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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 6h

Everyone knocked it out of the park for National Walk and Roll to School day… Previous years would have required lots of organizing for me to get this turnout..today I just showed up and this happened.

A row of bikes in front of a school (bike racks are FULL)

Bikes locked to every remaining vertical surface (a tree)

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 06/10/2026

If you’re a #ChiBuke mutual and see me out and about, I have a few more of the holographic Madonna de Ghisallo (so?). Ask and ye shall receive!

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Loved this article. Reminds me of this graphic from Dan Berger (Professor of Contemporary Social Movements at Univ. of Washington)

This is how change happens by Dan Berger:

our ACTIONS are WORKING; they ARE NOT ENOUGH

NOTHING we do is SUFFICIENT; EVERYTHING we do MATTERS

we must BE STRATEGIC; we must OPERATE on multiple fronts SIMULTANEOUSLY

TIME is of the
ESSENCE; we have to ACT foR the LONG HAUL

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Shoutout to Mainers for their principled resistance (hint: read the alt text)

A monument in Portland ME dedicated to those who lost their lives defending the Union against the “War of Rebellion”

Signs in the window of a Portland ME shop advising what to do if ICE is spotted:

SALUTE (size, activity, location, uniform, time, weapons)

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

As a longtime partisan in the IPA wars, I for one welcome our new Kölsch overlords.

A can of Middlebrow’s Yard Work Kolsch next to a stein in the shape of a soccer ball.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

I carry an incorrect version of Underground Railroad history in my brain that delineates “The North” as the promised land… Except that fugitive slave laws meant that Canada (not Northern states) was the real destination. These plaques from Portland ME correct that narrative rather quickly.

Portland Freedom Trail
MAINE FREEDOM TRAILS ESTABLISHED 2007
HOME OF ELIAS THOMAS AND ELIZABETH WIDGERY THOMAS, CORNER OF INDIA AND CONGRESS STREET, KNOWN AS A STATION HOUSE ON THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. THE HOME WAS DESTROYED IN THE GREAT FIRE OF 1866.
THETHOMASES WERE PROMINENT IN THE PORTLAND ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY, BEGUN IN 1833, WHICH ALSO WORKED TO ADVANCE WOMEN'S RIGHTS. THEY PROVIDED HOUSING FOR SUCH NOTABLES AS LUCY STONE, SUSAN
B. ANTHONY, WILLIAM LLOYD GARRISON, CHARLES LENOX REMOND AND PARKER PILLSBURY.

Portland Freedom Trail
MAINE FREEDOM TRAILS ESTAIBLISHED 2003
THE BARGER SPOP OFLACOEC.
DICKSON ONCESTOOD AU 2AS VORE
STREET HE WAS ENSCTED SECRETARY OF THE PORTLAND UNION ANTI-SLAVERY SOCIETY ON JUNE 1, 1842.
BARBER SHOPS WERE IMPORTANT CENTERS FOR THE EXCHANGE OF IN FORVIATION IN THE OPERATION OF THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD. THE WIGS, BEARDS AND OTHER FACIAL COVERINGS THEY SOLD COULD CHANGE THE APPEARANCE OF A PERSON. COOPERATING WITH HACK DRIVERS, DOMESTIC WORKERS, SECONDHAND CLOTHING DEALERS AND MARINERS, THEY WERE ESSENTIAL IN MOVING FUGITIVES TO FREEDOM IN CANADA AND ENGLAND.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Bought this book (but never read) as a potential resource to consult for a talk. Talk done == Free time to read. Live, commonplace thread of quotations starts here…

The cover of Rebecca Solnit’s Wanderlust. A person walking along the base of a T-intersection approaches the junction that leads off into the distance. The road is hemmed in by trees along both sides.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

The car never “warmed up” by the time we got to school either. A 5-minute boop (even in sub-zero weather) quickly became the move.

