Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Robbing Peter
“Really?” That’s my standard reaction when I hear or see things that are disturbingly stupid these days. It was how I reacted when I found out that Bread and Jams would be closing its doors. For those of you who don’t know about Bread and Jams, it is a drop-in center that has served the…
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Three Poems
Headline: Lawmaker Destroys Shopping Carts Marge Piercy The homeless make him angry. They’re in the way. He doesn’t find them scenic. How dare they survive on the street, in parks, in alleys, doorways and beaches. Making life even more difficult for those at the end of choices is his answer to their problems.…
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What Is Massachusetts’ Future? Activists Push Governor Patrick to Define His Climate Legacy
Last month, 350 Massachusetts, a statewide affiliate of the international environmental justice organization 350.org, announced that they were going to co-sponsor an environmental forum with gubernatorial candidates at Faneuil Hall. When the day came, volunteers from all over the Commonwealth gathered near Quincy Market. Erica Sunders from Worcester was one of them. “I’ve been concerned…
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Energy Efficiency Bill Gains Traction on Beacon Hill
BOSTON, Mass.—The state legislature’s Joint Committee on State Administration and Regulatory Oversight has favorably reported out a bill filed by Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton) that aims to increase energy efficiency in state buildings. The bill measures the energy implications of all resources used. Increased interest in energy efficiency and carbon reduction plans in the Hub…
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Project No One Leaves Hosts Foreclosure Conference at Harvard Law School
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.—From Friday March 28 to Sunday March 30, Project No One Leaves and the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau hosted their fourth Foreclosure Response Conference. This year’s conference theme was “The Foreclosure Crisis: New Dilemmas, New Solutions and Next Steps.” Lawyers, students and activists from across the country convened at Harvard Law School to attend…
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Debate Over Prescription Drug Addiction as Governor Declares Public Health Emergency
BOSTON, Mass.—On Thursday, 27 March 2014, Governor Deval Patrick declared a public health emergency in Massachusetts in response to the growing rate of opioid addiction. The declaration provides Department of Public Health Commissioner Cheryl Bartlett with emergency powers. She will work with the Public Health Council to take several actions to combat addiction and improve…
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The Love of Nadia Chance, Part One
It begins again, the voices of the women singing in the background as the morphine kicks in. I can feel the first wave now. The troll is in the kitchen with Ron de Veux. There is a knock at the door of his subterranean apartment. The evening has been particularly disturbing. I have been nursing…
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Another Fare Increase?!
Once again boys and girls, the MBTA is getting ready to fleece us. On July 1, prices will go up 10 cents on both buses and subways, monthly passes will go from $70 to $75 and commuter rail passes will go from $5 to $17 depending on the distance. Unlike the last fare hikes two…
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