Erik Ostrom
@erikostrom.bsky.social
Musician, improviser, urban biker, web developer, Minneapolitan.
Pinned
Erik Ostrom
@erikostrom.bsky.social
· Nov 3
“People are not ok out here” seems like a valid and crucial operating principle for this whole era tbh
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
goofus and gallant
January 7, 2026 at 5:34 PM
goofus and gallant
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
this was a 20 minute walk away from George Floyd square. Y'all, what are we even doing
It is now confirmed from multiple sources that ICE shot a legal observer dead on Portland in Minneapolis between 34th and 33rd street. The victim is dead
January 7, 2026 at 4:55 PM
this was a 20 minute walk away from George Floyd square. Y'all, what are we even doing
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
The largest city in the state Amy Klobuchar represents is currently under federal occupation. And they've started shooting.
The White House is laser focused on threatening a military takeover of Greenland.
Where’s the same focus on lowering costs?
Where’s the same focus on lowering costs?
January 7, 2026 at 4:11 PM
The largest city in the state Amy Klobuchar represents is currently under federal occupation. And they've started shooting.
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
“Some of our witnesses as well as victims, are immigrants, and they’re afraid to come down to the courthouse, that they might get snatched by ICE,” Moriarty said. “Even though we do not work with ICE or cooperate with them, we can’t guarantee that anybody’s going to be safe if they are helping us.”
Federal immigration actions upend local criminal cases
Victims afraid to testify. Defendants deported before a conviction. Immigration arrests are upending local criminal cases, Hennepin County officials say.
sahanjournal.com
January 7, 2026 at 1:22 PM
“Some of our witnesses as well as victims, are immigrants, and they’re afraid to come down to the courthouse, that they might get snatched by ICE,” Moriarty said. “Even though we do not work with ICE or cooperate with them, we can’t guarantee that anybody’s going to be safe if they are helping us.”
“Ever” is too much to think about but Dickinson took my breath away
Given that apparently the Stranger Things finale was meh (idk, didn't watch it, just the scuttlebutt) and we're not that far removed from the disastrous GOT finale that retroactively made everyone have never cared about the show:
What's the *best* ending to a show you've ever seen? Quote/reply etc
What's the *best* ending to a show you've ever seen? Quote/reply etc
January 7, 2026 at 12:58 AM
“Ever” is too much to think about but Dickinson took my breath away
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
If my recently submitted op-ed on #RethinkingI-94 is published in the @startribune.com I want this quote included. Enough planning for drivers to race through our beautiful cities when we can create a stampede of new residents simply by making a former highway an actual amenity.
"Cities are meant to stop traffic. That is their point. That is why they are there. That is why traders put outposts there, merchants put shops there, hoteliers erect inns there. Rationally one wants to have traffic *stop* there, not go *through*."
—Kirkpatrick Sale, Human Scale.
—Kirkpatrick Sale, Human Scale.
January 5, 2026 at 6:44 PM
If my recently submitted op-ed on #RethinkingI-94 is published in the @startribune.com I want this quote included. Enough planning for drivers to race through our beautiful cities when we can create a stampede of new residents simply by making a former highway an actual amenity.
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
"Cities are meant to stop traffic. That is their point. That is why they are there. That is why traders put outposts there, merchants put shops there, hoteliers erect inns there. Rationally one wants to have traffic *stop* there, not go *through*."
—Kirkpatrick Sale, Human Scale.
—Kirkpatrick Sale, Human Scale.
January 5, 2026 at 6:11 PM
"Cities are meant to stop traffic. That is their point. That is why they are there. That is why traders put outposts there, merchants put shops there, hoteliers erect inns there. Rationally one wants to have traffic *stop* there, not go *through*."
—Kirkpatrick Sale, Human Scale.
—Kirkpatrick Sale, Human Scale.
