Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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More Work to Do
Last Tuesday the body of a young homeless woman was found in a tent in Lynn Woods. A few days before that, I’d bragged about how my adopted hometown was ahead of the curve when it comes to homelessness. That may be true, but death still claims those living on the streets. This means there’s…
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Jeffrey Pendleton: Homeless activist dies in jail after failing to pay $100 bail on a misdemeanor marijuana charge
Photo: Courtesy of ACLU of NH A homeless man remembered for his advocacy on behalf of the indigent died in a Manchester, New Hampshire, jail cell last month, after he was remanded into custody for failing to post $100 bail on a misdemeanor charge of marijuana possession. Jeffrey Pendleton, 26, was found unresponsive in his…
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Federal ROSS grant awarded to Public Housing Authorities
Photo: D. B. King The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) recently awarded over $1.9 million in grants to six Massachusetts Public Housing Authorities. Provided through HUD’s Resident Opportunities and Self Sufficiency (ROSS) Program, the funding will cover a 3-year period and support Service Coordinators at various Public Housing sites. In a press…
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Racism and Homelessness: Advocates say “we have to connect the two”
Photo: Alex Ramirez While technically anyone can end up homeless, numbers show that black Americans and Native Americans not only end up in the streets and shelters in greater numbers, but they also stay there longer than their white counterparts. “Black folks are 12.5 percent of the general population but 27 percent of folks living…
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SPOT-ing Overdoses and Fighting the Opiate Epidemic in the South End
Photo: Henry Zbyszynski Spotting an opiate overdose can be difficult. Someone high on heroin or OxyContin may have difficulty speaking. Their muscles may be slack and may impair normal movement. Or they may “nod out” and seem to be asleep. Overdoses typically cause shallow breathing, loss of consciousness and discoloration of the skin, lips and…
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Life in the Survivor’s Camp: Stories of Yazidi Trials and Tribulations
Photo credit: Taylor Smith On the fringe of Khanke Refugee Camp, lives a small settlement of escaped Yazidi women from the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Coming from Solak, a village 5km from Sinjar, theirs is a journey of never ending heartbreak. “50 members of my family are in the hands of ISIS.…
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Last Word: Mary Ann Ponti
As the director of the outreach programs at St. Anthony Shrine—the Franciscan faith community on Arch Street in downtown Boston—Mary Ann Ponti has connections “five-miles wide.” That’s how Maryanne Rooney-Hegan, the shrine’s development director, put it when the three of us sat down together for an interview in a room on the shrine’s refectory level.…
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Hit the Ground Running: Boston Marathon runners find inspiration in fundraising for charity
Ed Wholihan was cold, wet and exhausted, and though he was only a few miles from the Boston Marathon finish line, he had just hit The Wall. He was on Beacon Street, having made it up and down Heartbreak Hill while runners around him dropped like flies. The gray skies and steady drizzle had permeated…
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The Naked Truth: Lewis Black talks education, the presidential race and staying relevant in comedy
For the last 27 years Lewis Black, the famously irate political satirist, stand-up comedian, author and actor, has run the gauntlet in the entertainment industry. But despite being one of the most recognizable names in comedy, Black jokes that the Republican presidential candidates are making him irrelevant this campaign season. “This year more than any…
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Bardarash Peshmerga: The Best Defense Against ISIS Is Broke
(Peshmerga General Ali Rashed/photo credit Taylor Smith) Last December, Peshmerga General Ali Rashed’s unit was ambushed by ISIS insurgents as they stood guard at the gateway between ISIS territory and the safety of Iraqi Kurdistan on the outskirts of Bardarash. Rashed lost 40 men in the battle, but they were able to keep ISIS…
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