A cargo bike with a storm shield attached. A radiant sunset starts to turn the clouds pink in the background.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Saw this in a shop window on the walk to Bramhall. Forget if this was before @kaiho.bsky.social offered Malort to some folks he met on the street 😭

A T-shirt that says “Nosfera-2-fast / Nosfera-2-furious”

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

How flat is Chicago? …it would take about 1K miles (3 months) to achieve what riding 40+ miles across 2.5 days in Portland ME with elevations like the one below.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

NGL i think one of the demographics that benefits the most from improved bike infra is people reaching their 70s who know their driving skills are faltering but aren’t ready to lose their independence. Context: just spoke to a woman for 15-min outside the food co-op who was fascinated by my bike.

Cargo bike loaded with groceries and ready to return home. #DontWannaDriveFarForStuff

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Another roadside small monument. This time to a small bird entombed in a box.

A small dead bird placed in a box filled with shredded paper and placed against a the base of a tweet with some artificial sunflowers laid against it.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

I rode by multiple times from Allagash (~3 blocks away) before I saw the unmistakable markers: flowers, picture, a name. A woman was killed here. Near a crosswalk. Next to a bus stop. A block from a red light. A 25 MPH speed limit. The fatality rate at 40 MPH is 90%. www.wmtw.com/article/poli...

A roadside monument to 57-year old Portland ME woman named Nichelle who was killed in a hit-and-run accident.

She was killed next to a marked crosswalk near a bus stop (foreground) and house of worship).

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

The last image in the “Say Thank You” section (other than the OG Dr. Christina Yang and her sparkly pager) was from the last library.

A dad and two smiling kids after completing their project to bike to all 81 libraries.

An Instax photo with blue and green borders is at the center of the photo (the “proof” used to preserve each library).

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

@bcantrill.bsky.social referring to an AI-generated image of a factory as “Dickensian Richard Scary” at #Monktoberfest is sending me. Rebecca Solnit was the quote de jour yesterday (3x). Will Richard Scarry be today’s?!?

Richard Scary vehicle with quote from Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car”

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Post #Monktoberfest wind down ride to reset. Not many people know this, but you’re allowed to shout “Oh hell yes!” if you step outside and the weather is perfect for a bike ride.

A bike leaning against a picnic table that looks out over the water

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

It’s a few blocks up the road from the location where Federal agents killed Silverio Villegas Gonzalez.

Roadside ofrenda to Silverio Villegas González who was murdered by ICE agents

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Full circle moment where I quoted @grimalkina.bsky.social in my talk at @monktoberfest.com on “How to Build a Bike Bus: Everything Worthwhile is Done with Others.” The park in the image below is the same park I showed in my talk today

Photo of a black bike in front of a flower bed of tulips that have just started to bloom

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Trekking over hilly Portland ME on an acoustic 8-speed bike (a significant departure from my electric bike on the pancake flat streets of Chicago) has me thinking about the time @that-person.bsky.social did the Schlitz ride on a vintage, single speed bike. Incredible.

My bike leaning against stuff (getting ready to speak at Monktoberfest)

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I’m sorry PWM urbanists, I was not familiar with your game!

A hand painted sign with rainbow coloring that says “Joey for Housing” with a bike leaned against it

A sign next to a senior center that says “Slow the Hill Down”

A curbside that says “20 is Plenty”. Slower is Safer.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Been in Portland ME and already seen two of the new USPS trucks. Jelly cat!

The new USPS truck with the high visibility design.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I ate at their Beverly spot a few months after they opened on one of my multiple bike rides down that way for the #ChicagoLibraryProject (I biked to all 81 locations). Food was incredible.

The back of a pink helmet looks into a window that reads, “Sanders BBQ Supply Co”

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Me when I have to work inside a climate-controlled office when it’s literally perfect outside: “That sir, is a crime!”

A photo of Ja’Mal Green’s campaign bus after it got stuck in a roundabout.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

Thinking again about all the small acts of community to remember people who died… The monument for Silverio that hijas del pueblo continually maintain A bouquet of flowers for a neighbor near the spot he liked to sit outside the post office. A ghost bike for a cyclist like Juan…

Road side monument for Silverio Villegas Gonzalez who was killed by federal ICE agents

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

The second wolf wrapped up a mini action last week to use a bike and patio furniture to convert a parking spot into a temporary parking (complete with a mini free library and seating for all)

Step 1: a front loader cargo biks arrives at an empty parking spot with patio furniture stacked on top

Step 2: the patio furniture is unloaded and transforms the single parking spot into a temporary park/cafe that is open to all

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

…I mean look at these fun stickers we’ll have (including a holographic one of Madonna de Ghisallo, the patron saint of cyclists).

