Erik Ostrom

@erikostrom

Musician, improviser, urban biker, web developer, Minneapolitan.

214 Following670 Followers1,953 Posts

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Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· 23d

hey @actblueorg.bsky.social wtf Is this

From: Erik Ostrom <info@e.pro-choicemajority.o
Date: July 21, 2026 at 5:10:05 PM CDT
To: Erik Ostrom
Subject: re: Minneapolis's Post Office
Reply-To: info@pro-choicemajority.org

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· 23d

Minneapolis Vintage Emporium / Gen X reminder of inexorable march toward death at IDS Center

A mannequin wearing a cool vintage ensemble including very torn faded maybe painted jeans, a gold-ish chain, and a blouse under a t-shirt featuring Berkeley Breathed’s comics character Opus and the words “Penguin Lust.”

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· 24d

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· 25d

The headline is bad, but to the article’s credit it does eventually make this point.

Ironically, the trail of wrecked cars actually proves that the protected bike lanes are doing exactly what they were designed to do: take the hit.

Painted bike lanes offer absolutely no physical protection for cyclists if a distracted driver drifts over the white line. While a car climbing a concrete divider looks like an infrastructure failure, it is actually the barrier successfully absorbing an impact that otherwise would have struck whoever was riding in the bike lane.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· 28d

Woo hoo, “Very Unhealthy!” Time for some yard work

Screenshot of AirNow.gov, showing an air quality index of 237 at 4pm

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· 28d

I think you’ll find what she said was “the Time.”

The cover of “Ice Cream Castle,” featuring Morris Day and six other sharp-dressed men in front of a fake castle circa 1984.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jul 14

Jesus

Screenshot of a text message: “I texted you Sunday.
I texted you yesterday.
I'm texting you again now.
Please, friend. This is the absolute last time I'm going to”

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jul 9

Or you could just write “things to double-check: road conditions, weather, parking” on a sticky note

Screenshot of a promotional email, with a picture of a map on a phone on a dashboard and the text: “ChatGPT can turn a route and departure time into a simple plan for your drive, with things to double-check like road conditions, weather, and parking.”

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jul 3

Don’t think I’ve seen this bike rack full before. Good job, #CVG2026!

13 bikes locked to a rack, plus a couple of electric scooters and several well-dressed cosplayers.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 30

If you see this, post your mentor.

An image of Rick Blaine, the Humphrey Bogart character in the film Casablanca, with the text “I stick my neck out for nobody.”

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 30

In poster form

14 adults in Starfleet uniforms. Text reads: “STAR TREK: THE NEXT IMPROVISATION. CONVERGENCE MAINSTAGE (NICOLLET BALLROOM). SUNDAY, JULY 5TH 2:30PM.”

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 28

I don’t usually post about sports, but he’s the total package!

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 26

Whew

Screenshot of the end of an online quiz. “Your closest match: Zohran Mamdani” with a photo of his smiling face. “Mayor of New York Court (2026-present)”

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 23

Spire repair happening in Loring Park

A crane or something stretches high into the air to reach the spire of a big church.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 22

okay fine

The sunset. Above silhouetted trees, yellow, orange, thin layers of cloud, red orange, blue, the underside of more cloud in reflected pink, more blue, and a quilt of more scattered cloud above.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 21

From the Stone Arch Bridge tonight. This is a little bit of all right, I thought.

A series of similar clouds stretching off into the distance. Also a skyscraper and the Mississippi shoreline.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 19

Attn: severe thunderstorm warning

A skyscape in four distinct layers, bottom to top: roofs and chimneys; fluffy white clouds in the distance; bright blue sky; ominous gray clouds overhead.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 19

All over Europe this spring I kept thinking, “What if Minneapolis had just one commercial street that’s nice to be on?” I know you can’t build Old World charm overnight, but I feel like we could try.

A shop-lined street in Uppsala. Benches. People checking their phones under a banner that says SWIMP.

Small groups of people on the street at night, under a mesh of lights that stretches between Glasgow’s Gallery of Modern Art and the shops and cafes on the other side.

Another shop-lined street in Oslo. People, planters, and a little farther off there are some delivery and service trucks.