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
My new habit of only looking at social media for 4.5 hours before getting to work in the morning is going great this afternoon
January 6, 2026 at 8:21 PM
My new habit of only looking at social media for 4.5 hours before getting to work in the morning is going great this afternoon
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
I couldn't pick a paragraph to pull-quote because they're all so damn good
Opinion | It’s time to pause the I-94 project
Despite years of community engagement work through the "Rethinking I-94" project, MnDOT plans to rebuild the interstate more or less as it is today. A new vision is needed, Mary Morse Marti writes.
www.startribune.com
January 6, 2026 at 8:56 PM
I couldn't pick a paragraph to pull-quote because they're all so damn good
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
i wanna lay this out a bit more. it comes down to the unity vs. solidarity issue that's plagued democrats for years and is, to me, one of the central reasons for this ongoing fight between (mostly white, cishet) centrists and leftist progressives.
“Thou shall not speak ill of your fellow DFL’rs.” That’s a really bad rule to have because it puts the appearance of impropriety and bad PR over and above actual misbehavior.
December 14, 2025 at 3:12 AM
i wanna lay this out a bit more. it comes down to the unity vs. solidarity issue that's plagued democrats for years and is, to me, one of the central reasons for this ongoing fight between (mostly white, cishet) centrists and leftist progressives.
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
This is several months old, but a great listen for people interested in at least two of placemaking, science fiction, Minneapolis, and/or writing, which I assume is everyone who follows me here.
Writing About Place With Naomi Kritzer: https://streets.mn/2025/07/01/writing-about-place-with-naomi-kritzer/
Sherry Johnson sits down with author Naomi Kritzer to talk about her process of incorporating a sense of place into her works.
Sherry Johnson sits down with author Naomi Kritzer to talk about her process of incorporating a sense of place into her works.
January 5, 2026 at 4:06 AM
This is several months old, but a great listen for people interested in at least two of placemaking, science fiction, Minneapolis, and/or writing, which I assume is everyone who follows me here.
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
The MN GOP, including all candidates for governor, support masked men being able to walk into your kids daycare without identifying themselves while lying about enrolling fake children.
December 31, 2025 at 11:15 PM
The MN GOP, including all candidates for governor, support masked men being able to walk into your kids daycare without identifying themselves while lying about enrolling fake children.
Feeling good about all the Bombas I’ve bought
And they're the good ones!! A lot of people assume that the item that gets donated is lower quality than the ones that are available for purchase but the donated ones are GREAT, and we have size and length options!!!
December 31, 2025 at 7:18 PM
Feeling good about all the Bombas I’ve bought
This is the least important question I can think of, but is he rolling his Rs when he says “children”? Is this an American regional accent I don’t know about?
uhhh yeah I can see why these childcare properties weren't eager to let in some rando dudes asking "where are the kids?"
December 31, 2025 at 4:24 PM
This is the least important question I can think of, but is he rolling his Rs when he says “children”? Is this an American regional accent I don’t know about?
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
It should be harder to get a drivers license and easier to lose it.
The California DMV is in deep need of reform. Enraging stuff, uncovered by a team of reporters at @calmatters.org
calmatters.org/investigatio...
calmatters.org/investigatio...
December 31, 2025 at 1:28 AM
It should be harder to get a drivers license and easier to lose it.
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
We are reaching out with an urgent mutual aid request🚨. A neighbor of ours needs support with travel expenses to return a victim that was kidnapped by ICE back home to Minnesota. Unfortunately, time is critical. The deadline for their safe return is within the next 24 hours. 1/
gofund.me/2fd5e643b
gofund.me/2fd5e643b
December 30, 2025 at 7:04 PM
We are reaching out with an urgent mutual aid request🚨. A neighbor of ours needs support with travel expenses to return a victim that was kidnapped by ICE back home to Minnesota. Unfortunately, time is critical. The deadline for their safe return is within the next 24 hours. 1/
gofund.me/2fd5e643b
gofund.me/2fd5e643b
As a bonus for helping out a local immigrant-owned business, you can drink some very good tea
Or coffee probably, I’ve been too busy drinking tea to check it out
Or coffee probably, I’ve been too busy drinking tea to check it out
please visit albi kitchen in loring park. they're dealt with steady stream of gawkers, some threatening phone calls, and youtubers coming in to harass them about the daycare that right wing youtuber featured because they're in the same building. i walked up and there's a line of cars and KARE 11 too
I’m at Albi Kitchen on Nicollet and they could definitely use more support these days. We need to work hard to keep our Somali-owned businesses afloat while the community is being targeted.