Sticker pack that includes holographic Madonna de Ghisallo, who is the patron saint of cyclists, one from the War on Cars podcast that reads “you’d be happier biking” and one of Meredith Grey and Christina Yang from Greys Anatomy that reads, “twisted sisters”

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

I’m so disappointed to miss this one! Enjoy the jam!

A group of cyclists ride up an E/W street in Chicago as the sun sets brilliantly in the background.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

Oof. I haven’t seen an e-bike do that much damage since one crashed through a fence and into a tree around here.

An e-bike crashes through a fence and into a tree (JK it was an RV)

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 20/09/2026

Welcome to trolling the Trib editorial board and letters to the editor. A time honored tradition around these parts! Like it’s hard?

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

This bike is tremendously fun to ride. Turned a parking spot into a community park as the afterparty to parking day yesterday. #BikesDoSoMuch

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 19/09/2026

Saw an out-of-state driver sit an ENTIRE light cycle in the middle of the intersection at Damen/North/Milwaukee. lmao at the Christy Webber driver who turned past them and said, “fuckin’ Marylanders”

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

Our Chicago bike friends like @sidestreets.bsky.social, @michaelmclean.me , @ronythebikeczar.bsky.social and @viktorkoves.com are invited to come out to Oak Park for our Parking Day event on September 19 (weather permitting). Ride your bike (or bring your bike on metra or the Green Line IDK)

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

Is it time to post library pics on main? I can go 81/82 with the best of them (missing the new Obama Center CPL branch). One of my personal favs...the George C. Hall branch.

Photo of the stone entrance to the George Cleveland Hall Chicago Public Library branch.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 13/09/2026

The sequel to Zach Braff and Natalie Portman’s Garden State (New Jersey) is gonna go so hard. It’s about a 38-year old BlueSky poster who takes regional rail downstate to ride bicycles…

Natalie Portman from Garden Stare as she prepares to say, “This song is gonna change you’re life”

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Me to the 7-year old who didn’t respond favorably to my pitch deck: LOOK AT WHAT WE’RE MISSING

An Apple keynote slide that says “lake forever. Problems for now” subtitle: why we should bike to the beach

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

This is right off the route I cycle to work. Silverio was my neighbor (in the way all peoples whose lives are closely linked with ours are…which I think includes people we share streets with)

Memorial from last winter in Franklin Park with tryptich of images of Alex Pretti, Silverio Villegas Gonzalez, and Renee Good. Text across the top of each image reads “El Pueblo Unido”

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Unfortunately my audience did not appreciate the subtle genius of my pitch deck “Lake Forever. Problems for Now.” I may have mistook my audience (a 7-year old) for a 38-year old Chicago poaster on Bsky

An Apple Keynote slide that reads “Lake Forever. Problems for Now” with a subtitle that reads “why we should bike to Nhu Lan and then the Beach”

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 12/09/2026

Series reboot: “little house in Gary” about a family trying to make it in Gary Indiana during the steel boom and then its fallout. The descendants continue to live in their ancestral home (small and rundown but typical of the local architecture)

A small, rundown home with an open front porch for visiting and a former window on the top floor.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

The Winter Garden at the Harold Washington CPL branch is a GOATed place to drink an iced coffee and work. Arrive via CTA and get off at Harold Washington Library-State/Van Buren for a special auditory treat!

An iced coffee rests on a table in the Winter Garden at Harold Washington Librady. Beautiful Chicago light streams through the glassy enclosure.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Just rented a bike for this trip that cost me $80 total (3 days) from a non-profit community bike shop (think Working Bikes)... ...you can't even look in the direction of a rental car for a day for less than $100.

A Specialized HardRock bike that comes with the most adorable basket.

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Henderson the Purple Rain King @ericksoen.bsky.social · 08/09/2026

My weekly bike commute would like to have a word (inexplicably there’s a matching bench that you can sit on?)

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