Since my blog has a lot of jargon, much of which I have coined, I felt it would be helpful to offer definitions for all these terms! This page is updated as new jargon enters the blog or as someone asks for meaning of something!
Acme Widget Factory: You're home for top quality widgets, cogs and sprockets! A fictional business I use to illustrate economic principles. Click Here for Original Post
Activist Liberal: Elitist, self righteous Liberal who believes that you are too stupid to make your own decisions and thus believes you should let them make all your decisions for you. The vast majority of Liberals in public office are Activist Liberals, as are most Liberals in the Media and in Academia.Click Here for Original Post
Causeheads: In the film PCU, there was a group of protesters called "Causeheads." As explained by one of the main characters, "These, Tom, are the Causeheads. They find a world-threatening issue and stick with it for about a week."
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Before a business makes a major investment (like hiring an employee) it will, on some level, perform a Cost Benefit Analysis (or CBA). The purpose is to predict as best as possible whether or not that investment will ultimately make the company more money than the cost of the investment. If the CBA is positive, the investment is sound and should be made. If the CBA is negative, the investment is not sound and should not be made. In my experience in the business world, when it comes to hiring, a Cost Benefit Analysis is based on a five year plan. Click Here for Source
Drive-By Media: Rush Limbaugh's term for the sensational, scandal-seeking, and agenda-driven coverage that is typical of the national press corps in America. Limbaugh draws an analogy between the media who cover a story with a barrage of unfair cheap shots before moving on to the next flavor of the month and an inner city gang that drives by and sprays a target with gunfire and then moves on to their next target.
One of many "Rushisms" that you will hear from me. As a 20 year listener to Rush Limbaugh, much of my rhetoric is tinged with his sayings. Click Here for Source
Fiscal Property: Simply stated, money. A person's money belongs to them, it is as much a form of property as a house, lawnmower, car, basketball, or coffee mug. Just like we don't have the right to just up and take a person's house, car, lawnmower or basketball because "they have enough" or "they can afford it" we also don't have the right to do the same with their money on the same premise.
For Those of You from Palm Beach County, FL: Fellow Dittoheads (listeners to Rush Limbaugh) are familiar with Rush using the phrase "For those of you from Rio Linda, CA" when he needs to give a simpler explanation of his statements. In honor of Rush, I have chosen my own community to affectionately pick on. I choose Palm Beach County because of "hanging chads" and "butterfly ballots" from the Election of 2000. When you read that line, I'm about to give a simpler explanation of something complex I've said.
If you're actually from Palm Beach County, remember, it's all in good fun...and if you had no problem using that butterfly ballot, I don't mean you anyway!
You may also note other occasional "Rush-isms" like "Drive-By Media." Since Rush is a hero of mine and someone who has had a great effect on my political beliefs, I use these terms in honor of Maha Rushie and with the utmost respect to this great Conservative! Click Here for Source
Happy Imagination Hats: The act of putting logic, reasonable thought, and historical lessons aside in order to pretend the idealistic situation one has concocted in their heads is actually plausible. (Thanks to my good friend and fellow blogger the JC_Freak for this one.)
Happy Imagination Land: The state of living with your Happy Imagination Hat on at all times.
Hitler Rule of Debate: If you bring up a Hitler analogy in a debate that is not absolutely perfect, you have forfeited the debate. Comparing a dictator like the now deposed and dead Saddam Hussein to Hitler is the exception to this rule. Comparing an American President to Hitler of any party is the reason for this rule.
Mr. John Q. Taxpayer: Mr. Taxpayer is you and me (unless you don't pay taxes). He is the one who funds all government spending, including roads, bridges, etc as well as all big government expenditures.
Neighborhood Liberal: A good-hearted, well meaning Liberal who genuinely wants to help others. This person sees the compassionate intentions of Liberalism and supports them without seeing the poor results. Click Here for Original Post
New Coke Party: In 1985, the Coca-Cola company reformulated it's trademark cola with a formula that was sweeter, and quite frankly tasted more like Pepsi. Consumers ended up buying more Pepsi as a result, presumably thinking "If Coke tastes like Pepsi, I might as well just buy Pepsi." The Republican Party often does the same thing, acting like Democrats. When Republicans act like Democrats, voters tend to just vote for a Democrat.
In the instance of Coke, three months later they brought back the original formula and called it Coca-Cola Classic. Since then Coke has beaten Pepsi in sales. Same happened with the Republican Party in 2010. The GOP went back to being Conservative, and presto, they won, just like Coke did when they went back to their roots.
Onion Post: A 100% fake news story in the style of The Onion.
RINO: Republican in Name Only. This title is generally reserved for moderate/liberal Republicans who are concerned with "compromise" and being thought well of by the media.
Rockefeller Republican: Not the same thing as a RINO. Rockefeller Republicans are legitimate, fiscal conservatives who generally eschew talking about social issues like abortion, gay marriage, etc.
The Real World: A magical place where people get absolutely no credit for good ideas if they cannot be implemented. The Real World requires you to consider the consequences of every action. For example, in the Real World, you cannot pretend that raising taxes will simply mean a net increase in tax revenue with no reactions like people moving to other states or countries to avoid confiscatory tax rates.
Static Budgeting: Budgeting the value of a tax increase without considering the reaction of the people who pay the new tax, specifically assuming that business owners will continue to spend the same amount of money employ the same amount of people, and sell products at the same price and just let the new tax come out of their profits.
Straw Man Argument: Rhetorical fallacy that consists of misrepresenting one's opponent's argument then defeating the false argument. Wikipedia: Straw Man
