Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
-
SOBER GRID: A smartphone app for the recovery community
It’s the day after Sober Grid was released and the new geo-social mobile app’s headquarters in Boston’s Back Bay is abuzz with excitement. “You wouldn’t believe the response we’ve had so far,” emotes Beau Mann, the 33-year-old creator of Sober Grid. “We’ve already had a few thousand downloads and the responses are through the roof.”…
-
YANKOVIC'S GREATEST HITS: Top 10 parody song countdown
From his memorable nerd anthems to his onslaught of food parodies, here are our favorite “Weird” Al singles spanning three decades: 1. Eat It, 1984. Best Line: “Get yourself an egg and beat it.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcJjMnHoIBI 2. Like A Surgeon, 1985. Best Line: “It’s a fact … I’m a quack. The disgrace of the AMA.”…
-
“WEIRD" AL OPENS UP: 32 years later, still surprised by success
What can be said about “Weird” Al Yankovic that hasn’t already been said during his illustrious and highly influential 32-year career in the pop culture spotlight? Not much. Some words that come to mind though are humble, down-to-earth and “super chill.” Four Grammy Awards. More than 12 million records sold worldwide. Over 1,000 shows played…
-
LAST WORD: Larry Thomas
Larry Thomas sells Spare Change News in one of Boston’s most bustling spots: outside of the 7-Eleven on Washington Street in Downtown Crossing, across from the Old South Meeting House. The downtown crowd is a colorful blend of Freedom Trail tourists, wealthy residents from the local high rises and groups of homeless people who mingle…
-
WINNERS AND LOSERS: Formerly homeless Harvard students win big
WINNERS: ZACK HODGES One of Harvard’s top football defenders, Zack Hodges, is eyeing a spot in the NFL’s upcoming draft. His journey, which involved a period of homelessness in the Carolinas after his mother fled an abusive husband, is a true Ivy League success story. Hodges earned his crimson badge of courage and we’re thrilled…
-
BIZARRE BOSTON: Thomas Morton and the Maypole
For a moment in the seventeenth century, Massachusetts had the potential to become a fun-loving (and free-loving) utopia, rather than the grim, hard-working Puritan domain it became. Granted, it was a very brief moment, but it’s important to remember the possibility existed. The man behind the utopian dream was Thomas Morton, who arrived in Plymouth…
-
CELEBRATING DUKE ELLINGTON: The late jazz legend continues inspiring musicians and listeners
Duke Ellington is having a pretty busy spring for a guy who’s been dead for 41 years. The New England Conservatory Jazz Orchestra devoted half of their April 16 Jordan Hall show to precise and spirited recreations of Ellingtonia. On April 19, trumpeter Greg Hopkins brought his hot 18-piece big band to the Beat Hotel…
-
VOICES FROM THE STREET: Two dogs and a kitten (part one)
The first thing I noticed after hugging the kids and wiping the tears away was the mound of plastic garbage bags in the middle of the living room—and the smell. The two big dogs circled around the garbage pile. I saw my daughter creeping under a coffee table. The dust swirled around her small body…
-
VOICES FROM THE STREET: Well, Charlie?
In my zeal to crucify the Mayor Marty Walsh administration for what happened with Long Island shelter and its aftermath, it was brought to my attention and also to the attention of other activists that, while we were busy roasting the mayor, the state had emerged unscathed from our criticism. Well, for my part, let…
-
EDITOR'S NOTE: Lessons from Jimmy Tingle
When I returned to Boston in 2007, I was a mess. I was struggling to find work and, after securing an apartment in Somerville’s Davis Square, I responded to an ad on Craigslist for a job that would introduce me to the man gracing our cover, Jimmy Tingle. Tingle’s Off-Broadway Theater was a haven for…
Got any book recommendations?