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Crystal

@ccolby.bsky.social
343 followers 210 following 665 posts

User experience advocate, transit fan, and native plant gardener in the Twin Cities. I judge you when you don't use alt text. Everyone watches women's sports.

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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 02/10/2026
Reading this on the train on my way to the U. "Even if we just assess for dollar value, a 2025 analysis found that for every $1 invested in the U, the state reaped $16.75. In other words, every Minnesotan benefits from our robust systems of public higher education."
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melanie newport @melanienewport.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
the institutional sanction of sexual violence against women and the state trying to kill a woman and failing. galling to take those together
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Green Line train just had to stop at Lexington even though the car traffic light was still green, so we had to wait more than a full signal cycle to board. Transit priority in Saint Paul when? #MSPTransitExperience
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Kashana @kashana.blacksky.app · 01/10/2026
I read a couple hundred death penalty cases for a case once and I think you’d all be shocked at how often this happens. The death penalty is one of the cruelest things in our system, an obvious violation of the 8th amendment cruel and unusual punishment clause, but we just love to kill.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
The city of Minneapolis partners with Metro Transit for this annual celebration. Why doesn't the city of Saint Paul have a party in their own downtown?
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 30/09/2026
Yes and: all bus stops without benches are hostile, whether there's a shelter or not. And all stops should have a concrete pad if there's not sidewalk. (My bus stop is just a sign in grass, so I have to stand in the snow or street during the winter.) #MSPTransitExperience
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Steven with a V and an N. @minneapple.bsky.social · 28/09/2026
80 factory workers will lose their job when the Pearson candy factory closes in St. Paul today, that's about 40 more than a data center would employ.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 27/09/2026
Eyes on five.
Main entrance to Target Center with a vertical banner of Olivia Miles pointing and the words Eyes On Five in capital letters at the top.
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Nathan Kalman-Lamb @nkalamb.bsky.social · 26/09/2026
“Both the NCAA and Kentucky State University have benefited from the excellence of Aminata Seck in both her studies and her athleticism. Yet, in her moment of need, they seem to have abandoned her.“ - Nandita Sharma (@nsharma101.bsky.social) www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/s...
theguardian.com
ICE has abducted a college athlete. What are the NCAA and universities going to do about it?
Aminata Seck’s detention shows the bargain facing international college athletes: universities eagerly recruit them, but support can disappear when their immigration status becomes precarious.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Fun game tonight, made even better by the fabulous Red Panda at halftime. I will never get tired of watching her perform.
An acrobat in a short black-and-blue dress balancing on a unicycle while wearing white shoes with heels. A stack of bowls is on her head, and her arms are outstretched.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 24/09/2026
The poky local was even slower tonight because we got stopped by a very long freight train. When it cleared, we saw that the bus on the same route going the opposite direction was also held up. My bus dropped off at my stop 8 minutes later than the estimate upon boarding. #MSPTransitExperience
Taken from the back of a bus, looking through the windshield at flashing crossing arms and a freight car.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Alt text: The top 7 records in the WNBA are a satisfying list where each subsequent team has one fewer win and one more loss than the team above it: W-L 32-11 31-12 30-13 29-14 28-15 27-16 26-17 Link to the full standings: www.wnba.com/standings
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Cassidy Hettesheimer @cassidyhett.bsky.social · 23/09/2026
Fun fact, with the Golden State vs. Portland game going into overtime tonight, the Lynx are now the only team in the WNBA that hasn't played an overtime game this year.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 19/09/2026
Postgame music in the Target Center skyway featured O Holy Night and Christmas Eve / Sarajevo. ??
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sydder @sydder.bsky.social · 18/09/2026
Good morning, our long minnesota nightmare is over: the lynx are BACK
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 17/09/2026
Wasn't expecting to find a black swallowtail caterpillar in Minnesota on September 16! #NativePlants
Small caterpillar with black ends that have rows of small orange spots. In the middle is a thin white section. If you're not looking closely, you might think on first glance that it's bird poop. It's resting on a green leaf with jagged edges, which is golden alexanders, one of its host plants.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 16/09/2026
Just saw someone try to catch the Green Line by running down the opposite platform and crossing in front of the train, which had its lights flashing and was starting to pull forward. Scary moment.
Wait. Do not chase. Includes Metro Transit logo.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 12/09/2026
Back at the Pav for another Gopher volleyball home season! New this year: the teams don't switch sides after the first set. (They switch after the second as well as the fourth, if the match goes to five.)