People on foot and on bikes pass the patio of the Deco Lounge, a former theater turned restaurant in Liverpool.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 16

Did you guys realize it’s been 58 years since Steven Spielberg’s last short film? I’m still hoping he’s tinkering away at something.

A screenshot from Wikipedia showing a table of the five short films Spielberg directed, from The Last Gun in 1959 to Amblin’ in 1968.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 12

Oh yeah, YIL straw is made from cereal crops, including wheat. I thought I was going to make a pretty funny joke about this sign, but facts. (I’m glad Sencha has this warning, and a wheat-free option!)

A bucket of paper-wrapped straws with a sign that says “Straws are made from WHEAT!” Next to it, a separate sign says “Celiac straws are available by request.”

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 12

I did something like this during COVID's heyday, when there was nowhere to go but I still wanted to go somewhere. This was my map as of October 2020. I moved to Loring Park in the spring and I thought it would open up downtown, but I never got back to it.

A map of Minneapolis with my 2020 bike explorations highlighted. I covered every block in the neighborhoods around Lyn-Lake, many more in south Minneapolis, and a few long loops to Near North, Longfellow, Edina, and Richfield.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 12

“Elon Musk is colonizing Earth.” Seems bad!

A collage of four busts of Musk’s head (or four views of the same sculpture).

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Jun 4

Hello! This will be my first show since returning to America. Come see how my international travels have changed how I goof around!

the 20th annual twin cities improv festival.
June II-14th at the Phoenix Theater.

June 14th at 7pm: SAPS, Two's Company, & MAYHEM

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· May 31

TIL that if you wanted to ask an Italian person why musical terms exist, you might say “Perché i termini musicali?” Also, if you more reasonably wanted to know why a lot of terminology in notated music is written in Italian, it’s the Renaissance. nolaschoolofmusic.com/blog/why-is-...

A screenshot of a Kagi search for “why are musical terms in italian,” which the search engine mistook for a translation question.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· May 30

OUTSTANDING work from Meta AI.

Screenshot of Meta AI output:

“A shooting occurred at an Airbnb in Dallas, Texas, resulting in four teens shot, including a 16-year-old who died, according to reports on May 25 and 26,
2026. The incident happened at a home on Pompano Beach Drive in southeastern Dallas, where a birthday party was being held. A security camera captured footage of one of the victims, a teen, asking for help after being shot. In another incident on May 26, 2026, a shootout at a West Dallas short-term rental party left three people dead and one wounded. The altercation occurred at a large, two-story house near Bayside Street, where dozens of people were attending a party.

“If you're looking for more information on the incidents or want to explore Dallas rentals, consider searching for listings on Airbnb, which offers various options, including a spacious modern home in East Dallas and a sleek downtown apartment with skyline views.”

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· May 19

Screenshot from the business section: “Sneaker company Allbirds plans to pivot to Al. Yes, Al. After selling its business for $39 million last month, the company said it planned to buy powerful computer chips and rebrand itself NewBird AI.”

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· May 19

Forget sharing the last picture you saved, I want to see the very first picture on your phone. Twig Child backstage mirror selfie, 2022

Six people posing in front of a mirror. Five of them have sullen/creepy/neutral expressions, and one in the back is wearing a big goofy grin. Behind them, the word “HUGE” is painted on the wall in big red letters.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· May 14

TIL the Irish name for the United States of America is Stáit Aontaithe Mheiriceá, good old Uncle SAM.

An overhead sign in two languages directing visitors to all gates, airline lounges, and U.S. Preclearance, or Réamh-Imréiteach SAM.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· May 3

TIL how to play Rebirth, at a regular gaming day at the Curler’s Rest here in Glasgow. My last board game in Scotland was set on a map of Glasgow, that’s pretty cool.

A game box on a wooden table. The game is Rebirth by Reiner Knizia, and the cover features futuristic greenhouses and wind farms as well as a castle and ancient ruins.

Erik Ostrom@erikostrom· Apr 30

TIL (but forgot to post) that one of my favorite places in Stockholm is called Södermalmsallén. It’s a car-free route/park below street level, with apartment buildings on either side. I just find it really soothing to walk along. Video from the always hypnotic Stockholm Walks: youtu.be/80as2Y5pV-I