Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Spare Change News
On Thanksgiving 2021, dozens of people gathered near the intersection of Baoston’s “Mass and Cass” in the area often referred to as “Methadone Mile.” They carried with them 230 bags packed with socks, gloves, and other supplies to be distributed to the area’s unhoused people — on the street, local shelters, and the New England…
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Thanksgiving, My Wife’s Surgery and Two Books
By Marc D. Goldfinger It was a strange Thanksgiving. The day before the holiday I had to get Mary Esther, my wife, to the hospital by 7 a.m. Originally the operation she needed on her back was scheduled for 2 p.m. but the early person canceled so that moved us up in the queue. It…
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A CLARION CALL.
“How about a mother who allows her family to deteriorate, to have no food, to sleep in boxes and in subway stations? Their children would be removed from them immediately, so today we are here to say, we are removing you from the care of our citizens.” That boys and girls were the words spoken…
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MICHELLE WU BEATS BPD TO BECOME FIRST WOMAN AND PERSON OF COLOR ELECTED MAYOR OF BOSTON
by Chris Faraone Dig Boston With 100% of the votes from all 255 precincts counted in the City of Boston, the still unofficial but decisive winner of the mayoral race is Councilor Michelle Wu. Her opponent, Councilor Annissa Essaibi George, conceded Tuesday evening. As even those who paid little attention to the race are likely aware, this…
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HOW DID WE GET HERE?
Last month, I read with huge disappointment that the Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healy seemed to be all in on Suffolk County Sheriff Steve Tompkin’s inhumane proposal (in this writer’s opinion) to put those who are dealing with substance abuse and homelessness into an empty detention facility. I call it inhumane because the plan was…
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ANOTHER UNENVIABLE ANNUAL RECORD FOR GLOBAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS
by Alison Kentish Inter Press Service As the international community gathers for COP26 widely considered the most important climate conference since the 2015 gathering which resulted in the Paris Climate Agreement, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is reporting that despite global hits in trade and travel by the COVID-19 pandemic, the concentration of greenhouse gases in…
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Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby: A Book Review
This amazing story is about a Black ex-con father, a white racist ex-con father and two families wracked by the pain of two sons, one white and one Black, who get married and have a surrogate mother gift them with a beautiful female child. Ike Randolph was set free from prison fifteen years ago and…
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Living the Pandemic Year in Harvard Square
Life being homeless on the streets of Harvard Square was tough, but I noticed last year a glimmer of hope. As cruel winter came upon us, the food supplies were still coming and also water. I remember the first snowfall we got in December was not too bad but the cold could whoop us any…
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George Floyd Died One Year Ago. Have We Learned Anything?
It has been a year since the murder of George Floyd. I know, I know. Some of you are still having a hard time with the fact that cops sometimes purposely kill black folks, but it is what it is. What I’d like to know is: have we learned anything as a nation? Or maybe…
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Adam’s Rib: Part Two
“Click, click, click. What God meant is that it would be the end of all things familiar. Truly, if you ate of this tree you would see with the eyes of God. Then, certainly, He would make for you a mate to keep you company in the times when He would not be here. You…
Got any book recommendations?