO holding company broken up 1911 into 35 entities, including: Exxon, Mobil, Chevron, ARCO, Conoco, and Amoco. Amoco and ARCO were absorbed by British Petroleum, while Conoco merged with Phillips, Chevron merged with Texaco, and Exxon merged with Mobil.
Apologies to Urban Dictionary for misspelling the company's name "Exxon Mobile" in the definition for BP, p.l.c..
Founded by John D. Rockefeller in 1862 in Titusville, PA as Rockefeller & Andrews Oil. Using combination of trust agreement and a holding company based in NJ, grew to totally dominate oil production, transport, and retailing. Standard Oil incorporated 1870.
Trust agreements revoked (court order) 1892; SO holding company broken up 1911 into 35 entities, including: Exxon, Mobil, Chevron, ARCO, Conoco, and Amoco. Amoco and ARCO were absorbed by British Petroleum, while Conoco merged with Phillips, Chevron merged with Texaco, and Exxon merged with Mobil.
Apologies to Urban Dictionary for misspelling the company's name "Exxon Mobile" in the definition for BP, p.l.c..
Exxon Mobil operates 37 oil refineries in 20 countries; in the USA, it owns and operates about 12,000 service stations.
Exxon Mobil mostly evaded any significant financial responsibility for the 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker crash, the 2nd worst oil spill in US history (since eclipsed by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout. That disaster cost the company about $4.5 billion, paid out over 20 years (or roughly 2% of profits over that time period).
Exxon Mobil mostly evaded any significant financial responsibility for the 1989 Exxon Valdez tanker crash, the 2nd worst oil spill in US history (since eclipsed by the 2010 Deepwater Horizon blowout. That disaster cost the company about $4.5 billion, paid out over 20 years (or roughly 2% of profits over that time period).
Exxon Mobil by Abu Yahya July 18, 2010
Royal Dutch Shell
Largest oil company in the world (as of 2010; in 2009, it was #2). Sales in 2009 were $285 billion. Worldwide proved reserves of 14.1 billion barrels of oil equivalent. Most of the oil giant's crude is produced in Nigeria, Oman, the UK, and the USA. Shell is also investing heavily in the Athabasca Oil Sands Project, which converts oil sands in Alberta to synthetic crude oil. The company operates 44,000 gas stations (the world's largest retail fuel network) in more than 80 countries.
Shell is implicated in exploitation and support for dictatorships in Nigeria, Angola, and elsewhere. It operates a huge, stunningly toxic facility in the Niger River Delta, but provides almost no compensation to the Ogoni people. In 1994, Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa was arrested for allegedly inciting violence against Shell staff and executed, along with 8 other Ogoni.
Shell is implicated in exploitation and support for dictatorships in Nigeria, Angola, and elsewhere. It operates a huge, stunningly toxic facility in the Niger River Delta, but provides almost no compensation to the Ogoni people. In 1994, Ogoni activist Ken Saro-Wiwa was arrested for allegedly inciting violence against Shell staff and executed, along with 8 other Ogoni.
Royal Dutch Shell is, like BP, p.l.c. and Exxon Mobil, very large, very old, and very evil. It is based in the Hague--ironically enough, near the International Court of Justice.
Royal Dutch Shell by Abu Yahya July 18, 2010
U-2
(ECONOMICS) Job losers and persons who completed temporary jobs, as a percent of the civilian labor force.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes six estimates of unemployment. The others are U-1, U-3, U-4, U-5, and U-6. Eurostat publishes one monthly estimate of unemployment for the European Union, which is approximately midway between U-3 and U-4.
The unemployment statistics for the USA are collected through a monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) (also known as the household survey) and an establishment survey.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics regularly publishes six estimates of unemployment. The others are U-1, U-3, U-4, U-5, and U-6. Eurostat publishes one monthly estimate of unemployment for the European Union, which is approximately midway between U-3 and U-4.
The unemployment statistics for the USA are collected through a monthly Current Population Survey (CPS) (also known as the household survey) and an establishment survey.
As a measure of unemployment, U-2 focuses on workers who must abruptly deal with the loss of income after having lost their job or recently finished temporary employment. It is nearly always more than U-1, but there are occasional exceptions.