Abu Yahya's definitions
a{n alleged} miracle that serves no purpose or is actively evil. For example, in the Apocryphal New Testament, in the book *Protevangelion*, XI. Mary's immaculate conception has caused immense turmoil for Joseph and Mary, not merely because Joseph assumes Mary has conceived with another mortal, but also because she does so far too soon. This is therefore resolved by more miracles, that fail to convince anyone (xi.19). In XIII., Joseph has to get a midwife, and finds that time has stopped (so he can find her quickly?). But in the following chapter, the midwife is useless and Mary delivers miraculously too. So there was no point at all to the miracle.
Other examples: a story in the Talmud of a slain holy man's blood, which bubbled miraculously on the spot where he was killed. Nebuchadnezzar is said to arrive there after his conquest of Jerusalem and demand to know why the blood bubbles. When he finds out, he believes he has to appease the spirit of the holy man and so he "sacrifices" 80,000 people on the spot where the blood bubbles. Wouldn't God stop the bubbling just to get Nebuchadnezzar to stop murdering people there?
Other examples: a story in the Talmud of a slain holy man's blood, which bubbled miraculously on the spot where he was killed. Nebuchadnezzar is said to arrive there after his conquest of Jerusalem and demand to know why the blood bubbles. When he finds out, he believes he has to appease the spirit of the holy man and so he "sacrifices" 80,000 people on the spot where the blood bubbles. Wouldn't God stop the bubbling just to get Nebuchadnezzar to stop murdering people there?
If Bush was a perverse miracle sent from God to punish our nation for its wickedness, then would it not have been more godlike to make us less wicked--instead?
by Abu Yahya February 15, 2009
Get the perverse miraclemug. (FINANCE) a company that exists for the sole purpose of owning a controlling interest in the several branches of a bank.
Owing to the interplay of US federal and state banking laws, it is often necessary for a bank to incorporate itself as a separate and distinct company in different states, or for different business functions (e.g., capital management, underwriting/investment banking, savings banking, etc.).
One of the exasperating benefits that bank holding companies get is a further limitation of liability. Often, the structure of the bank holding company is such that one of the firms owned (like Washington Mutual Bank, Inc.) can be insolvent, without resulting in the liquidation of the holding company.
Owing to the interplay of US federal and state banking laws, it is often necessary for a bank to incorporate itself as a separate and distinct company in different states, or for different business functions (e.g., capital management, underwriting/investment banking, savings banking, etc.).
One of the exasperating benefits that bank holding companies get is a further limitation of liability. Often, the structure of the bank holding company is such that one of the firms owned (like Washington Mutual Bank, Inc.) can be insolvent, without resulting in the liquidation of the holding company.
Practically every financial intermediary in the USA is now owned by a bank holding company. They're totally insidious!
by Abu Yahya May 5, 2010
Get the bank holding companymug. the amount of goods and services that a country imports, minus the goods and services that it exports *in a calendar year*. In 1999 Japan exported much more than it imported, so it had a trade surplus. The same year, the United States imported more than it exported, and therefore had a large trade deficit.
While Japan had a trade surplus and the USA had a trade deficit, both had something called a trade balance, which was negative for the USA and positive for Japan.
While Japan had a trade surplus and the USA had a trade deficit, both had something called a trade balance, which was negative for the USA and positive for Japan.
During economic downturns, political leaders become very concerned if their country is running a trade deficit, because it means that jobs are being lost to business overseas.
by Abu Yahya February 14, 2009
Get the trade deficitmug. employing the services of drabs; associating with strumpets and wanton minxes; having sex with prostitutes.
In order to find out what sorts of thing his son Laertes was up to, Polonius had his personal spy strike up conservations with classmates and bring up made-up rumors about him. Polonius thought it was all right to suggest his own son was dueling, gambling, or whoring ("drabbing"). but thought anything worse might "dishonor" poor Laertes.
by Abu Yahya March 21, 2010
Get the drabbingmug. Abu Yahya is a brilliant writer and exceptionally good-looking. He's thoughtful and detail-oriented, and gives a good foot-rub.
CAVEAT LECTOR: I am Abu Yahya.
CAVEAT LECTOR: I am Abu Yahya.
by Abu Yahya April 10, 2010
Get the caveat lectormug. the gap between revenues and expenditures for a government (over a given period of time); often referred to as an internal deficit or fiscal deficit.
The public deficit accumulates over each time period (usually a year) into what is known as the public debt.
by Abu Yahya February 14, 2009
Get the public deficitmug. influenced by the economic theory of John M. Keynes (1883-1946); in particular, Keynes' book *The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money* (1936). The main point of Keynes' general theory (GT) was that market economies are not usually self-correcting, and occasionally require some sovereign intervention to prevent inflation or depression.
One of the policy prescriptions of the GT for curing recessions was to lower interest rates; another, more potent tool, was to deliberately run a fiscal deficit as a strategy for increasing aggregate demand. The GT was too late to have much of an impact on the Great Depression, but it did have a major impact on the economic policies of the Western Democracies from 1946 to the present.
During the period 1979 to 2001, Keynesianism was supposedly discredited, but national governments continued to use stimulus packages and monetary policy to resolve recessions. The policy has evolved, but remains the cornerstone of actually existing government behavior.
Attacks on Keynesianism: the most famous adversary of the GT was Friedrich von Hayek (1899-1992) of the London School of Economics, who insisted that an authentically free market would be self-correcting if it were only allowed to. Hayek's objections were ideological, but other economists such as John Muth argued that the GT expected people to make irrational, or unreasonable errors.
During the late 1970's, Keynesianism was eclipsed by the Rational Expectations Hypothesis; but REH failed to develop satisfactory policy proposals, while Neo-Keynesian economics evolved to address many of the original REH criticisms.
One of the policy prescriptions of the GT for curing recessions was to lower interest rates; another, more potent tool, was to deliberately run a fiscal deficit as a strategy for increasing aggregate demand. The GT was too late to have much of an impact on the Great Depression, but it did have a major impact on the economic policies of the Western Democracies from 1946 to the present.
During the period 1979 to 2001, Keynesianism was supposedly discredited, but national governments continued to use stimulus packages and monetary policy to resolve recessions. The policy has evolved, but remains the cornerstone of actually existing government behavior.
Attacks on Keynesianism: the most famous adversary of the GT was Friedrich von Hayek (1899-1992) of the London School of Economics, who insisted that an authentically free market would be self-correcting if it were only allowed to. Hayek's objections were ideological, but other economists such as John Muth argued that the GT expected people to make irrational, or unreasonable errors.
During the late 1970's, Keynesianism was eclipsed by the Rational Expectations Hypothesis; but REH failed to develop satisfactory policy proposals, while Neo-Keynesian economics evolved to address many of the original REH criticisms.
The treasury secretary wanted to respond to the inflationary spiral with a Keynesian strategy of tax increases, spending cuts, and interest rate hikes.
by Abu Yahya February 14, 2009
Get the Keynesianmug.