Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

President Nelson Mandela and Bishop Desmond Tutu famously said that the divestment movement started by students in USA and Europe ostracized the racist apartheid government and helped end apartheid minority rule. Students convinced their colleges and universities to divest (sell or transfer) their stocks and holdings in South African companies as a show of solidarity…

Why are rappers called “thugs” while rockers and EDM ravers are called “misguided youths?”  New York City police commissioner Bratton recently said “rap artists are basically thugs” after 1 person died and several were injured at a T.I. concert.  Whenever I hear words like “thugs” and “super predators” I know they are euphemisms for black…

Music is as necessary for me as a first aid kit.  Whether you live in earthquake, hurricane, tornado zones, etc., you know “the big one” is coming, natural or man-made.  If you could only have one song in your disaster backpack, what would it be? I choose John Coltrane’s “A Love Supreme.”  From the first…

Growing up on our green farm rich in black, fertile soil and free water, I used to believe the world would stay that way forever. Viridity is bliss. Now rainforests, coral reefs, wildlife are disappearing and CO2 levels in our atmosphere are irreversibly rising. Increasingly I become convinced that the powers that be, motivated by…

Yesterday, I shared my “Free Mama Earth” mantra on the red carpet at The Atomic Age Film Festival. “No nukes, no kooks; I don’t want no “oops!” “The man who saved the Earth” deservedly won grand prize for best film. It was the most powerful film I ever saw. Soviet Union Lt. Colonel Stanislav Petrov,…

How could Prince refer to himself as a “slave” when he sold millions of records?  Prince’s exclusive recording contract with Warner gave the record company the right to release his music when, and if, they chose; deduct money from his royalties for things that he did not agree to, and the record company owned the…

One of my earliest memories is writing a love note to my dear mother complimenting her beauty and begging her not to send me to school. I wanted to stay home with her forever and play. She kissed me, put the note on the fridge and read my favorite story, but the next morning, she…

Sony Records is spending well over a million dollars in attorney’s fees and costs to keep Ke$ha shackled to a man who Ke$ha alleges drugged, raped her and emotionally abused her for 10 years (she’s 29 now) for the purpose of controlling her life (i.e. her business, where she lived, who she could associate with,…

Ke$ha, the uncredited and unpaid songstress who sang background vocals on Flo Rida’s #1 hit “Right Round” alleges that hit producer Dr. Luke drugged, raped her and repeatedly abused her for over 10 years. Moreover, Ke$ha claims she told Sony Records about it, but they refused to do anything.  Taylor Swift donated $250,000 to Ke$ha…

It’s a disgrace that extreme poverty, hunger and homelessness exists in one of the richest countries in the world, United States of America. In this election season, I hope that voters insist that a fair share of tax money is allocated to help people in need. History teaches us that one  day you might be…