The main entrance of Maturi Pavilion with its curved roof against a blue sky with lots of wispy clouds. Maroon and gold flags are blowing in the gusty wind.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 09/09/2026
3 of my 4 buses today had broken fare machines so the drivers waved riders onboard. They were all different routes, too — I didn't ride the same bus twice. #MSPTransitExperience
Screengrab from the Transit app. Question asks Was the fare machine or validator working? Options are It was broken, Didn't see or use one, and Working fine.
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Goodnews @goodnews.computer · 04/09/2026
Take a break from being depressed that everything you love is being destroyed by slop for a moment and let me tell you about the beautiful symbiotic relationship between graffiti writers, train yard workers, and model train enthusiasts.
A hand holding a model train with a replica of the same graffiti on the full scale train car behind it.A model train with two graffiti pieces on opposite sides.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 28/08/2026
I wish for this often, too. The A Line used to have digital signs onboard to show you where you are plus several upcoming stops. I think it was a pilot program that didn't get implemented, which is unfortunate. #MSPTransitExperience
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
I was going to transfer to the 3 (which goes through the state fairgrounds) but the estimated minutes for that bus ticked up instead of down so I chose a different transfer. Super long commute this morning since my first bus goes close enough to the fair. Take the bus, people. #MSPTransitExperience
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MaryMM @marymm.bsky.social · 27/08/2026
The A Line is stuck on Snelling in vast, immobile car traffic just south of the fairgrounds. People are jumping off, attempting to get to work on time. Please don't drive to the Fair. Please don't drive anywhere you don't have to.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 26/08/2026
I knew Polly Darton before I knew Dolly. (And once I found out about Dolly, it took me awhile to remember which name was for the Muppet and which was for the person.)
youtu.be
Muppet Songs: Polly Darton - Wavin' Goodbye to You with My Heart
YouTube video by Muppet Songs
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Valerie Valkyrie @beezygrey.bsky.social · 24/08/2026
The WNBA is actively putting its players in danger by not denouncing transphobia
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 23/08/2026
If Olivia Miles scores 20+ points in another game, she'll tie the Lynx *and* WNBA records for rookies. www.acrossthetimeline.com/wnba/data-ex... #SwannyStat
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 22/08/2026
Tonight's win was the fifth 50/40/90 game for the Lynx in 2026 (19th in team history). #SwannyStat
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Phil Salvador @philsalv.bsky.social · 19/08/2026
Not only do digital things not last forever, digital objects are even more fragile than physical ones! You can put a piece of paper on a shelf for a century, but you probably can't read a Unity project from 10 years ago
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Naomi Kritzer @naomikritzer.bsky.social · 20/08/2026
One of the smartest ideas I've seen in the last few years is instead of trying to find "the Joe Rogan of the left," buy up the news sites of defunct papers and put some money into providing local news coverage in rural areas.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 16/08/2026
Tonight was Minnesota's 15th road win, a single-season Lynx record and tied for third in WNBA history. #SwannyStat www.sports-reference.com/stathead/tin...
sports-reference.com
Team Game Stats Finder - Pro Basketball | Stathead
Find the teams with most points in home games in single seasons, combined seasons, and more. Get all of this data on Stathead.
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Pat Thompson @pattho.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Two perennial midsummer Rudbeckia: R. laciniata and R. subtomentosa. Subto blooms for about a month and also makes great cut flowers! #FlowerReport
Droopy gold-petaled daisies with greenish centers.Gold daisies with brown centers and stiffly held petals.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 10/08/2026
Found not one but two surprise monarch caterpillars in the garden today! The first was not on milkweed and my guess is that it was scouting locations to form a chrysalis very soon. (It was on a nearby swamp milkweed later.) Plant #NativePlants, get butterflies.
Large caterpillar with yellow, black, and white stripes on a showy milkweed leaf.Different caterpillar on the underside of a butterfly weed leaf.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Kayla McBride passed 6,000 career points on a 2-pointer with 4:09 left in the 3rd period. #SwannyStat
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Really cool how excited people are about the Lynx! 8 of my friends are in 3 areas of this photo, and 2 are in sections not shown. Not to mention how many people On Here chat throughout games. I don't like back-to-backs, but since we are in one, I'm going to enjoy today's game. Will you be there too?
