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Kit O'Connell: Approximately 8,000 Words Posts

Life in Isolation (& Gonzo Zine Library Update)Kit sits with his chin resting on one raised knee, with his cheek against his fist, among brightly colored wildflowers in the Texas Hill Country near Hamilton Pool.
Kit sits among brightly colored wildflowers in the Texas Hill Country near Hamilton Pool. In happier, simpler times ... April 29, 2019. (Photo: Jane Michael Stallings, All Rights Reserved)
April 11, 2020
Kit
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Life in Isolation (& Gonzo Zine Library Update)

Posted in Journalism, Life, and Zines

It’s time again for me to say THANK YOU to everyone that supports my work on Patreon. Thanks to your help, I’ve been able to continue work on the Virtual Gonzo Zine Library. Read on for a little bit more about that below.

I want to be transparent about my mental health, because I think it’s helpful for others to know they’re not alone in this.

I’ve struggled my whole life with depression. After watching “The Babadook,” I think of depression like the monster in my personal basement. Always there, in my life, but hopefully part of the background most of the time as long as I take care of myself… but occasionally, escaping it’s home in the basement to spend a few days in the foreground of my consciousness. For the most part, I try to love myself and let it pass.

Read moreLife in Isolation (& Gonzo Zine Library Update)
Charlotte Figi, Young Activist Who Inspired A CBD Movement, Dies After Viral InfectionCharlotte Figi, who recently died of an illness resembling COVID-19, gazes upward in a black & white photo.
Charlotte Figi, October 8, 2006 – April 7, 2020. Figi inspired cannabis laws to change nationwide, and changed millions of people's minds about the benefits of cannabis. (Photo: Facebook / Paige Figi)
April 9, 2020
Kit
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Charlotte Figi, Young Activist Who Inspired A CBD Movement, Dies After Viral Infection

Posted in Journalism, and Ministry of Hemp

Charlotte Figi, a girl who helped inspire a movement for access to the healing powers of CBD and cannabis, has died after an illness resembling COVID-19. She was just 13 years old.

Reports of Figi’s death first appeared online on April 7. According to a Facebook post by the family, Figi died of respiratory failure and cardiac arrest after an extremely severe seizure, likely brought on by illness. Her entire family were sick with a severe illness resembling COVID-19 for a month prior.

Figi suffered from Dravet syndrome, a rare and severe form of epilepsy that begins in the first year of life. People with Dravet syndrome suffer frequent, intense, prolonged seizures and the condition resists conventional forms of epilepsy treatment. Remarkably, cannabidiol, a natural compound found in cannabis that’s better known as CBD, brought relief from the hours-long seizures she often suffered, reducing their length and frequency.

Read moreCharlotte Figi, Young Activist Who Inspired A CBD Movement, Dies After Viral Infection
Update on my life & work in March
A utility box on the sidewalk, near a trash can and bus stop sign. A wheatpaste graffiti image depicts a person wearing a gas mask, and mirrored text repeating the words, "Trump is the Virus!" (Kit O'Connell, Creative Commons Attribution license)
March 26, 2020
Kit
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Update on my life & work in March

Posted in Life, and Zines

What a bizarre, intense and upsetting month it’s been, hasn’t it?

I wanted to give you all a brief update on my life and work.

Read moreUpdate on my life & work in March
Mutual Aid Tips: Safe Deliveries For Immunocompromised People During COVID19Do deliveries pose a risk for immunocompromised people? How can you offer safe mutual aid to your neighbors? Photo: A collection of groceries arrayed on a sheet including almond milk, bananas, zucchini, a pomegranite and various other staples.,
Do deliveries pose a risk for immunocompromised people? How can you offer safe mutual aid to your neighbors? (Photo: Maddi Bazzocco / Unsplash, public domain)
March 19, 2020
Kit
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Mutual Aid Tips: Safe Deliveries For Immunocompromised People During COVID19

Posted in Journalism

How can you make safe deliveries of food or other supplies to neighbors who may be immunocompromised, during the coronavirus pandemic?

Right now, a lot of people are helping out their neighbors. They’re reaching out to people who can’t safely leave their homes during the COVID19 crisis and offering to pick up necessities, whether it’s cleaning supplies, canned goods, or toilet paper. But how can we provide mutual aid without making people sick? I wanted to know more about making safe deliveries.

To hear from an expert, I reached out to Dr. John Stracks, a Chicago MD that’s been treating my mother. She’s vulnerable due to a past heart attack, and I’ve been impressed by how seriously he’s taking all of this. After she forwarded me some of his COVID19 updates, I asked if I could speak to him on the record.

Read moreMutual Aid Tips: Safe Deliveries For Immunocompromised People During COVID19
Upcoming Zine: Beyond The Concrete MilkshakePhoto: A chocolate milkshake in a mason jar, garnished with whip cream and chocolate sauce. The shake is artfully photographed in a moodily lit room, with a streak of light behind it.
Kit's upcoming zine "Beyond the Concrete Milkshake," due out in late March or April 2020 will detail nonviolent techniques for dealing with media trolls and grifters at protests and other movement events. (Vince Fleming / Unsplash, public domain)
February 24, 2020
Kit
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Upcoming Zine: Beyond The Concrete Milkshake

Posted in Journalism, Occupy Wall Street, and Zines

I’m pleased to announce the upcoming publication of a new zine, “Beyond the Concrete Milkshake: Tactics for Dealing with Media Trolls & Grifters.”

At the beginning of the year, I announced on Patreon that one of my goals for 2020 was the creation of a zine. I’ve made great progress and intend to publish by late March or early April.

One side effect of the first few years of the Donald Trump administration, with all its associated increase in far-right activity, is a hijacking of Leftist tactics for use by fascist causes. One clear example is the banner drop. Once beloved primarily by far left activists, this technique now sees regular groups by nazi and hyper-nationalist fascist groups. So too it is with the media grifter.

Read moreUpcoming Zine: Beyond The Concrete Milkshake