Eric Berg
@ericbergpdx.bsky.social
If you happen to see Swiss ski-jumpers on t.v. the next two weeks, they’ve spent a lot of time in the small city where my family likely lived for over 500 years. The earliest mention of Einselden in the tree is Johan Jacob Lacher. Grammy’s maiden name is Lacher. Her dad was born there.
February 8, 2026 at 5:54 PM
If you happen to see Swiss ski-jumpers on t.v. the next two weeks, they’ve spent a lot of time in the small city where my family likely lived for over 500 years. The earliest mention of Einselden in the tree is Johan Jacob Lacher. Grammy’s maiden name is Lacher. Her dad was born there.
One of the conversations I had withAmericans and Brits in London over the holidays: If Starmer, Schumer and Jeffries cared about the future of western democracy, they’d step down as leaders. They simply aren’t who democracy needs going forward to counter and defeat MAGA and Reform movements. 1/
Not fun to watch US Democrats and UK Labor competing to see which party can be more useless
February 8, 2026 at 4:55 PM
One of the conversations I had withAmericans and Brits in London over the holidays: If Starmer, Schumer and Jeffries cared about the future of western democracy, they’d step down as leaders. They simply aren’t who democracy needs going forward to counter and defeat MAGA and Reform movements. 1/
Two things I’ve heard and seen this afternoon that made me smile: 1) “Has the Sean Miller staffer who posted the video been fired or is he still president of the United States?” 2)
February 7, 2026 at 11:59 PM
Two things I’ve heard and seen this afternoon that made me smile: 1) “Has the Sean Miller staffer who posted the video been fired or is he still president of the United States?” 2)
I started volunteering @blanchethouse.bsky.social this week. [At 6 a.m. even!] About 350 breakfasts served this morning. 322 on Wednesday. Blanchet House serves three meals a day six days a week. They have it down!
February 7, 2026 at 12:46 AM
I started volunteering @blanchethouse.bsky.social this week. [At 6 a.m. even!] About 350 breakfasts served this morning. 322 on Wednesday. Blanchet House serves three meals a day six days a week. They have it down!
Going through boxes of stuff…This is from circa 2011 when I was on the @107ist.org board and studying @unofficialpsu.bsky.social. One of things I enjoyed being a student and miss not being in school: access to academic research.
February 5, 2026 at 11:51 PM
Going through boxes of stuff…This is from circa 2011 when I was on the @107ist.org board and studying @unofficialpsu.bsky.social. One of things I enjoyed being a student and miss not being in school: access to academic research.
Apparently, nothing important happened in Oregon during the previous 20s.
February 5, 2026 at 7:24 PM
Apparently, nothing important happened in Oregon during the previous 20s.
When I saw this yesterday, I said, “This looks like this could be in The Onion”…
Well…
Well…
February 3, 2026 at 3:47 PM
When I saw this yesterday, I said, “This looks like this could be in The Onion”…
Well…
Well…
MLK was arrested 29 times.
January 28, 2026 at 11:06 PM
MLK was arrested 29 times.
Reposted by Eric Berg
Kristi Noem and Kash Patel are right: Alex Pretti had no right to possess a gun during a protest. What if he had killed someone?
by Kyle Rittenhouse
by Kyle Rittenhouse
January 27, 2026 at 2:27 AM
Kristi Noem and Kash Patel are right: Alex Pretti had no right to possess a gun during a protest. What if he had killed someone?
by Kyle Rittenhouse
by Kyle Rittenhouse
One year ago today.
January 24, 2026 at 10:23 PM
One year ago today.
The kiddies are alright.
Gotta remind yourself not to cry when you see the kid's signs.
It's negative -25°F and tears are dangerous.
"LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!"
"ICE GIT OUT YA FUCKIN DUMBIES 😡"
It's negative -25°F and tears are dangerous.
"LEAVE MY FRIENDS ALONE!"
"ICE GIT OUT YA FUCKIN DUMBIES 😡"
January 24, 2026 at 1:19 AM
The kiddies are alright.
In other words, Johnson is eternally grateful his young parents made the *choice* they did.
Mike Johnson: "I was the product of an unplanned teen pregnancy exactly one year before Roe. A lot of people tried to convince my very young parents that they should just take care of that problem. But I am eternally grateful that they allowed me the chance at life."
January 23, 2026 at 8:34 PM
In other words, Johnson is eternally grateful his young parents made the *choice* they did.
What I shared earlier: MLK was very unpopular the last year of his life, even among many Democrats and many Blacks, for opposing the Vietnam War and highlighting poverty. He was in Memphis supporting sanitation workers when he was murdered. He was organizing the Poor People’s Campaign nationwide.
