Skip to main content

peter kobs's definitions

Prisoner of the Present

1. A person whose entire worldview is shaped by current events, stumbling along from one crisis to another.
2. Someone without a historical perspective or hope for the future.
3. The mindset that causes "knee-jerk" reactions to almost any kind of social or economic change.
4. A state of perpetual panic about "the world today."
Larry says the U.S. economy will never recover no matter what happens in Washington -- he's a typical Prisoner of the Present.
by Peter Kobs June 4, 2009
mugGet the Prisoner of the Present mug.

Chain of Lies

1. An e-mail chain containing defammatory or false information that is spread far and wide by partisan believers in an attempt to paint a negative image of the opposition.

2. The act of forwarding sensationalistic, untrue reports without checking their veracity.

3. How lies go viral on the Internet.

4. A modern-day illustration of Mark Twain's adage: "A lie can travel halfway around the world while the truth is putting on its shoes."
You know that story about supposed "FEMA concentration camps" in the desert? It's just part of that Chain of Lies started by that militia group in Texas.
by Peter Kobs August 21, 2009
mugGet the Chain of Lies mug.

Degifting

1. A mutual agreement to suspend holiday gifts for at least one season, usually within a single family or circle of friends.

2. The act of replacing useless and pointless merchandise with something more meaningful, such as a charitable donation, service project or holiday party.

3. Wal-Mart's biggest nightmare.
Due to the recession, we've decided that Degifting is the best plan for Christmas this year. Instead, we're all getting together to serve food at the homeless shelter. I really don't need another Salad Shooter. Do you?
by Peter Kobs December 21, 2009
mugGet the Degifting mug.

Junker Flunker

1. An old car that doesn't qualify for the $4,500 cash trade-in incentive from the government because it gets more than 15 mpg.
2. The sudden realization that your old beater vehicle is lost in the twilight zone between "generally worthless" and "totally worthless," forcing you to keep driving it for another year -- at least.
"I just looked up the mileage for my 1996 RAV4. The stupid Junker Flunker gets 16 mpg, which means I won't be getting any of that government cash after all. Drat!"
by Peter Kobs July 29, 2009
mugGet the Junker Flunker mug.

Obomination

A morally repugnant act, suggestion or idea associated with Barack Obama; a pejorative word used by right-wing political activists to discredit mainstream positions of the Democratic party and/or Sen. Barack Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign; a slur against a black political candidate masquerading as a religious objection.
It's an Obomination to raise taxes on the rich in any way!
by Peter Kobs June 17, 2008
mugGet the Obomination mug.

Haiti Test

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.
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
mugGet the Haiti Test mug.

The Great Disruption

1. A frightening new historical era that began in 2008 with the crash of world economies and the simultaneous collapse of trust in governing institutions. 2. A wrenching shift in human society resulting from 50 years of unsustainable development, over-population, environmental degredation, economic injustice and rapid resource depletion. 3. The growing realization that sophisticated "financial engineering" cannot solve the growing list of real-world problems.
The Great Disruption could be the biggest challenge in human history since the collapse of the Roman Empire in 466 A.D.
by Peter Kobs March 9, 2009
mugGet the The Great Disruption mug.

Share this definition

Sign in to vote

We'll email you a link to sign in instantly.

Or

Check your email

We sent a link to

Open your email