kstuartmaximweller - Tumblr blog

[kstuartmaximweller]

The Moment.

We are living in a culture entirely hypnotized by the illusion of time, in which the so-called present moment is felt as nothing but an infinitesimal hairline between an all-powerfully causative past and an absorbingly important future. We have no present. Our consciousness is almost completely preoccupied with memory and expectation. We do not realize that there never was, is, nor will be any other experience than present experience. We are therefore out of touch with reality. We confuse the world as talked about, described, and measured with the world which actually is. We are sick with a fascination for the useful tools of names and numbers, of symbols, signs, conceptions and ideas.

Alan Watts

[kstuartmaximweller]

John Oliver buys and forgives $15M in medical debt, illustrates horrors of America's debt-collectors

John Oliver now holds the American record for largest single giveaway in history, doubling Oprah’s “you get a car!” record – but Oliver did it by forming a debt-collection agency and buying up the debt of Americans who’d defaulted on the sky-high expenses from life-threatening illnesses, then forgiving the debts.

The sums themselves are “zombie debts” – debts that have been long written off and generally don’t have to be paid, which are bought up by collection firms that terrorize their victims and embroil them in difficult-to-navigate litigation that they must execute perfectly, or the debts are resurrected and collected through paycheck confiscation.

Oliver’s segment reveals that while some state houses have made it easier for medical debts to be written off, others have passed laws giving more power to the debt-collection industry, while taking away penalties for abuse and creating the assumption that debt-collectors are in the right (and removing the assumption of innocence for people in debt). He also goes to a debt-collectors’ conference and captures candid footage of industry professionals joking about bullying their victims and ruining their lives.

Oliver’s fake-real debt collection firm, Central Asset Recovery Professionals(CARP, named for the bottom-feeders), cost $50 to incorporate. He was able to buy $15M in debt for less than $60K.

https://boingboing.net/2016/06/06/john-oliver-buys-and-forgives.html

[kstuartmaximweller]

In Pakistan, in attempts to target these 41 men, 142 children have lost their lives to drone strikes.

Jennifer Gibson, staff attorney at Reprieve, appears on Democracy Now! to discuss the new report, “You Never Die Twice: Multiple Kills in the U.S. Drone Program.”

A new report finds U.S. drone strikes kill 28 unidentified people for every intended target. While the Obama administration has claimed its drone strikes are precise, the group Reprieve found that strikes targeting 41 people in Yemen and Pakistan have killed more than 1,000 other, unnamed people. In its attempts to kill al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri alone, the CIA killed 76 children and 29 adults; Al-Zawahiri remains alive.

(via fotojournalismus)

[kstuartmaximweller]

Ethan Nadlemann argues that the prohibition of countless drugs have consistently racist underpinnings. Nadelmann is the Executive Director for the Drug Polic...

[kstuartmaximweller]

If you are young and nervous, don’t be. I urge you to be curious. Question society and what you are told. You don’t have to live the life that has been laid about before you. You don’t have to live … Read more»

[kstuartmaximweller]

The universe, man... THE UNIVERSE.

[kstuartmaximweller]

Wow indeed... I used to live really close to this place (EIndhoven). The neighbouring 'wijk or buurt' is named after jazz singers, but yeah looks (and sounds) kinda funny for English speakers. 

There’s this town called Geldrop in the Netherlands

[kstuartmaximweller]

Very interesting, sets the stage and tone for the view of events covered in 'The War of the World' by Niall Ferguson and reminds me of the beautifully tragic novel 'Birds Without Wings' by Louis de Bernières. Two things which give amazing insight into political cruelty and indifference to human suffering, as well as the history we see repeating itself all around us today and undoubtedly tomorrow

[kstuartmaximweller]

[kstuartmaximweller]

Here is a hard hitting dose of perspective of what unsustainable demand looks like. Warning, you may have a feeling of emptiness inside after watching. Matt Agorist, REALfarmacy.com

[kstuartmaximweller]

Oikofugic: Relating to or characterized by the desire to travel, migrate, play truant:

[kstuartmaximweller]

Driving standards historic

Right

Red - driving on right; also known as Right Hand Traffic (RHT)

Light Red - driving on right; but in the past, this country drove on the left.

Purple - driving on right; but in the past, this country had different rules of the road depending on one’s location.

Left

Blue - driving on left; also known as Left Hand Traffic (LHT)

Light Blue - driving on left; but in the past, this country drove on the right.

[kstuartmaximweller]

The Moment.

We are living in a culture entirely hypnotized by the illusion of time, in which the so-called present moment is felt as nothing but an infinitesimal hairline between an all-powerfully causative past and an absorbingly important future. We have no present. Our consciousness is almost completely preoccupied with memory and expectation. We do not realize that there never was, is, nor will be any other experience than present experience. We are therefore out of touch with reality. We confuse the world as talked about, described, and measured with the world which actually is. We are sick with a fascination for the useful tools of names and numbers, of symbols, signs, conceptions and ideas.

Alan Watts

[kstuartmaximweller]

Europe According to Bayezid II (1500) from Atlas of Prejudice 2 by Yanko Tsvetkov.

[kstuartmaximweller]

Ghost Nebula