Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Food For Thought
While I’ve been pound¬ing out drug horror stories on my faithful computer, the world has been mov¬ing on. Osama Bin Laden is dead and his compound is now an historical site. When Barack Obama debated John McCain, they were asked if they would go into Pakistan if they were told Osama Bin Laden was there,…
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MY WTF MOMENT
I came upon a couple of items last week; both had to do with the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) and the State legislator, ITEM ONE. A couple of weeks ago the state legislator voted to ban welfare recipi¬ents from spending money on liquor, tobacco products and the lottery. Also, store owners are not allowed…
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Ilya Lastovkin: Hoping for a Safe Return
You’re up at night awake, alone. In your egg-shell painted room, the roof tilts at a 45 degree angle from one wall to the other. It’s supposed to, but it appears more precarious to you now than ever. It’s a cold night for November but the windows open anyways so the faded fluorescent lavender from…
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Power Play: NHL, Bruins Team up with Rock and Wrap it Up Inc. To Score Major Points In Fight Against Hunger
Win or lose after each home game at the TD Garden the Boston Bruins score major points for the Boston Rescue Mission. Throughout the 2010-2011 hockey season the Boston Bruins have been donating surplus concession food at the end of each home game to the Boston Rescue Mission. The Bruins contributions to the Rescue Mission…
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A Candle for Lina
Her skin is like mud, where horses trample O Can’t you see it, Her skin is like mud, where horses trample O can’t you see it, can’t you see it? In Haiti, misery makes everything pale, grungy, weathered, attenuated, wasteful, sallow, dumb, grinded down, pocketed. When it’s done, we swap grinning for crying, we trade…
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Staying Sober: Routines
One of the hardest things to accomplish living without drugs and alcohol has been the ability to establish a routine. This is vitally important to staying sober. Anyone who completes any type of recovery program usually leaves with a daily plan in place, and for those of us recovering from addictions, more often than not…
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No Time to Party
So Osama Bin Laden is dead. Finally, after 10 years the families of everyone who died on 9/11 can feel a sense of justice and begin to heal. That’s who I thought about when I heard the news, the over 3,000 victims and their families. I felt no need to go out and celebrate. I…
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A Saving Grace in Salem, MA Part II
December of 2009 is etched in my mind because my family finally moved into an apartment. At that same time my oldest daughter and her two little boys had also moved into their own place. Though we were excited, I remember our new landlord thinking that for a family to move into an almost 7-room…
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The New York City Rescue Mission
Open since 1872, New York City Rescue Mission is the oldest organisation in the US to provide help to those who are struggling with homelessness, mental illness and substance abuse. Today, it offers 100 beds – 29 for long-term residents -, meals, clothing and medical assistance. In 1872, McCully founded the New York City Rescue…
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PATH CEO Joel John Roberts: A Life Dedicated to Fighting Homelessness
Joel John Roberts, CEO of PATH (People Assisting the Homeless), is a nationally renowned leader in the provision of services to homeless people. He is also an unrelenting activist in initiatives to end homelessness. PATH is a family of nonprofit organizations providing support services, shelter and housing to approximately 12,000 disenfranchised people every year. The…
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