On this Dr. MLK, Jr. Day I want to uplift his 1967 Riverside Church speech that connected US imperialism with racialized capitalism at home. But it also presents a vision for economic justice. This was a call for a revolution of values and his message remains urgent and timely.
www2.hawaii.edu
January 19, 2026 at 9:38 PM
What I shared earlier: MLK was very unpopular the last year of his life, even among many Democrats and many Blacks, for opposing the Vietnam War and highlighting poverty. He was in Memphis supporting sanitation workers when he was murdered. He was organizing the Poor People’s Campaign nationwide.
MLK was very unpopular the last year of his life, even among many Democrats and many Blacks, for opposing the Vietnam War and highlighting poverty. He was in Memphis supporting sanitation workers when he was murdered. He was organizing the Poor People’s Campaign nationwide. 1/
January 19, 2026 at 6:01 PM
MLK was very unpopular the last year of his life, even among many Democrats and many Blacks, for opposing the Vietnam War and highlighting poverty. He was in Memphis supporting sanitation workers when he was murdered. He was organizing the Poor People’s Campaign nationwide. 1/
43 percent of PSU undergraduates are first generation college students. Only 23 percent of OSU students are. Only 34 percent of UO students are. If higher education is “opportunity,” PSU provides almost twice as much opportunity as OSU [by this metric]. 1/
Portland State University serves working, first generation and transfer students, powering Oregon’s workforce. Its mission needs funding to match.
nwlaborpress.org/2026/01/psu-...
nwlaborpress.org/2026/01/psu-...
PSU deserves funding that works for Oregon’s workers
Portland State serves working, first generation and transfer students, powering Oregon’s workforce. Its mission needs funding to match.
nwlaborpress.org
January 19, 2026 at 5:16 PM
43 percent of PSU undergraduates are first generation college students. Only 23 percent of OSU students are. Only 34 percent of UO students are. If higher education is “opportunity,” PSU provides almost twice as much opportunity as OSU [by this metric]. 1/
My response to a family member on the Trump administration and Republican congress…Corruption, dishonesty, partisanship, politics, etc.: “Things have always been this way, sure, but never always been this way *this* way.”
January 18, 2026 at 11:23 PM
My response to a family member on the Trump administration and Republican congress…Corruption, dishonesty, partisanship, politics, etc.: “Things have always been this way, sure, but never always been this way *this* way.”
When I heard there was going to one a musical about Alexander Hamilton, I said something like this friend who also loves history [and democracy], "Hamilton was an asshole, an elitist. Why not Thomas Paine? He's the Founding Father worth singing about." 1/
250 years ago today, Thomas Paine published his greatly influential Common Sense, which helped catalyze the American Revolution.
“We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”
“We have it in our power to begin the world over again.”
January 10, 2026 at 4:53 PM
When I heard there was going to one a musical about Alexander Hamilton, I said something like this friend who also loves history [and democracy], "Hamilton was an asshole, an elitist. Why not Thomas Paine? He's the Founding Father worth singing about." 1/
FWIW: I have graduate education in nonprofit management. I've helped create several nonprofit boards. I've served on several. I prefer an even-number of members. 1/
Advice to anyone designing a Board or other governance body.
If you don't have a mechanism for breaking ties, politicians just sit there yelling at each other forever.
It's a known infinite-loop problem, easily prevented at the design stage.
www.opb.org/article/2026...
If you don't have a mechanism for breaking ties, politicians just sit there yelling at each other forever.
It's a known infinite-loop problem, easily prevented at the design stage.
www.opb.org/article/2026...
Portland City Council fights, feuds and fails its way to not electing its own leader
Portland’s first City Council meeting of 2026 ends with no action, personal attacks.
www.opb.org
January 10, 2026 at 4:43 PM
FWIW: I have graduate education in nonprofit management. I've helped create several nonprofit boards. I've served on several. I prefer an even-number of members. 1/
I’m not saying Day is wrong, but “some nexus of involvement” in TdA has as much relevance and credibility as “some degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon.”
January 9, 2026 at 11:51 PM
I’m not saying Day is wrong, but “some nexus of involvement” in TdA has as much relevance and credibility as “some degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon.”
Me: Vance didn't actually say this, did he?
[copy, paste, search]
[copy, paste, search]
January 9, 2026 at 3:17 PM
Me: Vance didn't actually say this, did he?
[copy, paste, search]
[copy, paste, search]
My text to Tara today from City Council chambers.
January 9, 2026 at 12:28 AM
My text to Tara today from City Council chambers.
I miss London transit. I’ve been waiting 25+ minutes for a bus that’s promoted as running four times an hour. All this app has to say is “??.”
January 8, 2026 at 9:17 PM
I miss London transit. I’ve been waiting 25+ minutes for a bus that’s promoted as running four times an hour. All this app has to say is “??.”
Instagram algorithm is spot on.
January 6, 2026 at 10:07 PM
Instagram algorithm is spot on.