Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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It’s Called Accountability
I can’t say that I was the least bit surprised when I read Shawn Musgrave’s article on Boston public housing and the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). I’ve always had issues with them, starting with how they operate their low-income housing program known as Section 8. I have known people who, for…
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Turning Up the Volume
By Andrew Halveron As I settled into the front row seat of my first slam, I felt an active comfort throughout the crowd that was still funneling in. Many faces happy to see each other and many conversations about what was to come from the mic this evening already flowing. I had heard spoken word,…
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Where the Candidates for Governor Stand on Homelessness
BOSTON, Mass.—There is an old parable set in a village by a river. One day, babies inexplicably start floating downstream. Each day brings more babies, and the town has a harder time saving all of them. But the townspeople cannot agree on how to solve the problem: One group wants to go upstream to find…
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State Universities and Community Colleges Suffer Despite UMass Funding Increase
BOSTON, Mass.—Gov. Deval Patrick recently approved an increase in funding for state colleges for Fiscal Year (FY) 2015, continuing the pattern of the past few years. The UMass schools, however, receive a greater portion of the funding than do the nine other state universities. There are more students enrolled in the UMass system, and the…
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Shining a Light on Boston Public Housing
On the afternoon of 1 Oct. 2002, a resident of Back of the Hill Apartments in Jamaica Plain called a federal low-income housing hotline to report unacceptable conditions in the complex. “Caller has a complaint that there has not been an exterminator in the building in nine months,” the hotline operator jotted down in the…
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Sun of Mercy and Kindness
By Arnie King Sun of Mercy and Kindness, Barthesda was born in New York (Jamaica – Queens) 34 years ago to a Christian father and a Muslim mother. His mother died in a car accident five years later and his father departed two years after that. It’s quite difficult to imagine any degree of mercy…
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Book Review: “The Doubt Factory” by Paolo Bacigalupi
“The Doubt Factory” is advertised as a book for young adults. Not only is it for young adults, but anyone who can comprehend corporate cover-ups intended to make money will absolutely be enthralled by this tense thriller. Alix and Jonah Banks attend a private school named Seitz Academy for two reasons. First, they are both…
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In Memory Of
On July 31, we here at SCN lost an old friend, Jerome Frazier. I met Jerome just as SCN was starting. He, along with his brother John and their friend, Tony Kelly, were real street salesmen. I didn’t know much about Jerome. His dad was a preacher, and Jerome always looked and presented himself that…
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Free Activities to Close Out the Summer of ‘14
Concerts in the Courtyard Wednesdays at 6pm and Fridays at 12:30pm Boston Central Library in Copley Square, Boston, MA Hosted by the Boston Public Library Foundation, the Boston Public Library’s concert series is sure-fire way to enjoy the plethora of local musical talent. Only an hour long, it’s a great excuse to go check out…
Got any book recommendations?