December 29, 2025 at 11:21 PM
As a bonus for helping out a local immigrant-owned business, you can drink some very good tea
Or coffee probably, I’ve been too busy drinking tea to check it out
Or coffee probably, I’ve been too busy drinking tea to check it out
Reposted by Erik Ostrom
Evie is great! I use it as a backup to my backup, so I’m not a heavy user. But when it’s come in clutch it has come in CLUTCH.
If you haven’t tried it, give it a shot!
The commitment over decades of this local non profit to HourCar and now the Evie flavor of car sharing is admirable.
If you haven’t tried it, give it a shot!
The commitment over decades of this local non profit to HourCar and now the Evie flavor of car sharing is admirable.
Despite sudden loss of a major federal grant, nonprofit HourCar’s Evie Spot Network of electric vehicles/charging stations is expanding to low-income apartments, and pitching itself to more destinations, like hospitals and U of M parking meters. You game? www.twincities.com/2025/12/28/e...
Evie electric carshare seeks to expand, despite loss of federal grant
HourCar announced this month that it installed an electric-vehicle charging hub at an affordable-housing development on the East Side.
www.twincities.com
December 29, 2025 at 5:20 AM
Evie is great! I use it as a backup to my backup, so I’m not a heavy user. But when it’s come in clutch it has come in CLUTCH.
If you haven’t tried it, give it a shot!
The commitment over decades of this local non profit to HourCar and now the Evie flavor of car sharing is admirable.
If you haven’t tried it, give it a shot!
The commitment over decades of this local non profit to HourCar and now the Evie flavor of car sharing is admirable.
Finally imported the Ida box set into Apple Music.
December 29, 2025 at 3:59 PM
Finally imported the Ida box set into Apple Music.
post a perfect album from the 90s that isn’t nirvana, soundgarden, pearl jam, or alice in chains.
December 28, 2025 at 7:37 AM
post a perfect album from the 90s that isn’t nirvana, soundgarden, pearl jam, or alice in chains.
My cat used to chase a toy like mad, and then if she missed she’d immediately slow to a prim trot and proceed in whatever direction she was already moving, on out of the room. Like she was embarrassed to be seen making an effort, and maybe if she played it cool you would somehow not have noticed.
Feel like it’s not talked about enough how reckless this driving is, it’s actually pretty insane.
I heard a WCCO photojournalist describe watching ICE chase a vehicle near Little Earth and the vehicle crashed and the person got out and ran and ice just continued on and didn’t even stop.
I heard a WCCO photojournalist describe watching ICE chase a vehicle near Little Earth and the vehicle crashed and the person got out and ran and ice just continued on and didn’t even stop.
Lot of ICE activity out there today folks - keep your neighbors safe.
Also keep yourself safe - these guys purposely drive like jackasses and it's amazing they haven't run anyone over here.
Also keep yourself safe - these guys purposely drive like jackasses and it's amazing they haven't run anyone over here.
December 27, 2025 at 9:52 PM
My cat used to chase a toy like mad, and then if she missed she’d immediately slow to a prim trot and proceed in whatever direction she was already moving, on out of the room. Like she was embarrassed to be seen making an effort, and maybe if she played it cool you would somehow not have noticed.
Jazz friend told me something he’s been trying to impress on his students: yes technique, yes doing the work, but also, the relationships you build are what’s going to carry you through the length of a career.
Talking to one of these types at a con who asked how I 'got in' with so many 'famous writers' who I'd been talking to and I said "we made friends before anyone knew who we were decades ago by striking up interesting conversations and enjoying each other's company" and he kept re-asking the question.
They have come to the convention hoping to "break in" and then find themselves -- shocker! -- a "nobody in the book world." Yeah no shit! We all are! I have gently told guys like this a million times that it takes most of us *years* of hard work but they do not believe that could be true for them. +
December 27, 2025 at 8:34 PM
Jazz friend told me something he’s been trying to impress on his students: yes technique, yes doing the work, but also, the relationships you build are what’s going to carry you through the length of a career.
Merry Christmas from cars
December 25, 2025 at 9:05 PM
Merry Christmas from cars