Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
-
Chicago: 1 Night, 8 Shot, 2 Dead
A 22-year-old man was fatally shot in a Far South Side liquor store Saturday evening, police said, and a 46-year-old man was killed about 45 minutes later. At least six others were shot on the South and West sides overnight. via Chicago Tribune. While notable, not a record. At the time of the story, 36…
-
Holding a Gun Gives You a Bias
I’m not saying the “researchers” (a/k/a ivory tower academics) got it wrong, but they definitely have not thought through all the conclusions. A new study from the University of Notre Dame found that if you’re holding a gun, you are more likely to think others are packing heat as well. [T]he study was led by Notre Dame’s Associate…
-
Derrick Smith Must Resign or Be Expelled — Dems Own It
The Democratic party was silent prior to the election of State Rep Derrick Smith on the issue of his resigning or getting off the ticket for allegedly accepting a $7000 cash bribe from an undercover FBI agent posing as a daycare center owner in exchange for a $50000 grant. The silence of the Democrats is…
-
Golf Ethics
Here is a golf ethics question for you. What if you were playing in the club championship tournament finals and the match was halved at the end of 17 holes. You had the honor and hit your ball a modest two hundred fifty yards to the middle of the fairway, leaving a simple six iron…
-
Naomi Davis: Issues in the African-American Community
Local community organizer Naomi Davis put together a top-ten list of issues impacting the African-American community in her area of Chicago. Not a bad list: NORFOLK & SOUTHERN/CREATE. Opportunity Of A Lifetime. Multi-billion, multi-decade south side economic impact with America’s richest companies without a single negotiated community benefit/jobs plan. CRIMINALIZATION OF BLACKNESS. Gulag Economy. Jim…
-
Labor Unions and Politics
On March 10 there was this story in the LA Times I meant to write about: Labor unions rethinking their role in politics As top union leaders gather in Florida on Tuesday to determine labor’s political strategy this year, the influential AFL-CIO appears poised to endorse President Obama’s reelection — despite some lingering dissatisfaction with…
-
Occupy Threatens & Sprays St. Louis
Following a confrontation between Occupy protesters and local police last Thursday, vandals have hit the city with frightening pro-Occupy graffiti. Buildings, walls, and statues have all been defaced. The city’s public safety director woke up to the words, “Blood on your hands,” sprayed on his front steps. Similarly, a hundred-year old statue now has the…
-
Chicago State Missing $3.8M in Equipment
Chicago State University has been unable to locate $3.8 million worth of equipment, including 950 computers that could contain confidential information, according to a state audit. via Chicago Tribune. Doh! The story reflects that most of the equipment was actually purchased, and pilfered, during the Daley administration. I hope that this was discovered as a result…
-
Race and the Media
The number one post (in terms of views) on this blog thus far has been the story about the boy from Kansas City, who happened to be white, and was walking along and set on fire by two other kids, who happen to be black. This story came up again in the comments on a…
-
Fast-n-Furious Catches and Release Top Suspect
I’m sorry this story is a few days old, I’ve been busy. As a courtesy the LA Times didn’t mention Eric Holder’s name in this article. Seven months after federal agents began the ill-fated Fast and Furious gun-tracking operation, they stumbled upon their main suspect in a remote Arizona outpost on the Mexican border, driving…
Got any book recommendations?