Inside the Lynx arena during a timeout, with the center court logo showing. Most of the fans are sitting, and 2 refs are standing at the left side.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
I'm enjoying Natasha Howard's passes to Olivia Miles especially. 3 of her assists today were to the rookie. At halftime, Howard led the Lynx in points (13), rebounds (4, tied with Collier), and assists (5). She finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. All of her assists today:
stats.wnba.com
Miles 2' Cutting Layup Shot (2 PTS) (Howard 1 AST)
Miles 2' Cutting Layup Shot (2 PTS) (Howard 1 AST) 2026-08-08/LVAMIN
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 09/08/2026
Collier is the fourth Lynx player to make at least 5 three-pointers in a game in 2026. The list: - Nia Coffey - Olivia Miles (twice) - Kayla McBride (4 times) - Napheesa Collier #SwannyStat
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CJ Fogler @cjzero.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
This was not scored as an assist but I'm counting it
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
The Lynx have now beaten every opponent at least once in 2026. It's the third consecutive season they’ve accomplished that feat and ninth time overall. #SwannyStat
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Huey @hueycallison.bsky.social · 08/08/2026
UPDATE: if you enjoy good sports, the Vegas/Minnesota game is the best thing on TV right now. Olivia Miles is downright joyful.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
If you left a journal on the B Line tonight, the driver has it and will turn it in at the garage.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 05/08/2026
Beautiful night for outdoor baseball! Lots of runs, and excellent seats!
Saint Paul Saints player reaching home plate, as viewed from the stands on the third base line. It's late in the game and the sky is dark and the stadium lights are on.
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It’s Julie. Dr. Tilsen, if you’re nasty (or use AI) @queeringtherapist.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
The thing about Chery's shirt: it's not just a response to transphobes."Trans Kids Belong" is a significantly different stance than "protect trans kids." It side-steps transphobe's appropriation of "protect trans kids" & it's anti-adultist/non-paternalistic. It centers trans kids as trans kids.✊🏼
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 03/08/2026
Today at Target Center was the highest-scoring first quarter in WNBA history, according to this AP recap: apnews.com/article/feve... (Note that the story says the 36-32 quarter score tied the record, but actually the score was 36-33 after a review changed an Indiana 2-pointer to a 3-pointer.)
Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams with their traditional halfcourt jump to celebrate a home win. The crowd is all still in their spots and standing, even though the jump was quite delayed because blue-haired Courtney was being interviewed on-camera right after the game ended.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 02/08/2026
Declaring that today was peak in my gardens between the amount of flowers and grasses blooming and the large number of bees and butterflies, plus sunshine. Not pictured: both joe-pye weeds, blue vervain, cup plant, mountain mint, anise hyssop, two ryes, rattlesnake master, and more. #NativePlants
Sun shining on a large area of blooming purple coneflowers, bee balm, gray-headed coneflower, and brown-eyed susans.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 01/08/2026
July in Saint Paul.
Looking up at arches at the top of the north tower of the Landmark Center from a "climb to the top" day open to the public.Hands holding a Richard Scarry illustration of a pickle car from a mini print vending machine at Red Balloon bookstore.Diamond-shaped yellow caution sign with an icon of a person walking down a hill. Beneath is a rectangular sign that says 10% rad. Letters have been scraped off because it should say 10% grade. The signs are next to a bike path, with a community ice cream social in the distance at bottom left.The giant loon sculpture at Snelling and University. It's a sunny day and parts are bright but not blinding.
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shiftedshaped - emily mae @shiftedshaped.bsky.social · 31/07/2026
Headed to the Lynx/Fever Sunday? Get to A Bar of Their Own for sign making Friday! Not going to the game? Maybe you head down to Target Center & elevate trans rights. We can’t swing the game but will host a watch. Making our signs that we’ll post in the yard game day with trans flag flying. #wnba
SIGN MAKING PARTY
TRANS
ATHLETES
6 PM - 8PM
BELONG IN
FRIDAY, JULY 31
SPORT
A BAR OF THEIR OWN
---
SUPPLIES PROVIDED
HEADING TO THE MINNESOTA LYNX GAME ON SUNDAY, AUGUST 2?
JOIN US TO MAKE SIGNS SUPPORTING TRANS ATHLETES TO BRING TO THE GAME WITH YOU!
YOU BELONG
LET KIDS PLAY
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Jen BH @lil-whip.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
Yall need to speak up for your trans friends, associates, online commenters, whoever you need to think about. But if this league is gonna stay the amazing inclusive space we love it for, you need to make your voice heard on this issue now. To the league, the teams, the media. #wnba
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 30/07/2026
The next eastbound Green Line train is in 20 minutes. At this hour, it's supposed to be every 12 minutes. #MSPTransitExperience
Looking up at the digital sign on a train platform. Track 2 at 9:51 a.m. says the next train is in 20 minutes and the one after that is in 27 minutes.
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Green Line stations this morning still have an audio message saying that you need to transfer to a replacemet bus in Minneapolis, even though it's back to running the full route. They note at the end of the audio message that it's through July 27 (even though it's July 29). #MSPTransitExperience
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Crystal @ccolby.bsky.social · 29/07/2026
Black jerseys tonight.
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