Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

  • How The Troll Met Ar Lain Ta (Conclusion) (The Second of Two Parts)

    By Marc D. Goldfinger “Well folks,” the Troll would say, “now that I got your limited attention, let me tell you a true story that nobody will believe if you take it out of here. You can try, but remember, who believes a junkie? Heh, heh, no one with any damn sense, and you can…

  • Art show features homeless and low-income artists

    Constance Lane The work created at Common Art, a Boston art studio for homeless and low-income artists, can be as direct and honest as the blues, and as hallucinatory as a fairy tale. The artists working there are proud, independent, wildly imaginative, and completely dedicated to their craft. The work is often beautiful, sometimes horrifying,…

  • All The News That’s Fit to Occupy: Back to Dewey Square with the Boston Occupier’s Dan Schneider

    Leanne OʼBrien Spare Change News I sat down with Dan Schneider, editor of The Boston Occupier, a volunteerrun newspaper which bills itself as “an independent news source for Occupy Boston and the Occupy Movement.” The Emerson College film student and I discussed “journo-activism,” the Tea Party, and what’s next for the Occupy movement. Spare Change…

  • Why is this Anything Other Than Just Murder?

    Once in a while there is just that story that, for many, just doesn’t sit right. If the story sparks up enough controversy, this could not only cause large groups who are concerned to link arms, but create a political divide amongst an entire nation. The Trayvon Martin story has done just that; a boy…

  • Anti-Hunger Network Struggles to Meet Growing Need for Healthy Food

    Noelle Swan Spare Change News Nearly one in every 20 households in Massachusetts reported cutting back on the size and frequency of meals from 2008 to 2010, because they could not afford food, according to recent data from the USDA Economic Research Service. This figure represents only half the picture of hunger in Massachusetts, counting…

  • Housing, Homelessness Prevention and Emergency Services

    Kelly Turley of the Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless spoke at Rosie’s Place on March 21 about housing issues, and some of the problems that we deal with every day. The main issue was how we ladies deal with our financial problems while we’re homeless or before we become homeless. Many ladies pointed out to…

  • SETTLING FOR LESS

    James Shearer Spare Change News A couple of days ago I participated in a forum, The MetroWest Homelessness Forum in Wellesley (Yes there is homelessness in Wellesley.) It was inspiring. I felt a ray of hope, which is pretty unusual these days. Most of the time when I go to an event like this with…

  • Trayvon Martin and the Failure to See Past Race

    Anthony Thames Spare Change News On February 26, 2012, 17-yearold Trayvon Martin was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a self-appointed Neighborhood Watch captain in Sanford, Florida. News reports have somewhat described the encounter between these two individuals primarily through live audio with Mr. Zimmerman calling 911 after seeing a “suspicious person” (Martin) roaming the…

  • Editorial: Guns for Everyone

    On a recent Thursday in a Boston courthouse, screams and shouts broke out as not guilty verdicts were read at the conclusion of the quadruple slaying case that has become known as the Mattapan Massacre. A five-week trial ended with an acquittal for Edward Washington and a mistrial for Dwayne Moore in a case involving…

  • Nick Flynn: From Boston’s Pine Street Inn to Hollywood

    Nick Flynn: From Boston’s Pine Street Inn to Hollywood

    Nick Flynn grew up on Boston’s South Shore and spent six years working at the Pine Street Inn, Boston’s largest homeless shelter. Raised by his mother, Jody, who committed suicide when he was 22, Flynn hadn’t seen or spoken to his father in 18 years, until Jonathan Flynn called Nick out of the blue and…

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