New blog Estate 44 reveals the true nature of the "conservative" mind

UPDATE:  Estate 44 has mysteriously disappeared from the web.  This LINK remains with images of the research they did. 

Estate 44 does little more than subscribe to popular (think thousands of subscribers) twitter and facebook channels of self-identified republicans, tea party members, and conservatives and compiles the hate for easy consumption. 

Texan councilman Joel Burns uses his time wisely, compassionately

We've seen a lot of Dan Savage's It Gets Better Project in recent weeks, but here's a particularly heart-felt and well-placed offering in the category:

Will the real Chris Colombus please stand up?

From the HuffingtonPost article by Eric Kasum: 

"Shockingly, Columbus supervised the selling of native girls into sexual slavery. Young girls of the ages 9 to 10 were the most desired by his men. In 1500, Columbus casually wrote about it in his log. He said: "A hundred castellanoes are as easily obtained for a woman as for a farm, and it is very general and there are plenty of dealers who go about looking for girls; those from nine to ten are now in demand."

He forced these peaceful natives work in his gold mines until they died of exhaustion. If an "Indian" worker did not deliver his full quota of gold dust by Columbus' deadline, soldiers would cut off the man's hands and tie them around his neck to send a message. Slavery was so intolerable for these sweet, gentle island people that at one point, 100 of them committed mass suicide. Catholic law forbade the enslavement of Christians, but Columbus solved this problem. He simply refused to baptize the native people of Hispaniola.

On his second trip to the New World, Columbus brought cannons and attack dogs. If a native resisted slavery, he would cut off a nose or an ear. If slaves tried to escape, Columbus had them burned alive. Other times, he sent attack dogs to hunt them down, and the dogs would tear off the arms and legs of the screaming natives while they were still alive. If the Spaniards ran short of meat to feed the dogs, Arawak babies were killed for dog food."

A great short film about livable streets in NYC.

Simon Robson's film is up for an animation award, but should be up for much, much more. . .

Coalition Of The Willing from coalitionfilm on Vimeo.

Best cover letter ever -- Hunter S. Thompson's brilliance I can only wish I had

I feel like the entire American Workforce could learn something valuable from the candid tone, the commitment to values, the selfish, honest, clarity of his dealing.  Can you imagine if inter-office memos sounded like this?  Bravo. Courtesy of the Ottawa Citizen.

Vancouver Sun

TO JACK SCOTT, VANCOUVER SUN

October 1, 1958 57 Perry Street New York City

Sir,

I got a hell of a kick reading the piece Time magazine did this week on The Sun. In addition to wishing you the best of luck, I'd also like to offer my services.

Since I haven't seen a copy of the "new" Sun yet, I'll have to make this a tentative offer. I stepped into a dung-hole the last time I took a job with a paper I didn't know anything about (see enclosed clippings) and I'm not quite ready to go charging up another blind alley.

By the time you get this letter, I'll have gotten hold of some of the recent issues of The Sun. Unless it looks totally worthless, I'll let my offer stand. And don't think that my arrogance is unintentional: it's just that I'd rather offend you now than after I started working for you.

I didn't make myself clear to the last man I worked for until after I took the job. It was as if the Marquis de Sade had suddenly found himself working for Billy Graham. The man despised me, of course, and I had nothing but contempt for him and everything he stood for. If you asked him, he'd tell you that I'm "not very likable, (that I) hate people, (that I) just want to be left alone, and (that I) feel too superior to mingle with the average person." (That's a direct quote from a memo he sent to the publisher.)

Nothing beats having good references.

Of course if you asked some of the other people I've worked for, you'd get a different set of answers.

If you're interested enough to answer this letter, I'll be glad to furnish you with a list of references — including the lad I work for now.

The enclosed clippings should give you a rough idea of who I am. It's a year old, however, and I've changed a bit since it was written. I've taken some writing courses from Columbia in my spare time, learned a hell of a lot about the newspaper business, and developed a healthy contempt for journalism as a profession.

