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September 30, 2008
Kirsten Brydum, Rest in Peace
I first met Kirsten at the Really Really Free Market in SF. I remember she was wearing cowboy boots.
Years passed, and about 3 months ago I ran into her at a rooftop vegan communal meal here in Brooklyn. She told me she was traveling around the country, visiting activist groups and collectives. We figured out that we were both going to be at the RNC.
When I arrived in Minneapolis, the kind folks who let me stay with them, Jim and Corrina, said that another vegan would be staying at their house as well. It was the morning after my first night at their house that I woke up, took a shower, and came out to find that Kirsten had arrived. We laughed at the coincidence.
Over the course of the RNC, Kirsten and I grew to be good friends. We went to many of the demonstrations together and rode bikes around. I remember walking next to her in a march around the St. Paul Country Jail in support of all the people arrested. She kept staring at the fences and walls, and I asked her what she was looking for.
"I'm trying to figure out a weak spot to get in." She had an amazing glimmer in her eye at that moment, and such a strong heart.
Another time the police were heading our way, tear gassing and concussion grenading people, and she convinced some kids driving by in a car to let us in their car, thus saving us from potential arrest.
Though I did not know Kirsten for very long, it was easy to see how amazing of a person she was. We went to either the Hard Times Cafe or the Seward Cafe most every day for breakfast, and we spoke a lot. During our many discussions, some of them late into the night with our hosts and other friends, I was always struck by her clear intelligence, how she would take my arguments and point out the flaws, and then respond with her own theories that always made so much sense.
She had many plans for the future: she wanted to start a collectively owned restaurant, continue her work with the Really Really Free Market, and develop the Collective Autonomy Project, just to name a few.
She had so much to write and create, and it breaks my heart to think that she won't be able to go forward with the activism she was so passionate about.
It breaks my heart.
Rest in Peace, Kirsten.
Posted by bendan at 05:17 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
September 24, 2008
Another trip on the Delaware river, and change coming to my life
This last weekend I went on another rafting trip on the Delaware River. This time Kristy had to work, so it was myself, Peter and Aaron. We started after dark, and it wasn't until after Kristy had dropped us off and left that we discovered that our boat, the Fishhunter 360, had a tiny hole. we patched it with duct tape and set forth into the dark waters. It was really beautiful and fun to float down the middle of the river at night, seeing campfires of campers on the banks and watching the nearly full moon rise into the sky.
The next morning, our first day, we had a leisurely start, making grits and watching the mist on the water. The patch was holding, and we were in high spirits. Everything was going great until later that day, when, after a run in with Park Rangers (we were w/in a National Recreation Area), I stupidly dropped my camera into the water. It stopped working, which was terrible because of all the very photographable spots we passed by in the next 2 days. This morning, however, I tried turning it on, and it sprung back to life. I was so pleased I can't tell you.
Below are the photos I took before my camera tried to swim. If you're looking to get a new digital point and shoot, I'll happily recommend Lumix, they're sturdy machines.
I think i'm heading out to California for the fall, and then to Arizona for the winter, before I either come back here to New York, or perhaps try living in Minneapolis. Like I said, big changes.
passing the Jim Beam.
Posted by bendan at 02:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 15, 2008
Post RNC stuff
Hey there to the few folks who actually read this.
So I've been back from the RNC for a week and a half now. As you can see, my photographs are up online. Before long I will have a cut of footage I took there up on line.
this link is to an interview I did for Law and Disorder, a weekly radio show on Pacifica radio network.
http://lawanddisorder.org/2008/09/07/law-and-disorder-september-8-2008/
Posted by bendan at 07:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
September 03, 2008
police riot
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