Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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Bay State Consumers ‘Overcharged’ Billions by Utilities?
Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons A new report says two utility companies have inflated their energy costs for customers in Massachusetts and other New England states. The allegations are being made in a new white paper by the Environmental Defense Fund. Craig Altemose, master of public policy for the group 350 Mass for a Better Future,…
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New Program Supports Landlords Who Rent to the Chronically Homeless in Boston
Chronically homeless individuals and families known to the city will now have a shot at housing through the Department of Neighborhood Development’s newly launched Landlord Guarantee Program. The program, which began as a pilot in April, is meant to house 30 homeless individuals and 30 homeless families in the next two years by providing guarantees…
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Flogging Molly’s David King is One of the Lucky Ones – and He Knows It
David King has always known he was lucky, and it has fueled him throughout Flogging Molly’s 20-year career, a span of time in which they’ve continued their success as one of the most well-respected names in rock and roll. The Irish punk septet is now celebrating with the release of its sixth studio album, “Life…
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It isn’t True that Hunger Doesn’t Discriminate — It Does
In a world where only 8 individuals – all of them men—possess as much as half of all the planet’s wealth, and it will take women 170 years to be paid as men are, inequality appears to be a key feature of the current economic model. Now a new study reveals that there is also…
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New Boston Initiative Aims to Help People in Recovery Succeed
On Sept. 21, Mayor Marty Walsh and the Boston Office of Recovery Services announced the launch of the Personal Advancement for Individuals in Recovery (PAIR) initiative. It’s a pilot program that tackles housing, education, and employment by granting money to individuals who are in early recovery and looking to shape up their life from substance…
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Boston Police release arrest reports from August’s ‘Free Speech’ Rally
Photos by Caitlin Russell Back in August, a handful of Nazis, White Supremacists, and “free speech advocates” came to Boston, where they were met by tens of thousands of counter-protesters. Or, as Boston Police (BPD) reported, somewhere between 200… And 2000. While the crowd was huge, only 33 people were arrested. And according to those…
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Rule Aims to Protect Mass. Residents From Payday Loan Abuses
Consumer advocates are praising a new rule issued on Thursday by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau that requires payday lenders to start verifying a borrower’s ability to repay the loan before rolling it over into a new loan. The rule aims to stop lenders from taking advantage of desperate people who want to borrow more…
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Extreme Weather Exacerbates Homelessness in Australia and New Zealand
The images of Hurricane Harvey in Texas have shown how extreme weather can rob people of their homes. But what about those who have no home to begin with, or whose living situation is already precarious? Almost one-third of people who have been homeless have suffered extra trauma because of extreme weather, according to our…
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Evacuated Homeless Campers Return to Houston Overpass After Hurricane Harvey
Residents living in the homeless encampment under Houston’s 59 overpass got some good news recently when they received a temporary restraining order preventing the city from enforcing its anti-camping ban. The reprieve did not last long. Within 48 hours, the residents were forced to leave anyway, as Hurricane Harvey slammed into the region. The hurricane…
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Book Review: Sleeping Beauties by Stephen and Owen King
Sleeping Beauties is an insane thriller and it is also a father and son collaboration. Owen King has written a few books by himself, but this time he teams up with his dad, Stephen King, to write a book about a fictional disease that affects women when they go to sleep. Stephen and Owen work…
Got any book recommendations?