peter kobs's definitions

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

Pad Lad

1. Someone who constantly flaunts his ownership of the new Apple iPad. Pad Lads feel compelled to "demonstrate" the system complete strangers, whether they're interested or not.

2. One of Steve Jobs' techno-hypnotic minions.

I know you're a Pad Lad, David. Everyone's very impressed. But can we please talk about something else?

by Peter Kobs June 2, 2010

Flu Fright

1. The irrational fear of a new influenza virus, stoked by hysterical news reporting and inaccurate information. 2. A way to increase ad sales and viewership on 24-hour news channels.

Susan is suffering from a bad case of Flu Fright. She's cancelled all of her committee meetings and refuses to come to work.

by Peter Kobs April 30, 2009

Muddle Class

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.

Everyone on our street is struggling to pay the bills. We're the new Muddle Class!

by Peter Kobs April 1, 2009

Hollow Market

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.

In this hollow market, even a safe company like Kraft Foods is tanking.

by Peter Kobs February 17, 2009

Zombie Company

1. A technically bankrupt company that is kept alive with large infusions of government money for the sake of "stability" in the U.S. financial system. 2. A large financial company with negative net worth that continues to operate, despite having no clear path to solvency. 3. The UnDead of Wall Street.

"AIG is the premier example of a zombie company -- kept alive only by $120 billion in federal bailout money. Apparently, it's considered too large to fail."

by Peter Kobs March 9, 2009

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