As far as I'm concerned, it's a damned shame that a field as potentially dynamic and vital as journalism should be overrun with dullards, bums, and hacks, hag-ridden with myopia, apathy, and complacence, and generally stuck in a bog of stagnant mediocrity. If this is what you're trying to get The Sun away from, then I think I'd like to work for you.

Most of my experience has been in sports writing, but I can write everything from warmongering propaganda to learned book reviews.

I can work 25 hours a day if necessary, live on any reasonable salary, and don't give a black damn for job security, office politics, or adverse public relations.

I would rather be on the dole than work for a paper I was ashamed of.

It's a long way from here to British Columbia, but I think I'd enjoy the trip.

If you think you can use me, drop me a line.

If not, good luck anyway.

Sincerely, Hunter S. Thompson

It Gets Better Project -- Youth Pride Chorus sings truth

This deserves your time . . . as do many of the It Gets Better Project videos, but this one is not to be missed.  General Hope for the Future starts 0:01, Singing at 1:00, Dancing at 3:50.  If this doesn't get ya, you're steel.

Can Anderson come OUT to play?

Harvey Milk said the single most powerful thing we can do to make the gay stigma go away is COME OUT.  One has to wonder what Mr. Cooper is waiting for.  Still, he's doing good good work.

Bloated military budget misses the target

A brilliant short article.

READ IT HERE

"The reality is that many more Americans die of poverty than terrorism. According to the U.S. State Department, 56 American civilians died due to terrorism worldwide in 2005. That same year, 472 lives were cut short due to homelessness (pdf) in Los Angeles County alone."

Christie ate a whole tunnel (filled with 3 BILLION of "free Federal monie")

Notorious fatty and car LOVER, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has halted the largest American infrastructure project currently -- the ARC rail tunnel under the Hudson River -- based on his own numbers of possible cost overruns.  He plans to GIVE UP THREE BILLION DOLLARS from the Federal Gov't. earmarked for mass transit, and funnel the remaining NJ monies into roads and bridges.  All this to avoid raising NJ gas tax because HE promised no new taxes.  New Jersey has one of the lowest gas taxes in the nation.  The tunnels we are currently using are 100 years old, and at capacity.  As Andy said to his home state,

"Enjoy your cheap gas while your state crumbles away into obsolescence."

Thank you Andy, that's very direct.   I think that ignoring a 3 Billion dollar gift (NJ may have to pay back the money already sunk in . . . . the tunnel is already significantly under way) is an impeachable offense, but what do I know?  This guy is notoriously anti-public transit.  The project promised to grow the economy, shorten commutes, broaden the region, and cut emissions.  Thanks a lot knucklehead.  Here's the only way to get under the Hudson currently:

 

Good News! Obama to "sun-bathe"

From engadget, the White House is bending to pressure to live up to it's green message.  Following the planing of an organic garden -- like Eleanor Roosevelt's Victory Garden -- last year, the Obamas have decided to roof the First Residence with SOLAR PANELS!!  The energy gleaned from the sun will be free (that's how it works, you see) and will heat the First Water, and supplement the First Electric Doings generally.  Carter put solar on the roof during his administration, but Reagan ripped them off first thing.  Idiot.

I've tried to lay off religion for awhile, but when they come up with this . . . god help me.

WHY?  Why now?  Why this topic . . . kids can overcome their gay if only they would be holier?  Really?  NOW?  The week after the fifth suicide of a gay teen in five weeks has rocked the family and friends of an innocent American boy?  Moral standards cannot be changed?  Really!?  From YOUR CHURCH?  With YOUR HISTORY, SIR?  I'm appalled.  Change is essential from you, sir.  "We cannot change, we will not change?"  then blood is on your hands.  End of story.  You cannot push us down, denigrate and subject us to ridicule, make us your moral inferior and NOT EXPECT CHILDREN TO HEAR YOU.  Your are, plainly, the face of evil.  Sign an open letter to the church HERE, to plead with them for the healthy lives of our kids.  News coverage HERE.

Top LDS 'Apostle' Boyd K. Packer: Mormons will always oppose Satan's counterfeit marriages