Negative Railroad A Collection of Breaks in the Line

Oxford University’s top ten most irritating phrases:

1. At the end of the day
2. Fairly unique
3. I personally
4. At this moment in time
5. With all due respect

It seems the Barack supporters have allied with the Obama deniers to form a supermajority aimed at perpetutating the delusion that Barry was elected due to anything but his race.

There’s no such thing as objective reporting. Objectivity requires verifiable fact. What is now called news is essentially a collection of impressions and opinions. It’s gossip.

If you don’t believe me, here’s Michael Crichton’s opinion from a Slate.com interview on May 23rd, 2008:

Do you think the media's factual content and accuracy is up or down from 2002 (when we last corresponded)? Do you still think it's flashy but junk?

The first day of the Age of Obama is nearly over. The chattering class is affirming a transformational milestone concept to which I cannot subscribe. Even the ardent critics of Barry’s now-masked marxist worldview seem to be impressed by this superficial achievement.

I’m a minority. After yesterday’s electoral paroxysm, I have been more marginalized. I have nothing but to wait for the crushing gears of oppression to grind down harder on my identity and my opportunity.

The trouble is that the civil rights movements only worked toward improving a few superficially-defined communities. There are so many more ways that humans discriminate, beyond gender or color of skin. But most, perhaps nearly all, who have faith in the state’s power to correct a prejudiced culture are completely blind to the manifold oppressions they endorse.

I’ve spent some time over the years investigating the philosophical concept of truth. Gandhi dedicated his life to the pursuit of truth. Christians believe the truth will set them free. But if we do not agree on what the truth is, how can we maintain a cooperative society?

From the archives at Maggie’s Farm:

I did it. I have participated in my own rape.

For the first time, I found voting to be an ugly and repugnant experience. The process was quick, at least. During my short wait, election judges commented that turnout had been quite high so far, with one-hour waits at the open. The entire ordeal was over in under 10 minutes, thanks to my lack of enthusiasm for writing in cartoon characters* against the dozens of unopposed judges.

For those being bombarded by phone calls urging you to be sure to go vote for Yosemite Sam or the Transformational Unicorn Party, here’s a reason to shun the polls:

Mr. Obama’s campaign for President has had the benefit of excellent graphic design. Good graphics help sell products. But packaging is not the product itself. Once people try the product, the graphics have done their primary job, and only a genuinely good or satisfying product can sustain the brand built by advertising.

Here’s Virginia Postrel on Obama’s campaign graphics:

[T]he single worst major party candidate for high office in living memory, a proudly ignorant political automaton whose only notable qualities are a pretty face, a sufficient lack of awareness to [be blind to self-incompetencies] and a quality of ambition that can only be described as voracious.

Another bilious righty smear of Obama?

Nope.

Comedian Louis C.K. observes, “Now we live in an amazing, amazing world and it’s wasted on a the crappiest generation of just spoiled idiots.”

Last night Barack Obama took five million dollars from poor, struggling Americans and spent it to air a self-promotional television show. The Obama campaign claims their average donation is $109. That infomercial then represents 45,870 families going hungry or skipping prescriptions in favor of seeing their candidate on TV.

You see, Mr. Obama, I’m the guy you intend to raise taxes on. I’m the guy who has spent 25 years toiling and sweating, fretting and fighting, stressing and risking, to build a business and get ahead. I’m the guy who has been on the very edge of bankruptcy more than a dozen times over the last 25 years, and all the while creating more and more jobs for East Texans who didn’t want to take a risk, and wouldn’t demand from themselves what I have demanded from myself. I’m the guy you characterize as “the Americans who can afford it the most” that you believe should be taxed more to provide income redistribution “to spread the wealth” to those who have never toiled, sweated, fretted, fought, stressed, or risked anything.

The Obama Birth Certificate conspiracy has been fueled.

Hawaii's Gov. Linda Lingle has placed the candidate's birth certificate under seal and instructed the state's Department of Health to make sure no one in the press obtains access to the original document under any circumstances.
…

In the world of investing, quarterly conference calls are an opportunity to review a company’s performance as perceived by management. On a call, usually the CEO makes a broad summary of the previous quarter and sets expectations going forward. The CFO explains the numbers, adding some detail and background not included on financial filings. Then they take questions.

It's a wonderfully deluded view of the world: if you buy stocks and they go up, then you're clever and admirable, while if you buy stocks and they go down, that's clearly the fault of nefarious criminals.

That excellent characterization of the attitude of casual investors—and many devoted market players—is actually a paraphrase. It’s from an attempt to debunk some illogic in a Ben Stein column on the liquidity crisis.

The Federal District Court for Eastern Pennsylvania has dismissed the suit claiming Barack Obama is not qualified to hold the office of President.

The court has not affirmed that Obama is, in fact, qualified under the “Natural Born Citizen” clause of the Constitution. Legal process requires the court to assume the plaintiff’s claims are true—that Obama is not Natural Born—when considering a motion for dismissal. The suit was dismissed for lack of jurisdiction and lack of standing.

Arnold Kling echoes my experience in tracking problem properties, foreclosures and vacant houses as a community activist:

One of the most plausible wacko/conspiracy theories about Barack Obama holds that he is not a Natural Born US citizen, and therefore is not Constitutionally qualified for the office of President. A former Pennsylvania Deputy Attorney General, a Democrat, filed a suit challenging Obama to prove his qualifications.

People do not choose to be victims, or so the compassionate-sounding victim’s advocates tell us. I will leave voluntary victimhood for future discussion, and instead raise the notion of Assumptive Powerlessness.

Here’s Vox Day, challenging the standard negative reaction by women to breast augmentation: