peter kobs's definitions
A perjorative term for "Evangelical" or someone who speaks with Evangelical fervor, especially a member of the Evangelical Christian right in the United States. This relatively new slang term is sometimes used by non-Evangelical Christians, as well as non-believers, to denote a shallow or knee-jerk kind of religious thinking that promotes an "us vs. them" worldwiew.
"Gellie" or "Gelly" is derived from the third syllable of EvanGELical. The word can have both playful and offensive connotations. It is related to the word "Fundie" for fundamentalist.
"Gellie" or "Gelly" is derived from the third syllable of EvanGELical. The word can have both playful and offensive connotations. It is related to the word "Fundie" for fundamentalist.
by Peter Kobs June 20, 2008
Get the Gellie mug.1. A public relations strategy frequently used by government agencies, corporations and law enforcement officials. It means "feed them manure and keep them in the dark."
The goal is to delay any public disclosure of information as long as possible by releasing half-truths, distortions and useless information to the media.
Origin of the Metaphor: Farmers use manure, millet and recycled wood chips to grow mushrooms in dark, steamy rooms. Hence, "feed them manure and keep them in the dark."
The goal is to delay any public disclosure of information as long as possible by releasing half-truths, distortions and useless information to the media.
Origin of the Metaphor: Farmers use manure, millet and recycled wood chips to grow mushrooms in dark, steamy rooms. Hence, "feed them manure and keep them in the dark."
Detective: "That reporter from the News-Tribune keeps calling me about our runaway child case. What should I do?"
Police Chief: "Try the Mushroom Method. He'll lose interest after a few days and move on to something else. I've seen it work a million times."
Police Chief: "Try the Mushroom Method. He'll lose interest after a few days and move on to something else. I've seen it work a million times."
by Peter Kobs July 19, 2010
Get the Mushroom Method mug.1. A new name for the American middle class as people try to survive the current economic crisis by "muddling through" with less money and less security.
2. The growing spirit of economic fatalism in mainstream America.
2. The growing spirit of economic fatalism in mainstream America.
by Peter Kobs April 1, 2009
Get the Muddle Class mug.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 Riot mug.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.
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
Get the Overton Window mug.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.
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
Get the Neocapitalism mug.1. The banning of all Blackberry smart phones by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Republic starting in late July 2010.
Because Blackberries use data encryption for transmitting text over the airways, the security forces of those two countries can't "monitor" e-mail traffic from them. Afraid that anti-government forces will use Blackberries for nefarious purposes, they simply banned the devices entirely. Other authoritarian countries are expected to follow suit. Welcome to the 21st century!
Because Blackberries use data encryption for transmitting text over the airways, the security forces of those two countries can't "monitor" e-mail traffic from them. Afraid that anti-government forces will use Blackberries for nefarious purposes, they simply banned the devices entirely. Other authoritarian countries are expected to follow suit. Welcome to the 21st century!
Don't bring your new phone to Dubai, man. They just announced a complete Blackberry Ban. You could end up jail -- or worse.
by Peter Kobs August 1, 2010
Get the Blackberry Ban mug.